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…

Anyone who thought that South Park was even close to running out of steam as it entered its 9th season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) need only look at the now-infamous – and very, very funny – episode “Trapped In A Closet,” which managed to not only eviscerate Tom Cruise, but also Scientology and R. Kelly in one all-too-brief 20 minute span. Add in their equally damning take on the Terry Schiavo affair along with more light-hearted episodes (Wing, anyone?) and you have a show that’s still firing on all cylinders. The 3-disc set features all 14 episodes, plus mini-commentaries from Trey Parker & Matt Stone.

 

So, for months now, everyone has been speaking of Borat (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP) as if it is the second coming of comedy – a brilliant, hysterical look at America through the eyes, and actions, of a simple, racist Kazakh journalist named Borat Sagdiyev. Does it live up to all the hype? Mostly, yes. Sacha Baron Cohen’s turn as our unwashed journo is as immersive and convincing as anything Andy Kaufman or Peter Sellers ever did, and the situations he finds himself in are incredibly funny, if cringe-worthy on so very many levels. For some reason, though, Fox has gone relatively half-assed on the bonus materials, with only deleted scenes, a PR featurette, and a music infomercial – no commentary or documentary, and you just know there are more deleted scenes out there. Do I smell a double-dip?

 

It’s always a bit revelatory to go back and watch the first season of a show which spawned a time-honored pop culture catchphrase, to see what the tone was like before it became a hit and changed in style, as all successful shows inevitably do. Watching the first season of Hawaii Five-O (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) is no different, and what you’ll find – before everyone knew the phrase, “Book ’em, Danno” – was a relatively intense police action-drama starring Jack Lord as Detective Steve McGarrett, who was always hot on the trail of Red Chinese crime boss Wo Fat. The 7-disc collection features all 24 episodes, plus a special edition of Hawaiian show Emmie’s Island Moments focusing on Five-O, with cast crew interviews and a tribute to Jack Lord.

 

As part of the now-routine revisiting of previously released catalogue titles, the little Brit-Com that could is getting a much-needed overhaul via the new 2-disc “Fully Exposed Edition” of The Full Monty (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP). In addition to a fully remastered, anamorphic print, you get audio commentaries, deleted scenes, original cast interviews, 10 retrospective featurettes, TV spots, and more. Is it worth it? You betcha.

 

 

Expanding their library of themed remastered catalogue releases, Warner Bros. has packaged together 5 fine adaptations into the Literary Classics Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). The five classics in question are Prisoner of Zenda (which contains both the 1937 & 1952 versions), Billy Budd, Madame Bovary, Captain Horatio Hornblower, and The Three Musketeers. While Billy Budd features an audio commentary (with Terence Stamp and Steven Soderbergh) and the theatrical trailer, the remaining flicks feature a complement of vintage shorts, cartoons, trailers, and audio features. Warners continues to be the tops in the treatment of their catalogue, and here’s hoping there’s no end in sight.

 

As with previous Disney revisitations of their classic catalogue for special edition DVD release, the real draw of the new 2-disc edition of Peter Pan (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP) is the stunning restoration job, which makes the picture and restored soundtrack incredibly pristine. Bonus features include a never-before seen alternate opening, deleted songs, a making-of featurette, 1952’s The Peter Pan Story promotional piece, and a newly-discovered segment of Walt discussing why he made the film. The set is padded out with the usual allotment of Disney DVD garbage like tacky music videos and previews for abysmal sequels, but at least we have a beautiful presentation of the film itself.

 

It disappeared from theaters faster than you could say Ronnie James Dio, but there’s a lot to enjoy in Tenacious D’s flawed big screen adventure, The Pick of Destiny (New Line, Rated R, DVD-$27.98 SRP). The film charts the mythical creation of the D, as a young JB (Jack Black) – child of a repressive father (Meat Loaf) who doesn’t comprehend his hard rock dreams – runs off into the night, eventually to hook up with guitarist KG (Kyle Gass). Success eludes them, but then they learn of the existence of an all-powerful talisman – the Pick of Destiny – which eventually leads them to the Devil himself. It’s a fun romp, even if it’s not the classic I was hoping for. Bonus features include deleted/extended scenes, an alternate ending, outtakes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a music video, and more.

 

I’ve sung the praises of Electric Tiki‘s Teeny Weeny Mini maquette line in the past, and I’ll continue to do so as long as the continue to produce positively amazing pieces like their Underdog maquette ($69.99). Kudos to Tracy Mark Lee and his team, and I simply can’t wait to see what they have planned in the future. How about a Tooned Up version of the NewsRadio cast? Or Stephen Colbert?

Yes, I am a card-carrying member of the Nintendo Power generation. I had my subscription to the magazine, I bought tickets to see The Wizard on order to catch a glimpse at the forthcoming Super Mario Bros. 3, and I watched the Saturday morning cartoons, including the animated Mario and Zelda (which were a far sight better than the QBert series). The only series missing was Captain N: The Game Master, and that’s been rectified with a release of the complete series (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP). If you don’t remember the series, it featured the tried and true premise of a teen being whisked to a mythical kingdom – in this, it’s Videoland – in order to save its peace-loving denizens from evil forces, in this case led by Metroid‘s evil Mother Brain. The teen savior of Videoland is Kevin Keene, and he’s teamed with “The N-Team” – Castlevania‘s Simon Belmont, Mega Man, Kid Icarus, Princess Lana, and a dog. There always has to be a dog. The 4-disc set features all 26 episodes, plus the original Nintendo Power “Captain Nintendo” story, concept art, and character bios.

 

Manly men cinephiles will delight in the release of Fox’s 5-flick Ernest Hemingway Film Collection (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$69.98 SRP), collecting in one set A Farewell To Arms, Hemingway’s Adventures Of A Young Man, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, The Sun Also Rises, and Under My Skin. While there are no bonus features on A Call To Arms, the other four films get audio commentaries, interviews, retrospective featurettes, restoration comparisons, trailers, and more.

 

 

And on the subject of catalogue classics from Fox, they’ve dipped into the vaults for a trio of 70’s era flicks that are worth a spin or two – James Caan & Eli Wallach in Cinderella Liberty, Dustin Hoffman & Mia Farrow in John and Mary, and Susan Sarandon in The Other Side of Midnight (Fox, Rated R/PG/R, DVD-$19.98 SRP each). Bonus features include audio commentaries on Midnight and Liberty, and behind-the-scenes featurettes on John and Mary.

 

It’s unfortunate that such a brilliant and loveable series had to burn itself out so quickly due to behind-the-scenes tussles and the clarion call of approaching superstardom, but at least we can look back at the complete run of that beloved series with the long-awaited release of the fifth and final season of Moonlighting (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). The 3-disc set features all 13 episodes, plus audio commentaries on select episodes and original screen tests.

 

 

As stand-up comics go, Zach Galifianakis is not your average comedian. Look no further than his first DVD – Zach Galifianakis: Live At The Purple Onion (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) – for proof of that assessment, as he alternates between sublime subtlety and even more sublime heights of fury… Yes, fury. And there’s a piano. Honestly, just buy the DVD and check out one of the most unique performers out there. Bonus materials include outtakes, a shaving featurette, and more.

 

 

I still can’t shake the feeling that a documentary based on Eric Schlosser’s devastating expose of the fast food industry, Fast Food Nation, would have been far more effective and damning than Richard Linklater’s fictionalized big screen adaptation. Maybe that’s because, as a film, Fast Food Nation (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$27.98 SRP) allows for a certain measure of disconnect – there must be some kind of exaggeration, right? I mean, it’s a film, so it can’t all be 100% real. Despite the fact that many of the stories come straight out of Schlosser’s book, it just doesn’t hit with the sledgehammer it should. Bonus features include an audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, animations, and a photo gallery.

 

Like the two slovenly men it revolves around, the American version of the Britcom hit Men Behaving Badly (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP) was a likeable lunk of a show, but not nearly as smartly written or acted as the original. For that reason, the story of best friends & roommates Kevin & Jamie (Ron Eldard & Rob Schneider) was sort-lived on this side of the pond. Now you can get all 35 episodes (7 of which never aired during its network run) in one 4-disc set and judge for yourself.

 

Want a fun, eminently groovy read this weekend? Check out The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool (Santa Monica Press, $24.95 SRP), which has entries on everything from Woodstock and Lenny Bruce to Terry Southern and the Ford Mustang.

 

 

 

It’s always a disappointment when a spin-off of a beloved show doesn’t give you the same kind of buzz as the original, and sadly, such is the case with Stargate: Atlantis (MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP). Maybe it’s because it suffers from many of the same problems as Star Trek‘s less-than-successful spin-off Voyager, both of which found our heroes isolated in a distant corner of the galaxy and largely trying to find their way home. The second season of Atlantis was an improvement, though, and paved the way for a much more dynamic third season. The 5-disc box set features all 20 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, photo galleries, and more.

 

Who knew that the 80’s – the decade of greed, good looks, and whiter than white teeth – would also spawn so celebratory a geek fest as Revenge of the Nerds? It’s no Citizen Kane, mind you, but the original film is still a rah-rah pic for anyone that’s ever felt the outsider, and that cinematic “legacy” is celebrated in the 4-disc Revenge of the Nerds: Atomic Wedgie Collection (Fox, Rated R/PG-13/NR, DVD-$29.99 SRP), which features the first two theatrical Nerds, as well as the latter-day direct-to-video adventures. The original film even gets a brand new audio commentary (with director Jeff Kanew and actors Robert Carradine, Timothy Busfield, and Curtis Armstrong), deleted scenes, a retrospective featurette, and even the Revenge of the Nerds television pilot.

 

Being quite a bit older than the then-tweener audience that had made Melissa Joan Hart a star as the Disney Channel’s all-explaining Clarissa, my main reason for tuning in to the first season of Sabrina The Teenage Witch (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$38.99 SRP) was based entirely on my affection for Mystery Science Theater 3000. You may not know, but during the inaugural season of Sabrina’s magical high school adventures, on set “practical” magic effects were done by Joel Hodgson, creator and former host of MST3K. Oh, and the great Paul Feig (creator of Freaks & Geeks) played her science teacher, Mr. Pool. This 4-disc box set features all 24 first season episodes, but no extras to speak of.

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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