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 27, 2004
Book of the Week:
by Alfed F. Young. Robert Shurtliff served for seventeen months during the American Revolution, and by all
accounts was a pretty damn good soldier. Kicker is, as you've surmised by this book's title, Shurtliff was actually Deborah
Sampson, perpetrating a hoax in order to serve her country. Young's book takes an extensive look at Sampson's life not
only during her service but before and after as well, to form a complete document of her rather extraordinary life. If you're
looking for some solid non-fiction for your weekend, this Knopf release will serve you well.
Audiobook of the Week:
by Kurt Vonnegut, performed by Stanley Tucci. Dwayne Hoover is a car salesman in early 70s America, who's slowing
going apeshit thanks to the writing of Kilgore Trout, Vonnegut's alter ego. In taking us down this path of madness, Vonnegut
gets a chance to expound satirically upon sex, love, racism, life in America--you know, pretty much everything. Here in this
Harper Audio release, the
novel is performed unabridged by Needcoffee fave Stanley Tucci and features an interview with Vonnegut to boot. Sweet.
Graphic Novel of the Week:
by Micah Ian Wright & Whilce Portacio. When we first heard that a new version of Stormwatch was going to hit
the stands, we were initially skeptical. What could possibly compare with Warren Ellis' run on the original title, which
ended with him burning the entire damn thing down to forge The Authority? Luckily, Wright took this new title in a
new direction: an organization of mehums with attitude, tech and guns that for the most part can't freaking stand metahumans.
Definitely worth checking out.
Comic Book of the Week:Dead@17 #4 by
Josh Howard. The Viper Comics series comes to a close with a whacked out ceremony that's a cross between Prince of
Darkness and the Romero Dead trilogy, and Nara is the center of attention. And considering the party is hosted
by Dargo and a severed head that's some kind of nexus of all evil--this is not a place to be the most popular girl around.
This four-issue story comes to a close with a bang, some questions answered and others still simmering--just enough to whet
your appetite for the new series coming in April. Rock.
Music DVD of the Week:
. This VH1 special is exactly what it purports to be: the making of Warren Zevon's final album, The Wind.
But that's too simplistic a description. It's a documentary about a musician facing his own mortality and the friends he's
made along the way coming to pay their respects and say goodbye--and in the doing, they create a slew of great music. Bonus
above and beyond the program itself are two music videos, bonus footage from the special, and some of Warren's home movies.
Fans will want to own, everyone should at least watch.
TV DVD of the Week:
. Fans of the series will be pleased as hell that the first thirteen episodes of this show are now available on
DVD, thanks to Columbia Tristar. Granted, the first season is when the show was trying to find its voice, but that's true
of every series--especially sitcoms. No features outside of "cast TV-ographies" but the fact that the show is even available
at all is a huge step in the right direction.
DVD of the Week:
. Kevin Costner went and made another western--and while people didn't rush out in droves to catch it on its
theatrical run, it hung in there and more than made its money back. And there's a reason--it's not a bad flick. Plus,
any western that has the good sense to include Robert Duvall amongst the cast gets points right there. This Buena Vista
release also comes with a commentary by Costner, deleted scenes with commentary, a featurette and "director's journal."
Certainly worth checking out.
Anime DVD of the Week:
. Central Park Media brings the first volume of Black Jack to DVD, with two fifty-minute episodes included.
It's the story of an unlicensed but brilliant surgeon, who roams around taking difficult to impossible jobs and saving lives.
Normally it involves some serious detective work as well. So, yes, it's kind of like a strange anime Quincy with a
twist, I guess.
Adverse Video of the Week:
. One of the most unfortunate video game adaptations in recent memory, if you want to beg for Mortal Kombat
3, then this is the flick for you. If you dig teens who magically know their way around automatic weapons, even more
bullet-time goodness, and the potential to make several drinking games--then again, this is the flick for you. You can even
impale yourself on the extras, if you're so inclined. But the feature will probably have you aching from laughter enough
on its own.
Docu of the Week:
. For those looking for a sobering documentary experience, look no further than this release from Docurama: the
1993 docu from Michele Ohayon. Narrated by Jodie Foster, it relates the story of a handful of women who once seemingly
had everything but as the result of "circumstances beyond their control" wound up homeless. For those needing a wakeup
call about the nature of choice and how it must used wisely, this will do the job with a quickness.
Comedy DVD of the Week:
. Sketch comedy can be a little out there, but not in recent memory have I seen such a gleamingly lethal edge
on it like I do with Dave Chappelle. When your premiere episode has a "Frontline" segment about the world's foremost white
supremacist, who turns out to be a blind black guy who's never known he wasn't white--then you must simply award the show's
creative force with a wheelbarrow to carry his balls around in. You get all twelve episodes, audio commentary from Chappelle
and co-creator Neal Brennan on five of their favorite episodes, a half-hour of bloopers and gag reel footage and an unaired
segment. This Comedy Central release is just delightfully wrong.
CD of the Week:
by Joe Cocker. Okay, sue me, all right? I dig Joe Cocker. His Beatles covers ("With a Little Help From My
Friends" and "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window") are some of the best ever, his live Box Tops cover of "The
Letter" rocks ultimate balls, and "Feelin' Alright" is so good it actually makes me feel alright. Twenty tracks are
what you get from Hip-O's collection, picked by the man himself. Hard to go wrong with that. Naysayers can go jump.
Magazine of the Week:Back Issue. Does
Kevin Smith's Wizard Magazine bore the everloving shit out of you? That's okay, we've got the cure for what ails you--or rather, TwoMorrows
does. This time around, it's the "Totally 80s" issue, with a feature on the long-dead Comico, the Space Ghost
story that never happened, and pencil drawings from Adam "Knows What 'Hilary' Means" Hughes. With just under a hundred
pages of goodness for six bucks, it can't be beat. We dig it.
Book of the Week:
by Alfed F. Young. Robert Shurtliff served for seventeen months during the American Revolution, and by all
accounts was a pretty damn good soldier. Kicker is, as you've surmised by this book's title, Shurtliff was actually Deborah
Sampson, perpetrating a hoax in order to serve her country. Young's book takes an extensive look at Sampson's life not
only during her service but before and after as well, to form a complete document of her rather extraordinary life. If you're
looking for some solid non-fiction for your weekend, this Knopf release will serve you well.
