Are Special Editions worth getting and giving?

One of the big ticket items of any holiday season is the Special Edition,that packed with goodies version of a film or book that you may already have on your shelves. How valuable these pumped up gift packs may become in the future is a strong motivation for some to stock up on them,but not always a wise investment choice(just ask those Beanie Baby collectors or the guys who bought every "multi-cover" edition of certain comic books back in the 1990s about that).

Some times,it is best to wait for the definitive edition of a favorite book or film to add to your personal library,even if it takes longer than expected for it to be on the market.

When Kevin Smith's Dogma first became available on DVD,it was in a no frills-just-the-movie-only format. I held off on getting it and was thrilled when the Special Edition was finally out. Smith's movies tend to be ripe with deleted scenes that are actually worth watching and my patience definitely paid off there.



Other times,especially when the need to watch every dollar is crucial,it may feel rather self indulgent to get an extra version. The cure for that is to give it to someone else instead,particularly a person who either hasn't gotten the chance to enjoy this entertainment item yet or who needs a fresh new copy.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,for example,has an Heirloom Edition(a sturdy hardcover)with the added bonus of colorized illustrations,a new preface written by co-author Seth Grahame-Smith and extra pages of full out Regency zombie action slipped into the original story line.

While it sounds like an ideal holiday gift for that Jane Austen/horror fan on your list,it may be very tempting to keep this one on hand for yourself(or at least read it before it's wrapped). Should be good enough to tide folks over until a movie version gets made:





For younger fantasy fans,there's a Deluxe Edition of Christopher Paolini's third volume of the Inheritance,Brisingr,which includes extra scenes written into the book along with a removable poster and a translation guide to the dwarf runes mentioned in the earlier books.



To add a extra cherry to the dragon sundae,a specially made companion book called Eragon's Guide to Alagaesia is coming out along side it. It's an interactive collection of maps and other tidbits about the magical realm that Paolini's characters dwell in and since the possibilities of another Eragon movie being made are as slim as the ones for The Golden Compass sequels,this might be as good as it gets for Eragon's literary followers:





As much as I love certain classics,special anniversary editions of anything can be really overdone. The Wizard of Oz is an all time favorite film of mine but even if I had the do-re-mi to spare,this 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition seems to be a bit much with four discs of extras,a couple of reproductions of promotional items for the film during it's first theatrical run and a watch to boot.

The movie probably looks amazing,but spending all of that money for a Blu Ray disc(even with the extra geegaws tossed in)in a big fancy box just seems to be one of those luxury indulgences more suited to celebrity cinema geeks than the average fan girl/boy. I wouldn't be surprised to see this sucker in one of those award show goodie bags they hand out to the presenters,even with the mandatory tax declaration attached to it:



I guess these things are really in the eye of the beholder in terms of value. During this upcoming holiday season,where shopping for gifts can be seen by some as a measure of your affection to that certain someone on your list,it's important to not just get the most pricey item on display but one that truly means something to the receiver.

If a special edition will be truly special to a friend or relative,then it's worth the money. However,sometimes it's best to keep it simple and think pudding,as Lorelai Gilmore would say:

Top Chef Reunion Dinner blues,V invades the airwaves and the Poker Girls fold their hand on TAR

Our regular season of Top Chef was put on pause as a reunion dinner of past TC players was held instead. Season 5 fan favorite Fabio was the host and the guest list included other faves from the past such as Harold and Tiffani from S1,Carla and Stefan from S5,Casey,Dale and Hung(S3),plus Lisa and Richard from S4.

The infamous TC knife block was hauled out and used to decide which set of chefs would be making which course of the meal(that they cooked themselves). It wasn't really a challenge,more like an excuse to have everyone back in the kitchen again. The food looked great and there were no complaints in that department.

Two of the most anticipated guests were Marcel and Ilan from Season Two and I have to say it was good to see both of them get along. While Marcel admitted they would never be "BFFs",he still considers Ilan to be a "culinary brother from another mother." Also,Carla got the chance to let Casey know that there were no hard feelings about her input during that next to last Elimination challenge that many felt took Carla out of the running for the Season 5 win:



Fabio was a decent host,but I really felt that he kept pushing Marcel too much about the head shaving incident that still has a nasty aftertaste clinging to it. While Fabio had a point about if you didn't want to talk about that,don't go on the show but Marcel has every right not to go over that again on air or off,if he doesn't want to. That's how I feel about it,anyway.

Next week,Season Six gets back on board as Padma and Nigella Lawson ask for breakfast in bed from the remaining chefs. Looks like some of them are really not morning people:





The remake of the sci-fi miniseries V debuted this week,this time as a regular TV series. The basic premise is the same;the world is shocked and in awe as several giant spaceships surround major cities,bearing rather attractive and human looking aliens who promise "We are of peace...always."

Naturally some folks are not that trusting of these Visitors in their fancy Trojan horse vehicles handing out miracle cures and friendly smiles,so a resistance movement is quickly underway. While I'm not so sure that this updated version of V will top the old school one,the show is off to a good start. Head Visitor and sexy spokeswoman Anna(Morena Baccarin) does have a nice Jane Badler vibe about her,which helps a lot:





It was a harrowing stretch towards the end of this last leg of The Amazing Race,as Brian and Ericka got a slow start from a Roadblock that involved counting bells in an old tower and Poker Girls Maria and Tiffany went back and forth between the two Detour challenges.

At one point,it looked like Brian and Ericka were on their way out as they forgot to use bicycles to get from one location to another(as per instructions)and had to take a 30 minute penalty at the Pit Stop for that.

Fortunately for them,the Poker Girls had trouble no matter which Detour they chose. Neither of them could ring the bell before the dance challenge and their golf skills were sub par at best.

Phil actually had to go out to them on the golf course to accept their withdrawal from the race,something I haven't seen him do since that hay rolling Roadblock a couple of seasons back. Ironically enough,that bit is coming up on the next leg of the race as a blast from the past-good luck,gang,you're gonna need it!:



RANDOM NOTES:

KATHY GRIFFIN:BALLS OF STEEL-If you haven't seen Kathy's latest stand up special,don't despair,folks. It'll be repeated like crazy over the weekend,even with the Bravo S&P department going nuts over clearance for her comments about the likes of Oprah,Barbara Walters and Britney Spears(as well as the Kayne West/Taylor Swift incident):

The state of the book nation,on and off line

On the Today Show this morning,John Grisham did an interview to promote his newest work,a collection of short stories called Ford County,which has been one of the ten titles being heavily discounted in the current book pricing war online.

Grisham was asked for his opinion about that(including the letter sent by the ABA to the Justice department)and while he admitted that it wouldn't affect him much financially,it would become a long term problem for future writers trying to break into the business.

Grisham also expressed concern about the rise of the e-book,which has a number of controversies of it's own regarding fair prices and release dates. He worries about how the impact and availability of e-books and readers may drive some folks out of business. While authors such as Sherman Alexie have expressed major doubts about just great the Kindle is,for example,it's cool to see one of the major literary players in the field talk about this,too:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I had a bit of a debate online recently,at Booksquare,regarding e-books that didn't go very well. To be fair,I wasn't the most gracious commenter(I referred to e-readers as a "shiny new toy" and a Tonka product as well)and probably didn't make some of my points as succinctly as I could have,but my dander was up at some of the statements made in the article and I felt like fighting back.

What got me so riled up was the section of the post regarding the delayed e-book release of Under The Dome(it'll be available online by the end of December)and Stephen King's support of that,in his words-"“It’s time to give the smaller bookstores a little breathing room (although not much chance of that, with Walmart offering Dome for nine bucks.)”

The lady writing the article thought it was "stupid" of both King and the publisher,not to mention knocking the ABA for not having a "serious and robust" e-book sales system,and had this to say about the practice of staggering e-book vs. print releases:

"When publishers justify this behavior by noting staggered releases have long been the norm (”that’s how we’ve always done it”), they discount the reader, especially the rabid, money-paying, willing to buy books reader. Yeah, I should be treated with deference. I should get preferential treatment. I want to pay for these books right now, not borrow them from a library or a friend, not buy them used". (Note,the sentences in bold are done so by me,to highlight what got me mad)

Again,I wasn't the best or the most polite speaker on the subject but I still stand by my statement that I don't see why releasing the e-book edition a little later than the print edition is such a huge deal. Since I've never used an e-reader myself or downloaded an e-book,I don't know all of the facts regarding this issue.

In general,as someone who has had to wait for a must-read/have book to be out in paperback or just out,period,isn't waiting part of the fun? I can reasonably see the need for protest if there's a ridiculous amount of time between the releases-several months instead of a few weeks,for example-or constantly changing due dates. Getting mad at the standard rate of release simply because you're not getting what you want exactly when you want it seems a bit immature,to me.

Also,as a book lover who does own more than one copy of a singular title(both classic and contemporary),I don't think it's wrong for publishers to assume that some readers will buy both the print and the electronic version of a book. Some people will always have an either/or stance about how they want their books and others will take it anyway they can get it. Maybe I'm old school about this,but so be it then.



While I have nothing against the e-book market or fans of it,I do have concerns about certain segments of society the world over being shut out due to economic conditions and the attitudes of a loud and angry few that insist that print is a dying format and everyone should all be in praise and service of the e-book.

The truth as I see it is this;while the publishing and the reading world will ultimately have to make some changes for this new literary outlet,it won't kill off the print book entirely.

The main reason for that is money-no matter how affordable or convenient it will be to own an e-reader and download a book,there will always be those who either can't afford or won't use it. Any smart business knows how to keep the profits rolling in from all segments of the consumer base and despite whatever disagreements you may have about the publishing industry,there are plenty of smart people at the helm there.

Not everyone who enjoys and promotes the e-book has such an antagonistic take on the subject;many of them are die hard readers who put forth their concerns and suggestions for improvement in thoughtful,articulate ways and we can all get along with each other. I just get irked at the notion that one set of readers are "better" than the other and should be deferred to over the rest.



Just as video really didn't kill the radio star or TV watching banish the notion of going out to the movies,e-books and print books can co-exist and satisfy as many audiences as they each and both can.

I do think Grisham has a point about many book stores and publishers being shut down due to the advancement of the e-book's popularity but I also believe that several of them will adapt to the changing times and either successfully adjust to them or new ones will come along to take their place.

In conclusion,while things are rough all over for both readers and publishers alike,I still have faith in the power of the written word to triumph in the end. The technology may change but books and their hold over a reader will stay the same. The hurdles that new writers may be facing in the near future(or sooner than we think)to reach their audiences are as hard to climb as the ones in front of those who came before them,but just remember,folks-bookworms know how to crawl right under them to reach the promised land:

Some prime Oscar bait set out for your consideration

The Academy Awards for 2010 are set for March 7,but the buzz is still growing strong for many of the films being released this fall. The pace for the Oscar race has always been fast and furious,especially for movies put at the back of the pack due to not being major fall releases.

It's no secret that many of the nominees in major categories are chosen from those flicks that make their on screen presence just before or during the holiday season and the race for Best Picture will be even more fierce now that the number of movies up for that big honor has been extended from five to ten.

With that in mind,let's take a gander at some up and coming contenders for this season that will be battling it out at the box office as well as for those Academy votes and see how they stack up:



PRECIOUS

This movie is getting some serious talk,with plenty of praise from the film festival circuit following it to theaters this Friday. Not only does the chance of Mo'Nique getting a Best Supporting Actress nom for her portrayal of the abusive mother of the title character,a barely literate teenager pregnant with her second child(played by Gabourey Sidibe,who has "break out star" written all over her)seem to be a safe bet,but just about everyone connected to this film appears to have a real shot at Oscar gold.

Precious is based on the novel Push by Sapphire,a book that's had a strong following for years and judging from what's been said and shown,the movie does more than justice to the harrowing realism that readers have experienced from the story. Literary adaptations are like catnip to Academy voters,so Precious will be become very valuable viewing, indeed:





THE LOVELY BONES

Another highly anticipated book to screen adaptation,The Lovely Bones also has the added cache of a director like Peter Jackson,one of the few behind the scenes folks in Hollywood who can make your eyes pop from all of the dazzling F/X and at the same time,bring true emotional depth to characters in even the most fantastical of settings.

The actors will have a shot at being up for the awards,particularly leading lady Saoirse Ronan,who made a big enough splash in Atonement to get a Best Supporting Actress slot last year and may make the big leagues again. However,it's a tussle for technical vs. artistic consideration here and with Jackson on board,both ends of the spectrum may be well represented:





THE BLIND SIDE

This seems to be a real showpiece for Sandra Bullock,who's making her Erin Brockovich bid for Best Actress with this based on a true story flick about a homeless young man being taken in by a kindly suburban family that helps him be the best that he can be,on and off the football field.

I like Sandra Bullock,always have, and if The Blind Side can give her a way out of the cinematic purgatory that movies like The Proposal, All About Steve and Premonition have put her in lately,more power to Sandy,I say:





THE YOUNG VICTORIA

Costume dramas make Academy votes drool on command and British actresses playing renowned English queens can cause a few of them to faint with delight. All of that gives Emily Blunt a running start for a Best Actress spot for The Young Victoria,where the lady who ruled along side her Prince Albert gets her early days examined for the movie going masses.

It also helps that she's surrounded by a respectable cast of classic Brits such as Jim Broadbent,Miranda Richardson and Paul Bettany and don't be surprised if Rupert Friend gets a Best Supporting Actor nod as Victoria's beloved spouse and soul mate. Seeing a true power couple in love on screen will definitely melt some of those cynical hearts in Celebrity Land:





NINE

The only real obstacle I can see for this movie,nomination wise,is confusion as to which number nine is up for the technical awards-with District 9 and the stop motion animated #9,things could get a bit tangled there.

Otherwise,this should be smooth sailing-Rob Marshall is still well remembered for bringing that Broadway baby Chicago to life on the silver screen and having the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis and Nicole Kidman,plus Penelope Cruz, Judy Dench and the legendary Sophia Loren,in the cast is pretty much a guarantee that you could bring to the bank(one that's still solvent,that is):





Best of luck to all of these films,come Oscar time,and if I'm wrong about my predictions,I hope those not up for the gold will not pull a Faith Hill at the CMAs or,heaven forbid,a Kayne West of any sort.

While it may get you some much needed extra exposure from the tabloid media,such tantrums are just not worth it. Holding on to your dignity after such a professional disappointment is what separates the true performers from the fame seeking hacks. The real winners should be the audiences,who get to see the best of what the art of cinema can offer:

Jane Austen zombie mania refuses to die!

Halloween may be over but the love of Jane Austen and zombies is far from dead and gone. The good folks at Quirk Classics have announced on their shiny new website the title of the third volume in their monster mash-up series,which will be a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is the subtitle and a new co-author has been named as well,Steve Hockensmith,whose mystery novels have earned him nominations for such literary honors as the Edgars,the Shamus and the Anthony awards.

While some of us may long for the original P&P&Z collaborator Seth Grahame-Smith to make a return here,no doubt that we'll be seeing more from him in some form or another in the future.



Some of you out there may be going "Zombies again?" and while I also want to see more that those particular ghouls invade the English countrysides that Our Dear Jane(and other writers of her ilk)envisioned for the ages,you can't deny the sway that zombies hold over the pop culture imagination these days.

It's between them and vampires at the moment,with werewolves hoping to make a comeback and I can understand the need to stick with what works. Combine that with the high regard that Jane Austen fans have for Pride and Prejudice and it's easy to see why this seemingly far fetched literary creation has become the biggest thing since peanut butter and jelly to the pop culture reading public:





The gang at Quirk have already proven themselves to be ready and willingly witty in remixing Jane Austen with traditional otherworldly menaces as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters splashed successfully to shore this fall.

The efforts to make that fearsome follow-up known were delightful to behold and with any luck, readers eager to tackle the latest in Austen related terror will have before them just as humorously horrid a book trailer for Dawn of the Dreadfuls as was bestowed upon S&S&SM. The fans would surely devour it with as much glee as a unspeakable would a banquet of brains:





The concept of prequels,sequels and inspired by the original novels are not new to Jane Austen fans who are as divided upon the subject as any political party can be on just about anything before a major election day.

Nearly every major book by Austen has had it's share of continuations of the story beyond it's original ending,tales written from the point of view of minor characters and even mystery stories with either Jane's characters or Miss Austen herself as the detective on the case.

The quality of those books is debatable but enjoyable to many readers,some of whom found their way to Austen thru these works just as a number of P&P&Z fans have. With that in mind,I think we can all agree that any excuse to rediscover the classics is worth taking.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is due to roam the earth in March of 2010 and while you wait for your sinister second helping of Austen zombie ragout,kill some time by catching up on some of those classic horror movies that focus on the living dead with all sorts of social metaphors on the side. Or you could just enjoy the on screen brain eating, in and out of nonliving color:

Celebrate this Halloween in costume party style

Tonight is the night before Halloween and while many of us are frightened enough as it is by the evening news,there's something even scarier going on that threatens to make not only this but future All Hallow's Eve celebrations a watered down Brady Bunch version of it's former self.

Many school districts are insisting upon kids dressing up in what they consider "appropiate" costumes on Halloween,such as food items and animals and forbidden to have accessories like fake nails or even allowed to be scary! What kind of a world are we living in where a kid can't be a vampire or a nice ax murderer for their school's Halloween parade,honestly?



Don't get me wrong,folks-I understand the need to maintain order in the classroom and not incur any lawsuits from Little Timmy's overzealous use of his ninja sword on the playground.

However,Halloween is meant to be a time to get a bit weird and wild,particularly in the costume choice department. After all,that's what makes a Halloween costume party worth going to,to check out what your friends and neighbors decided to become for one night only. It's a time honored tradition and cool costumes are a part of that.

Speaking of costume parties,let's look at a few pop culture reasons why we need to exercise our freedom of costume choice:

GIVE THE KIDS SOMETHING TO DO: After a long round of trick or treating,kids are in need of an excuse to keep their costumes on,plus blow off more of that sugar fueled energy built up during the day. As for the fear factor,there are more things to be scared of than another youngster's blood dripping Scream mask,like bobbing for apples too close for comfort with a dog or missing out on all of the fun,thanks to the Great Pumpkin:



GOOD GHOULISH FUN FOR GROWNUPS: Some folks never lose that childhood spirit of Halloween fun and having kids only gives them more of an excuse to dress up on October 31. Even with the young ones out of the picture,the adults are capable of scaring each other at a social gathering without resorting to masks and makeup. Showing up in the same outfit as someone else and running into an old romantic partner is way more terrifying:



STRETCHING YOUR CREATIVE BOUNDARIES: You don't have to hold a costume party on Halloween,you can have one any time for any reason. What makes a non Halloween costume get-together more of a creative challenge is giving it a theme,like your favorite personal heroes or as a tribute to a pop culture icon. Just be sure to do more than slap on a wig and a nametag or no one will blame your date for leaving you at the door:



BE ABLE TO HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT: Another advantage of costume balls is the ability for superheroes to keep their secret identity safe while seeking out evil doers in public. Unfortunately,it also gives the bad guys the same opportunity and lookalike foes extra sneaky stealth points:



Perhaps some of this hysteria about children's costumes will fade away over time and allow both kids and adults the chance to attend Halloween celebrations without fear of social reprisal again. Just remember,you Halloween hall monitors out there,if you don't let the kids get it out of their systems now,they'll grow up with a burning desire to freak you out and may do something even worse than you could imagine,like revive the boy band craze! Happy Halloween to everyone else:

Top Chef gets more than meats the eye,Mad Men showdowns and a leap of faith that determines the fate of a TAR team

The Quickfire challenge on Top Chef this week had a nice pop culture favor to it,as the chefs were asked to make a gourmet TV dinner based on a well known TV series. Kevin's show was The Sopranos and his meatballs with polenta pleased both Padma and guest judge Paul Bartolotta enough to get him a win,plus his meal will be included in a line of TC frozen foods.



Bryan Voltaggio came in second with a meatloaf and mashed potato entree inspired by M*A*S*H,a smart idea,in my opinion. Mikey I's Seinfeld food was a flop,due to his having never seen the show(Dude,there are reruns!)and his meal having nothing to do with the sitcom at all. Eli was no better,getting Gilligan's Island and not adding any coconut! I don't care if the show is "twenty years before my TV time",again,reruns!



On to the Elimination Challenge,where everyone had to cook a dish for the judges and several guests at Judge Tom's restaurant,Craftsteak. All the chefs were like"Cool,a steakhouse challenge!",forgetting that like a M. Night Shyamalan movie,there's always a twist.

Judge Tom introduced them to special guest judge Natalie Portman,who was bringing her friends along for the meal and by the way,she's a vegetarian! Sweet irony,folks. So everyone had to make a vegan plate,offering up some type of protein equivalent to make it an entree course.



Most of the dishes offered up were rather slight in portion. Michael Voltaggio put out a banana polenta with an asparagus salad and Japanese tomato sashimi,which he seemed to think would knock them all of the park. It was well received by the diners with a mix of "huh?" and "pretty tasty" that apparently Michael V was going for.



Next to him in the winner's circle was Eli,with his eggplant confit,lentils with garlic puree and radish salad. At least the eggplant gave some texture to the plate,but it looked more like an appetizer that a main course to me.



The winner was Kevin,who was the only chef out of all of them who gave the diners a hearty meal. His duo of mushrooms with smoked kale(which Natalie Portman loves)and turnip puree and candied garlic may not have been pretty but it was a satisfying dish.

Michael V. spewed some sour grapes in the aside interviews,griping how Kevin made such a "basic" dish that he could've pulled off first year in cooking school. Well,if it's so basic,buddy,why didn't you make something like that,hmm?

He's shown himself to be such a grim faced SOB over the past few weeks who shows little pleasure in actually making food for people to enjoy(his brother is not as bad,but competing directly against Michael draws him close to the edge)that I hope he doesn't make it to the Finale. A Top Chef is someone who others would want to work with and for,plus be inspired by and Michael V. is none of those things here.



On the bottom again was Robin,who made a visually appealing plate but the food was very salty. She was happy about doing a vegan challenge but chose to use ingredients that she's never worked with before like fresh garbanzo beans and stuffed squash blossom,not a smart move there.



Jennifer was along side her,due to her charred baby eggplant with braised fennel and tomatoes that barely qualified as a full dish. It's a shame because Jennifer can cook amazing food and work well with others but she gets incredibly tense when the smallest thing goes off that it affects her plates. She served up her verjus nage sauce table side and her hands were shaking so badly that even Stevie Wonder could see her coming and want to duck.



Mikey Isabella wound up packing his knives and going home for his roasted leeks that were a mushy mess and raw to boot. He blamed that on a problem in the kitchen but those suckers looked vile during his stove time and the carrots and fingerling potatoes on the side weren't good enough to make for that. I think that he really went home for his "whatever!" attitude about the whole thing.

Next week,there's going to be a TC reunion dinner and with Marcel at the table,things will get very heated indeed:






The Amazing Race was still in Dubai when a major breakdown between one of the teams occurred,over a water slide of all places. The task before going to the Pit Stop was to go down the "Leap of Faith" slide at a seaside hotel and Mika was terrified of heights(why anyone who has such a fear signs up for this show to begin with)and totally freaked out. Her boyfriend Canaan didn't help matters much by yelling at her and almost shoving her down the slide twice!

Canaan got mad at the Globetrotters for adding a little fuel to the fire,but the guys were way behind and needed to get their chance to get ahead as much as Mika and Canaan did. Besides,Flight Time and Big Easy have been very fair and generous players on TAR and I'm glad they're still in the running:





There were a couple of major confrontations on Mad Men this week,the big one being between Betty and Don over his past. Betty decided to face off with him about the evidence of his Dick Whitman life locked away in his desk(why Don didn't destroy some of that stuff after Pete tried to blackmail him that time is beyond me)and lucky for him that his schoolteacher sweetie,who was out in the car, didn't decide to knock on the front door and make things a thousand times worse.

It was a quite a moment for both characters and altho,Betty seemed more upset about Don having another wife than anything else,she showed some real strength with him while revealing some sensitivity toward his plight. How their lives will go on after this,it's hard to tell:



A briefer and more satisfying showdown happened between Joan and her loser husband Greg,who was whining about how he "did everything he was supposed to" and still couldn't become the big league surgeon that he planned to be. Joan's a pragmatic gal but even she has her breaking point and proved it right over his thick head. Good for her!:



RANDOM NOTES:

LEGEND OF THE SEEKER: Season Two is coming up soon,starting November 7 on a syndicated station near you. The plot line this time around will be based on Terry Goodkind's Stone of Tears and loads of new developments are on the horizon,along with a few familiar,if unwanted by some,faces: