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…

(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)

The books are classics of English humor, and the television adaptations starring Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie serve the material exceptionally well, as you can discover in P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves & Wooster: The Complete Collection (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP), which contains all four seasons.

When I’m out running errands, I never seem to have a pen with me when I need it most. You know, like when you want to write something down, or make a deposit, or defend yourself against a mountain lion. Well, the Inka Pen Travel Pen ($14.99) is perfect, because not only does it store itself at half size and come on a keychain, but it also features a PDA stylus to boot. Perfect.

Director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost In The Shell returns with a beautiful feature about a group of eternally young fighter pilots engaging in incredible dogfights against an implacable enemy, and the one pilot that wants to discover his missing past. Sky Crawlers (Sony, Rated PG-13, DVD-$27.96 SRP) features both the English and original Japanese versions of the film, plus a pair of featurettes. A Blu-Ray edition ($34.95 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus features.

I’ve praised the fine folks at Twomorrows Publishing many, many times in the past, and that praise it deserved. In fact, I’m going to do so again, by recommending the latest volume in their magnificent Modern Masters artist spotlight series, which has just featured Kyle Baker (Twomorrows, $14.95). Equal parts in-depth interview and sketchbook, it’s a must-have.

As if murderers weren’t enough of a pain, Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) now has a snooping reporter to make things awkward in the complete fourth season of The Closer (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The 4-disc box set contains all 15 episodes, plus unaired scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel.

A long time coming, Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP) is an unblinking, affectionate, warts-and-all portrait of a writer whose creativity is matched only by his curmudgeonly, combative nature. Read the man’s work and then pick this up for a look at the man behind it. The DVD features additional readings, a featurette from the film’s premiere, and pizza with Harlan and Neil Gaiman.

While all of the attention went to the flashier Matrix, I always enjoyed the quieter, more cerebral sci-fi of producer Roland Emmerich’s The Thirteenth Floor (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$28.95 SRP), which is now making its debut in high definition. It’s part virtual reality, part noir, part detective whodunit, and more. If you’ve never given it a spin, try it out. The disc features an audio commentary and a music video.

All these years later, there’s something comically over-the-top about Falling Down (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP), which starred Michael Douglas as a laid off defense worker whose had enough and is not willing to take it anymore. Controversial at the time, it’s more a caricature now. The new special edition adds a commentary track with Douglas and director Joel Schumacher, an interview with Douglas, and the theatrical trailer. A Blu-Ray edition ($34.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus features.

Kids today have no idea what seemingly-endless cartoon fun Saturday mornings used to be before the rise of cable and home video. For just a taste of what it was like, Warners has put together both Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Volume 1 & Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Volume 1 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP each), 2-disc set featuring over 5 hours of Hanna-Barbera and Warners cartoons that evoke memories of that bygone era. The sets also contain documentaries on Quick Draw McGraw, The Herculoids, Frankenstein, Jr., Charlie Chan, and The Funky Phantom.

The Beeb has brought together a quintet of their recent Dickens adaptations into the Charles Dickens Masterworks Collection (BBC, Not Rated , DVD-$119.98 SRP). The set collects the previously released discs of Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, and Great Expectations, with the exact same bonus features as those original versions.

However, the Beeb hasn’t brought out any of their classic comedy in high definition yet, but we are getting a pair of their recent prestige productions on Blu-Ray. The first is their multi-art adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Bleak House (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), starring Gillian Anderson and containing bonus commentaries, interviews, and a photo gallery. Also available is Cranford (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), their adaptation of the works of Elizabeth Gaskell. The sole bonus feature is a making-of featurette.

I’m not entirely a fan of the split-season approach to releasing classic DVD series, but if it’s the only economically viable way to get them out, I guess we’ll all just have to be patient. The latest installments are Gunsmoke: The Third Season Volume 2 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.98 SRP) and The Mod Squad: Season 2 Volume 2 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.98 SRP).

Get a complete, compelling look at the prehistory of Planet Earth through the arrival of mankind with the History Channel’s Prehistoric Collection (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP), which collects four previous documentaries in one set – Jurassic Fight Club, Prehistoric Megastorms, Journey To 10,000 BC, and Clash Of The Cavemen. Bonus materials include additional footage and the Mega Disasters episode “Asteroid Apocalypse”.

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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