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…)
After Tim Burton’s abysmal take, I was quite leery of any new attempts to return to the Planet Of The Apes franchise. Well, I was pleasantly surprised that Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (Fox, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) manages to present an enjoyable take on the material as an origin story, bringing us back to the initial uprising of the apes led by a newly-intelligent (medical experiment!) chimp names Caesar (the always mo-cap impressive Andy Serkis). Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.
Still looking for the perfect stand for your smartphone? Try the Milo Micro-suction Stand ($14.99). As you can probably guess, the curved stand keeps your phone (or mp3 player) in place via the awesome power of suction. Miraculous!
Remember when we were all mourning the cancellation of Futurama? Such a long time ago! And here we are two seasons into its revival with the release of Futurama: Volume 6 (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), featuring 13 brand new episodes, audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.
A sequel was inevitable, so it should come as little surprise to you that Jack Black returns in Kung Fu Panda 2 (Dreamworks, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), which finds Po and the Furious Five up against an all new villain. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.
There are plenty of companies diving into their deep catalogues for Blu-Ray release, but the only studio that is consistently ace with every restoration project they undertake is Warner Bros. The latest to benefit from their incredible acumen is the Judy Garland romance Meet Me In St. Louis (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), which is absolutely stunning. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, an introduction from Liza Minnelli, the Lux Radio Theater broadcast, and a music-only track.
I didn’t know what to expect from the remake of Fright Night (Touchstone, Rated R, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), but I was pretty sure I would enjoy the performance of David Tennant as reluctant vampire hunter Peter Vincent. And you know what? I did enjoy his performance, and I enjoyed the movie as well, as perfect late-night weekend viewing, with plenty of dimensional scares to justify picking up the 3D version. Bonus materials include featurettes, outtakes, deleted scenes, and more.
There’s something about Velvet Goldmine (Lionsgate, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$19.99 SRP) that very much feels like a late-90’s indie film, which it is, and a fine one at that. If you’ve not seen it, it’s a fictionalized look at the personalities and excesses of the glam era – not to name names, of course – starring Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Christian Bale. Bonus materials on this new Blu-Ray include an audio commentary and the theatrical trailer.
Shame it’s gone direct-to-DVD (not even Blu-Ray) here in the US, because Burke & Hare (IFC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) is a lovely little black comedy from director John Landis, starring Simon Pegg & Andy Serkis as the infamous pair who murdered to profit in the black market of medical cadavers in 19th century Edinburgh. Bonus materials include interviews, outtakes, and a featurette.
The main reason to check out Warrior (Lionsgate, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), about a haunted ex-Marine who attempts to pull the fragments of his life together and win an MMA tournament, is for the lead performance of Tom Hardy, who could make just about anything watchable. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
Now that we’ve moved beyond the still-wonderful episodes into the seasons I don’t really care about, the release of something like The Simpsons: The Fourteenth Season (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.99 SRP) don’t exactly have me excited. Still, even if the shows themselves are largely duds, there’s no denying that the team behind the show know how to load up a release, including entertaining audio commentaries on every episode, featurettes, deleted scenes, sketches, and more.
I don’t understand its appeal, but I know there are plenty of fans out there eager to pick up their very own copy of Archer: Season Two (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). The 2-disc set sports all 13 episodes, plus featurettes.
If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming tale of a dolphin with a prosthetic tail that just so happens to star Morgan Freeman in a role that isn’t the dolphin, then you might want to check out Dolphin Tale (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), which is all of those things. Bonus materials include featurettes, an additional scene, and a gag reel.
It didn’t arrive in time to mention it in the holiday shopping guide, but now that you’re burdened with all of that holiday cash, now’s the time to pick up the latest in Hot Toys’ line of stunningly-accurate Marvel 12″-scale figures from the fine folks at Sideshow Collectibles. The latest is Steve Rogers himself – Captain America ($169.99) – as played by Chris Evans in the recent feature. I’d hazard to say you never seen a scale outfit recreation as detailed, accurate, and impressive as this, as every little texture and stitch, buckle and belt is perfect. And you know you need him standing next to your Iron Man and Thor, as you march towards a full line of Avengers.
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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I had worries that 
Yeah, I love me some novelty cameras, and the 
It’s an embarrassment of riches from the fine folks at Fantagraphics as they deliver not one, but two fantastic comic collections for aficionados to dive into. Not only do we get the 15th volume of 
Five years after Hurricane Katrina, Spike Lee returned to New Orleans for a follow up to his documentary When The Levees Broke. The equally powerful return is documented in 
The arrival of the Handmade Films library in high definition continues with both a hard-bitten action flick and farce – Neil Jordan’s 
Not only great films make it to Blu-Ray – sometimes you get catalogue releases like the one-two punch of 
MGM cranks up their on-demand program (similar to the programs already in place over at Warners and Universal) with a clutch of obscure catalogue titles including an early turn from William Shatner in 
I’m sure that the Jack Black-starring bastardization of 
Take another show off the uncompleted list as the 6th & final season of 
If all of that story and character just seemed like filler to you, you’ll probably want to pick up 
Those fans that have only experience the butchered editions of weird and wonderful The Mighty Boosh that have been running on Adult Swim need to run – not walk – to their favorite DVD emporium and snag copies of the new-to-the-US unexpurgated editions of The Mighty Boosh seasons 1-3 that have now been collected into the massive 
During my mother’s recent cancer battle, she spent her final week at home. While at home, I set up a pair of 
After 10 years spent off the air, wandering the wilderness of feature film development, the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf return for a brand new adventure in 
The most brilliant parodies always come from a place of deep understanding – and often affection – for the particular thing being parodied. Such is clearly the case with Peter Kay’s brilliant send-up of reality talent competitions whose full title – deep breath – is 
The Warner Bros. Archive Collection does it again, this time releasing 
Really, the nifty on-demand catalogue service The Warner Archive Collection is the only way we’ll get the short-lived and rather mediocre but fascinating sci-fi series 
I was one of the Disney fans who marveled at the clarity that the restored Platinum Edition of Snow White revealed, making the film look like it was made in the last 10 years – not 70 years ago. Well, the new high definition Diamond Edition of 
You can have your fancy, expensive, often bizarre, more faithful, Tim Burton-directed version of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, but I will always, always love and prefer 
I’ve gotta say – I really & truly love the amazing, unique, and altogether nifty pop art books that Abrams Comicarts have been putting out – their entire selection of which is worth a look see. Case in point is the new 
Oh, and also from Abrams, have a look-see at 
Originally created for IMAX theaters, 
After a lapse in copyright that allowed it to move from Warner Bros. to Paramount, 
Slowly but surely, we’re catching up on the releases of Gordon Ramsay’s excellent cooking show, 
You know, I’m not entirely sure it hasn’t been forever since the last season release of the still-classic, still-hilarious 
I have nothing against the Shannon Doherty years of the low-rent “reality” candid camera frightfest 
Even though I find the show the dramatic equivalent of beige paint drying, I still find Patricia Arquette watchable in 
Reflect on an incredible body of work by a much-missed actor with the new 
It’s quite rare when I actually enjoy a romantic comedy, only because the plot developments are as obvious as a truck on the side of your ear, so it really comes down to a decent enough script and a good clutch of actors to pull the whole thing off. With 
Does anyone actually enjoy 
As you might expect, the soundtrack to Drew Barrymore’s roller derby flick 
I really have no other ammunition with which to recommend the CG-animated special 
At the end, the show was a shadow of its heyday high, but the cast of 
Sam Raimi decided to abandon the tepid Spider-Man movies and return to form with the schlock-happy horror of 
Will Ferrell’s big screen take on the schlocky Sid & Marty Krofft Saturday morning classic 
I can’t tell you just how much I really, really don’t like the live action 
I think the final product has been a mixed bag, with none shining too terribly brightly, but if you’re keen on buying the recent animated direct-to-video movies starring your favorite Marvel Comics superheroes, you can now get the whole lot in the 
It’s frustrating that 
I’ve never been a fan of Oliver Stone’s violent social commentary 
Before you gawp at the live action flick, take in the classic animated version of Maurice Sendak’s 
Do people still watch 
If you’re not able to drop the cash for the more expensive Spotlight collections, or just want a nice sampler, then you’ll want to check out 
I tried desperately to avoid obvious swimming metaphors to talk about this title, but in the end, I lacked enough willpower to refrain from saying you should dive right in to the 
Sensing it had been far too long since a new release and that brand awareness might be slipping, MTV has dug through the hall closet to scrape up enough material to fill 
I certainly tried, but I could never find enough of a toe-hold to get interested in 
With 
Rejoice, animation and comedy nerds! A new Futurama direct-to-DVD movie has arrived in the form of 
Though there’s quite a few clunkers in there, I still enjoy watching the films of Abbott & Costello. The first comedy routine I ever recognized as such – and love to this day – is “Who’s On First?”. Universal has brought together the entirety of the duo’s film output in 
Dreamworks has always had a hard time making an animated film that actually looks visually pleasing. The Shrek movies are a mess, Madagascar was slightly better, and Over The Hedge was a step in the right direction. The first film to actually look wonderful and provide a story to match has got to be 
Although I’m still a bit disappointed that they leapfrogged over the release of just the fourth and final season, at least we can have the complete run of Jim Henson’s classic series in 
I don’t necessarily want to live in the future presented in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, but I have to admit that they did have some pretty nifty gear to shelter themselves with on those endlessly rainy nights. Surely you remember the glowing umbrellas that everyone had, clutched in their downtrodden fists as they made their way through the grubby streets. Well, now you can own your very own 
The first film was lackluster, but things are definitely improved – if not great – in 
Paramount has dipped into their pool of classic films and pulled out a trio for remastered special editions they’re terming their “Centennial Collection”. Getting the blue ribbon treatment are 
I’m not entirely happy that studios continue to shaft fans who support their season-by-season releases of TV shows only to be confronted at the end with a comprehensive set that includes exclusive bonus material. The latest is the classic 
One of the things I love about just how much catalogue digging the studios have been doing for DVD is that they’re able and willing to put out niche releases that spotlight the work of directors who are not exactly household names, but whose work deserves a spotlight. Such is the case with the late 50’s Columbia westerns of director Budd Boetticher collected in the appropriately titled 
Get all three Jason Bourne films in one easy-to-grab package with the new 
It was slow going at first, but I stuck with 
The first volume was a nice little slice of catalogue holiday cheer, and Warners opens the vaults again for their 
For anyone that’s been holding off on snagging the classic UK sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo! – the follow-up from the creators of Are You Being Served set in occupied France during WWII and playing like a Franco version of Hogan’s Heroes – then now’s the time to get the whole lot in ‘
There are a ton of them in the various studios’ vaults, but Warners dips into theirs for a trio of World War II rah-rah flicks with their new 
One of the mainstays of my many sleepless nights glued to Nick At Nite in the late 80’s and early 90’s was I Dream Of Jeannie. It remains one of the great escapist sitcoms of the late 60’s, with humor that was timeless and certainly not terribly thought-provoking. It’s marshmallow fluff. If you’ve been passing up the season-by-season sets that have been released the past few years, now is the time to take the plunge and pick up 
I’m going to give you one reason – and one reason only – to pick up Cartoon Network’s 
I went into it expecting a complete and utter disaster. Imagine my surprise when I found the big screen 
Oh, George. You truly have gone insane. You should talk to someone about your pathological need to tear down what you’ve built – it’s really quite sad. Case in point – the CG animated feature pilot for 
It’s been 30 years since 
Another in the long (and appreciated) line of box sets collecting a selection of an actor’s filmography in one handy package, 
It may be low-grade genre fare, but there’s a certain exuberance about the Brit series 
Since MTV abandoned Unplugged and VH1 walked away from Storytellers, there’s a gap in the world for a show featuring great live performances from diverse and interesting artists. In the UK, that show is Live From Abbey Road. Want proof? Pick up a copy of 
The 
Though I think it’s been overly-maligned (and no, I am in no way saying it’s a good film), I can’t imagine anyone who would want a 2-disc extended edition of Kevin Costner’s bloated aquatic epic 
Though most of the episodes pale in comparison to the original run, who’d have thought that we’d cross the 100 episode mark of the continuing misadventures of the family Griffin? That landmark episode is contained in 
Big Green makes his holiday DVD debut with the release of last year’s network special 
It’s murder on the Transsiberian express as a group of passengers get swept up drug trafficking and deception on a train making the journey from Beijing to Moscow in 
The sophomore outing of Rod Serling’s post-Twilight Zone journey into the bizarre and unexpected arrives with Night Gallery: Season Two (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). The 5-disc set features 61 stories, plus audio commentaries (some featuring director Guillermo Del Toro), promos, a gallery, and a retrospective featurette.
First and foremost, take a moment to celebrate the glorious demise of the ill-conceived American version of Spaced with the news that this July brings the release with the original Britcom that put Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jessica Hynes, and Edgar Wright on the geek map. Loaded with bonus features from not only the UK release, but also exclusive to the US edition, this is a must-have set. Keep an eye out at your favorite online retailer or DVD emporium.
By the third season of 
For years now, I’ve been reiterating that you should buy, post-haste, the comedic sci-fi novels of Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder. Every one so far has been a gem, and he’s managed to keep the plate spinning with his latest tale of slow-witted detective Frank Burly, 
With a new Indy flick in the offing, it was a foregone conclusion that we’d see some form of re-release on the original trilogy – and so we have with the 
Cinema geeks rejoice! Universal has seen fit to collect 10 of their catalogue’s most genre-tastic titles into one box set – 
As much as I liked the “official” history found in the deluxe tome To Infinity And Beyond, it’s nice to have a complementary, unauthorized book about the early days and rise of Pixar to balance out the picture, and David Price’s 
The movie’s not yet in theaters, but everything I’ve seen of Kung Fu Panda has made me keen to do so. It’s taken awhile for rival studios that the way to fight Pixar is not to make knock-off Pixar flicks, but to realize the same thing that Warners did in their heyday – leave the heart to Disney and focus on the comedy instead. If you want to whet your appetite for this flick, look no further than 
I wasn’t alive to experience firsthand growing up in the 50’s, but I’m certainly aware of the shows and celebrities that made up the pop culture diet of that generation. If you’re as interested as I am in that period, you’ve got to get yourself a copy of 
It’s been 10 years since the passing of the Chairman of the Board, and Warners has seen fit to celebrate his passing with a quartet of box sets celebrating Frank Sinatra’s cinematic legacy – 
Everyone’s favorite sleuthing antiquities dealer returns in the complete third season of 
It’s not like I would have paid to see it in the theater, but 
The fourth season of 
Just when my nephews have nearly burned out the previous release, along comes 
One of my nephews is fast approaching the one-year mark, and getting him to sleep is quite a feat with all that teething going on. We’ve found that a big help in the seemingly never-ending battle is Nickelodeon’s 
The off-color puppets are back with 
Have you ever picked up a book and thought “This is an idea that was a long-time coming…”? I thought that very thing when I thumbed through 
You’ll weep, you’ll awww, you’ll get plenty of points from your significant other if you pick her up a copy of the new 
Like According To Jim, 
Surprisingly enough, Sean Combs acquitted himself quite well in last year’s TV adaptation of 
One of those programs that will always grab my attention if insomnia or boredom has me scanning channels at 4 in the morning is anything with forensic examiner Dr. Michael Baden. An all-new edition of