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 been years since the limited edition release of 101 Dalmatians (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP), but the classic tale of Pongo & Perdie’s pups and the threat of Dalmatian coat fanatic Cruella DeVille has finally gotten its own 2-disc platinum edition. Looking better than ever, bonus materials include a making-of featurette, a look at correspondence between Walt and the book’s author, a spotlight on the inspiration for Cruella, deleted songs, and more. Now when will we get that special edition of Song of the South?
As if further proof of the arbitrary uselessness of the Oscars was needed, let’s look at the case of Into The Wild (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$35.98 SRP) – a rather wonderful little film about the real life story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), who gave up his comfortable lifestyle to go on an ultimately doomed wilderness walkabout – which the Oscars snubbed save for a deserved nod to Hal Holbrook. I can only hope that audiences will discover the flick on DVD. Bonus features include an in-depth look at the backstory and the making of the film.
I’m glad that, in recent years, the largely lackluster early-80’s period of Saturday Night Live has been allowed to come in from the cold and at least have its existence, on an official level, be acknowledged. Just a few years ago, I don’t think we would have gotten a documentary examining the totality of that decade like the wonderful SNL In The 80’s: Lost and Found (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP). Packed with interviews representing all those casts and writers, it’s a nice complement to the SNL: The First Five Years doc. The disc also contains an additional hour of interviews and clips. While you’re at it, you might as well pick up the SNL: Best Of ’06/’07 (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), which also contains an audio commentary, dress sketches, and Update outtakes.
Its release was delayed a few months due to printing issues, but the newest issue of Uncle Scrooge – #372 (Gemstone, $7.99 SRP) – is now available, and it’s a very nice celebration of Scrooge’s 60th anniversary. Not only is creator Carl Barks’s “Christmas On Bear Mountain” – the story that introduced the loveable miser – in there, but there’s also stories from Don Rosa and Tony Strobyl, and a poster y Rosa celebrating the anniversary.
There is a threshold over which a director with a unique vision becomes a director with annoying affectations. With The Darjeeling Limited (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP), Wes Anderson has proven to me that the annoying, cloying qualities of The Life Aquatic were not merely a blip, but a precedent. Like the characters of Aquatic, I find that all of those directorial affectations – and Anderson’s seemingly perpetual fascination with upper class familial dysfunction – make me less than affectionate for the trio of brothers whose Indian reunion after a year-long lack of communication is the focus of the flick. It’s a shame, because I loved Rushmore, and I liked Royal Tenenbaums, and there is a watchable film somewhere in the 90-minute that feels like 3-hours Darjeeling. Bonus features include the short film Hotel Chevalier and a making-of documentary.
Straight from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld comes the tale of the Hogfather (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP) – the beloved patron of the holiday Hogswatch, who delivers gifts to the boys and girls. However, there are parties who want the Hogfather out of the way, and it’s up to an oddball group of heroes to sort it all out. Bonus features include an interview with Pratchett and the original trailer.
Ah, pre-Code Hollywood – an era in the 30’s when cinema wasn’t restrained by content restrictions and was free to put any vice they wanted onscreen, which wouldn’t happen again until filmmakers the 70’s broke down the walls of the industry’s puritan Production Code. The second Forbidden Hollywood Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) features another 5 pre-code flicks – The Divorcee, A Free Soul, Three On A Match, Female, and Night Nurse, fully restored. Bonus features include an all-new documentary on pre-Code Hollywood, audio commentaries on The Divorcee and Night Nurse, and theatrical trailers.
If you want a quick and easy way to add a quartet of must-have comedy classics from a legendary filmmaker to your collection, snap up a copy of the Billy Wilder Film Collection (MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The flicks included in the set are the special editions of The Apartment and Some Like It Hot, and the featureless editions of Kiss Me, Stupid and The Fortune Cookie.
It seems like you can’t take a step nowadays without hitting a new sketch comedy group. One of the better newcomers is Human Giant (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP), whose anarchic blend is like a Python puree. The 2-disc first season set features the best of their 24-hour MTV marathon, deleted scenes & improv, unaired sketches, audio commentary, live footage, and more.
A powerful flick with a still-stellar cast gets a much-deserved revisiting with the special edition of 12 Angry Men (MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP). In addition to a remastered picture, the disc also contains an audio commentary (with film historian Drew Casper), a making-of featurette, and a featurette on the cast.
Often overlooked in favor of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Horton Hears A Who (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is another wonderful pairing of Dr. Suess and Chuck Jones that has, thankfully, gotten a brand new special edition and looks better than ever. Bonus features include the documentary In Search Of Dr. Seuss, 3 more animated tales (Dr. Seuss’ Butter Battle Book, Daisy-Head Mayzie, and Horton Hatches The Egg!), and a sing-along video.
Richard Kimble is still on the run in the second volume of The Fugitive‘s inaugural season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.98 SRP). Fully remastered and still at the top of its game, the 4-disc set features the remaining 15 episodes. These episodes have never looked this good in syndication – and I’d go so far as to say their original airing wasn’t this good looking, either.
If you were to strip away all of the subversive energy and surreal delights of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and transplant the dull, lifeless corpse into a garishly colorful toy store run by the titular eccentric of Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (Fox, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP), you’d get a zombified dullfest that makes you wonder why everyone didn’t just stay home. Dustin Hoffman does his best Robert DeNiro in The Adventures Of Rocky & Bullwinkle, while Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman are obviously just marking time. Bonus features include a quartet of behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Time and again, my theory that everything will get a feature-laden DVD re-release is proven. This time, it’s a new 2-disc edition of Mrs. Doubtfire (Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$19.98 SRP), featuring deleted/extended/alternate scenes, production and retrospective featurettes, an interview with Chuck Jones about the film’s opening animation (along with the pencil test and final animation sequence), make-up application and tests, improvisations, the original 1993 featurette, publicity stills, trailers, and more.
All good things must come to an end, and 2- years after the show’s end, so do the DVD releases of Magnum P.I. with the release of season eight (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP). The 3-disc set features all 13 episodes, plus audio commentaries and a bonus episode of The Rockford Files.
Fans of Cartoon Network’s Storm Hawks (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP) will want to snag a copy of the 2-disc Heroes Of The Sky set, featuring the first 13 episodes of the series.
If you find yourself craving something exciting and new, then you’re out of luck, because the episodes featured in the Season One: Volume One of that nautical soap bubble The Love Boat (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.98 SRP) are over 30 years old. Yes, it really has been that long since Captain Stubing captained the Pacific Princess across the sea, packed with more odd guest stars than old school Batman and Laugh-In combined. This 3-disc set features the first 12 episodes, as well as the original episode promos. Nowhere, however, does Isaac provide any mixology lessons.
Young Marla Olmstead was hailed as a child prodigy, with paintings compared to Jackson Pollock which began to fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, it all came crashing down when accusations were levied that her amateur artist father was really the one doing the painting. All of this is explored in the fascinating documentary My Kid Could Paint That (Sony, Rated PG-13, DVD-$24.96 SRP), which goes a long way towards illuminating just how ridiculous the art world is. Bonus features include an audio commentary, a featurette, and a follow-up piece.
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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