It's John's 28th birthday (or at least it was last Wednesday...) and my present to him is a 9am wake-up call to record a special birthday podcast! It takes a wee while for him to shake the sleepiness, but soon we're getting into all the big event movies of the coming Summer including Spider-man 3, Transformers, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and The Bourne Ultimatum.

Day 2 of the recording session, seamlessly edited together with Day 1 (*ahem*), concerns a few of the shows that have perished in this year's end of season cancellation carnage, as well as one or two pilot pickups and 11th hour renewals: Veronica Mars, Jericho, The Class, How I Met Your Mother, Traveler and The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Happy birthday John :)

Brandon Ortega joins me once again via speaker phone, as we take a look at Firefly's tenth episode, War Stories. Wash is jealous of the respect Zoe has for Mal, so he insists Mal take him on their latest adventure. A simple delivery operation becomes dangerous when Niska returns to kidnap Mal and Wash, holding them for ransom. Now, it's up to the remaining crew of Serenity to initiate a risky rescue mission.

Brandon and I discuss Book's past (or lack thereof), Jayne's eating habits and the cost of producing a weekly sci-fi series for network television. We also address what some of the cast members have been up to lately. Once again, be sure to listen for the preemptive countdown before engaging the hyper drive of your DVD.

An old friend from High School, Justin Krey sits down as my special guest as we revisit Richard Stanley's cult classic, Dust Devil. After spending the better part of a decade lost in video limbo and cut to incomprehensible shreds, the film can finally be appreciated in full on DVD.

A shape-shifting serial killer prays on lonely, desperate women who have lost hope and want to die. Meanwhile, a sullen cop tries to maintain order among the corrupt police force as he chases the demon across the South African desert. The Walking Man, played by Robert John Burke begins a cat and mouse game of seduction with his latest victim, as his human form conflicts with the spiritual realm.

Justin and I take a look at the film's layers of social, political and spiritual themes. We also discuss the circular nature of the film's narrative structure and how the most intelligent and creative filmmakers are usually misunderstood by the Hollywood assembly line. As per usual, listen for the preemptive countdown before starting your DVD.

The story of How I Met Your Mother continues, in Purple Giraffe, the second episode of the first season. After getting shot down by Robin, Ted attempts to win her heart again by throwing not one, not two, but three (!) impromptu parties. Meanwhile, Barney keeps running into a one night stand, as he tries desperately to find out who Carlos is. Also, Lily can't keep her hands off of Marshall who's struggling to finish an important paper before the deadline.

Join me as I talk about the art of controlling the claw machine, my disdain for parties and large crowds and the near impossible feat of staying "just friends" with a woman you wish would have your children. As per usual, listen for my preemptive countdown before starting your DVD.

Well I tried to get this episode edited up well in advance of tonight's US airing of episode 21, and um... I got the 'in advance' part right. I'll work on the 'well' for next week...

So...The Man Behind the Curtain. What can you say? This one had it all. Father issues in the flashback, a magic circle, gas masks, hand-carved birthday presents, a mass grave. Oh and 11 frames of Jacob.

For more Lost:
LOSTCasts
The Official Lost Podcast

Notes:
Didn't spot Jacob? Lost-Media did.

"Shiny!" Universal Home Entertainment is releasing a 2-disc Collector's Edition of Serenity on August 21st. According to DVD Active, these are the special features for the DVD:

• 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation.
• English Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1 Surround tracks.
• Audio commentary with Joss Whedon.
• Audio commentary with Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau and Ron Glass.
• Introduction by Joss Whedon.
• Deleted scenes with director commentary.
• Extended scenes.
• Outtakes.
• Take A Walk On Serenity featurette.
• Green Clan featurette.
• We'll Have A Fruity Oaty Good Time! featurette.
• A Filmmaker's Journey featurette.
• Future History: The Story Of Earth That Was featurette.
• Re-lighting The Firefly featurette.
• What's In A Firefly? featurette.
• Session 416 featurette.
• Sci-Fi Inside: Serenity featurette.

Click here for larger artwork.

What do you folks think of the new cover and these specs? Share your rants/raves on the Message Board. For the latest news on upcoming DVD releases, be sure to visit www.dvdactive.com

YEEHAW!!!! Ahem, sorry about that. What I meant to say was, it's The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. In the Pilot episode of this prematurely canceled series, Bruce Campbell stars as a gunslinging free-thinker, hot on the trail of the criminals who killed his Father. However, the wild west is more than what it appears to be on the surface. In his seemingly endless quest for revenge, Brisco periodically encounters a mystical, metallic orb that may in fact be from the future.

Yes, it's the original Sci-fi Western, long before Joss Whedon came along and made it trendy. :) Just as with my usual audio commentaries, be sure to listen for my preemptive countdown before pulling a quick draw on your trigger-happy remote.

Inevitability won out, forcing Stu and Gary to leapfrog 8 episodes of Lost and land smack in the middle of The Brig. Let's face it, we were deluded if we thought we had a hope of catching up, even with squeezing two episodes into each review. Not to neglect our responsibilities entirely, here are Stu's insightful one-word reviews of the missing 8:

Enter 77: Good.
Par Avion: Excellent.
The Man from Tallahassee: Excellent.
Exposé: Razzledazzle!
Left Behind: Meh.
One of Us: Good.
Catch-22: Desmond!
D.O.C.: Meh.

For more Lost:
LOSTCasts
The Official Lost Podcast

Notes:
Screencaps for The Brig
Promo: WhedonCast

Courtesy of Allie Leung at Lionsgate, here is the final, official information for the upcoming 2-disc 20th Anniversary Edition of The Monster Squad:

THE END OF THE WORLD STARTS AT MIDNIGHT

THE MONSTER SQUAD: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
   
Street Date: 7/24/07
Order Date: 6/27/07
DVD SRP: $19.98

Click here for larger artwork.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The 1980s cult classic, The Monster Squad, makes its long awaited DVD debut with a monster-ous 20th anniversary edition.  To pay tribute to this true fan favorite, the 2-disc set will be featured in collectible foil o-card packaging and is loaded with extra features, including a five-part retrospective, classic interviews, deleted scenes, commentaries and much more!  

Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy and the Gillman adjourn to earth in search of a powerful amulet that will grant them power to rule the world.  However, a bunch of kids regarded by their peers as losers and outsiders uncover the devious plan and prepare for a counter strike.  Now, our heroes - the Monster Squad - are the only ones daring to stand in their way...

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

• Monster Squad Forever! A five-part retrospective featuring new interviews with writer/director Fred Dekker, actors Andre Gower, Ryan Lambert, Ashley Bank, Duncan Regehr, Tom Noonan and more!
• A Conversation with Frankenstein: A never-before-seen classic interview with the Monster himself!
• Deleted Scenes
• Audio commentary with Writer/Director Fred Dekker and "Squad Members" Andre Gower, Ryan Lambert and Ashley Bank
• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Fred Dekker and Director of Photography Bradford May
• Original Theatrical Trailer and TV Spot
• Stills Gallery
• Newly Mastered 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 1987
Title Copyright: © 1987 Taft Entertainment Pictures/Keith Barish Productions.  All Rights Reserved.
Type: Special Edition
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Horror
Closed Captioned: English Closed Captioned
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Format: 16 x 9 Widescreen
Feature Running Time: 82 minutes
DVD Audio Status: Remastered 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio, Original 2.0 Dolby Stereo Audio

For additional information on this release, e-mail Elizabeth Atler at Elizabeth_atler@bhimpact.com

Surf on over to DVD Empire and reserve your copy RIGHT NOW!

Big thanks to Allie and the fantastic company that is LIONSGATE.

Smokin' Aces is a melting pot of genres and characters. Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but it's full of vibrant energy and it's never boring. The story concerns a Las Vegas Illusionist who must decide between his loyalty to his friends and his desire to escape the dangers of the mob lifestyle. Buddy "Aces" Israel is a prisoner in every sense of the word. He's forced to hideout in the Penthouse Suite of a posh hotel while negotiating a deal with the FBI to testify against The Mob.

As Buddy slowly breaks down and spirals deeper into self destruction, The Mob gets wind of his plans and decides to put out a free for all contract on the magician's head with a hefty reward in tow. Bail Bondsmen, Snipers and Neo-Nazi Psychopaths of all shapes and sizes descend on the hotel as the FBI tries to get to Buddy before everyone else.

Join me as the blood and bullets fly all over the screen, and Ryan Reynolds proves once and for all that he's more than just a funny Canadian. Just as with most of my audio commentaries, listen for my preemptive countdown before pressing "play" on your trusty, DVD remote.