New on DVD: Oscar Noms "Precious" and "Up in the Air" Debut!

The Academy Awards have all been handed out, and now two of the most-nominated films are making their DVD debuts.

Lee Daniels became the first openly gay African-American to be nominated for Best Director with his extraordinary work on Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. (Because really, aren't each and every one of us really based on the novel Push by Sapphire?)

It's a gut-wrenching movie, yes, but Daniels and Oscar-winning screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher leaven the film with humor and hope. Precious is also bolstered by unforgettable performances by Gabourey Sidibe, Oscar winner Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey (seriously) and Lenny Kravitz.

Up in the Air was one of my favorite films of 2009, but it went home empty-handed from the Oscars. It's still a smart, funny and poignant movie you should totally check out. George Clooney stars as a guy who fires people for a living, blithely living his life from airport to airport. His life changes once he falls for fellow traveler Vera Farmiga and mentors up-and-comer Anna Kendrick; all three actors are spot-on.

Your big gay movie of the week is The Art of Being Straight, a dramedy about a recent college graduate who discovers he might not be as exclusively hetero as he thought. Hey, it happens.