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 20, 2002

Book of the Week: Enchantment by Orson Scott Card. Fantasy, not science fiction as so many of his other works. A boy accidentally comes across Sleeping Beauty one day and goes back as an adult to try and find her again. Unfortunately, this is a Russian Sleeping Beauty, and so the outlook of a smooth and happy ending for the two is bleak. Baba Yaga, anyone? A wonderfully modern, yet ancient fairy tale with lots of neat twists and turns.

Graphic Novel of the Week: Me and Edith Head by Sara Ryan & Steve Lieber. This Eisner award-nominated story was nominated because it managed to cram a whole bunch of story into fifteen pages. A young girl with problems at home (and not a great environment at school, either) manages to take the pieces of her life and produce art. Inspiring and exactly what we need more of in the world of graphic storytelling. Link takes you to their website where you can order your own copy.

DVD of the Week: Real Genius. Sure it has absolutely no features and an unbelievably god-awful cover--but Christ, it's Real Genius. I'm just glad the damn thing is finally on DVD and in widescreen. I'm sure it'll be re-released at some point in a more worthy edition. So there's no reason to wait until Criterion gives it its due. Put this in your DVD player this weekend. Because if you put it anywhere else, it'll chafe.

CD of the Week: 2 Skinnee J's Volumizer. There is nothing on this Earth that can prepare you for the sheer unadultered verbal and musical assault that is the Skinnee Experience. Rhymes that are bad as hell with music that makes you want to move that ass and it's on. "Horns of Destruction" has mind-crippling verses while stuff like "Grown Up" shows that they can go "radio friendly" without losing their serrated, twisted edge. Join Special J and J Guevara. You'll thank me.

Beverage of the Week: Stash Tea's Ruby Mist. An herbal tea, blended with red hibiscus blossoms and just a kiss of mint. Fabulous iced on hot summer days, and even frozen for a special treat. Also fortified with echinacea and zinc for when you need to supplement your immune system due to lack of sleep.

Lameass Sport of the Week: Extreme Bowling. Now I know what you're thinking. But you're wrong. You're thinking they've mined the alleyway or something. Or maybe one pin in twenty will explode. Or there's a forty-foot drop you've got to traverse before you pitch your ball towards the pins. Nope. Check out the essay we've linked to learn what depths the concept of "extreme" has sunken to. Gah.