It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2019 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

I’m a tremendous fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and I had high hopes that the documentary What We Left Behind (Shout Factory, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP) would pay proper tribute to the show and its creatives, both behind and in front of the camera. Thankfully, it delivered in spades, proving to be a loving tribute and celebration of the show and its dedicated fans, with participation from nearly everyone involved (sans the ever-elusive Avery Brooks). Bonus features include nearly an hour of additional interviews, a roundtable discussion, and featurettes.

A bona fide holiday classic, It’s A Wonderful Life (Paramount, Rated PG, 4K-$35.99 SRP) gets a stunningly pristine high definition upgrade in a release featuring both black & white & colorized versions of the film, original cast home movies, a featurette on the 4K restoration, and more.

Speaking of gorgeous high definition upgrades, The Wizard Of Oz (Warner Bros., Rated G, 4K-$41.99 SRP) has gotten its own eye-popping trip down the yellow brick road, with bonus materials including an audio commentary, featurettes, and more.

Hot Toys has done loads of stellar work over the years, but I still can’t help but be impressed whenever they drop a new figure. Holding their 1/6-scale Iron Spider (Sideshow Collectibles, $259) ““ aka the Stark-armored Spider-Man seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, & Spider-Man: Far From Home ““ it’s a marvel of screen-accurate reproduction, right down to finding a flexible suit material that has a metallic shine to it. You can pop the optional articulated spider-arms on or off, and he comes with two masked heads ““ one containing an LED light feature for the eyes ““ and an unmasked Peter Parker head that looks eerily like actor Tom Holland.

For many years now, Chronicle Books has been publishing a stellar line-up of Disney animation books. For contemporary fans, there’s The Art Of Frozen II (Chronicle Books, $40 SRP), loaded with production insight into the sequel. For deeper dive fans, they’ve continued their series chronicling the development art crafted at the studio during various periods in its history, the latest two volumes of which are They Drew As They Pleased – The Hidden Art Of Disney’s Mid-Century Era: The 1950s & 1960s (Chronicle Books, $50 SRP) & They Drew As They Pleased – The Hidden Art Of Disney’s Early Renaissance: The 1970s & 1980s (Chronicle Books, $50 SRP).

But those aren’t the only Disney books that should be on your holiday list. Disney Editions is releasing a few titles of note, including the tie-in to the Disney+ series One Day at Disney (Disney Editions, $50 SRP), Pete Docter & Christopher Merritt’s 2-volume celebration of a Disney artist & Imagineering legend in Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks (Disney Editions, $150 SRP), the revised special edition of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons (Disney Editions, $80 SRP), The Walt Disney Studios: A Lot to Remember (Disney Editions, $60 SRP), Walt Disney’s Ultimate Inventor: The Genius of Ub Iwerks (Disney Editions, $60 SRP), and former Imagineering president Marty Sklar’s Travels with Figment: On the Road in Search of Disney Dreams (Disney Editions, $26.99 SRP).

Yes, it is a Christmas movie, and you can celebrate the 35th anniversary of Gremlins (Warner Bros., Rated PG, 4K-$41.99 SRP) by watching it in 4K high definition, which means it’s never looked better. Bonus features include a pair of audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, galleries, and trailers.

Documenting his creative career in exquisite detail, Rick Baker: Metamorphosis (Cameron, $250 SRP) is a massive two-volume set containing a comprehensive visual archiving of nearly every creature, makeup, and effect crafted by the legendary cinema artisan. Listen, this thing is massive ““ And dense. Drop it and it’d break a foot.

Disney has been very kind to fans of both their theme parks and novelty vinyl, releasing a trio of picture albums featuring the complete ride-through audio and songs from Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and It’s a Small World (Walt Disney Records, $21.98 SRP each).

If vinyl’s not your thing and you’re just keen on some CD stocking stuffers, you can also score the soundtrack albums for Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Frozen II, Dumbo, & Descendants 3 (Walt Disney Records, $10.99 SRP each).

Largely fallen off the radar, China Beach (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$149.95 SRP), while leaning more towards drama than comedy, is to the conflict in Vietnam what M*A*S*H was to the Korean War, and is a series worth your time to explore ““ or revisit ““ via this new box set, collecting all 4 seasons plus audio commentaries, interviews, and featurettes.

Years and years ago, the fine folks at Sideshow released a 1/6-scale “figure” of Han Solo in Carbonite (Sideshow Collectibles, $249.99), to the delight of Star Wars fans eager to fill out their displays (particularly their Jabba’s Palace). Fans frustrated that the original piece sold out years ago will be very happy with their new release, with full control panel light features. The main difference is in the display stand, where the original release was intended to represent the alcove in Jabba’s Palace, this new edition has the flooring found in Cloud City from Empire Strikes Back.

And because there’s a new Star Wars film, it also means we get the information & trivia filled Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker The Visual Dictionary: With Exclusive Cross-Sections (DK, $24.99 SRP).

Oh, and hey, Star Wars fans, while I have your attention, the actor inside one-half of your favorite droid duo, Anthony Daniels, has released a memoir ““ I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story (DK, $24.99 SRP), which contains all of the firsthand anecdotes and details you could hope for, along with a clutch of personal photos.

While I don’t think any of them have aged particularly well as films, there’s no denying that the Batman 4K Film Collection (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, 4K Blu-Ray-$124.99 SRP each) ““ which contains 4K presentations of Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, & Batman & Robin – looks truly spectacular, from the gothic glory of the Burton films to the day-glo camp of Schumacher’s. Bonus features are all carried over from the previous special editions, including commentaries, documentaries, and more.

Over the course of its 5 seasons, Gotham (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$112.99 SRP) abandoned any pretense of being a somewhat serious Batman prequel series and instead leaned”¦ no, barreled into being a completely bizarre, totally unhinged meta goof that could more easily have been a prequel to the ’66 Batman series. You can now own the complete run, containing featurettes, deleted scenes, panels, and more.

When Batman Beyond (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$99.99 SRP) was announced as a follow-up series to the now-legendary Batman: The Animated Series ““ leaping forward decades from that show & featuring a teenager as the new Batman ““ I feared a shark-jumping in the making. But nope, instead it proved to be a brilliant extrapolation of the animated universe, and ended with one of the best Batman films ever crafted, Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker. The show is finally getting a high definition release via this box set, with bonus interviews and featurettes.

Speaking of comic books, there are a couple of hardcover tomes you might want to add to your shelves ““ DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle (DK, $50 SRP), Brave And Bold: Female DC Heroes Take On The Universe (DK, $16.99 SRP), and The Marvel Book (DK, $25 SRP).

More books? More books! Creator Rebecca Sugar has written a fully-illustrated storybook, Steven Universe: The Tale of Steven (Abrams, $14.99 SRP), a classic comic strip is celebrated in Art of Nothing: 25 Years of Mutts and the Art of Patrick McDonnell (Abrams, $40 SRP), and BoJack Horseman: The Art Before the Horse (Abrams, $40 SRP).

Insight editions has a dragon-sized and comprehensive The Art Of Game Of Thrones (Insight Editions, $75 SRP), which collects the awesome development art generated for the flawed series. Spider-Man: From Amazing To Spectacular ““ The Definitive Comic Art Collection (Insight Editions, $45 SRP) is an oversized spotlight on over 50 years of character artwork. Old school and new fans of the recent Netflix series will probably want to check out The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance ““ Inside The Epic Return To Thra (Insight Editions, $50 SRP). Those keen on process should find plenty of interest in Masters Of Comics: Inside The Studios Of The World’s Premier Graphic Storytellers (Insight Editions, $24.99 SRP). Finally, it may be small, but there’s one more bit of Star Wars fun to be had ““ the pocket-sized Star Wars: The Complete Marvel Comics Covers ““ Volume 1 (Insight Editions, $11.99 SRP).

In a post-Stranger Things world, the big-screen take on Stephen King’s It (Warner Bros., Rated R, 4K-$44.95 SRP) and its ragtag band of kids fighting a terrifying evil creature couldn’t help but feel a bit “been there, done that”, but the performances from all involved (including Bill Skarsgard as the monstrous Pennywise) made for a film that’s worth a watch. The completion of the story in It: Chapter Two (Warner Bros., Rated R, 4K-$44.95 SRP) doesn’t quite live up to part one, but it does expand the cast out with the adult version of the Losers’ Club. Bonus materials include audio commentary, featurettes, and deleted scenes.

The Warner Archive Collection continues to impress with catalogue titles both unexpected and appreciated. For animation fans, they’ve collected together the first high definition release of Popeye The Sailor: The 1940s Volumes 1-3 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP each), Jonny Quest: The Complete Original Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), Teen Titans: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP), and Hanna-Barbera titles Wally Gator: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP) & Lippy The Lion and Hardy Har Har: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP). On the TV side, they’ve put out Babylon 5: The Complete First Season (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$47.99 SRP) back into MOD print, along with the uncensored first season of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP). Finally, see the historical debut of a lot of elements we consider canon for the character in Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP).

I mean, I really do love the Warner Archive, as they deliver deep dives and fan favorites from the vaults directly to fans who wouldn’t otherwise be able to get them if these niche titles had to reach a normal retail threshold to trigger release. On the theatrical side, you’ve got John Milius’ coming-of-age surfer film Big Wednesday (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the Steve Martin comedies The Man With Two Brains (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) & My Blue Heaven (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Harry Belafonte & Mel Ferrer in The World, The Flesh, And The Devil (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Lana Turner & Kirk Douglas in The Bad And The Beautiful (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Sophia Loren & George Peppard in Operation Crossbow (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Arthur Penn’s crime thriller Night Moves (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the pitch-black cult comedy The Loved One (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the pilot for film for the Patrick Duffy series Man From Atlantis (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the legendary Cleopatra Jones (Warner Bros., Rated PG-$21.99 SRP), My Favorite Year (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) and Bette Davis in the 1940 W. Somerset Maugham adaptation The Letter (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP).

Flicker Alley has carved out a wonderful niche for themselves in providing beautifully restored high definition releases of historical importance. Their latest is Melies Fairy Tales In Color (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$36.95 SRP), a selection of hand-colored films made between 1899-1909, the last silent Sherlock Holmes film ever made, Richard Oswald’s Der Hund von Baskerville (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), from 1929, 1922’s The Last Warning (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), and the film that was one of the inspiration’s for the Batman villain The Joker, 1928’s The Man Who Laughs (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP).

The folks at Flicker Alley have also been doing a fantastic job restoring, preserving, and presenting vintage large format films, including those shot for Cinerama, that would otherwise have been unavailable to film aficionados for home viewing. Their latest releases are the rarely-seen Cinerama film The Golden Head (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), a slapstick heist yarn about a pair of kids who run afoul of two thieves (Buddy Hackett & George Sanders), and the 70mm film Flying Clipper (Mediterranean Holiday) (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, 4K-$39.95 SRP), a documentary following a Swedish sailing ship as it navigates the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, Mill Creek has been consistently stepping up their catalogue title game, as their latest batch of cult titles attests ““ including the pitch-black Aykroyd/Belushi comedy Neighbors (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), the 1985 Helen Slater-starrer The Legend Of Billie Jean (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), and Pamela Anderson’s Barb Wire (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP). They’ve also dipped into the 90s with the Van Damme/Rodman actioner Double Team (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), Dana Carvey in Opportunity Knocks (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), Alicia Silverstone & Benicio Del Toro in Excess Baggage (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), Pauly Shore in Jury Duty (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), and the double features Stepmom/The Deep End Of The Ocean (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), Mo’ Money/High School High (Mill Creek, Rated R/PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), The Trigger Effect/Body Count (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), and Mindwarp/Brainscan (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98

SRP).

And because this world contains more films than you can shake a stick at, Olive Films is also able to do some stellar cult catalogue releases, including the high definition debuts of How To Stuff A Wild Bikini (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), The Believers (Olive Films, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), and The Bells Of St. Mary’s (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$27.99 SRP).

For the cinephile on your list eager to expand their knowledge or just indulge their particular fandom, check out the books Tim Burton: The Iconic Filmmaker And His Work (White Lion Publishing, $25 SRP), Quentin Tarantino: The Iconic Filmmaker And His Work (White Lion Publishing, $35 SRP), Alien Vault (Epic Ink, $45 SRP), and Cult Filmmakers: 50 Movie Mavericks You Need To Know (White Lion Publishing, $16.99 SRP).

Oh, but those aren’t the only film & TV books that you should give serious gift consideration to, as Titan Books has a veritable bookshelf worth of titles to consider, including J.W. Rinzler’s definitive The Making Of Alien (Titan Books, $60 SRP), Alien: The Blueprints (Titan Books, $44.95 SRP), Joe Alves: Designing Jaws (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Star Trek: The Art Of John Eaves (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Alita Battle Angel: The Art & Making Of The Movie (Titan Books, $45 SRP), The Addams Family: The Art Of The Animated Movie (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Men In Black Films: The Official Visual Companion To The Films (Titan Books, $50 SRP), The Art And Making Of The Expanse (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Making Moon (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Orson Welles Portfolio: Sketches & Drawings From The Welles Estate (Titan Books, $50 SRP), and the gallery collection Rick And Morty: Show Me What You Got (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP). Quite the line-up, eh?

It’s always a surprise to find what subject Ken Burns has turned his documentarian eye towards, as it forever seems left field from where you’d expect him to go. I was certainly intrigued when I heard his next massive project would be Country Music (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$75.80 SRP), as it’s a rather sprawling, unwieldy topic. Leave it to Burns to pull off a miracle, then, by crafting a structure that explores its musical and cultural roots, personalities, and legacy, warts and all. The box set includes over 3 hours of additional content, including bonus video, featurettes, and more.

One of the most successful and longest-running sitcoms in television history, fans can now indulge their obsession with Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$179.95 SRP) with a deluxe collector’s boxed set containing all 12 seasons, plus featurettes, gag reels, and more.

It may not be awesome, but everything is pretty good in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Warner Bros., Rated PG, 4K Blu-Ray-$ SRP), which captures enough of the fun and energy of the first film to make for an enjoyable return. The real highlight, though, is the musical numbers. So many musical numbers! Bonus materials include deleted scenes, featurettes, music videos, and more.

It says something about the declining influence of the show that revisiting the episodes contained within South Park: The Complete Twenty-Second Season (Comedy Central, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) felt like watching them for the first time. The show is still entertaining, but it’s moved beyond groundbreaking or culturally relevant. Bonus materials include mini-commentaries, #Socialcommentary, and deleted scenes.

Guillermo del Toro is probably the closest we’ve got to an inheritor of the unique visual world building ability of Terry Gilliam, and that claim was made decidedly clear with Pan’s Labyrinth (Warner Bros., Rated R, 4K-$44.95 SRP), whose visual splendor makes its way to 4K high definition in style. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, a gallery, and more.

While you’re in with the family this holiday season, why not partake of a pair of delightfully offbeat classics now bundled together on one release with The Addams Family/Addams Family Values: 2-Movie Collection (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$16.99 SRP)? It’s altogether ooky.

I’m not sure the world needed another remake of A Star Is Born (Warner Bros., Rated R, 4K-$19.96 SRP), but at least this one features a pair of incredible performances from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, and lands its emotional core with devastating effect. Bonus materials include additional performances, a featurette, and music videos. Also available is the A Star Is Born: Encore Edition (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP), which features an extended cut with extended musical performances, jam sessions, and scenes.

When it aired in 1983, V: The Original Miniseries (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) seemed a revolutionary bit of television science fiction ““ Dark, caustic, and full of social commentary. It was as close to John Carpenter’s They Live as you could imagine network television getting. Bonus materials for this release include an audio commentary with writer/director Kenneth Johnson and a behind-the-scenes documentary.

To wrap things up on a fun note, for ages I’ve been praising the work that Diamond Select does with their Diamond Gallery PVC dioramas (Diamond Select, $50-70 SRP). Not only have they been exploring a deep bench of characters from Marvel, DC, and more – including film, TV, and animation ““ with solid sculpts and paint work, but they’re incredibly inexpensive compared to the more traditional resin or polystone statues. Here’s hoping they keep expanding the line into new and interesting directions, including pieces based on the artwork of specific artists”¦ If only so I can finally get some John Byrne Fantastic Four statues.

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2018 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

Glimpsed briefly but memorably at the end of Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 but coming into his own in Avengers: Infinity War, it was only a matter of time before the scale wizards at Hot Toys gave us a 1/6-scale Teenage Groot (Sideshow, $220). With a pair of swappable faces that perfectly capture the teenage indifference, his accessories are limited to a blaster and his handheld game, but we all know that’s all he cares about, anyway.

But, you know, if you’re more partial to the carefree (though occasionally brutal) plant that danced his way across Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, Hot Toys has the ideal desk display item ““ a 1:1-scale Baby Groot (Sideshow, $143). It’s an incredible replica, ridiculously poseable, with a perfectly realized paint job straight out of the film.

You know those things you never thought would see the light of day but are infinitely delighted by when they suddenly appear? Yeah, that’s a good way of describing the arrival of Community: The Complete Series (Mill Creek, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$ SRP), available for the first time in high definition. Making this set all the sweeter, it ports over all of the bonus features from the previous DVD sets, meaning audio commentaries on all 6 seasons, blooper reels, and featurettes. And every bit of it is worth a re-watch. Even the “gas leak” season.

I never in a million years thought that I would say one of the funniest films of the year ““ and a candidate for one of the best superhero films ““ would be Teen Titans Go To The Movies (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$22.65 SRP), but it’s a hilarious pic that manages to be joyously reverential to the source material in ways the live action arm of the DC cinematic universe just can’t seem to manage. Bonus materials include music videos, featurettes, and deleted scenes.

While there may have been a nagging fear in the back of my heart, Incredibles 2 (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) managed to not only meet my high expectations, but exceed them. Picking up right where the first film left off, you’d never know that nearly 15 years have passed, so effortlessly does Brad Bird bring us back into a world as close as we’re going to get to a proper Fantastic Four film. Bonus materials include the short “Bao”, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.

And speaking of Pixar, enough years ““ and films ““ have gone by that there’s more than enough content to fill Pixar Short Films: Volume 3 (Walt Disney, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.96 SRP), which contains 11 short subjects ““ from “Partysaurus Rex” to “Bao” ““ introductions and audio commentaries on all of the shorts, plus a pair of bonus mini-movies and featurettes.

I went in to Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) with the hope that it would blow me away, and it did. Brilliant fun with a wonderful cast and equal parts humor and heart, I look forward to whatever sequels the future may hold. My one regret, though, is that we somehow got a gag reel that’s only 2 minutes long. Surely there are hours more they could have put on the disc, along with the audio commentary and also-brief featurette.

There will come a day, sooner than I could ever want (which is never), when the great Billy Connolly will no longer be with us. So it was with great joy that I dove into Made In Scotland (BBC Books, £20), his delightful and intimate tour of the country that shaped him.

For a consistently reliable laugh, check out the latest releases from the fine folks at Rifftrax. If you’re in the mood for some easily-digestible shorts, you’ve got the latest collection ““ Rifftrax: The Walking Shorts (Rifftrax, Not Rated, DVD-$12.95 SRP), featuring 9 giddy gems. Or you could take in Rifftrax Live: Space Mutiny (Rifftrax, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$14.95 SRP), for an evening of awful movie roasting in front of a live audience.

Mini tchotchkes featuring fun licenses and great sculpts? Sold. The gimmick behind Domez (ZagToys, $5.99 RSP each) is that each of the small figurines is protected under a clear plastic dome, with a base that is constructed to allow both stacking and interlocking with other figures, making display easy. Granted, they are blind-bagged, so there is a bit of a chase involved if you want to assemble a full set, but they’re certainly appealing enough that you’ll want to get them all. They’ve done two series of Gravity Falls figures (one for each season of the show, with a handful of episode-specific variants), as well as a recently available series for Ralph Breaks The Internet and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse. They’re pretty darn nifty.

I get into very few video games these days, but Insomniac’s Spider-Man pushed all of my buttons ““ I mean, it’s Spider-Man, for criminy’s sake. While I enjoyed Paul Dini’s writing and the voice acting in the first two Batman Arkham games, I don’t have nearly the emotional attachment to the caped crusader as I do to the ol’ wall-crawler. For a bit more of what went in to crafting the game’s universe, there’s Spider-Man: The Art Of The Game (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), detailing the process and visual development.

Every time the Warner Archive drops a new batch of titles, it’s a reminder of just how deep and eclectic the Warner catalogue truly is. I’m glad they’ve continued to not only mine their vault, but also give film fans new high-definition releases of cult faves that might not otherwise see the light of day ““ the latest bunch being Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing’s Horror Of Dracula (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Errol Flynn in The Sea Hawk (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Robert Altman’s Brewster McCloud (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Lucille Ball in Mame (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), and the 4-film Bogart & Bacall: The Complete Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) ““ which contains To Have And Have Not, The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, and Key Largo.

The CW DC Comics universe gets its own DC Comic Gallery PVC dioramas from Diamond Select with Green Arrow and The Flash (Diamond Select, $45 SRP each). These dioramas are great statues if you’re on a budget, featuring great sculpts at a reasonable price.

Even outside of the show itself, Gravity Falls has generated some decidedly inspired takes on standard tie-in products. Their take on a coloring book, Don’t Color This Book! It’s Cursed! (Disney Press, $12.99 SRP), actually has a narrative woven through it, as Dipper & Mabel are trapped in a coloring book by an other-dimensional “pigmentologist” who seeks to collect colors from our dimension ““ via your coloring. Ingenious, really. For more of a retro feel, Gravity Falls fans can also try to navigate Dipper And Mabel And The Curse Of The Time Pirates’ Treasure! (Disney Press, $12.99 SRP) ““ a “Select Your Own Choose-Venture” novel, that’s a whole heck of a lot of fun.

While it incorporates some elements from his original graphic novel and animated version of her origin, Paul Dini and co-writer Pat Cadigan’s novel Harley Quinn: Mad Love (Titan Books, $24.95 SRP) greatly expands on the life of Harleen Quinzel, crafting a far richer tale about her the life and events that led to her breaking bad and carrying the story forward enough to tease her post-Joker future”¦ Which I hope is explored in more novels to come.

I’d be hard-pressed to say these are great films, even if I do have a nostalgic affection for a few of them, but kudos to Mill Creek for the clever, creative packaging on their new line of high-definition catalogue releases ““ Krull, Who’s Harry Crumb?, Hardbodies, Silent Rage, Happy Birthday To Me, and Last Action Hero (Mill Creek, $14.98 SRP each) ““ which reproduces the film’s original VHS box design, appropriately weathered, with a VHS cassette partially visible. You know, exactly like you might see them on the shelves of your local video rental store, warning stickers and all. Very cool.

Now you can binge all four seasons of Nathan Fielder’s unorthodox marketing via Nathan For You: The Complete Series (Comedy Central, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), featuring audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.

While a loving portrait of her comedy legend father, what most impressed me about Violet Ramis Stiel’s Ghostbuster’s Daughter (Blue Rider Press, $28 SRP) is that it’s also an honest, candid look at her father, Harold Ramis, without sacrificing her own voice and importance within the book.

Every time I watch a Mission Impossible, save for maybe the first, I think to myself, “This is what a modern James Bond film should feel like – Action, adventure, memorable characters, grand schemes, massive set-pieces, and a dash of humor.” All of that and more can be found in the latest outing ““ Mission Impossible: Fallout (Paramount, RatedPG-13, 4K-$37.99), which manages to pull together all of the mythology this series has built up about its world and Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, all without getting bogged down. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.

Years after the show’s original DVD release, the new Kids In The Hall: The Complete Collection (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$35.99 SRP) corrects the problems of the old set by presenting the entire run completely uncensored in its original air form. Just that would be enough for me, but the set also includes the Death Comes To Town reunion series, the original HBO pilot, audio/video commentary, interviews, archival footage, original live performances, deleted/extended scenes, and bloopers.

Catherine Hardwicke’s Lords Of Dogtown (Mill Creek, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP) is most assuredly a sports movie, chronicling the game-changing approach to skateboarding pioneered by the trio known as the Z-Boys (played by John Robinson, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk) in conjunction with board designer Skip Engblom (Heath Ledger). This high-def extended edition includes audio commentaries, featurettes, and a gag reel.

The third season of Laugh-In (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP) is the first where the show sits atop the cultural zeitgeist, adding Lily Tomlin as a castmember and an impressive roster of guest stars, including Ringo Starr, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Debbie Reynolds, Bing Cosby, Frank Sinatra, Sid Caesar, ¾ of The Monkees, and more. This 7-disc set contains all 26 episodes, plus a tribute to creator George Schlatter and an interview with Tomlin.

Flicker Alley has turned their restorative eye to George Melies legendary A Trip To The Moon (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), and the result is a beautiful presentation of a landmark film, presented in its original hand-coloration. Bonus materials include the 2011 documentary The Extraordinary Voyage, a pair of Melies shorts, and the restored Trip To The Moon in black & white.

Watching Justice League (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, 4K-$14.96 SRP) is like finally coming upon a car wreck whose smoke you’ve seen from miles away. Through mediocre to abysmal outings like Man Of Steel and Batman v Superman, I’ve been dreading the final expression of this dank, inhospitable cinematic universe (I consider the wonderful Wonder Woman to be an outlier, and the tone deaf mistreatment of her character in this film proves my point), and my fears came to pass. It’s just an awful mess. Bonus features include a handful of featurettes, but no real insight into why these characters are lying in a ditch on the side of the road.

Featuring performances from Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, Pearl Jam, Ringo Starr, and more, the 2-disc Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: In Concert (Time Life, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP) collects inductions and performances from the 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 ceremonies, and is a must-watch for any music fan.

While the storyline only becomes more and more problematic as time goes by, the brand new 4K 40th Anniversary Edition of Grease (Paramount, Rated PG, 4K-$22.95 SRP) certainly looks and sounds phenomenally good, and is sure to make fans of the film happy. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted/alternate/extended scenes, sing-alongs, and more.

A sci-fi classic, the original Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (Olive, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP) looks nearly pristine in this new special edition, featuring audio commentaries, featurettes, interviews, and more.

Just when I think Shout Factory can’t possibly top themselves and their gloriously eclectic catalogue of cult releases, you get a clutch of new titles from them, including the 1987 Dan Aykroyd/Tom Hanks Dragnet (Shout Factory, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), cattle-driving Billy Crystal in City Slickers (Shout Factory, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), William Castle’s The Tingler (Shout Factory, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), and the Hollywood-skewering Get Shorty (Shout Factory, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.93 SRP). And, because it’s Shout Factory, they’re all loaded to the gills with bonus features, including audio commentaries, featurettes, and more.

Robin Williams made a huge impression on my developing comedy mind, from his early stand-up specials to his starring role in Mork & Mindy. And now, just in time for the holidays, Time Life has assembled an incredible 2-volume set celebrating him ““ Robin Williams: Comic Genius (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$99.95 SRP). The 12-discs feature all 5 of Robin’s HBO stand-up specials, rare early stand-up footage, footage from his USO tours, interviews, raw promo shoot footage, the first 6 episodes of Mork & Mindy, a collection of late night appearances, and the 2018 documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind.

I had zero expectations of Wreck-It Ralph when it arrived in theaters a few years back, and was duly surprised by how great a film it was. And that means I’m very excited about the sequel, and delighted by its fantastic new companion book ““ The Art Of Ralph Breaks The Internet (Chronicle Books, $40 SRP) ““ packed with development art and insight from the filmmakers.

Though if you want a general overview of the film and its characters, you’ll want to pick up Ralph Breaks The Internet: The Official Guide (DK, $9.99 SRP), a slim little compendium perfect to give you a primer.

It took a bit for the spigot to open, but tie-in products for the Ducktales reboot are finally hitting shelves. Ducktales: Solving Mysteries And Rewriting History (Disney Press, $12.99 SRP) is a journal chock-full of supplemental lore material presented from the characters’ point of view. Ducktales Doodles (Disney Press, $12.99 SRP) is a coloring/activity book that encourages you to doodle drawings to fill put the scenes presented. Finally, Ducktales: Woo-oo! (Disney Press, $6.99 SRP) is a Read-Along storybook & CD presentation of the show’s pilot episode, featuring the original voices and music.

That the folks at Shout Factory have pulled together a remarkably deep set for a cult favorite will come as zero surprise to anyone who has been following the fan magic they’ve been working over the years, so ““ SHOCK ““ their Saved By The Bell: The Complete Collection (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) is delightfully comprehensive, right down to including the Hayley Mills-starring “first” season Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, brand new documentaries, galleries, and more. The only thing that could possibly make it better was if they included every episode of “Zack Morris Is Trash”.

I’d definitely put Marvelocity: The Marvel Comics Art Of Alex Ross (Pantheon, $50 SRP) in the “What took this so long to happen” file, but once you flip through this big honkin’ hardcover volume packed with Ross’s artwork, you’ll just be happy it finally has. It’s a beautiful collection loaded with never-before-seen images, a new Spider-Man story, and more.

As a fan of the book, I was wary yet hopeful going in to the first season of Starz’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, and was relieved when it turned out to be a wonderfully weird season of television and a solid take on the material. The making of that first season is explored in Inside American Gods (Chronicle Books, $35 SRP), which is packed with insight and anecdotes from the show’s creators and cast, plus plenty of photos.

In another sign that the children of the 90s have wrested the nostalgia remote from 80s kids, you can now get a complete series set of the beloved-of-that-generation Nickelodeon classic Rocko’s Modern Life (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), in an 8-disc set featuring every episode, as well as Hey Arnold: The Ultimate Collection (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$47.79 SRP), which is packed with bonus materials.

Shout Factory isn’t just giving fans of cult film their hearts’ desires, but also delighting aficionados of classic TV. Repackaging into one set their previous 2-volume presentation, the Ernie Kovacs: Centennial Edition (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$69.97 SRP) is a 9-disc set featuring a healthy representation of what made Kovacs an eccentric innovator in the early days of television comedy.

The various Star Wars Visual Dictionaries have been a geeky joy to page through over the years, so it’s great that the concept has been expanded into the Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary (DK, $30 SRP), which follows the template with plenty of photos and trivia about the characters and gear found in Marvel’s films, right up through Infinity War, but I can only assume that the complicated rights issues denied Spider-Man his rightful place in the book.

It’s cold outside, you’re stuck inside, and you love Star Wars? Boy, do I have a book for you! Star Wars Maker Lab (DK, $19.99 SRP) features 20 craft and science projects inspired by the events in that galaxy far, far away, from Jabba slime to an R2 holoprojector.

Another theatrical installment in the “Wizarding World Of Harry Potter” franchise this year means a clutch of new tie-in books, running the full gamut of behind-the-scenes, art, and activity releases. If you’d like to learn about the nuts and bolts of the film’s production, there’s Lights, Camera, Magic! The Making Of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (Harper Design, $19.99 SRP). For loads of production art and what went into designing the film, there’s The Art Of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (Harper Design, $60 SRP). I’m a sucker for the mixed-media books that include paper reproductions of various props and ephemera, and that’s what you’ll find in the lavish The Archive Of Magic – The Film Wizardry Of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (HarperDesign, $50 SRP). For the younger set that wants more of a fun look at the making of the film and its characters, there’s Fantastic Beasts: Movie-Making News ““ The Stories Behind The Magic (HarperDesign, $19.99 SRP), which presents the material via page designs evocative of the wizarding world’s newspapers. Finally, you can get your zen on with the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald: Magical Adventure Coloring Book (HarperDesign, $15.99 SRP).

J.W. Rinzler has already knocked out must-have books chronicling the making of the original Star Wars trilogy and all four Indiana Jones films, so it was a happy surprise to find that he had turned his eye (SPOILER!) closer to home with another definitive tome, The Making Of Planet Of The Apes (HarperDesign, $60 SRP). Including scores of never-before-seen photos and more insight than you can shake an angry fist at, it’s the book you weren’t aware you needed until now.

It takes a mighty effort to get me excited about new vinyl releases. I’m a sucker for secondhand vintage vinyl, just for nostalgia’s sake and an appreciation of certain musicians, interesting cover art, or just bonzo novelty. But, I have to say, the Star Wars: A New Hope 40th Anniversary 3-LP Collector’s Edition (Walt Disney Records, $150) is a simply incredible presentation. Arriving in a slick slipcase, the LPs are 180-gram vinyl, fully remastered, with pretty incredible Death Star holograms printed on the vinyl itself. If that weren’t enough, there’s also a 48-page hardcover book with information on the recording sessions, essays, photos, and more.

Disney has really gone all-in on vinyl releases, from modern animated films like Moana (Walt Disney Records, $21.98) to “Vinyl Vault” reproductions of their vintage classic releases like Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (Walt Disney Records, $21.98), to scores and soundtracks to their Marvel films like the deluxe edition of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (Walt Disney Records, $29.98).

When the title of the book is DC: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know (DK, $19.99 SRP), you certainly hope it can deliver on providing at least an approximation of ““ if not comprehensive ““ at least essential knowledge about all things DC Comics. And this book does, from all of the major heroes and villains to locations, gadgets, storylines, trivia, and more.

The folks at Flicker Alley have been keeping the silent film flame alive, crafting some incredible restorations and presentations of historically significant features from that era. Their latest are a pair of releases starring silent film legend Mary Pickford ““ Fanchon The Cricket and Little Annie Rooney (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP each).

There have been plenty of HD releases of the film over the years, but as we roll into the holidays, certainly the one most likely to inspire family fun is The Nightmare Before Christmas: Sing-Along Edition (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP). As you’d expect, this edition has optional on-screen sing-along prompting, plus bonus features including an audio commentary, deleted scenes, Tim Burton shorts, and featurettes.

Coming amidst a flurry of turn-of-the-century teen comedies, Can’t Hardly Wait (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP) is one of only a handful that’s actually a decent film, with a solid cast and a zippy energy. This 20th anniversary edition brings the film to high definition, and includes audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a Smash Mouth music video”¦ Because that was a thing then.

Need a mindless distraction from the family this holiday season? Nothing says “distraction” like a big giant shark, and that’s exactly what you’ll get with The Meg (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, 4K-$38.46 SRP), which also stars Jason Statham. Who isn’t a shark. Bonus materials include a pair of featurettes.

Packed with meticulously restored photographs documenting behind-the-scenes moments, deleted scenes, and bloopers from the original series, Star Trek: Lost Scenes (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP) is one of those books that comes out of left field and delivers material that fans were not expecting, but are sure to be giddy to pore over.

I never tire of seeing vintage photos of Walt Disney, and there are loads of previously unseen ones to be found in Travels With Walt Disney: A Photographic Voyage Around The World (Disney Editions, $29.99 SRP), which pulls from personal family archives to document decades of Walt and his family’s global travel.

Celebrating his 90th anniversary, The Art Of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse (Disney Editions, $40 SRP) is a beautiful coffee table book that gathers together pieces from dozens of artists, all interpreting the iconic character in their own distinct styles.

I really didn’t know what to expect from Smallfoot (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$22.95 SRP), since it came and went from theaters in a flash, but having finally seen it, it’s a charmingly spry little family film with just enough wit in its tale of a Yeti community discovering an actual human to make it endearing. Bonus materials include a mini-movie, music videos, a Yeti Sing-Along, and more.

-Ken Plume

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2017 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

While we wait through the long winter for its return sometime in 2019, pass the time with a dive back into Game Of Thrones: Season 7 (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$ SRP), While the sets have the usual complement of audio commentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes, the real stand-out remains the animated vignettes depicting the rich, deep history of Westeros, Conquest & Rebellion. I’ll never grow tired of those, and am delighted they continue to find their way onto these sets.

OT Luke is all well and good, but there’s something so wonderfully Star Wars about making a high-end figure for the epic return of a classic character that lasted all of about 30 seconds on screen. So it is that Hot Toys has crafted Luke Skywalker (Sideshow Collectibles, $229.99), which perfectly captures grizzled and skeptical Luke as played by everyone’s favorite uncle, Mark Hamill. We won’t be seeing much of Luke in this white outfit in The Last Jedi, but it’s captured here in all of its Kenobian glory. Considering the limited action involved in his glorified cameo, it should come as little surprise that the figure is light on accessories, save for some swappable hands.

It’s somewhat surprising that it’s taken this long to get a comprehensive tome about the making of Peter Jackson’s Tolkien adaptations, but when you peruse the absolutely massive Middle-Earth From Script To Screen: Building The World Of The Lord Of The Rings & The Hobbit (HarperDesign, $75 SRP), it’s easy to understand why. Packed with behind-the-scenes photos and interviews with all of the principal creatives, this is every bit the book equivalent of the exhaustive DVD supplements the 6 films are known for.

It really is remarkable what Diamond Select has been doing with their line of vinyl statues. For a fraction of the cost of other companies, they’ve been producing some truly stellar releases that are well-designed, dynamic sculpts, a high-level of paint quality, and characters fans care about. First to drop in a series that will eventually feature the whole cast, their Gamora & Rocket (Diamond Select, $45 SRP) is everything I just described. Grab this, and be sure to get ready for the rest of the Guardians, because you’re going to want them all.

For nearly four decades, a bootleg has floated around and found its way into the clutches of Superman: The Movie fans. When the film made its original television premiere, loads of deleted scenes were added back in to pad out its runtime, making for a 3+ hour version. It’s by no means a better version of the film, but it’s still great to see more material from such an iconic piece of pop cinema. And now, throw those bootlegs out, because the Warner Archive has decided to give fans the greatest gift of all by releasing a fully restored, high-definition version of Superman The Movie: Extended Cut (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP). Also included is Richard Donner’s special edition director’s cut from 2000, featuring an audio commentary a trio of documentaries, the deleted scenes that made it back into the Extended Cut, screen tests, and additional music cues.

Pixar’s Coco, besides being a joyful tearjerker, is also an absolutely beautiful film. That beauty also extends to the development process, which is explored in The Art Of Coco (Chronicle Books, $40 SRP), the latest in the long line of excellent Pixar “Art Of” books from Chronicle. It makes me want to see the film again.

Almost 20 years after episodes began making their way to home video, what very well may be the final box set of unreleased episodes is here. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXXIX (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$37.79 SRP) doesn’t have the usual complement of 4 episodes, instead containing a trio – Girls Town, The Amazing Transparent Man, & Diabolik – plus a 4th disc containing the host segments for the 11 remaining unreleased episodes that still remain in licensing limbo. The set has a very nice selection of bonus featurettes and the vintage Last Dance Raw documentary from the filming of the final episode, while fans who order directly from Shout also get a bonus disc sporting all of the Poopie! blooper tapes. What a long, strange trip it’s been, and kudos to the amazing licensing team at Shout for being able to clear as many films as they did. A Herculean task, to be sure.

Providing context for the post-war enthusiasm that fueled American culture in the middle of the 20th century, Don Hahn’s Yesterday’s Tomorrow: Disney’s Magical Mid-Century (Disney Editions, $40 SRP) examines the explosion in creativity at the Disney company at the time, from animation and live action to theme parks and developing cities of the future.

The period covered in Peanuts Every Sunday: 1966-1970 (Fantagraphics, $49.99 SRP) is period where the strip had fully coalesced into the strip we hold in our collective memory. Charles Schulz’s had found the beats that would define the rest of its tenure on the comics page. And it’s brilliant to see these Sunday strips printed in full color in a large, beautiful format. These volumes can’t come fast enough.

I admit, another Cars film was probably the last thing I wanted to see Pixar do, particularly after the lackluster Cars 2, but color me pleasantly surprised by Cars 3 (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$ SRP), which tells quite a mature and nuanced tale about aging and obsolescence, pulling a rather deft narrative bait-and-switch. Bonus materials include a brand new short, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.

If you’ve not been following what Oni Press has been doing the last few years, the cold, dark nights of winter are the perfect time to curl up and dive into some of the brilliant visual storytelling they’ve been releasing. For the most mainstream, fans of Rick & Morty can dive into the first 6 volumes collecting their comic book misadventures (Oni Press, $19.99 SRP each), featuring writing that is just as painfully sharp as its animated counterpart. Or read about the offbeat world where worst of the worst kaiju monsters are locked away from the human world in Kaijumax (Oni Press, $9.99 SRP each). And, oh gosh, how much do I love the sublime Johnny Wander collection Our Cats Are More Famous Than Us (Oni Press, $39.99 SRP)? A lot.

Oh, you know there are spoilers a-plenty to be found within its pages, so avoid The Art Of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (HarperCollins, $40.00 SRP) until after you’ve seen the film. But then, once you do, you’ll be able to fully dive into all of the development artwork and information packed into this tome.

Sadly, a character we won’t be seeing on the big screen again is the focal point of Rogue One, Jyn Erso. She does, however, have a few iconic outfits in the film, which means Hot Toys was able to offer two separate figures without it feeling like a redundancy. The Jyn Erso Deluxe Edition (Sideshow Collectibles, $249.99) is your definitive version, which comes packed with enough accessories to give her the bulk of her clothing variations, including a scarf, helmet, and poncho. There are also a ton of weapons and even the data drive for the Death Star plans. Ah, but equally is great is they’ve also made her Jyn Erso (Imperial Disguise) (Sideshow Collectibles, $219.99), which is a substantially different outfit and comes with both a blaster and a swappable helmeted head.

Second only to the legendary Duck Man Carl Barks, Don Rosa’s adventures of Scrooge, Donald, and the denizens of Duckburg have been a true delight, and it isn’t until now that they’ve been collected in a single, definitive series which presents the material with the care and honor it deserves. Sadly, we’re fast approaching the end of Rosa’s output with the release of The Don Rosa Library Volume 7: Uncle Scrooge & Donald Duck – The Treasure Of The Ten Avatars (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP). In addition to the titular tale, the book contains 7 additional stories, plus behind-the-scenes commentary and context from Rosa.

The Warner Archive continues to do a tremendous service for film lovers hoping for niche titles to make their way out of the vaults and into high definition, with the latest batch including the adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the 80s sci-fi thriller The Hidden (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the Gene Kelly-starring adaptation of the musical Brigadoon (Warner Bros., Rated G, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the schlock sci-fi film The Green Slime (Warner Bros., Rated G, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) – which was also the film featured in the original pilot episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, by the way – and Christopher Guest’s Waiting For Guffman (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP).

A few years back, Disney Publishing released a deluxe box set featuring flip books of archival animation from Walt Disney’s legendary animators, the “Nine Old Men”. I’m delighted they decided to revisit the concept with a second set, Walt Disney’s Nine More Old Men: The Flipbooks (Disney Editions, $60 SRP), containing the works of Ub Iwerks, Art Babbit, Bill Tytla, John Sibley, Hal King, Grim Natwick, Norm Ferguson, Freddie Moore, and Ham Luske. I dearly hope this isn’t the end of this series, and it’s eventually extended to modern masters like Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, and Glen Keane.

There’s a strong argument for this year to be the year of Wonder Woman, and having a book like Wonder Woman: Ambassador Of Truth (HarperDesign, $50 SRP) to celebrate it is certainly a plus, as it’s the loving tribute the character deserves, including a nifty selection of ephemera reproductions.

Aww, geez, do I love the exquisite, almost magical skill involved in crafting a pop-up book. Combining that craft with a spotlight on films I adore makes for the must-have Pixar: A Pop-Up Celebration (Disney Editions, $65 SRP). Every film gets its own pop-up vignette, plus mini-vignettes for the company’s long history of shorts.

And speaking of their vinyl statues, not only do they have the license for Marvel characters, but Diamond Select has also been working their way through the DC Animated characters, with the (current) pinnacle of their potential being Batgirl (Diamond Select, $45 SRP), based on her streamlined redesign from The New Adventures Of Batman & Robin. I don’t know how anyone can see her bringing the hammer down on Clayface and not instantly want this figure on their shelf.

There’s a law – I’m sure it must be a law – dictating that every conceivable corner of the Star Wars universe will be fully explored in minute detail, which means we get Star Wars Stormtroopers: Beyond The Armor (HarperDesign, $45 SRP), which shines that spotlight on the Empire’s shocktroopers, from their Clone Trooper origins right through to the First Order, examining both the lore and nuts-and-bolts of their behind-the-scenes evolution and execution.

I love to decorate for the holidays, so when I chanced upon a neighbor’s incredible projected window display at Halloween a few years back – featuring what seemed like very real skeletons, zombies, and a grim reaper inside their home, visible through the window – I had to find out exactly how they accomplished the wondrous feat. Well, much to my surprise, the effect was incredibly easy, as it consisted merely of a vinyl static-cling projection screen on the windows, a digital projector, a DVD/Blu-Ray player, and digital animation files crafted by the fine folks at AtmosFX. As soon as I heard that, in addition to Halloween frights, they also have a line of festive winter animations – AtmosCheerFX – I had to give it a go. With Atmos’s spiffy animations and a brilliant digital projector package (their Digital Decorating Kit Plus, $299.99), I’m now stopping traffic in my neighborhood as rubberneckers can’t avoid being drawn in by the glorious display. The biggest joy of all, though? Just how easy it was to do.

While I can respect the craft behind them, Christopher Nolan films tend to lose me roundabout what feels like hour four. They tend to feel padded and pretentious, and I include his Batman films – particularly the last one – in that assessment, as well. So, imagine my surprise to find what a taut, unshowy narrative Dunkirk (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, 4K UltraHD-$44.95 SRP) turned out to be, even though it features the usually bit of Nolan temporal shenanigans, but the interlocking narratives work together to bring the oft-overlooked but incredibly epic tale of the UK’s naval evacuation of troops from Dunkirk – using civilian craft – to propulsive life. Bonus materials include an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the film’s production. Oh, and speaking of Nolan’s previous films, they’ve also released a 4K edition of Interstellar (Paramount, Rated PG-13, 4K UltraHD-$31.99 SRP) to coincide.

Fans of Doctor Who wanting a bit of insight into the origins and evolution of The Doctor’s most fearsome foes will want to pick up a copy of Dalek (HarperDesign, $45 SRP), which details their history featuring rarely seen photographs, comics, and ephemera.

There have been a few releases of a 1/6-scale version of the venerable, and diminutive, Jedi master in the past, Hot Toys has decided to make their definitive version of Yoda (Sideshow Collectibles, $199.99), based on his puppet appearance in Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. Because he’s such a tiny figure, it’s allowed them to make up for the size with a few substantial extras, including an alternate closed-eyes head sculpt (for when he’s communing with the force), an elaborate mossy base, rocks and stands (for floating with the force), and a crate and lamp (with light feature).

Digging into her unreleased archives just in time for the holidays, Carol Burnett has assembled The Carol Burnett Show: Carol’s Lost Christmas (TimeLife, Not Rated, DVD-$12.95 SRP), which contains a trio of uncut holiday episodes from the legendary show’s first 4 seasons.

Baseball fans hoping to re-live the excitement they must have as sports fans for the sports annual tournament will want to re-live it all with the World Series 2017: Collector’s Edition box set (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$79.97 SRP), featuring the entire run of the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Houston Astros. Speaking of the (SPOILERS!) Astros, you can follow the highlights of their winning season with the single disc World Series Champions 2017 (Shout Factor, Not Rated, DVD-$ SRP).

With the film getting the 4K HDR treatment for its 40th anniversary, it’s no surprise that we get a complementary book, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: The Ultimate Visual History (HarperDesign, $50 SRP), filled with incredible behind-the-scenes photos (the miniature work is still incredible, especially when you get to linger on the detail) and information.

There are many films that slip through the cracks of time, undeservedly, so it’s always nice when one gets a chance to find a new audience, like director Elaine May’s A New Leaf (Olive, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP), which stars Walter Matthau as man who is forced to repay a loan to his uncle (James Coco) after blowing through his inheritance, and schemes to do so by marrying into wealth. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and featurettes.

Herge remains a contentious figure. Revered for his creation Tintin, which contains a fair amount of problematic material, his personal history is also particularly complicated. Largely unseen in the west, he also produced a funny animal strip that is finally making its debut here, Peppy In The Wild West (Fantagraphics, $16.99 SRP), featuring a pair of anthropomorphic bears adventuring in a version of the American West informed by movie serials of the teens and twenties. Still, it’s nice to see the artist’s early work, even if it has to be placed in proper historical context.

All good things must end, and we’ve reached it with Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Final Chapters (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), which brings together the last clutch of adventures for the wonderful 2012 iteration of our half-shell heroes. And now that we’ve wrapped the show, can we finally get a high definition release of the whole series? Please? It deserves the love.

Proving itself a powerhouse of the Great White Way, you can bring home a pair of books that document the development and legacy of the show with The Lion King: Twenty Years On Broadway And Around The World (Disney Editions, $50 SRP) and director Julie Taymor’s The Lion King: Pride Rock On Broadway (Disney Editions, $40 SRP).

Michael Bay’s seemingly never-ending run of sound & fury Transformers films are far from good – laughably bad, even – but they are jam-packed with the kind of visuals and sound design that are absolutely perfect for impressing friends and family with the new 4k Ultra HD TV set-up you just spent a pretty penny on. With that in mind, the first four films – Transformers, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, & Transformers: Age Of Extinction (Paramount, Rated PG-13, 4K UltraHD-$25.79 SRP each) – are now available in 4K to show off those TVs this holiday season. The new releases carry over all of the bonus features from the previous release, although none of them really do much to make any sense of what you’ve just watched.

Translated into English for the first time, legendary European Disney comics artist Romano Scarpa’s The Return Of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (Fantagraphics, $19.99 SRP) is a lovely sequel to the Disney animated classic that shows a reverence for the material while extrapolating the story beyond the film. And the artwork is pure Scarpa loveliness.

Before their April 2017 concert, one of rock’s most iconic bands had never performed what many consider their masterpiece live in its entirety. But on that date, they did, and it’s capture for posterity on The Who: Tommy – Live At The Royal Albert Hall (Eagle Rock, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.98 SRP). Still blistering as a band, it’s a tour de force performance. Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette and footage from the in-house screens.

Sometimes, either through circumstance or hubris, art gets away from the artist. While I certainly think it’s the latter, the former could certainly account for whatever led to Darren Aranofsky’s painfully self-important Mother! (Paramount, Rated R, 4K UltraHD-$34.99 SRP), which stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as a couple whose lives are upturned by unexpected guests Ed Harris & Michelle Pfeiffer. And it all is supposed to be a metaphor for something profound that I was too annoyed to care about after plodding through it. Bonus materials include a pair of featurettes.

-Ken Plume

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2015 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

Do you hear an alarm going off? That’s probably the sound of The Force waking up. So, let’s kick off this year’s holiday shopping guide with the two characters used as emotional bait to lure damaged fans into getting excited about the sequel by flashing back to them in their prime via a pair of incredible collectibles. And when we think incredible collectibles, it’s the dynamic duo of Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles. So, of course, they’re the ones who have given us a 1/6th-scale Han Solo & Chewbacca (Sideshow, $479.99). These are a truly incredible pair, from the Harrison Ford sculpt to the near-miraculous rendition of Chewbacca’s hair, I daresay we’ll not get a better version of these characters, particularly Chewie. And the exclusive inclusion of their headsets keeps the hope alive that we’ll one day see an official release of the Millennium Falcon cockpit diorama.

I never thought we’d ever get to the point where there would be less than 30 episodes left until the entire run was available on home video, but thanks to the miracle workers at Shout Factory, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXXIV (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) brings us four episodes closer to that seemingly impossible goal. Whizzes at clearing up rights red tape, this set continues the Joel/Mike episode split, with Viking Women Vs. The Sea Serpent, War Of The Colossal Beast, and The She-Creature, plus new intros from Frank Conniff and a documentary on AIP.

But let that not be an end to your festive riffing season, for the fine folks at Rifftrax are releasing a pair of their holiday live shows for you to watch and revel in – Rifftrax Live: Santa Claus Conquers The Martians & Rifftrax Live: Santa Claus (Rifftrax, Not Rated, DVD-$12.95 each). You like to laugh, right? Well? DO YA?

Sometimes, there are “collectibles” that make me wish I were a kid again. If I had gotten the Batman: The Animated Series Batmobile (Thinkgeek, $79.99 SRP) as a kid, I never would stopped playing with it. Scaled to the recent 7″ line of action figures from the classic animated series, it’s over two feet long, beautifully sculpted, and included numerous light-up features, from the instrument panels to the headlights, and even the rear engine. In a word, it’s pretty darn spiffy.

Gifts for the LEGO lover on your list? If they’re keen on the history of those wonderful building blocks, then they can thumb through Great LEGO Sets (DK, $40 SRP), a coffee table tome chronicling the 60+ year evolution of sets from simple houses to massive castles. And because this is also the season of Star Wars, Small Scenes From A Big Galaxy (DK, $24.99 SRP) collects the lovably quirky Star Wars LEGO photography of Vesa Lehtimaki.

Do you feel like you’ve reached the outermost limits of emotional release that a simple NERF dart blaster can achieve? Are you eager to deliver a decisive defeat from a ridiculous distance during the inevitable competition that your family visit will devolve into this holiday season? Well, NERF has heard your plea, and introduced the Rival series of blasters, that amp up distance and accuracy to plaid. The chief difference between the entry level NERF Apollo Blaster (Thinkgeek, $29.99) and the step-up NERF Zeus Blaster (Thinkgeek, $59.99) is the delivery system and ammo capacity. Oh, and no more darts – Now you’re firing small, fluorescent yellow ball, The Apollo blaster has a 7-round capacity and is a manual single fire device. The Zeus? Fully motorized 12-round affair. Oh, and be prepared to walk a fair distance to retrieve these balls. And they travel an average of 100fps, so you’ll always fear you’ll lose them, too. But are they fun to play with? Heck, yeah.

As a kid, I ate loads of brittle, borderline inedible gum as a byproduct of my desire to get full sets of all of the various pop culture trading cards Topps released during my geeky childhood. Little did I know that all I had to do to avoid that hunt entirely was wait nearly 40 years and simply buy a book like Star Wars: The Original Topps Trading Card Series Volume 1 (Abrams Comicarts, $24.95 SRP), which prints all of the cards from A New Hope in a single volume.

The female characters in the Marvel cinematic universe are certainly in the minority, so it’s a welcome addition to the half-dozen Black Widow figures that the folks at Hot Toys have given us 1/6th-scale SHIELD Agent Maria Hill (Sideshow, $219.99). It’s not a flashy, accessory-heavy release (you get a gun, a walkie-talkie, and an earpiece), but it perfectly captures Cobie Smulders’ likeness, and it exists. And that’s a wonderful thing.

I love a solidly fun children’s book that manages to stick the landing of sporting both an enjoyable story and great visuals, and Ryan T. Higgins’ Mother Bruce (Disney Hyperion, $17.99 SRP) sticks it perfectly. The tale, about a grumpy loner who begrudgingly embraces his nurturing side, is a joy from start to finish.

If you feel the most recent iteration of the James Bond franchise tends toward the dour, the closest you can get to old school Bond action are the Mission: Impossible flicks, and the most recent, Rogue Nation (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), keeps the energy cranked to 11 right from the get-go, right down to the signature Bond cold open showstopper. The story? Doesn’t really matter. It’s all fun. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and featurettes.

While you’re reading up on the making of 007’s latest cinematic adventure with Blood, Sweat And Bond: Behind The Scenes Of Spectre (DK, $40 SRP), let it whet your appetite to deep dive into the artistic vision that has fueled with franchise with the lavish Bond By Design: The Art Of The James Bond Films (DK, $50 SRP).

If The Force Awakens is awakening an interest in your younglings for information about the ins and outs and characters and minutiae of the Star Wars universe, there’s no better primer gift than the book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know (DK, $19.99 SRP), which pretty much lives up to its title.

While other highly-stylized vinyl collectible brands have never really captured my imagination, there’s something in the cartoony styling of Vinyl Sugar’s Vinyl Idolz (Thinkgeek, $14.99 each) that hit a sweet spot for me. And then you combine that styling with a pop culture license I love, like Ghostbusters? That’s an even sweeter spot. I mean, how can you not love Venkman, Stantz, and Spengler? And that’s probably one of the best toy depictions of Bill Murray, ever.

Amy Schumer and Bill Hader, together? Sold. Yeah, don’t need to hear anymore. Just, sold. Okay, fine – Trainwreck (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) suffers from the usual Judd Apatow bloat, but I’m willing to let it slide, because Schumer and Hader. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted/extended scenes, featurettes, a gag reel, and more.

It may not be wearing your Star Wars fandom on your sleeve, but the Star Wars Stormtrooper Molded Backpack (Thinkgeek, $69.99) allows you to wear it on your back, with a high quality pack that manages to be comfortable and roomy, and loaded with storage.

If you feel that It’s A Wonderful Life is a bit too maudlin for you this year, why not partake of a beautifully remastered, high definition presentation of Frank Capra’s screwball comedy You Can’t Take It With You (Sony, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP)? Starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, and Lionel Barrymore, two very different families are delightfully bothered and bewildered. Bonus features include an audio commentary, a featurette, and the original theatrical trailer.

While its presentation style has become a cliché in the quarter century since its debut, there’s a reason why Ken Burns’ The Civil War (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$69.78 SRP) became such an iconic documentary, and it still holds up to re-viewing in this new high definition edition. New bonus materials include a retrospective featurette, a look at the restoration process, Shelby Foote interviews, and additional interviews.

It was inevitable that the undeniably appealing, banana-obsessed sidekicks would eventually be spun off into a feature of their own, so it’s an added bonus that the pre-Gru origin story Minions (Universal, Rated PG, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.98 SRP) is actually a damn fine, funny film that is able to earn their spotlight. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, featurettes, a quartet of mini movies, and more.

We’ve had stormtroopers and sandtroopers and snowtroopers, and now Sideshow has released the air wing of the Imperial army with their updated take on the Star Wars 1/6th-scale TIE Fighter Pilot (Sideshow, $199.99). It’s a pretty straightforward piece, with most of the detail going to the intricate, iconic helmet and breathing apparatus, but they certainly have scrimped on the tailoring for the flight suit. And, of course, now you have a figure to send head-to-head with your X-Wing pilot Luke Skywalker.

We live in a golden age of universal remotes fashioned to break down all resistance by preying on our geeky hearts, with Harry Potter wands and Star Trek phasers. And because we’ve already had ones for the 10th and 11th regeneration, of course we’d get a Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control (Thinkgeek, $119.99). Fully and easily programmable, it’s best to get it now before you’ll be turning around and getting the eventual release of the 12th Doctor’s newly revealed sonic.

If you want your sword and sex Game Of Thrones fix with a little more actual history thrown into the mix, dive into Vikings: Season Three (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.99 SRP), as now-King Ragnar continues to lead his people on bloody adventures. Bonus materials include extended episodes, audio commentaries, and featurettes.

Harold Lloyd’s last silent film also happens to be one of his best, and now Criterion has given Speedy (Criterion, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP) a restoration fitting its status. It also happens to have a Babe Ruth cameo and some nifty vintage footage of New York, plussing a great comedy. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, archival footage of Babe Ruth, a video essay, and more.

There’s a reason why Empire (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) has made quite so big an impact right out of the gate, as it manages to capture the crazy energy of 80s soaps like Dallas and Dynasty at their peak, with a memorable cast of characters and a modern feel. And Cookie. The key is Cookie. Bonus materials an audio commentary, an extended cut of the pilot, music performances, and more.

Lighting a candle for the holidays? What are we, in the dark ages? No! No, we’re not! We live in a modern age, where even candles must be worked over and made electronic with the miracle of LED. The Flameless Color Changing Candles (Thinkgeek, $24.99) are made of real wax – you know, for that old world feel – while being controllable via remote. Each pack contains a trio of candles in staggered heights.

Sublime doesn’t begin to capture the exquisite dynamic between Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie found in the Jeeves & Wooster: Complete Collection (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP). It remains the perfect adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse’s crackerjack writing, and the perfect binge-viewing this holiday.

Sideshow’s take on Marvel’s merc with a mouth certainly captures all of the ludicrous pouches and weapons that so characterized comic characters in the 90s, but their 1/6th-scale Deadpool (Sideshow, $229.99) also captures all of the fun of the character, mirroring the loveably goofy take we’ll be getting from the upcoming film, as well, right down to the inclusion of an alternate cockeyed head sculpt and the ability to place word balloons around him in your display.

There’s plenty of eye candy to be found in Star Wars Frames (Abrams, $24.95 SRP), a box set featuring 100 postcards that capture iconic compositions from Star Wars Episodes I-VI in all of their widescreen glory. Heck, the selections even make the Prequels look good.

And because postcards seem to be the new way to do pocket-sized art books, the Adventure Time Postcard Library (Abrams, $19.95 SRP) features 100 images including title cards, concept art, gallery art, and stills spread across 4 mini-books. Yeah, you probably won’t be sending these to anyone.

Deep dive into the lore of show with Adventure Time: The Enchiridion & Marcy’s Super Secret Scrapbook (Abrams, $24.95 SRP), a flipbook presentation exploring both the backstory of the show’s world via the lens of Marceline’s father, and the personal journal of Marceline herself. And, if you buy it from Thinkgeek ($), it comes with a bookplate signed by show stars (and authors) Martin Olson & Olivia Olson.

One would think that Asylum and Coven would have been about as bizarre as the series could go, but American Horror Story: Freak Show (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.99 SRP) cranks the bizarre-o up to 11, bringing a whole new level of disturbing to the longform anthology series. Bonus materials include featurettes and interviews.

I’ve tried quite a few options to easily listen to music in the shower, but the best so far has been the Ion Sound Splash Wireless Shower Speaker (Thinkgeek, $29.99). A relatively small unit you can hang from your shower, this bluetooth speaker delivers clear sound and even allows you to answer your phone. Pretty neat.

I’ve loved every book that’s been released as part of the Pixar Animation Studios Artist Showcase, which publishes illustrated stories crafted by the studio’s artists, and you can add Noah Klocek & Bonny Becker’s Cloud Country (Disney Hyperion, $17.99 SRP) to an already impressive list.

Thinkgeek has a laser focus on the kind of geeky tech that nerds simply must have for know other reason than its inherent geekiness, and now they’ve used that laser focus to craft a Tactical Laser Pointer ($29.99). Which is a green laser pointer that looks like you grabbed it out of a sci-fi film.

The dynamic duo of director Paul Feig and star Melissa McCarthy continues to spin gold with the genre-bending Spy (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which drops deskbound CIA support operative McCarthy into the field when the superspy she’s assigned to is killed by an agency compromising threat. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted/extended/alternate scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel.

Up to this point, anyone wanting to round out their 1/4-scale Star Wars displays with their favorite Droids from a galaxy far, far away would have had to content themselves with the not-quite 1/4-scale versions released ages ago by Medicom. Well, now scale purists and fans alike can rejoice, because Sideshow has delivered one-half of the long-awaited duo in absolutely exquisite form with their R2-D2 ($149.99). Not only is the scale correct, but it’s ridiculously feature and accessory laden to encompass every little thing we saw the plucky little Astromech doing across the 6 extant films, from rocket jets to jettisoning Luke’s lightsaber, from cutting to interfacing, and even a full-on set to serve cocktails on Jabba’s sail barge. I mean it – it has EVERYTHING. And it even lights up! I mean, come on! And if you snag the Sideshow Exclusive edition, you get a table featuring a light-up Princess Leia hologram figure. Now we just have to be patient for the arrival of his protocol partner.

J.B. Kaufman’s epic Pinocchio: The Making Of The Disney Epic (The Walt Disney Family Foundation Press, $50 SRP) is an incredibly comprehensive tome that harkens back to the glorious making-of books of yore, full of rarities and providing a comprehensive insight into the films conception, development, production, and legacy.

While the conversation about the 1/6th-scale figure market usually focuses on the work being done by the ridiculously skilled artisans at Hot Toys and Sideshow, quite rightly, there are a few companies that have come on the scene in the last few months that deserve collector attention. Of course, it helps that the folks at StarAce are being distributed by the folks at Sideshow, because it means easy accessibility to their remarkably awesome line of Harry Potter figures, starting right at the ground floor with the Philosopher’s Stone versions of Harry Potter (StarAce/Sideshow, $185) & Ron Weasley (StarAce/Sideshow, $185). As you can see, this is the youngest versions of Dan Radcliffe and Rupert Grint iconic roles, with head sculpts perfectly capturing the youthful exuberance of that first film. Both figures sport a nice clutch of accessories. Harry’s got his wand, broom, the Philosopher’s Stone, the Sorting Hat, and Hedwig, while Ron gets his wand, broom, homemade sweater, Scabbers, and the Wizard Chess board and pieces. These are a great start to what is shaping up to be a lovely line.

Now that we have cleared the Elmo storm that threatened to capsize the venerable institution known as Sesame Street, we’re able to refocus on the show’s true heart and icon, Big Bird, and the incredibly gifted performer who gave soul to both the bird and his emotional counterpoint, Oscar The Grouch, Caroll Spinney. The vehicle for this celebration is the brilliant documentary I Am Big Bird (Cinedigm, Not Rated, DVD-$19.97 SRP), and to say anything more beyond a hearty push for you to go see it, immediately, should not be needed. So go see it. Bonus materials include a far-too-small clutch of additional scenes.

To say that Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros., Rated R, 3D Blu-Ray-$44.95 SRP) is better than it has any right to be is not an exaggeration. That it is better by a long, long, longshot – I’d daresay it’s even great – is simply astonishing. These kinds of reboots aren’t supposed to work, but leave it to mastermind George Miller to craft the perfect gonzo revival of his original apocalyptic vision. Bonus materials include behind-the-scenes featurettes.

While the recent must-have sets culled episodes from the show’s later seasons, we thankfully cleared whatever red tape hampered the release of The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP) so we can finally view selections from the venerable show’s first 5 seasons. While I wish it was comprehensive, the 6-disc set contains 16 uncut episodes from across those 5 years, along with bonus material from Carol & the gang., including featurettes, interviews, and a blooper reel.

And speaking of Sideshow Collectibles, photographer Daniel Picard has taken several of the figures they’ve released over the years and used them to create some absolutely magical photographs by dropping them into exquisitely crafted tableaus that run the gamut from funny to poignant. Those photographs have been collected together into a hardcover coffee table book, Figure Fantasy (Insight Editions, $125), which features a foreword from Simon Pegg and an afterword by Kevin Smith. The deluxe hardcover limited collectors edition, available exclusively from Sideshow.com, sports an attractive slipcase, and includes a card of authenticity signed by Picard, as well as three digitally signed and embossed fine art photo prints.

When most comic fans think of Donald Duck, they think of the comic book work of Carl Barks. The folks at IDW are looking to expand the appreciation of Donald’s comic adventures with the very first collection of Donald Duck: The Complete Newspaper Comics – 1938-1940 (IDW, $39.99 SRP). Featuring 750 consecutive strips by the great duck artist Al Taliaferro. It’s a beautiful addition to any library, and hopefully we’ll get the whole run.

The folks controlling the mighty Carson archive have dipped back into the vaults for the next batch of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: Featured Guest Series (Carson Entertainment, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP each), each volume of which devotes an entire disc just to episodes featuring a specific luminary. The second three volumes in the series spotlight Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, and Burt Reynolds. These releases include the full, uncut shows, along with commercials. They continue to be truly wonderful time capsules. And once again, I repeat my request – Can we please, please, PLEASE get a Jim Henson-centric volume? PLEASE?

It’s been a crime of Biffian proportions that we’ve been without a proper book celebrating the making of the Back To The Future Trilogy, but now we’ve been gifted with two must-have volumes. First is the unauthorized, wholly candid We Don’t Need Roads, and the second is the officially sanctioned Back To The Future: The Ultimate Visual Guide (HarperDesign, $50 SRP), which is one of those keen making-of books that also incorporates reproductions of props and ephemera from the film, from the “Save The Clock Tower” flyer to the letter Marty wrote Doc Brown to warn him about the Libyans.

While there are certainly flashier characters from the original trilogy, like Darth Vader or Boba Fett, the true mark of just how impressive Hot Toys’ handling of the Star Wars license is turning out to be is their eerily pitch-perfect take on Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sideshow/Hot Toys, $219.99). From the perfect likeness of Sir Alec Guinness to the expertly tailored Jedi robes, this is the definitive 1/6-scale version of the venerable master. And because we’re gluttons for more, there’s no need to be content with just the figure itself, because they’ve plussed it with a swappable right arm that includes an in-built LED lightsaber that turns your display up to 11.

Pixar. Listen. Why do you want to make me cry? You’re absolutely brutal with the feels, and you know exactly what buttons to push. And you push them all with Inside Out (Walt Disney, Rated PG, 3D Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). From happy to sad and all the emotions in-between, which is rather fitting, as that’s what this film is all about, showing the interior emotional workings of 11-year-old Riley. And I’m not going to spoil any more of it, because if you haven’t seen it already, you should. Bonus materials include the Lava short, the brand new Riley’s First Date short, featurettes, and more.

I love a film that can expertly blend comedy, action, and genuine heart, and last year brought two films that accomplished that hat trick with flair – Guardians Of The Galaxy and Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). Gah, how I love Big Hero 6, from its visual design to the story itself, it really is a beautiful, memorable package. B9onus materials include the theatrical short Feast, deleted scenes, and featurettes. Now can anyone tell me why we didn’t get a 3D home video release?

Every once in awhile, those endearingly insane purveyors of must-have collectibles at Sideshow decide to go truly bonkers and produce a massive collectible that hits every single nostalgia button with brutal accuracy. As they had recently announced they’d be releasing Hoth versions of Luke and Han in their 1/6-scale Star Wars line, it wasn’t truly shocking that they announced a 1/6-scale Tauntaun ($349.99), but it was most welcome nonetheless. Why? Because it’s friggin’ delightful. Yes, it’s essentially a static diorama statue – pretty much a display accessory – but it looks perfect and is perfectly complementary. And it’s just fun. With a pair of swappable heads (mild and excited expressions), swappable horns (so you can make it either Han or Luke’s specific mount), and equipment accessories, it’s kitted out to be screen accurate. But because Han and Luke haven’t arrived yet, I’ve had to let a whole slew of other characters have a go. Because… you know… FUN.

And because this is the holiday season, and you know you want to give the gift of Peanuts, Fantagrpahics has made it very easy with a pair of perfect gifts. Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron (Fantagraphics, $24.99 SRP) collects every strip featuring the beagle’s aerial derring-do from across the comic’s 50-year history. And Charlie Brown’s Christmas Stocking (Fantagraphics, $9.99 SRP) reprints in a single easily stocking-stuffed volume two classic holiday tales that haven’t been in print for decades.

The 4th volume of The Dona Rosa Library, Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Last Of The Clan McDuck (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP), is the first installment collecting my favorite batch of Rosa duck stories, as they chronicle the history of Scrooge McDuck by expertly weaving the mythology established by Carl Barks into a cohesive narrative. As with previous volumes, there are extensive end notes and bonus material from Rosa that make this the definitive presentation of these duck tales.

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.

When I first saw the prototype shots for this entry in Sideshow’s line of 1/6-scale DC Comics figures, I was overjoyed to see that its styling was evocative of my favorite comic artist, John Byrne. So yes, that made their Superman ($199.99) even more appealing than it already was just by dint of being the next in their line of iconic characters. It’s also one of their more versatile figures, coming with a total of three different head sculpts, ranging from happy (take that, Snyder) to determined to heat vision intense. All three are great, but the gong goes to the brilliant heat vision sculpt. There are two capes packed in – one free flowing, the other with hidden wire for poseability, plus a handful of hands for accenting that perfect pose. Niftiest of all, though, is the Sideshow-exclusive hand that comes clutching Metallo’s head. Boy oh boy, this figure is just great. See for yourself…

While Criterion has been releasing the features that he helmed himself, a similarly wonderful and much-needed restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s earlier work at other studios has been neglected over the years, even though there have been plenty of releases of the material. Finally, though, a definitive edition of both Chaplin’s Essanay Comedies (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.95 SRP) and Chaplin’s Mutual Comedies (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) has been produced, remastered and lovingly restored in high definition. The results? Revelatory. The 27 films spread across the two sets chart the rise of Chaplin as an artist and the development of his most iconic character, The Tramp, after the end of his Keystone contract. Each set also contains a selection of bonus films and alternate cuts, plus the Mutual set has a documentaries on the birth of The Tramp and Chaplin’s onscreen nemesis, Eric Campbell. Yes, so… Get these sets.

The period covered in Peanuts Every Sunday: 1961-1965 (Fantagraphics, $49.99 SRP) is, arguably, the high water mark of Charles Schulz’s iconic run, as the still-protean strip of the 50s found its rhythm and began consistently hitting the beats that would define the rest of its tenure on the comics page. And it’s brilliant to see these Sunday strips printed in full color in a large, beautiful format. These volumes can’t come fast enough, especially as we come to the close of The Complete Peanuts releases.

In the hallowed halls of cult films, there is most surely a lofty perch for John Carpenter’s unforgettable classic Escape From New York, starring Kurt Russell as one of cinema’s greatest antiheroes. Now, those collectible crack dealers at Sideshow have made an offer few could possible refuse by releasing a spot-on 12″ Snake Plissken (Sideshow, $ 159.99). From the lifelike sculpt of Kurt Russell and the exquisitely designed & tailored outfit – both his jacketed and t-shirted looks – right down to the snake tattooed on his stomach, it’s every fan’s dream. He also comes with every little accessory you’d expect, including tons of weapons, his wrist timer, president tracker, a cigarette, and more. Oh, and the Sideshow Exclusive version includes a bonus hand holding the Nuclear Fusion Information cassette tape. Now where’s my Jack Burton figure?

For those that missed the boat on the stellar prop replica put out by Master Replicas ages ago but wanted something more robust than the plastic alternatives currently available, Thinkgeek’s Star Trek Phaser Remote Replica (Thinkgeek, $149.99) is exactly what you desire. As a screen-accurate reproduction of both the Type I and Type II phaser as featured in Star Trek: TOS, it’s pretty darn spot-on. That it also functions as a universal remote control is just downright super science. And glorious. Yes. Glorious super science.

-Ken Plume

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2014 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

While the wait at times seemed painfully long, the wait was well worth the wonder contained in the beautifully restored and presented brilliance found in the third volume of Walt Kelly’s Pogo (Fantagraphics, $45 SRP). This is the volume where Kelly’s comic strip really began to hit its satirical stride, as his swampland critters began flexing their political muscle. With annotations by RC Harvey and Sunday strips not seen in their full-color glory since they originally ran, this is another must-have addition to your library.

Fans of Disney duck comics from masters Carl Barks and Don Rosa are being spoiled with the arrival of two brand new collections – Uncle Scrooge: The Seven Cities Of Cibola (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP) and Uncle Scrooge & Donald Duck: Return To Plain Awful (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP). Both contain additional essays and insight into the fantastic tales contained within, and I eagerly await the next volumes in both series. So get quacking, Fantagraphics!

Yes, Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a regrettable mess, but one of the few truly good things the film did was jettison the bizarre costume from the first film and return the webslinger to his familiar togs, which means fans also get a nifty new Amazing Spider-Man 2 Spider-Man (Sideshow/Hot Toys, $229). Not only is the tailoring impeccable, but the body is super-articulated as well, meaning you can achieve most of the iconic extreme Spidey posing. The figure comes with the usual complement of hands, a stand, some webbing, a megaphone, and – best of all – his complete “I have a cold” outfit, BECAUSE YES.

The House Of Ideas is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, which means there are plenty of massive coffee table books hitting shelves to help you celebrated (and possibly give you a hernia from listing them). For pure visual impact, there’s Marvel Comics: 75 Years Of Cover Art (DK, $50 SRP), which brings together an overview of the art and artists used to entice readers to pick up those 75 years of issues. As a supplement from DK, you can also pick up the updated and expanded edition of the Marvel Encyclopedia (DK, $40 SRP).

Not to be left out of the mix, though, are the Distinguished Competition, whose history you can explore with the newly updated edition of DC Comics: A Visual History (DK, $50 SRP), or simply root around the lore of their Dark Knight Detective with Batman: A Visual History (DK, $50 SRP).

I love to decorate for the holidays, so when I chanced upon a neighbor’s incredible projected window display at Halloween – featuring what seemed like very real skeletons, zombies, and a grim reaper inside their home, visible through the window – I had to find out exactly how they accomplished the wondrous feat. Well, much to my surprise, the effect was incredibly easy, as it consisted merely of a vinyl static-cling projection screen on the windows, a digital projector, a DVD/Blu-Ray player, and digital animation files crafted by the fine folks at AtmosFX. As soon as I heard that, in addition to Halloween frights, they also have a line of festive winter animations – AtmosCheerFX – I had to give it a go. With Atmos’s spiffy animations and a brilliant digital projector courtesy of Vivitek (their D966HD 1080p model), I’m now stopping traffic in my neighborhood as rubberneckers can’t avoid being drawn in by the glorious display. The biggest joy of all, though? Just how easy it was to do. Have a gander below…

Few shows in recent memory have been as visually and artistically creative as Pen Wards Adventure Time, so it’s only right that fans finally get a peak behind all of their weird and wonderful processes that go into its creation with Adventure Time: The Art Of Ooo (Abrams, $35 SRP), which features ooodles of art and an introduction from one Guillermo del Toro. And if that weren’t enough to satisfy you, by all means also pick up Adventure Time: The Original Cartoon Title Cards Volume 1 (Titan Books, $ SRP), which collects together in the first of multiple volumes the memorable title card artwork featured at the front of every episode.

In addition to their new Adventure Time book, Abrams has got a handful of other pop art books you should consider as gifts for yourself (or others), including Brian Froud’s Faeries Tales (Abrams, $35 SRP), The Simpsons Family History: A Celebration Of Television’s Favorite Family (Abrams, $35 SRP), the instructionally crafty Steampunk User’s Manual (Abrams Image, $24.95 SRP), and the comprehensive Star Wars Art: Posters (Abrams, $40 SRP), which explores all of the promotional art crafted for the franchise over the years.

Oh – hey – back to Adventure Time for just a moment, because you can record all of your innermost thoughts and experiences in either the large Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Journal (Bif Bang Pow, $17.97) or the pocket-sized Adventure Time: BMO Mini Journal (Bif Bang Pow/Thinkgeek, $7.99).

Coming years after the initial volume focusing on the costuming of the prequel trilogy, old school fans (and obsessive cosplayers) finally have Star Wars: Costumes (Chronicle Books, $60 SRP), a lavishly illustrated and detailed ode to the clothes of a galaxy far, far away.

If you find all of the running around from home to home and store to store this holiday season has got your energy on the wane – and if, like me, you’re not too keen on the taste of coffee but do like chocolate – then you should pick yourself up a clutch of Buzz Bites (Vroom Foods, $4.49/6-piece tin), which manage to pack the caffeine equivalent of an entire cup of coffee in a single 1-inch piece of fudge. So not only does it perk you up, it’s also a tiny treat.

The Walt Disney company has a brilliant musical legacy going back 85 years to its very first sound cartoon, and the company is diving headfirst into its impressive archives and surfacing with the absolutely incredible “Legacy Collection” of releases. Over the course of the next year on an almost monthly schedule, they’re releasing completely remastered and expanded editions of soundtracks from their most beloved films, as well as what one can only hope is a multi-disc set spotlighting the music of Disneyland. In addition to the soundtracks themselves, each set also includes rare demos, deleted songs, and newly-recorded “Lost Chords”, which takes those deleted songs from the films and realizes them with brand new recordings that attempt to match how they might have sounded if they were finished for the original films. The first clutch of releases to come down the pike – all of which are a must-have – are 2-disc sets for The Lion King and Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney Records, $14.98 SRP each) and a 3-disc set for Mary Poppins (Walt Disney Records, $21.88 SRP). My fondest hope is that the series will keep rolling along even beyond its August 2015 end date, and start giving long-deserved proper treatment to the music of Disney’s 1940s compilation films like The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Fun & Fancy Free, The Adventures Of Ichabod & Mr. Toad, Melody Time, and Saludos Amigos. Here’s hoping, but until then, buy every single one of these.

Oh, and howzabout a little soundtrack round-up of film scores you should snag as gifts for yourself? There’s Howard Shore’s score for the final tale from Middle-Earth, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies (WaterTower Music, $19.98 SRP), Dario Marianelli’s score for Laika’s The Boxtrolls (+180 Records, $12.99 SRP), Lorne Balfe’s Penguins Of Madagascar (Relativity Music Group, $37.99 SRP), and the soundtrack to A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (Lakeshore Records, $10.00 SRP).

You don’t know the name Herman Schultheis, but every one who has any interest in the art of animation or filmmaking should devour the recently-rediscovered magic in The Lost Notebook (Weldon Owen, $75 SRP). Presented by animation historian John Canemaker, the notebook in question is a covert journal Schultheis kept during his brief tenure as a technician at the Disney Studios in the 1930s, working on Fantasia, Pinocchio, Dumbo, and Bambi, in which he documented in exquisite detail the processes utilized to achieve the special animation effects found in those films. Exceptionally fascinating, made even more so when one learns of the mystery behind its author’s disappearance.

Taschen is well known and beloved for their lavish art books, so it was with great delight to learn that they had turned their eye towards all things Polynesian in popular culture with Tiki Pop (Taschen, $ SRP), a simply striking volume which explores in-depth the origins, rise, and influence the south seas islands have head on our western culture over the course of the 20th century and into the 21st, in art, food, booze, and leisure.

Very few comic artists have been as influential on their peers as Alex Toth, and it’s his incredible design and draftsmanship skills in animation that are explored in Genius Animated: The Cartoon Art Of Alex Toth (IDW, $49.99 SRP). From model sheets to layouts to storyboards and more, the book is illustrated with powerful piece after powerful piece that proves the telling is in the showing.

While WETA may chiefly be known for its work on the Lord Of The Rings franchise, the little FX studio borne out of the early films of Peter Jackson way, way down in New Zealand has grown to be a powerhouse in the special effects field and has taken its rightful place amongst longstanding giants like Industrial Light & Magic. The history of the little effects company that could is celebrated in the two volume The Art Of Film Magic: 20 Years Of WETA (HarperDesign, $100 SRP), which chronicles both the practical and digital work the studio has done.

Based on the decided dearth of products available, you’d think that Disney was afraid to capitalize on their animated success, Gravity Falls. In fact, amongst the very few products available this holiday season are a quartet of books, two of which are advanced reader chapter books – Once Upon A Swine & Pining Away (Disney Press, $4.99 SRP each) – and one is a younger reader picture book comprised of two stories, Happy Summerween & The Convenience Store Of Horrors (Disney Press, $5.99 SRP). The fourth, however, is the real keeper, as Dipper & Mabel’s Guide To Mystery And Nonstop Fun (Disney Press, $12.99 SRP) is a true companion book to the show, full of interesting info and character beats expanding on the Gravity Falls universe, rather than just storybook adaptations of episodes. Here’s hoping there’s more books like the latter in the offing, because the show deserves the love.

Fill out your Doctor Who action figure collections by diving into the final season of Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor with the new 5″ Impossible Set (Underground Toys, $59.99 SRP), featuring The Doctor in his frock coat and top hat from the Christmas episode “The Snowmen” PLUS Oswin Oswald from “The Asylum Of The Daleks”. Then you can say your final farewells to 11 and hellos to 12 with The Time Of The Doctor Collector’s Set (Underground Toys, $59.99 SRP), featuring one figure of the Doctor in his final purple longcoat plus three heads – regular 11, aged 11, and Peter Capaldi’s 12th, plus a handy Handles accessory.

And because you can never – NEVER – have too many sonic screwdrivers, the folks behind the Doctor Who toys have decided to expand their line with a brand new pair. Added to the already existing wonder wands are the 12th Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver & the 10th Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver from Day Of The Doctor (Underground Toys/Thinkgeek, $34.99 each), which is now more screen accurate than previous 10th Doctor sonics. Both feature electronic sounds, and both are pretty keen.

The cinematic return to J.K. Rowling’s wizarding universe is still a few years off, but you can revisit all of the craftsmanship that went into developing the original films for the big screen with Harry Potter: The Creature Vault (HarperDesign, $45 SRP), which takes readers on a guided tour of the creature design process, from dragons to Dobby.

As a child of the 80s, and a comic book fan, I was well and truly steeped in the Venn alignment of Larry Hama’s now-legendary run on Marvel’s GI Joe comic. That’s probably why I find IDW’s first class treatment of that run via their still-ongoing GI Joe: The Complete Collections (IDW, $49.99 SRP each), which feature completely remastered archival presentations of those issues packaged in snazzy hardcover form. Five volumes have been released so far, bringing us up to issue number #53, plus the first two Yearbooks and Special Missions adventures.

Decorate your desk with the Doctor’s own robo-companion with the Doctor Who: K-9 Light & Sound Figurine (Running Press/Thinkgeek, $12.95), which comes packaged with a mini-book featuring background info and plenty of pics. Is it fun? Affirmative.

To many, after a string of hits, Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy (Marvel, Rated PG-13, 3D Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) seemed like a massive gamble. Not only did it star characters that had zero recognition from the general public, but it was also Marvel’s first cosmic tale with what trailers seemed to indicate was a comedic bent. Well, Marvel took our doubts and dispelled them all with a beautifully realized popcorn adventure that managed to find the sweet spot between action and comedy without sacrificing the grandeur comic fans knew to exist in Marvel’s cosmic potential. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, a gag reel, and a sneak peek at Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

I don’t really like the idea and inherent frustration behind blindboxing, but it’s hard to resist the appeal of the Guardians Of The Galaxy Mystery Minis Vinyl Bobble Heads (Funko/Thinkgeek, $6.99 each), whose stylized designs are just so darn appealing. They’re irresistible, dammit!

As the year ends, so does the unexpected but welcome high definition release of Star Trek: The Next Generation (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$129.99 SRP) with the arrival of the seventh and final season. Granted, this season features its fair share of clunkers (Beverly’s ghost, anyone?), but all is redeemed by the stellar finale, “All Good Things”, and the exceptional job the team has done throughout in upgrading the show into high-def from the original 35mm elements. The new documentaries and bonus features also continue to be a highlight, as well. As with previous seasons, a companion standalone release of the finale All Good Things (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$ SRP) is also available, featuring its own complement of exclusive bonus features, including an audio commentary, a retrospective featurette, deleted scenes, and promos.

While it has been available on Blu-Ray for a few years now, you and I both know that the definitive edition of any title comes when it makes its gets the full Criterion treatment, which has finally happened to Terry Gilliam’s masterpiece Time Bandits (Criterion, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP). Graced with a new 2k digital restoration and an uncompressed stereo soundtrack, bonus materials include an audio commentary, a featurette on the production design, an interview with Gilliam, a Shelly Duvall appearance on Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow show from 1981, a gallery, and a trailer.

The debut of the massive ED-209 figure earlier this year only whetted appetites for the arrival of the definitive future of law enforcement, and that time has finally come. Hot Toys’ Robocop (Sideshow/Hot Toys, $299), fashioned with actual diecast metal, is a hefty, supremely satisfying realization of the character, right down to the exquisitely engineered leg holster. The figure comes with multiple swappable heads, a stand, and a remote-controlled voice feature like the one found in ED-209.

With the arrival of the 22nd volume of Fantagraphics’ landmark release of The Complete Peanuts (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP), there are just 3 more collections to go until we attain the once unimaginable achievement of being able to read and own the entire run of Charles Schulz’s iconic comic strip. Volume 22 spans the years 1993 to 1994, and features an introduction by Jake Tapper.

And since you are such a Peanuts fan, you’ll also want to get the second volume of the must-have companion series, Peanuts: Every Sunday (Fantagraphics, $49.99 SRP), which prints the Sunday strips from the years 1956-1960 in large format and full color.

LEGO has been releasing their high-end “Architecture” kits of famous buildings for quite awhile, but now you can visually peruse the entire line via the coffee table-ready LEGO Architecture: The Visual Guide (DK, $40 SRP), which includes not only photos of the assembled kits, but also reference and information about the real world structural wonders they’re based on.

While we all eagerly await his definitive biography of the mighty Jack Kirby, author and genuinely good guy Mark Evanier has curated an overview of the work Kirby crafted alongside Joe Simon during comics’ golden age in The Art Of The Simon And Kirby Studio (Abrams Comicart, $60 SRP) – a hefty tome packed with dynamic art that defined a generation.

If you were just as pleasantly delighted by Disney and Marvel’s animated Big Hero 6, then you’ll want to explore all of the visual design work that went into crafting the flick via the oodles of design artwork contained in The Art Of Big Hero 6 (Chronicle Books, $40 SRP). You can then follow it up with the slight but satisfying Big Hero 6: The Essential Guide (DK, $12.99 SRP), which gives a visual overview of the characters and world of the film.

Laika continues to impress with their quirky and memorable stop-motion masterpieces, the latest of which is the focus of The Art Of The Boxtrolls (Chronicle Books, $40 SRP), which dives in to the 2-D design work as well as the 3-D realizations of those designs via innovative new processes that expand on the breakthroughs that helped bring both Coraline and ParaNorman to the screen.

And the “art of” train just keeps rocking along, as Dreamworks drops a look behind their development curtain with The Art Of Penguins Of Madagascar (Insight Editions, $45 SRP) – the first big screen solo adventure for the elite special missions waterfowl.

It may come as a surprise to some just how involved in the Disney company was in the war effort during World War II, but that distant history is explored in fascinating detail via Disney During World War II (Disney Editions, $40 SRP), which covers everything from the signage they created to the training films they crafted, including the aborted attempts at adapting Roald Dahl’s Gremlins to the big screen.

There have been many pieces of replica costuming from Doctor Who made available in recent years, but none are as iconic and downright suave as the 10th Doctor’s Coat (Thinkgeek, $299.99), as worn by David Tennant in his incarnation as The Doctor. And worn by me, in the photo below. Pretty darn suave, eh? Do you think YOU would look as suave. If you had this jacket, then I’d say YES, yes you would.

Though it may not grant you the power of flight, the Legion Flight Ring (Thinkgeek, $19.99) will still make it clear to all far and near that you are a bona fide member of the Legion Of Superheroes. And that you pal around with Superboy. IN THE FUTURE.

While All In The Family is perpetually hailed as the classic, the Norman Lear show I fell in love with as a kid was The Jeffersons (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$229.99 SRP). I think that was because more so than the often issue-oriented Family, The Jeffersons was anchored by a cast of brilliant character actors whose comedy could positively crackle, led by Sherman Hemsley’s George, Isabelle Sanford’s Louise, and Marla Gibbs’ Florence. For the first time, you can own the complete 11 season run, including a bonus featurette, episodes of E/R and the Gibb’s vehicle Checking In, and the All In The Family episode that acted as the show’s pilot.

Peter Capaldi’s take on the timeless Time Lord was certainly a much darker, more intense affair as we got to know him – a journey you can revisit with Doctor Who: The Complete Eighth Series (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$99.98 SRP), featuring all 12 episodes of The Doctor and Clara’s adventures through awkwardness. Bonus materials include a dozen behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentaries, a your of the TARDIS, the Doctor Who Live pre and post-shows, London’s post-premiere Q&A, the Foxes “Don’t Stop Me Now” music video, The Ultimate Time Lord, and a quartet of exclusive interview minisodes.

But if you’re wanting to re-live the entire run of the 11th Doctor, then you can do so with the multi-season and comprehensive Doctor Who: The Matt Smith Years (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$148.95 SRP), spanning seasons 5-7 plus all of the bonus materials from the original releases, plus an additional bonus disc with The Sarah Jane Adventures two-parter “The Death of the Doctor”, the 2013 Doctor Who Proms concert, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide, 50th Anniversary Script to Screen featurette, and Peter Davison’s The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

Odd that one of the best collections of previously unpublished production artwork from the studio’s classic period is available in postcard form, but The Art Of Disney: The Golden Age (1937-1961) (Chronicle Books, $19.95 SRP) is just that, containing 100 collectible postcards that are just too beautiful to even contemplate mailing (unless you’ve got an extra set).

Even just a few months ago, if you had told me that one day I would be able to buy an official, high definition edition of Otto Preminger’s infamous debacle Skidoo (Olive Films, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP), I would have said you were nuts. Well, it looks like anything is possible in this silly ol’ world, because that is exactly the miracle achieved by Olive Films. You owe it to yourself to check it out, as it has earned its reputation as a fascinatingly wrongheaded disaster in all the right “You have to see it to believe it” ways.

And while we’re talking about Olive Films, they’ve very quietly been building up an incredible slate of deep catalogue releases making their high definition debuts, including Charlton Heston in Dark City (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP), Burt Lancaster & Peter Lorre in Rope Of Sand (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP), Alan Ladd in Appointment With Danger (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP), William Holden in Union Station (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP), Otto Preminger’s Such Good Friends & Hurry Sundown (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP each), John Wayne’s Sands Of Iwo Jima (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP), and Robert Altman’s Come Back To The 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (Olive Films, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP).

Oh, and Olive Films have also made fans of two dearly departed shows very happy by finishing off a pair of DVD releases left in the lurch by Fox with King Of The Hill: The Complete 7th Season & King Of The Hill: The Complete Eighth Season (Olive Films, Not Rated, DVD-$34.95 SRP each), and Better Off Ted: The Complete Second Season (Olive Films, Not Rated, DVD-$34.95 SRP).

Every holiday season, I like to catch up on all of the must-see comedy and DVD releases coming out of the UK, and this year is no different – starting with brand new stand-up with Jack Whitehall: The Live Collection (Channel 4, Not Rated, £20.03 SRP), Sarah Millican: Home Bird Live (Channel 4, Not Rated, £10.00 SRP), and Russell Howard: Wonderbox Live (Channel 4, Not Rated, £9.99 SRP),. If you’re keen on scripted comedy, give a spin to Greg Davies’ Man Down: Series 1 (Channel 4, Not Rated, £9.99 SRP), the first two series of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy (Channel 4, Not Rated, £7.80 SRP each), Ricky Gervais’ Derek: Series 2 (Channel 4, Not Rated, £9.99 SRP), the 3rd series of Fresh Meat (Channel 4, Not Rated, £13.67 SRP), Charlie Brooker’s brilliant farce A Touch Of Cloth (Channel 4, Not Rated, £12.99 SRP), and Matt Berry and Arthur Mathews’ giddily daft Toast Of London (Channel 4, Not Rated, £17.75 SRP). And finally, add the requisite amount of mystery, wonder, and sheer dumbfoundery in the latest offering from the mental master, Derren Brown: Infamous (Channel 4, Not Rated, £ SRP).

If you’ve ever wanted to sleep with The Venture Bros., then Adult Swim has the perfect holiday gift for you – a set of queen size Venture Bros. Sheets ($50). Available exclusively at asseenonadultswim.com, the 300 thread count cotton poly blend sheets are an extremely limited edition, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. So DO NOT HESITATE. ACT NOW. DO NOT LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN SLEEPLESS REGRET.

It’s nearly indescribable how much simple joy one can get just by owning a really huge Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man (Diamond Select Toys, $125 SRP). Standing over 2ft tall, Diamond Select’s vinyl bank perfectly captures all of the jovial menace so firmly lodged in a generation’s collective pop consciousness.

All kudos, salutations, exaltations, hurrahs and huzzahs to Darrell Van Critters for assembling a long overdue and absolutely brilliant tribute and celebration of The Art Of Jay Ward Productions (Oxberry Press, $49.95 SRP). From Crusader Rabbit and Rocky & Bullwinkle to George Of The Jungle and Superchicken, it’s packed with artwork and information about the artists and the studio itself. Did I mention how brilliant this book is? Because it really is brilliant that such a wonderful tome now exists. So go get it. Quickly.

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.

There are a handful of beloved shows that many have claimed we’d never see on home video in their original form, due to their extensive use of popular music over the course of their runs. Well, you should never says never and nothing is impossible, and to prove that, the folks at TimeLife managed to clear an immense amount of obstacles to being out a truly special edition of The Wonder Years: The Complete Series (Starvista, Not Rated, DVD-$249.95 SRP), in which they’ve managed to clear nearly all of the music for the series, and added in a truly impressive clutch of newly-produced bonus materials to boot. And, if you buy the complete series set, it comes packaged in a miniature metal case fashioned like a school locker, complete with combination lock. However, if you want to buy the show in easily digestible season form, they’ve also released Season 1 individually (Starvista, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP).

Trust me, you’ll never know just how much you want a fully-remastered high definition collector’s edition of Pee-wee’s Playhouse (Shout Factory, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$149.99 SRP) until you feast your eyes and nostalgia upon that very wonder. By going back to the original 16mm elements and doing a modern digital reassembly and compositing, the show has literally never looked better. To say it’s incredible is an understatement. And if that weren’t enough, there are hours of brand new bonus documentaries featuring all of the on-camera and behind-the-scenes talent – except, glaring by his absence, Paul Reubens himself. But regardless of his lack of on-camera presence, his influence and attention to detail is evident throughout this must-have set.

There have been best-of clip package DVDs released in the past – all of which are well worth adding to your collection – but what makes The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: The Vault Series (Carson Entertainment Group, Not Rated, DVD-$114.99 SRP) so delightfully unique is that the 12-disc box set contains complete, unedited episodes, including the vintage commercials! The 24 episodes within are like little time capsules that are fun, funny, and fascinating. In addition to the 24 episodes, there are also over 4 hours of bonus clips. Here’s hoping there are many more sets to come.

Considering the legal tangle that has stymied its home video release for decades, miraculous is a perfectly suitable word to describe the arrival of the 1966 Batman (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$269.97 SRP) TV show to your home theater. And, as if one miracle weren’t enough, they’ve also gone and remastered and restored the original film elements in stunning high definition, making the show’s beautifully colorful 60s palette positively pop in crystal clarity literally never bore seen by audiences. And because you’re already excited, the only way you should buy it, true fans that you are, is via the deluxe collector’s edition box set, which packages all 3 seasons with copious bonus features, an Adam West scrapbook, an episode guide, a set of reproduction trading cards, and your very own 1:64 scale diecast Hot Wheels Batmobile. Holy nostalgia, Batman!

If you’ve been holding off on a grand refresher binge of The Sopranos, your perfect moment – and rationale – has arrived in the form of the honkingly massive 28-disc The Sopranos: The Complete Series (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$279.98 SRP), which marks the high definition debut of the now-classic drama that redefined both HBO and television. Not only does the series look and sound amazing, but there are plenty of brand new bonus features that make an already easy sell that much easier, including a retrospective documentary on the show’s creation and impact, a pair of cast & crew dinner roundtables, 25 commentaries, lost scenes, a 2-part interview with creator David Chase, and more. Don’t stop believin’.

After Paramount cruelly teased fans a few years back with both a best-of collection and a first season set, it took the miracle workers to deliver unto us the beautifully mastered complete four season set of the legendary Sgt. Bilko (aka The Phil Silvers Show) (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$129.99 SRP). If you’ve never seen the show and consider yourself a fan of comedy, you must rectify the oversight immediately. Not only is the writing sterling, but Phil Silvers is a brilliant comic performer, elevating the material and making his role as a con-happy army sergeant iconic. The 20-disc set contains all 142 episodes, plus audio commentaries, interviews with Phil Silvers, the original network opening, original cast commercials, the lost audition show, an episode of The New Phil Silvers Show, Silver’s guest-starring episode of The Lucy Show, and more.

I have been waiting ages – AGES – for Steven Spielberg’s epic misfire 1941 to make its way to a proper high definition release. Heck, considering the old DVD wasn’t even anamorphic, even that would have been a better treatment of a film that, for all its messiness, I truly enjoy. Just when I was about to give up hope, along comes the new Steven Spielberg: Director’s Collection (Universal, Rated PG/PG-13, Blu-Ray-$199.98 SRP), which brings together eight of the director’s Universal Pictures films into one must-have set. Along with the previously available special editions of Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, this set marks the high def debuts of Duel, Sugarland Express, 1941 (both the theatrical and far superior extended cuts), and Always. All this plus a 58-page book. So is this set worth it? By all means, yes. Yes, it is.

Of all of the action figures and merchandise that have been released in the 2 years since the most recent incarnation of the show debuted on Nickelodeon, none have come close to capturing Ciro Nieli’s brilliant designs like Diamond Select Toys’s set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bust Banks (DST, $22.99 SRP each). Standing an average of 5″ tall with articulation at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and heads, the sculpts are exceedingly accurate to the show’s designs, putting all other versions of the heroes in a halfshell out there to shame. In fact, my only disappointment is that they’re only busts and not full figures. Maybe that’s something they can rectify in the very near future. Here’s hoping, anyway.

-Ken Plume

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2013 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

It’s been a long time coming, but fans can finally buy a high definition release of The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash paired with its sequel, The Rutles: Can’t Buy Me Lunch (VSC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.95 SRP). The Rutles, if you don’t know, were a brilliant Beatles parody crafted by Eric Idle and Neil Innes in the 1970’s for their show Rutland Weekend Television (which was Idle’s follow-up to Python). After Eric showed the brief “Hard Day’s Night” parody crafted for Rutland during one of his many SNL hosting gigs, producer Lorne Michaels asked Idle to craft a longform network special based on the Pre-Fab Four, and so he did. Ex-Bonzo and brilliant songwriter Neil Innes was tapped to write the songs which, while brilliant pastiches of Beatles tunes, were wholly original and bloody marvelous compositions in their own right. The continued success of The Rutles is due in no small part to Innes’ songs, and so Idle taps the songs released on Innes’s 1996 Rutles: Archeology album for Can’t Buy Me Lunch, which acts as a parody of the constant regurgitation and repackaging of the Beatles story, complete with numerous celebrities chatting about the importance of The Rutles and their work (celebrities like Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, David Bowie, Billy Connolly, Conan O’Brien, Bonnie Raitt, Steve Martin, and more). Bonus materials include a new interview with Idle and the original SNL clip, but sadly no commentary track with Idle and Innes – which is a damn shame.

It’s no longer got the pleasant clunk that used to accompany the depression of its massive buttons – in fact, there are no moving parts anymore, just light-sensitive pads and a much thinner profile – but the fun and memory challenge of Simon (Thinkgeek, $24.99) remains as addictive as ever.

Mourn not the end of Futurama but instead celebrate it with the gift of your very own vinyl Hypnotoad (Thinkgeek, $49.99), featuring hypnotic lenticular eyes. And if you want to be insulted with gusto in order to drown the tears, you may as well pick the Talking Bender ($24.99).

Navigate your own personal world of Minecraft with your very own pixilated Minecraft Pick-Axe and Minecraft Sword (Thinkgeek, $38.99). Both are fittingly flat and will allow you to get your Steve on.

If you want further proof that we live in a golden age of breathing new life into obscurities, I offer up the little known trivia nugget that the original Star Trek cast had their own newspaper comic strip. Did you know that? I didn’t know that. Launched to coincide with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and intended to chronicle the crew’s second 5 year mission, you can now experience the complete run in a beautifully hardbound pair of volumes – Star Trek: The Newspaper Comics Volume One – 1979-1981 & Star Trek: The Newspaper Comics Volume Two – 1981-1983 (IDW, $49.99 SRP each) – which collects all 20 stories.

He’s about to make his big screen debut in the next Avengers film, so the timing of Sideshow’s premium format version of the villainous robot Ultron ($349.99) is perfect. Equally perfect is how well the massively hefty piece – in both weight and dimension – captures the character’s malevolence, particularly as he’s posed sitting on a throne whilst holding the helmet of his creator, Hank Pym (aka Ant Man).

While the original Popeye newspaper strips from creator E.C. Segar have been made available in collected form in recent years, it’s only now that the equally fun comic book adventures of the spinach-loving sailor – crafted by Segar’s successor, Bud Sagendorf – have been brought together in fine form by editor/designer Craig Yoe. So, yes, do get both Popeye Classics: Volume 1 & Popeye Classics: Volume 2 (IDW, $29.99 SRP each), and onward to Volume 3!

It certainly seems to take quite a long time between Disney’s high definition releases from their animation catalogue, but when you look at the stunning, absolutely pristine restoration done for the release of Peter Pan (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP), the wait makes perfect sense, because this film has never – NEVER – looked better than it does here. In addition to all of the bonus materials from the previous DVD release, the Blu-Ray ups the ante with a pair of deleted songs (“Never Smile At A Crocodile” is a wonderful earworm), a pair of deleted sequences (presented in storyboard form), featurettes, and even an introduction from Diane Disney Miller. Brilliant, and a must-get.

It hasn’t always been a fun ride being a Harry Nilsson fan. For many years, much of his catalogue remained unavailable on CD, save staple albums like Nilsson Schmilsson and Son Of Schmilsson. Then, starting in the UK and Japan, more of his remaining albums began to see the light of day, often accompanied by the stray, very tantalizing bonus track of an unreleased tune, alternate take, or demo. I recall many long years of desperately hunting these rarities and scraps amongst other likeminded fans on the interwebs, & the accompanying joy of each new discovery… And then wondering why more people weren’t familiar with this wonderful artist. Better late than never, the fine folks at Sony Legacy, with Andrew Sandoval and Rob Santos, have put together the definitive box set of Harry’s 10-year tenure at RCA – Nilsson: The RCA Albums Collection (Sony Legacy, $99.29 SRP). Containing 14 fully remastered albums – Pandemonium Shadow Show, Aerial Ballet, Harry, Nilsson Sings Newman, The Point!, Aerial Pandemonium Ballet, Nilsson Schmilsson, Son Of Schmilsson, A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night, Pussy Cats, Duit On Mon Dei, Sandman, That’s The Way It Is, Knnillssonn – plus a trio of fully packed “Sessions” discs of unreleased tunes, demos, takes, and more, this is the set I dreamed would one day be a reality… And now it is. At its best, Harry Nilsson’s music is an open wound – A raw glimpse at life. It’s both the deep pain and glorious rapture of being alive. This set should be in your collection. Right now. And you’ll hear why I’m well and truly correct in my assessment of his genius.

Criminally unavailable on DVD in any proper and suitably loving presentation until now, the loveable chaps at Shout Factory have released The Jack Benny Program: The Lost Episodes (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$29.93 SRP), which brings together 18 episodes of the legendary comedian’s television show not seen since their original broadcast over 50 years ago. As if the material itself weren’t brilliant enough, the episodes have also been fully restored. Bonus materials include interviews, bits from Benny’s television specials, and Hearst newsreels. If that weren’t enough Benny for you (such a thing is not possible!), if you order direct from Shout you get a special bonus disc of The Horn Blows At Midnight – the live TV adaptation of the feature film, starring Jack as the trumpeting angel sent to destroy Earth.

And what better Jack Benny chaser is there than Craig Ferguson: I’m Here To Help (New Wave Dynamics, Not Rated, DVD-$12.95 SRP), the late night wonder’s latest stand-up special. And if you only know Craig from The Late Late Show and haven’t seen his stand-up before, treat yourself to this outing, as it starts strong and never lets up.

The art of animation reduced down to its most primal level is the magic to be found in Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men: The Flipbooks (Disney Editions, $60.00 SRP). The box set contains 9 squarebound flipbooks – each picking an iconic character or scene animated by Walt Disney’s legendary cadre of artists – Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Woolie Reitherman, Les Clark, John Lounsberry, Eric Larson, Milt Kahl, and Marc Davis. They’re beautifully presented and deeply illuminating… So much so, that I’d love additional sets in an ongoing series.

Sadly out of circulation for nearly 15 years, there’s nothing that stirs up good memories of a much-missed television show quite like a beautifully produced book, which certainly applies to Babylon 5 At Twenty: A Visual Celebration (B5 Books, $134). Running at 256 pages and measuring 12″x12″ on museum-quality paper, the slipcased hardcover contains 753 behind-the-scenes production images detailing everything from sets and costumes to make-up and candid moments. All with running commentary from creator J. Michael Straczynski. I’m not going to wade into the whole B5 vs Star Trek debate, because I love both series dearly, but what becomes abundantly clear – and what this incredible tome displays so well – is the remarkable world Babylon 5 was able to convey on a relative pittance compared to the much larger budgets of Trek. If you act quick – and I do meant quick – you can head over to B5Books.com and snag what remains of the first printing at a ridiculous discount that you’ll be kicking yourself later if you’re fool enough let pass by. So yes – Go get it. And then revisit one of the finest serialized science fiction shows ever to grace the pop culture firmament.

I’ve long beat the drum for the brilliance of The Thick Of It (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 SRP), recommending it to my fellow Americans as a rare slice of satirical brilliance brought to life by a stellar cast. And the timing of the long-awaited US release of the entire series just so happens to coincide with the announcement that star Peter Capaldi – who plays the foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker – just so happens to be the new Doctor in Doctor Who. Ah, coincidence. Regardless, pick up this set and watch it all. Twice. Then again, for good measure. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, outtakes, and more.

Sure, the 3D conversion remains more of a gimmick than an artistic contribution to the film, but the effect works nicely in the high definition debut of The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$34.96 SRP) – but not nearly as nice as the restoration and high definition mastering, which makes the almost 25-year-old film look and sound sparkling and new. In addition to all of the bonus materials from the original Platinum DVD release, this release adds in a never-before-seen deleted sequence, a far-too-brief edit of a lecture that the late Howard Ashman delivered at the studio early in the film’s production process, a featurette on modern Disney animators, and more. Now bring on Aladdin! Quick!

What time is it? ADVENTURE TIME! And it most certainly is, considering you can now get both Adventure Time: Season 1 & Season 2 (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$32.07 SRP each) in brilliant high definition IN YOUR VERY OWN HOME, Bonus materials include audio commentaries, animatics, featurettes, a music video, and more.

Wipe the dour, depressive, bland Zack Snyder Man of Steel from your mind with the vibrantly weird and wonderful superheroics collected in Superman: The Silver Age Dailies – 1959-1961 (IDW, $49.99 SRP), which presents, for the first time ever, the first three years of the Last Son of Krypton’s daily newspaper strip, crafted by the likes of Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye.

It’s somewhat hard to believe that it’s taken this long – 23 years after his untimely passing – that we’ve gotten a proper biography of Jim Henson. Well, not so odd when knows that an attempt was made in the 90s that was scuttled by the Henson family – but now, finally, author Brian Jay Jones has managed to pull together Jim Henson: The Biography (Ballantine Books, $35.00), which is as insightful, candid, and comprehensive an overview of both Jim’s personal life and career as we’re possibly going to get, warts and all. Highly recommended.

Due to its relatively low production budget, The Muppet Movie (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$26.50 SRP) is never going to look pristine, but the new high definition restoration has the film looking and sounding far better than it ever has, and for that – and the fact that it’s finally out – I’m terribly happy. The bonus materials are limited, but the extended version of the original camera tests for the film (a truncated version was available on the previous DVD release) and the uncut production footage of Doc Hopper’s commercial are much appreciated.

Close on the heels of the much awaited high-def debut of The Muppet Movie comes the release of my second favorite Muppet film – The Great Muppet Caper (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), which is paired for this debut with Muppet Treasure Island. Bonus materials are sadly limited to those found on the original MTI DVD release, including an audio commentary, featurette, and a music video.

There’s something sublimely elegant in Matt Jeffries’ design for the original U.S.S. Enterprise 1701 (Diamond Select Toys, $59.99 SRP), and it remains so even nearly a half-century after the creation of Star Trek. The fine folks at Diamond Select Toys have done a superb job of capturing the screen-accurate look of that original model in their electronic “Starship Legends” series, featuring accent and nacelle lighting, plus a selection of original sound and dialogue clips from the show. As with all of the other ships in this series, you have the option to either use the display base, which connects to a hole on the bottom of the ship, or swap out that hole-bottom plate for a hole-less version perfect for hanging up in aerial display.

For the past few years, the folks at Abrams Comicarts have been putting out some wonderfully unique volumes, and have now turned their fine eye upon everyone’s favorite Belgian reporter for Tintin: The Art Of Herge (Abrams Comicarts, $45.00 SRP). Dipping into the archives of the Herge Museum, journalist Michel Daubert looks at the evolution of both the artist and his famous creations.

The new iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are all well and good – all well and very good, actually – but there’s something to be said for going back to the original comic book roots, the first 14 of which are collected in Eastman & Laird’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics: The Works Volume 1 & The Works Volume 2 (IDW, $49.99 SRP each). Presented in color form and with copious amounts of bonus art and material featuring commentary from co-creator Kevin Eastman, they’re the perfect introduction into the origins of everyone’s favorite lean, green, fighting machines.

And while you’re exploring the classic Turtle lore, delve even further into the behind-the-scenes development and indie history of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s wildly successful creations with Kevin Eastman’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Artobiography (IDW, $49.99 SRP). Jam packed with rare art and insights, it’s the perfect supplement for the nascent and seasoned superfan alike.

I’d say this is for the kids on your holiday list, but I think we all know that adults are just as much fans of the new animated version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as the kiddies, and both will get a kick out of the new RC Ninja Control Shellraiser (Playmates, $49.99 SRP), which takes the Turtles’ vehicle of choice and jazzes it up with radio control action.

And on the figure side, snag the two 2-pack Ninjas In Training Figures (Playmates, $8.99 SRP each), which presents Michaelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo in their juvenile training forms. And boy, are they just cute as the Dickens.

Now that we have the complete runs of Bloom County, Outland, Opus, and all of his wonderful children’s books, it’s rather fitting that the man behind the mirth get a comprehensive spotlight that combines the whole lot in Berkeleyworks: The Art Of Berkeley Breathed – From Bloom County And Beyond (IDW, $59.99 SRP), which is positively packed to the rafters with art from all of these facets of his artistic life.

Anyone who wants to know the (mostly true) history of Marvel Comics should give a read to Sean Howe’s Marvel Comics: The Untold Story (Harper Perennial, $15.99 SRP), which delves into the epic tale of a scrappy little independent publisher and the creative titans that turned it into a juggernaut. As with all tales told by outsize personalities, there’s an element of Roshoman to the anecdotes, but the overall tome is well worth a read.

A perfect companion piece to the Marvel book is PBS’s recent full-blown documentary Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), which explore the cultural origins and impact of the genre from its pulp roots to its current mainstream success, courtesy of a bevy of luminaries including Stan Lee, Joe Simon, Michael Chabon, Jules Peiffer, and even Adam West.

It’s always a worry when Pixar revisits their past films for a sequel. Will this be the time it all falls apart and the bloom is finally off the rose? Happily, that’s not the case with Monsters University (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), which takes is back to their genesis of Mike and Sully’s friendship at the titular alma mater, and manages to be a snappy college comedy that evokes genre classics like Animal House and Back To School to enjoyable effect. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, a clutch of featurettes, deleted scenes, and the theatrical short The Blue Umbrella.

It’s been a long, beautiful ride, but with The Complete Peanuts: 1989 to 1990 (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP), we enter into the final decade of Charles Schulz’s sublime ode to the outsider. It’s rather delightful and apropos that the introduction to this volume is delivered by the equally sublime Lemony Snicket.

And if you’re picking up the latest volume of Complete Peanuts, you should also be sure to welcome Peanuts Every Sunday: 1952-1955 (Fantagraphics, $49.99 SRP) into your home. The oversize volume collects every Sunday Peanuts strip from the first 3 years in both glorious color and the original art size in a single hardbound must-have that I hope is quickly followed up by a second volume.

Join the Disney Ducks for a holiday classic crafted by the legendary Carl Barks with the latest volume of Fantagraphics dandy hardcover library collection of the Duck Man’s works, Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: Christmas On Bear Mountain (Fantagraphics, $28.99 SRP). Of special note about this tale is that it also introduced the character of Donald’s Uncle Scrooge McDuck.

Having already collected his complete newspaper strip run in black and white form, we get the second and final volume of Floyd Gottfredson’s color Sundays with Mickey Mouse: Robin Hood Rides Again (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP), which makes for the end of an epic adventure for both the mouse and his fans.

Just when you thought every last scrap of ephemera related to The Beatles had been seen in public in heavily documented form, along comes a monstrous volume like The Beatles: The BBC Archives 1962 to 1970 (Harper Design, $60.00 SRP), which draws from the Corporation’s archives scores of rare photographs, memos, and much more relating to the Fab Four’s dealings with the Beeb. The hefty package, made to replicate an archival tape box, also contains facsimile documents and a photographic print.

One of the few memorable sequences in the mostly regrettable Superman III featured an ersatz dark version of the man of steel created after exposure to wonky synthetic kryptonite that many refer to lovingly as the Drunken Uncle Superman. Well, now the fine folks at Hot Toys have taken their already stellar Christopher Reeve Supes, given him the 5 o’clock complexion and darker outfit, and crafted Evil Superman ($214.99).

I had the chance to see the sumptuous 3D remastering of The Wizard Of Oz during its recent limited IMAX run, and was struck by just what a fun, feisty flick it remains. Perfect, then, that its 75th anniversary celebration also brings The Wizard Of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion (Harper Design, $40.00), a deluxe celebration of the film’s creation and legacy.

If you’ve ever wanted to take a journey into the fevered enthusiasms of a filmmaker, gird yourself for the boisterously bizarre bits to be found in Guillermo del Toro: Cabinet Of Curiosities (Harper Design, $60.00 SRP), containing access into his notebooks, collections, and other obsessions. Going all the way back to Cronos and up through the still-unrealized At The Mountains Of Madness, the only notable exclusion I would have liked to have seen would be his personal notes for his version of The Hobbit. Still, this is a fun rollercoaster ride and well worth a gander.

If a high society holiday is more your cup of tea, catch up on the Crawley family and their servants with the limited edition Downton Abbey: Seasons 1, 2, & 3 Collection (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$89.99 SRP), which contains not only those first 3 seasons of class, but also bonus one-hour documentary, Secrets Of Highclere Castle. And if you still haven’t had your fill, you can also pick up the companion book Behind The Scenes At Downton Abbey (St. Martin’s Press, $29.99 SRP).

Not only is Terminator Vault (Voyageur Press, $40.00 SRP) a complete chronicle of the making of James Cameron’s original Terminator films, but it’s also one of those nifty books that comes packed with physical reproductions of ephemera related to the film, from original sketches and script pages to a crew badge for T2.

It doesn’t really have much heart beyond a by-the-numbers tale of a seemingly impossible dream that winds up coming true (you know how it goes), but Turbo (Dreamworks, Rated PG, 3D Blu-Ray-$48.99 SRP) is a fun flick that flies by as fast as the slug with a dream at the center of the flick, who wants nothing more to be fast – and wouldn’t ya know it, a freak accident makes him super fast, transforming him into a racing snail. Cue a 3D wonderland of high speed race sequences. Worth a watch? Sure. Bonus materials include featurettes and a deleted scene.

Allaying any fears that his genius may have dimmed in his advancing years, Bill Cosby sets the record straight with a sharp, snappy, and brilliant new comedy album – Far From Finished (Comedy Central, Not Rated, DVD-$ SRP / CD-$ SRP). It’s The Cos, people. LISTEN and LAUGH.

And speaking of stand-up, let’s not forget all of the wonderful stand-up DVDs coming out across the pond – Jimmy Carr: Laughing & Joking (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£10 SRP), Greg Davies: The Back Of My Mum’s Head (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£10 SRP), and Mickey Flanagan: Back In The Game Live (Channel 4, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-£14.30 SRP).

Ah, but don’t stop there! Also available for gift-giving is the first season of Ricky Gervais’s lovably sincere Derek (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£13.88 SRP), the third series of the exquisitely university dramedy Fresh Meat (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£11.33 SRP), the second season of Charlie Brooker’s deliciously dark satire Black Mirror (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£7.25 SRP), the first series of Matt Berry & Arthur Matthews’s thespianic Toast Of London (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£10.22 SRP), and the mind melt that is Derren Brown: Svengali (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£9.00 SRP).

The joy of diving through each and every one of the massive clutch of shows contained in the 25-disc Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts: Complete Collection (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$249.95 SRP) – besides how funny they remain even 40 years later – has to be the literal who’s who of showbusiness royalty featured, from Jack Benny and John Wayne to Jackie Gleason and Johnny Carson… and on and on and on. Utterly and truly spectacular, from start to end.

As you would hope from a film with an extensive design process, Peter Jackson’s latest trip to Middle Earth gets the lavishly illustrated The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, Chronicles: Art and Design (Harper Design, $39.99 SRP), packed with the altogether expected amount of sketches, renderings, and information chronicling the process of realizing the tale.

If you’d like a little piece of Middle-Earth on your shelf for a reasonably accessible price, the fine folks at WETA have crafted collectibles that are very nearly impulse buys, including a line of small Hobbit Holes (WETA, $39.99 each).

And WETA has also begun what I can only assume is a series of collectibles featuring the dwarves and Bilbo from the memorable barrel run scene in the Desolation Of Smaug, with the first two releases being Bilbo and Bombur (WETA, $65.00 each).

It is by no means a perfect device, but the fact that we live in a tech age where I can hold an android-based gaming device in my hands that allows me to play emulators and modern games to my heart’s content with a built-in deluxe controller and snappy Nvidia-based graphics is reason enough to dig the Nvidia Shield (Thinkgeek, $249.99).

In the not-too-distant past – about a quarter-century ago – a little cow town puppet show made its debut on a cow town local TV station in a cow town named Minneapolis. Celebrate that cow town puppet show with the Mystery Science Theater 3000: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$64.99 SRP), which spans from the show’s first season to its last with a total of 6 episodes – Moon Zero Two, The Day The Earth Froze, The Leech Woman, Gorgo, Mitchell, and The Brain That Wouldn’t Die. Bonus materials include a retrospective documentary, new featurettes, and MST Hour wraps. If that weren’t enough, it all comes packaged in a collectible tin.

And while you’re celebrating the anniversary of MST3K, partake of the brand new shorts collection from alumni Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy with Rifftrax: May The Shorts Be With You (Legend Films, Not Rated, DVD-$9.95 SRP). It’s 9 brand new short subjects packed with hilarity aplenty.

Did the Avengers movie leave you wanting to see the Hulk and Iron Man have an adventure together, you’ll get that in animated form with the feature Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United (Buena Vista, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which finds Tony Stark and the green goliath take on the energy monster Zzzax. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.

While its sixth season tended to be an uneven season, even an uneven season of Mad Men (Lionsgate, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.97 SRP) is still great viewing, especially as its end run of revelations for Don Draper kicked into high gear. Yeah, that end run? Jaw-dropping. Bonus materials include a featurette on Timothy Leary, a glimpse into the art department, and an interactive gallery.

I unashamedly love Mary Poppins (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), from it’s tale of fatherly redemption to it’s earworm tunes, I dig the whole supercalifragilisticexpialidocious shebang. And, after years of waiting, I get to enjoy the best-it’s-ever-been high definition debut of the film, all spiffy and sparking for its 50th anniversary. New bonus features include a conversation between composer Richard Sherman and Jason Schwartzman (who plays him in the film Saving Mr. Banks) and a Mary-oke sing-along, both of which join the preexisting musical reunion and making-of featurettes and the deleted song “Chimpanzoo”.

In the 30 years since its theatrical release, I imagine that maybe a handful of those years have gone by without Mickey’s Christmas Carol (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$36.99 SRP) being part of the annual holiday viewing rotation. What makes the new high definition release even better than just having a sparkly version of the film is that they’ve also presented high definition remastered versions of a handful of classic holiday shorts (“The Hockey Champ”, “Corn Chips”, “Pluto’s Christmas Tree”, & “The Art Of Skiing”), plus the brand-new Mickey Mouse short “Yodelberg”.

Also making its high definition holiday debut is the festive special from that silly old bear all stuffed with fluff – Winnie The Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$36.99 SRP). It’s not quite the classic that Mickey’s Christmas Carol is, but it’s a fine outing worth adding to the queue.

It’s hard to top the 2003 editions of his films, but Criterion has been doing just that with another film from the Charlie Chaplin library, the latest being Chaplin’s own beloved comedy City Lights (Criterion, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), which finds the Little Tramp falling for a young blind woman selling flowers on the street who mistakes him for a millionaire. The film looks marvelous in high definition, and bonus features include an audio commentary, documentaries, archival on-set footage, and more.

Besides the film itself, each new Disney animated feature in recent years has come with a much-anticipated, lavishly illustrated “Art Of” book, which is why this year brings The Art Of Frozen (Chronicle Books, $40 SRP), which goes into the creation of the wintry tale of two sisters.

-Ken Plume

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2011 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

While the Laurel & Hardy catalogue has been largely overlooked and mistreated for years, the fine folks at Kino have been doing a spectacular job with the work of Buster Keaton, first on DVD, and now with their simply stunning restorations for Blu-Ray. Joining their already-released titles comes a new batch of films and, even more welcome, the Buster Keaton Short Films Collection 1920-1923 (Kino, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.95 SRP), featuring all of Keaton’s solo silent shorts, plus deleted footage, essays, and more. Once you’ve worked your way through that set, pick up a trio of his feature films – Our Hospitality (Kino, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.95 SRP) and the double feature of Go West/Battling Butler (Kino, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.95 SRP). Both of these are also packed with bonus materials, including shorts, audio supplements, galleries, and more. Get all of these discs, and lets hope for more.

We may or may not have a white Christmas, but if anyone was dreaming of a comedy Christmas, their wishes will come true with a torrent of new stand-up DVDs, just in time for the holidays. The fine folks at 4 are dropping a massive stable all on their lonesome, with the debut discs Sarah Millican: Chatterbox Live (Channel 4, Not Rated, Region 2 DVD-£11.99 SRP) and Micky Flannigan: The Out Out Tour Live (Channel 4, Not Rated, Region 2 DVD-£11.99 SRP), and the latest offerings from favorites Jimmy Carr: Being Funny (Channel 4, Not Rated, Region 2 DVD-£11.99 SRP) and Russell Howard: Right Here Right Now Live (Channel 4, Not Rated, Region 2 DVD-£11.99 SRP).

And speaking of stand-up DVDs that need to be on your holiday shopping list, I’m going to be severely disappointed in you if you don’t pick up the debut DVD from my buddy – Rufus Hound: Being Rude (Comedy Central, Not Rated, Region 2 DVD-£11.99 SRP). Brilliant, brilliant man and brilliant material, plus an audio commentary just as enjoyable as the main feature. Just get the thing, already.

With the film on the horizon (now in theaters), I decided it was high time I dive in and read the full run of Hergé’s intrepid Belgian reporter, Tintin. So I did. If you want what comprises the 21 adventures of the “modern canon”, there’s the 8-volume The Adventures Of Tintin: Collector’s Gift Set (Little, Brown Books, $150.00 SRP). While it’s disappointing that these are presented in a reduced page size, you do get the whole lot in one fell swoop, with the bonus of Tintinologist Michael Farr’s character study Tintin & Co.

So, now that you’re a fan of Tintin, it’s time to want all of titles, which means partaking of the brilliant archival hardcover editions of the original black & white versions of the very first stories (Hergé redrew, revised & colored the first few stories in the mid-40’s to match his current style), including the two stories not included in the aforementioned box set, put out by the fine folks at Last Gasp – Tintin In The Land Of The Soviets, Tintin In The Congo, Tintin In America, Cigars Of The Pharaoh, and The Blue Lotus (Last Gasp, $24.95 SRP).

Ready for the next level of being a true Tintin fan? Last Gasp has got you covered, with the in-depth Tintin Companion (Last Gasp, $35.00 SRP) and the biographical The Adventures Of Hergé: Creator Of Tintin (Last Gasp, $29.95 SRP). If that weren’t enough, you can explore the artistry found within the world of Tintin with a trio of lavishly illustrated volumes – The Art Of Hergé: 1907-1937, The Art Of Hergé: 1937-1949, and The Art Of Hergé: 1950-1983 (Last Gasp, $39.95 SRP each). The whole lot are lovely, and well worth getting.

And yes, I did mention there’s now a big Tintin film in the cinemas, made by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, and the massive amounts of development and concept art that went into making it is presented in The Art Of The Adventures Of Tintin (Weta/HarperCollins, $39.99 SRP). And, if you get the book directly from Weta, you get exclusive replicas of the three parchment scraps that, when aligned, give the coordinates to find Red Rackham’s treasure. And for those with a fancy iPad, the publishers have put out an absolutely phenomenal app version of the book, with every piece of art enlargeable, interactive turnarounds, artist interviews, and even clips from the film.

For years, Newmarket Press has been putting out some quite nice making of books for various films, and this year brings a pair of new additions to that library. First up is The Art & Making Of Arthur Christmas (Newmarket Press, $40.00 SRP), the latest from the wonderful gents at Aardman Animation. Also available is a look behind the latest from Steven Spielberg, War Horse: The Making Of The Motion Picture (Newmarket Press, $34.99 SRP).

Many of you are well aware of my love for and connections with the brilliant animated comedy The Venture Bros. If you’re as much a fan as I am, there are a few limited edition items you’ll want to snap up as soon as possible, or risk missing out on them entirely. First up is the absolutely massive – and positively spot-on – Brock Samson Maquette ($249.99). Featuring swappable heads, swappable weapons, swappable hands (one of which is holding a Henchman arm, and a Venture skull logo base, it’s the ultimate display piece for the ultimate fan.

If you want something a little more on the affordable side, the keen guys at Biff Bang Pow have expanded their MEGO-style Venture Bros. figure line with the addition of 4 new figures – Phantom Limb & Doctor Orpheus and Dr. Girlfriend & Hank Venture ($37.99 for each 2-pack). If you’d like something extra-special, you can still snag the Rusty Venture Lunchbox & Figure Set ($44.99), in which you get not only a retro-cool tin lunchbox, but also exclusive figures of Rusty and Dr. Jonas Venture. Get ’em all.

Over the past few years, Sideshow Collectibles have been bringing to these shores the absolutely stunning artistry of a company called Hot Toys, whose ability to capture actor likenesses in scale-form is downright creepy. No other company can match them when it comes to their lifelike paint-ops. I mean… Creepy. Creepy good. And I think my absolute, bar none favorite piece they’ve done this year is their Superman ($209), featuring the Man of Steel as portrayed by Christopher Reeve. The costuming is perfect, and with a stand evocative of the Kryptonion crystal structures found in his Fortress Of Solitude, it’s the perfect display piece.

Gizzy gizmos and electronic doodads from those geeky ones at Thinkgeek? You mean something like a tiny USB Mini Scanner ($79.99) that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and allows you to scan in photos or business cards, or whatever, at 300dpi? Is that geeky enough for you?

For you camera nerds wanting to eke out a bit more style from the photos and videos you take with your iPhone, there’s the Olloclip iPhone Camera Lens ($69.99), which manages to by a wide-angle, fisheye, and macro lens all in one small, pocketable form that simply slips over the top corner lens of your iPhone. How brilliant is that?

I’m not a huge wine drinker, but in the times when I’ve had to open a bottle, I’ve absolutely loathed corkscrews. Loathed them. Just can’t get it right. With the Planetary Gears Corkscrew ($69.99 SRP)? Easy. And I felt all steampunky doing it. Heck, I should have been wearing goggles and had a lose connection with reality.

Long ago when he was young (well, young-er) and foolish, YouTube sensation Charlie McDonnell made a video of him messing around with the various shock levels to be found in the electric shock hot potato game Lightning Reaction ($29.99) and, I have to admit, I found myself wanting to try the game. Even though, unsurprisingly, I’m not a fan of shocks, or pain. If you’re curious, or just want to see a good friend or family member yelp, this is the party game for you.

I’ve had a Dynaflex Powerball – one of those gyroscopic balls that exercise your wrist and arms – for years now, but very rarely used it because of how much of a pain it was to get it started via the pull strung. Well, with the new DFX Gamer Gyroscopic Powerball ($64.99), you get the exact same wonderful exercise ball but with the added bonus of a new motorized storage pass that will get the thing revved up with just the push of a button. Ironic? Yes.

Those interested in a beautiful conversation piece with a firm grounding in mathematics can pick up a Calabi-Yau Manifold Glass Sculpture ($69.99). The crystal cube features a 3D model of a Calabi Yau Manifold etched inside… And it’s cool even if you have no idea what I’m talking about.

Have you ever wanted to pilot a shark? WHO HASN’T wanted to pilot a shark? Now you can do just that, sort of, with the Air Swimmers Flying R/C Shark ($29.99), which attaches a tiny R/C motor to a helium-filled shark balloon. So, yes, it’s not a real shark, but it’s still pretty darn cool.

Oh, it is with such giddy delight that, after years of having to live with a non-anamorphic, poor-print version, one of my favorite films has finally made it to high definition with the presentation it deserves. And what is that film? Joe Johnston’s adaptation of Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$26.50 SRP). Sadly, there is not a single bonus feature to be found (not even a trailer, guys?), but it’s nice to have it, regardless.

Making the transition from TV to feature film is an often tricky proposition, and its quite a rare thing for it to be a comedy making that transition. To do it and to do it well is nearly unprecedented, which makes the success of The Inbetweeners Movie (Channel 4, Rated R, Region 2, Blu-Ray-£14.97 SRP) worth celebrating. And it’s also a great film, which finds the 4 lads out of school and having a decidedly awkward holiday. There’s also hours of bonus materials, from featurettes and deleted scenes to a gag reel and 24 takes of walking out of a door.

Marking the end of Will, Neal, Simon & Jay’s school tenure comes The Inbetweeners: The Rudge Park Comprehensive Yearbook (Century 2011, $29.95), which takes an affectionate look at the students, teachers, and awkward experiences that make up that hallowed institution.

Oh, and while you’re at it, be sure to pick up The Inbetweeners Movie soundtrack ($10.29 SRP), featuring 27 tunes and dialogue snippets from the film, sure to make it a lads holiday on your iPod. That makes sense, right? Oh, just get it.

For the past few years, when I’ve wanted to show off the incredible quality of Blu-Ray – and my massive TV – I’ve popped in the BBC’s landmark nature documentary Planet Earth (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$99.98 SRP). Well, they’ve gone and made it better with a brand new special edition, featuring a re-encoded and improved picture, plus four brand new bonus programs in addition to the features carried over from the previous release – the deluxe gift set of which is housed in a globe. Rather appropriate, that. Is it worth the upgrade? Yes. Yes it is.

It’s been ages since their last release, due mainly to their constant touring schedule, but I’m delighted to report that the wait for Cinematic Titanic Live: War Of The Insects (Cinema Titan, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99) is well worth it. Filmed in front of a live audience and clearly feeding off of the energy and good will, and with a solid riff of an awful Japanese film to work with, it’s a no-brainer that you should get this. Now. Go! Get it!

And because you can never have too much high class riffing this holiday season. Rifftrax returns with a brand new high definition release of one of their live shows with Rifftrax Live: Plan 9 From Outer Space (Legend, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$17.95). Filmed in Nashville and originally transmitted to theaters across the country, the home version preserves the experience, right down to the guest performance from Jonathan Coulton.

As if the job they were doing with Charles Schulz’s Peanuts weren’t reason enough for praise, the brills at Fantagraphics have turned their eye to the oft-ignored and rarely properly treated Disney library and have done them justice. For proof, look not further than Mickey Mouse: Race To Death Valley & Mickey Mouse: Trapped On Treasure Island (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP each), the first two volumes collecting Floyd Gottfredson’s incredible Mickey Mouse comic strips, which capture a far feistier and fascinating character than the corporate icon he would later calcify into.

If that weren’t reason enough to praise Fantagraphics, they’ve also decided to tackle the work of an artist very close to my heart with Donald Duck: Lost In The Andes (Fantagraphics, $24.99 SRP), the first in what I desperately hope is a long line of hardcover, beautifully-presented volumes featuring the Disney duck stories of the legendary Carl Barks. And I hope the stories featuring Scrooge McDuck come quick.

If you’ve ever wondered about the last hundred years of his life – the ones not covered by Mark Twain’s recently-released autobiography – you’ll find all of his tales of that missing period in Michael Kupperman’s Mark Twain’s Autobiography: 1910-2010 (Fantagraphics, $19.99 SRP). From his encounters with monsters to space robots, it’s all in here. And all true.

-Ken Plume

It should come as no surprise that I’m quite the fan of DOCTOR WHO. Heck, I even started a podcast to that effect (Whotininnies, natch). So this holiday season, I wanted to do a dedicated shopping guide geared towards pointing my fellow fans towards all of the wonderful merchandise they should empty their bank accounts for this holiday season. Special thanks to the fine folks at Underground Toys, the BBC America Shop, and Thinkgeek – and please be sure to use the links provided if you decide to snag anything below.

I’m still not entirely sure I understand everything that happened in the 6th season of Doctor Who (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.98 SRP), but you have to admire the narrative chutzpah that showrunner Steven Moffat brought to the table as we dealt with the Doctor’s march toward death and the unraveling story of River Song. The 6-disc set contains all 13 episodes plus the Christmas special, plus newly-filmed additional scenes, audio commentaries, Confidential featurettes, the Comic Relief sketches, prequels, monster files, and trailers.

And if you finding yourself wanting to give the gift of David Tennant’s 10th Doctor this holiday season, get the 26-disc Doctor Who: The David Tennant Years ($199.98), which spans from “The Christmas Invasion” all the way through “The End Of Time”, also including the two animated specials that were released along the way as well.

Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor finally escapes his banishment to Earth and travels into space in the new-to-DVD adventure Doctor Who: Colony In Space (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP). Okay, so he doesn’t really escape – more like the Time Lords who banished him there in the first place decide they need his help to stop The Master from getting his hands on a master weapon, so they send the TARDIS (with The Doctor and companion Jo Grant) to a bleak planet in the 25th century to stop him. Bonus materials are plentiful, including an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted footage, and more.

Now that we’ve reached a point where nearly every extant classic Doctor Who story has been released, the BBC have very nicely decided to go back and revisit many of their early releases and make them bona fide special editions. The latest to get the treatment is the Tom Baker story The Talons Of Weng-Chiang (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), which finds the 4th Doctor hunting a mysterious killer in Victorian London. While wearing a deerstalker. Because hats are cool. This new special edition is almost overloaded with bonus materials, from an audio commentary to new documentaries and featurettes, interviews, galleries, and more.

Action figures! For the kid who loves the Doctor or for the adult who loves the Doctor in a lovely arrested development kind of way (like me), there are plenty of action figures you can snag this holiday season. If you’d like to get a whole clump of them in one fell swoop, why not pick up the Pandorica Figure & CD Collection ($119.98), which comes with the fez-wearing Eleventh Doctor, a Roman Auton, Angel Bob, the Cyberman Pandorica Guard, Amy Pond (in policewoman outfit), and a Silurian Warrior – plus sections to make your own Pandorica box (the sides are audio CDs containing extracts from the Doctor Who audiobook series).

But what if you want to really populate your Underhenge display? You’ll do that with the 6-figure Underhenge Figure Set ($79.98), featuring the red Dalek Drone figure, a Sontaran, a Roman Auton, a stone Roman Auton, a stone Dalek, and Amy Pond (in her jacket, red shirt, skirt, & boots look).

Yes, well, if that still hasn’t quite fulfilled your Who figure needs, why not get the still-in-10th-Doctor-suit-post-regeneration 11th Doctor ($19.98), or the fairy tale Raggedy Doctor & newly be-bowtied Doctor in the 2-figure Eleventh Doctor’s Crash Set ($35.98)? Or how about the 11th Doctor in Cowboy Hat ($14.95)? Perhaps the Villain Figure Set ($49.98), which comes with Hawthorne and Peter the Winder (From the episode “The Beast Below”) and Professor Bracewell from “Victory Of The Daleks”. Of course, then you’d need your Dalek, so how about a new style yellow Dalek Eternal ($19.98)?

One of the creepiest episodes of this past season featured the Flesh and the doppelgangers created from that white goo. With the Flesh Bowl Figure Creator ($49.95) – crafted to look like the Flesh vat and creation tank from the episodes – you can make your own ganger Doctors. It’s icky fun!

But if classic Who is more your style, there’s always something like the Resurrection Of The Daleks Collector’s Set ($69.98), which nets you not only the 7th Doctor (Peter Davison), but also Davros and a pair of old-school Daleks so you can recreate that classic story.

And what are you going to do with all of these figures? Play with them in your very own – and very massive – 11th Doctor TARDIS Playset ($74.98). And yes, it is quite massive, featuring multiple levels and walkways as well as the quite-tall control panel and column. It’s just a cool, really really big playset that will be the center piece of any kid’s playtime (or adult’s display).

That’s not the only TARDIS playset you’ll want, though, because you can also get the Junk TARDIS Console Playset ($39.00) seen in the episode “The Doctor’s Wife” and designed by the young Blue Peter “Design A TARDIS Console” winner. What’s really nice about it is the design is very reminiscent of the classic TARDIS consoles of yore.

Although they seem to be agonizingly slow in adding to their offerings – and I wish they’d really dive into the action figure side of things – the fine folks at Thinkgeek have imported a pair of Doctor Who board games for the whole family. Doctor Who: Battle To Save The Universe ($34.99) is for ages 6+, while Doctor Who: The Time Wars ($24.99) is older-skewing for ages 8+. Both are fun and worth a spin for Who fans.

Who doesn’t want to snuggle with a soft and fluffy blob of sentient fat? Well, if you’re a Doctor Who fan, you can do just that with the Adipose Plush Toy ($19.99), a stuffed version of the cute creatures from the beginning of the 4th season of Nu-Who.

Pens! We’ve got pens! We’ve got floating pens, with floaty things – either a TARDIS Floating Pen or an Adipose Floating Pen ($12.98 each)! Or how about a Talking Doctor Who Pen ($14.98), featuring Dalek & Cybermen phrases at the click of a button. Perfect for school, right?

By now, you’ve surely gotten your Standard Sonic Screwdriver ($34.98) – I mean, who hasn’t? So why not change things up a bit with the Personalize Your Sonic Screwdriver Set ($39.98), which comes with three sets of emitters, controls, power sources, and buttons, allowing you to create up to 80 different variations of screwdriver. There’s also a Sonic Screwdriver Projector ($24.98), which features interchangeable wheels allowing you to project show images on, well, anything. Finally, how about River Song’s Sonic Screwdriver ($19.99), given to her by a future version of the Doctor during her swansong first story? Yup – In the Library.

Remember the Doctor’s Nano-Recorder ($35.98), which he used to implant the recorder chips that allowed him and his companions to remember their encounters with the Silence? Well, now you can own your own version of it, that features lights, sounds, and a 10-second voice recorder.

Take my advice, and do as I say – Save a little money for a rainy day. And why not get one of the deadliest aliens in the known universe to keep your money safe? With the Dalek Money Bank ($32.98), you can do just that. But do be careful trying to get your money out of it.

It seems rather obvious that the Doctor and watches go together, so for the kids there’s a Doctor Who Projection Watch ($19.98), from which the wearer can project an image of the Doctor himself. And for the adults, there’s The Master’s Fob Watch ($54.98), the face of which lights up with the touch of a button. Though, when opening it, there’s a slight chance it could remind you that you are, in fact, The Master.

While you’re telling time with those watches, determine it on a larger scale with your very own Doctor Who 2012 Wall Calendar ($12.98), featuring images from both the 5th and 6th season to carry you through the year.

It still baffles me that they’d go off-market LEGO with the license, but that’s pretty much what the Character Building sets are – In fact, the bricks are even LEGO compatible. So for the construction nerd in your home, you can not only get a Dalek Progenitor Room Set ($29.98) but also an 11 Doctors Micro-Figure Set ($49.98)… Because you know you’ve always wanted a tiny Jon Pertwee.

Everyone likes 3D. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but it’s a cool gimmick. Particularly when it’s a 3D optical illusion you can hold in your hands, like the Doctor Who Hologram Chamber ($16.98), which creates a 3D effect of a tiny TARDIS or an adipose right on your desktop.

What will you be hanging upon your Christmas Tree this holiday season? Perhaps a TARDIS Ornament ($19.99). Standing about 5″ tall and made of glass, you’ll certainly want to have it hanging on one of your branches.

And if you remember last season’s reappearance of the old school Cybermen and their small cyberminions, you’ll probably want your very own Bump-N-Go Cybermat ($34.99 SRP), which navigates all by its lonesome by bumping into things and course-correcting. It’s cute! But do mind the teeth.

For the really wee kiddies who might not be ready for action figures, how about Stuffed TARDIS & Daleks ($24.99 each)? All three of them feature sound effects, while the TARDIS light also lights up when its button is pushed.

And finally, when you’re attending all of those festive holiday fetes, how can you not show up bedecked in your very own 11th Doctor Bowtie ($29.99)? Heck, it’s even holiday red! And cool! Bowties are cool!

–Ken Plume

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2010 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

It’s been over 10 years since cultural icon Stephen Fry released his first memoir, Moab Is My Washpot, which left leaders with only a portion of the story, ending as it did in his teenage years, just released from a prison sentence for credit card fraud, with college – the legendary Cambridge – and fame still before him. Well, he picks it all right back up in the same warm, witty, candid style with The Fry Chronicles (Penguin, £20.00 SRP), a must-read volume that, sadly, only covers the 1980’s… But at least we can look forward to more volumes.

Another year has gone by, which means that we’re all being gifted with a lovely clutch of brand new QI books, first and foremost being The Second Book Of General Ignorance (Faber & Faber, £12.99 SRP), which compiles a whole slew of new knowledge and clarifications on common misconceptions. Add onto that The QI Annual: H (Faber & Faber, £12.99 SRP), featuring all things having to do with that 8th letter of the alphabet. Of course, if you’ve missed previous years editions, The EFG Bumper Book of QI Annuals (Faber & Faber, £12.99 SRP) is just the things, bringing together the 3 previous volumes into one handy, massive paperback.

Before television turned Charlie Brooker into a superstar (hush, you), he ran a website called TVGoHome, which put more than one skewer through television, from fake listings to articles and ads. These were all collected into the book TVGoHome: TV Listings The Way They Should Be (Faber & Faber, £12.99 SRP), which has thankfully returned to print after a long absence, because it is brilliantly funny. It is.

It was with some trepidation that fans entered the 5th season of Doctor Who (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$89.98 SRP) – Not only were we losing fan-favorite David Tennant as the 10th Doctor, but the 11th Doctor would be the ridiculously young unknown Matt Smith. Surely this would be when the new series stumbled. Well, no. No it didn’t. In fact, Matt Smith is a wonder in the role, and has more than made it its own, and new companion Amy Pond puts all former Nu-Who companions to shame. Add to that some brilliant writing and a true sense of fun (Remember when sci-fi wasn’t just maudlin navel-gazing?), and you have a brilliant season. Bonus materials include newly-filmed short interludes between episodes, video diaries, Doctor Who Confidential, in-vision commentaries, Monster Files, outtakes, teasers, and trailers.

What would the holiday season be without cookies? And, naturally, a geek needs somewhere to put those cookies – so why not a light-up (with sound effects!) Doctor Who: TARDIS Cookie Jar ($26.99). Of course, you’ll want to put your own Doctor figure in front of the TARDIS, so why not pick up the 2-figure 11th Doctor Crash 2-Pack ($19.99), featuring the disheveled post-regeneration Matt Smith Doctor and his regular outfit.

Evocative of Addams, Dahl, Gorey & Seuss but gloriously the unique genius that is the combination of my friends Trace Beaulieu and Len Peralta comes Silly Rhymes For Belligerent Children ($19.95), a beautiful book full of cautionary ““ and not so cautionary – tales sure to entertain (or scar) many a child lucky enough to be gifted with it this holiday season.

Another could-have-been-a-disaster moment turned out to be gold with Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss’s modern take on Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), which managed to make the mythos current without undermining the essence of what has made the character a perennial. My only regret? That the first season is on 3 feature-length episodes long. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, a making-of featurette, and the original pilot episode.

It’s a been a few months, and you know what that means – a new Mystery Science Theater 3000 set! Continuing their yearly tradition, this holiday period box set comes packed with another bot action figure, and this times it’s the absolutely massive (and wonderfully accurate) Gypsy. If that weren’t enough, the movies contained in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume XIX (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$69.97 SRP) are the 1st season episode Robot Monster (with a Josh Weinstein intro), season 4’s Bride Of The Monster, and the Sci-Fi era Devil Doll and Devil Fish. Bonus materials include featurettes on Bride & Devil Doll, a look at the “Invention Exchange”, a panel from CONvergence 2009, and trailers.

Over the past year, there have been a trio of documentaries that any self-respecting Disney fan will find essential viewing, and all three are being released on DVD the same day (making purchase that much easier, natch). First up is Waking Sleeping Beauty (Walt Disney, Rated PG, DVD-$29.99 SRP), which looks at the resurgence of Disney feature animation in the period between 1984-1994, and ends as the foundation begins to erode, which would lead to the late 90’s downturn and eventual (albeit brief) shuttering the of the legendary department. For a look at another unique period in Disney history, Walt & El Grupo (Walt Disney, Rated PG, DVD-$29.99 SRP) focuses on the trip Walt Disney and a select group of his artists undertook a good neighbor trip to South America at the behest of the US government, just prior to the WWII. Last but not least, there’s The Boys (Walt Disney, Rated PG, DVD-$29.99 SRP), about the legendary songwriting brothers Richard & Robert Sherman. All three are packed with bonus features, including deleted scenes, additional interviews, and archive footage. Get them all.

While both films have their highs and lows – Fantasia has the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, “Dance of the Hours”, Night On Bald Mountain”, and “Nutcracker Suite” as highs, while Fantasia 2000 manages only the Hirschfeld inspired Gershwin sequence and the Flamingo with a yo-yo – it’s still lovely to have them both fully remastered in high definition as a Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 set (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$45.99 SRP), containing audio commentaries, featurettes, the short Destino, and much more, plus bonus DVD editions of both films.

For the true Disney fan, their incredible Walt Disney Animation Studios: Archive Series continues with the 3rd volume, Design (Disney Edition, $50.00 SRP), which collects a beautiful overview of the production artwork that influenced the final look of many an animated classic.

But the Disney fun doesn’t end there, as the Disney legacy is also explored in a far different way via the grand Mouse’s videogame comeback – Epic Mickey (Disney Interactive Studios, $49.99 SRP), in which our hero must reclaim an animated world left to rot, while at the same time reconnecting with his “older brother”, Oswald The Lucky Rabbit.

If you’ve yet to see Graham Linehan’s brilliant UK sitcom The IT Crowd (MPI, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), the beauty of it is that you can literally watch any episode and be able to enjoy that glorious madness that unfolds. So why not pick up the newly released 4th season set and then back-fill from there? Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, outtakes, and hidden goodies.

Because they’re so attuned to exactly what geeks want – pop culture geeks, the lot of us – Thinkgeek has become a prime destination for picking up LEGO sets that both geek adults and geek kids will want. Need proof? Well, considering you Star Wars geeks can pick up Boba Fett’s Slave I ($79.99), the Hoth Wampa Cave ($39.99), and the massive Battle Of Endor ($99.99), while Harry Potter fans can snag Hagrid’s Hut ($39.99).

But what if your child likes LEGOs but you don’t want to buy them a construction set? Thinkgeek also stocks the LEGO Lantern ($23.99), for those scary nights, or a hand crankable LEGO Dynamo Torch ($24.99). Heck, they even have an oversize Darth Vader or Stromtrooper Minifig Alarm Clock ($29.99).

Ach, but that’s not all! They’re also stocking all of the new LEGO board games, from the LEGO Minotaurus Game ($24.99) to LEGO Creationary ($34.99). So yes, Thinkgeek has your LEGO needs clearly squared away.

There’ve been a few quite nice highlight and retrospective sets released in the past, but if you want a truer picture of just why Johnny Carson was considered the King of Late Night, you should pick up Tonight: 4 Decades Of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Respond2, Not Rated, DVD-$119.99 SRP), a 15-disc set that features shows from across Johnny’s 40-year reign. It’s an impressive set that I hope is only the first of many.

Chemistry sets are so passe – Today’s kids want to investigate crimes… Particularly if their investigative materials are branded with a hit TV show. In other words, you can give the gist of a trio of kiddie-crime-solving kits – the CSI: Impression Kit ($35.77 SRP), CSI: Facial Identification Kit ($21.95 SRP), & the CSI: Ink & Handwriting Analysis Kit ($23.99 SRP). Promote logic and critical thinking skills!

I’m always leery when a new CG animated film comes down the pike and it’s not from Pixar, just because there have been so many duds trying to emulate their winning formula. This year, however, ahs been a banner one for non-Pixar flicks, starting with How To Train Your Dragon and including Despicable Me (Universal, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which stars Steve Carrell as a supervillain whose plan to achieve “World’s Greatest Villain” status by stealing the moon suddenly goes pear-shaped when he enlists a trio of little girls who decide to latch onto him as a father figure. Bonus materials include a trio of new mini-movies, audio commentary, featurettes, and more.

Yeah, I’m a sucker for the Guinness Book of World Records. There’s just something so compellingly exciting yet sad about the various and sundry attempts at dubious immortality “achieved” by the people, events, and tragedies included in the Guinness Book of World Records: 2011 Edition (Guinness, $28.95 SRP).

Covering the wild personal upheaval between 1964-1971, Lennon Naked (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) stars Christopher Eccleston as a very convincing John Lennon in a drama about that period during which the rise of the Beatles was matched by the destruction of Lennon’s first marriage and his courtship of Yoko, and ends with the end of Fab Four and rise of a new Lennon.

While it never achieves the transcendent by-golly-wow reaction it desperately wants for assembling such a massive all-star action pic hall of fame cast, The Expendables (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is still a throwback bit of high octane fun, more concerned with blowing things up and throwing out one-liners than telling a story. Which, really, is exactly how this kind of picture should be played, ya namby-pambys! Bonus materials include an audio commentary, a making-of documentary, featurettes, deleted scene, 2010 Comic-Con panel, a gag reel, and more.

After they released the brilliant – and much-requested – It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, fans were ready to throw a parade for the fine folks at Shout Factory after they announced they would be giving a complete series release to the even more brilliant Larry Sanders Show (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$149.99 SRP). So yes, you can now watch the entire 6 season run! The copious amount of bonus features are all ported over from Sony’s “Best Of” collection from a few years back, but those featurettes and interviews were so comprehensive, that the port is appreciated. Now, if only they can get the rest of Dream On out, too…

There’ve been a few different versions released over the years, but the definitive edition – in high def, no less – is the Apocalypse Now: Full Disclosure Edition (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$59.99 SRP), which contains a fully remastered theatrical cut, the more recent expanded cut, and the behind-the-scenes documentary Hearts Of Darkness. Besides the commentaries and featurettes, the best bonus feature in the lot is a chat between Coppola and screenwriter John Millus. A must watch.

For the past few years, Insight Editions has been putting out some truly spectacular books, from their series on the modelmaking and costuming of Star Wars to spotlights on John Lennon. While Chronicle Books has the lock on Pixar and Disney, Insight has been publishing massive, beautiful “Art Of” collections from Dreamworks and Sony. Currently available – and worth picking up – are The Art and Making Of Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs ($50.00 SRP), The Art Of Megamind ($39.95 SRP), and The Art Of Shrek Forever After ($24.95 SRP).

Also worth mentioning from Insight, even though they’re not “Art Of” books, are Jerry Beck’s 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons ($24.95 SRP), the stunningly realized Harry Potter Pop-Up Book ($34.95 SRP) and even though I hated the film, the pictures featured in Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull: A Photographic Journal ($29.95 SRP) make it worth a pick-up.

I have been counting the days until the high definition 25th Anniversary edition of the Back To The Future Trilogy (Universal, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$79.98 SRP) arrived, eager to see it looking all snazzy and hoping the reality lived up to my outrageous expectations. Well, I’m delighted to say all three films look and sound amazing, and they’ve managed to plus the bonus materials above and beyond the ridiculous amount found on the original DVD special editions, including new documentaries (plus some tantalizing yet still unsatisfying glimpses of the legendary Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly footage). Is this an upgrade worth making? Yes. Yes it is.

By the time we reach the third volume of Bloom County: The Complete Library – 1984-1986 (IDW, $39.99 SRP), we’ve arrived at the golden age of the strip, where both the political satire and the humor had gelled into a transcendently pointed, funny strip that cemented itself in the comics pantheon. If you’re new to Bloom County, get all of the available volumes. Fast. Rectify that oversight now.

About 5 years ago, I became aware that a documentary had been made about an artist I held dear to my heart – the underrated, underappreciated Harry Nilsson. I received a promo copy at the time, and found the documentary to be a comprehensive, enlightening overview of a brilliant artist beloved by friends and fans (including the likes of The Beatles) who happened to be a very flawed human being whose excess led to a far too early death. The doc floated around the festival circuit for the past few years, but Who’s Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?) (Lorber, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP) is finally available on DVD, along with nearly 90 minutes of additional interview footage. Get this documentary, and get Harry’s music. Now.

It’s no Ben 10, but Cartoon Network’s Generator Rex (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is certainly constructed to try and hit all of the same buttons with the kids, right down to a super-powered kid – in this case, a 15-year-old boy/weapon made of nanites – fighting the big bad world. The 2-disc set contains 9 episodes.

Where the US version of the UK’s middle-age male crisis dramedy Manchild never got past pilot, the similarly themed Men Of A Certain Age (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) – starring Ray Romano, Andre Braugher, and Scott Bakula – seems to be going strong. The first season set contains audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

I know a lot of you are probably waiting for next year’s Blu-Ray release of the entirety of season 4, but for those who can’t wait, The Venture Bros.: Season 4 Volume 1 (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$23.98 SRP) contains the first 8 episodes of the season, plus audio commentaries (in which, yes, I am mentioned – count the times!), deleted scenes, a Comic-Con promo, and a “lost” open.

It’s been almost a year since the Blu-Ray Ultimate Editions of the first two films were released, but the rather long wait has brought us the just-in-time for Deathly Hallows: Part 1 release of Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban: Ultimate Edition & Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire: Ultimate Edition (Warner Bros., Rated PG/PG-13, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP each), both of which are necessary upgrades from the previous Blu-ray editions, if only for the next two installments of the 8-part documentary series “Creating The World Of Harry Potter, which have been newly produced for these Ultimate Editions. Also included are all of the previous special features and documentaries from the previous releases, plus photo books and character cards. The bottom line? Get ’em both, and hope the next two come out a lot quicker.

You know who else has comedy locked up for you this holiday season? The fine folks at Channel 4, who have a lovely clutch of comedy coming to DVD, including new stand-up specials – Jimmy Carr: Making People Laugh, Frankie Boyle: If I Could Reach Out Through Your TV And Strangle You, I Would, & Rhod Gilbert & The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99 SRP each) – and TV series collections – Miranda: Series 1, The Inbetweeners: Series 3, Russell Howard’s Good News: Best Of Series 1, and Peep Show: Series 7 (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99 SRP each).

If you’d like to spend your holidays with a big green ogre, then you can fulfill that very odd wish with the Shrek: The Whole Story box set (Dreamworks, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$76.99 SRP), which brings together all four films – Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek The Third, & Shrek Forever After – for the first time in high definition. Not only do all of the sets contain all of the bonus materials found on the original releases, but the set also includes Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular and an exclusive 4-part documentary.

The one factor that made Christopher Nolan’s Inception (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) work for me is that Nolan didn’t burden the storytelling with the concept, but instead dumped the audience right into the action, allowing the headiness of it all to permeate, rather than overwhelm. That being said, I’m not even going to try explaining the plot, but will instead just recommend you give it a spin. Bonus materials include in-depth featurettes, an animated prequel short subject, and more.

You may know Haynes as the folks who put together all of those car manuals you see sitting on your mechanic’s (or father’s) shelf. Well, they’ve decided to venture into geek territory with the USS Enterprise Owner’s Workshop Manual (Simon & Schuster, $27.00 SRP). Its detailed schematics may not be entirely accurate, and it unfortunately also features the Enterprise NX-01, but it’s a fun read nonetheless.

You can always bet that if there’s a new version of anything in the offing, the original version will get a release to coincide with it – and such is the case with the classic 1969 version of True Grit (Paramount, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), starring John Wayne as the larger-than-life Marshall Rooster Cogburn. The film looks superb in high definition, and bonus features include an audio commentary, featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.

For the longest time, I’ve been able to suppress whatever last vestige of giddy Star Wars fanboy remained within me after being so mercilessly stamped out by the overwhelming mediocrity of the Prequels. That was, until I laid eyes on Hasbro’s incredible – in both execution and freaking size – new AT-AT ($119.99). Standing over two feet tall, articulated, and full of lights and sounds, it’s everything we hoped for after walking out of Empire Strikes Back 30 years ago. Granted, we’re adults now, but so what?

The folks at Fox want to load down your holiday viewing schedule as well, and have moved to do so with a pair of holiday box sets. The Christmas Collection (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$79.99 SRP) brings together Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, the George C. Scott A Christmas Carol, the modern Miracle on 34th Street, and Jingle All the Way. If you just want to spend some time with Kevin McCallister, there’s the Home Alone Collection (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which sports all 3 films in the canon (yes, even the forgettable non-Culkin one). Of course, if the kiddies are clamoring for something animated, they’ve also got Ice Age & Ice Age 2 (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP each), in snazzy high definition.

And finally, let’s wrap up this year’s holiday guide with a couple of beautiful pieces from the fine folks at Sideshow Collectibles. Hopefully you’re familiar with their Premium Format line, which used mixed-media materials to create some truly stunning display pieces. Earlier this year, they secured a license from Disney, and have been working their magic on everything from Pirates Of The Caribbean‘s Captain Jack Sparrow ($324.99) to Sleeping Beauty‘s Maleficent ($299.99), as you’ll see from the photos below. And about as different from Disney as you can get, how about an incredible polystone diorama featuring Conan The Barbarian – Conan: The Prize ($299.99).

-Ken Plume

It’s our inaugural edition of Halloween Havoc here at FRED, and we kick things of with Stan Lee reading Edgar Allan Poe’s THE RAVEN. ‘Nuff said.

For the past few years, the fine folks at Astrobase Go (Jackson Publick & Doc Hammer) have been providing FRED with exclusive holiday singles.

This year is no different.

However, there are still some of you out there that haven’t heard all of the tracks from previous years. So let’s rectify that. Below, you’ll find all of our exclusive VENTURE BROS. holiday tunes, leading up to the big debut of this year’s insta-classic.

In 2004, The Monarch & Dr. Girlfriend gave us their take on the Bowie/Crosby “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy“…

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
“Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy”

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/venture_bros_little_drummer_boy.mp3]

2005 brought the tender trio of The Monarch and Henchmen Nos. 21 & 24 belting out Dolly Parton’s “Hard Candy Christmas” during The Monarch’s incarceration…

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“Hard Candy Christmas”

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/venture_bros_hard_candy_xmas.mp3]

2006 delivered the epic “Venture Aid 2006“…

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“Venture Aid 2006”

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/venture_bros_venture_aid_2006.mp3]

2007 found The Monarch & Dr. Girlfriend tackling a timeless holiday duet, “Fairytale Of New York”…

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“Fairytale Of New York”

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/venture_bros_fairytale_of_new_york_2007.mp3]

2008 was a bittersweet affair, as Henchmen 21 & 24 sung a tune that was recorded in June of that year, to get it out of the way so they wouldn’t have to worry about it during their big vacation in Cancun. Sadly, there would never to be a “Henchmen Cancun ’08″…

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“Wonderful Christmastime”

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/venture_bros_henchmen_21_24-wonderful_christmastime.mp3]

In 2009, The Monarch recorded a very special gift for Dr. Mrs. The Monarch with the help of Henchman 21 and the Moppets, Kevin & Tim-Tom…

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“The Chipmunk Song”

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/venture_bros-the_chipmunk_song.mp3]

2010 found the totally hard-rocking Shallow Gravy releasing their “Fan Club Christmas Album 2010″…

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“Fan Club Christmas Album 2010”

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/venture_bros-shallow_gravy-fan_club_christmas_album_2010.mp3]

And for 2011, we get a heartwarming duet from The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, “Baby It’s Cold In Here”…

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
“Baby It’s Cold In Here”

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/venture_bros-baby_its_cold_in_here.mp3]

Check out the rest of this year’s Holiday Singles HERE

Santa Claus gets along with every child except one ““ his own feisty teen-age daughter, JINGLE BELLE. As a special Holiday Havoc treat, Jingle’s creator Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Gotham City Sirens) and illustrator Stephanie Gladden (Hopster’s Tracks, Girls of Monster Paradise) will be presenting ALL NEW weekly Jing strips here at FRED this Christmas season and into the New Year. Check in each Thursday for more arctic antics!

CLICK BELOW FOR THIS WEEK’S STRIP

Jingle Belle and all related characters ™ & ® 2009 Paul Dini all rights reserved

Christmas Day is fast approaching, so we thought we’d ask master storyteller (and living legend, natch) Stan Lee to get us all in the holiday spirit with a rousing reading of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS as only Smilin’ Stan can!

Be sure to check out Stan’s reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s THE RAVEN, and follow him on Twitter @TheRealStanLee!

If you’d like to throw some holiday cheer our way, please DONATE

Check out the rest of this year’s Holiday Havoc – and past Havoc – HERE

I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.

In this episode, I chat with actor and voice artist Tom Kenny, late of MR. SHOW and the voice behind Spongebob Squarepants, about the release of the Spongebob holiday single “Don’t Be A Jerk (It’s Christmas)” and much, much more…

Be it under a rock or deep in a cave upon the highest peak, you must have been living there if the Spongebob Squarepants phenomenon has passed you by. If you’ve been around any child below the age of 15, they can probably tell you exactly who Bikini Bottom’s most famous animated invertebrate is – and, chances are, there are some hip adults that will also clue you in, being fans themselves.

As the voice of the krabby patty flipping squarepants enthusiast, Tom Kenny has brought to life a cultural icon the world over… And he’s a nice guy, to boot. In fact, if you’re not aware of the scads of voice work he’s done over the years (including the mayor and narrator of The Powerpuff Girls), then you probably know him from his on-camera work in the legendary Mr. Show with Bob & David (alongside his equally talented wife Jill Talley).

He also crafted (with Andy Paley) a toe-tapping album starring Spongebob and friends titled The Best Day Ever – a glorious piece of pop informed by his idols, including the likes of The Beach Boys and The Who (in fact, Brian Wilson is a guest artist on the album).

Just in time for the holidays, though, they’ve also released a single – “Don’t Be A Jerk (It’s Christmas)” – which you can snag via iTunes or Amazon.

Not only did I sit down and have a lovely, rambling chat with Tom (which you’ll find below), but he also sent over a special, exclusive LIVE edition of “Don’t Be A Jerk” for all of you to spin this holiday season (You’ll find that below, too). How’s that for holiday cheer?

Hope you enjoy…

Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Tom Kenny“:

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/bit_of_a_chat-tom_kenny.mp3]

Download “Don’t Be A Jerk (It’s Christmas) LIVE VERSION“:

[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/holidayhavoc/spongebob_squarepants-dont_be_a_jerk_its_christmas_live.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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Drop Ken a line HERE.

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You can also find more of my interviews by clicking HERE.

]]> http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/23/spongebob-tom-kenny-ken-plume/feed/ 1 http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/22/john-hodgman-ken-plume-2/ http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/22/john-hodgman-ken-plume-2/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:48:27 +0000 http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/?p=12136 Continuing their annual tradition, we've got an in-depth conversation between minor television celebrity, PC, and literary trivialist John Hodgman and Quick Stop's own Ken Plume. We present this audio feast for the ears, as one titan of culture and one Ken Plume touch on matters historical, Popeye musical, and those involving The Prisoner...]]>

Continuing their annual tradition (HERE is last year’s), we’ve got an in-depth conversation between minor television celebrity, PC, and literary trivialist John Hodgman and Quick Stop’s own Ken Plume. We present this audio feast for the ears, as one titan of culture and one Ken Plume touch on matters historical, Popeye musical, and those involving The Prisoner. Be sure to pick up a copy of Mr. Hodgman’s new book, More Information Than You Require, also available in Audiobook Form…

Download “An Evening With John Hodgman & Ken Plume II“:

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/bit_of_a_chat-john_hodgman.mp3]

Check out the rest of this year’s Holiday Havoc – and past Havoc – HERE

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

##

Drop Ken a line HERE.

##

You can also find more of my interviews by clicking HERE.

]]> http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/22/john-hodgman-ken-plume-2/feed/ 5 http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/22/matt-berry-holiday-havoc/ http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/22/matt-berry-holiday-havoc/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:02:14 +0000 http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/?p=12135 We've got an exclusive "Christmas Relaxation Podcast" from Matt Berry - star of THE IT CROWD, SNUFF BOX, DARKPLACE, & THE MIGHTY BOOSH. If the holidays have got you stressed, Matt is here to help...]]>

We’ve got an exclusive “Christmas Relaxation Podcast” from Matt Berry – star of THE IT CROWD, SNUFF BOX, DARKPLACE, & THE MIGHTY BOOSH. If the holidays have got you stressed, Matt is here to help.

You can also visit his official MySpace page – www.myspace.com/mattberrysmusic or follow him on Twitter @porksmith

For now, though, here’s Matt’s Christmas Relaxation podcast…

Download “Matt Berry’s Christmas Relaxation Podcast“:

[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/holidayhavoc/matt_berry_xmas_relaxation_podcast.mp3]

Check out the rest of this year’s Holiday Havoc – and past Havoc – HERE

]]> http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/22/matt-berry-holiday-havoc/feed/ 1 http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/20/cabin-fever-christmas/ http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/20/cabin-fever-christmas/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:43:00 +0000 http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/?p=12123 How do Aaron & Fitzy bring you holiday cheer this fine, festive season? Why, with not one, but TWO gifts! Not only do you get a brand new Cabin Fever Commentary for the holiday classic A CHRISTMAS STORY, but first and foremost, you can lay your eyes upon the visual feast that is CABIN FEVER'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL...]]>

Oh no! Just when you thought it was safe to hang out at the Quick Stop…

Cabin Fever (hosted by the twisted souls Brian Fitzpatrick and Aaron Poole) is the result of having too much time on your hands and access to your local community radio station.

Over the course of an hour, they manage to trawl the depths of good taste, plus throw some music in. How much more could you want from a podcast?… Quality? Oh… we didn’t think of that.

Enjoy! And we hope our cross Atlantic friends can understand the Irish accent

Hugs and Kisses,
Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy

Ah, but how do Aaron & Fitzy bring you holiday cheer this fine, festive season? Why, with not one, but TWO gifts! Not only do you get a brand new Cabin Fever Commentary for the holiday classic A CHRISTMAS STORY (which you can download below), but first and foremost, you can lay your eyes upon the visual feast that is CABIN FEVER’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL:

CABIN FEVER COMMENTARY: A CHRISTMAS STORY – To get you in the festive spirit, the Irish duo delve into a film not nearly as known on their side of the water, A CHRISTMAS STORY. Aaron bucks popular opinion in an attempt to point out one or two flaws in the film while Brian just bursts with delight over what he considers a gem. Hat love is evident throughout.

[CONTENT WARNING]: Explicit contents! We say every naughty word you can think of. You have been warned!

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Cabin Fever Commentary: A CHRISTMAS STORY (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_commentary_christmas_story.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Aaron & Brian at the Cabin Fever mailbag.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

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]]> http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/20/cabin-fever-christmas/feed/ 7 http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/17/paul-dini-jingle-belle-01/ http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/17/paul-dini-jingle-belle-01/#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:29:05 +0000 http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/?p=12089 Santa Claus gets along with every child except one "“ his own feisty teen-age daughter, JINGLE BELLE. As a special Holiday Havoc treat, Jingle's creator Paul Dini (BATMAN: TAS, GOTHAM CITY SIRENS) & illustrator Stephanie Gladden (HOPSTER'S TRACKS, GIRLS OF MONSTER PARADISE) will be presenting ALL NEW weekly Jing strips here at Quick Stop this Christmas season and into the New Year...]]>

Santa Claus gets along with every child except one ““ his own feisty teen-age daughter, JINGLE BELLE. As a special Holiday Havoc treat, Jingle’s creator Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Gotham City Sirens) and illustrator Stephanie Gladden (Hopster’s Tracks, Girls of Monster Paradise) will be presenting ALL NEW weekly Jing strips here at FRED this Christmas season and into the New Year. Check in each Thursday for more arctic antics!

CLICK BELOW FOR THIS WEEK’S STRIP

Jingle Belle and all related characters ™ & ® 2009 Paul Dini all rights reserved

]]> http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/17/paul-dini-jingle-belle-01/feed/ 2 http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/11/2009-quick-stop-holiday-shopping-guide/ http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/11/2009-quick-stop-holiday-shopping-guide/#respond Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:22:47 +0000 http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/?p=12060 It's that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2009 Quick Stop Holiday Shopping Guide...]]>

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2009 Quick Stop Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)

I’ve banged on about for years, and I’m going to keep going virtual door to virtual door until the word gets out about QI. If you’ve never heard of the UK quiz program QI, you’re missing out on one of the funniest “educational” shows ever devised (the devisee being creator/producer John Lloyd, formerly of Blackadder, Not The Nine O’Clock News, and Spitting Image). The key to QI (which stands for “Quite Interesting”) is the central tenet of its philosophy – it’s not always being correct that counts, but being interesting (and funny). The interesting nature of a given piece of information spurs conversation and debate, eventually leading round to the learning of said informational nugget. Did you know that the Earth has more than one moon, for example? Or that otters kill crocodiles? Soon to make its debut on BBC1 (with its 5th season), it’s hosted by Stephen Fry and features a rotating panel of four comedians (one of which is mainstay Alan Davies) – and it’s one of the most hilarious shows I’ve ever seen… Honestly, you’ll laugh as much as you learn, and I still hold out hope a network in the US is smart enough to pick the show up uncut, as BBC America have been nothing but boobs about it (Hello, Comedy Central! Hello, Discovery Channel! Hello, PBS! Somebody!). Until then, you can grab a copy of both the first (A Quite Interesting Game) and second (Strictly Come Duncing) interactive QI DVD games (Warner Home Video, DVD-£18.99 each), the 2-disc, feature-laden DVD sets of the first three seasons – The A Series (2 Entertain, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99), The B Series, & The C Series (Warner Music Entertainment, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99 SRP each). Keep in mind that all five of which are available only for Region 2, so make sure you have a Region Free player. For those in the US, the very first QI Book of General Ignorance (Faber & Faber, $19.95 SRP) and the follow-up Book Of Animal Ignorance (Faber & Faber, $ SRP) are available, and they’re both brilliant tomes which collect much of the interesting information featured in the first four seasons into one handy volume, plus scads more of those aforementioned nuggets of intellectual goodness. Folks in the UK (and bright, industrious Americans who know how to use the internet, HINT HINT) can get their very own copies of both the inaugural QI “E” Annual, last year’s QI “F” Annual, and this year’s QI “G” Annual (Faber & Faber, £12.99 each), which make the perfect holiday gift for all ages. Last year also brought Advanced Banter: The QI Book Of Quotations (Faber & Faber, £14.99 SRP), which is the most interesting compendium of clever and memorable quotes you’ll ever lay your inquisitive mind upon. Last but certainly not least is the QI Book Of The Dead (Faber & Faber, £16.99 SRP), which is positively packed with quite interesting things about the departed, from Benjamin Franklin to Nikola Tesla. By all means, learn what all the hubbub is about (and stop by the official QI site at www.QI.com).

I admit it – I was skeptical of Up (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$45.99 SRP) when I saw the first teaser, ages ago. How would Pixar pull of what seemed to be a film starring an old man living in a house held aloft by balloons? Well, I should really learn to doubt Pixar less, because once again they pull off an unorthodox premise with style, wit, and a breathtaking amount of real, genuine emotion as we follow the story of elderly Carl Fredrickson as his plans to fulfil a lifelong dream get turned upside down by an unlikely stowaway in the form of an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer, Russell. Just see the film, particularly in high definition, which comes bundled with a standard DVD as well. Bonus features include a brand new short starring Dug the dog, behind-the-scenes documentaries, an integrated making-of, and more. The best way to get the flick, though, is in conjunction with the super-duper Limited Edition Luxo Jr. Collectible Desk Lamp Set (Walt Disney, $199.99 SRP), which comes packed with a replica of Pixar’s iconic mascot attached to a base display that also stores your Pixar Blu-Ray titles – including the packed-in copy of Up.

And you can add to your Pixar display with the Ultimate Cars Gift Pack (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), which not only includes copies of Cars in both standard and Blu-Ray, but also a pair of exclusive diecast cars with Ransburg paint – Cruisin’ Lightning McQueen and Rescue Squad Mater.

We’ve reached a bit of milestone with the release of Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fifth Season (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$69.98 SRP). Not only is it the season wherein the show reached its 100th episode, but its also the last to feature members of the original Not Ready For Primetime Players – now pared down to Gilda Radner, Larraine Newman, Garrett Morris, and Bill Murray after the departure of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Additions to the cast included Harry Shearer and Brian Doyle Murray, plus an increased role for Al Franken and Tom Davis. Bonus materials include audio commentary with Buck Henry and Elliott Gould. I’m curious to see if we’ll get the train wreck 6th season … I really hope we do.

As the Tennant era comes to a close, be sure to snap up your very own handy-dandy tool that The Doctor wouldn’t be caught without ““ the Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver ($19.99). Not only do you get a fully illuminating screwdriver with authentic sound effect, but it also comes with a pen nib and his psychic paper wallet. Take that, Daleks!

Oh, to be a kid today, with all of the advanced electronics now available to toy manufacturers. Back in my day, we’d be luck if we had a pull string to make something talk – or an audio tape that would prompt eye blinks and mouth flap. Today, the wizards at Thinkway have crafted the mind-bogglingly cool Ultimate Buzz Lightyear (Thinkway Toys, $199.99 SRP). Standing almost 2 feet tall, this Buzz speaks in Tim Allen’s voice, can walk around, salute, “fire” his “laser”, communicate with Star Command, and even be put in autonomous wandering mode. Yes – your toy can just roam around your room. Creepy. And oh so cool. What will they think of next?

It wouldn’t be the holiday season without A Charlie Brown Christmas (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), now available in glittering high definition alongside the standard edition of much-newer I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP). If that weren’t enough to get you in the spirit, there’s also the high-def debut of the original, classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), retaining all of the bonus features found on the standard special edition (same goes with A Charlie Brown Christmas. Finally, there’s a new direct-to-video special starring the original hot & cold duo in A Miser Brothers’ Christmas (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP).

As a kid, next to the likes of A Charlie Brown Christmas and How The Grinch Stole Christmas (and yes, even A Claymation Christmas), another perennial special that found its way into my holiday viewing schedule was Yogi’s First Christmas (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP). Thanks to the wonderful Warner Archive Collection, now I can easily show Yogi’s discovery of Christmas (when he gets woken up during his hibernation) with my nephews.

Many take potshots at the show, but there’s a reason why Hogan’s Heroes remains such a fan favorite – it’s a fun, funny, absurd, Bilko-esque comedy that happens to be set in a German POW camp during World War II. Much like Mel Brooks after it, it made the Nazis into fools, with an Emmy-winning perf0ormance by Jewish actor Werner Klemperer as the bufoonish, ineffectual Kommandant Colonel Klink (the ability to ridicule the Nazis was what made Klemperer decide that taking the role – and the premise of the show – was OK). You can now get the entire series in one fell swoop via the Hogan’s Heroes: Kommandant’s Kollection (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$179.99 SRP), which also contains an exclusive bonus disc with an alternate/extended version of the pilot, a new interview with Richard Dawson, an alternate 1st season episode in German, Emmy wins, a Hollywood Palace clip featuring the cast, and more.

Wanna zone out for the holidays? Sure ya do! And you can completely zone out by staring into the soothing blue glow of the Mathmos Bubble ($59.99), a rechargeable indoor/outdoor”¦ well”¦ glowing ball. Pretty much says it all. NOW STARE INTO IT AND FEEL THE WORLD DRIFT AWAY”¦

I will admit right off the bat – nothing I’ve seen of James Cameron’s Avatar has made me in the least bit interested in seeing it. In fact, all of the hyperbole about it from the likes Jeffrey Katzenberg makes the reality of what I’ve seen seem all the more ludicrous. It is the focus of a merchandise bonanza, of course (it must be, right?), so shelves have been flooded with not only 3 3/4-scale Avatar action figures (Mattel, $10.99 SRP each), but also 6″-scale Mattel Movie Masters Series figures ($14.99 SRP) of all the lead characters. The saving grace, though, is that young children don’t know well enough what figures might be from where, and the Avatar figures are perfectly size-compatible with Star Wars, GI Joe, DC, and Marvel action figures. Just pretend their an invading alien force that can only be fought by Snake Eyes, Han Solo, Spider-Man, and Batman. See? Now they’re worth getting.

Speaking of figures that are orphaned by a mediocre big screen inspiration, I present the 3 3/4-scaled figures based on GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra (Hasbro, $10.99 SRP). I’m a fan of the original animated series and the original animated line of toys, so the flick and figures based on it are… well… a bit annoying. So kids? Get these figures, and consider them weird, bizarro alternate dimension versions of characters like Cobra Commander.

The only figures I was actually happy with – even if the sculpts are a bit wonky – are those based on the classic Marvel characters as they appeared in the Secret Wars miniseries of the early-80’s. They’re being released as Secret Wars 25th Anniversary Comic Packs (Hasbro, $17.99 SRP), containing 2 figures and one of the 12 issues of the original Secret Wars miniseries.

A few years back, it looked like Disney Editions might be abandoning the lushly illustrated, highly informative tomes that made animation junkies like me salivate over every page. Thankfully, that has not been the case, as they’ve opened up the vaults and been releasing a breathtaking series of books based on the animation process. Last year brought a focus on the pre-production story process, while this year brings The Walt Disney Animation Series: The Archive – Animation (Disney Editions, $50.00 SRP). It’s packed with original production art from the breadth of their animated shorts and features, each one glorious in its own right,

Speaking of Disney Editions, I’d also recommend picking up their in-depth exploration of the World War II “Good Neighbor” trip that the US government sent Walt and a select team of his animators on, which is detailed in South Of The Border With Disney (Disney Editions, $40.00 SRP). The trip eventually resulted in the films Saludos Amigos and The Three Cabelleros.

This holiday season is turning into a true Spongebob-a-palooza, as both of my nephews are big fans of the magnificent yellow bastard, and are both savvy enough to know what they want. Which is why it’s helpful that Nickelodeon has been quite active getting the sponge onto themed board games (kids don’t play enough board games). This holiday season, not only can you get Spongebob Squarepants: Connect 4 (Hasbro, $18.99 SRP) and Spongebob: Sorry! (Hasbro, $19.99 SRP), but also Spongebob: Memory (Hasbro, $8.99 SRP), Spongebob: Kid Cranium (Hasbro, $24.99 SRP), and Spongebob: Operation (Hasbro, $19.99 SRP). That’s right – now you can try to remove Spongebob’s Barnacle Brain and Patty Pleasure Center. Heck, there’s even a Spongebob: Magic 8 Ball (Mattel, $24.99 SRP) with themed responses like “Aye-Aye Captain”.

In today’s digital age, there’s no need to use a slide rule. If you’re not familiar with a slide rule, it was essentially the pre-calculator age way if easily making some quite complex computations. In fact, they helped send us to them moon, and were the bane of many a high school student. And, thanks to ThinkGeek, you can get your very own Student Slide Rule ($19.99), lovingly recreated just for the nerd in you. Figuratively. DO NOT GO LOOKING FOR AN ACTUAL NERD WITHIN YOUR BODY.

I think the Star Wars prequels are an abomination, but I can still appreciate a good toy when it crosses my path (and delights my nephews no end). So what was this fun toy? The Star Wars: Indoor RC Republic Gunship (Hasbro, $49.99 SRP). That’s pretty self-explanatory – it’s a radio controlled vehicle that small and safe enough to hover about and fly indoors for up to 5 minutes at a time, commanded by a rechargeable remote. Vehicle? Flying? Fun.

Kid fans of the Nick show iCarly can now emulate the onscreen madness of Carly and Sam with a pair of toys, one of which actually features on the show. That show-specific item is iCarly: Sam’s Remote (Playmates, $16.99 SRP), which also features sound effects (just like on the show). “Random Dancing”, anyone? The other toy is the iCarly: Megabyte Mic (Playmates, $28.93 SRP), which allows kids to sing along with the theme song, sing their own song, or conduct their own interviews.

As dense as a diamond and just as exquisite, the second volume of world knowledge written by the world’s FOREMOST EXPERT on ALL THAT IS KNOWABLE (if not factual) and the possessor of soft hands and a baby’s face (the former per our handshake, the latter per Ricky Gervais), John Hodgman, is now available for purchase from your favorite book emporium IN SOFTCOVER. More Information Than You Require (Riverhead Books, $15.00 SRP) picks up where The Areas Of My Expertise left off – literally – and presents the reader (us) with learned knowings rare, surreal, useful, and useless, as well as 700 Mole Men (one of which bears a familiar name) and CHARTS! Lots and lots of CHARTS! How can you not want this book? THERE ARE CHARTS! “But what if I’m too lazy to read, and the clarion call of CHARTS is no attraction to me?” I hear some of you cry. Well, there is now More Information Than You Require: The Audio Book (Penguin Audio, $34.95 SRP), which finds Hodgman joined by his scruffy troubadourial sidekick, Jonathan Coulton, and a galaxy of guest stars (including DICK CAVETT!). Did you hear that parenthetical, people?!? DICK CAVETT! Get the audio book. And the book. And some candles. You can never have enough candles.

Don’t tell John Hodgman, but Scrabble is one of those games that I just never got around to learning when I was a kid. It never came up amongst my family, friends, or was available at all the middle school dances I spent sitting at the games table. So this holiday season, I promised, well, me that I would teach myself how to play. Luckily, I’ve been teaching myself with the Scrabble: Diamond Anniversary Edition (Hasbro, $39.99 SRP), which features the classic game in a nice, plastic, foldable board/case with tile storage and rotateability. One day – one day soon… I will play Hodgman. And lose. Badly. If you want some Scrabble on the go, though, there’s a touch screen Pocket Pogo Scrabble (Hasbro, $19.99 SRP), which is an electronic, portable version of the game.

Many other artists have gotten lavish retrospective collections in recent years, and the spotlight has finally turned to the great Steve Ditko with the appropriately titled Art Of Steve Ditko (IDW, $29.99 SRP), a big ol’ hardcover volume that has copious amounts of artwork and insight on the JD Salinger of comicdom.

For years, I’ve quietly lusted after the fantastical prop-quality ray guns that Weta has been manufacturing in extremely limited quantities. Sadly, they’ve just been a bit beyond my economic grasp – and it seems they’ve been that way for more than just me. Well, those sweet folks at Weta have decided to make a Dr. Grordbort gun that just about everyone can afford – swapping out metal for plastic, but crafting it so that they only way you can tell the difference is that the Righteous Bison ($99.99) weighs a heck of a lot less. Will there be more? Let’s hope so!

When new editions of previously released titles come out, it’s always difficult to determine whether there is a significant difference in image/sound quality or bonus features to make a re-purchase worth it. And sometimes, it’s an easy decision – and that’s the case with Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 SRP) and Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP). On the new Black Adder set – in addition to all of the previously available material – the set adds the newly-produced, in-depth anniversary documentary Blackadder Rides Again, as well as an hour-plus clutch of unedited interviews recorded for the documentary. Not only are the episodes completely remastered and looking better than ever on the new Fawlty set, but John Cleese has recorded new commentaries in addition to brand new interviews with the cast, including the previously unavailable Connie Booth, outtakes, the previously available director’s commentaries, and the Torquay Tourist Guide documentary short.

Paramount jumped into the spiffy-edition high-def game a few months back with a pair of high demand catalogue titles which certainly do show off the medium to its fullest – Mel Gibson’s Braveheart and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP each) – under the “Sapphire Series” banner. Braveheart comes with an audio commentary, timelines, dimensional battlefields, a retrospective documentary, historical featurettes, and a look at the writing process. Gladiator sports an audio commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, storyboard/ design galleries, and more.

On a similar note, I’m not entirely sure why it didn’t get a snazzy high-def release as well, but Chinatown (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$19.99 SRP) has been graced with a fully remastered 2-disc entry into Paramount’s “Centennial Collection”, featuring an audio commentary, making-of featurettes, an appreciation, and a look at the history involved. Hopefully this will make its way to Blu-Ray soon.

Those of you only familiar with Steve Coogan for his occasional American film work are in for a world of wonderful comedy that’s now contained in the easy-to-snag Steve Coogan Collection (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$129.98 SRP). Much of the content on the 13-disc set has been unavailable in the US until now. So what do you get? Well, you get Knowing Me, Knowing You (plus the holiday special Knowing Me, Knowing Yule), the complete I’m Alan Partridge, Saxondale, Dr. Terrible’s House Of Horrible, Coogan’s Run, Paul and Pauline Calf’s Video Diaries, Paul and Pauline Calf’s Cheese and Ham Sandwich, and The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon – not to mention loads of bonus features. This is the set to get.

Be sure to live a life full of stereotypes, and be the nerdy guy (or gal) you want to be with pride by sipping your favorite cold-weather beverage from a Laboratory Beaker Mug ($9.99). Yes. That’s right. It’s a beaker. With a mug handle. And you know you want one.

Those fans that have only experience the butchered editions of weird and wonderful The Mighty Boosh that have been running on Adult Swim need to run – not walk – to their favorite DVD emporium and snag copies of the new-to-the-US unexpurgated editions of The Mighty Boosh seasons 1-3 that have now been collected into the massive Mighty Boosh Special Edition DVD set (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 SRP). The 7-disc set is loaded with all of the bonus features from the separate releases – including featurettes, commentaries, bloopers, & oddities – plus an exclusive 7th disc with a documentary, a Q& A, deleted scenes & outtakes from the pilot, the Paramount channel Zookeeper sketches, Bob Fossil Audio, Live Night links, and more.

In the first DVD release from the venerable UK music quiz show, The Best Of Never Mind The Buzzcocks (Channel 4, Not Rated, £19.99 SRP) collects the most memorable moments from Simon Amstell’s hosting stint, plus a pair of specials and a look back from Simon and Phill Jupitus. It’s also the only place one can see footage from the unaired Russell Brand episode that was pulled after the whole Andrew Sachs affair.

It takes place at the holidays, so it makes perfect viewing during the season – and it contains what I consider the finest performance by John Candy ever put to film. What’s more, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$14.98 SRP) has been given a new “Those Aren’t Pillows!” special edition, featuring a making-of retrospective, a spotlight on John Hughes, a deleted scene, and a tribute to the late, great Mr. Candy. Get it. Watch it. Enjoy it.

Yes, I know I’m a little close to the material – but you know what? I’d still recommend you pick up a copy of Shootin’ The Sh*t with Kevin Smith: The Best of SModcast (Titan Books, $14.95 SRP). It may seem an odd proposition to read transcripts of the Kevin & Scott Mosier’s podcast, but the strength of the material means the comedy translates to the printed page quite nicely. Go. Buy it.

Yes, it really has been 100 episodes since the squarepanted sponge of Bikini Bottom first made his way onto our TV screens. How do I know this? Because there’s now an uber-deluxe box set titled Spongebob Squarepants: The First 100 Episodes (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$99.99 SRP), which is exactly that – 14 discs in a lucite holder, containing those titular episodes. Not only that, there’s also audio commentaries, featurettes, a music video, and even an in-depth, candid documentary on the show’s origin and evolution from the production team., It’s almost as good as getting the Krabby Patty formula.

And if you’ve made it all the way through the massive box set of the yellow one’s first 100 episodes, it’s time to move into fresh material with Spongebob Squarepants: Season 6: Volume 1 (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP), which contains 24 episodes of Krabby goodness, plus 7 shorts and the Spongebob History Song.

How about a cold-weather marathon of classic movies, courtesy of Turner Classic Movies? That’s exactly what you’ll get with their themed Turner Classic Movies Greatest Classic Films Collections (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$27.98 SRP each), each featuring a quartet of flicks under a common heading. On Family, you get Lassie Come Home, Flipper, National Velvet, & The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Hitchcock Thrillers presents Suspicion, The Wrong Man, I Confess, & Strangers On A Train. Comedy delivers A Night At The Opera, Father Of The Bride, The Long Long Trailer, & Arsenic And Old Lace. Finally, Holiday brings Christmas In Connecticut, A Christmas Carol, The Shop Around The Corner, & It Happened On 5th Avenue. My only disappointment with these otherwise wonderful sets is that Warners decided to put them on the loathsome double-sided flipper discs.

It’s all coming to a close, with the Blu-Ray release of the penultimate, 5th season of Lost (ABC Studios, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.99 SRP) signaling that the mystery is about to get answers. Right? Well, who knows, really. Regardless, this is the season that showed us a future off the island – and a need to get back. Bonus features include behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, bloopers, and the Blu-Ray exclusive Lost University and reflections from the cast & crew on 100 episodes.

Many, many years ago, I was quite disappointed when the Harry Potter films began hitting DVD. What could have been wondrous, information and goodie-packed special editions were instead rather superficial, cursory releases that left a bad taste in the mouth for lost opportunities. Fast-forward and, as the franchise rapidly comes to a close on screen and the smell of money is in the air, Warners has decided to give the films the editions they deserve – the “Ultimate Editions”, in fact. Gracing shelves this holiday season are Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone: Ultimate Edition and Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets: Ultimate Edition (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP each). Each 4-disc set contains not only the original theatrical editions, but extended cuts, as well, in addition to all of the bonus materials contained on the previous releases. What’s most special, however, is the inclusion on each set of a feature-length documentary detailing various aspects of the Potter films, from characters and actors to special effects and the music. When all 8 “Ultimate Editions” are finally released, they will have what amounts to a whopping, comprehensive overview of the whole shabang. Add to that deleted scenes, TV spots, trailers, and more, and fans have at long last gotten the editions they’ve been waiting for.

And, of course, you know you’re going to be picking up Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince (Warner Bros., Rated PG, DVD-$34.99 SRP), the 6th film in the Potter film series, and the darkest entry yet (beyond even its finale). The 2-disc edition contains additional scenes, the JK Rowling: A Year In The Life documentary, a sneak peek at the Universal theme park attraction, a Q&A with the cast, a look behind-the-scenes, and a all-too-brief preview of the first installment of The Deathly Hallows. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, which includes an exclusive picture-in-picture feature with Daniel Radcliffe, featurettes, and comparisons, plus a DVD copy of the film.

The Flask – Drink conveyance of a more civilized, lushy age. Now you can combine this classic accessory of the drunkard with the lackadaisical ennui of a more modern age, courtesy of the “Meh.” Flask ($12.99). Now you can comment ironically on other’s disapproval of you”¦ in style.

I’ve looked at Hot Toys previous releases of the 12″ silver Iron Man Mark II and red & gold Mark II figures, and while I marveled at their sleek design and beautifully realized to-scale accuracy, I save my highest praise for the final release in the series – the chunky, clunky Iron Man Mark I (Sideshow/Hot Toys, $169.99). Crafted on the down-low from missile parts in a makeshift cave lab, the first iteration of the Iron Man suit was a makeshift affair – and a far more difficult suit for the sculptors at Hot Toys to realize. But they did. And it’s magnificent. Every wire and tube is captured in the reduced scale, a true wonder to behold. And yes, there’s a light up feature on the chest and arm blaster. Get this figure while you can, ’cause you’ll regret not getting it at its original price.

Even the off ones have moments of high hilarity, which is why the Blu-Ray arrival of The Mel Brooks Collection (Fox, Rated PG/R, Blu-Ray-$139.99 SRP) is most welcome. Not only does the set include special editions of The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History Of The World: Part I, To Be Or Not To Be, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men In Tights and brand new featurettes and commentaries, but also a 120-page hardcover book. Sadly missing from the set? The Producers. A real shame.

So you still haven’t gotten your copy of Henry Selick’s stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline? Well, you can easily rectify that with the Coraline: Limited Edition Gift Set (Universal, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$64.98 SRP). Bundled together in the set are both the Blu-Ray and standard editions of the film (with the original bonus features), as well as behind-the-scenes book and postcards.

Seeing a comedy like The Hangover (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$34.99 SRP) really drives home just how unfunny recent comedies are by comparison. With a straightforward premise – a group of friends reconstructing a Vegas bachelor party gone wrong on the morning after, just hours before the wedding – and a cast bringing their A-game, it’s worth a spin. See for yourself what a sharper script and a sharper cast can deliver. Bonus features include a Dan Band performance, additional Ken Jeong improv, a gag reel, a map of destruction, and additional missing camera shots. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, with exclusive picture-in-picture commentary, a cursing mash-up, and an Iron Mike online teaser.

On the holiday music front, EMI has a batch of titles to provide the festive mood you’d like – including the seasonal re-releases of Christmas With The Chipmunks (EMI, $13.98 SRP) and The Beach Boys: Christmas Harmonies (EMI, $14.98 SRP). Also on the playlist are Nat King Coal: The Christmas Song (EMI, $18.98 SRP), Olivia Newton-John: The Christmas Wish (EMI, $14.98 SRP), and the Christmas Classics By The Fire DVD (EMI, $14.98 SRP), featuring a virtual fireplace and holiday music.

Much like any sketch show, Robot Chicken (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) is a scattershot affair – some bits are quite good (even genius), and some fall flatter than a pancake. Like that metaphor. See for yourself when you dive into the complete 4th season, which contains all 20 episodes plus the San Diego and New York Comic-Con panels, video blogs, nuggets, deleted scenes, alternate audio, and more.

Even nearly 50 years since taking the world by storm, Paul McCartney’s voice still remains a powerful instrument, and it’s always great to see him using it in front of an audience – particularly when it’s as historically significant as opening New York’s CitiField (built on the same spot as the legendary Shea Stadium). You can now see and hear that landmark concert via Paul McCartney: Good Evening New York City (Hear Music, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP). The 3-disc set features 2-CDs and the convert DVD. I’d recommend picking up the Best Buy exclusive, though, as it tacks on a bonus 4th disc featuring McCartney’s performance from atop the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater.

Of the triumvirate of Top Gear presenters, I do believe that James May has become my favorite. I think it’s because of the genuinely enthusiastic documentary series he does on the side, from looking at his childhood toys to journeying into space. James May’s Toy Stories (Channel 4, Not Rated, £19.99 SRP) brings May back to the playthings he loved as a child – like LEGOs and Airfix – but with the added twist of attempting to scale up the application while introducing the community at large to the joy of old school toys. So what are the projects? How about building a 1:1 scale Spitfire Airfix model? Or a house made entirely of LEGOs? Fun!

It’s hard to believe, but Steven Spielberg’s comic misfire 1941 (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-£14.99 SRP) is just now making its DVD debut in the UK. Many call the film a complete disaster, but it’s just so unbelievably misguided and ham-fisted that you can’t help but love what I’ve coined its “Kitchen Sink” approach to filmmaking. Newly remastered with a documentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, trailers, and more. Here’s hoping this spiffy new edition makes its way to the US soon.

To try and explain the work of Michael Kupperman is to try and comprehend the beauty of a rose, or a sonnet, or a concerto – it just exists as a perfect comic gem for all to admire. And laugh at. A lot. Don’t believe me? Go get yourself a copy of Tales Designed To Thrizzle: Volume 1 (Fantagraphics, $24.99 SRP) and see for yourself. And laugh. A lot.

For anyone who missed out on Rifftrax’s very first live theater-simulcast (or just want to re-live the awesome in the pantsless privacy of their own home), you can now get your own copy of Rifftrax Live!: Plan 9 From Outer Space (Legend Films, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95), recorded *live* in front of a studio audience in Nashville (the one in Tennessee). Bonus features include uncut commercials and a photo montage.

Yeah, I’m a sucker for the Guinness Book of World Records. There’s just something so compellingly exciting yet sad about the various and sundry attempts at dubious immortality “achieved” by the people, events, and tragedies included in the 2010 edition (Guinness, $28.95 SRP).

Most shows suffer in their sophomore season, but it’s always nice when a program bucks the trend and turns in a stellar outing – and such is the case with Mad Men: Season Two (Lionsgate, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP). Will Don Draper make it out the other side the same man? The 3-disc set features all 13 episodes plus commentaries, featurettes, and a music sampler.

It’s a juggernaut that’s still rolling along, and surely there’s a kid on your list that still plays Pokemon. For that kid on your list, there’s the Pokemon Trading Card Game: Rumble Game (The Pokemon Company, $13.95 SRP). It’s an all-in-one battle royale to be the last Pokemon standing.

Nancy Botwin moves her mini pot empire south of the border in the fourth season of Weeds (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), and the trip to Mexico doesn’t exactly make things easier – or safer. The 3-disc set features all 13 episodes, plus commentaries, featurettes, and a gag reel.

So there you have it… my humble suggestions for your holiday shopping this season. See ya next year!

-Ken Plume

]]> http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/11/2009-quick-stop-holiday-shopping-guide/feed/ 0 http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/02/paul-f-tompkins-ken-plume-interview/ http://asitecalledfred.com/2009/12/02/paul-f-tompkins-ken-plume-interview/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:58:39 +0000 http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/?p=11969 In this episode, I chat with actor, stand-up, gadfly, and sartorial dandy Paul F. Tompkins. His second album, FREAK WHARF, has just hit the interwebs, and he took a moment of precious, precious time to have a virtual tete-a-tete...]]>

I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.

In this episode, I chat with actor, stand-up, gadfly, and sartorial dandy Paul F. Tompkins. His second album, FREAK WHARF, has just hit the interwebs, and he took a moment of precious, precious time to have a virtual tete-a-tete…

Hope you enjoy…

Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Paul F. Tompkins“:

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Drop Ken a line HERE.

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You can also find more of my interviews by clicking HERE.

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