Tag: Cinematic Titanic

  • A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & J. Elvis Weinstein 2

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    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/director/comedian J. Elvis Weinstein, about documentaries, stand-up, Michael Des Barres, writing, Mystery Science Theater, and battle bots.

    Hope you enjoy…

    Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & J. Elvis Weinstein 2“:

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/bit_of_a_chat-j_elvis_weinstein_2.mp3]

    And you can hear our previous Bit Of A Chat HERE.

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    Drop Ken a line HERE.

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

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  • A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Trace Beaulieu 2

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    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 the man behind MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER’S Crow T. Robot & Dr. Clayton Forrester, Trace Beaulieu. about Benjamin Button tastes, Stubby Kaye, Doctor Quabius, and Christmas.

    Hope you enjoy…

    Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Trace Beaulieu 2“:

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/bit_of_a_chat-trace_beaulieu_2.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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    Drop Ken a line HERE.

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

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  • A Bit Of A Chat Special: Reel Crime

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

    In this episode, I host a nifty little comedy panel from DragonCon 2014, featuring Mystery Science Theater and Cinematic Titanic alums Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, and Joel Hodgson. Recorded live at DragonCon on August 31, 2014.

    Hope you enjoy…

    Download “A Bit of a Chat Special: Reel Crime“:

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

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    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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    Drop Ken a line HERE.

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

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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 7/27/12: Where Some Have Gone Before

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    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…)

    As its original run was airing, I would rarely miss a new episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$129.99 SRP). As years have gone by, my love of the show has waned, and I find more and more flaws in its stories with the truly outstanding episodes dwindling to a handful. But I must applaud and support the phenomenal effort that has been put into making the show available in HD, which includes going back to the actual film source and constructing the show from all of the original elements in HD, rather than the original video mastering… Which means the show has never, ever looked as good and, frankly, modern as it does now. So for that reason alone, I recommend these sets, especially in hopes that their success will ensure Deep Space Nine gets the same treatment. As far as bonus features go, not only do we get the original DVD features, but also brand new documentaries, and the now-legendary blooper reel.

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    With the Holga iPhone Lens Filter Kit ($29.99), you have the ability – via a simple rotary design – to rotate in nine different filters, from gels to duplications and more. It’s a fun little add-on to muck around with on a summer’s day.

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    The gap between releases is an endurance test, but when a new Cinematic Titanic Live DVD arrives, the beautiful little comedy gem makes you forget just how long it’s been since the last one. And oh, does Rattlers (Cinema Titans, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99) deliver some comedy gold, as a discount Ken Doll (and tenured herpetologist) intones his way through a ham-fisted entry in that honored 70’s genre – animals gone scholockily wild. Get this, and hope that the wait for the next release is far shorter.

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    Another month, another pair of classic Doctor Who releases bringing us that much closer to having all of the almost 30 years of stories on DVD. And this month brings a pair of corkers – Patrick Troughton’s 2nd Doctor in Doctor Who: The Krotons (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) and Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor in Doctor Who: Death To The Daleks (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP). As usual, both are loaded with bonus features, the real standout being the nearly hour-long 2nd Doctor retrospective on Krotons.

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    Yes, American Masters: Johnny Carson – King of Late (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99) is just as brilliant and welcome and ultimately unsatisfying as I hoped it would be. Really, any attempt to paint a portrait of the famously private Carson was going to leave a viewer left wanting, but I’m delighted that a portrait even exists, which is a brilliant appreciation of what made Johnny king – a crown no one else has come to claiming.

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    I’ve said it before, and I shall continue to say it as long as he continues to write them – If you’ve not yet read John Swartzwelder’s series of brilliantly comic novels starring dim detective Frank Burly, than you do not deserve to be literate. So yes, do catch up, and also pick up the latest – The Million Dollar Policeman (Kennydale Books, $15.95 SRP) – or just walk away and never read again.

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    The fine folks at Fantagraphics continue to do more to keep classic Disney characters in front of audiences than Disney does, with the release of both the 3rd volume collecting Floyd’s Gottfredson’s classic Mickey Mouse comic strip, Mickey Mouse: High Noon At Inferno Gulch (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP), and the 2nd volume collecting the works of the great Carl Barks, Uncle Scrooge: Only A Poor Old Man (Fantagraphics, $28.99 SRP). Presented in beautiful hardcover form and supplemented by essays and insight, they are must have additions to the library of fans and sure-to-become-fans alike.

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    And speaking of a company doing fine work for those who truly love comics, the folks at Twomorrows have released a pair of books which are both worth picking up – Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress Of Comics (Twomorrows, $24.95 SRP) looks at the silver age Marvel Bullpen legend, while Modern Masters: Eric Powell (Twomorrows, $15.95 SRP) takes a look at the art of the man behind The Goon. Both are packed with interviews and art and yes, both should be on your shopping list.

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    While the US remake has me worried, the must-see feature film is getting it’s US debut soon and the original UK series has finally been released in the US. So what does that mean? That means you should get The Inbetweeners: The Complete Series (eOne, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) immediately, and partake of the immature misadventures of Will, Neal, Simon & Jay. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, and more.

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    The show may be running out of steam, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had in the 4th season of iCarly (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP), which comes bearing 10 episodes in widescreen for the first time, all of which are full of hijinks. Hi-jinks, I tells ya. Bonus materials include 5 episodes of the show How To Rock.

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    Warners has brought a pair of much-requested sci-fi titles to high definition with the arrival of Peter Hyams’ Outland (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP), starring Sean Connery as a colonial marshal on Jupiter’s moon investigating the mysterious deaths of miners, and Ken Russell’s still-bizarre Altered States (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP). As far as bonus materials go, Outland gets an audio commentary and trailer, while Altered States gets only a trailer. Still, at least we finally have both of these flicks on Blu-Ray.

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    Been waiting for another UCB movie? I have. Is there another UCB movie, written and helmed by Matt Besser and starring his brilliant partners? Yes, there is. Does it have dance? Not only does it have dance, it has Freak Dance (Image, Not Rated, DVD-$27.97 SRP) – The greatest dance of them all. Just watch it. Now. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurette, and deleted scenes.

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    Still one of the greatest concert movies ever put to film, Peter Gabriel: Secret World Live (Eagle Vision, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP) makes its way to high definition in a phenomenal presentation whose sound is an improvement over the already-stellar DVD from a few years back. Get this.

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    Seeing as how every season since the third has gotten a concurrent high-definition releases, Warners has gone back to fill in the blanks with high-definition releases of The Big Bang Theory: Season 1 & The Big Bang Theory: Season 2 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP each). Both have the same featurettes and gag reels of their original DVD versions, but now the picture looks oh so much better.

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    Yeah, I don’t know if I really wanted to catch up with the characters of American Pie almost 15 years later, and seeing them coming to terms with adulthood and families and maturity and stagnation in American Reunion (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.96 SRP) proves my initial trepidation to be prescient, as boy, is this just an awkward trudge. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel.

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    What a world we live in when Mel Gibson has so damaged his reputation that his new film essentially goes direct-to-video, as is the case with the action flick Get The Gringo (Fox, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), where he’s a grizzled thief whose last heist lands him in a Mexican prison, and mixed up with corrupt cops, druglords, and a 10-year-old boy with a special liver. Bonus materials include featurettes and a music video.

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    Many years ago, the book Salmon Fishing In The Yemen (Sony, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP was recommended to me by the great Neil Innes. I enjoyed the book immensely. The film, while not as great as the book, is a worthy adaptation of the source material. Bonus materials include a pair of featurettes.

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    There’s nothing altogether wrong about Friends With Kids (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) – in fact, it has a great cast (everyone from Maya Rudolph and John Hamm to Chris O’Dowd and Kristen Wiig) – it’s just that its romantic comedy tropes feel like warmed over Judd Apatow… Which is no mean feat, considering Judd Apatow movies feel like warmed over Judd Apatow. In a nutshell, it’s about a pair of friends (Adam Scott & writer/director Jennifer Westfeldt) who, upon seeing the rest of their friends have kids, decided to have a baby together… But remain platonic friends and still actively pursue outside relationships. See? Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and more.

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    Hans Zimmer’s score to The Dark Knight Rises (Water Tower Music, $10.00 SRP) wraps up Christopher Nolan’s trilogy with cues as dark, brooding, and majestic as you’ve come to expect, aided by a powerful sonic arrival of baddie Bane.

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    For a unique view of history, look no further than Michael Wood’s Story Of England (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), which charts the country’s history using a single village over the course of 2000 years, from the Roman occupation to the present day.

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    Warners, MGM, and Sony have all jumped into the MOD catalogue business, but one of the studios with the biggest libraries has finally arrived on the scene with the 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives, dropping 15 never-before-released titles that cinema fans are sure to want to snap up. That initial batch is comprised of Dangerous Years, Fraulein, Love Is News, Mr. Belvedere Rings The Bell, My Wife’s Best Friend, Rings On Her Fingers, Suez, Diplomatic Courier, They Came To Blow Up America, Way Of A Gaucho, Claudia, The Foxes Of Harrow, Kidnapped, Frontier Marshal, Life Begins At Eight-Thirty (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP each).

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    MGM’s MOD Limited Edition Collection has dropped a new clutch of titles from the vault, the highlights of which are Dave Thomas and Sally Kellerman in the Boris And Natasha: The Movie (MGM, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98), Tab Hunter and Jim Backus in Operation Bikini (MGM, Not Rated DVD-$19.98), Boris Karloff in Mr. Wong In Chinatown (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98), and Mickey Rooney in Leave ‘Em Laughing (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98).

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    Disney continues to fulfill their promise to unleash a slew of catalogue titles on Blu-Ray this year, with this week bringing a new release, including Robert Redford in The Horse Whisperer (Touchstone, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$20.99 SRP), Diane Lane in Under The Tuscan Sun (Touchstone, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$20.00 SRP), and John Travolta in Phenomenon (Touchstone, Rated PG, DVD-$20.00 SRP).

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    The Three Stooges film (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) just confuses me. I want to hate it. It wants to be loved. We meet in the middle at “eh.” But I did walk away wanting a film with Nun Larry David. So that’s something, right? Bonus materials include deleted scenes, featurettes, and a screen test.

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    If you’ve got kids, Scholastic’s ever-expanding library of animated adaptations of children’s books is worth picking up, the latest of which is My First Collection Volume 3: Featuring Chicken Little (Scholastic, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP), which collects 13 award-winning stories across 3-discs.

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    In this week’s reality dump, we get another pseudo-nailbiting season of IRT Deadliest Roads (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP), in which another batch of truckers truck their way through deadly trucking territory in a truckmanlike fashion, this time in the high Andes. Also available is the third volume of Storage Wars (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP), in which the usual suspects lift a lot of doors to pull out a lot of junk.

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    Slowly but surely we’re creeping towards catching up as Roy Clarke’s long-running Last Of The Summer Wine (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP) brings its vintage up to 1992, which also features that year’s special “Stop That Castle”.

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    This week’s spotlight of what those purveyors of wonder over at Sideshow and Hot Toys have on tap features a pair – yes, that’s two! – figures that are available right now, both from the same film. First up is the very limited San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Captain America – Rescue Version ($219), sporting the outfit Steve Rogers quickly assembled in order to save his fellow soldiers. Next up is the dastardly villain Cap was rescuing those solders from – The Red Skull ($199.99). As you can see from the photos, both figures feature exquisitely tailored costumes and eerily lifelike head sculpts. I mean, just look at that swappable Hugo Weaving head! The work that Hot Toys is doing is, quite simply, amazing. If you can get them both, do so. You’ll regret passing them up later.

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    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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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 6/18/10: Buzz Lightyear On Tiki Island

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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).

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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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  • A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Joel Hodgson

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    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 the creator of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (and one-fifth of Cinematic Titanic team), Joel Hodgson….

    Hope you enjoy…

    Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Joel Hodgson“:

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

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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    Drop Ken a line HERE.

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

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  • A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & J. Elvis Weinstein

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    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 bit of a chat with a writer, producer, one of the original cast members of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000, and now one-fifth of CINEMATIC TITANIC, J. Elvis Weinstein.

    Hope you enjoy…

    Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & J. Elvis Weinstein“:

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

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

    ##

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    Drop Ken a line HERE.

    ##

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

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  • A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Trace Beaulieu

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    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 bit of a chat with the man behind MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER’S Crow T. Robot & Dr. Clayton Forrester, and now one-fifth of CINEMATIC TITANIC, Trace Beaulieu.

    Hope you enjoy…

    Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Trace Beaulieu“:

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

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

    ##

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    Drop Ken a line HERE.

    ##

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

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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 2/26/10: Factoring Aliens

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    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…)

    The long drought of last year is but a distant memory as the new Cinematic Titanic releases roll out with great speed this new year, the latest being The Alien Factor (Cinema Titan, $14.99), a horrid 70’s cheapie shot in the wilds of Baltimore, that manages to be a sci-fi version of Manos‘s low-rent, interminable filmmaking – making it glorious fodder for the fine folks at CT. This is another of their live performances, shot last year at LA’s Largo. The energy of the crowd elevates the Titans’ own energy – making for quite a nice little feedback loop.

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    Moore Action Collectibles had a go at it a few years ago, but it wasn’t until Toynami took over the license that the Futurama action figure line really took off and became what fans always hoped for – mainly, filled with characters. If you’re completely oblivious to the existence of these figures, then thank Thinkgeek for collecting together a clutch of them and offering them as Futurama 2-Packs ($24.99). The available pairings are Fry/Bender, Hermes/Farnsworth, & Leela/Zap Brannigan. You know you want them. You know you do.

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    There’s an entire generation out there that never got to experience the golden years of a show called Night Court (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), and I urge them to do so by picking up the finally-released third season of the show, which brings Markie Post on full-time as public defender Christine Sullivan. If you’re unaware of the show, give it a spin. Fans are already there.

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    R. Lee Ermey returns with a brand new series – Lock n’ Load (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$34.95 SRP), which finds the retired Gunnery Sergeant taking viewers on a history and demonstration of battlefield weapons from tanks to rockets. Even if you’re not a warmonger, the history and innovation is fascinating. This 4-disc set contains all 13 first season episodes.

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    Where the Coen brothers fell down, a firing-on-all-cylinders Steven Soderberg delivers The Informant (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP) a tale of espionage – the corporate variety – in the form of an immensely likeable, deluded man named Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) who felt the secret recordings he was making of corporate bigwigs price-fixing food additives would make him a national hero. He did become the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in US history, but… well, that would be spoiling a very funny film. Bonus materials are limited to additional scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, with identical features.

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    I think the title of his new DVD sums it up pretty well – Sinbad: Where U Been? (Comedy Central, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) finds the comic returning to the stage for his first special in years, riffing on where exactly his disappeared to after incredible success in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The disc also contains a behind-the-scenes featurette.

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    Remember About Schmidt? Remember Jack Nicholson’s cross-country journey to reconnect with his daughter after his wife’s passing? Well, crank up the schmaltz factor and regress the script, and give the lead to Robert DeNiro and you’ve pretty much got Everybody’s Fine (Miramax, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which finds DeNiro’s widower traveling cross-country to reconnect with each of his kids. Bonus features include a featurette and deleted/extended scenes.

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    It’s always interesting to find out about the people behind the names that have become nothing more than brands, and such is the case with the biopic Coco Before Chanel (Sony, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$34.95 SRP), which looks at the humble beginnings of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (Audrey Tatou), who would one day take the fashion world by storm under her nickname, Coco. Bonus features include an audio commentary and a trio of featurettes.

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    I never thought I’d be interested in seeing the pressure and power struggles that went into making an issue of Vogue magazine, but like any good documentary, The September Issue (Lionsgate, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP) had me glued as the mag’s legendary editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour (immortalized by Meryl Streep in the fictionalized Devil Wears Prada), did just that. The 2-disc set contains an audio commentary, deleted scenes, photos, trailer, and over an hour of additional footage.

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    The film’s a mess but I love how the cover of the oddball Vampire’s Assistant: Cirque Du Freak (Universal, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$36.98 SRP) tries to make its tale of a kid who joins the circus to become a Vampire into Twilight – going so far as to heavily photoshop its lead to look more like Robert Pattinson. Bonus features include a pair of featurettes and deleted scenes.

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    Zombie Nazis. Does anything else really need to be said about the Nordic take on Evil Dead, Dead Snow (MPI, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), that will make its goofy premise any more appealing? I didn’t think so. The 2-disc special edition contains behind-the-scenes featurettes, outtakes, and more.

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    Michael Palin turns in a memorable dramatic performance in the UK miniseries GBH (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP), as an unassuming headmaster who inadvertently derails a labor strike called by an egomaniacal Labour party leader, which leads to a fierce test of wills in this still powerful satire. Heck, it even has a soundtrack by Elvis Costello. The 4-disc set also features an audio commentary on the first episode and an interview with writer Alan Bleasdale.

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    For those with very little patience, you can pick up and either re-watch or get caught up with the first half of Flashforward‘s debut season (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP). The 2-disc set contains the first 10 episodes, plus an effects featurette and a preview of things to come.

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    Front and center, Edie Falco makes an indelible impression as the titular Nurse Jackie (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) as an acerbic caretaker in a New York hospital who also intakes a healthy dose of pain pills to deal with her constant back pain. Give the first season a spin and see if you’re not hooked. The 3-disc box set contains all 12 episodes, plus commentaries, featurettes, and nurse stories.

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    It’s not my cup of tea, but there’s no denying that Superjail! (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is easily one of the most visually distinctive shows to hit Adult Swim, and could certainly grow into a unique cornerstone of the programming block. The first season set contains all 10 episodes, plus the pilot.

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    Go back to the infancy of the Oscars with the Academy Collection: The Envelope Please Volume 1 (Infinity, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), which collects eight early Best Picture nominees that have slipped into public domain. Those films are The Racket, Alibi, The Front Page, A Farewell To Arms, The Private Life Of Henry VIII, A Star Is Born, Pygmalion, and Love Affair.

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    Learn of the perils and impending issues of overfishing in the compelling documentary The End Of The Line (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP). It’s rather sobering to think just how close to the brink an entire ecosystem is. Bonus materials include 6 behind-the-scenes webisodes, an interview with narrator Ted Danson, featurettes, and a trailer.

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    Those nifty score purveyors at La-La Land Records have delivered another trio of releases to keep soundtrack fans happy and penniless – Christopher Young’s score to Love Happens (La-La Land Records, $17.99 SRP), Bear McCready’s music from Battlestar Galactica: The Plan and Razor (La-La Land Records, $17.99 SRP), and cues from the long-running soap Days Of Our Lives (La-La Land Records, $23.99 SRP), by Ken Corday & D. Brent Nelson.

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    Science! Can’t get enough of it. Also? Excited by it. The 4th season box set of The Universe (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP)? Can’t wait to dive into the 12 stunning episodes exploring the mysteries and majesty of outer space. The 4-disc set also contains a pair of features on meteors and comets. The real way to watch it, though is in glorious high definition via the Blu-Ray edition ($54.95).

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    I can only assume they’re a big hit north of the border, but I confess to being nonplussed by the titular comedy troupe helming the feature film Trailer Park Boys: Countdown To Liquor Day (Screen Media, Rated R, DVD-$24.98 SRP), but I can assure you that the film will probably appeal to those who dug the Blue Collar Comedy tour. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scene, featurettes, and more.

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    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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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 1/8/10: Kung Fu Fightin’

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    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 been a long, long, LONG wait, but the fine folks at Cinematic Titanic make a strong return with their road-tested riff of the awkward merging of both Kung-Fu AND Blaxsploitation, all wrapped in a model of poor filmmaking and worse acting… I give you East Meets Watts (Cinema Titan, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99). Not only is the riffing tight, but this is also the first Cinematic Titanic Live release, which was recorded in front of a live audience. And it works a charm. Now let’s speed up those releases, guys!

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    I’ve never owned a good cooking knife in my life. Usually, I’ll hack meat and vegetables with a steak knife, ’cause that’s all I’ve got. Every time I’ve tried to buy a better knife, I’ve always chosen poorly, and wound up with a quick-dulling instrument that just sends me right back to my trusty serrated hacksaws. Well, now I’ve seen the light – and it’s not metal. No, it’s Ultrasharp Ceramic Knives ($74.99). The blade is sharp – really sharp – and it never dulls. How sweet is that? And not only do you get the blade – you also get a ceramic bladed peeler… You know, for peeling stuff. Stuff! Peeled!

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    It’s not a kiddie movie, but I certainly saw it as a kid, and I still love the anarchic blackness that permeates one of the most offbeat holiday flicks to ever hit screens, Gremlins (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$28.99 SRP). In fact, it was this – along with Indiana Jones and The Temple Of Doom (interestingly enough, both Amblin pics) that helped usher in the PG-13 rating. Now in full high-definition, bonus features include a pair of audio commentaries, a making-of featurette, additional scenes, a gallery, and trailers.

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    No one rants with quite the same vigor – and accessibility – as Charlie Brooker. Like a cross between Mark Twain and a riled wasps nest, Brooker’s regular column in the Guardian is an ongoing social commentary that inspires equal parts knowing laughter and sympathetic bile. Don’t believe me? Pick up the latest collection – The Hell Of It All (Guardian Books/Faber & Faber, £12.99 SRP) and read for yourself.

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    How sweet is it that we’re actually a dozen volumes in to the The Complete Peanuts? What seemed like it would take forever to accomplish – the presentation of the entire run of Charles Schulz’s classic strip – now seems to be flying by, as we can all dive into The Complete Peanuts: 1973 to 1974 (Fantagraphics, $28.99 SRP), and cast our vote for Sack. He’s the greatest. Now bring on the next volume!

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    If their continued collections of Peanuts weren’t enough to earn Fantagraphics the love and adoration of comics fans the world over, then their beautiful collections of the EC Segar strips starring his cantankerous, shambling sailor should secure that place within their hearts. The 4th collection – Popeye: Plunder Island (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP) – has as its centerpiece the titular adventure, presented for the first time in full color, completely uncut.

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    It’s refreshing to upend the traditional romantic comedy formula and look at how unpredictable love can actually be with 500 Days Of Summer (Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which brings together Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as the awkward pair. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and deleted/extended scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available with additional featurettes, interview, audition tapes, and more.

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    While Office Space has become an instant classic and even the marginalized Idiocracy has become a cult flick, Mike Judges latest, Extract (Miramax, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), is a bit scattershot. While the ensemble is top notch – Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristin Wiig, and Ben Affleck – the story, about the sale of a small-town flavor extract company that begins to fall apart around the owner (Bateman), doesn’t ever really gel. Which is a shame, because all of the ingredients are there. Bonus materials include a featurette and deleted/extended scenes.

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    What do you do when you’re a network with a surprise hit on your hands? You don’t wait around for your debut season to wrap before you rush out a DVD collection featuring the first half of said season – and that’s what we’ve got with Glee: Season 1 Volume 1 (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The 4-disc box set contains 13 episodes, plus audition pieces, featurettes, a casting session, and more. Yes, you know you want this set. You know you’re a fan. ADMIT IT.

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    Catch up on your TV viewing over the holiday break with both the 3rd and final season of the sci-fi show Kyle XY (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP) and the 3rd season of The Secret Life Of The American Teenager (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP). Kyle XY features audio commentaries, a featurette, and deleted scenes, while Teenager gets the pilot episode and a Q&A.

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    It came and went from theaters with only the slightest of notice – a disappointment, considering it was the theatrical follow-up to Juno from screenwriter Diablo Cody. Which is a shame, as Jennifer’s Body (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is a goofy little bit of teenage horror that brought fond memories of the equally B The Faculty. Give it a spin at home. Bonus features include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, video diaries, featurettes, and more.

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    Check another series off your running list, as we’ve come to the release of the 7th and final season of Mission: Impossible (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP). Will Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) finally encounter an impossible mission? Or we he wind up doing links on A&E in just a few short years? Watch the 22 episodes in this set regardless of the answer.

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    Oh, what I wouldn’t do to put a bullet through the sadly long-lived American Pie franchise, which has now moved into American Pie Presents The Book Of Love (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$36.98 SRP), if only to free Eugene Levy from whatever cursed existence binds him to these flicks. Bonus features include featurettes, trivia, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

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    What was just about the last season of the show turned out to be just another one after it was picked up, so now you can rest easy as you partake of Chuck: The Complete Second Season (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP), knowing that it’s not the last. Also? 3-D episode! Bonus features include a bevy of featurettes, webisodes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

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    It’s the second volume of The Fugitive‘s third season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), and we’ve reached the point where Dr. Richard Kimble discovers the identity of the elusive one-armed man, just as pursuer Lt. Phillip Gerard decides to employ… A COMPUTER!… to track the good doctor down. The 4-disc set contains 15 episodes.

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    The regular episodes are often painful scattershot, but the focus of their Star Wars episodes seems to bring out the best in Seth MacFarlane & company, as you can see for yourself with Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$22.98 SRP). Bonus features include an audio commentary, fact-ups, a featurette, and a sneak peek at a table read. A Blu-Ray edition ($29.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus features.

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    Go all the way back to the days of Wendy, Marvin, & Wonder Dog with the first volume from the premiere season of the original Super Friends! (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). Journey back via this 2-disc set featuring 8 episodes plus a newly produced super fan workout, the “Super Friends Trivia Challenge”.

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    I remember when The Green Mile (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP) was originally released on VHS, in a bulky 2-tape set during the last gasp of that format before DVDs came on the scene. Even the original DVD release suffered from the film’s length, with a featureless release. Well, now that it’s come to Blu-Ray, it’s all on one disc, which also contains an audio commentary, a documentary, additional scenes, make-up tests, a look at the teaser trailer, Michael Clarke Duncan’s screen test, and more. How’s the for progress?

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    I’d like to say that Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures (MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP) is a glorious disaster, but it’s not. It’s just a sad, poorly written series that sullies the memory of Brooks’ 80’s guilty pleasure. Unfortunate.

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    Christmas is dead and buried, so that means we start getting releases like a special edition of Winnie The Pooh: A Valentine For You (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP) which, as you can imagine, is the 2/14 themed outing for that willy nilly silly old bear. As far as bonus features go, it’s pretty much just an episode from The New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh.

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    It’s all hit the fan in the third season of Big Love (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP), as Bill Henrickson’s carefully constructed family and business ventures begin to erode from pressures outside and in. The 4-disc set contains all 10 episodes, plus a trio of mini-dramas and four direct-to-camera videos from Bill and his three wives.

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    Wrap up the season that brought in Rob Estes, Alyssa Milano, and Lisa Rinna (and showed the door to Grant Show, Marcia Cross, & Laura Leighton) with Melrose Place: The Fifth Season Volume 2 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.99 SRP). The 3-disc set contains 13 episodes, but zero bonus features.

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    It’s not good cinema, but the flicks contained in Roger Corman’s Best Of The B’s Collection 1 (Infinity, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) certainly are memorably bad. This 4-disc pack contains seven remastered Corman films starring the likes of Gary Busey, Jack Nicholson, Scott Glenn – Naked Angels, Bury Me An Angel, The Fast And The Furious, The T-Bird Gang, The Wild Ride, The Winner, and Angels Hard As They Come.

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    It never fails to bring a warm feeling when one of those Sunday afternoon flicks that used to permeate my youth gets all cleaned and gussied up and finds its way into high-definition. Certainly those warm feelings come from The Green Berets (Warner Bros., Rated G, Blu-Ray-$28.99 SRP), starring John Wayne in the first feature to focus on the Vietnam War. Bonus materials include a vintage featurette and the original theatrical trailer.

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    It doesn’t happen often enough, but Taxi (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) managed, with its fifth & final season, to go out on a strong note without anyone feeling that the show overstayed its welcome. The cracks were showing, granted – and Any Kaufman’s off-camera behavior was causing some issues on set – but it remains one of those timeless, character-based sitcoms that are just as funny today as it was over 25 years ago. The 3-disc set also contains episode and series promos.

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    David Tennant’s era as The Doctor has just come to a close, but there’s still plenty of classic Doctor adventures still in the pipeline. The newest releases to keep you warm (if the scarf isn’t enough) is the William Hartnell era Doctor Who: The Keys Of Marinus and the Colin Baker era The Twin Dilemma (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP each). Both discs are packed with bonus materials, including featurettes, audio commentaries, galleries, and more.

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    It’s not for your younger kiddies, but there’s enough inventiveness and beauty of execution to make 9 (Universal, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP) a film worth showing to kids. It’s post-apocalyptic world and ragtag band of decidedly non-traditional survivors are that special kind of inspiration that will spark a child’s imagination. Bonus materials include the original 11-minute short, an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.

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    With the resurgence of 3-D, particularly in horror films, it was only a matter of time before the Final Destination franchise decided to go all cine-poky with The Final Destination In 3-D (New Line, Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP). You pretty much know the deal by now – it’s a pissy Death getting all postal on some young schlubs. Bonus features are limited to some additional scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, which adds a pair of alternate endings, a pair of featurettes, and a look at the atrocious-looking new Nightmare On Elm Street.

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    You can feel the end coming on as the 9th season of 7th Heaven (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP) rolls along, as members of the Camden clan come and go, many no more than glorified recurring characters or cameos. The 5-disc set contains all 22 episodes.

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    Since getting the Disney license, the fine folks at Electric Tiki (distributed by the fine folks at Sideshow Collectibles) have been making some unique choices for their statue line. First there was Darkwing Duck, then Jessica Rabbit in an unused costume from one of the Roger Rabbit shorts, then the Rescue Rangers. Most unique, though, and welcome is Alice In Wonderland & The White Rabbit ($124.99), done in the style of Disney designer Mary Blair (perhaps most famous for designing the It’s A Small World attraction).

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    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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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 1/16/09: Franken-Flicks

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    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 Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

    Many have wondered why some of the flicks being tackled by the folks at Cinematic Titanic weren’t addressed during their Mystery Science Theater run. Personally, I’m glad they weren’t – because it would deprive us of the top notch, stellar writing that a fully engaged and broken in Cinematic Titanic is now giving viewers, which comes from years of additional experience. It’s as if movie riffing has gone Bionic, and they’ve got full kung-fu grip, to boot. If you don’t believe me, check out their latest offering – a wretched waste of celluloid called Frankenstein’s Castle Of Freaks (Cinema Titan, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99). GET IT ALREADY!

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    Kick off the new year in a classy way with a pair of new special editions featuring Audrey Hepburn’s legendary star turns in Breakfast At Tiffany’s and Funny Face (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP each). The 2-disc editions feature audio commentaries, retrospective featurettes, galleries, and the original theatrical trailers.

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    With all of the stuff that comes in for feature in the shopping guide, being able to take good photos of said collectibles is definitely a plus. The best way to get a good photo is to construct a light box… But who has the time for that? That’s right – none of us. So your best bet is to pick up the handy Portable Photo Studio ($49.99) from ThinkGeek, which has everything you need to take perfect pics – a collapsible lightbox (16″ cubed), 2 tabletop 35 watt photo lights, a tripod, and a nylon carrier for it all. Does that make your life easier?

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    The UK Channel 4 series Skins (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) makes American shows featuring teenagers – your Gossip Girl or your 90210 – look woefully manufactured. In fact, its edgy storylines are often considered too frank, but there’s no doubt it’s compelling, well-acted drama. Pick up the first season and check it out for yourself. The 3-disc set features video diaries and ancillary storylines.

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    As with most of these documentaries, there’s much to find fault with in so sweeping a project as Make ‘Em Laugh (Rhino, Not Rated, DVD-$34.95 SRP) – which attempts to chronicle over one hundred years of American comedy and the comedians that crafted it. Even at 6 hours, there’s much that’s barely touched upon, and much that will surely evoke debate over its inclusion or the amount of attention it receives. Still, it’s a fascinating watch.

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    Never ones to let a re-release go un-re-released, The Weinstein Company dusts off Jackie Chan’s Supercop (Genius, Rated R, DVD-$19.99 SRP) for a brand new 2-disc special edition. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and interviews with Jackie, Michelle Yeoh, director Stanley Tong, and Jackie’s bodyguard/training partner/co-star.

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    Relive all of the absurdity found in each in every episode of Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Sixth Season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP), as Chuck Norris Chuck Norrises everything in sight. The 5-disc set features all 23 episodes.

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    You know that Blu-Ray has finally arrived as a format when you can purchase a snazzy, high definition copy of a cinema classic like Caligula (Image, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP). Looking better than ever, the 2-disc edition features not only the high-definition discs, but also the standard def. Bonus features include audio commentaries, deleted/alternate scenes, video interviews, a making-of documentary, photographs, trailers, and more.

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    I had high hopes for Little Britain USA (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) – Matt Lucas and David Walliams transfer of their popular UK sketch series to Yankee shores. Unfortunately, it seems more often than not they went for the easy joke or the tired character, missing all of the fun and excitement that made the first series of the UK run such a delight. Now, it’s just tired panto – which is a shame, since Lucas and Walliams are gifted, every funny performers. Maybe it’s time for them to leave Little Britain behind and try something new. The 2-duisc set features all 6 episodes, plus audio commentaries, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, a character playlist, and bloopers.

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    There’s a turgidness to director (and co-writer) Ed Harris’s western Appaloosa (New Line, Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP). Based on Robert Parker’s novel, it stars Harris and Viggo Mortensen as a pair of lawmen-for-hire buddies who try to bring a murderer (Jeremy Irons) to justice but have their relationship complicated – and their lives put in danger – by that oldest of distractions, a woman (Renee Zellweger). It should have punch and bite, but it plays more like a 3rd rated Deadwood. Bonus features include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a quartet of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

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    The residents of the Springfield Retirement Castle will be delighted with the arrival of the complete second season of Andy Griffith’s top flight southern lawyer, Matlock (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP). The 6-disc set features all 23 episodes, plus alternate endings for the episode “The Hucksters”.

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    Mysterious abound as we plow through the quartet of episodes features in the second volume of Ben 10: Alien Force (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP). The disc also contains a behind-the-scenes featurette.

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    The third installment is on the way, which means you can now partake of both of the previous installments of Kate Beckisndale doing something or another in both Underworld & Underworld: Evolution (Sony, Rated R, DVD-$19.94 SRP). Bonus features include commentaries, featurettes, outtakes, a documentary, and music videos.

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    The classic tale of love & power gets a pretty decent update in Brideshead Revisited (Miramax, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.99 SRP), which very smartly brings in Emma Thompson… Because every project is made better with Emma Thompson. Bonus features include an audio commentary, a featurette, and deleted scenes.

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    Brad Garrett’s middling sitcom Til Death (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP) comes back for a second season, which also proves to be the start of a retooling year as it would be the last featuring the original concept of Eddie Kaye Thomas and Kat Foster as a young couple “mentored” by the long-married Garrett and Joely Fisher. The 2-disc set features all 18 episodes, plus a look at Garrett’s pre-show antics and a blooper reel.

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    In the era of elevated morons like Joe the Plumber, a film like Swing Vote (Touchstone, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.99 SRP) – wherein an average slub (Kevin Costner) holds the deciding vote in the presidential election – is somewhat more plausible than it should be. Regardless, it’s not a terribly good flick, and your time can probably be better spent darning socks. Bonus features include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a featurette.

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    They still insist on releasing the 80’s Alvin & The Chipmunks series in unsatisfying single-disc collections, the latest of which focuses on the boys female counterparts, The Chippettes (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$18.99 SRP). The DVD features 6 episodes starring the trio’s run-ins with the boys.

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    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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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 10/17/08: Kingdom Of The Bloody Red Baron

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    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 Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

    I could say that the latest Cinematic Titanic offering, Legacy Of Blood (Cinema Titan, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99 SRP), is like a cross between King Lear, Brewster’s Millions, and House On Haunted Hill, but to even compare it to those far, far superior works is undersell just how abysmally awful Legacy Of Blood is. Thank Jebus, then, for the riffing of the CT crew, and their ability to make sweet, sweet lemonade from this massive lemon.

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    When I travel, I always have far too many electronics, far too many cords, and not nearly enough USB ports on my laptop to charge things. It’s always nice to have a backup plan, and the AC To USB Power Adapter ($9.99) is just such a plan. In a nutshell, it allows you to recharge all of your favorite USB devices via an AC wall socket. Sweet.

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    I’d say that reaching the 10th volume of the still-must-have collection of Charles Schulz’s groundbreaking strip is certainly worth celebrating – particularly when The Complete Peanuts: 1969-1970 (Fantagraphics, $28.99 SRP) features the first year that has all of the elements that I remember from when I read the strip as a kid. The one element that’s taken this long to lock in – and one that was core to the strip I remember – is the introduction of Snoopy’s avian companion, Woodstock. This is also a year that saw the occasional reference to the politics of the time – albeit very much conformed to Schulz’s universe – such as when Linus gets swept up in a teacher’s strike which leads to the firing of his beloved Miss Othmar (Fear not! She returns!). If you haven’t already begun collecting these volumes, start now. NOW!

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    It seems that Criterion is systematically going back and revisiting some of their more popular catalogue titles and giving them rather stunning new high-definition transfers and some new bonus features, and the latest title to get the A+ treatment is Robert Altman’s Short Cuts (Criterion, Rated R, DVD-$29.95 SRP). In addition to the aforementioned transfer – it puts the old Criterion set to shame – the 2-disc set features a video conversation between Altman and Tim Robbins, the feature-length making-of documentary Luck, Trust and Ketchup: Robert Altman In Carver County, a PBS documentary on author Raymond Carver, a segment from the BBC’s Moving Pictures on the screenplay, a 1983 audio interview with Carver, Dr. John’s original demo recordings, a featurette on the film’s marketing, deleted scenes, and the requisite Criterion booklet with essay.

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    Some may be watching slasher flicks this Halloween, but I will be celebrating All Hallow’s Eve by taking in the new Blu-Ray edition of Mel Brooks’s Young Frankenstein (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP). The picture is fantastic, and the bonus features are a port of the already-wonderful standard DVD special edition. Get it. Watch it.

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    George Lucas managed to extend his death grip into another beloved franchise, clutching Steven Spielberg in one claw and Indiana Jones in the other, and managing yet again to produce a lame monstrosity instead of what should have been a triumphant return of a cinema hero. Such was the travesty of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (Paramount, Rated PG-13, DVD-$39.99 SRP), a mess of a film with a mess of a script. It’s just a goddamn mess. Which is a shame, because Harrison Ford is the most engaged he’s been in years. The 2-disc set features a pre-production featurette, a tribute to Indy, a 12-part production diary, pre-viz sequences, galleries, and trailers. The Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) features the exact same bonus materials, but also sports a picture so good that it pisses me off even more that we still don’t have the original trilogy in HD.

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    All of the focus is on his stellar performance in Iron Man, but another of Robert Downey, Jr.’s great turns is getting a new special edition DVD – his starring role in the life of The Little Tramp, Chaplin (Lionsgate, Rated PG-13, DVD-$19.98 SRP). Richard Attenborough’s biopic is occasionally languid, but Downey is note-perfect in his portrayal of the complicated cinematic genius. Bonus features include a trio of new featurettes, a Chaplin home movie, and the theatrical trailer.

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    I don’t think it was as strong as the first season, but I still enjoyed the second season of The Sarah Silverman Program (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP) – particularly since it’s one of the rare comedies that understands the you can push the envelope, but you’ve got to still be funny, too. The 2-disc Season Two, Volume One contains 6 episodes, plus audio commentaries, a 2007 Comic-Con panel, digital shorts, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and more.

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    In the wake of the Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney Vault titles – those wonderful collections of text and reproductions of rare ephemera – we now get The DC Vault (Running Press, $49.95 SRP), which keeps the streak going. Text is written by Martin Pasko and Paul Levitz, and the ephemera goes all the way back to 1935. One thing, though – considering how integral he was to DC’s post-Crisis relaunch in the 80’s, why is there not a single piece of John Byrne art in the book? What’s up with that, Pasko & Levitz?

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    I’ll be perfectly honest with you – I was not a huge fan of The Matrix. I enjoyed the flick for what it was – a minor mind-f*** whose special effects and energy thankfully cancelled out most of its banal, overcooked pseudo-philosophizing and messianic overtones. But then came the sequels, which both – in quick succession – managed to top each other on the “Someone actually wrote this crap?” scale. Declining box office was proof enough – a fair number of fans who though The Matrix was the second coming (make your own jokes) left the theater feeling betrayed by creators who obviously had their grip locked firmly on something besides the story. Originally released in on standard DVD – and then the now-defunct HD-DVD – the 6-disc Ultimate Matrix Collection (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$129.95 SRP) makes its debut in Blu-Ray. The set still doesn’t quite make up for the lackluster flicks contained within… you can only gild a piece of crap so much – it’s still crap. But considering all the material you’re getting for the price – 6 discs full of featurettes, behind-the-scenes materials, interviews, documentaries, the entirety of both the Animatrix and The Matrix Revisited, commentaries (none with the elusive Wachowskis, alas, so no mea culpas) – it’s a decent deal if you’re inclined to snag it.

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    Packaged in a handsome lucite slipcase, the Alfred Hitchcock: Premiere Collection (MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$119.98 SRP) collects all of the Master of Suspense’s early, pre-Universal films, restored and remastered with a slew of bonus materials. The films in question are A Lodger: A Story Of The London Fog, Sabotage, Young And Innocent, Rebecca, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Notorious, and The Paradine Case. Those new bonus features include audio commentaries, interviews, making-of featurettes, trailers, and more.

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    I caught an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba! the other day, and if any show can rightfully claim the mantle of “Kiddie Show Beloved By Stoners”, it’s this intriguingly bizarre combination of music and costumed characters, If you doubt me, check out Yo Gabba Gabba!: The Dancey Dance Bunch! (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP). The sole bonus is a “Meet The Dancey Dance Bunch!” featurette. Oh, and good times. The show’s first album is being released digitally on iTunes, as well – titled, shockingly enough, Yo Gabba Gabba.

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    While you’re pining for the next Spongebob season set, get a quick fix of recent episodes with Who Bob What Pants (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), The single-disc release features 6 episodes, plus a quartet of shorts and an animatic for “What Ever Happened To Spongebob?”.

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    In the VH1 series Scott Baio Is 45… And Single (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, DVD-$19.97 SRP), viewers followed the renowned lothario C-lister as a mid-life crisis found him assessing his commitment issues by visiting with his past loves (including, yes, Erin Moran) leading up to being able to commit to his current girlfriend. It may not be much of a surprise to find out that Scott Baio Is 46… And Pregnant (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, DVD-$19.97 SRP) finds Baio a married man with a child on the way – and with even more commitment issues cropping up. What a shock.

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    In these troubled, troubling times, I recommend anyone with an open mind should check out the wonderful documentaries of Richard Dawkins, conveniently collected in The Richard Dawkins Collection (Channel 4, Region 2, Not Rated, DVD-£29.99 SRP). The docs contained in the set are The Genius Of Charles Darwin, The Enemies Of Reason, and Root Of All Evil?.

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    Easily the film that cemented William Hurt as an actor to be reckoned with – and a bizarre one, at that – was his turn in Kiss Of The Spider Woman (City Lights, Rated R, DVD-$34.98 SRP), which is getting a remastered special edition. The bonus features include newly-produced documentaries, a slide-show commentary, the theatrical trailer, and more.

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    Sweeping and epic in the most glorious, classic sense of the word, the foreign language Mongol (New Line, Rated R, DVD-$27.98 SRP) is the incredible tale of the rise of a simple man named Temudgin and how he rose to secure his place in history as the warlord Genghis Khan. Give it a spin.

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    If you’re the head of NASA’s multi-million dollar manned mission to Mars and you find out that to send the astronauts would result in disaster, what would you do? Well, if you were the head of the mission in the cult classic Capricorn One (Lionsgate, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98 SRP), you’d coerce the astronauts into faking the landing on a soundstage – but when they find out that the only way to maintain the hoax is for them to be killed and have it passed off as dying during re-entry, they make a break for it. The new special edition features an audio commentary with director Peter Hyams, a retrospective featurette, and trailers.

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    It was truncated due to the writer’s strike, but the eighth season of CSI (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$84.98 SRP) should be noted for essentially being the swan song for doughy-faced William Petersen from the role that somehow made him famous. The 5-disc set features all 18 episodes, plus featurettes, a pair of audio commentaries, a deleted scene, and a bonus episode of Without A Trace.

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    It may not be brilliant, but there’s certainly something loveable about any show that casts both Patrick Warburton and David Spade. Rules Of Engagement: The Complete Second Series (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP) features all 15 episodes, plus bloopers and minisodes of Newsradio and Diff’rent Strokes.

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    I’ll be honest with you – the only real reason that I ever watched an episode of Nash Bridges (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) is because it costarred – alongside Don Johnson – the great Cheech Marin. There. I said it. The 2-disc set features all 8 first season episodes, plus audio commentaries, interviews, a writers roundtable, and more.

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    Indulge your schlock horror bone with the brand new Ghost House Underground imprint, formed by Ghost House Pictures founders Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, which debuts with 8 titles full of terror and gore aplenty (Lionsgate, Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP each). The launch titles include Room 205, The Last House In The Woods, Brotherhood Of Blood, Trackman, No Man’s Land: The Rise Of Reeker, Dance Of The Dead, The Substitute, and Dark Floors. All of the flicks feature audio commentaries, featurettes, galleries, and more.

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    It could have been a hokey mess – and there is still some hokinees about – but Liberty’s Kids (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) is a fun little animated series for kids that makes the American Revolution come alive. In a nutshell, the series follows a pair of young reporters for Benjamin Franklin (voiced by Walter Cronkite) that must navigate the shifting sands of war.

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    His time in office may be fast coming to an end, but you can still watch the second season of Lil’ Bush (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). The 2-disc set features audio commentaries, animated shorts, animatics, and a music video.

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    Science nerds (like me) can geek out to the complete second season of The Universe (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$44.95 SRP), covering topics like cosmic holes, dark matter, astrobiology, colonizing space, cosmic collisions, and much more. The 5-disc set features all 18 episodes. Onward, nerds!

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    It has been a long, long time since the release of the second season, but fans and interested parties can now partake of The Partridge Family: The Complete Third Season (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP). The 3-disc set features all 25 episodes, plus minisodes of Charlie’s Angels and Diff’rent Strokes.

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    Terence Malick’s epic tale of Captain John Smith and the Jamestown settlement’s relations with the Native American populace, The New World (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$20.98 SRP), gets even more epic with an expanded director’s cut, containing over 30 minutes of new material. The disc is otherwise featureless, and the film is flawed, but the visuals are nice.

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    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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