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…)
It’s the last of their live recordings from November’s run of shows in Los Angeles, but they’ve certainly saved the best till the end – Cinematic Titanic’s Danger On Tiki Island (Cinema Titan, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99) is the Titans operating at the top of their game, tearing into a terrible little gem about pathetic people sort of fighting in the direction of mutant monsters on a South Pacific island populated by stalkers, virgins, and midgets. Also delightful? A brief bonus documentary with the CT crew. I hope future discs can do more of this.
Want to be able to put your cellphone or Flip camera just about anywhere? Well, you pretty much can using the incredible gripping ability of the GorillaMobile stand ($29.99), which features a trio of sectional legs that wrap around practically anything.
The latest in the line of must-have production art books from the fine folks at Pixar and Chronicle is, of course, The Art Of Toy Story 3 (Chronicle Books, $40.00 SRP). Packed to the brim with art and behind-the-scenes information from every stage of production (including spoilers), it needs to be on your shelf. Now.
Fans who have been wondering when Universal would finally bring their spiffy remastered edition of Flash Gordon (Universal, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$26.98 SRP) to high definition need wonder no more, as it has arrived, and it looks even spiffier. It also ports over the featurettes and classic Flash serial found on the original release. Also being released on the same day – consider it a bonus – is Sam Raimi’s Darkman (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$26.98 SRP) which has, unfortunately, no bonus materials to speak of.
It’s been a long, long, LONG wait, but fans can now pick up the complete 3rd season of Leave It To Beaver (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$39.97 SRP). The 6-disc set contains all 39 episodes, completely remastered, plus a radio interview with Jerry Mathers & Frank Bank.
I’ve been a big fan of the Playing For Change music project since I first heard about it last year, as most people did, via the brilliant viral video of artists worldwide doing a jam session on “Stand By Me”. The latest release from the project is Playing For Change Live (Playing For Change Records, $18.98 SRP), a DVD/CD combo compiling performances from the concerts in LA, Vancouver, Madrid, and Glastonbury.
Now that the series has been released in its entirety, it’s only left to mop things up and release MacGyver: The TV Movies (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$19.99 SRP), which collects the two post-series telefilms – Lost Treasure Of Atlantis and Trail Of Doomsday.
When all else in the world is uncertain, one can always rely on the complete, unadulterated, glorious crapfest that is Showgirls (MGM, Rated NC-17, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), whose fleshy cruddity is now available in high definition. The 15th anniversary edition features an audio commentary, pole & lapdancing featurettes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a bonus standard edition DVD.
Backfilling your TV series collection in HD is obviously the new thing to drain your wallet dry, and with that in mind I’m sure fans will be picking up Supernatural: The Complete First Season (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP). The 4-disc set contains all 22 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, and a brand-new addition of the Paley Festival panel discussion.
I don’t know why last year seemed to bring out the post-apocalyptic flicks, but The Book Of Eli (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) certainly falls into that category, as it stars Denzel Washington as the titular Eli who carries the titular book, which can either save society or destroy it. I won’t say if that book is Hop On Pop. The 2-disc set contains a trio of featurettes, additional scenes, an animated short, and a standard DVD copy of the film.
Really, the only reason for watching the otherwise toothless romantic comedy When In Rome (Touchstone, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is the always fun, funny Kristen Bell, who co-stars as a woman who finds an unexpected crush when her sister’s wedding finds her in the titular Italian city. Bonus materials include an alternate opening/ending, a featurette, deleted scenes, bloopers, and music videos.
OD on animated sitcoms from Seth MacFarland by picking up not only the 8th volume of Family Guy (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), but also the 5th volume of American Dad (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). Family Guy contains audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a featurette, and karaoke. American Dad sports audio commentaries, deleted scenes, trivia, and a drinking game.
Harrison Ford as a reclusive medical researcher? Sure, I’ll buy that. Brendan Fraser as an idealistic dad desperate to find a cure for his children’s rare genetic disorder before it’s too late? Okay. Is Harrison Ford awake in Extraordinary Measures (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$34.95 SRP)? Mostly! It’s a button-pushing emotional rollercoaster, but at least it’s watchable. Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette and deleted scenes.
It’s been awhile since his last comedy special, but Black is back with a new album – Lewis Black: Black Is Back (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP). It’s Black as beautifully bile-filled as you’d expect him to be. It’s also available on CD (Comedy Central Records, $12.98 SRP).
It doesn’t have quite the budget of Primordial, but Sanctuary (E1, Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP) does cover the same monster squad territory, with a group of specialists out to investigate and protect strange and terrifying creatures from around the globe. The 4-disc set contains all 13 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, video diaries, outtakes, and a gallery.
I think it was during Youth In Revolt (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.95 SRP) that I’d finally had enough of Michael Cera. His one-note performances had been getting increasingly grating since the highs of Arrested Development, but while starring as straightlaced but odd teen Nick Twisp, whose vacation attempt to woo a pretty girl makes him adopt a suave but destructive alter ego (with a mustache), I’d just had enough of him. The flick itself has some energy, but not enough to overcome the black hole that is Cera. I hope Scott Pilgrim slaps some life into him. Bonus materials on this disc include audio commentary, deleted scenes, deleted/extended animated sequences, and audition footage.
Leave it to that good ol’ golden retriever to make sure he gets in on the sports action with Air Bud: World Pup (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP), in which the pooch give soccer a spin. Bonus materials include commentary from the Buddies, and a production featurette.
Really, the only thing that makes the fourth season of The Secret Life Of The American Teenager (ABC Family, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP) is the continued presence of Molly Ringwald as the main character’s mother. Yes. She’s playing a mother. A mother! The 3-disc state contains all 12 episodes, plus a pair of featurettes.
Adults (and even kids) have been eagerly awaiting the next installment from their trippy friends who dance around to music and stuff, and now they can pick up Yo Gabba Gabba! Clubhouse (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), which contains a quartet of episodes.
Always one of those inoffensive, rather forgettable WB shows, I could never bring myself to watch Everwood (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). But for those that did, the complete third season is now available, whose 5-disc boxset contains all 22 episodes plus outtakes.
It may be on the pricey side, but there are some collectibles that cross beyond the threshold of cool to the rarified realm of sublime, and I’d have to say that’s the case for the 13″+ Robby The Robot ($429.99). Not only is it a faithful reproduction of the Forbidden Planet icon, but it also lights up when it speaks. That’s right – it speaks multiple lines from the film. If that weren’t enough, an extra level of cool is added when you take the head off and find a 12″ figure operating the “robot” for a meta surprise. If you have the ability to snap this up, do so.
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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Often viewed as lesser entries in the series and the waning work of an animation genius, I’ve got a warm spot in my heart for the cartoons featured in 
Summer is hot. Very hot. And what can be more useful when determining whether to venture outside your air conditioned cocoon and onto the surface of the sun than to know just what temperature you’ll be encountering – which is easily accomplished with the 
If modern American satire and parody has a father, that man’s name is Harvey Kurtzman. From the founding of Mad through 60’s magazines like Humbug & Help, through Playboy‘s Little Annie Fannie and much more, Kurtzman was not only a vibrant artist, but also a sharp writer and editor. The man and his work is celebrated in a large, excellent tome that should be on your shelf, now – 
Equal parts Neverending Story and Pagemaster, Brendan Fraser stars as Mo Fulchart, who has the rather awkward ability to bring fictional characters into the real world when he reads their story, and awkward adventures ensue. 
Even though it’s a sentimental favorite from my childhood, I’m a bit disappointed that the second Mel Brooks film to make it to Blu-Ray is 
We’ve seen fish-out-of-water adults trying to lead scout troops in the past (I’m looking at you, Troop Beverly Hills, and 
On the run from the Mexican Army, a vengeful killer (Leonard Nimoy), and his girlfriend, Yul Brynner’s 
This truly is not saying much, but 
Yes, Jerry Bruckheimer has produced a “chick flick”, an its name is 
A small town, a missing teen, a cryptic video message, and friends on the lookout make for a surprisingly entertaining thriller in 
Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas as a pair of thieves out to pull of an impossible heist in New York City? Sure, I’ll give 
Combine exec producers Tony & Ridley Scott and hosting duties from Terence Stamp with a horror anthology series, and 
When I wasn’t watching Three Stooges shorts during the pre-dawn Saturday and Sunday mornings of my childhood, I’d watch the adventures of Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, and all the rest of The Little Rascals. Kids today don’t have the joy of seeing those classic Hal Roach shorts in their heavily edited forms in syndication packets farmed out to networks near and far, but I’m positively giddy that the DVD genie has granted us 
A long time ago, not too terribly far away, there was a company that produced some of the most wonderful and faithful Star Wars prop replicas to be had. Sadly, due to corporate issues both various and sundry, the timeliness of the releases began to wane, and then the company decided to drop the license entirely. What became of it? Well, the core group who handled the license at that other company decided to strike out on their own, and they formed 
If I were pressed to choose my favorite sitcom of all time, the answer I’d have to give is 
It doesn’t interest me much – or at all, really – but my father got a big kick (as a fan) out of 
It’s goofy, it’s dopey, and the effects are ropy, but there’s something simpleton charming about the glorified IMAX 3-D excuse feature 
There’s nothing that points out the deficits in today’s lackluster TV fare than viewing some of the groundbreaking (and *still* pretty damn funny) sitcoms from the 70’s. One of those that still holds up is 
With 
Instead of pumping their minds full of Hanna Montana and princess pap, why not sit your daughters down with 
Yet another series has made the transition from individual season sets to one uber-mega-all-inclusive set with the release of 
One of those wonderful holiday classics of yore gets its special edition due in the form of the 3-disc 
I must say kudos to Sony for their move to consolidate their classic TV series – formerly released as single season sets – into one comprehensive set. 
The title is mostly apropos, as the 
Her work has become iconic – and some of it has become controversial – but there’s no denying that photographer Annie Leibovitz is an interesting character. Judge for yourself with the documentary 
I’m not a fan of torture horror, no matter how stylish it tries to make itself. That lack of interest certainly applies to 
Eager to expand the lucrative stranglehold on preteen girls they have with their omnipresent “Princess” franchise, Disney has decided Fairies are the next big thing, which means we get a feature-length straight-to-DVD abomination spotlighting the friends and family of Peter Pan’s formerly feisty paramour 
As a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000 from “back in the day”, for years I’d hoped for the return to performing of MST creator Joel Hodgson and writer/performer Trace Beaulieu (Dr. Forrester & Crow T. Robot). Even though we’ll probably never see MST return for various intractable reasons, both Joel and Trace returned – along with fellow alums Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, and Josh Weinstein – to form Cinematic Titanic. For all intents and purposes, it’s pretty much MST – only all 5 members are silhouetted onscreen at the same time, stationed on a tiered series of platforms on either side of the screen and commenting on the flick. Their first flick was the delightfully awful 
William Conrad – now THERE was an outsize TV star that filled the screen in ways today’s stars only wish they could. And I don’t mean that in just the obvious reference to Conrad’s fabled girth – no, he was an old school TV actor who commanded your attention, much like William Shatner still does on Boston Legal. If you don’t believe me, check out the first volumes from the respective first seasons of both 
As anyone who’s seen Wall-E knows, sitting in front of a computer all day (working, in my case) doesn’t exactly lend itself to muscle toning (or avoiding the dread carpal tunnel nightmare). Maybe that’s why everyone who sends their days bathed in the LCD glow should pick up a 
Ah, Peep Show. If you’re a fan of The Office – or just offbeat British comedy in general (you know, the smart people) – you’ll probably dig 
If you’ve ever had the desire to live a Wodehousian existence and be as coddled and pampered as Bertie Wooster – or you just feel like being awakened in the morning by the mellifluous tones of Stephen Fry – then you’ll want to make sure to get your own 
Anticipation of The Dark Knight is building to a fever pitch, so it makes sense that Warners would quickly shuffle out a 
And speaking of the Caped Crusader, I can see what they were going for with 
Did you know that there was a new Mummy movie coming out? No? Well, even I barely knew there was a new Mummy movie coming out. In order to mark the occasion, Universal has cooked up a batch of new special editions related to the franchise, starting out with 2-disc special editions of both 
In the legend that is the emerging grunge scene in the early-90’s, you may not know the name of a band called The Gits. The reason for that omission is the brutal tale of the rape and murder of the band’s lead singer and emotional core, Mia Zapata, after the group returned from a successful European tour. Over a decade later, new evidence would reopen the case, leading to the arrest of a suspect and a tale captured in the documentary 
Eager to make sure that their second theatrical outing isn’t met by the same slack-jawed confusion of their inaugural go, the folks behind the X-Files (Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz) have selected 8 essential episodes in the 2-disc 
Ireland’s soul singer supreme gets a quintet of special edition catalogue remasters. Now you can snag your own copies of Van Morrison’s 
Another in the long line of Iraq war related films that failed to perform at the box office, 
Ignoring the double negative, Jimmy had it right when he said they don’t dance like Carmen no more – and you can see for yourself with 
If you want to feel the colossal loss of Joe Strummer all over again, by all means check out Julien Temple’s magnificent documentary 
Despite all of those peanuts, it’s nuts to 
Where are you going to take the relationship between Jeannie and her “master”, Tony, in the fifth and final season of 
Six seasons in, 
Even with the arrival of Amanda Tapping’s Colonel Samantha Carter, 
A pair of DC animated series come to an end with the release of their respective fifth seasons – 
Mix The Fast and The Furious with Miami Vice, and you pretty much get the short-lived 
I admit – by the team