the dope report

• Zombieland (DVD, Blu-Ray)

  The perfect blend of zombie gore and hilarity. Not only is Zombieland fun as shit, but it also features one of the best cameo appearances ever. No, I’m not going to spoil it for you.

• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Blu-Ray)

  Raoul Duke’s drug-fueled galivant through the Nevada desert now presented in HD. Depravity has never looked sharper.

• Lil Wayne – Rebirth (CD)

  America’s favorite rapper returns with what he calls a rock album. Um…we’ll just wait for Tha Carter IV, thanks.

• Soul Power (DVD, Blu-Ray)

  Remember that Ali vs. James Brown animated short we showed you? Well, it actually happened, kind of. This concert film/documentary focuses on the Zaire 74 festival that preceded and promoted Ali and Foreman’s legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” fight. Soul Power features performances from James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Celia Cruz, and Miriam Makeba.

• David Bowie – A Reality Tour (CD)

  “You be doin’ nose candy off the Bowie coke mirror, my girlie asked for some but I pretended not to hear her.” All your favorite Bowie tunes, only live.

• Beach House – Teen Dream (CD+DVD)

  Indie rock to get stoned to. The Baltimore duo’s third release also comes with a DVD containing videos for every song on the album.

• Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, PC)

  Travel galaxies to recruit a few good men, women, and aliens to preserve organic life threatened by space baddies. This Sci-Fi epic could go down as the most action-packed RPG created.

• MAG (Playstation 3)

  Sony combats Xbox 360’s exclusive Mass Effect 2 with what promises to be one ridiculously awesome online multiplayer game. 256-player deathmatches, ‘nuff said.

• The Hurt Locker (DVD, Blu-Ray)

  Grind your teeth throughout every tense minute of this film about a military bomb defusing unit during the Iraq War. Great acting performances and taut, unnerving drama makes this one of the best films of 2009.

• Moon (DVD, Blu-Ray)

  This sci-fi thriller showcases the underrated Sam Rockwell as a lonely miner on the dark side of the moon whose only interaction comes from a computer named GERTY 3000. With that obvious homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000, expect to see some space madness on par with classics like Solaris and Sunshine.

• 8 1/2 (Blu-Ray)

  Frederico Fellini’s cinematic masterpiece now gets Criterion Collection treatment in glorious hi-def. Sure, it’s black and white, but the HD transfers for Dr. Strangelove and Young Frankenstein look beautiful, and so will 8 1/2.

• Vampire Weekend – Contra (CD)

  Their sophomore effort expands on their indie rock to world beat sound. These guys would eat Paul Simon’s dick in a heartbeat if they could.

• Blockhead – Music Scene (CD)

  Dope hip-hop beats courtesy of Aesop Rock’s old producer. If you like Aesop Rock and Def Jux, then this is a must cop.

• Army of Two: The 40th Day (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP)

  A hardcore action shooter with subtext indicting the military industrial complex, or a homoerotic tale of love between two private military contractors? Maybe it’s a little bit of both.

• Jennifer’s Body (DVD, Blu-Ray)

  We aren’t the biggest fans of Diablo Cody’s annoyingly quirky screenwriting, but the picks are slim this week and Megan Fox is hot. Insanely hot. Watch the unrated version for even more boner inspiration.

• Facing Ali (DVD)

  Ali didn’t become the greatest of all time without fighting the greats. This documentary depicts Ali through accounts of his best opponents, from Foreman to Holmes to Frazier. A must for aficionados of the sweet science.

• The Clash – London Calling: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (CD)

  Sure, this may be the umpteenth anniversary release of this monumental album, but I think it deserves a deluxe reissue every year. This one comes with a supplemental DVD that includes a documentary of the making of London Calling, home movies, and even a few music videos. Rudie can’t fail with this purchase.

• Inglourious Basterds (DVD, Blu-Ray)

  Quentin Tarantino’s revision of Nazi Germany was full of more depth, emotion, and nuance than the preview trailers let on. You think you’re getting a full-on war movie, but instead you get one of the most superb films of the year.

• The Hangover (DVD, Blu-Ray)

  Three bros throw such a balls-out ridiculous Vegas bachelor party that they can’t even remember what happened the next morning. Hilarity ensues. TDR’s type of flick.

• Samurai Champloo (Blu-Ray)

  Shinichiro Watanabe’s follow-up to Cowboy Bebop blended feudal Japan samurai action with dope hip-hop beats courtesy of Fat Jon. Now see it in crispy hi-def.

• Animal Collective – Fall Be Kind EP (CD)

  After putting out one of the year’s top albums, Animal Collective just couldn’t leave well enough alone, and are giving us a five-song EP of loveliness to end ‘09.

• Spiritualized – Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space Remastered (CD)

  Over a decade ago, Spiritualized put out the definitive head-trip masterpiece that only maybe Pink Floyd can rival. Ingest your controlled substance of choice and relive this album with remastered audio in this new import. You can also get it in a 3-disc Super Deluxe edition.

• Public Enemies (DVD, Blu-Ray)

  Michael Mann’s biopic of the notorious John Dillinger turns in a stellar performance by Johnny Depp, but just can’t hold a candle to Mann’s crime drama masterpiece, Heat.

• Wesley Willis’s Joy Rides (DVD)

  Learn more about everyone’s favorite homeless schizophrenic songwriter, and the inspiration behind such profound classics as “Rock and Roll McDonald’s” and “Suck a Cheetah’s Dick.”

• Snoop Dogg – Malice N Wonderland (CD)

  Can anyone stay relevant in hip-hop as long as the Doggfather has? Probably not.

• Clipse – Til the Casket Drops (CD)

  The latest effort from the dope boys we’ve come to know and love. Expect more songs about making crack, selling crack, and enjoying the extravagance that comes from distributing crack.

• Snatch (Blu-Ray)

  Guy Ritchie’s magnum opus now gets the hi-def treatment it deserves. I fuckin’ hate pikeys…

• The Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter Criterion Collection (Blu-Ray)

  This historical rock documentary captures the Rolling Stones on their 1970 tour, as well as a dude getting stabbed to death at one of their shows. Ever seen a snuff film in lovely 1080p?

• Souls of Mischief – Montezuma’s Revenge (CD)

  The legendary Bay Area hip-hop group put out this new album almost ten years since their last release. With choice flows and production from Prince Paul and Casual, it sounds like it’s worth the wait.

• Natural Elements – 1999: 10 Year Anniversary (CD)

  A product of label mismanagement and group turmoil, this release never saw the chance to add to the golden age of hip-hop in the ‘90s. Wear some Cross Colours and Stussy while listening to add to the nostalgia.

You’d think there would be a cavalcade of awesome stuff coming out the week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, but nah. No dope music or games at all. The only movie worth your bread is Judd Apatow’s Funny People, his most serious film to date but still very hilarious nonetheless. The deleted scenes from the stand-up shows they actually performed at for the film should be well worth it.

Otherwise just enjoy all the cool shit that came out last week while you get your homemade stuffing on.