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…)
Get the full at-home 3-D experience of their theatrical releases with the new 3-D editions of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, & Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP each). All 3 are eye-popping treats that look and sound really, really good on your massive 3DHDTV. The bonus features are exactly the same, including audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, roundtables, production art, and much more. These new 3-D sets even come with the standard Blu-Ray & DVD, plus a digital copy. Why would you buy these films any other way?
If your kid is both a LEGO and a Star Wars fan, then they’re probably in need of a place to put all of those piles of bricks. Well, with the ZipBin Star Wars Storage Case ($19.99), they can not only keep their LEGOs in there, but they can also unzip it for a themed play area.
I don’t see it as quite the abomination that some purists have made it out to be, and it’s not like Pixar hasn’t done sequels before, but the best I can say about Cars 2 (Walt Disney, Rated G, 3D Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP) is that it’s an enjoyable film that largely treads creative water, but that’s fine. It’s fun. And, of course, the kids will watch it on endless repeat as parents rue the introduction of dozens of new toys they’ll have to buy. Besides looking stunning in 3D, the 5-disc 3D edition is loaded with an audio commentary, two brand new short subjects, featurettes, deleted scenes, artwork, and more.
While it’s not the feature-laden special edition I was hoping for, I’m still delighted that we’ve gotten one of my favorite holiday flicks, Scrooged (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), in high definition just in time to gather the family around the big screen this holiday season. Now put a little love in your heart.
Even if you’re not terribly curious about the entertainment industry, there’s no denying that His Way: A Portrait Of Hollywood Legend Jerry Weintraub (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is an engaging documentary about an industry veteran as colorful in his own way as his contemporary Robert Evans. Give it a spin and you’ll be hooked. Bonus materials include additional footage.
Join Victoria Justice and the kids at Hollywood Arts High School for more singing, dancing, and ventriloquism in Victorious: Season 1 Part 2 (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP). The 2-disc set contains 9 episodes plus the iCarly crossover special, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a music video.
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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