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…
Ever since seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark as a wee child, Indy’s iconic headwear has held a special fascination for me. Even going back 15 years, I contemplated trying to get a fedora of my own – but the price was quite prohibitive (or, at least, relative to my finances today). Still, the dream persisted, and on a trip to Disneyland a few years back I picked up one of their $35 officially licensed fedoras – and I was happy. It looked close enough to the real thing for me to feel like I finally got what I’d always wanted. Ah, but then ThinkGeek had to step in and slap me across the face, and show me that there was a difference between hamburger and steak with their high-end, officially licensed Indiana Jones fedora. Featuring 100% pure felt, a leather headband, and a satin liner, it’s the ultimate geek dream – so, surely, it must be hundreds of dollars… But you’d be wrong! The hat can be yours for just $99. Head on over to ThinkGeek straightaway and get yours, now… You know you want to. Hell, as you can see from the pic below, I’m wearing mine right now… I might even wear it to bed.
We’ve now officially reached – and passed – the middle of The Muppet Show‘s DVD release with the arrival of season 3 (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP). There’s only two more seasons to go, but you’ll more than enjoy the magnificent clutch of classic episodes contained herein, with guests including Harry Belafonte, Gilda Radner, Pearl Bailey, and more. The 4-disc set also features a welcome return of absolute must-have rarities from the archives (thanks, Craig!), including the public television special “Muppets On Puppets”, Rowlf the Dog Purina commercials, and a spotlight on the Muppet performers.
With all that attention being paid to the man with the hat, let’s turn our eye towards the original Lucasian franchise that was driven into the ground with an unfortunate return, Star Wars. Before the release of the prequels – even before the release of the special editions – there was an incredible behind-the-scenes tome that was released. Though out of print for years, it was brought back into print a few years back, and it’s celebration of an unsullied Star Wars universe warms my frosted heart. Packed with hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos and detailed information, get your own copy of Star Wars Chronicles (Chronicle Books, $150.00 SRP) and try to recapture some of the magic stolen by that bearded bastard.
Although still largely unknown in the US, I’m quite the fan of mentalist/magician/illusionist/creepy guy Derren Brown. I heartily recommend you pick up the DVD documenting his live tour Derren Brown: Something Wicked This Way Comes (Channel 4, Region 2, Not Rated, DVD-£12.99 SRP). It’s a simply stunning piece of theater, and a must-see. The DVD contains deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage, but sadly no commentary (I want to know how the walking on glass/reduced circulation trick was accomplished).
It’s been so long since their airing that I barely remember the episodes features in the 5th season set of Penn & Teller’s Bullshit (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). The 2-disc set features 10 episodes on topics including obesity, Wal-Mart, breast hysteria, de-toxing, exorcism, immigration, handicap parking, Mt. Rushmore, anger management, and more. Unfortunately, we’re still not getting any bonus features, making the features on the first season set a fluke.
Although his smarmy, opportunistic, and ultimately destructive behavior became cartoonish in his last years as prime minister, it’s a film like writer Peter Morgan and director Stephen Frears’ The Deal (Channel 4, Region 2, Not Rated, DVD-£15.99 SRP) that shows that Tony Blair was always a little Machiavelli. The film details the rise to power of Tony Blair, on the back of current Prime Minister Gordon Brown – from the broken Labour Party of the 80’s to their triumphant return in the 1990’s, and the understanding that Blair would step aside after a second term… which, obviously, he did not. Michael Sheen reprises his role as Blair, and David Morrissey is pitch-perfect as Brown. It’s a fascinating piece of political drama that is still having repercussions today.
Long before her turn as Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker was teamed with Amy Linker in the 80’s prototype for My So-Called Life, Square Pegs (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP). You can now own the complete awkward misadventures of Patty and Lauren in the harrowing halls of Weemawee High School via this new DVD set, featuring all 19 episodes across 3 discs. Bonus materials include interviews with the cast and crew and minisodes of Silver Spoons and The Facts Of Life.
Longtime readers of this column will know I’m a sucker for historical documentaries, so keep that in mind when I say I watched The Hunt For John Wilkes Booth (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP), which illuminates and traces the escape route the assassin used after shooting Lincoln.
If you’re an armchair adventurer, you might want to pick up a copy of The Indiana Jones Handbook: The Complete Adventurer’s Guide (Quirk Books, $18.95 SRP). It’s essentially a tongue-in-cheek survival guide based on the Indy universe, advising on everything from “How To Pass Under A Moving Truck” to “How To Escape The Wrath Of God”.
If you’ve not yet seen Brass Eye (Channel 4, Region 2, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99 SRP), you need to rectify that egregious comedic oversight immediately. I’m serious. Immediately. As satire goes, it’s absolutely brilliant, pointed, and brutal in its take on the topics of sex, crime, animals, science, and more. The DVD contains the entire series, plus bonus footage, audio commentaries, trailers, and more.
Often – and unfairly – overshadowed by the much showier Platoon, Hamburger Hill (Lionsgate, Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP) gets a new 20th Anniversary special edition of Bravo Company’s struggle to take the infamous Vietnamese hill. Bonus features include n audio commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a timeline.
After four seasons of Jim Nabors bumbling around as the titular Gomer Pyle, USMC (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), you pretty much know what you’re going to get. It’s a safe bet that Gomer will screw up something or another on Camp Henderson, much to the consternation of Sgt. Carter. The 5-disc set features all 30 episodes, sparkling-fresh.
You’ve got to love BBC period dramas – and I do. They’re lush, they’re dependable, and they’re usually packed with top-flight actors. Such is the case with Cranford (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP) – based on the works of Elizabeth Gaskell – which features Judi Dench, Michael Gambon, and Imelda Staunton. The sole bonus feature of the 2-disc set is a making-of featurette.
I was an avid Saturday morning cartoon watcher during the 70’s and 80’s, and even I don’t remember that there was such a beast as the Richie Rich Scooby Doo Show (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). Despite my lack of knowledge, there apparently was, and the first volume of it is now available – its 2 discs featuring 7 episodes and the featurette “The Story Of Richie Rich”. Who knew?
Not one to let the dead rest even a moment, George Romero returns with another installment in his seemingly never-ending zombie saga, Diary Of The Dead (Dimension, Rated R, DVD-$24.99 SRP). This go round, it’s the Cloverfield of the run, as we find a group of college film students documenting the rise of the zombie epidemic. Bonus features include an audio commentary, a feature-length documentary, featurettes, and more. Also available is a newly-restored, feature-laden special edition of Romero’s original Night Of The Living Dead (Dimension, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), featuring a pair of audio commentaries, a feature-length documentary, interviews, and more.
If watching war flicks over the labor day weekend seems kind of old hat, you might want to try taking a look at the veritable wagonload of westerns making their way out of the vaults. First out the gate is Fox, which has dropped John Wayne: The Fox Westerns (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), featuring a quartet of the Duke’s outings for the studio – The Big Trail, North To Alaska, The Comancheros, and The Undefeated – including Fox Movietone News segments, featurettes, audio commentary, trailers, and more. Also available is Fox Western Classics (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), with Rawhide, The Gunfighter, and Garden Of Evil.
For sheer volume, though, MGM has opened up the floodgates with Man With The Gun, Man Of The West, The Gunfight At Dodge City, Day Of The Outlaw, The Way West, Sergeants 3, Navajo Joe, and The Westerner (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP each), as well as the complete collection of the Michel Biehn starring TV take on The Magnificent Seven (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP).
If you’re in the mood for a great drama that features Eddie Izzard (and really, who isn’t?), try the Region 2 release 40 (Channel 4, Region 2, Not Rated, DVD-£19.99 SRP), which focuses on the interwoven lives of seven men & women reaching the titular age and realizing exactly who they are – and what they’ve done – in life, with some unforeseen consequences.
Surely I can’t be the only one that had zero interest in National Treasure, and even less interest in its sequel, National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets (Walt Disney, Rated PG, DVD-$29.99 SRP). I mean, I found the story to be lackluster and Nic Cage to be about as interesting as paint drying. No… wait… I’d rather watch the paint, hands-down. For those of you who do care about Cage’s search for the Lost City Of Gold, the 2-disc special edition features an audio commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, outtakes, and more.
Take Party Animal, mix in The Hills, and add a bit of the envelope pushing of Queer As Folk – oh, and set it all in the UK – and you’ve got the basic formula for Skins (Channel 4, Region 2, Not Rated, DVD-£39.99 SRP), an acclaimed dramedy which follows a group of hard-partying teens that are slipping through the cracks of society in the most hedonistic way possible. The 6-disc box-set features both the first and second seasons, plus interviews, video diaries, bonus stories, and more.
The be-uniformed crusaders of the Judge Advocate General’s office return in the sixth season of JAG (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$55.98 SRP). Thrills! Spills! Cast shake-ups! The 6-disc set features all 24 episodes, but not a single bonus feature.
I still believe the film is an unwanted return to a franchise whose potential was dashed upon the rocks of a mediocre first outing, but there is something to be said for Harry Gregson-Williams’ score to The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Walt Disney Records, $19.99 SRP), which really deserves a better film.
Hoping to fill the void left by Jeff Foxworthy’s departure from the sitcom scene, redneck compatriot Bill Engvall received the eponymous Bill Engvall Show (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), which found him starring as a family counselor with a rambunctious and rowdy family of his own. Fun, right? You be the judge. The 2-disc set features all 8 first season episodes, plus interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Broadway-philes can give a spin to the new revival cast recording from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific (Masterworks Broadway, $18.98 SRP). It’s a nicely upbeat affair that’s the perfect listening companion to the recent Radiohead album.
As everyone surely knows by now (You have been reading this column, right?), the new Indiana Jones film is currently unspooling (well, I guess there are no spools in digital projection) in theaters around the globe. While I’m not exactly enthused about the new flick, the upside is that it means a return to stores of Indy toys based on the original trilogy, and Raiders in particular. Not only do we have new 3 3/4-inch action figures from Hasbro ($8.99 SRP each), but you can get the young kids the cartoonish “Adventure Heroes” figure 2-packs (Hasbro, $5.99 SRP each). Lego is also in the game with their various playsets, but for sheer simplicity, fun, and economy, you can’t beat the Motorcycle Chase set (Lego, $9.99 SRP) from The Last Crusade, featuring the two Dr. Jones’s pursued by the German soldier.
However, I’ve saved my favorite Indy toy for last – because it is the most glorious “What in the hell were they thinking” toy I’ve seen in ages. Hasbro’s “Adventure Heroes” line is geared towards 3-year-olds, who one would presume have not seen Raiders of the Lost Ark – and probably won’t be seeing it for a few years. Imagine their shock when they find out the story behind the happy-go-lucky cartoon characters featured in the “Belloq and Ark Ghost” 2-pack ($5.99 SRP)…
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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Jonathan Coulton on Jonathan Coulton: “In 2005 I left my day job writing software to pursue music full time. To keep myself busy I released a new song on this website every week for a year in a project called Thing a Week. A few of those songs became big internet hits (my folky cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”, a funny video called “Flickr”, a song called “Code Monkey”), and I am now fortunate enough to make my living as a musician.
Paul 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”“just 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.
Doc Hammer was born in 1626 in Hamar, Norway, under the name Erik VonHamer. Being the son of a humble cobbler, not much was expected of the young man, other than to cobble and to not complain about all the cobbling. But Doc was destined for greater things. At 17, with nothing more than really well made shoes and a dream, he made his way to Antwerp to study oil painting under the great Rubens. Within a year, the two were at odds. Rubens spoke (infrequently) of Doc as “that creepy skinny kid,” and Doc spoke of Rubens’s work as “kinda unattractive if you really look at it.” By 1648, Doc had relocated to Leiden, where he found his master in Rembrandt. It was there, in his 23rd year, that Doc met “She Who Was To Deliver The Kiss Of Eternal Youth.” After a spicy courtship, “She Who Was To Deliver The Kiss Of Eternal Youth” and Doc were married. By 1650 Doc had grown weary of immortality and committed an unsuccessful suicide by burying his never-corpse in the basement of a Dutch cottage. In 1870, Doc again resurfaced. Using the name Vilhelm Hammershoi, Doc resumed his painting career with mild success. After thanking his bride for “the immortality thing” and nicely reminding her that he had “heard every one of her stories like a billion times,” “She Who Was To Deliver The Kiss Of Eternal Youth” and Doc split up in 1916. Again, Doc literally went underground until, now using the name Armond Hammer, he resurfaced and made a whole mess of money selling overpriced meds to the Russians. Sick of all the baking soda jokes, Doc faked his death. Biding his time till the MC Hammer thing had blown over, Doc again resurfaced as “Doc Hammer.” Today, Doc still paints in oils and writes, voices, and does other crap for The Venture Bros. (a show you can watch on cable TV).
Teardrop consists of just two members, brothers Jono Renton and Pete Renton. Brought up on the sounds of Saturday morning television in the 90’s they seek to write music that is evocative of both the past and looking forward. Both members use different skills to create their unique sound, often associated with such acts as The Album Leaf, Boards Of Canada, Aphex Twin and other IDM artists. Jono provides the guitars, while Pete provides the synths and drums.
Matt Lees was born and raised in sheep-lovin’ Wales. At 12-years-old his family decided to move to everything lovin’ Canada and start a new life. Not an easy feat for any person, let alone a less-than-manly pre-teen. Eager to fit in with the Canuck teens he threw himself into the arts. He began an obsessive love affair with music. Writing and singing to express his emotions, he needed to learn an instrument to complete his sound. In the beginning he learned piano but, being lazy, he didn’t want to lug a piano everywhere. Guitar seemed like the easiest choice… plus, chicks dig guitar players. Ego in hand, he now fronts a self-titled band. The MLB fuses a pop-rock sound with a modern blues feel. Playing mainly in Ontario, Canada, Matt has also shared his music with audiences in Europe – even the French! Matt loves long walks on the beach, puppies, sharing his feelings and the smell of dew in the morning. He is currently ‘sticking it to the man’ in the real world while preparing to record and release his debut album (aka scrounging funds and searching for a cheaper studio).
Born in the fall of 2006 in the center of the two-man acoustic comedy rock scene, Columbus, Ohio, the self proclaimed Turner and Hooch of Rock and Roll, The Paul Frumpton Experience Featuring Larry – known more colloquially as Jeff Stormer and Jeremy Hoover – are best described as what happens when comedy, music, caffeine, and improv collide in a chocolaty, peanut buttery explosion of good times. Stormer and Hoover met as students of Ohio State University and have been performing for scraps of food and hobo nickels ever since. Jeremy and Jeff’s major influences include Bacon, Booster Gold & Blue Beetle’s irreverent banter, David Bowie’s crotch in Labyrinth, and a deep-seated love of go karts. Finally, we feel obliged to mention all the things that are off limits to the comedy duo… This list includes NOTHING.
Lex Friedman’s musical influences include artists like They Might Be Giants, Moxy Fruvous, “Weird Al” Yankovic, CAKE, Barenaked Ladies, Tom Lehrer, Ben Folds, and Michael Jackson. Lex has left a smattering of bizarre music videos on YouTube, which have been slowly overtaken by videos of his 18-month-old daughter Anya. He occasionally shares new songs on his blog. He currently appears both weekly and weakly as the host of the “Week in Douchebaggery” on Cracked.com. Lex, his aforementioned daughter Anya, his lovely wife Lauren, and his diabetic maltese Charlie all live together in New Jersey, and sincerely hope that you don’t hold that against them. He gives one of them two injections if insulin each day – guess which! Lex also wrote this sentence. To avoid appearing like a suck-up, Lex has neglected to mention other musical influences of his who may or may not be the Iron Chefs of this Song Fu competition. Let’s just say he happens to also love the musical stylings of a guy whose name rhymes with Shmonathan Shmoulton.
In the Audience is the newest musical outlet for singer/guitarist Jordan Stowell. At age 18, Jordan has just released his debut EP online and in select independent record stores in the northeast United States. The music has been compared to popular acts like Goo Goo Dolls and Guster as well as smaller acts like Anathallo and The Format. The music of In the Audience would likely fall under the genre of “Indie Pop.” Although likely not making an appearance due to time constraints, the band also includes guitarist Steve Janick. The band mixes calming acoustic guitars and violins, with loud percussion and the occasional keyboard or hand clap. New to the music game, In the Audience is already preparing summer tour dates in select regions of the United States and Canada.
I picked up the guitar 20 some years ago and still don’t know one scale or the names of most of the chords. After a year of playing I formed a band called The Narrow Way. We wrote such classics as “Polka Hell” and “The Shades of Limbo”. After refining my chops, I then formed a band called Mechanized Death, which was named after that infamous car accident safety movie from the 70’s. We wrote such inspired classics as “Roadkill”, “Tunafish” and “I Don’t Care”. After Mechanized Death, I went solo and now have written hundreds of songs… I even sold one to a morning radio talk show (ahhh… the fame). Lately, I won song of the day at Garageband.com…So I guess my star is still rising.
Hello there! We’re John and Jane DeLorean, and together we are the FLYING DELOREANS. We used to be husband and wife, but after a brief creative hiatus we got a divorce and now are just brother and sister. We have many, many influences, but mainly just really enjoy playing music. Our main instruments are piano and ukulele and guitar and we’re basically the loveable underdog. Well, see ya.
Ben Rossow is seeking to inflict upon the world his unique brand of acoustic pop/punk/folk music. Hailing from Mora, Minnesota, this northern songsmith and his collaborator, Pete Morgan, have recorded and performed under the name “Ben & Pete.” Ben plays acoustic guitar and makes noise with his mouth, while Pete generally attracts songbirds with his delightful vocal stylings, and sometimes adds keyboard effects to distract potential enemies. Influences range from Bob Dylan to Weezer, Cheap Trick to The White Stripes.
My Fu is stronger than you! I am Coleman Bear Saunders, or Cloakie to most. At the age of 25 I work with music everyday at my studio that I recently built. I produce, engineer and compose various genres of music with ninja like precision. I have been picking away at the guitar since the age of 7 after watching my Dad play Johnny Cash tunes in the wrong key while singing the wrong lyrics, although I do the same thing because that’s the way I was learnt, ya hear me boy? I live in Kentucky and the music scene isn’t the greatest, so I turn to the internet to pipeline my Fu to the masses for free. I’m getting tired of music these days, I want some more songs about Dragons and fucking! Songs that take you on a journey and let you experience a different world, like movies do. My dream is to compose and score music for video games, TV, and my ultimate goal, the big screen. This is why the Song Fu competition was made for me. All the challenges that the competition presents to me will be similar to the expectations of future employers. Good luck to all, and may the best Fu win.
Elaine Chao Finnell is a singer/songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. In her checkered musical past, she has been a choral singer, a pit musician, an a cappella vocalist, a vocal percussionist, a hip hop beatboxer, contemporary Christian worship musician, and a musical librettist. After leaving the a cappella world in 2001, Elaine shifted into the world of hip hop theater, touring with spoken word artist Aya de León, then going solo and performing in such venues as the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco and at the Apollo Theater in New York City. She began writing music at the tender age of 17, co-authoring her first musical with Brian Allan Hobbs. Since then, she has written two full length musicals and two plays. She currently plays regularly at her church as a lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. While not in her musical pursuits, Elaine can be found in a cubicle at a major software company, at home with her engineer husband and their network of Macs, or studying martial arts at a local university.
Airplane vs. Ambulance are a four-piece synth-punk band from Abbotsford, BC. The band’s sound has been described as a blend of pop hooks and indie sensibility, and the’ve crafted their own unique take on modern rock.
East Carolina was formed in 2006 when friends Aaron (vocals, keyboards, accordion, etc) and Stuart (electric guitar, bass, keyboards, etc.) realized that, though often praised individually for their musical prowess, together they would be a virtually less-stoppable musical force. Combining in their music elements of alternative and classic rock, comedy, jazz, hilarious banter, polka, and more, East Carolina creates music that is unique, pleasurable, and often unclassifiable. Their original songs range in topic from Spanish love gone wrong to social anxiety to properties of gasses, and beyond. East Carolina is thrilled to be participating in the Masters of Song Fu competition and looks forward to sharing their songs with all of you.
To Serve Mankind seeks to do just that, via music that makes you think about the world and your place in it differently. Friends since high school, the duo, likened to They Might Be Giants or Barenaked Ladies, have played back yards to front yards and everywhere in between. It seemed like just yesterday To Serve Mankind had absolutely no future, and look at them now, competing in Song Fu against artists such as Paul and Storm and, uh, the Jonathan Coulton. Jeff Little and Bryan Ewing both grew up in Apple Valley, CA, an environment which demands creativity just to stay sane among Joshua trees, dirt, and the Wal*Mart. With a combined vocal range of at least a perfect 5th, To Serve Mankind is ready to take the world… aeriously. Bryan is into Rock, Jeff digs on Funk. Both serve as worship leaders at their respective churches and are married… not to each other… but to one woman each – Bryan to Michelle, Jeff to Jen. Bryan has a son named Malachi, and Jeff is expecting his wife to follow through on this pregnancy thing and produce a daughter, Jane. Jeff, Bryan (and Malachi) love Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Hello. I am Jeremy Edgington. Call me germ. I live in Springfield, Ohio and I was born here in 1972. I started playing guitar at about 13. I took it seriously only off and on. I love to play. I hate to practice. I just jam. I got began enjoying “deeply listening” to music at a really young age. I was into Kiss when I was in Kindergarten and first grade. I had all of their albums. Second grade came along and out with Kiss, in with Def Lepard! Then came Van Halen and so on. I have a nice recording studio. Buckethead is a huge influence on me. I play bass and guitar. I do drum programming. I also program background ambience. I use the guitar for just ambient noises in songs, too. I will someday release a CD. Maybe…
Relic’s Jetboat are a modern folk band – this isn’t about acoustic guitars in the coffee shop, it’s songs about modern folk and the events or stories around us. They bring a party band attitude to their songs about Garage Sailin’, Gordon Downie, Ogopogo and The Beachcombers. The songs cross genres as they represent the music that we hear these days. From country to reggae, punk, celtic and rock, the band has been described as “The Barenaked Ladies with an edge”, or this review of the band: “These guys could get a job doing Muppet Music. From Canada, they perform their individual style with ease and an abundance of satire. They take us back to a time of musical innocence when people got off on groups like the Beach Boys.”
The Deal: After 20+ years making music as a hobby, I recently wrote and recorded a song for my daughter. I got a little taste of mild success (hey, my mom liked it). So now I’m taking my music out of the closet, dusting it off, and seeing how it does in the sunshine. Who knew there was so much work in just attempting to do music for a living. I feel like I am opening a Subway franchise (Only opening a Subway franchise seems more fulfilling in a creative way).
Shannon is a woman of keen intellect and she is a little cuter than average, but not photogenic, so her picture will not necessarily reflect her attractiveness. She likes to ride vintage bicycles that clunk and whistle so that people in the city know she’s approaching and take notice. When she’s not working her ass off at her corporate job that pays huge cash, she likes to belittle her husband (sorry, fellows, she’s married) and re-arrange her coaster collection. She wants to make it big in Song Fu so that she can finally have an excuse to quit her career and bask in the adoration of her fans. At this time, she only has two fans (three, if you include the kid in the street that sometimes rides by on his scooter and stops for a minute when he hears her playing the guitar in the back yard, or maybe he’s looking at her dog in the window; she’s not sure).
I trained as a film critic at Glasgow University, then as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and then worked in a call centre for three years. Figures. Fed up with offering people death insurance, I taught myself how to edit film and got a job in a Glaswegian production company editing fishing programmes. When the allure of that finally wore off I went freelance for a while before setting up my own company, TheCage.TV Ltd. All through this time I’ve been writing songs to play live and record, in the olden days on MiniDisc and four-tracks and nowadays on Garageband. Currently I’m the only member of the band so it’s essentially solo work, though in theory anyone can contribute.
Run 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.
Oh no! Just when you thought it was safe to hang out at the Quick Stop…
First and foremost, take a moment to celebrate the glorious demise of the ill-conceived American version of Spaced with the news that this July brings the release with the original Britcom that put Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jessica Hynes, and Edgar Wright on the geek map. Loaded with bonus features from not only the UK release, but also exclusive to the US edition, this is a must-have set. Keep an eye out at your favorite online retailer or DVD emporium.
By the third season of 
For years now, I’ve been reiterating that you should buy, post-haste, the comedic sci-fi novels of Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder. Every one so far has been a gem, and he’s managed to keep the plate spinning with his latest tale of slow-witted detective Frank Burly, 
With a new Indy flick in the offing, it was a foregone conclusion that we’d see some form of re-release on the original trilogy – and so we have with the 
Cinema geeks rejoice! Universal has seen fit to collect 10 of their catalogue’s most genre-tastic titles into one box set – 
As much as I liked the “official” history found in the deluxe tome To Infinity And Beyond, it’s nice to have a complementary, unauthorized book about the early days and rise of Pixar to balance out the picture, and David Price’s 
The movie’s not yet in theaters, but everything I’ve seen of Kung Fu Panda has made me keen to do so. It’s taken awhile for rival studios that the way to fight Pixar is not to make knock-off Pixar flicks, but to realize the same thing that Warners did in their heyday – leave the heart to Disney and focus on the comedy instead. If you want to whet your appetite for this flick, look no further than 
I wasn’t alive to experience firsthand growing up in the 50’s, but I’m certainly aware of the shows and celebrities that made up the pop culture diet of that generation. If you’re as interested as I am in that period, you’ve got to get yourself a copy of 
It’s been 10 years since the passing of the Chairman of the Board, and Warners has seen fit to celebrate his passing with a quartet of box sets celebrating Frank Sinatra’s cinematic legacy – 
Everyone’s favorite sleuthing antiquities dealer returns in the complete third season of 
It’s not like I would have paid to see it in the theater, but 
The fourth season of 
Just when my nephews have nearly burned out the previous release, along comes 
One of my nephews is fast approaching the one-year mark, and getting him to sleep is quite a feat with all that teething going on. We’ve found that a big help in the seemingly never-ending battle is Nickelodeon’s 
The off-color puppets are back with 
Have you ever picked up a book and thought “This is an idea that was a long-time coming…”? I thought that very thing when I thumbed through 
You’ll weep, you’ll awww, you’ll get plenty of points from your significant other if you pick her up a copy of the new 
Like According To Jim, 
Surprisingly enough, Sean Combs acquitted himself quite well in last year’s TV adaptation of 
One of those programs that will always grab my attention if insomnia or boredom has me scanning channels at 4 in the morning is anything with forensic examiner Dr. Michael Baden. An all-new edition of 
While it’s wonderful that – long after the original Image-licensed DVD release of the film went out-of-print – we finally get a new, anamorphic edition of 
What better way to celebrate Jack “King” Kirby’s 50-year comic book career than with the 50th issue of the massive and magnificent Jack Kirby Collector, 
This week, I’m dedicating this mention of 
Honestly, it’s through my friendship with the intellectually and artistically intimidating Doc Hammer that I’ve taken an interest in painting – more specifically, the artists behind the paintings. With that in mind, an absolutely fascinating series that I’ve become addicted to is 
Most Oscar years, I’ve seen maybe one or two of the various animated and live action short subjects that come up for nomination. That’s why the enormously titled 
Does anyone remember that 
Certainly the concept of 
Just imagine the social satire and female empowerment you’d get out of rather graphic tale of a young woman who discovers she has the vagina dentata. Yes, you read that right. That film would be 
It’s not one of the shows on my must-watch list, but I’m sure that some people will care that the inaugural season of 
CABIN FEVER #23: Are You There Ken? It’s Me, Brian. – While the boys are waiting for their shiny new recording equipment to arrive they have a chat with Quick Stop Duck-In-Charge Mr. Ken Plume sur la telephone. There’s not much in the way of preparation or content but plenty in the way of innuendo. The Cabin Fever romance continues unabated and also unrequited while Aaron admits his desire to dress-up for the camera. This one is perfect for anyone with a short attention span.
