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…)
After the massive success of Sgt. Bilko, creator Nat Hiken moved on to birth another of my absolute favorite comedies, Car 54, Where Are You? (Shanachie, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). It’s been one of those shows whose arrival on DVD I’ve long wished for, and the wait was worth it, as the first season has been mastered from the original 35mm prints, and looks better than it’s ever been. There’s even a nice 30min interview with surviving castmembers Charlotte Rae and Hank Garrett. Get this set. Get it now. Then join me in the wait (Hopefully not long!) for the 2nd (and final) season.
Want your geekiness to shine through even when the lights go out? Perhaps you should use a Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver LED Flashlight when the lights go out, which is available in both 10th & 11th Doctor iterations ($9.99-$12.99). Yeah… That’ll really show you’re a geek. SHINE ON!
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 Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) it does, with a fully matured cast and a pace that corrects some recent missteps. The Blu-Ray features an interactive behind-the-scenes picture-in-picture Maximum Movie Mode experience, featurettes, additional scenes, and a special preview of a scene from the final film.
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 The Incredibles (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$45.99 SRP), which – in addition to a stunning transfer and sound – also gets loaded up with a wonderful clutch of bonus features, including a roundtable reflection on the film, a visual commentary on the short Jack Jack Attack, plus all of the featurettes found on the original DVD release, this time in HD. Is it worth the upgrade? Of course it is.
Warners continues to be tops when it comes to preserving and presenting their massive library, and it’s releases like the 10-disc Tracy & Hepburn: The Definitive Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP), which contains Woman Of The Year, Keeper Of The Flame, Without Love, The Sea Of Grass, State Of The Union, Adam’s Rib, Pat And Mike, Desk Set, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, and the documentary The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute By Katharine Hepburn.
If ever there were a film made to appeal to my good buddy Dana Snyder, it’s the documentary Behind The Burly Q (First Run Features, Not Rated, DVD-$27.95 SRP), which looks at the storied, bawdy, and intoxicating history of burlesque in America, from its comedians to its striptease artists.
It’s probably for the best that Leave It To Beaver (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$39.97 SRP) ended with its 6th season. Granted, the show was just awkward once The Beaver started shaving. Still, it’s good to put another series to bed, which you can with this 6-disc set featuring all 39 episodes plus a bonus radio interview with Tony Dow.
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 – The Ballad Of Rango: The Art & Making Of An Outlaw Film and The Art Of Kung-Fu Panda 2 (Insight Editions, $39.95 SRP each). Both are packed with conceptual art and behind-the-scenes info.
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 Reboot (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$29.93 SRP), the first computer generated animated show to hit the small screen. The 4-disc set contains newly recorded audio commentaries, which should also make the fans giddy.
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 Greek (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$44.99 SRP), which features audio commentaries, featurettes, a gag reel, and more.
Long out of print on DVD, the Richard Lester satire How I Won The War (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), starring John Lennon & Michael Crawford, comes back into print via MGM’s on-demand disc service (similar to the Warner Archive Collection). Sadly, there are no bonus features to speak of, which is a shame, as the film is a curiosity that deserves better.
The original Ewing family saga wraps up with the release of the Dallas: Movie Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which brings together The Early Years, JR Returns, and War Of The Ewings, along with the Dallas Reunion: Return To Southfork.
The 80’s were certainly an… odd time for sitcoms. In what other generation could we have Webster (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$29.93 SRP), which made a TV star out of Alex Karras. So yes, just that odd. The first season set contains all 22 episodes, but sadly no audio commentaries from Alex Karras.
So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…
-Ken Plume
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Always one of those inoffensive, rather forgettable WB shows, I could never bring myself to watch 
