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04.09.06 by Widge @ 11:51 pm Here's yer DVD goodness...    DVD of the Week: Separate Lies. This Fox release gives you a great opportunity to see Rupert Everett and Tom Wilkinson facing off as the lover and spouse, respectively, of Emily Watson. The cover screams suspense thriller but that's not quite it, especially when you consider it's Julian Fellowes (the guy who wrote Gosford Park) in the director's chair. But the actors are here to provide an interesting, if slow, character study. No features, but it's worth the rental all the same. (Buy it) TV DVD of the Week: Grey's Anatomy: Season One. We'll take anything over ER at this stage of the game. Wouldn't you? And a hospital drama that doesn't offend is here, from Buena Vista Home Entertainment, with nine episodes across two discs. Sure it doesn't break a great deal of incredible new ground, but the acting and writing is solid for what it is. For features you get commentary on the pilot episode, deleted scenes, a look behind the scenes, and more. (Buy it) Animation DVD of the Week: Flintstones: The Complete Fifth Season. Twenty-six episodes over four discs are what you get in this sweet set from Warner Brothers. Apart from the classic episodes, you can also look forward to a close look at the art of parenting in the Stone Age, a featurette that covers the making of the family The Gruesomes (and even without explaining which characters they are, you probably have already dredged that memory from your childhood, right?), plus interviews and commercials featuring the characters (no cigarette ads, though--oh well). (Buy it)    Anime DVD of the Week: Armored Trooper Votoms, Stage 1: Uoodo City. A guy in a big bad armored suit sees something he's not supposed to, and is left for dead. However, he manages to get out and get back and seek...revenge! With the first thirteen episodes spread across two discs, Central Park Media brings this anime classic to you with a tasty bonus feature: a director's commentary track on the first three episodes, something that anime fans want more of. (Buy it) DVD Boxed Set DVD of the Week: The Spike Lee Joint Collection. Well, if you're looking for bonus features, then this five-movie set (Clockers, Jungle Fever, Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, and Crooklyn--spread across three discs) isn't for you. If, however, you don't know Lee's work and are looking to jump in quickly and inexpensively, then by all means--you're the target audience for this Universal collection. Be our guest. (Buy it) Brit DVD of the Week: Doctor Who: Beginning Collection. Fans of the classic show will be pleased hell to see the present BBC Home Video has left on their doorstep: the first three adventures of the first doctor, William Hartnell. Not just that, spread across three discs, but there's also commentary from the creative team and the members of the cast we have still with us, the unedited pilot episode (outtakes, warts and all), a mini-slew of featurettes, plus a thirty-minute recreation of the gone-the-way-of-all-flesh fourth adventure based on surviving materials. There's more. Just trust us, you want this. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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04.09.06 by Widge @ 10:27 pm   Audiobook of the Week: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson, performed by Richard Thomas. I didn't realize that after Lincoln was shot, John Wilkes Booth evaded pursuers for almost two weeks. I always thought he broke his leg jumping down from the balcony and that was the end of it. But, you know, public schools. Swanson brings to the book the full picture of what happened in the wake of Lincoln's death, and Thomas' reading brings it to life for your car trips. This hits from Harper Audio and is very recommended. (Buy it) Book of the Week: 30 Days of Night: Rumors of the Undead by Steve Niles & Jeff Mariotte. Building on the mythos that Niles and company created for the original comic series, which was the best vampire concept I've read in ages--what if Salem's Lot took place but there was no sun to contend with...because you're in Alaska--this time around it's an FBI agent who loses his partner to the undead, and tries to figure out what the hell happened in Alaska while he tries to put his partner to eternal rest. This hits from Pocket Books. (Buy it)    Graphic Novel of the Week: Dungeon: Twilight, Vol. 1: Dragon Cemetery. This NBM release had us going from the get-go, since we looked at the cover and said, "Is that a heavily-armed red rabbit having just cloven a dragon in two or something?" And it just goes from there. Welcome to Terra Amata, where our protagonist, Marvin, is at the end of his days, and sets out with a couple of friends to find the cemetery of the title. Interesting fantasy title, now we've got to go back and find the previous releases. (Buy it) CD of the Week: Resonator by Tony Levin. Tony Levin is the bass player for Peter Gabriel and also a member of King Crimson. I've heard a couple of his solo bits on collections over the years, but this is the first full-on album I've gotten and I must say that I'm pleased. This Narada release features Levin on vocals as well, which is a change, and I'm pleased to say that it doesn't throw things off in the least. Check out "Break It Down" and "Throw the God a Bone" for some nice samples. (Buy it) Magazine of the Week: Back Issue! #15. TwoMorrows chunks a hundred pages of goodness at your head, all of which feature "weird heroes" of the 70s and 80s. There's features on Deadman, Ragman, Ghost Rider, The Demon, Werewolf by Night, Phantom Stranger and on and on and on. There was supposed to be a Gorilla Grodd series? WTF? Among those being talked to are Matt Wagner, Joe Kubert, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, with a ton of art brought to you by Gene Colan plus more. If you miss the days when comics were good, then TwoMorrows is here to save you. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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03.26.06 by Widge @ 11:53 pm Here's yer DVD goodness...    DVD of the Week: In Her Shoes. Something that could have very easily fallen into full-on "chick flick" territory is instead uplifted by a great script, excellent direction by Curtis Hanson, and a trio of impressive actresses: Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz and Shirley MacLaine. They make what could have been fluff into a worthwhile movie about family. This Fox release comes with an alternate opening sequence, a casting featurette, a making-of featurette, and more. (Buy it) TV DVD of the Week: Magnum, P.I.: The Complete Third Season. The series that but Tom Selleck on the map returns with all twenty-two third season episodes...and sadly, little else. Of course, there's a bonus fourth season episode...but considering that the fourth season hits shortly, that's certainly not a reason to snag this Universal set. Fans have all the reason they need, though, and probably already have it on their shelves. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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03.26.06 by Widge @ 11:13 pm     Reference Book of the Week: JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan. Not exactly light reading, is it? But it wasn't meant to be. When you start dabbling in the arcane world of JavaScript, as I have been, then you need this tome in your toolkit to help you out. Not for the beginner (or for the faint of heart) but just like all of O'Reilly's stuff it'll get you what you need to know and provides a good foundation for all the whacky crap you really want to do with the code. And, bonus, it's heavy enough to use in a melee. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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03.19.06 by Widge @ 11:53 pm    DVD of the Week: Repo Man. This is one of those films that, when I first saw it, I remember thinking: "..." Yes, that very same ellipse passed through my mind. And now it's here to destroy the minds of a new generation, thanks to Universal. This special edition comes with an audio commentary featuring the writer/director Alex Cox, executive producer Michael Nesmith (yes, that Michael Nesmith), and others. You also get a bit with everyone's favorite elder statesman of character acting, Harry Dean Stanton, plus more. (Buy it) TV DVD of the Week: Dallas: The Complete Fourth Season. I'm a little traumatized that John Travolta has been tapped to play J.R. Ewing, not out of any love for the show, mind you, but just because the idea sounds mad as a hatter. Well, anyway, the third season set up the "Who Shot JR?" cliffhanger, and this season resolves it...eventually. There's a total of twenty-three episodes here across four discs from Warner Brothers plus the reunion special from 2004. (Buy it) Music DVD of the Week: Butterfly Ball. Had no idea what this was until I actually had the review copy in my hands from Music Video Distributors, but it's kinda fun, kinda nuts. Based on a children's book, it's a live performance version of the story, staged as a a benefit, and featuring Twiggy, members of Deep Purple, and Vincent Price on hand to do the narration. If you need a 70s fix, be our guest. (Buy it)     Anime DVD of the Week: Kaleido Star: New Wings, Vol. 1: Eclipse of the Star. This new series of circus-based anime hits from ADV with five episodes. One and two get you up to date, and the next three take off running with new characters, new conflict, and no Layla. As a result, there's less audiences and more strife, so fun for all the whole family, right? This comes with clean opening and closing animation, a production sketch gallery and a featurette. (Buy it) Horror DVD of the Week: All Souls Day. Danny Trejo, one of our favorite character actors, plays an evil bastard who kills a whole townful of people in order to gain immortality. Thus cursed, the town has nothing better to do than wait around for unsuspecting dummies to show up and get stranded there, thus making them ample fodder for the living dead! Yeah, we're suckers for zombies movies...even bad ones like this one. But Jeffrey Combs is in it too, so...we've got a soft spot. This Anchor Bay release comes with an audio commentary with the director and producer, three featurettes, deleted and extended scenes and more. (Buy it) Adverse Video of the Week: Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. Well, my thoughts on this film are no secret. I realize they managed to get money to do another one, but was anybody really clamoring for a special edition of this one? Regardless, if you're one of those, or you just need a reason to chuck used coffee cups at the screen, you'll be delighted to know that this comes with a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and more. But you've been warned. (Buy it) Brit DVD of the Week: Made in Britain. Tim Roth fans are going to want to jump all over this thing, seeing as how it's his first film role. Directed by Alan Clarke, it's Roth in full-on pissed off skinhead mode, basically getting in anybody and everybody's face and daring them to try and keep him in line. Blue Underground continues to bring the noise with two audio commentaries, one with the writer and producer, one with Roth himiself, plus an archival interview with Roth. Harsh, but worth checking out. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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03.12.06 by Widge @ 11:52 pm     DVD of the Week: Dead Poets Society. Once upon a time, before Robin Williams decided to be edgy instead of just dramatic, he made this movie. And once upon a time, it was released in a bare bones DVD. But no more...this time around, Disney throws it back at us with plenty: a commentary with director Peter Weir and others, deleted scenes, a retrospective featurette, a respectable slew of new interviews with cast and crew, and a mini-class in proper lighting. Rejoice. (Buy it) TV DVD of the Week: The Mary Tyler Moore: The Complete Third Season. Fox presents all twenty-four third season episodes of this classic series across three discs. No features, but fans will appreciate getting Mary, Cloris Leachman, Ed Asner, Ted Knight, Valerie Harper and Gavin McLeod on DVD, along with guest stars Jerry Van Dyke, Craig T. Nelson and others. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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03.05.06 by Widge @ 11:54 pm Here's yer DVD goodness...     DVD of the Week: Return of the Pink Panther. Did the Steve Martin remake leave a bad taste in your soul? Then grab this from Universal, the only flick not in the MGM boxed set (Son of? There was no Son of, damn you). Is it the best of the bunch? Not by far, but let's face it...bad Sellers Clouseau is better than most good comedic actors today--and no way is Sellers bad in this. Complete your collection. (Buy it) TV DVD of the Week: Doogie Howser, MD: Season Three. Long before Neil Patrick Harris was becoming a stage actor all over the freaking place, he became the avatar of a lot of teenagers looking at growing up and doing so without the high-paying job of being a doctor. Here, in the third season--hitting DVD from Anchor Bay--you get twenty-four episodes which feature everything from Doogie living with his best friend as a roomie, to taking a fast food job, to the evolution of his relationship with his girlfriend. Comes with interviews as well. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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03.05.06 by Widge @ 11:11 pm    Audiobook of the Week: The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson, performed by Christopher Lane. Written when Thompson was just a young gonzo, the novel relates a young writer facing the fact that his dreams of a literary career are going up in smoke. Not his best work, but for those who want a complete Thompson experience, they should definitely check it out. This unabridged production from Blackstone Audio is a handy way to do so. (Buy it) Book of the Week: The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios. There've been a number of books trying to use science that we know to explain how fictional worlds might work. They're all pretty entertaining and--gasp--educational. Kakalios' tome from Gotham Books is no exception, as he addresses the burning questions of our age, like "Can Ant-Man punch his way out of a paper bag?" He also brings up how the Microverse would work, and runs down major mutant players to take you through how they can work their powers as well. It's a total science geekgasm in a little over 300 pages. (Buy it) Movie-Related of the Week: The Making of King Kong : The Official Guide to the Motion Picture by Jenny Wake. Pocket Books takes you behind the scenes of the big monkey film, featuring scads of exactly what you would pick up such a tome for: behind-the-scenes shots, pics of models, production art...the whole nine. If you're salivating thinking of the DVD and its inevitable bonus bits, then slake your thirst for the time being with this. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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02.26.06 by Widge @ 11:44 pm    Audiobook of the Week: The Twits by Roald Dahl, performed by Simon Callow. If all you know of Dahl is the Chocolate Factory movies, you're really doing yourself a disservice. His other fiction, both children's and adult's, is delightfully morbid and twisted. Case in point is this story, of the incredibly horrid Mr. & Mrs. Twit, and the fate that befalls them which they so richly deserve. Needcoffee fave Simon Callow is on hand to do the reading for you in this HarperAudio release. (Buy it) Book of the Week: The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman. There is a 51st American state that moves around and is scarcely seen. Lobsters have had a fascinating history. And there is an awful lot you did not know about hoboes. If you think that the entirety of world knowledge cannot be contained within a single volume, then you obviously don't know Hodgman. And you really should. Because he's a scary, scary man. Who makes us laugh milk out of our noses...even when we haven't been drinking any. This hits from Dutton. Highly recommended and nominated for a Chazzie as well. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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02.19.06 by Widge @ 11:47 pm Here's yer DVD goodness...    DVD of the Week: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I don't think there's anybody in our generation that didn't think this movie was great...after all, talk about a hero for our times: he does whatever the hell he wants and bloody well gets away with it. Priceless. While this edition is very oddly missing the previous John Hughes commentary track, it does have a number of featurettes, including a casting bit, a retrospective, behind the scenes footage, and a talk with Mr. Ben Stein. This arrives courtesy of Paramount (Buy it) TV DVD of the Week: ER: The Complete Fourth Season. Well, the show's cracks started to show here, but it was still a solid prime time soap with the majority of its original cast. This season begins with the live episode, the first of twenty-two episodes across six discs. There's two features that cover the live episode, plus outtakes, deleted scenes and a gag reel. This largish set, perfect for fans of the show, is available via Warner Brothers. Check out the official site. (Buy it) Categorized as: Recommendations
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