Author: UncaScroogeMcD

  • Win LEWIS BLACK’S ROOT OF ALL EVIL on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of LEWIS BLACK’S ROOT OF ALL EVIL on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, October 6th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Monday, October 6th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Masters Of Song Fu #2: Round 3 Challenge Voting Begins!

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    Congratulations to our winning Challenger, JASON MORRIS, and our winning Masters, THE RIFFTONES. The FINAL CHALLENGE will be announced on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14th.

    We here at Quick Stop Entertainment are true lovers of music, in all its forms. We’re also quite keen on the spirit of competition, and of spurring creativity through said competition.

    To that end, we launched a brand new form of creative combat here at the Stop. You’ll find the very first of these competitions here.

    In this age of manufactured and painfully earnest talent contests, we’ve decided to instead shine a light on the quirky, quixotic underworld of musicians that don’t get nearly the attention they deserve.

    Ah, but I did mention that there was a competition involved…

    A week back, we sent out the call for challengers. Hundreds of you heard the call and fought for a chance to be in the initial group. 20 were selected. Of those 20, only 13 responded in time (Them’s the breaks).

    Like a songwriting version of Iron Chef, these challengers were presented with a very specific songwriting challenge, and given one week to complete their songs – however they saw fit, within the parameters set forth. Here’s the Round 1 Challenge…

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    ROUND 1 CHALLENGE

    This is going to seem to be a rather straightforward challenge to kick off our second Song Fu competition. In actuality, it’s a pretty darn interesting way to give people a sense of just what your songwriting personality and style is. We’re taking a cue from a fellow named Paul Simon

    Your first challenge is to WRITE A SONG ABOUT THE MOON.

    That’s it. The only other directive is that your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

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    After one week of intense campaigning and voting, we eliminated the bottom vote-getters – leaving only 6 competitors (5th place was a tie) to move on to… ROUND 2. The remaining Challengers and our Masters were then presented with their Round 2 Challenge…

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    ROUND 2 CHALLENGE

    Your challenge is to choose a famous inventor and craft a song proposing a “dance craze” based on either the inventor or one of his/her most well known inventions. For an idea of what we’re looking for, here’s a song proposing the ill-fated “Lurch”…

    Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

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    Your votes were tallied, and the top two Challengers from Round 2 moved on to battle head-to-head in ROUND 3…

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    ROUND 3 CHALLENGE

    For this Challenge, not only are we going to provide you with a theme and style, but we’re also going to give you the title. Your task is to write a song that utilizes all of the provided elements.

    For this Round, we’re paying homage to the country balladeer greats “β€œ people like Jerry Reed, Waylon Jennings, and Roger Miller. Your task is to write a country ballad – using a backstory of your own creation “β€œ called “The Ballad of Rufus Amos Adams”.

    Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

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    The winner of this mano-a-mano Challenger showdown will be the one who moves forward to the FINAL ROUND, where they’ll face off against the Master who’s accumulated the most votes over the course of the 3 Challenges. You’ll find the Round 3 Masters and Challengers songs below, followed by the voting form for you to choose your favorite Challenger and Master for this round, and determine who does battle in THE FINAL ROUND.

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    MASTERS OF SONG FU

    For this edition of Song Fu, we’re bringing in two (well, 5, if you’re being technical) very special Masters who you’ll be going up against. Think of them as the iron chefs of Song Fu, and your ultimate challengers, as you’ll square off against one of them mano-a-mano in the Final Round:

    PAUL & STORM

    songfu-02.jpgPaul and Storm are a comedy music duo, and they have been performing as a duo since 2004. Before that, they were one half of a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook for about 12 years. A Paul and Storm show is part music concert and part standup/improv comedy”β€œjust enough of both to fit neatly in neither category. They like to engage the audience, and are known to award snack cakes and/or other prizes for good (and sometimes bad) behavior. Their show would be PERFECT as a cable special, and would make lots of money for whichever brave channel decides to air them first.

    Official Website: www.paulandstorm.com

    ROUND 3 SONG:The Ballad Of Rufus Amos Adams
    ROUND 2 SONG:Me Make Fire
    ROUND 1 SONG:Cruel, Cruel Moon

    THE RIFFTONES

    songfu-rifftones.jpgYou know ’em as the RiffTrax trio, but here at Song Fu they are the mighty RiffTones…

    MICHAEL J. NELSON – Michael J. Nelson is the creator of Rifftrax.com, and is the former host and head writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams.

    His first book, Mike Nelson’s Movie Megacheese, thrilled critics, including Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, who said of Mike, “He’s more fun than a barrel of Val Kilmers… Smarter than a roomful of Patrick Swayzes… and almost as hilarious as Keanu Reeves.” Mike’s laugh-out-loud follow-up, Mind Over Matters, prompted Kirkus Reviews to enthuse, “From someplace called Minnesota comes a Nelson funnier than Ozzie, Ricky, Lord or Half,” and even dared to compare him to another legendary writer, saying of his Serious Speech to Business People, “[It] could easily precede [Robert] Benchley’s immortal Treasurer’s Report.” And Kirkus Reviews loved his novel, Death Rat!, saying, “Fast-paced, outrageous and funny, first-novelist Nelson’s mockery of media mendacity is as biting as La Dolce Vita or Network – only funnier!”

    Mike speaks all over the country, is a frequent guest on radio and television, and along with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy sells out theaters with his RiffTrax Live events.

    KEVIN MURPHY – “I’m probably best known for portraying that ol’ squat loveable bubble-headed robot Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000. In fact I’m the only member of the cast and crew to have worked on every single episode of the series, probably because I tend to like everybody. I also got to sing at the drop of a hat and collaborated with the lovely, leggy Mike Nelson on many of the show’s songs.

    Right now I’m back with Mike and Bill for www.rifftrax.com , where once again we sit in close proximity to each other and make fun of movies; unfortunately we don’t write a lot of songs… yet. To exercise my musical jollies I occasionally write and record solo and with family members, under the name The Revolutionary Communist Mountain Boys. Oh, and I’m also writing my first comic book series, symptomatic of my terminal case of Adult-onset Geekdom.

    BILL CORBETT – Beloved by literally billions of people, Bill Corbett is a former writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the Sci-Fi Channel, and previously on Comedy Central. He was also a performer on the show, providing the second incarnation of the robot Crow and embarrassing himself in grand fashion as other strange characters – including the all-powerful but clueless alien The Observer, a.k.a. “Brain Guy.” Bill has always been an amateur musician (cough cough HACK cough cough), performing with garage-less garage bands, and writing / performing songs for MST3K – including the beloved-by-literally-trillions CANADA SONG. He now works with former MST3K colleagues Michael J. Nelson and Kevin Murphy at Rifftrax.com.

    Corbett is also a screenwriter and playwright. His plays have been produced at numerous theaters across the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and (seriously) Japan. He wasn’t able to attend the latter, but assumes it was a live-manga concept.

    A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Corbett currently spends a lot of time in Los Angeles partying into the wee hours with stars like Skeet Ulrich, Harry Hamlin, and the late Red Buttons. But he actually lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife Virginia, their two young children, and a small Jack Russell Terrier who really runs the house.

    He hopes someday to raise alpacas.

    Official Website: www.rifftrax.com

    ROUND 3 SONG:(The Ballad Of) Rufus Amos Adams
    ROUND 2 SONG:Do The Ballpoint!
    ROUND 1 SONG:Moon Shine

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    THE CHALLENGERS

    RUN AT THE DOG

    songfu-runatthedog.jpgRun At The Dog are high energy, rock/pop, category-sluts with multi-gendered vocals and intricate arrangements. They are like Abba meets Faith No More meets Mos Def meets the Mormon Tabernacle Choir meets Steely Dan. The songs of this Minneapolis 5-piece are always written right away, with no respect for the calculating mind. Audience members are unsure whether to dance, laugh, or panic.

    Official Website: myspace.com/runatthedog

    ROUND 3 SONG:The Ballad Of Rufus Amos Adams
    ROUND 2 SONG:Do The APGAR Score
    ROUND 1 SONG:Noon Moon

    JASON MORRIS

    songfu-jasonmorris.jpgI suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. As a drummer, I have had the opportunity to play with some pretty incredible musicians, garnering literally DOZENS of fans over the years. In 2004 I joined the band Celestial Static, and spent several years melting some face with good friends Jeremy and Julie Elzerman. Once that ran its course, I decided to spend more time locked away in my studio, writing my own songs and learning to play guitar, bass and sing. It doesn’t pay the bills, but I have a good time doing it.

    Official Website: www.jason-morris.com

    ROUND 3 SONG:The Ballad Of Rufus Amos Adams
    ROUND 2 SONG:The O’Sullivan Stomp
    ROUND 1 SONG:The Universe Outsourced The Moon

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    ROUND 3 VOTING

    And now, it’s time for that all important voting, where you’ll decide which Challenger get to move on to THE FINAL ROUND and go face to face with the Master who has accumulated the most votes in All 3 Challenges. Please remember, you can only vote FOR ONE song – so choose very carefully. Also, be sure to vote for your favorite song from our reigning Masters of Song Fu – Paul & Storm or The RiffTones. You may only vote once, so make it count. VOTING CLOSES AT 11:59pm EST on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1st.

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    ROUND 3 VOTING – THE CHALLENGERS

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    ROUND 3 VOTING – THE MASTERS

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    If you triumph, not only will you win remarkable (and potentially off-putting) bragging rights and a clutch of fantastic mystery prizes, you will also become the proud owner of the magnificent, one-of-a-kind MASTER OF SONG FU TROPHY, designed and handcrafted by [adult swim] superstar Dana Snyder. Yes. Dana Snyder.

    Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

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  • Win a PREMIUM FORMAT INDIANA JONES from SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Sideshow Collectibles, one (1) regular edition PREMIUM FORMAT INDIANA JONES.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Sunday, October 19th.

    CLICK HERE TO ENTER!!!

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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 9/26/08: An Offer You Can’t Refuse

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    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…

    While you can most certainly partake of the new, definitive collection majestically titled The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$69.99 SRP) in its feature-laden 5-disc edition featuring all 3 restored and remastered films and a bounty of bonus materials (including those contained on the original DVD box-set a few years back), you will be positively floored if you’re able to pick up the Blu-Ray edition of the same ($124.99 SRP), as the picture quality and sound put previous releases to shame, and you get all the same bonus features as the standard edition, but in high-def. Either way you go, you won’t regret double-dipping to add this to your collection.

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    If donning a helmet and having your voice changed into that of oh, say, Darth Vader or Optimus Prime is not your cup of tea – or if you just like tea and have a penchant for wearing long scarves – than you’re probably keen on picking up your very own Dalek Voice Changer Helmet ($89.99). Now, granted, the visual of just a helmet isn’t really as aesthetically sensible as a Vader or Prime helmet – after all, those do work as helmets, and the average human body is not shaped like a pepperpot – but who doesn’t want to spend time telling friends, family, and coworkers that they will be annihilated?

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    Getting a long-overdue top-to-bottom overhaul of it sound and picture, The Nightmare Before Christmas (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) has been re-released as a revamped 2-disc special edition, replete with a brand new commentary (with Tim Burton, Henry Selick, and Danny Elfman), a making-of documentary, deleted scenes, a storyboard-to-film comparison, the Frankenweenie and Vincent shorts, Burton’s original poem with Christopher Lee narration, trailers, and more. The Blu-Ray edition is simply gorgeous, and even sports an exclusive intro from Burton. Take that, standard-deffers.

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    It’s no Smile – really, what could be? – but Brian Wilson’s new California-centric concept album, That Lucky Old Sun (Capitol, $18.98 SRP) is still a beautiful composition, and even features some contributions from Wilson’s Smile lyricist, Van Dyke Parks. It’s well worth a spin.

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    After waking up from a coma, Samantha must try to figure out just who she is in the comedy series Samantha Who? (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP). Think of it as a light-hearted Regarding Henry. It helps that Samantha is played by the loveable Christina Applegate, who certainly deserves a hit series. The 2-disc complete first season set features all 15 episodes, plus audio commentary, deleted scenes, and an outtake reel.

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    Just for providing an in-depth interview with the gentleman who built a LEGO version of 2010‘s Odyssey and Leonov, I can heartily recommend picking up a copy of the first BrickJournal Compendium (Twomorrows, $39.95 SRP), which collects the first 3 issues of the magazine made not just for the adult LEGO building community, but for people like me that just like to see what they’re building, and how (including the Odyssey and the Leonov).

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    It’s election time, and if the whole process – and our government – is still a bit boggling, refresh and relearn how it all works with the School House Rock: Election Collection (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP), collecting 15 classic vignettes. You get everything from “I’m Just A Bill” to “The Great American Melting Pot”. Go! Learn!

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    It took me a bit to get into it, but it was when I realized that I’ve encountered everyday schlubs like Tae Kwon Do instructor Fred Simmons (Danny McBride) – a man whose life is falling apart, but is infused with a skewed, small-minded sense of honor and ego – that The Foot Fist Way (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$22.99 SRP) truly became the great comedy that everyone’s been raving about. McBride is a true star, and it’s good that Hollywood has embraced him. The DVD features an audio commentary, deleted/extended scenes, an alternate ending, and bloopers. The DVD is currently a Best Buy exclusive.

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    David E. Kelley had always been hit or miss for me, but what I loved about him was that he always maintained a sense of humor in the shows he produced which made other shows seem blasé by comparison. I’m disappointed that the 4th season of Boston Legal (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) is the show’s penultimate, because it’s been one of my favorite shows right from the launch, providing a brilliant vehicle for not only stars William Shatner and James Spader, but also the fantastic supporting cast. The 5-disc box-set features all 20 episodes, plus a featurette spotlighting all the cast changes the season brought.

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    I generally loathe sports movies, but Leatherheads (Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP) is exactly that kind of goofy sports flick that manages to crack my armor. Essentially it’s Bull Durham set at the very beginnings of pro-football, pitting George Clooney against young whippersnapper John Krasinski. It’s not a great flick, but it’s certainly enjoyable. Bonus features include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a trio of featurettes, and a look at the visual effects.

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    As a child growing up in Northern Virginia, the go-to place for school field trips were the various Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC. I must have gone a few dozen times. That’s probably why I got a kick out of a pair of releases from the new “Smithsonian Networks” imprint – America’s Greatest Monuments & Stories From The Vaults (Infinity, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP each). Both are fun and informative, and make me long to head back to the Mall and partake of those treasures first-hand.

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    Programmed right next to my nephew’s favorite show – Spongebob Squarepants – and the inheritor of Drake & Josh‘s torch, I’ve seen plenty of the Miranda Cosgrove vehicle iCarly (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). I mean, a TON. My nephew digs it, and I have to admit – it’s goofily enjoyable, with a nice ensemble and mostly witty storylines. The 2-disc first volume from Season 1 features 13 episodes plus a music video, interviews, and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

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    The seventeenth volume of Twomorrows’ stellar artist spotlight series Modern Masters turns its eye towards Lee Weeks (Twomorrows, $14.95 SRP), filled with the usual in-depth interview and copious amounts of rare and unpublished artwork and sketches.

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    I love a documentary that takes me someplace and manages to show a silver lining to even the darkest cloud, and such is the case of War Dance (Thinkfilm, Rated PG-13, DVD-$27.98), which looks at the power of song to the teens of war-torn Uganda. It follows a group of kids from their refugee camp through they obstacles they must overcome to attend the Kampala Music Festival. It certainly makes something like American Idol look like an exercise in indulgent idiocy by comparison.

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    They’re not terribly good animated films, but they are available in high definition now – both Madagascar and Shrek The Third (Dreamworks, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP each). Madagascar features the exact same bonus materials as the standard edition, with the addition of a pop up trivia track, while Shrek adds a trivia track, picture-in-picture storyboards, and a new “World Of Shrek” featurette.

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    You know the various holidays are fast approaching when holiday-themed box sets start appearing on the scene, and one of the first down the pike is a 3-disc set from that high-pitched trio, Alvin & The Chipmunks. The Classic Holiday Gift Set (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$35.98 SRP) features A Chipmunk Christmas, Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration, and Trick Or Treason.

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    Maybe this is the point where it all went wrong. Nerd hero Simon Pegg – who we became fiercely loyal to in Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz – seems to have begun making movies just for the money lately. Before even his awkward decision to back hack JJ Abrams’ new Star Trek flick as a young Scotty, Pegg starred in the lackluster Brit-Comedy Run Fatboy Run (New Line, Rated PG-13, DVD-$27.98 SRP) – a not terribly fat schlub who enters the London Marathon to win back his old girlfriend who he left pregnant 5 years prior. It’s all just… eh. Bonus features include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and outtakes.

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    Detective Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) and the crack Big Apple forensics team of CSI: New York (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$79.99 SRP) return for their fourth season with a 6-disc set featuring all 21 episodes, plus an audio commentary on the episode “Down The Rabbit Hole” and a quartet of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

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    The new Horatio Hornblower: Collector’s Edition (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP) is essentially a repackaging/re-release of the eight A&E C.S. Forester adaptations starring Ioan Gruffudd as Hornblower, with a clutch of bonus materials including an interview with Gruffudd, audio commentaries on Loyalty and Duty, a trio of bonus documentaries, and more.

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    I still don’t entirely understand the appeal of Two And A Half Men (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP), but I suppose it’s just one of those shows that acts as televised comfort food – there’s no envelope pushing in sight, and great-grandma will love its white noise comedy. The 4-disc fourth season set features all 24 episodes, plus a pair of commentaries, a featurette, and a gag reel.

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    It’s a Hallooweenie adventure for the Scooby Gang in the new direct-to-DVD movie Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), featuring the prerequisite amount of failed carnival magicians, Fairy Princesses, headless horsemen, and Scooby snacks. The disc also sports a featurette showing kids how to perform some simple magic tricks.

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    The second season of Brothers And Sisters (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) is notable for one very special element – it had an episode guest-starring our very own Dana Snyder. Well, maybe not guest-starring – he was, however, cast in a small role in the background of an episode. Either way, it makes it worth getting. The 5-disc box set features all 12 episodes, plus audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, outtakes, and more.

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    There’s ice truckers and deep sea fisherman, so of course we’d eventually get a series focusing on loggers, cleverly titled Ax Men (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP). I think the title pretty much sums up the whole affair. The 4-disc set features all 14 first season episodes, plus additional footage.

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    There was a period when it seemed that every horror big screen horror “franchise” was getting its own TV anthology series – from Freddy’s Nightmares to, yes, Friday The 13th: The Series (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$54.99 SRP). The 6-disc box set features all 26 first season episodes filled with occasional terror, some mild horror, and a whole lot of schlocky goofiness. Bonus materials include the original network launch promos and the sales presentation.

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    The cult of High School Musical will be lining up, vacant-gazed, to snag the 2-disc “Dance Edition” of High School Musical 2 (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$34.99 SRP). What exactly is a “Dance Edition”? Does it matter? Of course not! The swarm will envelop and devour it, and its featurettes, deleted scenes, videos, and more.

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    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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  • Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #62: Kiss My Grits

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    Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and FRED’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.

    Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.

    Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at FRED. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.

    VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

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    KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #62: Kiss My Grits – Ken & Dana return with a trip down trivia lane, advise one and all on the art of tipping, and rather heatedly discuss fast food pronunciation.

    [CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

    DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
    Episode #62 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-62.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

    Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

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  • Trailer Park: New Podcast Show and CHOKE Review

    By Christopher Stipp

    The Archives, Right Here

    I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

    I did it once again.

    The boys over at ScreenGeeks Radio duped me into participating in another one of their film based Podcasts to which I now submit to you. Of course this has nothing to do with the jealousy I feel by my fellow columnists who are now cranking out original Podcasts of their own but since I have none of the time nor the inclination to mount a project like that all on my own I am happy to ride the capabable coattails of the dudes from Denver.

    I really really dig those guys and what they bring to the world of Podcasting about films and every time I do their show I am reminded why I like being about people who like film. I don’t like those who think that they have to exude a erudite sensibility or that being off the wall schtick-y is an appropriate way to gain listenership. Dave, Barry and Josh at ScreenGeeks talk about films in the most relaxed, honest and straightforward manner that it simply gets me to listen every week. I really hate when I’m on, though, as I genuinely hate to hear myself speak and every week I’m on is another week I don’t get to listen to these dudes just having it out with one another. They’re film nerds but they’re the kind of nerds you can respect for having opinions that aren’t neccessarily the party line and that’s why I dig any invitation to come on their program and just chat about flicks.

    Listen/Download to this week’s episode, The Fall/Winter Preview and be amazed by my comments about what I’m looking forward to in the new film HOUND DOG.

    Oh, and before I let you animals loose this week, Ray Schillaci sent me a link to a trailer for a movie from way far way across the pond called FATSO. It’s remarkably hilarious and even though I don’t understand a word I have to say that I wish I could see this thing right now. Click the link. I swear you’ll dig it…

    There’s a moment in Clark Gregg’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s “Choke” that defines what kind of man Victor Mancini (played by Sam Rockwell) really is and it comes rather early in the first few moments of the film. He’s a man who loves his mother and, regardless of his other vices, he genuinely wants her to be the woman who is no doubt responsible for his addictions to sex, his inability to be a warm and caring individual to anyone else and for his predilections to take advantage of kind Samaritans.

    It’s a difficult and tricky exercise to have a main character that is difficult, nearly impossible come to think of it, to like. Victor is rough around the proverbial edges, those edges poking or jabbing anyone who tries to come close to him, and he is literally a live sexual wire that fixates on anything with breasts. Age is no barrier for this pervert but one of the lessons that come out of watching this film is that even as Victor satisfies his own carnal desires you can’t help but realize that his dalliances with strange women and his need to be loved by strangers who take pity on a man whose own pathos justifies everything he does as acceptable.

    Clark Gregg masterfully takes the material given to him and crafts a story that is at once hilariously dark and uproariously unapologetic. Victor takes from the rich in order to take care of his ailing mother who is wasting away in her own mind and, armed with only his ability to swindle, loaf and ensnare women with his beguiling smile and lecherous gaze Sam Rockwell proves yet again why he is a master of his craft; his nuances as an actor here serve him well in creating someone you can’t help but loathe and love at the same time.

    Mancini’s friend Denny, played by Brad William Henke, is a strange foil for Victor. While it’s really an easy joke to make, or to take juvenile delight in, about Denny’s compulsive masturbation there is something to be said about the sadness of Denny. He takes Victor’s relentless verbal abuse in stride and anyone else in Denny’s shoes would have taken Victor to task for what is really an unhealthy relationship but yet Denny keeps enduring. His endurance pays off in what is one of the most amusing moments in the movie, Cherry Daquiri’s (Gillian Jacobs) introduction as a stripper with what seems like a woman who has little use for brains but who eventually helps Victor come to understand that while you or I would disapprove of the way he conducts his life the most profound insights can come from anywhere.

    Disapproval comes in buckets in CHOKE and what would be a Chuck Palahniuk film if the doctor in charge of taking care of Victor’s mother (Kelly Macdonald) takes Victor on a strange and fantastical journey into the realm of impossibility as the doctor decodes his ailing mother’s diary, written in Italian no less, and lets it be known young Victor could be the result of self-impregnation with what could be the foreskin of Jesus Christ. With Anjelica Huston’s turn as the mother at the center at Victor’s world the two of them feed off each other’s dysfunctional and entropic lives that it isn’t until there’s a break in the link between the two of them that there’s any change. It’s a bizarre relationship that these two knowingly commit themselves to but the point is not that it’s only these two people who have issues but it’s that everyone here has extremely fractured lives. It’s what they do to move beyond their present situations that make the difference in this film.

    It’s about this time in the  movie, though, when you can’t believe things could get any stranger. However, like water slithering down the street corner, it always finds its lowest level.

    The film takes on various sub-plots, some which work well and some that, well, seem a little awkward in a film that depends heavily on us keeping more than a few storylines going. And, therein, lays the problem. A novel works well because it can have many storylines going at any one time; you’ve got pages and pages to deal with various fragments and ideas but, in the case of Lord High Charlie’s (Clark Gregg) comedic relief it’s at once welcomed but woefully under developed.

    Gregg’s work as a director and adaptor of Palahniuk’s work here is worthy of the kind of praise that won him accolades at Sundance. It’s deserving in the regard that he took a book that not any studio in their right mind would make as a multimillion dollar production but Gregg’s ability to carry us through the life of Victor Mancini and keep him as abrasive and unrepentant throughout this production is admirable. The movie’s soundtrack compliments the movement and actions on the screen and the sonic choices made are bold enough in that it works well to move the action along.

    Some of the choices made, though, with regard to some of the direction gives me pause about praising this film on the whole. What Gregg has in comedic timing he lacks in giving the sense to the viewer that this is a unique world. To compare this work with what David Fincher brought to us with FIGHT CLUB really would be a disservice to CLUB. The direction he gives his players is static, not inspired by any means, and the cinematography lacks the kind of dark sensibilities of everyone involved. We should be feeling these people exist in a world that is not unlike our own but what we’re given instead is a film where it all feels kind of grey.

    Overall, the film does deserve to be seen if for no other reason than to see how everyone involved comes through the other side. Clark Gregg has made a film, while not a pitch perfect example of what Palahniuk put to paper, that gives us a reasonable facsimile to the novel.

  • Win iCARLY: SEASON 1 VOLUME 1 on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of iCARLY: SEASON 1 VOLUME 1 on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Friday, October 3rd.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Friday, October 3rd.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Win IRON MAN on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of IRON MAN on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, October 2nd.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, October 2nd.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Cabin Fever #41: Phone Fun

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    cabin.jpgOh no! Just when you thought it was safe to hang out at the Quick Stop…

    Cabin Fever (hosted by the twisted souls Brian Fitzpatrick and Aaron Poole) is the result of having too much time on your hands and access to your local community radio station.

    Over the course of an hour, they manage to trawl the depths of good taste, plus throw some music in. How much more could you want from a podcast?… Quality? Oh… we didn’t think of that.

    Enjoy! And we hope our cross Atlantic friends can understand the Irish accent πŸ˜‰

    Hugs and Kisses,
    Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy

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    CABIN FEVER #41: Phone Fun – The boys have an adventure with technology and call rock star Blake Rawlings about future endeavors, turn the show into and audioVISUAL piece (CLICK HERE to find out what we’re talking about), and also manage to fit in ramblings about sky-sex, Jamie-Lynn Spears, and Galaxy Hitchhiking. Music from Joe Doyle.

    [CONTENT WARNING]: Explicit contents! We say every naughty word you can think of. You have been warned!

    DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
    Episode #41 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_41.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

    Got something to say? E-mail Aaron & Brian at the Cabin Fever mailbag.

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

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  • Win SPORTS NIGHT: THE COMPLETE SERIES on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Shout! Factory, two (2) copies of SPORTS NIGHT: THE COMPLETE SERIES on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, October 1st.

    Check out some clips…

    Helsinki

    Conversationally Anally Retentive

    Time To Kill And A Deck Of Cards

    Isaac had A Stroke

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, October 1st.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Party Favors: Hail! Hail! Chuck Berry

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    BAHAMA — Why would any sane person be standing in front of an outdoor stage as Tropical Storm Hanna takes aim on their town? Two words: Chuck Berry. Add a third: Free!

    In order to celebrate another overpriced and unnecessary convention center in America, the city of Raleigh barricaded off the downtown area. A stage was set up in the middle of the street so that the tens of thousands could bask in the revival. Who better to bring the people to the location than the man who launched rock and roll? What American doesn’t know “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Sweet Little Sixteen” and “My Ding-a-Ling?” “Johnny B. Goode” ought to be our National Anthem.

    Unfortunately this planning didn’t involve weather forecasting. The storm was coming up the coast. The idiots in charge of the outdoor festival didn’t have an emergency indoor plan. It’s a shame they didn’t have a building that could house thousands of people like a convention center. A few of us tempted nature’s fury to get a glimpse of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. That night the heavens were looking out for Chuck as his set was positioned between two severe down bursts. His ship’s captain’s hat stayed dry. The nasty weather shrunk the possible crowd down to a few hundred people. This worked out well as I got close to the stage. As a sign of respect, I won’t joke about how I was close enough to Chuck for him to do a certain act.

    The man is approaching 82 years old so he’s not a performer that you say, “I’ll catch you next year.” He’s not going to live forever like Dick Clark or Billy Ray Cyrus. Chuck appeared to be in good health. He wasn’t chair bound like other performers from the Happy Days era. The crowd was thrilled when he broke out a mini-duck walk. Chuck also pulled off wearing the shiny shirt like Neil Diamond.

    This will not be remembered as the greatest Chuck Berry concert. The set lasted over thirty minutes. He even admitted to blowing the lyrics on a song that he’s been singing for over half a century. But all that can be overlooked since it was a chance to bask in the presence of Chuck Berry. Plus I didn’t have to buy a ticket, pay a convenience fee and get shafted with a parking charge. It was a perfect way to pay respect to a man who brought so much to music. If it wasn’t for Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones would have been influenced by Mitch Miller. Hail, Hail, Chuck Berry.

    A TRIBUTE TO DGG

    For fans of Pineapple Express, I bring you the 5th anniversary re-issue of All the Real George Washingtons featuring Matt Booth as David Gordon Green.

    Enjoy the tribute to Stubb’s BBQ.

    TOTAL REQUEST DOA

    I’m so thrilled the MTV is canceling TRL since it means we no longer have to worry about what the kids are going to make popular. No longer will I be tempted to see screaming girls begging for their future-husbands to be chosen #1 by the callers.

    There was a time when TRL really mattered back in the 20th Century. It prepared us for the Orlando Pop Tart Invasion when any ex-Disney employee who could sing, dance and not get served a beer could be a star. TRL was truly a machine as all the stars were moving a million albums during their debut week. This place launched more rockets than the Kennedy Space Center.

    Ultimately TRL’s legacy will be one of infamy. If it wasn’t for TRL, would we have Carson Daly being a massive tool on NBC? Where would Sean Combs be if he hadn’t graced that studio as Puff Daddy, Pee Diddy, Diddy Boo, Bo Diddley? Carson and Combs should be put on a stamp celebrating “The Decline of Western Civilization.” And what about the crime known as Fred Durst? TRL will never be mistaken for a truly cool and culturally influential show like USA’s Night Flight. TRL‘s legacy will be as dork parade.

    The sad part about TRL’s decline is the end of John Norris’ creepy news updates. Here’s a guy pushing 50 with rugs on his head that are so hideous that William Shatner and Burt Reynolds mock him. Yet somehow he’s allowed to be near the screaming teenies. Where is John Norris going to go? Someone needs to put a GPS on his ankle cause I don’t want to see him lurking in my Piggly Wiggly. Maybe Norris will be playing doubles tennis with Pat O’Brien?

    THE DVD SHELF

    The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray makes me feel good that I didn’t blow $100 on the original DVD boxset back in 2001. The late Raymond J. Regis treated me to screenings of his original Technicolor 35mm prints of Godfather I &II. I know what these films really should look like on a screen. The original DVD transfers didn’t do justice to the darkness painted on the screen by cinematographer Gordon Willis. There was a milky feel to the digital blackness. People nagged me about my “incomplete” collection since there was no Godfather on the shelf. But now there’s a new transfer on 1080p. The picture brings out all the nuances of the film. Now you get the whole story of the Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). He’s a mobster’s son who just wants to live an honest life in a dirty business. The boxset includes Godfather III, but does anyone really care? Remember to pick up some cannoli with this Blu-ray boxset.

    Bigger Stronger Faster is an unflinching documentary about the world of steroids from Chris Bell, the host and director. He explores the issue of muscle juicing through his brothers who have been involved in football, pro-wrestling and weightlifting. It plays at first as a cautionary tale, but delves into the hysteria about the dangers of using roids. Are they really as evil as the anti-doping officials claim? Bell exposes the crusading father of a high school baseball player that committed suicide. The father told Congress that his baseball playing son offed himself after going cold turkey on roids. The father refused to believe the numerous depression fighting pills taken by the son could have anything to do with the tragic end. Perhaps what’s upsetting is realizing all the really famous people who took steroids before the ban have gone on to fabulous careers including a certain Terminator that became governor. Why did Carl Lewis fail a drug test in 1988, but was still allowed to compete and win gold in the Olympics. Bigger Stronger Faster dares to question if roids are on par with Tiger Woods getting Lasik surgery so his eyes can see better than 20/20.

    This American Life: Season One brings video to Ira Glass’s radio show. The Showtime series however doesn’t have pledge breaks. The first six episodes of This American Life set it apart from the usual news magazine series. They allow their subjects to talk and emotionally explore themselves. This isn’t a slam-bam style. “Reality Check” deals with a guy who cloned his prize winning bull. He quickly discovers that there is a difference in genetically identical cattle.

    The Brotherhood: The Second Season ups dynamics of the Rhode Island family that’s torn between a life of crime and a career in politics. Is there really that much of a difference? Crook aren’t allowed to ignore subpoenas. Brotherhood has a gritty feel to the action. It’s not a cute mobster series. These are the characters I have encountered in the Providence Dunkin Donuts at 11 a.m. Brotherhood, Dexter and The Tudors have put Showtime ahead of HBO in the original drama department.

    Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil Uncensored dares to weigh the wickedness of two cultural icons. Lewis Black brings his flabbergasted humor to the courtroom. Two comics try to prove that their subject is the worst thing since the XFL. The subjects debated this season include “Weed vs. Beer,” “YouTube vs. Porn,” “Donald Trump vs. Viagra,” “Kim Jong-Il vs. Tila Tequila” and “Paris Hilton vs. Dick Cheney.” Those are battles worthy of UFC pay-per-views. Greg Giraldo and Patton Oswalt always bring top wit in the legal format. This version is uncensored although that doesn’t mean Kathleen Madigan drops her top for a shot at European tort action. You’ll get to hear Lewis go potty mouth on subjects worthy of being flushed.

    CSI: NY – The Fourth Season has the 333 Stalker on the loose. If it hadn’t been for the writer’s strike, he could have been the 666 Stalker. They also remixed The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” on the opening credits. “Can You Here Me Now” features a murder at the Statue of Liberty. It doesn’t involve the annoying cellphone guy. “Time’s Up” gives them 24 hours to stop a murder. “Happily Never After” opens with a Wizard of Oz crime clue. I suspect the Tinman. Death is all over Manhattan. Luckily Gary Sinise and Melina Kanakaredes are ready to bust all the killers. There’s 21 episodes on 6 DVDs.

    Growing Up Wilderness contains four more episodes about how cute animals grow up into ferocious beasts. This disc shows the maturity spurts of a wolf, black bear, sitka deer and a moose. Not to spoil the last episode, but it doesn’t feature Sarah Palin killing and dressing the star. This is a good to watch with the young kids so they can know that cute animals will eat you if you pester them. The Animal Planet production is entertaining and educational.

    Friday the 13th, The Series: The 1st Season takes me back to hanging out in Tom Olsen’s dorm room on the weekends while we waited to be fashionably late for Party Central action. This is not the continuing adventures of Jason Voorhees. He isn’t popping up in his hockey mask and chopping off guest star heads with his machete. Instead we’re given two cousin who inherit an antique store. They quickly realize that the old stuff sold was cursed by Satan. They have to recover the objects before things get more evil. Robey is the gal with red hair that was the precursor to Gillian Anderson on The X-Files. It’s lite ’80s horror fun.

    Numb3rs: The Fourth Season gets to the point. For years I wondered what was the point on inflicting high level calculus classes on my feeble brain. What good are those proofs and theorems? Thanks to this series, I know that you can track down serial killers with trigonometry. Numb3rs is well cast with a family of brainiacs: Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure), Judd Hirsch (Taxi) and David Krumholtz (who isn’t Doogie Howser’s buddy). The kick off of the season is intense as they have to figure out if a close pal is really a double agent for the Chinese. The shocker is seeing Val Kilmer playing the bad guy. He hasn’t been this wicked since playing the Iceman in Top Gun. There’s a Taxi reunion when Christopher Lloyd appears in “Graphic.” Numb3rs is the perfect show for the math nerd that wants to feel CSI: Macho.

    Samantha Who? The Complete First Season puts Christina Applegate’s star power back in the sit-com galaxy. Instead of playing a forgetful daughter on Married….with Children, she is now an amnesiac daughter on Samantha Who? After coming out of a coma, Samantha has to figure out who she was and who put her into the coma. There’s plenty of flashbacks with wild haircuts. She was not a nice girl in her former life. Finding out why she’s banned from Chicago Blackhawks games is hilarious. Making this fun for me is seeing Jennifer Esposito as the not quite nice friend. The boxset has 15 episodes on 2 DVDs.

    My Three Sons: The First Season, Volume One reminds us of the power of St. William Frawley. After he stopped playing Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy, he moved in with Fred MacMurray and three kids. He became the mom to them. Frawley knew how to toss the sass around when he got stuck in the apron. The DVD set contains the first 18 episodes. Frawley’s episodes weren’t given the syndication action in the mid-70s since they were in black and white. We got stuck with the color episodes featuring William Demarest as Uncle Charley. Finally getting to see Frawley in action on My Three Sons is like uncovering fresh footage of Babe Ruth at the plate. He knew how to knock ’em out of the park.

    Holiday Treats brings 8 Christmas episodes of Paramount owned shows onto one DVD. This is perfect for those who enjoy just wrapping yourself around the holiday. All the classics and a few recent shows get to shine their seasonal specials linked. I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch, Taxi, Family Ties, Frasier and Wings get into the Santa action. You don’t have to worry about the suits at TVLand providing your seasonal nostalgia. Plus there’s no commercials to cut into the holiday cheer. Is it time for egg nog?

    The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official Second Season is a bit confusing since there is no Official First Season. MPI Home Video put out two boxsets and a Christmas special DVD that covered the first season and half of the second. Don’t get too confused cause you shouldn’t think so much to enjoy one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. The plot is simple. A backwoods family discovers their worthless land is above a massive oil reserve. They make so much cash that the poor family is vaulted into the most illustrious house in Beverly Hills. No matter how much people try to culture them, the Clampetts remain true to their country roots. I can’t get enough Jethro in my daily diet. The DVD set includes the original sponsor promos that came after the credits. This includes the spots for Winston cigarettes. You also get the sponsor “codas” where the Clampetts wrap up the action with a plug including taking a few fresh packs up to their new house guests. There’s 36 episodes on 5 DVDs.

    Beauty and the Beast: The Complete Series is often mistaken as a TV show for the ladies. But this series isn’t a Harlequin Romance, but a Judd Apatow Super Schlub spectacular. A hairy man-beast of a guy lives a Dungeons and Dragons lifestyle in his father’s basement. One night while stumbling home, he trips over the hot mom from Terminator. She becomes deeply in love with the man who doesn’t have a real full-time job. Isn’t the dream of every boy with polyhedral dice in their sock drawer? Who is more hairy on screen, Ron Perlman as the subterranean Vincent or Seth Rogen? Ultimately Beauty and the Beast is a man’s fantasy cause I don’t know any women who dream of wearing as much fabric as Linda Hamilton’s wardrobe. This is the perfect gift for the professional woman in your life as proof that you can’t have a full-time job cause then you won’t have time to fight crime in the subway tunnels.

    Mission: Impossible, The Fifth Season brings a new female face to the force. Tasty Lesley Ann Warren plays Dana Lambert. She’s the new Cinnamon. Leonard Nimoy returns for his second and final season as Paris the man of disguises. Cack and other ladies will swoon with the arrival of Sam Elliott (Big Lebowski) as an IMF member. “The Killer” has Robert Conrad (The Wild Wild West) as a hitman who conducts his business so randomly that it confuses Peter Graves and his crew. “Flip Side” has a drug smuggling operation run by Sal Mineo (Rebel Without a Cause). Unlike the last few seasons, there are no multi-episode stories.

    Madagascar Blu-ray and Shrek the Third Blu-ray demonstrate how stunning this format is for computer animation. The programmed textures on the characters shine as they move across the screen. The penguins in Madagascar dominate in 1080p. Shrek the Third reunites Orge and Donkey for another adventure. This time there’s a coup d’etat that needs to be put down. Little kids will be dazzled by the extra pixels at work. This is what it must look like to watch the film at the animation studio on the super-computer.

    Foot Fist Way launched Danny McBride into comic stardom with his recent roles in Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder and the upcoming Land of the Lost. But there’s no big time star friends in this indie comedy. Danny plays a pissed off Karate instructor who takes out his frustrations on all those around him. The film plays like a North Carolina School of the Arts reunion special with the cast and crew. Danny and Ben Best keep this from being an inside joke for the Fighting Pickles crowd. This is a must grab if you laughed at Danny’s roles with Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Seth Rogen.

    Iron Man: 2-Disc Special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray would have been the superhero event of the year if it hadn’t been for The Dark Knight. Damn that Batman! Robert Downey Jr. delivers on his ability to bring edgy aspects to a comic book character. His eyes reveal the baggage of being a self-destructive genius. That’s something they can’t teach at RADA. This is one of those films that screams for the wonder of Blu-ray. The action of the Iron Man suit can’t be contained on a crummy normal TV. You’ll want that full home cinema experience.

    Click & Clack: As the Wrench Turns animates the public radio car repair series. The 10 episodes are aimed at kids and not gearheads. Although for those who don’t have an extensive auto education, this might be the perfect introduction to what the heck is going on beneath the hood. This is Dora the Explorer with real educational value. This is the perfect gift for an elementary schooler who can identify various makes and models of cars.

    I Want Candy dares to show us a alternate universe with Carmen Electra as a blonde. Two English videographers who do strange gigs like taping funerals. They find a source to fund the budget to their thrilling script. But there’s one catch – they have to cast Candy Fiveways (Electra) as the lead. She’s a porn star. So they adapt the script. Electra does a mean Jenna Jameson. There’s a cameo from Jimmy Carr, the host of Comedy Central’s Distraction. It’s a proper naughty British film that would receive a salute from Benny Hill.

    Finding Amanda forces a writer-producer (Matthew Broderick) to arrive in Las Vegas to rescue his niece (Hairspray‘s Brittany Snow) from her career as a prostitute. Trouble is that Broderick has a problem with drugs, drinking and gambling. He needs more saving from the Strip. Why can’t Hollywood ever make a film about a guy who drinks, does a little recreational drugs and gambles without having him be a candidate for rehab? I know these people exist in Hollywood. I’ve meetings with them. Keep your eyes open for Patrick Fischler who plays Jimmy Barrett on Mad Men. You might miss him since he’s not carrying a bag of Utz chips. Steve Coogan is a pit boss with a history with Broderick. He wants to make sure that Broderick’s gambling problem is cured. That problem is a matter of credit. It’s a bitter sweet comedy and seems like the proper follow-up to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This is Ferris Bueller On the Rocks

    MUST CELLBLOCK TV

    Hey MSNBC Fans: Are you ready for Locktober? I’ve already stashed my shiv. Guess where? Wrong!

    Who do you think would make a better shiv: Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews or Rachel Maddow?

    MILK ME, TY!

    What the heck is Ty Pennington doing as the pitchman for Similac? He’s not married and doesn’t have any kids. Who better to sell milk to nursing mothers. Was Billy Mays booked that weekend? This goes up there with Crest signing Shane McGowan.

    FAREWELL COPY CENTER

    A part of me is sad with the announcement that Kinko’s Copy Centers are gone. After their merger with FedEx, the Memphis based company has decided there’s no need for a FedEx-Kinkos sign in the world. Soon all your stores will be rebranded FedEx Office.

    Too much of my college years were spent inside the Kinko’s across the street from the campus. We were thrilled the night we saw Matt Feazell copying his upcoming Cynicalman comic. And we lived for their 2 1/2 cent copy sales. That was production season.

    Seems like the overnight delivery crew decided their was something unmanly about having to tack “Kinko” onto their name. Or perhaps like me, they remember this Dr. Demento classic when they hear “Kinko”

  • Win CLICK & CLACK’S AS THE WRENCH TURNS on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of CLICK & CLACK’S AS THE WRENCH TURNS on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, September 30th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, September 30th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Bagged & Boarded 2: The Sheening

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    What happens when two young men let their love of movies, comic books, and all things “geek” take over their lives? They run away from their families, bringing only the most essential DVDs and comics to their secret, highly fortified underground bunker in sunny Southern California, where they start recording podcasts that will change the world.

    Are they heroes?

    No.

    Are they geniuses?

    Far from it.

    Are they the future of this planet?

    I sure hope not.

    Simply put… Matt Cohen and Jesse Rivers are “Bagged and Boarded”.

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    BAGGED & BOARDED #2: The Sheening – In Which Matt and Jesse discuss the delicate subject of sex (very delicately), FINAL CRISIS, Lars Von Trier, and are paid an imaginary visit from Alan Moore, Jimmy Moore… and Dracula. The bus to hilarity town has arrived, folks. All Aboard…

    [CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

    DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
    Episode #02 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/baggedboarded/bagged_boarded-02.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

    Got something to say? E-mail Matt & Jesse at the B & B mailbag.

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE BAGGED & BOARDED ARCHIVES

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  • Win FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, three (3) copies of FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 29th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 29th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Win THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Time Life Home Video, five (5) copies of THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR: THE BEST OF SEASON 3 on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 29th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 29th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #61: Mega-Giga-Uber-Super-Size-A-Thon

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    Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and FRED’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.

    Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.

    Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at FRED. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.

    VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

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    KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #61: Mega-Giga-Uber-Super-Size-A-Thon – What happens when Ken and Dana return from their travels and unwind in front of microphones? You get this long, probably rambling, extended length episode perfect for multitasking to. Frankly, even we don’t remember what in the hell we talked about, so let this be a journey of discovery for all of us.

    [CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

    DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
    Episode #61 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-61.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

    Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 9/19/08: Pete & Dud Unleashed

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    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…

    I just spent this evening (as I type this, naturally) doing something that I haven’t done in years – lose track of a few hours of my life while immersed in a Star Wars game. With my limited amount of free time and the nagging desire to get some kind of sleep each night, it’s a rare occurrence when I actually get to do any sort of gaming. As far as Star Wars games go, I haven’t really played one since Battlefront II (and that one because it promised – and delivered – some Ewok shooting). Well, the drought is over, because I just spent the evening immersed in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts, PS3-$59.99 SRP) on the PS3. Boasting a stunning look and at least a half-way interesting story, it took me back to the good old days of playing Jedi Knight on my PC long, long ago. And – considering it pretty much takes place in the timeline of the original trilogy – it allowed me to fully ignore those abysmal prequels and just get down to force pushing Stormtroopers off of cliffs. Really, isn’t that what life is all about? For comparison’s sake, I also played a bit of the Wii edition ($49.99 SRP), which wasn’t nearly as gorgeous as the PS3 edition, but did boast the Wii’s signature ease-of-use. If you don’t like a lot of buttons and just want to dive right in and have fun (even your Grandmother), the Wii version is the one for you.

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    I’ve got a cold this week, and when I wasn’t immersing myself in Jedis and Sith Lords, I was pitting a pirate against a ninja. That’s right – all that fancy radio-control technology has been integrated into RC Pirate vs Ninja ($49.99). It’s an epic battle, and these two inflatable enemies – situated on their RC bases – are fighting the fight of the ages. Who will win? Who knows? FIGHT!

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    In their infinite wisdom, the BBC of the late 60’s and early 70’s would regularly wipe the videotapes of older shows in order to reuse the tapes. What that means is that scores of shows have been lost to the whims of a frugal network – many of them landmark programs. Much of the 60’s TV work of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore – and their show Not Only But Also – suffered that fate. Some of the material survived, however, and that’s what’s collected in Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: The Best Of What’s Left Of Not Only But Also (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$18.99 SRP). What survives is a clutch of sublime comedy beauty – from the glorious back and forth of “Pete & Dud” to a still genius live action recreation of the supermarionette Thunderbirds. Get this. GET THIS NOW!

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    It’s become even rarer in this day and age, but it’s always a real treat when a show with a unique, quirky sensibility manages to break out of the network blanding factory and gain a foothold amongst viewers. The latest in that select pantheon is Pushing Daisies (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), the story of a pie maker named Ned who has the ability to bring the dead back to life with a touch – but a second touch sends them back to the grave (while no second touch instead dooms a bystander). He teams up with a private eye to bring murder victims back to life just long enough to find out who the murder is in order to collect the rewards, but his plans go awry when his childhood sweetheart is struck down, and he decides he wants her back for good. The series is a real gem. The 3-disc set features all 9 first season episodes, plus featurettes.

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    Mere months before the release of what would prove to be their swansong album, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel toured in the fall of 1969 – playing some old favorites and a few tunes from their as-yet-unreleased album, Bridge Over Troubled Water. Those concerts were recorded for a live album follow-up to Bridge that never came to be… until now. Simon & Garfunkel: Live 1969 (Sony Legacy, $11.99 SRP) collects 17 tracks recorded during those concerts, and it finds the duo at the peak of their performance powers.

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    The thinking behind the release of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The Best Of Season 3 (Time Life, Not Rated, $49.98 SRP) – when the sets spotlighting the first two seasons haven’t been released yet – is that more people are probably interested in the infamous 3rd and final season, which saw the legendary cancellation of the controversial series. The 4-disc set contains a selection of 12 uncut episodes, plus a slew of bonus features. I only wish we got the complete season, and that the first two seasons were definitely on the way.

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    Fans of Space Ghost Coast To Coast have been left in the lurch for years now as the DVD releases stopped abruptly, leaving many episodes in the lurch. Well, those fans can rejoice in and quickly snap up Space Ghost Coast To Coast: From The Kentucky Nightmare (Adult Swim, Not Rated, DVD-$15), with 2 discs featuring 44 “missing” episodes, plus bonus materials. The set is available as an Adult Swim exclusive directly from www.adultswim.com. Get it.

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    Some of it may be music written for the HBO series Big Love, but David Byrne’s Big Love: Hymnal (Redeye, $15.98 SRP) is worth snagging – well, not only for those tracks, but also for the new compositions featured on the disc. It’s a new album, folks – snap it up.

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    If you can manage to put the Tom Cruise Crazy out of your head, you can see the charm in the young actor fronting the now 25 year-old(!) Risky Business (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$19.96 SRP). The rakish enthusiasm is there, unsullied by decades of Scientology baggage. Revisit the old Tom Cruise in this new special edition, with an audio commentary, a retrospective documentary, original screen tests, the theatrical trailer, and the director’s cut of the final scene.

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    Spend those darkening, blustery days leading up to All Hallow’s curled up with the new commemorative edition of Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales of H.P. Lovecraft (Gollancz, $37.95 SRP). This hardbound edition contains dozens of stories from the horror master, and belongs on the shelves of discerning readers everywhere. It’s a handsome edition, to be sure.

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    The second Busby Berkeley Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) features a quartet of classic dance-filled musicals – Gold Diggers Of 1937, Gold Diggers In Paris, Hollywood Hotel, and Variety Show. All of the films are fully remastered, and bonus features include vintage music & comedy shorts, cartoons, and musical numbers.

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    So, you cross Office Space with James Bond, with a touch of Alias? Sure, I’ll give it a shot. The show in question is Chuck (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), about a chain store computer nerd named Chuck Bartowski who finds himself in the deep end when he unwittingly downloads stolen government secrets into his brain – and now he’s a secret agent. Seriously. The 4-disc box set features all 13 first season episodes, plus featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more.

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    Being a fan of the Disney theme parks and the design ingenuity and creativity that forged them, a book like Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends And The Genesis Of The Disney Theme Parks (Disney Editions, $35.00 SRP) is, for me, a delightful look at the wizards operating behind the curtain. Author Jeff Kurti presents all of the main players – including the likes of Marc Davis and X. Atencio – with plenty of “oooooh” art and photos.

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    Yes, you’re seeing spots. Lots of them. Not only is Disney re-releasing the live action, Glenn Close-starring 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP each) – with pretty much the same bonus features as the previous editions – but they’re also dropping a special edition of the animated 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP), with a behind-the-scenes featurette, music videos, and a look inside Thunderbolt.

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    Halloween is fast approaching us, so Fox has dropped another of their catalogue unearthing Fox Horror Classics collections (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP). Volume 2 sports Bela Lugosi menacing the titular Chandu The Magician, Vincent Price and Gene Tierney in Dragonwyck, and the ape-to-human thriller Dr. Renault’s Secret. Special features include audio commentaries, featurettes, radio shows, and more.

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    It’s easily one of the more depressing romantic flicks in cinematic history, but it is a classic of the genre and still holds up as a solid piece of filmmaking. It’s welcome, then, that An Affair To Remember (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is getting a deluxe, 2-disc 50th anniversary edition, with an audio commentary, retrospective featurettes, the AMC Backstory spotlight, Fox Movietone News, galleries, and the original theatrical trailer.

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    Bitter, angry, and still funny, the complete first and second seasons of that angry mallard Duckman (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) are now on DVD, complete with audio commentary, behind-the-scenes and retrospective featurettes, and more.

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    Some of the best Star Trek stories have been the numerous tales of alternate realities, so it makes sense that the latest Star Trek Fan Collective is – you guessed it – Alternate Realities (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The 5-disc set features Mirror Universe episodes from the original series, DS9, and Enterprise, twisted realities from Next Gen and Voyager, and alternate lives from the 3 latter series. And, unlike the regular series box sets, you even get audio commentaries.

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    For some reason, they aren’t releasing full box sets of the 80’s Alvin & The Chipmunks, but we’ve got a 2-disc Alvinnn!!! Edition (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP) featuring 14 episodes from the show. Can we please have a box set of the 60’s Alvin Show now?

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    If you still have find memories of the John Hughes troika The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Sixteen Candles, then you’ll probably want to pick up the new High School Flashback Collection box set (Universal, Rated PG/PG-13/R, DVD-$39.98 SRP). All three films are housed in a “locker” tin, and the films themselves feature brand new documentaries, commentaries, and more.

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    I never thought the mostly enjoyable run of classic Charlie Chan flicks would ever move past the first volume, but here we are with the 5th Charlie Chan Collection (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), starring Sidney Toler as the legendary sleuth. The 4-disc set features Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise, Murder Over New York, Dead Men Tell, Castle In The Desert, Charlie Chan In Panama, Charlie Chan At The Wax Museum, and Charlie Chan In Rio.

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    As in the past, the singular releases of the final Avatar: The Last Airbender arc have been compiled into The Complete Book 3 Collection (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$79.99 SRP), which sports an exclusive bonus disc with a 4-part audio commentary, a look at the women of Avatar, pencil test animation, and a San Diego Comic-Con featurette. Paul Sabourin will be buying this.

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    Still stylish after all these years, the 50th anniversary edition of Gigi (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$20.98 SRP) features a beautifully restored print of the Gallic love story. The 2-disc edition features an audio commentary, vintage shorts, an in-depth making-of documentary, and the original 1949 nonmusical version of Gigi.

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    And if that’s not enough French fare for you, then how about a new special edition of Gene Kelly in An American In Paris (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$20.98 SRP)? It’s fully restored as well, with an audio commentary, classic shorts, a making-of documentary, a profile of Kelly, an outtake song sequence, and more.

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    Did anybody watch the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Private Practice (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP)? I suppose there must be someone out there that cared to see Kate Walsh’s Dr. Addison Montgomery move on, I guess. Either way, here’s the complete first season, featuring all 9 episodes plus featurettes, commentaries, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more.

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    You can now snag the 2-disc special edition of Michael Bay’s Transformers (Paramount, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP) in new “transforming package”. Personally, I think the film is a giant, unintelligible piece of crap – and my opinion remains unchanged – but I know there are plenty of fans who will snap this up. It’s got the same audio commentary and featurettes, but the case transformers into that crappily designed big screen Megatron. Blech.

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    It seems like it’s taken almost 8 years just to get all 8 seasons of Will & Grace (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP) on DVD, but the final season has finally arrived. The 4-disc set features all 23 episodes, plus interviews with the cast, audio commentary, a featurette, and outtakes.

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    The second season of the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 SRP) is still an awful mess of poorly written scripts and baffling characters that makes for an almost comically bad series that – with just a small amount of tweaking – might actually be a great show. It’s just that – as it’s handled now – it feels like a very poor man’s X-Files/Angel hybrid. The 5-disc box set features all 13 episodes, plus the Torchwood Declassified behind-the-scenes episodes, deleted scenes, outtakes, and a look at the life and deaths of Captain Jack.

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    And, while it’s not the Doctor Who release I was hoping for, the complete first season of Torchwood had made its way to Blu-Ray (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$99.98 SRP) sporting the same bonus features as the standard DVD release. Here’s hoping the Doctor arrives in high-def in the near future.

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    Garishly colorful, borderline seizure-inducing, and practically incomprehensible, the Wachowski Brothers’ take on Speed Racer (Warner Bros., Rated PG, DVD-$28.98 SRP) is one of those awful films that you just can’t take your eyes off of, as you desperately look for some kind of redeeming value and marvel at the brightly-colored awkwardness on display. But at least John Goodman is watchable. And they found something to do with Christina Ricci’s forehead. So there’s that. Bonus features include a pair of featurettes.

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    It’s mostly a soapy mess, but the real reason to at least check out the first season of Dirty Sexy Money (Buena Vista, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP) is for the performance of Donald Sutherland as the stupid rich patriarch of New York’s troubled (and in trouble) Darling family. The 3-disc set features all 10 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, bloopers, and more.

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    Oh, Mike Myers… I truly believe that you honestly thought that The Love Guru (Paramount, Rated PG-13, DVD-$34.98 SRP) was funny. Watchable, even. Sadly, it’s neither of those things. It is painful, however, and hopefully marks the low point before Myers makes a comeback. We hope. Bonus features include featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more. A Blu-Ray edition is also available ($39.99 SRP), with identical bonus features.

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    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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  • Win PETER COOK & DUDLEY MOORE on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with BBC Home Video, five (5) copies of PETER COOK & DUDLEY MOORE: THE BEST OF WHAT’S LEFT OF NOT ONLY BUT ALSO on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 26th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 26th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Win TORCHWOOD: SEASON 2 on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with BBC Home Video, five (5) copies of TORCHWOOD: SEASON 2 on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 26th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 26th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Win BRIAN REGAN: THE EPITOME OF HYPERBOLE on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of BRIAN REGAN: THE EPITOME OF HYPERBOLE on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 26th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 26th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Masters Of Song Fu #2: Round 3 Challengers and Challenge Revealed

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    We here at Quick Stop Entertainment are true lovers of music, in all its forms. We’re also quite keen on the spirit of competition, and of spurring creativity through said competition.

    To that end, we launched a brand new form of creative combat here at the Stop. You’ll find the very first of these competitions here.

    In this age of manufactured and painfully earnest talent contests, we’ve decided to instead shine a light on the quirky, quixotic underworld of musicians that don’t get nearly the attention they deserve.

    Ah, but I did mention that there was a competition involved…

    A week back, we sent out the call for challengers. Hundreds of you heard the call and fought for a chance to be in the initial group. 20 were selected. Of those 20, only 13 responded in time (Them’s the breaks).

    Like a songwriting version of Iron Chef, these challengers were presented with a very specific songwriting challenge, and given one week to complete their songs – however they saw fit, within the parameters set forth. Here’s the Round 1 Challenge…

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    ROUND 1 CHALLENGE

    This is going to seem to be a rather straightforward challenge to kick off our second Song Fu competition. In actuality, it’s a pretty darn interesting way to give people a sense of just what your songwriting personality and style is. We’re taking a cue from a fellow named Paul Simon

    Your first challenge is to WRITE A SONG ABOUT THE MOON.

    That’s it. The only other directive is that your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

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    After one week of intense campaigning and voting, we eliminated the bottom vote-getters – leaving only 6 competitors (5th place was a tie) to move on to… ROUND 2. The remaining Challengers and our Masters were then presented with their Round 2 Challenge…

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    ROUND 2 CHALLENGE

    Your challenge is to choose a famous inventor and craft a song proposing a “dance craze” based on either the inventor or one of his/her most well known inventions. For an idea of what we’re looking for, here’s a song proposing the ill-fated “Lurch”…

    Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

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    Your votes have been tallied, and the top two Challengers from Round 2 are moving on to battle head-to-head in ROUND 3. The winner of this mano-a-mano Challenger showdown will be the one who moves forward to the FINAL ROUND, where they’ll face off against the Master who’s accumulated the most votes over the course of the 3 Challenges. You ‘ll find the Round 3 Masters and Challengers below, followed by the Challenge itself.

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    MASTERS OF SONG FU

    For this edition of Song Fu, we’re bringing in two (well, 5, if you’re being technical) very special Masters who you’ll be going up against. Think of them as the iron chefs of Song Fu, and your ultimate challengers, as you’ll square off against one of them mano-a-mano in the Final Round:

    PAUL & STORM

    songfu-02.jpgPaul and Storm are a comedy music duo, and they have been performing as a duo since 2004. Before that, they were one half of a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook for about 12 years. A Paul and Storm show is part music concert and part standup/improv comedy”β€œjust enough of both to fit neatly in neither category. They like to engage the audience, and are known to award snack cakes and/or other prizes for good (and sometimes bad) behavior. Their show would be PERFECT as a cable special, and would make lots of money for whichever brave channel decides to air them first.

    Official Website: www.paulandstorm.com

    ROUND 2 SONG:Me Make Fire
    ROUND 1 SONG:Cruel, Cruel Moon

    THE RIFFTONES

    songfu-rifftones.jpgYou know ’em as the RiffTrax trio, but here at Song Fu they are the mighty RiffTones…

    MICHAEL J. NELSON – Michael J. Nelson is the creator of Rifftrax.com, and is the former host and head writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams.

    His first book, Mike Nelson’s Movie Megacheese, thrilled critics, including Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, who said of Mike, “He’s more fun than a barrel of Val Kilmers… Smarter than a roomful of Patrick Swayzes… and almost as hilarious as Keanu Reeves.” Mike’s laugh-out-loud follow-up, Mind Over Matters, prompted Kirkus Reviews to enthuse, “From someplace called Minnesota comes a Nelson funnier than Ozzie, Ricky, Lord or Half,” and even dared to compare him to another legendary writer, saying of his Serious Speech to Business People, “[It] could easily precede [Robert] Benchley’s immortal Treasurer’s Report.” And Kirkus Reviews loved his novel, Death Rat!, saying, “Fast-paced, outrageous and funny, first-novelist Nelson’s mockery of media mendacity is as biting as La Dolce Vita or Network – only funnier!”

    Mike speaks all over the country, is a frequent guest on radio and television, and along with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy sells out theaters with his RiffTrax Live events.

    KEVIN MURPHY – “I’m probably best known for portraying that ol’ squat loveable bubble-headed robot Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000. In fact I’m the only member of the cast and crew to have worked on every single episode of the series, probably because I tend to like everybody. I also got to sing at the drop of a hat and collaborated with the lovely, leggy Mike Nelson on many of the show’s songs.

    Right now I’m back with Mike and Bill for www.rifftrax.com , where once again we sit in close proximity to each other and make fun of movies; unfortunately we don’t write a lot of songs… yet. To exercise my musical jollies I occasionally write and record solo and with family members, under the name The Revolutionary Communist Mountain Boys. Oh, and I’m also writing my first comic book series, symptomatic of my terminal case of Adult-onset Geekdom.

    BILL CORBETT – Beloved by literally billions of people, Bill Corbett is a former writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the Sci-Fi Channel, and previously on Comedy Central. He was also a performer on the show, providing the second incarnation of the robot Crow and embarrassing himself in grand fashion as other strange characters – including the all-powerful but clueless alien The Observer, a.k.a. “Brain Guy.” Bill has always been an amateur musician (cough cough HACK cough cough), performing with garage-less garage bands, and writing / performing songs for MST3K – including the beloved-by-literally-trillions CANADA SONG. He now works with former MST3K colleagues Michael J. Nelson and Kevin Murphy at Rifftrax.com.

    Corbett is also a screenwriter and playwright. His plays have been produced at numerous theaters across the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and (seriously) Japan. He wasn’t able to attend the latter, but assumes it was a live-manga concept.

    A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Corbett currently spends a lot of time in Los Angeles partying into the wee hours with stars like Skeet Ulrich, Harry Hamlin, and the late Red Buttons. But he actually lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife Virginia, their two young children, and a small Jack Russell Terrier who really runs the house.

    He hopes someday to raise alpacas.

    Official Website: www.rifftrax.com

    ROUND 2 SONG:Do The Ballpoint!
    ROUND 1 SONG:Moon Shine

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    THE CHALLENGERS

    RUN AT THE DOG

    songfu-runatthedog.jpgRun At The Dog are high energy, rock/pop, category-sluts with multi-gendered vocals and intricate arrangements. They are like Abba meets Faith No More meets Mos Def meets the Mormon Tabernacle Choir meets Steely Dan. The songs of this Minneapolis 5-piece are always written right away, with no respect for the calculating mind. Audience members are unsure whether to dance, laugh, or panic.

    Official Website: myspace.com/runatthedog

    ROUND 2 SONG:Do The APGAR Score
    ROUND 1 SONG:Noon Moon

    JASON MORRIS

    songfu-jasonmorris.jpgI suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. As a drummer, I have had the opportunity to play with some pretty incredible musicians, garnering literally DOZENS of fans over the years. In 2004 I joined the band Celestial Static, and spent several years melting some face with good friends Jeremy and Julie Elzerman. Once that ran its course, I decided to spend more time locked away in my studio, writing my own songs and learning to play guitar, bass and sing. It doesn’t pay the bills, but I have a good time doing it.

    Official Website: www.jason-morris.com

    ROUND 2 SONG:The O’Sullivan Stomp
    ROUND 1 SONG:The Universe Outsourced The Moon

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    ROUND 3 CHALLENGE

    For this Challenge, not only are we going to provide you with a theme and style, but we’re also going to give you the title. Your task is to write a song that utilizes all of the provided elements.

    For this Round, we’re paying homage to the country balladeer greats “β€œ people like Jerry Reed, Waylon Jennings, and Roger Miller. Your task is to write a country ballad – using a backstory of your own creation “β€œ called “The Ballad of Rufus Amos Adams”.

    Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds. Your song must be submitted in mp3 form (128-192kbps) either via e-mail (to songfu @ asitecalledfred.com – remember to remove the spaces) or a file upload service (like RapidShare or YouSendIt). Deadline for submission is 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 26th, 2008.

    Voting on Round 2 submissions will commence on Saturday, September 27th, 2008.

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    If you triumph, not only will you win remarkable (and potentially off-putting) bragging rights and a clutch of fantastic mystery prizes, you will also become the proud owner of the magnificent, one-of-a-kind MASTER OF SONG FU TROPHY, designed and handcrafted by [adult swim] superstar Dana Snyder. Yes. Dana Snyder.

    Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

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  • Win THE FOOT FIST WAY on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of THE FOOT FIST WAY on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, September 25th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, September 25th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

  • Cabin Fever #40: Back To The Grind

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    cabin.jpgOh no! Just when you thought it was safe to hang out at the Quick Stop…

    Cabin Fever (hosted by the twisted souls Brian Fitzpatrick and Aaron Poole) is the result of having too much time on your hands and access to your local community radio station.

    Over the course of an hour, they manage to trawl the depths of good taste, plus throw some music in. How much more could you want from a podcast?… Quality? Oh… we didn’t think of that.

    Enjoy! And we hope our cross Atlantic friends can understand the Irish accent πŸ˜‰

    Hugs and Kisses,
    Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy

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    CABIN FEVER #40: Back To The Grind – The Cabin Boys are back to business as usual this week. No more crappy sound and drunken Snyders, instead we have talk of the fantasy premier league, Russell Brand, and a lady named Soiled Susie.  We have “commercial breaks” provided by Paul and Storm, and playing the team out is House Of Large Sizes. 40 podcasts! Insanity…

    [CONTENT WARNING]: Explicit contents! We say every naughty word you can think of. You have been warned!

    DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
    Episode #40 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_40.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
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    Got something to say? E-mail Aaron & Brian at the Cabin Fever mailbag.

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

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  • Trailer: SOLD OUT – A THREEVENING WITH KEVIN SMITH DVD

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  • Win THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, September 24th.

    CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

    Official Rules

    No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

    No Purchase necessary to win.

    Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

    One entry per day, per person.

    All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, September 24th.

    The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.