The holidays are over, but there are plenty of new films hitting Blu-ray soon that would make perfect use of those gift cards you’ve been piling up.  Here’s a brief look at this week’s new Blu-ray releases:

• Archer: Season Three [Blu-ray] – $22.99 (43% off)
• Compliance [Blu-ray] – $19.99 (33% off)
• Dredd [3D Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet] - $19.99 (50% off)
• Frankenweenie (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) – $27.99 (44% off)
• Frankenweenie (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) – $22.99 (43% off)
• Game Change (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) – $17.99 (28% off)
• Hit & Run (Two-Disc Combo Pack: Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) – $22.99 (43% off)
• House at the End of the Street [Blu-ray] – $19.99 (50% off)
• Samsara [Blu-ray] – $24.99 (29% off)
• Stolen (Blu-Ray) – $14.86 (41% off)

Hit the jump for more details on the aforementioned releases.

The romantic car chase comedy (yes, it really is!) Hit & Run, from writer/director/star Dax Shepard, tells the story of Charlie Bronson (Shepard), a nice guy with a questionable past who decides to leave the witness protection program to ensure that his fiancée, Annie Bean (played by real-life fiancée Kristen Bell), can accept a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Los Angeles. But, their road trip grows increasingly complicated when they are chased by the gangster friends (led by Bradley Cooper) that Charlie was trying to leave behind.

At the film’s press day, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about how the movie came about, when they realized that it was actually a romantic car chase movie, translating their love for each other to the big screen, and how sincere the characters are no matter how outrageous the situations. Shepard also talked about his next directorial effort, Send Lawyers, Guns and Money, which he hopes to shoot next year, and what fans can expect from the upcoming season of his hit NBC drama series Parenthood, while Bell talked about what a dream come true it is to do the voice work and original songs for the Disney animated feature Frozen, as well as how excited she is to return to her Showtime comedy series House of Lies. Check out what they had to say after the jump.

There is a formula to the chase-romance movie.  It involves a criminal on a getaway, picking up a girl (usually against her will), fleeing the cops and/or bad guys, and then the criminal and girl falling in love.  Hit & Run cleverly flips the genre by going in reverse, putting the romance before the chase, and letting it run on the chemistry of leads Dax Shepard (who also wrote and co-directed the film) and Kristen Bell.  However, as the film moves away from the romance, it begins to swerve on dull chase scenes and an uneven tone.  Hit & Run still manages to be a flighty and fun, but the reliance on coincidence and the difficulty balancing the comedy make Hit & Run a bumpy and forgettable ride.

Here are a few updated release dates for some upcoming films:

• Trouble with the Curve, starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake has moved up a week to September 21, 2012.
• Hit & Run, written/starring/directed by Dax Shepard and also starring Kristen Bell and Bradley Cooper, will open August 22nd, 2012.
• The Conjuring, previously titled The Warren Files, stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor, will open January 25th, 2013.

Hit the jump for more on each film.

The first trailer for the action romantic comedy Hit and Run has gone online.  Dax Shepard stars as an ex-getaway driver who exits the Witness Protection program to drive his pretty girlfriend to Los Angeles so that she can land her dream job.  The authorities and his former gang (led by Bradley Cooper) get wind of his reappearance and set out to chase him down.  Shepard wrote and co-directed the film with David Palmer, and it actually looks like a pretty fun comedy.  Cooper appears to be having a blast as a flashy gang member, and real-life couple Shepard and Bell have some excellent chemistry.  Moreover, Tom Arnold is in fine form as a U.S. Marshal who’s trying to protect Shepard’s character.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Kristin Chenoweth, Beau Bridges, David Koechner, Joy Bryant (Parenthood), and Ryan Hansen (Party Down).  Hit and Run hits theaters on August 24th.