Posted Mon Jul 25, 2011 at 03:00 PM PDT by Dick Ward
by Dick Ward
Collecting Blu-rays is all well and good, but true fans aren't content to just sit back and watch their discs. They need more. They need posters, costumes, trinkets and more. They need the obscure, the weird and the very very cool. 'Beyond the Blu' spotlights some of the interesting stuff you can pick up to go with the Blu-rays you've been picking up this month.
Sure, you could be like every other 'Blues Brothers' fan in the world and get a knockoff hat and sunglasses set, but why settle for simply looking like the guys when you could sound like them? Well, you can sound like Elwood at least, by picking up a slick seven piece Hohner Bluesband Harmonica set complete with a carrying case.
If there's one thing that everyone remembers about 'Donnie Darko' without exception it's that accursed rabbit costume that still haunts my dreams to this day. For a little over a hundred bucks you too can be the thing of nightmares in your Frank the Bunny costume. It comes complete with the costume, the mask and a go-to line for when people ask you why you're wearing that stupid bunny costume.
Doctor Who: Series Six, Part 1
As fun as it is to get obscure and strange with these 'Beyond the Blu' picks, I'm going to go nice and easy here. If you're a 'Doctor Who' fan and you don't own a replica of The Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver you really should. It's the coolest yet, what with all the pop-up action and fun sounds and such.
Maybe you're not the biggest fan of 'Rango,' but I'd be willing to bet that your kids - assuming you have some and they're age appropriate and they're not terrified of lizards and they went to see the move - love it. Isn't it about time you got them a chameleon of their own? Just make sure to get a slick Open Air Cage to keep it from getting away. And maybe a lock to ensure that they don't try putting small Hawaiian shirts on it.
So you like sharks eh? The correct answer here is "No. I LOVE sharks." If you answered right then you need to own ' Blue Water White Death.' It's not a choice - this is compulsory. Even though it's now 40 years old, the documentary still holds up as one of the finest ever made about the great white.
Torchwood: The Complete Original UK Series
You've seen all the new 'Doctor Who' episodes and a smattering of the old ones. You've been watching 'Torchwood' from the start and you're hooked on the new season. You know everything there is to know about the show. Fine, but do you know everything about the actors? Did you know that Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) has a career in musical theater and has put out several albums of his song renditions. You do now. Give a listen to 'Aspects of Lloyd Webber.' Barrowman has a hell of a voice and he knows how to use it.
National Lampoon's Animal House
We opened with Belushi and we're closing with Belushi. He's a comedy legend after all, and 'Animal House' was instrumental in getting him there. His character of Bluto seemed to have it all figured out - sort of - but one thing he really could have benefited from is a regulation panty raid ladder. None of this wooden ladder garbage, how about a nice strong 28 foot D-Rung Extension Ladder? (note: Neither Dick Ward nor High-Def Digest endorse the use of ladders for panty raids or any other illicit purpose. I don't actually own a ladder, but I assume that if I did I would use it solely for rescuing kitties from trees.)
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