Short List

2 minute read
Richard Corliss, Lev Grossman and James Poniewozik

1 | TELEVISION 30 Rock She says she’s giving up doing Sarah Palin, but after Tina Fey’s killer SNL impression, her other vehicle returns strong. Nov. 6 brings a cameo by Oprah Winfrey, to whom Fey’s TV producer, Liz Lemon, cries, “My work-self is suffocating my life-me!” We like both of her just fine.

2 | DVD Mystery Science Theater 3000 Cable’s first and coolest nerd-genius hit, MST3K elevated a derisory premise—a guy and two robots riff on cheesy movies—into glorious comic art. This 20th anniversary edition contains four episodes (the best: Werewolf) and enough goofy extras to make any MSTie mist up.

3 | DVD Spin City: The Complete First Season Deceiving the media was never more delightful than in this 1996 sitcom set in New York’s city hall. As Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty, tap-dancing for the press while managing a gaffe-machine mayor (Barry Bostwick), Michael J. Fox is a breath of fresh hot air.

4 | VIDEO GAME LittleBigPlanet There aren’t a ton of games that make buying the PS3 worth the money, but LittleBigPlanet is one of them. It’s a game/creativity tool in which you play a little fabric doll that wanders through a rich, dreamy toyscape to the soothing sounds of light jazz.

5 | MOVIE Splinter Seen enough of the Saw movies? For harrowing Horrorween chills, try Toby Wilkins’ lean, nasty tale of four people (including thug Shea Whigham and dweeb Paulo Costanzo) battling a porcupinish parasite. It’s like Night of the Living Dead but with prickles.

Arts Online For more reviews and openings this weekend, go to time.com/entertainment

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