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 was one of the many that was concerned the Harry Potter franchise would stumble and fall at the finish line, as it wrapped up J.K. Rowling’s sweeping tale with a two-part version of her final book. Thankfully, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) lands it, and lands it well. Sure, there were some adjustments, deletions, and tinkering in the screen translation, but we’ve been dealing with those throughout the series. And while we’re all waiting for the inevitable Ultimate Editions, this special edition is loaded with the information-filled Maximum Movie Mode, a conversation between Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe, additional scenes, featurettes, and more.
I’m a sucker for better portable electronics solutions, which is why I like the Quirky Contort 4-Port USB Hub ($24.99), which is a tiny little USB hub that also contains built-in cord management. Four ports and no cord mess in a compact package? Perfect.
If you’ve ever known the cult joy of discovery in watching the likes of The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and have yet to experience Matt Berry & Rich Fulcher’s Snuff Box (Severin, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), you can not possibly conceive of the great hole – the yawning chasm – that exists within your comedy universe. Bizarrely daft and deliriously quirky, it’s a series of sketch-like material that simply needs to be seen. By you. Immediately. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, and a bonus CD containing Matt Berry’s show music.
You know Disney is clearly throwing their weight behind 3D releases of their catalogue when they drop four titles in a day, all of them upgraded to multi-disc definitive editions containing not only brand new 3D discs, but also the Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital discs. Really, this is the version to buy, even if you don’t yet have a 3D television set. So what films have dropped? You can get Meet The Robinsons (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP), Bolt (Walt Disney, Rated PG, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), Chicken Little (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP), and G-Force (Walt Disney, Rated PG, 3D Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP). All of the bonus materials are identical to the previous Blu-Ray releases.
It’s a shame that they didn’t see fit to give it a proper restored release rather than an MOD Warner Archive Collection release, because 1934’s Hollywood Party (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$14.95), while a big mess of a film, is still a worthwhile cinema artifact. Why? Well, much like the equally messy It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, it’s jam-packed with the stars of the day, with everyone from Laurel & Hardy and Jimmy Durante to The Three Stooges (with old boss Ted Healy) and even Mickey Mouse. And, in a rarity for these Archive releases, there’s even a choice bonus feature – rare pre-recordings and outtakes of deleted songs.
Often overlooked due to its flashier contemporaries like The Godfather, Francis Coppola’s The Conversation (Lionsgate, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.95 SRP) is a magnificent little thriller, starring Gene Hackman at the height of his powers as surveillance man Harry Caul who hears too much, much to his detriment. The high definition transfer is a gem, and bonus materials include audio commentaries, interviews, featurettes, and more.
While it’s not the 1935 film starring Charles Laughton as the overbearing Captain Bligh that I love so much, the high definition release of the 1962 version of Mutiny On The Bounty (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP), starring Trevor Howard as Bligh and some guy named Marlon Brando as the mutinous Fletcher Christian, is certainly worth a look, now looking better than it ever has. Bonus materials include an alternate prologue & epilogue, a retrospective featurette, a quartet of vintage featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.
One of those much-beloved flicks from my childhood, owing largely to dozens of captive-audience viewings on early cable TV, has arrived in high definition. Now I can see the cast of The Cannonball Run (HBO, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP) lark about for 90 minutes in exquisite detail. These are, indeed, wondrous times. Heck, there’s even an audio commentary with director Hal Needham.
More of the Miramax catalogue makes its way to high definition with the release of the largely forgotten but worth seeing Cop Land (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.99 SRP) and the not-as-good but still interesting Chuck Barris “story” Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.99 SRP). Both contain audio commentaries, featurettes, and more.
They’re not as well-polished as the theatrical shorts, but the cartoons contained in Mr. Magoo: The Television Collection 1960-1977 (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$79.87 SRP) still has plenty of fun misadventures for that myopic senior citizen. The 11-disc set features not only the television shows, but also the Uncle Sam Magoo special plus audio commentaries, galleries, and a featurette.
Warners has decided to drop a trio of festive holiday catalogue titles just in time for your cold winter viewing pleasure – the sequel Frosty’s Winter Wonderland (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), a pair of Smurftastic specials on The Smurfs Holiday Celebration (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), and the high definition release of Rankin-Bass’s mouse-tastic Twas The Night Before Christmas (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP).
They’re not revelatory tracks, but for Beatles completists, there’s always been a fascination with the tunes they recorded in the early 60’s with Tony Sheridan, which have been remastered in both mono and stereo form for the First Recordings (Time Life, $19.99 SRP), which collects the whole lot in one easy package.
Intentionally crass comedy is a balancing act that either provides the highs of The Hangover and Bridesmaids or the lows of The Change-Up (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP), which trots out the exchanging bodies trope for a pair of friends – a family man (Jason Bateman) and vulgar pothead bachelor (Ryan Reynolds) who then proceed to screw up each other’s lives and then learn a lesson or something. You know – the usual. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, a deleted scene, a gag reel, and more.
If you’ve ever wondered how the states comprising the United States got their various borders, loon no further than the History Channel program How The States Got Their Shapes (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$34.95 SRP). Hosted by Brian Unger, it traces all of the geography and politics that dictated just where borders where drawn – and redrawn – over the years.
Even 25 years and numerous pop culture jokes later, David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (MGM, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP) still manages to be an uncomfortable, often disturbing piece of filmmaking. Now it’s made the transition to high definition, sporting a retrospective documentary, outtakes, TV spots, the original Siskel & Ebert review, and newly discovered lost footage.
Up to a certain point, Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$26.98 SRP) is a nice look back on the life of a talented performer. Then, later in that life, it becomes a rather sad portrait of a man trapped within that performer. Still, there’s always that early period, right? The disc also features over 90 minutes of additional interviews.
More classic Nickelodeon animation from the fine folks at Shout Factory arrives with The Wild Thornberrys: Season 2 Part 1 (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$19.93 SRP). The 2-disc set contains the first 13 episodes of that globetripping family’s second season adventures.
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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