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…)
Matt Stone & Trey Parker show no signs of flagging in the seventeenth season of South Park (Comedy Central, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), as it contains the truly epic “Black Friday” trilogy, which is the show at its social pop commentary best, The 2-disc set contains all 10 episodes, plus the standard clutch of mini-commentaries and deleted scenes, plus a new #socialcommentary feature, with behind-the-scenes tweets from the official @SouthPark account.
The soul stealers at Hot Toys continue their magical miracles with their latest take on Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow (Sideshow, $189.99), this time portrayed with her updated look in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While the costume has seen only minor changes over the course of her three figures (dating back to Hot Toys’ take from Iron Man 2), the biggest change is in both her maturing head sculpt and different hairstyle, accomplished once again by astonishingly well-realized rooted hair rather than a sculpt. The figure has the usual complement of extra hands and wrist gauntlets (featuring her “widow’s bite” lasers), plus a pair of pistols ad a cell phone. And did I mention again how eerily realistic she is?
Some of the freshest, funniest sketch work being done on TV can be found in the third season of Key & Peele (Comedy Central, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), as the duo tackle everything from paintboobs to PB & J. The 2-disc set contains a best of seasons 1 & 2 special, “The Van & Mike Show”, and a gag reel.
It seems the US is taking a page from the UK’s longstanding policy of quickly releasing episodes to home video prior to a big season box set with the drop of Doctor Who: Deep Breath (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP), which sports the feature-length debut of modern Who‘s 8th season and Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. To make the impulse purchase a little sweeter, the BBC have added in a behind-the-scenes featurette, a prequel, “The Real History Of Science Fiction: Time” documentary, and last year’s live special in which Capaldi was announced as the Doctor.
If there’s one reason and one reason alone to watch the BBC’s The Musketeers (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.96 SRP), it’s to catch the mighty Peter Capaldi in his turn as Cardinal Richelieu. And really, isn’t that enough? Bonus materials include a quartet of featurettes.
A landmark science fiction anime gets the high definition treatment it deserves with the 25th anniversary edition of Ghost In The Shell (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), which means if you’ve never seen its mind-blowing craziness, now is the perfect time to do so.
It definitely grew on me, and by the end of its first season, I was looking forward to spending time with the crack ensemble of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP). The 3-disc set contains all 22 episodes, plus deleted scenes.
Sure, it’s not the Belushi/Aykroyd black comedy I was hoping for, but the Seth Rogen/Zac Efron Neighbors (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) still has its comedic moments, many coming from Rogen aging into the role of one-half of a young couple (with Rose Byrne) whose quiet suburban life in their new home with their newborn child is ruptured when a college fraternity moves in next door, fronted by frat boy Efron. And then they go to war. Of course. Bonus materials include an alternate opening, deleted/alternate scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel.
It’s as lowbrow as most Chuck Lorre comedies, but there’s no denying the appeal of leads Allison Janney and Anna Faris in Mom (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP), which finds Faris as a newly-sober single mom thrown up against her own mother (Janney) as comedic sparks fly. The sole bonus feature is an often-funnier-than-the-show gag reel.
For those of you who still watch the seemingly neverending pandering emptiness and truly wasted ensemble cast of Big Bang Theory (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$44.98 SRP), the seventh season is more of the same, including a decided increase in guest stars and wacky t-shirts. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes, the 2013 Comic-Con panel, and a gag reel.
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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It’s somewhat hard to believe that it’s taken this long – 23 years after his untimely passing – that we’ve gotten a proper biography of Jim Henson. Well, not so odd when knows that an attempt was made in the 90s that was scuttled by the Henson family – but now, finally, author Brian Jay Jones has managed to pull together 
Sure, the 3D conversion remains more of a gimmick than an artistic contribution to the film, but the effect works nicely in the high definition debut of 
Where most Star Wars material leaves me unfazed post-The Great Depression (The Prequels), I’ve looked forward to J.W. Rinzler’s exhaustive “Making Of” books for the depth of their information, but more so for their remarkable candor. And now the classic trilogy comes to an end with the entry that had perhaps the most fascinating development process, all of which is fully explored in 
Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that 
Awkwardly split in two and never really building a head of steam, the seventh season of 
As a longtime fan, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Dave Foley had begun doing standup. I’m even happier that his first special, 
After the overall “meh” of Iron Man 2, 
In years past, TV shows would rarely consider the afterlife of their run beyond a sale into syndication. The idea of a home video market for popular shows? Unheard of. With that in mind, music licensing deals were only ever made short term, which has left many a show in quite the deep financial pickle when the idea of bringing them to home video with their music intact. Years ago, the music was just changed to far cheaper tunes – leading to fan backlash. Eventually, though, companies decided to try and clear the hurdles – the first most famous example was Shout Factory’s Herculean handling of Freaks & Geeks. And now, the gents a Time Life have actually undertaken their own Herculean task and succeeded in clearing nearly all of the vintage songs (Dylan, Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, and more) contained in the beloved Vietnam War drama 
The heroes on the half shell return with a dozen new-to-DVD adventures in 
Every time you turn around there seems to be another edition, but we may finally have arrived at a definitive version with the 35th anniversary high definition release of John Carpenter’s 
Like most Dreamworks films save for How To Train Your Dragon, 
There are those that rail on the ability to watch 3D right in our homes as some kind of gimmick, and they’re right – it is a gimmick. But you know what? It’s still a nifty gimmick, and its presence in the home allows studios like Warner Bros. to release true-3D versions of classic 50’s films like the Vincent Price horror flick 
And while we’re talking vintage catalogue releases from Warners now available in high definition, also making its debut is King Vidor’s incredibly moving silent war film 
You know the merger between Marvel and Disney has been fully cemented when you finally get a mighty meeting like 
I used to really like the show, but there’s something about the 4th season of 
Scholastic is back with a bit of a treat for kids with their latest Storybook Treasures collection – 
The Second World War is over but the Cold War looms in 
Yes, Zooey Deschanel is still delightfully quirky in the second season of 
Nothing quite makes me miss the sublime farce of 3rd Rock From The Sun than a pale imitator like 
Nickelodeon makes holiday gift-giving even easier with their new “Holiday Gifts From Nickelodeon” sets – a trio of releases featuring DVDs of 
It’s never been much of a quality show, but it was always a consistent lowbrow laugher that had a shaky transitional year during its 9th season. But all is back on a somewhat even (for it) keel now that Ashton Kutcher cut his hair for the 10th season of 
If you ever wondered just what it would be like if a stoner got lost in a thought and decided to make a documentary about it, look no further than 
While the actual film was an unfortunate mess, one of the few highlights of DC’s latest direct-to-video animated feature was the score to 
And hey, how about a soundtrack round-up? This week, we’ve got Greg Edmonson’s score for 
It’s been a few months, so that means another much-anticipated addition to the MSTie library with 
Sure, they’re a bit of a novelty, but for goofball geeks and kids, the 
I still don’t think we’ve gotten enough perspective on the events and repercussions of 9/11 to make a truly remarkable film about it, but 
While James Cameron’s film has the edge in the effects and actual mechanics of the sinking, the far more accurate portrayal of the real people and events leading up to the disaster – and the exclusion of saccharine fiction – makes 
I would have hoped it would have been better timed to be released alongside the big screen adventures, but at least we still get the second and final volume of the animated 
I’m a big fan of the various documentaries that Top Gear co-presenter James May has done over the years, all of which contain an almost boyish enthusiasm for the various subjects at hand. He goes enjoyably DIY with the first series of 
Fifteen seasons of 
Packed with the Hollywood luminaries that received their career start from him and chronicling his profitable existence as the King of the Quickie, 
While I don’t think it was one of their better seasons, there was still much to enjoy in 
If you’re in to DIY and want to extend it to your electronic devices, you might have been stumped by the often proprietary screws they have. Well, be stifled no more with the 
DA Pennebaker’s seminal documentary 
Long before John Travolta became an alien joke, he starred as a sound effects man who believes he’s accidentally recorded a political assassination in Brian De Palma’s gripping if in consistent thriller 
In a change of pace from their recent nature documentaries, the BBC turns their high definition cameras on people for the series 
If you’re at all interested in the nuts and bolts that built the Hollywood Dream Factory, look no further than TCM’s excellent documentary series 
It’s hard to believe Sid & Marty Krofft’s iconic 
If you haven’t been buying them individually, catch up on one of the most beautifully executed astronomical documentary series ever aired with 
Years after the release of its debut season, the Seaver family gets their sophomore run out of the gate with 
If you have a youngster in your family, Scholastic’s Storybook Treasures line of book adaptations are lovely gifts to give. The latest is a collection celebrating Asian Heritage, featuring the story 
Before Earth’s mightiest heroes hit the big screen, Marvel has primed audiences with an animated series – and you can now get the first 13 episodes of the inaugural season via 
I wish I had half the energy that Stan Lee has. The man’s got more projects going than Spielberg. One of them is a reality show for The History Channel, 
They were originally released a few years back, but with leaner times and decreasing shelf-space, A&E has re-released 
Earth day may have just passed, but you can still explore the origins of the Earth and the potential consequences of our actions upon it in 
While it attempts to capture the charm and update a classic, the BBC’s new take on 
If you’ve ever wondered what special information the President of the United States might be privy to, you might get a kick out of the documentary 
Take one last look at the brutal members of some of the country’s toughest gangs in 
I admit – besides just being a fan of the show and being delighted that another volume has arrived – I’m even more delighted by the release of the 
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of wimpy flashlights. I want a flashlight that looks like it came right out of The X-Files… You know, with that wildly improbably beam that illuminated an entire wooded area with a powerful white light. Well, fantasy has become reality with the 
I had little expectation going in, but to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the new CG-animated adaptation of Tezuka Osamu’s 
I wish Disney’s grand return to traditional animation hadn’t been a by-the-numbers princess film, but at least there’s enough fun and spirit in 
The 13th season of 
The second half of the film doesn’t live up to the first half, but 
While it’s not quite the revelation that some tried to make it out to be, 
Well, 
Why, exactly, did USA decide to cancel 
It doesn’t take long into the second season of 
Are you a teen or a middle-aged person desperate to fantasize with the unique ability to turn off the portions of your brain able to assess the quality of script or acting? Well, then the latest installment of the cinematic Twilight saga, 
Explore the history behind the big screen with a pair of History Channel documentaries whose big-screen counterparts are apparent – 
Mill Creek returns with a clutch of fan favorite titles repackaged and offered at rock bottom prices. Their latest batch includes 
While watching 
Bide the times until the next full season set with the single-disc collection 
Produced by the Wachoski Brothers, 
To dismiss 
As part of their in-house plan to continue releasing shows that may not have the sales to go a more traditional big-box route, fans can now pick up the complete second seasons of both 
John Krasinski takes David Foster Wallace’s 
Though there are many great episodes contained in the 14 that comprise the 12th(!) season of 
They’re completely impractical and a little bit silly, but that’s also what makes having your very own 
Combine the internet phenomena of LOLcats, the hobo resurgence fueled by humorist John Hodgman, and an incredible artist. What do you get? Adam Koford’s wonderfully witty 
One of my favorite Disney animated classics – and easily one of their darkest in content – is the tale of the little wooden boy 
Best known as one half of Tears For Fears, Curt Smith has come out with 
Oh, 
It’s a wafer-thin premise that could have fallen on its rear, but 
First off, Anne Hathaway’s Oscar nomination for 
For a true story that’s proven problematic to bring to the big screen over the past 20 years, writer Dustin Lance Black and director Gus Van Sant certainly accomplished the task with 
Putting much of US television to shame, one of those must-have, wonderful series comes together in one handy package with 
Disney contributed quite a one-two contribution to the “creepy kid” genre of films with their 70’s “classics” 
It’s a shame that 
You’ve seen the documentary, but it’s just as fun (especially for kids) to see the Scholastic Children’s book edition of 
The name is a misnomer, but it’s admirable that Hanna-Barbera tried to bring back their animated adventure series with an older, edgier 
If you want a dose of the denizens of Smurf village but the first season set was too intimidating, try the single-disc 
Brian Bonsall is in full gear as precocious son Andrew as we move quickly towards the end in season 5 of 
Edward Norton’s still-powerful turn as an altar boy accused of murder in 
Let’s get a little educational for a bit, with a clutch of titles from the fine folks at PBS. First up is the untold story of America’s immigrant hospital, 
I’m two viewngs into 
Directed by and starring William Shatner, 
The show is coming to a close, but the DVD releases are still playing catch up with the release of 
It was more affable than funny, but I admit to having seen the odd episode from the second season of 
It’s by no means a good flick, but as a piece of animation history, 
I really didn’t think I’d ever encounter a film as awkward as Life Is Beautiful again, but then came 
As much as I loved the first season of 
I’ve described in the past my utter delight in gadgets that magnify things – going all the way back to childhood – and the ultimate high-end version of that is the 
For criminy’s sake – it’s taken forever, but we in the US have FINALLY gotten a box set containing all of the various travel documentaries hosted by Python Michael Palin in the uber-wonderful 
I can’t even begin to express just how delighted I am with the 50th anniversary edition of Orson Welles’ classic venture into film noir, 
It’s hard to believe that we’re already up to the fourth volume of 
This makes the thirteenth or fourteenth time they’ve been released on DVD, but a trio of Alfred Hitchcock’s certifiable classics have been given remastered 2-disc special editions – 
Get all of your festive holiday specials with the 
Another of the classic – well, mostly classic – stop motion Rankin/Bass holiday specials makes its way to DVD with 
I can’t even begin to tell you how disappointed I am that – despite brilliant, newly remastered sound and picture – the new edition of Tim Burton’s 
Although the story is rather flat and doesn’t hold up to much scrutiny, 
It seems like there’s no end to the classic Doctor Who adventures still in the vaults, as we get not only a Tom Baker adventure with 
Of a more recent vintage, there’s the animated 
Although launched as a Doctor Who spin-off aimed at the teen market, I find 
As beautiful and memorable as it is, do not show 
Well, we’ve finally hit the wall. The eleventh season of 
Though I’m getting a bit tired of all of the South Park best-ofs that are coming down the pike, at least the 2-disc 
From years of watching it during my frequent Nick at Nite binges when the block first began all those years ago, I have the theme tune to 
There’s nothing like sparkling fresh Ray Harryhausen, and that’s exactly what you’ll see with the new 50th anniversary edition of 
Fill up your pre-Halloween viewing with the new Blu-Ray edition of 
Peyo’s little blue mushroom-dwelling creations are back in 
Not only does 
There have been dozens of releases featuring the numerous episodes that have moved into the public domain, but Paramount has finally put out the official second season set of 
Certainly on the “to give to my nephews” list this holiday season is 
Even over 20 years later, there’s no denying that Kathleen Turner’s performance in 
Most don’t think of the man in black when they think of the holiday season, but the 
Set in 1945 on a navy cargo ship far from battles in the Pacific theater, 
You know when a band puts out a lackluster EP of material that’s been sitting around, as a stop-gap instead of releasing a new album? That’s exactly what Michael Moore’s 
Has it really been that long since the last 
The ragtag band of global crimefighters led by Jim Phelps returns in the complete fifth season of 
A must-have from the vaults, be sure to pick up and give a spin to the 1945 adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 
Even the kiddies with their eyes normally glued to Nickelodeon can begin celebrating the holidays with 
I must admit, I was surprised that 
The only reaction that I got from M. Night Shyamalan’s 
Time is flying by – I can not believe we’re already to the penultimate volume of the full-color Bone volumes from Scholastic, 
Have you ever been on an airplane, or a trip, or just simply not near a power outlet or batteries when your cell phone goes dead? Or a camera? Or any other important portable device in your life? Well, you need a monkey. Nor a real monkey, silly – a 
While it’s by no means their weakest season, the eleventh season of 
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – When it comes to chronicling comic book history – and the men and women that made it – Twomorrows has mastered the fine art of mixing equal parts scholarship, objectivism, and a palpable love of the medium. They’ve also now become the go-to source for tomes detailing the published exploits of a given character or superhero title with their “Companion” series, the latest of which is 
Far too soon, 
The BBC is dipping it’s toes ever-so-gingerly into the Blu-Ray waters with the release of 
Combine the space age with the rise of the hippie movement, and you’ve got the design and living spaces lovingly collected in the immense 
Often abbreviated to JRJR, John Romita, Jr. gets the 
For anyone who thought that a move to the big American network would ruin the low-rent, brutal one-upsmanship of 
First printed in 1926, 
Climb aboard the second volume of 
The animation is borderline unwatchable and the writing is subpar, but there’s quite the crappy charm remaining in the cartoons featured in the 
After the delightfully bizarre Night Court, Harry Anderson starred as the fictionalized version of columnist Dave Berry in the tepid but amiable family sitcom 
Another month, and another batch of classic Doctor Who adventures come to disc, starting with a 2-disc 25th Anniversary Edition of 
The title pretty much explains it all – 
It’s kind of sad when composer Kevin Kiner’s score for 
If you’ve ever had the desire to see mouse & cat duo Tom and Jerry engage in a slew of x-treme sports, you’ll find plenty of cartoons with the theme in the 5th volume of 
Kiddie fare (sure to entertain my nephews) this week include a pair of new Nickelodeon titles – 
Honestly, the only reason I gave 