It's true story time at Play All! All three of this week's featured titles are based on real things that happened to real people...well, sorta. Oliver Stone has always had his own grip on reality and there's been some controversy over changed details in An American Crime, but all three of this week's movies are "based on a true story". Two of them are great and the third is something that is probably going to baffle you when you see it on the new releases shelf as to how you missed it in theaters - you didn't. Millions are watching the amazing true stories being written in Beijing, but Play All has three VERY different stories of crime and corruption for you this week. Leave the feel-good stories behind and pick up some feel-bad flicks on DVD.

An American Crime
Studio: First Look Studios
Starring: Catherine Keener, Ellen Page, and Bradley Whitford
Features: None

"The true story of a child's punishment that became a woman's crime." An American Crime tells a riveting story but in a not-so-riveting manner. Catherine Keener and Ellen Page are two of our favorite actresses alive and you see why they thought this source material was strong enough to warrant their involvement, but there's a reason that An American Crime didn't go from the festival circuit to an Oscar-bid run at the arthouse. After failing to find distribution, the hard-to-watch drama found its way to Showtime and is now unceremoniously getting released on DVD with no special features on the same week that Showtime's rival, HBO, releases the best TV movie of the year (look down for information on that one). Despite its flaws, Keener is worthy of note (and her Emmy nomination) for her turn as Gertrude Baniszewski, the seemingly ordinary housewife who tortured a teenager (Ellen Page) who she was looking after in the first major case that made America aware of child abuse. As I said when the movie debuted on Showtime in May, "There's rarely a moment in An American Crime that rings true and who wants to spend time with such a dark corner of our history if it's not going to feel believable?" If you go in knowing that it's more of a reenactment than something genuinely dramatic, An American Crime is worth a rental for the performances, but that's it.

Nixon: Election Year Edition
Studio: Buena Vista
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Powers Boothe, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins, E.G. Marshall, David Paymer, David Hyde Pierce, Paul Sorvino, Mary Steenburgen, J.T. Walsh, and James Woods
Features: All-New Beyond Nixon Documentary by Sean Stone, Deleted Scenes Introduced by Oliver Stone, Charlie Rose Interviews Oliver Stone Featurette, 2 Audio Commentaries with Director Oliver Stone, Original Theatrical Trailer

"History Repeats Itself." Just in time for Election Day! Oliver Stone's most underrated film, the excellent Nixon, comes to DVD again this week with the hilariously titled "Election Year Edition", as if watching Obama vs. McCain gets people pumped up to watch more about former presidents. There's even a special edition of JFK later this year. Do you think they'll re-release them every four years? Probably. And, of course, everyone has heard about Stone's W coming out this Fall. Where's our special edition of The Reagans mini-series? Seriously, Nixon is a great film, bordering on masterpiece, that is actually Stone's best portrait of what power does to a morally vulnerable man. It's a common theme for Stone, something he's explored several times in films as diverse as Alexander and even Any Given Sunday, but Nixon has a few special things going for it like some of the best work of Anthony Hopkins and Joan Allen's careers. The entire cast of Nixon is spectacular and you can enjoy every minute of their work in this extended director's cut which takes this already epic film near the four-hour mark. An entire second disc of special features is highlighted by a new documentary about the film by Oliver's son Sean. If you only vaguely remember Nixon (it didn't have nearly a big enough audience when it was released in 1995), check it out again. It's truly worth your time and is actually Stone's last great movie...at least until W, a film for which we truly hope history will repeat itself for a sometimes masterful director and his favorite subject, the American president.

Recount
Studio: HBO Home Video
Starring: Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr., Laura Dern, John Hurt, Denis Leary, Bruce McGill, and Tom Wilkinson
Features: Audio Commentary with Director Jay Roach and Writer Danny Strong, A Conversation Between Kevin Spacey and the Real Ron Klain, A Conversation Between Bob Balaban and the Real Ben Ginsberg, The True Inside Story of the 2000 Presidential Election

"Every vote counts...if the votes are counted." If Recount had opened in theaters, it would currently be in my top ten (and I've seen well over a hundred movies theatrically). It's that good. One of the best TV movies ever made, Recount rocks from beginning to end with some of the best performances of the year and the best screenplay so far this year, theatrical or televised. Writer Danny Strong's work here is incredible and, believe it or not, the Emmys actually got this one right, nominating Recount for Lead Actor (Kevin Spacey), Lead Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Supporting Actor (Bob Balaban), Supporting Actor (Denis Leary), Supporting Actress (Laura Dern), Best Movie, and more. The story starts on Election Day 2000 and ends with the Supreme Court decision that basically decided the presidency, arguably one of the biggest days in the history of the country. Recount follows the 36 days after the election when we didn't know who our president was going to be. The result is an amazing, stranger-than-fiction story with Spacey's best performance since American Beauty and unbelievable work from Dern, Leary, and others. As I said when the movie aired in May, "...no matter what your political affiliation, there's reason to love Recount, a film that would be my number one of 2008 had it been released in theaters. It's that good. Don't miss it." After Wall-E and The Dark Knight, Recount may no longer be my number one of 2008, but the fact that it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those two masterpieces should make clear how much it's worth your time. If you're a fan of true stories, political drama, or great acting, Recount is not a must-rent, it's a must-buy.