The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 3, 9:31pm CBS
“The Spaghetti Catalyst” Season 3, Episode 20
Episode Synopsis:  Sheldon tells a lie to appease Penny and Leonard, who aren’t speaking to each other, but then he gets caught.

The Office - Thursday, May 6, 9:00pm NBC
“The Cover-Up” Season 6, Episode 22
Episode Synopsis: When Michael concludes that his girlfriend (Amy Pietz) is cheating on him, he enlists Dwight to snoop. Elsewhere, Andy receives a customer complaint and grows frustrated when none of his fellow staffers seem to care.

Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 3 Trailer

Season 2 of Star Wars The Clone Wars has just ended, but it is never too early to begin speculation about Season 3.  Click the image below to watch an exciting sneak preview!

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Geek Radio Daily

Geek Radio Daily; All the geek without the wait! Billy Flynn, The Vicar, the Flynnstress, and the Bruce bring you a daily 15 minute podcast covering daily TV highlights, comic and DVD releases and geekly news! And don’t forget our sweekly show!

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Office - Thursday, April 29, 9:00pm NBC
“Body Language” Season 6, Episode 21
Episode Synopsis: Pam and Jim team up for their first sales pitch together. They deliver it to the manager of a regional hot spot, resulting in mix-ups when Michael has difficulty deciphering body language. Meanwhile, Dwight pushes Mindy to participate in the minority training program. Amy Pietz guest stars.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 30, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“R2 Come Home” and “ Lethal Trackdown”
Episode Synopsis: When a band of bounty hunters leads Anakin and Mace into a deadly trap on Vanqor, it’s up to R2-D2 to battle his way back to Coruscant and warn the Jedi. After combing the Coruscant underworld for a young fugitive, Plo Koon and Ahsoka pursue him to Florrum for a climactic confrontation.

The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Release of the Week:

Armageddon

From the mega-hitmakers who produced and directed The Rock and Pearl Harbor comes Armageddon. And now, these mind-blowing action-adventure explodes on Blu-ray for the first time ever! Bruce Willis (Surrogates, Sin City) and Academy Award winners Ben Affleck (1997, Best Original Screenplay, Good Will Hunting) and Billy Bob Thornton (1996, Best Adapted Screenplay, Sling Blade) head an all-star cast that incudes Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Steve Buscemi (Con Air) and Will Patton (Gone in 60 Seconds). When NASA’s director (Thornton) realizes the Earth has 18 days before it’s destroyed by a metor the size of Texas, he has only one option; land a ragtag team of roughneck oil drillers on the asteroid and drop a nuke into its core. With spectacular special effects, laugh out loud humor, a riveting story and a rockin’ soundtrack featuring Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, this adrenaline-pumping thrill ride now boasts the staggeringly intense picture and incomparable theater quality sound of Blu-ray high definitition. Bonus Features include: Aerosmith’s music video I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing, theatrical trailer, teaser trailer.

Editorial Comment from The Budget Geek:  I am torn on this release.  On one hand, this will be the first time that the film is available in anamorphic widescreen in the US.  Add to that the fact that it is in high definition and this release should be worth the money.  Right?

Unfortunately, the only bonus features offered here are the Aerosmith music video I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing and two trailers.  Given the wealth of extras on the Criterion Collection Armageddon DVD set, this lack of extras on the Blu-ray release is very disappointing. 

Fortunately, I own the Criterion DVD set, so I will likely purchase this for the film upgrade and keep the older set.  However, I will not pay the $20 asking price on release date.  Instead, I will wait for it to either fall in price to the $10-12 range, or pick up a used copy on Amazon.

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

The Flickcast

Each week, Chris Ullrich and Matt Raub talk movies, TV, comics, games and all things geek.

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Office - Thursday, April 22, 9:00pm NBC
“Secretary’s Day” Season 6, Episode 20
Episode Synopsis: Andy goes to extremes to make sure Erin has a very special Secretary’s Day. But it all could backfire thanks to Michael, who informs Erin about Andy’s past relationship with Angela. Meanwhile, Oscar creates a viral video that highlights similarities between Kevin’s voice and Cookie Monster’s voice.

2010 NFL Draft - Round 1, Thursday April 22, 7:30pm ESPN; Rounds 2-3, Friday April 23, 6:00pm ESPN; Rounds 4-7, Saturday April 24, 10:00am ESPN

Premise: Round 1 in New York City. Top picks are expected to include DTs Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy; DBs Eric Berry, Earl Thomas and Joe Haden; QB Sam Bradford; OTs Russell Okung and Bryan Bulaga; RB C.J. Spiller; and WR Dez Bryant. Rounds 2-3 are Friday, with the draft concluding on Saturday.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 23, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“Death Trap”
Episode Synopsis: A young boy with a vendetta against the Jedi recruits bounty hunters to help him carry out his revenge plot.

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Buzz Out Loud (MP3) By CNET.com

Buzz Out Loud features Tom Merritt, Molly Wood and producer Jason Howell, along with CNET’s top tech experts reviewing the day’s tech news. Each episode, the crew analyzes, interprets, and argues about what all this technology means and what it’s doing to us. Fans can take part by calling, e-mailing, or commenting on the blog.

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, April 12, 9:31pm CBS
“The Wheaton Recurrence” Season 3, Episode 19
Episode Synopsis:  Wil Wheaton returns and once again battles with Sheldon, this time in a bowling match; and Penny and Leonard have a fight that threatens their relationship.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 16, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“The Zillo Beast Strikes Back”
Episode Synopsis: The Zillo Beast escapes from a Republic facility, forcing the Jedi to consider destroying it to save millions of lives.

The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Release of the Week:

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

“1, 2, Freddy’s coming for you.” And here he is, phantom fiend Freddy Krueger in all his razor-fingered infamy. Wes Craven (Scream movies) directs this trendsetting first in the slash-hit series. The premise is simple: Freddy (Robert Englund) homicidally haunts the sleep of Elm Street teens. The results are terrifying and mind-blowingly innovative. There’s another film debut too: Johnny Depp. He plays the ready steady of the hottie mcsmarty (Heather Langenkamp) who figures a clever way to flambé the fiend. But ever-say-die Freddy will be 3, 4 back for more…even returning to the screen in a killer 2010 remake of this diabolical original. Sweet dreams!

Special Features:  Ready Freddy Focus Points: See alternate takes and learn filmmaking secrets behind the nightmare by jumping to video highlights while watching the movie
Two commentary tracks: (1) Director Wes Craven, co-stars Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon, and cinematographer Jacques Haitkin, (2) Wes Craven, co-stars Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp and Ronee Blakley, producer Robert Shaye, and co-producer Sara Risher
Alternate endings
Three featurettes: The House That Freddy Built: The Legacy of New Line Horror, Never Sleep Again: The Making of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Night Terrors: The Origins of Wes Craven’s Nightmares

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Horroretc Podcast

The Horroretc Podcast is an open discussion about all things horror. The show covers film topics by theme and genre with attention paid to the filmmakers, directors and the state of the horror industry. We also enjoy discussing the darkened corners of pop culture in schlock corner. Please join in with your thoughts and comments to allow the show to become a community. Visit us at www.horroretc.com or send us a comment at horroretc@gmail.com. This Podcast was created using www.talkshoe.com

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 2, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“Bounty Hunters”
Episode Synopsis: Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka hesitantly join forces with bounty hunters to guard a spice farmer from pirates led by Hondo Onaka.

Additional Star Wars: The Clone Wars Links:

According to a USA Today article, Boba Fett will make his debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars in a 2-part episode, starting April 23.

TheForce.Net has posted Lucasfilm’s official announcement about Fett’s appearance at their site.

The Budget Geek’s What’s New in Stores and Online This Week:

Five Classic Stephen King Novels Released As Unabridged Audio Books

April 1st sees the release of five classic Stephen King novels in unabridged audio book format.

The Long Walk

On the first day of May, 100 teenage boys meet for a race known as “The Long Walk”. If you break the rules, you get three warnings. If you exceed your limit, what happens is absolutely terrifying.

Firestarter

Charlie McGee inherited pyrokinetic powers from her parents, who had been given a low-grade hallucinogen called “Lot Six” while at college. Now the government is trying to capture young Charlie and harness her powerful firestarting skills as a weapon.

Cujo

A family dog turns into a family killer in King’s canine classic.

Roadwork

When a highway project puts Barton Dawes out of work and threatens to destroy his home, he has more than enough time on his hands to plot his revenge. Driving his wife and friends away with his obstinate refusal to give in, he pushes the powers that be to the limit, take a stand against what he sees as a criminal act in progress.

The Running Man

The year is 2025. The Running Man< is America’s favorite television game show. Ben Richards is the programs latest contestant- and the Hunters’ latest target in a rigged game of death…

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Galactica Quorum - “It’s a Frakkin’ Podcast”

The Galactica Quorum discusses all aspects of the Sci-Fi channel series Battlestar Galactica in a casual roundtable format. Light-hearted and at times irreverent, the Quorum dishes out analysis and speculation about each episode and the current season.

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, March 22, 9:31pm CBS
“The Pants Alternative” Season 3, Episode 18
Episode Synopsis: The friends try to help Sheldon overcome his fear of speaking in public.

The Office - Thursday, March 25, 9:00pm NBC
“Happy Hour” Season 6, Episode 19
Episode Synopsis: The staffers raise spirits at a happy hour, but complications spill over when Michael goes to extremes to impress Jim and Pam’s friend, resulting in his ouster from the bar. Meanwhile, Andy and Erin try to keep a secret; and Dwight reconsiders the wisdom of his “prenatal contract” with Angela.

Caprica - Friday, March 26, 9:00pm Syfy
“End of Line”
Episode Synopsis: In the mid-season finale, Barnabas escalates his war with Clarice and Zoe tries a daring escape.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, March 26, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“Cat and Mouse”
Episode Synopsis: Obi-Wan and Anakin deliver troops to the Separatist-controlled Christophsis, where they encounter Admiral Trench.

The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Releases of the Week:

Toy Story

In this 3D computer animated feature, a pull-string cowboy doll is the leader of the toys until the latest, greatest action figure enters the picture. When the toy rivals are separated from thei rowner, they ultimately learn to put aside their differences and work as a team to get back home to the boy they love.

Bonus Features include: Toy Story 3 Sneak Peek: The Story, Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs Blast off, Paths to Pixar Artists, Studio Stories: John’s Car, Baby AJ, Scooter Races, Buzz Takes Manhattan, Black Friday The Toy Story You Never Saw

Toy Story 2

Andy heads off to cowboy camp leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggin (owner of Al’s Toy Barn) kidnaps Woody. At Al’s apartment, Woody discovers that he is a highly valued collectible from a 1950s TV show called Woody’s Roundup, and he meets the other prized toys from that show, Jessie the Cowgirl, Bullseye the Horse, and Stinky Pete the Prospector. Back at the scene of the crime, Buzz Lightyear and the other toys from Andy’s room, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm spring into action to rescue their pal from winding up as a museum piece. The toys get into one predicament after another in their daring race to get Woody before Andy returns.

Bonus Features include: BE Live, Director commentary, Toy Story 3 Sneak Peek: The Characters, Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: International Space Station, Paths to Pixar: Technical Artists, Studio Stories: Toy Story 2 Sleep Deprivation Lab, Pinocchio, The Movie Vanishes, Pixar’s Zoetrop, Celebrating our Friend Joe Ranft

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Home Theater Geeks

Scott Wilkinson, online editor of UltimateAVmag.com and HomeTheaterMag.com, interviews the leaders and pioneers behind today’s home theater technology. Scott is a regular on The Tech Guy with Leo Laporte, and here he explores the technologies behind your screen. Recorded live every Monday at 215pm Pacific/2115 UTC at http://live.twit.tv.

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, February 8, 9:31pm CBS
“The Large Hadron Collision” Season 3, Episode 15
Episode Synopsis: Leonard is only allowed to bring one guest for his trip to the CERN science complex in Switzerland, and he’s forced to choose between Sheldon and Penny.

The Office - Thursday, February 11, 9:00pm NBC
“Manager and Salesman” Season 6, Episode 15
Episode Synopsis: In the wake of Sabre’s buyout of Dunder Mifflin, new CEO Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates) arrives in Scranton, awing the staffers with her charismatic Southern style. But Bennett is against having two branch managers, a policy shift that impacts Michael and Jim, one of whom must step down from their managerial post and return to salesman duty. Meanwhile, a Valentine’s Day plan blows up on Andy.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, February 12, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“The Dutchess of Mandalore”
Episode Synopsis: Satine is falsely accused of creating a terrorist group, so she’s forced to go on the lam until she and Obi-Wan can trace the group’s real origins.

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Star Wars Action News

Marjorie and Arnie C are a husband and wife team who host the best Star Wars collecting podcast on the web.  In addition to product reviews, they also provide special segments on vintage collecting, the Expanded Universe, and other topics of interest to Star Wars collectors and fans.  I subscribe to many podcasts, but this one is #1 on my most anticipated list each week.