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…)

Children of the 70’s and 80’s remember well the overly-earnest, deadly-dry, unintentionally laughable educational films and programs that were a regular staple of the classroom. Well, the brilliant Peter Serafinowicz & Robert Popper have taken that fertile ground and crafted a magnificently bent parody in Look Around You (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), the first season of which makes its long-awaited Stateside DVD debut in a special edition that contains a bonus double-length episode, a pop video, a Little Mouse commentary, music, and more, but also newly recorded creators & guest star audio commentaries. Buy this now.

Time to upgrade your trusty old lunchbox? Why not go with the Mr. Bento Stainless Lunch Jar ($54.99), which features four high quality hot or cold bowls stacked within a stainless steel container. Heck, you even get a spork and a back to hold it all. How convenient is that?

If you’re only knowledge of the character is the equally underrated film, do yourself a favor and pick up the beautifully presented Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures (IDW, $29.99 SRP), which collects every bit of Dave Stevens thrilling, gorgeous comics about the high-flying hero, along with rare promotional art.

If you go into Cop Out (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) will an appreciation of the buddy cop flicks that littered the 80’s, then you know what the film paying homage to, and it’s a fun homage at that. Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan fill the buddy shoes this go round, in a flick where plot is not nearly as important as the vibe. The main bonus feature is the “Maximum Comedy Mode”, which drops picture-in-picture Kevin Smith into a guide tour of the film incorporating commentary, alternate/deleted footage, and even Seann William Scott.

The term “classic” gets thrown about with abandon nowadays, and I’d certainly question its application I the “Roger Corman’s Cult Classics” line of catalogue releases, but there’s no doubt that “cult” is more than applicable. The latest pair of additions to the line are Forbidden World, & Galaxy Of Terror (Shout Factory, Rated R, DVD-$19.93 SRP each), both of which are packed with bonus materials, including commentaries, featurettes, interviews, and more.

What do you get one a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost shack up together? The supernatural Three’s Company dramedy that is the BBC’s Being Human (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), the first season of which is now available. The 2-disc set contains all 13 episodes, plus featurettes, deleted scenes, video diaries, and more.

It’s gut level humor and certainly not high-brow, but its base nature is probably why my nephews got such a kick out of Cats & Dogs (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP), which pits the two eternal enemies against each other in a high tech battle beneath the oblivious noses of the human world. The new high definition edition contains an audio commentary, featurettes, storyboard comparisons, and concept sketches.

The residents of the Springfield Retirement Castle will be delighted at the release of Matlock: Season Five (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP). Heck, this season even brings the down-home southern lawyer out to Hollywood, and gives him his first 2-hour “Matlock Movie Mystery”. The 6-disc set contains all 21 episodes.

You know, I kind of dug The Losers (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) – It’s a big, dumb, goofy, fun action film of the kind made popular in the 80’s, when big guns, big booms, and quips ruled the day. The plot is largely irrelevant – just imagine it as a little bit Magnificent Seven and a little bit A-Team. Bonus materials include featurettes and a deleted scene.

Get all goofy with Batman, Superman, and all the rest down at the Hall of Justice with the second volume of Super Friends!: Season One (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP), featuring another 8 episodes across 2 discs. Meanwhile, back at the… Well, you know…

Fear for the future of civilization after viewing even one minute of Jersey Shore: Season One (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP), and hope that the sheer stupidity on display will remove the cast from the gene pool in the near future. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and the reunion special.

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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