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 Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)
After what has seemed like an endless series of delays, the mother of all mockumentaries has finally made its way to high-def with the release of This Is Spinal Tap (MGM, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$ SRP). Picture and sound are as good as they’re ever going to get, and bonus materials include much of the same that we found on previous releases – including an audio commentary with the band (sadly, still no commentary from the old Criterion release), deleted scenes, featurettes, a quartet of Tap videos, outtakes, and a bonus DVD with their performance at Live Earth and the National Geographic Stonehenge interview with Nigel Tufnel.
As someone who prefers quiet walks at night when traffic isn’t quite as busy, it’s nice to have a practical hat like the Solar Light Cap ($34.99). With multiple brightness settings and the ability to recharge the cap in the sunlight (each charge provides 2-18 hours of light, depending on the brightness setting), it’s a nifty, all-weather safety accessory.
If you’re only exposure to Life On Mars (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) is the awkward US version, please put that out of your mind and dive into the complete first series of the UK original, about a modern-day police detective (John Simm) hot on a killer’s trail who gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1973. Yes – you read that right. Is he a time traveler? In a coma? Delusional? This is a ride worth taking, so do so. The 4-disc set contains all 8 first series episodes, plus audio commentaries, a behind-the-scenes documentary, featurettes, and an outtake reel.
The episodes have been released in single-disc releases thus far, but now you can get The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete First Season (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$25.95 SRP). So far, it’s the closest Marvel has come to capturing the quality of the animated DC universe. The 2-disc set contains a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes.
It’s the beginning of the end as the first of showrunner Russell T. Davies’ four telemovie swan songs comes to DVD in the form of Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP). It’s certainly a rousing adventure, even if it falls short of the best of new Who. Still, best get your David Tennant fix satiated while you can. Bonus features include an hour-long behind-the-scenes special. And, for the first time, a Blu-Ray edition ($19.89 SRP) is also available.
Oh, Torchwood– you are such a flawed little spin-off. So desperate to be adult and differentiate yourself from parent Doctor Who, you’re just a mess of poorly realized characters, awkward writing, and unrealized potential. Still, fans can pick up The Complete Second Season (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.95 SRP) in high definition, with behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. That’s something, right? Slightly better but still not what the show could be is the 5-part Torchwood: Children Of Earth (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which acts as the show’s 3rd season and acts as a bit of house cleaning. Bonus features include a behind-the-scenes featurette and an audio clip. A Blu-Ray edition ($34.99 SRP) us also available, with identical features.
It’s my second favorite Irwin Allen disaster flick (after the wondrous Poseidon Adventure, but The Towering Inferno (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) is the first to actually be released on Blu-Ray. After seeing the lovely print and hearing the crisp sound, it makes me pine even more for my favorite to get its time in the sun. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, deleted/extended scenes, featurettes, the AMC Backstory, interviews, the NATO presentation reel, and more.
Ever since being informed of its existence by the great Graham Linehan, I’ve been dying to see Big Man Japan (Magnolia, Rated PG-13, DVD-$26.98 SRP) – a delightfully bizarre flick about Japan’s plus-sized superhero defense against bizarro monsters, the titular Big Man Japan. Really – you just gotta see it. It’s hilarious. Bonus features include a making-of and deleted scenes.
Joss Whedon lost my trust during the abysmal final season of Buffy. I never got into Firefly, and every time I tried to watch his latest, Dollhouse (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) – starring Eliza Dushku as a blank slate, programmable, expensive call girl, essentially – but couldn’t shake the impression that it was a muddled mess that never gives the audience a reason to care about anything or anyone on it. The 3-disc season set features the original pilot, an unaired episode, audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurettes. A Blu-Ray edition ($69.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.
Weaving seldom-seen interviews, footage, and interviews with those who knew him, How Bruce Lee Changed The World (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) is a loving portrait of the martial artist, actor, husband, and father.
Though many will get their stuff in a bunch, I thought the finale of Battlestar Galactica was a big, awkward disappointment that jumped from “Huh?” to “What?” moments with reckless abandon. Still, fans are sure to snap up the final set, Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 (Universal, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.98 SRP). The 3-disc set features the final clutch of episodes, plus audio commentaries, deleted scenes, video blogs, featurettes, and more.
There are a lot of catalogue titles making their way into the Blu-Ray roster, but it’s always nice when the films of a personal favorite filmmaker get a spin – such as Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP). Even though he didn’t write the film, his signature style is all over the production, and it most definitely fits into what I define as “Gilliam-esque”. The Blu-Ray ports over the audio commentary, featurettes, and Hamster Factor documentary from the original DVD release.
Quirky and fun, The Middleman (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP) was a show destined for cancellation. But now you can pick up the complete series focusing on the “exotic adventures” of the titular hero and his brand new protégé. The 4-disc set features all 12 episodes, plus audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, a table read, audition footage, and a gag reel.
I guess the best way to describe Miss March (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) is as a tepid, watchable, raunchy road trip comedy about a pair of friends who embark on a cross-country road trip to the Playboy mansion in order to find the girlfriend who has become a centerfold. You know how that goes. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus materials.
Before Polanski went mainstream with Rosemary’s Baby, he was spending the 1960’s making chilling cinema like Repulsion (Criterion, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), his follow-up to Knife In The Water. It’s also just gotten a scrubbed and spiffy high-def transfer featuring an audio commentary, a documentary on the making of the film, a rare 1964 French TV special on the film, and trailers.
Of all the direct-to-DVD DC animated adventures to come down the pike thus far, Green Lantern: First Flight (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, DVD-$24.98 SRP) is the first one I’ve actually enjoyed. It’s essentially an origin story, explaining how test pilot Hal Jordan came to possess the power ring that would make him a Green Lantern, one of an army of peacekeepers under the leadership of the Guardians Of The Universe. It also sets up the fall of Green Lantern Sinestro, who’s secretly plotting the overthrow of the Guardians. Lot of stuff there. The 2-disc set features featurettes, bonus cartoons presented by Bruce Timm, the episode of Duck Dodgers featuring the Green Lanterns, and more. A Blu-Ray edition ($29.99 SRP) is available with identical bonus materials.
It went out with a bit of a whimper, but fans at least can now pick up the wrap-up with Prison Break: The Final Break (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). Bonus features are limited to deleted scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($29.99 SRP) is also available, with the same single bonus feature.
Besides featuring an early TV performance from a young Ian McKellen, Armchair Thriller (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) was pretty typical of the mystery/suspense tales being cranked out in the UK during the 70’s, many of which found their way to PBS’s Mystery!. This inaugural set collects a quartet of stories (including the aforementioned one featuring McKellen).
I never cared for The Fast & The Furious, but even I could see diminishing returns in its sequels. So, too, did the studio, who decided to go back to basics – cast and all – with the cleverly named Fast & Furious (Universal, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), which has more cars. Fast cars. And Vin Diesel. Doing whatever the hell he does. Bonus features include featurettes and a short film from Diesel.
When Jon & Kate Plus Eight: Season 4 (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) decided that the theme of the season was “The Big Move”, little did they know just how accurate the term would become to that rolling clusterf*** of a marriage.
Oh, relaunched Knight Rider. You were so very hopeful that your self-important, lackluster new take on the 80’s hit would actually have a future, you didn’t even bother to call your DVD release The Complete Series even though you’ve been cancelled. So now people can buy Knight Rider: Season 1 (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). The 4-disc set features all 17 episodes plus the TV movie, as well as commentary on the pilot and featurettes.
The film is one of those cult faves, and Lalo Schifrin’s score to Sky Riders (Aleph Records, $14.98 SRP) is one of those fun, overlooked little gems that has thankfully gotten a release. Get it.
Gary Hobkins and his rather unique ability to foresee and hopefully avert the future – literally, he’s delivered the next day’s edition of the newspaper – returns with the complete second season of Early Edition (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$45.98 SRP). The 5-disc set features all 22 episodes, plus original promos.
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
##
Summer days are long. And often hot. Sometimes stormy. Who wants to venture out onto the surface of the sun when you can kick back with some cool lemonade in even cooler air conditioning with a big ol’ batch of DVDs from RiffTrax. If you’re not familiar with RiffTrax, here’s the nutshell version – they’re downloadable Mystery Science Theater 3000-esque audio riffs of movies that you sync up to your DVD, with the comedy provided by MST3K alum Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, & Bill Corbett. Ah, but there’s a clutch of films now hitting stores (and available on RiffTrax.com) where you can buy the DVD with the RiffTrax commentary track included – no syncing, just easy comedy for those sweltering days. The RiffTrax edition films currently on offer are 
The first time I ever encountered a Lite Brite – you know, the light-bulb, black paper, and colored peg wonder of childhood – it was during play time in kindergarten. Like most kids, I was fascinated, and soon moved on from the structured pattern paper to just sticking the pegs in wherever the hell the whim dictated. Like most things nowadays, the Lite Brite has gone 3-D with 
Ever since seeing the original trailers long, long ago, I’ve been eager to lay my hands on the video game derived from one of my favorite childhood films, Ghostbusters. Well, after laying hands upon it (and then playing it), I found myself enjoying the experience of this video game iteration of 
However, if you’re a casual gamer, a fine game is the Nintendo Wii version of 
I continue to delight that Sony seems intent on finishing their chronological release of the Three Stooges shorts with the release of 
Erase memories of Michael Bay’s sound & the fury approach to your 80’s childhood by revisiting the original epic battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons with the new special edition of 
Producer Michael Bay does what he does best with his reimagining of 
The title of the album says it all – Spinal Tap is 
Season 3 & 4 have been available on Blu-Ray already, but fans can now backfill with the release of 
The laughs are more strained and are more often than not merely groans elicited by “they did what” moments, but fans are sure to snap up 
Although my interest was certainly piqued, I in no way expected to be as swept up as I became in HBO’s miniseries on the political life of our 2nd president, 
Commemorating the 25th anniversary of his death, 
Not quite as fun as the first season, the sophomore outing of 
We all saw it in school, but 
I think we’re just now starting to get the distance necessary to effectively dramatize the ground events of the Iraq War, and the first project that feels like it’s accomplished the task is HBO’s 
I think Disney may be trying to give us a hint that perhaps we should all venture outside and do something this summer, as they’ve dropped a trio of their aspirational sports flicks on Blu-Ray – Shia LaBeouf in 
On the heels of the DVD release of Michael Bay’s new Friday The 13th, Paramount drops another batch of special editions from the original “run”. First up is the standard def deluxe editions of 
The pilot itself was anticlimactic, but I can’t fault the score by Bear McGreary. You can give a listen to the score to