A few of our favourite interns share reading and viewing suggestion for lazy days hanging around at home.
Animation Wars
The satirically funny television cartoons American Dad and Family Guy come face to face in an online ultimate grudge match. American Dad vs. Family Guy: Kung Fu captures the humour behind these two hit shows, both from creator Seth MacFarlane. The Street Fighteresque fighting game puts players in a no-holds-barred fight to the death. Each character (whether you choose to be Stan, Hayley, or Roger from American Dad, or Peter, Lois, or crowd-favourite Stewie from Family Guy) comes equipped with four special moves and a final death move. You’ll have hours of online entertainment to add some action to your summer. www.americandadvsfamilyguy.com $55.
Average Joes
Regular guys prove they’ve got what it takes to entertain. Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White take centre stage in what’s rumoured to be their funniest Blue Collar Comedy venture yet. Blue Collar Comedy Tour—One For The Road includes their last live comedy performance together (filmed in Washington D.C. at the historic Warner Theater), fan interviews, and, of course, behind-the-scenes extras.
Couch Antics
Flash back to the ’90s with MTV’s original cartoon, Beavis And Butt-Head, in the newly released Beavis And Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection, Volume 2. Follow the inseparable duo through their high school experiences as they poke fun at pop culture from their couch. Relive the dawning of nasal laughs, lewd jokes, and fart noises alongside the idiotic couple. The box set comes with a slew of extras and includes the funniest episodes, guest appearances, and music videos, all chosen by Mike Judge, the show’s original creator. The humorous plots and hilarious characters are sure to bring a dull summer to life. $55.
Hot Rods
If you’re into high velocity and hot bodywork, then The Fast And The Furious Franchise Collection is your next must-have DVD. This three-disc set is the ultimate package: it includes both movies, The Fast And The Furious (Tricked Out Edition) and 2 Fast 2 Furious, and it’s fully loaded with bonus features. Bonus disc materials include: “Tricking Out a Hot Import Car”; exclusives on the cars driven by Brian (Paul Walker), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), and Suki (Devon Aoki); “Making Music with Ludacris”; deleted and extended scenes from both movies; and a never-before-seen alternate ending for the first movie. If this isn’t enough to make you race out to buy the collection, just think of how enjoyable three DVDs worth of screen time with Paul Walker will be to watch. $27.
Idol Karaoke
Think you have what it takes to be on American Idol? How does the American Idol All-Star Challenge DVD game sound? Brought to you by the creators of Scene It?, the game transforms your living room into a pop central, interactive, and entertaining atmosphere. American Idol All-Star Challenge offers music fans and wannabe stars the opportunity to relive the past four seasons of the show and put their knowledge into action. The DVD includes realshow clips, questions, and performance challenges, sending players on a quest for stardom by having them belt it out karaoke-style, simulating an authentic performance. Of course, you are at the mercy of Paula, Randy, and Simon, and players can be eliminated or kept on for another round. Become a rock star in your own living room. $45.
Stuntmen
Four crazy cats from rural Finland (Jarppi “The Daredevil,” Jukka “The Showman,” HP “The Bonebreaker,” and Jarno “The Mastermind”) began filming themselves performing wild stunts and pranks in 1995. The Dudesons was an immediate hit locally and eventually became the template for an MTV show you may have heard of: Jackass. Now you can catch these troublemakers on DVD, along with their transsexual pet pig, Britney, and Jackass’ Steve-O and Bam Margera, who make guest appearances. We’ll bet there’s a clear don’t-try-this-at-home warning before the outrageous adventures.
Living Slow
Sloth
by Gilbert Hernandez
(DC Comics)
Gilbert Hernandez, co-creator of the noted comic series Love and Rockets, introduces his first original graphic novel: Sloth. Tormented teen Miguel Serra wills himself into a coma, and wakes one year later to an uncontrollably slothful way of living. Life in suburbia is coloured with a haunted lemon orchard, a goat man, and murder in this black and white eye-catching tale.
Speed Racer
One Gear, No Breaks: Lori-Ann Muenzer’s Ride to Belief, Belonging and a Gold Medal
by Lori-Ann Muenzer with Karl R. Wilberg
(KeyPorter)
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, 38-year-old Edmontonian Lori-Ann Muenzer became the first Canadian to bring home a gold medal in cycling. Her road to gold was paved with doubt (she was considered a major underdog because of her age) and injuries (in addition to a broken collarbone, Muenzer had tendonitis in her knee and a severe injury that kept her from training for eight months). This engaging memoir is motivating and encouraging—you’ll be inspired by the determination that Muenzer demonstrates.
PJ Party
Girls’ Night Out
edited by Carole Matthews and Sarah Mlynowski
(Penguin Group Canada)
Take a summer breather with this collection of short stories by some of the hottest female writers, including Candace Bushnell (Sex And The City and Lipstick Jungle), Meg Cabot (Queen of Babble: A Novel), and Sophie Kinsella(Confessions of a Shopaholic and The Undomestic Goddess). Not only is it good to read, Girls’ Night Out is good to the community: this book supports War Child Canada,
a nonprofit organization that helps children around the world who are affected by war.
High Life
Street Pharm
by Allison van Diepen
(Simon & Schuster)
Ottawa resident Allison van Diepen drew on her experiences as a social studies teacher at one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous public high schools. What resulted is her first novel, Street Pharm, a gripping story about a teen drug dealer, Ty Johnson, with a serious reputation on the streets. “If a brother wanna get ahead, he gotta use every minute to better himself. Everything I did made me better—tougher, stronger, richer, smarter—or I didn’t do it.” The book’s message is strong and its story is captivating.
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