Smiley Face
Peach Arch
Available Now

After tackling the adaptation of novelist Scott Heim's acclaimed story of a pair of molested young men in Mysterious Skin, director Gregg Araki lightens up to battle Cheech and Chong and Harold and Kumar for the title of Greatest Stoner Comedy of All Time.

The amiable Anna Faris portrays Jane F., a habitual pot user who can't complete the simple task of paying the electricity bill, no matter how hard she tries.

Whether she's rhapsodizing about lasagna or attempting to unionize a group of factory workers, Jane puffs away the problems that come with her demonic roommate (Danny Masterson) and the puppy-dog affections of his nerdy friend, Brevin (The Office's John Krasinski).

In a film where the stakes are so low - the worst that can happen is that Jane's pot dealer (Adam Brody) will take away her brand- new comfy mattress - Araki's style is to mimic his heroine's loopy headspace, allowing her inner dialogues to be played out against the omnipresent narrator (Roscoe Lee Browne, in a clever, extended voice cameo) in a sunny Southern California tapestry with billowy clouds that almost take the form of thought bubbles.

Comedy Central's TV Funhouse
Paramount
Available July 22

While a disclaimer on the back of the DVD case reads, 'Contains no footage from Saturday Night Live', rest assured that the original creative team (primarly writer and voice talent Robert Smigel) is on board in this expansion of the quirky animated segments that have appeared on the venerable sketch program since the 1990s. Eight episodes encompass the short-lived 2000 series, and the DVD's wraparound items feature a parody of a winsome children's host (played by Doug Dale) introducing a handful of cartoons that are more in line with the TV Funhouse spots we all know and love.

Joining Doug are The Anipals, a peanut gallery comprised of both real and puppet animals, including one with the unmistakable rasp of Triumph, The Comic Insult Dog, made popular on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Special guest stars include John Ritter and Robert Goulet, who marries a chicken in his live-action segment. Cheekily marketed as being ahead of its time, Funhouse predates Wonder Showzen in the perverted kids show department, but lacks any real topical punch.

Upcoming Releases
July 22 - 21; Picture This; Brutal Massacre: A Comedy; Spaced: The Complete Series; Las Vegas: Season 5.

Amanda Stefaniuk is a freelance writer who literally grew up in a video store.