Max Headroom: The Complete Series out on DVD (Tue.)
Ahead of its timeIf all you remember about Max Headroom is a handful of annoying Coke commercials, then you are missing out on one of television's greatest and most innovative sci-fi shows, which aired briefly on ABC beginning in 1987. Finally available on DVD -- in a collection that includes the never-aired 14th episode but does not have the original UK version of the pilot or any episodes of Max's cable talk show -- Max Headroom is set in a cyberpunk vision of a not-too-distant future dominated by all-powerful television networks. There are some early complaints about the video quality on the discs, but the set offers a number of extras, including a lengthy "making of" documentary and a discussion with series regulars like Jeffrey Tambor and Amanda Pays -- though not the talented Matt Frewer, who starred as both enterprising TV reporter Edison Carter and his computer-generated alter-ego Max.
Add Max Headroom to your Netflix queue or watch a trailer for the series below:
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Fri.)
Game onScott Pilgrim vs. The World, Edgar Wright’s long-awaited follow-up to Hot Fuzz 81, arrives in theaters Friday after plenty of buzzy advance screenings at this year’s Comic-Con. This adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s six-part Scott Pilgrim comic series stars Michael Cera as Scott and Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard) as his dream girl Ramona. In order to win her heart, Scott must defeat her seven evil exes. Elaborate fight sequences drenched in indie rock and videogame references come with a healthy dose of funny to help the whole thing go down, though the early reviews are mixed.
Get a preview of the visually original flick at the film’s website or check out the official iPhone App.
The Expendables (Fri.)
Action man If videogame fights aren’t tough enough for you, then Friday’s testosterone-packed The Expendables might be what you’re after. Sylvester Stallone co-wrote, directed and stars in this almighty action mashup that includes some of the beefiest guys around, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, and some other unknowns such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis.
For more explosions or to buy advance tickets, explore the very manly film website.
Comedy Central roast of David Hasselhoff (Sun.)
An easy target?Michael Knight himself, David Hasselhoff, is the recipient of the dubious honor of being roasted by his peers on Sunday’s latest Comedy Central Roast, airing at 10p. The Knight Rider and Baywatch veteran sends up his German pop star and drunken hamburger-eating image by getting pelted by foul-mouthed insults and jokes from roast master Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy). Other roasters of The Hoff include Pamela Anderson, Hulk Hogan, George Hamilton, and Jerry Springer. Roast regulars Jeffrey Ross, Greg Giraldo, and Lisa Lampanelli will also join in on the shenanigans.
Watch preview clips at Comedy Central's official website.
Madden NFL 11 (Tue.)
This one goes to 11The latest annual edition of the never-ending Madden football video game institution (this is the 22nd version) comes out Tuesday amidst controversy. Six thousand retired NFL players have filed suit against Madden NFL 09 developer EA for using their likenesses without permission. This will only drum up more press for the new release, which features New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees on the cover. As for the actual game itself, you can experience the new play-calling system GameFlow along with improved animation and controls beginning Tuesday on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii, and Xbox 360.
Watch behind-the-scenes action and find out more about the new features at the EA games website.
Eat Pray Love (Fri.)
This must be "eat"Julia Roberts returns to the big screen Friday in her first solo headlining role since she won the Academy Award for Erin Brockovich 10 years ago. The adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir sensation is about a woman who escapes her unhappy life and travels to Italy, India, and Bali trying to find herself. It's the second memoir adaptation directed by Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy (after Running with Scissors 52), and the film also stars Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup, and General Hospital star James Franco.
Peruse some mouth-watering pictures of food and scenery at the official website.
Closing the book on last week
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Most Popular Title on Metacritic.com | |
|---|---|---|
| StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC) 93 | Week ending 8/7 | |
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Weekend Box Office Champion (Estimated, U.S. only; source: Boxofficemojo.com) | |
| The Other Guys 64 | $35.6 million; 1st week at #1 | |
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#1 Album on Billboard 200 (Source: Billboard.com/Nielsen SoundScan) | |
| Avenged Sevenfold: Nightmare 54 | 1st week at #1 | |
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Top-Rated Primetime Broadcast Show (Source: Nielsen) | |
| America's Got Talent (NBC) [Wed] | 9.8 million viewers; week of 7/26-8/1 | |
