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…)
While it looked as lush and lavish as we’ve come to expect from Pixar, the trailers for Brave (Walt Disney, Rated PG, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) didn’t leave me with a great desire to actually see the film, or any real idea of what exactly it was about. Having finally seen it, though, the film itself was done a disservice by its marketing, because it’s an absolute gem of a story in both conception and execution, focusing on the all-too-rare relationship between a daughter and her mother – in this case the headstrong Princess Merida who chafes against the expectations of her courtly mother, Queen Elinor, who disapproves of her daughter’s tomboyish demeanor. Everything comes to a head when Merida finds out about her upcoming nuptials – a long-standing social convention that is a foregone conclusion leaving her at the mercy of whichever pre-selected suitor from three clans should succeed at a challenge of her choosing. And… well.. no spoilers. Just see it. Bonus materials include the new Pixar short “La Luna”, audio commentary, featurettes, extended scenes, an alternate opening, galleries, and more.
Ever had a piece of electronic equipment go wonky on you, needing only a quick bit of solder to fix it right up? Well, now you can snag a quick all-in-one Solder Tool Kit ($15.99) from Thinkgeek, containing a 25w soldering iron with stand, long nose pliers, wire strippers, side cutters, and a sponge for tip cleaning. No solder, though, as that would make shipping difficult, but you can easily pick that up locally.
Complementary to Brave, also making its debut is the 2nd Pixar Short Films Collection (Walt Disney, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which brings together 12 shorts, from Ratatouille‘s “Your Friend The Rat” to Brave‘s “La Luna”, plus audio commentaries and student short films from Pixar luminaries.
Already long-available as a spectacular, feature-laden special edition DVD set, never did I imagine that the great Dick Van Dyke Show (Image, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$349.98 SRP) would make its way to high definition. But considering the show was show on film, the results are truly stunning. If that weren’t enough, not only does the set port over all of the previous bonus features, but also adds the TV Academy tribute to Carl Reiner, a 50th anniversary Q&A, a color test for the legendary “It May Look Like A Walnut”, cast appearances on The Danny Thomas Show, a “Kick The Habit” radio spot with Dick Van Dyke, and a safety council reel. Get this set immediately.
It’s the third complete collection of Father Ted (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£29.99 SRP) we’ve gotten, but 3 time’s the charm as this set supplements the bonus features available in previous sets with a brand new retrospective documentary and newly-recorded audio commentaries with both Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews (the previous set feature the duo only on the 3rd series, leaving Graham to go solo on Series 1 & 2). So yes, this is the one to get. Again.
Peter Serafinowicz is brilliant. He just is. If you’re following him on Twitter (you should be), you know that Peter will periodically go on joke runs based on prompts from his followers, coming back with compact, economical jokes that are sublime. A Billion Jokes! (Volume One) (Boxtree, £12.99 SRP) brings many of those together into the perfect gift for that special someone in your life. Who likes to laugh. If they don’t like to laugh, THIS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIFE.
One of my absolute favorite Carl Barks Donald Duck stories also happens to be a holiday tale, and it forms the centerpiece of the latest collection from the fine folks at Fantagraphics Books. Donald Duck: A Christmas For Shacktown (Fantagraphics, $28.99 SRP) is a beauty, as are the other handful of tales included, along with some wonderful essays and informational articles.
And since you’ve picked up the Donald collection, make sure you pick up the equally as lovingly presented 4th volume of Floyd Gottfredson’s run on the Mickey Mouse newspaper strip, House Of The Seven Haunts (Fantagraphics, $29.99 SRP). Alongside the Peanuts collection, these books reinforce the assessment that no one is doing archival comic collections as well as Fantagraphics.
Considering how much air there is between the two halves of the season again, it makes sense that the BBC would throw fans a bone by releasing Doctor Who: Season 7 Part 1 (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP) , collecting first 5 episodes – “Asylum Of The Daleks”, “Dinosaurs On A Spaceship”, “A Town Called Mercy”, “The Power Of Three”, & “The Angels Take Manhattan” – plus the “Pond Life” shorts, a pair of episode prequels, a Comic-Con featurette, and the “Science Of Doctor Who” special.
We’ve had Bridge On The River Kwai and Dr. Zhivago for years, but the David Lean film most have desired to see in full high definition glory in their home theater was the epic of epics, and finally – FINALLY – Lawrence Of Arabia (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$26.99 SRP) has arrived. And the wait was worth it, because the restoration work done on the film is simply remarkable, blowing away the already lovely DVD of yore. The 2-disc set also includes a making-of documentary, retrospective featurettes, interviews with Peter O’Toole and Steven Spielberg, newsreel footage, theatrical trailers, and more. I shouldn’t have to convince you – so go get it.
He’s known for writing some of the finest, densest songs ever to be sung on stage, and one of his most challenging efforts gets a marvelous star-studded go that was thankfully documented with Stephen Sondheim’s Company (Image, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP). You can’t go wrong with a cast that includes the likes of Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, and Patti Lupone.
I didn’t know what to expect from Fresh Meat (Channel 4, Not Rated, £14.99 SRP), and only knew that it was created by Jesse Armstrong & Sam Bain, the team behind the brilliant Peep Show, and that it featured a group of university housemates. Would it be a sitcom? A drama? A farce? Thankfully, it’s its own thing – a blend of comedy and drama, with a nuanced ensemble. Just brilliant. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes tour, and outtakes.
One of the nicest holiday surprises was the addition of a new set of characters and specials to the seasonal viewing rotation in the form of a pair of elves who are part of the team that makes people’s homes ready for Santa’s arrival. Now you can get all of the specials in one place – and high definition! – via the Prep & Landing: Totally Tinsel Collection (Walt Disney, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$20.00 SRP), which also sports bonus featurettes and more.
Seeing as how we’re so close to all of the extant stories being available on DVD, it’s no surprise that the BBC has been going back and revisiting some of their earlier releases and improving the presentation and adding bonus materials. The latest special edition is Doctor Who: The Claws Of Axos (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), wherein Jon Pertwee’s 2nd Doctor tries to uncover the too-good-to-be-true secret of the Axons. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, continuities, and more.
Derren Brown is brilliant. And scary. Scary, and brilliant. And the idea that Derren Brown might try out his mental act on you? Terrifying. So, thankfully, I can enjoy being a non-participant in Derren Brown: The Experiments (Channel 4, Not Rated, £13.99 SRP), a collection of four trials devised by Brown, one of which even creates an assassin. Just watch it. Bonus materials include additional footage and audio commentaries.
A quartet of frustrated suburban schmos who just happen to be the local neighborhood watch uncover an alien plot to destroy the earth in The Watch (Fox, Not Rated Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which could have been a truly memorable sci-fi-comedy mash-up if it didn’t keep misfiring. Even the cast – including Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Jonah Hill – never quite click. The one saving grace, though, is the brilliant Richard Ayoade, who steals every scene. Bon us materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, alternate takes, and a gag reel.
It’s a softball of a film, but Nia Vardalos’s little film that could My Big Fat Greek Wedding (HBO, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$19.98 SRP) is still an amiable comedy, now making its high definition debut in a 10th anniversary special edition featuring an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a brand new retrospective featurette.
Amy Heckerling reunites with her Clueless star Alicia Silverstone in the genre-bending Vamps (Anchor Bay, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), which finds Silverstone paired up with Krysten Ritter as a pair of time-shifted vampires still playing the club scene after decades of eternal youth, who both hit a snag that make them reconsider eternity in the face of love.
A few years back, Hot Toys released a 12″ version of Iron Man in his original cobbled-together Mark I armor. The detailing of the suit itself was incredibly detailed and screen accurate. The Tony Stark head under the mask, though, left a little to be desired. Well, Hot Toys has decided to revisit it with Iron Man Mark I 2.0 ($219.99), which manages to plus the already-stunning suit while also presenting an accurate Tony Stark sculpt up to Hot Toys well-established high standards. Add the light-up features and a themed base, and you’ve got a pretty good reason to run over to Sideshow and snap one of these up as quick as you can, because this is definitive.
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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