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…)
By now, fans know what to expect from Warners deep, dense, impressively comprehensive Harry Potter Ultimate Editions, which means the wait for the rest of the series to get the treatment has sometimes been quite a hard one to bear. Thankfully, we’re nearing the end with the release of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: Ultimate Edition & Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince: Ultimate Edition (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP each). Not only do the films themselves look incredible, given room to breathe on their own discs, but the second disc packed with the latest installments of the spectacular “Creating the World of Harry Potter” documentary series, as well as deleted scenes and all of the bonus materials from the original releases, will make the long wait for the final films to get their turn at bat deeply painful. Here’s hoping they arrive soon.
Although they seem to be agonizingly slow in adding to their offerings – and I wish they’d really dive into the action figure side of things – the fine folks at have imported a pair of Doctor Who board game for the whole family. Doctor Who: Battle To Save The Universe ($34.99) is for ages 6+, while Doctor Who: The Time Wars ($24.99) is older-skewing for ages 8+. Both are fun and worth a spin for Who fans.
The BBC has kicked their classic Doctor Who release schedule into overdrive, very rightly taking advantage of the modern show’s growing success in the US, as a new month brings a pair of new releases. From the 5th Doctor Peter Davison’s era we get Frontios (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$ SRP), plus the very first adventure of 7th Doctor Sylvester McCoy, Time And The Rani (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP). As usual, both are loaded to the gills with bonus materials, including audio commentaries, in-depth documentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more. Stellar, as always.
I admit, I was one of those who didn’t exactly anticipate the Coen Brothers’ take on True Grit (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), as I quite liked the original adaptation of the Charles Portis novel, starring John Wayne in the iconic role of one-eyed U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn. And, while it certainly hits its own beats, I did wind up enjoying this new take on the material, including Jeff Bridges’ portrayal of Rooster. So, really, see both versions. And read the book. You’ll enjoy them all. Bonus materials include seven behind-the-scenes featurettes and the theatrical trailer.
Like the two previous films before it, the third Jackass film gets a Jackass 3.5 (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$22.99 SRP) expanded edition hot on the heels of its regular release, featuring additional footage, deleted scenes, featurettes, and outtakes. Because you know you can’t resist buying it. You can’t resist.
Being part of a family of New Yorkers, I’d always hear many a story of growing up in the 30s, 40s, & 50s, but I never hear much about the sort of games city kids of that period would play – which is why I found the documentary New York Street Games (Kaboom!, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP) so much fun, as it features first-hand accounts from many a local and celebrity of all of the obscure games those Big Apple kids would play. Check it out.
If you don’t use drugs or live in Brooklyn but want to experience what it must be like, check out Yo Gabba Gabba: Circus (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), the latest collection of hipster psychedelic episodes of the show ostensibly aimed at preschool children.
I run hot and cold on Norm Macdonald, but there’s no denying he has a unique comedic voice, which is well-represented in his Comedy Central standup special Norm Macdonald: Me Doing Standup (Comedy Central, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP). In addition to the extended, uncensored version of the special, the disc also contains the pilot episode of Back To Norm, an animated featurette, and Norm’s roast of Bob Saget.
Shout Factory continues to re-release formerly out-of-print Mystery Science Theater 3000 titles for those who may have missed them during their first go-round years and years ago – The latest two being Mystery Science Theater 3000: Hamlet & Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gunslinger (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 each). Sure, they’re barebones releases, but it’s good to be able to get them again.
I enjoyed the quirky charms of the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and am happy that the sequel, Diary Of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) didn’t drop the ball, delivering a modern equivalent of the classic A Christmas Story in its wry storytelling about the titular put-upon kid as the domestic war with his older brother escalates. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel.
MGM is becoming even more prolific than Warners when it comes to releasing their MOD catalogue titles. The latest batch includes such obscure titles as Michael Moriarty & Yaphet Kotto in Report To The Commissioner (MGM, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98), Errol Flynn in The Big Boodle (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98), James Coburn & the great Walter Pidgeon in the pickpocketing flick Harry In Your Pocket (MGM, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98), and the incredible combination of Lee Majors, Abe Vigoda, & Don Rickles in Keaton’s Cop (MGM, Rated R, DVD-$19.98).
And if that weren’t enough, MGM has also dropped the adaptation of the Spike Milligan memoir Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98), Laura Dern in Haunted Summer (MGM, Rated R, DVD-$19.98), Elizabeth Montgomery in mob flick Johnny Cool (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98), and Bob Hope in the jungle comedy Call Me Bwana (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98).
It’s not The Hangover, but Ed Helms more than elevates the amiable comedy Cedar Rapids (Fox, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which finds Helms stars as a small town insurance agent whose life becomes derailed when he heads to the titular big city and finds himself being dragged into the misadventures of a wild party animal (John C. Reilly). Bonus materials include deleted scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel.
I enjoyed the heck out of the first season of his chat and music show, so I looked forward greatly to diving into Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… Season Two (VSC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), and this new batch doesn’t disappoint, with the likes of Levon Helm, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Nicke Lowe, Neko Case, and more.
While we’re waiting for another full season set, pass the time with the latest intermediary single-disc clutch of episodes – Spongebob Squarepants: Heroes Of Bikini Bottom (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), featuring eight episodes plus animated shorts and a bonus episode of T.U.F.F. Puppy.
If you give a Twilight-y take to the story of Red Riding Hood (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), you pretty much know what you’re going to get – a sweaty teen romance-y thing wrapped up in a werewolf tale of forbidden love and… Oh, you get the picture. It looks nice, though, and has Gary Oldman – so it’s not all bad. Bonus materials include a picture-in-picture commentary, featurettes, music videos, and a gag reel.
I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with the premise of Hall Pass (New Line, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), which presents a pair of married couples – Jason Sudekis & Christine Applegate and Owen Wilson & Jenna Fischer – that are hitting a bit of a rough patch in their marriages. The solution? Their wives give them a “hall pass” from marriage, allowing them to act as if they weren’t married for a week. Yeah. The only thing that makes the film a watchable, and almost enjoyable, enterprise is the cast itself, including a criminally underused Stephen Merchant. Bonus materials include an additional scene and a gag reel.
Every few years, Elvira rises and a new clutch of fun presentations of truly horrible horror flicks surfaces, the latest being a pair of double feature releases under the banner Elvira’s Movie Macabre – The Satanic Rites of Dracula/The Werewolf Of Washington & Night Of The Living Dead/I Eat Your Skin (E1, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP each). Both discs also sport behind-the-scenes featurettes and videos.
I’m all for animated adaptations of classic Marvel comic book stories, which is why having some of the unfortunate material written by Marvel pariah Brian Michael Bendis adapted first cuts deep. The latest is Spider-Woman: Agent Of SWORD (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$14.97 SRP), which contains featurettes and a music video. If you’re keen on the high definition version, you can also get Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD/Iron Man: Extremis (Shout Factory, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$26.97 SRP) on a single Blu-Ray disc with all of the same bonus features of their individual DVD releases, as a Best Buy exclusive.
Give your 3D TV (or computer) a little bit of art and a little bit of not-so-art with Cirque Du Soleil: Journey Of Man in 3D (Sony, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$19.95 SRP) and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2011 3D Experience (Sony, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.95 SRP). Can you figure out which is which?
Much like Curb Your Enthusiasm proved a radical, welcome breath of fresh air from the standard sitcom, so too does Louis CK’s Louie (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) set a brand new standard for all other to aspire to, as its about as raw, genuine, and uniquely funny as you can get. Never seen it? See it now. Pick this set up and see it now. RIGHT NOW. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and the Fox Movie Channel Writer’s Draft episode.
There’s something eminently enjoyable in seeing Liam Neeson stretch his action star legs in Unknown (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), where he awakens from a car accident to find that his wife doesn’t recognize him, another man has taken his identity, and assassins are hunting him down. I know, right? Bonus materials include a pair of featurettes.
In a welcome move, Shout Factory has recently acquired rights to produce full-season sets of classic Nickelodeon series, including the complete first season of Rocko’s Modern Life (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$19.93 SRP). The 2-disc set contains all 13 episodes.
Fans can now pick up the second volume of the first season of Nickelodeon’s inexplicably popular Monkees pastiche Big Time Rush (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP), featuring 6 episodes plus the TV movie “Big Time Concert”, plus a featurette and the pilot episode of House Of Anubis.
The problems with Michael Bay’s The Island (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP) is the problem that most of his films have – a high concept like a pair of clones becoming self-aware and asserting their independence falls under the weight of Bay’s clunky, dunder-headed lack of intelligence in his filmmaking. But it does contain a lot of pretty explosions and chases. Now THOSE are Bay strengths. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and a trio of featurettes.
We’re now up to the 4th season of Squidbillies (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), and I like the show no better than I did when it started. Regardless of my thoughts, it has plenty of fans who are looking forward to owning the 10 episodes contained on this discs, plus the convention panel, featurettes, and galleries.
I don’t know what kind of elaborate magicks they’re practicing, but the folks over at Hot Toys continue to produce the absolute best 12″ collectible figures on the market, featuring exquisitely detailed and accurate costuming and downright realistic likenesses. To say that the paint work on the sculpts is perfect is an understatement. If you don’t believe me, pick up their newly-released 12″ of Chris Hemsworth as Thor ($169.99) from the fine folks at Sideshow Collectibles, and you’ll see just how perfect it is. Not only do you get a metal (and magnetized) Mjolnir, but you also get a rocky base upon which to set it, if you’d like to give your other figures the opportunity to see if they’re worthy. Bottom line? Get this figure while you still can.
So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…
-Ken Plume
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It’s always a worry when Pixar revisits their past films for a sequel. Will this be the time it all falls apart and the bloom is finally off the rose? Happily, that’s not the case with Monsters University (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), which takes is back to their genesis of Mike and Sully’s friendship at the titular alma mater, and manages to be a snappy college comedy that evokes genre classics like Animal House and Back To School to enjoyable effect. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, a clutch of featurettes, deleted scenes, and the theatrical short The Blue Umbrella.
Slowly but surely, Disney/Pixar has been revisiting their catalogue titles with snazzy new 3D versions, and the latest to get the treatment is the original Cars (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP). It’s certainly a film that benefits from the upgrade, particularly the various race scenes. This new edition ports over all of the bonus features from the previous Blu-Ray release, including an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, and the short subjects One Man Band and Mater And The Ghostlight.
Invite the legendary Carol Burnett over for the holidays via The Carol Burnett Show: Christmas With Carol (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$12.95 SRP), which collects a handful of episodes and holiday sketches together into a cornucopia of comedy delights.
In the mood for a clever little romantic comedy? You know, the type perfected by the Brits? Then give a spin to I Give It A Year (Magnolia, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP), about a young couple in a marriage no one thinks will last. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, interviews, and a gag reel.
The prehistoric beasties of the UK’s Primeval make their way to American shores in the US version Primeval: New World (E1, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), and you can now watch all 13 episodes of the short-lived series at your leisure. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
Despite the unfortunate participation of Zack Snyder, I was pleasantly surprised by the documentary Necessary Evil: Super-Villains Of DC Comics (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP), which takes an in-depth look at the baddies that define the DC superheroes. And it’s narrated by the great Christopher Lee, so it’s got that going for it, too.
America’s favorite fat cat returns in The Garfield Show: A Purr-fect Life (Vivendi, Not Rated, DVD-$14.93 SRP), which collects 6 episodes from the orange tabby’s new show, plus additional shorts. Now, if it only came with lasagna…
I love how The Conjuring (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) touts its tale of a pair of ghosthunters helping a family terrorized by a poltergeist as being “based on true events”, because… ghosts? Really? Besides that nonsense, the film itself is a snappy little thriller in the vein of, well, Poltergeist. Bonus materials include a trio of featurettes.
Are you a fan of rare archive films? And an Anglophile? If so, dig into the historical films collected in London’s East End: 1900s – 1970s, London’s War: During WWII, London Life In The 1930s, 50s, & 60s, and The Golden Age Of British Railways (BFS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP each). Plenty of nifty sights to behold.
Every once in awhile, The History Channel puts out a few releases to remind people their programming used to be about more than garbage pickers and pawn shops. The JFK Collection (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) brings together 8 documentaries on all aspects of Kennedy, including his family members. Meanwhile, the high definition WWII Collection (History Channel, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP) contains a trio of documentaries – WWII In HD, WWII In HD: The Air War, and WWII From Space.
Considering it’s a Christopher Guest project in his improvisational style and it stars the eminently affable Chris O’Dowd, I had high hopes for Family Tree (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Sadly, the resultant journey of O’Dowd’s character through his family’s unexpected history is a dull, draggy affair that never manages to find the transcendently sublime riffs that usually carry Guest’s humor along. A shame. Bonus materials include featurettes and additional scenes.
Honestly, I can see why RIPD (Universal, Rated PG-13, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.98 SRP) was a bit of a dud at the box office – It plays much better as a schlocky sci-fi flick to be watched on a cold winter night in the comfort of your own home. With Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds as a pair of deceased lawmen back on the mortal plane to defend it against destructive spirits who discover a scheme that could mean the end of all existence, it’s just the right kind of cheese. Bonus materials include alternate openings, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
Another week, and other roundup of brand new soundtracks releases! This week, we’ve got selections of Richard Marvin’s scores from the first two seasons of Grimm (La-La Land Records, $15.98), Steven Price’s score for Gravity (Watertower Music, $9.98 SRP), the 2-disc collector’s edition of Bear McCreary’s music for Da Vinci’s Demons (Sparks & Shadows, $8.99 SRP), the soundtrack album to the Paul Potts biopic One Chance (Sony, $10.99 SRP), Oscar Navarro’s score to La Mula (Moviescore Media, $7.99 SRP), and finally, we’ve got David Schwartz’s music and songs from Arrested Development (Varese Records, $11.88 SRP).
The fine folks at Film Chest have released the first of their Roger Corman’s Horror Classics Volume 1 (Film Chest, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), featuring A Bucket Of Blood, Dementia 13 & The Terror, all of which have been restored from 35mm film elements.
The fine folks at the Beeb present their own take on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), as a young woman must make a perilous journey deep into the domain of the titular queen to rescue a penniless urchin she had befriended before he was spirited away. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, a featurette, and a Blue Peter program on Hans Christian Andersen.
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