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, 2004
Book of the Week:
by James Sanders. A must-read for New Yorkers and movie fiends alike, Sanders takes an extensive look at what
the movies have made of the Big Apple and vice versa. Well researched in a field that few if any have chosen to take a look
at, it's packed with a few hundred photos from sets and locations, not to mention a bibliography and filmography. If you'd
like to explore both the real and the mythic city of New York, this Knopf release is definitely for you.
Comic-Related Book of the Week:
by Mark Voger. Schaffenberger is yet another one among many comic book artists whose work you know, even if you
don't know you know it. If you've read comics at all, maybe you might have avoided all of his Lois Lane adventures, but
you'd be hard pressed to get around his work on Captain Marvel (Shazam) for Fawcett. Trust us, you know him. But not as
well as you should--the comics afficionado should spend a little quality time with his life, work and colleagues in this
fine book that, as most TwoMorrows releases, features a slew of artwork and photos, some never before published.
Graphic Novel of the Week:
by Warren Ellis & Mike Wolfer. There's been a ginormous prison riot on English soil, so bad that the SAS has
been called in to smack it down. However, not even those badasses are prepared for what they find once they get inside--and
they're all butchered...or worse. There's nothing else to be done but to call in everyone's favorite combat magician,
Sgt. Major William Gravel. So the shit (and the ground up flesh and little bits of people) are about to hit the fan. Yet
another series regarding Gravel from our friends at Avatar, certain to disgust and delight in equal portions. Nice.
Comic Book of the Week: Supreme Power #6 by J. Michael Straczynski & Gary Frank. I have to admit, the book has
not disappointed. The pacing is slow and deliberate as the cast of characters builds, and JMS hasn't tried to piss all over
the memory of the original mini-series that is so rightly revered. And Frank's artwork and setups are quite apt. I know,
a good book from Marvel that's not written by Bendis--who knew?
Docu of the Week:
. Chuck Close is an artist that specializes in pointilism. Of course, since some of his canvases can take up
most of a wall, that means his points can be rather large. This docu from Home Vision takes a look at the man's work and
his life--letting you see how he goes about making his huge portraits. It's especially inspiring that despite an illness
which left him almost totally paralyzed, he hasn't stopped creating some amazing works.
TV DVD of the Week:
. A funny show that sadly not enough people watched, it's now available on DVD through the grace of Warner Brothers.
You get all twelve episodes, several coming complete with commentaries by Stiller and other cast members as well as some of
the writers. Bonus: five sketches that never aired, also with commentary; outtakes; behind the scenes special. If you need
some twisted laughter to erupt from your skull this weekend, we recommend this.
DVD of the Week:
. Nothing makes our day (or weekend) like a worthy sequel--in this case, one which we think is better than the
original. Kickass action, perfect cast, and Wolvie going apeshit...what a deal! And speaking of deals, this two-disc set
from Fox is pretty sweet as well: two commentaries from the creative minds behind this thing, a docu, multiple featurettes,
a scene study of Nightcrawler's debut/opening scene, a slew of deleted or alternate scenes and more. Worth catching again
if you caught it the first time.
Anime DVD of the Week:
. Have a soft spot in your heart for mid-80s anime? This title from director Masaki should be right up your
alley then, as it has hit DVD thanks to Central Park Media. Short, sweet and to the point, it tells the story of a doctor
who enjoys making shapely female robots. When he is kidnapped, his robot Antoinette has to join forces with a couple of
humans to try and save the day. Yeah, it's cheese. But sometimes, you just need dairy.
CD of the Week:
. A strange amalgam of driving rock, Hendrixian guitar sensibilities and double-barreled vocals that sound
like a completely Westernized version of Kula Shaker, this album from Tee Pee is a bit of a trip from start to finish.
From the opening bangs and yells of "Miles Away" to the mild psychedelic opus of "Slippin' and Slidin'," it's a definite
must-hear.