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…)
Universal continues to impress with their high definition100th anniversary celebration, leading off this week with a lovely restoration of The Sting (Universal, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), reuniting Robert Redford and Paul Newman as a pair of 1930’s conmen who plot revenge against the mob after their friend is killed. Also available is a pair of catalogue releases – Erin Brockovich (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP) and the long-awaited Smokey And The Bandit (Universal, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP).
Here’s a fun one for the kiddies. Help them spruce up otherwise pedestrian LEGO creations with the LEGO-compatible Brick Brites ($9.99 SRP). Each package features a pair of standard-size bricks that are jam-packed with flashy LEDs. How’s that for a little punch?
The biggest crime perpetrated by John Carter (Walt Disney, Rated PG-13, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) is that it forgot its pulp roots (as evidenced by the last-minute axing of the “Of Mars” in the title) and largely forgot to wrap up a fair share of the plot threads it starts. It’s a shame, really, because there was so much potential in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ tale of a war-weary Civil War captain who finds himself transported into the middle of a conflict on Mars. Even flawed, it’s still worth a watch, particularly in 3D. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, bloopers, and more.
Want to see a show properly blow itself up without going off the rails? Look no further than the brilliant fourth season of Breaking Bad (Sony, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$65.99 SRP), which does just that. In fact, I won’t even spoil it, suffice to say you should see it. Immediately. Bonus materials include uncensored episodes, audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and more.
Available for the first time in widescreen and in high definition, as well, Hondo (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP) stars John Wayne as cavalry rider Hondo Lane, who is designated to protect a homesteader and her young son against warring Native American tribes while her brutish husband is away. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, and more.
See what Sookie and her sultry & sallow supernatural pals have been up to in balmy Bon Temps in the complete 4th season of True Blood (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.98 SRP). It’s basically fangs, butts, and boobs. But you probably knew that. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, and more.
Even though he said it was over, Larry David returned with an 8th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), which found Larry living it up as a bachelor and living in New York City – and suffering from every possible faux pas you can imagine. Bonus materials include a roundtable discussion with the cast and a featurette.
You certainly couldn’t do the show today short of an all-CG affair, but I always enjoyed the offbeat Mod fun of the all-simian 60’s spy comedy Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp (Film Chest, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), which is getting a 3-disc release of all 17 episodes, plus bonus materials including interviews and even a documentary. It’s a fun romp.
Sometimes you need a nicely goofball series like Workaholics (Comedy Central, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), about a trio of friends fresh out of college who share both a house and a workplace – a workplace in which they perform that most awful job, telemarketing. This set contains both seasons 1 & 2, plus commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and more.
The fine folks at Mill Creek continue to roll out the Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures high definition catalogue releases with another clutch of mid-range titles for very low prices – this time including Eddie Murphy in Holy Man (Touchstone, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$9.99 SRP), Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis in Duets (Hollywood Pictures, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$9.99 SRP), Meryl Streep & Liam Neeson in Before And After (Hollywood Pictures, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$9.99 SRP), Ellen Degeneres & Bill Pullman in Mr. Wrong (Touchstone, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$9.99 SRP), and finally the immortal teaming of Danny Glover & Joe Pesci in Gone Fishin’ (Hollywood Pictures, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$9.99 SRP).
Fun and games for the kiddie set abound in Team Umizoomi: Umigames (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98SRP), the latest DVD release from the Nickelodeon series, which features an additional trio of bonus episodes.
If you want a clear example of how to start a big concept series with a resounding thud, look no further than the stillborn Falling Skies (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), which never managed to muster much enthusiasm for its should have been interesting concept of a crippled Earth trying to pull itself back together after an alien attack. Sad, really. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, and more.
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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It’s a little slow-going at times and uneven, but the good of 
Are you steampunky? Have you ever wished you could wear a tiny little folding telescope on your ring finger? So you could feel all steampunky and adventurous and ingenious? Well, Thinkgeek brings you 
I’m sure it’s just a personal hang-up of mine, but I’m not much of a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, especially as he’s somehow become the go-to guy for vintage biopics of egomaniacal men. The latest is Clint Eastwood’s otherwise nicely made 
Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s big Tintin film is about to hit home video, and the massive amounts of development and concept art that went into making it is presented in 
And speaking of incredible behind-the-scenes books, now that the massive 8-film series has wrapped, you can explore all of the cinematic magic that went into making JK Rowling’s boy wizard come to life with 
For years, Newmarket Press has been putting out some quite nice making-of and screenplay books for various films, and this Oscar season brings a pair of tomes from this year’s nominees. First up is 
I wasn’t expecting much, which is probably why I was pleasantly surprised by the working man’s revenge flick 
You can watch Tudors and French Cardinals all you want, but in Italy the power center also had a family name, and it’s that powerful dynasty that’s the subject of 
It’s no Shrek, which I see as a definite plus for spin-off film 
Fighting the nefarious likes of Simon Bar Sinister and Riff Raff, the dated though still fun cartoons featured in the 10-disc 
A pair of Showtime series are dropping their latest seasons with the arrival of post-prison new life in the Big Apple 
Tick another one off the most-wanted list as Wolfgang Petersen’s classic 
As if having it as an actual screwdriver or a flashlight weren’t enough, you can now get a pretty snazzy looking 
The kids can have their countless Elmo releases – for us big kids of the 70’s & 80’s, sets like 
Watch the second volume of 
For the past few years, LA’s Gallery 1988 has been presenting a fine art celebration of pop culture most iconic movies via a recurring show called Crazy 4 Cult. Well, if you’ve never been able to make it to the gallery for one of these shows, a clutch of the pieces have been collected together in the fine hardcover volume 
I can’t say that 
While waiting for the upcoming Blu-Ray collection of their classic toons, pass the time with 
Lionsgate has dropped another batch of TV titles from their license agreement with ABC Studios, including the seco0nd season of Eddie Murphy’s claymation 
This really is a golden age for Doctor Who fans, as the DVD releases of classic storylines are coming fast & furious, with another quartet now available – the Peter Davison stories 
I’m a sucker for a specific task kitchen widget that also taps into childhood nostalgia, so you can imagine my delight at being able to put a homemade spin on corn dogs with the 
With the fourth volume of 
Prepare for Father’s Day with a pair of new-to-Blu-Ray catalogue classics from Fox – John Wayne in 
If you’re a big fan of Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett’s post-MST3K endeavor Rifftrax, you owe it to yourself to partake of the heightened energy of a pair of new live show releases, that were originally beamed to theaters around the country – 
I can’t remember the last time I was surprised by the end of a romantic comedy, as the resolution of the couple-to-be is pretty well set in storytelling cliché by now, so my enjoyment of a romantic comedy comes largely from the journey. 
In the 4th season of 
I wish it weren’t the case, but the eighth season of 
I am not the audience for 
While we’re still not to the season that contains my absolute favorite episode, if you’ve yet to pick up the stellar high definition sets of Rod Serling’s classic anthology series, you can at least start with the newly-released 
While Trading Places and 48 Hours remain the greatest of Eddie Murphy movies in my estimation, it’s a welcome addition to the high definition library to get 
While many studios have been dumping sub-par catalogue releases in massive Blu-Ray waves, MGM has decided to release a wave of many films buffs consider must-haves – 
More insidious than wartime physical injuries, the effects of what has been termed everything from shell shock to post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers is explored in the documentary 
Did you know that Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen did a film together in the 60’s? Co-written by Blake Edwards? No? Neither did I, until the Warner Archive Collection made 
It’s always nice just to have a disc that you can put in and show off your fancy a/v setup at home – One that looks and sounds pretty darn spiffy. The high definition IMAX documentaries 
Now that we’ve got the full run of the Six Million Dollar Man on DVD, it’s left to 
MGM continues to drop almost a literal ton of catalogue titles via their new MOD (Manufacture On Demand) Limited Edition Collection program, including the David Niven sex romp comedy 
If the big screen live action outing of the Norse god of thunder has whet your appetite for more adventures look no further than the animated feature 
Universal drops a pair of newer TV shows on DVD this week, including the debut season of the Piper Perabo-starring CIA procedural 
The Warner Archive Collection continues to roll out long-forgotten animated oddities from the Hanna-Barbera library with the release of 
If 
It may just be the Atheist in me, but I’m tired of films about priests regaining their faith in the face of demonic presences. It’s like demons are God’s hitmen. So yeah, I was less than interested in 
I know there are many people I love and respect who love 
Hey! Doctor Who fans of both Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor and the Daleks can pick up a pair of action figure sets spotlighting the classic Baker stories 
I’m going to go as far as to say that my favorite film last year was Chris Morris’s brilliant balance between satire, comedy, and drama – 
I’m a sucker for movie vehicle replicas, particularly when they’re diecast and well done, which the 1:43-scale 
The unstoppable Ben 10 franchise continues with 
It seems that Disney/ABC hasn’t only been licensing their TV catalogue to Shout Factory, as Lionsgate also has a pair of series they’re continuing on DVD, as well as a first season entry. The returning series are the 3rd season of the Jim Belushi juggernaut 
A ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf couple looking to conceive a baby… Yeah, we’re talking about the third season of the original UK version of 
Based on Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister, James Garner stars as the famous private eye in 
With all of the recent British Royal Family foofarrall, dive back into their distant past with 
When a shallow size zero supermodel dies in an accident and finds herself given the body of the recently-deceased Jane – a plus-sized attorney – you get Lifetime’s 
Roy Clarke’s long-running (and recently ended) series gets another classic release with 
If you’re in the mood for a traditional BBC period drama (you know the type), you can now pick up the complete collection of 
If you’re a movie fan and would like some nice background music to play while you’re slogging through your work day, Stephen Edwards’ 
Fill another hole in your Hanna-Barbera animation library thanks to the fine folks at the Warner Archive Collection, who have added 
Based on the best-selling books by Eric Hill, entertain your kids with the animated 
Remember those deluxe, ultra-desirable, completely definitive Twilight Zone DVD releases from a few years back? Well, turns out they weren’t nearly as definitive as we thought, because Rod Serling’s classic series arrives in high definition with a ridiculously heightened amount of bonus features. In addition to all 36 episodes plus all of the original bonus content of the old sets, 
There are some things that are instant triggers for geeks to rip out their wallets and plunk down the cash necessary to own. It’s safe to say that the newly released 
Another landmark cinema classic makes its way into high definition with the arrival of Milos Forman’s iconic 
After running under the radar for its first two years, it was during the 3rd season of 
It’s not quite the old Criterion Blu-Ray release, but Lionsgate has done a fine job assembling their own high definition special edition of Carol Reed’s classic 
It’s a hoary metaphor to compare the analysis of comedy to the dissection of a frog, but I’d like you to ignore that metaphor (which I won’t even bother to complete) and recommend you read Stewart Lee’s brilliant 
It’s certainly not the Blu-Ray restoration I would have hoped for, but seeing as how it still retains its red-headed step child status within the Disney catalogue, I suppose I should be happy that the 25th anniversary re-release of 
Did you know that a feature film version of 
It’s decidedly diminishing returns as you go along until the most recent flick pulls things out of the cess pit they’d gotten into, but at least the high definition presentation of all 6 films in 
If you’re looking for a sprawling, one-stop primer on the history of the United States, look no further than The History Channel’s 
I always thought it was a beautifully designed and executed show, so to be able to peruse those designs via the handsome 
Explore the majestic 
School is back in session, so hunker down with the release of a trio of classic film adaptations of literary masterpieces – John Steinbeck’s 
Long derided as one of the most z-grade laughable of the many Star Wars rip-offs that littered cinemas in the late 70’s, Roger Corman’s Italian-produced mess 
I still, to this day – despite friends who have fallen fully under its sway – remain unmoved by 
Everyone’s favorite sponge drops a greatest hits disc featuring… Well, the title pretty much sums it up – 
I love Patrick Warburton and I generally like sitcom-based David Spade, and I really have tried to like 
It’s not the recent lackluster live action fare, so fans of the Mystery Inc. gang will probably like the new feature-length animated movie 
It’s not the Kevin McCarthy original, but the remake of 
I think 
The original cast is gone, but the 3rd season of 
They’ve come out in about a half-dozen different iterations over the years, but the latest batch of Saturday Night Live best-of releases adds over 20 minutes of additional sketches and outtakes, with the latest to get the treatment being 
I’m as surprised as anyone that 
Speaking of stillborn, that’s the best way to describe the still pointless 
When I was a young college freshman near the end of my first (and only) disastrous year at NYU, I was able to arrange for a press ticket to a taping of 
For years and years and years, ever since I first saw one when I was a kid, I’ve wanted a book that opens up to reveal a cut-out hole. You know what I mean? The kind you could hide things in. Like a jewel. Or booze. Well, Thinkgeek now gives you that 
Another Pixar film in theaters means another eye-candy filled “Art Of” book, which is exactly what you get with 
Forged in the fire of the Writers Strike of 2008, released on the internet to rabid fan acclaim, and long available on that selfsame net, everyday people can now get a copy of Joss Whedon’s online musical, 
Much of the comedy in Eddie Murphy’s game-changing stand-up concert 
It’s pure popcorn, but I think 
Another great flick making its transition to high definition is the Civil War epic 
I must admit, 
June has become decidedly jazzy with a trio of deluxe Legacy Edition catalogue releases from Sony Music. First up is a 3-disc edition of Dave Brubeck’s 
Paramount isn’t the only one unleashing a tidal wave of Blu-Ray catalogue titles, as Universal dips into their extensive roster for a batch of their own, many of them must haves. So what does the batch consist of? 
I still can’t fathom what people saw in the three flicks currently comprising the 
Sergio Leone’s 
Over 20 years after its single season run, The Jetsons returned to television with brand new episodes, the first 21 of which are being released as 
The BBC’s nature documentarians can always be counted on to deliver stunning visuals, and that’s certainly the case with 
I can’t see William Conrad in the episodes features in 
The movie’s a dud, but it’s still fun to flip through both 
Though often a director, I always get a kick out of Kenneth Branagh, the actor, who is in fine form in the UK series 
Surprisingly, 
The folks at Sesame certainly are pushing Abby Cadabra, aren’t they? The latest team up with their little red cash cow is 
Nancy Botwin moves her mini pot empire south of the border in the fourth season of 
It’s not my cup of tea, but 
Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell star as a trio of simple farmhand brothers who goes up against the Nazis in 
In