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?

March 14, 2002

Book of the Week: The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean. Time again for some light but twisted children's fiction. And nobody does fanciful sickness quite like The Neil. The story is...well, exactly what the title says it is, and the unexpected consequences that come from such a transaction. McKean, visual god, supplies the many splendoured illustrations. Must have, I don't care how old you are.

Graphic Novel of the Week: Lazarus Churchyard by Warren Ellis & D'Israeli. He's over four centuries old, he's made of a highly adaptable plastic that can do and survive pretty much anything, and he can't die. And he's extremely pissed off about this last part. Come and watch the world degenerate with Lazarus, who's stuck bearing witness to the slow decline. And of course, kicking much ass along the way. If you like Ellis' more well-known stuff like Transmet and whatnot, this is necessary reading.

DVD of the Week: Help!. Don't believe the negative hype. This movie is actually funny as hell. It's a shame it's out of print on DVD--bastards--but don't let that stop you. There's nothing quite like Leo McKern massacring the pronunciation of "Beatle" or the scene that was referenced in Back to School that you didn't even know was an homage. Silly, but we like it.

Off the Beaten Path VHS of the Week: The Producers. Um...okay, it's a hit musical on Broadway, it's being transplanted to Europe, it absolutely destroyed the Tonys...and... no DVD yet? Nope. Say it with me: "Bastards." We can only hope that Uncle Mel has something diabolical up his sleeve for this amazingly sick comedy starring the mad genius of both Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Two words, Uncle Mel: "Criterion Collection."

CD of the Week: The Battle of Los Angeles by Rage Against the Machine. I can't get this out of my CD player. No, it's not a mechanical problem, it's just it seems to fit my moods. Took me a while to get into it, but with age it's grown on me and the final album of original anger from Rage is a good one. I'm convinced that "Maria" is probably one of the best songs they ever concocted. When the hell is that Cornell/Rage collaboration going to happen? Someone answer me that!

Beverage of the Week: Kahlua Iced Coffee. Sweet damn, people. This alchemical creation from Arizona Beverage is nice. It's beyond nice. It's the freaking nectar of the gods. We all know coffee is king, but throw that Kahlua-taste in there, and you'll be cursing the amazing price tag on this thing. But trust me, it's worth it. And hey, it's non-alcoholic. Remember, down with depressants!

Snack of the Week: Samoas. It’s that time of year again, and which is our favorite cookie when the Girl Scouts hit us up? Samoas. Their many textures and flavors (crunchy cookies covered with caramel, coconut, and fudge) make these so yummy that the box we bought this afternoon is almost gone. Be warned. They are heavily addictive and merciless in their desire to be consumed.

Hobby of the Week: Origami. Cheap, easy (at least once you get the hang of it), and it amuses small children! What more can you ask for in a hobby? Amaze your friends with the knowledge of how to turn a piece of paper into a goldfish.