I personally enjoyed Transformers, and am looking forward to the sequel this summer, but  director Michael Bay has his detractors, like the writer of this (hilarious) Onion story on the fake news that Bay has signed a deal to direct a movie version of another 'toon, ThunderCats. Or, as The Onion puts it ...

 

"Michael Bay Signs $50M Deal To Fuck Up ThunderCats"

 

Hi-larious. And just one of the many Onion stories that so gleefully pokes fun at Hollywood. A few of my other favorites (warning: reading them while sitting in front of the computer and drinking a can of Coke Zero can be hazardous to your computer monitor):

That got your attention, right? Our motto is that free always tastes better (and never more so than in our current economy), so we're steering every movie fan we know to Film Metro.com, a Website that lists free movie screenings in cities all across the country.

 

FREE, people!

"I make more money doing animation than doing live action ... each year I do one DreamWorks project, and then I take all the money to the Oscars and bet it on Pixar."

That was Kung Fu Panda star Jack Black's quip at the Oscars Sunday night, referring to the fact that Pixar's animated flicks tend to get all the critical and awards-season acclaim. There's no arguing that Pixar flicks have heart - who can resist the charms of WALL-E or Rex the toy tyrannosaurus or blue, furry Sully?

But as Black's Kung Fu Panda proved, DreamWorks Animation has produced several endearing 'toon tales of its own, which made me pull the new Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa DVD off the shelf for a viewing.

Today's nifty gifty DVD suggestion ...

 

TV's most adorkable new spy guy!

Chuck: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray

 

What makes it such a nifty gifty: Charles Bartowski is your average slacker geek working at the Buy More (think Best Buy), heading up the store's Nerd Herd tech support crew (think Geek Squad), when he finds out that his ex-best friend - a guy who betrayed him and got him kicked out of college - has arranged for Chuck to accidentally download to his brain all the U.S. government's secrets. High concept? Sure. But after that initial plot, what results is an Alias-meets-Psych dramedy with a cool, sensitive, adorable nerd/spy (the endearing Zachary Levi), his goofy pals, the gorgeous female spy handler (Yvonne Strahovski) who wins his heart and the hilariously grumpy other spy handler (Adam Baldwin) who begrudgingly has to protect Chuck. There's also Chuck's sweet, caring sister and her super perfect fiancé, a smart, kind, funny, impossibly attractive guy the gang affectionately calls Captain Awesome. It's the best reason for no longer dreading Monday nights!

 

It's the perfect nifty gifty for: Your niece and nephew, your boyfriend, your dad, your uncle, your friend, you co-worker.

 

Today's nifty gifty DVD suggestion ...

 

We interrupt this program to annoy you and make things generally irritating!

The Complete Monty Python Flying Circus Collector's Edition Megaset

 

What makes it such a nifty gifty: The nifty graphics-covered box includes all four seasons of Flying Circus, as well as new documentaries, live performances, deleted scenes, "personal best" collections, a Python dictionary, quizzes and much more. As the title suggests, it's a MEGAset, and a must for any Python devotee. And, though it retails for $159.95, Amazon.com is offering it for 51% off - that's $78.49 for those of us who were promised there would be no math in this gift guide.

 

It's the perfect nifty gifty for: Your dad, your brother, your uncle, your best friend, your co-worker.

 

Today's nifty gifty DVD suggestion ...

 

They're ab fab!

Absolutely Fabulous - Absolutely Everything box set

 

What makes it such a nifty gifty: Sweetie, darling! It's nine discs - all five seasons - plus the Christmas specials and nearly three hours of special features, all packaged in an appropriately blinged out silver, quilted book. And, of course, because it's one of - if not THE - best Britcoms ever.

 

It's the perfect nifty gifty for: Your mom, your aunt, your best friend, your sister.

 

Today's nifty gifty DVD suggestion ...

 

A DVD box set that's better than Jell-O Pudding Pops!

The Cosby Show: 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition

 

What makes it such a nifty gifty: It includes every episode from all eight seasons of the classic '80s family sitcom The Cosby Show, from Denise's attempt to make Theo a designer shirt (a Gordon Gartrelle) to the marriage of Elvin and Sondra and Denise's wedding to Martin and the somewhat annoying Olivia years. Cosby is one of the rare shows that's every bit as wonderful as you remember it being when you watched it as a kid, and with the handsomely-packaged set available for under $100 at Amazon.com, it's a real bargain for any '80s TV fan. Bonus: The set also includes an all-new interview with Bill Cosby himself, who talks about the show's lasting impact on TV comedies.

 

It's the perfect nifty gifty for: Your hubby, your brother and sister and your best friend.

Today's nifty gifty DVD suggestion ...

 

The First Family of the Modern Stone Age

The Flintstones: The Complete Series

 

What makes it such a nifty gifty: Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, in this complete series box set that houses the classic cartoon in one of the most ridiculously cool packages of the year.

 

As promised, here's part two of our recommendations for must-see-TV-on-DVD box sets to check out before the new fall TV season officially kicks off next week …

 

The BBC High Definition Natural History Collection (BBC Warner) – If ever there were a series of programs meant to be seen in the Blu-ray format, it's this fantastic collection of BBC nature documentaries, including the Planet Earth series, hands down THE best nature series of all time, IMHO. The blues are bluer, the greens are greener, the reds and oranges and pinks are more vivid, and after watching this box set, your first thought will be to book some major international travel. In addition to Planet Earth, the set also includes Wild China, Galapagos and Ganges.

Set bonus materials: Deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes

 

The new TV season is just a couple of weeks away now, but the premiere dates for both new series and existing shows are scattered throughout the fall. Here, a two-part guide to TV-on-DVD box sets to help you fill your tube-watching hours during these last pre-season weeks (part two follows on Thursday) …

 

Saving Grace – Season One (Fox) – Holly Hunter has garnered well-deserved Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for this TNT drama, about an Oklahoma cop (Hunter) who's easily as messed up as any of the perps she chases. Grace Hanadarko is a gritty boozer with a chain-smoking habit, a foul mouth, a habit of sleeping with way too many men (regardless of their marital status) and some hefty emotional baggage (her sister died in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing), and, on some days, Grace just isn't a very likable character. The show, again, thanks to Hunter, is highly watchable, though, and one of a – thankfully – growing number of dramas and comedies (Samantha Who?, The Closer and 30 Rock, for example) that revolve around fantastic female characters.

Set bonus materials: Audio commentary and featurettes

You're too old to draw him a picture (trust me) and no one needs another tie (no one's wearing 'em anymore anyway, according to this story) … so what to get your dad for Father's Day? No worries, here's a list of DVDs that should cover everyone on your Daddy's Day gift-buying list …

Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection (Paramount) – New, special editions of the first three Indy flicks, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, collected in nifty packaging
Bonus materials: New introductions for each flick by filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas; storyboards; and featurettes on Indy's women, the beautiful locations that provided the movies' settings and on the "creepy crawlies" littering the films, including Indiana's (Harrison Ford) dreaded snakes.