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…)
The 4k restoration done for its 30th anniversary has done wonders for Ghostbusters (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP), as it looks absolutely stunning in its remastered form. They’ve also managed to serve up a handful of additional bonus features for this release, like a roundtable discussion with director Ivan Reitman and star/co-writer Dan Aykroyd, alternate takes, plus the greatest treat of all that fans have been begging ages for – Ray Parker Jr.’s music video. And, making its Blu-Ray debut, they’ve also remastered the lackluster Ghostbusters 2 (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP). Considering its original DVD release was bare bones, all of the bonus features are new, including another roundtable discussion with Reitman and Aykroyd, Bobby Brown’s “On Our Own” music video, and deleted scenes.
Of all Disney’s famous group of legendary animators, the one whose works crosses the most disciplines is the one spotlighted in the excellent new Marc Davis: Walt Disney’s Renaissance Man (Disney Editions, $40.00 SRP). From animating Cruella De Vil and Maleficent to designing theme park rides like Pirates Of The Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion, he was a true original deserving of this must-read book.
I’m a big fan of ephemera books that pull together facsimiles of rare materials into beautiful tomes celebrating a given subject, so it should come as no surprise that I really dig Hergé And The Treasures Of Tintin (Sterling, $49.95), which does just that for Hergé’s famous adventuring reporter, with more than 20 removable artworks, sketches, and memorabilia from his archives.
I can’t recall a time when Disney opened up the vault and unleashed such a title wave of catalogue titles as they have this week, but animation and just good ol’ Disney fans should be delighted by the deluge, seeing as how it contains beautifully restored high definition editions of The Adventures Of Ichabod & Mr. Toad paired with Fun & Fancy Free (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$36.99 SRP), Hercules (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$22.99 SRP), Tarzan (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), Bedknobs & Broomsticks (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), and Mickey, Donald, & Goofy in The Three Musketeers (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP). Bonus materials are a close approximation of their original DVD releases, with the only disappointment that Bedknobs & Broomsticks does not present the longer cut of the film in a seamless branching option as the original DVD did, instead relegating all of the excised material to a deleted scenes section. A shame, really, because that longer cut, approximating as best as possible the original roadshow version, is much better than the butchered theatrical cut. But still, everything looks snazzy, and the release of Fun & Fancy Free makes me hopeful we’ll get unaltered versions of the other package films, Melody Time and Make Mine Music, restored to their original form rather than the PC alteration undertaken for their original DVD editions.
It’s never too early for Halloween viewing, so make a double feature out of the high definition release of The Adventures Of Ichabod & Mr. Toad with the home video debut of last year’s Pixar special Toy Story Of Terror! (Walt Disney, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$14.99 SRP), as the gang wind up in a spooky roadside motel on a dark & stormy night. The disc also sports a trio of Toy Story Toons, plus an audio commentary, vintage commercials, deleted scenes, and a featurette.
Why does Shout Factory remain a fan favorite? Because they consistently cater to fans with wonderful, brilliantly presented, quirky collections like The Marx Brothers On TV (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$39.97 SRP), which collects over 10 hours worth of rare and obscure television appearances made by the brothers Marx over the years – over 50 in all, from The Jack Benny Show to The Red Skelton Hour and so, so much more.
If you’re anything like me (and don’t you wish you were!), then you’re looking for just about anything to reaffirm your faith in all things good and strike from your noggin the horrible vision of Michael Bay’s steroidal Ninja Turtles monstrosity. Guess what? You can do just that with the deluxe coffee-table appropriate Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History (Insight Editions, $50.00 SRP). This lavish hardcover tome explores the 30-year history of the halfshell heroes, from their indie comics origins to their toy and animation legacy via copious amounts of artwork and context.
And speaking of context, you can get even more of an insight into the Turtles’ history with the brand new documentary Turtle Power: The Definitive History Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Paramount, Rated PG, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which provides a feature-length look at the alchemy between creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman and the franchise they wrought, still going strong over 3 decades later.
While it is far, far, FAR from the Emmerich/Devlin disaster of the 90s,, the chief factor that makes the newest American take on Toho’s giant lizard a profound disappointment is the decided lack of Godzilla in Godzilla (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP). The big guy is barely in it. “But hey!”, you say, “I saw Bryan Cranston in the trailers! At least we get him to fall back on! He’s great!” Yeah, well, he’s barely there, too. Why tease so much greatness and not deliver? That’s a question you’ll be asking yourself after you’ve seen this. A shame, really. A Godzilla-sized shame. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes, and more.
If the recent big screen relaunch has whet your appetite to binge on some more classic thunder lizard action, look no further than the high-def debut of not one, not two, but 6 more classic Godzilla films in The Toho Godzilla Collection. Fully remastered, the films include Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack/Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla Re-Birth Of Mothra I/Re-Birth Of Mothra II/Re-Birth Of Mothra III, and Godzilla 2000 (Sony, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP each). Bonus materials include Commentaries, featurettes and original trailers.
Criterion’s banner year for high definition releases with a pair of much-requested, much-anticipated titles – David Lynch’s Eraserhead (Criterion, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP) and Alfonso Cuaron’s Y Tu Mama Tambien (Criterion, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP). Both remasters are as spiffy as you would hope, while bonus features for Eraserhead include high definition remasters of 6 Lynch short films, a vintage documentary, a newly produced documentary, archival interviews, and a trailer. Y Tu Mama Tambien contains a pair of new making-of featurettes, an on-set documentary from 2001m an interview on the social and political aspects of the film, deleted scenes, trailers, and a short film.
We may still be months and months from the premiere of the final season in 2015, but you can pass the time with the feature-laden sixth season of Parks And Recreation (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), which sports deleted scenes, a clutch of featurettes, a music video, the T-Dazzle commercial, a gag reel, and more.
Made a few years back but just now getting its home video debut, William Shatner’s Get A Life (E1, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is essentially Shatner’s good-natured dive into the wild and wooly world of fandom, with all of the equally good-natured awkwardness you’d expect. Bonus materials include a sizzle reel, additional interviews, and more.
Ignore the profoundly disappointing first 3/4 of the season when so much potential was left on the table in favor of an inert mess and fast forward to when Agents of SHIELD (ABC Studios, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.99 SRP) actually started to exhibit signs of the show we were all hoping for, when the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier filtered in during the engaging last 1/4 of the season. Now, we can only hope that the showrunnuer shave learned their lesson and deliver more of that as we enter season 2. Bonus materials on the 5-disc set include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and bloopers.
Thankfully, the Warner Archive continues to offer high definition Blu-Ray releases of their animated series, with the release of Batman: The Brave And The Bold – Season 2 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99), featuring guest stars including Firestorm, Batgirl, and even Plastic Man.
For more years than I can recall, the amiable scholars at Twomorrows have been publishing a wide range of magazine and books chronicling every nook and cranny of the comics, creators, characters, and companies fans know and love. They took that love and scholarly approach to the next logical step when they launched their must-have document of four-color history in the American Comic Book Chronicles (Twomorrows, $41.95 SRP), which will eventually chart from 1940 to today. The latest volume, The 1970’s: 1970-1979, looks at the maturation of the Silver Age, as Marvel Comics became the forerunner and DC suffered its mighty implosion, all while the underground scene bubbled. Get this book, then start setting aside shelf space for the rest – which can’t come fast enough.
Speaking of Twomorrows and their comics scholarship, they’ve just released Don Heck: A Work Of Art (Twomorrows, $39.95 SRP), celebrating the 40-year career of the well-respected artist’s artist and co-creator of Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Black Widow during his long tenure at Marvel Comics before he moved over to DC in the late 70s, tackling the Teen Titans, The Flash, and more.
By all means, watch all of the episodes featured on the new Midnight Special box set (TimeLife. Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP) for all of the incredible music feature on NBC’s vintage rock program – and there’s certainly a lot to be found n the 6-disc set. But personally, I’ll be watching it for host Wolfman Jack. Because how can you not watch the great Wolfman Jack? Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
Carrie Brownstein & Fred Armisen’s Portlandia (VSC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) just gets weirder and quirkier in the most endearing fashion, as the bizarre little fourth season show in spades with the celery salesman. ‘Nuff said.
It’s remarkable just how fast DC seems to churn out their animated comics adaptations when their live action films seem to take forever and a day. The latest toon is Batman: Assault On Arkham (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP), which finds the Suicide Squad (Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, King Shark, & Black Spider) sent into the legendary cesspit to retrieve a piece of evidence after the Dark Knight foils a Riddler plot. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, a featurette, and a sneak peek at Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis.
The oasis of normality Rick and the survivors established at the prison is threatened by more than just zombies in The Walking Dead: Season Four (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.99 SRP), as our group faces threats from both outside the walls and within, including an ultimate confrontation with the Governor. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, and a trio of extended episodes. Also available is a Walking Dead: Season 4 Limited Edition set (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$129.99 SRP), which comes packed with an exclusive “Tree Walker” statue.
After three seasons of increasing battiness, Once Upon A Time (ABC Studios, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.99 SRP) has completed its transformation into a bona fide cheesy guilty pleasure that makes very little sense and exists mainly to dump Disney fairytale IPs into willy nilly. And I’m fine with that. Really, it’s only a matter of time until David Spade shows up as Kuzco. You know I’m right. Bonus materials audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, a gag reel, and a look inside the writer’s room.
They’re not quite up to the level of what we see from the BBC, but Disney’s nature documentaries are quite fine in their own right, owing more to the narrative-based tradition the studio pioneered in their “True Life Adventures” series. The latest is Disneynature: Bears (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), spotlighting a year in the ursine life of a bear family. Bonus materials include a quartet of featurettes and a music video.
The residents of Bikini Bottom indulge in ghoulish delights in the Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob Scarypants Collection (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), featuring two classic holiday-themed releases, Ghouls Fools & Halloween!.
Shout Factory further solidifies their position as the number one purveyor of classic TV shows with another of their lovingly presented complete series sets, this time for the 70s favorite Welcome Back, Kotter (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$129.99 SRP). The 16-disc set contains all 95 episodes, plus a retrospective featurette and the actors’ original screen tests.
Those infuriated by Paramount’s scattershot approach to divvying up bonus features as retailer exclusives for their original release of Star Trek Into Darkness finally have the chance to get all of those bonus features in one place, but only if they buy the film packaged with the first JJ Abrams Trek in the 4-disc Star Trek: The Compendium (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP), which contains the 2-D versions of both flicks. The bonus features from the first film are all from the original deluxe release, while Darkness contains 20 previously scattered featurettes, 2 all-new featurettes, an audio commentary, deleted scenes, trailers, and a gag reel.
Sigh. I so, so wanted Muppets Most Wanted (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) to be a home run. Especially after the mediocre wrongheaded fanfic that was The Muppets, I wanted these characters to be returned to the quality of the The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, the latter of which this film tries desperately to ape. Sadly, they continue to just not get what made the Muppets so appealing, from the likeable goofy wink and a nudge writing to the absolutely genuine emotion, to the fact that celebrity cameos were fun asides, not a game how many can we cram in a film willy nilly. So just sigh. And double sigh. Bonus materials include a much-funnier-than-the-film gag reel, an extended cut of the film, a Statler & Waldorf cut of the film, a Rizzo featurette, and a Bret McKenzie music video.
The BBC has opened up its vaults to commemorate the anniversary of WWI with a handful for dramas set around the Great War, most of which are making their DVD debut. Now available are Daniel Radcliffe as Rudyard Kipling’s doomed offspring in My Boy Jack (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), the story of the period leading up to the War in 37 Days (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$20.98 SRP), the involvement of the future prime minister in Churchill’s First World War (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$20.98 SRP), a documentary about the interwoven royal houses of Europe pitted against each other in Royal Cousins At War (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$20.98 SRP), and wrapping up with a collection of dramatizations that bring first hand accounts of the war to life in 14 War Stories (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP).
Continue to get your Brit on with a clutch of new BBC releases, including the first season of Father Brown (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), based on the sleuthing priest stories of G.K. Chesterton and starring Mark Williams, and the second seasons of DCI Banks (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), Scott And Bailey (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), and Death In Paradise (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP).
It’s a light bit of fluff, but the only reason Think Like A Man Too (Sony, Rated Pg-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) exists is because of the infectious comedic energy of star Kevin Hart. Outside of that, it may as well be a warmed-over Hangover, as the gang from the first film reunite for a wedding in Vegas. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
Emily Thorne’s plan for vengeance against the Graysons take a new bent in the third season of Revenge (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$45.99 SRP), as her war with Victoria escalates to vicious levels. The 5-disc set contains all 22 episodes, plus an audio commentary, featurette, deleted scenes, and bloopers.
Patrice Chereau’s cinematic adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s novel Queen Margot (Cohen, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP) arrives in high definition courtesy of a new 20th anniversary special edition, featuring an audio commentary, re-release trailer, and a collectible booklet.
It tries very hard to recapture some of the affable nature of The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates, but the re-team of Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in Blended (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), starring the pair as single parents whose families are forced together when both book the same trip to Africa, never seems to have much spark to it. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
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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