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?
July 24, 2003
Book of the Week:
, edited by Gwen Lee & Doris Elaine Sauter. For the fan of Philip K. Dick, there is no better book to grab than
this: the transcripts of interviews he gave shortly before his death. You get bits of everything--the creation of a new
story idea, his reaction to Blade Runner, and some talk on the paranormal events in his life. Brought to you pretty
much verbatim, with ums intact, it's the closest thing you're going to get to having a conversation with the man, so sit
down and marvel.
Audiobook of the Week:
by Chuck Palahniuk, read by the author. Disturbing fiction from the man who brought us Fight Club? Sure,
hit me. And Chuck will, because not only is he the scribe for this bad boy, but he's also the reader. After an introduction
where you're almost begged not to read the book, you meet Victor, who nearly chokes to death for a living. No, really.
He also goes to sex addict meetings in order to find a little grind action and deals with his demented mother. Sound like
an absolute drag? Well, in other hands: but this is Palahniuk, damn you, so the ride's going to be an odd one. Strap in.
Graphic Novel of the Week:The First, Vol. 2: Magnificent Tension
by Barbara Kesel & Bart Sears. Behold! CrossGen brings you tidings of soap opera on crack! Olympian heaving bosoms,
backstabbing plots, phenomenal cosmic power and a cast of thousands. That's right, it's the gods of the CrossGen universe,
or would-be gods anyway, who divide their time between affecting the other books and trying to destroy one another. When
you need a lot of totally ripped people standing around being angsty and vengeful, then look no farther. In trade form
like this, it's the perfect size for digesting the myriad plotlines. Recommended.
Comic Book of the Week:Lucifer #40
by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly & Dean Ormston. The "Naglfar" storyarc ends with neither a bank nor a whimper, but
a white apotheosis in two locales. One is tragic, the other is just mind-numbing. Where else can you watch a dead god
wreak havoc, a live god wreak havoc, a pissed-off angel wreak havoc and then the light-bringer wreak even more havoc?
This book continues to rock and rock hard, and like every storyarc before it, I leave this one thinking, "Oh shit, now
what?"
DVD Boxed Set of the Week:
. Seven discs, okay? Thirteen hundred minutes of History Channel goodness, and with that much airtime you
know you're going to get a thorough look at the 20th Century and its violent conflicts--going from World War I to the first
Gulf War. Helping you out is some amazing archival footage, some of it which dates back to 1896. And sure, there's no
features--but Christ, people, if you can survive this long a mini-series, would you even be in the mood for any? This
might take up two weekends, so start now.
DVD of the Week:
. Can we say enough good things about Fox's Studio Classics line? Probably, but not this week. It's par for
the course, the treatment here, but the fact they were able to pull this together for yet another cinematic staple is
very encouraging. You get quality commentary by scribe Arthur Laurents, film critic John Burlingame, Helen Hayes' son James
Macarthur, and film historian Sylvia Stoddard--not to mention a Biography episode from A&E on the titular person.
Did I mention the restoration rocks? Curl up this weekend with a good classic movie, the way it should be watched.
CD of the Week:
by James Brown. Oh, hell yes. If you need some funk on a biscuit this weekend, then I highly recommend grabbing
this remastered album, complete with remixes and a bonus track. It's been a while since I actually sat down and listened to
a Brown album in its entirety, but it's stunning to catch with the ear how many bands owe this man their livelihoods. Go
and find you this primary source material and have a good time with it.
Comedy Album of the Week:
by Dane Cook. What's better than a CD of manic stand-up from Mr. Cook? Why, a CD and a DVD of Cook, of course.
That's what you get with this entry from Comedy Central, which includes such classic bits as Dane working at the BK Lounge
and the rough street life of a kid on a Big Wheel smacked up on The Q. What an utter freak. We dig it.
Book of the Week:
, edited by Gwen Lee & Doris Elaine Sauter. For the fan of Philip K. Dick, there is no better book to grab than
this: the transcripts of interviews he gave shortly before his death. You get bits of everything--the creation of a new
story idea, his reaction to Blade Runner, and some talk on the paranormal events in his life. Brought to you pretty
much verbatim, with ums intact, it's the closest thing you're going to get to having a conversation with the man, so sit
down and marvel.
