I am – Hercules!!
So many sublimely geeky things go on sale today. Were I forced to choose the best?
Ben Hawkins, who can heal with his hands, sneaks up to the home of Brother Justin, who can kill with his brain. The dwarf from “Twin Peaks” and “Mulholland Dr.” was plenty involved. We got to meet Management.
Many were disappointed that we didn’t get a third season with adorable Sophie and Lodz’s horny fat bearded girlfriend. The “cliffhanger,” with Sophie following pops Justin into the evil biz, was I felt a perfectly adequate series finale. I’m not sure the series had anyplace to go for a third season (with Ron Moore now off busying himself with his incredible SciFi spaceship show). I could be wrong.
But let’s anyway bid a fond farewell to the superheroic “Carnivale” cast: “Terminator Boy” Nick Stahl, “Highlander Lad” Clancy Brown, “Invisible Buffy Menace” Clea DuVall, “White Lodge Dude” Michael J. Anderson, “Mr. Murder One Gay Suliban” John Fleck, “Undeclared Lass” Carla Gallo, and “Original Swamp Babe” Adrienne Barbeau. You all rocked. With the hardness.
The other biggie this week, I say, is “Amazing Stories.” Caveman-like CGI title sequences and all, the series remains one of the most fascinating and nostalgic of all 1980s artifacts. The insanely (and unnervingly deservedly) popular Steven Spielberg, who made his bones directing episodes of “Columbo” and “Night Gallery,” returned to the small screen - following a 14-year hiatus that saw the production of “Jaws,” “Close Encounters,” “Raiders,” “Poltergeist” and “E.T.” - to direct “Amazing Stories” 1.1, starring Amy Irving, Lukas Haas and Drew Barrymore. And “Amazing Stories” 1.5, starring Kevin Costner, Anthony LaPaglia and Kiefer “Jacksack Gravitas” Sutherland.
“Lost in Space” vet Johnny Williams (of Leutonia) wrote the series’ musical theme. And though Spielberg directed none of the season-two episodes NBC greenlit, the series itself was “developed” by the extra-talented Joshua Brand and John Falsey, both of “St. Elsewhere,” “White Shadow” and “Northern Exposure” fame. Brand and Falsey collaborated on the teleplay of many a season-one ‘sode.
Aside from Spielberg, directors contributing to season one included Irvin Kershner (“The Empire Strikes Back”), Joe Dante (“Gremlins”), Matthew Robbins (“Dragonslayer”), William Dear (“Harry and the Hendersons”), Peter Hyams (“2010,” “Running Scared”), Donald Petrie (“Miss Congeniality,” “Just My Luck”), Burt Reynolds (“The End”), Martin Scorsese (“The Aviator”), Bob Clark (“A Christmas Story”), Lesli Linka Glatter (“Twin Peaks,” “Murder One,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “Gilmore Girls,” “The O.C.,” “The West Wing”) and Paul Bartel (“Eating Raoul”).
Aside from Brand and Falsey, writers contributing to season one included Richard Matheson (“The Raven,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Star Trek,” “Duel,” “The Night Stalker”), Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (“Splash,” “Parenthood,” “City Slickers,” “A League of Their Own”), Bob Gale (“Back to the Future”), Earl Pomerantz (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Cheers”), Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”), Menno Meyjes (“Empire of the Sun,” “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”), Mick Garris (“Critters 2,” “The Fly II,” “Hocus Pocus”), Gail Parent (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”), Stu Krieger (“The Land Before Time,” “In The Army Now”), Joseph Minion (“After Hours”), Michael De Guzman (“Jaws: The Revenge”) and Richard Christian Matheson (“Sheriff Lobo,” “The A-Team,” “Loose Cannons”).
Clint (“Million Dollar Baby”) Eastwood directed 1.12, “Vanessa in the Garden” from the first-ever teleplay by Steven Spielberg (!). Harvey “Winston Wolf” Keitel starred!!
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.: The Complete Series
is a sci-fi Western comedy created by Carlton Cuse, who today serves as a showrunner on "Lost." Entertainment Weekly gives this set an A-minus and praises Cuse and Bruce Campbell's commentary on the pilot.
Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry
Most of the seasons of “Friends,” one of the best sitcoms ever in Herc’s stupid opinion, is fucking 60% off, effective Christ knows when. That’s only $17.99 most seasons!! Could be the lowest price for this series ever. (Last week it was $29.88 per season!! Man!!) You have somebody in you life who would enjoy the antics of Chandler, Phoebe, Rachel, et al for Christmas and all eternity, this may be the time to strike!! The reduction may last an hour, it may last a month. Why dither?? Buy them all for your girlfriend!! Perhaps she will love you again!!
Friends
$17.99 The Complete First Season
$17.99 The Complete Second Season
$17.99 The Complete Third Season
$17.99 The Complete Fourth Season
$17.99 The Complete Fifth Season
$17.99 The Complete Sixth Season
$17.99 The Complete Seventh Season
$17.99 The Complete Eighth Season
$19.96 The Complete Ninth Season
$17.99 The Complete Tenth Season
Along the same “must-see” lines? A season of “Seinfeld” could run you as much as $32.47 last week. Look at the 56% off pricing now:
Seinfeld
$21.99 The Complete First and Second Seasons
$21.99 The Complete Third Season
$21.99 The Complete Fourth Season
$21.99 The Complete Fifth Season
$21.99 The Complete Sixth Season
TV-on-DVD Calendar
Last Week
Avatar 1.x Vol. 4
Bridezillas 1.x
Bridezillas 2.x
The David Steinberg Show: Best Of
A Different World 2.x
The Ellen Show: The Complete Series
ER 5.X
ER: The Complete First Five Seasons
I Dream of Jeannie 2.x
Masters of Horror: Homecoming
McCallum: The Complete Series
Murder in Suburbia 1.x
Perry Mason 1.x Vol. 1
Reno 911! 3.x
30 Days 1.x
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 1.x Vol. 2
Weeds 1.x
This Week
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.: The Complete Series
Amazing Stories 1.x
Avatar: The Last Airbender 1.x Vol. 4
Carnivale 2.x
The Incredible Hulk 1.x
Jack of All Trades: The Complete Series
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon
The Pee-Wee Herman Show
The Pretender 4.x
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Vol. 3
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Vol. 4
Queer Duck: The Movie
Reading Rainbow: Family Matters
Reading Rainbow: Man's Best Friend
Reading Rainbow: Music, Music Everywhere
Reading Rainbow: Ocean Life
Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes
She-Ra: Best Of
SpongeBob SquarePants: Karate Island
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: Taking Over The Tipton
Sybil: The Complete Miniseries
That's So Raven Vol. 4
Ultraman Vol. 1
July 25
All Creatures Great and Small 6.x
Allo Allo 5.x
American Musclecar 3.x
Animaniacs Vol. 1
The Boondocks 1.x
Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes
Dark Shadows Vol. 25
Galaxy High School Vol. 2
Invisible Man 2.x
JAG 1.x
Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour 3
La Femme Nikita 4.x
Miami Vice 1.x-2.x
Pinky and the Brain Vol. 1
The Prisoner: Complete Series Megaset
Punky Brewster 3.x
Rawhide 1.x
The Shirley Temple Storybook Collection
Tales From The Crypt 4.x
Three's Company 7.x
August 1
Alice In Wonderland: The Complete Miniseries <--- NEW!!
Beavis & Butt-head Vol. 3
Blue Collar TV 2.x
The Comeback: The Complete Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm 5.x
Dallas 5.x
The Girls Next Door 1.x
Good Times 6.x
Hazel 1.x
Star Trek: Klingon
August 8
Beautiful People 1.x
The Brak Show Vol. 2
Candid Camera: Greatest Moments <--- NEW!!
Farscape 4.x Vol. 2 <--- NEW!!
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 4.x
Grounded For Life 3.x
Laguna Beach 2.x
Noah's Arc 1.x
Prison Break 1.x
Sealab 2021 4.x
The Wire 3.x
The Wire 1.x-3.x
Xiaolin Showdown 1.x
August 15
The Flying Nun 2.x
Full House 4.x
Full House 1.x-4.x
Hogan's Heroes 4.x
Hong Kong Phooey: The Complete Series
The Jeffersons 5.x
Magilla Gorilla: The Complete Series
Masters of Horror: Haeckel's Tale
Masters of Horror: Jenifer
Masters of Horror: Jenifer/Haeckel's Tale
Remington Steele 4.x/5.x
Rome 1.x
The Simpsons 8.x
Surface: The Complete Series
3rd Rock From the Sun 5.x
The Weird Al Show: The Complete Series
