FRED Entertainment

February 24, 2014

FROM THE VAULT: Harold Ramis Interviews

Filed under: A Bit Of A Chat With Ken Plume,Interviews — Tags: , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:55 pm

vaultinterviews.png

Conducted ~5/2004 / ~11/2005

Animal House. SCTV. Stripes. Ghostbusters. National Lampoon’s Vacation. Groundhog Day. Ghostbusters.

Whether as an actor, writer, or director, Harold Ramis was a comedy legend.

I’ve known for a while now that Ramis was seriously ill and would soon be leaving us, but his loss is still a terrible blow, not only for the absence of his keen comedy mind, but also because he was a genuinely decent guy in an industry where such a thing is a decided rarity.

Over the years, I only had the chance to chat with Ramis on two all-too-brief occasions.

The first was in conjunction with the DVD release of Analyze That – the sequel to his hit Analyze This.

lucyline.gif

KEN PLUME: You’ve been involved in quite a few successful films as a director…

HAROLD RAMIS: Yes.

PLUME: But you’ve tended to avoid doing sequels when those films went on, such as with Caddyshack and Vacation…

RAMIS: Yeah…

PLUME: So what led to the decision to finally direct a sequel?

RAMIS: Well, I think with these characters the subject is so rich. I think with both Caddyshack – and I was involved a little bit in the early writing of the Caddyshack sequel – but with both Caddyshack and Vacation, it’s not like the subjects were serious enough that they engaged my interest for another round. I love the characters, and the actors were great, but I didn’t see the need to make another Vacation movie. But here, you have the world of psychology and these characters were so rich, and we really left their story, I felt, at the end of Chapter One – we left with De Niro saying he was quitting the mob – and it seemed like a natural springboard for, “Well, gee… Then what does he do? If he leaves the mob, what kind of life does this guy lead?”

PLUME: What reservations do you normally have when approaching something like a sequel? Because you’ve been involved on both sides, as a director and as an actor…

RAMIS: Yeah, I acted in the Ghostbusters sequel, obviously, and wrote that one with Akyroyd. I think we kind of faced it on the Ghostbusters sequel, too – is how do you give the audience enough of what they liked the first time without just slavishly repeating what worked. I remember when we were writing the Ghostbusters sequel, I said to Ivan Reitman – thinking of the Marshmallow Man at the end of the first movie – I said, “Does something have to get big at the end of this?” And he said, “No, no, no, no, no… We don’t have to repeat that.” The longer we worked on the script, finally Ivan said, “Yeah, I think something should get really big.” So there’s that tendency – “Boy that joke worked so well in the original”, you think to yourself. Is there a way to have De Niro shoot a pillow, or do something that he did in the first one that really worked… The challenge really is to remain true to the characters, remain true to the situations that we’re setting up, and then find new jokes that are just as good – that seem equally honest, but try to be fresh.

PLUME: Were there any lessons that you learned on Ghostbusters II that you applied to Analyze That?

RAMIS: Uhhh…. Well, we should have had something get big at the end of it. Cathy Moriarty…

PLUME: Three stories high, it would have been the perfect capper…

RAMIS: True. Well, you know, it’s true, actually – we have a big action climax to this movie. It turns out to be a ruse – a decoy. It’s like the old rule – if you introduce a gun into the first act of a play, it’s going to be used in the third act. So if you do a movie about criminals, you have to accept there’s going to be a big crime. There’s going to be some gunplay. Some action, if not true violence.

PLUME: When you’re planning out your course of attack on a given project, how do you gauge the X factor of audience reaction?

RAMIS: You really can’t. You just can’t. You don’t have the audience. You have your own taste and judgement, you have the people around you, you have great actors with real taste and intelligence – but what you don’t have is the audience. First and foremost, you have to make the movie for yourself. And that’s not to say “To hell with everyone else”, but what else have you got to go on but your own taste and judgement? Then you realize, “Well, that’s why they hired me – because they like my taste and judgement.”

PLUME: In what areas does the audience reaction tend to surprise you the most?

RAMIS: Sometimes it’s not surprising at all – you have what you know to be a great joke or a great moment, a great situation. You just make sure you don’t screw it up. It’s going to work as long as you don’t mess it up. Hopefully you have plenty of those moments in a big comedy. Then there’s always things we call “mystery laughs” – where the audience laughs really hard at something you didn’t think they’d get, or that you didn’t even know was funny. There’s just something about it. There’s always a couple of those… I can’t remember what they are in this particular movie. I also had a great comedian in Billy Crystal, who knows how to make people laugh. He’s got 30 years on stage… there’s no telling him what’s funny. It comes down to good, healthy, mature collaborations.

PLUME: I know this is often a contentious issue for many directors, but how important to you is the preview process?

RAMIS: Oh, very important. For better or worse, that’s the audience, you know? You tell the studio what audience you want recruited, and they recruit half men/half women from 18-40. If they don’t like it, you get another audience. If they don’t like it, you get another one. And if the third one doesn’t like it – as someone once said, “If six Russians tell you you’re drunk, you’d better lie down.”

PLUME: And then open in France.

RAMIS: Well, yeah. As much as we’d like to believe that our work is great and that we’re infallible, we’re not. Hollywood movies are made for the audience. These are not small European art films we’re making.

PLUME: Which of your films would you say was shaped the most by the testing, or post, process?

RAMIS: The movie Vacation had a whole different ending. They never even got to the amusement park, Wallyworld, at the end of Vacation. The last almost like 20 minutes of the film was entirely different – and bombed so badly that the audience was laughing for 80 minutes and then just stopped cold.

PLUME: What was the original ending?

RAMIS: It was the original ending of John Hughes’s short story. They find the amusement park closed, and they practically killed themselves getting there, so he buys a pellet gun – which we kept – and then he goes to the home of Roy Wally, the Walt Disney character, takes him hostage along with several of his executives, and makes the Walt Disney character perform for him. “I want my dime’s worth of entertainment.” And it just was lame… it fell really flat.

PLUME: So it just wasn’t the Marshmallow Man…

RAMIS: No, no… it was nothin’! It was really disappointing.

PLUME: This begs the question – will we see this ending on the upcoming special edition DVD?

RAMIS: That ending? I hope you’ll never see that ending! It forced me to sit back and look at the film and think, “Well, why did they hate it so much?” Well, it wasn’t that funny. I thought, beyond that, the next question is, “What do we do about it?” So the studio said, “You shoot something.” So do you go back and reshoot what you had and try and make it better, or is there some conceptual flaw? In that case, I thought, “People have waited the whole movie to get to Wallyworld, and we’re going with the joke of frustration. Alright – we’re telling the audience, ‘Well, you waited the whole movie for it – you’re not going to get it.’ ” And I thought, “Oh, that’s wrong. That’s really wrong…”

PLUME: “We really shouldn’t slap them like this…”

RAMIS: That’s like telling the kids, “Kids, by the way, we’re not going to Disneyworld.” So I said, “Well, what if he hijacks the park?” You know, instead of hijacking the Disney character. Much better.

PLUME: So if it weren’t for that testing process…

RAMIS: We wouldn’t have found that out, no. In the movie Bedazzled, we had a sequence that audiences were really not liking…

PLUME: Was this the “Rock Star” sequence?

RAMIS: Yeah…. It really made them uncomfortable.

PLUME: Even watching it on DVD, it made me uncomfortable.

RAMIS: Yeah, it’s raw. It’s really out there. Brendan loved it. It was some of his favorite work… I mean, he really enjoyed doing it, but the audience did not want to get in touch with his dark side. And they told me that very clearly. And we went and shot the Abe Lincoln sequence.

PLUME: Speaking of Bedazzled, what are your thoughts on the influence of the internet on the filmmaking process?

RAMIS: I didn’t read anything on the internet. The print critics were, like, really nasty. Nasty in a way that didn’t seem to me related to the movie. In this case, we were tremendously encouraged by the testing of Analyze That. Audiences loved it. They were telling us that they liked it as much as the original and – in many cases – better than the original. The numbers were great… as good as any comedy that I’ve ever worked on. And even anecdotally, we recorded the laughs in the theater. They were huge laughs, and they were consistent through the whole picture. So we went into the opening process thinking, “Boy, people are going to love this movie.” And then the critics – it felt to me that they weren’t reviewing the movie, they were reviewing the showbusiness aspects of the film… what De Niro got. Whenever a critic mentions the salary of an actor, I’m thinking, “He’s not talking about the movie.”

PLUME: And then they pull out the “Sequels Stink!” boilerplate…

RAMIS: Oh yeah! I thought, “this is not a fair shake for this movie.” It seems to me they’re working off some kind of residual resentment – either they’re tired of Bob doing comedy… Maybe there’s some kind of puritanical streak in the critics where they just want him to go back to being the distinguished American actor that they’ve put on a high pedestal.

PLUME: Or they’re exorcising leftover pain from Rocky and Bullwinkle…

RAMIS: Yeah – that it was cute the first time he did a comedy and, okay, it was cute the second time, but enough. Let’s get him back into Travis Bickle mode.

PLUME: Before he becomes Leslie Nielsen…

RAMIS: Yeah. So I though there was a fundamental disrespect in that aspect of the reviews.

PLUME: Which affected the box office?

RAMIS: Well, I think the critics hurt us, and the box office was kind of lackluster. There was kind of a doldrum period in there, and it wasn’t until after the movie opened that the studio told me that, traditionally, that was one of the worst weekends in movie history. That that’s traditionally an awful weekend. Truthfully, I think I’m still gun-shy about the marketing process in general. I don’t want to know too much about it. But even prior to the reviews, we weren’t tracking that well. The tracking was telling us that people had reservations about going to the sequel, or that they were more interested in other movies that were coming out around the same time.

PLUME: Just a confluence of bad events…

RAMIS: Yeah… and I’ve seen that kind of train wreck before. Multiplicity was a movie that tested really well. People seeing the movie really liked it, but then the studio couldn’t market it. We opened on a weekend with nine other films. We never tracked better than the Shaquille O’Neal movie Kazaam.

PLUME: A bit of a black mark on the career there…

RAMIS: I know! But, you know, you’re tracking along with Kazaam – it’s not a comment on the work, it’s a comment on the marketplace.

PLUME: But now, with the afterlife of DVD…

RAMIS: That’s the good news, is that people who I think shied away or were skeptical of the sequel, but liked Analyze This, I think now will get a chance to see that this is, indeed, a really good sequel, and really worth it.

PLUME: So what’s next up on your plate?

RAMIS: I’m looking for something that I care about, you know?

PLUME: So it’ll be Ghostbusters 3…

RAMIS: Oh yeah! But I never work just to work. It’s some combination of laziness and self-respect.

PLUME: Is there any one project that you’ve personally wanted to get off the ground?

RAMIS: Actually, there’s a personal story of my own that I will write at some point, and it’s a film that I will happily make. It could very well be the next thing I do, unless someone shows me something great. It’s a personal story of a time in my life, in 1967, and it’ll be funny and poignant, and really good.

lucyline.gif

I also had a chance to chat with him about his film The Ice Harvest, a darkly comedic noir starring John Cusack as a mob lawyer who rips of his boss (Randy Quaid) with the aid of Billy Bob Thornton – which means they’ve got to get out of town, fast. Unfortunately, an ice storm hits – making for a complicated night, to say the least.

lucyline.gif

KEN PLUME: It’s interesting to note the reaction that Ice Harvest is getting…

HAROLD RAMIS: I haven’t read any… I’ve only read one rave review – and that’s how I’m keeping it!

PLUME: It’s seems that people are surprised by how dark the film is…

RAMIS: I’ve been hearing that a lot, yeah…

PLUME: But looking back over the films you’ve done, there’s always been an edge to the comedy…

RAMIS: Yeah, well, for me, the best comedy – if it doesn’t have an edge, then it’s not for me. I see a lot of sweet, family comedy out there, and I’m not going. I’m not interested. Life is interesting *because* it’s light and dark, you know?

PLUME: Do you think that, in some ways, people misunderstand the films you’ve done in the past, in treating the tone of Ice Harvest as a surprise?

RAMIS: Well, the most extreme example is there are people who saw Groundhog Day and immediately recognized what the movie was about – that it was kind of a very thoughtful exploration of the meaning of life, in a certain way. And there’s no answers for this, but it was a thoughtful film. But there were others who came away, having just enjoyed it as a comedy, and then several days later came up to me and said, “You know, I think there was something else going on in that film”… You know? So much about what’s important to one person is just not important to someone else, and what’s insightful to one person is just patently obvious or pedestrian.

PLUME: Is there a difference between what attracts you to a project as a director, as compared to what attracts you to actually sitting down as a writer to craft a script yourself?

RAMIS: Well, the investment that a director makes in a film is huge in terms of time and energy and commitment, so I really have to believe in something if I’m going to work on it. I’ll throw writing in there, too. It’s not that I’m so rich that I don’t have to work, but I don’t have to work on stuff I don’t want to do. And I don’t have to work at my “craft” to make a living, so I only do the things that deeply interest me… Because I just can’t seem to find the energy to do things that I’m not really committed to.

PLUME: Do you feel that there’s a perception within the industry of a “Harold Ramis” type of project that is brought to you?

RAMIS: Well, you know, it took a long time for my agents to kind of get it – I’ve had only two agencies in 20 years – and eventually they kind of figure, “Okay, this project will interest Harold, because there’s something going on…” Something more than what’s on the surface, or there’s some big idea kind of at stake in the script. It doesn’t mean that because the ideas are big that the movies have to be serious – but if there isn’t an important idea behind it, then I kind of lose track of why I’m doing it.

PLUME: Is there any film that didn’t have that important idea, that you regretted doing after the fact?

RAMIS: Well, I mean, sometimes it’s a bit of a stretch… They’re not films that I’m responsible for – but even having worked on the Caddyshack sequel was a big mistake… (laughing) I worked on the script when Rodney Dangerfield was going to do it, because Rodney was a friend and really wanted to do it. And we did a movie called Armed & Dangerous, which I produced, which… you know… no one would have cared if it hadn’t gotten made. At least there was kind of a news event behind that story…

PLUME: And it had a good cast…

RAMIS: Yeah, with John Candy and Eugene Levy…

PLUME: You don’t seem to have had the greatest of luck with sequels…

RAMIS: Well, actually, the two big ones – Ghostbusters and Analyze That – were both driven by what I thought were worthy follow-up ideas to the original movies. To some extent they got a little twisted in the execution. Ghostbusters II I didn’t direct, so I was a writer in service of the director, Ivan Reitman, and the actors. Analyze That got bashed a little bit, and it got a little out-of-hand in the last act, but I actually thought that that movie was driven by something really interesting and important.

PLUME: When you come to a project like The Ice Harvest, that has a strong script behind it, what component do you bring to the table that makes the project your own? Specifically in this case, what did you do to personalize the project for you?

RAMIS: For me, a movie is a set of opportunities… And I don’t mean that in any kind of – there’s no false humility here. You’re working with other people – you’re working with other writers’ ideas – and in this case, I feel an obligation to the writers to make the movie that they envisioned. Especially when the writers are this good – especially when one of them is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and the other has 3 Academy Awards… And (Robert) Benton, himself, has directed some great, outstanding movies. So I wanted to make a movie that they’d be proud of, and that they thought reflected what they were going for in the script. And then you have actors you’re responsible to, to make them look good – and you can’t do that by dominating them or forcing them to be something they’re not. It’s a series of agreements that you make, all along the way, with everybody. And sometimes it’s purely your vision, and sometimes it’s a vision you’ve adjusted to accommodate someone else’s visions – and sometimes it’s something that you never would have anticipated, that resulted from just the reality of doing it… the existential circumstances around it.

PLUME: Being both an actor and a writer, how much of an influence do you think that has on you as a director, in both how you interact and the choices you make?

RAMIS: I’m probably more solicitous of actors than some directors might be. I both love them and fear them…

PLUME: In what circumstances do you fear them?

RAMIS: Well, I fear conflict and disagreement, you know, because in one way you’re at the mercy of the actor. If he’s angry or pissed off or doesn’t feel he’s being heard, he can really kind of sandbag the production, you know?

PLUME: Where does conflict generally arise, do you find?

RAMIS: Truthfully, I think it happens when the actor doesn’t trust the director, or doesn’t feel like he’s being well-served in some way, or he feels manipulated. I start out by making an alliance with the actors – I want them to know that my only interest is in making them look good. Because actors – they’re very vulnerable. They take a huge chance. They expose themselves in public, and they know they can look bad – it’s always the possibility. They rely solely on the director, when they’re doing it, to tell them if it’s working or not – and if they don’t trust that *you* know if it’s working, then you’re going to have some conflict… they’ll stop listening to you, they’ll start asking other actors on the set… they may find passive-aggressive ways to just start sabotaging the production. Because if they think it’s going to be bad, then they just start distancing themselves right away, you know – like, “I’m not going to take this seriously, because it sucks,” and they’ll start denying their own work, in a certain way. So you want to keep actors engaged and believing that what they’re doing is valuable and good – and I know what that feels like, having been an actor, and I know what that requires.

PLUME: What’s been the biggest confidence curve you’d had to overcome with an actor on a given project?

RAMIS: Well, usually they’re trusting me… ummm… Maybe it starts early, maybe it’s something in my demeanor – I’m kind of like part-shrink, part-rabbi, you know? I remember I was doing Multiplicity with Michael Keaton, and I didn’t know Michael really well. Before we started shooting the movie, we were going to do a test on the very complicated compositing effects – because he was going to be playing multiple clones of himself. So for the sake of the effect that we were testing, I asked Michael to get up and walk across the stage, and he said, “Why would I do that? Why would my character get up on that line?” And I thought, “Oh boy. This is like a test, right now.” And I said, “No… All right. Don’t. Don’t do it.” I said, “I’m never going to ask you to do anything you don’t want to do – because my job to convince you that it’s the right thing, and if I’m not convincing you, I’m not doing my job. So if you don’t want to do what I want you to do, and I can’t convince you to do it, we’ll find something that you do want to do, that I like.” It just kind of tumbled out of my mouth, you know? But I believed it, as I said it, and I never betrayed him – for 100 shooting days. He never had to do anything he didn’t fully believe in. And that’s a big confidence builder -then you’re the ally of the actor, not the enemy of the actor.

PLUME: You’ve had this experience with a few actors – is there a difference between the rapport you have with an actor when you’re acting alongside them, as opposed the rapport when you’re directing them?

RAMIS: Well, for better or worse, I try to be the same person – no matter what I’m doing. And I mean no matter what – whether I’m talking to my kids or talking to the president of a movie studio or the president of the United States, you know?

PLUME: But when you send the studio head to their room…

RAMIS: (laughing) I don’t send my kids to their rooms! Reality is hard to know sometimes, especially in entertainment. It’s so easy to delude yourself. Paul Shaffer – the bandleader of the Letterman show who used to work with us at the Lampoon and stuff – but Paul was the first among many people that got famous… Paul went to LA to do a pilot, before any of us went – before Belushi or Gilda or Chevy or Chris Guest, or anyone, got well known – and when Shaffer came back, everyone was asking him, “What’s Hollywood like?” And he said, “Well, it’s like people on either side of you whispering bulls*** into your ears at the same time.” So it’s very hard to come by the truth. No one wants to tell you bad news, everyone wants to flatter you, and you could really delude yourself, you know? It’s like, when you’re in the meeting with the executives or the producers, you know – “You’re a genius! What a genius! Oh, this is going to be so great!” And then the meeting breaks up and they say, “Oh, you go ahead – we’re going to stay and talk for a minute.” And you know what that meeting’s like.

PLUME: Was there any point that you fell under the Hollywood delusion, or have you always kept a level head about the business and exactly what you’re dealing with?

RAMIS: Well, I came into it strong. We came into the film business with Animal House. We came right from new York with a script that turned into the biggest comedy ever, so we were, in a way, writing our own ticket. I was able to say, “I want to direct the next movie I write.” Which was Caddyshack. So all that was solid – we weren’t asking for favors, we weren’t depending on anybody. To the extent that I’ve always just taken the approach that, “I’m gonna do what I wanna do, and they’ll get on board or they won’t. Or I’ll find a place that will let me.” Of course I want to hear legitimate feedback and intelligent responses to what I’m doing – and it’s they’re money, of course, so they can always say no… But they can’t make me do what they want me to do.

PLUME: I was speaking to Rick Moranis a few weeks back, and it seems like there’s a definite independent streak to the performers that came out of Second City and SCTV and made their way to Hollywood – performers like you, Rick, Dave Thomas, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, etc. It seems you’re people that aren’t easily pushed into doing a project if it’s not something you don’t want to do.

RAMIS: Well, Second City… I don’t think Rick did the stage show, but he did SCTV… and in almost every case, anything associated with Second City – we had directors, but we were responsible for generating our own material. And we also had a rule – “Always work from the top of your intelligence. “So there was kind of an autonomy that developed. We became self-validating, somehow, and that’s real important. It’s hard enough being a performer or being in showbusiness, because our success is dependent upon the approval of others. But the approval of other people can be a very hollow thing if you’re not self-validating at the same time. If I like what I do, then I’m fine, for the most part. Of course I want other people to like it – but if they don’t, it doesn’t make me question my own taste or ability… It just tells me what’s real – not everyone gets this, not everyone likes this. And it’s very hard to do something that everybody’s going to like. So if you live and die based on other people’s approval, your life can be a roller coaster of illusory pain, or of illusory grandiosity. I just try to trust the people around me that I really trust, work for the smartest, most tasteful 5% of the audience, and hope everyone else comes along.

PLUME: How would you compare the director you are today to the director you were 25 years ago?

RAMIS: I feel like I’m the same guy, with a lot more technical craft experience. The man I am today versus the man I was 25 years ago – life is the great teacher, obviously, and experience has taught me a lot of things about being a person. And it’s not that what was important to me when I was starting out – those things are still important, but just developmentally, other things become important… as you age, as you have children of your own, I’m in a long-term committed relationship with my wife… all these things change you from when you’re 21 and starting out. As Oliver Platt says in our movie, “The only thing left for men is money and p***y.” Well, when you’re young, that’s all you’re working for. If you’re still doing that when you’re 60, you should probably see a therapist.

PLUME: Or get a smoking jacket…

RAMIS: Right! That’s true…

PLUME: And I hope we eventually see that film you were talking about a few years back, based on that even in your life, from 1967…

RAMIS: That would be cool… Somebody asked me about that recently. I’m looking at it again and seeing what I would need to do to turn it into a film.

lucyline.gif

If you enjoyed this interview, please take a moment to DONATE.

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

Ken P. D. Snydecast #211: Menu Mules

Filed under: Ken P.D. Snydecast — Tags: , , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:37 am

snydecast-header.png

snydecast-logo2.png

Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and FRED’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.

Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.

Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at FRED. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.

VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

linesm.gif

KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #211: Menu Mules – Ken & Dana return with a journey into boxes.

[CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #211 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-211.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.

line.gif

CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

line.gif

##

February 22, 2014

FREDagator: 2014-2-22

Filed under: FREDagator — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:33 pm

fredagator.png

lucyline.gif

I did not know this centuries-old Chinese musical instrument existed, but now that I do, I love it to (pun-intended) bits…

lucyline.gif

February 21, 2014

Win TEEN TITANS GO: MISSION TO MISBEHAVE on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 4:37 pm

contestheader.jpg

In conjunction with Warner Home Video, we’re giving away five (5) copies of TEEN TITANS GO: MISSION TO MISBEHAVE on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, March 5th.

Enter the contest!
Email:
First name:
Last name:
Street Address:
Address Line 2 (if needed):
City:
State/Province/Whatever:
Zip Code/Postal Code:
Country:
Birth Month:
Birth Day:
Birth Year:

Official Rules

No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, March 5th.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

Weekend Shopping Guide 2/21/14: Game Of Muppets

Filed under: Shopping Guides — Tags: , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 3:38 am

weekendshopping.png

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…)

Well, it’d be foolish to watch Game Of Thrones (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.98 SRP) and expect anything even approaching a happy ending for anyone involved, but the third season manages to top the brutal exit of Ned Stark with the even more infamous Red Wedding, which sets the political stage for even more upheaval in troubled Westeros in the coming fourth season. The Blu-Ray set has the usual clutch of audio commentaries and deleted scenes, but the real highlights are the animated histories and lore, plus the in-depth deconstruction of the entire “Red Wedding” episode with the cast and creators. Brilliant. But still brutal. Terribly, terribly brutal.

blankguide.gif

Hey, webheads! Based on the artwork of J. Scott Campbell, the fine folks at Sideshow have crafted a beautiful – in more ways than one – polystone maquette of Peter Parker’s ginger crush, Mary Jane Watson ($249). The attention to detail in capturing Campbell’s style extends to the unique shading of the paintjob, meant to evoke the same feeling of the original art – And it most certainly does. With an edition size limited to only 6000 pieces, you’ll want to get yours as soon as possible, tiger.

 weekendpicks20140221-02.png

 weekendpicks20140221-03.png

It’s been a long time coming, but my brilliant buddy Craig Shemin has compiled the ultimate guide to Jim Henson’s Muppety legacy with The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (DK, $16.99 SRP), which features pictures and profiles on just about every Muppet you can think of, right down to the most obscure. Sadly missing, but certainly understandable since this book focuses on the Muppets Disney owns, are the Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, and Emmett Otter Muppets (all of which are still controlled by the Jim Henson Company). Still, it’s a great tome, lovingly and expertly assembled.

blankguide.gif

Sometimes the true stories are the most fascinating, and that’s particularly the case with Dallas Buyers Club (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP), which looks at the lengths to which an AIDS patient in Dallas – and unlikely hero – goes to provide an underground route to life-prolonging medication, in defiance of the FDA, in the dark ages of the epidemic in the late 1980s. It’s a simplification of a great film, marked by stellar performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

blankguide.gif

If The Lego Movie left as much of an impression on you as it did me, you’ll probably want to pick up The LEGO Movie: The Essential Guide (DK, $12.99 SRP), which gives a nifty overview of the characters, contraptions, and conflicts comprising this awesome little movie with big heart.

blankguide.gif

They say write what you know, and that’s certainly what actress and voice actor Lake Bell has done in her feature In A World (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), playing a voice actress on the outs with her famous father, the king of the voiceover industry, who tries to make her own mark in the cutthroat world of voice acting. There’s also some romance with a sound engineer (Dmitri Martin) and a rivalry with her father’s chosen professional heir (Ken Marino). Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, trailers, and a gag reel.

blankguide.gif

Insight Editions puts out some truly wonderful art books, and they’ve turned their magical eye towards a property long-deserving of a proper celebration with The Spongebob Squarepants Experience (Insight Editions, $50.00 SRP). Both a behind-the-scenes journey through the development of Stephen Hillenburg’s creation and a compilation of development artwork and ephemera, it’s a worthy purchase for any fan.

blankguide.gif

While I still have my reservations for the film, The Art Of Mr. Peabody & Sherman (Insight Editions, $45.00 SRP) is packed with enough visual delights that at least on that front, I’m convinced that film has enough love for Jay Ward’s classic cartoon to merit my hope that all of the other elements match the development artwork.

blankguide.gif

Little Clint Howard and a bear having adventures in the Florida Everglades? That should be the only reason you need to watch the second season of Gentle Ben (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Think of it as Lassie… with a bear. Brilliant, right?

blankguide.gif

There’s a 3D feature film extravaganza on the way, but if you want to divorce the real history from the drama, The History Channel is releasing Pompeii: The Doomed City (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), which collects a trio of documentaries examining that ancient disaster.

blankguide.gif

Twomorrows Publishing continues their tradition of wonderful artist spotlights with Modern Masters Volume 29: Cliff Chiang (Twomorrows, $15.95 SRP), featuring an in-depth interview and copious amounts of artwork from the artist best known for his work on Wonder Woman.

blankguide.gif

Edie Falco is still offering a cure for what ails you in the fifth season of Nurse Jackie (Lionsgate, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.87 SRP), as Jackie Peyton leaves rehab early, sober and relatively happy, as her marriage comes to an end and an accident finds her a patient in her own All Saints Hospital. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

blankguide.gif

Produced by Gene Autry and featuring plenty of familiar faces from oaters of the day, the western series The Adventures Of Champion The Wonder Horse (Film Chest, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) – a one-season wonder that ran from 1955-56, about a small boy and his amazing wild horse – has been fully remastered and is available for the first time on DVD. Relive a simpler age where a boy and his horse could do just about everything a boy and his dog could.

blankguide.gif

This year, the Easter Bunny can load up his basket with a clutch of seasonal springtime DVD releases from Nickelodeon – Dora The Explorer: Dora’s Easter Adventure, Dora The Explorer: Egg Hunt, Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit: Spring Into Adventure, and Max & Ruby: Easter With Max & Ruby (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$9.44 SRP each).

blankguide.gif

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

##

February 20, 2014

Win a Marvel Spider-Man MARY JANE WATSON Statue from Sideshow Collectibles!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:39 am

contestheader.jpg

In conjunction with Sideshow Collectibles, we’re giving away a MARY JANE WATSON POLYSTONE STATUE to one lucky winner!

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, February 27th 2014.

Per Sideshow: “Mary Jane Watson is the quintessential girl next door, exuberant and charming, she’s the light of Peter Parker’s life. Designed by the incomparable J. Scott Campbell, Sideshow brings this irresistible comic siren to life in the Mary Jane Comiquette, the first release in our J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Collection. Cast in high quality polystone, MJ is hand painted with a new high-contrast technique, creating added depth and dimension to each piece.”

Please note: International winners agree to pay shipping on any prizes granted by Sideshow Collectibles during any contest or giveaway. International winners (including EU regions) will be responsible for VAT, duties or import fees on the shipment of their prize that may be assessed by their governments. Due to custom requirements, the prize will be assigned a value of at least US$1.

CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

Official Rules

No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, February 27th 2014.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

February 19, 2014

FREDagator: 2014-2-19

Filed under: FREDagator — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:16 am

fredagator.png

lucyline.gif

OK. You have my attention…

lucyline.gif

February 18, 2014

A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Billy West

Filed under: A Bit Of A Chat With Ken Plume,Interviews — Tags: , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 4:27 pm

bitofachat-header.png

lucyline.gif

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

In this episode, I have a chat with voice actor extraordinaire Billy West about Larry Fine, Mel Blanc, radio, Brian Wilson, Futurama, and miracle teeth.

Hope you enjoy…

Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Billy West“:

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

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

##

patreon-fred.png

Drop Ken a line HERE.

##

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

lucyline.gif

February 14, 2014

Weekend Shopping Guide 2/14/14: Dark Knight Detectives

Filed under: Shopping Guides — Tags: , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 9:06 pm

weekendshopping.png

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…)

Although the second season had its rough spot in the middle, the third season of Sherlock (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP) has been absolutely stellar. In fact, I daresay the middle installment this time around, which found our dear detective the best man at Watson’s wedding, was near perfection as both TV and a feature (as these adventures are, in fact, feature-length). Either way, if you haven’t seen this season, rectify a grievous oversight – and if you have seen it, see it again. Bonus materials include a trio of featurettes.

blankguide.gif

How could the fine folks at Sideshow Collectibles possibly trump the incredible Premium Format Joker they released just a few short months ago? With an even more exceptional take on his archnemesis, the dark night defender of Gotham City, with the Premium Format Batman ($399.99). Based on the classic DC comics appearance, the piece stands almost 2 feet tall, mainly because our hero his perched on a gothic pedestal perfectly befitting the character. There are two separate swappable head sculpts included, allowing you to choose your preference of the long-eared or short-eared cowl. Also swappable is the right hand, with either a clenched fist our holding a batarang. So, should you get this? Yes. Yes you should.

 weekendpicks20140214-02.png

 weekendpicks20140214-03.png

 weekendpicks20140214-04.png

 weekendpicks20140214-05.png

Definitely near the top of the eagerly-awaited list, Disney has finally unveiled their high definition restoration of The Jungle Book (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), and it looks just as spectacular as all of their recent restorations – like it could have been made yesterday. All of the bonus material from the previous DVD release has been ported over, with the addition of a brand new introduction, an alternate ending, featurettes, a spotlight on Disney animation, and more. An ace treatment of a true classic, and just leaves 101 Dalmatians and Aladdin as the big missing flicks.

blankguide.gif

Just because the 50th anniversary has wrapped doesn’t mean that fans aren’t still getting treated to goodies from the vaults, as another Patrick Troughton 2nd Doctor adventure gets a special edition release in Doctor Who: The Moonbase (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP). As with most of Troughton’s stories, this one has missing episodes, but they’ve been lovingly recreated his battle against the Cybermen using the still-extant audio tracks in animated form. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, galleries, and PDF goodies from the archive.

blankguide.gif

To say About Time (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) is a goopy mess is an understatement, but because it’s a Richard Curtis film, it’s also a button-pushing master manipulator with that goop, that sadly doesn’t understand that its sole focus should have been on the much better-realized father-son relationship than the awkward time travel courtship of its lead and his eventual wife. Yeah, it’s complicated. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, featurettes, and a blooper reel.

blankguide.gif

The House of York and the House of Lancaster vie for the throne of England in the historical miniseries The White Queen (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.99 SRP), which dramatizes the real game of thrones between Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, and Anne Neville in the year 1464. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.

blankguide.gif

While it’s not quite up to Pixar or even Dreamworks standards, Free Birds (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is a fun little self-aware romp in the vein of Hoodwinked, as a pair of turkeys decide to travel back in time in order to take themselves and their brethren off the Thanksgiving menu. And hijinks ensue. Bonus materials include featurettes and a music video.

blankguide.gif

While we’re marking time until the next full season Blu-Ray release, catch the next 16 episodes in Regular Show: Mordecai + Margaret Pack (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$19.82 SRP), which also features a bonus Steak Me Amadeus commercial.

blankguide.gif

The folks at Mill Creek continue to keep budget-conscious cinephiles in their thoughts with another batch of multi-film collections and television show re-releases, the latest of which include 90s Night In (Threesome, The Velocity Of Gary, Wilder Napalm, Go!, Hexed, The Mating Habits Of The Earthbound Human, Jersey Girl, The Suburbans), Silver Screen Romances (The Solid Gold Cadillac, Angels Over Broadway, We Were Strangers, Music In My Heart, The Marrying Kind, Adam Had Four Sons, It Should Happen To You, Down To Earth), Big Screen Romances (The Luzhin Defense, This Is My Father, Tempest, Violets Are Blue, No Small Affair, The Man Who Loved Women, Modern Romance, Perfect), Chick Flicks (If Lucy Fell, Sweet Hearts Dance, Imaginary Heroes, You Light Up My Life, Moscow On The Hudson, I’m With Lucy, Mr. Jones, Lies & Alibis (Mill Creek, $9.98 SRP each), Tear Jerkers (Swept Away, My Life, Avalon, To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday, All The Pretty Horses, The End Of The Affair), British Cinema Showcase (Once Upon A Time In The Midlands, Last Orders, Still Crazy, Crush, Driving Legends, Young Adam) (Mill Creek, $9.98 SRP each), The Three Stooges: 6 Movie Set (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$9.98 SRP), The Ellen Show: The Complete Series (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$9.98 SRP), Gotham City Serials: Batman/Batman And Robin (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$9.98 SRP), and The Tick: The Entire Series (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$9.98 SRP).

blankguide.gif

Most fear to tread in the footsteps of Hitchcock, but that didn’t stop to the BBC from making an enjoyable take on the tale of trainboard mystery, The Lady Vanishes (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), as a young woman is unwittingly drawn into a sinister plot.

blankguide.gif

It’s been a few years, so evidently we’re due for a special Diamond Edition re-release of the musical Chicago (Lionsgate, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.99 SRP), which comes fully remastered and with over 2 hours of new bonus materials, including a retrospective documentary with the cast & crew.

blankguide.gif

It’s a shame that WB’s latest animated tale from the DC Comics universe, Justice League: War (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP) looks so darn good, because it’s rather spiffy animation is unfortunately brining to life DC’s rather abysmal “New 52” continuity reboot. There are highlights here and there, but it’s hard to care about a collection of formerly epic superheroes turned into a band of many malcontents with few redeeming traits. Bonus materials include featurettes and a sneak peek at the next animated feature, Son Of Batman.

blankguide.gif

Best to forget the Lindsey Lohan of it all when you can instead see Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West as Burton And Taylor (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), a much better portrait of the on-again, off-again couple’s love affair as it played its final act while both were starring in the play Private Lives. Bonus materials include a pair of featurettes.

blankguide.gif

When a security expert is deceived and wrongfully imprisoned in the world’s foremost high security prison, he must recruit a fellow inmate in order to attempt a daring escape in, errr… Escape Plan (Summit, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which is noteworthy because the two leads attempting the breakout are Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, and deleted scenes.

blankguide.gif

Enjoy Shirley’s swan song, as the penultimate seventh season of Laverne & Shirley (CBS, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) is the last full season to feature Penny Marshall, as she makes a quick departure two episodes into the eighth and final season to come.

blankguide.gif

Never would I have believed that Mike Tyson would one day do a one-man show on Broadway, but that’s exactly what Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), as the former heavyweight champion of the world presents his side of his often controversial life. Bonus materials include interviews.

blankguide.gif

That Wadjda (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$40.99 SRP) is a Saudi Arabian film from a female writer/director is remarkable enough, but that it’s also a moving tale of a young girl in a fiercely patriarchal society who wants nothing more than to buy her own bicycle in defiance of that society is where its true power lies. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurette, and a Q&A.

blankguide.gif

The second season of the modern relaunch of Dallas (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) also marks the untimely exit of Larry Hagman and his iconic J.R. Ewing, a character which came to define this new series as much as he did the old, and whose mysterious death leaves massive repercussions for everyone left in his wake. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, and the 2013 PaleyFest panel.

blankguide.gif

How about a soundtrack round up for this week? Certainly! You’ve got Patrick Doyle’s score to Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Varese Sarabande, $13.03 SRP), Tuomos Kantelinen’s The Legend Of Hercules (Lionsgate Records, $7.99 SRP), Christopher Lennertz’s Ride Along (Varese Sarabande, $12.59 SRP), Alexandre Desplat’s Monuments Men (Sony Masterworks, $11.88 SRP), Nicholas O’Toole & Jonathan Davis’s After The Dark (Varese Sarabande, $14.84 SRP), Marcelo Zarvos’s Enough Said (Varese Sarabande, $19.98 SRP), Bear McCreary’s Knights Of Badassdom (Sparks & Shadows, $14.98 SRP), and David Torn’s That Awkward Moment (Varese Sarabande, $13.98 SRP).

blankguide.gif

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

##

A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Hal Lublin 3

bitofachat-header.png

lucyline.gif

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

In this episode, Ken Plume has another chat with actor Hal Lublin, about proximity mimics, doctors, dropped hats, thrilling adventures, and Hal-shaped holes. With special guests Paul Sabourin and Mark Gagliardi.

Hope you enjoy…

Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Hal Lublin 3“:

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/bit_of_a_chat-hal_lublin_3.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

##

patreon-fred.png

Drop Ken a line HERE.

##

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

lucyline.gif

A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Andrew Hunter Murray

bitofachat-header.png

lucyline.gif

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

In this episode, I have a chat with writer and performer Andrew Hunter Murray about Private Eye, QI, Jane Austen, questions, bridges, tunnels, and Brian Blessed.

Hope you enjoy…

Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Andrew Hunter Murray“:

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

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

##

patreon-fred.png

Drop Ken a line HERE.

##

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

lucyline.gif

February 12, 2014

FREDagator: 2014-2-12

Filed under: FREDagator — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:02 am

fredagator.png

lucyline.gif

For you history buffs, here’s a brilliant little visual guide to World War I from artist John Ruddy…

lucyline.gif

February 7, 2014

Ken P. D. Snydecast #210: Crunchings And Munchings

Filed under: Ken P.D. Snydecast — Tags: , , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:21 am

snydecast-header.png

snydecast-logo2.png

Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and FRED’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.

Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.

Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at FRED. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.

VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

linesm.gif

KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #210: Crunchings And Munchings – Ken & Dana return with edible guilty pleasures.

[CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #210 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-210.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.

line.gif

CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

line.gif

##

February 5, 2014

A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Andy Bobrow 4

Filed under: A Bit Of A Chat With Ken Plume,Interviews — Tags: , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 11:33 pm

bitofachat-header.png

lucyline.gif

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

In this episode, I have another chat with COMMUNITY writer/producer Andy Bobrow, about cannisters, pilots, pop tarts, and regret.

Hope you enjoy…

Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Andy Bobrow 4“:

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/bit_of_a_chat-andy_bobrow_4.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

##

patreon-fred.png

Drop Ken a line HERE.

##

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

lucyline.gif

Win MIKE TYSON: UNDISPUTED TRUTH on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:38 am

contestheader.jpg

In conjunction with HBO, we’re giving away three (3) copies of MIKE TYSON: UNDISPUTED TRUTH on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, February 12th.

Enter the contest!
Email:
First name:
Last name:
Street Address:
Address Line 2 (if needed):
City:
State/Province/Whatever:
Zip Code/Postal Code:
Country:
Birth Month:
Birth Day:
Birth Year:

Official Rules

No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, February 12th.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

Win STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE: BERRY BIG HELP on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:34 am

contestheader.jpg

In conjunction with Fox, we’re giving away one (1) copy of STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE: BERRY BIG HELP on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, February 19th.

Enter the contest!
Email:
First name:
Last name:
Street Address:
Address Line 2 (if needed):
City:
State/Province/Whatever:
Zip Code/Postal Code:
Country:
Birth Month:
Birth Day:
Birth Year:

Official Rules

No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, February 19th.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

February 3, 2014

A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Chris McKenna 2

bitofachat-header.png

lucyline.gif

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

In this episode, I have another chat with writer and COMMUNITY executive producer Chris McKenna, about returns, farewells, Harmonizing, Banks, John Oliver, and broken promises.

Hope you enjoy…

Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Chris McKenna 2“:

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/bit_of_a_chat-chris_mckenna_2.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

##

patreon-fred.png

Drop Ken a line HERE.

##

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

lucyline.gif

February 1, 2014

FREDagator: 2014-2-1

Filed under: FREDagator — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:48 am

fredagator.png

lucyline.gif

Batman sells kids US Savings Bonds for Vietnam…

And as a bonus, here are the screentests for BATMAN…

lucyline.gif

[ad#contestbox]

January 31, 2014

Weekend Shopping Guide 1/31/14: Uncle Commander

weekendshopping.png

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…)

If you pare Jackass down to its bare essentials, it’s pretty much just Johnny Knoxville doing stupid things. And that’s pretty much the embarrassingly sublime simplicity of Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which finds Knoxville in his 86-year-old Irving Zisman make-up doing stupid stunts in public with the added bonus of a kid sidekick. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and featurettes.

blankguide.gif

While there have been a handful of figures released in Sideshow’s GI Joe line already, the real gem I’ve been eagerly awaiting is the arrival of Cobra’s supreme leader, Cobra Commander ($174.99). Thankfully based on his classic appearance from the original Real American Hero cartoon, the maniacal terrorist sorts either his reflective battle helmet or his hooded visage via swappable heads. There are plenty of extra hand variations (including one crushing a small globe), plus his scepter, pistol, laser rifle, and knife. Overall, exactly what I was hoping for.

weekendpicks20140131-02.png

weekendpicks20140131-03.png

weekendpicks20140131-04.png

Now that Sherlock has wrapped, get your Benedict Cumberbatch fix from The Fifth Estate (Touchstone, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$36.99 SRP), where he plays WikiLeaks mastermind Julian Assange in the true tale of espionage and intrigue behind the foundation’s founding and mission. Bonus materials include featurettes, TV spots, and trailers.

blankguide.gif

At a time when all of the other studios are opening up their vaults and releasing their deep catalogue titles, CBS has come up with a trio of their own starring some quite big names, starting with Dustin Hoffman in the quirky comedy Who Is Harry Kellerman And Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$19.99 SRP). Then we’ve got a pair of films featuring Jack Lemmon – The April Fools (Paramount, Rated PG, DVD-$19.99 SRP), with Catherine Deneuve, and The War Between Men And Women (Paramount, Rated PG, DVD-$19.99 SRP), with Barbara Harris.

blankguide.gif

Just in time for Mardis Gras comes the complete collection of HBO’s Treme (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$134.98 SRP), which brings together all 36 episodes of the epic story of the Big Easy’s rise from the ashes of Katrina, told through a collection of musicians, chefs, and residents. In addition to audio commentaries and featurettes, the set also contains an exclusive bonus disc with 15 music video performances from the show.

blankguide.gif

The fine folks at BBC Earth return with a new pair of visually stunning and informative nature documentaries – Penguins: Spy In The Huddle & Snow Babies (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP each). My only wish for both of these is that they could have gotten a true high definition Blu-Ray release.

blankguide.gif

The rescue of a boatful of illegal immigrants forces a struggling island family off the coast of Sicily to make difficult decisions in the fascinating import Terraferma (Cohen, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP). Bonus materials include a making-of featurette and the theatrical trailer.

blankguide.gif

Even though I’m not a fan of the sport, I’m a sucker for a well-made documentary, and 1 (Millennium Entertainment, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), about the history and danger of Formula 1 Racing and narrated by Michael Fassbender, certainly is an interesting watch.

blankguide.gif

And speaking of Formula 1 racing, that’s the subject of Ron Howard’s latest film, Rush (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP), which dramatizes the real-life rivalry between drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) as they clash both on and off the track. Bonus materials include featurettes and deleted scenes.

blankguide.gif

While the 60’s film is a much more romanticized take on the material, the recent miniseries take on Bonnie & Clyde (Sony, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$55.99 SRP) hews much closer to the facts of the couple’s bloody crime spree and even bloodier end. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.

blankguide.gif

If you’re keen to give a gift of a romantic flick-a-palooza, try the 7-film Nicholas Sparks Collection (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, DVD-$69.97 SRP), which includes Safe Haven, The Lucky One, Dear John, Nights In Rodanthe, The Notebook, A Walk To Remember, and Message In A Bottle. The set also includes collectible postcards and a letter from Sparks.

blankguide.gif

For years, it’s been nigh-on impossible to buy 10th Doctor action figures for any decent price on the secondary market. Well, with the new Doctor Who: Doomsday Set (Underground Toys, $54.99 SRP), you get not only David Tennant’s Doctor (with 3D glasses), but also a Dalek and a Cyberman.

weekendpicks20140131-14.png

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

##

January 29, 2014

Ken P. D. Snydecast #209: Where Schemes Come True

Filed under: Ken P.D. Snydecast — Tags: , , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:42 am

snydecast-header.png

snydecast-logo2.png

Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and FRED’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.

Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.

Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at FRED. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.

VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

linesm.gif

KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #209: Where Schemes Come True – Ken & Dana return with a magical car journey near Disney World featuring special guests Guy Hutchinson and Quincy Marr.

[CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #209 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-209.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.

line.gif

CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

line.gif

##

January 28, 2014

Live at Dragon Con 2013: Thank God You’re Here

dragonhead2013.png

Aaron Fever and the multi-talented Joseph Scrimshaw put on an improv comedy show of epic proportions at Dragon Con 2013. It featured the talents of James Urbaniak, Bill Corbett, Paul & Storm, Mike Phirman, and Phil LaMarr with special appearances by Phil Plait, Ken Plume, and Molly Lewis. Somehow we were able to fit that all star line-up into just 20 minutes. If you weren’t there, fret not! Because now you can watch it in 720p (whatever that means) online! As many times as you’d like.

Bit of a warning, there were some problems with the audio on the night so you might have issues with it in patches but hopefully not enough to take-away from the show.

Video Credits:-
Directed by Jon Boutelle
Filmed by The Unique Geeks
Edited by Aaron Poole

January 24, 2014

Weekend Shopping Guide 1/24/14: Amazingly Mad

Filed under: Shopping Guides — Tags: , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:20 am

weekendshopping.png

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…)

When it comes to kitchen sink filmmaking, the grandmaster of them all is Stanley Kramer’s larger than life comedy It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Criterion, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$49.95 SRP), and it’s been given a fitting treatment from the fine folks at Criterion, who have not only beautifully remastered the theatrical version of the film for high definition, but have also crafted the most extensive restoration yet of the long-missing extended road show version of the film, which while still incomplete, is as close as we’re probably ever going to get. Bonus features include a brand new documentary, an audio commentary on the extended cut, and much more.

blankguide.gif

You could never do a show like Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$249.95 SRP) today. A daily serialized play on soap opera tropes, its sly satire was only made possible by the fact that it was also the brainchild of TV powerhouse Norman Lear. And thanks to the miracle workers at Shout Factory, you can now own all 325 episodes in one massive box set packed with bonus features, inclu8ding featurettes and a handful of episodes from its brilliant spin-off assault on middling talkshows, Fernwood 2 Night. Here’s hoping a Fernwood 2 Night box set is on the way.

blankguide.gif

After the spectacular flame out of the blah-tacular Tobey Maguire Spider-Man franchise, it was a spectacular breath of fresh air to get Andrew Garfield as the friendly neighborhood Amazing Spider-Man (Sideshow Collectibles, $204.99), who has now been captured in eerily lifelike detail by those equally amazing artisans at Hot Toys. While I’m not fully sold on the changes made to the suit’s design, there’s no denying it is accurately reproduced in this fully-articulated figure, and the swappable Garfield head sculpt is pretty darn perfect. The figures comes with a handful of swappable hands, plus an assortment of webbing for recreating your favorite web-slinging poses.

weekendpicks20140124-03.png

weekendpicks20140124-04.png

weekendpicks20140124-05.png

After years in the wilderness, it’s nice to see Woody Allen continue his latter-day winning streak with his latest, Blue Jasmine (Sony, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), about the titular east coast socialite (Cate Blanchett) making a go at a new, less glamorous life in San Francisco in which she tries to reconcile her troubled past with her lower class future. Oh, and it has Louis CK. So, win. Bonus materials include a featurette and the cast press conference.

blankguide.gif

I’m still not entirely sure if I like Comedy Bang Bang (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). I mean, I think I do… And then it just gets slightly more bizarre than actually funny bizarre, and I have to reconsider my position. Your mileage may vary. The complete first season set contains character audio commentaries, alternate interviews, supercuts, test shoots, and more.

blankguide.gif

If you’re looking for a pair of fascinating documentaries this weekend, the Smithsonian Channel is serving up the unsung heroes of the space program with Space Voyages (Smithsonian Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) and the unsung staff that make the President’s residence livable in White House Revealed (Smithsonian Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP).

blankguide.gif

The fine folks at Mill Creek have a mighty batch of economy-priced TV collections for anyone hoping to dive in to some classic series on a budget, including Married With Children: Seasons 1 & 2 (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), the uncut debut of The Cosby Show: Seasons 1 & 2 (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), Just Shoot Me: Seasons 1 & 2 (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), Dilbert: The Complete Series (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$9.98 SRP), Charlie’s Angels: Season 1 (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$9.98 SRP), Bewitched: Seasons 1 & 2 (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), Good Times: Season 1 (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$9.98 SRP), and Wings: Seasons 3 & 4 (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP).

blankguide.gif

Shout Factory has become the last great hope for many TV series whose DVD releases were cut off short of completion, as they turn their benevolence towards Sipowicz and Simone for the complete fifth season of NYPD Blue (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$34.99 SRP). The 6-disc set contains all 22 episodes, but sadly no bonus features.

blankguide.gif

Join Grover, Abby, and Elmo as they learns the ins and outs of sportsmanship in Sesame Street: Be A Good Sport (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), featuring over 2 hours of thematically linked furry fun for youngsters.

blankguide.gif

Disillusioned by the direction he sees professional wrestling headed, Steve Scarborough decides to take matters into his own hands and founds the Platinum Championship League, whose origins and development are chronicled in the documentary The Booker (Indiepix, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP).

blankguide.gif

The second volume of the second season of History Channel’s Counting Cars (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) has arrived for those of you who have finally succumbed to History Channel Stockholm Syndrome and understand there is nothing there any more but these “reality” series full of people doing things in a “real” way. Bonus materials include 35 minutes of additional footage.

blankguide.gif

The latest in the line of quickie joke-a-second pop culture lampoons has come down the pike in the form of The Starving Games (Ketchup, Rated PG-13, DVD-$20.99 SRP), which takes on The Hunger Games, The Avengers, Avatar, Angry Birds and much more.

blankguide.gif

It’s hard to believe it’s taken this long, but the Doctor Who toy universe now has not one, nor two, but THREE new action figure sets featuring the arrival of Nicholas Courtney’s Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. The Claws Of Axos Collectors’ Set (Underground Toys, $57.98 SRP) features The Brigadier, Jo Grant, and Axon (in humanoid form). The Daemons Collectors’ Set (Underground Toys, $57.98 SRP) features The Brigadier, The Master as Magister, and Bok the gargoyle. And finally, The Three Doctors Collectors’ Set (Underground Toys, $57.98 SRP) features The Brigadier, Jo Grant, and a Gel Guard.

weekendpicks20140124-15.png

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

##

January 17, 2014

Wine TREME: SEASON 4 on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:12 pm

contestheader.jpg

In conjunction with HBO, we’re giving away two (2) copies of TREME: SEASON 4 on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, January 29th.

Enter the contest!
Email:
First name:
Last name:
Street Address:
Address Line 2 (if needed):
City:
State/Province/Whatever:
Zip Code/Postal Code:
Country:
Birth Month:
Birth Day:
Birth Year:

Official Rules

No member of FRED Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, January 29th.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

Weekend Shopping Guide 1/17/14: Wossamota U

weekendshopping.png

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…)

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

blankguide.gif

To say that Fruitvale Station (Anchor Bay, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is a sobering film is an understatement, as it dramatizes the tragic shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) by San Francisco BART officers on New Year’s Day 2009 – which was captured on cameras by his fellow passengers. Bonus materials include a filmmaker Q&A and a featurette.

blankguide.gif

After mainly focusing on shorts-based released for their DVD line – most likely due to ease of rights issues – the fine folks at Rifftrax have been increasing their feature-length releases, with a pair of brand new ones to ring in the new year. If you’re in the mood to extend your holiday celebrations, there’s the disturbing Santa’s Village Of Madness, or the somehow not quite as creepy Ghosthouse (Rifftrax, Not Rated, DVD-$9.95 each). Just get them both.

blankguide.gif

Fox has opened up their vaults again, going all the way back to the high definition debut of one of the very first Academy Award winners, 1929’s Sunrise (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), packing it with an audio commentary, deleted scenes, trailers, and featurettes. Also arriving in high def are 1967’s In The Heat Of The Night (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP), with commentary & featurettes, and 1985’s A Chorus Line (Fox, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP), with the original theatrical trailer.

blankguide.gif

The surprise announcement that his younger brother is getting married sets off a chain reaction of bitterness and recrimination between the long-divorced but still very angry parents of Carter (Adam Scott), a man who is still caught in the emotional maelstrom of that dissolution in A.C.O.D.: Adult Children Of Divorce (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). It’s a wry little comedy marked by a stellar cast, including Catherine O’Hara, Richard Jenkins, and Amy Poehler. Bonus materials include cast & crew discussions, PSAs, and outtakes.

blankguide.gif

Watching Kevin Bacon be Kevin Bacon is the real reason to watch the spotty The Following (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), as it finds him cast as a former FBI agent brought back into the fold when a serial killer he put away nine years earlier (James Purefoy) escapes from death row intent on revenge and with a loyal cult of followers spread far and wide dedicated to carrying out his master plan. Bonus materials include an audio commentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes.

blankguide.gif

The perfect antidote to the grating US version is a dose of the original power trio in their latest season with Top Gear 20 (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$18.98 SRP), which finds Clarkson, Hammond, and May racing against a yacht in New Zealand, blast across Spain, and seek the world’s fastest taxi. Bonus material includes Stig Cams and James May’s Greatest Moments in Top Gear History.

blankguide.gif

By the time we get to the third season of Enterprise (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$129.99 SRP), any lingering franchise goodwill I had towards the show had long since evaporated in the face of a relentlessly mediocre offering, so the baby steps this season began taking to try and right the sinking ship very much smacked of too little, too late, but at least they were an improvement. Little did the show know, however, that this would prove to be their penultimate season of a voyage cut short. Bonus materials are, as with the previous Blu-Ray releases, where the real gems reside, with a brand new, wonderfully candid set of documentaries as well as new audio commentaries and all of the previous DVD features.

blankguide.gif

If you’re in the mood for a prestige mystery that manages to maintain it’s edgy drama throughout, try Top Of The Lake (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), which starts with a pregnant 12-year-old-girl who walks out into the freezing waters of a lake. She refuses to reveal who the father is, and then disappears from town… leaving behind more than one mystery for an inexperienced detective (Elisabeth Moss).

blankguide.gif

As the new episodes have slowed to a trickle, the Spongebob machine keeps on rolling by introducing a character-centric collection – Patrick Squarepants (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) – which brings together 14 episodes centered around everyone’s favorite be-shorted starfish.

blankguide.gif

Just in time for the debut of the fifth season (naturally) comes the complete fourth season of Archer (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). From the Bermuda Triangle to the Vatican, it’s a globe-hopping clusterfuh of Archerian proportions. Bonus materials include Archer Live! and a featurette.

blankguide.gif

It’s largely disposable entertainment, but Runner Runner (Fox, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is fine as thriller, with engaging performances from Justin Timberlake as a Princeton grad student who believes he’s been swindled by a gambling tycoon (Ben Affleck), so he heads to Costa Rica and winds up gambling more than he anticipated in a high stakes game between the Tycoon and the FBI. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and a featurette.

blankguide.gif

Every once in awhile, The History Channel manages to set aside their godawful “reality” programming in favor of something truly enlightening and, dare I say, classy, like The Universe In 3D (History Channel, Not Rated, 3D Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP), which brings their astronomical science series into the 3rd dimension.

blankguide.gif

Get your final fix of the period police drama Copper (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.98 SRP) with the second and final season, set in New York City on the brink of Lincoln’s assassination in a metropolis at war with itself. Bonus materials include set tours and featurettes.

blankguide.gif

The supernatural Three’s Company that is the US remake of Being Human (E1, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.98 SRP) rolls along with the release of the third season, which finds our vampire, werewolf, and ghost (plus Nora) struggling to keep their secrets hidden as things get more and more complicated. Isn’t that always the way? Bonus materials include featurettes, bloopers, and the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con panel.

blankguide.gif

Only a handful of releases of the long-running BBC series remain with the release of Last Of The Summer Wine: Vintage 2001 (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), featuring the ongoing comic misadventures of Holmfirth’s pensioners.

blankguide.gif

When you can watch the story of a woman on the coast of Scotland who crafts fishing lures that are renowned the world over for both their efficacy and their beauty and be absolutely enthralled, THAT is the mark of the true power of a well-crafted documentary. So do give a spin to Kiss The Water (Virgil Films, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP) and see if it lures you in as well.

blankguide.gif

It’s a new year, so howzabout a new round-up of soundtracks currently available for your listening pleasure? We’ve got Howard Shore’s The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (WaterTower Music, $18.99 SRP), Anchorman 2 (Universal Republic, $11.88 SRP), Marcelo Zarvos’s Reaching For The Moon (Lakeshore, $9.99 SRP), Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil’s I, Frankenstein (Lakeshore, $15.35 SRP), and Rolfe Kent’s Labor Day (Warner Bros., $18.47 SRP).

blankguide.gif

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

##

January 10, 2014

Party Favors: Holiday Leftovers

Filed under: Joe Corey's Party Favors — UncaScroogeMcD @ 6:10 pm

partyfavors1.jpg

NORTH POLE – Shout! Factory is a pop culture gem from the people who original ran Rhino Records during its glory period. While the DVD market over the last decade has died down, Shout! Factory has come up with ways to excite those who haven’t sold out to the streaming concept. Mostly through putting out complete sets of great cult TV shows. Seeing how this is the 10th anniversary of Shout! Factory, let’s just give a rundown of the Top 10 DVD/Blu-ray sets you ought to have from them in your collection.

10. Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: The Complete Series brings us all the fun of a love struck high school and his beatnik pal.

9. Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection picks up where Rhino left off on the legendary TV movie series. Shout! Factory has been surprising fans with their amazing bonus features that dare to explore every aspect of the series. They’ve been able to release quite a few films that fans thought would only exist as VHS tapes made off the Comedy Channel.

8. Get A Life: The Complete Series is Chris Elliot’s groundbreaking show about a man who just wants to stay a paperboy.

7. Max Headroom: The Complete Series takes us a few minutes into the future.

6. The Ernie Kovacs Collection is two volumes of the TV pioneer who took comedy into the video age.

5. Scream Factory is the horror genre line that ought to be considered the National Registry of scares. They’ve brought out Blu-rays of Cat People, Night of the Comet and…

4. Roger Corman’s Cult Classics series did a fine job of reviving all the low budget thrills from the Oscar honored producer. The Blu-ray of Rock N Roll High School brings the Ramones into your living room.

3. Steve Martin the Television Stuff takes us back to the time when he was a Wild and Crazy Guy.

2. The Sarah Silverman Show: The Complete Series is a fine case of a show without a mute button.

1. The Larry Sanders Show: The Complete Series was the show that made a lot of people fall in love with HBO comedies.

SCREAM FACTORY SNOWY FESTS

The Beast Within is a deep fried Southern horror film that drips with a lot of sweat. A couple get their car stuck in the Mississippi mud. On their walk to safety, they get attacked by a beast. She gets pregnant from the rapist, but keeps the kid. Seventeen years later her son has a major medical issues. Except the family doesn’t know the true extent of their son’s condition. He’s got a monster lurking inside him. He won’t be stopped. There’s rather gross special effects when the kid transforms to expose his true self. There’s quit e a few familiar faces on the screen including L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Luke Askew and Ronny Cox. Screenwriter Tom Holland would later go on to write and direct Fright Night and Child’s Play. Space Age Bachelor Pad legend Les Baxter composed the score. Bonus features include a commentary track with Holland and a second one with director Philippe Mora and actor Paul Clemens.

Crawlspace reminds us once more that If Klaus Kinski is in your building, you might want to move. Who would agree to live in his building? Turns out some women just don’t recognize the situation. Or maybe he just has a great move in deal. Klaus doesn’t merely collect the rent. He has set up a bunch of crawl spaces so he can sneak around and see exactly what his tenants are doing. This is some brilliant over the top ’80s horror. Kinski gleams as he doesn’t have to be restrained in the frame. The best bonus feature is “Please Kill Mr. Kinski.” This is director David Schmoeller’s documentary about how things got out of control on the set. There’s plenty of video footage from the set. It’s as entertaining as the film. There was a plot to kill Kinski for the insurance money. Schmoeller also has a commentary track. There’s an interview with make-up artist John Vulich.

4 Cult Movie Marathon: Volume One is a quadruple feature containing Invasion of the Bee Girls!, The Devil’s 8, Unholy Rollers and Vicious Lips. Bee Girls is a great flick about female research scientists who get a buzz about their work. They are going around killing their male counterparts. The film stars former Price Is Right model Anitra Ford. The Devil’s 8 is a Dirty Dozen plot reworking. A fed agent busts six guys out of prison so they can be his operatives in a fight against moonshiners. Fabian gets to toughen up his image. Unholy Rollers is the star of the set. Claudia Jennings is a gal who finds a taste of fame in the world of roller derby. However she learns the hard way that just because she’s loved on the track, she can’t be replaced. Can she keep her ego in check? The film had to have a few of the songs replaced. Vicious Lips is a strange flick from Albert Pyun (Captain America). An all -girl band from outer space comes to Earth to be in a talent show. It’s almost a film that seems like a sequel to Liquid Sky. The mix is fine although Unholy Roller is the reason to relish the collection.

4 Cult Movie Marathon: Volume Two presents the foursome of Angels From Hell, Chatter-Box, The Naked Cage and Savage Island. Angels From Hell is a biker flick about the creation of the biggest, baddest motorcycle gang ever put together. Can they make the law fear their outlaw ways? He uses his skills learned in Vietnam to ramp things up. Chatter-Box is about a woman who finds herself speaking from her va-jay-jay. She becomes a disco sensation with her new singing voice. This is a raunchy comedy from 1977. The big star of the film is Rip Taylor. The Naked Cage is another trip inside the women’s prison. Two cellmates clash until they team up during a hot prison riot. Savage Island is a film that sliced up Hotel Paradise and Escape From Hell with a few new minutes starring Linda Blair (The Exorcist). It’s cheesy fun. This is just a nice collection of battered grindhouse cans.

VINEGAR SYNDROME

Russ Meyer’s Fanny Hill with The Phantom Gunslinger is a double feature of films produced by Albert Zugsmith (Touch of Evil). Fanny Hill adapts the classic dirty novel for the big screen. While people are used to the nudity of Russ Meyer’s later work, Fanny Hill is more bosom teasing than exposed skin. A young orphan woman must find a way to survive in the world. Her naïve nature allows her to be lured into the world of prostitution. The Phantom Gunslinger is a crazy Western with Troy Donohue as a spiritual cowboy. The film looks amazing with surreal moments. Troy has to save the town from a bunch of outlaws. The big bonus feature is an interview with Fanny Hill‘s Ulli Lomell. Historian Eric Schaefer talks about the double feature.

Wakefield Poole’s Bible! dares to bring together the world of erotica with stories from the Holy Book. This is one of those strange films that a X-rated theater would book in order to prove they have religion. Wakefield Poole brings to life the kinky twists of the Good Book. He gives us a carnal version of Adam & Eve. There’s also the tale of Samson & Delilah that is more than Technicolor. The transfer brings out the ’70s colors and production design. There’s a lot of bonus features explaining so much of the production. Poole introduces the film and gives a complete audio commentary. They even have the costume tests reel.

BLU-RAY HEAVEN

World Series 2013 Collector’s Edition brings together all the games from this year’s Fall Classic between the Boston Redsox and the St. Louis Cardinals. This was an unexpected series victory for the Redsox. The press were still focused on the team falling apart in the previous two seasons. But none of them figured David Ortiz would be as dominate in the Fall. Now you can chart the entire progress with this boxset that contains all six games. You’ll get to stare at the weirdness of the obstruction charge. Rewatching the good games can be a rush for fans. Redsox fans might skip games 2 & 3. What’s great is the option to watch the games with the radio broadcasts instead of the Fox News crew. They also include all 11 walk off wins during the regular season. As a bonus, you also get game six of the ALCS when the Redsox took down the Detroit Tigers in a bit of an upset.

DVD SHELF

The Gene Autry Show: The Complete Television Series, Collector’s Edition brings together the singing cowboy’s series. What’s amazing is that is also stars Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram) from Green Acres as his sidekick. Gene was the clean cut cowboy with a sweet voice. He’s the reason Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is a hit. The set has all 91 episodes from its five season run. There’s also plenty of other shows that Gene produced with his company. This is a perfect boxset for fans of the oater.

The Best of The Universe is the History Channel’s H2 series about the edges of the Solar System. Think of this as a primer for Cosmos. The episodes covered in the set are “Death Stars,” “The Day the moon Was Gone,” “It Fell From Space,” “Catastrophes That Changed the Planets,” “Nemesis: The Sun’s Evil Twin,” “How the Solar System Was Made” and “Crash Landing on Mars.” The series really explores the topics with plenty of scientists.

The Best of Ancient Aliens: The Greatest Mysteries features the show that swears everything man has ever done is the work of aliens. This remains the strangest show run on the History Channel since it seems to feature a lot of people who don’t trust real history. But you get to marvel at the strangest haircuts. The episodes here include “Aliens and the Third Reich,” “Alien Tech,” “Angels and Aliens,” “Unexplained Structures,” “Aliens and Mysterious Rituals,” “Aliens and Ancient Engineers,” “Aliens, Plagues and Epidemics” and “Aliens and Lost Worlds.” It’s a good film to watch when you’re drinking green beer.

Night Train to Lisbon is Jeremy Irons in a bit of a late life romance. He’s a college professor who drops his life after a chance encounter with a Portuguese woman. He quits his job and heads to Lisbon to locate an elusive author. This is a bit of a male version of a Lifetime movie except it’s a guy who throws away his sad life in order to get his groove back. There’s a great supporting cast with Tom Courtenay, Bruno Ganz, Lena Olin, Charlotte Rampling and Christopher Lee. The big bonus feature is an Ultraviolet version of the film.

The Hunt gives Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) a chance to shine. He’s a divorced dad fighting for his kid’s custody. He thinks his life is turning around when he meets someone new. However his life gets swung around into a major nasty battle. It’s a gripping drama from director Thomas Vinterberg. In a time of superhero flicks, it’s good to see someone still has a grip on earthbound men.

Shaolin Warrior is a buttkicking tale of a wannabe monk. There’s a lot of kinetic energy is this tale of young man who wants to train at the Shaolin Temple. They don’t want him, but he does his best to prove that he is worthy of being a student. Can he really be up for their harsh training techniques.

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress