How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
September 14, 2010
Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP’s look at the latest Blu-ray discs and DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Glee sings a high note, E.T. gets an unintentionally hilarious copycat and Jason Schwartzman admits to knowing nothing about solving crimes.
Pick of the Week
For people who bust a gut at Sue Sylvester: Glee: The Complete First Season
What to say, what to say about a television show that seems to have just as many fans as it does enemies.
For a good while, I was a closet Gleek. I watched the show regularly but didn’t deem it necessary to talk about it with many people. I liked it enough, but didn’t feel like there was much substance in the problem of the week. And then the familiarity of problem, quick remedy, disaster, absurd solution set in and I realized the show seemed to never make any progress.
Schuester’s wife becomes a school nurse to check in on her husband at his day job, and then by the end of the episode she finds herself in the same position she started in. Kristin Chenoweth guests as a troubled, former star of the glee club who gets recruited by Schuester, but then moves on to a new dream after receiving the standing ovation she always wanted. Glee’s writers were so quick to hit the reset button.
But Glee wouldn’t have a season two if it weren’t popular. And I don’t know that popular is a strong enough word. Glee is a cultural phenomenon that has taken to touring, dominating the iTunes charts and selling like hotcakes on home media. It’s a show that extends beyond traditional consumption channels. And, hey! It shows performing arts in a positive light, so that’s fine by me.
Disc includes: Behind the Pilot: A Visual Commentary featurette, Sing Along Karaoke and Music Jukebox, The Power of Madonna featurette, Full-Length Audition Pieces featurette, Staying in Step with Glee featurette, Dress Like Your Favorite Gleek featurette, Making of a Showstopper featurette, Meet Jane Lynch featurette
For people who think E.T. is a little too mainstream: Mac and Me (New Packaging)
A newly packaged Mac and Me gets placement here on How to Spend $20 this week and I’ll tell you why: This is a movie of my youth that I managed to watch countless times. I have no idea why I liked it so much. It’s an absolutely stupid movie that is packed with scenes like this. ‘Cept this one’s got adult aliens who communicate with one another by whistling while holding their hands above their heads. (When not, you know, boogying down at McDonald’s).
But, when you’re a child everything just seems so great. Kinda like Saved by the Bell reruns. Watch ‘em today and you’ll wonder what made an episode devoted to caffeine pills so believable.
Anyway, the point is Mac and Me is a real treat. It even blatantly promised a sequel at the end, but disappointing box office numbers squelched that plan.
I’m so glad my mother picked up this movie that one day at the grocery store.
Disc includes: N/A
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