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…)
While DC Comics seems insistent on saddling their legendary superheroes with godawful redesign after godawful redesign, the fine folks at Sideshow continue to prove themselves exceptionally adept at presenting truly iconic versions of these characters in fine collectible form. The latest bit of awe comes in the premium format form of the Amazonian warrior herself, Wonder Woman ($399.99). Standing over 18″ tall atop a massive base, the sculpt is the quintessence of Diana, right down to the supremely confident pose. A truly wonderful piece.
It’s impossible – Impossible, I say! – that John Hughes’s The Breakfast Club (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP) is celebrating its 30th anniversary. But, if it insists on making me feel so old, at least it’s doing so by getting a newly-remastered re-release, featuring a 12-part documentary, an audio commentary with Anthony Michael Hall & Judd Nelson, a trivia track, and a featurette on the legendary Brat Pack.
Following the Krang’s takeover of New York City, the Turtles take refuge in April O’Neill’s family cabin in the woods in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Retreat! (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), which collects the first 7 episodes of the show’s third season, plus seven “The Mutation Of A Scene” shorts”.
Shazam! Taking an Andy Griffith Show fan-favorite character and putting him in the military proved comic gold in the long-running spin-off Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. (CBS, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP), starring Jim Nabors as the titular grunt and perpetual thorn in the side of the anger-prone and easily flustered Sergeant Carter. And now you can golly up to the complete 5 season run, plus audio commentaries, audio intros from Nabors, the backdoor pilot episode of The Andy Griffith Show, Nabors on The David Frost Show, and clips from The Lucy Show and The Jim Nabors Hour.
The epic arc of Avatar Korra comes to an end in The Legend Of Korra Book Four: Balance (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$35.98 SRP), as she faces her greatest challenge in order to save the world, with surprising results. Bonus materials include 9 audio commentaries, a featurette, and the New York Comic-Con panel.
The passing of Robin Williams adds a poignancy to Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), in what already feels to very much be constructed as the last outing in the franchise. As with the previous films, it’s a light, goofy, affable if slight affair, mainly buoyed by the larger-than-life character acting from the supporting roles, of which Williams’s Teddy Roosevelt is front and center. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, and deleted/extended scenes.
The modern stone age family meets the modern stone age pastime in The Flintstones And WWE: Stone Age Smackdown (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP), an original movie which finds Fred & Barney facing all of somebody’s favorite wrestling stars. Bonus materials featurettes and a pair of bonus cartoons.
They’re not my cup of pixie dust, but I know plenty of my friends’ kids adore the denizens of Pixie Hollow, and for them, there’s delight in the arrival of their latest animated adventure, Tinker Bell And The Legend Of The Neverbeast (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$36.99 SRP). Tink and her bestie Fawn attempt to get to the truth behind the myth of an ancient creature and must protect it from their fellow fairies who fear it will bring nothing but destruction. Bonus materials include featurettes and deleted scenes.
Help your preschooler learn the basics with the 3-disc Blue’s Clues: Get Clued Into School Pack (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), featuring Blue’s explorations in the alphabet, shapes & colors, and school.
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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