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 19, 2004
Book of the Week:
by Brian Greene. Do quantum physics and higher-dimensional space make your nose bleed? Do the names Heisenberg
and Einstein make you twitch and possibly break out in a rash? Never fear. Greene, mathematics and physics professor,
is here to break it all down for you. He gets down to almost an ontological level but never makes you want to beat your
head against a wall or anything of the sort. If you'd like some advanced physics and whatnot delivered to you in relatively
easy to swallow terms, then grab this Knopf release and dig in.
Audiobook of the Week:
by Joe Eszterhas, performed by Eric Bogosian. For those unfamiliar with Hollywood sleaze--or if even if you're
well versed in it--what better tour guide to have than the guy who penned both Basic Instinct and Showgirls?
A memoir that deals with not only the fun of Tinseltown, but also his own battle with cancer and his father's dark past,
the story is brought to life by Needcoffee fave Eric Bogosian. If you're looking for some real life mayhem this weekend
while you're driving around, then this Random House release is worth your while.
Graphic Novel of the Week:
by Greg Rucka & Brian Hurtt. How to piss off Tara Chace: keep her away from the mission. Why? Because she's
a female, and the mission is in Afghanistan, where under the regime at the time, females got a little too much attention
paid to them. Kinda hard to keep a low profile, or so her boss thinks. While not in therapy, she's trying to help piece
together the mission in Afghanistan and help her fellow minders--to grab a list of contacts that could prove fatal to every
name on it before the Taliban grabs it. Solid espionage thriller action the way Rucka delivers it--which is just the way
we like it.
Comic Book of the Week:Daredevil #58 by
Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev. There's a reason this sucker was nominated for a Chazzie. Each issue is another boot
to the head as Bendis takes this character--who, let's face it, nobody really gave a shit about a few years ago--into new
and fascinating territory. There's a Mrs. Murdock--and that self-same Mrs. Murdock has gone to Ben Urich so he can find
her husband, who might be dead following a showdown in Hell's Kitchen with about a hundred Yakuza assassins. If this storyline
was any tighter and sharper, they'd use it in warfare to take the heads off of motorcyclists.
TV DVD of the Week:
. Fifteen years ago, the "Big Death" killed every adult in the world. Now the title character and his buddy,
Kurdy, have to make their way across this whacked out new world helping people and looking for the "Valhalla Sector," which
could be their salvation. The premiere episode on this six disc MGM set comes with commentary by stars Luke Perry and
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, deleted scenes, a featurette, production sketches, and a photo gallery. If you need a sci-fi fix
this weekend, here's almost fifteen hours of content to slake that thirst.
DVD of the Week:
. Gojira! Hell yes! Following the line that ended Godzilla 2000, which was so lethally funny
it was almost Python, we get this endeavor brought across the ocean by Columbia Tristar. Here, Japan has decided to rid
themselves of the big lizard dude by opening a freaking black hole to suck the monster into and serve as a giant Gojira
Motel, so to speak. However, they botch the process and instead release a horde of killer giant bugs (!) that will soon
be facing off with the big guy in a match like no other! How can you not love it?
Anime DVD of the Week:
. For people who like their alternate reality worlds intricately setup, then this anime from Geneon is definitely
right up your alley: it's a pseudo-steampunk world filled with dirigibles, cannons, aerial combat, and boarding parties
armed with sabers. This latest episode involves our two heroes taking extraordinary steps to protect their "cargo," even
trying to take it back from the people they've delivered it to. Comes with the bonus of an art gallery. The whole thing is
choice.
Adverse Video of the Week:
. Ladies and gentlemen, it's "My First Duel!" But seriously, it pains us to mock a Casper Van Dien movie
so openly. Why? Because he's such a nice guy--no, really, he is--but man, has he made some stinkers. Add this one to the
pile, thanks to a didn't-mean-to-be funny script and action sequences where the continuity errors on car damage are so
obvious that it's a nice way to get jerked out of the film--if you were in it to begin with. Worth a snicker or two if
you need them.
Music DVD of the Week:
. Universal Music releases another stripped down Best Of--but don't fret and wail: it says "Best Of" up front
and the price is decent ($1.60 a video) so that the fan will definitely need it. "Shout," "Everybody Wants to Rule the
World" and "Sowing the Seeds of Love," along with two other videos make their home here. And hey, if you're a fan, buy this
and encourage Uni to release more.
Music CD of the Week:
by Gingersol. If you like your guitar pop songs to sound rather familiar, then your best bet is to check out
this release from Rubric. There's nothing quite like a couple of guys trying to work through their personal problems via
music--we can all relate to that here, since we know art is cheaper than therapy. If you want to experience an album with
medium-level bite, sample the songs "Rome's Behind Us But The World Is Round" and "Birthday Girl."
Book of the Week:
by Brian Greene. Do quantum physics and higher-dimensional space make your nose bleed? Do the names Heisenberg
and Einstein make you twitch and possibly break out in a rash? Never fear. Greene, mathematics and physics professor,
is here to break it all down for you. He gets down to almost an ontological level but never makes you want to beat your
head against a wall or anything of the sort. If you'd like some advanced physics and whatnot delivered to you in relatively
easy to swallow terms, then grab this Knopf release and dig in.
Comic Book of the Week: Daredevil #58 by
Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev. There's a reason this sucker was nominated for a Chazzie. Each issue is another boot
to the head as Bendis takes this character--who, let's face it, nobody really gave a shit about a few years ago--into new
and fascinating territory. There's a Mrs. Murdock--and that self-same Mrs. Murdock has gone to Ben Urich so he can find
her husband, who might be dead following a showdown in Hell's Kitchen with about a hundred Yakuza assassins. If this storyline
was any tighter and sharper, they'd use it in warfare to take the heads off of motorcyclists.
