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?
February 13, 2004
Book of the Week:
. Danger? It can happen. And it does--more often than we know. Thank Christ for the Kaiju Regulatory Commission.
Long having worked in the shadows at protecting the Earth from rampaging giant beasties, they are now stepping out into
the mainstream with a brilliant DVD release and this, the companion
book which will tell you everything you need to know when a giant radioactive monstrosity starts trying to use your city
for ground zero. Get the full skinnee on all your faves, like Hell Monkey, Silver Potato and...the Super Dimensional Slug!
Holy shit!
Audiobook of the Week:
by Robert Harris, performed by Michael Cumpsty. When a young engineer suddenly finds himself the head of the
Aqua Augusta aqueduct after the chief engineer there goes AWOL, you'd think this would be a good thing. Trouble is...it's
79 AD, the problem lies with Mount Vesuvius and it's two days before all of creation is about to go kablooey. Decently
accurate from a historical perspective, this Random House release is also performed admirably by Cumpsty, he of Star Trek: Voyager in days
past.
Comic-Related Book of the Week:
, edited by Eric Nolen-Weathington. TwoMorrows brings you this, the first of their Modern Masters series--and it
focuses on Alan Davis, he of Excalibur and X-Men fame. As is the usual thing for TwoMorrows, this sucker is
packed with never before (and rarer than hell) bits of illustration, not to mention interviews with some of Davis'
contemporaries. And a giant interview with the man himself. Any fan should snag immediately.
Comic Book of the Week:1602 #7 by Neil Gaiman & Andy Kubert. This limited series is headed for its ultimate
conclusion and it looks like Neil is going to pull this damn thing off. Not that there was much doubt, but still: we love
it when a plan comes together. Strange figures out a workaround for his promise to Uatu, the Grand Inquisitor makes his
move, and the Forerunner is finally revealed. Shit will certainly continue to get crazy--we respect that.
Music DVD of the Week:
. Fans of soul music are going to want to snag this for their weekend viewing pleasure, as this Buena Vista
release tackles both live performances and trying to catch up with several key players, such as Wilson Pickett and Isaac
Hayes. There are some amazing moments in here as well, like watching Sam (of Sam and Dave, natch) explaining how drugs
just about destroyed his life, as he was peddling the stuff on the streets even after he achieved fame. This release also
comes with a commentary with some key players, more live performances, and more.
TV DVD of the Week:
. Parker and Stone continue to offend the weak and make the rest of us piss our pants with unbridled laughter.
You get all seventeen third season episodes in this latest boxed set from Paramount, including mini-commentaries from the
two head burritos of this whole mess. Anyone wondering why they should take the time with this one obviously hasn't seen
the Halloween episode starring Korn as the Scooby Gang. Jesus, what geniuses.
DVD of the Week:
. New Line presents this more than decent entry into the family film genre, arming itself with the tremendous
casting trifecta of Duvall, Caine and Osment. When Osment's character is dumped on his whacko uncles' farm in Texas to
spend the summer, their eccentricity and their back story is what is explored and eventually revealed. Coming complete with
a commentary with director Tim McCanlies, a slew of deleted/alternate scenes also with commentary, and some featurettes, it's
a nice, sweet but not too sweet entry on your weekend planner.
Anime DVD of the Week:
. It's time for another four episodes of tasty mecha goodness, piloted by characters all supposedly
on the side of angels. This time around, in this latest release from Central Park Media, you get a haunted house, a situation
which potentially takes out the entire unit and the ins and outs of playing video games based on your real life. If you need
a battle armor fix, well, here ya go.
Comedy DVD of the Week:
. Ah, nobody does spoken word quite like Rollins. This inaugural DVD release from Henry's own 2.13.61 comprises a "best of" for a two month, one-gig-a-week
stint Rollins did at the Luna Park nightclub in Hollwood. And of course, the whole disc is filled with the
thought-provoking, tangent-ridden, maniacal stuff that The Henry is known for. Bonus segment included details Henry's wild
competition with Iggy Pop. Not to be missed.
Adverse Video of the Week:
. Low budget sci-fi is always a source of great amusement for the connoisseur of bad films--this release is no
exception. You have the prerequisite one "name" star (Ice-T) who's there for his name value; one C-movie superstar (Dudikoff)
who's there to do the heavy lifting; some shoddy, inconsistent special effects; and lastly, a plot that struggles with
logic and fails. Much more interesting than the feature is the commentary with the director and writer where they go over
the ins and outs of shooting such a film.
Docu of the Week:
. Tracy Droz Tragos grew up never knowing her father, who died in an ambush during the Vietnam War. After finding
an article about her father's death, she decides to go on a journey to put together the pieces from those who knew him, and
finally understand and come to grips with her father, his life and death, and his absence from her own life. This Docurama
release is powerful, profound and brutal all at once. It comes complete with extended interviews with Vietnam veterans, as
well as others who lost fathers in the war. Strong stuff.
CD of the Week:The Bens. This EP is exactly
what its name makes it out to be: a convocation of Bens--Folds, Lee and Kweller. Sporting four songs and recorded over as
many days, any fan of the individual Bens will be interested to check out the amalgamation of style, brought to you by Sony. Personal favorite:
the final track, "Bruised."
Book of the Week:
. Danger? It can happen. And it does--more often than we know. Thank Christ for the Kaiju Regulatory Commission.
Long having worked in the shadows at protecting the Earth from rampaging giant beasties, they are now stepping out into
the mainstream with a brilliant DVD release and this, the companion
book which will tell you everything you need to know when a giant radioactive monstrosity starts trying to use your city
for ground zero. Get the full skinnee on all your faves, like Hell Monkey, Silver Potato and...the Super Dimensional Slug!
Holy shit!
Comic Book of the Week: 1602 #7 by Neil Gaiman & Andy Kubert. This limited series is headed for its ultimate
conclusion and it looks like Neil is going to pull this damn thing off. Not that there was much doubt, but still: we love
it when a plan comes together. Strange figures out a workaround for his promise to Uatu, the Grand Inquisitor makes his
move, and the Forerunner is finally revealed. Shit will certainly continue to get crazy--we respect that.
