Outer space and aliens pop up a bit in entertainment this week, as Disney's "John Carter" takes a Civil War veteran to Mars, and the Science Channel unfolds a month of wondering whether Earthlings are alone in the universe.
Movies
Apparently a quarter of a BILLION dollars was spent on Disney's "John Carter," based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs character, a Confederate veteran who finds himself fighting a new war on Mars. Even with extra money from 3-D ticket prices, can the studio possibly make that much money back? It remains to be seen. Taylor Kitsch plays Carter, with Lynn Collins as the beautiful blue-eyed princess he falls for. (Opens March 9.)
Elizabeth Olsen is quickly making a name for herself aside from simply being known as the little sister of those famous twins. This week, she stars in horror film "Silent House." The movie's already getting talked about because it plays out in real time, and in one, long, continuous camera shot. (Opens March 9.)
TV
All month, the Science Channel is tackling the big question: Are we alone in the universe? The discussion begins this week with Morgan Freeman hosting "Through the Wormhole: Will We Survive First Contact?" (March 6, 10 p.m., Science), which imagines what would happen if we met aliens. Well, if Freeman's our spokesman, we'll probably do OK. Other related shows this month include "Alien Encounters" (March 13 and 20, 10 p.m. ET) and "NASA's Unexplained Files." (March 27, 10 p.m.) Spacey!
We're more than a little creeped out by TLC's new "My Crazy Obsession," and the premiere this week doesn't do anything to calm us down. This week, it's a couple who've spent more than $1 million on their brood of more than 5,000 Cabbage Patch Kids, plus a woman so obsessed with pink that she dyes her food that color. (March 7, 10 p.m., TLC.)
DVD and Blu-ray
Now ya gotta cut loose, footloose, kick off your Sunday shoes... It's true, kids of the 1980s, the remake of our beloved "Footloose" wasn't bad at all. No Kevin Bacon, but what are you gonna do? That remake is now on DVD and Blu-ray if you want to catch up with how the new generation fights back against a small-town dancing ban. Everybody cut, everybody cut! (On DVD and Blu-Ray March 6.)
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