Category: Shopping Guides

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