Weekly Recommendations...from Needcoffee.com

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 26, 2004

Book of the Week:

by Cory Doctorow. Welcome to the Bitchun Society, where if you think you can do something better than the people doing it at present--just waltz in and start doing it. That's how the ad hocs have taken over Disney World, where our protagonist, Jules, is living to fulfill a dream from his childhood. However, all is not well. Another ad hoc looks to be muscling in on Jules and his buddies' territory--with sometimes (temporarily) lethal results. Clever, funny sci-fi that nevertheless makes some interest points despite yourself, you can buy using the links or check out Doctorow's website to download it.

Audiobook of the Week: The Dragon Seekers: How an Extraordinary Circle of Fossilists Discovered the Dinosaurs and Paved the Way for Darwin by Christopher McGowan, performed by Stuart Langston. It's hard to believe that there was a time in which people didn't believe in evolution. I mean, you know, unless you live in Cobb County, Georgia. But in the 19th Century, a group of people started working through some whacked out animal remains; imagine if you didn't know that dinosaurs existed, but stumbled upon some fossilized bones of them--talk about a wild time. McGowan brings that to life in his writing and Langston brings it across perfectly in his reading on this Blackstone Audio release. For those who find themselves stopping and starting, they do track breaks every three minutes or so--very thoughtful. Click to go their website to buy or rent for your own commute.

Graphic Collection of the Week:

by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev. Marvel's underlying idea that secret identities suck isn't necessarily a bad one--it just needs context. Well, Bendis provides that context in spades as years of Murdock's identity getting leaked finally come to fruition: he's outed as Daredevil. Now what the hell does he do? Sue, of course. Sound lame? Well, it's Bendis, folks. Maleev's artwork is choice as well. If you haven't been following this book, catch up now.

Comic Book of the Week: Wanted #3 by Mark Millar & J.G. Jones. You're an ordinary shmoe being used as the world's doormat. Then one day you find out that all the comic book stuff you read as a kid was real--and that you're the heir to the estate of the best super-villain assassin in the world. And your inheritance says step up and take up the mantle--or get a bullet in the head. Sound fascinating? Well, it is. It's nasty, it's out of control, and it's harsh. And we're only three issues in, for God's sake. Be happy: this is Authority-Millar and not Ulty X-Men-Millar. Buy.

TV DVD of the Week:

. Taking the CGI dinosaur movement to the next logical step, which lies somewhere between the Disney film and Walking With Dinosaurs, you get four stories featuring different dinosaurs--a velociraptor, a pyroraptor, a daspletosaurus, and a saltasaur--in four areas of the world, all set between seventy and eighty million years ago. While the animation isn't the smoothest you've ever seen, there is some worthy docu stuff to be had in this Artisan release.

DVD of the Week:

. Okay, sure. This one isn't going to stretch your brain in any new directions, but this Buena Vista release does feature Needcoffee fave Diane Lane, who's so good we even pardoned her for Judge Dredd--and that's saying something. This slice of life story comes complete with a director's audio commentary, making-of featurette and deleted scenes.

Anime DVD of the Week:

. This release from Central Park Media will show you why playing around with magic markers can get you into some serious trouble. This sci-fi comedy features the title character going off to retrieve a friend, who has run off with a rock star and taken a holy relic with her. Along the way he runs into a renegade space pilot, gets accidentally hitched up her, and then finds himself on the run from evil. Crazed anime? Right here, buddy.

Adverse Video of the Week:

. While Vivica A. Fox has some moments in this that are worthwhile, otherwise it's a great example of how to take pretty much every kind of action-adventure flavor and run it through a blender. While that might sound like it has promise--don't be fooled: such genre smoothies can sometimes taste very nasty. Like this one, in which Duane Martin's character has very little in the way of consistency to match his plotting. If you want to see how not to mix it up, here's a great case study.

Music DVD of the Week:

. What happens when a Dublin promoter puts together an Irish R&B band? Some kick ass music and a classic movie. Fox has come out with a respectable special edition this go-round, with commentary by director Alan Parker, making-of and "looking back" docus as well as a docu on Dublin itself, a music video of "Treat Her Right," and more. Any fan of the flick will want to at least revisit it here.

Animation DVD of the Week:

. The Transformers completist is going to want to finish up the original animated series with this boxed set from Rhino Home Video. Watch your screen get filled up with wall-to-wall Autobots and Decepticons. The set comes with the ability to watch the final three-parter straight through cutting out a lot of the deadwood, and there's also a very amusing interview with writer David Wise.

Music CD of the Week:

by Ben Arthur. Remember back when we told you this was hitting in March? Well, consider it hit--it's available now from Bardic Records. Singer-songwriter Arthur brings you this menagerie of heartfelt (but slightly askew) songs that may hit close to home for some of you. It's the lyrics that put it over the top for us, personally. If you don't believe it, check out stuff like "Mary Ann" and "Keep Me Around." Nab samples and more at Ben's official site.