The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the FRED Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support FRED by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)
I had worries that The King’s Speech (Anchor Bay, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) wouldn’t live up to all of the kudos that had been thrown its way, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a genuinely enjoyable cinematic experience about a very personal struggles of a very private figure, held together by a genuinely stellar cast. Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a cast and director Q&A, and a look at the history behind the story.
Yeah, I love me some novelty cameras, and the Midnight Shot NV-1 Night Vision Camera ($129.99) is certainly a novelty camera. As you’ve probably already begun to suspect, besides taking decent 5MP regular photos, it also allows you infrared night vision shots, which is pretty darn snappy. Is the novelty worth it? If you want to be able to take night vision shots at a reasonable price, yes.
It’s an embarrassment of riches from the fine folks at Fantagraphics as they deliver not one, but two fantastic comic collections for aficionados to dive into. Not only do we get the 15th volume of The Complete Peanuts (Fantagraphics, $28.99 SRP) covering the years 1979-1980 and featuring an intro from Al Roker, but we also get the 5th volume of EC Segar’s Popeye (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP), Wha’s A Jeep, which introduces us to the magical Jeep. Both volumes? Brilliant.
Five years after Hurricane Katrina, Spike Lee returned to New Orleans for a follow up to his documentary When The Levees Broke. The equally powerful return is documented in If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don’t Rise (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), which finds the still depressed community facing the consequences of the BP Oil spill while still trying to keep the spirit of NOLA alive. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and additional interviews.
The arrival of the Handmade Films library in high definition continues with both a hard-bitten action flick and farce – Neil Jordan’s Mona Lisa, starring Bob Hoskins & Michael Caine, and Alan Bennett’s A Private Function (Anchor Bay, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$17.98 SRP each), starring Michael Palin & Maggie Smith.
Not only great films make it to Blu-Ray – sometimes you get catalogue releases like the one-two punch of Mortal Kombat & Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$19.98 each). Bonus features are limited to a video game trailer and the theatrical trailer.
MGM cranks up their on-demand program (similar to the programs already in place over at Warners and Universal) with a clutch of obscure catalogue titles including an early turn from William Shatner in The Explosive Generation (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), Gregory Peck in Billy Two Hats (MGM, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98 SRP), The Great Cathouse And Cathouse Thursday (MGM, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98 SRP), Eric Roberts in The Ambulance (MGM, Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP), Maximillian Schell in Return From The Ashes (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), and the Edgar Allan Poe-based Buried Alive (MGM, Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP).
I’m sure that the Jack Black-starring bastardization of Gulliver’s Travels (Fox, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is exactly what Jonathan Swift had in mind when he wrote his 18th century political and social satire, urine jokes and all. The Blu-Ray edition sports a clutch of featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
Take another show off the uncompleted list as the 6th & final season of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) arrives, sporting all 24 episodes including the memorable blooper episode. You know you want to spend one last bit of time with James Avery.
If all of that story and character just seemed like filler to you, you’ll probably want to pick up Glee: Encore (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), which boils the show down to just the music performances from season 1.
While Sideshow Collectibles has been doing quite good work with their 12″-scale Star Wars figures over the years, sometimes one of their pieces stands head and shoulders above that already-stellar work into the realm of sublime recreation, closely matching its onscreen counterpart. Such is the case with their 12″ Gamorrean Guard ($199.99), which features not only a perfect sculpt of Jabba’s piggish brute, but also an expertly tailored leather and fur costume. A brilliant piece.
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
##
After the massive success of Sgt. Bilko, creator Nat Hiken moved on to birth another of my absolute favorite comedies, 
Want your geekiness to shine through even when the lights go out? Perhaps you should use a 
I was delighted when I heard that the producers of the Harry Potter film series would be splitting the 7th book into two movies, as it meant the rather sprawling conclusion of JK Rowling’s epic would be allowed to breathe, and breathe 
While we’re still missing Finding Nemo, the penultimate Pixar flick to make the transition to a high definition special edition is Brad Bird’s 
Warners continues to be tops when it comes to preserving and presenting their massive library, and it’s releases like the 10-disc 
If ever there were a film made to appeal to my good buddy Dana Snyder, it’s the documentary 
It’s probably for the best that 
I’m a sucker for the “Art Of” books that usually accompany the release of most animated films these days, and that extends to a pair of new releases that aficionados should add to their collection – 
It’s one of those cult favorites that belongs to a generation after mine, but I know its fans will be delighted by the new release of the complete 1st & 2nd seasons of 
Rather than abandon them as unfinished releases, Disney’s ABC arm thankfully decided to license some of their TV shows to the fine folks at Shout Factory to release, including the 5th season of 
Long out of print on DVD, the Richard Lester satire 
The original Ewing family saga wraps up with the release of the 
The 80’s were certainly an… odd time for sitcoms. In what other generation could we have 
I didn’t think I would like the new TRON film. The original was a childhood favorite, even though it’s not a terribly good flick, and everything I’d seen and heard about the sequel gave me a massive feeling of “meh”. Well, the sequel, while flawed, is entirely watchable, at times even good, even if it suffers the same kind of story malaise that affected its predecessor. You can get both films via the 5-disc 
We’re entering into the rainy season as spring begins to dawn, and what better way to pass the time than constructing a pair of Harry Potter LEGO sets – the wonderful 
You know what doesn’t hold up? The original 
While it’s not the complete season sets fans have been hoping for, at least 
While I still prefer its more oddball sequel, there’s still much charm in the original 
If you’re still breaking in your 3-D TV or computer and desperate for content with which to do so, a pair of films made for 3-D IMAX theaters are available for your exhibition pleasure – 
Another of those “must-have” classic musicals has made its way into the high definition realm with the arrival of the 40th anniversary edition of 
The massive Roger Corman collection coming out of Shout Factory gets a pair of new releases that amount to 5 more films, the first of which is the triple feature 
If you thought you had the complete run of Abbott & Costello’s theatrical flicks after getting that big Universal set a few years back, best think again, as the Warner Archive Collection has released a clutch of films the boys made for them, including 
The most I can say about 
Hank & Dean fans rejoice! Not only has the second half of 
I know the first time I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey, all my young mind wanted was a 
How beautiful are the folks at Criterion? Not only are they releasing a high definition version of Victor Schertzinger’s 1939 Technicolor adaptation of Gilbert & Sullivan’s 
I didn’t want to like Disney’s in-house (ie non-Pixar) CG animated flick 
Cartoon Network’s first CGI feature, 
I admit, I used to watch 
Back in the early days of Nick At Nite, one of the shows in constant rotation was the long-running 50’s hit 
With 
Yes, I watched the live action/CG hybrid 
While many series have wrapped, we’re still in the middle (the second half of the second season, to be exact) of 
There have been plenty of TV and film adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective, but the defining adaptation remains the film series starring Basil Rathbone, which have been fully restored and released in high definition via the 5-disc 
Yes, I understand that 
There was a time when the BBC was regularly cranking out adaptations of Alan Bennett’s plays, which have been brought together in the appropriately titled 
When the original came on the scene, the slasher flick was in desperate need of a post-modern reinvention, and that’s exactly what Wes Craven & Kevin Williamson delivered with the first 
The third season left suave ad man Don Draper with a life that was going up in flames of his own making, which made for quite an interesting bit of fallout during the fourth season of 
There’s still no gloriously bloated epic from Hollywood’s golden age of excess more bloated, self-important, and epic than Cecil B. DeMille’s ham-fisted 
MGM has been opening up their vaults and releasing a whole slew of catalogue titles in high definition, and it’s a mixed bag of classics and… err… not-so-classics, to be sure. On the must have side, you’ve got the Don Bluth classic 
I do believe that Hanna-Barbera in the 70’s was a company where every hare-brained idea imaginable made it on to the networks, even if it was a single season – and, thanks to the Warner Archive, we get to see amazing awfulness like 
I assumed it would be heard to capture the character of New Orleans, particularly post-Katrina, with any real justice, but 
I had high hopes when I saw 
There’s something inherently (and appropriately) engaging about the documentary 
Even 40 years later, TV producers are still trying to create a new version of The Monkees. It’s just a shame that shows like Nickelodeon’s 
It’s a bit bloated and unwieldy, but I have to admit that I have quite a fondness for Richard Attenborough’s biopic 
Got more kitchen utensils than space? Countertops and drawers at a premium? How brilliant is the 
Those wonderful purveyors of fine comic appreciation over at Twomorrows have decided to focus on the creator of the landmark comic series Bone with 
The animation isn’t the best, but what 
It’s no Broadcast News, but 
Oh, Warner Archive. I do so love how you’re releasing every marginal and obscure Hanna-Barbera cartoon in your vast library. So thank you for the a release like the set containing the complete runs of both 
It’s not as well put together as the UK original, but there’s certainly some interesting genealogical twists and turns to be found in the 1st season of the US 
It’s no Rocky, but there is a charm to 
Wrap up the second half of 
I find Clint Eastwood’s films can be hit-or-miss for me, with every great flick like Unforgiven matched by a disappointing one like Gran Torino. His stab at the supernatural, 
Hal-shark. Half-octopus. All schlock. Yeah, that pretty much sums up Roger Corman’s 
The Disney restoration team do another incredible job with one of their animated classics, making the new high definition release of 
I’m a big fan and longtime user of Zoom’s portable audio recorders, often using them while I’m the road to record live events and podcasts. Well, with the 
It’s always a delight when another Mystery Science Theater box set comes down the pike, but even more delightful when it contains a bonus feature I produced and am actually in – Which is the case with 
I’m beginning to think that the supply of classic Doctor Who adventures is inexhaustible, as we get another pair of old school releases in the form of the William Hartnell serial 
Just when you think the zombie genre has finally been exhausted, along comes something like 
Let’s set aside his smug, off-putting hosting gig at the Oscars and concentrate on the rather remarkable performance James Franco gives in 
Miss the good ol’ days of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Well, two of the show’s strongest improvisers – Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood – have banded together into a touring partnership featuring an evening of those improv games, which has now been immortalized on DVD via 
The kids are covered this weekend as well, with a brand new Spongebob release, 
What do the fine folks at the Warner Archive have for us now? How about Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck in 
Yeah, I know it’s lowbrow, but so help me, I do enjoy the Jackass feature films, and the winning streak continues with 
The designs have been slightly updated, but the spirit of the classic series remains in 
While it’s not the equal of How To Train Your Dragon, I really did dig Dreamworks latest CG-animated flick, 
It’s not a terribly nice thing to do to a butterfly, that whole putting it in a jar thing. Thankfully, technology has now found a way to created an 
Has it really been 11 years since the release of 
MGM has dipped into their catalogue for a trio of fan favorites and brought them into high definition – 
It’s not nearly as cohesive, heartfelt, or funny, but 
Even if you’re not a fan of the musical, there’s no denying the power of the music – and the performances – in the 
Bring a little bit of Zim into your life with 
Learn more about the formation of this incredible rock we all live on with the complete second season of 
Watch drivers fight the elements with the aid of editing as nothing really happens in the fourth season of 
Wrap up another season of the adventures of the legendary gunfighter Paladin in 
I’m sure everyone has hard the story of the rugby players whose plane crashed high in the Andes, and their desperate struggle for survival, including cannibalism. That story is explored in the documentary 
One of those cult classic films, 
I’ve yet to come across one of the DC Universe Direct-to-DVD animated features that could hold a candle to the storytelling we got in the original Batman, Superman, and Justice League animated series, which is a shame, because it makes viewing adapted-from awful-comic-stories like 
Putting to shame all of the holiday specials before, Steven Moffat hit it out of the park with 
Leave it to the Japanese to marshal the mighty forces of science and engineering in order to craft a novelty 
I am absolutely loving the rapid-fire release schedule of the beautifully remastered high definition seasons of 
Ignore the bastardized American version and dig into the only iteration worth watching – and the original, natch – with 
It holds absolutely no interest for me, but I’m sure there are plenty of Michael Jordan fans still lurking about out there who will be keen to pick up the 4-disc, remastered, high definition edition of 
The fine folks at Mill Creek Entertainment are continuing to release a slew of budget-priced kids titles under their Cookie Jar banner, including 
Mark my words – in 10 years, Rupert Grint will be one of our finest character actors. 
Another series wrapped, as the second volume of the fourth and final season of 
Runaway train, never coming back. Wrong way on a one-way track. That could pretty much sum up the remarkable boring runaway train actioner 
I have some issues with the picture being painted by 
The newest clutch of classic Doctor Who releases includes a special edition re-release of the much-requested – and actually pretty decent, despite what you might have heard – 1996 made-for-TV 
As a fanboy, you know you’re wont to get just about every doodad iteration of a favorite whatsit in existence, which is why I’m sure you’re likely to pick up the 
Periodically, the fine folks at Rifftrax gift us with another DVD-based collection of the short subjects that have been available for download over the past few months, which brings us 
Photography buffs will want to pick up 
When I saw Paranormal Activity, I didn’t leave the theater thinking “Franchise!”, but that was obviously on the minds of the executives, as we’ve now got Paranormal Activity 2 (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which introduces a new set of clueless people and adds a baby to the mix. The unrated edition features additional nutty footage.
It’s a shame the film doesn’t hang together better, because 
Film buffs will probably want to pick up the DVD debut of writer/director Elia Kazan’s epic 1963 immigrant tale 
Yes, it’s been 20 years since the release of 
The Warner Archive collection drops another pair of catalogue titles to their on-demand service, bringing forth the Cliff Robertson/Jane Fonda romcom 
Here’s 
It seems that I just really don’t like Katherine Heigl, which makes watching her star in the dramedy 
Thomas Jefferson was not only our 3rd president – He was also a pretty complicated man. You can find out just how complicated in the History Channel documentary 
Nickelodeon has done another of their theme releases pulling together episodes from a bunch of their shows, this time celebrating 
You can take your high definition Beauty & The Best and Lion King – I’ve been patiently waiting to see Disney do another stem to stern remaster of one of their classic titles, and I’m happy to say that their refurbishment of 
So, what if you’re a Doctor Who fans who wants any fannish material you own to be practical, as well? You get the 
It’s been years since I saw the film – probably since the director’s cut was released on DVD – but I still like Cameron Crowe’s 
I found the film itself to be overlong and a bit plodding, but I can find no fault in Jamie Foxx’s performance as the legendary Ray Charles in 
Boy, it’s been years since the last season release, but out of the blue comes the complete fourth season of the only helicopter action show of the 80’s, 
In the past year, the Saturday Night Live: Best Of discs have been getting a refresher release, featuring additional bonus content like outtakes, dress rehearsal sketches, and just plain more regular sketches. The two newest additions to the refresher course are 
In the 8th volume of 
While Warners has been a clear forerunner in releasing beautiful high definition special editions of their catalogue classics, but other studios are catching up, and Fox has done so with a pair of very nice releases in 
Warner’s Archive Collection dips into the vaults and pulls up a collection that just so happens to coincide with the 100th birthday of its star, Ronald Reagan – the 
I’m not a fan or horror films, but I did enjoy the almost sublime terror that builds up within the vampire flick 
It’s been a quite a few years, but fans of moose & squirrel can now get all 59 hours of 
Those geek-friendly folks at 
There have been plenty of films exploring the early days of The Beatles, but what sets 
Some may dismiss it, and it certainly falls on the cusp of the age of lesser Spielberg, but I’ve always been a fan of 
It’s not the classic Disney series, but there are still plenty of fans who came back for the much more recent television exploits of Don Diego de la Vega’s masked exploits, now available in 
If you have the high-end technology, you can watch 
I love Criterion for its consistent release of quirky little cult films – You know, films like Byron Haskin’s 
I think we both know that the title is a lie, and in no way will 
We’ve reached the halfway point of the season, which means those marketing mavens looking for a quick buck at Fox are leasing 
It seems Disney has carved out a niche for soft-focus inspirational sports movies in recent years, and you can add the tale of the legendary racehorse 
We’re still a season behind the broadcast episodes, but we’ve finally got the 3rd season of 
New to Who? Get a handle on the ins and outs of the Doctor’s universe with 
No one was really clamoring for it, but it’s nice that Ving Rhames got work out of 
Denis Leary rounded up a few of his friends to raise money for the Leary Firefighters Foundation, with the resultant special being 
After a long absence from TV screens, the orange cat with the pasta fixation returns with a brand new series, and the first DVD is here – 
I wasn’t terribly impressed with the first season, but there was certainly enough of a positive response to garner a second season for the BBC’s 
It was an attempt to emulate the recent success of The X-Files, but the alien conspiracy series 
It’s taken years to get here, but we’ve finally reached the release of the 14th and final season of 
After years of waiting, Fox has finally wrapped up the release of 
Louis CK proves yet again why he’s one of the finest practitioners of stand-up today with 
I love desktop gadgets, if only because they provide a welcome – and inherently evil – distraction from actually getting down to the mounds of work at hand. So imagine my delight when I learned I could get a desktop item that not only provides a visual lure, but also a geeky one? That’s what you get with the 
I don’t think it’s his best, but there’s no denying the brutal power of Martin Scorsese’s 
Whoever thought to assemble a Rat Pack of female television comedy greats – Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick & Betty White – into a sitcom of their own should be given a promotion. In the meantime, you can pick up the complete first season of 
Sergio Leone’s epic 
Some doubted it would ever happen, but they were all proven wrong when 
The new year brings a pair of new classic Doctor Who releases from the seemingly bottomless catalogue, this time reaching all the way back to Patrick Troughton’s Doctor for 
Of all the companies with deep TV catalogues, Paramount/CBS has been the most consistent in releasing their titles, often sticking by and finishing runs while other companies left theirs by the wayside. All this is to say they’ve released another clutch of deep catalogue titles, including 
Continuing to fulfill its remit to release deep catalogue titles sure to make cinephiles happy, the Warner Archive just dropped 
The further we get away from it and the more I try and revisit it over the years, I find myself less and less impressed with Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning 
As cringeworthy as both the original Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm could be, the comedic situations of 
Another in The History Channel’s long line of “historical” series that have only the slightest of historical content to justify their claim that there’s historical content, 
I admit, after the departure of the original cast, my interest has declined from season to season of 
Ostensibly launched as a way of highlighting positive news stories, 
Sadly, the massive Looney Tunes: Golden Collections are a thing of the past, which leaves us with single disc releases 
We’re nearly at the end with the release of the penultimate fourteenth season of 
The comedy talent may be plentiful, but the quality of the sketches are just as scattershot as your average episode of Saturday Night Live in the first season of 
Originally released on DVD nearly a decade ago, the epic TV miniseries 
If you can get past some of their garbage shows about aliens and the end of the world, History does still manages to put out some real gems that should be seen, including the 5th season of their astronomical wonderfest, 
As it stars both Patrick Warburton and David Spade, I always hope that 
While 
Sadly, 
Ben 10 has moved beyond Alien Force with the first volume of 
I think it largely disappeared from theaters, which is a shame, because 
Want a little bit of quick, cheap work area light with the convenience of USB? Then the 
If you enjoyed the Ricky Gervais podcast, the animated versions made from those recordings and presented as 
After a smattering of single-disc releases, the long-awaited second volume of 
When I first saw 
The fourth season of 
Like most Ron Howard films, I found 
It’s in re-watching it that I fully understood just how mannered and poor man’s Wes Anderson (which, really, should be left up to Wes Anderson) Sofia Coppola’s 
ABC Family’s 
Yeah, Family Guy‘s Star Wars parodies are largely inferior to Robot Chicken‘s, but that’s largely due to the former’s shoehorning of their characters into the roles, instead of being allowed to just play with the universe as it exists. Thankfully, they’ve come to an end with the 3rd and final installment, 
It’s a daunting proposition, revisiting a film that defined the 80’s with the simple phrase “Greed Is Good”, and I’m not entirely sure Oliver Stone succeeds with 
For fans eager for its release the wait for the complete high definition release of 
The idea of carrying on a TV series in comic book form – written by the showe’s creator and writers – is actually a pretty good idea. Sadly, 
The Warner Archive Collection certainly has been going full bore when it comes to their catalogue releases, and have ramped up things considerably on the animated side. I mean, I don’t think anyone ever expected they might one day be able to purchase a complete series set of Hanna-Barbera’s short-lived 
If The Departed was Scorsese’s attempt to get a hold on Boston, Ben Affleck’s 
Write all of those holiday gift thank you letters in the most beautiful and pretentious way possible with the 
I greatly enjoyed the first Nanny McPhee movie, and hoped against hope that Emma Thompson would be able to maintain the same level of Poppins-esque whimsy, heart, and humor she captured so well. Thankfully, 
Going in, I didn’t know quite what to expect from 
It’s always nice to see a new collection of Groucho material, even if it’s all culled from the public domain – that doesn’t mean it’s something I’ve seen. 
If you want a prime example of exactly how NOT to capitalize on public knowledge of a pop culture fixture for a big screen relaunch, look no further than the lifeless, drab take on 
Fans who seemingly didn’t watch the poor-rated show when it was on can now partake of the final clutch of episodes via 
If your kids liked Happy Feet and really want to see a movie about owls, then 
It’s with a bit of a whimper that the once-riveting 
I must admit, I do so love an old school, cat & mouse thriller of the kind that Hitchcock and Carol Reed would make, and that’s exactly the type of methodically taut pace found in 
It’s been over 10 years since cultural icon Stephen Fry released his first memoir, Moab Is My Washpot, which left leaders with only a portion of the story, ending as it did in his teenage years, just released from a prison sentence for credit card fraud, with college – the legendary Cambridge – and fame still before him. Well, he picks it all right back up in the same warm, witty, candid style with 
Another year has gone by, which means that we’re all being gifted with a lovely clutch of brand new QI books, first and foremost being 
Before television turned Charlie Brooker into a superstar (hush, you), he ran a website called TVGoHome, which put more than one skewer through television, from fake listings to articles and ads. These were all collected into the book 
It was with some trepidation that fans entered the 5th season of 
What would the holiday season be without cookies? And, naturally, a geek needs somewhere to put those cookies – so why not a light-up (with sound effects!) 
Evocative of Addams, Dahl, Gorey & Seuss but gloriously the unique genius that is the combination of my friends Trace Beaulieu and Len Peralta comes 
Another could-have-been-a-disaster moment turned out to be gold with Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss’s modern take on Sherlock Holmes, 
It’s a been a few months, and you know what that means – a new Mystery Science Theater 3000 set! Continuing their yearly tradition, this holiday period box set comes packed with another bot action figure, and this times it’s the absolutely massive (and wonderfully accurate) Gypsy. If that weren’t enough, the movies contained in the 
Over the past year, there have been a trio of documentaries that any self-respecting Disney fan will find essential viewing, and all three are being released on DVD the same day (making purchase that much easier, natch). First up is 
While both films have their highs and lows – Fantasia has the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, “Dance of the Hours”, Night On Bald Mountain”, and “Nutcracker Suite” as highs, while Fantasia 2000 manages only the Hirschfeld inspired Gershwin sequence and the Flamingo with a yo-yo – it’s still lovely to have them both fully remastered in high definition as a 
For the true Disney fan, their incredible Walt Disney Animation Studios: Archive Series continues with the 3rd volume, 
But the Disney fun doesn’t end there, as the Disney legacy is also explored in a far different way via the grand Mouse’s videogame comeback – 
If you’ve yet to see Graham Linehan’s brilliant UK sitcom 
Because they’re so attuned to exactly what geeks want – pop culture geeks, the lot of us – Thinkgeek has become a prime destination for picking up LEGO sets that both geek adults and geek kids will want. Need proof? Well, considering you Star Wars geeks can pick up Boba Fett’s 
But what if your child likes LEGOs but you don’t want to buy them a construction set? Thinkgeek also stocks the 
Ach, but that’s not all! They’re also stocking all of the new LEGO board games, from the 
There’ve been a few quite nice highlight and retrospective sets released in the past, but if you want a truer picture of just why Johnny Carson was considered the King of Late Night, you should pick up 
Chemistry sets are so passe – Today’s kids want to investigate crimes… Particularly if their investigative materials are branded with a hit TV show. In other words, you can give the gist of a trio of kiddie-crime-solving kits – the 
I’m always leery when a new CG animated film comes down the pike and it’s not from Pixar, just because there have been so many duds trying to emulate their winning formula. This year, however, ahs been a banner one for non-Pixar flicks, starting with How To Train Your Dragon and including 
Yeah, I’m a sucker for the Guinness Book of World Records. There’s just something so compellingly exciting yet sad about the various and sundry attempts at dubious immortality “achieved” by the people, events, and tragedies included in the 
Covering the wild personal upheaval between 1964-1971, 
While it never achieves the transcendent by-golly-wow reaction it desperately wants for assembling such a massive all-star action pic hall of fame cast, 
After they released the brilliant – and much-requested – It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, fans were ready to throw a parade for the fine folks at Shout Factory after they announced they would be giving a complete series release to the even more brilliant 
There’ve been a few different versions released over the years, but the definitive edition – in high def, no less – is the 
For the past few years, Insight Editions has been putting out some truly spectacular books, from their series on the modelmaking and costuming of Star Wars to spotlights on John Lennon. While Chronicle Books has the lock on Pixar and Disney, Insight has been publishing massive, beautiful “Art Of” collections from Dreamworks and Sony. Currently available – and worth picking up – are 
Also worth mentioning from Insight, even though they’re not “Art Of” books, are Jerry Beck’s 
I have been counting the days until the high definition 25th Anniversary edition of the 
By the time we reach the third volume of 
About 5 years ago, I became aware that a documentary had been made about an artist I held dear to my heart – the underrated, underappreciated Harry Nilsson. I received a promo copy at the time, and found the documentary to be a comprehensive, enlightening overview of a brilliant artist beloved by friends and fans (including the likes of The Beatles) who happened to be a very flawed human being whose excess led to a far too early death. The doc floated around the festival circuit for the past few years, but 
It’s no Ben 10, but Cartoon Network’s 
Where the US version of the UK’s middle-age male crisis dramedy Manchild never got past pilot, the similarly themed 
I know a lot of you are probably waiting for next year’s Blu-Ray release of the entirety of season 4, but for those who can’t wait, 
It’s been almost a year since the Blu-Ray Ultimate Editions of the first two films were released, but the rather long wait has brought us the just-in-time for Deathly Hallows: Part 1 release of 
You know who else has comedy locked up for you this holiday season? The fine folks at Channel 4, who have a lovely clutch of comedy coming to DVD, including new stand-up specials – 
If you’d like to spend your holidays with a big green ogre, then you can fulfill that very odd wish with the 
The one factor that made Christopher Nolan’s 
You may know Haynes as the folks who put together all of those car manuals you see sitting on your mechanic’s (or father’s) shelf. Well, they’ve decided to venture into geek territory with the 
You can always bet that if there’s a new version of anything in the offing, the original version will get a release to coincide with it – and such is the case with the classic 1969 version of 
For the longest time, I’ve been able to suppress whatever last vestige of giddy Star Wars fanboy remained within me after being so mercilessly stamped out by the overwhelming mediocrity of the Prequels. That was, until I laid eyes on Hasbro’s incredible – in both execution and freaking size – new 
The folks at Fox want to load down your holiday viewing schedule as well, and have moved to do so with a pair of holiday box sets. 
They rebuilt him… Better… Stronger… Faster… And now, after an interminably long wait, 
As a child in the early 80’s I remember the magical joy of coloring pieces of thin plastic that, when cut out and put in the oven, would shrink and thicken into tiny little 2-D plastic figurines. Yes, I’m speaking of 
In the mid-60’s, a trio of producers named Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner stepped from the surging counterculture and into the mainstream conservative milieu of Hollywood and crafted a definitive TV property with the manufactured pop band/TV show The Monkees. Seeking to move into films, they developed a decidedly unorthodox film for The Monkees written by good friend and Corman regular Jack Nicholson. After it bombed miserably, they hit paydirt with an era-defining film – Easy Rider. High definition version of both those films – plus the rest of their output (Five Easy Pieces, Drive, He Said, A Safe Place, The Last Picture Show, & The King Of Marvin Gardens) – in the box set 
For decades, Fritz Lang’s silent masterpiece – a visual and conceptual feast that his inspired scores of filmmakers – has been a fractured film, with whole chunks of footage and sequences that were in the debut cut deemed lost forever. Well, never say never, as recent discoveries have allowed the fine folks at Kino to assemble the complete 
Earlier this year, Kino also began releasing its extensive Buster Keaton collection in high definition, with the result being a trio of must-have releases for any aficionado of cinematic comedy – 
When HBO’s brilliantly dark western Deadwood began its first season, the time period within the series was only a few weeks following the massacre of Custer’s troops in 1876. Into the lawless South Dakotan town rode two men – one a bitter ex-lawman, and the other a man looking to start a new life – and both ran afoul of the local heavy who owns half the town. What followed was an epic drama of operatic heights, and one you can watch in its entirety in high definition with 
Your perennial holiday viewing just got a high definition upgrade with the Blu-Ray release of 
Killing time between now and when the globe-trotting Cars 2 comes out next summer? Well, you can dip into brand new adventures featuring everyone’s favorite hillbilly tow truck in 
The complete runs of both the classic Batman and Superman animated series have already made their debut as box sets, as well as Justice League, so the last to get the treatment arrives with 
It’s not really a brilliant series, but Gerry Anderson’s 
It’s certainly not as well-known or well-loved as shows like Space: 1999 or Thunderbirds, but completionists are sure to rejoice at the arrival of Gerry Anderson’s 
As the little Fockers will be making their way to the big screen shortly, it makes sense that Blu-Rays of 
We’re now into the second season, and I’ve pretty much written off 
Most people think of Romeo + Juliet or Moulin Rouge when they think of Baz Luhrmann and over look the dance-happy 
It’s been a long string of single-disc releases leading up to the release of 
Beginning after his emigration to the Big Apple in 1971, 
The Warner Archive has decided to celebrate the holidays be bringing together the holiday episodes of everything from The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father and Alice to Mama’s Family and Dr. Kildare in the 
The Warner Archive Collection continues to release titles no sane fan would ever think they’d eventually get their hands on, and I’d say the complete animated spin-off of The Dukes Of Hazzard – 
In an attempt to further turn themselves into Spike, the History Channel’s 
I’ve become less and less interested in seeing Tom Cruise on screen in recent years, and was hoping that the True Lies-esque bit of a blast thrill ride 
After Santa and his canine BFF travel to New York and the big man loses his memory, it’s up to the doggie to make sure Christmas is achieved in the saccharine sweet 
You know how long it’s been since 
For every surprisingly enjoyable bad idea like Pirates of the Caribbean comes a misfire dud like 
Real-life lovers Drew Barrymore and Justin Long have gone down the path of many actor couples by immortalizing their relationship as an onscreen duo, with their particular vehicle being 
Rob Reiner shoots straight down the middle with his amiable adaptation of young love novel 
Part of me cringes to say this, but I’ve begun to think that YouTube sensation Fred Figglehorn is this young generation’s Pee Wee Herman, particularly after seeing the feature-length 
As always, it’s rather pointless to criticize the Twilight movies, as the rabid, massive audience care’s not what anyone has to say about their beloved pap-fest, and the same rule applies to 
While my favorite remains The Great Dictator, there’s no denying that 
Kids love to spill drinks. I don’t for a minute think it’s an accident – I believe it’s all premeditated. You can undermine their evil plans with the 
Hot on the heels of the first season’s arrival comes the second season of 
Warner Bros. has done another spectacular restoration job on one of their catalogue gems, this time with the high definition edition of 1935’s 
As CGI and flash have come to dominate content in documentaries in recent years, there’s still something timeless and powerful in the direct, unvarnished simplicity of presentation in the seminal (and massive) 
Let us all take a holiday journey into the uncanny valley with Robert Zemeckis’s latest unfortunate excursion into motion capture awkwardness, 
A few years back, a rather unique and wonderful little animated series called Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted on Nickelodeon. It was full of adventure and populated by strong, interesting characters living in an expansive world and caught up in an epic story. Sadly, all of these wonderful elements were lost in translation to the live action 
While you’re busy waiting for the next season to come out on DVD, you can tide yourself over with 
Fully remastered, another holiday perennial makes is available this season with the release of Rankin Bass’s 
I’m still not exactly sure why the travesty that is Troll 2 has been gifted with a celebratory documentary, 
The books of Beverly Cleary were a favorite when I was a kid, and while some of the spirit has been toned down, there’s still some life in 
It’s not Blu-Ray, but 
Seeking to make the viewing experience a bit more interactive, Disney has developed the “Mickey Mote” accessory for use with their newest preschool DVD releases. Essentially, it’s a kid-friendly, Mickey Mouse-shaped remote that them to answer questions when in “Discovery Mode”. The first DVDs out of the gate – 
In March of 2010, musical theater’s best & brightest assembled to celebrate Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday, recorded for posterity on 
One of Nipsy Russell’s finest roles (and one of Diana Ross’s most age inappropriate) comes to high definition with the release of 
It’s an interesting score, to be sure, but I can’t help but feel that composer Alexandre Desplat is just marking time with his score to 
It’s about time a tribute was put together for one of the landmark comedians of the last 30 years, and 
How about a whole bunch of TV series wrapping up their DVD releases? You’ve got 
Let me be perfectly blunt – History Channel… If you continue to produce unsubstantiated dreck like 
Now that we’ve reached 
If you’re keen on the environment but also really, really like to make a lot of noise, why not try the reusable 
No one but Edgar Wright could have made a film quite as eccentrically experimental yet firmly rooted in pop culture geekery as 
They’re absolute classics and seasonal must-haves, and now the 
A few months has gone by, which means that the BBC vault has opened and another pair of classic Doctor Who releases have made their way out – specifically the Tom Baker years 
Push Clooney & Pitt out of your mind for a moment and revel in the HD glory of The Rat Pack’s grand heist, as the 50th anniversary edition of 
It’s the holiday season, and Warners has added to their set of deluxe holiday Ultimate Collections (previous entries include A Christmas Story & Christmas Vacation) with the 
Fans of the recent direct-to-DVD DC animated fare will no that many of those came with bonus shorts starring other characters within the DC universe. Well, extended versions of those shorts have been collected with a brand new one – that new one being the titular 
It’s a shame that 
As a film, it’s a big mess, but there’s plenty of fun still to be had in 
They might not be as popular or prevalent as they once were, but there’s still something alluring to life under the big top – a life which is explored in the documentary 
Economize your high definition kiddie-slick purchase with the 
The big screen version may be moving in fits and spurts, but the BBC’s live action adaptation of 
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m not a fan, but I know may out there will have been champing at the bit for 
It’s a terribly bleak meditation on aging and not terribly suitable for kids who aren’t in the middle of an existential crisis, which may be an odd assessment to some considering I’m talking about 
There’s something oh so juvenile but oh so fun about having 
The 25th anniversaries are coming fast and furious, as hot on the heels of Back To The Future comes 
A few years ago, mentalist/sorcerer supreme Derren Brown released a book that provided tantalizing glimpses into his life but largely served as a sort of overview to the methodology behind his magic. Now, however, he’s returned with a proper autobiography, 
A few years back, when the 
It’s not nearly as enjoyable or as cohesive as Band Of Brothers, but there’s still plenty of fascinating history – and accompanying visuals – to be had in its follow-up mini-series, 
It’s a growing trend to create books packed with reproductions of ephemera, and you can add the Harry Potter film franchise to that list with the release of 
I’ve made it this far in my life without ever having seen 
Just in time for the holidays – and hot on the heels of his stage comeback – you can pick up the complete 5-season run of 
It’s a big ol’ festive mess of a film, but I have a special place in my heart for 
Join photographer Murray Fredericks as he travels into the remote, dangerous, formidable, and breathtakingly beautiful Lake Eyre, a massive salt lake in the north corner of South Australia. The documentary, 
It’s clearly Robert Rodriguez’s attempt to make the same impact on the Predator franchise that James Cameron made with Aliens, but Rodriguez’s 
My unwavering love for Star Wars has wavered quite a bit since George Lucas slapped us with the prequels, but occasionally something comes along that reignites that enthusiasm, if only for a brief time. One of those flares came when flipping through 
There may be only one Highlander, but they made the unfortunate decision to follow up the decent fantasy flick 
A sci-fi schlock classic makes its DVD debut as 
It’s not spaceflight or Everest, but using IMAX to shoot and present the works of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings is certainly a unique, and interesting, use of the format, as shown in 
When he’s not busy giving directions to a god of thunder, Kenneth Branagh has been starring as Inspector Kurt Wallander in the BBC’s latest mystery series 
If you want to look at a dull, lifeless reimagining, look no further than the awkward tedium that is 
If there’s one thing this gadget crazy future we currently live in has taught me, it’s how to tie a sailor’s knot. No. Scratch that. What I meant to say, is that it’s taught me that you can never have to many USB ports, and that’s where Thinkgeek’s ridiculous 
It’s been 6 years since their first textbook, America, but Jon Stewart and the writers behind The Daily Show return with their follow-up 
I didn’t think a film about Jack Kevorkian starring Al Pacino would be something I would watch, let along think was remarkably good, but 
Every few months like clockwork, I’m guaranteed that a delightfully fun read will land on my doorstep, for that is what the periodic arrival Charles Schulz’s masterpiece has become. We’re now up to 
Scholastic has opened up the vault and provided a pair of releases perfect for entertaining your kids on those dark, cold Fall & Winter nights. Seasonally, they’re releasing 
It’s awkward to think about all of the families he was creating while 
For anyone who feared that their favorite TV show, left partially-released on DVD, would never see those final seasons, Shout Factory has proven themselves a savior, as their latest batch of TV releases testifies – Titles like 
If you weren’t quick enough to grab the complete first season when it was available – or just want a cheaper alternative for a few episodes – the 4th volume of episodes from the first season of 
Try as they might, and as good as Jackie Earle Haley is in the role of Freddy Krueger, the remakagining of 
I am clearly not the audience for 
The visual style was based on the artwork of Charles Addams, so there’s plenty to be said for Hanna-Barbera’s take on 
I thought one sequel was pushing it, but the fact that we’re now on 
Seeking to make sense of over a month of madness, everyone’s favorite intensely opinionated comedian returns with 
A pair of classy shows make their way to high definition, with the highlight being the release of David Suchet as the titular detective in 
I personally can’t stand the man or his reality series, but there are plenty of fans out there who will probably dive right into the 
I’ve been waiting a fair while for it to make its way on to Blu-Ray, if only to see if the many previous DVD restorations could be improved on. I’m happy to say that the new high definition transfer of Alfred Hitchcock’s 
If you want a stylus that keeps your smartphone or tablet clean as you touch, touch, touch away, then give a spin to the 
Too often, travel journalism tends to see the forest and not the trees, which is why I so thoroughly enjoyed Dom Joly’s 
It wasn’t exactly filmed with the highest budget, but the improved picture quality and sound mix brought to the high definition 
I’m a relatively young guy… relatively… But watching a 20-year-old like Bo Burham makes me equal parts impressed and bitterly jealous at just how powerfully creative he is at such a young age. I’m kind of pissed off about it, actually. Watch his latest Comedy Central special, 
It doesn’t hold a candle to The Six Million Dollar Man, but fans can now pick up the first season of spin-off series 
In the same spirit as their landmark nature documentaries of the 50’s, Disney has leapt back into the game in full force with DisneyNature, whose latest features go under the sea in 
It’s rare to find a whip smart comedy nowadays, but the very New York 
Really, the only one worth getting is the first one, but for high definition at so cheap a price, you might as well get the 
If you neglected to pick up the complete series set last year and have instead been going season by season you’ll be happy to know that Fox has decided you can now pick up what you’ve been missing to wrap things up – 
While I can really do without any child of mine seeing the 
Gabriel Byrne returns as psychotherapist Dr. Paul Weston in the second season of HBO’s 
I thought 
Gene Roddenberry writing a sex-fueled black comedy high school murder mystery? Starring Rock Hudson, Telly Savalas, and Angie Dickinson? That’s 
As election season heats up, give a spin to the 
It ended before its time, but fans can now pick up the 3rd and final volume of 
Nobody does fantasy drinking quite like the inhabitants of Middle Earth, and you can booze up in the same style with the 
If you’re like me, you have far too many wires and plugs in your life. From cell phones to mp3 players and gaming systems and bluetooth headsets… There’s a seemingly endless list of devices in need of charging or communication. And if you’ve ever tried to travel with that mess of cables, you know how frustrating it can be. Eager to streamline things a bit, I went hunting for a solution – And found the fine folks at Gomadic. Gomadic has designed a system of standardizes chargers that are universal for nearly every device, meaning one wire for everything. How do they manage this? By introducing an exchangeable tip system. That means you have small tips specific to each device, which can then plug into the universal wire – wires available for car charging, USB, wall socket, or even multiple devices at once. This is brilliant. After recently purchasing an HTC Incredible Droid phone, I was kitted out with tips, wires, and even universal in-cupholder/adhesive device stands for the car (equally brilliant, equally useful). The bottom line is this – Go explore 
Essentially a combination of both the rated & unrated editions in one disc, the 
Another catalogue title makes its way to high definition with the release of David O. Russell’s 
While it’s not the American adventures of Derren Brown I would hope for, the second season of 
It came and went at the box office with barely a gurgle, but the big screen outing for DC Comics’ Old West-ern vigilante 
Supplement your recent Blu-Ray Beauty And The Beast purchase with the definitive making-of book – 
Flawed in conception and just plain boring in execution, it’s little wonder that Joss Whedon’s 
When reading 
Criterion has always done right by Ingmar Bergman, and they continue to treat his catalogue with exquisite gloves in this era of high definition. Bergman’s 
Mill Creek has been steadily releasing a slew of budget-priced titles that are must-have for someone who wants a quick, cheap way to load up on TV series, documentaries, or cult films. On the cult side of things, you can get the 16-film 
Take an okay 80’s cult film (The Lost Boys) and make a wrongheaded attempt to catch lightening in a direct-to-video bottle and you get an awkward sequel like 
As sci-fi horror goes, 
Warners has been dipping into their vaults for many high definition releases of their classic films, and the films starring Humphrey Bogart have been getting particularly nice attention, starting with their beautiful restoration of Casablanca and now continuing with a one-two punch of both 
The best way to think about the 
Just in time for Halloween comes the high definition release of one of the seminal horror flicks to ever be put to film – 
I’ve become less and less enamored with it over the years as a film, though I still love the Ashman/Menken songs of 
One of the many abandoned series set aside by Columbia, the 7th season of 
For a history nut like me, there’s something eminently interesting about Bettany Hughes’ 
Sure, it’s lowest common denominator belly laugh humor, but there more than occasional flashes of inspired comedy to be found within the ridiculously comprehensive 
I’m a history buff, so a 14-disc set like 
Out of most of the pap that populated Saturday mornings in the early 80’s, 
It’s disappointing to hear that sales on the last season were not good enough to justify continued retail releases, but at least the Warner Archive has stepped in so fans can pick up the complete fourth season of 
Leave it to Twomorrows to present a beautiful overview of the life and work of yet another comics legend via 
Besides its engaging story steeped in Celtic mythology, 
Following up on his landmark documentary about America’s pastime, Ken Burns goes back to the ballpark for 
We’ve now moved beyond the classic Peanuts specials and are firmly into the release of the lesser animated lights of the canon with the likes of 
There are no milkshakes to be found, but Daniel Day-Lewis does turn in a memorable performance in Michael Mann’s adaptation of 
Every time I’ve run across it, I’ve found it affable and watchable, but I’ve never actually cared to seek it out. Regardless of my apathy, it gets massive ratings, which means fans will want to pick up the complete seventh season of 
I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of watching 
Bringing together 18 capers across 12 DVDs featuring the sleuthing of Poirot, Marple, and Holmes, the 
With Thunderdomes and autogyros still in his future, the original 
It tried desperately to be a modern answer to the low-rent, affable fantasies Hercules and Xena, but 
The infamous abortion episode comes to one-off DVD on 
What if you made a prequel to a beloved series and no one really seemed to care? That would be 
Easily one of the most unwatchable films ever made, and made a cult classic due to its unwatchability, 
Yeah, I’m still not a fan of 
Like Citizen Kane and Casablanca, the original 
Most geeks love pizza. Most geeks love Star Trek. Well, the fine folks at Thinkgeek have realized both of these truths and constructed an item which melds the two together – the 
It’s quite depressing to realize, while re-watching the DVD of the brilliant second season of 
It’s not as strong a comedic romp as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but the Aldous Snow spin-off 
It seems to be taking forever, but slowly but surely the US DVD releases are catching up with the new episodes, so picking up 
The Warner Archive collection has been great about releasing some deep catalogue titles, but also some much-desired flicks that have limited commercial appeal because, to put it kindly, they weren’t that good. Of the fantastic deep catalogue material, we have something like 
It’s not the Blu-Ray set that some of us were hoping for, but 
While we’re all waiting for the release of the next full season set, let’s relive some of the finest adventures of South Park‘s most naïve little boy with 
If you’d like to see an absolutely superb performance by David Bowie, look no further than 
One would have hopes that the 
The 10th season of 
Soundtrack fans have a trio of new titles to fill out their collections this week, courtesy of the fine folks at Silva Screen Records. The newest is Ben Affleck’s 
I remember loving them as a kid, so I’m eager to show my nephews the animated adaptations of Beverly Cleary’s beloved stories included in the 
After the abysmal eighth season, I had some hope that the bonus, ultimately final ninth season of 
I’ve been less-than-impressed with the ever-changing visual style of the DC Universe direct-to-video animated films, but at least they’ve reversed a further negative in 
It’s easy to look back at it as a piece of soul kitsch, but the one thing you can say about 
I fell out of love with Family Guy years ago, so I really haven’t been enthused enough to dip into its spin-off, 
Leaving box stores behind but not abandoning fans, Warners has shifted the second season of 
Using CG recreations, both