Jesse Donald Knotts July 21, 1924-Feb. 24, 2006

That the he continued to work in both films and television is both a testament to the man and to how much people loved him. It wasn't hard, he could make you laugh with just a look. His Barney Fife is a character that I loved early in life. My Dad was/is a die hard fan of The Andy Griffith Show, he can watch them on TV and tell you what scenes they trimmed for syndication. At least the B&W episodes. Once Barney left it just wasn't the same, any fan will tell you that. The Apple Dumpling Gang, The Incredible Mr. Limpet and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken were early film favorites of mine, still are in fact, and he even voiced himself on one of my favorite shows ever, Scooby-Doo. All of that hardly represents his career, those are just the things I'll always remember him for. Oh, and Mr. Furley! He was a saving grace on Three's Company, because God knows the actresses constantly threatened to bring the show down. Don, me and my family will surely miss you.











-L

The List Finally Gets Some Action!

3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 3

I used to love this show in its original run, I wonder how it holds up on DVD, I'm about to re-activate Netflix, I'll have to add them to the queue.

Action: The Complete Series

Easily the best release of the week and high on the list of "Dammit Fox why did you have to cancel this?" shows.

All the President's Men (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Personally I prefer my Woodward and Burnstein in the guise of Will Ferrell and Bruse McCulloch.

The Dick Cavett Show - Comic Legends

Lotsa great guests on this set.

Domino (Widescreen New Line Platinum Series)

Definitely want to see this one.

Gatchaman Collection 5 (Vols. 9 & 10)

Still haven't watched Vol. 1 yet.

Midnight Cowboy (Two Disc Collector's Edition)

The first and only X-rated flik to win Best Picture. And I haven't seen it.

North Country (Widescreen Edition)

Eh, I doubt she'll win for this, and honestly hope she doesn't, the competition is a little better I think.

NYPD Blue - The Complete Third Season

Oh how we love our cop TV shows.

The Paramount Comedy Shorts 1928-1942: Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin
The Paramount Comedy Shorts 1929 - 1933 - Cavalcade of Comedy

Lots of old school comedy shorts.

The Prince & Me 2 - The Royal Wedding

Nothing beats a sequel that doesn't have the original actors!

Rent (Widescreen 2-Disc Special Edition)

My girlfriend is dying to see this.

Stuart Little 3 - Call of the Wild

The animation looks interesting, outside of that I have little interest in it.

Ultimate Avengers: The Movie

Anxious to see how this one turned out.

The Weather Man (Widescreen Edition)

I like Verbinski, Cage is decent sometimes and Caine is always good, but nothing about the preview got me interested in this.

What's New Scooby-Doo, Vol. 8 - Zoinks! Camera! Action!

I wish they'd do a season set of this show. As soon as I start buying these single discs they will, I just know it.

Th-th-th-that's all folks!

(Sorry, been watching my Looney Tunes DVDs)

-L

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!!!!!!!

Got a stack of books here just begging to be talked about, so let's get to it:

Helios: In With the New #2

I'm absolutely loving the new direction here, and this issue definitely surpasses the previous one. Stepping back from the fast pace of most of the other issues, this one focuses solely on an assassination. I'd feared that it would make the book too similar to most all other hero books out there, taking a whole issue to tell essentially what could be told in two pages. But, where almost all the previous issues felt like episodes of a TV show this one had a very "big-budget movie" feel to it. Think Phone Booth in comic book form. Edge-of-your-seat excitment, great dialogue and I'm amazed at how much Gabe Pena's art just gets better by the issue. Mike Penny and Jason Rand are the writers on the issue, so's you know. Definitely pick this one up, and the previous issue if you haven't already. Then buy the Vol. 1 collection and bask in its greatness.

Yales of the TMNT #18-19

First up a enviro-friendly tale about sea turtles. Light hearted and fun, it's a nice change of pace from most of the other stories this past year. Nothing too special though, but this book has had few moments like that. It's hard to tell very significant stories when you're an anthology book. Still, always enjoyable. The second story though manages to pull on a few emotional hert strings, for Turtles fans anyway. Mostly it's because of Splinter's death, so seeing him is always a bit heart breaking (in that geeky way), and the fact that the story delves into his past just adds to that. Good stuff, incredible cover.

Fallen Angel #2

Did I talk about this one already? Found it about as dull and confusing as the first issue, can't remember if I pre-ordered #3, but I hope not.

X-Factor #3

Still loving it, not excited about the upcoming art change though. Hopefully it'll make the book more consistent at least. The thing with Layla is getting old, but this issue at least added to her mystery beyond the constant "I know things" crap. No matter how many times you say it it's not funny Pete! Still, like the team, like the interaction between the members and love the art. It'll have to take a giant nose-dive to get me to stop buying it. Knowing Marvel that'll happen in about a year or so.

Cable & Deadpool #25

Oh....kaaaaay....Better than the last issue for certain, but still it reads like fanfic. I don't buy into Cap changing or even considering changing his beliefs abvout America. I realize this was more or less saying "Look, Cable has great ideas, even if they're a bit off" not "Cap isn't as solid as you may think", but it just felt off. I liked the cover though.

Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do #6

Man oh man did this blow. The dodsons can draw pretty pictures though.

The Perhapanauts #3

What? How can you change plots in the middle of a third issue of a miniseries? Whacko. It upsets any momentum the book had. Wouldn't it have been more profitable to set it up as 2 minis? Just weird. But, I love the characters, I love the Hellboy-feel the book has and the art is great. I'm already in for #4 and I might pick up any future series, I just hope they only have one damn story, it's too confusing otherwise.

Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius-Everybody Loves Franklin

Great, great stuff from Marc Sumerak and Chris Eliopoulos. Still has that "Calvin & Hobbes" feel to it, but they seem to be spreading their wings a bit with this collection. The strip with the Doombot is easily my favorite, and the Christmas one was close behind, even if it was a bit out of date. Hope there's more coming!

Jeremiah Harm #1

Damn I love Keith Giffen, add in Alan Grant and you've got yourself one of the best duo's in comics. I wasn't at all familiar with Rael Lyra's art, but he blew me away. The basic: Giffen and Grant re-write Demolition Man, only they make it really really good and waaaay more violent. So if you liked that flik, buy this, and if you didn't buy this anyway because it'll rock your socks.

Jonah Hex #4

Ugly, ugly cover by Chaykin and Madsen, but another solid story from Palmiotti and Gray. Ross art is as nice as ever too, but I'm always bugged by the Eastwood looks Hex gets drawn in.

Y, The Last Man #42

The origin of the monkey. I'm still enjoying the book tremendously but it feels like Vaughan is really reaching for things to stretch out the plot. I'm getting anxious for some sort of resolution about something.

Coming up tomorrow: The List.

-L

Tuesday's Gone, But Here's The List

Work has kept me too busy lately and I didn't have a chance to do any Valentines Day post. Here's what hit stores this week:

The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Fifth Season

Barney's last season, marking the end of the only good seasons of the show.

Charles in Charge: The Complete First Season

Not planning on buying it, but I wouldn't mind watching it.

Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson Uncensored!

Not planning on buying or watching this.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - The Complete Third Season

Ditto.

Gimme a Break - Season One

I don't even remember this show.

Golden Girls - The Complete Fourth Season

Hard to believe Tarantino got his start on this show.

Goof Troop, Volume 1

Yen bucks on Amazon might make this worth it. I always liked the show and baby Bro might too.

Grey's Anatomy - Season 1

Despite my better judgement I'm completely addicted to this show now.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Season One, Volume 2 (Collector's Edition)

Gotta pick this one up ASAP.

Living Single - The Complete First Season

Bleh.

Mirrormask

Delayed from last week. I'll be getting it eventually.

The Pretender - The Complete Third Season

Never watched this show.

Quack Pack, Volume 1

Or this.

Quick Change

I freakin' love this movie.

Saw II (Widescreen Edition)

Haven't seen the first one yet.

Zathura (Widescreen Edition)

Jon Favs directed this, which means I'll see it eventually.

-L

Those Pesky DVDs

So, I mentioned something about watching something. Actually, lotsa stuff. So, here we go:

Garfield & Friends Vol. 4

Got this cheap, like $10, and I remember loving it as a kid. I still enjoyed it, just not as much as I used to. I'm hanging on to it though, the baby bro might enjoy it one day. And I don't remember USAcres being Orson's Farm, anyone know why that got changed? Was it for the DVD or did that actually happen in the show?

The Quest for Camelot

Another animated DVD. Hard to believe this was Warner's first animated feature film. It's not bad really, the songs are certainly terrible, but the animation is pretty good and even utilizes some early CGI stuff. Great voice cast, even for the small parts. I was disappointed that Merlin didn't play a bigger role. Actually, Camelot doesn't play that big of a role, it's mostly about trying to get to Camelot. Another one I'll keep around for the kid bro.

Wedding Crashers

Not nearly as funny as everyone says it is, but still a good movie. Probably a good date movie, got something for the guys and gals and enough funny to keep you interested. But, I found the next flik to be far more enjoyable...

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

I think this might be the funniest movie I've seen since Tommy Boy. I didn't get what all the hubbub was about in the geek world, I didn't think the movie showed him in any bad light BECAUSE of his collection of toys, rather his hobbies seemed to be an offshoot of not really clicking with the ladies (or of just being bored, which is why most hobbies come about). Something to occupy his mind. He didn't just collect toys, he seemed to be into almost any hobby he could find. So, I couldn't see it as any sort of attack, just the truth of the situation. Still, very well written, brilliantly acted, flat out hilarious, I loved it.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Man, the action in this movie is probably some of the best put to film since Bad Boys. Yes, I like Bad Boys. But, unlike that flik the plot here tries to be something elaborate. Thinking about it longer than five minutes gives me a headache. It just doesn't hold together at all. The dialogue is good in a few places, mostly snappy which can get to be overkill. But thankfully when there is some great action going down the actors know what to do and they shut the hell up. I liked Pitt for the most part, and Angelina is sexy as hell, but ultimately they don't work well together. Enjoyable, but forgettable. Probably woulda been good to see in a theatre.

Stealth

Now this is a movie that never takes itself seriously, which made it entirely enjoyable. The Top Gun meets Short Circuit plot is insane enough to keep you interested and then as things go from worse to completely screwed you have to keep watching to see how absurd it can really get. All the while the actors seem to be playing along, smiling slyly. Spoiler alert here: When Jamie Foxx bites it I so desperately wanted to hear him say "I'm off to go film Ray, I'll see you honkies at the Oscars."

V

My brother picked this up, the whole series in fact, pretty cheap, then insisted I watch it. Pretty good considering when it was made. The FX crew did a good job with what they had and the acting is decent, a bit over the top at times. It's funny to see how many movies since have stolen from it, specifically Independance Day. I've got the second miniseries laying on my shelf ready to be watched and hopefully I'll get to it this week.

Sky High

The plot will be familiar to anyone who's read a superhero comic in the last five year. Equal parts Invincible and X-Men, with a bit of Fantastic Four thrown in for good measure. Speaking of it was was far more enjoyable than the FF movie, except for the Torch/Thing scenes. They could have used a bigger FX budget, but outside of of that I really enjoyed it.

Assault on Precnct 13

I usually try to avoid remakes, specifically if I've never seen the original, but I'd heard so much great stuff about this I had to pick it up. It didn't disappoint. The plot ends up being a bit of a let down and the end tries to be a bit of a pick me up, but I chalk that up to American audience expectations. From beginning to end it's very edge of your seat, and when the characters start dying you can clearly throw most of your expectations out the window. Solid performances all around, and brilliant directing. The IMDB page says this and the original are "remakes" of Rio Bravo, one of my favorite films EVER, but I really didn't see it. They share the same claustrophobic atmosphere, but outside of that the similarities are pretty small. I can't imagine the original being any better, but I do intend to check it out eventually.

Titus Season 3

Man, has there ever been a show that was so funny yet so emotionally draining? Especially this season, as things start to wind down, seeing the breakdowns of the characters, especially Titus. Easily one of the best shows ever on television. Can't say it any better than that.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Vol. 4

Finally finished watching it. Hilarious as always. Long live the Mooninites!

The Legend of Zelda

Shout Factory has become one of the go-to companies for cult shows hasn't it? I could've done without the Mario Bros. stuff they put on there, even if it was part of the original show, it was all just too goofy. I enjoyed the episodes, and love seeing game elements incorporated into it, especially the sounds, but Link could be a bit bratty and trying at times. Still, I liked it.

Kicking & Screaming

I just didn't think it was that funny. The kids were pretty annoying and Will Ferrell was pushing it a bit. Mike Ditka was good though.

Bad News Bears

This though, was pretty funny. Billy Bod does a decent job of imitating Mathau, and the kids were great. Not the original, but better than any of the sequels. Definitely worth a rent.

Man, this list goes on forever...I'll make the rest real short.

Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch

Stitch is the greatest character the House of Mouse has ever spawned. Good flik, can't wait for the next one.

Orgazmo

Funny, but nowhere near their South Park stuff, or Baseketball. The commentrak is interesting, with appearences by Dave Foley, Kevin Smith and a few other surprising guests.

Scooby-Doo in Where's My Mummy?

I've enjoyed every DTV Scooby flik, and this one is no exception. Nice to see cartoon Velma get some character for once and have the rest of the gang see how hard it is to get along without her. Good Sccoby/Shaggy stuff, and a few laugh out loud moments, lackluster extras though, and wasn't nearly as creepy as the Loch Ness movie.

Red Vs. Blue Season 1

Damn, that's funny. If you don't know Halo it's probably wasted on you, but if you play the game you'll laugh your ass off. Hats off to the guys that did this, for nothing, using a few X-Boxes. I wouldn't mind seeing this show on Adult Swim to get an even bigger audience, but that's probably impossible.

Okay, that's probably not everything, but that's all I can remember right now.

A quick shout out to my man Dick Cheyney, way to shoot some one there Dick. Apparently he's the dumb one of the pair after all. Or maybe not, maybe that guy deserved it. Still, couldn't they have covered it up? No one knows who killed Kennedy, we faked a moon landing and God knows what else, but we can't cover up oral sex or accidental shootings? What the fuck is wrong with this country?

Oh, and a big Fuck You to Fox for airing the last four Arrested episodes on a fucking Frioday without promoting it. A fitting, funny end though, to one of the best TV shows EVER.

Peace.

-L

The List I Didn't Forget

13 Going on 30 (Fun & Flirty Edition)

Why? Dear God why?!

Bambi II

Why? Dear God why?!

Dammit, I hate repeating myself.

The Batman - The Complete First Season (DC Comics Kids Collection)

Why? Dear Go- Wait, this might not be so bad. Didn't care for the first few episodes but I heard it got better.

The Best of The Electric Company

I don't remember this show at all.

Black Scorpion

Bwahahahahahahaha

Blue Collar TV - Season 1, Vols. 1 & 2

Vol. 2 available seperate. Though, I have no idea why you'd be buying either.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (Anniversary Edition)

Dammit I'm tired of buying DVDs twice! At least there's some bonus stuff, ought to be worth it.

Doom (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Part of me wants to see this. The other parts of me are beating the crap out of him with a stick.

Dungeons and Dragons 2 - Wrath of the Dragon God

Why? Dear God....oh screw it.

Elizabethtown (Widescreen Edition)

Gotta see this one.

Emergency - Season Two

In case you need a 70s TV fix.

Grounded for Life - Season One

Sometimes funny as hell. Sometimes not.

Growing Pains - The Complete First Season

The only TV show to ever have a character named Boner. Well, in primetime at least.

Hearts Afire - The Complete Third Season

Markie Post sucks.

Jim Gaffigan - Beyond the Pale

Funny, funny man.

Just Like Heaven (Widescreen Edition)

Stupid, stupid movie.

Moonlighting - Season 3

I need to watch these eventually. I vaguely remember the show being funny.

The Net 2.0

An even worse idea that the D&D sequel.

Poltergeist: The Legacy - The Complete First Season

Does this have anything to do with the movies?

The Poseidon Adventure (2005 TV Movie) (Widescreen Edition)

Blah, just rent the original.

Teen Titans - The Complete First Season (DC Comics Kids Collection)

I'm sooooo buying this.

Touched by an Angel - The Third Season, Vol. 1

Show me on the doll where she touched you!

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Never saw it.

Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Widescreen Edition)

Gotta see this one too.

Wildfire: Season 1

I thought Season 1 just started...

Wire in the Blood: The Complete Third Season

What the hell is this?

Man that's a lot of stuff this week.

-L

Heads Up

Guess what arrives in stores Wednesday?

Bluesman Vol. 2. I cannot friggin wait. Unfortunately I won't be able to do another giveaway, at least right now, I just don't have any extra funds. But, when I get my tax return back, maybe mid month, I'll hopefully be able to hit Rob V up, buy a few copies and give them away (maybe even SIGNED!). On that note, here's some reviews (Finally!!!)

Cable & Deadpool #24

I liked the cover. The comedy is there, but it relies on history of the characters, and if you don't know it, well, it's not funny. It's not that funny if you do. The plots on this book have really taken a turn for the worse with the last storyline, this one doesn't look much better.

Testament #2

Like issue #1. just so-so. I like most of it, even though it's retreaded sci-fi plots from the last thirty plus years. Good characters, nice art, but I could care less about the biblical stuff. Might get one more buy from me, haven't decided.

Jonah Hex #3

Much better than #2, the stuff with Bat Lash was great. The plot was kind of standard for a western book, and Jonah looks a bit too much like Clint Eastwood at times.Great art though.

Hatter M #1

Wow. I reviewed this at CBG awhile back, that was a review copy. Nothing has changed with this, but it just deserves more attention. I hope the books are available soon (ad says Fall, I don't want to wait that long!!!), because this is just great. Taking the concept of Wonderland and flipping it on its head, Alice didn't find Wonderland, she came from Wonderland. She was a princess, and now she's lost in the real world (or, what used to be the real world) and it's up to Hatter M to find her. Great concept coupled with Templesmith art equals a pretty stellar book.

The Exterminators #1

Lots of new Vertigo books lately? None of them have really grabbed me, but this one comes close. Very ugly, very real look at life, evolution and insects. Moore's art is stomach turning when the bugs are concerned. I can feel my skin crawling. Can't wait to see where this is headed, and I love the two main characters. They remind me of Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez in Men at Work...and a lot of the guys I work with too. Nothing beats blue collar philosophers.

All-Star Superman #2

I'm calling it, best single issue of any superhero comic this year, and it's not even a quarter over. If #3 is better than this, it might be the best capes book ever published. I've never been a big Big Blue fan, and I've never read any of the goofy silver age stories (I don't think I have), but man this is some great stuff. Morrison's bizaare, inventive, sometimes overly dramatic plot is just fantastic, and Quietly's art has never been better as far as I'm concerned. Lois Lane with that ray gun: Sexy-cool.

Coming up eventually: some movies I watched.

-L

Maud'Dib's List

Only a handful of really great DVDs this week, nothing I'll be buying anytime soon either, but there is one pretty damned important one I'll get eventually.

All American Girl - The Complete Series

And it's not this. Nothing against Miss Cho (is it Mrs.? I don't think so...), but I never really dug her TV show. The cast was decent and it had its moments, just not something I have to own. Maybe a future Netflix rental, if I ever reactivate my account.

Archie Bunker's Place - The Complete First Season

I don't think I've ever seen a single episode of this show. According to Amazon Edith makes an occasional appearence, I'd always thought she died towards the end of AitF, guess not. I remember the little girl from later AitF episodes, and always found her annoying as hell, so I doubt I'll ever buy this, but I may rent it. If for no other reason to see Sammy D and Archie in another episode.

Avatar The Last Airbender - Book 1, Vol. 1

Well, the cover art looks cool. Good reviews too. It airs on Nick, I'll have to try and catch it sometime.

Benny Hill Complete and Unadulterated - The Hill's Angels Years, Set Four (1978-1981)

I just never got the appeal.

Dark Shadows DVD Collection 22

Seems like the releases for this show should have been finished by now, doesn't it? God, it's expensive to be a fan of it too, over $40 a set? Good thing I'm not.

Diff'rent Strokes - The Complete Second Season

Definitely for different folks. By that I mean fans of crappy television.

Dune (Extended Edition)

Definitely the biggest release of the year so far, and will likely be one of the most important DVD releases of the year. It is the extended television version, the only version former boss and current friend Alan Daffin will ever watch. So, Alan, they finally got it out for you. Still, I'd like to see Lynch's original six hour cut one day, but it probably can't happen ever. Did you know he turned down directing Return of the Jedi to direct Dune? Man, I can't help but think how much better that movie would have been.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (Deluxe Edition)

My Dad's favorite movie. I personally can't stand Andie McDowell.

Gastineau Girls - The Complete First Season

If you buy this, you're and idiot. I hope a meteor hits your house while you're watching it.

Gone with the Wind (Two-Disc Edition)

See, releasing this along with the other special edition would have made more sense, giving people a cheaper option (a la Wizard of Oz). Now it's just wasted. Anyone who wanted it on DVD likely already has it.

Hill Street Blues - Season 1

21 Emmy nods for this season alone.

In Her Shoes (Widescreen Edition)

From LA Confidential to this....Huh?

Knight Rider - Season Three

Word is David H. is getting a divorce. I just don't have anything to say about the show. Sorry.

The Legend of Zorro (Widescreen Special Edition)

This was actually pretty darn good. I'll end up buying it eventually.

Magnum, P.I. - The Complete Third Season

When the hell are they gonna put Simon & Simon on DVD?

On Location with Frank Gorshin

Wouldn't mind having this.

The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection

Just in time for the crap remake of the movie.

Rat Patrol - The Complete First Season

I got nothing.

The A-Team - Season 3

I pity the fool who doesn't buy the A-Team on DVD!

Yeah, that was lame, I know.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Ways of the Warrior #3.6 - Turtles Against H.A.T.E

Is this still on? Haven't seen it on Cartoon Network lately...

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Widescreen Edition)

Gotta see this too.

X-Files - The Complete First Season (Collector's Edition)
X-Files - The Complete Second Season (Collector's Edition)
X-Files - The Complete Third Season (Collector's Edition)

Discounted versions of the DVD's, they don't include the bonus sixth disc that the original releases had. So, by "Collector's Edition" they must mean "People who couldn't afford the originals so we're screwing them on the extras Edition".

So, there, go buy something. I can't my car broke down and my cell phone is busted. Man I'm glad January is almost over. I hope I get some money from my tax return, and fast, otherwise I need to sell a kidney. Tooth, car, phone, it's $500 worth of expenses I didn't know were coming.

-L

The List, News and a One Sentence Review

1st and Ten: Complete Collection

80 episodes, less than 20 buicks. Anyone ever seen this show? Been a Wal-Mart exclusive until now, and I've been debatng on getting it. When I run out of crap to watch I might pick it up.

The Aristocrats

Gotta see this one too.

Cowboy Bebop Remix 4

Waiting for the set of these, hopefull it won't be too much longer.

Dallas - The Complete Fourth Season

In case you've been wondering who really shot J.R. for the last, oh...20 years?

Dragon Ball Z: Vegeta Saga 1 - Back From the Dead

Wouldn't mind having these new versions either.

Flightplan (Widescreen Edition)

The movie that killed Serenity.

The Fog (Widescreen Unrated Edition)

Superman vs a cloud. Also available with the original.

National Lampoon's Barely Legal

In case you thought they were scraping the bottom of the barrel before.

Planetes, Vol. 5

Bought Vol. 1 recently, haven't watched it yet.

Repo Man (Collector's Edition)

Never saw it.

Thumbsucker

Really wanted to see this.

And in case you're wondering what I missed last week:

Lord of War (2-Disc Special Edition)
Adventures of Superman - The Complete Second Season
Two For the Money (Widescreen Edition)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The Complete Third Season (1972)
Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman - The Complete Second Season
Titus - Season 3
Doogie Howser, M.D. - Season Three


It wasn't much. I did go buy Titus. Of course, haven't watched it yet.

And here's some DVD news that just rocks:

Disney is releasing two shows that I've been dying to have on DVD since DVD became DVD: The Tick and Darkwing Duck. And if that doesn't get you smilin': The Ultimate Apes collection is coming soon. Gotta love the packaging. And, it'll include the animated show, which will be available seperately too. To make you even happier: Dr. Katz is coming soon too. And even more news: BCI picked up some Funimation DVD rights, including She-Ra. And now, the best news EVER: more Futurama on DVD. 4 movies, they start production this summer, I can't friggin' wait!

Saw Underworld this weekend, not as good as the first, but still a good action flik.

-L

All Better

Well, despite a very bad reaction to some painkillers, everything is A-OK, abcess gone, with nothing but a sore jaw to remind me of it. But, that will be gone in a day or so as well I suppose. Or, I hope. I'm glad to have successfully survived my first trip to the dentist in probably ten years. And yes, he felt the need to bombard me with questions about why I don't go to the dentist, blah blah. But, I've been living on my own since I was about 16, dental work has never been part of the budget. I can thank my lackluster parenting for no providing it before then.

So, yeah...

Finished watching The Prisoner today, watching the guide thing right now. The only thing I knew for certain was that #6 was (or would become?) #1, like Dorian said, it's said at the beginning of every episode, you just have to listen to it. I had my suspicions about that ( "Who is #1", "You are #6" or "You are, #6"), Dorian's comment had me almost positive about it, and the final episode answered it. But, it still leaves alot to interpret, which makes it so damn brilliant I guess. I might be cancelling my Netflix, I don't have time to watch the DVDs I've bought, much less ones I'm paying for monthly, so until I get through all my unwatched stuff, Netflix is on hiatus. Ashame too, because I had a ton o stuff I've been dying to watch. Coming up next was Babylon 5. But, inside of a few months I should have most of my purchases watched and resume my subscription.

And ,while I'm here, if you've got some dough to spare, good buddy Patch Drury has some more comics to get rid of, all of 'em pretty damn cheap. He even started a blog for it. Head on over to Buy Patrick's Comics and buy something from him. Mention I sent you, and he might charge you more! I've alread decided to get the two Frank Miller Daredevil books, as I've read maybe a hanful of his DD, and probably a few more things as well. Good stuff, great prices, he's like Wal-Mart, only with less illegal aliens.

-L

Well, My Day Sucked

Got up this morning to find a giant blister in the back of my mouth. Yup, and abcess. Got an emergency dental appointment to fix it, cost $250 that I definitely didn't have. So, yeah, this year just keeps getting worse. Sigh...

-L

The Fastest List on Earth

So, here, finally is a DVD list. Apologies for missing in the last few weeks, I've just been so busy. Here's what hit stores today:

The Bad Sleep Well - Criterion Collection

Another Kurisawa release from Criterion. Always a must buy, but never affordable.

The Chumscrubber

I wanted to see this but it never played here. I'll have to rent it.

The Constant Gardener (Widescreen Edition)

Might be really good, but it's one of those that looks like it could be boring as hell.

Dead Poets Society (Special Edition)

Includes a commentrak with Weir and the writers. Good flik, not one of my favorites though.

Eraserhead

One of two Lynch releases this week. The other isn't Season 2 of Twin Peaks.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Bueller Bueller Edition

A must buy, probably the best DVD of the week. Even if it is a re-release.

The Five Heartbeats - 15th Anniversary Special Edition (Widescreen)

Never saw it.

The Flash - The Complete Series

Wish I had the dough to get this. I only remember seeing the pilot.

Good Morning, Vietnam (Special Edition)

Well, Robin Williams sure is popular today. What's next, Patch Adams?

Hustle & Flow (Widescreen Edition)

Another one on the "must rent" list.

The Magnificent Seven (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

One of the best movies ever made. Looks like I'll have two copies, I gotta buy this.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Another classic.

Red Eye (Widescreen Edition)

The mystery of who he's supposed to be is probably not enought to get me to watch it.

Sam Peckinpah's Legendary Westerns Collection

Has the aforementioned Billy the Kid flik and the Wild Bunch, plus a few more. Probably worth the price.

The Short Films of David Lynch

This is the other one.

Transporter 2

The part on me that's an idiot wants to see this.

The Wild Bunch - The Original Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Yeah, a classic.

I'm out, peace.

-L

The Television Shows That Just Won't Die

So, for christmas I got South Park Season 5 and The Simpsons Season Seven. I've recently finished watching both.

I guess I'll tell you what I think about them...

Starting with the lesser of the two, Season Five of South Park is one of the shows better years, but there's still the occasional clunker in it. The highlights though make it well worth it.

Easily the best of the bunch are Super Best Friends, Scott Tenorman Must Die, Cartmanland, Here Comes the Neighborhood and Butter's Very Own Episode. All of them stand as some of the series best episodes. From the evil cult of David Blaine, to the depths of Cartman's hatred and Butter's twisted family life, it's all pretty hilarious. The only features on the set are the mini commentaries by Stone and Parker. Mostly they're just behind the scenes stuff, but there are a few occasionally informative things they have to say. Probably not worth the asking price, but it was a present, so it was worth it for me, and it's all pretty damn funny.

The Simpsons set, now there's something worth owning. It is hands down the single best season the show has ever had, and if you disagree, well, that'd just make you wrong. just look at the episode list (thanks to someone over at Amazon):

Who Shot Mr. Burns? (2) - In this, a continuation of a storyline started in the sixth season's finale, the identity of Mr. Burns' would-be assassin is revealed.

Radioactive Man - A Radioactive Man movie is being filmed in Springfield, and Milhouse gets the role as his sidekick Bart so desperately wanted.

Home Sweet Home-Dum-Diddly Doodly - Marge and Homer are accused of being bad parents and their kids are sent to live with the Flanders family.

Bart Sells His Soul - During an argument in church about whether or not souls exist, Bart sells his to Milhouse for five dollars.

Lisa The Vegetarian - An encounter with a very cute lamb at a petting zoo makes Lisa question whether eating meat is right.

Treehouse Of Horror VI - In this year's Halloween trilogy, billboards come to life and wreak havoc on Springfield, a recently-deceased Willie attacks children in their dreams, and Homer gets trapped in the third dimension.

King-Size Homer - Homer intentionally gains additional weight so that he can qualify for a disability that will let him work from home.

Mother Simpson - Homer's long-lost mother returns to his life after nearly a quarter of a century, and this makes the family question where she has been the whole time.

Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming - Sideshow Bob returns yet again, this time threatening Springfield with an atomic weapon at the city's air show.

The Simpson's 138th Show Spectacular - Troy McClure hosts a special, featuring rare and deleted footage, fan letters, alternate endings, and plenty of other interesting stuff.

Marge Be Not Proud - When Bart is caught attempting to shoplift a video game, he tries his best to keep it a secret from his family.

Team Homer - Homer gets fed up with the league nights at the bowling alley hogging the lanes, so he forms his own bowling team.

Two Bad Neighbors - Former president George Herbert Walker Bush moves in across from the Simpsons, and trouble quickly ensues between him and Homer.

Scenes From A Class Struggle In Springfield - Marge meets a friend she hasn't seen since high school, who has long since become high-class material.

Bart The Fink - Bart's actions in an attempt to get an autograph from Krusty result in tax problems for Krusty, which drive him to insanity.

Lisa The Iconoclast - Lisa discovers some shocking truths about the man who founded Springfield around the same time a founder's day celebration is planned.

Homer The Smithers - Mr. Burns demands an overworked Smithers take a vacation, and Homer fills in for him during his time off.

The Day The Violence Died - Bart discovers the true creator of Itchy and Scratchy, who he successfully convinces to sue the studio owner. Unfortunately, this causes the studio to go bankrupt, resulting in the end of Itchy and Scratchy cartoons.

A Fish Called Selma - During a law-mandated visit to the DMV to have his eyesight checked, Troy McClure meets Selma, and oddly enough, the two fall in love.

Bart On The Road - When Bart is forced to spend a day observing Patty and Selma at the DMV, he makes his own fake ID, and uses to have all kinds of fun around town.

22 Short Films About Springfield - Essentially, the title of this episode says exactly what it is.

The Curse of the Flying Hellfish - Grampa entertains Bart with his stores of when he fought in World War II, alongside the fathers of many of the best-known men in Springfield.

Much Apu About Nothing - Apu reveals to the Simpsons he is an illegal alien, and this ultimately causes Homer to stop hating immigrants who enter the country illegally.

Homerpalooza - Homer gets a job with a traveling music/freak show, getting shot in the chest with a cannon.

Summer Of 4'2" - For the summer, the Simpson family and Milhouse go to a coastal town to spend time at the Flanders family's beach house.

There isn't a bad episode to be found, and I'd be hard pressed to pick out my favorite of the bunch. Lisa the Iconoclast does contain the absolute funniest line of dialogue ever spoken on TV though, and Bart on the Road probably ranks in my top five of all time, as does 22 Short Films. But they're all classics. In fact, in a Top 25 list every episode except Part 2 of Who Shot Mr. Burns (easily the weakest episode of the season) would be present. And here's a little tidbit for all you Beatles fans out there- Lisa the Vegetarian has an alternate version of Maybe I'm Amazed, inserted into the song is Paul's recipe for Lentil Soup, backwards. There's Homer in 3d, something that pushed the boundaries of animation when it was created, Homer in a mumu, Sideshow Bob's best appearence (in my opinion), the 138th Spectacular hosted by Troy McClure- the best clip show ever made, Team Homer and Homer the Smithers are some of the best Burns material ever written, Homer vs Bush is friggin hilarious and a Fish Called Selma is more Troy, always a good thing. Like I said, the single best season ever. If I had to choose one TV DVD set to take on a desert island it would probably be Firefly (Ha!), but this would be a pretty close second.

-L

Where Were We?

I've been meaning to post, honest I have. Life has just become one big blur lately, with hardly any time for amusement. So, what have I been up to?

I'm almost through with The Prisoner. I'm loving it. The most recently watched episode was "Living in Harmony", and I think it's definitely my favorite so far. Though, the other episode on the disc is quite good as well. I've watched some of the special features on the discs I've sent back, didn't find too many of them that interesting, though one interview contained a kind-of spoiler, so I decided to skip anything other than the episodes from then on.

Caught Scrubs hour long premiere the other night, and was really unimpressed with it. I missed most of last season for some reason or another, and I might decide to skip this one voluntarily. Outside of a handful of funny moments in the second episode I just thought it was lackluster. Also watched the premier of Four Kings. Not great either, but it has a heart to it that a lot of sitcoms lack, I doubt if the show lasts long at all.

I'm now an official convert to How I Met Your Mother. I hated (HATED) the first epsiode, but since then the show has improved vastly, and if they could ditch the Bob Saget stuff I'd be ready to proclaim it the best new show on TV. Instead, My Name is Earl gets that honor. Also still loving Two and a Half Men, CSI Miami, and all the other crap I watch regularly. Oh, Arrested Development is as brilliant as ever, too bad it's ending. But, at least we got what we did, right?

The year definitely started off on a sour note, hell it ended on one too. The Falcons don't deserve any damn thing. They don't even deserve the 8-8 record. Football is a team sport, and apparently they forgot how to play as a team. When the offense clicked, the defense crumbled and if the D made a goal line stand the offense couldn't get in the endzone. Typical Atlanta, never able to play to their fullest. Said it for years now, they can only put half of themselves into any season, game or drive. Vick has improved as a short passer I thnk, but it's those 20 yard throws that he just can't get down. I give him one more year in Atlanta, if he can't do it next year, he's trade fodder.

I've had a few new things show up at the Galaxy; my Demo review and a column that I may have already linked to. While you're there check out the exclusive Barry Windsor-Smith preview, it's truly awesome stuff. Speaking of the column though, that may be my last, at least for awhile. I really haven't had the energy for it and it's not exactly fair to keep doing it if I'm not going to give it my all.

Other crap that's kept me busy.company the last week?

Be Cool, the sequel to Get Shorty. Not a great film by any menas, but not a bad one. Has it's funny moments, the acting is spot on, but the script could have used some work. It all feels very forced. Still, I liked it more than most, probably because I saw the tongue-in-cheek style it was trying to pull off. Also watched March of the Penguins; very depressing. And I saw Melinda and Melinda, Woody Allen's latest film. Great, great story, with no Allen in sight. Well, unless you count Will Ferrell's pretty accurate imitation. Not his best work, but maybe his most commercial. Longtime fans will probably not love it, but for people like me who think less Woody is better, it's a good bet.

Reading? The usual.

The Perhapanauts #2 was good. The story has me intrigued. But, the letters page confuses me. Was this series being published somewhere else? I'd never heard of it til this new mini. I'll have to track some info down about it.

Spider-Man/Black Cat #5 hit last week, and man does it blow. Not even the hyper-sexy Dodson art can save this crap. Seriously, rape? Is that all comics are about anymore? Is that what every woman hero in comics must become, a rape victim? Not to make light of any real life victims (I know quite a few, so I know how damaging it can be), but that's just beyond dumb. There are ways to tell an emoptional story with women that don't involve them being raped, just like their are ways to tell emotional stories about kids that don't involve them being molested. In the world of fiction it's an old hat, it's tired and cliche. But, I guess no one's said Kevin Smith was original since Clerks, have they? Personally, I like Dogma better than all of 'em.

Y #41 was another stand alone. This time we got 355's "origin". Hey, thanks for nothing Vaughan. That wasn't an origin, not really. More like "Hey, pad this story out a little bit." "Okay, I have the perfect idea!" Still, it was better than anything else I read this week.

Fallen Angel #1...Well, I'm sorry I pre-ordered so many issues before I read this one. The art sucks and I'm completely friggin lost with the story. Dammit. But David's X-Factor is rocking my socks off. #2 was funny as hell, even with little miss "I move the plot along."

The Hyperactives preview sucked. No more Alias books for me, thank god. I'll have to go into that at some point in time. Funny story...

What if?... Starring Wolverine. Ooooh, I know, what if this didn't suck! I love Daniel Way, but this was barely readable. I didn't even see the Punisher reference until I looked at the cover again. Speaking of the clawed one. I liked Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk. It's like Con Air in comic book form. It's senseless just for the sake of being senseless.

Justice #3 came out, and I don't even remember reading it. That's sad, I enjoyed the first two issues a lot. This every other month thing is gonna kill me. Also read Testament #1 and wasn unimpressed. We've all seen Logan's Run, please stop re-making it, thank you.

Do I sound bitter? Man I hope this year gets better!

-L

The Year-End Spectacular

It probably won't be that spectacular, but it might just be my last post of the year.

These last few weeks have definitely been eventful. In some ways good and bad in others. I've taken on more responsibility concerning my new baby brother. So have my two sisters. I've also been working a lot more (which means I've spent a little more cash than usual, thus defeating the purpose of working more hours...) and hope to hear in the next few weeks about a possible second job. One with substantial pay that includes benefits, vacation time and paid holidays. That would put me working at least six days a week, until I go completely out of my mind anyway. It would be a major step up though, and the pay is fantastic.

Christmas was a big day for my family. My sister Kelly got engaged to her long-time boyfriend. I couldn't have picked a better man for her if I wanted to. While I was extremely excited for them I grew encreasingly frustrated with almost everyone elses need to make the event about themselves. Especially my girlfriend and my other sister, who were so jealous it made me violently ill. But, there wasn't much I could do about that, besides propose to my girl, and that's not gonna happen (remind me to give my lecture on marriage someday...).

As big a present as that was for the whole family, there were still others to go around. I didn't give quite as good as I got though. My girlfriend got tickets to go see Wicked, which is still a few months away, but it was what she wanted. She also got Nintendogs and a DS, but she got those well over a month ago because she couldn't wait. I got Simpsons Season 7, the extended Sin City DVD, Burnout for the DS, two jackets, one of which didn't fit, South Park Season 5, Vol 2&3 of Speed Racer, the Marvel Legends Deadpool figure (easily my most favorite present!!), a nice Fossil watch, Thundercats Vol. 1, an odd little drinking game (even odder that I don't drink much). I think that covers it all. Well, except what I've gotten for myself recently.

From Amazon I got the Seinfeld Season 5&6 gift set (for about sixty bucks too!), the new John Oszajca cd, Toy Story 2 and Snatch. From EB Games I got Planetes Vol. 1, Aeon Flux: The Complete Series, Garfield and Friends Vol. 4 (no, I don't have 1-3, but it was $15), the Outsider and the Man Who Fell to Earth. For baby bro and myself to enjoy I picked up the Disney Treasures Silly Symphonies set. Got it for under $15, found out it's worth quite a bit more since it's out of print. Lucky discovery by me. Oh, and I actually found a copy of Danger Doom at Target. I bought it and love the hell out of it. It's like Wu-Tang for the geek crowd, well worth the ten bucks it costs.

I've also bought a number of comics lately, so here's som short snippets about 'em.

Y, the Last Man #40

A stand alone story focusing on two women in Yorick's life. With this Vaughan takes a bit of a soap-operatic approach. It was still interesting, and the surprise was definitely a surprise, it just feels like he's running out of ideas so in comes the melodrama. Hopefully things will get better with the upcoming arc.

Cable & Deadpool #23

Thank God this is over. Confusing, weird, and only occasionally funny, this is easily the wors arc the book has had since its first. Even I didn't know enough about the world of X to understand everything that was going on here. Good stuff with Cage and Iron Fist though.

Penny Arcade 25 cents

Yeah, this was even wors. Not funny at all and even more confusing. Likely over my head since I know diddly about the books origins as a comic strip. But, you'd think this would be a good place to hook someone like me, instead I'll probably never read another strip. Give me PvP anyday.

Local #2

Anyone else get a screwed up copy? Had to read it twice to realize I got double pages, and even then I didn't care about the story. Maybe I'm just too damn old, but all this just seemed to scream "play some emo music!!!!" to me. Kids, I'll never understand them.

Jonah Hex #2

Hrm. I loved, loved, LOVED the first issue, but this was only slightly above mediocre. The story is sloppy and you barely have time to get invested in it before it's over. But, since these are stand alone stories I'll likely pick up $3 and see if they can bounce back. Nice cover though.

Grounded #4

Listening to DVD commentaries has brought the term "10%-ed" into my vocabulary. What it means is that a show is run through a machine that speeds everything up by 10%. It helps to fit more material in and viewers can rarely tell the difference. This series is the equivelant of that, only instead of not being able to see it, it's bothering the hell out of me. I like the basics, I like the characters, but so much of it just flies by and is left unexplained that I fel like I'm lost in this world. When the series wraps I'm going to reread the whole thing and see if I can understand the thing any better.

A Distant Soil #1-3

These certainly aren't new, but damn are they good. Doran is a master at this type of storytelling. It's the comic equivelant of the Holy Trilogy, before Lucas mucked it all up. Well, it's far better than the Star Wars films really. There's more thought put into the story, though Doran admits to constantly seeing things she wants to change in it, and she has changed it to make it better (or had, since these are pretty old issues), only she actually made it better. I need to track these down, but I'm hoping to find a few trades online, or maybe someone selling an entire run.

Joker/Mask #1-4

Good mini that focuses on what happens when Joker discovers Loki's Mask. Interesting look into what makes the Joker the Joker, but outside of that it's nothing really special. Good art, appropriate since it seems to bee more of the animated Series Bats than the regular DCU Bats. You can almost hear Mark Hamill's voice coming off the page.

Batgirl: Year One #1-9

Another oldie I've finally gotten around to reading. Never been a big Dixon fan, but I think teaming him with Beatty helped keep the script less fetish-y, and art by Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez is fantastic. Babs is one of my favorite characters in comics, and I always try to pick up any story that involves her as Batgirl, and this didn't disappoint.

Maybe more later...maybe!

-L

There's No Place I Can Be, Since I Found the List

Jeez whatta week. Read lots of comics, saw a few movies and watched some TV, so I'll actually have a post about most of that later. For now though, here's some stuff you can buy to stuff some stocking's.

Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.0

I guess I need to start watching this. Everyone keep's telling me how good it is, so it'll be Netflixed I suppose.

The Brothers Grimm

This, though, I heard wasn't that great. Definitely want to rent it though.

Chicago - The Razzle-Dazzle Edition

Bleh. I didn't like it the first time around.

Cry Wolf (Unrated Widescreen)

Tis the season for crappy horror films.

ER - The Complete Fourth Season

Never got into it.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Special Edition, Unrated)

See, told ya.

Four Brothers (Widescreen Edition)

I did want to see this, but the preview just made it look terrible.

Gatchaman, Vol. 4: Collection

Still haven't finished watching Vol. 1.

The Great Raid (Widescreen Director's Cut)

Never heard of it.

Must Love Dogs (Widescreen Edition)

Normally I'm a Cusak fan, but this just didn't look all that interesting.

Party of Five - The Complete Second Season

Boy that Lacy Chabert was cute.

Rebound

Hahahahahahahaha......no.

Serenity (Widescreen Edition)

Possibly the best movie of the year. Buy it, you will not regret it.

-L

The Re-release List

Lotsa stuff hitting this week as well, but again only a few things I wouldn't mind having. Most of it will get added to the "rent" pile. Like this-

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

I enjoyed the hell out of Judd Apatow's TV work, and I've heard nothing but positive buzz for this, but I'm on-again-off-again with Carrell. I like him in Anchorman, but he annoys me so much in The Office I can barely watch it.

Airplane - The "Don't Call Me Shirley" Edition

I like the fact that some classics have been getting these re-releases. It sucks for anyone that already has them for sure, but hopefully it brings it a new audience as well. BTW, Circuit City has this for $12.99, which makes it very tempting to pick up.

Bad News Bears (Widescreen Edition)

What no "Unrated" edition? I'm disappointed. I may go ahead and buy this. Billy Bob and Linklater = Genius.

Big Bad Mama - Special Edition

Angie Dickinson and The Shat? Who could resist. The DVD has a commentrak, but Amazon fails to say who is on it, damn them.

Cowboy Bebop Remix 3

It's likely I'll buy the Remix set when all the volumes get released. They're doing a hell of a job with them.

Death Race 2000 - Special Edition

Yet another re-release. Of another movie I haven't seen, but probably should.

Dice: Season 1 Complete Collection
Dice: Season 2 Complete Collection

Never heard of it.

Dukes of Hazzard - The Complete Fifth Season

Ah Coy and Vance, and the season that doomed the show. Stupid network idiots. By the way, the movie stinks.

Family Bonds - The Complete First Season

Couldn't get interested in it. And who thinks it's a good idea to release reality shows on DVD?

Frank Miller's Sin City (Recut, Extended, Unrated)

Dammit.

Giant Robo - The Complete Collection

I don't know what the hell it is, but it comes with a giant purple eyeball. That makes it very intriguing.

Gilmore Girls - The Complete Fifth Season

You know, I liked the first season, but I really can't see myself picking up any of the rest. It's on TV ten times a day now, and I spoiled any suspense with all the relationships by watching one of the newer episodes. And knowing all that, I just kind of lost interest.

Girls on Bulls

Easily the best DVD title ever.

Godzilla - Final Wars

Must...resist...singing...

Harryhausen Gift Set (Scrapbook) (3pc) (W/Book)

It's just not a Harryhausen collection without Clash of the Titans.

The Island

I'm definitely renting this. It looks like big dumb fun.

Killadelphia

And here we have the funniest DVD title ever.

King Kong - Peter Jackson's Production Diaries

Man, you's really have to be a Jackson lover to want this. Man that just came out wrong.

Kronk's New Groove

I didn't much care for the orignal, outside of that particular character. Now, since Kronk was the only good thing, I'm tempted to check this out.

Miami Vice - Season Two

In case you missed the two full friggin days on Nick this weekend.

The Newsroom - The Complete First Season

Canadian TV, finally on DVD so we can enjoy it. This sounds pretty funny, I'll have to Netflix it.

Planetes, Vol. 4

Another show I'm Netflixing, been meaning to get into it for awhile now.

The Producers (Deluxe Edition)

Never seen this, but I liked the musical, and might like the new movie. I'll have to check this out.

Rambo, Vol. 5: Snow Raid
Rambo, Vol. 6: Face of Freedom

I don't even remember there being a cartoon.

Reba - Season 2

Gah, I hate this show.

Rock 'n Roll High School - Special Edition

Boy, these re-releases are pissing someone off for sure. This has got to be the biggest list of them yet.

Roll Bounce (Widescreen Edition)

Heard this was pretty good. Might rent it.

Scooby-Doo in Where's My Mummy?

I've enjoyed all the DTV Scooby movies so far, hopefully this one too.

The Simpsons - The Complete Seventh Season (Collectible Marge Head Pack)

Also available in a regular old school package. I'm getting the Marge to go with my Homer.

Tour of Duty - The Complete Series

Never watched it.

Valiant

I wanted to see this too.

The Yards - Director's Cut (Miramax Collector's Series)

Never saw it, but I wanted to.

-L

Finally

Some time off. Not much, but it's nice to be home before midnight for once. Seems this week all I did was work, and if I wasn't working I was spending money on Christmas. I haven't even finished my next column, due tomorrow. Time is definitely not on my side this week. BUT! It could be, and very soon. But maybe not

I'm applying for another (or maybe just a second) job that would be three 12 hr shifts a week. I'm crossing my fingers, but I have very little faith that I'll get it. I have an inside chance because I know one of the guys, but it's still a slim one. Starting pay would be fantastic, including paid vacations and other benefits. But, I'm not getting my hopes up.

I've got two discs of the Prisoner waiting to be watched, but I just haven't had the time. I'm hoping I will tomorrow afternoon, but that all depends on if I get the column done tonight. I also need to update my sidebar and throw out some links I haven;t had time to get to. So what's say we make this one massive ass post, complete with reviews?

Gunslinger's Revenge

It's been a while since I've seen an Italian western, probably not since I went out and bought the special edition of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. I think that was almost a year ago. Veronesi (the director) doesn't have the eye or the dramatic sense that Leone brought to his pictures, but he's still pretty good. The plot is as simple as it needs to be; a gunslinger retires and returns to a family he's never known. When his past catches up to him him, his family and their friends put their lives on the line to stay together. It sounds like something Leone would have directed.

Harvey Keitel playes the old gunslinger, and while he isn't bad, I didn't buy it. The guy can play bad ass, he even pulled of a priest-you wouldn't-fuck-with role in From Dusk Til Dawn. But here, he just seems too tame. I was expecting "The Wolf" and I got a sheep. But, the man's still a great actor and he brings a lot to the film despite all of that. The rest of the "good guys" are filled with actors who's names I can barely pronounce, but they're all pretty good. Especially the young boy, Yudii Mercredi. The story relies a little too much on humour, but when it's provided by the town drunk, played by Jim van der Woude, it's at least funny. And then there's the star of the movie, David Bowie. I know what you're thinking, but the movie is worth a watch for this reason alone, nevermind anything else.

Bowie plays this odd British/Southern/Italian type of character, who's seems to be after Lowen (Keitel), just for the fame it might bring him. He's uniquely perfect, and probably the best description I can give is "The Joker of the Old West". He definitely steals the movie.

Veronesi's biggest problem is that he can't decide if he wants this to be a family film or a gritty, violent western. It could definitely do with some better editing, although the dub is almost spot on. Like I said, it's worth the time for Bowie's performance alone, and outside of that it's still a decent movie. Worth a rent, or even a buy if you find it cheap enough.

Blackball

Think of it as Dodgeball for our British friends. The movie got distribution in the U.S. through the National Lampoon's label, probably ensuring at least a few watchers. Which is a shame, because it's not a bad movie. Plot: Cliff Starkey is a bad boy from across the tracks. He's exceptionally good at bowls and would like nothing more than to represent his country nationally. The only thing stopping him? Ray Speight (played by James Cromwell) and his country club buddies, who want no part of this new rebellious kid and his disregard for tradition. Enter Rick Schwartz (Vince Vaughn), agent extraordinaare. He turns Starkey into the British Dennis Rodman, and suddenly bowls is the most popular thing on TV. Eh, I probably took too long explaining the plot there. Vaughn turns in a small but decent performance, and Cromwell is as good as he ever is. Paul Kaye plays Starkey as over-the-top as he should be, but still keeps him relatable and you can't help but root for him. Written by Tim Firth (Calendar Girls) and directed by Mel Smith (best remembered as the albino from Princess Bride), it's a good movie, something that's predictable, but still funny, mostly because of the British wit. It's not a bad way to spend a few hours, and probably worth the rental fee.

Hero at Large

I can't help but feel Sam Raimi cribbed the plot of this movie for parts of his Spider-Man films. Only, with a real hero instead of John Ritter. Ritter plays an actor looking for work who happens to foil a robbery while wearing a Captain Avenger costume. It send sales for the movie and it's merchandise through the roof and the producers (as well as the mayor) draft him to foil fake robberies and the like. Now Ritter must find a way out of the deception, get the girl of his dreams, and keep the hopes of the city alive.

I liked this, probably more than I should. It's a typical 80's flik, but it seems out of the mold for what Ritter normally chose. His character is far more competent (despite being out of work) than most roles you see him in. It's goofy and sensible, probably has too much heart, but the Hollywood/politics stuff rings as true now as it ever did. And there's a part of me that believes that Marvel/Sony/whoever as well as Warner would gladly do what the producers in this movie do if given the chance.

Just the Ticket

Ticket scalper Gary Starke (Andy Garcia) has a chance to finally get his big score and start a legitimate career for himself and his on-again/off-again girl Linda (Andie McDowell). Now he just has to dodge the cops and the new scalper that's moving in on his territory, and convince Linda that he's doing the right thing. Garcia is charming as hell here, but the movie is far too happy, even in the midst of despair. The real story is in the exploration of Starke's relationship to his runners, not in the star-crossed romance between him and the too-cute-to-exist McDowell. I lost interest about halfway through and screwed around on-line while the rest of it played out. The end looked promising, then everything just turned into typical, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Unless you're just bored, I'd stay clear.

Jay & Silent Bob Do Degrassi

The three episode arc of Degrassi: The Next Generation that Smith and partner in crime Mewes guest starred in. The "reasons" are easily explained, Smith is filming his next movie (the brilliantly titled) Jay & Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh, and is using Degrassi High as a location. The episodes do a good job of introducing newcomers to the world of Degrassi, and it's clear that the writers and director are familiar with Smith's world. His dialogue, as well as Mewes', is perfect, but after the first episode I was more interested in the kids and the parents on the show than I was in this fictional Smith/Mewes pairing. I know the season are getting released, so this may be another Netflix addition. Smith came back for another two episode stint in the 5th season, and I'm hoping those hit DVD as well, just to add to the collection. Anyway, the DVD does it's job. I picked it up just because, and now I'm genuinely interested in the show and its characters.

One Tree Hill-The Complete First Season

It was hard to like this show at first. The plot is convoluted; two half-brothers are thrown together on the varsity basketball team after years of animosity have separated the two. Believe me, that doesn'n't do it justice. But, it's well written, and most definitely well acted. There are times when it wears it's heart on it's sleeve, and there are times when it's as subtle as a baseball bat to the head, but even then the actors pull you through. Chad Michael Murray isn't someone I would feel comfortable in saying "he's good", but, really, he's not bad. Fortunately he has Moira Kelly, James Lafferty, and Paul Johannsen to carry him when he stumbles. The soap operatic twists and turns the story takes definitely hooked me, more so than any other teen drama to come along in forever. It beats the pants off all the other similar crap (except Smallville, but that's because it's friggin Superman) out there, and most of what's come before it. It's like 90210 with a Melrose make-over, only with better actors and writers. That saud, if it hadn't been $15, I'd never have bought the damn thing.

Loveless #2

The best thing I can say about this is, at least it's pretty. Azzarello goes the typical route with the plot and everything just seems convenient, but Frusin can draw the hell out of it. He tries to give it an epic feel, bringing in historical elements, but it just feels confined and claustraphobic. I liked the first issue okay, but this was just bad. Definitely my last issue.

Angeltown #1-2

Nate Hollis is a private dick hired to find a missing basketball player suspected of murder. As he investigates he finds nothing is what it seems. Blah. Chinatown this aint. Shawn Martinborough does a good job on art, infusing crime-noir with a bit of urban sprawl, but the writing is just disappointing. Predictable, especially if you've ever seen any crime-noir story, or even read one. Hell, the plot for Ford Fairlane is leaps and bounds over this. I only have the first two issues, so I didn;t get to see how the story played out, so maybe I'm judging it prematurley. But, after the first two issue, I didn't really care to see what happened next.

Identity Crisis #1-7

Hmmm...what can I say that hasn't already been said about this? Nothing. Well, apparently Brad Meltzer saw Presumed Innocent a few too many times as a kid (or even an adult), because if you take away the damn costumes, that's almost exactly what this is. You're probably better off watching that than reading this, unless you just have some desire to see you're favorite superheroes behave in immoral fashion (well, some of them). It reads like fan fiction that's not about what it says it's about. Meltzer seems to be commenting on the state of comics, and how "dark" they've become by using those very tools to make his case. If Watchmen were the beginning of it, and this were the end, then it would serve as a perfect bookend. It showcases just how horrible a good idea can become when it's used as a blanket for the entire damn universe. And I'm not so sure that's what Meltzer was trying to do. In fact, I'd bet my life it wasn't. Mostly though, I just didn't care. About any of it. The only good thing in all seven issues was Slade kicking the shit out of the League. I heart Deathstroke the Terminator.

Burnout Revenge

Hey, a video game! And damn is it a good one. If you can operate a controller, buy this game. Saying anything else would only ruin the experience. Buy it, rent it, just get it.

Man, there's been so much put up at the Galaxy that I don't even know where to start. Well, okay, how about my last column and a review of a damn good comic, Happy Birthday Anyway. After that, just go to the front page and read EVERYTHING ELSE!~!!!!!!!

And hey, ADD is back to blogging! Go say hey.

Mrs Tegan got name dropped in a comic. I'd be jealous if my name wasn't Logan.

I didn't make the list, but a few of my friends did.

There's more, but that's all I have time for right now. Maybe this weekend!

-L

Spacecataz

So, one of the DVDs I bought today was Aqua Teen Vol. 4. I popped it in when I got off work, just for background noise while I did some laundry. I clicked "Play All" on the menu, and guess what happened? It played all 13 episodes. AT THE SAME TIME. It might just be the funniest thing EVER. Definitely the funniest DVD feature ever.

I also got the second great Star Wars DVD to come out in the last, oh, well, however many years Star Wars DVDs have been coming out. Haven't opened it yet, but I loved the cartoon when I saw it originally, and I look forward to watching both seasons back to back.

I wanted to talk about other crap, but I had to pull a long shift at work, and I have to go in early tomorrow. Maybe that means I'll get off a bit early and will actually get to post some stuff. I've read a few books and watched a few movies, and I plan on writing a little something about them. So, stay tuned!! Plus, maybe a few links to some great sites.

-L