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…
Even though they’ve done just about everything possible (including throwing the kitchen sink at it) to tear down the beloved characters and stories of their relaunch, time and unfortunate editorial machinations have only made the Keith Giffen/J.M. DeMatteis/Kevin Maguire run of Justice League International look all the more enjoyable by comparison. Ignore all of that Uber Final Infinite Crisis of Something Or Another business and pick up the first volume of Justice League International (DC Comics, $24.99 SRP), which collects the first 7 issues. You won’t regret it.
Ah, but I will say this – thank jebus for the relaunched Booster Gold. Slowly but surely, the series has been fixing the bastardizations wreaked in the past few years within the DC universe, and reintroducing some of the FUN and ENJOYMENT that’s been missing in comics today. Let me say, unequivocally, grab the first collection, Booster Gold: 52 Pick-Up (DC Comics, $24.99 SRP), and support a creative team that are proving that reading comics doesn’t have to be a depressive chore.
Even though I think there were diminishing returns following the spectacular, pre-franchise outing and its first sequel, it’s still welcome to have brand new, deluxe special editions of the five films featuring Detective Harry Callahan – aka “Dirty Harry”. Dirty Harry (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$20.99 SRP) established everything you needed to know about the take-no-prisoners cop, and the new 2-disc special edition features an audio commentary, retrospective featurettes on the film, a spotlight on Clint Eastwood, and more. Magnum Force (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$14.98 SRP) was one of those rare sequels that built on the original, with a powerful screenplay by John Milius and Michael Cimino. Milius returns for an audio commentary, which sits alongside a pair of featurettes that focus on both the politics of Dirty Harry, and compare him to the Warner crimebusters of yesteryear. The rest of the series – The Enforcer, Sudden Impact, and The Dead Pool (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$14.98 SRP each) are watchable outings, but don’t live up to the heights of the first two flicks. The remaining films have all got commentaries and brand new featurettes.
You know a major feature film is fast-approaching when the studio starts releasing the classic material to DVD, and such is the case with the rapid fire release of both the 3rd and 4th season of the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno Incredible Hulk (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP each). Bonus features include an audio commentary on the episode “Prometheus”, a pair of featurettes, and a look at the upcoming film.
If it had an arc like the plant its characters peddle, than season 3 of Weeds (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) is when events start to harsh the mellow of suburban single mother/pot dealer Nancy Botwin’s local business. Everything begins to go south when Nancy’s small-time operation begins to turn into a mini-empire – with all of the potentially dangerous baggage that brings. The 3-disc set features all 15 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, montages, and a spotlight on Randy Newman.
If Indiana Jones has made you interested in finding out what real archeology is all about, I can recommend no more enjoyable series than Time Team – the Brit show which performs digs across the UK, and is hosted by Blackadder‘s Tony Robinson. A perfect introduction to the series is The Very Best Of Time Team Digs (Channel 4, Region 2, Not Rated, DVD-£24.99 SRP), which features a clutch of the team’s favorite digs, plus bonus materials.
This weekend, the space nerd in me will be delighting in reading Floating To Space: The Airship To Orbit Program (Apogee Books, $27.95 SRP). It’s basically a look at the various schemes to use… well, essentially balloons, in order to make a much smarter, cheaper ascent to space. The book also contains a DVD of some beautiful, amazing test footage.
It’s always a pleasant surprise when a series whose release has been pleaded for by fans gets put out on DVD, and it’s even more exciting when there are actually a decent amount of bonus materials as well. Such is the case with the complete first season of Mannix (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP), starring Mike Connors as PI Joe Mannix. The 6-disc set features all 24 episodes, plus audio commentaries, episode intros, Mike Connors on The Mike Douglas Show, the sales presentation, TV Land promos, the 1967 CBS Fall promo, and more.
Hopefully, you’ve already picked up all four volumes of the Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus, as they should be required reading for any comic fan. If you’ve already wisely purchased those, you’ll also want to get Jack Kirby’s OMAC: One Man Army Corps (DC Comics, $ S24.99 SRP), which collects all 8 issues of Kirby’s fascinatingly bizarre tales of Buddy Blank’s super-powered, crime-fighting alter-ego in the “near-future”.
You know, few shows are feature characters as relentlessly flawed as Rescue Me (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP) – and I probably wouldn’t have it any other way. The fourth season features Tommy (Denis Leary) fighting charges of arson and insurance fraud and facing questions of paternity on his new baby – and then there’s everyone else’s problems. The 4-disc set sports all 13 episodes, plus featurettes, deleted scenes, minisodes, a gag reel, and more.
Although it never lit up audiences, you can at least say that the TV series based on Stephen King’s The Dead Zone (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$34.99 SRP) was a solid show throughout its run. That all wraps up with the release of the sixth and final season, as we come to the end of Johnny Smith’s odd journey. The 3 disc set features all 13 episodes, plus a quartet of audio commentaries, and a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Although it quickly disappeared from screens when it hit in the mid-90’s, the attempted re-launch of Get Smart (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) – which brought Don Adams and Barbara Feldon back and gave them a bumbling secret agent son, played by Andy Dick – missed it by *that* much. Given some time to develop, it could have probably evolved into a decent series, but as it stands, it never seemed to find its footing.
Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt’s Animation Show (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP) returns for a third volume, featuring another 16 animated shorts and an introduction from Beavis & Butt-head. There’s also interview with the artists, to boot.
It’s goofy and good-natured and well within his safe zone, but there’s something undeniably tired about Will Ferrell’s latest loveable boob pic Semi-Pro (New Line, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP). The flick finds Ferrell back in the 70’s, this time starring as a semi-pro basketball star who’s local celeb status is threatened by an impending NBA merger. What will he do? And will it be funny? Marginally so. The 2-disc unrated edition sports behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, a music video, trailers, and more.
Continuing their spotlights on great British actresses (having already dedicated sets to Judi Dench and Helen Mirren), we now get Maggie Smith At The BBC (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The 3-disc set contains The Merchant Of Venice, The Millionairess, Suddenly Last Summer, and Bed Among The Lentils. Bonus materials include a newly-produced tribute, a pair of archival interviews with Ms. Smith, and the radio play The Country Wife.
Give it enough time and even the most marginal of films enters into the realm of classic, and it’s with that in mind that we’ve now got a special collector’s edition of City Slickers (MGM, Rated PG-13, DVD-$14.98 SRP). This uber-edition features an audio commentary, retrospective featurettes, and deleted scenes.
The least effective officers of the California Highway Patrol are back on their bikes in the second season of ChiPs (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The 4-disc (sadly double-sided) set features all 22 episodes, including a Halloween outing and an Evel Knievel pastiche. Bonus features include an interview with Erik Estrada and a “best of seasons 1 & 2” feature-length clip episode.
The latest release from The Weinstein Company’s high-falutin’ “Miriam Collection” is the tragic tale of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, Control (Genius, Rated R, DVD-$28.95 SRP). Sam Riley is compelling as Curtis, with Samantha Morton in a turn as his teenage bride (upon whose memoir the film is based). Bonus features include an audio commentary, a making-of, music videos, extended performances, and more.
With a powerhouse producing team – including Ridley and Tony Scott – I expected quite a bit from the new mini-series based on Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). While it’s perfectly serviceable and remained relatively faithful to Crichton’s tale of humanity’s effort to control the deadly spread of an interstellar virus, it lacked the energy and verve I’ve come to expect from the Brothers Scott. Sad, Really, because there remains a fantastic adaptation to be made from it. Bonus features include an audio commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and galleries.
I tried – jebus how I tried – to find something funny in Meet The Spartans (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP), but I couldn’t. As parodies go, it makes Airplane! look like Shakespeare. The unrated edition features an audio commentary, featurettes, a gag reel, and trailers.
As we rapidly approach the release of Dark Knight, the Batman merchandising machine is kicking into high gear. That’s all well-and-good, but my tastes skew more towards pop culture nostalgia, so it was with particular delight that I greeted Mattel/Hot Wheel’s) production of a 1:18-scale Batmobile from the 1966 TV show (Mattel, $19.98 SRP). Nicely detailed and pretty damn snazzy, it’s a must-have for the shelf of an self-respecting fanboy. If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, though, a 1:50-scale version is also available in a line which also include the Batcycle, the animated series Batmobile, and the Batmobile from the comics (Mattel, $6.98 SRP each).
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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One Response to “Weekend Shopping Guide 6/6/08: Blue & Gold Are Go!”Leave a Reply |
June 7th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Maggie Smith did a re-do of “The Millionairess?”