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…)
I have been waiting ages – AGES – for Steven Spielberg’s epic misfire 1941 to make its way to a proper high definition release. Heck, considering the old DVD wasn’t even anamorphic, even that would have been a better treatment of a film that, for all its messiness, I truly enjoy. Just when I was about to give up hope, along comes the new Steven Spielberg: Director’s Collection (Universal, Rated PG/PG-13, Blu-Ray-$199.98 SRP), which brings together eight of the director’s Universal Pictures films into one must-have set. Along with the previously available special editions of Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, this set marks the high def debuts of Duel, Sugarland Express, 1941 (both the theatrical and far superior extended cuts), and Always. All this plus a 58-page book. So is this set worth it? By all means, yes. Yes, it is.
Although the story is rather flat and doesn’t hold up to much scrutiny, Sleeping Beauty (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$36.99 SRP) is the one Disney film that I watch just to admire the visual design (due largely to designer Evinyd Earle) and the incredible 2:55 widescreen canvas. The new Diamond Edition is sparklingly clean and pops like a champagne cork. Bonus features include a never-before-seen alternate opening sequence, deleted songs, a making-of documentary, an audio commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and much more.
Of all of the action figures and merchandise that have been released in the 2 years since the most recent incarnation of the show debuted on Nickelodeon, none have come close to capturing Ciro Nieli’s brilliant designs like Diamond Select Toys’s set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bust Banks (DST, $22.99 SRP each). Standing an average of 5″ tall with articulation at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and heads, the sculpts are exceedingly accurate to the show’s designs, putting all other versions of the heroes in a halfshell out there to shame. In fact, my only disappointment is that they’re only busts and not full figures. Maybe that’s something they can rectify in the very near future. Here’s hoping, anyway.
It’s been over 10 years since the release of Tom Shales & James Andrew Miller’s definitive oral history of Saturday Night Live, years featuring plenty of new castmembers and scores of new sketches. With that in mind, as well as the show’s 40th anniversary, a newly updated and expanded edition of Live From New York (Little Brown, $30 SRP) has arrived, and contains enough new material for owners of the previous edition to justify upgrading. And if you don’t own a copy? It’s a must-have purchase.
Every bit as pulpy as the name implies, the first season of Penny Dreadful (Showtime, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$48.99 SRP) managed to be a gory Victorian cavalcade of familiar literary characters recast into a monstrously entertaining narrative. Bonus materials includes a clutch of featurettes, plus the first two episodes of fellow Showtime show Ray Donovan. Sadly, not a crossover.
While the special is fun in the same manner of their first go round with the legendary comics universe, Robot Chicken DC Comics Special 2: Villains In Paradise (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP) really shines beyond the 21 minute special, with the hours of bonus materials, including featurettes, commentaries and more.
In one of those, “Wait, this wasn’t out on Blu-Ray yet?” moments, the Farrelly Brothers’ Kingpin (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) makes its high definition debut in both its theatrical and R-rated forms, plus an audio commentary and a brand new featurette.
The eleventh season of Two And A Half Men (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$38.99 SRP) has eliminated the titular half man after the young actor’s public meltdown, so what we’re left with is the wacky misadventures of Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher. Plus Amber Tamblyn. Which, if you’re into the kind of thing, is fine. I guess. The 3-disc set contains a bonus 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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I’ve banged on about it for years, and I’ll continue to bang on about the absolute greatness of the British comedy panel show QI, which makes the discovery of interesting knowledge a hilarious affair. A few years back, they brought the immense database of general ignorance (little factoids the disprove much of what be believe to be true) to books, a pair of which have gotten a release in paperback – The revised & expanded 
There’s plenty of high-end goodies to be had over at Thinkgeek, but some of the best stuff id the reasonably-priced, highly-practical items. For example, I give you the 
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – as created by Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird – are celebrating their 25th anniversary. Yes – you heard me right. And to celebrate, all four feature films have been pulled together on high definition into the 
Hot on the heels of Role Models (which I enjoyed), Paul Rudd returns with 
I’m a sucker for a 50’s monster flick, and it’s nice when a modern filmmaker tries to recreate that era – which is exactly what 
Right from the start, I was impressed with both the concept and visuals of 
Get over the idea that Zac Efron eventually grew up to be Matthew Perry, and 
From the raw gyrations that greeted viewers watching his 1956 debut, 
Through a production quirk, the episodes featured in 
While it doesn’t fully illuminate the poor decision-making skills that went into making such a horrid adaptation, 
Score aficionados should be on the lookout for Ben Foster’s soundtrack to 
The wife of a good friend of mine is a big fan of the porcine children’s book star 
Lionsgate has opened up the floodgates and released a trio of catalogue titles in high definition – one of which is a certified guilty… well, I hesitate to say “pleasure”. That one is Renny Harlin’s awkward pirate epic 
There used to be a show named 
I’ve heard that there are people who watch the updated version of the high school tribulations of those wacky West Beverly students on 
Not as strong as their debut season but still better than most of the television landscape, 
Get that 60’s psychedelic, groovy look on your very own wall with the 
From the “I’m delighted these have found their way to Blu-Ray” file come a pair of catalogue releases I’ve been anticipating seeing in high-def, one more so than the other. The one I’ve been champing at the bit for is John Carpenter’s cult classic 
While not as well known as the Warner screwball comedies of the era, Sony has brought together a pair of releases featuring eight of their own – the 
Just in time for the flick’s 10th anniversary comes a 2-disc special edition of 
There’s something oppressively “awardsy” about 
Well, I guess if you’re going to cast Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as your lead, you’re going to have to amp up the action a bit beyond that featured in the original Escape To Witch Mountain, and that’s exactly what happens in 
As the franchise hits its 25th anniversary, the 7th season DVD release of the animated series gets split into not just one, but four volumes – 
As far as catalogue releases hitting high-def this week, there’ Adam Sandler’s 
Try as I might – and golly knows, I have tried – I still can’t get into 
Hey! Kids! Animal Planet has got a fun DVD for you! Called 
Fans will probably feel a bit uncomfortable watching 
Shunted to home video even though it was supposed to be a newly sane & stable Lindsey Lohan’s return to the big screen,