by Ken Knox

Californication: Season One

David Duchovny is not gay, but we still love him for his riotous guest turn on The Larry Sanders Show, when he admitted to having a man-crush on star Garry Shandling, so we’ll follow him anywhere. That includes to Showtime, where his new series, Californication, will return for season two in September. In this updated spin on Shampoo, Duchovny plays the aptly named Hank Moody, a womanizing L.A.-based writer who can’t seem to get over a serious case of writer’s block and finish his second novel. He also can’t seem to get over his ex, Karen (the lovely Natascha McElhone), who’s engaged to Hank’s new boss, Bill (Damian Young). Season one follows Hank’s hilarious highjinks as he attempts to get his shit together and win Karen back—even as he beds a different woman (or sometimes two) each week. Sex and the City’s Evan Handler is a scream as Hank’s agent and best friend, and the writing is snappy and smart. Plus there’s the added bonus of Duchovny appearing in his skivvies quite frequently. (The truth is out there—he’s hung!) One of cable’s best new shows. Extras: Sadly, none worth mentioning—a real downer for such a fine show. B-

Dante’s Cove: The Complete Third Season

Welcome back to Dante’s Cove. Or, as it’s known to my bitchy gay friends, the place where C-level TV “celebrinalities” go when their careers are dead. How else to explain the presence of such “notable” talent as Tracy Scoggins (Dynasty: The Colbys), Thea Gill (Queer as Folk), Jensen Atwood (Noah’s Arc), fashion model Jenny Shimizu and the seemingly ubiquitous Amazing Race winner Reichen Lehmkuhl on this increasingly ridiculous “guilty pleasure” of a here! TV gothic gay soap? Guilty is definitely how you’ll feel after watching it; with all its sordid goings-on involving barely dressed vampires, witches and warlocks engaging in gratuitous softcore sex with each other and the clueless mortals (who wear even less) that they continue to terrorize, Dante’s Cove is a laugh riot of unintentional hilarity. Sexy lead stars Charlie David and William Gregory Lee continue to pretend they’re on a respectable show, while everyone else just looks embarrassed to be here. It’s all a bunch of supernatural hocus pocus for sure (credibility is obviously not an issue for the writers), but if your porn collection is tired, this might do in a pinch. Extras: Useless production commentaries, bloopers and deleted scenes, backlot featurette, trailer and photo gallery. C-

Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)

A young boy left behind in Mexico attempts to cross the border illegally and reunite with his mother in Los Angeles in this shameless but effective tear-jerker from director Patricia Riggen. Carlito (Eugenio Derbez) is a nine-year-old who has been living with his grandmother since his mother left to pursue work in America when he was 4. When his grandmother dies, Carlito decides to set out on a journey to sneak into America and find his mother. The movie might make illegal border crossing look less dangerous than it really is, but there’s no denying Riggen’s skill for storytelling—even if her tendency to play to the three-hanky crowd seems like an easy way to avoid a more objective look at border politics. Extras: A decent making-of featurette and another on the murals featured in the film. B