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…)
Not even a guilty pleasure, I am utterly delighted that Brian de Palma’s quirky glam rock epic Phantom Of The Paradise (Shout Factory, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$29.93 SRP) has made its high definition debut in a special edition befitting its oddball genius. Did I mention that all of the tunes are by the mighty Paul Williams, at the top of his power as a songwriter? Well, there you go. Sold. Bonus materials include a new audio commentary, interviews, alternate takes, a song outtake, the theatrical trailer, TV & radio spots, and a still gallery.
If there’s one thing that the folks at Sideshow and Hot Toys prove again and again, it’s that you can’t have too many of a given character, whether it be 50 different armor variations of Iron Man, or the now half-dozen variations of The First Avenger, Captain America. The reason they get away with it, and why fans continue to snap them up, is because they continue to look absolutely fantastic. Case in point is the Golden Age Captain America from The Winter Soldier (Sideshow Collectibles, $209.99), which is essentially a variant of the WWII era outfit featured in the first film, improving and streamlining various design elements, most noticeably the welcome addition of the central read stripe on the front of his costume (yes, these kind of things matter). It may not be loaded with accessories outside of his shield and some additional hands, but hey – that’s enough for me.
It is with remarkable speed and wondrous diligence that the fine folks at Shout Factory have continued their clockwork releases of classic MST3K on DVD, which means we’re already to Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXX (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$59.97 SRP). That’s right – We’ve actually gotten 30 4-episode volumes of riffing, with the latest containing the final 1st season episode The Black Scorpion, the 5th season episode Outlaw, the 9th season episode The Projected Man, and the 10th season episode It Lives By Night. Bonus materials include a special preview of Trace Beaulieu’s forthcoming short film The Frank and a clutch of featurettes.
Considering they had to deal with two major cast departures, a major new addition to the cast, plus re-piloting the premise all while bringing show creator Dan Harmon back to the fold for a truncated half-season, it’s no terrible surprise that the fifth season of Community (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$35.99 SRP) is an uneven ride. By the end of its 13 episodes, it feels like everyone involved have got their sea legs back, which should make the 6th season on Yahoo a more sure-footed affair. On the bonus feature front, there’s a great little featurette on the animated GI Joe episode, outtakes, and a brilliant documentary looking at the writing process of the D&D episode and the fallout of said process.
Some elements of the film haven’t aged quite so well, but the directorial debut of screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, The Big Chill (Criterion, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP) still packs a powerful emotional punch, as a group of old friends coming together after years apart will always resonate. The new Criterion edition features a new high definition transfer, a new cast reunion, a new interview with Kasdan, a 1998 making-of documentary, deleted scenes, a trailer, and the usual quite fine Criterion essay booklet.
The fine folks over at Warner Bros. have put together another of their fantastic themed film collections, this time providing a nice 6-film overview to an Academy Award-winning legend with the Grace Kelly Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$34.96 SRP), featuring To Catch A Thief, The Country Girl, The Bridges At Toko-Ri, Dial M For Murder, High Society, and Mogambo, plus the exclusive documentary Princess Grace De Monaco: A Moment In Time. Brilliant.
Like cars? Like cars going really fast? Like Aaron Paul? Don’t need much else from a film? Then Need For Speed (Touchstone, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is the fast car film starring Aaron Paul for you, as Aaron Paul drives cars fast throughout. Bonus materials include an audio commentary , deleted scenes, and featurettes.
Off most people’s radar thanks to the overwhelming nature of Pixar and Dreamworks, Fox’s Rio 2 (Fox, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) proves to be a charming continuation of a surprisingly appealing debut, as Blu & Jewel take their three kids on a journey down the Amazon. Bonus materials include featurettes, a deleted scene, and a music video.
As disaster porn goes, Darren Aronofsky’s ponderous biblical ballyhoo Noah (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) ranks right up there with the works of Roland Emmerich, with its equal balance between farcical heavy-handedness and memorably over-the-top visuals. Beyond that, it’s really not much to hang your hat on, but is perfect viewing for a lazy summer evening. Bonus materials include a trio of featurettes.
Their cleverness varies, but there is a basic level of fun to be had in LEGO Chima: Chi, Tribes, And Betrayals – Season One Part Two (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.97 SRP), which collects the next 10 episodes of the battle for the Chi.
Jude Law as a short-fused safecracker out to collect on a debt after a stint in prison is what makes Dom Hemingway (Fox, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$27.98 SRP) and enjoyably cracking affair that has quite a bit of the same verve as Sexy Beast. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, interviews, and featurettes.
Mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War with the 5-disc The War Zone Centennial Anniversary Series: WWI – The War To End All Wars (EagleVision, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which brings together a series of documentaries focusing on all aspects of the conflict.
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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