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 am a sucker for feature film restorations that bring a film back from the brink, and Paramount has done truly amazing work on the first feature film to win the Best Picture Academy Award in 1927, William A. Wellman’s World War I aeronautical masterpiece Wings (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP). And not only does it look pretty damn good, but it’s actually an enjoyable, often stunning film – particularly the aerial dogfights. Bonus materials include a documentary and a restoration featurette.

Every once in awhile, the fine folks at Thinkgeek conjure up a specially-produced item that strikes just the right geek nerve, and such is the case with the Star Trek Electronic Door Chime ($29.99), which makes the original series wall communicators into an interactive motion sensor. Now come on – How cool is that?

Only on Adult Swim could you have Delocated (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), a series starring Jon Glaser as a man in the Witness Protection Program who relocates his family to the Big Apple in order to star in a reality show, all the while having to wear balaclavas in order to protect their identity. Of particular note is Eugene Mirman’s turn as a Russian hitman and stand-up comic hired to kill Jon. Bonus materials include commentaries, deleted scenes, outtakes, and a look at the original pitch.

When you think you’ve tapped an idea out, why not go back to the beginning? That’s the premise behind Paranormal Activity 3 (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP), which takes the audience all the way back to 1988 and the original family terrorized by the ghosties. Next? Monte Carlo. Bonus materials include deleted footage.

If you’d like a clear view on just how conflicted the History Channel is when it comes to presenting fact and fiction, their latest batch of releases is a perfect representation. In the good column are the exploration of the last ice age, Frozen World (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP), and the incredible 3D archival footage to be found in WWII in 3D (History Channel, Not Rated, 3D Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP). Balancing those titles and clearly in the pseudo-history column is King Arthur And Medieval Britain (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP), which presents as much fiction and myth as facts about the actual period that gave rise to those myths. And finally, squarely in the junk column, is the inexplicable 3rd season of Ancient Aliens (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP), which has managed to ring 3 seasons out of idiotic talking heads waxing on about nonsense.

The Muppets of Sesame go superheroic in their latest DVD – Sesame Street: Iron Monster And Sesame Heroes (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$12.99 SRP). Yes, it’s Grover. Let’s be thankful it’s not Elmo.

It may be difficult on the wallet, but I like MGM’s batch dropping of high definition catalogue titles, particularly as this wave contains the Hitchcock films Notorious, Spellbound, & Rebecca (MGM, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP each), all 3 of which are loaded with bonus materials including commentaries, featurettes, trailers, and more. There’s also the Woody Allen films Manhattan (MGM, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$ SRP) & Annie Hall (MGM, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP each), both of which are featureless, as per Allen norm. Finally, there’s the high def arrival of Billy Wilder’s classic The Apartment (MGM, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$ SRP), which sports an audio commentary and featurettes.

MGM has also released another clutch of their limited edition MOD titles, this time including the white water rafting Animal House flick Up The Creek (MGM, Rated R, DVD-$19.98), Helena Bonham Carter & Peter Cook in the romantic comedy Getting It Right (MGM, Rated R, DVD-$19.98), Telly Savalas, Robert Culp, and James Mason in the WWII heist pic Inside Out (MGM, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98), Oliver Reed & Michael J. Pollard in the POW escape actioner Hannibal Brooks (MGM, Rated PG-13, DVD-$19.98), Allen Funt’s candid feature What Do You Say To A Naked Lady (MGM, Rated R, DVD-$19.98), Dom DeLuise in the marital comedy Diary Of A Bachelor (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98), and Peter Cook & Dudley Moore in Richard Lester’s The Bed Sitting Room (MGM, Rated PG-13, DVD-$19.98).

Scholastic returns with another pair of Storybook Treasures releases – Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People’s Ears… and More African Folk Tales & The Valentines Collection featuring One Zillion Valentines (Scholastic, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP each). Both discs feature five full stories apiece, all brought to animated life.

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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