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…)
Not content with the arrival of a single much-requested title that would delight cinema aficionados no end, Universal has dipped into their vault for a double header of film noir classics with the high definition debut of both Touch Of Evil and Double Indemnity (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP each). First and foremost, both look truly stunning, certainly justifying their long absence from Blu-Ray. To add a cherry on top, both are packed with bonus materials, including featurettes, multiple commentaries, and more. So rejoice!
It’s easy to become a bit jaded by the releases from Hot Toys. One after another, they’re consistently amazing in everything from costuming to their eerily lifelike head sculpts and paint jobs. Ah, but then they go and unveil a truly stellar pair of figures that hit ya right in the nostalgic feels like Batman (Sideshow, $204.99) & Robin (Sideshow, $189.99) from the 1966 Batman TV series. Without a doubt, this is Adam West and Burt Ward as the caped crusader and his trusty sidekick, both garbed perfectly in their striking costumes that pop with all of the color that so exemplified that classic iteration. As this is Hot Toys, there are also a clutch of extras, which include a trio of swappable expressions for Batman, shark repellant, a giant bomb, batarangs, plenty of hands, and more. Get these guys while you can, because you’ll regret it if you don’t. Ya hear me? REGRET.
I still find her continued adherence to the Catholic faith incomprehensible in light of the emotional atrocity committed against her, but the tale and the performances (from Judi Dench and Steve Coogan) that bring the actual events to life in Philomena (Weinstein Company, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP) make watching the film a worthwhile experience. That so many unwed mothers had their children forcibly removed by the Church is an unforgivable crime, and presenting the story framed by the comically prickly Coogan as journalist Martin Sixmith accompanying Dench’s Philomena on a journey to find her now-adult son is the spoonful of sugar necessary for this bit of strong medicine. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and interviews.
It’s sadly lacking in any bonus features whatsoever – usually a highlight of the BBC’s Who releases – but the fact that we have all but one of the formerly missing episodes after nearly 50 years is reason enough to pick up Doctor Who: The Web Of Fear (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), featuring Patrick Troughton’s 2nd Doctor up against the Great Intelligence and his fearsome Yeti.
The fine folks at Rifftrax dig into their very first blaxploitation film with Rifftrax: The Guy From Harlem (Rifftrax, Not Rated, DVD-$9.95), and the results are every bit as satisfyingly hilarious as you’d expect with a tale about a sensitive gangster locked in middling action and sexual situations. A real firecracker, that guy, but perfect riffing fodder.
While it’s a marked improvement over the lackluster seasons that came before it, the fourth season of Enterprise (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$129.99 SRP) does little to change my opinion of the show as a flawed beast improperly conceived and poorly executed, the fourth and final high definition release carries on the remarkable precedent set by the previous releases of containing fascinating and must-see in their candor bonus materials. So while it’s fine to have the episodes themselves of new showrunner Manny Coto’s valiant attempt to salvage a sinking ship, the true reason to pick this set up is for the feature-length documentaries that explore the show’s demise and also reunites the writing staff.
Considering the delightfully escapist Thurber story it’s based on, Ben Stiller’s take on The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) feels frustratingly inert, never seeming to reach the daydreamy, wish fulfillment quality it needs to click. Which is a true shame. Bonus materials include extended/alternate scenes, featurettes, a music video, and more.
It seems we haven’t gotten a full season set in ages, but there are still enough new episodes for another single-disc DVD collection – So we get Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob, You’re Fired (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), collecting 14 adventures (including the titular tale).
Yes, you’ll laugh at Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed (Comedy Central, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$9.00 SRP). Because it’s Jim Gaffigan. And he’s funny. And this special is funny. So get it. And laugh. Just LAUGH. A lot. Okay?
They’re not quite Godzilla quality, but there’s a charm to be found in the turtle meat-filled Gamera: Volume 1 & Gamera: Volume 2 (Mill Creek, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP each), which brings together 8 of the Gamera flicks in high definition. And then watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000 versions via Shout Factory’s recent box set while you’re at it.
The BBC does some of the finest nature documentaries around, and they’ve just dropped a whole clutch of beauty-filled discs – a one-two punch of the ursine persuasion in Extreme Bears (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP) and The Bear Family & Me (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), and another double header of the avian variety in Winged Planet (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) and Earth Flight (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP).
Yeah, casting Helena Bonham Carter as the bitter spinster Miss Havisham was a brilliant move in Mike Newell’s pretty decent adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations (Fox, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$22.98 SRP). Also having Ralph Fiennes and Robbie Coltrane on hand is also a plus. Bonus materials include a featurette and a trailer.
Though Jack the Ripper may be gone, his memory still casts a long shadow for Inspector Reid and the residents of Whitechapel in the second season of Ripper Street (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP). Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Even if you have the previously release Ultimate Collection, if you’re a fan of Carol Burnett and her eponymous show, you’ll definitely want to pick up The Carol Burnett Show: Carol’s Crack Ups (StarVista, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP), which features 17 new unedited episodes plus over 2 hours of bonus features across 6 discs.
An Angry Birds cartoon? Sure. Why not. And honestly, the 90+ minutes of Angry Birds Toons (Sony, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$26.99 SRP) found on their second volume are actually pretty enjoyable, and will certainly appeal to fans of the franchise. And they look gorgeous… But that’s what having a ton of money to spend will get you. Bonus materials include featurettes and an Easter special.
Fox expands their MOD Cinema Classics slate with a quartet of brand new releases from their immense vaults – Esther And The King, I’d Climb The Highest Mountain, The Gay Deception, and Bachelor Flat (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP each). All are sadly featureless, but at least they’re available.
Diamond Select continues to provide nerds with cool products they never even knew they wanted, but once they see them, simply must have. Case in point? The visceral, “Yeah. That’s cool. LOVE.” reaction I had to their Godzilla 1989 Bank (Diamond Select Toys, $34.99 SRP). Standing over a foot tall and perfectly sculpted, this vinyl monster is pure pop perfection.
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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In what amounts to a summer comedy storm, a pair of brilliant catalogue titles make their high definition debut looking and sounding better than they ever have – 
Over the years, the fine folks at Thinkgeek have done plenty of cool in-house products, but the one that evokes the most delightful gut response is the 
For years there was doubt they could even be licensed for release, but there’s cause for much rejoicing because the entire 5-film giant turtle run is being released in the box set 
While I could care less about the awful sequel 
I have to make a confession to you – as a child of the early 80’s, I collected Smurfs. I had a lot of Smurfs. I used to search high and low for certain Smurfs. I used to watch the cartoon. I was Smurfy. Well, now that Belgian artist Peyo’s little blue creations have hit the big screen, Abrams has released a lovely retrospective book, 
It’s a middle ground between the sophistication of the original animated Batman, Superman, & Justice League and the more juvenile Teen Titans, but 
As much as I enjoy Tracy Morgan as a comic performer on 30 Rock, the stand-up featured on his first stand-up special 
I enjoyed the small town eccentricity found in the first season of 
I could do without the revised director’s edition, but I am a fan of the original take of 
I thought the first film was goofy fun perfect for kids of all ages, but there were diminishing returns as the series went on, even though all 3 of Robert Rodriguez’s original Spy Kids films are entirely watchable. Now, you can own 
He’s a little bit older and the threats are a little bit tougher, but you still pretty much get what you’ve come to expect from the franchise in 
If you want to see a true comedy of awkwardness that far eclipsed the fictional show that brought it all about, watch as Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal travels to Russia in order to help adapt a local version of the show in the documentary 
Many fans feel it was cancelled too soon, but perhaps they’ll be consoled re-watching the 4th and final season of 
The little red furry one decides to change his name by adding a “J”, which your kids can see happen (and learn, too) in 
Now that the troubled yet promising series has wrapped, the entire five season run of 
To get even one show to premiere in any given season that proves an instant favorite is a sad rarity. That there were two shows last season which swept me away is unprecedented, and should be seen as a sign of something. What, I have no idea. One of those shows is 
Yeah yeah yeah, I know what you’re thinking. “What am I thinking?”, you say… Well, I knew that you’d say that, too. You’re thinking, “Why would I ever need a flashlight that looks like The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver?” Well, you don’t really. But still, it is kinda nifty to have a 
The other show that grabbed me by the collar is 
While some fell out of love with the 3rd season of 
There have been a few attempts in the past to collect his incredible body of work in book form, but the one to finally make it out of the gates is 
HBO’s Jonathan Ames created/inspired sitcom 
I can’t watch the ludicrously over-the-top 
I think I may be tiring of 
Taking an in-depth study of middle America – Munice, Indiana, to be exact – in 1982, the 6-part documentary series 
Taking a fictionalized look at the events that brought the infamous alien autopsy footage to the public eye in 1995, 
It’s quite a daunting – some would say foolish – idea to jump in and attempt to do an overview and analysis of the history of film comedy, but Saul Austerlitz’s 
Joseph Campbell’s influential PBS series 
In viewing it again after a quite a few years, the best way I can sum up how 
How many of you remember that the first live action film ever released by Dreamworks was the George Clooney & Nicole Kidman action thriller 
I was shocked – SHOCKED – when Drea de Matteo arrived on Wisteria Lane harboring secrets. Secrets? On Wisteria Lane? Unheard of! And then a plane crashed on the lane, which is probably the most normal thing that’s happened there the entire series. 
The folks at the Warner Archive dip into the vault for a pair of rarely seen George Pal productions sure to make completionists happy – 
It should come as no surprise that the main draw of 
A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost walks into a second season. You know, that sounded a lot better in my head. No, really, it did sound a lot better there. Seriously. Anyway, the second season of 
Explore the first family of NASCAR racing via the documentary 
Their owner still won’t license them for the Mystery Science Theater 3000 DVDs, but the restored Gamera films continue to roll out with a new pair of double feature releases – 
Witness a little bit of your soul die if you dare to partake of Disney’s latest awkward exploitation of their catalogue characters with 
Picking up where Douglas Adams and zoologist Mark Carwardine left off 20 years prior, Stephen Fry steps in for his good friend as he and Carwardine revisit species on the verge of extinction in 
Everyone needs a good spork – and to have it be heat-resistant and made of a touch polycarbonate material? Well, that’s just icing on the sporky cake. In other words, pick up a 4-pack of 
Sparkling fresh and looking better than ever, Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion masterpiece 
If your only exposure to 
At least Grover is present to balance out the furry red monstrosity in 
Just as Matt Smith’s first year as the Doctor comes to a close, a quartet of classic Doctor Who adventures hit DVD for the first time. From the William Hartnell years, we get 
We still haven’t seen them in their Mystery Science Theater iteration, but you can watch the original 
In 
After a long, long spell, Shout Factory has rescued another show that only got its first season released by Universal, delivering to fans 
It’s been a long, long road to get here, but with the release of 
The Warner Archive continues to release TV shows on demand that would otherwise have too-limited an appeal to merit a wide release, this time making available the complete first season of the Dylan McDermott-starring cop drama 
It feels like just yesterday that the last volume came out, but here we are with the 3rd volume of 
While the MST3K version is still near and dear to my heart, it is fun to see the restored original 
Matt Smith’s tenure as the new Doctor on Doctor Who isn’t the only change that producer Steven Moffat has wrought – there’s also a brand new 
One of the things I eagerly await is the arrival of a new volume of classic Charlie Brown & co., and 
You know what other book always delights me when it arrives? A new installment in the wonderfully awkward misadventures of dim-witted detective Frank Burly, courtesy of author John Swartzwelder (writer of 59 episodes of The Simpsons). The latest is 
There’ve been plenty of young actresses tackling vintage royalty in recent years, but a gold crown to Emily Blunt’s portrayal of a young Queen Victoria in the appropriately named 
There’s many a stand-up release that comes down the pike where I merely shrug my shoulders and say, “Eh.” And then there’s the new release from Reggie Watts, 
With 
It’s by no means a bad film – in fact, 
I still haven’t figured out what I think of 
A trio of cryogenically frozen astronauts return to an asteroid-devastated, rough-and-tumble post-apocalyptic Earth 150 years in the future in Gene Roddenberry’s 
What doe Tom Selleck, Yul Brynner, Leonard Nimoy, and Sam Elliott have in common? They all star in at least one of the three movies contained in Warners 
If you were to make the It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World of romantic films, it would be director Garry Marshall’s 
You know the Warner Archive is dedicated to fulfilling every obscure nostalgic wish when they release Kid ‘N Play’s