Various and Sundry: Now Everything But Photography

• “Joe Schmo” was a fabulously funny send-up of reality dating television, done as an improv show in which everyone’s in on the joke, except the contestants. Finally, the second season is being made available on DVD. This is Must Viewing TV.

• I had more to say on “American Idol” during the Round of 3 week, but Alan Sepinwall beat me to every single point I’d make. Go read his stuff, instead.
  

• You have to love a site which invites you to bet on the programmer’s blood sugar levels. THIS is why the internet was created.

• Wired Magazine has great pictures from the wreckage of the Hudson River plane. Great stuff, including commentary from the photographer.

• Shatner Sings! 

It’s Benjamin Button.

Recently missed:

“Water go down the hole! I want to Flush. It. Again!” Time to go scrounge up my Amazon points. . .

• Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares

This is the original British show that started it all.  Includes four episodes where he goes back months later to the struggling restaurants he helped out to see how they’re doing. I understand that’s not always pretty.

Let’s see what came out today, shall we?

First, the TV stuff:

• Night Court: The Complete Second Season

At last!  Man, that was a great show.  Where’s the reunion special on this one?

• Dave’s World: Season Two

This must be Harry Anderson’s Big DVD Week.

• Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume 14

For those keeping track at home: “Mad Monster,” “Manhunt in Space,” “Soultaker,” and “Final Justice.” I remember the last couple. I probably SHOULD remember the first two. . .

And now for the movies:

• Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
• Zack and Miri Make a Porno
  

This is the kind of stuff the kids today like. I can’t believe I just typed in that second title. This used to be a family-friendly blog. . .

• The All-New Super Friends Hour: Season 1, Volume 2

These split season volume releases are getting ridiculous. I have vague recollections of watching this show for a week when I was a kid and never again.  Not sure what happened there.  But lots of people idolize it, so here you go!

• Hulk Vs.

Clearly, this is Marvel trying to outshine DC at the Best Buy box office.  Right? (I kid. See, that’s a reference to the Obama cover pushing the second death of Batman for the year off the front pages and — nevermind.  If you have to explain the joke. . .)

• M.A.N.T.I.S.: The Complete Series

So, what, VR.5 has to be next, right?  I won’t hold my breath.  Darned music releases. . .

• Lakeview Terrace

Samuel L. Jackson is in it, but does that count in a post-”Snakes on a Plane” world?

• Pride and Glory

Edward Norton dons a goatee and a Very Serious Face.  Be afraid.

• Rock N Rolla

Guy Ritchie movie. Stars Gerard Butler. Past that, I know nothing.

iFMagazine.com: Breaking News: BIG SCOOP CREATOR ROB THOMAS CONFIRMS ‘VERONICA MARS’ MOVIE

At the tail end of this winter’s television critic’s event, Rob Thomas, who has resurrected his 1998 TV series CUPID for another go-around on ABC, announced that he’s currently working on a VERONICA MARS feature film based on his short-lived UPN/CW show, now that his new series order has been reduced from thirteen episodes to eight episodes.

The next paragraph of the story points out that there’s no deal in place for the movie. He’s just writing it; nobody’s financed it yet.  But there’s hope!  If you’ve never seen “Veronica Mars” before, go grab the DVDs.  There’s only three seasons, and they’re pretty cheap these days. They’re averaging about $25 a season on Amazon right now.

Sorry for the slow VandS updates lately. I’m working on ways to crank production back up.  Thanks for sticking with me. . .

Sorry, all, for the unexpected downtime on the blog last week.  Things were a little busier in my days off than expected.  Hopefully, we’ll be back up and running this week.  I’ll have some predictions for MacWorld tomorrow morning.  I might run some resolutions I wrote up last week. I’ll pimp AugieShoots.com every chance I get.  And there’s a whole new television season starting up this month.  Lots to talk about!

It’s the first release list for the new year.  Huzzah!  It’s also a very very tame one.

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.0

It would seem this show has quite the following, and that its last season will soon start.

Pineapple Express: Unrated Edition.

There’s also this bit of pop culture.

Babylon A.D.: Raw and Uncut

That also describes the movie’s star, Vin Diesel.  Or, at least, that’s what TMZ tells me. ;-)

Join us one last time as we attempt to squeeze out one last 2008 release week long after anyone gave up caring:

• Eagle Eye

Most notable for being the movie that sponsored the free wi-fi at the San Diego Comic-Con this last summer, as well as starring that “Transformers”/”Indiana Jones”/Please-Dear-God-No-Not-”Y The Last Man” kid, Shia.

• Resident Evil: Degeneration

Now do you see how desperate I am to fill up space for this week’s installment of new DVD releases?!?

• Beethoven’s Big Break

OK, no, NOW I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel. Yes, it’s a sequel to that dog movie.

• Secret Life of the American Teenager, The

It would seem their secret lives involve nakedness and canoodling and impregnation.

One last chance for your Christmas shopping.  Looks like this week’s official release date was actually yesterday, though.  Looks like the DVD world thought ahead for the holidays.  Smart move.

• Traitor

Don Cheadle stars as — someone with a big head on the cover art for the box.  I’m so far out of it that I don’t recognize this movie at all. Guy Pearce (of “Memento” fame) co-stars.

• Death Race

Remaking classic Corman schlock for modern sensibilities.  In other words, cast  Jason Statham to give it some attitude, sit back, and hope it works.

And that’s about it.

So, what DVDs are on your Christmas list this year?

Here we go again.  Only one more release week till Christmas!

• Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 6

They actually sent me a copy of this set.  Don’t know why.  It’s not like this blog gets that many hits.  I have no interest in the show, but there you have it. It’s out this week.

• Ice Road Truckers: The Complete Season 2

I’ve always heard good things about this show. Would like to see it sometime.

• Mr. Bean: The Ultimate Collection

If you’ve never seen Rowan Atkinson at work as Mr. Bean, drop what you’re doing and go find a Mr. Bean DVD quick! This release gives you the entire TV series, both of the movies, and the animated series.  I have the first release of the original TV series as a boxed set, and that’s good enough for me.

• Mamma Mia!

This is, I guess, the big release of the week.  Doesn’t do much for me. Since it’s the ultimate chick flick, I’m even showing the box art for the “full frame” edition.  It’s a travesty to mankind that such “full frame” releases are still made, but goodness knows there are people out there — like my wife — who can’t tell the difference.  Why fight it anymore?  Let them wallow in their dead eyes.

• It’s about time: “Mr. Belvedere” is coming to DVD.  “Wesley, you insufferable little twit.”

• . . .as is the British edition of “Kitchen Nightmares.”

• Skip to the end of this tiringly long Roger Ebert blog entry to read Mark Twain’s hilarious rules for writing.  I love Twain’s stuff.  I need to go back to it again soon.

• The Ultimate Website for Word/Puzzle Geeks like me: XWord: The NY Times CrossWord Archive. Somehow, they haven’t been shut down for reproducing all those puzzles yet. . . I guess it helps that they don’t provide the blank puzzles — only solved ones.

• Your pic of the day: Squirrel Kung Fu.

Well, really, there’s this one:

• The Dark Knight

And then all the rest.  But that’s a very odd choice for cover art on the “Dark Knight” DVD, isn’t it?  Batman on the bike?  Not even The Joker on the cover?  Odd.  I got a coupon from B.J.s Warehouse (awful name for a business) for $6 off.  Might have to drive by this week.  I’m due for a couple crates of assorted household goods, anyway. . .

• Lost Season Four

Season Five begins in just over a month, I believe. I can’t wait.

• Horton Hears a Who

Not a Chuck Jones animated short, sadly.  Though, for all I know, they might have slipped that on this DVD as a special feature.

• Man on Wire

This is the documentary about the guy who did the tight rope walk across the Twin Towers thirty years ago. It’s been getting rave reviews, and sounds fascinating.

• The Wire: Complete Series
• Deadwood: Complete Series

I think a lot of people will be very happy to see that “Wire” collection.

Let’s get right to it:

• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Hey, what’s good for “Lord of the Rings” must be good for all fantasy book series, right?

• Wanted

Based on the Mark Millar/JG Jones mini-series.  Featuring a Magic Weaving Loom of Fate not seen in the comics.  Sounds weird.

• The X-Files: I Want To Believe

It flopped at the box office, but still had to be better than the first movie, right?

• Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fourth Season

Just a guess, but I bet Steve Martin hosted an episode on there somewhere.

Well, I certainly hope you all did your part in this “economic crisis” that so many businesses are using as an excuse to look good while they lay off people they should have laid off months or years ago.  I hope, instead, that you spent lots of money on momentarily cheap stuff today.

I picked up a couple things I can’t talk about yet, since they’re Christmas presents for people who might read this blog.  And, for myself, I picked up the Transformers movie DVD at Target for $5.99.  It’s movie-only, but that’s OK. I want it mostly as a home theater demo disc.  It’s the ultimate boys’ movie — big and loud and shiny.

Did you pick up anything today? Did Amazon’s slate of specials woo you?  (iPod Touch for half price?!?  Wow.)  Did Apple’s meager savings push your credit card over the edge?

One shopping month left till Christmas. Time for me to start pimping that Amazon banner at the top of the home page. . .

Some last minute DVD releases for you:

• Hancock

Will Smith tries to do a superhero movie without an established superhero property.

• 24: Redemption

I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but I completely forgot it was on this weekend.  I’ll be watching it in another fashion, but here’s the DVD if you want to keep your DVD collection for the series up to date.

• The Real Ghostbusters: The Complete Series

Ah, another classic of my childhood. It was my introduction to J. Michael Straczynski before I knew who he was.  I probably saw some of his “Murder She Wrote” episodes, too, back then.  But, no, I didn’t watch “Jack & The Fatman.”  This set is something like two dozen discs, and will include the short-lived “Slimer!” spin-off.