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?
June 6, 2003
Book of the Week:Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman, edited by smoky man & Gary Spencer Millidge.
Clearly qualifying in the "Paperback Tome" category, this release from Abiogenesis Press (from whence Millidge's weird/cool
Strangehaven also springs) is a massive tribute to a man who has reshaped comic book writing. Not only has Moore
created such amazing shite as Watchmen, V
for Vendetta, and personal fave From Hell, but he's also
attracted everybody and his brother Bob to this project--which is filled with essays, missives, stories and new artwork
by Terry Gilliam, Howard Chaykin, Neil Gaiman, Rick Veitch and Walt Simonson, just to name a few. Bonus: all the proceeds
go to Alzheimer's research. Buy now and buy often.
Audiobook of the Week:
by Bernie Mac, read by the author. Not every autobiography is something to check out. Some...well most, really...can
be self-aggrandizing tripe that nobody would want to touch with a ten-meter cattle prod. This is not one of those to which
you should have an aversion. On the contrary, Mac's delivery is good, the writing is solid enough, and it's at turns
funny and poignant without tipping over one way or the other. A decent listen for going to work and back.
Art Book of the Week:
by Brian Froud. Out of print for a long damn time, this book is back and since it's a Collector's Edition,
you should snag the thing before it winks out of existence again. Oversized and chocked full of sketches, production art
and more is perfect for any Henson or Froud fan who wants to spend the weekend under a tree alternating between talking to
said tree and flipping through a good book.
Graphic Novel of the Week:Judge Dredd: The Complete America by John Wagner & Colin MacNeil. Our friends across the pond
get the jump on this, possibly the best Dredd trade I've ever read. It's the strange, twisted and sad story of a man named
Bennett Beeny and his love for a woman named America. It's exemplary because not only does it tell a compelling story
with fine art by MacNeil but it also brings across the tone of Dredd's world in a blunt, non-smirking way--which is needed
from time to time with Mega City One. Not available in the U.S. yet, grab this Titan Books release from Amazon UK. It's
just that damn good.
Comic Book of the Week:Queen and Country #16
by Greg Rucka & Carla Speed McNeil. Great book now gets better, because McNeil (creator of one of our favorite books,
Finder) is on board as artist. In this, a
character meets an unexpected end that shakes up those remaining--and of course, in the background the fit commences to hit
the shan. Now's the time to hop on board this title, if you haven't already.
Instructional Comic Book of the Week:Alan Moore's Writing for Comics #1, with illustrations by Jacen Burrows. Normally we pick one
comic and one comic only for each week, but this release is very un-comic-like, although it's addressing the medium
and its perpetrators directly. Originally published in 1985, Avatar Press has lumped the whole thing together and
released it for the first time all in one place. Want to know what's in The Alan's head when it comes to scribing? Look
no further. Nicely done.
DVD Boxed Set of the Week:
. While the Law and Order engine continues
to chug along, many people forget that Richard Belzer's character existed before his present stint on Special Victims
Unit: namely, on this show. A&E has collected the first two seasons (thirteen episodes) in a set that will warm the
hearts of this show's fans--you get commentary on the pilot episode and an interview amongst other goodies. Not to mention
the incredible performances by Andre Braugher, Yaphet Kotto, Belzer and others. A nice boxed set to give you a marathon
to last the weekend.
DVD of the Week:
. Speaking of marathon...on this Mongo edition, not only do you get the restored special edition, but you also
get massive features on the first disc alone. This includes a commentary with Jim Cameron and William Wisher, along with
text commentaries and an interactive "down the rabbit hole" feature that has umpteen little bits of behind the scenes
footage, interviews and factoids behind it. Stacked, this will take a weekend all its own.
CD of the Week:
by UNKLE. Because sometimes you need superlative techno music from outer space. It's just that simple.
Book of the Week: Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman, edited by smoky man & Gary Spencer Millidge.
Clearly qualifying in the "Paperback Tome" category, this release from Abiogenesis Press (from whence Millidge's weird/cool
Strangehaven also springs) is a massive tribute to a man who has reshaped comic book writing. Not only has Moore
created such amazing shite as Watchmen, V
for Vendetta, and personal fave From Hell, but he's also
attracted everybody and his brother Bob to this project--which is filled with essays, missives, stories and new artwork
by Terry Gilliam, Howard Chaykin, Neil Gaiman, Rick Veitch and Walt Simonson, just to name a few. Bonus: all the proceeds
go to Alzheimer's research. Buy now and buy often.
