TOP PICK — I'm Not There (Genius Products/Weinstein Company)
Todd Haynes' rambling, meditative Bob Dylan film (now out on DVD) sure ain't no biopic. Six actors (including Heath Ledger and Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett) portray the reclusive singer-songwriter during different stages of his long and thorny career. It cuts to the mind of the artist without ever approaching the heart of the man.
BOOK — Amy Amy Amy: The Amy Winehouse Story (Omnibus)
Nick Johnstone doesn't really tell you anything you don't already know about the British soul singer: She's a boozing, drugging fuckup with a dick of a husband and a self-sabotaging streak. But the book does manage to wring some sympathy for the troubled Winehouse, chronicling her childhood and myriad career bumps. Yes, yes, yes.
BOOK — 33 1/3 (Continuum)
The two newest books in the always-captivating 33 1/3 series (which dissects one classic album in 150 pages or so) offers one surprise and one pretty-much-what-you'd-expect. Philip Shaw's Patti Smith: Horses looks at the pivotal punk record that rock critics have been gushing over since 1975. Black Sabbath: Master of Reality, however, pairs Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle with a sludge-metal behemoth. Both volumes totally rock.
VIDEO GAME — NBA Ballers: Chosen One (Midway)
We've always liked this series' free-form playbook, which combines few rules and awesome, gravity-defying moves. The latest game (for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) includes more than 80 NBA legends going one-on-one in heated contests. Best new feature: the collectible Shut 'Em Down tricks, which leave opponents snacking on pavement.
DVD — Saturday Night Live: The Complete Third Season (Universal)
This seven-disc box includes all 20 episodes from the show's 1977-78 season. Big names (John Belushi, Bill Murray), hosts (Steve Martin, Monty Python's Michael Palin), and characters (the Coneheads, Father Guido Sarducci) are here. So are tons of cool music guests, like Elvis Costello and Ray Charles. Enjoy it; within a few years, SNL would sink to depths from which it would only sporadically rise.
