How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
November 11, 2008
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who can deal with minimal closure: The Sopranos
About a year and a half ago, David Chase played quite the trick on America. Remember this? Of course you do. Nearly 12 million tuned in for the series finale to one of America's greatest television shows of all time, only to have an ominously black screen staring back at them when the top of the hour came 'round. No clear cut catharsis. No happy ending for Mr. Tony Soprano. No nothing, really. Just an ambiguous ending with more loose ends than television viewers usually have to deal with.
And people couldn't shut up about it. A number of weeks went by, and people still were discussing possible interpretations to the finale of Chase's classic mob tale. Not to say the title wasn't deserving of such meticulous dissection. For the loyal viewers who had watched this pay cable phenomenon since 1999, they simply just didn't want the drama to fade too quickly for memory. At least not right away.
Well anyway, today HBO releases the entire series in one complete package, so fans can take yet another look at that ambiguous finale, as well as all the events that led to that final family meal in the diner. And typical of HBO, it carries a relatively steep $400 marketplace price tag.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, Interview with David Chase (moderated by Alec Baldwin), Supper With The Sopranos featurette, Paley Center for Media Seminar featurette, deleted scenes, spoofs and parodies, two CD soundtracks, 16-page episode guide
For fans of Westerns, but not necessarily ones starring John Wayne: Firefly: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]
Anytime a show that's near and dear to BOP staffers' hearts gets released on DVD, it must get a plug in this space or I'm out of a job. Firefly would be one of those shows. Originally airing on Fox for the 2002-03 television season, the sci-fi series lasted just 11 episodes before being cancelled by the network. (The remaining three produced episodes later aired on Sci Fi Channel). Though the entire series has already been released on DVD, today marks Firefly's Blu-ray debut.
Best described as a Western in space, Firefly is set 500 years in the future, when humans have since moved on to a new star system. The series follows the nine renegade crewmembers aboard a "Firefly class" spaceship named Serenity.
In 2005 a sequel movie, Serenity, which takes place about two months after the events of the series finale, was released in theaters. Against a budget of nearly $40 million, the film could only muster a nudge over $25 million, despite receiving mostly favorable reviews from critics. For some time, there was talk of a potential sequel or two, but Joss Whedon has since shot down any of the rumors.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, Here's How it Was: The Making of Firefly featurette, Serenity: The 10th Character featurette, Joss Tours the Set featurette, Alan Tudyk's Audition, Joss Sings the Firefly Theme featurette, gag reel
For people who are friendly to humble janitors: Scrubs: The Complete Seventh Season
Scrubs may have ended its run on NBC, but the seven-year-old sitcom is far from dead. ABC confirmed that it picked up the quirky hospital series for an eighth season as a midseason replacement to air sometime early next year. But before all that happens, see how it all ended at its original network home.
Airing on NBC's standout Thursday comedy lineup, the shortened seventh season - just 11 episodes instead of a planned 18, courtesy of that pesky writers' strike - treated its loyal viewers to a number of fresh storylines, including Dr. Kelso's decision to sign the hospital up at RateYourDoc.org, Carla and Turk's discussions on having another baby, the Janitor heading up a new hospital newspaper titled The Janitorial and a medieval fairy tale series finale.
Depending on the show's success over at ABC, Scrubs could continue past an eighth season. ABC and Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence have suggested in the past that a ninth season could be possible, though probably with a new cast since Zach Braff, Judy Reyes and others have said they are ready to move on.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, My Making of II: 'My Princess featurette, One-on-One with Ken Jenkins featurette, deleted scenes, alternate lines, bloopers
For people who are afraid of what Guillermo del Toro can create in his mind: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Special Edition)
Here's something: A comic book adaptation that gets rave reviews (think Iron Man, The Dark Knight and the earlier Spider-Mans) but doesn't exactly qualify as a smash at the box office. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is directed by Guillermo del Toro and stars Ron Perlman as the titular character, who this time must do battle with an evil dictator and his unstoppable army of creatures. The reason for the clash? An ancient truce between the human world and that of invisible fantasy is broken, promising literal hell to erupt on Earth.
Scoring just $75 million domestically (and another $76 million worldwide) against a budget of $85 million, Universal will probably greenlight another chapter. And Del Toro confirmed to reporters that he'd like to pursue part three after his work on The Hobbit.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, set visits, deleted scenes, 12-minute tour of the Troll Market set, Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2.5 hours), Production Workshop featurette, Pre-Production Vault featurette, Marketing Campaign featurette, digital copy of the film
For people who firmly believe George Lucas will never run out of Star Wars ideas: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Special Edition)
Universally panned by critics, the CGI-animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, set between the three-year period between Episodes II and III, basically was produced for two big reasons: to introduce people to the TV series of the same name now airing on Cartoon Network, and to fill George Lucas' pockets with even more money than he knows what to do with.
Here, the story is rather simple. Two Jedi, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are in search of Jabba the Hutt's son, who has gone missing. I do have one quick question, however. A son? Have you seen Jabba the Hut? That's what I thought.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, The Clone Wars: The Untold Stories featurette, The Voices of the Clone Wars featurette, A New Score featurette, Gallery of Concept and Production Art featurette, Webisodes (six featurettes), deleted scenes, trailers
November 11, 2008
...And The Earth Did Not Swallow Him (Widescreen)
3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (Collector's Edition)
7th Heaven: Seasons 1-7 (Set)
7th Heaven: The Seventh Season
All for Melissa
All Mine To Give
Allison Krauss: Hundred Miles Or More Live
Anastasia (2-Disc Edition)
Becoming Family
Beer for My Horses (Widescreen)
Black Christmas
Blood & Bones (Widescreen)
Blood Wars (Widescreen)
Bon Jovi: Rock Case Studies (Widescreen)
Chuck: The Complete First Season
The Colt
The Cosby Show: The Complete Series (Boxed Set)
The Cure: Strange Museum
Dolphins (IMAX)
Fast Track: 1st Season
Father Knows Best: Season Two
The Fireplace
The Flaming Lips: Christmas On Mars
Flicka (2-Disc Edition)
Garfield: The Movie (2-Disc Edition)
The General (2 Disc Collector's Edition)
Harry Potter: Years 1-5
Holding Out
Holiday Affair
Home Alone 3 (2-Disc Edition)
I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series (Boxed Set)
Ice Age (2-Disc Edition)
JFK (Special Edition)
Jingle All The Way (2-Disc Edition)
Katt Williams It's Pimpin' Pimpin'
Live from Abbey Road: Best of Season 1
The Living Sea (IMAX)
Lone Ranger: 75th Anniversary Collector's Edition (75th Anniversary Edition)
M Squad: The Complete Series 1957-1960
M*A*S*H: Martinis & Medicine Collection (Set)
Madame Bovary (2-Disc Edition)
Mind of Mencia: Season 4 (Uncensored)
Miracle On 34th Street (2-Disc Edition)
MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge Season 5.2
MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge Vols. 4-5
MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge Season 4.1
MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge Season 5.1
MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge Season 4.2
Night Gallery: The Complete Second Season
Noelle
Pink Floyd: Great Gig In The Sky
Robots (2-Disc Edition)
Sara Bareilles: Between The Lines / Live at the
Sheryl Crow: Live
Smashing Pumpkins: If All Goes Wrong
Son of the Beach: Volume 2
The Sopranos: The Complete Series (Widescreen)
Stevie Wonder: Videobiography
Still Life
A Stitch In Time
Supernatural: The Complete Third Season
Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks 2
This Christmas
Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
Twin Blades of the Ninja
We All Fall Down