It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2019 FRED Holiday Shopping Guide.
(If you see anything you like, please support FRED by using the links below to make your holiday purchases – it’s appreciated!)
I’m a tremendous fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and I had high hopes that the documentary What We Left Behind (Shout Factory, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP) would pay proper tribute to the show and its creatives, both behind and in front of the camera. Thankfully, it delivered in spades, proving to be a loving tribute and celebration of the show and its dedicated fans, with participation from nearly everyone involved (sans the ever-elusive Avery Brooks). Bonus features include nearly an hour of additional interviews, a roundtable discussion, and featurettes.
A bona fide holiday classic, It’s A Wonderful Life (Paramount, Rated PG, 4K-$35.99 SRP) gets a stunningly pristine high definition upgrade in a release featuring both black & white & colorized versions of the film, original cast home movies, a featurette on the 4K restoration, and more.
Speaking of gorgeous high definition upgrades, The Wizard Of Oz (Warner Bros., Rated G, 4K-$41.99 SRP) has gotten its own eye-popping trip down the yellow brick road, with bonus materials including an audio commentary, featurettes, and more.
Hot Toys has done loads of stellar work over the years, but I still can’t help but be impressed whenever they drop a new figure. Holding their 1/6-scale Iron Spider (Sideshow Collectibles, $259) ““ aka the Stark-armored Spider-Man seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, & Spider-Man: Far From Home ““ it’s a marvel of screen-accurate reproduction, right down to finding a flexible suit material that has a metallic shine to it. You can pop the optional articulated spider-arms on or off, and he comes with two masked heads ““ one containing an LED light feature for the eyes ““ and an unmasked Peter Parker head that looks eerily like actor Tom Holland.
For many years now, Chronicle Books has been publishing a stellar line-up of Disney animation books. For contemporary fans, there’s The Art Of Frozen II (Chronicle Books, $40 SRP), loaded with production insight into the sequel. For deeper dive fans, they’ve continued their series chronicling the development art crafted at the studio during various periods in its history, the latest two volumes of which are They Drew As They Pleased – The Hidden Art Of Disney’s Mid-Century Era: The 1950s & 1960s (Chronicle Books, $50 SRP) & They Drew As They Pleased – The Hidden Art Of Disney’s Early Renaissance: The 1970s & 1980s (Chronicle Books, $50 SRP).
But those aren’t the only Disney books that should be on your holiday list. Disney Editions is releasing a few titles of note, including the tie-in to the Disney+ series One Day at Disney (Disney Editions, $50 SRP), Pete Docter & Christopher Merritt’s 2-volume celebration of a Disney artist & Imagineering legend in Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks (Disney Editions, $150 SRP), the revised special edition of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons (Disney Editions, $80 SRP), The Walt Disney Studios: A Lot to Remember (Disney Editions, $60 SRP), Walt Disney’s Ultimate Inventor: The Genius of Ub Iwerks (Disney Editions, $60 SRP), and former Imagineering president Marty Sklar’s Travels with Figment: On the Road in Search of Disney Dreams (Disney Editions, $26.99 SRP).
Yes, it is a Christmas movie, and you can celebrate the 35th anniversary of Gremlins (Warner Bros., Rated PG, 4K-$41.99 SRP) by watching it in 4K high definition, which means it’s never looked better. Bonus features include a pair of audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, galleries, and trailers.
Documenting his creative career in exquisite detail, Rick Baker: Metamorphosis (Cameron, $250 SRP) is a massive two-volume set containing a comprehensive visual archiving of nearly every creature, makeup, and effect crafted by the legendary cinema artisan. Listen, this thing is massive ““ And dense. Drop it and it’d break a foot.
Disney has been very kind to fans of both their theme parks and novelty vinyl, releasing a trio of picture albums featuring the complete ride-through audio and songs from Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and It’s a Small World (Walt Disney Records, $21.98 SRP each).
If vinyl’s not your thing and you’re just keen on some CD stocking stuffers, you can also score the soundtrack albums for Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Frozen II, Dumbo, & Descendants 3 (Walt Disney Records, $10.99 SRP each).
Largely fallen off the radar, China Beach (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$149.95 SRP), while leaning more towards drama than comedy, is to the conflict in Vietnam what M*A*S*H was to the Korean War, and is a series worth your time to explore ““ or revisit ““ via this new box set, collecting all 4 seasons plus audio commentaries, interviews, and featurettes.
Years and years ago, the fine folks at Sideshow released a 1/6-scale “figure” of Han Solo in Carbonite (Sideshow Collectibles, $249.99), to the delight of Star Wars fans eager to fill out their displays (particularly their Jabba’s Palace). Fans frustrated that the original piece sold out years ago will be very happy with their new release, with full control panel light features. The main difference is in the display stand, where the original release was intended to represent the alcove in Jabba’s Palace, this new edition has the flooring found in Cloud City from Empire Strikes Back.
And because there’s a new Star Wars film, it also means we get the information & trivia filled Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker The Visual Dictionary: With Exclusive Cross-Sections (DK, $24.99 SRP).
Oh, and hey, Star Wars fans, while I have your attention, the actor inside one-half of your favorite droid duo, Anthony Daniels, has released a memoir ““ I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story (DK, $24.99 SRP), which contains all of the firsthand anecdotes and details you could hope for, along with a clutch of personal photos.
While I don’t think any of them have aged particularly well as films, there’s no denying that the Batman 4K Film Collection (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, 4K Blu-Ray-$124.99 SRP each) ““ which contains 4K presentations of Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, & Batman & Robin – looks truly spectacular, from the gothic glory of the Burton films to the day-glo camp of Schumacher’s. Bonus features are all carried over from the previous special editions, including commentaries, documentaries, and more.
Over the course of its 5 seasons, Gotham (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$112.99 SRP) abandoned any pretense of being a somewhat serious Batman prequel series and instead leaned”¦ no, barreled into being a completely bizarre, totally unhinged meta goof that could more easily have been a prequel to the ’66 Batman series. You can now own the complete run, containing featurettes, deleted scenes, panels, and more.
When Batman Beyond (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$99.99 SRP) was announced as a follow-up series to the now-legendary Batman: The Animated Series ““ leaping forward decades from that show & featuring a teenager as the new Batman ““ I feared a shark-jumping in the making. But nope, instead it proved to be a brilliant extrapolation of the animated universe, and ended with one of the best Batman films ever crafted, Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker. The show is finally getting a high definition release via this box set, with bonus interviews and featurettes.
Speaking of comic books, there are a couple of hardcover tomes you might want to add to your shelves ““ DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle (DK, $50 SRP), Brave And Bold: Female DC Heroes Take On The Universe (DK, $16.99 SRP), and The Marvel Book (DK, $25 SRP).
More books? More books! Creator Rebecca Sugar has written a fully-illustrated storybook, Steven Universe: The Tale of Steven (Abrams, $14.99 SRP), a classic comic strip is celebrated in Art of Nothing: 25 Years of Mutts and the Art of Patrick McDonnell (Abrams, $40 SRP), and BoJack Horseman: The Art Before the Horse (Abrams, $40 SRP).
Insight editions has a dragon-sized and comprehensive The Art Of Game Of Thrones (Insight Editions, $75 SRP), which collects the awesome development art generated for the flawed series. Spider-Man: From Amazing To Spectacular ““ The Definitive Comic Art Collection (Insight Editions, $45 SRP) is an oversized spotlight on over 50 years of character artwork. Old school and new fans of the recent Netflix series will probably want to check out The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance ““ Inside The Epic Return To Thra (Insight Editions, $50 SRP). Those keen on process should find plenty of interest in Masters Of Comics: Inside The Studios Of The World’s Premier Graphic Storytellers (Insight Editions, $24.99 SRP). Finally, it may be small, but there’s one more bit of Star Wars fun to be had ““ the pocket-sized Star Wars: The Complete Marvel Comics Covers ““ Volume 1 (Insight Editions, $11.99 SRP).
In a post-Stranger Things world, the big-screen take on Stephen King’s It (Warner Bros., Rated R, 4K-$44.95 SRP) and its ragtag band of kids fighting a terrifying evil creature couldn’t help but feel a bit “been there, done that”, but the performances from all involved (including Bill Skarsgard as the monstrous Pennywise) made for a film that’s worth a watch. The completion of the story in It: Chapter Two (Warner Bros., Rated R, 4K-$44.95 SRP) doesn’t quite live up to part one, but it does expand the cast out with the adult version of the Losers’ Club. Bonus materials include audio commentary, featurettes, and deleted scenes.
The Warner Archive Collection continues to impress with catalogue titles both unexpected and appreciated. For animation fans, they’ve collected together the first high definition release of Popeye The Sailor: The 1940s Volumes 1-3 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP each), Jonny Quest: The Complete Original Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP), Teen Titans: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP), and Hanna-Barbera titles Wally Gator: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP) & Lippy The Lion and Hardy Har Har: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP). On the TV side, they’ve put out Babylon 5: The Complete First Season (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$47.99 SRP) back into MOD print, along with the uncensored first season of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP). Finally, see the historical debut of a lot of elements we consider canon for the character in Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP).
I mean, I really do love the Warner Archive, as they deliver deep dives and fan favorites from the vaults directly to fans who wouldn’t otherwise be able to get them if these niche titles had to reach a normal retail threshold to trigger release. On the theatrical side, you’ve got John Milius’ coming-of-age surfer film Big Wednesday (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the Steve Martin comedies The Man With Two Brains (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) & My Blue Heaven (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Harry Belafonte & Mel Ferrer in The World, The Flesh, And The Devil (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Lana Turner & Kirk Douglas in The Bad And The Beautiful (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Sophia Loren & George Peppard in Operation Crossbow (Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), Arthur Penn’s crime thriller Night Moves (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the pitch-black cult comedy The Loved One (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the pilot for film for the Patrick Duffy series Man From Atlantis (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP), the legendary Cleopatra Jones (Warner Bros., Rated PG-$21.99 SRP), My Favorite Year (Warner Bros., Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) and Bette Davis in the 1940 W. Somerset Maugham adaptation The Letter (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP).
Flicker Alley has carved out a wonderful niche for themselves in providing beautifully restored high definition releases of historical importance. Their latest is Melies Fairy Tales In Color (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$36.95 SRP), a selection of hand-colored films made between 1899-1909, the last silent Sherlock Holmes film ever made, Richard Oswald’s Der Hund von Baskerville (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), from 1929, 1922’s The Last Warning (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), and the film that was one of the inspiration’s for the Batman villain The Joker, 1928’s The Man Who Laughs (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$35.99 SRP).
The folks at Flicker Alley have also been doing a fantastic job restoring, preserving, and presenting vintage large format films, including those shot for Cinerama, that would otherwise have been unavailable to film aficionados for home viewing. Their latest releases are the rarely-seen Cinerama film The Golden Head (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.95 SRP), a slapstick heist yarn about a pair of kids who run afoul of two thieves (Buddy Hackett & George Sanders), and the 70mm film Flying Clipper (Mediterranean Holiday) (Flicker Alley, Not Rated, 4K-$39.95 SRP), a documentary following a Swedish sailing ship as it navigates the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, Mill Creek has been consistently stepping up their catalogue title game, as their latest batch of cult titles attests ““ including the pitch-black Aykroyd/Belushi comedy Neighbors (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), the 1985 Helen Slater-starrer The Legend Of Billie Jean (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), and Pamela Anderson’s Barb Wire (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP). They’ve also dipped into the 90s with the Van Damme/Rodman actioner Double Team (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), Dana Carvey in Opportunity Knocks (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), Alicia Silverstone & Benicio Del Toro in Excess Baggage (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), Pauly Shore in Jury Duty (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), and the double features Stepmom/The Deep End Of The Ocean (Mill Creek, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), Mo’ Money/High School High (Mill Creek, Rated R/PG-13, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), The Trigger Effect/Body Count (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98 SRP), and Mindwarp/Brainscan (Mill Creek, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$14.98
SRP).
And because this world contains more films than you can shake a stick at, Olive Films is also able to do some stellar cult catalogue releases, including the high definition debuts of How To Stuff A Wild Bikini (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), The Believers (Olive Films, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$24.99 SRP), and The Bells Of St. Mary’s (Olive Films, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$27.99 SRP).
For the cinephile on your list eager to expand their knowledge or just indulge their particular fandom, check out the books Tim Burton: The Iconic Filmmaker And His Work (White Lion Publishing, $25 SRP), Quentin Tarantino: The Iconic Filmmaker And His Work (White Lion Publishing, $35 SRP), Alien Vault (Epic Ink, $45 SRP), and Cult Filmmakers: 50 Movie Mavericks You Need To Know (White Lion Publishing, $16.99 SRP).
Oh, but those aren’t the only film & TV books that you should give serious gift consideration to, as Titan Books has a veritable bookshelf worth of titles to consider, including J.W. Rinzler’s definitive The Making Of Alien (Titan Books, $60 SRP), Alien: The Blueprints (Titan Books, $44.95 SRP), Joe Alves: Designing Jaws (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Star Trek: The Art Of John Eaves (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Alita Battle Angel: The Art & Making Of The Movie (Titan Books, $45 SRP), The Addams Family: The Art Of The Animated Movie (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Men In Black Films: The Official Visual Companion To The Films (Titan Books, $50 SRP), The Art And Making Of The Expanse (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Making Moon (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP), Orson Welles Portfolio: Sketches & Drawings From The Welles Estate (Titan Books, $50 SRP), and the gallery collection Rick And Morty: Show Me What You Got (Titan Books, $39.95 SRP). Quite the line-up, eh?
It’s always a surprise to find what subject Ken Burns has turned his documentarian eye towards, as it forever seems left field from where you’d expect him to go. I was certainly intrigued when I heard his next massive project would be Country Music (PBS, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$75.80 SRP), as it’s a rather sprawling, unwieldy topic. Leave it to Burns to pull off a miracle, then, by crafting a structure that explores its musical and cultural roots, personalities, and legacy, warts and all. The box set includes over 3 hours of additional content, including bonus video, featurettes, and more.
One of the most successful and longest-running sitcoms in television history, fans can now indulge their obsession with Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$179.95 SRP) with a deluxe collector’s boxed set containing all 12 seasons, plus featurettes, gag reels, and more.
It may not be awesome, but everything is pretty good in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Warner Bros., Rated PG, 4K Blu-Ray-$ SRP), which captures enough of the fun and energy of the first film to make for an enjoyable return. The real highlight, though, is the musical numbers. So many musical numbers! Bonus materials include deleted scenes, featurettes, music videos, and more.
It says something about the declining influence of the show that revisiting the episodes contained within South Park: The Complete Twenty-Second Season (Comedy Central, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) felt like watching them for the first time. The show is still entertaining, but it’s moved beyond groundbreaking or culturally relevant. Bonus materials include mini-commentaries, #Socialcommentary, and deleted scenes.
Guillermo del Toro is probably the closest we’ve got to an inheritor of the unique visual world building ability of Terry Gilliam, and that claim was made decidedly clear with Pan’s Labyrinth (Warner Bros., Rated R, 4K-$44.95 SRP), whose visual splendor makes its way to 4K high definition in style. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, featurettes, a gallery, and more.
While you’re in with the family this holiday season, why not partake of a pair of delightfully offbeat classics now bundled together on one release with The Addams Family/Addams Family Values: 2-Movie Collection (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$16.99 SRP)? It’s altogether ooky.
I’m not sure the world needed another remake of A Star Is Born (Warner Bros., Rated R, 4K-$19.96 SRP), but at least this one features a pair of incredible performances from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, and lands its emotional core with devastating effect. Bonus materials include additional performances, a featurette, and music videos. Also available is the A Star Is Born: Encore Edition (Warner Bros., Rated R, Blu-Ray-$24.98 SRP), which features an extended cut with extended musical performances, jam sessions, and scenes.
When it aired in 1983, V: The Original Miniseries (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$21.99 SRP) seemed a revolutionary bit of television science fiction ““ Dark, caustic, and full of social commentary. It was as close to John Carpenter’s They Live as you could imagine network television getting. Bonus materials for this release include an audio commentary with writer/director Kenneth Johnson and a behind-the-scenes documentary.
To wrap things up on a fun note, for ages I’ve been praising the work that Diamond Select does with their Diamond Gallery PVC dioramas (Diamond Select, $50-70 SRP). Not only have they been exploring a deep bench of characters from Marvel, DC, and more – including film, TV, and animation ““ with solid sculpts and paint work, but they’re incredibly inexpensive compared to the more traditional resin or polystone statues. Here’s hoping they keep expanding the line into new and interesting directions, including pieces based on the artwork of specific artists”¦ If only so I can finally get some John Byrne Fantastic Four statues.
You know those things you never thought would see the light of day but are infinitely delighted by when they suddenly appear? Yeah, that’s a good way of describing the arrival of 
I never in a million years thought that I would say one of the funniest films of the year ““ and a candidate for one of the best superhero films ““ would be 
While there may have been a nagging fear in the back of my heart, 
And speaking of Pixar, enough years ““ and films ““ have gone by that there’s more than enough content to fill 
I went in to 
There will come a day, sooner than I could ever want (which is never), when the great Billy Connolly will no longer be with us. So it was with great joy that I dove into 
For a consistently reliable laugh, check out the latest releases from the fine folks at Rifftrax. If you’re in the mood for some easily-digestible shorts, you’ve got the latest collection ““ 
I get into very few video games these days, but Insomniac’s Spider-Man pushed all of my buttons ““ I mean, it’s Spider-Man, for criminy’s sake. While I enjoyed Paul Dini’s writing and the voice acting in the first two Batman Arkham games, I don’t have nearly the emotional attachment to the caped crusader as I do to the ol’ wall-crawler. For a bit more of what went in to crafting the game’s universe, there’s 
Every time the Warner Archive drops a new batch of titles, it’s a reminder of just how deep and eclectic the Warner catalogue truly is. I’m glad they’ve continued to not only mine their vault, but also give film fans new high-definition releases of cult faves that might not otherwise see the light of day ““ the latest bunch being Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing’s 
Even outside of the show itself, Gravity Falls has generated some decidedly inspired takes on standard tie-in products. Their take on a coloring book, 
While it incorporates some elements from his original graphic novel and animated version of her origin, Paul Dini and co-writer Pat Cadigan’s novel 
I’d be hard-pressed to say these are great films, even if I do have a nostalgic affection for a few of them, but kudos to Mill Creek for the clever, creative packaging on their new line of high-definition catalogue releases ““ 
Now you can binge all four seasons of Nathan Fielder’s unorthodox marketing via 
While a loving portrait of her comedy legend father, what most impressed me about Violet Ramis Stiel’s 
Every time I watch a Mission Impossible, save for maybe the first, I think to myself, “This is what a modern James Bond film should feel like – Action, adventure, memorable characters, grand schemes, massive set-pieces, and a dash of humor.” All of that and more can be found in the latest outing ““ 
Years after the show’s original DVD release, the new 
Catherine Hardwicke’s 
The third season of 
Flicker Alley has turned their restorative eye to George Melies legendary 
Watching 
Featuring performances from Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, Pearl Jam, Ringo Starr, and more, the 2-disc 
While the storyline only becomes more and more problematic as time goes by, the brand new 4K 40th Anniversary Edition of 
A sci-fi classic, the original 
Just when I think Shout Factory can’t possibly top themselves and their gloriously eclectic catalogue of cult releases, you get a clutch of new titles from them, including the 1987 Dan Aykroyd/Tom Hanks 
Robin Williams made a huge impression on my developing comedy mind, from his early stand-up specials to his starring role in Mork & Mindy. And now, just in time for the holidays, Time Life has assembled an incredible 2-volume set celebrating him ““ 
I had zero expectations of Wreck-It Ralph when it arrived in theaters a few years back, and was duly surprised by how great a film it was. And that means I’m very excited about the sequel, and delighted by its fantastic new companion book ““ 
Though if you want a general overview of the film and its characters, you’ll want to pick up 
It took a bit for the spigot to open, but tie-in products for the Ducktales reboot are finally hitting shelves. 
That the folks at Shout Factory have pulled together a remarkably deep set for a cult favorite will come as zero surprise to anyone who has been following the fan magic they’ve been working over the years, so ““ SHOCK ““ their 
I’d definitely put 
As a fan of the book, I was wary yet hopeful going in to the first season of Starz’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, and was relieved when it turned out to be a wonderfully weird season of television and a solid take on the material. The making of that first season is explored in 
In another sign that the children of the 90s have wrested the nostalgia remote from 80s kids, you can now get a complete series set of the beloved-of-that-generation Nickelodeon classic 
Shout Factory isn’t just giving fans of cult film their hearts’ desires, but also delighting aficionados of classic TV. Repackaging into one set their previous 2-volume presentation, the 
The various Star Wars Visual Dictionaries have been a geeky joy to page through over the years, so it’s great that the concept has been expanded into the 
It’s cold outside, you’re stuck inside, and you love Star Wars? Boy, do I have a book for you! 
Another theatrical installment in the “Wizarding World Of Harry Potter” franchise this year means a clutch of new tie-in books, running the full gamut of behind-the-scenes, art, and activity releases. If you’d like to learn about the nuts and bolts of the film’s production, there’s 
J.W. Rinzler has already knocked out must-have books chronicling the making of the original Star Wars trilogy and all four Indiana Jones films, so it was a happy surprise to find that he had turned his eye (SPOILER!) closer to home with another definitive tome, 
It takes a mighty effort to get me excited about new vinyl releases. I’m a sucker for secondhand vintage vinyl, just for nostalgia’s sake and an appreciation of certain musicians, interesting cover art, or just bonzo novelty. But, I have to say, the 
Disney has really gone all-in on vinyl releases, from modern animated films like 
When the title of the book is 
The folks at Flicker Alley have been keeping the silent film flame alive, crafting some incredible restorations and presentations of historically significant features from that era. Their latest are a pair of releases starring silent film legend Mary Pickford ““ 
There have been plenty of HD releases of the film over the years, but as we roll into the holidays, certainly the one most likely to inspire family fun is 
Coming amidst a flurry of turn-of-the-century teen comedies, 
Need a mindless distraction from the family this holiday season? Nothing says “distraction” like a big giant shark, and that’s exactly what you’ll get with 
Packed with meticulously restored photographs documenting behind-the-scenes moments, deleted scenes, and bloopers from the original series, 
I never tire of seeing vintage photos of Walt Disney, and there are loads of previously unseen ones to be found in 
Celebrating his 90th anniversary, 
I really didn’t know what to expect from 
While we wait through the long winter for its return sometime in 2019, pass the time with a dive back into 
It’s somewhat surprising that it’s taken this long to get a comprehensive tome about the making of Peter Jackson’s Tolkien adaptations, but when you peruse the absolutely massive 
For nearly four decades, a bootleg has floated around and found its way into the clutches of Superman: The Movie fans. When the film made its original television premiere, loads of deleted scenes were added back in to pad out its runtime, making for a 3+ hour version. It’s by no means a better version of the film, but it’s still great to see more material from such an iconic piece of pop cinema. And now, throw those bootlegs out, because the Warner Archive has decided to give fans the greatest gift of all by releasing a fully restored, high-definition version of 
Pixar’s Coco, besides being a joyful tearjerker, is also an absolutely beautiful film. That beauty also extends to the development process, which is explored in 
Almost 20 years after episodes began making their way to home video, what very well may be the final box set of unreleased episodes is here. 
Providing context for the post-war enthusiasm that fueled American culture in the middle of the 20th century, Don Hahn’s 
The period covered in 
I admit, another Cars film was probably the last thing I wanted to see Pixar do, particularly after the lackluster Cars 2, but color me pleasantly surprised by 
If you’ve not been following what Oni Press has been doing the last few years, the cold, dark nights of winter are the perfect time to curl up and dive into some of the brilliant visual storytelling they’ve been releasing. For the most mainstream, fans of 
Oh, you know there are spoilers a-plenty to be found within its pages, so avoid 
Second only to the legendary Duck Man Carl Barks, Don Rosa’s adventures of Scrooge, Donald, and the denizens of Duckburg have been a true delight, and it isn’t until now that they’ve been collected in a single, definitive series which presents the material with the care and honor it deserves. Sadly, we’re fast approaching the end of Rosa’s output with the release of 
The Warner Archive continues to do a tremendous service for film lovers hoping for niche titles to make their way out of the vaults and into high definition, with the latest batch including the adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s 
A few years back, Disney Publishing released a deluxe box set featuring flip books of archival animation from Walt Disney’s legendary animators, the “Nine Old Men”. I’m delighted they decided to revisit the concept with a second set, 
There’s a strong argument for this year to be the year of Wonder Woman, and having a book like 
Aww, geez, do I love the exquisite, almost magical skill involved in crafting a pop-up book. Combining that craft with a spotlight on films I adore makes for the must-have 
There’s a law – I’m sure it must be a law – dictating that every conceivable corner of the Star Wars universe will be fully explored in minute detail, which means we get 
I love to decorate for the holidays, so when I chanced upon a neighbor’s incredible projected window display at Halloween a few years back – featuring what seemed like very real skeletons, zombies, and a grim reaper inside their home, visible through the window – I had to find out exactly how they accomplished the wondrous feat. Well, much to my surprise, the effect was incredibly easy, as it consisted merely of a vinyl static-cling projection screen on the windows, a digital projector, a DVD/Blu-Ray player, and digital animation files crafted by the fine folks at AtmosFX. As soon as I heard that, in addition to Halloween frights, they also have a line of festive winter animations – 
While I can respect the craft behind them, Christopher Nolan films tend to lose me roundabout what feels like hour four. They tend to feel padded and pretentious, and I include his Batman films – particularly the last one – in that assessment, as well. So, imagine my surprise to find what a taut, unshowy narrative 
Fans of Doctor Who wanting a bit of insight into the origins and evolution of The Doctor’s most fearsome foes will want to pick up a copy of 
Digging into her unreleased archives just in time for the holidays, Carol Burnett has assembled 
Baseball fans hoping to re-live the excitement they must have as sports fans for the sports annual tournament will want to re-live it all with the 
With the film getting the 4K HDR treatment for its 40th anniversary, it’s no surprise that we get a complementary book, 
There are many films that slip through the cracks of time, undeservedly, so it’s always nice when one gets a chance to find a new audience, like director Elaine May’s 
Herge remains a contentious figure. Revered for his creation Tintin, which contains a fair amount of problematic material, his personal history is also particularly complicated. Largely unseen in the west, he also produced a funny animal strip that is finally making its debut here, 
All good things must end, and we’ve reached it with 
Proving itself a powerhouse of the Great White Way, you can bring home a pair of books that document the development and legacy of the show with 
Michael Bay’s seemingly never-ending run of sound & fury Transformers films are far from good – laughably bad, even – but they are jam-packed with the kind of visuals and sound design that are absolutely perfect for impressing friends and family with the new 4k Ultra HD TV set-up you just spent a pretty penny on. With that in mind, the first four films – 
Translated into English for the first time, legendary European Disney comics artist Romano Scarpa’s 
Before their April 2017 concert, one of rock’s most iconic bands had never performed what many consider their masterpiece live in its entirety. But on that date, they did, and it’s capture for posterity on 
Sometimes, either through circumstance or hubris, art gets away from the artist. While I certainly think it’s the latter, the former could certainly account for whatever led to Darren Aranofsky’s painfully self-important 
I never thought we’d ever get to the point where there would be less than 30 episodes left until the entire run was available on home video, but thanks to the miracle workers at Shout Factory, 
But let that not be an end to your festive riffing season, for the fine folks at Rifftrax are releasing a pair of their holiday live shows for you to watch and revel in – 
Sometimes, there are “collectibles” that make me wish I were a kid again. If I had gotten the 
Gifts for the LEGO lover on your list? If they’re keen on the history of those wonderful building blocks, then they can thumb through 
Do you feel like you’ve reached the outermost limits of emotional release that a simple NERF dart blaster can achieve? Are you eager to deliver a decisive defeat from a ridiculous distance during the inevitable competition that your family visit will devolve into this holiday season? Well, NERF has heard your plea, and introduced the Rival series of blasters, that amp up distance and accuracy to plaid. The chief difference between the entry level 
As a kid, I ate loads of brittle, borderline inedible gum as a byproduct of my desire to get full sets of all of the various pop culture trading cards Topps released during my geeky childhood. Little did I know that all I had to do to avoid that hunt entirely was wait nearly 40 years and simply buy a book like 
I love a solidly fun children’s book that manages to stick the landing of sporting both an enjoyable story and great visuals, and Ryan T. Higgins’ 
If you feel the most recent iteration of the James Bond franchise tends toward the dour, the closest you can get to old school Bond action are the Mission: Impossible flicks, and the most recent, 
While you’re reading up on the making of 007’s latest cinematic adventure with 
If The Force Awakens is awakening an interest in your younglings for information about the ins and outs and characters and minutiae of the Star Wars universe, there’s no better primer gift than the book 
While other highly-stylized vinyl collectible brands have never really captured my imagination, there’s something in the cartoony styling of Vinyl Sugar’s 
Amy Schumer and Bill Hader, together? Sold. Yeah, don’t need to hear anymore. Just, sold. Okay, fine – 
It may not be wearing your Star Wars fandom on your sleeve, but the 
If you feel that It’s A Wonderful Life is a bit too maudlin for you this year, why not partake of a beautifully remastered, high definition presentation of Frank Capra’s screwball comedy 
While its presentation style has become a cliché in the quarter century since its debut, there’s a reason why Ken Burns’ 
It was inevitable that the undeniably appealing, banana-obsessed sidekicks would eventually be spun off into a feature of their own, so it’s an added bonus that the pre-Gru origin story 
We live in a golden age of universal remotes fashioned to break down all resistance by preying on our geeky hearts, with Harry Potter wands and Star Trek phasers. And because we’ve already had ones for the 10th and 11th regeneration, of course we’d get a 
If you want your sword and sex Game Of Thrones fix with a little more actual history thrown into the mix, dive into 
Harold Lloyd’s last silent film also happens to be one of his best, and now Criterion has given 
There’s a reason why 
Lighting a candle for the holidays? What are we, in the dark ages? No! No, we’re not! We live in a modern age, where even candles must be worked over and made electronic with the miracle of LED. The 
Sublime doesn’t begin to capture the exquisite dynamic between Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie found in the 
There’s plenty of eye candy to be found in 
And because postcards seem to be the new way to do pocket-sized art books, the 
Deep dive into the lore of show with 
One would think that Asylum and Coven would have been about as bizarre as the series could go, but 
I’ve tried quite a few options to easily listen to music in the shower, but the best so far has been the 
I’ve loved every book that’s been released as part of the Pixar Animation Studios Artist Showcase, which publishes illustrated stories crafted by the studio’s artists, and you can add Noah Klocek & Bonny Becker’s 
Thinkgeek has a laser focus on the kind of geeky tech that nerds simply must have for know other reason than its inherent geekiness, and now they’ve used that laser focus to craft a 
The dynamic duo of director Paul Feig and star Melissa McCarthy continues to spin gold with the genre-bending 
J.B. Kaufman’s epic 
Now that we have cleared the Elmo storm that threatened to capsize the venerable institution known as Sesame Street, we’re able to refocus on the show’s true heart and icon, Big Bird, and the incredibly gifted performer who gave soul to both the bird and his emotional counterpoint, Oscar The Grouch, Caroll Spinney. The vehicle for this celebration is the brilliant documentary 
To say that 
While the recent must-have sets culled episodes from the show’s later seasons, we thankfully cleared whatever red tape hampered the release of 
And speaking of Sideshow Collectibles, photographer Daniel Picard has taken several of the figures they’ve released over the years and used them to create some absolutely magical photographs by dropping them into exquisitely crafted tableaus that run the gamut from funny to poignant. Those photographs have been collected together into a hardcover coffee table book, 
When most comic fans think of Donald Duck, they think of the comic book work of Carl Barks. The folks at IDW are looking to expand the appreciation of Donald’s comic adventures with the very first collection of 
The folks controlling the mighty Carson archive have dipped back into the vaults for the next batch of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: Featured Guest Series (Carson Entertainment, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP each), each volume of which devotes an entire disc just to episodes featuring a specific luminary. The second three volumes in the series spotlight 
It’s been a crime of Biffian proportions that we’ve been without a proper book celebrating the making of the Back To The Future Trilogy, but now we’ve been gifted with two must-have volumes. First is the unauthorized, wholly candid We Don’t Need Roads, and the second is the officially sanctioned 
Pixar. Listen. Why do you want to make me cry? You’re absolutely brutal with the feels, and you know exactly what buttons to push. And you push them all with 
I love a film that can expertly blend comedy, action, and genuine heart, and last year brought two films that accomplished that hat trick with flair – Guardians Of The Galaxy and 
And because this is the holiday season, and you know you want to give the gift of Peanuts, Fantagrpahics has made it very easy with a pair of perfect gifts. 
The 4th volume of The Dona Rosa Library, 
While Criterion has been releasing the features that he helmed himself, a similarly wonderful and much-needed restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s earlier work at other studios has been neglected over the years, even though there have been plenty of releases of the material. Finally, though, a definitive edition of both 
The period covered in 
For those that missed the boat on the stellar prop replica put out by Master Replicas ages ago but wanted something more robust than the plastic alternatives currently available, Thinkgeek’s 
While the wait at times seemed painfully long, the wait was well worth the wonder contained in the beautifully restored and presented brilliance found in the third volume of Walt Kelly’s 
Fans of Disney duck comics from masters Carl Barks and Don Rosa are being spoiled with the arrival of two brand new collections – 
The House Of Ideas is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, which means there are plenty of massive coffee table books hitting shelves to help you celebrated (and possibly give you a hernia from listing them). For pure visual impact, there’s 
Not to be left out of the mix, though, are the Distinguished Competition, whose history you can explore with the newly updated edition of 
I love to decorate for the holidays, so when I chanced upon a neighbor’s incredible projected window display at Halloween – featuring what seemed like very real skeletons, zombies, and a grim reaper inside their home, visible through the window – I had to find out exactly how they accomplished the wondrous feat. Well, much to my surprise, the effect was incredibly easy, as it consisted merely of a vinyl static-cling projection screen on the windows, a digital projector, a DVD/Blu-Ray player, and digital animation files crafted by the fine folks at AtmosFX. As soon as I heard that, in addition to Halloween frights, they also have a line of festive winter animations – 
Few shows in recent memory have been as visually and artistically creative as Pen Wards Adventure Time, so it’s only right that fans finally get a peak behind all of their weird and wonderful processes that go into its creation with 
In addition to their new Adventure Time book, Abrams has got a handful of other pop art books you should consider as gifts for yourself (or others), including 
Oh – hey – back to Adventure Time for just a moment, because you can record all of your innermost thoughts and experiences in either the large 
Coming years after the initial volume focusing on the costuming of the prequel trilogy, old school fans (and obsessive cosplayers) finally have 
If you find all of the running around from home to home and store to store this holiday season has got your energy on the wane – and if, like me, you’re not too keen on the taste of coffee but do like chocolate – then you should pick yourself up a clutch of 
The Walt Disney company has a brilliant musical legacy going back 85 years to its very first sound cartoon, and the company is diving headfirst into its impressive archives and surfacing with the absolutely incredible “Legacy Collection” of releases. Over the course of the next year on an almost monthly schedule, they’re releasing completely remastered and expanded editions of soundtracks from their most beloved films, as well as what one can only hope is a multi-disc set spotlighting the music of Disneyland. In addition to the soundtracks themselves, each set also includes rare demos, deleted songs, and newly-recorded “Lost Chords”, which takes those deleted songs from the films and realizes them with brand new recordings that attempt to match how they might have sounded if they were finished for the original films. The first clutch of releases to come down the pike – all of which are a must-have – are 2-disc sets for 
Oh, and howzabout a little soundtrack round-up of film scores you should snag as gifts for yourself? There’s Howard Shore’s score for the final tale from Middle-Earth, 
You don’t know the name Herman Schultheis, but every one who has any interest in the art of animation or filmmaking should devour the recently-rediscovered magic in 
Taschen is well known and beloved for their lavish art books, so it was with great delight to learn that they had turned their eye towards all things Polynesian in popular culture with 
Very few comic artists have been as influential on their peers as Alex Toth, and it’s his incredible design and draftsmanship skills in animation that are explored in 
While WETA may chiefly be known for its work on the Lord Of The Rings franchise, the little FX studio borne out of the early films of Peter Jackson way, way down in New Zealand has grown to be a powerhouse in the special effects field and has taken its rightful place amongst longstanding giants like Industrial Light & Magic. The history of the little effects company that could is celebrated in the two volume 
Based on the decided dearth of products available, you’d think that Disney was afraid to capitalize on their animated success, Gravity Falls. In fact, amongst the very few products available this holiday season are a quartet of books, two of which are advanced reader chapter books – 
And because you can never – NEVER – have too many sonic screwdrivers, the folks behind the Doctor Who toys have decided to expand their line with a brand new pair. Added to the already existing wonder wands are the 
The cinematic return to J.K. Rowling’s wizarding universe is still a few years off, but you can revisit all of the craftsmanship that went into developing the original films for the big screen with 
As a child of the 80s, and a comic book fan, I was well and truly steeped in the Venn alignment of Larry Hama’s now-legendary run on Marvel’s GI Joe comic. That’s probably why I find IDW’s first class treatment of that run via their still-ongoing 
Decorate your desk with the Doctor’s own robo-companion with the 
To many, after a string of hits, Marvel’s 
I don’t really like the idea and inherent frustration behind blindboxing, but it’s hard to resist the appeal of the 
As the year ends, so does the unexpected but welcome high definition release of 
While it has been available on Blu-Ray for a few years now, you and I both know that the definitive edition of any title comes when it makes its gets the full Criterion treatment, which has finally happened to Terry Gilliam’s masterpiece 
With the arrival of the 22nd volume of Fantagraphics’ landmark release of 
And since you are such a Peanuts fan, you’ll also want to get the second volume of the must-have companion series, 
LEGO has been releasing their high-end “Architecture” kits of famous buildings for quite awhile, but now you can visually peruse the entire line via the coffee table-ready 
While we all eagerly await his definitive biography of the mighty Jack Kirby, author and genuinely good guy Mark Evanier has curated an overview of the work Kirby crafted alongside Joe Simon during comics’ golden age in 
If you were just as pleasantly delighted by Disney and Marvel’s animated Big Hero 6, then you’ll want to explore all of the visual design work that went into crafting the flick via the oodles of design artwork contained in 
Laika continues to impress with their quirky and memorable stop-motion masterpieces, the latest of which is the focus of 
And the “art of” train just keeps rocking along, as Dreamworks drops a look behind their development curtain with 
It may come as a surprise to some just how involved in the Disney company was in the war effort during World War II, but that distant history is explored in fascinating detail via 
Though it may not grant you the power of flight, the 
While All In The Family is perpetually hailed as the classic, the Norman Lear show I fell in love with as a kid was 
Peter Capaldi’s take on the timeless Time Lord was certainly a much darker, more intense affair as we got to know him – a journey you can revisit with 
But if you’re wanting to re-live the entire run of the 11th Doctor, then you can do so with the multi-season and comprehensive 
Odd that one of the best collections of previously unpublished production artwork from the studio’s classic period is available in postcard form, but 
Even just a few months ago, if you had told me that one day I would be able to buy an official, high definition edition of Otto Preminger’s infamous debacle 
And while we’re talking about Olive Films, they’ve very quietly been building up an incredible slate of deep catalogue releases making their high definition debuts, including Charlton Heston in 
Oh, and Olive Films have also made fans of two dearly departed shows very happy by finishing off a pair of DVD releases left in the lurch by Fox with 
Every holiday season, I like to catch up on all of the must-see comedy and DVD releases coming out of the UK, and this year is no different – starting with brand new stand-up with 
If you’ve ever wanted to sleep with The Venture Bros., then Adult Swim has the perfect holiday gift for you – a set of queen size 
All kudos, salutations, exaltations, hurrahs and huzzahs to Darrell Van Critters for assembling a long overdue and absolutely brilliant tribute and celebration of 
Of all Disney’s famous group of legendary animators, the one whose works crosses the most disciplines is the one spotlighted in the excellent new 
I’m a big fan of ephemera books that pull together facsimiles of rare materials into beautiful tomes celebrating a given subject, so it should come as no surprise that I really dig 
There are a handful of beloved shows that many have claimed we’d never see on home video in their original form, due to their extensive use of popular music over the course of their runs. Well, you should never says never and nothing is impossible, and to prove that, the folks at TimeLife managed to clear an immense amount of obstacles to being out a truly special edition of 
Trust me, you’ll never know just how much you want a fully-remastered high definition collector’s edition of 
There have been best-of clip package DVDs released in the past – all of which are well worth adding to your collection – but what makes 
Considering the legal tangle that has stymied its home video release for decades, miraculous is a perfectly suitable word to describe the arrival of the 1966 
If you’ve been holding off on a grand refresher binge of The Sopranos, your perfect moment – and rationale – has arrived in the form of the honkingly massive 28-disc 
After Paramount cruelly teased fans a few years back with both a best-of collection and a first season set, it took the miracle workers to deliver unto us the beautifully mastered complete four season set of the legendary 
I have been waiting ages – AGES – for Steven Spielberg’s epic misfire 1941 to make its way to a proper high definition release. Heck, considering the old DVD wasn’t even anamorphic, even that would have been a better treatment of a film that, for all its messiness, I truly enjoy. Just when I was about to give up hope, along comes the new 
It’s been a long time coming, but fans can finally buy a high definition release of 
It’s no longer got the pleasant clunk that used to accompany the depression of its massive buttons – in fact, there are no moving parts anymore, just light-sensitive pads and a much thinner profile – but the fun and memory challenge of 
Mourn not the end of Futurama but instead celebrate it with the gift of your very own vinyl 
Navigate your own personal world of Minecraft with your very own pixilated 
If you want further proof that we live in a golden age of breathing new life into obscurities, I offer up the little known trivia nugget that the original Star Trek cast had their own newspaper comic strip. Did you know that? I didn’t know that. Launched to coincide with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and intended to chronicle the crew’s second 5 year mission, you can now experience the complete run in a beautifully hardbound pair of volumes – 
While the original Popeye newspaper strips from creator E.C. Segar have been made available in collected form in recent years, it’s only now that the equally fun comic book adventures of the spinach-loving sailor – crafted by Segar’s successor, Bud Sagendorf – have been brought together in fine form by editor/designer Craig Yoe. So, yes, do get both 
It certainly seems to take quite a long time between Disney’s high definition releases from their animation catalogue, but when you look at the stunning, absolutely pristine restoration done for the release of 
It hasn’t always been a fun ride being a Harry Nilsson fan. For many years, much of his catalogue remained unavailable on CD, save staple albums like Nilsson Schmilsson and Son Of Schmilsson. Then, starting in the UK and Japan, more of his remaining albums began to see the light of day, often accompanied by the stray, very tantalizing bonus track of an unreleased tune, alternate take, or demo. I recall many long years of desperately hunting these rarities and scraps amongst other likeminded fans on the interwebs, & the accompanying joy of each new discovery… And then wondering why more people weren’t familiar with this wonderful artist. Better late than never, the fine folks at Sony Legacy, with Andrew Sandoval and Rob Santos, have put together the definitive box set of Harry’s 10-year tenure at RCA – 
Criminally unavailable on DVD in any proper and suitably loving presentation until now, the loveable chaps at Shout Factory have released 
And what better Jack Benny chaser is there than 
The art of animation reduced down to its most primal level is the magic to be found in 
Sadly out of circulation for nearly 15 years, there’s nothing that stirs up good memories of a much-missed television show quite like a beautifully produced book, which certainly applies to 
I’ve long beat the drum for the brilliance of 
Sure, the 3D conversion remains more of a gimmick than an artistic contribution to the film, but the effect works nicely in the high definition debut of 
What time is it? ADVENTURE TIME! And it most certainly is, considering you can now get both 
Wipe the dour, depressive, bland Zack Snyder Man of Steel from your mind with the vibrantly weird and wonderful superheroics collected in 
It’s somewhat hard to believe that it’s taken this long – 23 years after his untimely passing – that we’ve gotten a proper biography of Jim Henson. Well, not so odd when knows that an attempt was made in the 90s that was scuttled by the Henson family – but now, finally, author Brian Jay Jones has managed to pull together 
Due to its relatively low production budget, 
Close on the heels of the much awaited high-def debut of The Muppet Movie comes the release of my second favorite Muppet film – 
For the past few years, the folks at Abrams Comicarts have been putting out some wonderfully unique volumes, and have now turned their fine eye upon everyone’s favorite Belgian reporter for 
The new iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are all well and good – all well and very good, actually – but there’s something to be said for going back to the original comic book roots, the first 14 of which are collected in 
And while you’re exploring the classic Turtle lore, delve even further into the behind-the-scenes development and indie history of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s wildly successful creations with 
I’d say this is for the kids on your holiday list, but I think we all know that adults are just as much fans of the new animated version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as the kiddies, and both will get a kick out of the new 
And on the figure side, snag the two 2-pack 
Now that we have the complete runs of Bloom County, Outland, Opus, and all of his wonderful children’s books, it’s rather fitting that the man behind the mirth get a comprehensive spotlight that combines the whole lot in 
Anyone who wants to know the (mostly true) history of Marvel Comics should give a read to Sean Howe’s 
A perfect companion piece to the Marvel book is PBS’s recent full-blown documentary 
It’s always a worry when Pixar revisits their past films for a sequel. Will this be the time it all falls apart and the bloom is finally off the rose? Happily, that’s not the case with 
It’s been a long, beautiful ride, but with 
And if you’re picking up the latest volume of Complete Peanuts, you should also be sure to welcome 
Join the Disney Ducks for a holiday classic crafted by the legendary Carl Barks with the latest volume of Fantagraphics dandy hardcover library collection of the Duck Man’s works, 
Having already collected his complete newspaper strip run in black and white form, we get the second and final volume of Floyd Gottfredson’s color Sundays with 
Just when you thought every last scrap of ephemera related to The Beatles had been seen in public in heavily documented form, along comes a monstrous volume like 
I had the chance to see the sumptuous 3D remastering of The Wizard Of Oz during its recent limited IMAX run, and was struck by just what a fun, feisty flick it remains. Perfect, then, that its 75th anniversary celebration also brings 
If you’ve ever wanted to take a journey into the fevered enthusiasms of a filmmaker, gird yourself for the boisterously bizarre bits to be found in 
If a high society holiday is more your cup of tea, catch up on the Crawley family and their servants with the limited edition 
Not only is 
It doesn’t really have much heart beyond a by-the-numbers tale of a seemingly impossible dream that winds up coming true (you know how it goes), but 
Allaying any fears that his genius may have dimmed in his advancing years, Bill Cosby sets the record straight with a sharp, snappy, and brilliant new comedy album – 
And speaking of stand-up, let’s not forget all of the wonderful stand-up DVDs coming out across the pond – 
Ah, but don’t stop there! Also available for gift-giving is the first season of Ricky Gervais’s lovably sincere 
The joy of diving through each and every one of the massive clutch of shows contained in the 25-disc 
As you would hope from a film with an extensive design process, Peter Jackson’s latest trip to Middle Earth gets the lavishly illustrated 
It is by no means a perfect device, but the fact that we live in a tech age where I can hold an android-based gaming device in my hands that allows me to play emulators and modern games to my heart’s content with a built-in deluxe controller and snappy Nvidia-based graphics is reason enough to dig the 
In the not-too-distant past – about a quarter-century ago – a little cow town puppet show made its debut on a cow town local TV station in a cow town named Minneapolis. Celebrate that cow town puppet show with the 
And while you’re celebrating the anniversary of MST3K, partake of the brand new shorts collection from alumni Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy with 
Did the Avengers movie leave you wanting to see the Hulk and Iron Man have an adventure together, you’ll get that in animated form with the feature 
While its sixth season tended to be an uneven season, even an uneven season of 
I unashamedly love 
In the 30 years since its theatrical release, I imagine that maybe a handful of those years have gone by without 
Also making its high definition holiday debut is the festive special from that silly old bear all stuffed with fluff – 
It’s hard to top the 2003 editions of his films, but Criterion has been doing just that with another film from the Charlie Chaplin library, the latest being Chaplin’s own beloved comedy 
Besides the film itself, each new Disney animated feature in recent years has come with a much-anticipated, lavishly illustrated “Art Of” book, which is why this year brings 
I am a sucker for feature film restorations that bring a film back from the brink, and Paramount has done truly amazing work on the first feature film to win the Best Picture Academy Award in 1927, William A. Wellman’s World War I aeronautical masterpiece 
Every once in awhile, the fine folks at Thinkgeek conjure up a specially-produced item that strikes just the right geek nerve, and such is the case with the 
As part of their 100th anniversary celebration, Universal has cleaned up and presented a pretty-damn definitive high definition edition of 
If Monty Python defined British comedy for the 70’s, it was Channel 4’s inaugural comedy show The Comic Strip Presents that set the tone for the strident comedy of the 1980’s. Featuring the likes of Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Alexei Sayle, and Robbie Coltrane, the short comedic films are absolute gems and required viewing for anyone who considers themselves a comedy lover. 
I’m a massive fan of the legendary Marvel Comics series Fantastic Four, which means I dove into the exquisite history of the book’s creation and golden age – 
It’s a little slow-going at times and uneven, but the good of 
And as you would hope from a film with an extensive design process, Peter Jackson’s latest trip to Middle Earth gets the lavishly illustrated 
Those that know me know that one of my lifelong four-favorites has been the Fantastic Four. Sadly, many of the somewhat limited amount of products that have come out over the years have been awful representations of the characters, often turning them into steroidal monstrosities. And then, every once in awhile, you get the 
Are you steampunky? Have you ever wished you could wear a tiny little folding telescope on your ring finger? So you could feel all steampunky and adventurous and ingenious? Well, Thinkgeek brings you 
It feels a little odd to be writing about a children’s picture from Martin Scorsese, so it’s probably easier to understand when you realize that one of the key figures in 
After being pressured into reading the books by the taskmaster John Hodgman, I quickly became a fan of George RR Martin’s sprawling fantasy series A Song Of Ice & Fire. It was with excitement and some trepidation that I awaited the arrival of HBO’s adaptation of the first book, taking its title as the title of the overall television series – 
I’m still not sold on the exaggerated realistic character design they chose for Herge’s famous characters, but there’s enough verve and energy to make Spielberg & Jackson’s 
While James Cameron’s film has the edge in the effects and actual mechanics of the sinking, the far more accurate portrayal of the real people and events leading up to the disaster – and the exclusion of saccharine fiction – makes 
I’m delighted that my goof buddy Loren Bouchard’s brilliant 
Just when you thought it was safe to assume that David Attenborough and the BBC’s nature documentary team couldn’t possibly top themselves comes the incredible beauty of 
It’s a true loss that Nat Hiken’s 
Even if you’re not steampunky, it’s hard to resist the charm of the positively beautiful 
I would say that 
The best way to describe the brilliant new stand-up special from the brilliant Paul F. Tompkins is that it’s an oral history of the career of comedian Paul F. Tompkins. Suffice to say, you would regret it for the rest of your days if you do not purchase 
If you’ve been champing at the bit to determine whether you’ll be sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, you can find out whether you’ll be a hero or a zero with your very own 
I shouldn’t have to tell you that Reggie Watts is brilliant, but I suppose I just did. And since I did, I may as well tell you that his latest special/album, 
TV doesn’t get more perfect than the story and character bliss found in the second series of Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss’s brilliant 
As brilliant as the author himself – who happens to be quite brilliant – Dave Hill’s collection of autobiographical essays, 
What’s wonderful about 
In the age of digital delivery, Paul McCartney is making the special edition purchase of traditional media truly desirable with exquisitely put together and very affordable deluxe catalogue releases for the true fan. Case in point is the 
Bill Murray’s big breakout theatrical comedy gets a face lift and a high definition debut with the release of 
While there may be the occasional element that seems dated, Hal Ashby’s deliciously black comedy of unconventional love 
As brilliant as the first season was, the second season of Louis CK’s 
As its original run was airing, I would rarely miss a new episode of 
And, just in time for the holidays, Paramount has also released 
The gap between releases is an endurance test, but when a new Cinematic Titanic Live DVD arrives, the beautiful little comedy gem makes you forget just how long it’s been since the last one. And oh, does 
Yes, 
If you’d asked a fan a few years back if they’d ever see the notorious Sandy Frank episodes – episodes which Frank supposedly loathed – on DVD, they probably would have sighed and said “No. Probably not.” Well, never say never, because the Sandy Frank films begin their roll out in 
It’s not a great film, but the thing I love so much about 
It’s a bittersweet affair, listening to the audio commentaries on the 
And speaking of MST3K-alum, pass the holiday time with a clutch of holiday-themed riffing with the fine folks at Rifftrax with the brand-new 
Tick another one of the list of classic Disney films that haven’t made it to high definition, as the Mouse House polishes up the glass slipper and drops 
It’s become an annual tradition to get another fun and fascinating volume of interesting information from the fine folks at QI, and this year is no exception, as I urge you to pick up your very own copy of the accurately titled 
If you’ve yet to experience the magic – and lovely music – of Harry Nilsson’s utterly charming children’s cartoon special 
Fans of Bloom County had been teased when that strip ended that Berkley Breathed’s humor and beloved penguin, Opus, would live on in a new strip. That tease became a reality a few months later with the introduction of the Sundays-only 
And after he walked away from the comic strip world (for the second time), I admit to being one of the many equal parts surprised and delighted when I heard Berkeley Breathed was returning to newspapers with his penguin hero in the titular 
They’re not the artistic achievement of a Pixar film, but much like the Madagascar franchise for Dreamworks, Fox’s Ice Age films are cinematic comfort food – a reliable good time with no pretense to be anything but that. The latest adventure, 
While it doesn’t quite reach the legendary crowd-pleasing heights of Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings, I’d take 
I’m a sucker for the band Queen and its dynamic frontman Freddie Mercury, and Rhys Thomas has produced a pair of brilliant docs that should be on your viewing list – 
Post their Live Aid resurgence and at the absolute top of their game, 
There are plenty of new-to-Blu-Ray catalogue releases I’ve been looking forward to this year, and right near the top has been the near-unbearable anticipation for the fully restored and remastered 
Though it’s sometimes been derided by comedy purists who claim it’s a corpse-heavy lowbrow sketch show, but I’ll openly declare those unfortunate souls snobbish fools, because The Carol Burnett Show is one of the best comedy sketch shows ever to hit the small screen. It may not have been as intellectually clever as Monty Python, but the writing was sharp, the comedy was funny, and the performers – Burnett, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, & Lyle Waggoner – were a dream ensemble. Most of all, though, you got the sense that the main cast, and all of the guest stars who would pop up over the years, were genuinely enjoying the experience of performing this comedy together for the audience there in the studio and at home. And the only way to experience it is via the long overdue 22-disc box set 
First it was Star Wars, and we were all delighted. Then came Harry Potter and Indiana Jones, and we were all ecstatic. And Batman and Superman? Giddy. But I never anticipated that one day the fine folks at LEGO would give us brick versions of the Lord of the Rings films. I doubt Tolkien ever envisioned it, either, but here we are, with playsets aplenty featuring everyone’s favorite Fellowship. Right off the bat we’ve got some major highlights – 
Go inside HBO’s hit adaptation of George RR Martin’s epic Game Of Thrones with the lushly illustrated and info-packed 
After years of pale impressions of brilliant piss-takes Airplane! and Police Squad!, Charlie Brooker does an equally pitch-perfect parody of the TV detective genre with 
While the criticisms of emotional button-pushing remain, time has only increased my estimation of 
It seems long overdue, but Richard Schickel’s 
It’s a mess in many ways, but there’s a bizarre zeal to the Beatles’ underappreciated TV special 
It can get a bit draggy, but I admit that dozens of childhood cable viewings has endeared John Huston’s wonderfully off-key 
A long, long, long time ago, at the birth of DVD, one of the earliest releases was a cult classic musical comedy that happened to have had its original downer ending reshot and replaced with a happy ending right before it was originally released in theaters. For the DVD, a black & white workprint of the original ending – which featured spectacular practical miniature effects as the film’s monsters took over the world – was included. And then the DVD was pulled, the original ending was removed, and the film was re-released on DVD, making the first DVD release a collector’s item. Over a dozen years later, that ending has been completely restored and finished off for the 
I don’t know what I was expecting from the documentary 
While many an armchair collector will snatch up animation cells as some sort of investment, or will cover the idea that they own what is actually seen in the final product, I am a much bigger fan of original production art – the true expression of the artist’s craft, while cells are merely a tracing of that spark. A lot of that very beautiful original production art, from sketches and layouts to model sheets and doodles, is captured in the beautifully conceived 
Disney in the 70’s was an awkward company, desperately trying to maintain the magic post-Walt while churning out a massive amount of live action family films. A few, like Bedknobs & Broomsticks, combined live action, animation, and music in an attempt to repeat the alchemy of Mary Poppins. One attempt that is flawed but is a dear, dear favorite of mine is 
I haven’t really been taken with a Wes Anderson film since Rushmore, as each of his subsequent efforts come across as increasingly affected in attempt to capture a Hal Ashbyian ideal. That said, the most enjoyable film so far has to be 
It’s a growing trend to create books packed with reproductions of ephemera, and you can add the Harry Potter film franchise to that list with the re-release of 
Have you noticed which much-desired films have been largely absent on Blu-Ray until now? Don’t worry – I’ll tell you, because that gross oversight has been rectified in wonderful fashion with the 15-film 
I’m not a fan of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, and less so of Tobey Maguire’s DOA-delivery as the titular hero (and those godawaful organic webshooters). The only thing they did get right was the costume, which was just about perfect. With the rebooted 
Formerly available as just a retailer exclusive, John Hughes still-brilliant 
While its had holiday episodes in the past, 
It’s not their usual stop-motion fare, but Aardman Animation’s festive holiday CG feature 
While it looked as lush and lavish as we’ve come to expect from Pixar, the trailers for 
Flick by flick, Pixar is converting their entire catalogue to 3D, and you can strike another modern classic from the list as we get the 3D conversion (and its debut in high definition, to boot!) of 
Already long-available as a spectacular, feature-laden special edition DVD set, never did I imagine that the great 
It’s the third complete collection of 
Peter Serafinowicz is brilliant. He just is. If you’re following him on Twitter (you should be), you know that Peter will periodically go on joke runs based on prompts from his followers, coming back with compact, economical jokes that are sublime. 
One of my absolute favorite Carl Barks Donald Duck stories also happens to be a holiday tale, and it forms the centerpiece of the latest collection from the fine folks at Fantagraphics Books. 
And since you’ve picked up the Donald collection, make sure you pick up the equally as lovingly presented 4th volume of Floyd Gottfredson’s run on the Mickey Mouse newspaper strip, 
We’ve had Bridge On The River Kwai and Dr. Zhivago for years, but the David Lean film most have desired to see in full high definition glory in their home theater was the epic of epics, and finally – FINALLY – 
Nothing says “Happy Holidays!” like the 
One of the nicest holiday surprises was the addition of a new set of characters and specials to the seasonal viewing rotation in the form of a pair of elves who are part of the team that makes people’s homes ready for Santa’s arrival. Now you can get all of the specials in one place – and high definition! – via the 
So influential is its dynamic of a single event having many different interpretations based on the observer that the very title of Akira Kurosawa’s classic 
I hope you’ve got plenty of bubblegum to chew, because there’s more than enough kick ass to be found in the long-awaited high definition arrival of John Carpenter’s 
How do you know an entire generation has come of age? When their childhoods are packaged up and sold back to them as nostalgia. The consumer nostalgia machine has just laid claim to Saban’s Japanese perpetual repurposing machine with 
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the kid vs. zombies flick 
I do believe I have almost as many copies of 
There were some that had issues with it, but I played through and enjoyed the first Epic Mickey, which not only brought Mickey Mouse into the modern video game era, but managed to bring Walt Disney’s first major character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and a lot of Disney history along for the ride. And now we have 
If you’ve been steadily dropping a not-insubstantial amount of money on the massive Ultimate Editions of the Harry Potter films on Blu-Ray, you know that you don’t yet have the big sets for the final two Deathly Hallows films. To those fans, the absolutely gigantic 
We’ve been repeating the same waiting game we played when DVD first debuted – the game of waiting for beloved films to finally hit the format – with Blu-Ray. We’ve gotten Star Wars (sort of), Jaws, Superman Blade Runner – just about all of the geek pantheon, really – but one of the most glaring omissions now gets its time to shine, and boy does it ever. To say that the restoration and mastering work done for 
I’m all for Shout Factory’s recent forays into archive collections of an artist’s disparate work, starting with their must-have Ernie Kovacs set, and now 
It’s been over a decade since Rhino released a handful of episodes, but all these years later hell has frozen over and you can now get your very own complete series set of Chris Elliott’s short-lived cult classic 
Though Character Options had a go at it a few years back – the [Doctor Who] universe has been largely absent from all of the utterly fantastic 12″-scale figures that have been coming out from the likes of Hot Toys and Sideshow. Finally, though, the good Doctor has arrived on the scene in truly fine fashion thanks to the folks at Big Chief Studios, whose initial offering is a 
The TARDIS really is the workhorse of [Doctor Who] merchandising. You can do just about anything with it, and licensors have. Why don’t we taker a look at some of the permutations currently available this holiday season – starting with the 
I don’t know if I’m quite ready to wear one, but you can take your Who-fandom to bed, bath, and beyond with a TARDIS bathrobe($69.99), made of super-soft 100% cotton terry cloth, with embroidered details.
Of course, when you go to bed, you can rest assured that you can ward off complete darkness with the 
But what if you can’t sleep? THE TARDIS HAS YOU COVERED. You can pop yourself up and reach over to turn on your very own 
And if you still can’t seem to get some shuteye, you can head off into the kitchen and fix yourself a bit of relaxing tea, which you can then serve in your very own ceramic 
If you want to fill that free time with even more geekiness, you can take notes in the still available 10th Doctor’s 
But what if you just want to leave yourself a reminder? GOT YOU COVERED. Covered with 
When traveling through time (as we all do, albeit in a linear fashion), it helps to know when you are, which is why you can hang the special 
And if you might need to keep more detailed track of your day-to-day affairs while celebrating the 50th Anniversary, then the 
But if you’re into old school Who, then you can jot down your itinerary in the Doctor’s 
Keep warm in classic 4th Doctor style with a replica of his trademark neckware via the 
Speaking of style, let’s fast-forward to the 11th Doctor, because you can now replicate a slice of his sartorial panache with the 
Save a little scratch (now that you’ve spent most of it on all of these products) by packing your own lunch in your very own modern-style 
Though if you’re having some friends over, you might want to crack out your set of 5 
And once you’ve nogged, would you believe you can practice good oral hygiene with an actual battery-powered 
With 100% of the royalties going to support Alzheimer’s Research UK, it’s easy to justify the decision to pick up a copy of 
When the box blurb explains that the product is “An epic struggle for the balance of taste in the universe!”, how can you not pick up a 
Oh, hey! I almost forgot that for all of you retro Whovians, they’ve got a classic 
Place all of the small [Who] doodads and whatsits you’re gifting (either to others or yourself) this holiday season in a 
I wish the design of the bricks made them hold together as well as LEGOs, but at least we have a close approximation for [Doctor Who] fans with the sets from Character Building, with the latest being the sure-to-delight 
The next blast from the past comes from 5th Doctor Peter Davison’s era – literally the start of that era, with the 
And our final classic release propels us forward to Colin Baker’s 6th Doctor as featured in 
Okay, maybe not quite our final classic release, as Underground Toys has decided to help out fans frustrated by trying to find standalone Daleks that are either no longer being produced or are just in larger themed sets. So what have they done? They’ve plussed the whole affair by bringing out episode-specific 
Layabout over the holiday break like a Time Lord with your own very incredible 
While the Laurel & Hardy catalogue has been largely overlooked and mistreated for years, the fine folks at Kino have been doing a spectacular job with the work of Buster Keaton, first on DVD, and now with their simply stunning restorations for Blu-Ray. Joining their already-released titles comes a new batch of films and, even more welcome, the 
We may or may not have a white Christmas, but if anyone was dreaming of a comedy Christmas, their wishes will come true with a torrent of new stand-up DVDs, just in time for the holidays. The fine folks at 4 are dropping a massive stable all on their lonesome, with the debut discs 
And speaking of stand-up DVDs that need to be on your holiday shopping list, I’m going to be severely disappointed in you if you don’t pick up the debut DVD from my buddy – 
With the film on the horizon (now in theaters), I decided it was high time I dive in and read the full run of Hergé’s intrepid Belgian reporter, Tintin. So I did. If you want what comprises the 21 adventures of the “modern canon”, there’s the 8-volume 
So, now that you’re a fan of Tintin, it’s time to want all of titles, which means partaking of the brilliant archival hardcover editions of the original black & white versions of the very first stories (Hergé redrew, revised & colored the first few stories in the mid-40’s to match his current style), including the two stories not included in the aforementioned box set, put out by the fine folks at Last Gasp – 
Ready for the next level of being a true Tintin fan? Last Gasp has got you covered, with the in-depth 
And yes, I did mention there’s now a big Tintin film in the cinemas, made by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, and the massive amounts of development and concept art that went into making it is presented in 
For years, Newmarket Press has been putting out some quite nice making of books for various films, and this year brings a pair of new additions to that library. First up is 
If you want something a little more on the affordable side, the keen guys at Biff Bang Pow have expanded their MEGO-style Venture Bros. figure line with the addition of 4 new figures – 
Gizzy gizmos and electronic doodads from those geeky ones at Thinkgeek? You mean something like a tiny 
For you camera nerds wanting to eke out a bit more style from the photos and videos you take with your iPhone, there’s the 
I’m not a huge wine drinker, but in the times when I’ve had to open a bottle, I’ve absolutely loathed corkscrews. Loathed them. Just can’t get it right. With the 
Long ago when he was young (well, young-er) and foolish, YouTube sensation Charlie McDonnell made a video of him messing around with the various shock levels to be found in the electric shock hot potato game 
I’ve had a Dynaflex Powerball – one of those gyroscopic balls that exercise your wrist and arms – for years now, but very rarely used it because of how much of a pain it was to get it started via the pull strung. Well, with the new 
Those interested in a beautiful conversation piece with a firm grounding in mathematics can pick up a 
Have you ever wanted to pilot a shark? WHO HASN’T wanted to pilot a shark? Now you can do just that, sort of, with the 
Oh, it is with such giddy delight that, after years of having to live with a non-anamorphic, poor-print version, one of my favorite films has finally made it to high definition with the presentation it deserves. And what is that film? Joe Johnston’s adaptation of Dave Stevens’ 
Making the transition from TV to feature film is an often tricky proposition, and its quite a rare thing for it to be a comedy making that transition. To do it and to do it well is nearly unprecedented, which makes the success of 
Marking the end of Will, Neal, Simon & Jay’s school tenure comes 
Oh, and while you’re at it, be sure to pick up 
For the past few years, when I’ve wanted to show off the incredible quality of Blu-Ray – and my massive TV – I’ve popped in the BBC’s landmark nature documentary 
It’s been ages since their last release, due mainly to their constant touring schedule, but I’m delighted to report that the wait for 
And because you can never have too much high class riffing this holiday season. Rifftrax returns with a brand new high definition release of one of their live shows with 
As if the job they were doing with Charles Schulz’s Peanuts weren’t reason enough for praise, the brills at Fantagraphics have turned their eye to the oft-ignored and rarely properly treated Disney library and have done them justice. For proof, look not further than 
If that weren’t reason enough to praise Fantagraphics, they’ve also decided to tackle the work of an artist very close to my heart with 
If you’ve ever wondered about the last hundred years of his life – the ones not covered by Mark Twain’s recently-released autobiography – you’ll find all of his tales of that missing period in Michael Kupperman’s 
I’m still not entirely sure I understand everything that happened in the 
And if you finding yourself wanting to give the gift of David Tennant’s 10th Doctor this holiday season, get the 26-disc 
Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor finally escapes his banishment to Earth and travels into space in the new-to-DVD adventure Doctor Who: Colony In Space (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP). Okay, so he doesn’t really escape – more like the Time Lords who banished him there in the first place decide they need his help to stop The Master from getting his hands on a master weapon, so they send the TARDIS (with The Doctor and companion Jo Grant) to a bleak planet in the 25th century to stop him. Bonus materials are plentiful, including an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted footage, and more.
Now that we’ve reached a point where nearly every extant classic Doctor Who story has been released, the BBC have very nicely decided to go back and revisit many of their early releases and make them bona fide special editions. The latest to get the treatment is the Tom Baker story 
Action figures! For the kid who loves the Doctor or for the adult who loves the Doctor in a lovely arrested development kind of way (like me), there are plenty of action figures you can snag this holiday season. If you’d like to get a whole clump of them in one fell swoop, why not pick up the 
But what if you want to really populate your Underhenge display? You’ll do that with the 6-figure 
Yes, well, if that still hasn’t quite fulfilled your Who figure needs, why not get the still-in-10th-Doctor-suit-post-regeneration 
One of the creepiest episodes of this past season featured the Flesh and the doppelgangers created from that white goo. With the 
But if classic Who is more your style, there’s always something like the 
And what are you going to do with all of these figures? Play with them in your very own – and very massive – 11th Doctor 
That’s not the only TARDIS playset you’ll want, though, because you can also get the 
Although they seem to be agonizingly slow in adding to their offerings – and I wish they’d really dive into the action figure side of things – the fine folks at Thinkgeek have imported a pair of Doctor Who board games for the whole family. 
Who doesn’t want to snuggle with a soft and fluffy blob of sentient fat? Well, if you’re a Doctor Who fan, you can do just that with the 
Pens! We’ve got pens! We’ve got floating pens, with floaty things – either a 
By now, you’ve surely gotten your 
Remember the 
Take my advice, and do as I say – Save a little money for a rainy day. And why not get one of the deadliest aliens in the known universe to keep your money safe? With the 
It seems rather obvious that the Doctor and watches go together, so for the kids there’s a 
While you’re telling time with those watches, determine it on a larger scale with your very own 
It still baffles me that they’d go off-market LEGO with the license, but that’s pretty much what the Character Building sets are – In fact, the bricks are even LEGO compatible. So for the construction nerd in your home, you can not only get a 
Everyone likes 3D. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but it’s a cool gimmick. Particularly when it’s a 3D optical illusion you can hold in your hands, like the 
What will you be hanging upon your Christmas Tree this holiday season? Perhaps a 
And if you remember last season’s reappearance of the old school Cybermen and their small cyberminions, you’ll probably want your very own 
For the really wee kiddies who might not be ready for action figures, how about 
And finally, when you’re attending all of those festive holiday fetes, how can you not show up bedecked in your very own 
It’s been over 10 years since cultural icon Stephen Fry released his first memoir, Moab Is My Washpot, which left leaders with only a portion of the story, ending as it did in his teenage years, just released from a prison sentence for credit card fraud, with college – the legendary Cambridge – and fame still before him. Well, he picks it all right back up in the same warm, witty, candid style with 
Another year has gone by, which means that we’re all being gifted with a lovely clutch of brand new QI books, first and foremost being 
Before television turned Charlie Brooker into a superstar (hush, you), he ran a website called TVGoHome, which put more than one skewer through television, from fake listings to articles and ads. These were all collected into the book 
It was with some trepidation that fans entered the 5th season of 
What would the holiday season be without cookies? And, naturally, a geek needs somewhere to put those cookies – so why not a light-up (with sound effects!) 
Evocative of Addams, Dahl, Gorey & Seuss but gloriously the unique genius that is the combination of my friends Trace Beaulieu and Len Peralta comes 
Another could-have-been-a-disaster moment turned out to be gold with Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss’s modern take on Sherlock Holmes, 
It’s a been a few months, and you know what that means – a new Mystery Science Theater 3000 set! Continuing their yearly tradition, this holiday period box set comes packed with another bot action figure, and this times it’s the absolutely massive (and wonderfully accurate) Gypsy. If that weren’t enough, the movies contained in the 
Over the past year, there have been a trio of documentaries that any self-respecting Disney fan will find essential viewing, and all three are being released on DVD the same day (making purchase that much easier, natch). First up is 
While both films have their highs and lows – Fantasia has the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, “Dance of the Hours”, Night On Bald Mountain”, and “Nutcracker Suite” as highs, while Fantasia 2000 manages only the Hirschfeld inspired Gershwin sequence and the Flamingo with a yo-yo – it’s still lovely to have them both fully remastered in high definition as a 
For the true Disney fan, their incredible Walt Disney Animation Studios: Archive Series continues with the 3rd volume, 
But the Disney fun doesn’t end there, as the Disney legacy is also explored in a far different way via the grand Mouse’s videogame comeback – 
If you’ve yet to see Graham Linehan’s brilliant UK sitcom 
Because they’re so attuned to exactly what geeks want – pop culture geeks, the lot of us – Thinkgeek has become a prime destination for picking up LEGO sets that both geek adults and geek kids will want. Need proof? Well, considering you Star Wars geeks can pick up Boba Fett’s 
But what if your child likes LEGOs but you don’t want to buy them a construction set? Thinkgeek also stocks the 
Ach, but that’s not all! They’re also stocking all of the new LEGO board games, from the 
There’ve been a few quite nice highlight and retrospective sets released in the past, but if you want a truer picture of just why Johnny Carson was considered the King of Late Night, you should pick up 
Chemistry sets are so passe – Today’s kids want to investigate crimes… Particularly if their investigative materials are branded with a hit TV show. In other words, you can give the gist of a trio of kiddie-crime-solving kits – the 
I’m always leery when a new CG animated film comes down the pike and it’s not from Pixar, just because there have been so many duds trying to emulate their winning formula. This year, however, ahs been a banner one for non-Pixar flicks, starting with How To Train Your Dragon and including 
Yeah, I’m a sucker for the Guinness Book of World Records. There’s just something so compellingly exciting yet sad about the various and sundry attempts at dubious immortality “achieved” by the people, events, and tragedies included in the 
Covering the wild personal upheaval between 1964-1971, 
While it never achieves the transcendent by-golly-wow reaction it desperately wants for assembling such a massive all-star action pic hall of fame cast, 
After they released the brilliant – and much-requested – It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, fans were ready to throw a parade for the fine folks at Shout Factory after they announced they would be giving a complete series release to the even more brilliant 
There’ve been a few different versions released over the years, but the definitive edition – in high def, no less – is the 
For the past few years, Insight Editions has been putting out some truly spectacular books, from their series on the modelmaking and costuming of Star Wars to spotlights on John Lennon. While Chronicle Books has the lock on Pixar and Disney, Insight has been publishing massive, beautiful “Art Of” collections from Dreamworks and Sony. Currently available – and worth picking up – are 
Also worth mentioning from Insight, even though they’re not “Art Of” books, are Jerry Beck’s 
I have been counting the days until the high definition 25th Anniversary edition of the 
By the time we reach the third volume of 
About 5 years ago, I became aware that a documentary had been made about an artist I held dear to my heart – the underrated, underappreciated Harry Nilsson. I received a promo copy at the time, and found the documentary to be a comprehensive, enlightening overview of a brilliant artist beloved by friends and fans (including the likes of The Beatles) who happened to be a very flawed human being whose excess led to a far too early death. The doc floated around the festival circuit for the past few years, but 
It’s no Ben 10, but Cartoon Network’s 
Where the US version of the UK’s middle-age male crisis dramedy Manchild never got past pilot, the similarly themed 
I know a lot of you are probably waiting for next year’s Blu-Ray release of the entirety of season 4, but for those who can’t wait, 
It’s been almost a year since the Blu-Ray Ultimate Editions of the first two films were released, but the rather long wait has brought us the just-in-time for Deathly Hallows: Part 1 release of 
You know who else has comedy locked up for you this holiday season? The fine folks at Channel 4, who have a lovely clutch of comedy coming to DVD, including new stand-up specials – 
If you’d like to spend your holidays with a big green ogre, then you can fulfill that very odd wish with the 
The one factor that made Christopher Nolan’s 
You may know Haynes as the folks who put together all of those car manuals you see sitting on your mechanic’s (or father’s) shelf. Well, they’ve decided to venture into geek territory with the 
You can always bet that if there’s a new version of anything in the offing, the original version will get a release to coincide with it – and such is the case with the classic 1969 version of 
For the longest time, I’ve been able to suppress whatever last vestige of giddy Star Wars fanboy remained within me after being so mercilessly stamped out by the overwhelming mediocrity of the Prequels. That was, until I laid eyes on Hasbro’s incredible – in both execution and freaking size – new 
The folks at Fox want to load down your holiday viewing schedule as well, and have moved to do so with a pair of holiday box sets. 
I’ve banged on about for years, and I’m going to keep going virtual door to virtual door until the word gets out about QI. If you’ve never heard of the UK quiz program QI, you’re missing out on one of the funniest “educational” shows ever devised (the devisee being creator/producer John Lloyd, formerly of Blackadder, Not The Nine O’Clock News, and Spitting Image). The key to QI (which stands for “Quite Interesting”) is the central tenet of its philosophy – it’s not always being correct that counts, but being interesting (and funny). The interesting nature of a given piece of information spurs conversation and debate, eventually leading round to the learning of said informational nugget. Did you know that the Earth has more than one moon, for example? Or that otters kill crocodiles? Soon to make its debut on BBC1 (with its 5th season), it’s hosted by Stephen Fry and features a rotating panel of four comedians (one of which is mainstay Alan Davies) – and it’s one of the most hilarious shows I’ve ever seen… Honestly, you’ll laugh as much as you learn, and I still hold out hope a network in the US is smart enough to pick the show up uncut, as BBC America have been nothing but boobs about it (Hello, Comedy Central! Hello, Discovery Channel! Hello, PBS! Somebody!). Until then, you can grab a copy of both the first (
I admit it – I was skeptical of 
And you can add to your Pixar display with the 
We’ve reached a bit of milestone with the release of 
As the Tennant era comes to a close, be sure to snap up your very own handy-dandy tool that The Doctor wouldn’t be caught without ““ the 
Oh, to be a kid today, with all of the advanced electronics now available to toy manufacturers. Back in my day, we’d be luck if we had a pull string to make something talk – or an audio tape that would prompt eye blinks and mouth flap. Today, the wizards at Thinkway have crafted the mind-bogglingly cool 
It wouldn’t be the holiday season without 
As a kid, next to the likes of A Charlie Brown Christmas and How The Grinch Stole Christmas (and yes, even A Claymation Christmas), another perennial special that found its way into my holiday viewing schedule was 
Many take potshots at the show, but there’s a reason why Hogan’s Heroes remains such a fan favorite – it’s a fun, funny, absurd, Bilko-esque comedy that happens to be set in a German POW camp during World War II. Much like Mel Brooks after it, it made the Nazis into fools, with an Emmy-winning perf0ormance by Jewish actor Werner Klemperer as the bufoonish, ineffectual Kommandant Colonel Klink (the ability to ridicule the Nazis was what made Klemperer decide that taking the role – and the premise of the show – was OK). You can now get the entire series in one fell swoop via the 
Wanna zone out for the holidays? Sure ya do! And you can completely zone out by staring into the soothing blue glow of the 
I will admit right off the bat – nothing I’ve seen of James Cameron’s Avatar has made me in the least bit interested in seeing it. In fact, all of the hyperbole about it from the likes Jeffrey Katzenberg makes the reality of what I’ve seen seem all the more ludicrous. It is the focus of a merchandise bonanza, of course (it must be, right?), so shelves have been flooded with not only 3 3/4-scale 
Speaking of figures that are orphaned by a mediocre big screen inspiration, I present the 3 3/4-scaled figures based on 
The only figures I was actually happy with – even if the sculpts are a bit wonky – are those based on the classic Marvel characters as they appeared in the Secret Wars miniseries of the early-80’s. They’re being released as 
A few years back, it looked like Disney Editions might be abandoning the lushly illustrated, highly informative tomes that made animation junkies like me salivate over every page. Thankfully, that has not been the case, as they’ve opened up the vaults and been releasing a breathtaking series of books based on the animation process. Last year brought a focus on the pre-production story process, while this year brings 
Speaking of Disney Editions, I’d also recommend picking up their in-depth exploration of the World War II “Good Neighbor” trip that the US government sent Walt and a select team of his animators on, which is detailed in 
This holiday season is turning into a true Spongebob-a-palooza, as both of my nephews are big fans of the magnificent yellow bastard, and are both savvy enough to know what they want. Which is why it’s helpful that Nickelodeon has been quite active getting the sponge onto themed board games (kids don’t play enough board games). This holiday season, not only can you get 
In today’s digital age, there’s no need to use a slide rule. If you’re not familiar with a slide rule, it was essentially the pre-calculator age way if easily making some quite complex computations. In fact, they helped send us to them moon, and were the bane of many a high school student. And, thanks to ThinkGeek, you can get your very own 
I think the Star Wars prequels are an abomination, but I can still appreciate a good toy when it crosses my path (and delights my nephews no end). So what was this fun toy? The 
Kid fans of the Nick show iCarly can now emulate the onscreen madness of Carly and Sam with a pair of toys, one of which actually features on the show. That show-specific item is 
As dense as a diamond and just as exquisite, the second volume of world knowledge written by the world’s FOREMOST EXPERT on ALL THAT IS KNOWABLE (if not factual) and the possessor of soft hands and a baby’s face (the former per our handshake, the latter per Ricky Gervais), John Hodgman, is now available for purchase from your favorite book emporium IN SOFTCOVER. 
Don’t tell John Hodgman, but Scrabble is one of those games that I just never got around to learning when I was a kid. It never came up amongst my family, friends, or was available at all the middle school dances I spent sitting at the games table. So this holiday season, I promised, well, me that I would teach myself how to play. Luckily, I’ve been teaching myself with the 
Many other artists have gotten lavish retrospective collections in recent years, and the spotlight has finally turned to the great Steve Ditko with the appropriately titled 
For years, I’ve quietly lusted after the fantastical prop-quality ray guns that Weta has been manufacturing in extremely limited quantities. Sadly, they’ve just been a bit beyond my economic grasp – and it seems they’ve been that way for more than just me. Well, those sweet folks at Weta have decided to make a Dr. Grordbort gun that just about everyone can afford – swapping out metal for plastic, but crafting it so that they only way you can tell the difference is that the 
When new editions of previously released titles come out, it’s always difficult to determine whether there is a significant difference in image/sound quality or bonus features to make a re-purchase worth it. And sometimes, it’s an easy decision – and that’s the case with 
Paramount jumped into the spiffy-edition high-def game a few months back with a pair of high demand catalogue titles which certainly do show off the medium to its fullest – Mel Gibson’s 
On a similar note, I’m not entirely sure why it didn’t get a snazzy high-def release as well, but 
Those of you only familiar with Steve Coogan for his occasional American film work are in for a world of wonderful comedy that’s now contained in the easy-to-snag 
Be sure to live a life full of stereotypes, and be the nerdy guy (or gal) you want to be with pride by sipping your favorite cold-weather beverage from a 
Those fans that have only experience the butchered editions of weird and wonderful The Mighty Boosh that have been running on Adult Swim need to run – not walk – to their favorite DVD emporium and snag copies of the new-to-the-US unexpurgated editions of The Mighty Boosh seasons 1-3 that have now been collected into the massive 
In the first DVD release from the venerable UK music quiz show, 
It takes place at the holidays, so it makes perfect viewing during the season – and it contains what I consider the finest performance by John Candy ever put to film. What’s more, 
Yes, I know I’m a little close to the material – but you know what? I’d still recommend you pick up a copy of 
Yes, it really has been 100 episodes since the squarepanted sponge of Bikini Bottom first made his way onto our TV screens. How do I know this? Because there’s now an uber-deluxe box set titled 
And if you’ve made it all the way through the massive box set of the yellow one’s first 100 episodes, it’s time to move into fresh material with 
How about a cold-weather marathon of classic movies, courtesy of Turner Classic Movies? That’s exactly what you’ll get with their themed Turner Classic Movies Greatest Classic Films Collections (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$27.98 SRP each), each featuring a quartet of flicks under a common heading. On 
It’s all coming to a close, with the Blu-Ray release of the penultimate, 5th season of 
Many, many years ago, I was quite disappointed when the Harry Potter films began hitting DVD. What could have been wondrous, information and goodie-packed special editions were instead rather superficial, cursory releases that left a bad taste in the mouth for lost opportunities. Fast-forward and, as the franchise rapidly comes to a close on screen and the smell of money is in the air, Warners has decided to give the films the editions they deserve – the “Ultimate Editions”, in fact. Gracing shelves this holiday season are 
And, of course, you know you’re going to be picking up 
The Flask – Drink conveyance of a more civilized, lushy age. Now you can combine this classic accessory of the drunkard with the lackadaisical ennui of a more modern age, courtesy of the 
I’ve looked at Hot Toys previous releases of the 12″ silver Iron Man Mark II and red & gold Mark II figures, and while I marveled at their sleek design and beautifully realized to-scale accuracy, I save my highest praise for the final release in the series – the chunky, clunky 
Even the off ones have moments of high hilarity, which is why the Blu-Ray arrival of 
So you still haven’t gotten your copy of Henry Selick’s stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline? Well, you can easily rectify that with the 
Seeing a comedy like 
On the holiday music front, EMI has a batch of titles to provide the festive mood you’d like – including the seasonal re-releases of 
Much like any sketch show, 
Even nearly 50 years since taking the world by storm, Paul McCartney’s voice still remains a powerful instrument, and it’s always great to see him using it in front of an audience – particularly when it’s as historically significant as opening New York’s CitiField (built on the same spot as the legendary Shea Stadium). You can now see and hear that landmark concert via 
Of the triumvirate of Top Gear presenters, I do believe that James May has become my favorite. I think it’s because of the genuinely enthusiastic documentary series he does on the side, from looking at his childhood toys to journeying into space. 
It’s hard to believe, but Steven Spielberg’s comic misfire 
To try and explain the work of Michael Kupperman is to try and comprehend the beauty of a rose, or a sonnet, or a concerto – it just exists as a perfect comic gem for all to admire. And laugh at. A lot. Don’t believe me? Go get yourself a copy of 
For anyone who missed out on Rifftrax’s very first live theater-simulcast (or just want to re-live the awesome in the pantsless privacy of their own home), you can now get your own copy of 
Yeah, I’m a sucker for the Guinness Book of World Records. There’s just something so compellingly exciting yet sad about the various and sundry attempts at dubious immortality “achieved” by the people, events, and tragedies included in the 
Most shows suffer in their sophomore season, but it’s always nice when a program bucks the trend and turns in a stellar outing – and such is the case with 
It’s a juggernaut that’s still rolling along, and surely there’s a kid on your list that still plays Pokemon. For that kid on your list, there’s the 
Nancy Botwin moves her mini pot empire south of the border in the fourth season of 
He just had to be sick of answering the question.
LEARY: My mother has obviously been a big influence in my life and my brothers and sisters and everybody so I just thought if I’m going to be talking about raising kids in America and what I think is wrong with a lot of the ways in this country that we treat and raise kids, my mom is just, as I say in the book, there has never been a day that she has been on this earth that she isn’t who she is.
You can’t have it both ways.
