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…)
They rebuilt him… Better… Stronger… Faster… And now, after an interminably long wait, The Six Million Dollar Man (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$239.95) has finally arrived on DVD. As if that weren’t enough, Time Life has delivered the complete 5-season run in one massive set, which includes all 3 pilot films, all 3 reunion films, the Bionic Woman crossover episodes, newly-recorded cast interviews, and alternate syndication edits of the pilots. All in all, it’s 40 discs worth of bionic fun… So plenty to keep you occupied during the long winter ahead.
As a child in the early 80’s I remember the magical joy of coloring pieces of thin plastic that, when cut out and put in the oven, would shrink and thicken into tiny little 2-D plastic figurines. Yes, I’m speaking of Shrinky Dinks ($4.99), and thanks to the fine folks at Thinkgeek, I’m able to introduce my nephews to the joy of heat-shrinky plastic.
In the mid-60’s, a trio of producers named Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner stepped from the surging counterculture and into the mainstream conservative milieu of Hollywood and crafted a definitive TV property with the manufactured pop band/TV show The Monkees. Seeking to move into films, they developed a decidedly unorthodox film for The Monkees written by good friend and Corman regular Jack Nicholson. After it bombed miserably, they hit paydirt with an era-defining film – Easy Rider. High definition version of both those films – plus the rest of their output (Five Easy Pieces, Drive, He Said, A Safe Place, The Last Picture Show, & The King Of Marvin Gardens) – in the box set America Lost & Found: The BBS Story (Criterion, Not Rated/Rated R, Blu-Ray-$124.95 SRP). In addition to the remastered films themselves, the set includes audio commentaries, documentaries, screen tests, outtakes, interviews, TV/radio spots, trailers, and a collectible booklet.
For decades, Fritz Lang’s silent masterpiece – a visual and conceptual feast that his inspired scores of filmmakers – has been a fractured film, with whole chunks of footage and sequences that were in the debut cut deemed lost forever. Well, never say never, as recent discoveries have allowed the fine folks at Kino to assemble the complete Metropolis (Kino, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), which they are making available in high definition. The print quality on some of the formerly lost material doesn’t quite match the sparkling extant footage, but that in no way negates the wonder of watching the film as it was intended to be seen, particularly after all these years. Bonus materials include a recording of the original score, a 50-minute documentary, an interview with the curator of the Buenos Airen museum where the footage was found, and the 2010 re-release trailer.
Earlier this year, Kino also began releasing its extensive Buster Keaton collection in high definition, with the result being a trio of must-have releases for any aficionado of cinematic comedy – Steamboat Bill Jr., The General, and a double-feature of Sherlock Jr. & Three Ages (Kino, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.95 SRP each). All four feature multiple score choices, featurettes, intros, and more.
When HBO’s brilliantly dark western Deadwood began its first season, the time period within the series was only a few weeks following the massacre of Custer’s troops in 1876. Into the lawless South Dakotan town rode two men – one a bitter ex-lawman, and the other a man looking to start a new life – and both ran afoul of the local heavy who owns half the town. What followed was an epic drama of operatic heights, and one you can watch in its entirety in high definition with Deadwood: The Complete Series (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$209.98 SRP). The 13-disc set features all 36 episodes, audio commentaries, featurettes, interviews, and an exclusive bonus disc with creator David Milch discussing the season’s conclusion, a historical featurette on the real Deadwood, a Q&A with the cast & creative team, the Al Swearengen audition reel, and a 360-degree tour of Deadwood.
Your perennial holiday viewing just got a high definition upgrade with the Blu-Ray release of The Original Christmas Classics box set (Classic Media, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$44.95 SRP), featuring the Rankin Bass specials Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town. Yes, you know you’ll be getting this.
Killing time between now and when the globe-trotting Cars 2 comes out next summer? Well, you can dip into brand new adventures featuring everyone’s favorite hillbilly tow truck in Cars Toon: Mater’s Tall Tales (Walt Disney, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), which features 9 short subjects, plus intros, featurettes, and more.
The complete runs of both the classic Batman and Superman animated series have already made their debut as box sets, as well as Justice League, so the last to get the treatment arrives with Batman Beyond: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$99.98 SRP). The 9-disc set contains all 52 episodes, plus commentaries, retrospectives, a collector’s booklet, and a bonus disc with the documentary Secret Origin: The Story Of DC Comics and a trio of new featurettes.
It’s not really a brilliant series, but Gerry Anderson’s Space: 1999 (A&E, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$99.95 SRP) is one of those canon sci-fi series that everyone should see at least once, even if you might walk away wondering what all of the fuss is about. It does look better than ever in high definition, as you can now watch via the complete 1st season set, containing 24 episodes plus loads of bonus material, including commentaries, featurettes, documentaries, interviews, and much more.
It’s certainly not as well-known or well-loved as shows like Space: 1999 or Thunderbirds, but completionists are sure to rejoice at the arrival of Gerry Anderson’s Space Precinct (Image, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) on DVD, even if it plays like a low budget Alien Nation.
As the little Fockers will be making their way to the big screen shortly, it makes sense that Blu-Rays of Meet The Parents and Meet The Fockers (Universal, Rated PG-13, Bly-Ray-$26.98 SRP each are making their way to shelves, both of which contain featurettes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, and outtakes.
We’re now into the second season, and I’ve pretty much written off Parks And Recreation (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) as an awkward, failed comedy that still hasn’t discovered what it wants to be, outside of another Office. Which is a shame, because the cast deserves so much better. The 4-disc set contains all 24 episodes, plus deleted scenes, featurettes, and bloopers.
Most people think of Romeo + Juliet or Moulin Rouge when they think of Baz Luhrmann and over look the dance-happy Strictly Ballroom (Miramax, Rated PG, DVD-$19.99 SRP), but it’s actually his most straightforward and watchable. Bonus materials on the new special edition include an audio commentary, featurettes, and a deleted scene.
It’s been a long string of single-disc releases leading up to the release of Spongebob Squarepants: Season 6 Part 2 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP), whose 2 discs contain 23 episodes, featurettes, and shorts. So yes, your kids can be fully immersed in Spongebob this holiday season.
Beginning after his emigration to the Big Apple in 1971, Lennon NYC (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP) looks at the new, post-Beatles life John Lennon forged for himself as a husband and a father, making music infrequently. Packed with rare footage and new interviews with Yoko, Elton John, David Geffen, and more, it’s a unique look at an artist in the city he came to love.
The Warner Archive has decided to celebrate the holidays be bringing together the holiday episodes of everything from The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father and Alice to Mama’s Family and Dr. Kildare in the Classic TV Christmas Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.95). The 4-disc set contains 10 episodes total.
The Warner Archive Collection continues to release titles no sane fan would ever think they’d eventually get their hands on, and I’d say the complete animated spin-off of The Dukes Of Hazzard – The Dukes (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.95). The 4-disc set contains all 20 episodes.
In an attempt to further turn themselves into Spike, the History Channel’s Human Weapon (History Channel, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.95 SRP) pairs a martial artist and an ex-football player on a journey to learn different forms of combat, from karate to stickfighting, while also journeying across the globe and manhandling relics. Oh, and there’s CGI! The set contains all 16 first season episodes.
I’ve become less and less interested in seeing Tom Cruise on screen in recent years, and was hoping that the True Lies-esque bit of a blast thrill ride Knight And Day (Fox, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) would win me back over, but instead I got an amiable enough actioner about a small toen girl (Cameron Diaz) who gets mixed up with a fugitive super-spy (guess who) that leaves practically no impression after it’s over. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
After Santa and his canine BFF travel to New York and the big man loses his memory, it’s up to the doggie to make sure Christmas is achieved in the saccharine sweet The Search For Santa Paws (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). Well, I’m sure the kids will eat it up… Or at least be babysat by it. Bonus materials include a featurette, a music video, and a the standard DVD.
You know how long it’s been since Rush Hour (New Line, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP) – the action flick that made household names out of Jackie Chan & Chris Tucker – came out? Long enough that there’s a blurb from both Ebert and Siskel on the cover of this new high definition release. Doesn’t seem like it should be that long ago, does it? Well, here it is, sporting audio commentaries, featurettes, music videos, a trailer, and more.
For every surprisingly enjoyable bad idea like Pirates of the Caribbean comes a misfire dud like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which takes How To Train Your Dragon’s Jay Baruchel and makes him the new apprentice to sorcerer Nicolas Cage, who’s channeling both Keanu Reeves’ Neo and a drunken drifter. I’m sure you’ll eventually catch this film on cable, entirely by accident, and when you do – you might want to change the channel. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more.
Real-life lovers Drew Barrymore and Justin Long have gone down the path of many actor couples by immortalizing their relationship as an onscreen duo, with their particular vehicle being Going The Distance (New Line, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), about a bicoastal pair of lovers who decide to make a go of their long distance relationship after a summer fling in New York City. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Rob Reiner shoots straight down the middle with his amiable adaptation of young love novel Flipped (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), about a pair of 7th graders who are coming to realize that they love each other in a “destined to” kind of way – Well, actually, the girl knew since second grade, but through a twisty path, the boy comes to fall for her as well. Bonus materials include behind-the-scenes featurettes.
It’s no Ben 10, but Cartoon Network’s Generator Rex (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is certainly constructed to try and hit all of the same buttons with the kids, right down to a super-powered kid – in this case, a 15-year-old boy/weapon made of nanites – fighting the big bad world. The 2-disc set contains 9 episodes.
Part of me cringes to say this, but I’ve begun to think that YouTube sensation Fred Figglehorn is this young generation’s Pee Wee Herman, particularly after seeing the feature-length Fred: The Movie (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), which finds the gratingly-voiced teen attempting to find his former-neighbor-but-just-moved-to-a-new-house crush, Judy, while avoiding neighbor bully Kevin. It’s not nearly as funny or polished as Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, but it does play to the a lot of the same absurdist man-child qualities. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, and more.
As always, it’s rather pointless to criticize the Twilight movies, as the rabid, massive audience care’s not what anyone has to say about their beloved pap-fest, and the same rule applies to Eclipse (Summit, Rated PG-13, DVD-$26.99 SRP), which features more shirtless wonder for teens and 40-somethings. The 2-disc set contains audio commentaries, a 6-part making-of documentary, deleted/extended scenes, music videos, and a photo gallery.
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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Making a political satire with real bite that manages to retain its humor is quite a difficult task, but it’s accomplished with some real flair by 
My love for magnets, to anyone who’s been reading these shopping guides for any length of time, should be well known. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that my delight extends to the 
You want to see porn for history nerds? Look no further than 
It has nothing whatsoever to do with history except for some forced attempts at context, but The History Channel has fast become filled with reality series such as 
It’s not as fresh as the debut season, but I was certainly still a fan of the 2nd, penultimate season of 
Adapting the Broadway musical for TV animation, 
It’s not as mind-blowing as it is in its original IMAX presentation, but there’s still plenty of wonder to be had in the documentary 
Yes, we were probably overdue for a roller derby flick – and who’d have thought that it would come from director Drew Barrymore and be called 
The release of 
It seems a few months too late, but a trio of documentaries on the Kennedy Assassination are hitting DVD from The History Channel – 
If you’re not willing to take the leap directly into their feature films (via the wonderful comprehensive box set released by Universal last year) or their TV show (which is getting a complete re-release in early 2010), get a quite good overview of Bud & Lou’s comedy with 
I think it’s a pretty clear sign that a barrel is being scraped when we get the 
It’s not up to the level of NYPD Blue & The Shield before it, but there is some merit in diving into 
When you have a title like 
Sure to get attention for its Twilight connection, 
The team at 
Let’s wrap thing up on the mountain as we bid farewell to America’s… ummm… family with 
As the Academy Awards approach like a freight train, studios are making sure to get some of their Oscar-bait catalogue titles released in high-def – which is why we get brand-new Blu-Ray editions of Keira Knightley in both 
A little bit Strange Days, a little bit Matrix, a little bit 13th Floor, and a little bit Avatar, the sad thing about 
The sketches are hit and miss, but it’s certainly worth giving a spin to 
Turn 8-Mile into a story about a breakdancing young girl, and you’ve got 
I loathe the touch-feely soft-focus, marshmallowness of Touched By An Angel, but there’s not denying its struck a chord with many a middle-aged something or another, who are sure to want the newly-released pair of Touched By An Angel Inspiration Collections, 
It’s a quickie, holiday themed release (Valentine’s Day, in case you’re wondering), but I’m sure fans will snap up 
Those fans that have only experience the butchered editions of weird and wonderful The Mighty Boosh that have been running on Adult Swim need to run – not walk – to their favorite DVD emporium and snag copies of the new-to-the-US unexpurgated editions of The Mighty Boosh seasons 1-3 that have now been collected into the massive 
During my mother’s recent cancer battle, she spent her final week at home. While at home, I set up a pair of 
After 10 years spent off the air, wandering the wilderness of feature film development, the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf return for a brand new adventure in 
The most brilliant parodies always come from a place of deep understanding – and often affection – for the particular thing being parodied. Such is clearly the case with Peter Kay’s brilliant send-up of reality talent competitions whose full title – deep breath – is 
The Warner Bros. Archive Collection does it again, this time releasing 
Really, the nifty on-demand catalogue service The Warner Archive Collection is the only way we’ll get the short-lived and rather mediocre but fascinating sci-fi series 
I was one of the Disney fans who marveled at the clarity that the restored Platinum Edition of Snow White revealed, making the film look like it was made in the last 10 years – not 70 years ago. Well, the new high definition Diamond Edition of 
You can have your fancy, expensive, often bizarre, more faithful, Tim Burton-directed version of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, but I will always, always love and prefer 
I’ve gotta say – I really & truly love the amazing, unique, and altogether nifty pop art books that Abrams Comicarts have been putting out – their entire selection of which is worth a look see. Case in point is the new 
Oh, and also from Abrams, have a look-see at 
Originally created for IMAX theaters, 
After a lapse in copyright that allowed it to move from Warner Bros. to Paramount, 
Slowly but surely, we’re catching up on the releases of Gordon Ramsay’s excellent cooking show, 
You know, I’m not entirely sure it hasn’t been forever since the last season release of the still-classic, still-hilarious 
I have nothing against the Shannon Doherty years of the low-rent “reality” candid camera frightfest 
Even though I find the show the dramatic equivalent of beige paint drying, I still find Patricia Arquette watchable in 
Reflect on an incredible body of work by a much-missed actor with the new 
It’s quite rare when I actually enjoy a romantic comedy, only because the plot developments are as obvious as a truck on the side of your ear, so it really comes down to a decent enough script and a good clutch of actors to pull the whole thing off. With 
Does anyone actually enjoy 
As you might expect, the soundtrack to Drew Barrymore’s roller derby flick 
I really have no other ammunition with which to recommend the CG-animated special 
At the end, the show was a shadow of its heyday high, but the cast of 
Sam Raimi decided to abandon the tepid Spider-Man movies and return to form with the schlock-happy horror of 
Will Ferrell’s big screen take on the schlocky Sid & Marty Krofft Saturday morning classic 
I can’t tell you just how much I really, really don’t like the live action 
I think the final product has been a mixed bag, with none shining too terribly brightly, but if you’re keen on buying the recent animated direct-to-video movies starring your favorite Marvel Comics superheroes, you can now get the whole lot in the 
It’s frustrating that 
I’ve never been a fan of Oliver Stone’s violent social commentary 
Before you gawp at the live action flick, take in the classic animated version of Maurice Sendak’s 
Do people still watch 
If you’re not able to drop the cash for the more expensive Spotlight collections, or just want a nice sampler, then you’ll want to check out 
I tried desperately to avoid obvious swimming metaphors to talk about this title, but in the end, I lacked enough willpower to refrain from saying you should dive right in to the 
Sensing it had been far too long since a new release and that brand awareness might be slipping, MTV has dug through the hall closet to scrape up enough material to fill 
I certainly tried, but I could never find enough of a toe-hold to get interested in 
Hell has finally frozen over and swine fly through the skies, as 
Sometimes, I love gadgets that are completely and utterly useless to me personally. As I don’t work in an office, or in a cubicle, the 
When I wasn’t playing with Transformers in early 80’s, I was usually playing with the dozens of GI Joe figures I had hounded my parents incessantly for. Yes, that means I also was a daily viewer of the episodes contained in 
Twomorrows’ always wonderful artist spotlight series turns its eye towards yet another worthy illustrator with 
Amongst the many documentaries hitting DVD to tie in with the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, near the top of the “must watch” list is the new high definition transfer of filmmaker Al Reinert’s documentary 
Most shows suffer in their sophomore season, but it’s always nice when a program bucks the trend and turns in a stellar outing – and such is the case with 
If you’re keen on quick, easy, one-stop shopping to get all of the classic Peanuts specials you remember so well, I urge you to snag a copy of 
There are over 16 hours of vintage ads contained in 
The 11th season of the now-departed 
It was never must-see TV for me, but whenever I’d see Andy Griffith as lawyer Ben Matlock, it felt like hot cocoa and a warm, almost smothering blanket. Fans can lay their hands upon 
Just in time for the porous yellow one’s 100th episode festivities comes the CD release of 
Yes, I admit to being a person who occasionally gets sucked into The Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week celebrations. But what to do the other 51 weeks of the year? Well, now you can dive into the 2-disc 
The penultimate adventure for young Harry Potter (well, in the books, anyway – there’s still two more films to go) finds events becoming much darker, and Nicholas Hooper’s score to 
Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange tackle the roles of “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale in the engaging adaptation of the now legendary documentary revealing their sad, eccentric, privileged lives, 
The first season of the TNT original 
Tick another show off the list, as we get the release of the eighth and final season of 
Get over the laughable “based on a true story” tag, and 
I have no emotional attachment whatsoever to 
You know what? Between you and me, the less said about 
It’s nice to know that we live in a world where a quirky show like 
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 
