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…)
After years of pale impressions of brilliant piss-takes Airplane! and Police Squad!, Charlie Brooker does an equally pitch-perfect parody of the TV detective genre with A Touch Of Cloth (Channel 4, Not Rated, DVD-£12.99 SRP), which manages the delicate balance of smart writing, deft direction, and actors who are up to the challenge. Just watch the damn thing already, and delight in the fact that more episodes are coming down the pike soon. Bonus materials include a clutch of interviews.
Want a quick and idiot proof way to add some versatile LED lighting to your home or office? Try the OLS Pro Multi-Color Lighting Kit ($149.99), which comes with a handful of LED strips you can stick to any surface, coupled with a remote control that allows you to rainbow up your options for complete flexibility. Now head over to Thinkgeek and grab one!
While the criticisms of emotional button-pushing remain, time has only increased my estimation of E.T. (Universal, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP), which plays more and more as a gruff view of a broken family being brought together… admittedly by an extra-terrestrial. This high definition restoration is really quite beautiful, trumping the DVD anniversary edition from almost a decade ago. And missing from this release? The atrocious “walkie-talkie” version. Good riddance. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and a handful of featurettes.
It seems long overdue, but Richard Schickel’s Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective (Sterling, $35.00 SRP) is a beautifully put-together overview of Spielberg’s directing career, made so by Spielberg’s involvement in discussing his films and putting them within a personal context. A brilliant book for fans and cinephiles alike.
And now that you’ve bought your high definition copy of Steven Spielberg’s classic, why not explore its creation and read the screenplay in the illustrated 30th anniversary edition of ET The Extra-Terrestrial: From Concept To Classic (It Books, $24.99 SRP), which is packed with behind-the-scenes photos, art, and information.
A trio of Major Toms make a mysterious return from Mars and prove to be a conspiracy almost too hot to handle for Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor & companion Liz Shaw in the latest classic Doctor Who release Ambassadors of Death (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP). The wonderful Restoration Team has put a lot of work into bringing color back to this serial, one of many hurt by the BBC’s tape wipe policy, which had left the only surviving film version a black & white print. Bonus materials are the usual fun collection of featurettes.
It’s a mess in many ways, but there’s a bizarre zeal to the Beatles’ underappreciated TV special Magical Mystery Tour (Apple, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP), which gets a startlingly brilliant treatment in high definition. If you’ve never seen this televisual fever dream, you owe it a spin. Bonus materials include a McCartney audio commentary, featurettes, rare footage, and more.
It can get a bit draggy, but I admit that dozens of childhood cable viewings has endeared John Huston’s wonderfully off-key Annie (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$14.99 SRP) to me. The actors all came to play, especially noteworthy being Carol Burnett’s turn as the wonderfully boozy yet still horrible Miss Hannigan. And after years of sub-par pan & scan DVD releases, we finally get an anamorphic remastered print that looks and sounds great. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
As far as CG has come, it still lacks the subtle charms and realistic touch that can be found in traditional stopmotion animation. The methods have been refined greatly over the last few years, as is readily evident when you explore The Art And Making Of Paranorman (Chronicle, $40.00 SRP), about the latest effort from the same studio that produced Coraline. This the usual wonderful Chronicle Art Of book, packed with photos and conceptual artwork.
The problem with Prometheus (Fox, Rated R, 3D Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP) is that Ridley Scott would rather be coy than commit. A true shame, because I certainly was open for an Alien prequel with big ideas beyond the simply action-oriented sequels, but it was with the hope that we might actually get some simple answers rather than watch an extended preview for whatever the next film is. It is a beautiful film, though, with a wonderful performance from Michael Fassbender as the android David, but those are the only real highlights, particularly among a cast of largely idiotic characters (save for the aforementioned David and Idris Elba’s captain) that never should have been allowed on such an important mission. Bonus materials include an audio commentary and deleted scenes. For the real meat – a 3 1/2-hour documentary – you’ll have to get the 3D edition.
A camp masterpiece gets the high definition treatment with the arrival of the feud-tastic What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP), a tour de force for both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as an aging child star and her crippled sister. The pair of siblings are in a lifelong contest of psychological warfare, and the restoration work done for this release is top notch. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, documentaries, featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.
It’s difficult to enjoy a musical like Rock Of Ages (New Line, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP) when you really don’t like many of the rock hits presented, from everyone from Def Leppard to Poison – Just not my cup of tea, really. But even getting over that hurdle, you’re left with a middling flick with pretensions to greatness, unsure of the line between earnestness and schlock in its tale of a teen with stars in her eyes who gets a wake-up call when she hits the late 80’s Sunset Strip trying to break into the business. Much like the music itself, really. Bonus materials include a clutch of featurettes.
The DVD release of the ginger legend’s last great sitcom comes to a close with the release of The Lucy Show: Official Sixth & Final Season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), featuring guest stars including Carol Burnett and Jack Benny, plus a slew of bonus features from rare footage and outtakes to galleries and vintage openings & closings.
Got kids? Pick up the latest brilliant Scholastic Storybook Treasures My First Collection Volume 4 Featuring Robot Zot! (Scholastic, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP), featuring the aforementioned robot tale, plus 11 addition al tales animated in a fund and engaging way.
This week’s soundtrack pick is Edgar Rothermich’s faithful reconstruction and performance of Vangelis’ score to Blade Runner (BSX Records, $19.30 SRP) – a score which has never gotten a proper release due to a dispute between Vangelis and Ridley Scott. So this is as close as your going to get, and it really does sound fantastic.
For hardcore and casual Disney fans alike, Dave Smith’s Disney Trivia From The Vault: Secrets Revealed And Questions Answered (Disney Editions, $9.99 SRP) is a treasure trove of little known informational nuggets regarding every corner of the Mouse House, from the films to the parks. And Smith should know what he’s talking about, as he’s the Chief Archivist Emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives.
The 7th season of Bones (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$69.99 SRP) finds Emily Deschanel’s Dr. Temperance Brennan in the throes of motherhood while still loaded down with homicides to solves, all while her bond with David Boreanaz’s Agent Booth grows deeper. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, 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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Though it’s sometimes been derided by comedy purists who claim it’s a corpse-heavy lowbrow sketch show, but I’ll openly declare those unfortunate souls snobbish fools, because The Carol Burnett Show is one of the best comedy sketch shows ever to hit the small screen. It may not have been as intellectually clever as Monty Python, but the writing was sharp, the comedy was funny, and the performers – Burnett, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, & Lyle Waggoner – were a dream ensemble. Most of all, though, you got the sense that the main cast, and all of the guest stars who would pop up over the years, were genuinely enjoying the experience of performing this comedy together for the audience there in the studio and at home. And the only way to experience it is via the long overdue 22-disc box set 
First it was Star Wars, and we were all delighted. Then came Harry Potter and Indiana Jones, and we were all ecstatic. And Batman and Superman? Giddy. But I never anticipated that one day the fine folks at LEGO would give us brick versions of the Lord of the Rings films. I doubt Tolkien ever envisioned it, either, but here we are, with playsets aplenty featuring everyone’s favorite Fellowship. Right off the bat we’ve got some major highlights – 
Tick another one of the list of classic Disney films that haven’t made it to high definition, as the Mouse House polishes up the glass slipper and drops 
Tim Burton’s 
If there’s anyone that could hold the title of 5th Beatle, it would be the man who gets his own remarkable documentary in 
And speaking of Beatles-related documentaries, the great thing about the documentary 
I’m a sucker for the band Queen and its dynamic frontman Freddie Mercury, and Rhys Thomas has produced a pair of brilliant docs that should be on your viewing list – 
Of all the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp teamings – and there have been some stinkers – my favorite by a mile, 
Disney has kept the new-to-hi-def catalogue floodgates open, dropping another clutch of titles that have been on the desired list… And some that I’m sure have fans. Definitely sure. So what titles are we talking about? How about the still-unsettling comedy-horror 
Although already released on Blu-Ray, the new 25th anniversary edition of 
Go inside HBO’s hit adaptation of George RR Martin’s epic Game Of Thrones with the lushly illustrated and info-packed 
Stephen Fry is brilliant as the titular country solicitor Peter Kingdom in 
Fans were left high and dry when only the first two seasons were released, but now you can get all 3 seasons of the beautifully odd 
It’s not the best of the Stephen King adaptations, but there’s still enough creepy quality to be had in 
Yes, it’s been 7 seasons, but we’re still no closer to finding out 
If you want to risk potential cute-blindness, take your chances and partake of the first season of 
It’s always nice to come across a documentary that illuminates a little slice of history that is both crucial and largely overlooked, and such is the case with 
Honestly, you don’t know what you’re missing until you see a very fine martial arts film like 
This week’s theatrical score pick brings 
Still as delightfully deadpan as ever, Demetri Martin returns with his second standup special 
After suffering many years in the crappy public domain release wilderness, you can now get a spiffy, official 2-volume set collection the entirety of 
If you’re new to the whole sex thing or just could use a few pointers, you might want to pick up a pair of 5-disc collections dedicated to just that – 
We’re yet another step closer to completing the seemingly-infinite run of Roy Clarke’s 
Hard to believe we’re already up to the fourth season of the new 
I was one of the many that was concerned the Harry Potter franchise would stumble and fall at the finish line, as it wrapped up J.K. Rowling’s sweeping tale with a two-part version of her final book. Thankfully, 
I’m a sucker for better portable electronics solutions, which is why I like the Quirky 
If you’ve ever known the cult joy of discovery in watching the likes of The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and have yet to experience Matt Berry & Rich Fulcher’s 
You know Disney is clearly throwing their weight behind 3D releases of their catalogue when they drop four titles in a day, all of them upgraded to multi-disc definitive editions containing not only brand new 3D discs, but also the Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital discs. Really, this is the version to buy, even if you don’t yet have a 3D television set. So what films have dropped? You can get 
It’s a shame that they didn’t see fit to give it a proper restored release rather than an MOD Warner Archive Collection release, because 1934’s 
Often overlooked due to its flashier contemporaries like The Godfather, Francis Coppola’s 
While it’s not the 1935 film starring Charles Laughton as the overbearing Captain Bligh that I love so much, the high definition release of the 1962 version of 
One of those much-beloved flicks from my childhood, owing largely to dozens of captive-audience viewings on early cable TV, has arrived in high definition. Now I can see the cast of 
More of the Miramax catalogue makes its way to high definition with the release of the largely forgotten but worth seeing 
They’re not as well-polished as the theatrical shorts, but the cartoons contained in 
Warners has decided to drop a trio of festive holiday catalogue titles just in time for your cold winter viewing pleasure – the sequel 
They’re not revelatory tracks, but for Beatles completists, there’s always been a fascination with the tunes they recorded in the early 60’s with Tony Sheridan, which have been remastered in both mono and stereo form for the 
Intentionally crass comedy is a balancing act that either provides the highs of The Hangover and Bridesmaids or the lows of 
If you’ve ever wondered how the states comprising the United States got their various borders, loon no further than the History Channel program 
Even 25 years and numerous pop culture jokes later, David Lynch’s 
Up to a certain point, 
More classic Nickelodeon animation from the fine folks at Shout Factory arrives with 
I’ve spoken to a few of his contemporaries in the past, and all of them described the drive and determination related in 
Perfect for the dorm, office, or when you need some extra food and drink space during a party, the 
I think a combination of political burnout and Michael Moore burnout led to Moore’s 
It’s a knife edge when a film decides to present a character whose situation is so bleak that the audience could be sucked down the same well of despair, but 
I’ve seen dozens of them by now, but I’m such a sucker for documentaries about The Beatles, even if that documentary is about the crafting of Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles collaboration, Love, in 
Remember when you could make a filthy rich oil man a crime-solving TV hero? If you doubt such a show ever existed, look no further than 
Cast Bruce Boxleitner as an undercover spy who circumstances team up with a somewhat ditsy suburban Washington housewife, and you’ve got a show that still stands up as a pretty fun little romp – 
It was pretty much ignored in the theaters, but there’s a lot of fun to be had in the animated 
Sibling rivalries, iron fists, and a cinematic dynasty are explored in the fascinating portrait 
Fans of Greek! I know you’re out there, because 
It’s been awhile since I’ve mentioned Warners’ wonderful on-demand DVD service, The Warner Archive Collection, but I’ll do so now with a pair of newly-available titles, first and foremost of which is a release of all 24 theatrical shorts comprising the 
Rediscover a lost piece of comedy history – and a groundbreaking female comedian – with 
Remember Wild Hogs? The middling, middle-aged empowerment road comedy with John Travolta & Tim Allen, amongst others? Well, Travolta’s back in what feels like the exact same film, 
A comedy about professional plagiarism and revenge gone decidedly offbeat, 
I think, by the time you get to the fourth season of 
It’s a classic veteran cop saddled with a young partner scenario in the UK’s 
Miss Conan and want to make up old Late Night bits on your own? You can do just that by laughing along with the complete 7th season of