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 a pair of, to be blunt, piss-poor films from Michael Bay, the Transformers franchise has finally been beautifully redeemed in video game form with Transformers: War For Cybertron (Activision, PS3-$59.99 SRP, XBOX-$59.99 SRP), which brings players to the frontlines of the struggle between the Autobots and Decepticons on their home planet, that instantly brings players back to the franchise’s 80’s glory. Spinning off from the higher-end graphics-intensive consoles, the Wii version has been rechristened Transformers: Cybertron Adventures (Activision, $49.99 SRP) and takes advantage of the Wii’s unique controller. On the handheld side of things, the Nintendo DS gets not one, but two different titles – Transformers: War For Cybertron – Autobots & Transformers: War For Cybertron – Decepticons (Activision, $27.99 SRP each), with each taking the player on one side of the war.
It was only a matter of time, really, before we got a 3-D webcam, allowing you to stream in red/blue anaglyph, as well as take still photos. And guess what? The Minoru 3-D Camera ($59.99) even looks pretty nifty.
As much as it’s been talked up, I had high expectations for Hot Tub Time Machine (MGM, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP) – which is not to say it’s a bad comedy, but it’s certainly not anything I’d watch again. The gimmick – of the titular hot tub transporting a group of friends back to their mid-80s heyday and giving them a chance to take their lives down a different path – is a strong one, and so is most of the act, but it never quite gels into something comedically transcendent. By the way – can we give Clark Duke back to whoever dropped him off? Is it too late to do that? Bonus materials include behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and the theatrical trailer.
Comics fans will delight in the rare and rarely seen artifacts to be found in The Golden Collection Of Klassic Krazy Kool Kids Komics (IDW, $34.99 SRP), a wonderful tome containing comic book stories from the golden age featuring art from the likes of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Carl Barks, Dr. Seuss, Walt Kelly, Frank Frazetta, and more.
Interested in how the planet we’re living on came to be? Sure you are! Find out more via How The Earth Was Made: The Complete Season Two (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP). The 4-disc set contains all 13 scintillatingly revelatory episodes.
I’m sure fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of Ben 10 Alien Force: Volume 7 (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), which contains the next 7 episodes in the story arc, plus the by-now usual alien database feature.
The main reason for watching The Closer (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP)? That it keeps J.K. Simmons working steadily. Oh, and Kyra Sedgwick’s fine, too. But J.K. Simmons! That’s the closer. The 5th season set contains all 15 episodes plus deleted scenes, an interactive map, and a gag reel.
The new film is right around the corner, but let’s travel back to the days of Arnie fighting an alien deep in the jungle with the high-definition arrival of Predator (Fox, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP). The “Ultimate Hunter Edition” features an audio commentary, text commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more.
The wonderful parts don’t quite make for a transcendent whole, but there’s plenty of fun to be had in Pretty Bird (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$22.98 SRP), about a trio of eccentric inventors (Paul Giamatti, Billy Crudup, and David Hornsby) who team up to create a rocket belt company. However, realizing their vision is a nicely awkward affair.
War may be hell, but sometimes war is just tedium. So what do you do when that tedium takes place on a distant world, and it’s not even real? You use the animation of the game Halo and create the online viral sitcom Red Vs Blue (New Video, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP). This 6-disc box set collects the entire “Blood Gulch Chronicles”, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, PSAs, outtakes, and more.
I’m sure the books are a cracking good read and the concept of a teenager who learns he’s the son of the Greek god Poseidon is fun, but director Chris Columbus manages to bring his flat direction and visual style to Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Fox, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which brings inevitable comparisons to the first Harry Potter flick, in both story and execution, which is a shame. The kids will probably enjoy the sound & fury. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, and more, plus a bonus standard DVD.
If you’ve ever been interested in how the planet we live on has shaped human events, look no further than the documentary How The Earth Changed History (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which does exactly that over the course of five hours. The sole bonus feature is an interview with presenter Iain Stewart. A Blu-Ray edition ($34.99 SRP) is also available.
SyFy series fans will have a pair of new sets to pick up – the complete first season of Warehouse 13 (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) and Eureka: Season 3.5 (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Warehouse 13 contains audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel, while Eureka sports audio commentaries, podcast commentaries, deleted scenes, and an effects featurette.
It’s seems like its taken ages since its solicitation for it to come out, but old school Disney comics fans can finally get a beautifully sculpted maquette of Goofy’s peanut-powered, longjohn-clad superhero alter-ego, Supergoof ($124.99). The edition is limited to a ridiculously low 200, so snap this up as soon as you can, and let’s hope Electric Tiki and Sideshow give us a definitive Carl Barks Scrooge McDuck.
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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