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 Kelly Sue DeConnick, about time, destructor puppies, Wonder Woman Historia, Greek gods, re-framing myths, good brains, process, Lois Lane, pigeon milk crossing, Captain Marvel parking, and fragrant destruction.
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 a trio of The Genies from Disney’s California Adventure’s beloved ALADDIN: A MUSICAL SPECTACULAR show – Mark Gagliardi & Jeff Sumner & Dylan White, who share tales of early calls, zen meditation, Barbasol blues, knitting, hug trains, applause tokens, comment cards, snafus, the well, one-offs, mic tree mishaps, makeup solubility, hamburger tickets, beard fails, and more. (And fair warning – There is some adult language.)
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 actor Jason Ritter, about DuckTales, Animal Crossing, creepy islands, cheats, wandering, gaming soundtracks, Slider’s band, Gravity Falls, Dipper confessions, Orko’s reveals, thankful cracks, chill pills, hall swimming, magic jeans, lunch islands, Tisch kids, bookbag pizza, afterparties, and squirrel duels.
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 vlogger Disney Dan Becker, about Royal Plumage, Lord Beckeredge, pie flights, Depressorman, pumpkin pie pop tarts, bacon, horror nights, lo-fi Fantasmic, Mansion burials, upsells, penny sacks, salt lamps, and Galaxy’s Edge wars.
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 performers Calvin Lester & Kelsey Ann Brady, about dignity, Hoop-Dee-Doo, Walt’s chili, Chuy’s balloon animals, Frank and Jim, side hustles, Bird Call Radio, international Disney, Doofenshmirtz, tater tots, Hagrid’s motorbike, undead Cats In The Hat, Suite Life Of Terror, and FozzCasting.
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 performer Juliana Hansen, about Toy Story 4, Funkoforky, Miss Wendy, direct offers, wild teachers of the wasteland, weeping Hanks, Disney range, bright voices, high school musicals, Tomorrow, bullying, Broadway, road warrior, London, Popeye, Disneyland, Jasmine’s stomach, J-babies, magical maps, inspiration, vocal scares, Richard Sherman, Hayley Mills, Pollyanna, and snap jokes.
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 performer Patty Hawkins, about Boardwalks, cocaine cola, board games, horsey moves, geek subcultures, eating vegetables, raiding, Carpenters, Crewsin, Disney, signing snafus, and hosting.
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 puppeteer/performer Nate Begle, about love nudges, plane pretzels, Universal Pitywalk, Deep Blue parrots, puppeteering, quaint German mustard, Muppets, tangent holes, Blockbusting, projecting, Pope shows, Last Week Tonight dogs, laser light shows, theme parking, and Groot.
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 writer, producer, and president of the Jim Henson Legacy, Craig Shemin, about Muppets, Jim Henson, Disney deals, legacies, writing, puppet theory, deleted scenes, and a Plume Deluxe.
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 puppeteer Calvin Lester, about tiki bars, Muppets, Disney World, fancy drinks, Frank and Jim, Leslie Nielsen, pineapple drops, Skippers, Gadding about, and Bird Call Radio.
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 author Guy Hutchinson, about Sesame Place, Muppets, TMZ Treehouse, Disney Dining, My Bookie, Hershey Highway, Budge, and The Forgetful Jones.
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 videogame director Austin Ivansmith about DuckTales, Dr. Bitter ‘n’ Resentful, eloquence, esotericolacity, greasy spoon games, smugendipity, and the Paul F. Tompquest.
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…)
You find out that an asteroid is going to hit the Earth, and the end as we know it is in 3 weeks. What do you do? That’s the premise behind the heartfelt dramedy Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP), as an insurance salesman (Steve Carell) instantly abandoned by his wife when the announcement is made finds an unexpected kinship with a similarly broken young neighbor (Keira Knightly). Just give it a spin. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, and outtakes.
Thinkgeek time, wizard-wannabes! No wizard sport cosplay is complete without a pair of Harry Potter Quidditch Goggles ($7.99 SRP), which strike a nice balance between looking authentic enough to the actual screen props while also being relatively inexpensive. And while we’re on the subject of cool, affordable Harry Potter merchandise, why not pick yourself up your very own light-up Harry Potter Wand ($19.99 SRP)? Or a beautiful replica – with display case! – of Hermione’s Time Turner ($49.99 SRP)? Or, if you’re in an evil but artistic mood, an accurately blank-page filled copy of Tom Riddle’s Diary ($39.99 SRP)? PLENTY of magic to go around.
It’s a growing trend to create books packed with reproductions of ephemera, and you can add the Harry Potter film franchise to that list with the re-release of Harry Potter Film Wizardry (Collins Design, $45.00 SRP) – newly revised and expanded to include the last two films in the series – which provides an overview of the tremendous amount of design work that went into the costuming, sets, props, and effects contained in the films, and includes reproductions of some of those props (like Harry’s acceptance letter, a Marauders Map, Yule Ball Ticket, and more). A perfect gift for the Potter fan on your list.
Supplement the original must-have collection with The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Volume 2 (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$29.93 SRP), which contains 8 more episodes from Kovacs’ morning show, 18 bonus sketches, a trio of episodes of his game show Take A Good Look, his rare TV pilot with co-star Buster Keaton, a rare interview, and a 2011 American Cinematheque panel. As a supplement if you order directly from them, Shout Factory is releasing Take A Good Look as a bonus disc, which brings together 7 episodes from Kovacs’ delightfully surreal panel quiz show, that’s very similar in spirit to Reeves & Mortimer’s equally dada Shooting Stars. Go get this.
Many, many, many years ago, Henry Beard and the late Doug Kenney of The Harvard Lampoon decided that the time was right to pen a scathing parody of JRR Tolkien’s massive, sprawling, often meandering epic trilogy, calling their effort Bored Of The Rings (Touchstone, $13.99 SRP). And it has just been re-released after many years out-of-print. And you should read it. Because it is pretty damn funny.
If you’ve ever been to a Disney theme park, you’ll know that nearly every single major attraction in the park – nearly since Disneyland first opened – has its very own promotional poster, which is very often a work of art unto itself. You can take a visual journey through these pieces in the oversized Poster Art Of The Disney Parks (Disney Editions, $40.00 SRP), which is a must-have not only for fans, but also aficionados of graphic design.
There have been many books prior, but The Toy Story Films: An Animated Journey (Disney Editions, $60.00 SRP) is the first to take a comprehensive look at not only all 3 Toys Story films, but also the shorts and development that brought us up to the point of a viable feature-length computer animated film. With a foreword by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki and an afterword by John Lasseter, it’s a wonderful portrait of creation.
I still can’t quite find a way to sum up exactly what Magic Mike (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) is about. A heartwarming tale of a young, wayward kid (Alex Pettyfer) taken under the wing of an experienced, hack (Channing Tatum) with entrepreneurial dreams who decides the kid has the right stuff to be a star male stripper. Yeah – male strippers. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. And it’s all so, so awkward. Yeah, I’m shocked, too. Bonus materials include featurettes and extended dance scenes.
You’d think Disney would take a page from Dreamworks and bring back their pantheon of characters for holiday-themed specials, but instead they’ve left it all to the other Big D with releases like Dreamworks Spooky Stories (Dreamworks, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$25.98 SRP), featuring a pair of Shrek Halloween specials – Shrek’s Thrilling Tales & Scared Shrekeless – and Monsters Vs Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space.
I’m always delighted when an actual historical release manages to escape past the reality glut from The History Channel, which is why I enjoyed Disasters Deconstructed (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP), which takes a look at and explains some of history’s greatest architectural disasters, from the Hindenburg to the Titanic and more.
How about another trip to beautiful Fantasy Island (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$39.97 SRP), as the third season of the original series starring Ricardo Montalban, Herve Villechaize, and whatever guest stars could be marooned by the Love Boat hits DVD. The 6-disc set contains all 23 episodes, plus Bob Denver. Yes. That’s right. Gilligan on Fantasy Island.
Created by Blake Edwards and featuring an iconic theme from the great Henry Mancini, it’s quite groovy to be able to pick up the complete series of Peter Gunn (Timeless Media Group, Not Rated, DVD-$99.99 SRP). You get all 114 episodes featuring the suave detective solving the hardest cases in a nameless city that’s full of them. The set even contains a bonus CD featuring more of Mancini’s jazzy score.
It’s living in the shadow of the far more acclaimed Downton Abbey, but the BBC’s new take on Upstairs Downstairs (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.32 SRP) has reached a second season which takes the story up to just prior to Britain entering the Second World War, as tensions rise both outside and inside the house. Bonus materials include cast and crew interviews.
I still can’t fathom the appeal of the Tinkerbell-starring Disney Fairies line of direct-to-video films, but there must be enough of an audience if they continue to crank them out – the latest being the feature-length Secret Of The Wings (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), which has the distinction of being the first presented in 3D. Bonus materials include an additional short and music videos.
We’re yet another step closer to completing the seemingly-infinite run of Roy Clarke’s Last Of The Summer Wine (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP) with the release of the 1995 Vintage (season). The 2-disc set contains all 8 episodes, plus the 1995 special “The Man Who Nearly Knew Pavarotti”.
While Medicom has had a version of the fearsome bounty hunter as featured in Return Of The Jedi, the fine folks at Sideshow has taken it upon themselves to make a definitive version of the 12″ Boba Fett ($174.99) as we first encountered him in Empire Strikes Back. The usual high level of scale-costuming can be found here, from pouches and weapons to the original detailing of his jet pack and helmet. The figure also comes with a light-up base, styled in the architecture of Bespin’s carbonite freezing chamber.
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…
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…)
A long, long, long time ago, at the birth of DVD, one of the earliest releases was a cult classic musical comedy that happened to have had its original downer ending reshot and replaced with a happy ending right before it was originally released in theaters. For the DVD, a black & white workprint of the original ending – which featured spectacular practical miniature effects as the film’s monsters took over the world – was included. And then the DVD was pulled, the original ending was removed, and the film was re-released on DVD, making the first DVD release a collector’s item. Over a dozen years later, that ending has been completely restored and finished off for the Little Shop Of Horrors: Director’s Cut (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP), available in lovely high definition for both the original and theatrical cuts, plus a new introduction from Frank Oz and the brilliant effects supervisor who created the now restored sequence, Richard Conway. It also carries over the audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurette from the original release. Get this, already.
Thinkgeek time! Worried you or those around you may have had a bit too much to drink? Or want to stop yourself before you get into bad territory? Well, you can estimate your blood alcohol level with the BacTrack Breath Alcohol Detector ($29.99 SRP), which tests in the 0.00-0.40% range. Simply blow into the mouthpiece and get a quick reading of whether you’re soused or not.
While many an armchair collector will snatch up animation cells as some sort of investment, or will cover the idea that they own what is actually seen in the final product, I am a much bigger fan of original production art – the true expression of the artist’s craft, while cells are merely a tracing of that spark. A lot of that very beautiful original production art, from sketches and layouts to model sheets and doodles, is captured in the beautifully conceived A Disney Sketchbook (Disney Editions, $50.00 SRP), which presents all of this art as if you are flipping through actual art pages full of pencil drawings. More volumes of this, please, as this merely whets the appetite.
Disney in the 70’s was an awkward company, desperately trying to maintain the magic post-Walt while churning out a massive amount of live action family films. A few, like Bedknobs & Broomsticks, combined live action, animation, and music in an attempt to repeat the alchemy of Mary Poppins. One attempt that is flawed but is a dear, dear favorite of mine is Pete’s Dragon (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), the tale of an orphaned boy named Pete, on the run from an evil foster family with his dragon Elliott by his side, who arrives in a sleepy seaside town and turns things on their ear. The music’s fun, the performances are a hoot, and there’s some genuine sentiment in there. Oh, and the new Blu-Ray remastering looks stunning. Get this.
I haven’t really been taken with a Wes Anderson film since Rushmore, as each of his subsequent efforts come across as increasingly affected in attempt to capture a Hal Ashbyian ideal. That said, the most enjoyable film so far has to be Moonrise Kingdom (Universal, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP), which at its very base is a simple love story between a pair of kids running from a lot of problems on a small, isolated island. Yup, that’s pretty much it. It’s quaint and affecting. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
The 4th season’s heady, happy high of founding Sterling Cooper Draper Price goes darkly sour as Don Draper drifts into an abyss all his own in the wheels within wheels 5th season of Mad Men (Lionsgate, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), which is definitely a season that deserves another watch, particularly in the always snazzier high definition of Blu-Ray which allows the visual style of the show to shine. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes on everything from the history of the period to composer David Carbonara’s score, and a gallery of Newsweek covers.
It’s not the most appealing character design, but while Pixar’s intent is to pull the heartstrings as much as entertain, Dreamworks’ Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (Dreamworks, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) really just wants to entertain and make you laugh.. And it largely succeeds, bringing our still-on-the-run zoo escapees under the big top. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes – and if you act fast, your very own rainbow wig, just like Marty the Zebra wears.
Spinning off from Tim & Eric, John C. Reilly’s daft, disturbing creation Dr. Steve Brule gets his very own series and very own DVD release with Check It Out with Dr. Steve Brule (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$19.97 SRP), which contains all 12 episodes plus a small clutch of bonus features. So yes, do check it out.
While not a classic, A League Of Their Own (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP) certainly has become a fixture in the pop culture firmament, so it’s arrival in high definition is certainly welcome. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, interview, and a music video.
After Anne Hathaway was a princess but before she was a Catwoman, she was the titular star of the fairy tale Ella Enchanted (Lionsgate, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$14.99 SRP), which finds its way into high definition. Its tale of a young woman given the gift of obedience by her Fairy Godmother when she was born, who then determines to return the more-curse-than-gift, is a fun little romp. Bonus materials an audio commentary, featurettes deleted scenes, and a music video.
If you’ve ever wanted to know exactly why anyone would choose to cooperate with the rise and run of the Nazi regime, Nazi Collaborators (Shanachie, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) is a definitive, comprehensive, haunting, and infuriating look at the citizens and circumstances that led to the support of such base evil.
Long before he became Bond, Daniel Craig starred as an Inspector investigating the mysterious murder of a body found in the titular The Ice House (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.97 SRP), which just so happens to be that of a husband missing for over 10 years. The disc also contains a featurette on the author of the original novel, Minette Walters.
And for this week’s soundtrack pick, we get a brand new, expanded edition of John Carpenter’s original score for The Fog (Silva Screen, $17.09 SRP), featuring both the remixed soundtrack album done in 2000, as well as the original score cues from 1980.
This week also brings a pair of classic TV releases from the CBS vaults, with the second volumes of both Gunsmoke: Season Six (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.98 SRP) and Perry Mason: Season 7 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$55.98 SRP). While Perry Mason is featureless, Gunsmoke contains the original sponsor spots.
It’s a shame that Alcatraz (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) ended its run after only a handful of episodes, as it was nice to see Sam Neil and Jorge Garcia working together, even if the JJ Abrams fueled plot – about a mysterious group of prisoners from the infamous penitentiary repeating their crimes in modern San Francisco – was another overwrought puzzlebox. Bonus materials include a featurette, unaired scenes, and a gag reel.
Even when a series gets cancelled, it’s still a safe bet that you may very well see a DVD release, particularly if the show made it a full season – as NBC’s take on the John Grisham novel The Firm (E1, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) did. The 6-disc set contains all 22 episodes plus cast & crew interviews and featurettes.
You can’t get further from 24 than Keifer Sutherland’s touchy-feely role in the goopy sci-spirituality mess that is Touch (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), which finds him the father of an emotionally challenged son that has the mathematical shining to see how every life on the planet connects. And then they go all Touched By An Angel. Bonus materials include an extended pilot episode, featurettes, and deleted scenes.
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…
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…)
After years of pale impressions of brilliant piss-takes Airplane! and Police Squad!, Charlie Brooker does an equally pitch-perfect parody of the TV detective genre with A Touch Of Cloth (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£12.99 SRP), which manages the delicate balance of smart writing, deft direction, and actors who are up to the challenge. Just watch the damn thing already, and delight in the fact that more episodes are coming down the pike soon. Bonus materials include a clutch of interviews.
Want a quick and idiot proof way to add some versatile LED lighting to your home or office? Try the OLS Pro Multi-Color Lighting Kit ($149.99), which comes with a handful of LED strips you can stick to any surface, coupled with a remote control that allows you to rainbow up your options for complete flexibility. Now head over to Thinkgeek and grab one!
While the criticisms of emotional button-pushing remain, time has only increased my estimation of E.T. (Universal, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP), which plays more and more as a gruff view of a broken family being brought together… admittedly by an extra-terrestrial. This high definition restoration is really quite beautiful, trumping the DVD anniversary edition from almost a decade ago. And missing from this release? The atrocious “walkie-talkie” version. Good riddance. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and a handful of featurettes.
It seems long overdue, but Richard Schickel’s Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective (Sterling, $35.00 SRP) is a beautifully put-together overview of Spielberg’s directing career, made so by Spielberg’s involvement in discussing his films and putting them within a personal context. A brilliant book for fans and cinephiles alike.
And now that you’ve bought your high definition copy of Steven Spielberg’s classic, why not explore its creation and read the screenplay in the illustrated 30th anniversary edition of ET The Extra-Terrestrial: From Concept To Classic (It Books, $24.99 SRP), which is packed with behind-the-scenes photos, art, and information.
A trio of Major Toms make a mysterious return from Mars and prove to be a conspiracy almost too hot to handle for Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor & companion Liz Shaw in the latest classic Doctor Who release Ambassadors of Death (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP). The wonderful Restoration Team has put a lot of work into bringing color back to this serial, one of many hurt by the BBC’s tape wipe policy, which had left the only surviving film version a black & white print. Bonus materials are the usual fun collection of featurettes.
It’s a mess in many ways, but there’s a bizarre zeal to the Beatles’ underappreciated TV special Magical Mystery Tour (Apple, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP), which gets a startlingly brilliant treatment in high definition. If you’ve never seen this televisual fever dream, you owe it a spin. Bonus materials include a McCartney audio commentary, featurettes, rare footage, and more.
It can get a bit draggy, but I admit that dozens of childhood cable viewings has endeared John Huston’s wonderfully off-key Annie (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$14.99 SRP) to me. The actors all came to play, especially noteworthy being Carol Burnett’s turn as the wonderfully boozy yet still horrible Miss Hannigan. And after years of sub-par pan & scan DVD releases, we finally get an anamorphic remastered print that looks and sounds great. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
As far as CG has come, it still lacks the subtle charms and realistic touch that can be found in traditional stopmotion animation. The methods have been refined greatly over the last few years, as is readily evident when you explore The Art And Making Of Paranorman (Chronicle, $40.00 SRP), about the latest effort from the same studio that produced Coraline. This the usual wonderful Chronicle Art Of book, packed with photos and conceptual artwork.
The problem with Prometheus (Fox, Rated R, 3D Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP) is that Ridley Scott would rather be coy than commit. A true shame, because I certainly was open for an Alien prequel with big ideas beyond the simply action-oriented sequels, but it was with the hope that we might actually get some simple answers rather than watch an extended preview for whatever the next film is. It is a beautiful film, though, with a wonderful performance from Michael Fassbender as the android David, but those are the only real highlights, particularly among a cast of largely idiotic characters (save for the aforementioned David and Idris Elba’s captain) that never should have been allowed on such an important mission. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and deleted scenes. For the real meat – a 3 1/2-hour documentary – you’ll have to get the 3D edition.
A camp masterpiece gets the high definition treatment with the arrival of the feud-tastic What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP), a tour de force for both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as an aging child star and her crippled sister. The pair of siblings are in a lifelong contest of psychological warfare, and the restoration work done for this release is top notch. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, documentaries, featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.
It’s difficult to enjoy a musical like Rock Of Ages (New Line, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) when you really don’t like many of the rock hits presented, from everyone from Def Leppard to Poison – Just not my cup of tea, really. But even getting over that hurdle, you’re left with a middling flick with pretensions to greatness, unsure of the line between earnestness and schlock in its tale of a teen with stars in her eyes who gets a wake-up call when she hits the late 80’s Sunset Strip trying to break into the business. Much like the music itself, really. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
The DVD release of the ginger legend’s last great sitcom comes to a close with the release of The Lucy Show: Official Sixth & Final Season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), featuring guest stars including Carol Burnett and Jack Benny, plus a slew of bonus features from rare footage and outtakes to galleries and vintage openings & closings.
Got kids? Pick up the latest brilliant Scholastic Storybook Treasures My First Collection Volume 4 Featuring Robot Zot! (Scholastic, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP), featuring the aforementioned robot tale, plus 11 addition al tales animated in a fund and engaging way.
This week’s soundtrack pick is Edgar Rothermich’s faithful reconstruction and performance of Vangelis’ score to Blade Runner (BSX Records, $19.30 SRP) – a score which has never gotten a proper release due to a dispute between Vangelis and Ridley Scott. So this is as close as your going to get, and it really does sound fantastic.
For hardcore and casual Disney fans alike, Dave Smith’s Disney Trivia From The Vault: Secrets Revealed And Questions Answered (Disney Editions, $9.99 SRP) is a treasure trove of little known informational nuggets regarding every corner of the Mouse House, from the films to the parks. And Smith should know what he’s talking about, as he’s the Chief Archivist Emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives.
The 7th season of Bones (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$69.99 SRP) finds Emily Deschanel’s Dr. Temperance Brennan in the throes of motherhood while still loaded down with homicides to solves, all while her bond with David Boreanaz’s Agent Booth grows deeper. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, 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…
All the advertising, marketing, trailers, ricketa, racketa, even the first third of Pixar’s newest movie seem to be pushing one singular obvious plot that is nowhere to be found in the movie itself. This isn’t really a bad thing, just a confusing one.
The movie is a scottish period piece, a story about a soon-to-be Queen, Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) who wants a life free from the expectations of her future. She has an overbearing mother, the current Queen (Emma Thompson,) and a very supportive father, the current King (Billy Connolly.) Merida is an expert archer, highly adept at life in the wilderness and is pretty much the antithesis to anything prim and proper. Surrounded by a kingdom of ruthless warriors and the “manliest” of manly scottish men, she is expected to be everything she hates on top of being expected to marry a prince she’s never met. You can see where this is going right? I mean the title, the setup, all of it points to the obvious conclusion that she is going to prove that she is something more than just a pretty smile by her extreme bravery, probably by showing up even the best of the best warriors in the kingdom at some yet to be known task. Right?
I mean look at this poster:
Wrong. I’m glad it’s wrong too. BRAVE is not trying to tell that story no matter how much the marketing and the setup seem to want to. This is a movie about mistakes (much like the title of the movie itself,) responsibility, identity and the relationship of a mother and her daughter. Without SPOILING anythng I’ll just say that the princess tries desperatley to change her destiny and ends up cursing her mother.
I won’t go too in depth with the story, but all of princess Merida’s wilderness and archery skills come into play and her mother sees that she is a much different personality then the one being imposed on her. It’s a very touching story, a very weird tale and even a welcome one, but at the heart of it its not about bravery, sure Merida has to be brave in one scene but it just doesn’t merit the title and the tone of the marketing.
The animation is exceptional, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Kelly Macdonald give great performances. For all of you who were heartbroken at CARS 2 sadly existing, BRAVE will remind you why your standards for Pixar were so high prior to CARS 2. Still, I don’t know if BRAVE is good enough to make up for putting Larry The Cable Guy in theaters TWICE.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – Review
I’ve never read the book, so don’t expect any perspective involving that.
please carefully study the following Pictures by SharpWriter:
…and you basically just felt the exact tone, joke, and overall absurdly senseless “badassery” of Timur Bekmambetov’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The movie makes little to no sense, doesn’t bother to truly explain the vamps, Lincoln’s powers are ill-defined and the film often defies its own logic and physics.
However, much like the above “internety” photographs of our founding fathers in absurd situations, fighting beasts while forcing them to “deal” with historical documents, this film succeeds on its complete dedication to the joke. It’s the phrase “AMERICA, F!@#$ YEAH!” formed and molded into celluloid. It is both a satire of “American Exceptionalism” and a homage, albeit a silly one, to arguably this nations greatest president.
Benjamin Walker’s performance, regardless how this movie strikes you, is actually quite great. In both body and spirit he embodies a noble, honest figure, which is a pretty impressive feat when you consider he’s surrounded by so much cartoonish action.
Some of the set pieces in this movie, cartoonish or not, pretty much define the term “AWESOME!” for better or worse.
– Abe Lincoln fighting a vampire in the center of a horse stampede? AWESOME.
– Vampires, fighting for the south, during the battle of Gettysburg? AWESOME.
– Abe Lincoln chopping a tree in half with one blow with the power of TRUTH? AWESOME!!!
***************SPOILERS OVER*******************
The movie isn’t that coherent and like I said it defy’s its internal logic, and never really explains the “vampire rules” of its universe, but I enjoyed it none the less for the nuggets of ridiculous that flowed throughout.
Oh, and DON’T SEE THE 3D…something was seriously flawed with the 3D print, it looked to be a victim of extreme DIGITAL NOISE REDUCTION, wide shots looked laughably horrible. I hope the 2D doesn’t follow suit.
It looked like the awful 2010 bluray of PREDATOR, but in 3D:
SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD spoiler free review
Earlier this year, when reviewing Cabin In The Woods, I spoke about my desire to reach into Joss Whedon’s nipple abyss, where he keeps his talent, and steal some for myself. This was basically cause I wish I had the idea for Cabin first, well I can say that I’m jealous I didn’t think of Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World first as well.
A light comedy that takes place during the last 3 weeks of the apocalypse , one that doesn’t whimp out in the end, it’s a good idea. Personally, I don’t know if I would consider it a great film, but it’s a very well acted, directed, and funny flick. The comedy isn’t coming from the leads here either, but from the various cameos by T.J Miller, Gillian Jacobs, Rob Corddry, Patton Oswalt, Rob Huebel, Adam Brody and William Peterson of all people. It’s a great cast, and Steve Carrell himself gives a very understated performance that is polar opposite to his Michael Scott.
Please don’t let “THE END OF THE WORLD” part in the title fool you, this isn’t a Michael Bay film, we don’t see much of the chaos and panic and destruction of the world in a storm of mania over it’s end, its only hinted at both visually, audibly, and through suggestion. In fact, that might be my biggest compliment to the film itself, they figured out just the perfect balance to keep the whole affair low budget but without feeling like they were skimping on showing us glimpses of the premise.
Writer/Director Lorene Scafaria doesn’t force armageddon down our throat, the movie knows we get what the apocalypse means, it pushes that aside and tells this small story of one lonely man.
Sadly, I foresee this film disappointing a wide variety of filmgoers expecting either the brash comedy of Carell’s other work, or as I said, a Michael Bay film. If you can except the movie for what it’s trying to be and not what the title would normally make our Hollywood glazed brains envision, it’s worth the price of a ticket.
Ok that’s all for now. I’m Bob Rose and thanks for your eyeball time!
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at FRED. Every week, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
In conjunction with BBC Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies each of DOCTOR WHO: SEASON 6 on both Blu-Ray & DVD.
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at FRED. Every week, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
You find out that an asteroid is going to hit the Earth, and the end as we know it is in 3 weeks. What do you do? That’s the premise behind the heartfelt dramedy 
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Supplement the original must-have collection with 
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I don’t know what I was expecting from the documentary 
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While not a classic, 
After Anne Hathaway was a princess but before she was a Catwoman, she was the titular star of the fairy tale 
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Want a quick and idiot proof way to add some versatile LED lighting to your home or office? Try the 
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For hardcore and casual Disney fans alike, Dave Smith’s 
The 7th season of 
