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 Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)
Yes, I know I’m a little close to the material – but you know what? I’d still recommend you pick up a copy of Shootin’ The Sh*t with Kevin Smith: The Best of SModcast (Titan Books, $14.95 SRP). It may seem an odd proposition to read transcripts of the Kevin & Scott Mosier’s podcast, but the strength of the material means the comedy translates to the printed page quite nicely. Go. Buy it.
The miniaturization of video cameras is beginning to frighten me. This terror is completely overridden by the geek delight in holding a digital memory camera that’s only slightly larger than a chapstick tube. The camera I speak of is the Micro Camcorder Pro ($99.99), and it captures 640 x 480 x 25fps video onto a microSD card (a 2gb card is included), downloadable via USB. Sweet. And scary.
Sadly, we’ve now reached the limit of the currently produced episodes of The IT Crowd (MPI, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) with the release of the 3rd season – although, thankfully, creator Graham Linehan is hard at work writing the next batch. Still, the wait will be a long one, so it’s probably best to fill it re-watching the first three seasons again and again. Bonus features this go round include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes.
I’ve seen the episodes a half-dozen times each (I often replayed them while working), but it’s the mark of a classic show that I’m looking forward to digging into the 3rd season set of 30 Rock (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP). Yes – I am. The 3-disc set contains all 22 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, a table read, deleted scenes, a gallery, outtakes, and more.
Yes, it really has been 100 episodes since the squarepanted sponge of Bikini Bottom first made his way onto our TV screens. How do I know this? Because there’s now an uber-deluxe box set titled Spongebob Squarepants: The First 100 Episodes (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$99.99 SRP), which is exactly that – 14 discs in a lucite holder, containing those titular episodes. Not only that, there’s also audio commentaries, featurettes, a music video, and even an in-depth, candid documentary on the show’s origin and evolution from the production team., It’s almost as good as getting the Krabby Patty formula.
They’ve been released what seems like a half-dozen times by at least three different companies, but this is the first time that Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection (Lionsgate, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP) has been released in high definition. Not only that, but A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave are joined by the newest short, A Matter Of Loaf And Death. Bonus features include audio commentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Abrams is fast becoming a real juggernaut with their incredible Abrams ComicArts imprint, as they’ve been releasing some absolutely top-notch tomes that belong on your shelf. Like, now. First up is a loving, in-depth tribute to The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God Of Manga (Abrams Comic Arts, $40.00 SRP), which chronicles the life and output of the creator of Astro Boy, and a Japanese legend. The massive hardcover even comes with a bonus DVD featuring a documentary about Tezuka. Also available is Manga Kamishibai: The Art Of Japanese Paper Theater (Abrams ComicArts, $35.00 SRP), which illuminates the ancient art form that preceded Manga in the hearts of the Japanese people.
Much like Pineapple Express, those going into Observe & Report (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP) expecting a simple-minded laugh-fest – a Paul Blart: Mall Cop, if you will – will certainly be surprised by just how much depth there is in the tale of mall security guard Ronnie Barnhart (Rogen). Which is not to say there aren’t laughs – there’s just a lot more than that, too. In what’s rapidly becoming a trend for Warners, all of the bonus features are reserved for the Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP), which amounts to a featurette, the “Forest Ridge Mall: Security Recruitment” video, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
Have I mentioned before just how much I’m enjoying Warner Bros.’ On-Demand DVD service at WarnerArchive.com? I have – numerous times – because it’s great to see a company find a way to make smaller catalogue titles available to fans when economic realities prevent a full-fledged commercial release. Case in point are a trio of new titles that have been added to the site – King Vidor’s Lightning Strikes Twice (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.95), Robert Duvall, Richard Harris, and Shirley MacLaine in Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, DVD-$19.95) and the cult classic Penn & Teller Get Killed (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$19.95), which was actually directed by Arthur Penn.
Does anyone still watch Ugly Betty (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP)? Did the second season lose them all? Did this 3rd season outing bring any of them back? If it did, here’s the DVD set, with audio commentaries, featurettes, webisodes, deleted scenes, and bloopers.
Serial womanizer Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey finds his plans to bed a bridesmaid at his brother’s wedding is derailed by the supernatural guidance of his departed uncle (Michael Douglas), who originally instructed him on his boorish ways, to mend his ways and find true love (in the form of Jennifer Garner) in the tolerable rom-com Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past (New Line, Rated PG-13, DVD-$28.98 SRP). A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, which seems to be where they put all of the bonus materials missing from the standard release – featurettes and deleted scenes.
Comedy Central may have killed their much-missed show, but at least there’s still live performances to keep The State alumni David Wain, Michael Showalter, & Michael Ian Black together, as you’ll see on Stella: Live In Boston (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99 SRP), which finds the trio taking the stage in Fresno. Sorry – I mean Boston. In addition to the show itself, the DVD features a trio of Wainy Days webisodes, 3 Michael Showalter Showalter episodes, footage from the 2003 Fez performances, and an encore.
Despite further muddying already cloudy waters with divergent continuity, the biggest drawback of the axed Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) was that is was just, well, boring. I never found myself caring for the plight of mama Connor and son, and the Terminator out to protect them (Summer Glau). Check out the second (and final) season and see if you care. Bonus features include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. A Blu-Ray edition ($79.98 SRP) is also available with identical bonus materials.
When his wife and child are murdered by a serial killer, a celebrity psychic renounces his conning past and devotes himself to using his observation and analysis skills to bring killers to justice in The Mentalist (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). The 6-disc set contains all 23 first season episodes, plus featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
It may not be the best sitcom that ever came down the pike, but I still love me some Mr. Belvedere (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP). The 3rd season set contains all 22 episodes, plus a few cast commentaries thrown in for good measure.
It pretty much sums itself up in the title – Marvel: The Expanding Universe Wall Chart (Universe Publishing, $45.00 SRP) is a massive fold-out history of the equally massive Marvel Universe, illuminating not only the characters but also their shared history (what nerds call “continuity”).
When a killer begins copying the murders found in novelist Rick Castle’s stories, the author is enlisted by the NYPD to help bring the murderer to justice in Castle (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP) – a collaboration he’s more than willing to milk for his next book. The 3-disc set features all 10 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, and bloopers.
Really, the only purpose that Ghost Whisperer (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$63.98 SRP) serves is to give steady work to Camryn Manheim and Jamie Kennedy. Beyond that, I’m not sure exactly what people see in it. But see something they do, as the fourth season is now available, containing featurettes and webisodes.
It seems Warners believes that audiences were simply dying for an origin prequel to their middling live action Scooby-Doo franchise, which means we know have Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins (Warner Bros., Rated PG, DVD-$27.95 SRP). Yes, the gang gets together. For the first time. To solve a mystery. Bonus materials include featurettes, a music video, and a gag reel. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available.
I can’t have been the only one not surprised that Brotherhood (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$42.99 SRP) didn’t make it past 3 seasons, as its story of family, politics, and organized crime never did seem to find its footing. The 2-disc set contains the final 8 episodes, and zero bonus features.
Oh, Disney Channel – why are your tween/teen comedies just so unrelentingly bland? It’s no wonder iCarly is kicking your ass in the ratings – one has only has to look at the episodes featured on the inaugural DVD release of the new Jonas Brothers sitcom Jonas (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP) and see its tired writing and limp execution. If that weren’t enough of an example for you, look to what could – with another batch of shows – have been a really fun crossover, as a trio of Disney Channel sitcoms merge into Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP). Sadly, it’s not that fun – just messy.
Already known for their stellar work, occasionally Sideshow Collectibles manages to even surpass themselves – and such is the case with their Iron Man Mark I Maquette ($399). Taken from Tony Stark’s rough-and-tumble, cave-cobbled armor from the beginning of Iron Man, the 1/4-scale maquette features detailed, accurate sculpting, and spot-on paint job, and even a chest light feature. And, if you get the Sideshow exclusive version, you get a swappable bonus head, which allows you to flip up the visor to reveal the sweaty visage of Robert Downey, Jr.’s Stark.
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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Yeah, so, one of my absolute favorite Disney films I their live-action/animated hybrid musical 
This week’s Thinkgeek recommendation is a piece of cool kit that always seems to be out of stock. It’s just that popular. However long it lasts, it’s now back in stock, so run and pick up your very own 
Seeing as how my nephews are addicted to Nickelodeon (particularly the yellow crack that is Spongebob), it’s inevitable that I’d have to see the programming on offer. One of the shows that I actually enjoy quite a bit – and believe is just as well-scripted as the sitcoms on network TV, better even – is a favorite of my 5-year-old nephew, 
I can’t be the only one who was completely blindsided by the announcement that the 4th season of 
If you’ve ever watched the UK series Skins and thought to yourself “My teenage years were nothing like that sex party bacchanal,” then 
Well, now that we’ve reached the 12th season of 
It’s double-crosses, mysteries, and intrigue in 
Like most modern horror remakes, the new 
I know there are devotees who think it’s the second coming of Undeclared, but I have yet to find the appeal of 
So, in short, 
After an awkward, sometimes rudderless second season, things were largely back on track in the 3rd season of 
The second season of 
It’s not exactly intellectually stimulating, but using the beautiful high-definition of Blu-Ray to take aerial journeys around the world is certainly worth a look see to me, and that’s exactly what you get with both 
After her ridiculously self-confident appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, I was at least curious about 
I admit – I was wary of Wall-E. Cars had left me a little cold (and the creepy, post-apocalyptic, human-less but made by humans world it was set in was just disturbing), but Ratatouille was more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be, and my faith in Pixar was ready to be fully restored. And it was. It helps that I experienced the film sitting beside my 4-year-old nephew, who was in the process of taking in his very first movie on a movie theater’s BIG SCREEN. It was a magical time from start to finish, and the DVD brings it on home. If standard definition is still your cup of tea, then I recommend the 
Kudos to Stephen Colbert for reviving the tradition of a pundit holiday special – just like the George Plimpton celebrations of yore – with 
While I don’t think it’s quite the revelatory masterpiece that the hype made it out to be, I did enjoy 
After a pair of unsatisfying “best-of” compilations spanning the show’s entire run, we finally go back to the beginning for a proper complete first season set of 
After her turn in the Christmas special “The Runaway Bride”, some were worried about Catherine Tate reprising her role of Donna Noble as the 10th Doctor’s new companion in the fourth series of 
There’ve been a boxful of previous soundtrack releases for the Indiana Jones films, but now we’ve got 
If you’ve been patiently avoiding the single-disc releases for the next seasonal batch of that happy chap that lives in a pineapple under the sea, then you’ll rejoice in your purchase of 
Criterion sprinkles their cinematic fairy dust and delivers to film geeks another stellar special edition, this time for the acclaimed 1965 adaptation of John le Carre’s 
I view the remastered editions of the original Star Trek to be a unique aberration that sometimes succeeds in providing a richer experience than the original effects work, but often just plays as just an awkward exercise. Still, you can now wrap things up with the release of the final season, 
It’s been edited to remove Kermit, but Jim Henson’s 
By now, when one goes into a Werner Herzog film, one expects an experience wholly unique. That’s certainly what you get with 
Fans of The Who have been waiting years for a pristine release of the band’s 1977 concert in Kilburn, North London, and 
You know, I didn’t think I’d get anything out of 
When it first premiered, I had Bones pegged as one of those quirky shows that couldn’t possibly survive the network ignoramusi for long. But here we are with 
The idea of Will Smith playing an antisocial ex-superhero who gets hooked up with an image consultant played by Jason Bateman seems like it should delight me to no end, but 
The third season of 
A&E Home Video has leapt into the world of high definition with a pair of pre-existing catalogue releases that certainly set the stage for some nice drops in the future. First up is the inaugural season of their interstellar documentary series 
Full disclosure time. I consider my very first crush to be on Punky Brewster. Just to show how aware I was at the time, as a wee lad, I even knew that the precocious Punky was played by a girl named Soleil Moon Frye – who I vowed I would one day marry. At least that’s what I told my friends while we played in our junk wood playhouse at the top of the hill behind Quantico base housing all those years ago. I never did marry Soleil (her loss, really), but I did watch her show. Now, thanks to those pop culture machiavellis at Shout! Factory, I can relive that long-ago crush with all four seasons of 
It’s hard for them to dig themselves out of the hole the show has been going deeper and deeper into the past few years after its stellar first few seasons, but they at least attempted some course correction during the 7th season of 
It’s a legendary concert and now it’s gotten a suitably reverent release with 
Minoru Kawasaki is a bizarre filmmaker whose bizareness is matched only by that of his films themselves. Don’t believe me? Check out the psychological thriller starring a 6-foot office-working 
Tick another one off the list, as the fifth and final season of 
One of my nephew’s favorite Nick shows is The Fairly Oddparents, so I’m sure he’ll eagerly devour 
I am not the target audience. At all. But I know the target audience is probably screaming in giddy anticipation for the release of 
A staple of my 80’s Nick At Nite viewing returns with its sophomore outing in the form of 
There were times during the 3rd season of 
The pants-loving foursome is back in 
See, I remember watching Daily Show correspondent John Oliver on UK shows like Mock The Week long before he crossed the pond to take up residence on US TV. With that in mind, I was delighted when Comedy Central decided to give him a stand up spotlight with 
I love a good gadget. We all do. What better gadget is there for the average geek than one that potentially makes you look absurd when its in use? Such is the case with the 
If you thought that Mr. Show was an endearingly bizarre collection of surreality in sketch form, then – like me – you will revel in (and laugh at) Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher’s 
My only real disappointment with the Blu-Ray arrival of the uneven-but-still better-than The Batman first season of the animated 
After far too long an absence – and numerous health problems – Dana Carvey has returned with a brand new stand-up special – his first in almost 12 years – 
Showtime’s loveable sociopath returns for a second season, and I have to agree with most of the fans – there was something off about season 2 of 
Get a healthy reminder of what to avoid this election season by picking up the extended “Election Year Edition” of Oliver Stone’s flawed-but-riveting 
Why is it that we get bucketfuls of tripe on TV here in the US, but the UK gets a wonderfully quirky rom-sit-com like 
If only more lawyers were like Perry Mason and less like they actually are, the world would probably be a better place. Judge for yourself with the first volume of 
It’s 8 years later, and time and perspective make 
A new Fletch film seems permanently grounded, but both of the original Chevy Chase-starring vehicles starring Gregory McDonald’s investigative reporter – Fletch and Fletch Lives – are now available in 
Tweenie heads will combust with excitement as a pair of Disney flicks hit DVD – the big screen 
The doctor is back with a bunch of bizarre, incredibly rare maladies and the increasingly tedious grumpy manner in the fourth season of 
I’m all well and good with the Terminator franchise – I consider the first two films classics – but I found 3 to be a mediocre money grab and I simply can’t get into 
Yeah, that whole 
Like a delightful throwback to smallish, enjoyable flicks of the 40’s and 50’s, 
What started out as a promising show has become largely forgettable with the third season of 
You know, it’s the ninth season of 
Not since the feature film itself have I seen something so horribly, awkwardly designed as the new 
Raise your hands, anyone who voiced – or even felt – a desire for a sequel to The Scorpion King. You will now be shot. Yes, there is now