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…)

Instead of nice comprehensive sets, Nickelodeon continues to parcel out their new iCarly releases as single disc clutches of episodes, the latest of which is iCarly: iSpace Out (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), which contains the titular 3rd season episode in addition 5 more, plus a bonus episode of Victorious.

Hey, so you know how much you love the original Star Trek, and all of its wonderfully stylish props? And how you always wanted some of them for your very ownself, preferably at a reasonably low price? Well, you can get your very own light-up and sound-effect capable Star Trek Tricorder ($49.99). See? All better now.

After a disappointing, featureless jump ahead to release the 20th anniversary season over a year ago, the proper, feature-laden thirteenth season of The Simpsons (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) arrives on DVD with the full range of audio commentaries on every episode, deleted scenes, featurettes, animation showcases, galleries, commercials, and more. And, in a first for these early seasons, a Blu-Ray edition ($59.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.

Doctor Grumpy McSourWooster returns in the compete 6th season of House (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP), which features 21 episodes full of exotic diseases, last-minute diagnoses, and perfunctory cures, all wrapped up in a bitter, argumentative bow. The 5-disc set contains audio commentaries, featurettes, and an exclusive short. A Blu-Ray edition ($74.98 SRP) is available with identical bonus features.

Chronicling a turbulent, deadly decade in Yorkshire England, the 3 films that comprise the Red Riding trilogy (MPI, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) are an epic, Once Upon A Time In America look at a town that that’s torn apart by Thatcherism, crime, corruption, and plain old human misery. Taken as a whole, they’re a bitter, yet compelling, dramatic pill to swallow. Bonus features include interviews, featurettes, deleted scenes, and interviews.

When it comes to ABC’s new comedies last year, the one I liked the most was Modern Family. The one that left the least impression on me was The Middle (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP), which plays like a watered down version of Modern Family – which is a shame, since stars Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton are quite capable of doing much more than the writers are giving them. Hopefully, the second season will pick up the slack. The 3-disc set contains all 24 1st season episodes, plus a pair of featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

In what must the 50th home video edition, Sam Raimi’s gory, goofy low-budget indie horror flick Evil Dead (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.97 SRP) arrives in high definition, looking better than it has in the past, but still clearly rooted in its cheapie past. Bonus materials include a new audio commentary, featurettes, a make-up test, still gallery, theatrical trailer, and TV spots.

Its failure really isn’t surprising, as Flashforward (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) contained a cutesy sci-fi gimmick – the whole world passes out and sees the future before regaining consciousness – and simply couldn’t sustain an interesting story after the pilot. It also didn’t help its chances that ABC pulled it off the air for what seemed like ages halfway through the season. So this 6-disc box set is the complete series, sporting audio commentaries, featurettes, interviews, deleted scenes, and bloopers.

It was during the 4th season of Brothers and Sisters (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$45.99 SRP) that I began to think that the show was losing steam and perhaps the writing was on the wall for cancellation. Well, the show did get renewed, but there’s certainly plenty of stress fractures, and it doesn’t help that it’s also Rob Lowe’s last season. The 6-disc set contains deleted scenes, a pair of featurettes, and bloopers.

Michael Caine returns to his touch as nails roots in Harry Brown (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$30.95 SRP) as an unassuming man living in a dangerous, drug-riddled neighborhood who decides on enacting his own brand of justice after his good friend is killed by local thugs. Bonus features include an audio commentary and deleted scenes.

It’s fine as it exits now, but watching the first season of Parenthood (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), I can’t help but think it would have been made that much better if Maura Tierney had been able to take on the series, instead of having to drop out for medical reasons. Regardless, the complete first season is now available, featuring audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and a featurette.

With all of the undead glut of late, you might have forgotten that there’s another show about vampires that’s coming to DVD – the first season of The Vampire Diaries (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP), featuring a pair of fanged brothers both chasing after a dead ringer for the girl they loved 150 years prior. The 5-disc set contains all 22 episodes, plus audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

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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