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…)
Well, it’d be foolish to watch Game Of Thrones (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.98 SRP) and expect anything even approaching a happy ending for anyone involved, but the third season manages to top the brutal exit of Ned Stark with the even more infamous Red Wedding, which sets the political stage for even more upheaval in troubled Westeros in the coming fourth season. The Blu-Ray set has the usual clutch of audio commentaries and deleted scenes, but the real highlights are the animated histories and lore, plus the in-depth deconstruction of the entire “Red Wedding” episode with the cast and creators. Brilliant. But still brutal. Terribly, terribly brutal.
Hey, webheads! Based on the artwork of J. Scott Campbell, the fine folks at Sideshow have crafted a beautiful – in more ways than one – polystone maquette of Peter Parker’s ginger crush, Mary Jane Watson ($249). The attention to detail in capturing Campbell’s style extends to the unique shading of the paintjob, meant to evoke the same feeling of the original art – And it most certainly does. With an edition size limited to only 6000 pieces, you’ll want to get yours as soon as possible, tiger.
It’s been a long time coming, but my brilliant buddy Craig Shemin has compiled the ultimate guide to Jim Henson’s Muppety legacy with The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (DK, $16.99 SRP), which features pictures and profiles on just about every Muppet you can think of, right down to the most obscure. Sadly missing, but certainly understandable since this book focuses on the Muppets Disney owns, are the Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, and Emmett Otter Muppets (all of which are still controlled by the Jim Henson Company). Still, it’s a great tome, lovingly and expertly assembled.
Sometimes the true stories are the most fascinating, and that’s particularly the case with Dallas Buyers Club (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP), which looks at the lengths to which an AIDS patient in Dallas – and unlikely hero – goes to provide an underground route to life-prolonging medication, in defiance of the FDA, in the dark ages of the epidemic in the late 1980s. It’s a simplification of a great film, marked by stellar performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
If The Lego Movie left as much of an impression on you as it did me, you’ll probably want to pick up The LEGO Movie: The Essential Guide (DK, $12.99 SRP), which gives a nifty overview of the characters, contraptions, and conflicts comprising this awesome little movie with big heart.
They say write what you know, and that’s certainly what actress and voice actor Lake Bell has done in her feature In A World (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), playing a voice actress on the outs with her famous father, the king of the voiceover industry, who tries to make her own mark in the cutthroat world of voice acting. There’s also some romance with a sound engineer (Dmitri Martin) and a rivalry with her father’s chosen professional heir (Ken Marino). Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, trailers, and a gag reel.
Insight Editions puts out some truly wonderful art books, and they’ve turned their magical eye towards a property long-deserving of a proper celebration with The Spongebob Squarepants Experience (Insight Editions, $50.00 SRP). Both a behind-the-scenes journey through the development of Stephen Hillenburg’s creation and a compilation of development artwork and ephemera, it’s a worthy purchase for any fan.
While I still have my reservations for the film, The Art Of Mr. Peabody & Sherman (Insight Editions, $45.00 SRP) is packed with enough visual delights that at least on that front, I’m convinced that film has enough love for Jay Ward’s classic cartoon to merit my hope that all of the other elements match the development artwork.
Little Clint Howard and a bear having adventures in the Florida Everglades? That should be the only reason you need to watch the second season of Gentle Ben (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Think of it as Lassie… with a bear. Brilliant, right?
There’s a 3D feature film extravaganza on the way, but if you want to divorce the real history from the drama, The History Channel is releasing Pompeii: The Doomed City (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), which collects a trio of documentaries examining that ancient disaster.
Twomorrows Publishing continues their tradition of wonderful artist spotlights with Modern Masters Volume 29: Cliff Chiang (Twomorrows, $15.95 SRP), featuring an in-depth interview and copious amounts of artwork from the artist best known for his work on Wonder Woman.
Edie Falco is still offering a cure for what ails you in the fifth season of Nurse Jackie (Lionsgate, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.87 SRP), as Jackie Peyton leaves rehab early, sober and relatively happy, as her marriage comes to an end and an accident finds her a patient in her own All Saints Hospital. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
Produced by Gene Autry and featuring plenty of familiar faces from oaters of the day, the western series The Adventures Of Champion The Wonder Horse (Film Chest, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) – a one-season wonder that ran from 1955-56, about a small boy and his amazing wild horse – has been fully remastered and is available for the first time on DVD. Relive a simpler age where a boy and his horse could do just about everything a boy and his dog could.
This year, the Easter Bunny can load up his basket with a clutch of seasonal springtime DVD releases from Nickelodeon – Dora The Explorer: Dora’s Easter Adventure, Dora The Explorer: Egg Hunt, Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit: Spring Into Adventure, and Max & Ruby: Easter With Max & Ruby (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$9.44 SRP each).
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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