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…

Sporting a brand new digital transfer with a full restoration, Paul Newman’s legendary performance as Cool Hand Luke (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) gets a brand new special edition featuring an audio commentary from historian/Newman biographer Eric Lax, a brand-new documentary, and the theatrical trailer. If this film is not yet in your library, rectify that.

I admit – when I first saw The Big Lebowski (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), it left me cold. Real cold. Then, a few years later, I watched it again – and it grew on me. For some, though, it’s become a cult flick of mass proportions, and that’s probably why we have a new 2-disc special edition with an introduction, a making-of, featurettes, a retrospective, Jeff Bridges’ photo book, and more.

Every once in a while, a truly spectacular, must-have catalogue release makes its way to DVD. Add to that exclusive list the Ultimate Collector’s edition of the Cinerama epic How The West Was Won (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). Meticulously restored and remastered, the 3-disc special edition features a new commentary, a documentary on the film’s Cinerama experience, the theatrical trailer, a reproduction of the original souvenir book, photo cards, and a reproduction of the original pressbook. Truly stunning, and a requirement for any film library.

It may not have much of an edge, but I couldn’t help but enjoy Baby Mama (Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Maybe it’s because it stars the crushable Tina Fey as a too-busy executive whose ringing biological clock and inability to get pregnant prompt her to get a surrogate (Amy Poehler) who may not exactly be on the up and up. It also features John Hodgman as a doctor. So worth it. Bonus features include a making-of, an alternate ending, an SNL featurette, deleted scenes, and more.

Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles return Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Richard Devere in To The Manor Born: Silver Anniversary Special (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP). It’s 25 years later, and the couple find their relationship strained when Richard reveals a long-held secret. Best of all, unlike most of these kind of revisitation specials, this actually has the spirit and fun of the original run. The disc contains a making-of featurette.

The penultimate 7th season of Wings (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) pretty much maintains the affable level of comedy that the show featured right from the start, with a great little ensemble that pretty much carries the day. The 4-disc set features all 26 episodes, but not a single bonus feature in sight.

I had complete forgotten that Smallville (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) was still running. Seriously. We’re already to season 7? And Supergirl has arrived? Well, I’ll be. The 6-disc set features all 20 episodes, plus a pair of audio commentaries, unaired scenes, featurettes, a gallery, and more.

The new animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man gets a direct-to-DVD feature of it’s own, Attack Of The Lizard (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$19.94 SRP), pitting the web-slinger against not only the Lizard, but also Electro, the Vulture, and The Enforcers. The DVD also sports a music video.

Not only is Horatio Caine (David Caruso) dealing with more mysteries on the job in season six of CSI Miami (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$79.99 SRP), but his home life takes the stage as well, including having to do battle with the mother of his son and a woman from out of the past. The 6-disc box set features all 21 episodes, plus a pair of commentaries and a quartet of featurettes.

In the 4th season of Grey’s Anatomy (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP), the cracks began to show, as the soapy aspects became – well, boring. How do I know this became a serious problem? Even my sister – a die-hard fan – lost interest. The 5-disc box set features all 17 extended episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, unaired scenes, outtakes, and more.

If you’ve got kids, you’ve probably seen too much of Dora the Explorer. With the newly released Dora The Explorer: Party Favorites CD (Nickelodeon/Sony BMG, $11.98 SRP), you can now hear just as much, with 16 peppy tunes that will probably be on endless repeat in the family minivan.

What could have been a cringe-worthy disaster was actually a fun, funny little show that I was more than happy to show my nephew. I speak of the first season of The Sylvester And Tweety Mysteries (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), which finds Granny, Hector, and the cat/bird duo travelling the world and solving mysteries. Really. The 2-disc set features all 13 first season episodes.

The sophomore outing of Ugly Betty (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) stumbled a bit, as the focus of the show began to drift from Betty to the supporting cast – which, granted, is not altogether a bad thing. The 5-disc box set features all 18 episodes, plus deleted scenes and a clutch of featurettes.

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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