September's already here and we're ferociously hurtling our way towards Christmas day faster than we'd like. Pay day's just been and we've only a short while left to spend money on ourselves before we need to start splashing out on everyone around us. What's worth buying, then? Here's 10 TV and film-related bits and bobs you need in your shopping basket...
These are very special indeed. Their the kind of thing you buy and then lock away in a cupboard never to be seen again because they're just far too delicate (and expensive) to risk damaging. A pair of nifty blood-splattered Dexter-branded sunglasses from Look/See will set you back $150, but any true Dexter fan won't be able to resist the gorgeous 'trophy box' replica they come in, complete with a few slides for 'display purposes'. Look/See - you're giving pyschos out there ideas! When the glasses are on your face there's gonna be a huge empty space in that box and they're gonna wanna fill it! You can get them here, but there's only 500 being made, so be quick!
In case you don't already know, Lockout is easily one of the most understated movies of the year. It's a ruddy good sci-fi romp that harks back to when the genre used to be fun - and, it doesn't need to get its tits out to prove it. Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace create the perfect 'odd couple' leads, allowing for plenty of comic moments to make you giggle through to the end, and Misfits' Joseph Gilgun stars as a complete nut job who'll make you, well, laugh and gasp. If you're stuck figuring out which DVD to rent this month, or buy, or even illegally download if you're naughty like that, Lockout should definitely get your attention. Special features include interviews with the cast and and a bunch of deleted scenes. Check it out on Amazon.
With series 2 in full swing on Sky1, it's either time that you caught up and grabbed series 1 on DVD, or you make sure that you've got something to go back to when the new stuff's finish and you've got a large Trollied-shaped hole in your life. Valco has proved itself to be one of the funniest places to find a Britcom since Fawlty Towers. The incredibly relatable day-to-day retail adventures of Gavin, store manager, and Julie, deputy manager, are LOL-worthy and wonderfully intricate, as they do their upmost to keep their rather slack employees in check; witty butchers Andy (who you can also find in Game of Thrones) and Kieran, as well as dear ol' Margaret, star of the Valco ads! Each ep is a very pleasant 20 minutes well spent. Get it here.
BOOM, CRASH, WHALLOP, BANG, ROAR, KABLAMMO! Alright, as stated in HCTV's review back in July, the soundtrack was turned up far too loud in the movie, so much so that it was very difficult to make out what Batman was mumbling. Here however, you can enjoy it all by itself, without the moving pictures, pointy rubber ears and mindless blabber to distract you from its overwhelmingly explosive beauty. Hans Zimmer is fast becoming a musical legend, and so are his scores. Bag the disc here, and why not check out his brilliantly boomy music for Inception too, or listen to him add a comical touch for The Simpsons movie.
5. Cineworld Unlimited card - £14.99 per month
Cineworld certainly give across the impression that they care for their customers, so why not take advantage of the most brilliant thing they've ever come up with to please us? Cineworld's unlimited card means you can watch as many movies as your tiny mind can handle, whenever you fancy it, for as little as £14.99 a month! (It's £17.99 if you plan to use it in the West End.) So, go and watch two movies a month and the piece of plastic's already paid for itself. On top of that, Cineworld give Unlimited card holders money off food throughout the week and if you've been a member for over a year, you're rewarded with an exciting 'platinum' card, which is a bit like being given the philosopher's stone. Sort of. Sign up here.
6. Metal Gear Solid HD collection - £32
Presumably you've heard the good news about a Metal Gear Solid movie finally, officially, being announced? Well - now you know! It's true, the stealthy cinematics from the games will reach the big screen in only a matter of time. Until then, why not play through some of the old classics? PS2's Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and it's sequel, Snake Eater, are bundled together for Xbox & PS3 in a shiny looking 'HD collection', which appears to be a new 'fad' in the gaming world. You'll be glad MGS was a part of it. Buy it here and spend the rest of the month hiding under cardboard boxes.
7. The Dalek Collection on DVD - £6
Love Daleks? Hated 'Asylum of the Daleks'? If your answer to the first question was a yes that sounded a little more like an orgasm than a 'yes', it'd be shocking if the answer to the second question was also a yes (especially shocking if the second yes was just as orgasmic)! It was a tremendously poor Dalek ep and, although Russel T Davies had a few too many terrible eps of his own, it might be worth reminding yourself of how cool the Daleks were back in the beginning (the second beginning, that is), before they became overused. Such potential, such menace. Then, Davros, the most psychotic Dalek genius who ever lived, and his entire army of merciless killing machines were defeated by none other Donna Noble.. Is there a way to come back from that? Grab a Dalek-filled DVD right here!
8. Avengers Assemble on Blu-Ray - £16
The Avengers proved that a superhero film needn't be a humungous waste of money! It kept hold of a 'comic book-style sense of humour' while putting its characters under immense stress, causing them to get all emotional and stuff. As a result, we believed what we were watching. Sure, looking back, it's not the perfect movie and the story is resolved a little too simply considering such an apparently huge, universe ending situation was playing out. Never mind though! Pick up a copy even if it's just for the Hulk - he had all the best bits. It can be all yours on 17th September - go here.
9. The 'villain chair' - £4500
For those of you reading who've more money than sense, or if you're an evil genius, there's something available on Firebox that you might just want/need. All the best, most evil villains have one - a chair. A suitably evil chair, mind. It's got to hold just as much of a presence as the mastermind sat in it. Looking as if it's been stolen from Dr Evil's secret lair, this almighty swivelly seat of villainy that'd turn every one of Bond's bad guys green with envy could be yours for a measly £4,500. You'll probably have to rob a few banks first...
10. Tom Daley's book - 'My Story' - £8
And finally - it's September, summer's coming to a close (straight after that last minute Indian summer we're always expecting!) and the Olympics is over and out for another four whole years. We all desperately want to keep hold of that 'Olympic spirit' a little longer, so what better book to read than Tom Daley's? The rain's going to be pouring down before you know it, so bury yourself under the bed covers, open this book, pull your pants down around your ankles and forget it's nearly Christmas by bashing one out all over the seemingly never ending collection of pictures of Tom Daley wearing very little. Seriously though, he has quite an amazing story to tell, and there's all sorts of interesting info about diving inside too! Order a copy here.
Cineworld certainly give across the impression that they care for their customers, so why not take advantage of the most brilliant thing they've ever come up with to please us? Cineworld's unlimited card means you can watch as many movies as your tiny mind can handle, whenever you fancy it, for as little as £14.99 a month! (It's £17.99 if you plan to use it in the West End.) So, go and watch two movies a month and the piece of plastic's already paid for itself. On top of that, Cineworld give Unlimited card holders money off food throughout the week and if you've been a member for over a year, you're rewarded with an exciting 'platinum' card, which is a bit like being given the philosopher's stone. Sort of. Sign up here.
Presumably you've heard the good news about a Metal Gear Solid movie finally, officially, being announced? Well - now you know! It's true, the stealthy cinematics from the games will reach the big screen in only a matter of time. Until then, why not play through some of the old classics? PS2's Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and it's sequel, Snake Eater, are bundled together for Xbox & PS3 in a shiny looking 'HD collection', which appears to be a new 'fad' in the gaming world. You'll be glad MGS was a part of it. Buy it here and spend the rest of the month hiding under cardboard boxes.
Love Daleks? Hated 'Asylum of the Daleks'? If your answer to the first question was a yes that sounded a little more like an orgasm than a 'yes', it'd be shocking if the answer to the second question was also a yes (especially shocking if the second yes was just as orgasmic)! It was a tremendously poor Dalek ep and, although Russel T Davies had a few too many terrible eps of his own, it might be worth reminding yourself of how cool the Daleks were back in the beginning (the second beginning, that is), before they became overused. Such potential, such menace. Then, Davros, the most psychotic Dalek genius who ever lived, and his entire army of merciless killing machines were defeated by none other Donna Noble.. Is there a way to come back from that? Grab a Dalek-filled DVD right here!
The Avengers proved that a superhero film needn't be a humungous waste of money! It kept hold of a 'comic book-style sense of humour' while putting its characters under immense stress, causing them to get all emotional and stuff. As a result, we believed what we were watching. Sure, looking back, it's not the perfect movie and the story is resolved a little too simply considering such an apparently huge, universe ending situation was playing out. Never mind though! Pick up a copy even if it's just for the Hulk - he had all the best bits. It can be all yours on 17th September - go here.
For those of you reading who've more money than sense, or if you're an evil genius, there's something available on Firebox that you might just want/need. All the best, most evil villains have one - a chair. A suitably evil chair, mind. It's got to hold just as much of a presence as the mastermind sat in it. Looking as if it's been stolen from Dr Evil's secret lair, this almighty swivelly seat of villainy that'd turn every one of Bond's bad guys green with envy could be yours for a measly £4,500. You'll probably have to rob a few banks first...
And finally - it's September, summer's coming to a close (straight after that last minute Indian summer we're always expecting!) and the Olympics is over and out for another four whole years. We all desperately want to keep hold of that 'Olympic spirit' a little longer, so what better book to read than Tom Daley's? The rain's going to be pouring down before you know it, so bury yourself under the bed covers, open this book, pull your pants down around your ankles and forget it's nearly Christmas by bashing one out all over the seemingly never ending collection of pictures of Tom Daley wearing very little. Seriously though, he has quite an amazing story to tell, and there's all sorts of interesting info about diving inside too! Order a copy here.
Grand Total = £4756
Roo