The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the FRED Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support FRED by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)
Hot on the heels of their various must-have droids, the fine folks at Sideshow have decided to grace fans with Tatooine’s favorite droid merchants with their brand new 1/6-scale Jawas (Sideshow Collectibles, $219.99). Their release comes as a two-pack, one slightly taller and featuring different accessories and costuming (vest/rifle). What’s really great about these guys, though, is the light feature, allowing you to re-create the screen accurate glowing eyes. So, unless you’ve got a bad motivator, snap up these guys right quick.
Over 30 sets in, Shout Factory has proven itself to be a miracle worker when it comes to sorting out the ridiculously tangled web of rights-holders that make releasing episodes to home video a daunting task, so they should be praised mightily for getting us to Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXXVI (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$59.97 SRP). The 4-episode set contains Stranded In Space, City Limits, The Incredible Melting Man, and Riding With Death, plus a handful of bonus features. And, if you order directly from ShoutFactory.com, you’ll get an exclusive bonus disc containing the 1st And 2nd MST3K Summer Blockbuster Review specials from the Sci-Fi Channel Era. If that weren’t enough, they’re continuing to re-release the long out-of-print Rhino sets with Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume II (Shout Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$44.99 SRP), which adds MST Hour wraps for Cave Dwellers and Pod People. Shout, you are doing an incredible job. KEEP IT UP.
I’ve never been keen on the Olympics, but I do love a solid comedy, and so what alternative to Rio could I possibly get than that solidly funny comedy The Bronze (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$25.99 SRP), starring Melissa Rauch as a washed-up Olympic Bonze Medal winner who risks losing her hometown hero status when she’s asked to mentor a promising young gymnast. Bonus materials include deleted scenes.
Over the course of 7 years after the film’s release, a trio of 11-year-olds in Mississippi attempted to film a shot-for-shot re-creation of Steven Spielberg’s epic adventure Raiders Of The Lost Ark. For years, their production remained unfinished. The documentary Raiders: The Story Of The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (Drafthouse Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.95 SRP) chronicles the story behind their film, as well as their attempts to reunite and finish the scene they were never able to film. It’s a touching love letter to friendship and the pop culture ties that bind us together. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a Q&A, and trailers.
Certainly Disney has tried to develop their theme park IP in feature films over the years, but they’ve recently begun to exploit their iconic rides in publishing. For fans of the Haunted Mansion that want a beautifully illustrated, straightforward presentation of the tale as told within the ride, check out The Haunted Mansion storybook (Disney Press, $17.99 SRP), which comes with a bonus CD featuring the ride’s song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts”. For a deeper dive, though, there’s Tales From The Haunted Mansion Volume 1: The Fearsome Foursome (Disney Press, $14.99 SRP), a chapter book series which attempts to tell the story of one of the attraction’s 999 ghosts.
I don’t think Danny DeVito gets nearly the praise he should as a director. As a performer, he’s like a focus magnet, and then when you combine the two, as in the little-seen gem The Ratings Game (Olive, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.95 SRP) – newly available in high definition – you get a sly, sharp satire about a New Jersey trucking magnate who wants to be a bigtime Hollywood producer. Also on the disc are a collection of rare short films directed by DeVito, a featurette, and deleted scenes.
Finn & Jake get swept up in Adventure Time: Card Wars (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$18.98 SRP), with 16 episodes of the ever-deepening mythology including the titular tale of flooping the pig. Sadly, we’ll have to wait for the eventual Blu-Ray season release for bonus features, but this will tide you over until then.
Be sure to pack your lunch for the post-apocalypse with your very own Fallout Lunch Box (Thinkgeek, $14.99), featuring the retro iconography of the game and a classic metal construction sure to keep your lunch safe from robots.
How would you like 50 comedies from the first half of the 20th century, starring everyone from W.C. Fields and Laurel & Hardy to Buster Keaton & The 3 Stooges? You’ll get them and more in the ridiculously affordable Icons Of Comedy: 50 Movie Collection (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$17.99 SRP). Included with purchase is the ability to stream the entire collection via watch.millcreekent.com. So, affordable and convenient.
If nothing, the 5th season of Once Upon A Time (ABC Studios, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.99 SRP) has fully embraced its crazy, and has decided to dump every Disney character it possibly can into its crazy, so if you’re a fan of the more is more school of storytelling, than this is the season for you. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and bloopers.
Shailene Woodley blank-facedly ambles her way over the wall in Allegiant (Summit, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), the latest chapter in the Divergent Series of dystopian future fic. Bonus features include an audio commentary and a clutch of featurettes.
The 9th volume of Fantagraphics fab collections of Floyd Gottfredson’s Mickey Mouse (Fantagraphics, $34.99 SRP) have reached the post-WWII years, with this edition covering the period between mid-1946 to mid-1948, as well as introducing the charmingly bizarre character Eega Beeva. Full of the usual bevy of insightful contextual essays and information, this is another great installment in a wonderful archival series.
The theme song is still an earworm in my brain, and now you can dive into both the first and second season of The Rockford Files (Mill Creek, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP each), which still holds up as a great detective show largely to the charisma of star James Garner, thanks to the economy-priced re-release from the folks at Mill Creek.
It’s not often you see Kevin Costner in full-on action mode, and that’s what we get in Criminal (Summit, Rated R, 4K-$42.99 SRP), which finds the memories and skills of a deceased CIA agent placed into the body of Costner’s death-row inmate, in the hopes that the Franken-personality that emerges will be able to complete the operative’s mission. Bonus materials include featurettes, deleted scenes, and a music video.
Though it’s unfortunate that they decided to end the show, at least we can deep dive back into modern comedy gold with a marathon re-watch of Key & Peele: The Complete Series (Comedy Central, Not Rated, DVD-$55.98 SRP), which contains all 5 seasons plus “The Van and Mike Show”, “The Super Episode” best of Seasons 1 & 2, and outtakes.
While it’s enjoyable enough, I was really hoping that Key & Peele’s debut feature, Keanu (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$19.96 SRP) would well and truly hit it out of the park. Sadly, it’s just a collection of scenes that vary wildly in how well the comedy hits, largely from how strong the improvisation on display wound up being. It’s a fun film, but could have been so much more. Bonus features include a featurette, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
If you’re a fan of deep diving into all corners of the Disney creative process (as I most assuredly am), you’ll probably dig Disney Villains: Delightfully Evil (Disney Editions, $40.00 SRP), a lavish hardcover book that catalogues the foul antagonists of Disney’s animated canon, with trivia, behind-the-scenes info, and copious amounts of rare development and production art.
Let’s just all collectively ignore Zack Snyder’s grimdark universe and embrace a far more inviting feature for the DC Comics pantheon courtesy of LEGO Justice League: Gotham City Breakout (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.95 SRP), which finds the JL policing Gotham when Batman decides to take a vacation. And even better? It comes with a Nightwing Minifig.
Ten years on from the last installment, Barber Shop: The Next Cut (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP) retains the franchise’s fresh, funny, and decidedly relevant strengths without in any way succumbing to fatigue. Maybe that’s because it manages to stay topical with a cast you enjoy visiting again. Bonus materials include a featurette, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
I don’t want to ruin Sing Street (Anchor Bay, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP) for you, because I’m hoping you’ll just go ahead and watch it cold like I did, so you can be just as swept up in its tale. Do you love music? Does it define the moments of your life? Then watch this. Bonus materials include featurettes and cast auditions.
It’s a great show, sure, but we all know the reason you absolutely must watch The Blacklist (Sony, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$75.99 SRP) is for the absolutely mesmerizing performance from James Spader. The rest is all fine and dandy, but he’s the gravy that makes the potatoes truly spectacular. As for bonus features, the 3rd season set contains audio commentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes.
LEGO cartoons are usually fun romps, and that’s true of their new show, Nexo Knights (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$18.98 SRP), the first season set of which contains all 10 episodes of this medieval sci-fi mash-up.
I’m a sucker for a political thriller, and the mini-series The Tunnel (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.99 SRP) certainly delivers with its tale of the murder of a prominent French politician along the UK/France border, and the resulting joint investigation by a pair of detectives (Stephen Dillane & Clemence Poesy). Bonus materials include behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews, and more.
I’m really struggling to say something nice about Batman V Superman (Warner Bros., Rated R, 3D Blu-Ray-$44.95 SRP), a film I well and truly loathed. A dark, depressing affair that managed to suck excitement, heroism, and even sense out of what should have been a slam-dunk big-screen pairing of two cultural icons. But, no. No, it wasn’t a slam-dunk, unless that slam-dunk was into a garbage pail full of fetid slop. But hey, the rain looks pretty in 3D. But then you also get an expanded director’s cut that adds in more. Just more. Bonus materials include a massive clutch of featurettes, and more.
Summer’s great for a great many things, but sometimes you just want to escape the ridiculously overwhelming heat by retreating into the AC and watching TV. That’s probably why I spend my summer cool-down time indulging in my love of documentaries, including a new batch hitting DVD from the fine folks at PBS. There’s history, with The White House: Inside Story (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP and Teotihuacan’s Lost Kings (PBS, Not Rated, DVD- $24.99 SRP). How about history and architecture, with Operation Lighthouse Rescue (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP). Or nature, with The Great Polar Bear Feast (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP), Nature’s Perfect Partners (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP), and Wild Ways (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP). Maybe just watch food being made in season 16 of America’s Test Kitchen (PBS, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP). It’s all great.
With all of the drama that swirls around the Supreme Court, particularly in this heated election year, the story behind Anita Hill’s testimony and the confirmation hearings of Judge Clarence Thomas, as depicted in Confirmation (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), is both timely and fascinating. Bonus features include featurettes and character spots.
All the late Garry Marshall sought to deliver with his Day films were an amiable, heartwarming time, and Mother’s Day (Universal, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) certainly delivers on that remit, with a cast including Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Julia Roberts, and Kate Hudson delivering a schmaltzy, affectionate, inoffensive good time. Bonus materials include deleted scenes and outtakes.
Everyone is vacationing this summer, including Mummy, Daddy, George, and Peppa in Peppa Pig: Sunny Vacation (E1, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), and kiddies can join them in this 4-part special. The disc also includes 8 bonus episodes that will keep them entertained.
Director Volker Schaner’s documentary about reggae godfather and the innovator of dub, Lee Scratch Perry’s Vision Of Paradise (Cadiz Music, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP) is as unique an exploration of the man and his music as it is a piece of filmmaking, blending animation within its footage. The DVD comes packaged in a 24-page hardcover book featuring photos and writings.
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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Hey! Not only is 
I’ve become almost a broken record when singing the praises of the high definition restorations Disney is doing for the Blu-Ray releases of their classic animated titles, but they remain consistently top-notch, and such is the case with the positively great-looking 
To praise the beautiful lyricism of a Studio Ghibli film seems almost to be a bit redundant, especially when it’s always consistently true – case in point being the latest import to the US, 
I know the wait has been painful, but you can get your John Luther fix with 
Fans will have to wait a bit longer for the next complete season set, but you can make the wait a bit easier with 
It’s taken me a few years to get warmed up to 
Combine magicians and heist movie tropes and you’ve basically got a nice little weekend’s entertainment in 
It’s always sunnier when another season of 
A genre classic makes its long-awaited high definition debut with the arrival of the original version of 
The folks at Mill Creek prove once again that they are wizards at providing the most entertainment for your limited budget with another quartet of their multi-film collections – the 12-movie 
To try and sum up the many, many things wrong with 
I’m sad to say, but I’ve never been more happy for a show to end than I have been for 
Heya, music fans! How about this week’s soundtrack roundup? You’ve got the compilation of songs and score from 
It’s rather fitting that you can actually spend an actual Friday the 13th watching the high definition debut of all 12 films contained in the 
And if watching that new season of Luther has you primed to watch some more of the BBC’s patented character-based crime drama, try giving a spin to 
Hey, sure, let’s turn Leonardo DaVinici into a sexy warrior for the forces of truth and enlightenment in a dark age. That’s basically the premise of 
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any crazier, the fifth season of 
If you’ve been smurfing to see some classically animated smurfs, then the Halloween themed 
The long, tragic, and often bloody road traveled by Starz’ original sword and sandals series finally comes to an epic conclusion with 
Sometimes you get the sense that the BBC is willing to try just about anything to get an ongoing genre franchise going, which is probably why the first season of their take on 
Set in the transition from the stratified Edwardian class system to the societal breakdown and chaos of WWI, Tom Stoppard’s 
From the high concept, low payoff folks at JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions comes 
Sports, suburbs, and comedy collide once again in the fourth season of 
It’s always interesting to see where a show goes when it’s expanding from source material, particularly when Stephen King is the source. Based on The Colorado Kid, by its third season, 
Much has been made about 
You can never have too much Bender, so how can you not want the 9″ 
While you’re awaiting the next full season box set, satiate your thirst with the latest single disc release 
It’s always a delight to see a loving restoration of a Technicolor age film make its way to high definition, and 
You know what? I’m not even going to attempt to tell you what Patton Oswalt talks about in his newest album, 
The high definition Lionsgate releases of the Miramax catalogue are still coming fast and furious, with another clutch of titles to fill those gaps in your collection, including the toilet bowl cautionary tale 
Ken Burns turns his documentary lens towards America’s drunkest “sober” hour, 
I could hours watching Darren McGavin star as Mickey Spillane’s bareknuckle gumshoe Mike Hammer – which makes the release of 
Here we are, with the penultimate 11th season of the long-running 
Oh, Warner Archive collection. Yet again, you unleash a clutch of titles the only a very few would ever think to ask you about, but at least they are now available to all. First you’ve got Michael Gough siccing his big cats on people in 
Yeah. I really can’t stand 
Oh, Danny Devito. Sure, the rest of the cast is ace and the show is funny, but I’m only really watching the 6th season of 
Billie Piper has one last go as high-class escort Hannah “Belle” Baxter in the 3rd and final season of 
The 200th anniversary specials focusing on the American Civil War continue with the documentary 
I admit, I went into JJ Abrams’ reboot of 
Another in the long line of comedy gems cancelled way too soon, Shout has given a nice, comprehensive special edition collection to 
Including JJ Abrams reboot, I still stand by my assessment that 
Though he’s been painted with a “grim” and “dense” brush, you’ll realize within a few pages of the 
For the 10th anniversary of Sandman – waaaaay back in 1999 – Neil Gaiman teamed with P. Craig Russell and Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano for a unique, beautiful tale featuring the King of All Night’s Dreaming, and the result was 
The high-def brigade has struck again, delivering a trio of Kevin Smith flicks into the single, aptly-titled 
It’s not the animated Batman, but I’ve been enjoying the animated adventures of ol’ webhead, the latest collection of which is now available as 
Though some might consider the 22 shorts contained in 
It’s not as polished or memorable as his early 70’s work, but the seeds were clearly planted in the eponymous debut album 
I thought it was a pretty good gimmick flick when it first came out, but I don’t find Fincher’s 
I’d like to say that Sacha Baron Cohen does it again with 
Based on the history of the show, you know that 
Not given the love of stablemates like The Sopranos and Deadwood when it aired, 
A perfect companion piece to Wizard Of Oz‘s recent beautifully remastered anniversary release is Warner’s other gem of 1939, 
I was about to try defending Devlin/Emmerich’s 
I tried numerous times to get into Farscape, but could never get past its overly artificial, manufactured sci-fi feel, but I know it has a massive, rabid fanbase who are probably counting their pennies for the immense, comprehensive 
While it was a step up from the bewilderingly awful seventh season, the eighth season of 
With Prohibition on the way out, the final 12 episodes featured in 
It’s trickling out, but another volume of 
Yes, 
I never sparked to 
