How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
March 24, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who wish Amy Winehouse would have gotten her act together for the opening theme: Quantum of Solace (Special Edition)
Admit it. Quantum of Solace was a letdown. The biggest problem I had with it was the sequel's insistence on bloated and badass action in place of the rich and wickedly dark drama stuffed into Casino Royale. It's good, but not great.
Pegged as the first true sequel in the franchise's roughly 45-year history, Quantum of Solace is all about Bond avenging Vesper Lynd's untimely demise in Casino Royale. While this ongoing storyline unfolds, an environmentalist poser, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), intends to help General Medrano (Joaquín Cosio) stage a coup d'état in Bolivia in exchange for a chunk of desert real estate.
Disc includes: "Another Way to Die" music video, Bond on Location featurette, Start of Shooting featurette, On Location featurette, Olga Kurylenko and the Beat Chase featurette, Director Marc Forster featurette, The Music featurette, Crew Files Behind-the-Scenes clips
For people who think Eddie Vedder's voice never gets old: Pearl Jam: Ten (Deluxe Edition)
Pearl Jam will celebrate 20 years as a band in 2011. To lead up to this historic feat, the alt-rockers plan to reissue their entire catalogue, as well as a ninth studio album later this year. Out today is Ten, their reputable debut album packed with all hits, like concert favorite "Jeremy" and a few of my personal favorites, "Evenflow" and "Black."
Ten will be reissued four different ways. The cream of the crop is a remastered and remixed version of the album (20+ tracks!), a DVD of the band's 1992 appearance on MTV Unplugged and an LP of their 1992 concert at Magnuson Park in Seattle.
I may or may not be drooling right now.
Disc includes: Remastered album with six extra tracks, 1992 MTV Unplugged DVD, Dropin the Park live concert LP, replica Eddie Vedder composition notebook
For people who think HBO is sending mixed messages by programming a campy, sex-crazed vampire saga with one of the network's highest quality dramas to date: In Treatment
Winner of two Emmys and one Golden Globe (and six more combined nods for both award ceremonies), HBO's In Treatment is the classic case of a great show without an audience. And though hardly anyone watched the show's supersized 43-episode first season – even by pay cable standards – people seem to be finally warming up to the finely acted drama (or are at least aware of what this thing actually is).
Based on Betipul, arguably one of the best Iraeli dramas of all time, In Treatment is about a psychotherapist, Paul (Gabriel Byrne), and his sessions with his patients (Blair Underwood, Melissa George, Mia Wasikowska, among others). Its first season ran five nights a week, with each night focusing on a specific patient.
Season two starts up April 5th. Announced stars include Hope Davis and John Mahoney. Dianne Wiest returns as Paul's therapist and mentor.
Disc includes: None
For people who understand why Andy Richter decided to reteam with Conan O'Brien on The Tonight Show: Andy Richter Controls the Universe: The Complete Series
Three shows. Three utter failures.
Since exiting Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2000, Andy Richter hasn't had a lick of luck. Both Quintuplets and Andy Barker P.I. lasted hardly a season on their respective networks. His biggest "success" happens to be Andy Richter Controls the Universe, a 2002-03 comedy that appeared to be waayy ahead of its time.
In it, Richter played an aspiring writer living in Chicago named Andy Richter who dreamed of penning short stories. But to pay the bills, he was forced to be a technical manual writer for one of the largest companies in the United States. The series was notable for Richter's episode narrations and frequent demonstrations of alternative scenarios to what just occurred onscreen. (Hence the title).
Disc includes: Audio commentary, How Andy Richter Controlled the Universe featurette, What if Andy Richter Controlled the Universe? Featurette
For people who can't count: The Fast and the Furious Trilogy [Blu-ray]
I don't know which is worse: the fact that the title to the upcoming Fast and the Furious sequel has a title even lamer than 2 Fast 2 Furious or that a franchise "trilogy set" hits stores today, when a fourth franchise installment hits theaters in a week and a half. Take your pick.
What I do know, however, is that this Blu-ray collection comes bundled with an overload of extras. And given that The Fast and the Furious is all action and no story, this probably works out incredibly well.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, 20+ Fast and the Furious featurettes, 15+ 2 Fast 2 Furious featurettes, 15+ Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift featurettes, five music videos, deleted scenes, outtakes, digital copies of all three films
March 24, 2009
Blu-ray
The 400 Blows
Big Stan
The Fast and the Furious Trilogy
Goldfinger (Ultimate Edition)
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 1
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 2
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 3
The Kite Runner
The Last Metro (Criterion Collection)
A Mighty Heart
Moonraker (Ultimate Edition)
Never Say Never Again
Oh Happy Day: Sunday Morning
Paramore: The Final Riot!
Quantum of Solace
Things We Lost in the Fire
The Venture Bros.: 3rd Season
Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter (Special Edition)
Wild Asia 1: In The Realm of the Red Ape
The World Is Not Enough
DVD
2 Fast 2 Furious (Limited Edition)
The 400 Blows (Criterion Collection)
Andy Warhol: 13 Most Beautiful Songs For Screen
Big Stan
Bob Dylan: Never Ending Tour
Bolt (Special Edition)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Chosen Collection (Collector's Edition)
Coheed & Cambria: Neverender
The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift (Limited Edition)
The Fast And The Furious (Limited Edition)
Frazetta: Painting with Fire (Collector's Edition)
A Galaxy Far, Far Away (10th Anniversary Limited Edition)
Goldfinger (Ultimate Edition)
Happily N'Ever After 2: Snow White (Widescreen)
Hard Rockers: AC/DC, Metallica
Harsh Realm: The Complete Series
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 1 (Set)
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 2 (Set)
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 3 (Set)
KISS: KISS In A Box
The Last Metro (Criterion Collection)
Leon Russell: A Song for You
Lilo & Stitch (Special Edition)
Little Richard: Live at Toronto Peace Fest 1969
Metal Machine Music: Nine Inch Nails
A Mighty Heart
Moonraker (Ultimate Edition)
Motley Crue: Crue Fest 2008
Never Say Never Again (Collector's Edition)
The Odd Couple (Centennial Collection)
Paramore: The Final Riot!
Pink Floyd: Interviews
Point Pleasant: The Complete Series
The Riches: Season 2 (Widescreen)
Rick James: I'm Rick James Definitive
Room 222: Season One
Runaway: The Complete Series (Widescreen)
Snoop Dogg: Welcome 2 Da Church
Soul Legends: Janet Jackson, Black Eyed Peas & Joh
Star Wars The Clone Wars: A Galaxy Divided (Widescreen)
Things We Lost in the Fire
To Catch A Thief (Centennial Collection)
Urban Kings of Comedy
The Venture Bros.: 3rd Season
Venture Bros: Seasons 1-3 (Set)
Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter (Special Edition)
The World Is Not Enough (Ultimate Edition)