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?

September 12, 2002

Book of the Week: Blood Music by Greg Bear. Well, it's been on our reading lists before--but now the damn things back in print! And...in paperback to boot! So now nobody has any excuses. Go now and grab this. Imagine if you will--The Stand mixed with The Mist taken out of the bizarre nightmares of Michio Kaku. Read it and get your mind turned inside out. Trust us.

Graphic Novel of the Week: Skreemer by Peter Milligan, Brett Ewins & Steve Dillon. A blast from the past, this six-issue miniseries from 1989 is a very twisty bizarre nigh-Joycean endeavor that's a kind-of retro sci-fi gangland thing. Well, it makes sense when you read it. Although at times Milligan seems to be trying too hard, the story is interesting if for no other reason than to stretch your mind to follow the messed up line of narrative. Don't read it when you're tired.

Comic Book of the Week: The Pro by Garth Ennis & Amanda Conner. A very blue book, it's the story of a hooker who's suddenly granted metahuman abilities as part of an intergalactic bet. It's a lot like Bigger Dicks but well...actually funny. This is mostly due to the fact that instead of being just a string of profanity coupled with images of various sex acts--it's actually got a story and a bit of heart to go along with it. Don't let the spent condo on the front cover fool you.

DVD of the Week: Johnny Dangerously. Yet another great comedy finally finds its way onto DVD. Michael Keaton, before he disappeared a few years back, actually made some pretty damn funny films before his career magically went into limbo. This is the classic flick that made "icehole" the watchword of its day. Sure the features are non-existent, but it's so nice to have this on digital, just go watch and get all misty-eyed with nostalgia.

CD of the Week: Passion Sources by Various Artist. Peter Gabriel's soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ was incredibly choice. But what's even cooler is that Gabriel's world music record label, Real World, put out this album--a compilation of songs that were used in the creation of the soundtrack both as content and as inspiration. A really fine primer for world music--and anything from Real World is automatically golden regardless.

Beverage of the Week: Safari Sunset Red Tea by Republic of Tea. I swear, the only problem with Republic of Tea products is that they smell so good--I'm reticent to throw the stuff into hot water. But the good news is that the tea is just as good as its smell. That, and it's uncaffeinated. Which means if I'm pointing you to it--must be good!