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…)
Every once in awhile, those endearingly insane purveyors of must-have collectibles at Sideshow decide to go truly bonkers and produce a massive collectible that hits every single nostalgia button with brutal accuracy. As they had recently announced they’d be releasing Hoth versions of Luke and Han in their 1/6-scale Star Wars line, it wasn’t truly shocking that they announced a 1/6-scale Tauntaun ($349.99), but it was most welcome nonetheless. Why? Because it’s friggin’ delightful. Yes, it’s essentially a static diorama statue – pretty much a display accessory – but it looks perfect and is perfectly complementary. And it’s just fun. With a pair of swappable heads (mild and excited expressions), swappable horns (so you can make it either Han or Luke’s specific mount), and equipment accessories, it’s kitted out to be screen accurate. But because Han and Luke haven’t arrived yet, I’ve had to let a whole slew of other characters have a go. Because… you know… FUN.
There have been many books that purported to present the definitive history of the original Star Trek. Much like Roshomon, many presented a perspective on the show’s genesis. But we’ve finally got a complete overview that incorporates all of those memories plus original memos, documents, and interviews and places them in a comprehensive context with the publication of the third and final volume of These Are The Voyages (Jacobs Brown, $39.95 SRP). Each of the three volumes has focused on a season of TOS, and this final volume sheds light on why Classic Trek‘s final season proved to be such a disappointing creative mess, full of behind-the-scenes conflict and compromise. Author Marc Cushman has done the if not impossible, then very nearly improbable feat of remaining neutral while presenting the facts, tales, anecdotes, and recollections behind one of the most enduring pop phenomenon of the 20th century – and beyond. Be sure to get all three volumes.
While not brilliant, Jon Stewart’s Rosewater (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) is a solid drama that deserves a second look and long life on home video, divorced of the ridiculously high expectations and paradoxical indifference that greeted it in theaters, as Gael Garcia Bernal turns in a strong performance as Tehran-born but London-based journalist Maziar Bahari, who is detained by the Iranian government as a spy and turned over to the titular brutal interrogator. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
It seems ridiculous that there’s never been one until now, but if we had to wait for a documentary celebrating the life and madness of Richard Pryor, then it’s comforting to know that Omit The Logic (Magnolia, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$13.49 SRP) was worth the wait, featuring an unvarnished look at a destructive genius. Bonus materials include additional interviews.
While it would be foolish to deny that the only reason we’re getting the tome is to provide cross-promotion of the new live action Cinderella feature, A Wish Your Heart Makes (Disney Editions, $40.00 SRP) is still a welcome addition to the shelves of anyone who loves traditional Disney animation, as nearly half its length is devoted to the development and creation of that classic. And yes, the other half is devoted to the new feature, directed by Kenneth Branagh. Oh, and as a wonderful complementary piece, they’ve also re-released the beautiful children’s book adaptation of the animated Cinderella (Disney Press, $16.99 SRP), adapted by Cynthia Rylant with art by the legendary Mary Blair.
We march ever closer to the next glorious high-def season release with the arrival of the latest stopgap fix of episodes, Adventure Time: Frost & Fire (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$19.82 SRP), sporting another 16 episodes, from “Frost & Fire” to “Thanks For The Cranapples, Giuseppe”.
While it has to take comfort in its 5 Academy Award nominations, Foxcatcher (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP) doesn’t need an Oscar to remain a dark and powerfully acted tale of misguided passion as it tells the true story of an eccentric multimillionaire (Steve Carrell) and a pair of champion wrestlers (Channing Tatum & Mark Ruffalo). Bonus materials include a featurette and deleted scenes.
After a forever gap that seems to have afflicted many a classic catalogue TV show that began getting a DVD release in the early years of the format, Warner Bros. gets the ball rolling again on another forgotten series with ChiPs: The Complete Third Season (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). The 5 disc set contains all 23 episodes.
I don’t know if I’d agree with its claim to be the best British rock concert of all time, but the line-up featured in 1990’s charity performance Live At Knebworth (Eagle Vision, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$17.98 SRP) is certainly incredible, including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Tears For Fears, Genesis, Robert Plant, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits, and more.
The Warner Archive continues to be the afterlife savior of criminally ignored shows by releasing the complete 3rd season of Longmire (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$40.99 SRP). The set also include a featurette on the character and plot developments of season 2 so you can get up to speed.
Kinder entertainment for this week brings a pair of tiny tyke titles from Nickelodeon – Paw Patrol: Marshall And Chase On The Case (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) and the 2-disc Bubble Guppies: Fin-Tastic Collection (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$22.98 SRP), which packages together the previously available Bubble Guppies and On The Job.
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 not hard to believe that the folks behind the golden age of Rhino Records are behind Shout Factory, as their releases in the last year have further cemented them as the company bringing out the most brilliant catalogue celebrations that absolutely must be added to any right-thinking fan of pop culture’s collection. The latest? 
If you’re life is as full of gadgets, computers, and doodads as mine, then chances are you use a lot of compressed air cans. Probably a ridiculous amount, really. So how about a solution that still provides a powerful burst of air but in a reusable fashion? That’s exactly what you get from the 
Growing up, our family had an RCA Select-A-Vision videodisc player. One of the massive videodiscs my father owned, and I remember watching, was the Paul McCartney & Wings concert film 
This month’s classic Doctor Who releases feature a pair of stories from the Jon Pertwee’s years as the 3rd Doctor – a special edition of 
It doesn’t hold a candle to Warner’s legendary Wizard Of Oz (which gets a restored 3D upgrade and theatrical release this fall), but Sam Raimi’s prequel-ish 
Yes, 
Former CIA operative Michael Westen is in hot pursuit of his old nemesis Anson Fullerton in the 6th season of 
Aaron Sorkin’s latest walk-and-talker, 
This week also brings a new clutch of TV releases from the CBS vaults, including the first volume of the 9th and final season of 
Picking up where Spielberg’s biopic ends, the historical reenactment of 
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the kid vs. zombies flick 
Featuring an adjustable 27″ long gooseneck and a universal holder for your smart phone or handheld music player, the 
I do believe I have almost as many copies of 
After the lackluster second outing followed by years passing without a sequel – and a very visible aging of the two leads – I was quite wary regarding the prospect that 
There were some that had issues with it, but I played through and enjoyed the first Epic Mickey, which not only brought Mickey Mouse into the modern video game era, but managed to bring Walt Disney’s first major character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and a lot of Disney history along for the ride. And now we have 
Earlier this year, Paul McCartney ventured into the Capitol Studios to record an evening of him performing his album of standards, Kisses On The Bottom, live and with special guests. 
The number of cases on the docket are dwindling fast, as we come to the first volume from the penultimate eighth season of 
If you’re in the mood to see a horror movie that doesn’t work and would be a strong candidate to be featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, then 
Once a staple of the holiday season, two classic festive episodes of The Danny Kaye Show have been brought together on 
It’s not the show that I love, but kids today are who will want to partake of their generation’s robots in disguise with the second season of 
A postapocalyptic band of survivors (including Shawn Ashmore & Dominic Monaghan) holed up in an abandoned farmhouse find themselves having to defend themselves from vicious predators in 
Baseball nuts will probably want to pick up the official Major League Baseball presentation of the 
TV doesn’t get more perfect than the story and character bliss found in the second series of Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss’s brilliant 
Do you have kids who have money they want to store in a fun way? Why get a traditional static (and boring) piggy bank when you can get a dynamic, motorized doggy bank? That’s just what 
As brilliant as the author himself – who happens to be quite brilliant – Dave Hill’s collection of autobiographical essays, 
What’s wonderful about 
In the age of digital delivery, Paul McCartney is making the special edition purchase of traditional media truly desirable with exquisitely put together and very affordable deluxe catalogue releases for the true fan. Case in point is the 
Continuing their release of always must-see Studio Ghibli titles in high definition, Disney brings 
We’ve gotten the Die Hard films in high definition. We’ve gotten the Alien films. Superman? Check. Batman? Check. The most notable film franchise that hadn’t yet made it to high definition finally gets its turn with the release of the 
As much as I loved the music from the first season of Sherlock (and its accompanying score), I’ve enjoyed David Arnold & Michael Price’s music from 
It took awhile to finally hit a watchable groove, but when it did, the debut season of 
While it’s interesting and mostly fun to see Chris Pine and Tom Hardy as a pair of covert CIA operative buddies who go to war over the love of a woman in 
When it comes to the subject matter, the documentary 
You can get all of the kicks you could possible want via the new 24-disc 
Celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee (that’s 60 years of rule) with a pair of celebratory releases from the fine folks at the BBC. First and foremost is 
I spent the entire first season of 
While you’re counting the days that have comprised this massively long wait for the start of the 6th season, dive into the complete 5th season of 
Looking for an easier way to send countless texts to friends and family this holiday season in a much, much easier fashion? How about augmenting your iPhone with a 
Many (including me) celebrated the release of the Rhino DVD sets as a golden age for fans of the show, but Shout Factory has proved that those Rhino days were but pyrite compared to the torrent of Mystery Science Theater sets they’ve delivered over the past few years. Case in point, just months after all of the Gamera films, we get 
Watching the 4th, penultimate (and last full) season of 
I don’t want you to think that I didn’t enjoy 
For a unique home 3D experience that’s also quite educational, join Werner Herzog for a journey into the 
Oh, 
One of the great war films of all time gets a high definition release with 
In the documentary 
I am shocked to say that I found 
I’ve always thought that Colin Quinn was a pretty sharp comedian with a not terribly sharp delivery, but in his first stand-up special – 
Listen, I know that the John Milius Conan film has its flaws, but there’s an energy and grit that permeates every frame of that flick that’s simply not found in the too-slick, too-affected, too-boring modern 
If you’ve waited your whole life to see Jim Carrey cavort with penguins in an elegant New York apartment, then 
I kept hoping that 
Ben returns to take on the abounding extraterrestrial menaces in 
It’s been the requisite amount of time, so what do we get? Why, we get another season set of Spongebob! 
Things take a dark, unpredictable turn in the 5th and final season of 
If you’d like to fulfill your very special movie quota, check out 
For history buffs, the perfect companion to their recent WWII set is the equally fascinating/gripping 
When I interviewed Berke Breathed a few years back, I asked him if there would finally by a comprehensive Bloom County collection like the recently available Calvin & Hobbes and Peanuts volumes. Breathed was dismissive of the idea, claiming that no one wanted to read the strip, that it was no longer relevant, and it just wasn’t going to happen. Well, a few years have gone by, someone talked a bit of sense into him, so we have the first, glorious volume of 
Ever wish you had the ability to switch something on and off with a regular ol’ wall switch? Like a lamp, or a game system? But without having to have the switch be on the wall? And have it be wireless? Well, now you can, with the 
I’m often baffled by their selection process, but the one thing the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame manages to impress with on a rather consistent basis is the musical performances of the inductees – and tributes from other artists who perform their work. With a roster that includes everyone from Paul McCartney and The Doors to John Lee Hooker and Little Richard, it’s an eclectic bunch, to be sure. For those who’ve never caught the ceremonies in the past – or just want to relive the music – Time Life has delivered an incredible collection across 9 volumes – 
Hitchcock’s classic 
Another strip which IDW has begun collecting is Bil Keane’s precocious kids via the 
A very close second to the original cross-country trek of the Griswold clan, I’m a big fan of 
It’s the holidays, which means some classic perennials are getting an upgrade and re-release just in time for seasonal viewing. Getting the high definition treatment is Frank Capra’s 
There are unique minds, and then there are uber-unique minds… Minds which create their own sphere of reality, daring others to step within the range of its influence and be swept away. One of those minds is Tony Millionaire, whose work has been given a must-have hardcover tome in 
Long, long after the release of the penultimate 3rd season and a poorly-packaged complete series box set, everything is made right with the release of 
More so even that ET, 
By its 3rd season, 
Whereas the live action film was a mess, I thought that 
You know that great Saturday Night Live book from a few years back – the one by Tom Shales that features dozens of interviews telling the tale of the show’s history in a remarkably candid way? Well, Author Mike Thomas has done the same thing for the legendary improvisational group which spawned many an SNL castmember – and comedy icon – with 
While it’s not the educational films I would have liked to have seen in the series (or Song Of The South), I welcome the Walt Disney Treasures release of both 
I’m not exactly sure what the concept is behind 
Bit by bit, we’re getting DVD releases of all of the various Saturday morning animated iterations of the DC superheroes, and the latest to get its time on plastic is the short-lived 
There’s nothing quite so electrifying as Muhammad Ali in interviews, even those when he was in the early years of his decline, and you’ll find plenty of them in 
Really – it seems like there are an unlimited number of classic Doctor Who adventures. Are we even close to getting them all on DVD? They just keep coming and coming. Latest is an arc from the Peter Davison years – 
I know I should be swept up in its formulaic, rom-comminess, but there’s an unavoidable charm to Richard Curtis’s 
It may not be a very well-written or executed superhero cartoon, but I have find childhood memories of the episodes contained in 
It may not be as polished as the films of Pixar, but there’s a lot of charm and energy in the Ice Age series, and I was surprised to find out that there was still some steam in 
How do you make sure the DVD re-release of 
It’s certainly not the holidays without penguins, right? Right. Which makes 
In the vein of goofy babysitter flicks of the 80’s like Batteries Not Included and Spaced Invaders comes the kids & extraterrestrials romp 
It’s not the sharpest, most clever of political commentary, but there’s a certain closure to Will Ferrell’s Broadway outing 
The TV show releases are wrapped, which brings us to the first volume of 
As a tour guide into the work of Charles Darwin and his landmark theory of evolution, one couldn’t hope for a better, more engaging host than Sir David Attenborough, who takes by the hand on 
I admit, there was a schlocky appeal to the first Wrong Turn, and it’s always worth watching Eliza Dusku (well, except in Dollhouse – there’s nothing about that worth watching. But with Eliza long gone, there’s very little to