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, both in the US, the UK and Canada.
Hey, come on, we can't be totally selfless in this, can we?
July 30, 2004
Book of the Week:
. Jack Cole is not only known as the guy who brought you Plastic Man (the original version, not the lame animated
one), but he also did a boatload of work for Playboy, providing one-panel gags. This Fantagraphics release brings
the best of the best back into print, most of them for the first time since the 50s. Some are dated, most are clever and
sure to bring a chuckle. Any person who appreciates Cole or good pin-up humor will want to check this out.
(UK)
(CAN)
Audiobook of the Week:
by C.S. Lewis, read by Patrick Stewart. Lewis managed to end a much-beloved series of children's books with
this preachy, confusing, overblown letdown. So bad was it that it was not surpassed until Philip Pullman completely screwed
the pooch on his ending to the His Dark Materials trilogy. So what could possibly make you want to check out this
Harper Audio release, if the book itself stumbles? Patrick Stewart reading it, that's what. Even bad Aslan is decent with
him performing the book.
(UK)
(CAN)
Comic Book of the Week: Ultimate Fantastic Four #9
by Warren Ellis & Stuart Immonen. Sue us, but we're digging this. After a lukewarm first story arc, Ellis has taken the
ball and is running with great guns. Here, Doom is making his move against the Four with an army of swarming killer robot
insects. It's all starting to fall into place: Sue and Reed's relationship, Ben and Johnny being buddies who seem to be
able to tolerate each other. It's all a great read and Immonen's art is quite solid. Marvel's stable of books worth reading
grows, apparently.
TV DVD of the Week:
. Fox brings another season of the classic series to DVD (which used to be probably the most prevalent show in
repeats ever...until Law & Order bumped it). Here you get all twenty-four episodes from the season that's most
noted for giving us David Ogden Stiers, who joined the cast as Charles Emerson Winchester III, destined to give Alan Alda's
Hawkeye and Mike Farrell's BJ hell. And my favorite bonus: you can turn the laugh track off. Thank you, Fox.
DVD of the Week:
. For those that think this flick rocks, Universal will make you happy. Happier than the original release,
that's for sure. Ben Stiller's feature film directorial debut (after his time on his own TV show) is revered by many, and
for them, this tenth anniversary release contains: remastered version of the flick with commentary by stiller and scribe
Helen Childress (no relation to Alice), deleted scenes with an intro by Stiller, a retrospective/interviews with the cast,
the music video for Lisa Loeb's stay as well as an interview with Loeb. Oh, and there's a trailer too.
(UK)
(CAN)
Anime DVD of the Week:
. This first volume of the series' second season hits DVD, with the action taking place two years after the
first. You get four episodes here on this Geneon release and this iteration of the series dealing more with relationships
between the characters and the attraction that seems to be increasing between certain cast members. The one bonus feature
is a fifteen minute bonus Christmas episode.
(UK)
(CAN)
Docu DVD of the Week:
. America's discovered documentaries! Yeah, it's news to folks here that you can actually watch a film that's
based on real events and have it be enjoyable. Maybe reality TV cleared the way--who knows? But speaking of news,
thank Matt stone and Trey Parker for this docu. They financed this film in which five reporters with various disabilities,
cross the country in an RV, just straight up interviewing Americans as they go. It really is one of the best we've seen in a while. This
Shout Factory release has a good slew of features: cast commentary, the pilot, footage of festival appearances
and Q&As, an interview with Parker and Stone conducted by the reporters, and more.
(UK)
(CAN)
Animation DVD of the Week:
. Bill Plympton. Sorry, but we just dig the guy. Anybody who brings a canine Elvis to animation along with
a musical land called Flooby Nooby is okay in our book. Replacing Image's release is this from New Video that has a
satisfying array of special features. You get a feature length commentary with Plympton and the composer, a docu,
storyboard and photo galleries, and a trailer.
(UK)
(CAN)
TV Show of the Week: Growing Up Gotti.
Certainly, reality television is something to be terrified about. It's the main reason humanity can't destroy itself now,
lest alien races think this was the pinnacle of our collective culture. But still, there are novel approaches to it, and
ones that some might find interesting. The ongoing tale of Victoria Gotti (yes, daughter of John) and her efforts to raise
three sons as a single mom could be considering a "mob version" of The Osbournes, not that there's much mob going on
like some might expect. Premiere episode airs Monday, in which Victoria decides to sell their mansion and winds up going
out on a blind date. Check out the official site here.
Music CD of the Week:
by Martina Topley-Bird. Well, it's about damn time. The majority of these tracks were released as Quixotic
across the pond. Why they didn't just release the same album over here, I have no clue. And why they gave it this
godawful cover art is beyond me as well. Jesus. Anyway, the good news is that we can
all sample the goodness that is Martina. Delivering on the promise of her work with Tricky, this is one of the best albums
I've heard all year (and all last year, dammit). Doubt? Check out "Need One" or "Too Tough to Die." Tremendous stuff.
(UK)
(CAN)