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 FRED Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support FRED by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)
The long drought of last year is but a distant memory as the new Cinematic Titanic releases roll out with great speed this new year, the latest being The Alien Factor (Cinema Titan, $14.99), a horrid 70’s cheapie shot in the wilds of Baltimore, that manages to be a sci-fi version of Manos‘s low-rent, interminable filmmaking – making it glorious fodder for the fine folks at CT. This is another of their live performances, shot last year at LA’s Largo. The energy of the crowd elevates the Titans’ own energy – making for quite a nice little feedback loop.
Moore Action Collectibles had a go at it a few years ago, but it wasn’t until Toynami took over the license that the Futurama action figure line really took off and became what fans always hoped for – mainly, filled with characters. If you’re completely oblivious to the existence of these figures, then thank Thinkgeek for collecting together a clutch of them and offering them as Futurama 2-Packs ($24.99). The available pairings are Fry/Bender, Hermes/Farnsworth, & Leela/Zap Brannigan. You know you want them. You know you do.
There’s an entire generation out there that never got to experience the golden years of a show called Night Court (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), and I urge them to do so by picking up the finally-released third season of the show, which brings Markie Post on full-time as public defender Christine Sullivan. If you’re unaware of the show, give it a spin. Fans are already there.
R. Lee Ermey returns with a brand new series – Lock n’ Load (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$34.95 SRP), which finds the retired Gunnery Sergeant taking viewers on a history and demonstration of battlefield weapons from tanks to rockets. Even if you’re not a warmonger, the history and innovation is fascinating. This 4-disc set contains all 13 first season episodes.
Where the Coen brothers fell down, a firing-on-all-cylinders Steven Soderberg delivers The Informant (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP) a tale of espionage – the corporate variety – in the form of an immensely likeable, deluded man named Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) who felt the secret recordings he was making of corporate bigwigs price-fixing food additives would make him a national hero. He did become the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in US history, but… well, that would be spoiling a very funny film. Bonus materials are limited to additional scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, with identical features.
I think the title of his new DVD sums it up pretty well – Sinbad: Where U Been? (Comedy Central, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) finds the comic returning to the stage for his first special in years, riffing on where exactly his disappeared to after incredible success in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The disc also contains a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Remember About Schmidt? Remember Jack Nicholson’s cross-country journey to reconnect with his daughter after his wife’s passing? Well, crank up the schmaltz factor and regress the script, and give the lead to Robert DeNiro and you’ve pretty much got Everybody’s Fine (Miramax, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which finds DeNiro’s widower traveling cross-country to reconnect with each of his kids. Bonus features include a featurette and deleted/extended scenes.
It’s always interesting to find out about the people behind the names that have become nothing more than brands, and such is the case with the biopic Coco Before Chanel (Sony, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$34.95 SRP), which looks at the humble beginnings of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (Audrey Tatou), who would one day take the fashion world by storm under her nickname, Coco. Bonus features include an audio commentary and a trio of featurettes.
I never thought I’d be interested in seeing the pressure and power struggles that went into making an issue of Vogue magazine, but like any good documentary, The September Issue (Lionsgate, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP) had me glued as the mag’s legendary editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour (immortalized by Meryl Streep in the fictionalized Devil Wears Prada), did just that. The 2-disc set contains an audio commentary, deleted scenes, photos, trailer, and over an hour of additional footage.
The film’s a mess but I love how the cover of the oddball Vampire’s Assistant: Cirque Du Freak (Universal, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$36.98 SRP) tries to make its tale of a kid who joins the circus to become a Vampire into Twilight – going so far as to heavily photoshop its lead to look more like Robert Pattinson. Bonus features include a pair of featurettes and deleted scenes.
Zombie Nazis. Does anything else really need to be said about the Nordic take on Evil Dead, Dead Snow (MPI, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), that will make its goofy premise any more appealing? I didn’t think so. The 2-disc special edition contains behind-the-scenes featurettes, outtakes, and more.
Michael Palin turns in a memorable dramatic performance in the UK miniseries GBH (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP), as an unassuming headmaster who inadvertently derails a labor strike called by an egomaniacal Labour party leader, which leads to a fierce test of wills in this still powerful satire. Heck, it even has a soundtrack by Elvis Costello. The 4-disc set also features an audio commentary on the first episode and an interview with writer Alan Bleasdale.
For those with very little patience, you can pick up and either re-watch or get caught up with the first half of Flashforward‘s debut season (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP). The 2-disc set contains the first 10 episodes, plus an effects featurette and a preview of things to come.
Front and center, Edie Falco makes an indelible impression as the titular Nurse Jackie (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) as an acerbic caretaker in a New York hospital who also intakes a healthy dose of pain pills to deal with her constant back pain. Give the first season a spin and see if you’re not hooked. The 3-disc box set contains all 12 episodes, plus commentaries, featurettes, and nurse stories.
It’s not my cup of tea, but there’s no denying that Superjail! (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is easily one of the most visually distinctive shows to hit Adult Swim, and could certainly grow into a unique cornerstone of the programming block. The first season set contains all 10 episodes, plus the pilot.
Go back to the infancy of the Oscars with the Academy Collection: The Envelope Please Volume 1 (Infinity, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), which collects eight early Best Picture nominees that have slipped into public domain. Those films are The Racket, Alibi, The Front Page, A Farewell To Arms, The Private Life Of Henry VIII, A Star Is Born, Pygmalion, and Love Affair.
Learn of the perils and impending issues of overfishing in the compelling documentary The End Of The Line (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP). It’s rather sobering to think just how close to the brink an entire ecosystem is. Bonus materials include 6 behind-the-scenes webisodes, an interview with narrator Ted Danson, featurettes, and a trailer.
Those nifty score purveyors at La-La Land Records have delivered another trio of releases to keep soundtrack fans happy and penniless – Christopher Young’s score to Love Happens (La-La Land Records, $17.99 SRP), Bear McCready’s music from Battlestar Galactica: The Plan and Razor (La-La Land Records, $17.99 SRP), and cues from the long-running soap Days Of Our Lives (La-La Land Records, $23.99 SRP), by Ken Corday & D. Brent Nelson.
Science! Can’t get enough of it. Also? Excited by it. The 4th season box set of The Universe (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP)? Can’t wait to dive into the 12 stunning episodes exploring the mysteries and majesty of outer space. The 4-disc set also contains a pair of features on meteors and comets. The real way to watch it, though is in glorious high definition via the Blu-Ray edition ($54.95).
I can only assume they’re a big hit north of the border, but I confess to being nonplussed by the titular comedy troupe helming the feature film Trailer Park Boys: Countdown To Liquor Day (Screen Media, Rated R, DVD-$24.98 SRP), but I can assure you that the film will probably appeal to those who dug the Blue Collar Comedy tour. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scene, featurettes, and more.
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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