Welcome to TV or Not TV where I’m giddy for the return of Big Brother.

Every year around the 4th of July CBS conducts their televised social experiment when they lock 13 people into  the Big Brother house, which is actually a large house built inside of a CBS sound stage complete with an open back yard. Every wall is lined with two way mirrors and the house is equipped with over 28 cameras and 60 microphones dedicated to one thing: capturing a contained societies human drama. The people locked in this house will only have each other to talk to, scheme with, and plot against for the rest of the summer as they try every week to avoid being “evicted” and being the last person standing to win $250,000.

With each passing year the producers of Big Brother try to up the ante on the show by coming up with clever ideas and twists. This year, however, I think all the attention on water boarding in the news put the producers and house designers into a stalag frame of mind. There is one room in the Big Brother house that contestants (here-to referred to as House Guests) will compete to stay out of and after seeing preview pictures I can understand why. The beds consist of a one inch thick piece of padding, what looks like an in-flight airline blanket, and a slightly than standard pillow. This is a room that all of the House Guests will be competing to stay out of. If the motivation of the discomfort of the room isn’t enough to motivate them they will also be given the treat of only being able to use a shower with only cold water.

The next bedroom that is a step up from this one is hardly what I would call an upgrade. The room itself has a “pool” theme so the walls and floor are covered in pool tiles and the bed settings are made from inflatable pillows with inflatable pool raft comforters. Nothing says a good night of sleep like sticking to your pillow and blanket! There is, however, one regular bedroom with regular beds so don’t think that they are making all 13 of their House Guests suffer.

The great thing about this show is that as time passes and the regular social graces fall to the way side the drama unravels on television three nights a week. Every Thursday and Sunday Night at 8 PM and Tuesday night at 9 you can see how the editors of this show cut together the natural drama and play it up to an entertaining extreme that I revel in every year. I can’t explain why I enjoy the show as much as I do but I come back every year.

Sigh-Fi

This week you will also notice a change in the network that some of the suggested shows are airing on. On July 7th the Sci-Fi network will try to shed some of it’s Star Trek perception by switching the name of the network to SyFy. Even though the name is pronounced the same they are hoping that this change in name will allow them to branch out more in public perception and offer a wider range of shows that still target the same audience. It’s confusing to say the least but as long as the programming gets better than I’ll ride it out.

Now let’s take a look at what TV has to offer us to try to conquer the summer time blues.

MONDAY

TLC - 7:00 PM: If you haven’t caught the other cake shop show Cake Boss then tonight you can watch 8 episodes tonight. Don’t get confused though as episodes 1 through 6 are aired in reverse order. Someone must have been hopped up on sugar when they planned tonight’s schedule.

VH1 - 10:00 PM: Having run out of decades to love and news of the week to lampoon the only thing that seems to be left is to debate useless topics on The Great Debate.

SHO - 10:00 PM: Alanis Morissette joins the cast of Weeds for a brief stint as Nancy’s obstetrician.

TUESDAY

NBC - 8:00 PM: 8 families travel the US while doing clever and entertaining competitions at both popular and obscure landmarks seeking to be the last family standing to win a dream prize in The Great American Road Trip.

ABC FAMILY - 8:00 PM: If this TV show named after and inspired by the movie 10 Things I Hate About You is a success I’ll look forward to the FOX re-imagining of She’s All That.

SYFY - 9:00 PM: The X-Files meets Friday the 13th: The TV Series with the SyFy original series Warehouse 13. If you can get around the new network name the pilot is very entertaining.

WEDNESDAY

ABC - 8:00 PM: Nothing says love and support than couples traversing the obstacle course of shame and pain on Wipeout.

TLC - 9:00 PM: Were you able to keep down dinner after last week’s episode of Monsters Inside Me last week? Organism outbreaks challenges you again this week.

NBC - 10:00 PM: I’m still not sure what to think of The Philanthropist so I’m going to have to watch this week as well to make up my mind. I’ll let you know next week what I think.

THURSDAY

NBC - 8:30 PM: I’m not one to really recommend a repeat but tonight’s re-air of The Office is classic for me with the pure ineptness that Jim and Dwight show

CBS - 9:00 PM: As mentioned above at length Big Brother premieres to fill the void of summer television. Bring on the Chen-Bot!

FRIDAY

THE N - 8:30 PM: A group of  hopefuls try to reach their dreams by starting on the Hollywood ladder in The Assistants.

SYFY - 9:00 PM: The quirky high-tech show Eureka returns for another 13 episodes tonight as former Sheriff Carter meets his robotic replacement.

SATURDAY

CBS - 9:00 PM: Tonight you can finally learn who has been committing the wedding from hell murders with the series finale of Harpers Island.

HALLMARK - 9:00 PM: I don’t usually watch the Hallmark channel but not since the 1980 TV film The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything I think TV has been mising a  three part title movie. Because of this I may just watch The Gambler, the Girl and the Gunslinger.

SUNDAY

LIFETIME - 9:00 PM: Heaven Can Wait meets Now and Again as a shallow, skinny model wannabe gets bounced back down from the pearly gates into the plus side body of a lawyer in Drop Dead Diva.

HBO - 10:300 PM: Entourage is back for a brand new season. Vince is in demand again, Turtle is dating Meadow Soprano and Drama is… well… I’m sure he’s about to get mad or start yelling about something by 10 minutes in.

- Will Wilkins is experiencing technical difficulties. Please stand by.

The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide - your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)

Graham Linehan - with Arthur Matthews - is one half of the creative team behind the legendary britcom Father Ted. With The IT Crowd (MPI, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP), he’s done for tech support nerds what Ted did for Catholic priests… In other words, he’s made a surreal, sublime, goofily funny show that only gets better as it goes along. The series focuses on the world of corporate IT drones Roy (Chris O’Dowd) & Moss (Richard Ayoade), whose male clubhouse deep in the basement is upset by new boss Jen (Katherine Parkinson). The second season brings in the wonderful Matt Berry as the new head of Reynholm Industries, Douglas Reynholm. Just do yourself a favor and pick up the set, featuring all 6 episodes, plus audio commentaries, deleted scenes, outtakes, and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

You can add realistic graphics and motion sensing to your heart’s content, but my heart will always hold the Nintendo games of my youth closest of all. So, in the age of the Nintendo DS, how can one bring some high quality handheld gaming to those vintage games? Well, with the Pocket Retro Game Emulator ($99.99). If you know about ROMs, then you know what to do with this wondrous piece of kit that feels like an old school NES controller (with those added SNES buttons). But that’s not all! It also can play music, videos, radio, and even has built in speakers and a video out. JOY.

Transplanting Ferris Bueller from the big screen to the small screen was a bit of a disaster. Well, a complete disaster, actually. The show that did manage to pull off a high school comedy about a teen who knew exactly how to navigate the pitfalls and perils with smart scripts and a great cast was Parker Lewis Can’t Lose (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP), whose first season FINALLY makes its DVD debut. The 4-disc set contains all 26 episodes, plus audio commentaries and a retrospective featurette with the cast.

After all of those recent, wonderful album remasters, it was only a matter of time before we got the remastered single-disc hits album George Harrison: Let It Roll (Capitol, $18.98 SRP). It’s a nice overview that also contains a couple of album cuts and exclusives, including the original demo of “Isn’t It A Pity”.

I would not be disappointed if the 5th season of Entourage (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) were the show’s last, as the fire has gone out. Maybe that’s because Vince Chase’s storyline in the series finds our once popular star on the slide after a disastrous Cannes screening. Bonus features include a trio of audio commentaries and cast & crew interviews.

Female comedians are a rarity compared to the number of male comedians, and female comedy troupes are even rarer. It’s a damn shame on both counts, and it means one should support those that are out there - including the stars of the Channel 4 series Beehive (Channel 4, Region 2, Not Rated, £19.99 SRP), a silly-fun sketch series that’s worth a look.

Another TV show heretofore absent from DVD that Shout has gained the rights to and dropped a first season release on is Designing Women (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$44.99 SRP). You can now own all 22 episodes, plus a reunion featurette.

Get a unique view of the moon landing via the coverage from the across the pond on Apollo 11: A Night To Remember (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP), which contains archival footage from the BBC of that landmark event.

Often overlooked, Rod Stewart produced a few classic albums in his day, and a pair of those have been revisited for deluxe editions. The first is the hit-laden A Night On The Town (Rhino Records, $24.98 SRP), featuring “Tonight’s The Night”, “The First Cut Is The Deepest”, and the worth rediscovering “The Killing Of Georgie”. The other album is Atlantic Crossing (Rhino Records, $24.98 SRP). Both 2-disc editions contain bonus tracks, including demos and early editions.

Still Spike Lee’s finest outing, the still powerful Do The Right Thing (Universal, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP) gets its day on Blu-Ray, porting over many of the bonus materials found on the last standard DVD special edition, plus a newly-produced retrospective documentary and deleted scenes.

Nobody pulls off upper-class white trash like Danny McBride, and that’s more than evident in the uneven but occasionally brilliant first season of Eastbound & Down (HBO, Not Rated, $29.98 SRP), in which he plays a former Major League pitcher whose hard-partying lifestyle destroyed his career and lands him on his brother’s couch and a job teaching gym at his old North Carolina middle school.. Bonus features include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, outtakes, and more.

Time for another round of comic shenanigans in Hooterville’s Shady Rest Hotel, with the release of the complete second season of Petticoat Junction (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The 5-disc set features all 36 episodes, plus episode intros, an interview, and a photo gallery.

It was never as good as its parent show’s best seasons, but by the fifth and final season of Stargate: Atlantis (MGM, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), the show was a life raft for genre actors who needed a job, including the wonderful Robert Picardo. The 5-disc set features all 20 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, galleries, and more.

I have absolutely nothing to say about Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP). It’s them. In 3-D. The fans know who they are, and know if they want it. Only available in 3-D on Blu-Ray, the 3-disc set features an extended cut, bonus songs, a featurette, and a standard DVD of the film.

Action? Sure. A big heist gone bad the brings revenge down on the head of a New Orleans Police Detective? Check. The cop is John Cena? Yeah. The movie? 12 Rounds (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). Bonus features include audio commentaries, an alternate ending, featurettes, and a gag reel.

Because I know you demanded it, you can now partake of the live action Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP) in full-on high-def. The 3-disc set features a bonus animated comic movie, an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, galleries, and more.

Disney extends their corner on the Princess market with their Disney Channel original Princess Protection Program (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP), starring Disney teen star Demi Lovato as a princess forced to enter the titular program and live with an everyday girl (fellow Disney star Selena Gomez). Bonus features include a pair of featurettes and a music video.

So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…

-Ken Plume

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HELL, MICHIGAN - Sometimes even a deal with the devil isn’t a guarantee of network renewal. There was hope that Reaper would gain a third season. The series about Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison) forced by the devil (Ray Wise) to be a bounty hunter of demons had grown a loyal following. However Sam’s biggest evil spirit lurked in an office at the CW.

To celebrate the release of Reaper: Season Two, the Party Favors hotline received calls from Bret Harrison and Tyler Labine, who played Sock, Sam’s co-worker. Until that day Tyler called, there were rumors that the show might get picked up or even go to first run syndication. However things weren’t sounding good before the phone rang.

My first question to Tyler Labine was confirmation that the sets for Reaper had been struck.

“I don’t know if they’re officially torn them down. But we’re officially finito,” Tyler confirmed.

Did having a show in limbo for so long affect his career as an actor?

“It didn’t. Basically they committed suicide with our show by putting on us on against American Idol. We knew that things weren’t going well. Our creators had signed a new deal with Fox. The writing was on the wall that the show was pretty much done. I started shopping around for movies. A little TV show called Sons of Tucson over at Fox fell into my lap. They took a second position contract on me. I went and shot a new pilot that’s been picked up so we start production in September,” he jubilantly reported.

Is Sons of Tucson a spin-off of Sons of Anarchy?

“Nothing to do with Sons of Anarchy. It’s totally different. It’s a comedy. It’s going on Sunday nights between The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Does this mean Tyler will be sucking down Pawtucket Petes with Peter Griffin?

“I wish,” Tyler said. “I met Seth McFarlane at the up fronts. There was talk of me doing a guest star voice on Cleveland, the new Family Guy spin-off.”

What does he think of both seasons of Reaper being on DVD?

“It’s cool,” he said. “I’ve done shows that don’t get blessed with a DVD release. All that work and see you never again. It’s nice to know our show and characters will be immortalized on DVD. People can and should go out and buy them. They can get two seasons of a show that I really, really loved doing and cared about deeply. I’m super stoked that we got them all out on DVD.”

There’s an internet rumor that Reaper will continue as a comic book. Any truth to it?

“You’re not wrong,” Tyler confirmed. “The comic book is happening. People have been hinting that we should be able to get a two hour movie finale. You can never guess what’s going to happen there.”

The idea of a two hour movie based on the series isn’t that far fetched seeing how it was recently done for the cult hit Dead Like Me. Would Tyler consider reading the forthcoming graphic novels for a book on tape?

“Probably not,” he said. “I’m not adept enough at that kind of stuff. I’d rather people use their imagination than let me read it.”

Tyler’s been acting in high profile projects since 1991 in everything from Road to Avonlea, The X-Files and Dark Angel. But I had to ask about his outrageous role of Croker in Evil Alien Conquerors with North Carolina School of the Arts graduates Diedrich Bader (Office Space) and Chris Parnell (Hot Rod)

“Diedrich and Chris were great,” Tyler said. “It was really fun. But playing a guy who thinks he’s a 100 foot giant is physically taxing. I lost my voice for four months after shooting that movie. Ended up seeing a vocal pathologist. I may have to get vocal surgery. It was crazy, but it was so much fun. I loved working on it. That’s a once in a lifetime character if I’ve ever seen one. I thought the music turned out pretty funny.”

Another odd title on his filmography is Canadian Zombie. What Canuck has the tastiest brains in all of the Great White North?

“If I was a zombie, I would eat Gordon Campbell brains,” he speculated. “He’s our premier in British Columbia. He’s got probably got a tasty, mushy brain.

Was this film about the undead who wanted more than Tim Horton’s donuts?

“Canadian Zombie was a short film I shot for a friend. He basically went back to the old Night of the Living Dead making a political statement through a zombie film. It was more of a statement about zombies at the voting booths. We don’t get out there and vote enough as a country. We just had our election in British Columbia and 40 percent came out to vote. It’s staggeringly awful. The voters were so complacent at the polls because the Canucks were actually in the playoffs. People weren’t going out. They were staying at home drinking beer and watching hockey.”

In his career, Tyler has worked with some of the major creepy actors of our day including James Spader (Boston Public), Terrance Stamp (My Boss’s Daughter) and Ray Wise (Reaper). Which of these men would he describe as the most creepy to face on the set?

“Iconically creepy would definitely be Ray Wise… Leland Palmer,” Tyler declared. “The funny thing is the contrast. He’s so nice in everyday life. He’s a real sweetheart of a man. He’s a real joker. And then you just watch him turn on that creep. And you’re like, ‘Oh my god.’ He’s so good at it. He played one of my favorite villains of all time - Leland Palmer. I’ll definitely have to put my stamp on Ray.”

After his numerous appearances on Boston Legal playing Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Winant, could he hold his own in the courtroom of Judge Judy?

“Hell no,” he said. “I would be eating my foot and I’d be still be hungry eating my other foot. Pretending to know what I’m talking about is one thing, but I’d be terrible defending myself. Plus I’d probably be guilty.”

Recently Tyler finished A Good Old Fashioned Orgy with Don Johnson (Miami Vice. Since he’d also worked with William Shatner on Boston Public, Tyler would be an authority in knowing who would win in a Fight Club beatdown: The Shatner or Don Johnson.

“I got to go with D.J. on that one,” he declared. “I gotta say that Don was looking fit. Shatner, not that he’s completely falling apart, but I think Don Johnson would have the cutting edge there.”

Bret Harrison called up a few days later. He’s been a primetime fixture since 2001 when he appeared as Brad on Grounded For Life followed by Fox’s The Loop. Reaper was his second series as the lead. The news of the show’s cancellation had settled. I was compelled to ask him how much does he hate American Idol?

“I don’t watch American Idol. I don’t despise it,” Bret said. “Am I supposed to despise it?”

He’s reminded that when Reaper returned for its 13 episode second season, CW put it right up against the ratings juggernaut.

“Right. Right. I stopped paying attention. That’s what I do,” he explained. “That’s what you learn to do when you’re on a show that’s on the bubble and you’re trying to break through. You pay to attention to that stuff too much and you start to go crazy.”

The act of being sacrificed in such a horrible time slot brings out the conspiracy theory that the CW didn’t want Reaper to have a sophomore bounce.

“I think there’s probably somebody behind a big door saying, ‘We’re going to kill the show.’ It’s predestined. I hate to say that,” Bret admitted.

However Bret likes the fact that both seasons of Reaper will be available on DVD. Those who were too mesmerized by Adam Lambert can have a chance to catch what they missed over the last few months. Bret enjoys buying season sets and binge viewing.

“The few shows that I’ve gotten into I don’t watch on TV. I buy the DVDs and end up watching them like Dexter in a week,” Bret said. He used this same method to watch HBO’s The Wire.

What excites the star of Reaper about his upcoming boxset?

“I’m really curious about seeing the gag reel,” he said.

Does Bret ever figure out creative ways to blow take in order to get into the gag reel?

“I learned a long time ago that you do not do that because they use those takes sometimes,” he warned. “The gag reel is very authentic.”

After two seasons of playing a guy working at a mega-hardware store, how does Bret get treated when he strolls into a Home Depot? “I haven’t needed to visit the Home Depot in past couple months,” Bret said. “I feel like it could work in my favor. I think I could get help now. I’ve never had a good experience at Home Depot.”

How did he react when he was told that Ray Wise would be his nemesis?

“I didn’t know who he was. They said, ‘You got to check this guy out. He’s done sixty something films.’ I googled and saw a picture of him. I was like, “Oh my God, they hit gold. That’s the guy. The guy is the cool Frank Sinatra Devil guy. He’s so good.”

His desire to watch TV shows on DVD came into play once more. “I ended up buying the first season of Twin Peaks and got into that,” he said.

Over the course of the 21st century, Bret has been a fixture on network TV with three series. But none of them had anything close to a conventional season. The first season of Reaper was interrupted by the writer’s strike. Does he dream of a time he hooks up with a show that doesn’t have scheduling hiccups?

“That would be nice. That’s the dream of getting on a show that’s a huge hit. Even though the few shows I’ve done have had hiccups, I feel like they’ve all been good shows. I’d rather be on a show that’s having problems with the network and always on the bubble. There’s a core audience out there that really appreciates them.”

When it didn’t look like there would be a third season, did Bret snag a couple souvenirs from the set? “I took some bar glasses,” Bret said. He also snagged the remote control car that was used as a vessel.

Many people recognize Bret as the whipped neighbor on Grounded For Life. Who was more demanding: The Devil or Lily on Grounded For Life?

“I would say Lily,” Bret asserted.

Reaper: Season Two is available at your favorite DVD stores. Keep an eye out at your local comic book shop for the continuing adventures of Sam Oliver and the Devil.

WHAT SHE REALLY IS

Enough with the media comparing Megan Fox with Angelina Jolie. If anything, Fox is the second coming of Caroline Munro. Is there that much of a difference between Fox’s performance in Transformers and Munro in the epic Golden Voyage of Sinbad? If they ever remake that Ray Harryhausen flick, they ought to tattoo eyeballs on Fox’s palms.

SEE YOU IN THE FALL

The hottest new cable show will be Cream of Soup being executive produced by me.

Each week you’ll be able to tune into Cream of Soup to see the best clips of Comcast’s 20 Soup shows. What’s better than our host cracking jokes about clips from the numerous clipshows such as E!’s The Soup with Joel McHale, Versus’ Sports Soup with Matt Iseman, G4’s Web Soup with Chris Hardwick, Style’s The Dish with Danielle Fishel and RFD’s Caboose Soup with Boxcar Willie Jr. Plus we’ll be having the laughlights from VH1’s Best Week Ever and Comedy Central’s Tosh.0 There’s not enough time in the weekend to watch all those comic commentary clipshows. Cream of Soup will give you the highlights and the outright bombs so you’ll be the cool guy at the watercooler on Monday morning. We can’t announce the name of our host, but he was nominated for a Cable Ace Award, held the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Belt and saved the Pope’s life.

NO JUSTICE FOR JUDGES

I’m furious that once more a president has discriminated against our greatest judicial minds when it comes time to appoint a Supreme Court Justice. Did you notice whose names didn’t even come close to be discussed as replacements for Justice Souter? Not one short listed judges had their own TV show. Where’s the justice?

This ugliness goes back to when Ronald Reagan scoffed off The People’s Court’s Judge Wapner. You’d expect the end of this stigma to be part of the change we need.

What disqualifies Judge Greg Mathis from sharing the shower room with Chief Justice Roberts? He’s got a biography that gets told to America every day. He testifies, “Troubled kids? I was one. Gangs? Jail? I was there. Second chances? I got one. I went to law school, became a lawyer, and then a judge. Now I get to give second chances. It’s time for hard decisions and tough love. Justice that makes a difference; that’s what I’m about!” Where is his chance?

The most popular judge in America is Judge Judy. America loves her verdicts. She’s not a game player. How can you not be moved to hear a judge proclaim, “Lawyers are always asking me if I will cut some slack for their clients. My standard answer is this is not Let’s Make A Deal.” Why didn’t she get a presidential interview at Camp David?

If the president wanted a Latina woman on the bench, why not short list Marilyn Milian from The People’s Court? She’s the first Hispanic TV justice. Why not let her keep trailblazing to Washington D.C.? What makes her less of a judge than a court of appeals sitter? She might have a lot of explaining before the senate about knowing Harvey Levin. But she’s a pro before the cameras. She can charm the hardest neo-con into thinking she’s not going to ruin the Constitution.

When the next justice decides it’s time to step down, this administration must seriously consider picking a justice who has figured out a way to hear cases in the private sector. The president wanted to hire a TV doctor (CNN’s Sanjay Gupta) to be the Surgeon General. Why are legal minds ineligible for the top job because they wear a little make up during hearings?

BLAH GAME

Who thought it was a swell idea to make a movie adaptation of Moneyball with a $50 million budget? Are audiences ready to see Brad Pitt doing payroll math and breaking down walks to hits ratios? The pitch must have sounded been, ‘It’s like A Beautiful Mind with guys scratching themselves.’ Do we really crave Pitt playing Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane? Even with Stephen Soderbergh directing it sounds like The Horrible Truth About H.R. Block. Thankfully some young executive realized he might be eating Top Ramen for the next decade and red lit the production.

The only film about mathletes that made money was Mean Girls.

Soderbergh should have just adapted the book as a documentary for ESPN’s new major filmmaker program. Speaking of which, Spike Lee’s Kobe Doin’ Work was created with 30 cameras and one pair of kneepads. Kobe reminded me why I despise him so much from only 3 minutes of his self-fellatio narration on himself. This isn’t a tenth as good as Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait that Spike ripped off for this Hoover sponsored suck up. Thirty cameras watching Kobe? As if he’s not on camera for the entire game when a Lakers game is televised. I’d rather see 30 cameras following the 12th man on a team. What does he at the end of the bench? How does he warm up knowing that will be the only time he touches the hardwood for the night? Does he really shower after the game? Why couldn’t Spike tell us this man’s story?

ESPN did red light my special sports film which was going to be a 60 minute montage of fans at Fenway shouting “A Rod, You Suck!!!!” between highlights of him striking out.

BLU-RAY HEAVEN

The Jonas Brothers The 3D Concert Experience Deluxe Extended Movie Blu-ray Combo Pack is the winner of the quick gift to make you look like a cool uncle award. Inside the blue box is the concert film on Blu-ray, DVD and a disc with the digital copy. No matter what format the kid has connected to her bedroom TV, she ought to be able to watch the sibling trio. Only the Blu-ray disc contains the film in 3D. They include 4 sets of glasses with the red/blue lenses so you won’t hear the third kid screaming that she can’t see Nick Jonas unloading foam in her face. The music of the Jonas Brothers is pure bubble gum. Nick, Joe and Kevin appear happy while playing their hits including “That’s The Way We Roll” and “Burnin’ Up.” The last song has enough stage pyro to satisfy a wrestling fan. There’s a twisted moment where the three brothers shoot foam at the screaming teen girls sitting close to the stage. There are guest stars at the concert with Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift popping up for a song each. Snippets of the life of the Jonas Brothers including a Time Square mob scene when they showed up to buy their record at midnight. They’re not even autographing stuff for the fans. They race in the record store, buy the CDs and run back to their limo. Thousands packed the street like it was New Year’s Eve. Audrey, a friend’s 8 year old daughter, was glued to the set for the entire 89 minutes. The 3D does a fine job of separating the brothers during their solos. The bonus features include two more songs and a more footage of the brothers off the stage.

Mel Brook’s Spaceballs - Blu-ray brings the 1080p love to the sci-fi spoof of Star Wars. Decades ago before the Scary Movie series, Mel Brooks was the source of mocking movie genres. He struck gold with Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. It seemed only natural that in 1987 he poked fun at George Lucas’s epic with his Borscht Belt humor. Daphne Zuniga is a spoiled Druish princess that doesn’t want to marry Prince Valium (Jim J. Bullock). During her bolt with a robotic Joan Rivers, she finds herself also running from Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis). He’s like Darth Vader except he has a mega-huge helmet. Her only hope is Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his co-pilot Barf (John Candy). Mel Brooks plays both the evil president and the mystical Yogurt (a Yoda knock-off). Darth Helmet’s ultimate goal is to hold the princess hostage so they can steal all the air off her planet with a unique version of the Death Star. My favorite moment involves the one man sound effect machine Michael Winslow as the radar technician. They should have had him make all the space noises. What funny is the scene where Brooks has Starr and Barf eating at an intergalactic greasy spoon diner. Years later Lucas would use this location in Attack of the Clones. Who influenced whom? The high def transfer is crisp and detailed. Joan Rivers has never looked better on the screen. There’s a bushel basket of bonus features including a commentary track from Brooks. There’s a documentary about the film, a tribute to John Candy and the flubs. The Exhibitor Trailer with Mel Brooks reminds us what a great salesman he was before going off to recycle his films on Broadway. They include a DVD of the movie so you don’t have to chose which version to buy. Spaceballs is still funny although not as hilarious as Phantom Menace.

THE DVD SHELF

Diary of Anne Frank: 50th Anniversary Edition adapts the journal of a teenage girl trapped in an attic with family and friends to avoid being executed by the Nazis in occupied Holland. There’s plenty of tension as they Nazis constantly search the neighborhood looking for hidden Jews. The black and white images allow the stark nature of their survival to be emphasized. Anne has a sense of hope even under such dire circumstances. I’m not going to spoil the ending. Director George Stevens didn’t go Hollywood on this true story. There are seven featurettes created for this new DVD. Millie Perkins recalls her time playing Anne Frank on both the commentary track and on camera. We also get to explore George Stevens’ service in World War II. He didn’t merely watch battle action in the safety of his screening room. There’s also a Blu-ray with the bonus features.

Two Lovers might be Joaquin Phoenix’s last film role if he truly devotes himself to his rap career. He plays a guy who has suffered a breakdown that caused him to break up with his fiance and move back with his parents in Brooklyn. He’s stuck in his childhood bed. He delivers clothes for his dad’s dry cleaning. But life isn’t that bleak. He ends up getting entangled with Vinessa Shaw (Eyes Wide Shut) and Gwyneth Paltrow. But can he really enjoy his time with these women? The man has issues. Two Lovers could have easily turned into a stupid romantic comedy with Matthew McConaughey, but it doesn’t. Two Lovers stays grounded with the characters instead of jumping to the whims and expectations of an audience. After the film was over, I felt myself getting angry that Joaquin jerked out with this rapper charade.

Petticoat Junction: The Official Second Season brings the biggest star of the ’70s to the spotlight: Benji! Well his name is Higgins the Dog at this point. But he’s the super mutt who arrives at the Shady Rest Hotel at the start of the season. “Betty Jo’s Dog” wastes no time in letting the pooch dominate the show. He’s almost as imposing a figure as Arnold Ziffel on Green Acres. Petticoat Junction is about Bea Benaderet (the voice of Betty Rubble) and her three daughters running a hotel that’s between Hooterville and Pixley on the train line. The 36 episodes on Season Two have the homespun humor you find on The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres. Most of the episode have the hot daughters planning for their future. Edgar Buchanan comes up with scams to make the hotel feel busy. Several characters from Green Acres got their start here including Fred Drucker (Frank Cady) and Mr. Ziffel.

Matlock: The Third Season starts off with the reunion of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. This time Don plays Andy’s new neighbor. In an un-Barney Fife manner, Don gets accused of killing a used car salesman. Seymour Cassel plays a rival used car dealer. There’s a chance a people thought he was an aging Goober. There’s only 20 episodes this season of homespun judicial prudence. “The Thoroughbred” brings us the magic of Don Swayze, the brother of Patrick. “The Cult” has Matlock sending Kene Holiday to infiltrate a cult in order to find out who killed their leader. No matter how tight the action seems, there’s something way too relaxing about the cases on Matlock. You’ll never drop your sweet tea in shock. What makes this enjoyable viewing is seeing Andy and Don sharing screentime. They were priceless in their chemistry.

Saving Grace: Season Two brings more of Holly Hunter to the little screen. She’s an Oklahoma City detective with a lot of issues. She’s doesn’t hold back her desires when it comes to smoking, drinking or screwing. She’s dealing with an angel from God that’s trying to clean up her wicked ways. Can she save herself? Or will everyone around her drive her nuts. There’s 14 episodes on the boxset that touch upon an impending marriage and death.

Burn Notice: Season Two is another 16 episodes from USA’s freelance spy hit. The big reason to watch is Bruce Campbell. Why isn’t he on a Bond film? Also nice to see Gabrielle Anwar pulling off a little espionage. Jeffrey Donovan looks great with his spy sunglasses. This is just a smooth and sexy series.

GIVEAWAYS

CBS DVD is being twice as nice with two giveaway for lucky readers.

CBS DVD has given us 5 copies of Petticoat Junction: The Official Second Season to give to very special Party Favors readers. In order to win, answer this question: Who owned Higgins the dog? Send your answer, name and address to mokaha@aol.com. Put “Petticoat” in the subject.
CBS DVD has also given us 5 copies of Matlock: The Third Season to give to very special Party Favors readers. In order to win, answer this question: Where did Matlock shoot its final season? Send your answer, name and address to mokaha@aol.com. Put “Matlock” in the subject.

Family, friends and Abe Simpson are not eligible to win.

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

RIP: A REMIX MANIFESTO - Contest

Girl Talk is without question one of the more progressive musical artists of the 21st century and it’s an abomination that current laws prohibit this man from fully realizing his potential.

Back when albums from The Beastie Boys or Biz Markie in the late 80’s included enough samples to make any litigious lawyer nowadays salivate at the chance to sue for copyright infringement it is a godsend that they did not because these artists brought another dimension to their own vision of what music should be. There is a difference between the wholesale theft of a musician’s original work and what someone else could do with the atoms and particles of it and crafting a pastiche of originality.

RiP: A REMIX MANIFESTO brings this issue and more like it to the surface as a documentary that is out to define what it is to be dealing with the issue of copyright in our modern age. Crafted over 6 years and still not finished as the makers of the film allow viewers to make their own version of the film, their own mash-up of sorts. Further, those living in the US name their own rate for the film which is also available in Apple’s iTunes store.

Lucky for three of you I have the chance for you to watch the film in its entirety for the low low cost of free. Shoot me your name at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and I’ll enter you in a contest for a copy of this brilliant documentary on a subject that you all should care about; the copyright laws have, without a doubt, prevented an album like Paul’s Boutique to change the musical landscape.

More about the film:

In RiP: A remix manifesto, Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers.

The film’s central protagonist is Girl Talk, a mash-up musician topping the charts with his sample-based songs. But is Girl Talk a paragon of people power or the Pied Piper of piracy? Creative Commons founder, Lawrence Lessig, Brazil’s Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and pop culture critic Cory Doctorow are also along for the ride.

A participatory media experiment, from day one, Brett shares his raw footage at opensourcecinema.org, for anyone to remix. This movie-as-mash-up method allows these remixes to become an integral part of the film. With RiP: A remix manifesto, Gaylor and Girl Talk sound an urgent alarm and draw the lines of battle.

Which side of the ideas war are you on?

MAFIA - DVD Review

Watching PUBLIC ENEMIES last week put me in the mood to take advantage of watching a series that out some reality back into my television watching.

For some it’s Friends or the Office or some variation on the sitcom we’ve all come to know and revile, for me it’s a solid documentary. Specifically, I’m addicted to the seedier side of our American heritage and nowhere else has this addiction been better satisfied than with the History channel’s examination into the mob with The Mafia. In what feels like 10 brisk hours you go from thinking you know everything about the mob because you’ve watched all the seasons of the Soprano’s to having a better understanding on a subject that has all levels of great storytelling: love, murder, revenge and the dark realization that this is still going on in the world. (Just ask the author of Gomorrah, Roberto Saviano. He wrote an expose on organized crime in Naples and was put under police protection.)

The DVD set is currently available through the History Channel and, an added bonus, on sale. For $28.00 you are getting more than a history lesson, you’re getting a dose of cold reality that even though the Irish help build America it was a sect of Italians who were there to make sure they got a piece of the action.

A little bit more about the DVD:

MAFIA: THE HISTORY OF THE MOB IN AMERICA - VOLUME ONE

Starting with the prohibition years, this groundbreaking investigation traces the origins of the ethnic gangs that capitalized on criminal activities by turning them into family enterprises. With men like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Lepke Buchalter at its heart, and bootlegging, racketeering, and murder at its soul, this four-part series is a sweeping saga of bloodshed, betrayal, and big business.

* THE PROHIBITION YEARS / BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN MAFIA: Prohibition spells 100 proof profit for local gangs…Until the “families” arrive from Sicily.

* THE KENNEDYS AND THE MOB: The Kennedys’ murky past returns to haunt them.

* UNIONS AND THE MOB: The Mafia takes on the Communists for control of the unions.

* EMPIRE OF CRIME: The Mob steps on a gold mine in World War II.

* BONUS FEATURES: Documentary “American Justice: Mob Hitmen”.

* LUCKY LUCIANO: CHAIRMAN OF THE MOB: He ran the Mob like a corporation–diversifying rackets, organizing gangs and running his own political candidates–and his top-secret war efforts earned him parole from a 50-year sentence.

* MEYER LANSKY: MOB TYCOON: From the pogroms of Eastern Europe to the heyday of the Vegas Mob, rare footage and interviews reveal the double life of the man known as the Mob’s financial leader.

* GENOVESE: PORTRAIT OF A CRIME FAMILY: Known for their high level of sophistication, the Genovese family not only played a leading role in creating the structure of organized crime in America, but in shaping how the mob used its vast power.

* BUGSY SIEGEL: Handsome, glamorous and the most vicious crime boss of all, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel began as a hit man on the streets of Brooklyn and died the victim of a mysterious murder, but not before turning a desert mirage into a Las Vegas dreamland.

* MAN, MOMENT, MACHINE: AL CAPONE AND THE MACHINE GUN MASSACRE: Crime boss Al Capone elevated the violence of Prohibition Chicago to a new level with the Thompson submachine gun, a messenger of death that led to one of the most famous mass murders in history.

* DEAD MEN’S SECRETS: AMERICA AND THE MOB: WARTIME FRIENDS: Did WWII spur a partnership between the U.S. government and organized crime? In 1942, fire broke out on the luxury liner-turned-troop carrier, the Normandie. While some mafia leaders claimed responsibility, an alleged protection deal with the government kept the blame on “Nazi sabotage.”

* BIOGRAPHY: THE GAMBINOS: THE FIRST FAMILY OF CRIME: Trace the rise and fall of one of the most famous Mafia families, from crime legend Carlo Gambino to his successor Paul Castellano, and the reign of John Gotti.

PUBLIC ENEMIES - Review

The very thing that makes PUBLIC ENEMIES a fresh entry into the summer movie dogfight is its Achilles heel.

When Michael Mann made the decision to shoot the film about the notorious gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and the FBI agent assigned to catch him, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), he shot a film throughout the Midwest corridor that tries to capture 1933’s America.

Banks were seen as the real public enemy, much like if we had a gangster knocking down AIG branches if there were any, their locations already familiar to Mann who knows how to break down and block a bank robbery, down to the detail of the crook letting the common man know that their money is not the money they want. There is a kind of reverse vigilantism at play in some portions in this film but one of the sticking points this story has is that Dillinger was not ever ready to go back to jail and, if given the opportunity, he would just as soon as mow down a pack of coppers with his tommy gun as he would proclaiming how untouchable he is. Marion Cotillard, playing Dillinger’s flavor of choice throughout the movie, is another Mann trademark, a woman whose odd sense of independence is overwhelmed by the machismo of her male suitor to the point of rendering her all but feeble and powerless to fend off the advances of such a Lothario. One of the frustrating things about women like her, like HEAT’s Brenneman, is that they are caught up in this gangster lifestyle without so much as a terrible crisis of faith. It’s easy to see how a man like Depp could become the criminal he is just by the quickly shot opening moments of this film but Marion’s flip to a life of crime just doesn’t connect and that’s really what prevents this film from becoming anything else but a slicker dramatization of something you could see on the History channel any night of the week.

The set pieces, though, are gorgeous. Mann takes full advantage of this HD world in a way that challenges an audience’s expectations of what a period piece should look like. Mann brings an immediacy to the moment and takes what could have been a very simple recreation of past events look and feel like something that happened yesterday. This plays into Mann’s favor. One of the things that linger with you, or ought to, is that for anyone who thinks that using HD somehow disturbs the sense of time and place go to any moment when Depp walks into a bank. The richness of the colors, the polish on the floor, the marble that shines everywhere, the ornateness of the ceilings it all adds another dimension to the world that Mann wants to create. To those people in the 30’s life was in HD to them. This was how their world looked and felt. What some may fail to recognize is that Mann faithfully executes 1930’s America in a way that has never before been done in cinema. When Depp traipses through Purvis’ office, leisurely, quietly you cannot help but feel that you are there in moment with him. The only issue with the way he has decided to shoot his film, however, comes in the moments when you see the limitations of the technology plays with trying to capture a time when there was none.

There are great gun battles, to be sure. Outside of a bank, a couple of banks actually, fleeing from a jail in a daring and brazen prison break and a fantastic fire fight that occurs late at night. It’s the latter tussle that causes some of the weaker moments of this film to be exposed. It is HD’s inability to be consistently crisp which can lead some viewers to be jarred while keeping an eye on the action. There are moments when the characters “ghost” on the screen, they leave a faint trail at times that can be distracting to those paying attention if the action moves too fast, and can actually get in the way for real cinematic tricks where film, actually, could have brought a better result.

As well, the movie cannot stand on just the promise of derring-do and double-speak for those looking to an escape for a true crime film. The movie actually suffers from a lack of context. John Dillinger, yes, was a crook and criminal but where are the moments that show a more defined man? To deny Dillinger his humanity, and anyone pointing to his treatment of Cotillard as an example might as well long for the days when cavemen dragged their ladies by the scruff of their hair, is to deny the audience a real opportunity to feel emotionally invested in what happens to the man. Surprising as it is coming from Mann who so effortlessly humanized Robert De Niro in HEAT in a moment that few people could ever forget, the scene where he plays against Al Pacino in a diner, and made you root for him when he came to settle things up with Waingro. It’s surprising because you know how it ends for Dillinger. Any text book could tell you, any television show could recreate the moment but a real opportunity was missed in bringing some semblance of a human being to the screen.

To think more about Christian Bale’s performance only highlights the egregious oversight about Dillinger’s wasted character arc as Bale simply exists in this landscape with nothing more to do than just act out the lines he’s given. It’s not that he can’t bring something exciting as the man in charge of bringing Dillinger in but unless Purvis was a real drip Bale’s performance illustrates his inability to actually bring some emotional depth to this agent of the law. It’s disappointing that what we get is just Bale being Bale but with a twangy accent to go along for the ride. Billy Crudup provides some of the best unintentional comedic relief as his J. Edgar Hoover impersonation feels as if it belongs in a Saturday Night Live sketch about the man who founded the FBI as it fails to embody the sense that here was a man who was in charge of bringing some kind of order, some semblance of safety to a landscape that felt out of control.

While the film plods along, it’s examination into what happened in these pivotal years when Dillinger strolled free through Chicago before eventually meeting his demise simply does nothing more than just regurgitate recreated moments on the screen, it still is a wonder to look at on the big screen. There are real moments of good filmmaking here but it is a disappointment that there aren’t real moments of excellent filmmaking from a man who shown better depth dealing with men who bear arms.

EXCUSE ME, STEWARDESS

What’s happenin’ all you hip cats and hot mamas? I’m glad ya’ll found time to join me up in here tonight, because I’m about to blow ya minds with the tale of Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White). He’s a cool dude that used to work for the C.I. of A. He was the best. He was a war hero back in Nam. He knows karate like that kid. And he pulls the foxes like the best of ‘em. I guess you could say he is one bad mother–… Oh. Well, the editors of this here piece have informed me that I don’t need to be cussin’ in this here review, so I’ll try to keep it elementary for you cats.

So, I guess I should hit you fine folk with a little about the plot. Alright, you got my main man Black Dynamite, right? Well, his brother went undercover to this drug deal and ended up gettin’ himself killed. Black Dynamite didn’t take too well to that, so he goes on the prowl looking for the killer. After teaming up with this brother, Cream Corn (Tommy Davidson), they decide to do away with all those jive turkeys who is sellin’ smack to the kids. Black Dynamite loves the little kids. Especially orphans. So they gather up a few other cats and raid the warehouse where they think the drugs are at, but they find a big surprise that leads all the way to the top (the very top). Confused? That’s okay, because the plot matters about as much as how many miles per gallon I can get on my Cadillac. It’s irrelevant to the big picture, baby.

And what a picture it is, people. The director, my main man Scott Sanders, and Michael Jai White (who came up with the story and helped to write it) done a fantastic job of puttin’ this thing together. I guess it would be a spoof, but it would also fit right in with the blaxploitation flicks of the 70’s. This would have been a great addition to Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse. I definitely would have stayed in my seat another ninety minutes because Black Dynamite will have you laughin’ harder than any movie you gonna see this year. It’s finely paced and smarter than other spoofs coming out these days. I was laughing throughout the whole thing and I was laughing hard. One of my sexy foxes had to calm me down right there in the theater, man. About ten minutes into the flick, Black Dynamite remembers an incident in Vietnam that he will never forget. He tells the story so vividly and sincere, but it’s hilarious. Everybody in the audience was laughing so hard, it was hard to hear what the cat was saying. I didn’t think they would be able to top that thing, but it only got better. As Black Dynamite takes on some kung fu treachery, the moment when the villain has his hand cut off provides the funniest part in the flick.

It’s the subtle things that really take Black Dynamite from good spoof film to classic comedy. Actors are replaced mid-scene, the way Black Dynamite and his troops solve the mystery of what they found in the warehouse is brilliant, and the soundtrack sometimes tells us exactly what is going on. The boom in the shot has been done a hundred times, but here it seems intelligent and fresh.

I’ve always liked that boy, Michael Jai White, and here he shows that he could be a leading man if given the chance. He’s pitch-perfect in the role and always has a straight face. He delivers every single line with impeccable timing and his “smile” is righteous. He has an adequate supporting cast around him, but this is essentially a one man show.

It almost hurts that I got to see Black Dynamite as part of the L.A. Film Festival and won’t be able to catch it again for a few months. I wanted to peep it again as soon as the credits crawled up the screen (with some funny jokes). So don’t you go thinking this is one of those spoofs that a cat like Keenan Ivory Wayans might put out. Get you a sexy mama and haul ass to the nearest big screen as soon as this baby comes near you. You won’t be disappointed.

Jesse Rivers wishes he had a chance to live in the 70’s.

Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and Quick Stop Entertainment’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.

Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.

Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at Quick Stop. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.

VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #102: Act Now And Save - Ken & Dana return with a not altogether touching tribute to someone before profiling their bitter rival, then run up against an immovable object.

[CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #102 (MP3 format) – 65.42 MB

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Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

##

Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!

In conjunction with MPI Home Video, we’re giving away five (5) copies of THE IT CROWD: SEASON 2 on DVD.

In conjunction with Thinkgeek.com, we’re giving away ten (10) tins of SMART MASS: THINKING PUTTY.

In conjunction with Universal Pictures, we’re giving away a PUBLIC ENEMIES prize pack containing 1 Hat, 1 T-shirt, 1 Long sleeve shirts, and 1 Poster.

In conjunction with Universal Pictures, we’re giving away two (2) BRUNO prize packs containing 1 Hat, 1 Bruno Title Treatment T-shirt, 1 Bruno Face T-shirt, 1 Get Uber It T-shirt, 1 Ich Don’t Think So T-shirt, and 1 Nicht Nicht T-shirt - with one special winner also getting a Backpack.

In conjunction with Paramount Home Video & Comedy Central, we’re giving away five (5) copies of RENO 911: SEASON 6 on DVD.

In conjunction with Summit Entertainment, we’re giving away five (5) copies of PUSH on DVD.

In conjunction with Summit Entertainment, we’re giving away five (5) copies of KNOWING on DVD.

In conjunction with EMI, we’re giving away three (3) copies of Sinead O Connor’s I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVEN’T GOT limited edition.

In conjunction with EMI, we’re giving away three (3) copies of Lenny Kravitz’s LET LOVE RULE 20th anniversary edition.

In conjunction with EMI, we’re giving away three (3) copies of THE VERY BEST OF EL ALMA DE LILA DOWNS.

In conjunction with EMI, we’re giving away three (3) copies of THE VERY BEST OF EL ALMA DE LILA DOWNS.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with EMI, we’re giving away three (3) copies of Lenny Kravitz’s LET LOVE RULE 20th anniversary edition.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with EMI, we’re giving away three (3) copies of Sinead O Connor’s I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVEN’T GOT limited edition.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with Summit Entertainment, we’re giving away five (5) copies of KNOWING on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with Summit Entertainment, we’re giving away five (5) copies of PUSH on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with Paramount Home Video & Comedy Central, we’re giving away five (5) copies of RENO 911: SEASON 6 on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with Universal Pictures, we’re giving away two (2) BRUNO prize packs containing 1 Hat, 1 Bruno Title Treatment T-shirt, 1 Bruno Face T-shirt, 1 Get Uber It T-shirt, 1 Ich Don’t Think So T-shirt, and 1 Nicht Nicht T-shirt - with one special winner also getting a Backpack.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Bruno will be in US theaters on Friday, July 10th.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with Universal Pictures, we’re giving away a PUBLIC ENEMIES prize pack containing 1 Hat, 1 T-shirt, 1 Long sleeve shirts, and 1 Poster.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

In the action-thriller Public Enemies, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp)—the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public.

No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.

But while the adventures of Dillinger’s gang—later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi)—thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI.’’

However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals—from the infamous “Lady in Red’’ to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti—were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with Thinkgeek.com, we’re giving away ten (10) tins of SMART MASS: THINKING PUTTY.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

In conjunction with MPI Home Video, we’re giving away five (5) copies of THE IT CROWD: SEASON 2 on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on July, 22nd.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

What happens when two young men let their love of movies, comic books, and all things “geek” take over their lives? They run away from their families, bringing only the most essential DVDs and comics to their secret, highly fortified underground bunker in sunny Southern California, where they start recording podcasts that will change the world.

Are they heroes?

No.

Are they geniuses?

Far from it.

Are they the future of this planet?

I sure hope not.

Simply put… Matt Cohen and Jesse Rivers are “Bagged and Boarded”.

BAGGED & BOARDED #29: Ding Dong, The Douche Is Dead!   - In which Matt and Jesse get deep (sexy, right?), do some soul searching/ego shattering, and help plot a course for a wayward Jew. All on a very cathartic B and B.

[CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #29 (MP3 format) – 68.38 MB

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Welcome to TV or Not TV where I am by far the worst television critic in the world.

I know that the above statement is a pretty lofty one however this past week I’ve hardly watched any television. It’s very hard to actually write aobut television in an informed manner when you aren’t actively watching it. I’ve lived in a tiny little micro-verse where the only television that has existed is Weeds, Burn Notice, and True Blood. I don’t know how it happened whether it is just a busy week or other things, however I just have no opinion on anything else right now except these shows.

I have to admit that a few weeks ago I was unnecessarily harsh towards Weeds this season. I went back and watched the first three episodes again and I have to say that, although I don’t like this continued new direction of the show, I am still consistently entertained by it. I know that by the end of the season I will have watched all of the episodes and I’ll probably complain a little but deep inside I’ll know that I liked what I saw. This season seems it will have more Doug in it and that pleases me.

Burn Notice, on the other hand, has me absolutely clueless on the direction that it is going. This season started off with a female cop investigating and busting Michael Weston’s chops. This new character wasn’t exactly a deep one but it did adress a question that I’ve been asking the entire run of this show to date: With all of these explosions and things going on around Michael how is it possible the police aren’t watching this guy? It turns out that they actually are. Now that we’ve addressed that, however, where do we go from here? If Michael gets un-burned the show is over, right?

I’ve already said just how incredible for me this season of True Blood is. There is a lot going on, a lot of conflict being created and a lot of mystery being revealed. I really hope this show keeps the momentum rolling as I’m deeply engrossed in these characters. Whatever direction you turn it would appear that there is one character that is being set up to have a head-on collision with another. As far as my vampire dramas are concerned me likey.

Now that I’ve talked about the few things that I have watched here is a bunch of television that, should I repeate last week’s behavior, I won’t be watching as well.

MONDAY

FOX - 8:00 PM: Nothings says loving and caring tribute to a passed icon like rolling out your episode where 13 hacks trash their songs. Thank you FOX for doing that tonight with the re-airing of American Idol.

TLC - 9:00 PM: Wow, I can’t imagine going through anything harder than the dissolution of your 10 year marriage in the public eye. Oh wait, how about a TV show that looks at the lifetime of your marriage as well? I’m sure Jon & Kate Plus 8 are very thankful that TLC is doing just that.

TUESDAY

FOX - 8:00 PM: OK, so tonight they are rolling out the 2001 movie Legally Blonde? I guess America’s Got Talent has FOX a bit on the ropes.

E! - 9:00 PM: At last, the E! True Hollywood Story gives me all those unanswered questions I’ve had about Criss Angel. My life will now be complete.

BET - 10:00 PM: I don’t know if you know who Tiny & Toya are but this isn’t a new show on Adult Swim. It’s the gals of rappers T.I. and Lil’ Wayne in a reality show.

WEDNESDAY

DISCOVERY - 11:00 AM: I don’t know if a marathon of Pitchmen was what was originally planned for today but I’m still blown away by the sudden loss of Billy Mays. I’ll never look at a container of Oxyclean again.

ABC - 8:00 PM: Contestants on Wipeout face Spike Fenders, Spinning Triangles, and Drop Bridge. If it weren’t wipe out we were talking about I’d think those were Guitar Hero band names and not obstacles.

ANIMAL PLANET - 9:00: All right, seriously, Monster Inside Me may be the grossest show to come out as it focuses on the fatal cases of internal parasites to invade humans.

THURSDAY

USA - 6:00 PM: If you haven’t taken the time yet to get familiar with Burn Notice than this seventeen hour marathon is more than enough time for you to finally do it.

ANIMAL PLANET - 8:00 PM: I’m not really big on documentaries but Grizzly Man is still one of the most engrossing docs I’ve ever seen. Timothy Treadwell loved bears, thought he was protecting bears, and eventually was killed by a bear. Really, you have to watch it.

BRAVO - 10:00 PM: I remember when Grease was more than just a movie, it was a theatrical and television event when it was out.

FRIDAY

TVLAND - 9:00 PM: National Lampoon’s Vacation is another one of those films that really captured the time it was made in. John Candy was still alive, Beverly D’Angelo didn’t look like a drag queen and Chevy Chase was still a big star. I hate getting older.

HISTORY - 10:00 PM: Delve into the madness of conspiracy theorists and the truly paranoid with a look at Secret Societies.

CMT - 11:00 PM: Darius Rucker proves he earned his #1 country hit and that he was more than just a Hootie with his Invitation Only concern.

SATURDAY

It’s the 4th of July! Screw TV, you should be eatting bar-b-que and watching real fireworks. If you can’t get out than instead maybe you might like to watch:

NBC - 9:00 PM: The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular

CBS - 10:00 PM: Music and explosions join forces in the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

SUNDAY

TNT - 8:00 PM: The genius programming aware goes to TNT for airing Independence Day on July 5th. Maybe this year they’ll to the Christmas Story marathon on December 26th.

HALLMARK - 9:00 PM: Lou Diamond Phillips and Luke Perry star as opposing gunmen in Angel and the Badman. I don’t care what else it’s about, I’m in.