Horror fans will get a kick out of this week’s releases – “Zombieland” and “House of the Devil” (which, in a collector’s edition, is packaged with a VHS) – but there’s not much for the less devoted gore enthusiasts. Thankfully, TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar marathon should keep you busy. What should you go out of your way to see this week? Here’s One to Rent, One to DVR for the week of 02/02/10 – exclusively at ForReel.net.

RENT

Adam (2009)
dir. Max Mayer
Availability: DVD (02/02/10)

Why?: “Adam” is the sort of schlocky, heart-warming picture that is best suited with a bowl of ice cream and layers upon layers of blankets. Some will find it sweet to the point of inducing a gag reflex, but this was one of my guiltiest pleasures of 2009. Hugh Dancy is very good, not turning Asperger’s into a gimmick (although the script, one could easily argue, is another matter entirely), and Rose Byrne is, as always, a charming, tender screen presence. While eyes will be subjected to quite a bit of rolling in the last act, “Adam” is a harmless soap opera about the romance between two wayward souls.

DVR

Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
dir. Federico Fellini
Playing: Sunday, February 7th, 10:30 PM (eastern) on Turner Classic Movies.

Why?: Fellini’s follow-up to “8 1/2″, “Juliet of the Spirits” stars wife and muse, Giulietta Masina, as a housewife looking for guidance after discovering her husband is having an affair. Such a synopsis makes things sound rather traditional, but the film is anything but. Bizarre, hallucinatory, and utterly unforgettable – “Juliet of the Spirits” is Fellini at his most audacious. It’s important to note that this was Fellini’s first venture into color, and he makes the most out of Technicolor’s capabilities through terrificly abstract, grotesque visions. While some might say that this film, and those that followed, marked Fellini’s descent, this is a delightful B-side by one of cinema’s greatest.