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…
Though there are many great episodes contained in the 14 that comprise the 12th(!) season of South Park (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP), the one that will go down as the “keeper” was the episode that brutally – but fairly – took George Lucas and Steven Spielberg to task for the godawful mess that was Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. Yes – the one where they rape Indy. Repeatedly. In addition to the now-usual complement of mini-commentaries from Trey Parker & Matt Stone, the set also lays on some behind-the-scenes featurettes looking at a pair of episodes (“Major Boobage” & “About Last Night”) and the show’s day-by-day making-of process. What’s extra special about this season, though, is it’s the first to be released in high definition Blu-Ray ($69.99 SRP), which contains identical bonus materials but a razor sharp image. You could cut glass with this image. Try it.
They’re completely impractical and a little bit silly, but that’s also what makes having your very own Medieval Steel Gauntlets ($59.99) so much fun. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have a pair of hand-crafted, mirror-finished, rivet-constructed, one-size-fits-all gauntlets? I mean, come on!
Combine the internet phenomena of LOLcats, the hobo resurgence fueled by humorist John Hodgman, and an incredible artist. What do you get? Adam Koford’s wonderfully witty Laugh-Out-Loud Cats Sell Out (Abrams Comicarts, $12.95 SRP), which re-contextualizes LOLcat phrases like “I can haz cheezburgr?” into a comic beautifully reminiscent of funny page classics like Krazy Kat and Thimble Theater, starring a pair of feline hoboes. Check it out, and watch it pwn you, too.
One of my favorite Disney animated classics – and easily one of their darkest in content – is the tale of the little wooden boy Pinocchio (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray/DVD-$35.99 SRP). Just in time for its 70th anniversary, the film has been fully restored for presentation in high definition Blu-Ray – and that’s the best way to by it, particularly as Disney has thoughtfully included the standard DVD in the package, as well. The 2-disc Blu-Ray edition includes an audio commentary, featurettes, an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and more.
Best known as one half of Tears For Fears, Curt Smith has come out with Halfway, Pleased (Kook Media, $13.98 SRP), a completely pleasing solo album that’s both introspective and ebullient, and well worth a spin.
Oh, Howard The Duck (Universal, Rated PG, DVD-$14.98 SRP). The years have not softened your crap edges, nor made you tolerably kitsch. Still, it is nice to have you on DVD, particularly with your laughable inclusion of both a brand new retrospective featurette, and a – honest to gosh – featurette focusing on the public’s reaction to the film and how it’s transformed “into a cultural phenomenon”. Archival featurettes on the stunts, special effects, and music are also included, as well as a look at the news.
It’s a wafer-thin premise that could have fallen on its rear, but Role Models (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) is pulled-off almost entirely by the winning combination of stars Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott, who play a pair of selfish guys saddled with mentoring a pair of smart-assed kids. Give it a spin. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, improv, a featurette, bloopers, and more. The Blu-Ray edition ($39.98 SRP) features additional deleted scenes, alternate takes, bloopers, featurettes, and more.
First off, Anne Hathaway’s Oscar nomination for Rachel Getting Married (Sony, Rated R, DVD-$28.96 SRP) – in which she portrays a walking bag of chaos who returns home for her sister’s nuptials – was well-deserved. The flick is one of those rolling awkward situations that just builds and builds, and when it manages to make the landing, you applaud it all the more. Bonus features include audio commentaries, interviews, deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
For a true story that’s proven problematic to bring to the big screen over the past 20 years, writer Dustin Lance Black and director Gus Van Sant certainly accomplished the task with Milk (Universal, Rated R, DVD-$29.98 SRP). The film is a powerful document of the groundbreaking San Franciscan politician Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to major public office, and his fight for equal rights – and tragic end. The DVD features deleted scenes, a remembrance of Harvey, and behind-the-scenes featurette. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.98 SRP) is also available, featuring identical bonus materials.
Putting much of US television to shame, one of those must-have, wonderful series comes together in one handy package with Cracker: The Complete Collection (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$119.99 SRP), starring Robbie Coltrane has the heavily-flawed criminologist Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald. The 10-disc set features 11 feature-length mysteries, plus a 45-minute retrospective documentary.
Disney contributed quite a one-two contribution to the “creepy kid” genre of films with their 70’s “classics” Escape To Witch Mountain & Return From Witch Mountain (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$19.99 SRP each), both of which are now available again in special edition form to prime the pump for the upcoming remake of Escape starring The Rock as Eddie Albert (whoda thunk that?). Bonus features include audio commentaries, featurettes, retrospectives, and more.
It’s a shame that Cadillac Records (Sony, Rated R, DVD-$27.96 SRP) couldn’t have surrounded such wonderful performances – Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, and Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters – with a better film, because the story of the rise of Chess Records is a fascinating one. The film isn’t bad – don’t get me wrong – but I just wish it was better. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and featurettes. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.95 SRP) is also available, with the same bonus features PLUS an interactive record player featuring music from the film.
You’ve seen the documentary, but it’s just as fun (especially for kids) to see the Scholastic Children’s book edition of The Man Who Walked Between The Towers (Scholastic, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP) on video, narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal. The DVD also features a trio of other stories, but the real draw is the tale of Phillipe Petit’s mad achievement.
The name is a misnomer, but it’s admirable that Hanna-Barbera tried to bring back their animated adventure series with an older, edgier Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). It doesn’t work entirely well, but you can see for yourself with the first volume of the show’s first season, featuring 13 episodes plus a featurette on the modernization.
If you want a dose of the denizens of Smurf village but the first season set was too intimidating, try the single-disc Smurfs Volume 1: True Blue Friends (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), which sports 5 episodes. Hopefully it doesn’t replace releasing more of the bigger box sets, because that would be pretty smurfed up.
Brian Bonsall is in full gear as precocious son Andrew as we move quickly towards the end in season 5 of Family Ties (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). All of the kids are getting older, with Alex in college, Mallory fronting a band, and Jennifer just being Jennifer. The 4-disc box-set features all 30 episodes, plus a gag reel.
Edward Norton’s still-powerful turn as an altar boy accused of murder in Primal Fear (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$14.98 SRP) gets a brand new special edition, featuring an audio commentary, a retrospective featurette, a look at the casting of Norton, a featurette on the psychology of guilt, and the original theatrical trailer. If High def is your bag, an identical Blu-Ray edition ($29.99 SRP) is also available.
Let’s get a little educational for a bit, with a clutch of titles from the fine folks at PBS. First up is the untold story of America’s immigrant hospital, Forgotten Ellis Island (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP), while Adjust Your Color: The Truth Of Petey Greene (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP) looks at America’s first shock jock. The Old Man And The Storm (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP) focuses on 82-year-old Herbert Gettridge, a Ninth Ward resident of New Orleans, following Hurricane Katrina. The story of India is told in, fittingly enough, The Story Of India (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$34.99 SRP), and the story of our new President is told in Dreams Of Obama (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP). And there’s even a Blu-Ray release of Another Day In Paradise (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), which follows a trio of US Naval shipmates during their deployment to the Persian Gulf.
I’m two viewngs into Synecdoche, New York (Sony, Rated R, DVD-$28.96 SRP) – the latest from writer/director Charlie Kaufman – and I’m still not sure if I like it or not. In a nutshell, the story’s about a small-town theater director (Philip Seymour Hoffman), suffering from a degenerative medical condition, who focuses his energy on creating a massive life-size re-creation of New York City within a massive warehouse, populated with actors. What does it all mean? Get back to me in a few years. Bonus materials include interviews, a Bloggers roundtable, animations, and more.
Directed by and starring William Shatner, Groom Lake (Koch, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is a cheesy little sci-fi alien flick about the government and extra-terrestrials, and enough cheese to make it all worthwhile. The disc even features an exclusive interview with Shatner.
The show is coming to a close, but the DVD releases are still playing catch up with the release of ER: The Complete Tenth Season (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), welcoming aboard now-mainstay Maura Tierney as Abbey Lockhart. The 6-disc set features all 22 episodes, plus unaired scenes and outtakes.
It was more affable than funny, but I admit to having seen the odd episode from the second season of Caroline In The City (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) during its original run – mainly for Lea Thompson. The 3-disc set features all 25 episodes, plus the original promos.
It’s by no means a good flick, but as a piece of animation history, Max Flesicher’s Gulliver’s Travels (E1 Entertainment, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) is worth a look-see, as it shows where other studios were taking the idea of animated features in the wake of Snow White. This new edition takes the public domain print and does a decent restoration job, plus adds a pair of Gabby cartoons, and a behind-the-scenes documentary.
I really didn’t think I’d ever encounter a film as awkward as Life Is Beautiful again, but then came The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (Miramax, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.99 SRP), about a young boy who’s wandering in the woods leads him to befriend another young boy. In striped pajamas. Behind a fence. In a Nazi concentration camp. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a featurette.
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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