Pop Artifact! Baby Space Gun



Pop Culture Roundup Nov. 6, 2007

Paul Norris, co-creator of Aquaman, has passed away, reports comics historian/writer Mark Evanier.

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A "lost" Stan Lee/Jack Kirby "Fantastic Four" story appears as an on-disk bonus item in the new "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" DVD. Marvel Comics announced some time ago that a print version of the book was also in the works, but a release date hasn't been announced.

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Here's a pic of Doctor Whos 5 and 10 on the cover of Britain's Radio Times. Actors Peter Davison and David Tennant are starring together in a BBC "Children in Need" TV special.



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Speaking of Doctor Who, some of the Doctor's British comic book adventures from the 1970s and 80s will be seeing print again. Details from publisher IDW:

When Doctor Who's TARDIS lands in U.S. comic book stores in December, the stories will be classic, and the scarf will be color: rescuing a catalogue of beloved tales from the timestream, IDW Publishing will release Doctor Who Classics, printing in all-new color the black-and-white adventures that originally appeared only in Great Britain as part of Doctor Who Magazine in 1979 and 1980.

The stories feature the incarnation of the character very familiar to American audiences, Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, with new state-of-the-art colors over art by Dave Gibbons, who drew the British magazine's main comic strip for most of the issues, from #1 until #69, before going on to co-create the industry-shaping graphic novel Watchmen.

Writing the stories are celebrated authors Pat Mills, nicknamed "the godfather of British comics," and Scotland-based John Wagner, both of whom are given credit for revitalizing British boys' comics in the 1970s. The new, modern colors will be handled by Charlie Kirchoff, with new covers recreating old scenes provided by Joe Corroney, the fan-favorite artist from IDW's Star Trek books.

"This series is appealing to fans because it's rare for these stories to have been available to readers in the United States," says Chris Ryall, IDW editor-in-chief and publisher. "A lot of people have never seen these comics at all, let alone in the full, vibrant colors that Gibbons' art deserves."

IDW will follow the launch of its classics reprints a month later with all-new monthly adventures of the latest Doctor, the Tenth version of the character portrayed by David Tennant in the BBC revamp of the show that drew raves from British critics and fans when it debuted in 2005.

"We're giving fans the best of the old and the best of the new," says Ryall. "The first series looks back at most popular Doctor of the past, and the upcoming series focuses on the best of the present."

Doctor Who Classics #1 will be released in December.


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Deal alert: Amazon is offering a bunch of TV on DVD season sets for under $25 each, including "Bewitched," "I Dream of Jeannie" and more.

DVD new releases Nov. 6, 2007

DVD new releases Nov. 6, 2007

Ratatouille

Doctor Who - The Complete Third Series

Doctor Who - Time-Flight

Doctor Who - Arc of Infinity

Seinfeld - Season 9

Seinfeld - The Complete Series

Help! (Deluxe Edition)

Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1

The Best Of The Colbert Report

Sicko

The Cosby Show - Season 5

The Cosby Show - Season 6

Martin: The Complete Third Season

Sesame Street: Vol. 2 - Old School (1974-1979)

Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who

Heeere's Johnny: The Definitive DVD Collection from The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson

James Bond Ultimate Collector's Set

Munster's Scary Little Christmas

New CD releases Nov. 6, 2007

Memory Almost Full - CD/DVD Deluxe Edition by Paul McCartney

Gram Parsons Archive 1 by Gram Parsons and Flying Burrito Brothers

Music of Star Wars: 30TH Anniversary Collectors Edition by John Williams

Vintage Marvel Comics house ad



Pop Artifact! Winkin' Eyes

Pop Culture Roundup Nov. 5,2007

Radiohead is issuing a box set that collects their first six albums, along with a USB "stick" containing the same via its Web site. Plans to release the band's newest album, In Rainbows, on CD in the U.S. haven't been announced yet, but it's also available online.

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Take a look at the new look Sontarans, to appear on the fourth season of "Doctor Who."



Details from the BBC:

The Doctor and Martha Jones are to be reunited in an explosive new adventure, which hits our screens next year on BBC One.

Martha comes face to face with Donna Noble for the first time as they unite against the Sontarans, one of The Doctor's oldest enemies.

"I am delighted to be back filming on Doctor Who with David and Catherine," said Freema. "Martha Jones returns in a fantastic storyline and the fans will get to see her in a whole new light!"

The Sontarans first appeared on Doctor Who in 1973 when they met Jon Pertwee's Doctor. Former Young Ones star Christopher Ryan guest stars as the Head of the Sontarans.

Other guest stars in the new series include Felicity Kendal, Sarah Lancashire, Fenella Woolgar, Tim McInnerny, Peter Capaldi, Phil Davis and Tracey Childs.




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Booksteve digs "Girl from U.N.C.L.E." Stefanie Powers.

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Speaking of U.N.C.L.E., Turner Classic Movies is airing eight "Man from U.N.C.L.E" movies tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov. 6). These are feature-length adventures culled from TV series episodes.

Here's the lineup (all times Eastern):

6:00 AM To Trap a Spy (1964)
Secret agents try to stop the assassination of an African leader touring the U.S. Cast: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Luciana Paluzzi.s Dir: Don Medford.

7:45 AM One Of Our Spies Is Missing (1966)
An enemy agent appeals to an aging British statesman with promises of a youth potion. Cast: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Vera Miles. Dir: E. Darrell Hallenbeck.

9:30 AM One Spy Too Many (1966)
U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin try to keep a madman from conquering the world. Cast: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Rip Torn. Dir: Joseph Sargent.

11:15 AM Spy With My Face, The (1966)
Enemy agents turn one of their own into a dead ringer for Man from U.N.C.L.E. Napoleon Solo. Cast: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Senta Berger. Dir: John Newland.

12:45 PM Karate Killers, The (1967)
The men from U.N.C.L.E. fight off karate-chopping henchmen to track down a secret formula. Cast: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Joan Crawford. Dir: Barry Shear.

2:30 PM Spy in the Green Hat, The (1966)
Secret agents fight to keep a criminal mastermind from altering the course of the Gulf Stream. Cast: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Jack Palance. Dir: Joseph Sargent.

4:15 PM Helicopter Spies, The (1968)
Two government agents try to stop a band of would-be sorcerers from using a deadly weapon. Cast: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Bradford Dillman. Dir: Boris Segal.

6:00 PM How To Steal The World (1968)
Secret agent Napoleon Solo fights to stop a top-secret plot to conquer the world. Cast: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Eleanor Parker. Dir: Sutton Roley.

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"Ever Present Past," Paul McCartney's newest single, is out today in various formats, all including live "B-sides." You can download 'em from iTunes.

'Ever Present Past', the second single lifted from Paul's current album Memory Almost Full is released today. Check out the links and formats below.

CD Single - 1. Ever Present Past 2. Only Mama Knows (Live from Amoeba) 3. Dance Tonight (Live from Amoeba)

7" Vinyl - Side A Ever Present Past / Side B House Of Wax (Live from Amoeba)

Digital Bundle - 1. Ever Present Past 2. Only Mama Knows (Live From Amoeba) 3. That Was Me (Live From Amoeba)


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Deal alert: Amazon is offering big discounts on recent DVDs, including "Borat," 28 Days Later," and more.

Vintage Marvel Comics house ad



Pop Artifact! The Thing movie poster

Pop Culture Roundup Nov. 2, 2007

A one-off Led Zeppelin reunion concert has been postponed due to guitarist Jimmy Page breaking his finger.

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Here's a set picture from the fourth Indiana Jones film, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull":


From left to right, actor Shia LaBeouf, director Steven Spielberg, and actors Ray Winstone, Karen Allen and Harrison Ford.



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Dial B for Blog explores the Seinfeld/Superman connection.

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Big news: Comic historian Blake Bell's long-awaited book about Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko is set for release next June.

STRANGE & STRANGER: THE WORLD OF STEVE DITKO will tell the narrative of Steve Ditko, the artist, from humble beginnings in Johnstown Pennsylvania; to the dizzying heights of co-creating Spider-Man; to the spectacular Howard Roark-like determination, and tribulations, in bringing his personal and philosophical vision to a recalcitrant audience. There's a fantastic, dramatic storyline running through Ditko's career; the artist having walked away from the Spider-Man franchise (and the billions it was to generate) as it was reaching the height of its popularity. What price did Ditko pay, and what was the impact on his work?"

..."Fans of Ditko, and comic art, will not be able to put the book down," says Bell, "as we explode many of the myths surrounding key moments in Ditko's career, as well as present reams of rare and unpublished Ditko artwork. For the comic art scholar, we also break down the "hows" of Steve Ditko as a great sequential storyteller, dissecting his work in depth for the first time, also with analysis and commentary by some of the most skilled and articulate comic creators of the day."




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Speaking of Diko: It's his 80th birthday today.

Vintage DC Comics house ad

Pop Artifact! Village of the Damned movie poster

Pop Culture Roundup Nov. 1, 2007

Ain't it Cool News says NBC's "Heroes" spin-off "Heroe's: Origins" is a no-go. A potential Hollywood writers' strike is to blame. More here.

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Exciting news for "Buffy" fans: Joss Whedon is producing a new show for Fox starring Eliza Dushku--it won't be about Dushku's "Buffy" character Faith, though.

"Dollhouse," "deals with our darkest impulses and our best ones,” Whedon says. “It deals with all the things I like to deal with—strength, weakness, power and corruption.”

“Dollhouse” stars Dushku as Echo, one of a group of secret agents living in a futuristic dorm. Each has the ability to be imprinted with custom personalities and abilities for special assignments. When they return, their newly acquired memories are wiped. The show follows Echo as she takes on a variety of assignments—some romantic, some adventurous, some uplifting, some illegal—and gains awareness of her role and confinement.


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Harry Potter is gone, but J.K. Rowling can't let go of Hogwarts in her new book, a collection of five wizarding tales entitled "The Tales of Beedle the Bard." However, most of us will likely never read them.

Attentive readers will recognise the title as that of the book given by Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore to Harry's friend and intellectual aide-de-camp, Hermione Granger, in the seventh and final instalment of the boy wizard's adventures, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Its contents provide clues that help Harry and his companions foil the machinations of the evil Lord Voldemort.

...Only seven copies of the book, which Rowling handwrote and personally illustrated, are being printed. Six have been given as gifts to people closely connected with the Harry Potter books over the years of their gestation; the other is being auctioned next month to raise money for Rowling's charity, The Children's Voice, dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable children in eastern Europe. The volume, bound in brown morocco leather and mounted with silver and semiprecious stones, will be auctioned at Sotheby's on December 13 with a starting price of £30,000.


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A Black Canary-ish character will appear on the Superboy-ish show "Smallville."

Like her comic-book counterpart, Smallville’s version is a martial arts expert whose superpower is a “canary cry” — a high-pitched scream that can shatter objects and take down opponents. And, yes, she will sport the fishnet stockings that are a trademark of the character’s costume.

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Deal alert: TwoMorrows Publishing is offering half off back issues of its cool comics-themed publications, such as The Jack Kirby Collector, Alter-Ego and, um, Back Issue! Check 'em out.

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Hear Paul McCartney's performance at the BBC's recent Electric Proms concert.

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Daniel Craig is set to play James Bond for a long time.

Actor Daniel Craig has signed a $60m (€41m) deal to star in the next four 'James Bond' films.



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Here are a couple of new movie posters:

"I'm Not There," featuring an array of stars--male and female--playing Bob Dylan.



And a new one for Disney's upcoming "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" adaptation.



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Heath Ledger will star in a new fantasy film by Terry Gilliam, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."

Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield and Verne Troyer round out the cast.

Pic is a modern-day fantasy adventure that centers on Dr. Parnassus (Plummer), who has the gift of guiding the imaginations of others.


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Via Mark Evanier: A salute to Carl Stalling, composer/arranger of classic Looney Tunes music.

Vintage DC Comics house ad

Pop Artifact! Corridors of Blood movie poster

Pop Culture Update Oct. 31, 2007

The Washington Post looks at "Gods of Asgard," a non-Marvel Comics take on the Norse gods.

"Gods of Asgard" is a perfect way to introduce people to these ancient accounts of war, love, avarice, joy and deception — in other words, stories about things modern people will still recognize as being all-too-human and not always superheroic.

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Jonathan Rhys Meyers may star in a live-action Mandrake the Magician film.

Mandrake will be an updated version of the Hearst comic book and will be the first joint production by Omega Entertainment and Baldwin Entertainment Group.

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The pilot episode for season 4 of "Veronica Mars," which would've placed the title character in the FBI academy and might have saved her for the horribleness of what was season 3, is now online.

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The UK's Telegraph looks back at the first Hammer Horror "Dracula" film starring the great Christopher Lee.

This was the first Dracula to be shot in colour, the first to emphasise the theme of sexual awakening, and – surprisingly – the first to feature a British actor in the title role.

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The Golden Age of Comic Book Stories blog has a great series of horror film and comic book images in celebration of Halloween. Jon's Random Acts of Geekery also has been posting lots of cool Halloweeny images from the realms of pop culture.

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Comic Book Resources has images from this weekend's episode of "The Batman," which pairs the Caped Crusader with the Flash.

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Sharity: Spooky Sound Effects.

Vintage DC Comics house ad

New comics Oct. 31, 2007

See complete lists:
DC Archives
DC Showcase
DC Trade Paperbacks
Marvel Masterworks
Marvel Essentials
Marvel Trade Paperbacks


Comics shipping Oct. 31, 2007

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP070032 APOCALYPSE NERD #6 (OF 6) $2.99
JUL070028 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER LONG WAY HOME TP $15.95
AUG070121 TALES OF THE FEAR AGENT 12 STEPS IN ONE (ONE SHOT) $2.99

DC COMICS

AUG070219 52 AFTERMATH THE FOUR HORSEMEN #3 (OF 6) $2.99
AUG070236 ACTION COMICS #858 (NOTE PRICE) $3.50
JUN078155 ACTION COMICS VAR ED #858 $3.50
AUG070228 BATMAN #670 $2.99
APR070165 BATMAN BATMAN AND SON HC $24.99
JUN078156 BATMAN VAR ED #670 $2.99
AUG070287 CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #38 $2.25
AUG070201 COUNTDOWN LORD HAVOK AND THE EXTREMISTS #1 (OF 6) $2.99
AUG070200 COUNTDOWN TO ADVENTURE #3 (OF 8) $3.99
AUG070198 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 26 $2.99
AUG070199 COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY #2 (OF 8) $3.99
JUL070246 CREEPER WELCOME TO CREEPVILLE TP $19.99
AUG070212 CRIME BIBLE THE FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD #1 (OF 5) $2.99
AUG070221 DC INFINITE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1 $5.99
AUG070211 DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #2 (OF 8) $3.50
JUL070247 FLASH WONDERLAND TP $12.99
APR070192 GREEN LANTERN WANTED HAL JORDAN HC $19.99
AUG070250 JSA CLASSIFIED #31 $2.99
AUG070251 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #10 $2.99
AUG070252 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA VAR ED #10 $2.99
AUG070301 KING OF CARDS VOL 2 $9.99
AUG070306 MIDNIGHTER ARMAGEDDON #1 $2.99
AUG070229 ROBIN ANNUAL #7 $3.99
JUL070275 SAMURAI COMMANDO MISSION 1549 VOL 2 $9.99
DEC058090 SANDMAN VOL 1 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES TP $19.99
AUG070304 SEIMADEN VOL 10 $9.99
SEP070225 SHOWCASE PRESENTS TEEN TITANS VOL 2 TP $16.99
AUG070257 SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #35 $2.99
JUL070223 SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL #8 $2.99
AUG070322 SUPERNATURAL ORIGINS #6 $2.99
AUG070292 TEEN TITANS GO #48 $2.25
JUN070212 TRIALS OF SHAZAM #9 (OF 12) $2.99
FEB058406 WATCHMEN TP $19.99

IMAGE COMICS

AUG071991 ACCELERATE VOL 1 TP $14.99
JUN071891 ART OF GREG CAPULLO SC $24.99
AUG072002 BRIT #3 $2.99
AUG072060 CONSUMED #4 (OF 4) $2.99
MAY071902 DARKNESS NOVEL VOL 01 $6.99
AUG072006 DYNAMO 5 #8 $2.99
AUG072059 JOHNNY DELGADO IS DEAD #2 (OF 2) $3.99
JUL071994 KISS 4K #4 $2.99
JAN071943 SAVAGE DRAGON #133 $2.99
AUG071995 SPAWN ARMAGEDDON COMPLETE COLLECTION TP $29.95
JUN071870 SPECIAL FORCES #1 (OF 6) $2.99
APR071881 TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD IMAGE ED #9 $3.50
JUN071937 WITCHBLADE #111 $2.99

MARVEL COMICS

JUN072203 ANITA BLAKE VH FIRST DEATH #2 (OF 2) $3.99
AUG078126 ANITA BLAKE VH FIRST DEATH #2 (OF 2) ZOMBIE VAR $3.99
AUG072303 ANNIHILATION BOOK 2 TP $24.99
AUG072206 ANNIHILATION CONQUEST QUASAR #4 (OF 4) $2.99
AUG072215 DAREDEVIL ANNUAL #1 $3.99
AUG072313 ESSENTIAL WEREWOLF BY NIGHT VOL 2 TP $16.99
AUG072223 IRON MAN #23 $2.99
AUG072246 MYTHOS FANTASTIC FOUR $3.99
AUG072261 NEW X-MEN #43 $2.99
JUL051924 RUNAWAYS VOL 4 TRUE BELIEVERS DIGEST TP $7.99
SEP041814 SHE HULK VOL 1 SINGLE GREEN FEMALE TP $14.99
AUG072251 SUB-MARINER #5 (OF 6) CWI $2.99
JUL072135 ULTIMATE POWER #8 (OF 9) $2.99
STAR18173 ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 5 ULTIMATE WAR TP $10.99
AUG072258 X-MEN MESSIAH COMPLEX ONE SHOT MC $3.99

WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT

SEP073255 WIZARD MAGAZINE AVENGERS INVADERS ROSS CVR #194 $5.99
SEP073256 WIZARD MAGAZINE DC VILLAINS CVR #194 $5.99
SEP073254 WIZARD MAGAZINE SPIDER-MAN 4 PHOTO CVR #194 $5.99

COMICS

AUG073507 ARMY OF DARKNESS FROM ASHES #3 $3.50
AUG073387 BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #179 $2.49
AUG073388 BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #80 $2.25
JUN073584 DISNEYS DUCKTALES BY MARV WOLFMAN SCROOGES QUEST TP $15.99
AUG073563 FORGOTTEN REALMS HALFLINGS GEM SEELEY CVR A #2 $5.50
AUG073564 FORGOTTEN REALMS HALFLINGS GEM WALPOLE CVR B #2 $9.50
AUG073558 GI JOE DATA DESK HANDBOOK COLL A-M $5.50
JUL073487 GI JOE STORM SHADOW #5 $3.50
APR073319 HAUNTED MANSION #7 $2.95
AUG073392 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #135 $3.69
JUN073240 KADE SHIVAS SUN #0 (OF 4) $0.25
STAR09903 LENORE VOL 1 NOOGIES TP $11.95
AUG073501 NEW BATTLESTAR GALACTICA PEGASUS ONE SHOT $4.99
JUN073208 PARIS COLLECTION TP $10.95
AUG073394 SABRINA VOL 2 #89 $2.25
JUL073248 SLOW NEWS DAY $12.95
SEP073524 SWORD OF RED SONJA DOOM O/T GODS #2 $3.50
AUG073911 TALES FROM THE CRYPT #3 $3.95
JUN078045 X-MEN MESSIAH COMPLEX ONE SHOT PX SKETCH ED PI

MAGAZINES

AUG073650 COMICS JOURNAL #286 $11.95
AUG074136 NEWTYPE ENG ED NOV 2007 $12.98

Pop Artifact! The Mummy movie poster

Pop Culture Roundup Oct. 30, 2007

The Hollywood Reporter reviews the new DVD The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965.

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Alanis Morisette has joined the cast of "Radio Free Albemuth," an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick work.

The Canadian pop singer plays Sylvia, a woman who shows up in the vision of a record label executive named Nick (Jonathan Scarfe) as a glamorous singer.

In reality, she's an ordinary woman in unexpected remission from lymphoma who, after appearing in Nick's visions, gets a job as his secretary. She becomes his soul mate thanks to the pair's shared spirituality and visions.


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Director Guillermo del Toro is producing a TV mini-series based on Neil Gaimin's Death comic book character and wants Gaimin to direct.

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Shout! Factory is releasing DVDs of Johnny Cash's 1976 and 1977 Christmas TV specials.

Johnny and June Carter Cash went to their homes in Bon Aqua, and Hendersonville, Tennessee to tape Johnny Cash Christmas 1976. After opening the show, Johnny takes guest Tony Orlando for a ride around his property, teasing him about country versus city life, and promising that "June makes the best snake and potatoes around." In addition to several stellar performances, including "Christmas As I Knew It," the special includes a medley of songs from Stephen Foster, "a man from the North," Cash says, "who wrote such great things about the South." Johnny Cash Christmas 1976, which originally aired December 6, 1976, on CBS, also features special guests Roy Clark, Merle Travis, Barbara Mandrell, and Billy Graham.

Johnny Cash Christmas 1977 includes an all-star tribute to Elvis Presley, who had passed away two months prior. Taped at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House, fellow Sun Records labelmates and rockabilly pioneers Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison join Cash on "This Train Is Bound For Glory" in memory of Presley, whose affinity for such sacred music was well known. In addition to a selection of Christmas songs, many hit singles are performed on this special, including Perkins's "Blue Suede Shoes," Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," and Lewis's 1957 Sun smash "Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On." Cash goes on to recall a life-changing holiday season he experienced while stationed in Germany in the early 1950s. "I was lonesome, homesick and had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life," he explains. "But one day I walked four miles through the snow to a little pawn shop where there was a guitar in the window with a five-dollar price tag."

DVD new releases Oct. 30, 2007

Spider-Man 3 (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Scrubs - The Complete Sixth Season

CSI Miami - The Fifth Season

Spider-Man 3 (Widescreen Edition)

Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Five

My So-Called Life - The Complete Series (w/ Book)

The Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: 1934-1936

Dark Shadows: The Beginning Collection 2

Barbara Stanwyck - The Signature Collection (Annie Oakley / East Side, West Side / My Reputation / Executive Suite / Jeopardy / To Please a Lady)

Family Affair - Season 4

The Real McCoys - Season 2

Shaggy and Scooby-Doo, Vol. 1: Get a Clue

New CD releases Oct. 30, 2007

CD new releases Oct. 30, 2007

Wedding Album by Leon Russell and Mary Russell

Americana by Leon Russell

Life & Love by Leon Russell

Live Album by Leon Russell and New Grass Revival

Goffin & King Song Collection 1961-1967

Dirt Farmer by Levon Helm

That's Swift: Instrumentals From the Norman Petty Vaults by Various Artists

Spirit of St Louis by Ellen Foley

Feeling the Blues by The Chambers Brothers

Knee Plays by David Byrne

In Concert by Gene Clark

Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind: Singles and Demos 1964-1967 by Vashti Bunyan

I Wanna Go Backwards by Robyn Hitchcock

Vintage DC Comics house ad

Pop Artifact! Superman, Supergirl costume ad

Pop Culture Roundup Oct. 29, 2007

TV alert: "American Masters" on PBS profiles Peanuts creator Charles Shulz.

Like the new Schulz biography by David Michaelis (an interviewee and consultant here), the program makes illuminating use of panels from a half-century’s worth of “Peanuts” to illustrate the biographical sketch being supplied by friends and family. It’s a savvy approach that makes you realize that his sparse style wasn’t so simple after all, that beneath any given strip may have lurked Mr. Schulz’s real-life loneliness, lost love or broken marriage.

Along the way you meet the inspiration for Linus, an early art-instruction colleague of Mr. Schulz named Linus Maurer; the actual little red-haired girl, Donna Wold; even, in some photos, Charles F. Brown, the man whose round head Mr. Schulz immortalized. You learn that “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the 1965 special that is among the most beloved pieces of television ever made, might easily have been ruined by CBS, except that Mr. Schulz by then had enough power to impose his vision.


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A live-action Green Lantern movie is planned.

When they went in to pitch, Berlanti had a concept artist draw up 30 images of key scenes and images to help sell to the studio the movie he wanted to direct. He also pitched Warners brass a series of movies, with the first being an origin of how Jordan becomes a member of the intergalactic police force.

The biggest challenge in setting up "Lantern" was waiting for the technology to become available to create fantastical worlds as well as overcoming the prejudice of a ring-bearing hero.

Vintage DC Comics house ad

Pop Artifact! Vintage Halloween card

Pop Culture Roundup Oct. 26, 2007

A 16-CD box set collecting the entire studio works of Pink Floyd is out Dec. 4.

Oh By the Way, due Dec. 4 internationally. For the time being, the limited pressing of 10,000 will only be available as an import in the United States.

The box spans Pink Floyd's 1967 debut, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," to its 1994 swan song, "The Division Bell," with a new portrait collage from longtime visual collaborator Storm Thorgerson. Also included is a 20" by 30" poster.

Each album is a reproduction of the original vinyl release, with the "Dark Side of the Moon" cover appearing on CD for the first time since the early 1990s.




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The "Lost" curse strikes again: Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Jin, is the third cast member to be busted for driving under the influence in Hawaii.

In December 2005, the Hawaii Five-O snagged a twofer, busting then Losties Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros on separate DUIs on the same highway within 15 minutes of each other. Both pleaded guilty to charges of driving under the influence, with Rodriguez even serving a brief jail stint for the offense. Both actresses met their demise by season's end.

Less than a year later, in September 2006, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was arrested on charges of driving without a license and disobeying an officer.


Best Lost Sites.

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The Milt Caniff estate is selling an exclusive online DVD collecting four episodes of the 1958-59 live-action "Steve Canyon" TV series. Profits from the disk will help fund restoration of the entire series, including all 34 episodes. More info here.

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Manga publisher Tokyopop names its 10 best-selling titles during its first decade of operations.



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The New York Times reviews a new documentary about director David Lynch.

Whether you dig “Lynch,” a feature-length video visit with the director David Lynch, will largely depend on your views of his work and whether you think there’s something instructive and characteristically wonderful and weird about him telling an assistant, “I want a one-legged 16-year-old girl.”



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Dial B for Blog wishes you a Bizarro Halloween.

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Cate Blanchett talks about playing Bob Dylan.

After watching the important Dylan documentaries and studying the press conferences he held during his 1966 tour (the footage supplied by Dylan's manager Jeff Rosen), Blanchett turned the singer into an asexual, creative imp. "He was a creature. You see him jumping around in Don't Look Back [the 1967 documentary] and he's completely androgynous." She was captivated by his defiant, occasionally cruel playfulness, behaving "like a cat with a mouse, with this girl in a French hotel room" and drawing a fake moustache on his own face.



Best Bob Dylan Sites.

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The Museum of Jewish History in Paris is presenting a Superman exhibition.

230 original drawings and printed works by major cartoonists and graphic novelists will be shown. The core of the exhibition will be the artists living and publishing in New York and their influence on European graphic storytelling as far as Jewish Memory is concerned.



Best Superman Sites.

Vintage comic book ad

Pop Artifact! Halloween ad

Not sure really what this is for, but I like the graphic.

Pop Culture Roundup Oct. 25, 2007

The London Times interviews Richard Lester, director of the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" The latter is now out as a remastered double DVD.

“If the film holds up,” Lester says of Help!, “it’s probably because silliness doesn’t date.” It was a silliness that, certainly during the filming of Help! in the Bahamas, was assisted by the Beatles’ consumption of vast quantities of the local herb.

“I didn’t demand a standard of professionalism and get stroppy with them,” says Lester. “If they wanted to indulge in certain substances, well, that’s fine.”


Best Beatles Sites.

---------------------

Comic book writer/editor Bob Greenburg has details on his upcoming "Essential Batman Encyclopedia."

The book will "...cover the whole history. Excepting comics based on Batman media properties, this should cover Batman's appearances across the DC Universe from 1939 through last month's titles.

I do my best to clearly explain all appearances on the parallel worlds, post-Crisis, post-Infinite Crisis, the new Multiverse, etc. Stuff that seems contradictory (the new Joker origin anyone?) is mentioned but being an encyclopedia, no analysis or judgment is made.


Best Batman Sites.

----------------------------

Via Journalista!: See rare strips Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson drew in his college days.

----------------------------

Love and Rockets cartoonist Jaime Hernandez provided this nifty promotional poster for Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour program on XM.



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New and upcoming action figures Oct. 24, 2007


New Teen Titans Action Figures from DC Direct
See Below

Complete List of Marvel Legends Action Figures
Complete List of DC Direct Action Figures

Here's a look at action figures available via your local comics shop or via the TIP!-supporting links below:

DC Direct Action Figures

DC Direct New Teen Titans Figures
--Jericho
--Robin
--Deathstroke
--Terra

DC Direct New Gods Figures
--Darkseid
--Lightray
--Mister Miracle
--Orion

DC Direct Matt Wagner Trinity Action Figures
--Superman
--Wonder Woman
--Batman
--Ras Al Ghul

DC Armory Action Figures
--Aquaman
--Batman
--Flamebird
--Nightwing

Superman Last Son Action Figures
--Last Son Superman
--Ursa
--Bizarro
--Zod

Shazam Action Figures
--Dr. Sivana
--Captain Marvel Jr.
--Mary Marvel
--Billy Batson and Hoppy
--Captain Marvel

Superman Vs. Doomsday
Doomsday
Lex Luthor and Robot
Solar Suit Superman
Superman

Batman and Son
Batman
Ninja Man-Bat
Robin and Daimin
The Joker

DC Direct Reactivated Action Figures
--Batman
--Wonder Woman
--Lobo
--Superman

DC 13-inch Figures
Green Lantern
Martian Manhunter
Nightwing
Classic Batman
Batgirl gray costume
Batgirl black costume

Elseworlds Action Figures Series 3
--Supergirl
--Batgirl
--Nightstar
--Kingdom Come Aquaman
--Red Son Green Lantern

First Appearance Series 4
--Blue Beetle translucent
--Blue Beetle
--Brave New World Atom
--Warlord
--Brave New World Martian Manhunter
--Brave New World Aquaman

Infinite Crisis Action Figures Series 1
--Powergirl
--Omac
--Mongul
--Earth Prime Superboy
--Alexander Luthor

JSA Action Figures
--Mr. Terrific
--Hawkgirl
--Dr. Midnite
--Hourman
--Golden Age Atom 2-pack

DC Direct Wonder Woman Series 1 Action Figures
--Wonder Woman
--Agent Diana Prince
--Circe
--Donna Troy as Wonder Woman

DC Direct New Frontier Series 2 Action Figures
--Batman
--Dr. Fate
--The Flash
--Martian Manhunter

Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer action figures
Battle Stretch Mr. Fantastic
Fire Blast Human Torch
Raging Thing
Force Field Invisible Woman
Silver Surfer
Lightning Attack Dr. Doom
Blast-off Human Torch
Super Strength Thing

Hanna Barbera Series 3 Action Figures
--Fred Flintstone Quittin' Time
--Twinkle Toes Fred Flintstone
--Great Grape Ape
--Huckleberry Hound
--The Jetsons
--Secret Squirrel
--Snagglepuss

McFarlane Lost series 3 action figures
--Sayid
--Desmond
--Claire
--Ben/Henry

Marvel Legends Action Figures

Hasbro Marvel Legends Fantastic Four Action Figures
--Mr. Fantastic
--Invisible Woman
--The Thing
--Human Torch
--Silver Surfer
--Dr. Doom
--Mole Man
--Sub-Mariner

Hasbro Marvel Legends Spider-Man Action Figures
--Sandman
--Venom
--Spider-Man (black costume)
--New Goblin
--Mary Jane
--Green Goblin
--Dr. Octopus

Hasbro Marvel Legends Figures Series 3
--Bucky Barnes
--First appearance Captain America
--Marvel Girl Rachel Grey
--Heroes for Hire Black Knight
--Hydra Soldier
--X-3 Colossus
--Astonishing X-Men Cyclops
--Danger

Hasbro Marvel Legends Series 4
--Nova
--Astonishing X-Men Beast
--Black Bolt
--Tigra
--First-appearance Daredevil
--Punisher

Hasbro Marvel Legends Icons 12-inch Action Figures
Series 4
--Cyclops
--Magneto

Marvel Legends Masterworks Sets
--Spider-Man Vs. Green Goblin
--Fantastic Four Vs. Mole Man
--Hulk Vs. The Thing
--Galactus Vs. Everybody

Marvel Select Figures

Best of Marvel Select Figures
--Grey Hulk
--Thanos
--Ultimate Spider-Man
--Green Goblin
--Mephisto

Marvel Sideshow Toys Figures
--Venom
--Black costume Spider-Man
--Spider-Man
--White Queen
--White Queen Exclusive

Pop Artifact! Creepy cat Halloween candy carrier

Pop Culture Roundup Oct. 24, 2007

The Costume Institute of America's (who knew there was such a thing) spring show at New York's Metropolitan of Art will focus on superhero outfits.

'Superheros: Fashion and Fantasy'. The exhibit will include creations from an eclectic mix of designers including Balenciaga, McQueen, Givenchy, Moschino, Gareth Pugh and Nike, to name just a few.

------------------

The first season of the Swamp Thing TV series will be collected in a four-DVD set out Jan. 22 from Shout! Factory. You can pre-order it now from Amazon.

-------------------

A few still photos are all that remains from a deleted scene featuring Paul McCartney and British actress Wendy Richards in the Beatles' "Help!"

"I was devastated. But I've met Paul since and it was lovely that he remembered me." Richards went on to star as Miss Brahms in BBC comedy Are You Being Served?

She joined Eastenders in 1985 playing frumpy Pauline Fowler for 22 years.




--------------------------------

Sharity: Hear Christoper Lee read Edgar Allen Poe and "The Exorcist."

Vintage comic book ad

New comics Oct. 24, 2007

See complete lists:
DC Archives
DC Showcase
DC Trade Paperbacks
Marvel Masterworks
Marvel Essentials
Marvel Trade Paperbacks


Click links to order discounted graphic novels from Amazon.

Comics shipping Oct. 24, 2007

DARK HORSE COMICS
AUG070015 CRIMINAL MACABRE MY DEMON BABY #2 (OF 4) $2.99
JUL070015 FEAR AGENT LAST GOODBYE #4 $2.99
JUN070053 STAR WARS DARK TIMES #6 $2.99

DC COMICS

AUG070235 ACTION COMICS #857 $2.99
AUG070309 AUTHORITY PRIME #1 (OF 6) $2.99
OCT050288 BEST OF THE SPIRIT TP $14.99
AUG070227 BLUE BEETLE #20 $2.99
AUG070197 COUNTDOWN 27 $2.99
AUG070246 COUNTDOWN SPECIAL THE FLASH 80-PAGE GIANT $4.99
AUG070199 COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY #2 (OF 8) $3.99
AUG058162 CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS TP $29.99
AUG070245 FLASH #233 $2.99
AUG070310 GEN 13 #13 $2.99
JUL070270 GON VOL 2 $5.99
AUG070215 GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #1 (OF 8) $2.99
JUL070193 GREEN ARROW YEAR ONE #6 (OF 6) $2.99
AUG078139 GREEN LANTERN #23 2ND PTG $2.99
AUG070226 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #17 $2.99
AUG070249 JLA CLASSIFIED #45 $2.99
JUL070249 JUSTICE LEAGUE ELITE VOL 2 TP $19.99
AUG070285 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #7 $2.25
JUL070284 RED MENACE TP $17.99
AUG070234 ROBIN #167 $2.99
JUL070275 SAMURAI COMMANDO MISSION 1549 VOL 2 $9.99
APR058268 SANDMAN VOL 2 THE DOLLS HOUSE TP $19.99
AUG070291 SCOOBY DOO #125 $2.25
AUG070238 SUPERMAN #669 $2.99
AUG070239 SUPERMAN BATMAN #41 $2.99
AUG078138 TALES OF THE SINESTRO CORPS PARALLAX #1 2ND PTG $2.99
AUG070223 TALES OF THE SINESTRO CORPS SUPERMAN PRIME #1 $3.99
AUG070260 TEEN TITANS #52 $2.99
AUG070222 UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #2 (OF 8) $2.99
JUL070274 VS (VERSUS) VOL 7 $9.99
AUG070317 WETWORKS #14 $2.99

IMAGE COMICS

JUN071891 ART OF GREG CAPULLO SC $24.99
AUG071979 CRAWL SPACE XXXOMBIES #1 $2.99
AUG072013 GLISTER #2 $5.99
JUN071916 INVINCIBLE #46 $2.99
JUN051836 NECROMANCER BACHALO CVR #1 $2.99
JUN051834 NECROMANCER MANAPUL CVR #1 $2.99
APR071874 PVP #35 (NOTE PRICE) $3.50
JUL071975 VELOCITY PILOT SEASON #1 $2.99
JUL071976 VELOCITY PILOT SEASON #1 CGC GRADED ED $69.99
SEP072032 WANTED GN (NEW PTG) $19.99

MARVEL COMICS

AUG072218 ALL NEW OFF HB MARVEL UNIV A TO Z UPDATE #4 $3.99
AUG072208 ANNIHILATION CONQUEST WRAITH #4 (OF 4) $2.99
AUG072211 BLACK PANTHER #31 $2.99
AUG072305 BLACK PANTHER FOUR HARD WAY TP $13.99
AUG072267 CABLE DEADPOOL #46 $2.99
AUG078020 CABLE DEADPOOL ZOMBIE VAR #46 (PP #784) $2.99
JUL072152 DAREDEVIL #101 $2.99
SEP052010 ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL 2 TP $16.99
JUN052071 ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL 6 TP $16.99
JUN072206 MAGICIAN APPRENTICE #10 (OF 12) $2.99
AUG072237 MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN #6 $2.99
AUG072197 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED MAN IN THE IRON MASK #4 (OF 6) $2.99
AUG072241 MARVEL SPOTLIGHT MARVEL ZOMBIES $2.99
JUL072180 MOON KNIGHT #13 CWI $3.99
AUG072252 SHE-HULK 2 #22 $2.99
AUG078092 SHE-HULK MCGUINNESS VAR #22 (PP #785) $2.99
AUG072307 SHE-HULK VOL 5 PLANET WITHOUT A HULK TP $14.99
AUG078093 SHE-HULK ZOMBIE VAR #22 (PP #785) $2.99
JUL072194 THUNDERBOLTS #117 $2.99
AUG072200 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #115 $2.99
AUG078023 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ZOMBIE VAR #115 (PP #784) $2.99
AUG072232 WHAT IF PLANET HULK $3.99
AUG072262 X-MEN #204 $2.99
AUG072272 X-MEN DIE BY THE SWORD #2 (OF 5) $2.99
AUG072268 X-MEN FIRST CLASS VOL 2 #5 $2.99

COMICS

SEP073289 AZUMANGA DAIOH OMNIBUS VOL 1 GN $24.99
AUG073452 BART SIMPSON COMICS #38 $2.99
AUG073729 BEOWULF #4 $3.99
AUG073385 BETTY #169 $2.25
AUG073296 CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL VOL 12 #12 $10.95
JUN073584 DISNEYS DUCKTALES BY MARV WOLFMAN SCROOGES QUEST TP $15.99
AUG074056 INDIA AUTHENTIC VISHNU #6 $2.99
JUL073877 INTO THE DUST #2 (OF 12) $2.99
AUG073391 JUGHEAD AND FRIENDS DIGEST #24 $2.49
JUN073413 LONE RANGER #9 $2.99
JUN073919 OWLY VOL 1 THE WAY HOME TP $10.00
AUG073393 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #116 $3.69
JUN073208 PARIS COLLECTION TP $10.95
JUL073429 SAVAGE TALES #4 $4.99
AUG073395 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #181 $2.25
AUG074410 SOUTHLAND TALES THE PRELUDE SAGA TP (RES) $29.95
FEB073075 STRANGERS IN PARADISE VOL 6 HIGH SCHOOL TP $8.95
JUL073630 TRANSFORMERS MEGATRON ORIGIN #4 $3.99
JUL073437 WITCHBLADE SHADES OF GRAY #3 (OF 4) (RES) $3.50

MAGAZINES

AUG074112 ALTER EGO #73 $6.95
AUG074136 NEWTYPE ENG ED NOV 2007 $12.98

Pop Artifact! "Batman" Halloween mask

Pop Culture Roundup Oct. 23, 2007

Here's a detailed overview of the recent lawsuits filed by family members of Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman and Superboy, against Time Warner, owner of DC Comics.

At stake is not just money but, potentially, the very future of the franchise. If the Siegel heirs prevail in winning back their copyrights, the result could be a similar challenge by the heirs of Superman’s co-creator, artist Joe Shuster. And if that challenge were successful, then Time Warner—which is currently developing a follow-up to last year’s film Superman Returns—could eventually find itself out of the Superman business altogether. How big is that business? Only Time Warner knows for sure (and it isn’t saying), but counting the Superman- and Superboy-related movies, TV shows, DVDs, books, comics, and merchandise, the conservative estimate is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

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Via Journalista!: See a nice collection of J. Allen St. John illustrations from vintage Tarzan stories.

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London's Sunday Times catches up with former-Kinks frontman Ray Davies, who just released his second solo album.

“I would like to work with him on a creative level again,” Davies says of his brother, who suffered a stroke only months after Davies was shot. “It’s something I really look forward to, as irksome and painful as it can be at times. But it’s the spark that made that unit function in the way it did. I miss that opposition. I’m not saying what I do now is unopposed, or that I don’t do a certain amount of self-criticism, but I do miss that continually having to prove my point.”

DVD new releases Oct. 23, 2007

DVD new releases Oct. 23, 2007

The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 2

The L Word - The Complete Fourth Season

Meet the Robinsons

Veronica Mars - The Complete Third Season

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service - The Fourth Season

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones - Volume One

Hostel - Part II (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Warner Directors Series - Stanley Kubrick (2001 - A Space Odyssey/ A Clockwork Orange/ The Shining/ Eyes Wide Shut/ Full Metal Jacket/ A Life in Pictures - Documentary)

Route 66 - Season 1, Vol. 1

Breathless - Criterion Collection

2001 - A Space Odyssey (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - Season 3, Volume 2

A Clockwork Orange (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Tales from the Crypt: The Complete Seventh Season

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians

The Adventures of Aquaman - The Complete Collection

The Shining (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Eyes Wide Shut (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Fantastic Planet

More upcoming DVDs

CD new releases Oct. 22, 2007

CD new releases Oct. 23, 2007

Raising Sand ~ Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Electric Jewels by T-Rex

Twin Peaks: All New Season Two Music by Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch

Live At Soundstage by Ringo Starr

Unreleased Works of Startling Genius by Fripp & Eno

Brit Box by Various Artists

More Upcoming CDs

Vintage comic book ad

Pop Artifact! Robin Halloween costume

Pop Culture Roundup Oct. 22, 2007

Deal alert: Amazon is offering 40 percent off the new Bob Dylan documentary/performance film "The Other Side of the Mirror: Live at Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965."

---------------

The fifth Doctor Who, Peter Davison, will meet up with the current incarnation, David Tennant, in a scene from an upcoming BBC "Children in Need" benefit TV special, the BBC reports.

The scene, entitled Time Crash, was written by award winning Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat, and will transmit as part of the Children in Need fundraising evening on Friday 16 November 2007.

"It is an honour for me to be able to make the connection between the Fifth Doctor and the Tenth Doctor," noted Peter Davison. "However, now is not the time for sound-bites. I can feel the hand of history on my shoulder, even if I can't do the buttons up!"




Best Doctor Who Sites.

---------------------------

The 30-year run of National Lampoon magazine will be released on DVD-Rom Oct. 26. You can order it here.

National Lampoon first published its leading edge humor magazine in April 1970, continuing until 1998. The magazine was known for its skewering and parodies of pop and counter-culture and was read by millions of fans across America. The edgy, irreverent magazine led National Lampoon into all media, with successes in radio, book publishing, live stage, and ultimately feature films. One of the funniest films of all time, “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” was based on a story in the magazine, as was the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” franchise. It was the magazine that started the development of National Lampoon into a household comedy brand.

------------------------------

Here's a German-language poster for Disney/Pixar's upcoming "Wall.E."



-------------------------------

The reunited (minus the late Viv Stanshall, of course) Bonzo Dog Band has made it's first new album in 35 years, reports Uncut magazine.

Pour L'Amour Des Chiens features 70 minutes worth of new material from Neil Innes and co, 28 tracks - one of which is their own rendition of Kaiser Chiefs' 'I Predict A Riot'.

The album, released on December 10, will also come with a bonus DVD - featuring previously unreleased live performances. Tracks include the classic 'Urban Spaceman' and 'Jollity Farm'.


Along with Innes and other original members Roger Ruskin Spear, Rodney Slater, 'Legs' Larry Smith, Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell, Sam Spoons and Bob Kerr, the album features performances by "new" Bonzos Adrian Edmondson, Phill Jupitus and British actor/writer Stephen Fry.



------------------------------

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