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…
In what may be the quickest turnaround time from air to release, the complete fifth season of Reno 911! (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) arrives in stores literally within weeks of the final episode airing. The 3-disc set features all 16 episodes, plus audio commentaries, 40+ minutes of extended scenes, and “Cop Psychology: Inside The Minds Of Reno’s Deputies”.
There are some things in life that are practical, that make you feel like a genuine cliché of an adult. Like buying a weed-wacker. Then there are things that have no practical purpose other than to make you feel absolutely, unashamedly, giddily childish in their uber-cool appeal to the 10-year-old still kicking around in your brain. Such is the case with the high-resolution iWear video goggles currently available at ThinkGeek ($349.99). This is the future – and we are here. Lightweight and durable, they display a virtual 62″ screen 9 virtual feet away, at a resolution of 640 x 480 (with an average of 6 hours battery life). You can connect it to your TV, DVD player, video iPod, computer – the sky’s the limit. It’s glorious, I tell you. Glorious.
Largely a neglected novelty in the US, Alan Parker’s wonderfully bizarre Bugsy Malone (ITV, Rated G, DVD-£19.99 SRP) is a certified kiddie holiday classic – think of it as the equivalent to what A Christmas Story is in the US. Yes – wonderfully bizarre – how else would you describe a gangster movie starring kids, with music by Paul Williams? It’s never been released on DVD in the States, but they’ve long had a standard-edition DVD in the UK, featuring an audio commentary from Parker, trailers, galleries, and more. Well, now they’ve gone and shown up the States again by releasing a beautifully high definition Blu-Ray edition (ITV, £19.99 SRP). If you’ve never seen the film – well, that’s the way to see it. You must see it.
Back on the road again, actor Robbie Coltrane is exploring the interesting and unique to be found across the breadth of England in Robbie Coltrane: Incredible Britain (Acorn Media, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP). From 20-ton monster trucks to wing-walkers to rugby played with a beer keg, it’s a bizarre, fun travelogue.
If the slice of the 60’s presented in AMC’s Mad Men leaves you wanting to sonically explore the period a little more, then by all means pick up Mad Men: Music From The Series Volume 1 (EMI, $17.98 SRP). With tracks from Vic Damone, Bobby Vinton, Ella Fitzgerald, The Andrews Sisters, series composer David Carbonara and more, it’s worth a spin.
I always get a kick out of the sheer energy and exuberance – and, frankly, unhinged quality – of talk and variety shows in the UK. Case in point is The Friday Night Project, which is an hour long comedy program presented by Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins, and featuring a different guest host and musical guest each week. Think of it as a funny Saturday Night Live, deriving much of the humor from the unpredictability of Collins and Carr, and the permissibility of UK television. If you’d like a nice sampler of what I’m getting on about, check out The Friday Night Project: Unleashed (ITV, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99 SRP), which is essentially a bonus-filled best-of compilation.
Anticipation of The Dark Knight is building to a fever pitch, so it makes sense that Warners would quickly shuffle out a Batman Begins: Limited Edition Giftset on Blu-Ray (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, DVD-$49.99 SRP) to exploit the mood. In a nutshell, it’s got the same on-disc bonus features as the standard 2-disc DVD, plus a 2/12 minute sneak peek at Dark Knight, a collection of postcards, a look at the filming of the prologue sequence of DK, and a comic book adaptation of the same.
And you know that, since you’re already in the rip current, you’re going to pick up the score to The Dark Knight (Warner Sunset, $18.98 SRP), by Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard. You know you’re going to get it. You just know it.
Despite cultural affectations, the bottom line is that funny is funny. Such is the case with Al Murray: The Pub Landlord Live At The Palladium (ITV, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99 SRP). It’s always wonderful to watch a comedian craft stand-up that transcends a stage persona, while still firmly rooting it in said character. Al Murray’s nationalistic, xenophobic, lager-loving pub owner is a thing of cliched glory, ranking right up there with Bob & Doug McKenzie. Heartily recommended. The DVD also features a behind-the-scenes featurette.
First of all, let me say that it’s no Meet The Spartans. And I mean that as a compliment, because that was just unwatchable excrement. No, Superhero Movie (Dimension, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP) is better than most of the horrid pop culture parody flicks to come down the pike since the high water mark of Airplane!. can you guess what the subject matter is this go round? Can you? I knew you could. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, an alternate ending, featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.
They still haven’t found a good vehicle for Raven Symone, but Disney’s College Road Trip (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP) is an amiable enough affair, as its essentially Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, but with a father (Martin Lawrence) taking a road trip to check out colleges with his soon-to-be-leaving daughter (Symone). The DVD features audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a video diary, a gag reel, and more.
Finally, what has become an iconic bit of television finally hits DVD with the complete ninth season of Dallas (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). What iconic moment do I speak of? Well, let’s just say it’s the second most iconic shower scene below Psycho‘s. The 4-disc set features all 31 episodes, plus an in-depth featurette on the season’s elaborate dream sequence.
It’s not a full season set, but at least it’s a solid batch of episodes in the first set collecting The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet. The Best Of Ricky and Dave (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$34.99 SRP) features 24 episodes spanning the show’s 14 season run, with Ricky becoming a teen idol in the process.
Dr. Alec Holland’s hulking, green alter-ego returns to DVD with the second volume of Swamp Thing: The Series (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$34.99 SRP), which collects the first 26 episodes of the show’s massive 50-episode 3rd (and final) season.
Everything – and I mean everything – comes to DVD eventually, even when it’s such an embarrassing disappointment as the short-lived Birds Of Prey (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). In fact, the best thing I can say about comic book series is that – in the flashback showing how the former Batgirl, now Oracle, was crippled by the Joker – they were smart enough to cast Mark Hamill as the voice of the Clown Prince of Crime. The 4-disc set features all 13 episodes, plus the unaired pilot and all 30 episodes of the animated web-series Gotham Girls.
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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