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…)
This week saw the home video release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and amongst the many familiar elements from the period just before A New Hope were a handful of new characters added to the mythos. Perhaps the most striking were the personal Storm Trooper squadron of Director Krennic, the imposing, black-clad Death Trooper (Hot Toys/Sideshow, $234.99). And, of course, Hot Toys has leapt at the chance to render the new Trooper in 1/6-scale form, and he looks like he just marched right off the screen. To add to the fidelity, he also sports a light-up feature, as you can flip a switch and illuminate the green chin nodules on the helmet. Now, if only we could get a Director Krennic for them to back up.
You can break out your crayons and pencils for the newest entry in Jeffrey Brown’s charming take on Star Wars‘ Skywalker clan, Darth Vader And Family Coloring Book (Chronicle Books, $14.95 SRP), full of images adapted from previous books plus all-new material.
Largely overlooked in favor of louder fare, Lion (Anchor Bay, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP) is worth giving a spin at home, as it features an inspiring true story of a young Indian boy who gets separated from his family while on a train, winds up at an orphanage thousands of miles away, is adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman & David Wenham), and decides, as an adult (Dev Patel), to try and find the family he lost. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and a music video.
I was there at the first midnight showing of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, 3D Blu-Ray-$ SRP), and I dearly wanted to love it. I was a Harry Potter fan, after all, and to be able to journey back into J.K. Rowling’s fictional world was an unexpected treat. Or so it should have been. Sadly, for all of the wonderful potential to be had in the premise, the film never quite delivers on the magic. It’s no disaster, certainly, but it doesn’t provide a firm foundation for the further adventures of Newt Scamander. Bonus materials include behind-the-scenes featurettes and deleted scenes.
I’d never seen it before, but once I found out that the new-to-HD release of the film Blast-Off (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP) starred Burl Ives as P.T. Barnum, I was sold. That it also stars a handful of delightful vintage character actors all on a globetrotting farce is just icing on the cake.
The DC animated adaptations have been hit or miss, but their adaptation of Marv Wolfman & George Perez’s legendary Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is largely a hit, despite some very odd hoops that had to be jumped through in regards to the team line-up. The tale of betrayal remains largely intact, however, and is worth a spin. Bonus materials include featurettes, bonus cartoons, and a sneak at the upcoming Batman And Harley Quinn movie. Oh, and if you pick up the gift set, it comes packed with a Blue Beetle figurine.
In an age where Broadway shows inevitably get lovely coffee table books to accompany their productions, it’s no surprise that Disney would celebrate their most recent Great White Way success with Aladdin: A Whole New World – The Road To Broadway And Beyond (Disney Editions$40 SRP). It’s a lush behind-the-scenes look at the development of the show from animated feature to stage hit.
I watched it once, and enjoyed its commitment to being an unsettling post-modern Kubrick, but I’ve never felt the desire to re-watch Donnie Darko (Arrow Films, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$49.95 SRP). But, for those who are devoted to it, and its disappointing director’s cut, a brand new special edition is available, loaded with bonus features as well as both cuts of the film.
Let me preface this by saying that the film was interesting, and Michael Keaton’s performance was nice, but The Founder (Anchor Bay, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) is a film about a jerk who succeeds wildly by being a jerk who screws over his business partners. That’s the story of Ray Kroc, and it feels particularly dirty in the times we find ourselves in, to encourage this kind of behavior. Yes, he was successful, but by being absolutely McAwful as a human being. Bonus materials include a press conference and galleries.
A 1933 vampire film starring Fay Wray from 1933? Yeah, that’s what you get with the newly-restored The Vampire Bat (Film Detective, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP), about mysterious vampire attacks in a small village, and all of the eccentric suspects who may be perpetrating them. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and a featurette.
It’s difficult to watch Patriots Day (Lionsgate, Rated R, 4K Ultra HD-$42.99 SRP), as the events at the center of its dramatization of the manhunt following the Boston Marathon bombing still feel raw. It’s a solid film, to be sure, but an awkward viewing experience. Bonus materials include featurettes exploring the events and people involved.
In the grand pantheon of video game-to-film adaptations, Assassin’s Creed (Fox, Rated PG-13, 4K Ultra HD-$39.99 SRP) is definitely another one, almost entirely disposable, but very, very pretty looking in 4K. So, if you want a fine action adventure somehow starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard to show off your new TV, this film’ll work a charm. Bonus materials include a documentary, interviews, deleted scenes, and a gallery.
The fine folks at Flicker Alley continue their remarkable silent film restoration program with a unique film I’d never seen before, 1919’s Behind The Door (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), a WWI-fueled tale of vengeance about a working class American persecuted for his German ancestry who enlists to go to sea but loses his wife after she stows aboard his ship and is captured by a U-boat captain. Bonus materials featurettes, outtakes, and the Russian export version of the film.
You could almost make a double feature – a turgid double feature – out of Collateral Beauty (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$22.21 SRP) and Live By Night (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP), two forgotten films of 2016 starring big names – Will Smith and Ben Affleck, respectively. The stories couldn’t be more different – one’s a super-serious drama, and the other is a violent period gangster flick – but they are both, again, sadly forgettable. Collateral Beauty contains a single making-of featurette, while Live By Night sports a handful of featurettes, a commentary, and deleted scenes.
So. Monster Trucks (Paramount, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). A kiddie film about trucks that are also monsters. Or monsters that are also trucks. And they costar with Matthew Lillard. Because, of course they do. It’s just… I mean… I am not the audience for this. I assume that kids are. Kids who love monsters who are trucks. And Matthew Lillard. This, then, is for them. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, 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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The second season of 
Shane Black knows how to craft a buddy action-comedy, and that’s exactly the kind of skill that makes 
It’s not the best John le Carre adaptation, but 
A live action take on your animated take on 
The remake of the original film was a forgettable mess, but the first season of 
I haven’t quite decided what’s more remarkable – that we’ve already had nineteen seasons of 
A few months back, Doc Hammer (of Venture Bros. fame) giddily told me about the miraculous existence of a bluetooth device that perfectly re-created both the look – and more importantly the function – of an old school 
As much as the products inside, stores can hold a place in our emotional landscape. For music lovers, none hold more nostalgic pull than the late Tower Records chain. From its fascinating founding and rapid rise to its tragic demise, Colin Hanks’ documentary 
I don’t mind that some of quite legendary Warner films have been relegated to their specialty direct order catalogue, because I’m just delighted they’re finally getting the high definition treatment they deserve. Case in point is the high-def debut of the Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall classics 
If you want proof of just how deep the well is at the Warner Archive Collection, look to their release of a quartet of titles from the Hong Kong studio Golden Harvest – 
They certainly didn’t think it was going to be the end of the road, but at least they filmed a version of the finale that gave 
Shondaland’s bedrock 
As iconic as the original miniseries was, the modern take on 
Over the years, The Doctor has adopted many new and updated versions of his trusty multitool on Doctor Who, and of course that means a new toy version, as well. So, as the last season introduced yet another new iteration, you can now get your mitts on 
There’s a bit of Marley & Me to the emotional arc of 
I love that every month the folks at Olive release another batch of catalogue titles I feared would never make the transition to high definition. This month’s clutch includes Otto Preminger’s 
Like dancing? Like hip-hop? Like dancing and hip-hop? Then watch a pair of young lovers try and pull off their dream of a hip-hop version of Romeo & Juliet at a prestigious South African school in 
Spend a few hours in Shondaland catching up before the new season’s debut with the complete fifth season of 
Pull up a hay bale and commence to chewin’ your straw for an evening in with the 14-disc 
If John Waters were to make a German film about a student who rents a bunker room from an odd family only to be sucked into a truly bizarre drama, then it would be 
Fans waiting for the big screen iteration currently being concocted can whet their whistles by dipping into the complete season releases of 
From the “New Bacon-ings Burger” to the “Baby You Can Chive My Car Burger” and dozens more, 
When I was a kid, one of the things I always wanted to have was a 
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 
It’s not an instant classic, but I don’t care – I love seeing Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on screen together, and 
While he was a major focus in Ken Burns’ epic Baseball documentary series, there was more than enough left to craft the new documentary 
Caught between his mentor and his friends, Robin is in the unenviable position of being the focal point of the latest DC animated feature, 
It’s an acceptably creepy horror film starring Game Of Thrones‘ own Natalie Dorner, which is enough of a reason to give 
Keen on a musical kaleidoscope this weekend? Give a gander and a listen to 
Wow. 
While I’m still wary, I admit that my position on the upcoming Peanuts movie has softened considerably, to the point that I’m now actually looking forward to seeing it. A large part of the impetus for that change of heart can be found in the pages of 
The folks controlling the mighty Carson archive have dipped back into the vaults for the next batch of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: Featured Guest Series (Carson Entertainment, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP each), each volume of which devotes an entire disc just to episodes featuring a specific luminary. The second three volumes in the series spotlight 
It’s been a crime of Biffian proportions that we’ve been without a proper book celebrating the making of the Back To The Future Trilogy, but now we’ve been gifted with two must-have volumes. First is the unauthorized, wholly candid We Don’t Need Roads, and the second is the officially sanctioned 
I think we’re all in agreement that NERF has pretty much gotten their whole NERF dart thing pretty well sorted when it comes to their various NERF guns. So how do they put a new variation on their delivery system? Howzabout a slingshot? With a pullstring release, the single-fire 
The key to measurement is accuracy, so the 
It’s raining Rickles, as Time Life has gone and delivered 
Featuring all 107 episodes completely unedited, 
Based on the WWI memoir of Vera Brittain and starring Alicia Vikander and Kit Harrington, 
Have you ever wanted to see the three films of the original trilogy summed up in a dozen words with a dozen vignettes, all constructed out of felt? OF COURSE YOU DO. And that’s just what Star Wars: Epic Yarns delivers in the most delightful way in its trio of books, for 
And if that weren’t enough unbelievably cute Star Wars for you, then there’s also the special edition boxed release of Jeffrey’s Brown’s 
You know, if it weren’t for Adam Sandler’s half-hearted performance, 
Combining comedy, drama, short films, commentary, music, animation, and a highbrow sensibility, PBS’s 
Few shows in recent memory have been as visually and artistically creative as Pen Wards Adventure Time, so it’s only right that fans can snag 
And speaking of the current renaissance on Cartoon Network, you should also definitely pick up 
When a trained military dog is sent from Afghanistan to the U.S. and the family of his killed-in-action handler, the titular canine, 
As his latest big screen adventure hits and the current actor portraying him has voiced his desire to move on, now’s the prefect time for 
Time and distance have done little to make 1999’s television fantasy miniseries event 
I find her music disarmingly infectious and her live shows ridiculously energetic, and that’s all on display in her massive arena shows, captured on 
We’ll probably never get a Pirates Of The Caribbean TV series, so the closest we’ll come is the pirates a-plenty series 
Because the success of The Fault In Our Stars means that every thing that author John Green wrote will get a green light, his 
If you’d expect George Miller’s visually memorable Mad Max: Fury Road to have an equally eye-popping book packed with the film’s visual development artwork, your expectations would be met with 
While the film may have been DOA at the box office, there’s no denying that there’s enough Guillermo del Toro visual flair and attention to detail there to justify 
From their turn-of-the-20th century rise in power to their height of control in the 50s, 
In 1946, Salvador Dali and Walt Disney began collaborating on an animated film. Postwar difficulties at the Disney studio eventually derailed the project and it was shelved, but it was revived decades later by Walt’s nephew Roy. The story of its origins, development, and revival are detailed in 
A streamlined relaunch of the venerable franchise, 
Frank Zappa was bizarre. His music was bizarre. But both were eminently compelling. See for yourself in the newly-recovered 
I could do without the touch of religious nonsense and the completely nonsensical science of it all, but even on the significantly smaller home screen 3D experience, Alfonso Cuaron’s 
While I enjoyed the first Thor film, I thought it was a lot of potential greatness that didn’t quite gel into an optimum piece, but certainly laid plenty of groundwork. 
Quietly brilliant, 
Take a psychedelic, mathematical trip with Finn and Jake in the high definition arrival of 
Long a charitable institution in the UK, 
The truth of the story may be in doubt, but the adapted true story of 
If you’re a fan of obscure and much-desired TV shows that economics have forced to be stranded in the vaults of various studios, then you definitely should be aware of what the fine folks at the Warner Archive have been doing for the past few years. They’ve been making those shows available on an MOD (Manufacture On Demand) basis that means fans have the option to get that which they covet, freed from the vaults. Case in point is the near-complete run of the series The FBI, which is like the Federal version of Dragnet, drawing from actual case files to craft stories around. Currently available are 
Ah, but as we saw with the latter part of The FBI, they don’t only do MOD for their cult titles. With the 
And last but not least, in a most welcome move, the Warner Archive has begun offering high definition Blu-Ray releases of their animated series. While we aren’t getting the likes of Batman: The Animated Series or Batman Beyond in the format yet, we are getting the more recent complete first season of 
But Warners isn’t the only studio mining their vaults for cinema fans. Fox has their MOD 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives, and they’ve just dropped 12 new titles. Now available are John Barrymore in 
Some truly beautiful design work goes into modern videogames, which is more than evident by the conceptual artwork that packs 
Best to ignore Zack Snyder’s gaudy film and its even gaudier sequel, and instead pick up the beautiful high definition debut of the original tale of Spartan heroics, 
And for one last nail in the coffin of Snyder’s folly, find out the real history behind the Spartan’s sacrifice in The History Channel’s 
No matter how outrageous the first season of 
Disappointed in how own son, the proprietor of a prestigious family vineyard finds a much better heir in the son of his dying estate manager in the French psychological thriller 
And howzabout a new soundtrack round-up for this week? Certainly! You’ve got Tony Morales’s score for 
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 
Beyond the broad strokes, the man that was Abraham Lincoln has largely been replaced by the myth, which has overshadowed the nuts and bolts politicking needed to govern during a time of immense turmoil. The human accomplishment is fully illuminated by Steven Spielberg’s most engaging film in years, as Daniel Day-Lewis brings 
In an age where the original Star Wars and Raiders Of The Lost Ark can look like brand new films, it’s odd to see just how much grain is present in the high definition release of 
There probably hasn’t been enough time to put the events in their proper context, but there’s no denying the power behind the methodology presented in the hunt for the world’s most wanted man in 
By today’s standards, 
It’s always wonderful to see classic noir films hit Blu-Ray, as the high definition really drives home the beautiful cinematography to be found in many, and that includes the new edition of Elia Kazan’s harrowing 
While not as sparklingly brilliant as Armando Iannucci’s The Thick Of It, his team’s take on the US political machine, 
Very few things in life are completely dependable, but danged if Shout Factory hasn’t proven just that with their continued (and regular) releases of the original riff-fest via 
Looking to increase your knowledge about a given pop culture topic? Then you’ll probably want to snap up a trio of titles newly releases by Applause books which provide a myriad of answers to frequently asked (and even infrequently asked) pop culture topics. First out of the gate in what I can only hope is an ongoing series are the 
It’s hard to top the 2003 editions of his films, but Criterion has been doing just that with another film from the Charlie Chaplin library, the latest being his controversial black comedy 
If you’ve yet to experience the quirky joy of the cases of country solicitor Peter Kingdom (Stephen Fry), rectify that oversight with the complete collection of 
Beloved and much-missed, the late legend Levon Helm was remembered with the appropriately powerful 
Howzabout a bit of a UK TV-on-DVD round-up for all of you Anglophiles out there? What’s odd is that our first UK release is actually the American version of a UK show, which makes its home video debut in the UK – MTV’s remake of 
Lego irreverence returns to a galaxy far, far away with 
The cases of Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Foyle make their way to DVD in 
The fundamental problem with 
The problem with 
The fine folks at Mill Creek continue to release a broad mix of titles and beyond reasonable prices, with new releases including TV titles like 
If for no other reason, watch the second season of 
Sure, it came in the wake of Pokemon madness, but every children’s series has a fanbase, and that includes one that will be thoroughly excited by the release of 
Based on the novels by Kerry Greenwood about a thoroughly modern Melbourne woman in the 1920’s who happens to be a lady detective, 
For your modern TV choices this week, how about the complete first season of 
Alan Silvestri supplied some of the most memorable scores of the 80’s – including those for the Back To The Future films – and he returns to score Dreamworks Animation’s new animation hit 
And speaking of soundtracks, this week’s soundtrack round-up includes Alex Heffes’ score for 
HBO is dropping a trio of historical titles in high definition, all three of which are worth picking up – the biopic 
For anyone feeling the temptation of slipping from a diets, it’s rather fitting that you can have your very own 
It’s still not my cup of tea, but for those that do enjoy it, the complete 3rd season of 
If you want to see cold case investigations with a decidedly British flavor, dip into the 6th season of the BBC’s 
While the film can be shaky going, I can’t help loving the onscreen chemistry of Anna Faris & Chris Evans in 
Shout factory also continues to roll out the classic Nickelodeon series, releasing the live action comedy 
Every once in awhile an under-the-radar comedy comes along and pleasantly surprises, and 
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit worried that George RR. Martin might be unable to keep all of the plates of his sprawling Song Of Ice & Fire series spinning with the arrival of the long-awaited 5th installment, 
If you’re not comfortable with the whole touch-activated thing and desire a measure of accuracy, then you might want to try the 
You know, it says it’s from Nickelodeon studios, but I find it hard to believe that 
I usually find Robot Chicken an uneven affair, but they always seem to bring their A-game to their Star Wars specials. While 
Oh, great that these classic Doctor Who releases are coming so fast, as we get the terribly unappreciated William Hartnell old west adventure 
As the cinematic Harry Potter-verse draws to a close, there’s a lot of products both official and unofficial that are being released to capitalize on all of the wizardry hubbub, but one of the most fun unofficial items has to be 
It doesn’t seem that long since the last series, but the spooks at 
After 15 seasons, 
Oh, Russell Brand. I really do like you as a performer, and was a fan long before the rest of the US even knew who you were, but this remake of 
A consummate lawyer who works out of the back seat of his car, Matthew McConaughey finds himself in a violent predicament when he takes on the defense of a young man accused of rape and murder in the entirely watchable thriller 
The third season of 
Shout Factory has cranked up their high definition genre releases with a pair of must-have cheese flicks – Roger Corman’s Star Wars pastiche 
Regardless of which side you fall on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the film 
If you’ve got a big, beautiful high definition television, there’s nothing like kicking back and just drinking in the beauty of the IMAX films 
Are you behind on picking up the DVD releases of Nickelodeon’s most popular preschool shows? Well, now you can catch up with 
I know there are plenty of fans, but I’ve never been able to make it through an episode of 
Bundled together for easier fan purchase (and because the boys claim that there will be no more) 
Oh, I’m a sucker for a novelty instrument. I really am. It’s sad, really… I simply have no control when presented with a unique, goofy musical instrument. So what’s the latest object of my affection? The 
If you would like a perfect example of how now to end a series – and don’t have your copy of Buffy: Season 7 handy – be sure to dive into the awkwardly uneven and completely unfulfilling 6th and final season of 
Starting with Terry Gilliam’s 
I haven’t really taken in much of the new version of the franchise, but the single-disc release 
I’m always fascinated by documentaries that illuminate a slice of history that’s been largely forgotten, and such is the case with 
It’s an indie comedy through and through, but at least 
Fill this weekend’s musical needs with a pair of new releases sure to keep the energy level high – 
I guess someone, somewhere had a desire to abandon the Bruce Timm-Paul Dini Batmanverse and return the Dark Knight to his campy Silver Age period with 
A trio of History Channel series get season releases… But which ones are they? Well, there’s the complete second season of 
With 
The folks at the Warner Archive have dug up and remastered the Cary Grant drama 
Nickelodeon wants to which everyone a very 
High schools over but the drama keeps rolling along in the 3rd season of 
I’ve banged on about it for years, and I’ll continue to bang on about the absolute greatness of the British comedy panel show QI, which makes the discovery of interesting knowledge a hilarious affair. A few years back, they brought the immense database of general ignorance (little factoids the disprove much of what be believe to be true) to books, a pair of which have gotten a release in paperback – The revised & expanded 
There’s plenty of high-end goodies to be had over at Thinkgeek, but some of the best stuff id the reasonably-priced, highly-practical items. For example, I give you the 
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – as created by Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird – are celebrating their 25th anniversary. Yes – you heard me right. And to celebrate, all four feature films have been pulled together on high definition into the 
Hot on the heels of Role Models (which I enjoyed), Paul Rudd returns with 
I’m a sucker for a 50’s monster flick, and it’s nice when a modern filmmaker tries to recreate that era – which is exactly what 
Right from the start, I was impressed with both the concept and visuals of 
Get over the idea that Zac Efron eventually grew up to be Matthew Perry, and 
From the raw gyrations that greeted viewers watching his 1956 debut, 
Through a production quirk, the episodes featured in 
While it doesn’t fully illuminate the poor decision-making skills that went into making such a horrid adaptation, 
Score aficionados should be on the lookout for Ben Foster’s soundtrack to 
The wife of a good friend of mine is a big fan of the porcine children’s book star 
Lionsgate has opened up the floodgates and released a trio of catalogue titles in high definition – one of which is a certified guilty… well, I hesitate to say “pleasure”. That one is Renny Harlin’s awkward pirate epic 
There used to be a show named 
I’ve heard that there are people who watch the updated version of the high school tribulations of those wacky West Beverly students on 
Like chocolate and peanut butter, Tim Minchin is one of those rare breed of stand-ups that have hit upon the sweet combination of comedy and music, and over the last few years he’s brought his nouveau-cabaret act to audiences that have explosively grown in size and loyalty in both Britain and his native Australia. He’s set his sights on the US next, so be the first on your block to be hip to a wonderful performer I can best describe as combining equal parts theatricality, musicianship, and glorious bombast. Minchin is the Meat Loaf of comedy. For an easy primer, pick up both his most recent DVD – 
Thinkgeek has just recently launched a brilliant new section on their website featuring a plethora of products aimed at proto-geeks from ages 0-10. I’ll be featuring a few items from there over the coming months, but I thought I’d start with one that the music lover in me can really get behind – called the Sweetpea 3, it’s essentially 
Humor in mainstream comics is a rarity, so it’s nice to be reminded of one of the genre’s truly funny classics with the Showcase release of Keith Giffen’s 
Someone described 
Another month, and another batch of new-to-Blu-Ray catalogue releases have come down the pike from Paramount. The best on the list is probably 
Erasure fans will be a half dozen kinds of giddy with the release of the 
The first documentary to take a look at the then fully-reborn Star Wars fan movement – you know, before actually seeing the prequels killed it all off – was 
It’s not exactly a visual feast, but the BBC’s now-classic adaptation of 
They’re trying to sell them as great films, but I think a better way to describe them is 80’s cable comfort food. Either way, the titles comprising “The Lost Collection” (Lionsgate, Rated PG/R, DVD-$14.98 SRP each) are 
Most of the classic MGM musicals library resides over at Warner Bros. – and they’ve been doing a fine job of releasing deluxe special editions of those titles – but there are a few that still remain with MGM, and a trio of them are getting a release – 
Go behind the walls and delve into its past with the Smithsonian Channel’s 
Buy your ticket for the eighth and final season of 
Oh, science fiction. You’ve suffered so many slings and arrows as a genre in recent years, and some of those attacks have even been knife blades to the heart of true classics that have had the misfortune to be remade. In that latter category, I offer you the wretched, abysmal, baffling and dull remake of 
Ever since seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark as a wee child, Indy’s iconic headwear has held a special fascination for me. Even going back 15 years, I contemplated trying to get a fedora of my own – but the price was quite prohibitive (or, at least, relative to my finances today). Still, the dream persisted, and on a trip to Disneyland a few years back I picked up one of their $35 officially licensed fedoras – and I was happy. It looked close enough to the real thing for me to feel like I finally got what I’d always wanted. Ah, but then 
We’ve now officially reached – and passed – the middle of 
With all that attention being paid to the man with the hat, let’s turn our eye towards the original Lucasian franchise that was driven into the ground with an unfortunate return, Star Wars. Before the release of the prequels – even before the release of the special editions – there was an incredible behind-the-scenes tome that was released. Though out of print for years, it was brought back into print a few years back, and it’s celebration of an unsullied Star Wars universe warms my frosted heart. Packed with hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos and detailed information, get your own copy of 
Although still largely unknown in the US, I’m quite the fan of mentalist/magician/illusionist/creepy guy Derren Brown. I heartily recommend you pick up the DVD documenting his live tour 
It’s been so long since their airing that I barely remember the episodes features in the 5th season set of 
Although his smarmy, opportunistic, and ultimately destructive behavior became cartoonish in his last years as prime minister, it’s a film like writer Peter Morgan and director Stephen Frears’ 
Long before her turn as Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker was teamed with Amy Linker in the 80’s prototype for My So-Called Life, 
Longtime readers of this column will know I’m a sucker for historical documentaries, so keep that in mind when I say I watched 
If you’re an armchair adventurer, you might want to pick up a copy of 
If you’ve not yet seen 
Often – and unfairly – overshadowed by the much showier Platoon, 
After four seasons of Jim Nabors bumbling around as the titular 
You’ve got to love BBC period dramas – and I do. They’re lush, they’re dependable, and they’re usually packed with top-flight actors. Such is the case with 
I was an avid Saturday morning cartoon watcher during the 70’s and 80’s, and even I don’t remember that there was such a beast as the 
Not one to let the dead rest even a moment, George Romero returns with another installment in his seemingly never-ending zombie saga, 
If watching war flicks over the labor day weekend seems kind of old hat, you might want to try taking a look at the veritable wagonload of westerns making their way out of the vaults. First out the gate is Fox, which has dropped 
For sheer volume, though, MGM has opened up the floodgates with 
If you’re in the mood for a great drama that features Eddie Izzard (and really, who isn’t?), try the Region 2 release 
Surely I can’t be the only one that had zero interest in National Treasure, and even less interest in its sequel, 
Take Party Animal, mix in The Hills, and add a bit of the envelope pushing of Queer As Folk – oh, and set it all in the UK – and you’ve got the basic formula for 
The be-uniformed crusaders of the Judge Advocate General’s office return in the sixth season of 
I still believe the film is an unwanted return to a franchise whose potential was dashed upon the rocks of a mediocre first outing, but there is something to be said for Harry Gregson-Williams’ score to 
Hoping to fill the void left by Jeff Foxworthy’s departure from the sitcom scene, redneck compatriot Bill Engvall received the eponymous 
Broadway-philes can give a spin to the new revival cast recording from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 
