Video Shelf

* New this week: Sex and Britney Spears go together like the little bubbles in Coca-Cola. One ingredient sells the other. That said, “Crossroads” is no “Glitter.” Spears acquits herself as well as anyone might in a movie as contrived and lazy as this one. She has a natural screen presence and, despite all those irritating vocal tics, makes herself likable. This may come as a shock, but she’s OK. This is one of those thankless projects that directors usually take on so they can do something else. Tamra Davis (“Guncrazy,” “CB4”) is capable of much better than this, but perhaps the idea was just to get out of Spears’ way. At the same time, of course, you’re just happy she isn’t Mariah Carey.

Top 5 VHS rentals:

1. Shallow Hal

2. The Royal Tenenbaums

3. A Beautiful Mind

4. A Walk to Remember

5. Hart’s War

Top 5 DVD rentals:

1. Shallow Hal

2. The Royal Tenenbaums

3. Hart’s War

4. A Walk to Remember

5. A Beautiful Mind