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…)
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit worried that George RR. Martin might be unable to keep all of the plates of his sprawling Song Of Ice & Fire series spinning with the arrival of the long-awaited 5th installment, A Dance With Dragons (Bantam, $35.00 SRP). The series has only grown larger and more complicated with each outing, with hundreds of characters in a delicate web. So, did he pull it off? I’m delighted to say that he did. Quite handily. Not only do we catch up with all of the characters not seen since Book 3, but we also dovetail with where Book 4 left off and carry the story forward for all – Right up to a conclusion that leaves me bitterly disappointed that I’m right back to hanging off the cliff desperately awaiting the next tome.
If you’re not comfortable with the whole touch-activated thing and desire a measure of accuracy, then you might want to try the Pogo Stylus ($14.99), which features a soft tip and even comes with a clip that attaches easily to your iPhone/iPod.
You know, it says it’s from Nickelodeon studios, but I find it hard to believe that Rango (Nickelodeon, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP). While showing it to my nephews, I felt I’d taken them on a vision quest guided by the bastard son of Terry Gilliam & Sergio Leone. It’s also some of the most photo-realistic CG character animation you’ll ever see, guided by strong character design and in support of a pretty damn good story. And Johnny Depp as the titular Gecko? Finally, a role he was born to play. Bonus materials include featurettes and deleted scenes.
I usually find Robot Chicken an uneven affair, but they always seem to bring their A-game to their Star Wars specials. While Robot Chicken Star Wars III (Adult Swim, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP) isn’t their best outing, there’s still plenty of good material in it – particularly any sketches featuring the Seth MacFarland-voiced Emperor Palpatine. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and trailers.
Oh, great that these classic Doctor Who releases are coming so fast, as we get the terribly unappreciated William Hartnell old west adventure The Gunfighters (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) and the enjoyable if marginal Peter Davison story The Awakening (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP). As we’ve come to expect from these special editions, both discs contain an audio commentary and a healthy clutch of behind-the-scenes featurettes and archive materials.
As the cinematic Harry Potter-verse draws to a close, there’s a lot of products both official and unofficial that are being released to capitalize on all of the wizardry hubbub, but one of the most fun unofficial items has to be The Unofficial Harry Potter Sweet Shoppe Kit (Adams Media, $24.95) – which is a big box full of recipes, candy molds, broomstick lollipop sticks, bags, and ties. Yup, that’s right – everything you need to make magically delicious treats inspired by those found in Harry’s world. Yum.
It doesn’t seem that long since the last series, but the spooks at MI-5 (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) are back with another batch of high-wire tension exploits that test friendships and international relations to the breaking point.
After 15 seasons, ER (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) comes to a close as some characters make unexpected returns and many make unexpected exits as the clock runs down on the lifesaving work at County General. The 5-disc set contains all 22 episodes, plus deleted scenes and a retrospective featurette.
Oh, Russell Brand. I really do like you as a performer, and was a fan long before the rest of the US even knew who you were, but this remake of Arthur (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP)? It just doesn’t work. I know you’re trying real hard, and the original wasn’t some masterpiece, but this whole affair just falls terribly, terribly flat in both the comedy and the shoehorned drama (admittedly, an issue with the original, as well). Let’s just forget this ever happened, Russell. Like Arthur 2: On The Rocks. Deal? Bonus materials include a production featurette, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
A consummate lawyer who works out of the back seat of his car, Matthew McConaughey finds himself in a violent predicament when he takes on the defense of a young man accused of rape and murder in the entirely watchable thriller The Lincoln Lawyer (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). Bonus materials include a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes.
The third season of Damages (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP) finds Glenn Close’s litigator Patty Hewes going up against the evil Tobin family – particularly matriarch Lily Tomlin and lawyer Martin Short. How great is that? The 3-disc set contains all 13 episodes plus commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel.
Shout Factory has cranked up their high definition genre releases with a pair of must-have cheese flicks – Roger Corman’s Star Wars pastiche Battle Beyond The Stars (Shout Factory, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$26.97 SRP) and the totally bonkers post-apocalyptic road movie Damnation Alley (Shout Factory, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$26.97 SRP). Both discs are loaded with bonus materials, including audio commentaries, featurettes, trailers, and TV spots.
Regardless of which side you fall on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the film Miral (Anchor Bay, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP) is a powerful piece of filmmaking that focuses on a girl who comes of age in the middle of the conflict, whose father entrusts her to the care of a local orphanage after the death of her mother – an orphanage run by a woman whose focus is on peace through education. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and featurettes.
If you’ve got a big, beautiful high definition television, there’s nothing like kicking back and just drinking in the beauty of the IMAX films Tropical Rainforest & the volcanic Ring Of Fire (Inception, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP each). As nature documentaries go, they’re glorious eye candy.
Are you behind on picking up the DVD releases of Nickelodeon’s most popular preschool shows? Well, now you can catch up with Yo Gabba Gabba!: Party In A Box! (Nickelodeon, Not Rated DVD-$24.99 SRP) and Dora’s Big Party Pack (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP). The Gabba set contains the previously released Dancey Dance Bunch, Birthday Boogie & Clubhouse, while the Dora set collects Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure, It’s A Party, & Super Silly Fiesta.
I know there are plenty of fans, but I’ve never been able to make it through an episode of Entourage (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) without getting frustrated by characters I really don’t want to spend any time with. For those who do, the 7th season is now available, sporting audio commentaries, featurettes, and interviews.
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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