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…)
Now that we’ve reached a point where nearly every extant classic Doctor Who story has been released, the BBC have very nicely decided to go back and revisit many of their early releases and make them bona fide special editions. The latest to get the treatment is the Tom Baker story The Talons Of Weng-Chiang (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), which finds the 4th Doctor hunting a mysterious killer in Victorian London. While wearing a deerstalker. Because hats are cool. This new special edition is almost overloaded with bonus materials, from an audio commentary to new documentaries and featurettes, interviews, galleries, and more.
Who wants regular old boring ice when you can have ice from an R2-D2 Silicone Ice Tray ($9.99)? I mean, really – once you’ve put a couple of astromech droids in your drink, how can you possibly go back to cubes?
Although I originally watched the re-teaming of Tristram Shandy‘s Michael Winterbottom, Steve Coogan, & Rob Brydon in its original 6-part television form, the feature version of The Trip (IFC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) is a lovely condensing of a simple yet hilarious and touching “documentary” about Steve & Rob filming a series about dining in ritzy restaurants across the UK. The verbal sparring between the two is priceless. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.
I was a huge, instant fan of Modern Family (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.99 SRP) in its first season, finding it to be a sharply written show with ace performances from its ensemble cast. The second season was a bit more uneven, often veering into cartoonishness for its own sake instead of the fine line walked during the first season. Still, there’s more to like than not like, and it’s always a pleasure to see Ed O’Neil. Bonus materials include featurettes, interviews, a music video, and more.
Honestly, Green Lantern (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) isn’t nearly as bad as you’ve heard it was. The problem is just that it’s largely unfocused and never really settles on any one story it wants to tell in a coherent fashion, so it’s a jumble of characters and climaxes in search of a structure. Ryan Reynolds is fine as Hal Jordan, and I’d certainly be up for the franchise given another shot… As long as they get rid of that godawful flayed-skin costume effect. Brrr. Bonus materials include picture-in-picture commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, a digital comic, and more.
It’s a little bit Strangers On A Train, Throw Momma From The Train, 9 To 5, and I Love You To Death, and I wasn’t expecting to like Horrible Bosses (New Line, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP), but I did wind up enjoying this comedy about a trio of put-upon drones who decided to eliminate their evil bosses. Really, it’s carried largely by its leads – Jason Sudekis, Charlie Day, and Jason Bateman – who haven’t met a line they couldn’t make funnier. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes and deleted scenes.
I know at times I shared some of the frustrations that fellow gamers had with the title, but overall I enjoyed the massive love letter that Epic Mickey was to classic Disney animation. That’s probably why I enjoyed exploring the design process of the game via The Art Of Epic Mickey (Disney Editions, $40.00 SRP), which is packed with illustrations aplenty sure to delight Disney fans.
You’ve never seen evil quite so chilling as when it’s in the form of an 8-year-old little girl, as it is in one of the great suspense films of all time, The Bad Seed (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP). Making its high definition debut this new edition looks and sounds brilliant, and contains an audio commentary, a featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.
Kudos to David Boreanaz for the continued success of Bones (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$69.98 SRP), which wound up being the perfect vehicle for him after he could so very easily have ventured into the Dean Cain wilderness after the playing Angel for so many years. The 6th season set contains all 23 episodes (two of which are extended), plus audio commentaries, featurettes, a gag reel, and the pilot for The Killing.
It’s been 10 years, but Aqua Teen Hunger Force is still going strong. Of course, it’s now calling itself Aqua Unit Patrol Squad (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) and has changed up the setting, but it’s still the same old characters you’ve come to love. You 10 episodes of the new show, the final 7 episodes of the original show, plus Terror Phone 3.
Listen – Zookeeper (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$45.99 SRP) is not the worst film I’ve ever seen. It’s just a very disposable one which will probably appeal to parents who like to baby-sit their kids with Operation Dumbo Drop and Night At The Museum. And it does star Kevin James as the titular zookeeper, and it’s hard to have loveable Kevin James. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
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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