Tag: Ian McKellen

Weekend Shopping Guide 7/1/16: Excelsior, True Believers

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…)

I can state unequivocally and without doubt that Stan Lee is an icon. Whether it be guiding the birth of the Marvel Comics universe or by being that selfsame universe’s biggest booster, he truly is “The Man”. And considering how many cameos he’s had in Marvel films over the years, it is any wonder your toy shelf can now have its very own special guest appearance from the 1/6-scale Stan Lee ($199.99). Dressed in Stan casual, it features a sculpt that perfectly captures the genial quality of ol’ Stan, right down to the tinted (and alternate clear) glasses perched above his grin. In addition to an number of hands (some of which are in Spidey web shooter position), his chief accessory is a folding director’s chair, very similar to the one packed with Hot Toys’ Bruce Lee figure ages ago. So, bottom line, this figure is great. ‘Nuff said.

There is absolutely no denying its iconic status, so it was inevitable that Criterion would eventually get around to delving a definitive high definition presentation of Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (Criterion, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP). Featuring a newly restored 4K transfer and a remarkable bounty of rare and rarely seen extras, it’s the ultimate edition of a classic.

Another new Pixar film means another wonderful new book to devour, and so it goes with The Art Of Finding Dory (Chronicle Books, $40.00 SRP), which does the usual bang-up job of packing its pages with development artwork and interviews chronicling the creation of the much-anticipated sequel.

Patrick Stewart as a monstrous neo-Nazi club owner who holds a young band hostage after they inadvertently witness a crime? That powerful performance and white knuckle tension makes Green Room (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP) make it a thriller worth checking out. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and a featurette.

The kids today. What do they love? We know they love the Minecraft. Oh, how they love the Minecraft. What else do they love? Getting the bejeezus scared out of them while playing the game Five Nights At Freddy’s, whose sole purpose seems to be making kids periodically scream in the dark while playing on for another 17 consecutive hours. Now, those kids can bring the trauma right into their homes with Five Nights At Freddy’s Plush (Thinkgeek, $29.99 each). You can snag either Freddy or Foxy, and each stand a pretty massive 20″ tall.

Two thespianic titans as an aging actor and his dresser in a tale of friendship and loyalty? Who would not want to watch Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen share the screen for two hours in The Dresser (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP).

With Everybody Wants Some!! (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), writer/director Richard Linklater moves his Dazed and Confused coming-of-age nostalgia from high school in the 1970s to college in the 1980s, as a group of friends navigate their way through girls, parties, and problems in the summer of 1980. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and featurettes.

While there are showier examples of his filmmaking style, like Conan and Red Dawn, the high-def debut of his John Milius’s first directorial effort, Dillinger (Arrow Films, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$27.99 SRP) is a great way to discover this oft-overlooked little gem about the legendary outlaw.

There was always a crazy quality to the Shakespearean machinations at the core of House Of Cards (Sony, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$65.99 SRP), but the fourth season takes the scheming and backstabbing to a frontstabbing new level as it pits the team of Frank and Claire Underwood squarely against each other in a bloody winner-take-all battle.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). I mean, a film starring Tina Fey as a journalist who trades her desk job in New York for an assignment in Afghanistan? Co-starring Martin Freeman, Margot Robbie, and Billy Bob Thornton? You’d think it’d be a slam dunk, and while it’s certainly amiable, it never quite clicks. Bonus materials include featurettes and deleted/extended scenes.

The adult coloring book market is awash with dozens upon dozens of options, including a fair number based on licensed properties. Two of my favorites, though, are decidedly offbeat. To The Ocean Deep (Chronicle Books, $14.95 SRP), which touts itself as the longest coloring book in the world, unfolds to 15 feet packed with intricate sub-aquatic imagery. The other is The Bicycle Coloring Book: Journey To The Edge Of The World (Chronicle Books, $16.95 SRP) which, as you can well surmise, features fantastical illustrations of bicycles around the world.

Slowly but surely, we’re getting affordable Star Trek prop replicas that are well-constructed, screen-accurate, and affordable. They’re perfect as either a fun collectible or the final bit of your cosplay. The latest addition is the Star Trek III: The Search For Spock Phaser (Thinkgeek/Diamond Select, $39.99). Featuring authentic lights and sounds, it’s a must-have before you head down to the Genesis planet to face the Klingons.

Like Star Trek before it, syndication success helped the castaways of the S.S. Minnow find their way back onto television via a cartoon. In the case of our 7 stranded seafarers, it was The New Adventures Of Gilligan (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP), which featured the return of all of the original cast members except Dawn Wells and Tina Louise. The 3-disc set contains all 24 episodes, plus the original bumpers.

It’s still a very ugly film, but in watching the new anniversary edition of Shrek (Dreamworks, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP), there’s no denying that its success is because it was a very funny film that still managed a decent amount of heart. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, and deleted scenes.

There’s no denying that Ice Pirates (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) is an awful, awful film. But it’s awful in that great, pure cheese cult fashion that makes watching it an enjoyable journey into ersatz mediocrity. I mean, this is a film that actually cast Bruce Vilanch in an onscreen role. Ridiculous.

Diamond Select has put out a lot of great figures over the years, mainly through their Marvel license, but they’ve recently picked up the license to produce 6″-scale figures from the original Ghostbusters (Diamond Select, $24.99 SRP each). And boy, have they been going to town. With at least 15 figures planned in the line, we’ve already seen the release of Peter, Egon, Ray, and Winston, as well Keymaster Louis and Gatekeeper Dana. What’s even more impressive about their plans is that each figure comes with a piece of what can eventually be constructed into a massive set piece of the rooftop temple from the film’s finale. Add to that copious amounts of accessories and attention to detail, including the sculpts, and you’ve got a line that begs to be completed.

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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July 1, 2016
FROM THE VAULT: Sir Ian McKellen Interview

Conducted ~6/2000

I must admit, I don’t recall exactly what my rationale was for chasing down this interview, other than just respecting Sir Ian as an incredible actor who was just beginning to really get noticed by Hollywood. The first X-Men was just about to open, and the first installment of The Lord Of The Rings, The Fellowship Of The Ring, was still in the future.

Regardless of what the circumstances were, this is one of the interviews I’m most proud of. Sir Ian was wonderful, speaking n full candor, and I thought our conversation hit a wonderful groove. I also managed to do the interview before such in-depth pieces like this became a bit of a rarity for him.

I hope you enjoy it…

KEN PLUME: Tell me about your formative years… What drew you to acting?

SIR IAN McKELLEN: Before I ever acted as an amateur – which I did a great deal at school and at university – I used to go to the theater with my parents in the north of England, where I was born and brought up… Theater of all sorts. A weekly repertory theater played every week at the Bolton Hippodrome, visiting opera and ballet companies at the Theatre Royal, vaudeville theater at the Grand. For Shakespeare and the classics, sometimes my parents took us to the big city of Manchester close by to see famous actors in all sorts of plays. I was also taken by the school each year for a week’s camping in Stratford-on-Avon to see the Shakespeare season there. That’s how I first enjoyed acting – mainly through the theater, as we didn’t go to the cinema much. It was because I enjoyed watching other people act that I thought, “I’d like to have a go at that myself.” There was no early intention of being a professional. I went to study English at Cambridge, and there did a great deal of acting with friends who were determined to become professionals: Trevor Nunn – who now runs the National Theater, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir David Frost, Peter Cook, and others. I caught the bug there… It was then that I realized, “Well, if they’re going to be able to do it in the professional theatre, then perhaps I can myself.” When I left Cambridge, I applied to regional repertory theaters in the UK and got accepted by one of them… And here I am, still at it.

PLUME: This would b e around the late 50’s, early 60’s, right?

McKELLEN: I started in 1961.

PLUME: What was it about acting that enamored you of the process?

McKELLEN: When I started to do it, I discovered I could do it. I think it’s as simple as that. I didn’t have any other specialties that I was good at. Growing up and finding tan enjoyable activity which the grown-ups admired – or don’t object to – for a nice well-behaved boy was fulfilling. It gave me an identity that otherwise I didn’t particularly feel I had.

PLUME: Did your heart stray in any other directions?

McKELLEN: Before acting, I wanted to become a journalist. I also toyed with the idea of being a chef – but that’s only when people asked me what I wanted to be. In fact, I always used to say I wanted to be an actor, but I didn’t ever believe that I was good enough to be come one. It was only at Cambridge, when I was surrounded by others who wanted to become professionals – and when I got a few good reviews in the national press of my acting – that I thought, “Oh well, maybe it’s okay.” But what did I really enjoy about it? It probably has something to do with my sense of being gay… It’s very difficult to talk about this or analyze it. If you were growing up gay in the 1950’s in the north of England, you had a secret which was difficult to share…

PLUME: If not impossible…

McKELLEN: Well, it used to feel like it was impossible. Yet, when you were on stage, you could be absolutely open about your emotions and indulge them and express yourself in a way that – in real life – I wasn’t doing. I think that was part of the appeal. Certainly I felt, when I decided to become a professional, that, “Oh good… I’m going to be able to meet some real-life queers.” Because I’d heard that the theater was full of them… and so it has proved.

PLUME: How would you describe the atmosphere at Cambridge? Was it conducive to the fostering of an artistic bent?

McKELLEN: There’s still no drama faculty at Cambridge – nor at Oxford – but a great deal of acting went on at the time. Undergraduate groups of actors run by the undergraduates and advised by theater-mad dons – one of them, John Barton, left Cambridge while I was there to become a senior director at the Royal Shakespeare Company. So we had connections with the professional theater, and during each vacation we were recording the whole of the Shakespeare’s works, playing supporting parts to professional actors who were brought down for a weekend in Cambridge to record a play at a time. Some of our productions used to play in London on professional stages. The line between being an amateur actor and a professional was nicely blurred. I was told by my tutor that if I went on acting, my academic studies were going to suffer – and they did – but we were all young gentleman and we were thought to be responsible enough to do whatever we wanted to do, and what I wanted to do was indulge myself in the theater, and I was allowed to get on with it pretty well.

PLUME: How difficult was the transition out of Cambridge and into the “professional world”?

McKELLEN: Well, it seemed easy, because I was very keen and very enthusiastic and in love with the theater and the idea of theater -and professional theater people seemed to be the most fascinating in the world, and there’s no where else I wanted to be. It didn’t feel, by that time, like strange territory. It was just constantly fascinating. I just looked around for the people who were the best at it and tried to contact them and work with them. None of this was fueled by a desire to be a star, or famous, or rich, or be in movies or even in television… It was theater that I was interested in. Appearing in front of a live audience, and the problems, technicalities, and joys of that. It was also rooted in – and this is why Cambridge was crucial to me – a respect for the word and the text of a play… Which, of course, overlaps into your studies. You study Shakespeare, you study plays, and so – for me – there’s never been much of a division between people who write about the plays as academic texts and study them for examinations, and actors like me who analyze them for performance. We seem to be in the same business, really.

PLUME: So you’re saying that the study and need for understanding is the same, but the decides to take it a step further and get up on the stage and perform it…

McKELLEN: Yes, that’s right.

PLUME: What were the opportunities afforded or the challenges inherent for a young actor starting out in the professional world at that time?

McKELLEN: That sounds suspiciously like “What advice would you give a young actor…” I think the point to be understood is that we’re all different. I’ve never been a fan of theories of acting. I didn’t go to drama school, so I was never put through a training that was limited by someone saying, “This is the way you should act.” We all act differently. Acting is a very personal process. It has to do with expressing your own personality, and discovering the character you’re playing through your own experience -so we’re all different. We all do it in different ways. My experience is my experience, and it isn’t necessarily relevant to anybody else. I certainly don’t disparage someone whose attitude towards their work is utterly different from mine – that’s up to them. I think the only judgement I would make is “Are they doing it well?” and “Are they doing it seriously?”

PLUME: How subjective is the critique “Are they doing it well?”

McKELLEN: Well, then you have to say, “This is the script as written. This is the style in which it’s written. Is this actor adopting the right style and playing his/her part appropriately within the story that’s being told. That’s how I would make a judgement. It wouldn’t be of any interest to me, necessarily, to know how he/she had achieved it, or what their experience was before the moment I actually saw them on stage.

Continued below…

June 30, 2013
Weekend Shopping Guide 3/26/10: You Are A Toy

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…)

Sadly, you don’t get the 3-D experience of their recent theatrical re-release, but the high definition versions of Toy Story & Toy Story 2 (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP each) are still an eye-popping treat that look and sound really, really good on your massive HDTV. Many of the bonus features are ported over from the most recent DVD special editions, including audio commentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes. There are also a fair number of new bonus features, including animated studio stories, a featurette on the Toy Story zoetrope, Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs, and sneak peeks at Toy Story 3. Are they worth it? Oh yes. Yes they are.

There have been diecast replicas made in the past, and while I miss the replacement of the stainless steel body for plastic, it is pretty damn cool to have a Back To The Future Delorean ($39.99) with full lights and sounds. Coming in at 1/15 scale, the lights glow a brilliant blue as you have the option of 10 different sounds – everything from the flux capacitor engaging to the gull-wing doors opening.

It’s Christmas at Easter as those nifty chaps at Rifftrax bring you a DVD release of their holiday Rifftrax Live! Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza! (Legend Films, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95). Filmed in San Diego and beamed to theaters around the country (and now viewable in your own home), it featured the riffing wonderment of Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett tackling festive shorts with special guest star Weird Al Yankovic. Nice, right?

When Mr. Fox (George Clooney) takes his thieving ways a bit too far, the wrath of the local human farmers is brought down around the heads of his friends in family in We Anderson’s delight, stop-motion animated Fantastic Mr. Fox (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). Will Fox be able to pull everyone through in this adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic? Trust me when I tell you to see for yourself. Bonus materials include a clutch of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

I think a comedic take on sword & sorcery epics has been a long-time coming, and I just wish that Comedy Central’s take on it – Krod Mandoon And The Flaming Sword Of Fire (Comedy Central, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP) had been a little bit more solid than it wound up being. It’s since been cancelled, which is a shame, because given time, I’m sure the material would have lived up to the cast – including Matt Lucas’s wonderfully played master villain. Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette, cast interviews, deleted/extended scenes, and outtakes.

The 3rd season of Mad Men (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) is when much long-accumulating crap hit many a fan for every character, culminating in drastic changes not just in the office, but also at home. The 4-disc set contains all 13 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, and a documentary on Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers. A Blu-Ray edition ($49.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.

It’s not nearly the mess that some have made it out to be, but as satirical films about the illogic of war and the military go, The Men Who Stare At Goats (Anchor bay, Rated R, DVD-$29.98 SRP) is just as inconsistent and imperfect as a film (also adapted from a far better book) 40 years its senior, Catch-22. Give it a spin and see if you share my thoughts on it, as the story itself – about the real military testing to discover psychic powers – is a hoot. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.98 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.

It never quite lived up to the fun and adventure of its predecessor, but by the end of Stargate Atlantis (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$199.98 SRP), a number of cast editions and a devil-may-care attitude crept in, which made the show a heck of a lot more enjoyable. Don’t believe me? Get the 26-disc complete series set, containing all 5 seasons, plus an exclusive bonus disc with tons of new extras.

For all those (including myself) who have accused Steven Spielberg of being an emotional button-pushing, saccharine filmmaker, watch The Blind Side (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, DVD-$28.98 SRP) and see a truly off-putting, diabetes-inducing flick in action. There’s just so many aspects of this ballsy conservative woman who hand-picks an underprivileged teenager to save and he goes on to be a football success tale that I find offensive, that to select just one does a disservice to my loathing. Bonus materials are limited to additional scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.

I think the quicker we can forget that the AMC remake of the brilliant 60’s series ever happened, the better, because this take on The Prisoner (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) is just a boring, ill-conceived mess. In fact, the only bright light in a dark forest is Ian McKellen, who desperately tries to spark things up. Bonus materials include a pair of commentaries, featurettes, and an interview with McKellen.

Fans of low-budget, direct-to-video horror will want to pick up the “8 Films To Die For” comprising the 4th edition of the After Dark Horrorfest – Lake Mungo, Dread, The Graves, Kill Theory, The Reeds, Hidden, The Final, & Zombies Of Mass Destruction (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP each).

Overshadowed by the arrival of Mike Tyson, Robert Townsend’s Phantom Punch (Screen Media, Rated R, DVD-$24.98 SRP) presents a complicated biopic about the equally complicated former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, portrayed by Ving Rhames.

If you’d like to partake of a brilliant, fascinating documentary snapshot of what seems like a distant age – even though it’s only 40 years ago – take a look at Rocky Road To Dublin (Icarus Films, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), director Peter Lennon’s look at an Ireland one the terrifying verge of social upheaval, as theocratic social norms were blown sky high. The disc also includes a newly produced making-of documentary.

The 3rd volume of The Judy Garland Show (Infinity, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) brings another pair of complete episodes, featuring guests Lena Horne, Terry-Thomas, Tony Bennett, Dick Shawn, and Jerry Van Dyke.

Celebrate Easter with a pair of new-to-DVD specials, the first of which is Bugs Bunny’s Easter Funnies (Warner Brow., Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), which uses linking material to weave together classic Looney Tunes cartoons that have some vague content connection to the holiday. The other release is The First Easter Rabbit (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), from those purveyors of animated holiday specials, Rankin/Bass.

Remember Ken Wahl? Remember Wiseguy, the show in which he starred as the FBI deep cover agent Vincent Terranova, out to take down the mob from within. Now you can get all 4 seasons in one handy set. Wiseguy: The Collector’s Edition (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP) contains all 67 episodes, 3 of which never aired.

Well, now we know that while Jeff Bridges was filming the role that would earn him an Oscar, his brother Beau was co-starring in a direct-to-video sequel with Bindi Irwin – Free Willy: Escape From Pirate’s Cove (Warner Bros., Rated PG, DVD-$27.98 SRP). Yeah. It’s exactly what you expect. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. A Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.

I know there are plenty of fans of both The Black Hole and TRON out there, and Mindstyle has decided to combine the two into a highly detailed, scaled vinyl replica of the robot V.I.N.C.E.N.T. ($129.99), with a TRON-style blue paintjob. Available through the fine folks at Sideshow, you’ll be kicking yourself if you miss out on this limited edition nerdgasm.

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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March 26, 2010
Weekend Shopping Guide 7/31/09: Turning It To Eleven

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…)

After what has seemed like an endless series of delays, the mother of all mockumentaries has finally made its way to high-def with the release of This Is Spinal Tap (MGM, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$ SRP). Picture and sound are as good as they’re ever going to get, and bonus materials include much of the same that we found on previous releases – including an audio commentary with the band (sadly, still no commentary from the old Criterion release), deleted scenes, featurettes, a quartet of Tap videos, outtakes, and a bonus DVD with their performance at Live Earth and the National Geographic Stonehenge interview with Nigel Tufnel.

As someone who prefers quiet walks at night when traffic isn’t quite as busy, it’s nice to have a practical hat like the Solar Light Cap ($34.99). With multiple brightness settings and the ability to recharge the cap in the sunlight (each charge provides 2-18 hours of light, depending on the brightness setting), it’s a nifty, all-weather safety accessory.

If you’re only exposure to Life On Mars (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) is the awkward US version, please put that out of your mind and dive into the complete first series of the UK original, about a modern-day police detective (John Simm) hot on a killer’s trail who gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1973. Yes – you read that right. Is he a time traveler? In a coma? Delusional? This is a ride worth taking, so do so. The 4-disc set contains all 8 first series episodes, plus audio commentaries, a behind-the-scenes documentary, featurettes, and an outtake reel.

The episodes have been released in single-disc releases thus far, but now you can get The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete First Season (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$25.95 SRP). So far, it’s the closest Marvel has come to capturing the quality of the animated DC universe. The 2-disc set contains a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

It’s the beginning of the end as the first of showrunner Russell T. Davies’ four telemovie swan songs comes to DVD in the form of Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP). It’s certainly a rousing adventure, even if it falls short of the best of new Who. Still, best get your David Tennant fix satiated while you can. Bonus features include an hour-long behind-the-scenes special. And, for the first time, a Blu-Ray edition ($19.89 SRP) is also available.

Oh, Torchwood– you are such a flawed little spin-off. So desperate to be adult and differentiate yourself from parent Doctor Who, you’re just a mess of poorly realized characters, awkward writing, and unrealized potential. Still, fans can pick up The Complete Second Season (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.95 SRP) in high definition, with behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. That’s something, right? Slightly better but still not what the show could be is the 5-part Torchwood: Children Of Earth (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which acts as the show’s 3rd season and acts as a bit of house cleaning. Bonus features include a behind-the-scenes featurette and an audio clip. A Blu-Ray edition ($34.99 SRP) us also available, with identical features.

It’s my second favorite Irwin Allen disaster flick (after the wondrous Poseidon Adventure, but The Towering Inferno (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) is the first to actually be released on Blu-Ray. After seeing the lovely print and hearing the crisp sound, it makes me pine even more for my favorite to get its time in the sun. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, deleted/extended scenes, featurettes, the AMC Backstory, interviews, the NATO presentation reel, and more.

Ever since being informed of its existence by the great Graham Linehan, I’ve been dying to see Big Man Japan (Magnolia, Rated PG-13, DVD-$26.98 SRP) – a delightfully bizarre flick about Japan’s plus-sized superhero defense against bizarro monsters, the titular Big Man Japan. Really – you just gotta see it. It’s hilarious. Bonus features include a making-of and deleted scenes.

Joss Whedon lost my trust during the abysmal final season of Buffy. I never got into Firefly, and every time I tried to watch his latest, Dollhouse (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) – starring Eliza Dushku as a blank slate, programmable, expensive call girl, essentially – but couldn’t shake the impression that it was a muddled mess that never gives the audience a reason to care about anything or anyone on it. The 3-disc season set features the original pilot, an unaired episode, audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurettes. A Blu-Ray edition ($69.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.

Weaving seldom-seen interviews, footage, and interviews with those who knew him, How Bruce Lee Changed The World (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) is a loving portrait of the martial artist, actor, husband, and father.

Though many will get their stuff in a bunch, I thought the finale of Battlestar Galactica was a big, awkward disappointment that jumped from “Huh?” to “What?” moments with reckless abandon. Still, fans are sure to snap up the final set, Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.98 SRP). The 3-disc set features the final clutch of episodes, plus audio commentaries, deleted scenes, video blogs, featurettes, and more.

There are a lot of catalogue titles making their way into the Blu-Ray roster, but it’s always nice when the films of a personal favorite filmmaker get a spin – such as Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP). Even though he didn’t write the film, his signature style is all over the production, and it most definitely fits into what I define as “Gilliam-esque”. The Blu-Ray ports over the audio commentary, featurettes, and Hamster Factor documentary from the original DVD release.

Quirky and fun, The Middleman (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP) was a show destined for cancellation. But now you can pick up the complete series focusing on the “exotic adventures” of the titular hero and his brand new protÃ©gÃ©. The 4-disc set features all 12 episodes, plus audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, a table read, audition footage, and a gag reel.

I guess the best way to describe Miss March (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) is as a tepid, watchable, raunchy road trip comedy about a pair of friends who embark on a cross-country road trip to the Playboy mansion in order to find the girlfriend who has become a centerfold. You know how that goes. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.

Before Polanski went mainstream with Rosemary’s Baby, he was spending the 1960’s making chilling cinema like Repulsion (Criterion, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), his follow-up to Knife In The Water. It’s also just gotten a scrubbed and spiffy high-def transfer featuring an audio commentary, a documentary on the making of the film, a rare 1964 French TV special on the film, and trailers.

Of all the direct-to-DVD DC animated adventures to come down the pike thus far, Green Lantern: First Flight (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, DVD-$24.98 SRP) is the first one I’ve actually enjoyed. It’s essentially an origin story, explaining how test pilot Hal Jordan came to possess the power ring that would make him a Green Lantern, one of an army of peacekeepers under the leadership of the Guardians Of The Universe. It also sets up the fall of Green Lantern Sinestro, who’s secretly plotting the overthrow of the Guardians. Lot of stuff there. The 2-disc set features featurettes, bonus cartoons presented by Bruce Timm, the episode of Duck Dodgers featuring the Green Lanterns, and more. A Blu-Ray edition ($29.99 SRP) is available with identical bonus materials.

It went out with a bit of a whimper, but fans at least can now pick up the wrap-up with Prison Break: The Final Break (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). Bonus features are limited to deleted scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($29.99 SRP) is also available, with the same single bonus feature.

Besides featuring an early TV performance from a young Ian McKellen, Armchair Thriller (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) was pretty typical of the mystery/suspense tales being cranked out in the UK during the 70’s, many of which found their way to PBS’s Mystery!. This inaugural set collects a quartet of stories (including the aforementioned one featuring McKellen).

I never cared for The Fast & The Furious, but even I could see diminishing returns in its sequels. So, too, did the studio, who decided to go back to basics – cast and all – with the cleverly named Fast & Furious (Universal, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), which has more cars. Fast cars. And Vin Diesel. Doing whatever the hell he does. Bonus features include featurettes and a short film from Diesel.

When Jon & Kate Plus Eight: Season 4 (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) decided that the theme of the season was “The Big Move”, little did they know just how accurate the term would become to that rolling clusterf*** of a marriage.

Oh, relaunched Knight Rider. You were so very hopeful that your self-important, lackluster new take on the 80’s hit would actually have a future, you didn’t even bother to call your DVD release The Complete Series even though you’ve been cancelled. So now people can buy Knight Rider: Season 1 (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). The 4-disc set features all 17 episodes plus the TV movie, as well as commentary on the pilot and featurettes.

The film is one of those cult faves, and Lalo Schifrin’s score to Sky Riders (Aleph Records, $14.98 SRP) is one of those fun, overlooked little gems that has thankfully gotten a release. Get it.

Gary Hobkins and his rather unique ability to foresee and hopefully avert the future – literally, he’s delivered the next day’s edition of the newspaper – returns with the complete second season of Early Edition (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$45.98 SRP). The 5-disc set features all 22 episodes, plus original promos.

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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July 31, 2009
Weekend Shopping Guide 4/24/09: Top Gear

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…

(Also, please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)

You only have to view the unedited, unadulterated, original episodes of the UK’s Top Gear to understand why the idea of making an “American edition” and jettisoning hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond is such a pig-ignorant idea. For one, it’s their interplay that makes the show – not the car talk. Secondly, it’s foolish to think it doesn’t translate to the US in its original form – because it does. Which is all to say that I highly recommend you pick up Top Gear 10: The Complete 10th Season (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) and see my case being made before your eyes.

Sometimes, life is about the simple pleasures. Sometimes, those simple pleasures have been shrunk down and conveniently made USB-powered. Such is the case with the USB Plasma Ball ($12.99), which is 6″ of Tesla-crafted joy. Stare into it, and you’ll swear you actually see… A plasma ball. A really, really cool plasma ball.

DC continues to deliver top-notch collections of the post-Marvel work Jack Kirby did for the company in the 70’s with the release of his ragtag group of war heroes fighting at the height of World War II, The Losers (DC Comics, $39.99 SRP). When it comes to archive editions, DC is the company setting the bar.

Unlike most of Ron Howard’s filmic output, which often suffers from being uninspired and drab, I thought his adaptation of (Universal, Rated R, DVD-$29.98 SRP) succeeded in translating the energy and performances that made the stage version such a success to the big screen. Maybe that’s because it takes a lot of effort to stamp out the skill that Michael Sheen and Frank Langella bring to their performances as David Frost and the disgraced but defiant Richard Nixon. Bonus features include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a look at the Nixon Library, and footage from the actual Frost/Nixon interviews. A Frost/NixonBlu-Ray edition ($39.98 SRP) is also available, with additional footage of the original interviews and background information.

If you were to take the wonderfully candid wrestling documentary Beyond The Mat and fictionalize it, you’d have the story of broken down wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a former superstar up against the ropes in The Wrestler (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Physical and emotional pain etched across his haggard face, Mickey Rourke turns in a stunning performance as a guy who feels he’s gotten one more good match left in him, both inside and outside the ring. Bonus materials include a documentary spotlighting actual wrestlers, a roundtable discussion with same, and a Bruce Springsteen music video. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.

Although the bulk of it doesn’t really hold up (the 90’s references shoveled throughout certainly make it less than timeless), I still have some affection for the episodes featured in Tiny Toon Adventures: Season 1 Volume 2 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP). Of special note, however, is that this set does contain the still-wonderful music videos episode, which featured many kids’ first introduction to the work of They Might Be Giants.

The second season of the ADD Freakazoid (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP) hits DVD, with all 11 episodes spread across two discs. Bonus features include commentaries, a featurette, and an archival tape of composer Richard Stone at work.

Ian McKellen is truly incredible in the recent RSC production of King Lear (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP) – so much so that I’d say it’s a must see. So get it and do so. The disc also contains a bonus interview with McKellen.

Yes, I admit it – I watch iCarly (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). Don’t get me wrong – I don’t watch it of my own volition. I watch it alongside my nephew, as its often sandwiched between episodes of Spongebob. And as kiddie fare go, it’s a decent show – funny and well-acted. So there. The second volume of the show’s first season contains 12 episodes and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Peter Bogdanovich fans can get not only the director’s cut of his Last Picture Show, but also the new-to-DVD release of Nickelodeon in a two-disc Director’s Choice: Nickelodeon/The Last Picture Show double feature (Sony, Rated PG/R, DVD-$24.96 SRP). Bonus features include commentaries on both films, plus interviews & featurettes on Picture Show.

I’m no fan of rap and only marginally aware of the various rifts within its community, but I found Notorious (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$34.98 SRP) – about the life of The Notorious B.I.G. – to be a fascinating watch simply for the wonderful young actor filling the title role, Jamal Woolard. Bonus features include audio commentaries, making-of featurettes, concert footage, and deleted scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available with identical bonus materials.

I thought Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller’s adaptation of Miller’s Sin City (Miramax, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) was fine for what it was, but its slavish visual adherence to the original art grew tiresome after a bit, and the gimmick became more important than the characters or the story itself. Shame, really, because what could have been an interesting piece of neo-noir has instead become this generation’s Dick Tracy. The new Blu-Ray edition treats those gimmicky visuals nicely, and ports over the bonus materials from the standard DVD, plus an additional exclusive Cine-Explore feature.

Having moved on from saving the planet, Elmo is back to promote literacy with Sesame Street: Elmo And The Bookaneers (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$14.93 SRP), about pirates who love to read. What’s more important, though, is its special guest – Tina Fey. Yes… Tina Fey.

If you’ve been anxiously awaiting the return of hillbilly squids, then you’re prayers are answered with the arrival of Squidbillies: Volume 2 (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). The 2-disc set features 20 episodes, plus oodles of bonus materials including featurettes, art, music, and more.

Ewing Oil was left a shambles at the end of season 10, but the eleventh season of Dallas (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) finds J.R. down but certainly not out, as he claws his way back from disaster, even if it means stepping on a few people along the way. The 3-disc set contains all 30 episodes.

If the leaked Wolverine workprint hasn’t extinguished your enthusiasm for all things hairy mutant, also being released is the animated Wolverine & The X-Men: Heroes Return Trilogy (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), I’m not entirely sure I understand the story they’re trying to tell, but the animation and character design is decent (even though the supposed-to-be-short Wolverine is now about 6’4). Bonus features include commentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

We’ve made it to the halfway mark with the release of Hawaii Five-O‘s sixth season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP). Steve Garrett and his crack team are back on the sunny streets of the Pacific jewel in this 6-disc set, featuring all 24 episodes plus the original promos.

The Stuart Little animated series is an innocuous, affable affair that managed to hold my nephews’ attention (no small feat). Two volumes are now available – A Little Family Fun! & Going For The Gold! (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$12.99 SRP each). Each disc contains a quartet of adventures.

The rich socialites of Knots Landing return for the complete second season (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), which features a very special visit from not only Bobby Ewing, but J.R. himself. The 4-disc set features all 18 episodes.

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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April 23, 2009