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?

April 25, 2002

Book of the Week: Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot. Well, seeing as how this is the last Thursday of April, el month of poetry, I figured it was high time to throw some verse in here. And of course, since he declared this the cruellest month, it's only fitting we got with The Tom. As much as I dig The Waste Land and his other work, Quartets is a bottomless well from which you can keep drawing water until the end of time. Just utterly massive in scope, would take a lifetime to study completely. Good for your head.

Graphic Novel of the Week: Strange Kiss by Warren Ellis & Mike Wolfer. The gent's name is William Gravel. He's a member of the SAS, which means he's a pretty badass kinda guy. But bonus--he's also a combat magician. Which means he's a badass first class. And when he comes face to face with an incredibly ancient evil, there's only one thing to do--kick it squarely in the balls. Ellis is the truth.

DVD of the Week: The Dark Crystal. Truly one of Henson’s great masterpieces, along with Brian Froud, who helped design the weird world of the film. Unless a missing shard of crystal is returned to its home before an important astrological conjunction, the evil Skeksis will remain in power. Their power is threatened by the prophecy that a Gelfling will produce the shard and return the world to a state of balance. Not only is the film amazing, with creatures and designs of incredible craftsmanship, but the DVD is packed with extras, including a ‘making of’ documentary and character sketches by Froud.

Off the Beaten Path VHS of the Week: The African Queen. We’re hoping that the only excuse possible for why this film isn’t on DVD yet is that they’re going to release some wonderful, super-duper collector’s edition sometime in the future, especially since the VHS had a version with something in the way of extras. Katherine Hepburn as a spinster missionary unexpectedly places her life in the hands of Humphey Bogart, a bitter alcohol-loving boatman in Africa during World War I. Their obvious differences ensue rather amusing strife between the two on their trek down the river. If you enjoy either of these actors, it’s a great opportunity to see them in good roles. Although the special effects may be a bit dated, this one is worth owning.

CD of the Week: Rock Animals by Shonen Knife. This time, the Japanese pop divas included a song about concrete animals in parks. How could you not love that? Ok, so some of the lyrical content seems to be lost in translation...but what the hell, that's part of the fun. Be warned, it appears to be out of print--but dig it up anyway, you'll be glad you did.

Beverage of the Week: Sobe Adrenaline Rush...in a bottle, baby!. Yeah, I know we had already picked them a while back. But I'll be damned if I wasn't in the convenience store the other day...and found Adrenaline in a glass bottle. Ohhhhh, yes. Because you know, everything tastes better in a glass bottle. Kudos to Sobe for making the leap to twist off bliss.

Career of the Week: Polar Exploring. Think it gets cold during the winter where you live? Try weathering temperatures below –100 degrees Fahrenheit. Nevertheless, the glaciers and other natural wonders, as well as weather and other scientific experiments, draw all kinds of people to explore the poles. So break out some neoprene undies and head out to some of the most harsh and pristine environments on earth! And don't worry, there's an ATM down in Antarctica now.