I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
In this episode, I have another chat with writer/director/comedian J. Elvis Weinstein, about documentaries, stand-up, Michael Des Barres, writing, Mystery Science Theater, and battle bots.
Hope you enjoy…
Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & J. Elvis Weinstein 2“:
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And you can hear our previous Bit Of A Chat HERE.
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I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
Patience has been rewarded for fans of Hayao Miyazaki, as his brilliant animated classic 
A cult cult classic, 
Leave it to Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman to do for the spy genre what they did for superheroes in X-Men: First Class by injecting a bit of vim and vigor into their adaptation of 
There’s a special kind of joy to be found when cracking open and becoming invested in a book a part of you knew always should have existed but finally does. 
Celebrate America’s birthday with the most comprehensive restoration and stunning presentation of a musical classic with the high definition debut of 
Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy return with a brand new batch of short form hilarity with 
He still lives in a pineapple under the sea, but 
Every month brings a new clutch of iconic films given the high definition treatment by movie mavens at Criterion, with June’s must-have titles being Terry Gilliam’s 
Over the past year, Paramount has been providing a boon to coompletionist fans of beloved TV shows by releasing complete series megasets from their rather deep catalogue of classics. The latest programs to get the uber-massive treatment are 
Another month brings another sterling entry in Disney’s remastered and expanded Legacy Collection of soundtrack re-releases, with the latest being the film that out a creatively and financially shaky post-war Disney studio back in the black, 1950’s 
I do enough traveling that I’m always drowning in cords and desperate to find the perfect combination of cords to streamline my terribly complicated existence. Thankfully, Thinkgeek has a pair of nifty items that have now made their way into my travel bag. First is the 
Existing in the period between the departure of William Hanna & Joe Barbera and the short run from the legendary Chuck Jones, 
Chris Vance returns as the titular high-octane deliveryman in the second season of 
Liam Neeson further cements his reputation as a man not to be trifled with in 
Inspector Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) continues his struggle to tackle the seedy underworld of Edwardian Whitechapel in the 3rd season of 
Listen, I wouldn’t have pined for them, but both Tarsem Singh’s 
The folks at Mill Creek open up the Columbia vaults for another batch of reasonably-priced catalogue releases, with James Mason & Helen Mirren in 
Get your reality fix this weekend with a pair of powerful documentaries, the first of which is director Robert Kenner’s 
I was wholly unaware that Joan Rivers hosted her own syndicated daytime talk show in the late 60s out of New York City, so it was with keen interest that I dove into 
Promoting the then-recent It’s Hard album, 
Finally getting a proper official release from the band’s archive, 
It’s a slight, toss-off little comedy, but 
No one will ever mistake it for Citizen Kane, but there’s a certain affable charm to David Spade’s performance as the titular schlub searching for his parents in 
Even though outside success means that the days of Adam, Blake, and Ders are probably numbered, enjoy the merry misadventures of 
Mash together the world’s most famous cat & mouse combo with the globe-trotting adventurer Jonny Quest and you get the direct-to-video original feature 
Keep the kiddies occupied over the long summer holidays with Nickelodeon’s 3-disc 
It’s become cliché to call a Spike Jonze film “quirky”, but there’s a reason clichés become cliché, and his latest, 
Magnets and gyroscopes – two nerd tastes that taste great together, and that’s exactly the dynamic duo that’s combined in ball form with the 
It can be a dicey proposition fraught with peril, going back and revisiting past successes, but the triumphant trio of Mike, Bill, & Kevin manage it in true style with 
The most fascinating part of 
Yeah, it should come as no surprise that Kenny Powers as a suburban dad would not last for long, so the fourth and final season of 
Watching the documentary series 
Making a pledge to remain firmly entrenched in the swinging single life winds a trio of friends (Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan) into plenty of mildly amusing situations when the chief proponent of the vow, Jason (Efron), meets a girl (Imogen Poots) who he can’t get out of his mind in 
Fedor Bondarchuk’s 
The mystery series based on Craig Johnson’s best-selling 
Hey hey! It’s time for this week’s soundtrack round up! So what cinematic audio delights do we have available this go round? There’s John Ottman’s score for 
Not content with the arrival of a single much-requested title that would delight cinema aficionados no end, Universal has dipped into their vault for a double header of film noir classics with the high definition debut of both 
I still find her continued adherence to the Catholic faith incomprehensible in light of the emotional atrocity committed against her, but the tale and the performances (from Judi Dench and Steve Coogan) that bring the actual events to life in 
It’s sadly lacking in any bonus features whatsoever – usually a highlight of the BBC’s Who releases – but the fact that we have all but one of the formerly missing episodes after nearly 50 years is reason enough to pick up 
The fine folks at Rifftrax dig into their very first blaxploitation film with 
While it’s a marked improvement over the lackluster seasons that came before it, the fourth season of 
Considering the delightfully escapist Thurber story it’s based on, Ben Stiller’s take on 
It seems we haven’t gotten a full season set in ages, but there are still enough new episodes for another single-disc DVD collection – So we get 
Yes, you’ll laugh at 
They’re not quite Godzilla quality, but there’s a charm to be found in the turtle meat-filled 
The BBC does some of the finest nature documentaries around, and they’ve just dropped a whole clutch of beauty-filled discs – a one-two punch of the ursine persuasion in 
Yeah, casting Helena Bonham Carter as the bitter spinster Miss Havisham was a brilliant move in Mike Newell’s pretty decent adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 
Though Jack the Ripper may be gone, his memory still casts a long shadow for Inspector Reid and the residents of Whitechapel in the second season of 
Even if you have the previously release Ultimate Collection, if you’re a fan of Carol Burnett and her eponymous show, you’ll definitely want to pick up 
An Angry Birds cartoon? Sure. Why not. And honestly, the 90+ minutes of 
Fox expands their MOD Cinema Classics slate with a quartet of brand new releases from their immense vaults – 
All kudos, salutations, exaltations, hurrahs and huzzahs to Darrell Van Critters for assembling a long overdue and absolutely brilliant tribute and celebration of 
To say that 
After mainly focusing on shorts-based released for their DVD line – most likely due to ease of rights issues – the fine folks at Rifftrax have been increasing their feature-length releases, with a pair of brand new ones to ring in the new year. If you’re in the mood to extend your holiday celebrations, there’s the disturbing 
Fox has opened up their vaults again, going all the way back to the high definition debut of one of the very first Academy Award winners, 1929’s 
The surprise announcement that his younger brother is getting married sets off a chain reaction of bitterness and recrimination between the long-divorced but still very angry parents of Carter (Adam Scott), a man who is still caught in the emotional maelstrom of that dissolution in 
Watching Kevin Bacon be Kevin Bacon is the real reason to watch the spotty 
The perfect antidote to the grating US version is a dose of the original power trio in their latest season with 
By the time we get to the third season of 
If you’re in the mood for a prestige mystery that manages to maintain it’s edgy drama throughout, try 
As the new episodes have slowed to a trickle, the Spongebob machine keeps on rolling by introducing a character-centric collection – 
Just in time for the debut of the fifth season (naturally) comes the complete fourth season of 
It’s largely disposable entertainment, but 
Every once in awhile, The History Channel manages to set aside their godawful “reality” programming in favor of something truly enlightening and, dare I say, classy, like 
Get your final fix of the period police drama 
The supernatural Three’s Company that is the US remake of 
Only a handful of releases of the long-running BBC series remain with the release of 
When you can watch the story of a woman on the coast of Scotland who crafts fishing lures that are renowned the world over for both their efficacy and their beauty and be absolutely enthralled, THAT is the mark of the true power of a well-crafted documentary. So do give a spin to 
It’s a new year, so howzabout a new round-up of soundtracks currently available for your listening pleasure? We’ve got Howard Shore’s 
Prepare yourself for the long delayed third installment by picking up the new high-definition releases of the wonderful 
If you’re like me (and of course, you are), you’ve probably been swept up in the dangerously addictive game of DrawSomething. And if you’re still like me (YOU ARE), you find having to use your finger to draw an incredibly frustrating experience. Well, throw frustration aside with the 
This month brings a pair of long-awaited stories from Sylvester McCoy’s 7th Doctor, even if one of those is pretty close to the nadir of the series. First, the good news is that 
As far as sequels go, few are more delightfully meta than the underappreciated (particularly at release) 
Before he made a few clunkers (and quiet, you – I love Popeye), Robin Williams starred in a pair of gems that finally make their debut in high definition – 
Hey! Guess what? The loveable Rifftrax Trio returns with the DVD release of another of their recent live performances with 
Remember when we didn’t know who Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd were? And then a film called 
It has all of the bizarre excess that’s always proved off-putting to me in their TV work, but fans will probably love 
Continue the Universal 100th anniversary celebrations with a lovingly restored presentation of the swinging 60’s Rock Hudson/Doris Day classic 
As if Valentine’s Day weren’t enough, director Garry Marshall returns with another kitchen sink cast romantic something or other based around 
After years of waiting, fans of Mr. Rourke & Tattoo can finally partake of 
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 
If you want a nice and easy geek-friendly LEGO set for kids who might not have the skill or patience to tackle the larger sets, the 
Arrested development and the delusion that goes with it is front and center in 
It seems every month is a holiday for fans of the Doctor’s classic adventures as we get not only a special edition of the 10th anniversary special with 
Ah, but that’s not all of the new classic Who you’re getting this week! Oh no, no, no! There’s also a newly restored special edition of Patrick Troughton’s tin-plated tussle with cyberdoom in 
Anyone who has had a loss that is at the same time sudden yet lingering will understand the power of a film like 
It was only a matter of time before Martin Scorsese’s 
It’s always a delight to get new Wallace & Gromit material, even if it’s in the form of interstitial around a spotlight on r3eal life gadgets and contraptions in 
The fine folks at Rifftrax have released a brand new pair of cinematic bombs made wonderfully hilarious – the dime store creature feature 
You know another installment of a film franchise is in the offing when the back-catalogue is dusted off for release, so it should come as little surprise that the forthcoming American Reunion brings the Blu-Ray debut of 
They’re certainly not up to the quality of the original, but there’s enough charm and storytelling competence to make both 
The Warner Archive Collection has dug up a pair of Jim Brown rarities from the 70’s for your viewing pleasure. 
Yeah, I’m not entirely sure anyone is supposed to understand what’s going on in Tarsem’s big Greek mythology epic 
Director Ralph Bakshi’s animated films are an acquired taste, and one I never have acquired. I can certainly see his passion, but the movies don’t speak to me. But there are plenty of people who have a special place in their heart for his fantasy film 
As this year marks the 100th anniversary of the legendary maritime disaster, it’s perfectly understandable that the History Channel is collecting together a trio of their best documentaries on the subject into 
Michelle Williams certainly deserved her Oscar nomination for her turn as Marilyn Monroe in 
I’m not exactly sure what they were thinking with the overly-slick, utterly baffling new take on 
Do you like penguins? Do you like them dancing? Do you like them talking with the voices of Elijah Wood and Robin Williams while they’re dancing? Did you like all of this when it was in an animated movie called Happy Feet? Then you’ll like the equally ingratiating 
For 
How do you compress 13.7 million years of Earth’s existence into one concise special? Seems like a tall task, but it’s one 
It’s still not my bag, but for those that enjoy Adult Swim’s 
What do Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant do when they’re bored? They send the decidedly reticent Karl Pilkington on tour of the wonders of the world in 
I’m always interested in products that take up less room but still accomplish a job I need, which is why the 
It’s a new year, and waiting for us in the bright and shiny are a pair of new classic Doctor Who releases – the Jon Pertwee story 
Want to know just how snowed under I’ve been for, oh, ages? I actually missed that a pair of new Rifftrax shorts collections AND a Rifftrax holiday special had been released on DVD. Rectifying that glaring oversight, I’m here to recommend you rush over and pick up your very own copies of 
I resent a sports film that makes me like it in spite of it being a sports film. Because I really do not like sports. So damn you, 
What does work, though, is HBO’s miniseries adaptation of 
Want to be depressed this holiday season with a fearsome piece of plausible disaster? Then kick back with some egg nog and candy canes and watch 
You may not remember (though fans most certainly do), but there was a massive outcry a few years back when the first couple of seasons of both Roseanne & 3rd Rock From The Sun hit DVD. The trouble? Instead of the original broadcast versions of the episodes, the DVDs featured the edited syndication cuts. Yeah, so fans were not happy. Well, thanks to the fine folks at Mill Creek, you can now get 
The kids will feel a seasonal chill from 
Though it’s produced by Martin Scorsese and one of the writers from The Sopranos, the period piece 
It’s the end of the road for Steve McGarrett as we finally arrive at the 12th and final season of 
Buoyed by still-powerful performances from Gary Oldman & Chloe Webb, 
I have to be honest in saying I’m not much for the dimensional beastie hijinks of 
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
This really is a golden age for Doctor Who fans, as the DVD releases of classic storylines are coming fast & furious, with another quartet now available – the Peter Davison stories 
I’m a sucker for a specific task kitchen widget that also taps into childhood nostalgia, so you can imagine my delight at being able to put a homemade spin on corn dogs with the 
With the fourth volume of 
Prepare for Father’s Day with a pair of new-to-Blu-Ray catalogue classics from Fox – John Wayne in 
If you’re a big fan of Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett’s post-MST3K endeavor Rifftrax, you owe it to yourself to partake of the heightened energy of a pair of new live show releases, that were originally beamed to theaters around the country – 
I can’t remember the last time I was surprised by the end of a romantic comedy, as the resolution of the couple-to-be is pretty well set in storytelling cliché by now, so my enjoyment of a romantic comedy comes largely from the journey. 
In the 4th season of 
I wish it weren’t the case, but the eighth season of 
I am not the audience for 
While we’re still not to the season that contains my absolute favorite episode, if you’ve yet to pick up the stellar high definition sets of Rod Serling’s classic anthology series, you can at least start with the newly-released 
While Trading Places and 48 Hours remain the greatest of Eddie Murphy movies in my estimation, it’s a welcome addition to the high definition library to get 
While many studios have been dumping sub-par catalogue releases in massive Blu-Ray waves, MGM has decided to release a wave of many films buffs consider must-haves – 
More insidious than wartime physical injuries, the effects of what has been termed everything from shell shock to post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers is explored in the documentary 
Did you know that Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen did a film together in the 60’s? Co-written by Blake Edwards? No? Neither did I, until the Warner Archive Collection made 
It’s always nice just to have a disc that you can put in and show off your fancy a/v setup at home – One that looks and sounds pretty darn spiffy. The high definition IMAX documentaries 
Now that we’ve got the full run of the Six Million Dollar Man on DVD, it’s left to 
MGM continues to drop almost a literal ton of catalogue titles via their new MOD (Manufacture On Demand) Limited Edition Collection program, including the David Niven sex romp comedy 
If the big screen live action outing of the Norse god of thunder has whet your appetite for more adventures look no further than the animated feature 
Universal drops a pair of newer TV shows on DVD this week, including the debut season of the Piper Perabo-starring CIA procedural 
The Warner Archive Collection continues to roll out long-forgotten animated oddities from the Hanna-Barbera library with the release of 
If 
It may just be the Atheist in me, but I’m tired of films about priests regaining their faith in the face of demonic presences. It’s like demons are God’s hitmen. So yeah, I was less than interested in 
I know there are many people I love and respect who love 
Hey! Doctor Who fans of both Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor and the Daleks can pick up a pair of action figure sets spotlighting the classic Baker stories 
The newest clutch of classic Doctor Who releases includes a special edition re-release of the much-requested – and actually pretty decent, despite what you might have heard – 1996 made-for-TV 
As a fanboy, you know you’re wont to get just about every doodad iteration of a favorite whatsit in existence, which is why I’m sure you’re likely to pick up the 
Periodically, the fine folks at Rifftrax gift us with another DVD-based collection of the short subjects that have been available for download over the past few months, which brings us 
Photography buffs will want to pick up 
When I saw Paranormal Activity, I didn’t leave the theater thinking “Franchise!”, but that was obviously on the minds of the executives, as we’ve now got Paranormal Activity 2 (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), which introduces a new set of clueless people and adds a baby to the mix. The unrated edition features additional nutty footage.
It’s a shame the film doesn’t hang together better, because 
Film buffs will probably want to pick up the DVD debut of writer/director Elia Kazan’s epic 1963 immigrant tale 
Yes, it’s been 20 years since the release of 
The Warner Archive collection drops another pair of catalogue titles to their on-demand service, bringing forth the Cliff Robertson/Jane Fonda romcom 
Here’s 
It seems that I just really don’t like Katherine Heigl, which makes watching her star in the dramedy 
Thomas Jefferson was not only our 3rd president – He was also a pretty complicated man. You can find out just how complicated in the History Channel documentary 
Nickelodeon has done another of their theme releases pulling together episodes from a bunch of their shows, this time celebrating 
As a follow-up to the equally stunning Planet Earth, the BBC’s 
So you want a stapler, hole punch, one meter ruler, precision scissors, ballpoint pen, screwdrivers (+/-), screwdriver socket, staple remover, and storage space for paper clips, all in container the size of a deck of cards? Well, the 
I was worried that something would come along and derail Sony’s release of the complete theatrical shorts, but with 
If you’re beginning to jones for more Rifftrax shorts DVDs, you can get your fix from not one, but two new releases – 
There was a time when a Tim Burton film meant a fair deal of whimsy with a surprisingly strong core of emotion at its center. 
Not only do you get the much desired original in high definition, but 
Originally available as part of last year’s big Clint Eastwood box set, you can now get the Richard Schickel produced documentary 
They’re not quite up to the same snuff as the classic specials of the 60’s, but there’s still plenty of fun in the 
Oh, History Channel – you’re not even bothering to do anything to do with hard history even more. You’ve become MTV, eager to throw up the next reality series, which you have with the garbage combers of 
Fans jonesing for a hit of Meatwad, Frylock, and Master Shake can get their fix from 
I really hoped you would be able to pull it off, Joe Johnston. I mean, you had Benicio Del Toro as your lead, and a strong mythology behind it, but your new take on 
When a shallow size zero supermodel dies in an accident and finds herself given the body of the recently-deceased Jane – a plus-sized attorney – you get Lifetime’s 
Recovering from some lost momentum, the third season of 
Insects are the order of the say in the new Sesame release 
In this episode, I’m having a bit of a chat with author, NPR commentator, Mystery Science Theater alumnus, member of The Film Crew, and 
