August 2009
	by Max (with Walt Oleksy)	view previous issues here

A few choice flicks this month, otherwise slim pickings.

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TORCHWOOD – CHILDREN OF EARTH

My master and I are not big science fiction fans, but we do like this British-Welsh Series and this special mini-series just shown on BBC America and out on DVD in a two-disc set. John tbarrowman stars as Captain Jack Harkness, an enigmatic young man who cannot die, who leads a small team tracking down space aliens. In the miniseries, a mysterious force from another world wants 10 percent of the children of Earth to join them in their space world. There is violence, pyrotechnics, strange creatures, so if any of that turns you off, stay away. But it is intelligent and its’ underlying message is a brave one that points its finger at many of humans’ faults today. See it if for that alone. From BBC on DVD

THE CLASS

This true story of a year in the life of a school teacher in a rough and tough neighborhood in Paris. The students are teenagers who aren’t used to what the teacher demands – respect and serious study. That doesn’t come easily as the students challenge the teacher’s methods. The film won many awards including the Palm d’Or for best picture at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for best foreign language film at the 2008 Academy Awards
The same year. Francois Begaudeau stars and also co-wrote the screenplay with director Laurent Cantet, based on Begaudeau’s book and real-life teaching experiences. From Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

MAD MONSTER RALLY

If 1970s monster movies are your thing, a box set of eight such films can keep you up at night. They include Creature of Destruction, House of Blood, The Cremators, Target Earth and others. From Infinity Entertainment Group and Retromedia.

ROUTE 66 Season Three

The first 16 episodes of the junior season of this popular 1960s television series again stars Martin Milner and George Maharis as an odd couple driving a 1960 Corvette across the country for adventure. They get plenty of it from guest stars Buster Keaton, Rod Steiger, Ron Howard, Leslie Nielson, Julie Newman, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and Lon Chaney Jr. Lots of old television excitement from Infinity Entertainment Group.

The first season of Judy Garland’s television show (1963-1964) showcases the star in the first of 13 DVDs coming to DVD. Guests include Mel Torme, Count Basie and his band, folk singer Judy Henske, series regulars Jerry Van Dyke and Soupy Sales, and special guest Liza Minnelli at the age of 17. Mother and daughter do several duets. Great entertainment from Infinity.

If the World Were a Village explores how global statistics about age, language, economic and educational status, food and culture would break down if looking at only 200 people.
Very interesting NOVA documentary based on the award-winning book by David J. Smith. From Master Communications.

The Last Extinction explores the question of what killed the mammoths near the end of the last ice age 13,000 years ago. The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies shows how each year 100 million monarch butterflies fly 2,000 miles across North America to reach a tiny area high in the mountains of Mexico. A fascinating nature film from NOVA.
From WGBH Boston Video.

James Dean: The Fast Lane follows the actor from country boy to Hollywood star in only 1,734 days. Including rare footage and his early television appearances, the two DVDs continue his legend but fail to really describe this reckless, confused young man. My master researched Dean and wrote a biography of him that reveals him to be a lot less candidate for hero-worship than the media portrays.
From HSV Hollywood Select Video and Infinity Entertainment Group.

If watching women wrestling is your idea of entertainment (it isn’t my master’s or mine), take a look at Women’s Extreme Wrestling, from Infinity. Otherwise, maybe try Kung Fu on your parakeet.

Chris Kimball, television chef, and his team take you into their kitchen to demonstrate hearty home cooking recipes in America’s Test Kitchen. From WGBH Boston Video. Chefs, start your gas or electric ranges.

Scholastic Storybook Treasures is back with more children’s picture books on DVD with Chicka Chicka 123 and other stories that make counting easy and fun for kids. This popular series keeps up its excellence and that’s hard to beat. From Scholastic

The Swan Princess 2: The Secret of the Castle again teams Princess Odette and Prince Derek with their old friends in two new musical adventures involving magic and bravery. Good fun for kids from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Spanish for Beginners could be an easy way for kids to learn the language for next month’s National Hispanic Heritage Month. Lively animation and amusing characters help live action teachers on this DVD inspired by Whistlefritz, award-winning children’s educational producers of DVDs and CDs. From Whistlefritz.

Bob the Builder: Built for Fun shows how teamwork and positive thinking can be valuable tools for budding builders, with a toy vehicle in the box. Thomas and Friends: Percy and the Bandstand are featured in four new adventures on exciting train rides. tbarney is back at a Book Fair in a box that also includes a tbarney storybook, Count to 10. All good entertainment from Lionsgate.

Families of the World is a fine series of half-hour travel DVDs that show how parents and children live in Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama. From Master Communications.

Why do movie producers pay millions of dollars to top-name actors and actresses to speak the voices of characters in cartoons and animated feature films? Can you really tell whose voice it is? Stars used to have distinguishable voices, such as Clark Gable, Ingrid Bergman, Orson Welles, even character actors such as Eve Arden and Eric Blore.
But actors today who mostly look alike also sound alike.
Why not give the jobs to unknown actors who need the work?