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…)
There have been quite a few attempts to get a definitive, or at the very least accurate, sculpt of Harrison Ford in his iconic role as that most memorable to adventuring archeologists, Indiana Jones. Some have come close, but not even the mighty Hot Toys was able to crack it with their take on Indy from Raiders. Ah, but Sideshow, with their brand new 1/6-scale Temple Of Doom Indiana Jones ($229.99) has finally done it. The head sculpt is the best Harrison Ford we’ve ever gotten, and that’s including the numerous takes on Han Solo, as well. Thankfully, the costuming is just as spot-on, capturing the ragged, late-in-the-film sleeveless version of the character, ready to take on Mola Ram on the suspension bridge as the villain tried to reclaim the Sankara stones. And yes, you do get those three stones, plus the machete that Indy uses to cut the rope bridge, a pair of whips (coiled and uncoiled), his pistol, a satchel, and his trusty fedora. If that weren’t enough, the exclusive edition packs in an additional trio of Sankara stones, crafted of translucent plastic to give the look of the stones glowing.
From the “New Bacon-ings Burger” to the “Baby You Can Chive My Car Burger” and dozens more, The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book (Universe Publishing, $19.95 SRP) manages to take all of those wonderfully groanworthy background puns found on Bob’s dry-erase board in every episode and turn them into actual, honest-to-goodness, you can totally make these burger recipes, courtesy of Cole Bowden. There’s also plenty of show-worthy linking material and artwork from the creator Loren Bouchard, and the show’s writers and artists. Get this book. Get it.
When I was a kid, one of the things I always wanted to have was a Darth Vader Mask (Thinkgeek, $119.99). Now, thanks to Thinkgeek, I’ve been able to realize that childhood dream dark lord of the sith-ing it up. The most surprising thing? Just how massive the screen-scale mask is. Almost ludicrously so. It certainly drives home just how large a man actor David Prowse had to have been in order to pull it off without it looking ludicrous. Which it does on me. But who cares? It’s a Darth Vader mask! I may even be wearing it as I type this! I’m not. But I might be.
While I tend to gravitate towards their more comedic work, like The Hudsucker Proxy and O, Brother, Where Art Thou?, I can still appreciate the Coen Brothers’ more solemn, reflective works, like Inside Llewellyn Davis (Criterion, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), their somber ode to New York’s early 60’s folk scene. Now it’s gotten the Criterion treatment, with a brand new audio commentary, a conversation between the brothers and Guillermo del Toro about their process, documentaries, and more.
It’s not an instant classic, but I don’t care – I love seeing Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on screen together, and Sisters (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) delivers on that magic, as they play a pair of sisters intent on one last house party after they find out their parents are selling their childhood home. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted/extended scenes, and a gag reel.
While he was a major focus in Ken Burns’ epic Baseball documentary series, there was more than enough left to craft the new documentary Jackie Robinson (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), from humble beginnings to his legendary career and continued influence to this day. Bonus materials include featurettes and outtakes.
Caught between his mentor and his friends, Robin is in the unenviable position of being the focal point of the latest DC animated feature, Justice League vs. Teen Titans (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP). This is certainly an adult take on the material, so best kept away from young Teen Titans Go! fans. Bonus materials include featurettes (including a look at the upcoming adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke), and a pair of bonus cartoons. Oh, and if you buy the gift set, you get a nifty Schleich Robin figurine.
It’s an acceptably creepy horror film starring Game Of Thrones‘ own Natalie Dorner, which is enough of a reason to give The Forest (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) a spin if you’re in the mood for either of those things. The titular forest is creepy, too. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, storyboards, and galleries.
Keen on a musical kaleidoscope this weekend? Give a gander and a listen to Johnny Winter With Dr. John: Live In Sweden 1987 (MVS, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP, CD-$11.99 SRP), which features a concert pairing of the two titans, now available on both DVD and CD.
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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