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…)
While it looked as lush and lavish as we’ve come to expect from Pixar, the trailers for Brave (Walt Disney, Rated PG, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) didn’t leave me with a great desire to actually see the film, or any real idea of what exactly it was about. Having finally seen it, though, the film itself was done a disservice by its marketing, because it’s an absolute gem of a story in both conception and execution, focusing on the all-too-rare relationship between a daughter and her mother – in this case the headstrong Princess Merida who chafes against the expectations of her courtly mother, Queen Elinor, who disapproves of her daughter’s tomboyish demeanor. Everything comes to a head when Merida finds out about her upcoming nuptials – a long-standing social convention that is a foregone conclusion leaving her at the mercy of whichever pre-selected suitor from three clans should succeed at a challenge of her choosing. And… well.. no spoilers. Just see it. Bonus materials include the new Pixar short “La Luna”, audio commentary, featurettes, extended scenes, an alternate opening, galleries, and more.
Ever had a piece of electronic equipment go wonky on you, needing only a quick bit of solder to fix it right up? Well, now you can snag a quick all-in-one Solder Tool Kit ($15.99) from Thinkgeek, containing a 25w soldering iron with stand, long nose pliers, wire strippers, side cutters, and a sponge for tip cleaning. No solder, though, as that would make shipping difficult, but you can easily pick that up locally.
Complementary to Brave, also making its debut is the 2nd Pixar Short Films Collection (Walt Disney, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which brings together 12 shorts, from Ratatouille‘s “Your Friend The Rat” to Brave‘s “La Luna”, plus audio commentaries and student short films from Pixar luminaries.
Already long-available as a spectacular, feature-laden special edition DVD set, never did I imagine that the great Dick Van Dyke Show (Image, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$349.98 SRP) would make its way to high definition. But considering the show was show on film, the results are truly stunning. If that weren’t enough, not only does the set port over all of the previous bonus features, but also adds the TV Academy tribute to Carl Reiner, a 50th anniversary Q&A, a color test for the legendary “It May Look Like A Walnut”, cast appearances on The Danny Thomas Show, a “Kick The Habit” radio spot with Dick Van Dyke, and a safety council reel. Get this set immediately.
It’s the third complete collection of Father Ted (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£29.99 SRP) we’ve gotten, but 3 time’s the charm as this set supplements the bonus features available in previous sets with a brand new retrospective documentary and newly-recorded audio commentaries with both Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews (the previous set feature the duo only on the 3rd series, leaving Graham to go solo on Series 1 & 2). So yes, this is the one to get. Again.
Peter Serafinowicz is brilliant. He just is. If you’re following him on Twitter (you should be), you know that Peter will periodically go on joke runs based on prompts from his followers, coming back with compact, economical jokes that are sublime. A Billion Jokes! (Volume One) (Boxtree, £12.99 SRP) brings many of those together into the perfect gift for that special someone in your life. Who likes to laugh. If they don’t like to laugh, THIS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIFE.
One of my absolute favorite Carl Barks Donald Duck stories also happens to be a holiday tale, and it forms the centerpiece of the latest collection from the fine folks at Fantagraphics Books. Donald Duck: A Christmas For Shacktown (Fantagraphics, $28.99 SRP) is a beauty, as are the other handful of tales included, along with some wonderful essays and informational articles.
And since you’ve picked up the Donald collection, make sure you pick up the equally as lovingly presented 4th volume of Floyd Gottfredson’s run on the Mickey Mouse newspaper strip, House Of The Seven Haunts (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP). Alongside the Peanuts collection, these books reinforce the assessment that no one is doing archival comic collections as well as Fantagraphics.
Considering how much air there is between the two halves of the season again, it makes sense that the BBC would throw fans a bone by releasing Doctor Who: Season 7 Part 1 (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP) , collecting first 5 episodes – “Asylum Of The Daleks”, “Dinosaurs On A Spaceship”, “A Town Called Mercy”, “The Power Of Three”, & “The Angels Take Manhattan” – plus the “Pond Life” shorts, a pair of episode prequels, a Comic-Con featurette, and the “Science Of Doctor Who” special.
We’ve had Bridge On The River Kwai and Dr. Zhivago for years, but the David Lean film most have desired to see in full high definition glory in their home theater was the epic of epics, and finally – FINALLY – Lawrence Of Arabia (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$26.99 SRP) has arrived. And the wait was worth it, because the restoration work done on the film is simply remarkable, blowing away the already lovely DVD of yore. The 2-disc set also includes a making-of documentary, retrospective featurettes, interviews with Peter O’Toole and Steven Spielberg, newsreel footage, theatrical trailers, and more. I shouldn’t have to convince you – so go get it.
He’s known for writing some of the finest, densest songs ever to be sung on stage, and one of his most challenging efforts gets a marvelous star-studded go that was thankfully documented with Stephen Sondheim’s Company (Image, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP). You can’t go wrong with a cast that includes the likes of Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, and Patti Lupone.
I didn’t know what to expect from Fresh Meat (Channel 4, Not Rated, £14.99 SRP), and only knew that it was created by Jesse Armstrong & Sam Bain, the team behind the brilliant Peep Show, and that it featured a group of university housemates. Would it be a sitcom? A drama? A farce? Thankfully, it’s its own thing – a blend of comedy and drama, with a nuanced ensemble. Just brilliant. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes tour, and outtakes.
One of the nicest holiday surprises was the addition of a new set of characters and specials to the seasonal viewing rotation in the form of a pair of elves who are part of the team that makes people’s homes ready for Santa’s arrival. Now you can get all of the specials in one place – and high definition! – via the Prep & Landing: Totally Tinsel Collection (Walt Disney, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$20.00 SRP), which also sports bonus featurettes and more.
Seeing as how we’re so close to all of the extant stories being available on DVD, it’s no surprise that the BBC has been going back and revisiting some of their earlier releases and improving the presentation and adding bonus materials. The latest special edition is Doctor Who: The Claws Of Axos (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), wherein Jon Pertwee’s 2nd Doctor tries to uncover the too-good-to-be-true secret of the Axons. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, continuities, and more.
Derren Brown is brilliant. And scary. Scary, and brilliant. And the idea that Derren Brown might try out his mental act on you? Terrifying. So, thankfully, I can enjoy being a non-participant in Derren Brown: The Experiments (Channel 4, Not Rated, £13.99 SRP), a collection of four trials devised by Brown, one of which even creates an assassin. Just watch it. Bonus materials include additional footage and audio commentaries.
A quartet of frustrated suburban schmos who just happen to be the local neighborhood watch uncover an alien plot to destroy the earth in The Watch (Fox, Not Rated Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which could have been a truly memorable sci-fi-comedy mash-up if it didn’t keep misfiring. Even the cast – including Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Jonah Hill – never quite click. The one saving grace, though, is the brilliant Richard Ayoade, who steals every scene. Bon us materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, alternate takes, and a gag reel.
It’s a softball of a film, but Nia Vardalos’s little film that could My Big Fat Greek Wedding (HBO, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP) is still an amiable comedy, now making its high definition debut in a 10th anniversary special edition featuring an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a brand new retrospective featurette.
Amy Heckerling reunites with her Clueless star Alicia Silverstone in the genre-bending Vamps (Anchor Bay, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), which finds Silverstone paired up with Krysten Ritter as a pair of time-shifted vampires still playing the club scene after decades of eternal youth, who both hit a snag that make them reconsider eternity in the face of love.
A few years back, Hot Toys released a 12″ version of Iron Man in his original cobbled-together Mark I armor. The detailing of the suit itself was incredibly detailed and screen accurate. The Tony Stark head under the mask, though, left a little to be desired. Well, Hot Toys has decided to revisit it with Iron Man Mark I 2.0 ($219.99), which manages to plus the already-stunning suit while also presenting an accurate Tony Stark sculpt up to Hot Toys well-established high standards. Add the light-up features and a themed base, and you’ve got a pretty good reason to run over to Sideshow and snap one of these up as quick as you can, because this is definitive.
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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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 
Want a quick and idiot proof way to add some versatile LED lighting to your home or office? Try the 
While the criticisms of emotional button-pushing remain, time has only increased my estimation of 
It seems long overdue, but Richard Schickel’s 
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 
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 
It’s a mess in many ways, but there’s a bizarre zeal to the Beatles’ underappreciated TV special 
It can get a bit draggy, but I admit that dozens of childhood cable viewings has endeared John Huston’s wonderfully off-key 
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 problem with 
A camp masterpiece gets the high definition treatment with the arrival of the feud-tastic 
It’s difficult to enjoy a musical like 
The DVD release of the ginger legend’s last great sitcom comes to a close with the release of 
Got kids? Pick up the latest brilliant Scholastic Storybook Treasures 
This week’s soundtrack pick is Edgar Rothermich’s faithful reconstruction and performance of Vangelis’ score to 
For hardcore and casual Disney fans alike, Dave Smith’s 
The 7th season of 
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
Join 
While there seem to be some out there that feel it’s on the decline and it’s upcoming last season should be it’s last, I actually loved the now-penultimate 
There’s a part of my house where the wifi from my router just doesn’t seem to want to reach with any strength. Sure, it’s there – but ghostly and intermittent. Sadly, this also happens to be my den, which makes doing anything with my games systems or a laptop a nightmare. Until I put the 
Fans of Bloom County had been teased when that strip ended that Berkley Breathed’s humor and beloved penguin, Opus, would live on in a new strip. That tease became a reality a few months later with the introduction of the Sundays-only 
Hey hey! Another month, another pair of new classic Doctor Who releases to delight all of the completionist fans. First up we get William Hartnell’s 1st Doctor in 
It’s really an awful film in so many ways, but because it’s about an event I was fascinated about as a child and the actual production execution is so grand even though the story is ridiculous, I have a special place in my heart for James Cameron’s 
And speaking of James Cameron and the Titanic, Cameron’s lovely documentary about the actual wreck with simply stunning footage, 
It’s always a cause for concern when a brilliant show produces new episodes years after their last outing. Would the brilliance still be there? Will it ruin your warm feelings to see an inferior product? Thankfully, the 
I did want to love a sitcom featuring Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, and Maya Rudolph, but 
We’re still in good territory with 
When you’ve got Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth playing the titular 
For those of you who still watch the pandering emptiness of 
ABC Studios drops a trio of new seasons this week – the fourth season of 
It’s an average show, but the reason you watch the generational cop drama 
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
It’s a bittersweet affair, listening to the audio commentaries on the 
As a kid, I was always fascinated by gyroscopes – particularly the ones that I bought just about every time I would visit a museum gift shop lo, those many years ago. And they were always a pain to get going. Ah, but the 
There are plenty of new-to-Blu-Ray catalogue releases I’ve been looking forward to this year, and right near the top has been the near-unbearable anticipation for the fully restored and remastered 
And while you’re on a Jaws kick this week, be sure to pick up the newly re-released and expanded edition of screenwriter Carl Gottlieb’s 
I’m really starting to get spoiled, what with two classic Doctor Who releases coming every month – And this month is no different, bringing us a special edition of the very first adventure versus the Autons for Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor in 
While 
It’s been awhile sing they’ve done an official release, but the latest biography to come down the pike from A&E’s Bio channel is 
The fine folks at Shout Factory have really stepped up their classic TV releases in recent years, taking over for aborted efforts by studios like Sony and Universal, and wrapping the DVD releases of shows long after many of us had given up hope. The latest clutch of titles on glorious life support include the 5th and final season of 
And if that weren’t enough, Shout also continues to release the massive Nickelodeon catalogue, with the most recent being the 2nd volume from 
It’s a little late to the party, but 
Parents might want to pick up the entire 52-episode set of the science-adventure series 
Collecting a trio of shows shot in London, Manchester, & Edinburgh, 
The show’s become a creative mess, but diehards will delight in the complete third season of 
Root around in America’s garbage with the latest releases from the “History” Channel – 
If you’d asked a fan a few years back if they’d ever see the notorious Sandy Frank episodes – episodes which Frank supposedly loathed – on DVD, they probably would have sighed and said “No. Probably not.” Well, never say never, because the Sandy Frank films begin their roll out in 
How can you not like the simple, straightforward 
It’s not a great film, but the thing I love so much about 
As it’s Olympics time, it should come as no surprise that Warners has chosen this moment to release the long-awaited high definition debut of 
While the 80’s were loaded with high school comedies, the 90’s seemed to roll out the high school reunion comedies, and while it’s no classic, I remember enjoying the straightforward fun of 
Journey back to a much simpler time when the late Whitney Houston could star in a wholesome flick like 
And leapfrogging ahead, the BBC recently produced a story from the 1948 London games in 
When five juvenile delinquents doing community service are caught in a freak electrical storm and develop superpowers, you get 
There’s definitely some Whedonverse DNA evident in 
The Schwarzenegger 
Even more so than the godawful live action Cat In The Hat, you can’t get a more wrong-headed take on the brilliance of Dr. Seuss than the crass adaptation of 
It’s been a few years, so it should come as no surprise that another new edition of Mel Brooks’ 
While HBO is loaded with classy shows like Game Of Thrones and Veep, Cinemax gets to have a knock-down, dragout action series like 
As its original run was airing, I would rarely miss a new episode of 
With the 
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 
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 
Yes, 
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 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, 
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 – 
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 show may be running out of steam, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had in the 4th season of 
Warners has brought a pair of much-requested sci-fi titles to high definition with the arrival of Peter Hyams’ 
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 
Still one of the greatest concert movies ever put to film, 
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 
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 
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 
Many years ago, the book 
There’s nothing altogether wrong about 
Hans Zimmer’s score to 
For a unique view of history, look no further than 
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 
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 
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 
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 
In this week’s reality dump, we get another pseudo-nailbiting season of 
Slowly but surely we’re creeping towards catching up as Roy Clarke’s long-running 
Bill Murray’s big breakout theatrical comedy gets a face lift and a high definition debut with the release of 
You’d think it’s be hard to get excited about cups, but how about cups that dry lightning fast? I know! Well, then, get excited about the 
While there may be the occasional element that seems dated, Hal Ashby’s deliciously black comedy of unconventional love 
The more I see of it, the more I’m impressed with just how much of a lovely 50’s cinematic feel the Patrick Troughton years of Doctor Who seem to have. Case in point is the 2nd Doctor story 
It’s been years and a lifetime since Jimmy Fallon last put out an album, at the height of his SNL success – and the maturity in both style and substance shows in 
Setting the stage with stellar releases of both Modern Times & The Great Dictator, Criterion releases another Charlie Chaplin classic in high-def with 
Watching the fifth season of 
I still find the film odd and slightly off-putting, but the visuals are fascinating and the music is fantastic, which makes the newly-restored high definition debut of The Beatles’ 
It’s not my favorite Danny Boyle flick, but I do find much to enjoy in 
Opinion on the film itself may be divided, but there’s no denying the memorable design work up on the screen, the evolution of which is documented in 
It’s not as much fun as the first film, nor the sublime joy of Moffat & Gatiss’s BBC series, but 
It certainly couldn’t be worse than the mediocre first attempt at a big screen outing for Marvel’s flaming-skulled avenger, but it’s still a pleasant surprise that 
Leave it to HBO to make destination viewing out of a film about the 2008 financial crisis, which is exactly what they’ve done with 
I have no affection for sports, but 
Perry the Platypus and the O.W.C.A. take on the nefarious Dr. Doofenschmirtz in the new collection 
Based on Joe Kelly’s recent comics storyline for the Man Of Steel, 
Get the ol’ soap-a-dope going with a trio of first season releases from ABC – 
Say goodbye to Turtle – because you know you never really cared about anyone else – with the 8th and final season of 
The trio from the one and only original return with the complete 18th season of 
This week’s of batch of reality TV releases features the back-to-back releases of the domesticated KISS frontman plodding along in