The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)
I’ve banged on about it for years, and I’ll continue to bang on about the absolute greatness of the British comedy panel show QI, which makes the discovery of interesting knowledge a hilarious affair. A few years back, they brought the immense database of general ignorance (little factoids the disprove much of what be believe to be true) to books, a pair of which have gotten a release in paperback – The revised & expanded Noticeably Stouter Book of General Ignorance (Faber & Faber, £7.99) and The QI Pocket Book Of Animals (Faber & Faber, £7.99). Also available is the audiobook edition of the original book, The Sound Of General Ignorance (Faber & Faber, £16.98). Get them all. Get them now.
There’s plenty of high-end goodies to be had over at Thinkgeek, but some of the best stuff id the reasonably-priced, highly-practical items. For example, I give you the Speaker/Headset Switching Hub ($6.99), which allows you to easily switch between your external PC speakers, your microphone, and your headphones – you know, for when you’ve got to take that Skype call on the fly and want to eliminate all of the fumbling around.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – as created by Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird – are celebrating their 25th anniversary. Yes – you heard me right. And to celebrate, all four feature films have been pulled together on high definition into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (New Line, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$84.99 SRP). The set contains all 4 flicks – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles In Time, and the CG TMNT – plus a beanie, character cars, a comic, and a sketch.
Hot on the heels of Role Models (which I enjoyed), Paul Rudd returns with I Love You, Man (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP), another winning tale of arrested development and male bonding, as he plays a man who, as his wedding approaches, seeks to find a guy friend to be his best man. Who does he ultimately try for? Jason Segal. Bonus features include an audio commentary, deleted/extended scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus features.
I’m a sucker for a 50’s monster flick, and it’s nice when a modern filmmaker tries to recreate that era – which is exactly what Alien Trespass (Image, Rated PG, DVD-$27.98 SRP) is. Eric McCormack stars as an astronomer possessed by an alien out to save our planet from a rogue alien on a rampage. Bonus features include featurettes, interviews, and trailers. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.98 SRP) is also available.
Right from the start, I was impressed with both the concept and visuals of Life After People (History Channel, Not Rated, Blu-Ray – $29.95 SRP) – which explores what would happen to the planet if man suddenly disappeared – but it’s even more fun to watch it in full high definition. Bonus features are limited to additional scenes.
Get over the idea that Zac Efron eventually grew up to be Matthew Perry, and 17 Again (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, DVD-$28.98 SRP) is a nice little modern spin on Peggy Sue Got Married, which finds thirtysomething Mike O’Donnell (Perry), fresh from a divorce and with a life on the skids, gets presented with an opportunity to be the Mike he was at 17 (Efron), but with the rest of the world remaining in the present – which means he can now be a classmate to his own teenage kids. It’s a fun flick, with particular kudos to Thomas Lennon as Mike’s best friend. Sadly, no bonus features. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, which actually does have bonus features – a pair of featurettes and a trivia track.
From the raw gyrations that greeted viewers watching his 1956 debut, Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Show – The Classic Performances (Image, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) collects 15 of Presley’s Sullivan Show appearances on one disc. Bonus materials include interviews, promos, and rare home movies.
Through a production quirk, the episodes featured in Super Friends: The Lost Episodes (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP) went unseen for over a decade. Now, these 24 episodes are collected onto DVD for your perusal. You know you want to see more Wonder Twins power activation. And Gleek.
While it doesn’t fully illuminate the poor decision-making skills that went into making such a horrid adaptation, G.I. JOE: The Rise Of Cobra Mission Dossier (Titan Books, $14.95 SRP) does at least touch on some of the blinkered behind-the-scenes thinking that delivered such a stillborn exercise. Oh, and there are plenty of photos, too.
Score aficionados should be on the lookout for Ben Foster’s soundtrack to Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Silva Screen Records, $16.98 SRP) and the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra’s compilation of The Music Of Star Trek (Silva Screen Records, $16.98 SRP), which runs the gamut from the 60’s to the present.
The wife of a good friend of mine is a big fan of the porcine children’s book star Olivia (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), whose animated adventures get their first DVD release with a disc containing a quartet of episodes plus a photo gallery.
Lionsgate has opened up the floodgates and released a trio of catalogue titles in high definition – one of which is a certified guilty… well, I hesitate to say “pleasure”. That one is Renny Harlin’s awkward pirate epic Cutthroat Island (Lionsgate, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP), which contains an audio commentary from Harlin and an archival featurette. The other two flicks are Johnny Depp in Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate and Jean Claude Van Damme’s Replicant (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP each).
There used to be a show named Project Runway (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$27.95 SRP), that suddenly disappeared amid behind-the-scenes disputes. It’s coming back on a different network, and that most recent, long ago season – the 5th – is now on DVD. The 4-disc set features extended episodes and a featurette.
I’ve heard that there are people who watch the updated version of the high school tribulations of those wacky West Beverly students on 90210 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP). I am not one of them. I have no reason to be one of them. If you are one of them, you’ll probably want to pick up the complete first season, featuring all 23 episodes plus commentaries and a clutch of featurettes.
Over the past few years, Sideshow has been consistently releasing top-notch 12″ Star Wars figures – so good that they’ve virtually erased the painful memories of Hasbro’s off-model monstrosities of the past. If you think I speak in hyperbole, gawp in delight at the newly released 12″ Darth Vader ($124.99), presented as he appeared in the original film. Towering over other 12″-scale figures, Vader is spot-on – from his helmet sculpt down to the costume and materials used to pull it all off. And you certainly can’t pick up a Vader without also picking up a 12″ Stormtrooper ($89.99). Just take a look at the pics below and tell me you don’t want these gracing your shelf…
So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…
-Ken Plume
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Not as strong as their debut season but still better than most of the television landscape, 
Get that 60’s psychedelic, groovy look on your very own wall with the 
From the “I’m delighted these have found their way to Blu-Ray” file come a pair of catalogue releases I’ve been anticipating seeing in high-def, one more so than the other. The one I’ve been champing at the bit for is John Carpenter’s cult classic 
While not as well known as the Warner screwball comedies of the era, Sony has brought together a pair of releases featuring eight of their own – the 
Just in time for the flick’s 10th anniversary comes a 2-disc special edition of 
There’s something oppressively “awardsy” about 
Well, I guess if you’re going to cast Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as your lead, you’re going to have to amp up the action a bit beyond that featured in the original Escape To Witch Mountain, and that’s exactly what happens in 
As the franchise hits its 25th anniversary, the 7th season DVD release of the animated series gets split into not just one, but four volumes – 
As far as catalogue releases hitting high-def this week, there’ Adam Sandler’s 
Try as I might – and golly knows, I have tried – I still can’t get into 
Hey! Kids! Animal Planet has got a fun DVD for you! Called 
Fans will probably feel a bit uncomfortable watching 
Shunted to home video even though it was supposed to be a newly sane & stable Lindsey Lohan’s return to the big screen, 
After what has seemed like an endless series of delays, the mother of all mockumentaries has finally made its way to high-def with the release of 
As someone who prefers quiet walks at night when traffic isn’t quite as busy, it’s nice to have a practical hat like the 
If you’re only exposure to 
The episodes have been released in single-disc releases thus far, but now you can get 
It’s the beginning of the end as the first of showrunner Russell T. Davies’ four telemovie swan songs comes to DVD in the form of 
Oh, Torchwood– you are such a flawed little spin-off. So desperate to be adult and differentiate yourself from parent Doctor Who, you’re just a mess of poorly realized characters, awkward writing, and unrealized potential. Still, fans can pick up 
It’s my second favorite Irwin Allen disaster flick (after the wondrous Poseidon Adventure, but 
Ever since being informed of its existence by the great Graham Linehan, I’ve been dying to see 
Joss Whedon lost my trust during the abysmal final season of Buffy. I never got into Firefly, and every time I tried to watch his latest, 
Weaving seldom-seen interviews, footage, and interviews with those who knew him, 
Though many will get their stuff in a bunch, I thought the finale of Battlestar Galactica was a big, awkward disappointment that jumped from “Huh?” to “What?” moments with reckless abandon. Still, fans are sure to snap up the final set, 
There are a lot of catalogue titles making their way into the Blu-Ray roster, but it’s always nice when the films of a personal favorite filmmaker get a spin – such as Terry Gilliam’s 
Quirky and fun, 
I guess the best way to describe 
Before Polanski went mainstream with Rosemary’s Baby, he was spending the 1960’s making chilling cinema like 
Of all the direct-to-DVD DC animated adventures to come down the pike thus far, 
It went out with a bit of a whimper, but fans at least can now pick up the wrap-up with 
Besides featuring an early TV performance from a young Ian McKellen, 
I never cared for The Fast & The Furious, but even I could see diminishing returns in its sequels. So, too, did the studio, who decided to go back to basics – cast and all – with the cleverly named 
When 
Oh, relaunched Knight Rider. You were so very hopeful that your self-important, lackluster new take on the 80’s hit would actually have a future, you didn’t even bother to call your DVD release The Complete Series even though you’ve been cancelled. So now people can buy 
The film is one of those cult faves, and Lalo Schifrin’s score to 
Gary Hobkins and his rather unique ability to foresee and hopefully avert the future – literally, he’s delivered the next day’s edition of the newspaper – returns with the complete second season of 
Those fans that have only experience the butchered editions of The Mighty Boosh that have been running on Adult Swim need to run – not walk – to their favorite DVD emporium and snag copies of the new-to-the-US unexpurgated editions of 
Some may call it kitschy. Some may call it corny. Some may call it Shirley. The fine folks at Thinkgeek call it the 
As a fan of both the Neil Gaiman book and the previous work of director Henry Selick, I was eager to see what the stop-motion cinematic adaptation of 
Spurred on by the fun they had with their original foray into a galaxy far, far away, the Robot Chicken team decided to jump back in with 
Another quirky show still going strong (and also a network-mate of Monk is 
I once chatted with John Hodgman about the importance of supporting a film like 
Truly a leader in John Hodgman’s vision of a nerdier America, Ira Glass’s 
Spongebob makes a momentous decision about his very identity in the latest single-disc release, 
Like many a quirky, innovative show before it, 
Years after defining the television sitcom and becoming a cultural icon, a now-single Lucille Ball returned with 
In a nature mood? The Smithsonian has a quartet of new documentaries that may help with that. Explore the massive blue whale in 
Hey! Fans of Homestar Runner! Get your DVD fix with a pair of new Strong Bad DVDs – 
It’s completely mind-off entertainment, but at least you can say that the techno-thriller 
It’s not a terribly great adaptation of the Terry Pratchett book, but there is a measure of fun to be had in the made-for-TV 
Even as Sci-Fi… err, Syfy… is on the verge of launching a new, neutered series, Stargate fans can pick up a newly recut, refurbished version of the original series pilot, 
By the time the fourth season of 
James Brolin and Connie Selleca star in Aaron Spelling’s land-based equivalent of The Love Boat, 
Hell has finally frozen over and swine fly through the skies, as 
Sometimes, I love gadgets that are completely and utterly useless to me personally. As I don’t work in an office, or in a cubicle, the 
When I wasn’t playing with Transformers in early 80’s, I was usually playing with the dozens of GI Joe figures I had hounded my parents incessantly for. Yes, that means I also was a daily viewer of the episodes contained in 
Twomorrows’ always wonderful artist spotlight series turns its eye towards yet another worthy illustrator with 
Amongst the many documentaries hitting DVD to tie in with the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, near the top of the “must watch” list is the new high definition transfer of filmmaker Al Reinert’s documentary 
Most shows suffer in their sophomore season, but it’s always nice when a program bucks the trend and turns in a stellar outing – and such is the case with 
If you’re keen on quick, easy, one-stop shopping to get all of the classic Peanuts specials you remember so well, I urge you to snag a copy of 
There are over 16 hours of vintage ads contained in 
The 11th season of the now-departed 
It was never must-see TV for me, but whenever I’d see Andy Griffith as lawyer Ben Matlock, it felt like hot cocoa and a warm, almost smothering blanket. Fans can lay their hands upon 
Just in time for the porous yellow one’s 100th episode festivities comes the CD release of 
Yes, I admit to being a person who occasionally gets sucked into The Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week celebrations. But what to do the other 51 weeks of the year? Well, now you can dive into the 2-disc 
The penultimate adventure for young Harry Potter (well, in the books, anyway – there’s still two more films to go) finds events becoming much darker, and Nicholas Hooper’s score to 
Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange tackle the roles of “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale in the engaging adaptation of the now legendary documentary revealing their sad, eccentric, privileged lives, 
The first season of the TNT original 
Tick another show off the list, as we get the release of the eighth and final season of 
Get over the laughable “based on a true story” tag, and 
I have no emotional attachment whatsoever to 
You know what? Between you and me, the less said about 
It’s nice to know that we live in a world where a quirky show like 
Fans were lucky to get one – MAYBE 2 – Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collections each year during the old Rhino days, but Shout! Factory has really stepped up the pace as we now get their THIRD release, 
Sometimes you just have to sit back and admire a piece of equipment that takes a standard device and just plusses the heck out of it. Such is the case with the 
As much as I love Derren Brown’s various series (and I do love them so), I think I dig his live shows even more. There’s something supremely entertaining seeing a master mentalist and showman at work in front of an audience, where the energy is palpable. His latest show to make its way to DVD is 
The cast has been shaken up (Deputies Garcia, Johnson, & Kimball are absent and Joe Lo Truglio and Ian Roberts have joined as Deputies Rizzo & Declan) and the comedy has gone even more into the realm of bizarre slapstick, but the sixth season of 
Thee Beebs roll out of classic Doctor Who continues with a pair of new releases. The first comes from the William Hartnell years – 
Celebrate the launch of Apollo 11 and mankind’s trip to the moon with 
While most of the attention has been paid to contemporaries like Peter Cook, John Cleese, and David Frost, let me take a moment to give some proper attention to “The Two Johns” – Bird & Fortune – and the numerous gifts they’ve given to the field of brilliant satire. Much of their recent contributions are featured in 
What otherwise might be an interesting, enjoyable thriller turns to mush when it stars Nic Cage, which is a shame when 
Personally, I can’t get into the charm and wit of The Prairie Home Companion. Regardless, I did enjoy the documentary 
I’m not going to mention what recent film 
It’s not the feature-laden special edition that some were hoping for, but at least we have a nice, widescreen, spiffy high-def edition of 
Like most procedural shows, by the time you’ve seen a half-dozen episodes, you’ve pretty much seen all the rest – for good or ill. 
A little bit The Exorcist, a little The Omen, and a little Japanese horror, 
Take a very funny Australian sitcom about a white trash mother and daughter, remake it, put it on NBC starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, and watch all of the funny disappear. Such is the sad case with the first season of 
Oh, Power Rangers – you never seem to stop, like some kind of Energizer Bunny. The latest iteration is hitting DVD with 
Graham Linehan – with Arthur Matthews – is one half of the creative team behind the legendary britcom Father Ted. With 
You can add realistic graphics and motion sensing to your heart’s content, but my heart will always hold the Nintendo games of my youth closest of all. So, in the age of the Nintendo DS, how can one bring some high quality handheld gaming to those vintage games? Well, with the 
Transplanting Ferris Bueller from the big screen to the small screen was a bit of a disaster. Well, a complete disaster, actually. The show that did manage to pull off a high school comedy about a teen who knew exactly how to navigate the pitfalls and perils with smart scripts and a great cast was 
After all of those recent, wonderful album remasters, it was only a matter of time before we got the remastered single-disc hits album 
I would not be disappointed if the 5th season of 
Female comedians are a rarity compared to the number of male comedians, and female comedy troupes are even rarer. It’s a damn shame on both counts, and it means one should support those that are out there – including the stars of the Channel 4 series 
Another TV show heretofore absent from DVD that Shout has gained the rights to and dropped a first season release on is 
Get a unique view of the moon landing via the coverage from the across the pond on 
Often overlooked, Rod Stewart produced a few classic albums in his day, and a pair of those have been revisited for deluxe editions. The first is the hit-laden 
Still Spike Lee’s finest outing, the still powerful 
Nobody pulls off upper-class white trash like Danny McBride, and that’s more than evident in the uneven but occasionally brilliant first season of 
Time for another round of comic shenanigans in Hooterville’s Shady Rest Hotel, with the release of the complete second season of 
It was never as good as its parent show’s best seasons, but by the fifth and final season of 
I have absolutely nothing to say about 
Action? Sure. A big heist gone bad the brings revenge down on the head of a New Orleans Police Detective? Check. The cop is John Cena? Yeah. The movie? 
Because I know you demanded it, you can now partake of the live action 
Disney extends their corner on the Princess market with their Disney Channel original 
Often viewed as lesser entries in the series and the waning work of an animation genius, I’ve got a warm spot in my heart for the cartoons featured in 
Summer is hot. Very hot. And what can be more useful when determining whether to venture outside your air conditioned cocoon and onto the surface of the sun than to know just what temperature you’ll be encountering – which is easily accomplished with the 
If modern American satire and parody has a father, that man’s name is Harvey Kurtzman. From the founding of Mad through 60’s magazines like Humbug & Help, through Playboy‘s Little Annie Fannie and much more, Kurtzman was not only a vibrant artist, but also a sharp writer and editor. The man and his work is celebrated in a large, excellent tome that should be on your shelf, now – 
Equal parts Neverending Story and Pagemaster, Brendan Fraser stars as Mo Fulchart, who has the rather awkward ability to bring fictional characters into the real world when he reads their story, and awkward adventures ensue. 
Even though it’s a sentimental favorite from my childhood, I’m a bit disappointed that the second Mel Brooks film to make it to Blu-Ray is 
We’ve seen fish-out-of-water adults trying to lead scout troops in the past (I’m looking at you, Troop Beverly Hills, and 
On the run from the Mexican Army, a vengeful killer (Leonard Nimoy), and his girlfriend, Yul Brynner’s 
This truly is not saying much, but 
Yes, Jerry Bruckheimer has produced a “chick flick”, an its name is 
A small town, a missing teen, a cryptic video message, and friends on the lookout make for a surprisingly entertaining thriller in 
Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas as a pair of thieves out to pull of an impossible heist in New York City? Sure, I’ll give 
Combine exec producers Tony & Ridley Scott and hosting duties from Terence Stamp with a horror anthology series, and 
Summer days are long. And often hot. Sometimes stormy. Who wants to venture out onto the surface of the sun when you can kick back with some cool lemonade in even cooler air conditioning with a big ol’ batch of DVDs from RiffTrax. If you’re not familiar with RiffTrax, here’s the nutshell version – they’re downloadable Mystery Science Theater 3000-esque audio riffs of movies that you sync up to your DVD, with the comedy provided by MST3K alum Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, & Bill Corbett. Ah, but there’s a clutch of films now hitting stores (and available on RiffTrax.com) where you can buy the DVD with the RiffTrax commentary track included – no syncing, just easy comedy for those sweltering days. The RiffTrax edition films currently on offer are 
The first time I ever encountered a Lite Brite – you know, the light-bulb, black paper, and colored peg wonder of childhood – it was during play time in kindergarten. Like most kids, I was fascinated, and soon moved on from the structured pattern paper to just sticking the pegs in wherever the hell the whim dictated. Like most things nowadays, the Lite Brite has gone 3-D with 
Ever since seeing the original trailers long, long ago, I’ve been eager to lay my hands on the video game derived from one of my favorite childhood films, Ghostbusters. Well, after laying hands upon it (and then playing it), I found myself enjoying the experience of this video game iteration of 
However, if you’re a casual gamer, a fine game is the Nintendo Wii version of 
I continue to delight that Sony seems intent on finishing their chronological release of the Three Stooges shorts with the release of 
Erase memories of Michael Bay’s sound & the fury approach to your 80’s childhood by revisiting the original epic battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons with the new special edition of 
Producer Michael Bay does what he does best with his reimagining of 
The title of the album says it all – Spinal Tap is 
Season 3 & 4 have been available on Blu-Ray already, but fans can now backfill with the release of 
The laughs are more strained and are more often than not merely groans elicited by “they did what” moments, but fans are sure to snap up 
Although my interest was certainly piqued, I in no way expected to be as swept up as I became in HBO’s miniseries on the political life of our 2nd president, 
Commemorating the 25th anniversary of his death, 
Not quite as fun as the first season, the sophomore outing of 
We all saw it in school, but 
I think we’re just now starting to get the distance necessary to effectively dramatize the ground events of the Iraq War, and the first project that feels like it’s accomplished the task is HBO’s 
I think Disney may be trying to give us a hint that perhaps we should all venture outside and do something this summer, as they’ve dropped a trio of their aspirational sports flicks on Blu-Ray – Shia LaBeouf in 
On the heels of the DVD release of Michael Bay’s new Friday The 13th, Paramount drops another batch of special editions from the original “run”. First up is the standard def deluxe editions of 
The pilot itself was anticlimactic, but I can’t fault the score by Bear McGreary. You can give a listen to the score to 
I have been waiting with bated breathe for the high definition release of the original 
OK, besides the fact that it looks vaguely similar to The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, there’s something “Ooh! Science & Engineering!” cool about the 
Although I’m disappointed they’re not doing season sets, at least 
Expanded with a brand new director’s cut and looking & sounding far, far better than it ever has before, I’m going to say that the Collector’s Edition of 
Whatever your opinion of Will Ferrell’s big screen comedic take on the material, those of a certain age probably have a fondness in their heart for Sid & Marty Kroftt’s kitsch Saturday morning adventure series 
Audiences largely shied away from 
The rest of the Kubrick oeuvre is all well and good, but the film I was waiting to get in high-def was Kubrick’s black comedy masterpiece, 
An uneven but largely entertaining second season turned out to be the last for 
In 
A post-Porridge Ronnie Barker stars with a pre-Only Fools & Horses David Jason in Roy Clarke’s 
After years of dancing around the line, the world comes crashing down for crooked cop Vic Mackey in the 7th and final season of 
Fox’s catalogue Blu-Ray releases get a so-so bump with the high-def arrival of Danny Glover’s finest acting moment, 
One of the many TV concepts scrawled on napkins and developed after his passing, 
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor diversions ordered by a court of law would keep Jack Bauer from eventually getting 
When something advertises itself as a six-part documentary series investigating bones, skulls, mummies, and vampires and it comes from the fine folks at the Smithsonian – as 
Although I think they would have been a nicely perverse Valentine’s Day release, Paramount has instead waiting until now to give a high definition release to the one-two punch of 
Briefly on life support and saved at the last minute, the third season of 
As you can imagine, 
Raymond Burr’s fearless defense attorney returns in the first volume of 
Already axed, fans can now own the second – and last- season of 
When I was a young college freshman near the end of my first (and only) disastrous year at NYU, I was able to arrange for a press ticket to a taping of 
For years and years and years, ever since I first saw one when I was a kid, I’ve wanted a book that opens up to reveal a cut-out hole. You know what I mean? The kind you could hide things in. Like a jewel. Or booze. Well, Thinkgeek now gives you that 
Another Pixar film in theaters means another eye-candy filled “Art Of” book, which is exactly what you get with 
Forged in the fire of the Writers Strike of 2008, released on the internet to rabid fan acclaim, and long available on that selfsame net, everyday people can now get a copy of Joss Whedon’s online musical, 
Much of the comedy in Eddie Murphy’s game-changing stand-up concert 
It’s pure popcorn, but I think 
Another great flick making its transition to high definition is the Civil War epic 
I must admit, 
June has become decidedly jazzy with a trio of deluxe Legacy Edition catalogue releases from Sony Music. First up is a 3-disc edition of Dave Brubeck’s 
Paramount isn’t the only one unleashing a tidal wave of Blu-Ray catalogue titles, as Universal dips into their extensive roster for a batch of their own, many of them must haves. So what does the batch consist of? 
I still can’t fathom what people saw in the three flicks currently comprising the 
Sergio Leone’s 
Over 20 years after its single season run, The Jetsons returned to television with brand new episodes, the first 21 of which are being released as 
The BBC’s nature documentarians can always be counted on to deliver stunning visuals, and that’s certainly the case with 
I can’t see William Conrad in the episodes features in 
The movie’s a dud, but it’s still fun to flip through both 
Though often a director, I always get a kick out of Kenneth Branagh, the actor, who is in fine form in the UK series 
Surprisingly, 
The folks at Sesame certainly are pushing Abby Cadabra, aren’t they? The latest team up with their little red cash cow is 
Nancy Botwin moves her mini pot empire south of the border in the fourth season of 
It’s not my cup of tea, but 
Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell star as a trio of simple farmhand brothers who goes up against the Nazis in 
In 
The books are classics of English humor, and the television adaptations starring Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie serve the material exceptionally well, as you can discover in 
When I’m out running errands, I never seem to have a pen with me when I need it most. You know, like when you want to write something down, or make a deposit, or defend yourself against a mountain lion. Well, the 
Director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost In The Shell returns with a beautiful feature about a group of eternally young fighter pilots engaging in incredible dogfights against an implacable enemy, and the one pilot that wants to discover his missing past. 
I’ve praised the fine folks at Twomorrows Publishing many, many times in the past, and that praise it deserved. In fact, I’m going to do so again, by recommending the latest volume in their magnificent Modern Masters artist spotlight series, which has just featured 
As if murderers weren’t enough of a pain, Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) now has a snooping reporter to make things awkward in the complete fourth season of 
A long time coming, 
While all of the attention went to the flashier Matrix, I always enjoyed the quieter, more cerebral sci-fi of producer Roland Emmerich’s 
All these years later, there’s something comically over-the-top about 
Kids today have no idea what seemingly-endless cartoon fun Saturday mornings used to be before the rise of cable and home video. For just a taste of what it was like, Warners has put together both 
The Beeb has brought together a quintet of their recent Dickens adaptations into the 
However, the Beeb hasn’t brought out any of their classic comedy in high definition yet, but we are getting a pair of their recent prestige productions on Blu-Ray. The first is their multi-art adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 
I’m not entirely a fan of the split-season approach to releasing classic DVD series, but if it’s the only economically viable way to get them out, I guess we’ll all just have to be patient. The latest installments are 
Get a complete, compelling look at the prehistory of Planet Earth through the arrival of mankind with the History Channel’s 
I’ve known of Russell Brand – his stand-up and celebrity in the UK – for years, so it was with great delight that I greeted his first US stand-up special, which is now available on DVD in an expanded form. 
As someone who’s stressed himself inordinately trying to reach around corners and through tiny crevices to get to unreachable screws – wither putting them in or taking them out – the 
While Cars, Ratatouille, and Wall-E have all been available on Blu-Ray, 
For all of the drama that surrounded its filming and reception, 
Oh, 
Another pair of classic Bond flicks make their way into spiffy high-definition with the release of both the Moore-era 
Paramount’s prestige Centennial Collection continues with another pair of 2-disc, fully restored special editions – 
Warner Bros. has an immense catalogue of titles. Thousands and thousands of them. And even with their aggressive DVD release schedule, there’s no way they can get to all of them – and, economically, some of the titles have such a small appeal that it’s just not viable to do a wide release on them. Those who thought their chances of picking up some of those obscure titles were nil can rejoice in the continuation of Warner’s Archive Collection – www.warnerarchive.com. Essentially, it’s DVDs on demand, allowing you to purchase either a physical DVD-R copy (for a flat $19.95) or an instantly downloadable digital copy (for $14.95) of an ever-increasingly library of titles from the Warner vaults. I’ve had a chance to look at a pair of new additions – Sidney Lumet’s 
You know how, every once in awhile, you want a simple comedy whose only goal is to give you a chuckle and a smile? 
Paramount kicks out another clutch of brand-new-to-Blu-Ray catalogue titles, leaving other studios in the dust after a slow start (backing HD-DVD). With some very nice high definition transfers and bonus features identical to their standard edition cousins, the new titles are 
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor diversions ordered by a court of law would keep Jack Bauer from eventually getting 
A legendary album gets a fantastic live performance in 
Fox has dropped a pair of catalogue transfers to high definition, bringing both 
Almost 300 years after his reign of terror ended with his capture and beheading, a group of marine archeologists have recovered the remains of Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, in 
Ridiculously over-the-top, 
I don’t know about you, but any movie with a title like 
Anyone familiar with Mystery Science Theater 3000 will remember with glee the cringe-inducing Hercules Against The Moon Men. Well, now you can get that flick – plus 4 other muscle-y kitsch classics – in the 
Schwarzenegger fans hoping to pass the weekend on the cheap should pick up the 
I’m sure the makers of 
If Twilight seemed too tween for you and the Buffyverse was too nerd – and you like your soap drama – then HBO’s 
It’s difficult to sell the 3-D gimmick with the limitations of home theaters, when you’re stuck using rinky-dink red-green glasses. That’s what makes seeing 
There are many catalogue titles whose arrival in high definition have been long awaited, and near the tippy top of the nerd list (I count myself amongst you, my brothers and sisters) is the Star Trek feature films. The arrival of JJ Abrams’s big screen revamp means that we get the 6 films comprising the original cast’s own cinematic adventures, all contained in the 
This past winter, things got a bit dry in the ol’ air I was a’ breathin’. Not wanting to cart out the massive room humidifier I had occasionally used in years past, I instead suffered through the dryness. If only I knew then about the 
Even though the new Star Trek film effectively eliminates all of these stories from continuity (big nerd boo!), the eight episodes – 4 on each – contained on the single disc 
Some see it as the film the broke the back of the Star Trek franchise, poking fun at some of the barnacles that had long ago become franchise cliches. Nonsense. I see 
For some inexplicable reason, North America’s first DVD introduction to the wonderful 
Penn & Teller are back on the case, exposing bullshit for what it is in the complete sixth season of the appropriately titled 
Remind yourself of Tom Hanks’s mulleted-glory in full high definition via the new extended cut of 
Launched as an online extension of his low-cost animation empire, 
Liam Neeson plays a father (and ex-CIA agent) who’s hot on the trail of his kidnapped daughter in the surprisingly engaging thriller 
It’s no great flick, but there was a certain B-movie horror punch to 
Remember all those TV shows you bought on DVD? Well, you might as well get used to re-buying them all on Blu-Ray, particularly when shows like 
I suppose somewhere, in some universe, someone was hoping for a direct-to-video sequel to Donnie Darko focusing on the now grown-up sister of Donnie and her own encounters with time-hopping bunnies and bizarreness. Well, that person will be happy to hear about the existence of 
The House of Mouse continues its Walt Disney Animation Collection of classic short films with the release of a new trio of discs featuring 
Kicking back with more comforting junk food comedy in the form of the complete fifth season of 
As a child of the 80’s, I was absolutely taken with Ghostbusters when it came out. I had the toys, I used to pretend I was a Ghostbuster, and before everything turned sour with Ghostbusters 2, I delighted in the Saturday morning adventures of the guys on The Real Ghostbusters. After a few disappointing single-disc collections from Sony, Time Life has hit the ball out of the park with the wonderfully packaged 
You know, life can be a bit uninteresting sometimes. And serious. Every once in a while, you want something totally, utterly frivolous to just goofily look at with a dopey smile on your face. Something like a solar powered glow-in-the-dark lightbulb encased in lucite. That’s exactly what the 
It’s just been remade with Martin Clunes, but the original 
Why is it that we get bucketfuls of tripe on TV here in the US, but the UK gets a wonderfully quirky rom-sit-com like 
One of those shows that I watched intermittently when it was on, always enjoyed it when I did, and am now happy to catch up on via DVD all these years later gets its second season release. 
I went into 
Picking up where Rock Profile and Dead Ringers left off, 
Fans are still buzzing over the recent new Doctor Who Easter special, as the adventures of the 10th Doctor rapidly come to a close. Let’s go back to the adventures of Doctors 4 & 7 with a pair of new DVD releases – the Tom Baker 
It’s the chemistry between Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson – as a pair of strangers whose chance encounter in London leads them both to believe that perhaps romance is not dead- that carries the romantic comedy 
The first season came out a few months back, but now fans can pick up the Blu-Ray edition of 
Ol’ Blue Eyes is back with a pair of brand new, remastered deluxe additions to the Frank Sinatra Collection – 
Knowledge is power – or, at the very least, interesting – and such is the case with Niall Ferguson’s documentary 
The series was released years ago on DVD, but the classic Japanese animated series 
Josie Lawrence & Miranda Richardson star as a pair of Englishwoman who hope to escape their drab lives by heading to the Italian Rivera in 
New year, new kids, but the teens of Roundview College are just as awkwardly randy in the 3rd series of 
It’s not the massive batch of previous months, but Paramount continues their release of catalogue titles on Blu-Ray with a trio of new discs – 
The original Broadway cast recording of 
If your kids are not yet aware of the classic Disney characters – that’s Mickey, Donald, Goofy, etc. – pick up the latest Mickey Mouse Clubhouse release, 
When a movie’s main selling point is that it stars not only George Wendt, but also Joey Piscopo (Joe’s son, of course!), it’s understandable that you may be somewhat wary. Or really wary. Well, 
The remastered editions of 
If you want a graphics tablet just for the occasional use and don’t want to drop a ton of money on a deluxe one, the 
When people ask me why I tend to prefer British comedies to their US counterparts, I have only to point to a show like 
It is with no small irony that Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her role in 
There’s simply too many television shows in the studio libraries for even the most diligent company to release in a timely fashion. Stepping in to help get that TV product out is the fine folks at Shout! Factory, who have built a reputation in licensing and releasing top-notch TV-on-DVD releases that have until now fallen through the cracks. The series getting complete first season sets from Shout! are 
One new TV-to-DVD set that special kudos must go to Shout! Factory for is the release of the complete first & second seasons of 
The actually decent animated adventures of ol’ webhead continue in 
It’s the second of the cobbled-together attempts by Warner Bros. to utilize their extensive animation back catalog, and while the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie featured new interstitial animation directed by Chuck Jones, 
It’s pretty much your standard, cliched girl vs. girl comedy, but at least 
I periodically try, but I still don’t enjoy Seth MacFarlane’s 
I know there were fans of it, but I never really could get into the 90’s animated adventures o Marvel’s mutants, The X-Men. For those that did, though, you can now pick up 
Universal jumps into their library and comes up with a batch of pre-code films (much like Warners and Fox) for their first 
Universal also dips into the archives to release a restored 75th anniversary edition of Cecil B. Demille’s 
It’s still flawed and not terribly good, but 
It’s pretty paint by numbers, but kudos must go to 
We’re up to the sixth season of 
I never thought we’d reach the end, but another TV show’s DVD journey is over with the release of the 9th and final season of 
You only have to view the unedited, unadulterated, original episodes of the UK’s Top Gear to understand why the idea of making an “American edition” and jettisoning hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond is such a pig-ignorant idea. For one, it’s their interplay that makes the show – not the car talk. Secondly, it’s foolish to think it doesn’t translate to the US in its original form – because it does. Which is all to say that I highly recommend you pick up 
Sometimes, life is about the simple pleasures. Sometimes, those simple pleasures have been shrunk down and conveniently made USB-powered. Such is the case with the 
DC continues to deliver top-notch collections of the post-Marvel work Jack Kirby did for the company in the 70’s with the release of his ragtag group of war heroes fighting at the height of World War II, 
Unlike most of Ron Howard’s filmic output, which often suffers from being uninspired and drab, I thought his adaptation of (Universal, Rated R, DVD-$29.98 SRP) succeeded in translating the energy and performances that made the stage version such a success to the big screen. Maybe that’s because it takes a lot of effort to stamp out the skill that Michael Sheen and Frank Langella bring to their performances as David Frost and the disgraced but defiant Richard Nixon. Bonus features include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a look at the Nixon Library, and footage from the actual Frost/Nixon interviews. A 
If you were to take the wonderfully candid wrestling documentary Beyond The Mat and fictionalize it, you’d have the story of broken down wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a former superstar up against the ropes in 
Although the bulk of it doesn’t really hold up (the 90’s references shoveled throughout certainly make it less than timeless), I still have some affection for the episodes featured in 
The second season of the ADD 
Ian McKellen is truly incredible in the recent RSC production of 
Yes, I admit it – I watch 
Peter Bogdanovich fans can get not only the director’s cut of his Last Picture Show, but also the new-to-DVD release of Nickelodeon in a two-disc 
I’m no fan of rap and only marginally aware of the various rifts within its community, but I found 
I thought Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller’s adaptation of Miller’s 
Having moved on from saving the planet, Elmo is back to promote literacy with 
If you’ve been anxiously awaiting the return of hillbilly squids, then you’re prayers are answered with the arrival of 
Ewing Oil was left a shambles at the end of season 10, but the eleventh season of 
If the leaked Wolverine workprint hasn’t extinguished your enthusiasm for all things hairy mutant, also being released is the animated 
We’ve made it to the halfway mark with the release of 
The Stuart Little animated series is an innocuous, affable affair that managed to hold my nephews’ attention (no small feat). Two volumes are now available – 
The rich socialites of 
Like chocolate and peanut butter, Tim Minchin is one of those rare breed of stand-ups that have hit upon the sweet combination of comedy and music, and over the last few years he’s brought his nouveau-cabaret act to audiences that have explosively grown in size and loyalty in both Britain and his native Australia. He’s set his sights on the US next, so be the first on your block to be hip to a wonderful performer I can best describe as combining equal parts theatricality, musicianship, and glorious bombast. Minchin is the Meat Loaf of comedy. For an easy primer, pick up both his most recent DVD – 
Thinkgeek has just recently launched a brilliant new section on their website featuring a plethora of products aimed at proto-geeks from ages 0-10. I’ll be featuring a few items from there over the coming months, but I thought I’d start with one that the music lover in me can really get behind – called the Sweetpea 3, it’s essentially 
Humor in mainstream comics is a rarity, so it’s nice to be reminded of one of the genre’s truly funny classics with the Showcase release of Keith Giffen’s 
Someone described 
Another month, and another batch of new-to-Blu-Ray catalogue releases have come down the pike from Paramount. The best on the list is probably 
Erasure fans will be a half dozen kinds of giddy with the release of the 
The first documentary to take a look at the then fully-reborn Star Wars fan movement – you know, before actually seeing the prequels killed it all off – was 
It’s not exactly a visual feast, but the BBC’s now-classic adaptation of 
They’re trying to sell them as great films, but I think a better way to describe them is 80’s cable comfort food. Either way, the titles comprising “The Lost Collection” (Lionsgate, Rated PG/R, DVD-$14.98 SRP each) are 
Most of the classic MGM musicals library resides over at Warner Bros. – and they’ve been doing a fine job of releasing deluxe special editions of those titles – but there are a few that still remain with MGM, and a trio of them are getting a release – 
Go behind the walls and delve into its past with the Smithsonian Channel’s 
Buy your ticket for the eighth and final season of 
Oh, science fiction. You’ve suffered so many slings and arrows as a genre in recent years, and some of those attacks have even been knife blades to the heart of true classics that have had the misfortune to be remade. In that latter category, I offer you the wretched, abysmal, baffling and dull remake of 
The year 1971 brought the still-developing sister of Charlie Brown – Sally – and made her a fully-realized character, which is why her face adorns the cover of 
When just about every device you can think of requires some kind of battery – particularly those quickly devoured AAs – having a top-notch rechargeable battery system is an economic must. To that end, I present the 
Graham Linehan – with Arthur Matthews – is one half of the creative team behind the legendary britcom Father Ted. With 
We were given a tease of them a few years back in the big ol’ Superman box set that came out, but now the fully restored official release of 
My absolute favorite iteration of the Justice League continues to get the nice, prestige treatment it deserves (even if the characters aren’t getting it in current DC continuity) with the snazzy hardcover release of 
Warner Bros. has an immense catalogue of titles. Thousands and thousands of them. And even with their aggressive DVD release schedule, there’s no way they can get to all of them – and, economically, some of the titles have such a small appeal that it’s just not viable to do a wide release on them. Those who thought their chances of picking up some of those obscure titles were nil can rejoice in the introduction of Warner’s new Archive Collection – 
Warners and TCM turn their spotlight to another actor for a themed box set, this time delivering the 
You’ve seen all of the wonderful production art behind their feature films, well now you can pick up a handsome volume looking at 
There’s something about seeing classic musicals in full high-def that brings the energy, music, and production design to the fore. For a good example, check out the new editions of 
I thought Click was amiable fun, so I found myself enjoying the latest in Adam Sandler’s family-friendly fare, 
It’s one of the most unique animated series ever made for TV – a collaboration between French writers and Japanese animators – and there’s some fun nostalgia in tripping through the complete run of 
I’m reminded of the old days of videocassette (and my old videodiscs) when I see Disney deciding to get back into the habit of releasing themed collections of their animated shorts under the Walt Disney Animation Collection banner. The first trio are 
Explore the life and death of the 16th president with a pair of fascinating documentaries – 
It’s no Pixar flick, but 
You know those type of “prestige” pictures that have the word “PRESTIGE” attached to a club that they bludgeon the audience with, in order that we fully understand that we’re watching a “PRESTIGE” film? 
And one Oscar nominee brings an Oscar winner out on Blu-Ray, with the release of the Coen Brothers’ 
Blake & Krystle get married as – would you believe it? – Alexis schemes in the first half of 
Elmo gets a new color scheme that Kermit would find familiar in the environment-centric 
As much as I disagree with the loss of Christopher Robin, my nephews do like the CG My Friends Tigger & Pooh and the latest release, 
On the surface you could say that Jim Carrey covered much of the same ground in Liar Liar as he does in 
Rejoice, parents and recreational drug users! A new release of everyone’s favorite bizarre kiddie show comes to DVD with 
After only seven years, it’s finally senior year on 
Wrap up the first season of 
A fair share of the comedy is familiar to anyone who’s seen his three UK stand-up DVDs – Animals, Politics, & Fame – but 
I’m a sucker for anything with the word “magic” in the product description, and I have to admit that the 
Since they started coming out on Blu-Ray last year, I’ve been patiently awaiting the high definition arrival of my favorite Bond flick, and it’s finally come with the 
Watching 
The second season of 
Although the laughs sometimes get a bit sparse, I always enjoy a comedian like Jim Gaffigan – who exists in a world all his own, and takes the audience down to his own speed. You can see what I mean in the document of his 2008 tour, 
Ever since descending into a bizarre pit of arch-conservatism, it’s been difficult to remember that Dennis Miller was once quite a funny comedian. If you’re having trouble remembering, too, pick up a copy of 
Say what you will about the quality of the films themselves, eye candy like 
As rom coms though, 
I don’t know if it’s all of the Scientology gobbledygook swishing around in his brain, but Will Smith has been off his game for a few movies now. A once-surefire sign of at least a good watch, Smith is now starring in middling, pretentious, often baffling fare like 
It’s pithy and disposable, and now 
Disney has released a pair of new discs for kids, the first of which is 
It’s not only the picture frame that’s expanded in the third season of 
OK, there is something blatantly geeky about keeping your change in a bank that’s also an exact replica of the 
Much like Freaks & Geeks and Arrested Development before it, another brilliant but short-lived series comes to DVD, where it will hopefully be discovered by those who didn’t get to experience it during its first go-round. So what series am I celebrating this time? 
For years now, I’ve been reiterating that you should buy, post-haste, the comedic sci-fi novels of Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder. Every one so far has been the delightfully quirky literary equivalent of a fine gem, and the greatness keeps on coming with his latest tale of slow-witted detective Frank Burly, 
As much as I love RiffTrax, it’s with Cinematic Titanic that I feel like I’ve come home to the Mystery Science Theater experience that I fell in love with lo’ those many years ago. Awful movie? Check. Brilliantly, hilariously eviscerating comedy at said film’s expense? Check. An endearingly goofy conceit prompting the experience? Check. The folks behind MST? Check. So what’s their latest target? A cheesy vampire flick called 
For years it’s been available in a sub-par 4×3 version, but finally the first (and best) Sesame Street feature film gets so much-deserved respect with the newly-remastered, widescreen edition of 
When a comedian decides – at the age of 32 – to write his autobiography, it’s understandable to be a bit wary. But when that comedian is Russell Brand – and the tome deals in large part with his years of heroin and sex addiction – my curiosity is piqued. The book itself – whimsically titled 
Picking up where Casino Royale left off, 
What many people consider to be the worst Bond film – even though it’s technically not in the Bond canon proper – is Sean Connery’s last turn, 
Add another must-have title to the list of those that have finally made it to Blu-Ray with the arrival of 
Letterman, Leno, Conan, and Kimmel may get all of the attention, but the brilliant dark horse of late night TV is Craig Ferguson. Most don’t know that the lost of The Late Late Show was also a stand-up, but you can easily rectify that lack of knowledge by picking up his brand new stand-up DVD, 
Knowing its tortured production history, I had pretty low expectations for the Disney (non-Pixar) CG animated film 
While most catalogue high-def releases have focused on comedies and action flicks, the drama side of things gets serviced with a trio of new releases to Blu-Ray – 
If you walked out of Watchmen wanting to recreate the aural experience, there’s a pair of discs that fit the bill. For the songs featured in the flick, you’ll want 
Of the more recent crop of Disney animated flicks, one of the few I’d say is a classic on par with their golden age is 
It was occasionally a bit rocky, but I wound up enjoying 
Filmed in 1993, Rod Stewart’s stint on Unplugged was a rousing, rollicking jaunt through his back catalogue, with Ronnie Wood by his side. The CD has been re-released with a pair of bonus tracks as 
I’m delighted that Paramount has decided to stick with their remastered, 2-disc special editions they’ve branded as the “Centennial Collection”. The latest releases are Alfred Hitchcock’s 
I am not a teenage girl or an emotionally needy woman, so the 
Many nerds noted the absence of the comic book story 
If you want a bit of the great outdoors this weekend, you might want to check out a pair of new releases from Animal Planet. 
Originally available as an exclusive pack in with Kung Fu Panda, the animated follow-up 
See just how fun, frolicsome, and positively risqué pre-Code Tinseltown was in the 
I’m not a terribly big fan, so the less I say about the CG animated Star Wars series the better. Suffice it to say, the first episode collection, 
It’s a bit depressing, but 
Thinkgeek is a wonderful source for things that, at first glance, just seem like a cool knick knack with no practical purpose, but actually hide a nicely practical application. If you caught the recent Comic Relief fundraising event I co-hosted at www.rednosenet.com, you’ll know that I closed the 24-hour marathon by switching on and depressing the button on a nifty 
Growing up in Quantico, Virginia, many a school trip was taken to the Smithsonian’s massive and uber-cool Air & Space Museum, which is given the spotlight in the documentary 
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – it’s a shame that Gordon Ramsay is mostly known for the over-produced Hell’s Kitchen and US Kitchen Nightmares when his UK output is so wonderfully engaging. Case in point – and well worth checking out – is the second series of his celebration of food, 
There are no fava beans, but the Blu-Ray edition of 
After a bit of a release gap (a few years), the officers of the 12th Precinct return in 
The next two volumes – 
The story is clunky and the acting is broad, but there’s no denying that 
Slowly but surely, we’re winding our way towards the end, and the release of the tenth and penultimate season of 
I can’t really speak personally on how fun puppet bunnies are, but my nephews really enjoyed 
Wake your dogs up with a dose of Fran Drescher in the complete third season of 
Though there are many great episodes contained in the 14 that comprise the 12th(!) season of 
They’re completely impractical and a little bit silly, but that’s also what makes having your very own 
Combine the internet phenomena of LOLcats, the hobo resurgence fueled by humorist John Hodgman, and an incredible artist. What do you get? Adam Koford’s wonderfully witty 
One of my favorite Disney animated classics – and easily one of their darkest in content – is the tale of the little wooden boy 
Best known as one half of Tears For Fears, Curt Smith has come out with 
Oh, 
It’s a wafer-thin premise that could have fallen on its rear, but 
First off, Anne Hathaway’s Oscar nomination for 
For a true story that’s proven problematic to bring to the big screen over the past 20 years, writer Dustin Lance Black and director Gus Van Sant certainly accomplished the task with 
Putting much of US television to shame, one of those must-have, wonderful series comes together in one handy package with 
Disney contributed quite a one-two contribution to the “creepy kid” genre of films with their 70’s “classics” 
It’s a shame that 
You’ve seen the documentary, but it’s just as fun (especially for kids) to see the Scholastic Children’s book edition of 
The name is a misnomer, but it’s admirable that Hanna-Barbera tried to bring back their animated adventure series with an older, edgier 
If you want a dose of the denizens of Smurf village but the first season set was too intimidating, try the single-disc 
Brian Bonsall is in full gear as precocious son Andrew as we move quickly towards the end in season 5 of 
Edward Norton’s still-powerful turn as an altar boy accused of murder in 
Let’s get a little educational for a bit, with a clutch of titles from the fine folks at PBS. First up is the untold story of America’s immigrant hospital, 
I’m two viewngs into 
Directed by and starring William Shatner, 
The show is coming to a close, but the DVD releases are still playing catch up with the release of 
It was more affable than funny, but I admit to having seen the odd episode from the second season of 
It’s by no means a good flick, but as a piece of animation history, 
I really didn’t think I’d ever encounter a film as awkward as Life Is Beautiful again, but then came 
The American version is often an over-produced mess, but the original UK version of 
I love gadgets, and tools that feel like gadgets. That’s certainly the case with the 
I would have preferred it have been A Shot In The Dark, but I guess the high definition arrival of the original 
Released in separate packages previously, MGM has brought together all 9 volumes Pink Panther cartoons into 
I’m not entirely sure why these DC animated direct-to-DVD titles abandoned the much-refined and wonderful Bruce Timm-syled designs of JLU in favor of clunkier, uglier, more angular designs unless the sole reason was (sad) change for change sake, but that is a major “ugh” point in the not-exactly-stellar animated 
Although I find the subject matter interesting, you’ve gotta love a book title like 
Fans have been clamoring for it for years – well, they’ve been clamoring for anything from the band, really – but they’re surely dancing a happy jig at the release of 
Though the stories comprising it are being released separately, the best and easiest way to get the entire arc is to just pick up the 
Not many cartoons can boast a guest turn by Johnny Depp, but a certain spongy yellow character can in the episode collection 
You can see every drop of sweat in the new Blu-Ray edition of Martin Scorsese’s 
If you’ve got a lot of free time, are really jonesing for the Watchmen movie, and are a huge fan of those late 60’s Marvel cartoons, then you’ll probably want to give a spin to 
If you want to find a little bit more about the author behind Watchmen, V: For Vendetta, From Hell, and League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, you can’t do wrong in picking up a copy of the re-released and expanded 
Though my nephews lap it up, I still watch 
I know it made money. I know that people went to go see it. Intellectually, I know these things. I still can’t rationalize that knowledge into any semblance of an endorsement for 
I prefer to believe the awkward director’s cut doesn’t exist, but I did love 
Make sure your young ones get to Sesame Street for 
Baz Luhrman’s epic story of love between an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) and a rough-&-tumble cattle driver (Hugh Jackman) in the Outback is certainly big and sprawling, but 
Oh, 
Hope is in the air that this isn’t the end, but the release of 
Over the years, I’ve hunted and hunted for a good set of portable laptop speakers that are a) actually portable, b) provide good sound, and c)don’t require any outside power supply (including batteries). My current favorite that matches all of those criteria is the 
Fans of Disney animation – both its process and history – will want to tear into the lavish hardcover 
As a complimentary volume to that, might I also suggest 
If anyone was wondering why Bryan Cranston won an Emmy for his role as a sad sack, trying to make ends meet chemistry teacher who gets diagnosed with terminal cancer and decides – to hell with it – to use his knowledge to make crystal meth with one of his former students, watch the first season of 
Every once in awhile, someone hits on an idea for a documentary where you just have to sit back and go, “Brilliant!” and then enjoy the heck out of it. Such is the case with 
It’s a 50/50 proposition with kids shows (which, because of my nephews, I’ve been forced to watch a lot of these past few years). Either they’re really good, or they’re abysmal. One that manages to a fun half hour is The Mighty B!, which is co-created by Amy Poehler (who provides the voice of the titular feisty girl Bessie, using a voice fans of UCB will find familiar). The first Mighty B! release – 
Years after the release of the first two seasons, Sony has decided to allay fears it had given up the ghost by releasing the third season of 
Another classic has made its way to high definition with a port of the deluxe special edition of William Friedkin’s 
I’m just this close to over the dopey, one note aww-shucksism of Michael Cera, but he manages to make it work for 
There’s nothing like spending a Saturday afternoon kicking back and watching a 70’s car chase classic like 
Bring a little Hong Kong action to your weekend with Derek Yee’s 
Want a nice primer of a few classic British series? Try 
Although it tries to be Porky’s, Risky Business, and American Pie for today’s kids hoping to sneak into an R-rated sex comedy, 
With the new edition of the musical tearing up London’s West End, take a gander at the BBC’s recent dramatic take on Dickens’ classic 
If you keen on a cheap thriller this weekend, then you’re probably thinking of something like