How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
November 4, 2008
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who wish all our oil woes could be solved with a little thing called dark matter: Futurama: Bender's Game
Futurama's experimental fifth season rolls onward, with the third of four planned straight-to-DVD movies available for purchase today. This time, with fuel prices higher than ever before, the gang goes on a dangerous mission to investigate the world's only dark-matter mine, which fuels all spaceships. But once they get there, they happen upon a medieval land of sorcery, dragons and drunken knights who oddly look a lot like Bender. The story is said to be a spoof of Dungeons and Dragons.
For those readers who'd rather not pay for the third chapter, Comedy Central will air the movie in episodic blocks some time next year. And the final straight-to-DVD movie, Into the Wild Green Yonder, will be released in February 2009.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, storyboards, animator discussions, Futurama Genetics Lab, Dungeons & Dragons & Futurama featurette, How to Draw Futurama in 83 Easy Steps featurette, deleted scene, outtakes, Bender's Anti-Piracy Warning, sneak peek at the next Futurama movie: Into the Wild Green Yonder
For people who understand the difference between Kung Fu and karate: Kung Fu Panda (available November 8th)
DreamWorks took an appropriate break from the venerable Shrek franchise to bring us yet another story featuring a plus-sized character. Here we've got a panda named Po (Jack Black), whose fandom of everything Kung Fu comes in handy one day when he's unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient Kung Fu prophecy by studying alongside his idols (the legendary Furious Five) and their leader, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). Things turn dangerous, however, once the group finds out the deadly snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane) is headed their way, setting up an inevitable battle between the highly skilled animal and a (thought to be) completely useless Po.
Also available this week is Secrets of the Furious Five, a companion movie that tells the untold stories of each of the movie's Furious Five (voiced by Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross). And since we're talking about Dreamworks here, you can expect to see Kung Fu Panda 2 in theaters in 2011.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, Meet the Cast featurette, Pushing the Boundaries featurette, Sound Design featurette, Kung Fu Fighting music video, Mr. Ping's Noodle House featurette, How to Use Chopsticks featurette, Conservation International: Help Save Wild Pandas featurette, Dragon Warrior Training Academy featurette, printables, weblinks, Dreamworks' animated video jukebox
For people who missed it by that much: Get Smart (Special Edition)
Steve Carell's fame just keeps on growin', don't it? Since ending his six-year run in 2005 as a correspondent on The Daily Show to star in NBC's version of The Office, the man has since been in a number of films, including The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine, Evan Almighty and Dan in Real Life.
Most recently he appeared in the big screen adaptation of the classic 1960s spy parody TV series, Get Smart, as secret agent Maxwell Smart, who must do battle with his crime nemesis KAOS alongside working partner Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). Also appearing in the film are Dwayne Johnson as Agent 23, Alan Arkin as The Chief, Masi Oka as Bruce, James Caan as The President and Bill Murray in a cameo role (as Agent 13).
Critical reaction to the film was mixed, but enough people went to see the finished product to warrant a Get Smart sequel. Carell will return, but the status of other cast members is not yet known. Also available this week is the complete Get Smart TV series.
Disc includes: The Right Agent for the Right Job: Behind-the-Scenes Training featurette, Max in Moscow!: On Location or on a Soundstage? featurette, Language Lessons: Spotlight on Linguistics Master Steve Carell featurette, Spying on Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control featurette, gag reel
For people who will never fully understand the nature of Carter and Stuart's relationship: Spin City: Season 1
Based on a fictional local government running New York City, comedy Spin City originally starred Michael J. Fox as Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty, a man who proves to do well at work, but not so great in his personal life. Other major members of the city hall staff included Mayor Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick), press secretary Paul Lassiter (Richard Kind), assistant deputy mayor Stuart Bondek (Alan Ruck) and minority affairs head Carter Heywood (Michael Boatman).
Two years into the show, Fox announced he had Parkinson's disease, which led to the introduction of Heather Locklear's character, Caitlin Moore, to share his workload. As his symptoms worsened, Fox eventually left the show, paving the way for his replacement, Charlie Sheen (as Charlie Crawford), to take over as deputy mayor. Due to low ratings, the comedy only lasted two seasons without Fox.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, cast interviews, Prime-Time Partners featurette
For people who don't know the difference between a romantic thriller and Nazi propaganda: Kiss Of The Spider Woman (Collector's Edition)
Based on Manuel Puig's 1976 novel, El beso de la mujer araña (which literally translates to Kiss of the Spider Woman), the 1985 adaptation stars William Hurt and Raúl Juliá as two men, Molin and Valentin, jailed in a Brazilian prison. Statutory rapist Molina passes the time by discussing memories from one of his favorite films, while political prisoner Valentin can do nothing but listen to the guy. Soon enough, an unlikely friendship forms between the two men. As more time passes, however, it seems Molina may have ulterior motives.
Also adapted into a stage play by Puig in the early 1990s, the film earned four Academy Award nominations, including a win for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Hurt).
Disc includes: Manuel Puig Mini-Documentary: The Submissive Woman's Role featurette, Spider Woman on Broadway mini-documentary, slide show commentary, photo galleries, trivia
November 4, 2008
3 Ninjas Trilogy
Alvin & The Chipmunks (Special Edition)
Batman: The Complete Animated Series
Believe In Me (Director's Cut)
Boston Celtics: 2007-2008 NBA Champions
Boys Like Girls: Read Between The Lines
A Christmas Story (Special Edition)
The Craving (Widescreen)
Dragon Hill (Widescreen)
The Final Countdown
Flashbacks of a Fool (Widescreen)
Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series (Set)
George Of The Jungle Collection (Set)
Get Smart Collection
Gigi: Gigi's First Day of School
The Hit List
Holiday Fire
House Arrest
JAG: Seasons 1-7 (Set)
JAG: The Seventh Season (Set)
The Jason Bourne Collection (Trilogy Collector's Edition)
Kung Fu Panda / Secrets of the Furious Five
Little House on the Prairie: Complete TV Series (Set)
Moscow Zero (Widescreen)
Planet Of The Apes 5 Pack
Popeye the Sailor: 1941-43
Project Runway: The Complete Fourth Season
Radio City Christmas Spectacular: The Rockettes
Reaper: Season One
Route 66: Season 2 Complete Collection
Shrek The Halls
Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (Set)
Star Wars Trilogy
Starlost: The Complete Series
Tenacious D: Complete Masterworks 2
Termination Point (Widescreen)
Tori & Dean Inn Love: Season 2
Transsiberian
Waterworld (Extended Edition)
Wild Wild West: The Complete Series (Set)