My personal DVD picks this week are the new editions of Lewis Teague's Alligator (scripted by indie filmmaker John Sayles), John Boorman's Deliverance (which is shockingly indie, even though it was released by a major Hollywood studio in 1972) and William Friedkin's Cruising (c'mon! Al Pacino in gay bars chasing a serial killer? That would definitely be an indie today.). But if you're looking for sometime a little more recent, here are three titles that received (mostly) positive reviews from our Cinematical critics.

Everyone's favorite Danish provocateur, Lars von Trier, made a "refreshing change" with The Boss of it All, according to our own Ryan Stewart. He said the director "turns his attention back to his own side of the Atlantic and finds his faith in humanity just as lacking, and his comic timing as sharp as its ever been." He felt the film "is absolutely a worthy entry in the von Trier canon and a reminder of the natural directing skill that he possesses."

Kim Voynar saw Francois Veber's comedy The Valet at AFI Dallas and enjoyed it. She noted that the plot was "a tad predictable" but "the film is genuinely funny, and at times the laughter from the packed house was so loud I was grateful for the subtitles so I could keep up." On the other hand, Nick Schager did not laugh so much: "This lack of any dynamic energy, any hysterical verve, is what ultimately dooms The Valet's attempts at innocuous whimsy." Sony's DVD includes an audio commentary by the director.

Zoo is a documentary that tackles "the difficult task of exploring the death of a man who had sex with a horse," as Kim Voynar wrote in her Sundance review. That may be enough for you to decide if you want to rent it, but Kim expounded at length if you'd like to know more. The DVD from ThinkFilm includes an audio commentary by writer/director Robinson Devor and writer Charles Mudede.

One consumer warning, I'm afraid. As I've written before, Thai horror film The Victim looks gorgeous, but its unimaginative use of horror movie conventions (loud! bang!!) and "twists" that are telegraphed far in advance quickly become tiresome.

I watched Finishing the Game with an enthusiastic audience as the Asian Film Festival of Dallas (AFFD) got underway last week. As Scott Weinberg pointed out in his Sundance review, the film's humor is scattershot and inconsistent, but overall "delivers a solid parcel of good, goofy chuckles." In the post-screening Q&A, director Justin Lin noted the challenges he's faced in meetings with Hollywood executives as "the only Asian guy in the room." He feels that Asian Americans are underrepresented -- on screen and in the stories told -- not so much due to racial discrimination but because studio execs are not convinced that a market exists that will support them. Lin and two of his superb actors, Roger Fan and Sung Kang, kept the Q&A lively and stayed late to sign posters in the lobby.

My Friday screenings began with The Heavenly Kings, a quasi-mockumentary about the Hong Kong pop music scene. Cinematical's Jeffrey M. Anderson wrote a positive review when it played at the San Francisco Film Festival and the AFFD audience obviously enjoyed it. Personally, I thought the editing was choppy and the tone inconsistent. Still, Daniel Wu has come a long way from the late 90's, when he first started landing roles in Hong Kong after moving there from San Francisco. He was considered a pretty boy who didn't speak Cantonese very well, and some of his work was barely tolerable. He's blossomed into a fine actor and definitely shows promise and ambition in his directorial debut.

The Victim (from Thailand) looked gorgeous but its unimaginative use of horror movie conventions (loud! bang!!) and "twists" that were telegraphed far in advance quickly became tiresome. Happily, Dorm (also from Thailand) was much better. It's immediately captivating, relating the tale of a boy sent away to a private school where things go bump in the night. While the thrills and chills are not entirely original -- the premise is reminiscent of The Devil's Backbone -- the filmmakers do a great job of making you feel for the lost little kid. And there are just enough original touches to keep you off balance. Dorm was a pleasant surprise. Even better if you missed its festival showings: it's available on Region 1 DVD from Tartan Home Video. The Asian Film Festival of Dallas continues through Thursday, August 30.