Headsup: Sketch Comedy, Slacker Animals, Melting People & Other Items From the World’s Strangest Scavenger Hunt

There’s a lot of stuff that comes out all the time, and the companies are want your attention and mostly…your coin. But, you know, it’s your coin and you have to take care where you spend it. With these posts we try to take you through recent releases so you can make up your mind. If you find the info here to be of use, do us a favor and purchase stuff from Amazon through us. Especially if you were going to buy the stuff anyway. That gives us kickbacks, which help pay for things. Like the server. And coffee. And therapy. We thank you.

[ad#longpost]The Emmy-nominated sketch comedy bit of mayhem, Portlandia, returns with its third season on DVD, out from IFC. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein continue to bring their own northwest brand of satire to the screen–and have a crapload of special guests (probably one of the best arrays in sketch TV history) along for the ride. This season has everyone from Jack White to Kurt Loder and Martina Navratilova to Jeff Goldblum. And then they get bonus points for including Matt Lucas and Matt Berry. Well played. All eleven episodes (ten regular, one which started out as a special on iTunes) are here across two discs. And some standout bits include trying to save MTV, a new mayor for the city, and what happens when all the lights go out. Bonus bits are light but decent, giving you a couple of deleted scenes and Kumail Nanjiani on-hand to provide tours of locations. If you just want to catch up on the episodes, then Netflixing or what-have-you should be fine. But if you are adding this to your collection, plonk the extra $5 and get the Blu-Ray. Granted, we only received the DVD to check out–but for $5 more, why wouldn’t you? (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Regular Show finds a blue jay and raccoon as best friends–just as I saw that one time on a David Attenborough docu (maybe)–and working at a park while trying to do even less than their already little-to-do jobs require of them. And in case you needed some more surrealism into the mix without just going ahead and breaking out the symbolic feesh, one of the managers is a gumball machine and also on the job is a Yeti. Voiced by Mark Hamill. Chances are, if this is your sort of show–and you’re not already on board–the very description I just typed got you on board. Because it’s just as mental as that scenario promises. There’s forty episodes in all from the first two seasons–and they’re collected here, not on some multi-volume/greatest hits/best of single-disc nonsense. Your patience has been rewarded. And this two disc set out from Adult Swim comes stacked with audio commentaries on every episode and then some, the unaired pilot, interviews, bonus shorts, animation tests and much more. While this isn’t a show that screams hi-def to me, the presentation is good and if you’re going to make this a permanent part of your collection, plonk down the extra $4.50 and get the Blu-Ray. Current price point is less than $.70 an episode, so it’s hard to beat. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Oh, Synapse. What Blu-Ray wonders you bring us. They’ve been busy going through and fleshing out (ha) their Hammer Horror Collection, and the latest offering is Hands of the Ripper from 1971. Directed by Peter Sasdy (who brought you Taste the Blood of Dracula), it’s about Anna, a young lady who had the misfortune of watching her mother murdered by her father. Adding misfortune on top of misfortune is her father was–you guessed it–Jack the Ripper. You would expect such an experience to leave an impression on a young person–and years later, she’s still having issues. And, you know, violent and homicidal impulses. The Blu-Ray is just as sweet as you would come to expect from Synapse–sort of the Criterion Collection for less loved horror. The video and audio look fantastic. There’s a half-hour featurette, a short makeup featurette and the audio intro that was used in the U.S. when the movie aired here. Plus, it’s a combo–so a DVD is provided as well. As the 1970s wore on, Hammer’s quality became dubious…but I think the retro horror fan will appreciate this balance of sex, gore and mayhem that Hammer settled into before they started to decline. Of interest: in the cast are Eric Porter (Jeremy Brett’s Moriarty) and Jane Merrow (Alais in Lion in Winter). Hammer hardcore should definitely own; the curious will be fine with a rental. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

From the glory of 70s British horror to the glory of 80s VHS memories–we’re still on the subject of Synapse and we move to their “Special Meltdown Edition” of Street Trash. There’s no way you could have browsed the horror section of your local rental place and not seen (and remembered) the insane VHS cover. The setup is absurdly simple. And absurd. Some cheap wine has gone bad. Really bad. Seriously bad. So bad, in fact, that when sold to the winos in the area and they imbibe…they then melt. Sound like some weird cross between Stephen King’s short story “Gray Matter” and The Stuff? You’re pretty close, yeah. Now, I don’t have the previously released DVD version to compare it with, but the hi-def presentation here is quite good, especially for a film this…um, relatively inexpensively produced. Bonus bits include items that appeared on the DVD release: two audio commentaries, a feature-length making-of docu, the original short film, the original teaser and the ability to use a label sticker provided and make your own bottle of the infamous “Tenafly Viper.” New to the Blu-Ray release is a video interview with Jane Arakawa (plays Wendy in the film) and deleted scenes. Fans of the film might want to consider purchasing. Those who already own the DVD might want to consider renting to see if they want to upgrade. If you haven’t seen it and you enjoy horror, well, it’s a piece of movie history. Get caught up. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Okay, let’s lay a card on the table you’re already familiar with: not every police procedural is going to be The Wire or even Hill Street Blues. Most of them are some version of the same-old same-old but with some sort of hook. The hook in this one is that Poppy Montgomery (who looks completely different with red hair–is it just me?) plays Carrie, who has a memory that just won’t quit. No, really. She can’t forget anything. Is she going to return to fighting crime and use her powers for good? Whoa, you bet. So you either get on board with the hook and the stories are good enough to keep you coming back…or you don’t. Some people dig the CSI franchise; I was partial to Lie to Me. Different strokes. And because CBS changed their mind about cancelling the thing, it’s back with its second season. The six-disc set from Paramount comes with all twenty-two first season episodes, plus a few featurettes, gag reels, deleted scenes and audio commentaries for two episodes. Which isn’t bad. The price point isn’t terrible either: around $1.50 an episode currently. If you dig this sort of thing, it might be worth giving it a try as a rental. Hardcore fans (and those who want to vote for it getting a third season) should purchase. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

So you’ve got nothing against a little Skinemax action, but could there be a noir twinge to it with, you know, a semblance of a twist going on? “Can I have a crime-riddled Red Shoe Diaries?” Oh sure, have we got a deal for you: Femme Fatales has its second season hitting DVD from Entertainment One, with all twelve episodes across three discs. Assassins, masked heroes, suspected murderers…you get the lot. Plus guest stars like Casper Van Dien, Eric Roberts, Jeff Fahey and others. And you would think that a show like this would go to DVD with nothing in the way of bonus bits. But here’s where it gets interesting: every episode has commentary. Yes, all of them. One episode comes with its international version, you get featurettes and making-ofs, plus deleted scenes and more. The price point is less than $1.50 an episode currently–so if you’re a huge fan of such things, it might be worth owning. But definitely rent it or Netflix it first–it does what it’s supposed to do well, and if that’s in your wheelhouse, then you’ll be set. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

What happens when you take The House on Haunted Hill and mix in a bit of torture porn? You get Would You Rather, out from IFC Midnight, in which Jeffrey Combs (who for some reason strikes me in this film as a sort of Earth-3 Bruce Campbell–don’t ask) plays a rich philanthropist who invites a few people back to his place for dinner and a game. The game is the titular party game, except in this case, the choices involve electrocution, whipping and, yes, as the artwork suggests, a bit of Un Chien Andalou action. There’s really nothing going on here but the game itself, which is sort of hard to get into when the characters are all so paper thin–it’s much easier to root for Combs, honestly. The Blu-Ray’s sole real bonus bit is an audio commentary with the director and scribe. Anyone looking for thought-provoking horror should keep looking. If you want a nasty diversion, then it might be worth a rental. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

6 Souls is the story of what happens when a story just wants to go supernatural and can’t be stopped no matter what. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays a mental patient who seems to be suffering from multiple personalities…or is he?? And Julianne Moore is a psychiatrist who gets introduced to the patient by her doctor of a father (Jeffrey DeMunn, famous for owning an RV)…or is she?? (Well, she is.) Anyway, the plot just seems to get stranger and more convoluted and feels like it just got away from them at one point. Yes, it’s fun to watch Meyers doing his thing and Moore is solid enough, but it just isn’t enough. It’s also interesting/telling that the film was shot in 2008 and finally got a limited release earlier this year. The Anchor Bay Blu-Ray release looks and sounds pretty damn good, but is completely bare bones. Rent it if you’re interested in seeing the leads, but beyond that, even horror completists should save this for when their Netflix queue is filled with tumbleweeds. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Well, apart from The Following being an enjoyable serial killer series, it did raise the profile of James Purefoy to the point where Solomon Kane finally had to get released here, even in a small theatrical run followed by this video release. Only took three years…still not sure why. Regardless, this is a lot like the most recent Conan flick: based on a Robert E. Howard character, good cast in place, and it looks good. The difference with this film is it’s like somebody took the time to do some writing on it. The result is a much better film, especially for those who are into this sword and sorcery genre (takes me back to my youth, honestly). The Blu-Ray would be worth checking out for just the feature film alone (which also gives you evil Jason Flemyng and one of the last released performances of Pete Postlethwaite) but they were wise in giving us bonus bits. There’s a director commentary with Purefoy as well, a deleted scene, interviews, a making-of and an FX featurette. A respectable release. If you enjoy the character or Purefoy, rent it with an eye towards maybe owning it. But I think it’s worth checking out in some form or fashion. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

I love the hell out of some Roald Dahl. Granted, my appreciation is mostly for his darker, more “adult” stories of weirdness (if you haven’t read Kiss Kiss, you really should)–but if you like the dark edge that his kids’ fiction has, you can imagine what he does when he’s not writing for the youngsters. However, thanks to the success of the musical version of Matilda (music and lyrics by Need Coffee fave Tim Minchin), which has just recently come across the pond–plus a Sam Mendes-helmed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical, Dahl’s getting renewed attention. And part of that is a release of new audiobook versions. And we dig the hell out of audiobooks as well. These Penguin Audio releases are all unabridged, and we start with The BFG. I know–I was raised on Doom as well, so I have to keep reminding myself that it stands for “Big Friendly Giant.” But the adventures of dream-collecting and benevolent BFG and his human friend Sophie are here related by actor/comedian David Walliams (who’s fantastic). Then we have both the Charlie books–and if all you know is the original Gene Wilder film (which is brilliant, don’t get me wrong), then you’re in for a treat. Because holy hell, does it get edgy and weird. Read by Douglas Hodge (who plays Willy Wonka in the musical production–and who for some reason sounds to me like a slightly sped up Tom Wilkinson (not a bad thing)), the performance is excellent. And lastly, Matilda (the kinder, gentler Carrie) is read by Kate Winslet, giving IMO the best interp of the bunch. All of the readers sound like they’re having a blast–and why shouldn’t they? It’s Dahl, for crying out loud. If you’ve gotten previous versions of the audiobooks, like Eric Idle reading Charlie or Joely Richardson on Matilda…well, these are just as good and you won’t be sorry for double dipping, however you do it. If there is a criticism to be had, it’s that I personally don’t like sound effects on audiobooks, unless it’s more of a radio play than an audiobook…but if it’s just a straightforward reading, then I find them to be just noise. But so be it. Regardless, highly recommended.

I can see now why people try to describe Maria Bamford as…well, hard to describe. It’s like taking the surrealism of Steven Wright (i.e., you don’t know where the hell you’re going to end up) and putting into a sometimes-fanciful-sometimes-manic female comic who, to borrow from Eliot, “do the whackos in different voices.” Her solutions to depression and thoughts of suicide are nothing if not original (“Want…some…fudge?”) and describing anxiety as a very convincing Dracula at a party is…terrifyingly, something I can relate to. It’s relentless and daft and I can’t stop listening to it, frankly. This Comedy Central release has the comedy album CD and the bonus DVD has two Comedy Central Presents specials on it. While it’s nice to get the specials as bonus bits, I sort of wish we had also gotten a video of the album, since listening is one thing but watching this sort of mayhem unfold is something quite different. However you get it, though, the album is very funny and recommended. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

“The bitches and hoes be screamin’.” Much has been made of the shock value of going from Full House Bob Saget to…well, Bob Saget Bob Saget, as in the comedian who is one of the most foul-mouthed comics working. There is some comedy value to be had there–hell, I remember hearing that he had posters for one of his shows that said “He made the Olsen Twins call him ‘Daddy’.” That’s funny. It’s wrong. But also funny. And everywhere else I’ve seen Saget As Saget, he’s been funny. But there’s just something about That’s What I’m Talkin’ About that doesn’t work for me. I need a balance between funny and raunchy. If something goes too far raunchy and never comes back to the other side, it just doesn’t strike me as good stuff. And to be clear: you can go pretty damn raunchy–but that doesn’t need to be the whole reason for the joke. With this album, it feels like Saget started mistaking jokes that mention oral sex and asses as “automatically funny.” If you’re Saget hardcore, you might want to check this out–comedy is a very subjective thing, so this could be just me. But if this is your first time checking out his comedy, I suggest you go elsewhere. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Is it sad that I would like to hear a song called “Me and Jesus Eat a Sandwich”? That’s the question I ask myself listening to Moshe Kasher and his new CD Live in Oakland. Between his proposed improvements for heaven, his “comedy traps,” and why your opinion on The Doors is your doorway to adulthood…I found a good portion of his set to be very amusing. I did listen through the CD and have not seen the video of this release yet, but I think it’s probably best to start there, as there are some bits where there’s obviously something quite amusing happening visually…and well, I missed them. If you want to sample it before snagging it elsewhere, the album is available via Spotify. It’s definitely worth checking out, whether or not you’re going to hell. (You’re reading this site…it’s probably already decided.) (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Maybe it’s the fact that Owen Benjamin argues, quite logically I might add, against such things as speed zones and laws that prohibit you from talking on cell phones. Maybe that’s why I was endeared to his CD/DVD release, High Five Til It Hurts!, fairly quickly out of the starting gate. And yes, he’s a capable comedian. But it’s telling that what proceeded this was a sequence on owning a dog–which, while admittedly still pretty funny, is hardly groundbreaking stuff. And this is a dog owner saying that. The album goes back and forth between really solid funny material and just decent funny material. The DVD bonus comes with two bonus videos and one of his Comedy Central specials. Fans might want to own but everyone else should check it out on Spotify or catch it via some other means. It’s not bad–but it’s not the sort of thing I would want to own and then listen to repeatedly. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

The main thing about Man of Steel: The Novel is that it’s, like most movie novelizations, only going to be as good or just slightly better than its source material. So let’s establish early on that this probably isn’t going to change your mind. What you get on the plus side is that, because this novelization process was started a ways back, you get some “deleted scenes” that didn’t make the final cut of the film. That’ll hold fans until the Blu-Ray hits, I’m sure. On the negative side, you had a very, very visual opening and a ridiculously large closing battle. And while China Mieville might have been able to describe the mayhem that unfolded, Greg Cox does the best he can. If this had been his original material, he might have structured it differently in such a way as it doesn’t plod–but he’s hampered by bringing to the page what was barely alive on the screen. If you’re a Supes completist or just dig movie novels, then it might be worth checking out. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Same thing goes for Pacific Rim: The Novel. To be clear: I much preferred this film to Man of Steel. To each their own. But in this case, you do get some additional fleshing out of characters, where I believe I’ve seen an interview where Del Toro cut a lot of stuff from the film just to keep it moving. (A Director’s Cut would be great…though considering the box office, I doubt we’ll be seeing it anytime soon.) Again, the battles on the page aren’t as impressive as they are on the screen (IMO), but those looking for a slightly expanded look at the world of the film, might want to check it out. I fear the inevitable Blu-Ray might not have much to offer. (That all being said, I’d be much happier with a series of original novels running with the concepts of the film.) (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

People who have been reading the site for a while are probably sick to death of me praising TwoMorrows. But here’s the thing: you can’t grab one of their books without learning a crapton about comic history. For example, you might–like me–not know Dan Spiegle by name. But he’s yet another comic artist whose work you’ve either seen…or maybe you just started reading comics. Seriously, how many artists have gone from Hopalong Cassidy to Indiana Jones? Stopping off for Scooby-Doo and Magnus: Robot Fighter on the way? (For me, I was reading his Nemesis backup stories in Brave and the Bold for years.) The book is a huge interview with Spiegle himself on his career (hence the apt title A Life in Comic Art) plus the normal amount of art, both commonly available and rare, that you’ve come to expect from a TwoMorrows release. It also comes with a foreward by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones gets the final word. It’s excellent. Don’t believe me? Here’s a huge preview. (Click here to buy it from TwoMorrows.)

So I knew Spiegle without actually knowing him…but Star*Reach was simply before my time. Apparently one of the earliest massive indie titles, it was a sci-fi/fantasy anthology that has a ridiculous wealth of creators who walked through its pages: Howard Chaykin, Walt Simonson, Jim Starlin, Barry Windsor-Smith, P. Craig Russell, Steve Leialoha, Dave Stevens, Dave Sim…yeah, a veritable who’s who of sci-fi/fantasy artists. In addition to some stories from the series, you get Russell’s “Siegfried and the Dragon” in its original version for the first time. And even for somebody like me who’s new to the title, the Companion does an excellent job of contextualizing the book in its timeframe, why it was so important and influential, and brings creators in for interviews. If you’ve got a hole in your history like me, this is an excellent addition to your comic book history shelf (I assume everybody has one). Again, there’s a massive preview online so you can check it out for yourself. (Click here to buy it from TwoMorrows.)

One the most awesome things about being in a more globally minded world is knowing there’s all this awesome stuff out there that you can easily lay hands (or ears) upon. One of the really crap things about being in a more globally minded world is knowing that there’s all that stuff and being positively swamped with it to the point where you can’t keep track of it all. Take it from someone who’s been a fan of the vague genre of “World Music” since Peter Gabriel opened that particular door years ago. World Music, at least in this country, basically means “any music that’s not American.” So that’s a lot of damn music to try and sift through. What Hecho in Mexico (Made in Mexico) does is focus on the culture of Mexico–yes, there’s a lot of music here–from Molotov to Cuarteto Latinoamericano (you can just guess the genre difference from looking at the names)–but it goes deeper than that. It’s an awesome and artistically shot sampler plate of what Mexico has to offer, and if anything will frustrate you as you put even more stuff on your “to check out” list. That was my reaction, anyone. The Lionsgate release is bare bones. A Netflix/rental should suffice. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Life at high school is tough enough without having to be tasked with tracking down an evil book that wants to give one of your classmates a “Monkey’s Paw” sort of helping hand, leaving you to pick up the pieces afterwards–while also trying to find and destroy the book once and for all. Thus, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil has its second (and final) season on DVD with all of the thirteen episodes on DVD. Throughout the course of these episodes, we have to deal with the increasingly evil guidance counselor (I thought all guidance counselors were evil anyway?), an environmentally-minded student gone haywire, a murderous cake and time travel. The Entertainment One DVD has three audio commentaries, a blooper reel, deleted and extended scenes, behind-the-scenes stuff and more. And at its current price point, it’s a bit over $1/episode, so it’s an easy sell for the fan who wants to add this to their shelf. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

It can be a diversion to look at John F. Kennedy as a victim of a conspiracy or just as a historical figure to build fiction around…but he was a human being. And while we’ve heard about his high points and his flaws, a fascinating look at his final days form the basis of JFK’s Last Hundred Days–trying to form a complete picture of the President. There’s the history to be covered: how he lost his infant son after just two days, how he started to thaw the situation with the Soviet Union and how he at least tried to get us out of Vietnam. But there’s also an interesting look, for the alternate history buffs, the idea of what would have happened if he had not been assassinated is an intriguing one. The book is read by Malcolm Hillgartner, who does a capable job of narrating. It clocks in at over fourteen hours, so it’s an excellent listen for anyone interested in that portion of U.S. History. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

The Crusaders are about to come down on Jerusalem like a ton of bricks. It’s 1099 C.E., by the way. And this is the backdrop for a wise man known as The Copt to step up and speak to the assembled about life and love. Not a book with a plot, it’s more a Q&A with a profound thinker. You have to be in the right mindset to receive something like this, but I will say that I’m glad I had the audiobook edition. Jeremy Irons is the reader and he can engage most listeners with just about any sort of material. For those who enjoyed something like Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet and would like more of that ilk, then this would be fine…it doesn’t hold up when placed directly next to Gibran, but it’s a decent enough listen, especially with Irons leading the way. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

I’ve spoken with great misty-eyed nostalgia for those days I spent in a video store roughly the size of my desk, mining a genre from one end of a shelf to the other, because there was nothing else to do. That’s how I first watched a lot of horror, a lot of sci-fi/fantasy and a lot of kung fu. So, The Black Kung Fu Experience, a docu about African Americans drawn to the martial arts, becoming teachers and movie stars (Ron Van Clief from the Black Dragon films is featured) in order to give themselves something at a time when things were tough all over…that’s, well, pretty kickass. The major problem is that, being a PBS docu, it’s only an hour long. It’s pretty clear that the surface is only getting scratched, but it’s a decent scratching, so it makes a nice primer for anybody who wants to go and learn more. Bonus bits include a bunch of additional footage. Worth Netflixing for fans of the genre. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Another brief docu is Letters From Jackie: The Private Thoughts of Jackie Robinson. I’ve never been that much into baseball (I think that’s the one with the puck, right?) but there are certain names and deeds that transcend, and Robinson was in there, most assuredly. While short (less than an hour), this program from MLB does use letters from the man himself to help illustrate what was going on in the mind of someone who was a trailblazer. Also included are interviews with others such as Robinson’s daughter. Worth checking out for anyone interested in Robinson, baseball history in general, or the history of race relations in the U.S. Netflix should do fine for this. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

It’s as though the Sound Board started their own stationery line. Seriously, Hi-Fi Greetings is a dozen die-cut notecards in the shape of 45 single records (kids, ask your parents). And yes, they would not be complete without the appropriate envelopes setup like record sleeves. The “labels” on the records are cheesy but appropriate (“Happy Birthday (to you)” is one example…listing that as a record doesn’t cost for royalties, does it?). Out from Chronicle, if you’re a music fiend, then your friends are probably wondering why you haven’t used these already. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Well, you have to love a book that lives up to its title. Weird Life: The Search For Life That is Very, Very Different From Our Own by David Toomey is unique in that it takes extremophiles–those badass animals that, you know, live by black smokers in the ocean and in pools so freaking toxic that nothing but nothing should be alive in them–as its starting point. In establishing that we can get weird with some scientific basis, Toomey proceeds to go nuts (but not too nuts) with the concept. Life on our planet that we can’t see, life on other planets (floating on Jupiter even), life as dust clouds out in space? It’s all here. And all weirdly plausible. I found myself thinking of other books like Wayne Barlowe’s Expedition–so if you’re a fan of out-there science and even in-there science fiction (also covered within), this is definitely worth a read. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)