Each Thursday (or Friday, since some weeks we seem to be running behind on everything), Needcoffee.com's staff of whackos will wrack our brains to give you interesting and new things to do over the weekend. Books, movies, whatever. We'll throw them out, you do with them what you will. And hey...if you have something you want to recommend--whatever it is--drop us a line.
Incidentally, we've provided links where we can for you to buy the stuff or find out more if you're interested, courtesy of those Amazon types. Hey, come on, we can't be totally selfless in this, can we?
January 9, 2003
Book of the Week:
by Kevin Henkes. There's a certain joy in a superlative children's book--and this one certainly fits the
criteria. Although Henkes' other works are great fun, this one where the precocious Lily (Queen of Everything, don't you
know) has to deal with a new brother is positively classic. Learn the true value of the number zero and something about
families and why they don't always suck. Brilliant for kids or adults.
Comic Book of The Week:
War Story: Condors by
Garth Ennis & Carlos Ezquerra. There were a couple of contenders for this week, but ultimately Ennis pulled through with
this, the best entry thus far in his ongoing series of War Story one shots. Here you get something that almost
feels like a stage play: four individuals find themselves sharing a foxhole during the Spanish Civil War. You have a
German pilot, a British soldier, an Irish guerilla fighter, and a Spaniard who's seen way too much. Incredible ideas and
accusations get thrown around in something that makes the Oscar-winning No Man's Land look irrelevant by comparison.
Graphic Novel of the Week:
by Barbara Kesel & Bart Sears. Take the adventures and betrayal of the Olympian pantheon of gods. Now jack
them up a notch into some serious high-drama--oh and give all the players immense, planet-quaking power. And throw in a bit
of frame story for an entire universe of characters. When you get done, you still won't have this, the most challenging
of titles from CrossGen's line--but it does have rewards for the bold of heart.
DVD Boxed Set of the Week:
. Another series here, this one a soap of the highest order. Sure, soap opera is a term that normally makes
you want to fork the sign of the evil eye--but there's nothing to fear here. Here, instead, you get families, drama, greed,
and drama about families and greed. This covers the first part of the saga in question and is acted to the nines. Definitely
worth checking out.
DVD of the Week:
. Say what you want about the flick--some thought it was creepy as hell, some positively loathed the thing.
But, hey, that's the M. Night way. And yeah, there's no commentary--but you do get deleted scenes and a six-part making of
documentary. So the Vista treatment does do it some justice, although it's not totally stacked. But still, if you love the
film, it's for you.
CD of the Week:
. Mark Mothersbaugh delivered a positively delightful (and slightly skewed and demented) score, and it's here given even more oomph with some of
the choice songs from the flick. Anderson always does know how to pick his music--and here you get The Who, The Faces,
John Lennon, The Kinks and more.
Drink of the Week: dnL. Is it Surge? No, not exactly. But alas, it's as close as we're going to get. For
those of you who missed the announcement a while back in the
Gabfest, this is 7up's nifty idea
to turn thing's "upside down." So that's why it's green. And caffeinated. Ah, whatever, I'm not arguing.