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…
It’s time to catch the funny kind of yellow fever, as we all get geared up to head to our respective moving picture houses to gander and gape at the big screen adventures of The Simpsons. While we’re still a few weeks off from the release of the 10th season on DVD, you can get a trio of great books to tide you over, and help feed your cravings for our favorite family. First and foremost is the deluxe, hardcover Simpsons Handbook: Secret Tips From The Pros (HarperCollins, $39.95 SRP), which goes in-depth on the design and construction of the family proper, as well as Springfield’s most popular residents, with detailed visual breakdowns and drawing instructions, plus color cel-overlays. If you want some oversized fun, check out theSimpsons Masterpiece Gallery (HarperCollins, $17.95 SRP), which features dozens of big-scale film poster parodies, comic scenes, and portraits. Last – and the most fun you can have at a cheap price – is Greetings From The Simpsons (HarperCollins, $12.95 SRP), which contains a whole slew of fun postcards to mail to all your friends and family.
One of my favorite shows to watch during the 80’s – when I wasn’t getting my fill of Family Ties or Silver Spoons, or an endless stream of syndicated reruns – was Benson (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP). It is genuine elation that I can finally hold in my stubby mitts the complete first season of Robert Guillaume’s star turn as the only man able to bring order to the confused household of Governor Eugene Gatling. This 3-disc set contains all 24 episodes, plus a video intro from Guillaume, a featurette on the Governor’s mansion, and more.
With the final episodes of Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law – featured, conveniently enough, on the 3rd volume, now available (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) – the only remaining show from Adult Swim’s inaugural line-up is Aqua Teen. I admit, I’ll miss Harvey – it was the most consistently funny entry of that line-up, and its absence will be hard to take. The 2-disc set features deleted scenes, a joke timeline, an X the Eliminator comic book, and more.
If you’re just killing time until the Star Trek: The Next Generation megaset streets this Fall (just in time to suck your holiday cash away), you can snag the latest “Fan Collective” release. Captain’s Log (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$38.99 SRP). This time, the 17 episodes of the set feature one episode from each series – TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, & Enterprise – chosen by their respective captains. That’s right – not only do the fans get their picks, but so do William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, and Scott Bakula. Bonus features include intros from the Captains, and 5 newly produced featurettes. Where were all these bonus features when the original sets came down the pike?
Cool off from the summer swelter by taking a dip into Carl Barks’s classic “The Golden River”, the lead story in this month’s issue (#367) of Uncle Scrooge (Gemstone, $7.99). And why not follow it up with Donald Duck battling the elements at sea in the latest issue (#682) of Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories (Gemstone, $7.99).
Long before he conquered America as Dr. House, Hugh Laurie had earned his place amongst Britain’s comedic firmament alongside the brilliant Stephen Fry as the dynamic duo Fry & Laurie. After long years of waiting and hoping, the complete four season run of their sketch series A Bit of Fry & Laurie (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 SRP each) has made its way to DVD. While the bonus materials on the first season is technically limited to the rarely-seen pilot, the second season features the documentary Footlights: 100 Years of Comedy, featuring early Fry & Laurie material. Unfortunately, seasons 3 & 4 lack any bonus materials whatsoever. Still, if you’ve never seen the show, rectify that glaring oversight immediately.
David Fincher turns down some of his more off-putting cinematic tendencies for an engaging thriller that evokes a touch of the Hitchcockian with Zodiac (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$28.99 SRP), which plays off the infamous San Francisco serial killer to tell the tale of those in law enforcement and the press who desperately tried to track him down and put an end to his killing spree. Bonus features are complete nonexistent, so we can all expect the eventual deluxe edition.
The cast has fluctuated through the years, but the essential core concept of Stargate SG-1 (MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) is what allowed it to reach a rare, nearly unprecedented (save for Doctor Who feat for a sci-fi series – lasting a full 10 years. The 5-disc 10th season box set features he final 20 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, galleries, and more.
It’s Halloween in July with the release of the 6th season of Tales From The Crypt (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). This was the season that featured the Zemeckis-directed sleight of hand that resurrected Humphrey Bogart, plus episodes guest-starring John Lithgow, Hank Azaria, Isabella Rossellini, Isaac Hayes, and more. It’s 15 fright-filled episodes sure to darken your summer day.
Available separately in the past, you can now snag three classic Hudson/Day romantic comedies in the 2-disc Doris Day and Rock Hudson Comedy Collection (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), featuring Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, and Send Me No Flowers.
We still haven’t gotten the Saturday morning live action adventures of Captain Marvel, but we’re one step closer with the complete collection of The Secrets of Isis (BCI, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), the good Captain’s companion show. The 3-disc set features all 22 episodes of the show’s two season run, plus an audio commentary, interviews, rare footage, galleries, a bonus episode, and more.
Cursed with a keen sense of smell that dictates how he perceives the world, a young French peasant (Ben Whishaw) becomes enraptured by the passing perfumed scent of a young woman in Perfume (Dreamworks, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP). Desiring nothing more than to capture that essence, this tale of passion and perception turns into a far darker affair. Hey, with a cast that includes Alan Rickman and Dustin Hoffman, it’s at least worth a spin, right? The sole bonus feature is a behind-the-scenes documentary.
In their continuing effort to revisit and enhance their catalog through newly remastered and restored high definition prints, Criterion turns their eye towards Jean Cocteau’s Les Enfants Terribles (Criterion, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP), and the results are definitely with the double-sip. Not only is the print nothing short of stunning, but the bonus features remain intact – including an audio commentary, interviews, galleries, and more.
Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, and Fred Astaire are just a few of the stars that light up the second volume of Classic Musicals From The Dream Factory (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP), which pulls together another 7 musicals from the MGM vault – The Pirate, Words and Music, That’s Dancing, That Midnight Kiss, The Toast Of New Orleans, The Royal Wedding, and The Belle Of New York. Bonus features include vintage shorts, classic cartoons, outtakes, commentaries, featurettes, and more.
I was never a fan of the comic, so the animated adaptation of Todd McFarlane’s Spawn was never of interest to me. Still, there are plenty of fans who will want to flock to their favorite DVD emporiums for a copy of the new Spawn: 10th Anniversary Signature Edition (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) features all 18 episodes, digitally remastered, plus a quartet of commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, character profiles, and an interview with McFarlane himself – all in a collectible metal case.
Fans of John Woo’s classic Kong period will want to snag their own copies of a pair of special edition re-releases of The Last Hurrah For Chivalry (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) and Hard Boiled (Genius, Rated R, DVD-$24.95 SRP). Hard Boiled is a 2-disc affair, featuring commentary, featurettes, interviews, and more.
Made during his wilderness days post-Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola brings a nice crackle and flair to his adaptation of John Grisham’s The Rainmaker (Paramount, Rated PG-13, DVD-$14.99 SRP), which gets the special edition treatment with a brand new commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, screen tests, and more.
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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