The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

Every now and then – with maddening infrequency, actually – a book will come down the pike that bludgeons you over the head, forcing you to concoct elaborate schemes to introduce its brilliance to friends, family members, acquaintances, and even complete strangers. Derren Brown‘s Tricks of the Mind is just such a tome. Many (less internet-savvy) Americans are unaware of Brown, but let me briefly sum him up as quite an amazing British performer whose “schtick,” as it were, is a deft combination of – as he puts it – “magic, psychology, suggestion, misdirection and showmanship.” Ostensibly a peek behind the scenes at his methods and madness – from memory skills to the debunking of “psychic” chicanery – Tricks of the Mind (£18.99) proves itself a perfect antidote to an age of unreason and blind ideology – Brown is an engaging, illuminating, witty, and enjoyably wise host. With influences that include Teller and Dawkins, you can get a pretty clear sense of the level-headed discussion of the many, many tricks the human mind is capable of both perpetrating and being susceptible towards. Trust me – if you are a Brit that has not yet bought this book, BUY IT. If you are a fellow American, IMPORT IT. If you want to give the perfect gift – or wake-up call – to anyone in particular, let this be it. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

And while I’m at it, let me go ahead and recommend you pick up both the first and second series of Derren’s Channel 4 series, Trick of the Mind (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99 each). In addition to the 6 episodes comprising each season, both discs feature behind-the-scenes featurettes, interviews with Derren, unused material, and audio commentaries. I can only hope Series 3 and his specials are on their way to DVD in the near future.

Knowing that they’ll eventually be collected in a full season set, I’m not a big fan of Paramount releasing individual volumes of Nickelodeon’s animated hit Avatar with the first volume of Book 2: Earth (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), but I’m sure impatient fans will snap it up regardless, as our mutual love for this gorgeous series clouds all reason. The disc sports an uncut animatic, but that’s it.

One of the original Hollywood tough guys finally gets a spotlight of his own, courtesy of Warner’s wonderful “Signature” series. Robert Mitchum: The Signature Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated/Rated PG/Rated R, DVD-$59.98 SRP) features six of Mitchum’s flicks, including Angel Face, Macao, Home From The Hill, The Sundowners, The Good Guys and The Bad Guys, and The Yakuza. In addition to being fully restored and remastered, bonus features include commentaries (on Yakuza, Macao, and Angel Face, vintage featurettes, and the original theatrical trailers.

On the subject of beautiful presentations of directors’ masterworks, special note must be made of Criterion’s completely remastered editions of Kurosawa’s catalogue. The 3-disc remastered The Seven Samurai came out last year, and it’s joined by a box-set featuring equally stunning presentations of Yojimbo & Sanjuro (Criterion, Not Rated, DVD-$69.95 SRP). Both discs feature in-depth documentaries on their respective films, audio commentaries by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince, galleries, theatrical trailers and teasers, and the usual in-depth Criterion essays in the accompanying booklets. All-in-all, it’s a magnificent, must-have set.

It had to happen eventually – after years of mystery, arbitrary decisions, and deafening silence when asked to defend those decisions, finally a filmmaker has taken on the big bad arbiter of taste for an entire nation – the Motion Picture Association of America. Not only does Kirby Dick’s documentary, This Film Is Not Yet Rated (IFC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP) seek to illuminate that arcane decision-making process, but he uncovers the secret identities of the censors themselves – the members of the ratings board. With interviews from filmmakers including Matt Stone, John Waters, Kimberly Peirce, and Kevin Smith, it’s a fascinating look behind a puritanical curtain.

Of the two turn-of-century magician flicks released last year, I believed I’d get more of a kick out of The Prestige. To my surprise, I found The Illusionist (Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.99 SRP) to be the more enjoyable and better executed. Edward Norton stars as the conjurer Eisenheim, whose rekindled friendship with the crown prince’s fiancée (Jessica Biel) leads down some very dark paths, and to a shocking crime that has the chief inspector (Paul Giamatti) on the trail of a nicely surprising series of twists and turns. Bonus features include an audio commentary and a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Longtime readers of this column know that I will periodically engage in marathon documentary-viewing sessions, satiating some perverse need to learn obscure facts about forgotten wars, social events, historical personages, complete strangers, mechanical marvels, and more. I just do. Recently, it was a long engagement with a bevy of titles from the PBS library, whose rather impressive offerings are overshadowed by flashy show-offs from the likes of A&E, Docurama, and The History Channel. It’s a shame, really, because it means you’re missing out on harrowing portrait of stormchasers Joel Taylor and Reed Timmer in Tornado Glory, or time with the government workers who fight to keep democracy working in Indianapolis during the 2004 election in By The People, Richard Karn hosting the history of a beloved holiday tradition with O Christmas Tree, the true lost tale of an epic WWII Dogfight Over Guadalcanal, get a peek behind the thought processes that led two multibillionaires to become incredible philanthropists in during a fast-paced and witty Q&A with University of Nebraska business students in Buffett & Gates Go Back To School, the American Experience history of The Gold Rush, the back porch Appalachian mountain music of The Queen Family, American Experience profiles of both Annie Oakley & Jesse James, and – last but not least – a wonderful look at the infamous Cold War Umbrella Assassin (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99-$29.99 SRP each). Whew!

Now that their treadmill video has made them the darlings of the viral video scene, it’s only natural that their record company would attempt to capitalize on all the exposure with a deluxe re-release of OK Go’s Oh No album (Capitol, $21.98 SRP), which featured the treadmill track (“Here It Goes Again”). In addition to the album itself, you now get a bonus DVD featuring all of their videos – from “Here It Goes again” to the video for “A Million Ways” (The Dance Video), plus a ton of other previously unreleased goodies. It’s a nice little re-promotion, and a great way to get hip to a great band.

I am in no way, shape, fashion, or form a fan of gore, so the Saw flicks have left me colder than a corpse. They’ve got legions of fans, though, which is why we’re already up to Saw III (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP), featuring the return of Jerry Mahoney’s disturbed cousin. The plot is largely the same, and the unrated version just shovels in more blood and guts for all of you aficionados out there. Bonus features include audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.

It was like an instant timewarp as soon as I popped in the first of the 7 discs comprising the Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: Definitive Collection (BCI, Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP). Featuring 50 episodes of Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler globe-spanning goodness, it was like I was 5 again, watching the animal adventures for the first time.

Conan O’Brien’s favorite Texas ranger returns in the second season of Walker, Texas Ranger (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP). And yes, the adventures of Cordell Walker (the always-engaging Chuck Norris are just as ludicrous as you remember them to be – in fact, maybe even more so, now that they have an odd, postmodern pop culture patina thanks to O’Brien’s treatment of them.

After the genius of Office Space, one couldn’t help but have high expectations for Mike Judge’s follow-up, Idiocracy (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$27.98 SRP). When Fox decided to give it a brief, unceremonious run at the box office last year, many cried foul and wondered what they could possibly be thinking. Well, after seeing the film, I have to agree with their assessment of the film’s box office potential – sadly, this flick is DOA The concept alone – an average guy take part in a government hibernation experiment that goes awry, landing him in a distant future whose civilization is so dumbed down that he’s now considered a genius – should have yielded plenty of laughs… “should have” being the operative phrase. Bonus materials are limited to 5 deleted scenes.

I’m sure, on some level, someone thought they had a good idea with The Guardian (Touchstone, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.99 SRP). Take a grieving veteran of the elite Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers still reeling after a tragic accident (Kevin Costner) and assign him to teach new recruits, one of which is a brash, cocky young turk (Ashton Kutcher) – I mean, the clichés are like neon signs in the wilderness. What you get is a high energy muddle that never seems to figure out which cliché to latch on to – tearjerker, actioner, buddy flick… They’re all in there. Bonus features include an alternate ending, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, an audio commentary, and a look at the real Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers.

The movie is right around the corner, and the soundtrack for Catch and Release (Sony Legacy, $13.98 SRP) features tracks from The Foo Fighters (“Razor”), Gary Jules, Death Cab For Cutie, Paul Westerberg, Audible, Joshua Radin, and more.

Before 7th Heaven, TV’s touchy-feeliest family was The Waltons, whose 4th season has just hit shiny disc (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). Sadly, this 5-disc box set features not one single John-Boy commentary, but does sport all 24 episodes in 1936, Walton-time.

I’m still playing catch-up from the madness of the holiday season, so please excuse my delay in pointing you towards the latest wave of Mezco’s South Park figures ($12.99 SRP each). The sculpts for the line were great to begin with, but this collection – featuring A.W.E.S.O.M.E.-O, Jimmy, Terence & Phillip, and Goth Stan – manages to top even those. Be sure you also snag the Fingerbang box set ($23.99 SRP) while you’re at it – you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t. Just take a look at the pics below – you know you want to get these, ASAP.

So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…

-Ken Plume

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