Movies If you haven’t seen an animated 3-D movie yet (and you should really see “Coraline”), you won’t believe how much 3-D has changed from the days of the red and blue spectacles. “Monsters vs. Aliens” is a 3-D animated adventure that tells how the President (voiced by Stephen Colbert) calls on a motley crew of monsters (voices include Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen and Will Arnett) to battle a band of aliens. (Opens March 27)
Need a fright? Well, if you don’t have time to look at your 401(k) statement, how about checking out “The Haunting in Connecticut.” Based on a true story, the film tells the story of a family who moves into a Victorian Connecticut home and discovers that it used to be a funeral parlor — and what happened there was a lot scarier than your average “Six Feet Under” episode. (Opens March 27)
DVD"Quantum of Solace" is one of the worst-named James Bond movies to date. Roger Ebert wasn't crazy about the 2008 film itself, either, saying it made the iconic character too much of an action hero. But if you saw "Casino Royale," you'll want to check this one out, too, since Bond is out for revenge after the events of that film. (Out on DVD March 24.)
Fans of the short-lived 2006 CW series "Runaway" never quite got satisfaction, since the show was the first CW show ever canceled after airing just three times. Now the complete series -- well, all nine episodes -- is out on DVD. Don't remember the show? Donnie Wahlberg is the patriarch of a family on the run, and must keep his wife and three kids safe while trying to prove he didn't commit the murder of which he was convicted. Here's your chance to see the three that aired and the six that didn't. (Out on DVD March 24.)
TV
The cases Botswana detective Precious Ramotswe solves would never make "CSI." There's no blood or gore, no strippers or drug dealers. The founder of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency investigates simple, quiet crimes -- theft, marital cheating, disappearances. But there is something calming and sweet about the Alexander McCall Smith books in which she stars. Now HBO is taking "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" to the screen, with a 13-part series starring singer Jill Scott as Mma Ramotswe and Anika Noni Rose as her pal Mma Makutsi. (Premieres March 29, 8 p.m., HBO)
Music
Don’t accuse anthemic indie rockers The Decemberists of not being ambitious. Their new album, “Hazards of Love,” is a 17-song rock opera about a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal. It also includes stories of a forest queen and a cold-blooded lascivious rake. If you like the new album, the band is also taking their rock opera on the road starting in May. (On sale March 24)
Country crooner Martina McBride is back with her tenth studio album, “Shine.” With song titles such as “Wild Rebel Rose” and “You’re Not Leaving Me,” it sounds as if McBride is back with more of her unique “you go, girl” style of country. If you pre-order the album on iTunes, you get a bonus track: McBride’s cover of Leo Sayer’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” (On sale March 24)