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 not only the picture frame that’s expanded in the third season of The Venture Bros. (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) – after three seasons, the Venture universe has become a, dare I say, rich tapestry. The characters and universe crafted by Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer is better than most of the writing on TV today, and it’s about time a wider audience discovered it. The 2-disc set features all 13 episodes, plus audio commentaries and deleted scenes. This is also the first season being released in Blu-Ray ($44.98 SRP), and it looks wonderful. The bonus features are identical to the standard release, but the Blu-Ray edition also contains a CD of J.G. Thirlwell’s score.
OK, there is something blatantly geeky about keeping your change in a bank that’s also an exact replica of the Golden Fertility Idol ($19.99) featured in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. I admit this. And frankly, I don’t care – because while it is blatantly geeky, it’s also pretty darn cool. And you know you want one, too. You know it.
Much like Freaks & Geeks and Arrested Development before it, another brilliant but short-lived series comes to DVD, where it will hopefully be discovered by those who didn’t get to experience it during its first go-round. So what series am I celebrating this time? Andy Richter Controls The Universe (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). Just trust me when I say you need to see this. NOW. Bonus features include audio commentaries and a pair of featurettes.
For years now, I’ve been reiterating that you should buy, post-haste, the comedic sci-fi novels of Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder. Every one so far has been the delightfully quirky literary equivalent of a fine gem, and the greatness keeps on coming with his latest tale of slow-witted detective Frank Burly, Earth Vs. Everybody (Kennydale Books, $15.95). It’s a breezy read, perfect for the busy comedy connoisseur with little to no free time and an intense desire to enjoy their brief moments of leisure. If you still miss Douglas Adams, get this book. And the rest of them. Get them now, in fact. I’ll wait here for you… And then, together, we’ll eagerly await the next installment. I can guarantee you it’ll be just as good…. Nay, BETTER!
As much as I love RiffTrax, it’s with Cinematic Titanic that I feel like I’ve come home to the Mystery Science Theater experience that I fell in love with lo’ those many years ago. Awful movie? Check. Brilliantly, hilariously eviscerating comedy at said film’s expense? Check. An endearingly goofy conceit prompting the experience? Check. The folks behind MST? Check. So what’s their latest target? A cheesy vampire flick called Blood Of The Vampires (Cinema Titan, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99 SRP), and it is wonderful. If you haven’t picked up one of their discs yet, do so. And then pick up the rest. NOW.
For years it’s been available in a sub-par 4×3 version, but finally the first (and best) Sesame Street feature film gets so much-deserved respect with the newly-remastered, widescreen edition of Follow That Bird (Warner Bros., Rated G, DVD-$19.98 SRP). The picture is crisp and clean, and while the bonus features are a little light, at least they did a new interview with Muppeteer Carroll Spinney and kept the theatrical trailer on. It’s a fun, funny flick that unfortunately reminds me just how good Sesame used to be.
When a comedian decides – at the age of 32 – to write his autobiography, it’s understandable to be a bit wary. But when that comedian is Russell Brand – and the tome deals in large part with his years of heroin and sex addiction – my curiosity is piqued. The book itself – whimsically titled My Booky Wook (Collins, $26.99 SRP) and now available in the US – is an engaging, witty, and brutally candid bio, and increases my respect of Mr. Brand even beyond the already high level attained by his wonderfully odd, affected comedy style.
Picking up where Casino Royale left off, Quantum Of Solace (MGM, Rated PG-13, DVD-$34.98 SRP) finds James Bond (Daniel Craig) crisscrossing the globe on a quest for revenge that finds him facing down an evil businessman and a vast conspiracy in a nicely action-packed entry in the franchise. Bonus features include 6 behind-the-scenes featurettes, “Crew Files” clips, a music video, and trailers. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available with the same bonus materials, but an absolutely stunning high definition picture.
What many people consider to be the worst Bond film – even though it’s technically not in the Bond canon proper – is Sean Connery’s last turn, Never Say Never Again (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP). The new high definition special edition features an audio commentary, a trio of retrospective featurettes, a photo gallery, and the theatrical trailer.
Add another must-have title to the list of those that have finally made it to Blu-Ray with the arrival of The Princess Bride (MGM/UA, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP). The new edition ports over the special features from the standard edition – audio commentaries, featurettes, etc. – and also kindly includes a bonus standard DVD of the film. It’s a must-have! Get it!
Letterman, Leno, Conan, and Kimmel may get all of the attention, but the brilliant dark horse of late night TV is Craig Ferguson. Most don’t know that the lost of The Late Late Show was also a stand-up, but you can easily rectify that lack of knowledge by picking up his brand new stand-up DVD, Craig Ferguson: A Wee Bit O’ Revolution (Image, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP). Bonus features include an interview and a speech Ferguson delivered at Boston’s Faneuil Hall.
Knowing its tortured production history, I had pretty low expectations for the Disney (non-Pixar) CG animated film Bolt (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). However, I had the same expectations of their previous venture – Meet The Robinsons – and that turned out to be a real fun, charming piece. Well, it looks like they’ve pulled another one out, because I dug Bolt – the story of a Hollywood star dog who gets a rude awakening when he finds himself lost in a real world that’s nothing like the TV reality he believes to be true. Really, the only way to go is to pick up the 3-disc Blu-Ray edition, which features not only featurettes, a new short, and deleted scenes, but a standard DVD copy of the film as well.
While most catalogue high-def releases have focused on comedies and action flicks, the drama side of things gets serviced with a trio of new releases to Blu-Ray – The Kite Runner, Things We Lost In The Fire, and A Mighty Heart (Paramount, Rated PG-13/R, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP each). Bonus features are identical to their red-headed stepchild standard editions.
If you walked out of Watchmen wanting to recreate the aural experience, there’s a pair of discs that fit the bill. For the songs featured in the flick, you’ll want Watchmen: Music From The Motion Picture (Warner Sunset, $18.98 SRP), which sports a dozen tracks. For the score, you’ll want Watchmen: Original Motion Picture Score (Warner Sunset, $18.98 SRP), which contains 40 minutes of composer Tyler Bates music.
Of the more recent crop of Disney animated flicks, one of the few I’d say is a classic on par with their golden age is Lilo & Stitch (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP), which is getting a new 2-disc special edition, containing deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, Stitch’s tour through Disney history, music videos, and more.
It was occasionally a bit rocky, but I wound up enjoying The Riches (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP), and was sad when the FX series about a family of grifters assuming the life of a wealthy family was axed after its second season. That 7-episode final season is now on DVD, with an additional “Eddie Izzard: Revealed” featurette.
Filmed in 1993, Rod Stewart’s stint on Unplugged was a rousing, rollicking jaunt through his back catalogue, with Ronnie Wood by his side. The CD has been re-released with a pair of bonus tracks as Rod Stewart Unplugged… And Seated (Rhino, $24.98 SRP), which also sports a DVD of the special itself.
I’m delighted that Paramount has decided to stick with their remastered, 2-disc special editions they’ve branded as the “Centennial Collection”. The latest releases are Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief and Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (Paramount, Not Rated/Rated G, DVD-$24.99 SRP each). Both flicks feature audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes & retrospective featurettes, trailers, galleries, and more. Did I mention they’ve also never looked or sounded better?
I am not a teenage girl or an emotionally needy woman, so the Twilight (Summit Entertainment, Rated PG-13, DVD-$32.99 SRP) phenomenon has left no impression on me, but I know there are fans aplenty out there, and they’ve been eagerly awaiting the DVD release of their vampire love story. Well, it’s arrived, and the 2-disc edition contains an audio commentary, extended/deleted scenes, a documentary, a behind-the-scenes look at Comic-Con, and more.
Many nerds noted the absence of the comic book story Tales Of The Black Freighter (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$27.95 SRP) from within Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Watchmen – an element that featured rather prominently within the original Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons miniseries. Well, nerds can rest a little bit, as an animated version comes direct-to-DVD along with a live-action/CGI adaptation of Nite Owl’s group origin story “Under The Hood”. Bonus features include a look at how the pieces connect to the film proper, and the first episode of the animated motion comic. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus material.
If you want a bit of the great outdoors this weekend, you might want to check out a pair of new releases from Animal Planet. Living With The Wolfman (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) features British wolf expert Shaun Ellis whose exploits studying and sleeping with wolves had me wondering when there might be a posthumous documentary in the offing. The other disc is Raw Nature (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP), featuring the too close for comfort work of a group of filmmakers.
Originally available as an exclusive pack in with Kung Fu Panda, the animated follow-up Secrets Of The Furious Five (Dreamworks, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) gets a standalone release, with the same bonus features.
See just how fun, frolicsome, and positively risqué pre-Code Tinseltown was in the Forbidden Hollywood Collection: Volume Three (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP). The latest collection contains six flicks – other Men’s Women, The Purchase Price, Frisco Jenny, Midnight Mary, Heroes For Sale, and Wild Boys Of The Road. The set also features a documentary on director William Wellman, a trio of commentaries, vintage shorts & cartoons, and trailers.
I’m not a terribly big fan, so the less I say about the CG animated Star Wars series the better. Suffice it to say, the first episode collection, The Clone Wars: A Galaxy Divided (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is now available, featuring a quartet of episodes but zero bonus features. I guess those will come in the eventual first season collection.
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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