Awesome Leisure

Written by ex-con Gustavo “Goose” Alvarez and actor Clifton Collins Jr., this unique cookbook offers up more than 65 recipes made by inmates using instant ramen and other items they could get from the commissary while incarcerated. Among the contributors: Slash, Shia LaBeouf, and Danny Trejo.

The latest vehicle in the LEGO Technic Ultimate Car Concept Series is an impressive model of the McLaren P1, the hybrid supercar that the British automaker produced from 2013 to 2015. The 3893-piece, 1:8-scale model of the car measures 24″ long when completed and has details like working butterfly doors, steering, and a miniature V8 engine behind the cockpit.

Director Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead) applies his horror expertise to the Alien franchise. Taking place between the events of Alien and Aliens , the film follows a group of young space colonists who encounter a terrifying array of xenomorphs during a scavenger mission to an abandoned space station. In theaters 8.16.2024. See it in IMAX if you can.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Blue Album, the prolific masters of garage rock stopped by Spotify Studios in L.A. and performed four tracks from their debut record. Rivers and the guys chatted about each song’s story and were joined by 5th Weezer Karl Koch, producer/songwriter Suzy Shinn, and Barry Johnson from the band Joyce Manor.

Set 20 years after the first film, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as a grandson of the former emperor, now enslaved by the current regime. The movie also stars Pedro Pascal as a general who trained under Maximus, and Denzel Washington as a slave manager, trader, and a cruel man with lofty ambitions. Premieres 11.22.24.

If anybody can pull off a TV reboot of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 fantasy Time Bandits, it’s Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows the tale of a boy who uncovers a time-travel portal in his bedroom and runs into a band of thieves who travel through time to steal the world’s greatest treasures. Premieres 7.24.24 on Apple TV+.

Slot Dice look and work like tiny mechanical slot machines. Pull the lever, and the central wheel spins and stops on a random number. They come in D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20, D100, and fortune teller variants, each in a different color. Available individually or in a full set at a special Kickstarter price.

The War-Ganizer 3.0 from Custom Collectibles Co. lets you take your tabletop gaming gear on the road. The 3D-printed case comes with slide-out trays for organizing and carrying miniatures, cards, tokens, dice, and more. The case measures about 10.6″ w x 9.2″ h x 6.3″ d and includes your choice of four trays. Based on models licensed from 3 Five Design.

Artist Kendra Norton’s unique coloring book has no outlines for you to color in. Instead, it’s filled with abstract blobs of color, and you draw the lines. Whether you doodle dinosaurs, flowers, buildings, or goldfish, go where your imagination takes you. In addition to the original, there are also Through the Seasons and Mindful Journeys editions.

The Man of Steel gets a wonderful deck of cards from Theory11. The cards and box are loaded with colorful illustrations inspired by classic DC Comics. You’ll find images of Clark Kent/Superman, Lois Lane, Supergirl, Jor-El, Lara Lor-Van, and Jimmy Olsen, along with villains Lex Luthor, Darkseid, General Zod, Brainiac, and the tricky imp, Mr. Mxyzptlk.

This official LEGO set replicates a classic scene from Steven Spielberg’s breakthrough flick Jaws. Based on a fan submission to LEGO Ideas, the 1497-piece kit includes a detailed model of The Orca, minifigs of Brody, Hooper, and Quint, and a brick-built shark named Bruce, ready to chomp down on everyone. Drops 8.6.24.

This new take on Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots has players battling with two wooden figures with balloons for heads. Instead of knocking your opponent’s block off, your goal is to pop their head. We’ve seen cheaper versions of the game, but Baloonic’s looks the best and gives players shields and interchangeable weapons. Assembly required.

Gas-powered cars are gradually being replaced with hybrids and electric vehicles. This Mercedes runs entirely on human power. Andrzej Burek of Foton Automotive created this replica of a Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe that can be pedaled like a recumbent bicycle. It has a top speed of 13 mph and a 0-to-60 time of never. Andrzej is now working on a Bugatti Chiron.

Half-Asleep Chris thought it would be fun to put a LEGO rollercoaster into space. So he and his pal Dan designed a custom rollercoaster that could withstand the flight and teamed up with Sent Into Space to launch it into the stratosphere. Once in space, the brave Minifigure astronauts got the thrill ride of their lives.

Enjoy delicious drinks in the great outdoors with The Coastal Kitchen’s Campfire Cocktails. The book is filled with 100 drink recipes that are easy to prepare without access to a full bar. There are tasty options like Cherry Limeade for cooling down after a long hike and cozy warm-ups like Tequila Hot Chocolate for chilly nights sitting around the fire.

Wind tunnels are used in automotive, aerospace, and other industries to test a vehicle’s aerodynamic properties. Thanks to Funtech Lab’s Windsible, you’ll soon be able to test the aerodynamics of your Hot Wheels and other toys. The illuminated desktop wind tunnel blasts air and smoke over your miniatures and will come in 1:64, 1:24, and 1:18 scale versions.