Holiday Gift Guides

“1968, I was twelve years old. A lot happened that year. Dennis McLain won 31 games, The Mod Squad hit the air, and I graduated from Hillcrest Elementary and entered junior high school…but we’ll get to that. There’s no pretty way to put this: I grew up in the suburbs. I guess most people think of the suburb as a place with all the disadvantages of the city, and none of the advantages of the country, and vice versa. But, in a way, those really were the wonder years for us there in the suburbs. It was kind of a golden age for kids.” 

The show takes place in Anywhere, USA. The pilot begins in 1968 and is told from the point of view of a contemporary adult looking back on those early years of his life. Anyone who is a fan of A Christmas Story will appreciate the narrative style of The Wonder Years.
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Johnny Carson might have been king of the late-night airwaves, but it was Merv Griffin who held court during the day. From 1962 until 1986 Merv Griffin brought you the most important, entertaining and fascinating personalities to your living rooms. He was also quite the producer. Here’s the question:  He created two of the longest-lasting game shows in television history. Who was Merv Griffin? That’s correct. He created both Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy.  But it will be The Merv Griffin Show that he’ll he’s most remembered for.
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It’s funny how some actors mean different things to different people. It often depends on your age and interests. Michael Landon is one such actor. I was a horror movie fan who watched late-night creature features with my dad. To me Landon was the titular character from I Was A Teenage Werewolf. To my Dad and his generation, Landon was Little Joe from Bonanza. To continue the comparison, Little Joe’s pop was always Commander Adama, with no offense intended toward Edward James Olmos. But there is another generation that doesn’t know werewolves from cowboys, and to them Michael Landon will always be the warm father Charles Ingalls from Little House On The Prairie.
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“The gods finally bless us with a complete collection.”

AnchorBay is going all out in delivering a couple of complete series collections. There is a limited edition with some cool stuff that we hope to talk to you about on Black Friday for your shopping edification. This set contains all of the show’s 39 episodes on 12 discs. There is a 13th disc with limited extra features that were not found on the original individual season releases. 
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“I don’t know why death still surprises me.”

As we get closer to holiday shopping time, Upcomingdiscs will be here to help you find something for that home theater fanatic on your shopping list. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them.
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If you’re like many folks out there, Christmas is over and you’ve got some gift certificates or holiday cash to spend. If you’re a reader here at Upcomingdiscs, you’re looking for something to add to your home theater with that booty. May I suggest that you look at the impressive box set for Diagnosis Murder. This is one heck of a collection. You get 51 DVD’s in all.
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Dick Figures: The Movie

“This is a story about stick figures who live in a world full of monsters and explosions and raccoons and a lot of other cool stuff, too. And it all takes place on a little planet we like to call Earth.”

Last minute gifts are often the hardest of all. If you have someone on your list who likes irreverent humor and is also a home theater enthusiast, I think we might have an obscure title they likely missed. It will be a pretty cool surprise on their part, and you’re sure to have delivered a few laughs along the way. In the spirit of shows like South Park and based on a series of cult web episodes comes Dick Figures: The Movie.
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One of the best things about the last decade’s arrival of high definition and Blu-ray is the chance to revisit classics. Often these movies have only been seen on late shows where they’re cut to pieces. The DVD releases have often been less than spectacular because of the presumed limited audience. Fox has done a pretty solid job over the years of bringing these classics to Blu-ray. This year is no exception, and if you have a classic film buff on that list of yours, and you know what list I’m talking about, why not deliver such greats as Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Rock Hudson or Tyrone Powers to them. They make excellent Christmas guests, and they won’t hog up all of the eggnog
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While we usually have a ton of stuff each year from A&E to share in our holiday spotlight, we just haven’t seen near as much from the studio in 2013. The distribution has changed, and we just don’t see the kind of titles we used to. It’s sad both for us and you. Take heart. We have been given two potential gift guide titles to share with you this season
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I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. This time we turn our attention to Paramount/CBS
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Warner has put out a few solid films and television shows on home video this year. There are a few of them that would make fine gifts for the home theatre fan on your Christmas list. From superheroes to hobbits and vampires, there’s something in this list for everyone. Wouldn’t hurt to snag a little something for yourself, now would it?
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Everyone has one on their Christmas list. It’s the guy who already has everything on home video. He’s a classic television fan, and you just don’t know what to get. For years you’ve been counting on us for advice. We aren’t about to let you down this year. Image Entertainment has two awesome classic television sets out just in time for Christmas. If your list has a classic cop show fan, then it’s Naked City. If they’re a war series nut, you just gotta get them Combat. If you really, really like them, how about getting them both
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Star Vista and Time Life get our vote for some of the coolest gift sets for the holiday season. It’s no surprise that they’ve delivered some quality television. What is a such a great surprise this year is that they’ve dug deep into the television archives and brought three particular shows that are long over-due for complete series treatments. These sets have provided us here at Upcomingdiscs with some of our favorite television watching in 2013, not to mention a lot of hours. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
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20th Century Fox wants you to spend Father’s Day with Dad watching a movie or two. If you’re looking to bring your experience with Pop into high definition, they have just the titles for you. These classics have been re-mastered and offered in high definition just in time for Father’s Day on June 16th.
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“Space… The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before.”

Nearly 20 years after the original Star Trek left the network airwaves, Gene Roddenberry set out to discover if he could catch lightning in a bottle once again. Some say he did an even better job with Star Trek: The Next Generation. There are times I tend to agree. Great shows get better with time. The Next Generation was a great show. As you watch the episodes of the first seasons you begin to realize just how much better the series had become by the time the 7th season had ended.

With the help of an infusion of cash from Netflix to be the exclusive stream supplier of Star Trek television, Paramount decided to give the series a high-definition facelift. It’s an ambitious schedule and one that we’ll talk about in greater detail later with the full review of the series. For now all that you need to know is that the series continues its high-definition voyage and should end up high on any sci-fi fan’s Christmas list.

The set includes all of the episodes along with some bonus footage. There are wonderful high-definition extras that make this a cut above the DVD sets you likely currently own. Everything from the DVD is back in this set along with some great excusive features. You get LaVar Burton’s Reading Rainbow PSAs. There’s a new high-definition Gag Reel, New Audio Commentaries, and almost four hours of brand new high-definition features. One of the features is an hour-long reunion of the cast, and it’s filled with wonderful moments as they enjoy each other’s company and share fond memories.

Check out the full review in the weeks to come. In the meantime consider it a “can’t miss” Christmas gift for the fan on your list.

One of the most impressive gifts available this holiday season has to be the James Bond 50: Complete 22 Film Collection. With the arrival of Skyfall in theaters, it’s the perfect time to catch up on the entire 50-year history of Ian Fleming’s famous British agent. The collection includes all 22 official James Bond films. There’s even a slot that is “reserved” for Skyfall when it hits Blu-ray early next year. Bond turns 50, and now MGM is delivering the party favors.
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Warner Brothers Gift Guide

If you have a television fan on your Christmas list, you can’t do much better than Blu-rays from Warner Brothers this year. No other studio gives you more of your favorite television favorites on Blu-ray. They have some of television’s hottest titles, and these babies are all in wonderful high definition. This is not a paid advertisement. The picks we’re providing here are really some of our favorite titles this year. Here’s a few of our favorites that are available from Warner Brothers for this Holiday Season:
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A&E just might be able to help you to play Santa for that special home theater fan on your Christmas list. Here are some excellent suggestions from us here at Upcomingdiscs. This is not a paid advertisement. Each of these titles comes highly recommended. Continue reading to find out how A&E can help you out with those last-minute Christmas shopping needs. Don’t forget to order through Amazon and help us at Upcomingdiscs to bring you another year of reviews and contests. Look for some incredible A&E giveaways for our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways
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