Glenn Perrett

CDs From EMI

EMI Music has recently released several good CDs featuring live performances from popular singers. Definitely worth a listen are Astral Weeks: Live At the Hollywood Bowl by Van Morrison, Wings Over America by Wings featuring Paul McCartney and Symphony: Live In Vienna by Sarah Brightman.

I'm a fan of Van Morrison's music and I wasn't disappointed with his Astral Weeks: Live At the Hollywood Bowl album. Astral Weeks was first released by Van Morrison more than 40 years ago. This live version, written and produced by Van Morrison, was recorded on November 7 and 8, 2008 at the Hollywood Bowl and released last month.

This live album has a jazz feel to it and Morrison sounds great. This album contains all eight songs from the studio recorded album released in 1968 along with two bonus songs - "Listen to the Lion/The Lion Speaks" and "Common One."

Fans of this great singer/songwriter will enjoy listening to Morrison's latest renditions of songs he first released more than four decades ago.

Song list: 1. Astral Weeks/I Believe I've Transcended 2. Beside You 3. Slim Slow Slider/I Start Breaking Down 4. Sweet Thing 5. The Way Young Lovers Do 6. Cyprus Avenue/You Came Walking Down 7. Ballerina 8. Madame George 9. Listen To the Lion/The Lion Speaks 10. Common One

Wings Over America from 1976 was recently re-released. This 2-CD set was taken from the triple album. Relive Paul McCartney and Wings from more than 30 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to McCartney's songs with Wings along with some from his days with The Beatles. This live album on CD contains 28 songs. I particularly enjoyed "Maybe I'm Amazed", "The Long and Winding Road", "Picasso's Last Words", "Bluebird", "You Gave Me the Answer", "My Love" and "Band On the Run". "Lady Madonna", "Yesterday" and "I've Just Seen a Face" are also very good. If your CD collection doesn't contain any Wings or Paul McCartney, this would be a good one to add to your music library.

Song List: Disc One: 1. Venus and Mars/Rock Show/Jet 2. Let Me Roll It 3. Spirits of Ancient Egypt 4. Medicine 5. Maybe I'm Amazed 6. Call Me Back Again 7. Lady Madonna 8. The Long and Winding Road 9. Live and Let Die 10. Picasso's Last Words 11. Richard Cory 12. Bluebird 13. I've Just Seen a Face 14. Blackbird 15. Yesterday Disc Two: 1. You Gave Me the Answer 2. Magneto and Titanium Man 3. Go Now 4. My Love 5. Listen To What the Man Said 6. Let 'Em In 7. Time to Hide 8. Silly Love Songs 9. Beware My Love 10. Letting Go 11. Band On the Run 12. Hi Hi Hi 13. Soily

Sarah Brightman has a beautiful voice and her latest album, Symphony: Live In Vienna, will appeal to those who like this singer who is also an actress, songwriter and dancer. Brightman sings numerous duets on this CD including with Alessandro Safina, Chris Thompson and Fernando Lima. In all there are 15 songs on this album and I particularly enjoyed "Let It Rain", "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Time to Say Goodbye".

Song List: 1. Pie Jesu 2. Fleurs Du Mal 3. Symphony 4. Sanvean 5. Canto Della Terra 6. Sarai Qui 7. Attesa 8. I Will Be With You 9. Storia D'Amore 10. Pasion 11. Running 12. Let It Rain 13. The Phantom of the Opera 14. Time to Say Goodbye 15. Ave Maria

Klutz Books

Part book, part activity, the unique and entertaining books from Klutz offers children fun things to do.

Doodle Dogs
Liz Hutnick
ISBN: 1570548366
ages 6+

Doodle Dogs is a fun book that shows you how to draw dogs including silly illustrations of how to draw Scotty the Terrier, Diggity Dog, Yappie Yorkie, Truly Drooly the Bassett Hound and many others. To help you with your canine doodles, the book comes with a pencil and eraser and 35 feet of drawing paper.

Doodle Dogs is a good book to keep children entertained on car trips.

Why I Love My Dad: Klutz Build a Book
ISBN: 9781591746560
ages 6+

Why I Love My Dad: Klutz Build a Book is a fun kit that comes with numerous items for the author to build a nice book for Dad. Included is a wire-o-bound book with mostly blank pages, a double-tipped black marker, chipboard letters, custom papers, foam shapes and glue. The kit comes with "lots of hints, tips, and inspirational ideas to help you finish it and make it totally, completely, 100% yours."

Tricky Video: The Complete Guide to Making Movie Magic
John Cassidy & Nicholas Berger
ISBN: 9781591746232
ages 9+

Tricky Video: The Complete Guide to Making Movie Magic provides you with numerous video tricks, gags and other techniques to shoot "a quality tricky video." Instructions on acting and shooting and editing are also included. Some of the scenes include how to shoot a fight, how to shoot stop motion, how to shoot giants, how to roll credits and various other video special effects. There are 23 special effects videos in all. The book comes with a Hollywood-style clapper to initiate the beginning of every scene.

As for the type of camera that is required, the authors have this to say,

"A Video Camera. Any kind will do. We shot a lot of these videos with a camera we got at the drugstore. For some of these videos you can use a cell phone or the video feature on a digital point-and-shoot camera. You can play your videos back on the camera you used to shoot them, or, if you know how, on a TV or computer."

You can see the videos included in the book at: www.klutz.com/tv

What About You? 280 Questions on the World's Most Fascinating Topic
Karen Phillips
ISBN: 9781591746126
ages 8+

What About You? 280 Questions on the World's Most Fascinating Topic is a fun book where you answer questions about yourself! The "book of super-nosy surveys" is for "tween girls" and features 20 different surveys that they can take and then share and compare answers with friends to learn more about each other. Survey subjects are on things such as food, fashion, friendship, music, crushes, sports and much more. The book includes forms to fill out when taking the surveys and a cool pencil with eraser - see the question mark on the book's cover? It's a pencil!

Paper Fashions Fantasy
ISBN: 9781591746133
ages 8+

With Paper Fashions Fantasy the reader can design an entire wardrobe. Included with the book are: acid-free design papers, simple-to-use stencils and teeny-tiny hangers, beads, sequins, confetti and glitter glue. Inside the book the reader learns how to stencil and cut, scissor secrets, gluing and embellishing, gluing ribbon, adding sparkle, designing dresses and hanging designs. The book contains fashion fantasies including princess dresses, "fairy finery", "goddess gowns" and even fashions for mermaids and witches!

TV Series on DVD

While the state of the economy isn't the best right now, we still require entertainment such as watching DVDs and reading books. And while TV series on disc aren't inexpensive, they are often less expensive than taking your family to the movies and they last much longer. TV series normally have many hours of entertainment on disc for each season of the show. For example, The Fugitive: Season Two Volume Two (below) contains close to 13 hours of the show on four discs. So pull up a chair, make some popcorn and enjoy some of the shows which have come to DVD!

The Nanny: The Complete Third Season (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, rated G)
The Nanny was a funny sitcom that ran from 1993 to 1999 (145 episodes). The Emmy Award-winning show features Fran Drescher as Fran Fine the nasal-voiced nanny for British millionaire widower Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) and his three children. The hired help also includes Niles (Daniel Davis), who is both sarcastic and witty.

The Nanny: The Complete Third Season is now on DVD. Three discs contains all 27 episodes from the show's third season including the animated holiday episode "Oy to the World." I enjoyed the humour on the show which the rest of our family also enjoyed. An episode that I particularly enjoyed was "The Grandmas" which includes actor Ann Morgan Guilbert who was Millie Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Season three has Fran appearing on Jeopardy, Fran is proposed to, Fran decides to have a baby and Fran dates a New York Ranger hockey player - to name a few of the situations that Fran finds herself in.

Fans of The Nanny will enjoy the more than 600 minutes of entertainment contained in this collection.

The Fugitive: Season Two, Volume Two (Paramount Home Entertainment, rated PG)
If you watched television in the sixties, chances are you watched The Fugitive which was on TV for four seasons from 1963 to 1967. This entertaining show starred David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man who is wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to death. Fortunately for Dr. Kimble he escapes custody while on his way to prison. For the next four years Dr. Kimble tries to avoid being captured by Lieutenant Philip Gerard (Barry Morse) as he tries to find his wife's murderer.

The final 15 episodes (with restored audio) of the popular show's second season are now available on The Fugitive: Season Two, Volume Two. Dr. Kimble avoids being caught by Lieutenant Gerard who continues to pursue the convicted doctor. While avoiding a return to custody, Dr. Kimble meets many people in need. Unfortunately, the escaped fugitive must regularly move on to avoid being caught.

This well done show features an impressive list of guest stars.In this second half of the second season some of the actors who guest star include: Angie Dickinson, Robert Duvall, Dabney Coleman, Tom Skerritt, Jack Klugman, Telly Savalas, Norman Fell, Ed Asner and James Doohan. William Conrad is the show's narrator.

Enjoy a return to quality 1960s television with The Fugitive.

Sabrina, The Teenage Witch: The Fifth Season (Paramount Home Entertainment, rated PG)
Looking for some magic with your sitcom? The fifth season of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch was recently released on DVD by Paramount Home Video. The 3-disc set includes all 22 digitally remastered episodes.

Sabrina, The Teenage Witch lasted seven seasons (1996 to 2003 - 163 episodes) and features Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman who is, like the show's title says, a teenage witch. Joining Sabrina is a good cast that includes her aunts on the show - Hilda and Zelda Spellman (Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick). Salem Saberhagen (Nick Bakay) is a warlock who was turned into a cat.

Season five sees Sabrina move out of her aunts' house and moves into her college dormitory where she has three roomates - Roxie (Soleil Moon Frye from Punky Brewster), Morgan (Elisa Donovan) and Miles (Trevor Lissauer). Sabrina's aunts aren't far away as Aunt Hilda buys the coffeehouse where Sabrina works and Aunt Zelda teaches at Sabrina's college.

You can join Sabrina at college by getting Sabrina, The Teenage Witch: The Fifth Season.

Canterbury's Law: The Complete Series (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, rated PG)
Good news, bad news, good news regarding the television show Canterbury's Law.The good news is that you can now have the entire series on DVD. The bad news is the entire series is composed of only six episodes. The good news is that this TV show, no matter how short-lived, is very good. I'm surprised and a little disappointed that this show started and finished last spring.

Canterbury's Law has Julianna Margulies playing Elizabeth Canterbury, a defense attorney who takes on risky cases. Canterbury defends a convicted sex offender, a bank robber, a student accused of arranging the murder of another student and a rapist. Canterbury is also charged with jury tampering - all in only six episodes!

Things outside of work aren't that great either. Canterbury and her husband aren't coping well with the disappearance of their young son - although they are trying to keep their relationship alive.

Although short-lived, the more than four hours of this legal drama are entertaining.

Family Ties: The Fifth Season (Paramount Home Entertainment, rated G)
Still very much living in the 1960s, Steven and Elyse Keaton (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter Birney) are the parents of Mallory (Justine Bateman), Alex (Michael J. Fox), Jennifer (Tina Yothers) and Andrew (Brian Bonsall). The hippy parents live in Ohio where Steven works for a public television station and Elyse is an architect.

During this fifth season of the show (which lasted seven seasons, 1982-1989, 176 episodes) there is lots happening in the Keaton household. Alex is a junior in college, Jennifer is in an all-girl rock band and Mallory is studying fashion in college. Other storylines include little Andy starting preschool, Alex starts work in a bank, Nick (Scott Valentine) and Mallory set out to elope and "Skippy" (Marc Price) gets an interview with Alex's fraternity.

The fifth season of this show was in 1987 and Family Ties won three Emmy Awards this year including "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" (Michael J. Fox). The special features of this 4-disc set is a gag reel. Spend more than 12 hours of commercial-free comedy with the Keatons on Family Ties: The Fifth Season.

Books For Children Aged 4 to 8

Puff, the Magic Dragon
Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, illustrations by Eric Puybaret
Sterling Publishing
2007, 26 pages (and a CD)
ISBN: 9781402747823

An excellent song made into a children's book is Puff, the Magic Dragon written by Peter Yarrow (from the musical group Peter, Paul, and Mary) and Lenny Lipton. The beautiful song is complemented by the nice paintings of Eric Puybaret.

Parents will enjoy revisiting with Puff and Jackie Paper in that special land known as Honalee and children will love being introduced to this beautiful story which sees a new and special friend come to play with Puff in Honalee.

A CD included with the book features four songs sung by Peter Yarrow with his daughter Bethany (including a nice rendition of "Puff, the Magic Dragon") along with Rufus Cappadocia. The other songs are: "Froggie Went A-Courtin'", "The Blue Tail Fly" and an instrumental version of "Puff, the Magic Dragon."

Puff, the Magic Dragon is a beautiful children's book.

Forever Young
Bob Dylan, illustrated by Paul Rogers
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
2008, 34 pages
ISBN: 9781416958086

Another good song made into a children's book is Forever Young written by Bob Dylan in 1973. Parents will enjoy reading Dylan's wise words to their children who will benefit from listening to the thought-provoking lyrics providing a good message for everyone. Paul Rogers' illustrations are entertaining for children of all ages. His illustrations were done after listening to Dylan's music and includes "images from Dylan's life and lyrics to his songs." Adults will enjoy reading the "Illustrator's Notes" at the end of the book which provide information to some of the things hidden in the illustrations - like Martin Luther King Jr., and Joan Baez. Forever Young is a nice book for people of all ages.

Spuds
Karen Hesse, illustrated by Wendy Watson
Scholastic Press
2008, 32 pages
ISBN: 9780439877934

Spuds is about three children who try to help their mother by gathering potatoes left in their neighbour's field after the harvest. When their mother goes to work on the night shift, Maybelle takes her younger brothers Jack and Eddie to gather potatoes in Mr. Kenney's field left after the harvest. After lots of work gathering potatoes, the three children return home and dump their sacks on the kitchen floor and are surprised at what they find!

Too Many Toys
David Shannon
The Blue Sky Press
2008, 32 pages
ISBN: 9780439490290

Spencer has too many toys. His mother asks him to give some up, but she soon discovers that Spencer likes and wants to keep them all. After much haggling there is a box filled with toys that Spencer has agreed to part with, but Spencer even has trouble letting the box go. Too Many Toys is a fun story children will enjoy - and many parents will relate to.

Sing a Song of Mother Goose
Barbara Reid
North Winds Press
2007, 2008, 32 pages
ISBN: 9780545990288

Sing a Song of Mother Goose contains 14 nursery rhymes. Children will not only enjoy reading the rhymes, they'll also enjoy the colourful illustrations. Some of the nursery rhymes in the book include: "Hey Diddle, Diddle", "Humpty Dumpty", "Hickory, Dickory, Dock" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Good Movies (Old and New) on DVD

Twilight (E1 Entertainment)
The much anticipated movie to the popular series of books, Twilight is now available on DVD from E1 Entertainment. The movie features Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) who moves to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her father.

While it's not easy meeting new friends and going to a new school, Bella meets the mysterious Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). While Edward tries to keep his distance from Bella, he finds himself falling in love with her - and she with him. What's the problem you say? Well, for starters he's a vampire. There is also a "clan of undead" that want to prey on Bella. How is it going to work? With great difficulty - if at all!

"Based on the #1 New York Times best selling" book by Stephanie Meyer, Twilight the movie is an entertaining film that is part romance, part horror and part thriller.

Other actors in the film include: Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Nikki reed, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz and Peter Facinelli.

The 2-disc special edition set includes the movie, extended scenes, audio commentary and music videos on disc one as well as a detailed documentary and "never-before-seen" deleted scenes on disc 2.

The Duchess (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Another good movie is The Duchess where Keira Knightly plays Georgiana Spencer - the Duchess of Devonshire. Set in 18th Century England, Georgiana Spencer, at the age of 17, married the wealthy, influential and often uncaring William Cavendish (Ralph Fiennes), the fifth Duke of Devonshire. Loved by the people, but shunned and betrayed by her husband, The Duchess was an important political voice in Britain.

Included with the entertaining film are several special features that include: "How Far She Went...Making the Duchess", a documentary about Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, "Georgiana In Her Own Words" and "Costume Diary".

The Duchess won an Oscar for costume design.

In the Heat of the Night: 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition (MGM Home Entertainment)
Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger star in this 1967 classic film about a homicide of a prominent white businessman in a southern town.

Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs, an African American homicide detective from Philadelphia. Steiger is the racist sheriff of the town who first accuses Tibbs of the murder before asking for his help in solving the case. Both men need each other to solve the case and develop a complicated relationship together.

This excellent 1967 mystery/crime film won five Oscars including "Best Picture". This 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition includes lots of special features including commentary by Norman Jewison (who directed the film), Lee Grant and Rod Steiger and cinematographer Haskell Wexler and several featurettes including "Turning Up the Heat: Movie-Making in the '60s and "Quincy Jones Breaking New Sound."

Nature Books For Kids

Children can never be exposed to too many books about the importance of the environment or the wonders of nature. The following books are entertaining and contain important messages about the planet we live on.

3-D Explorer Oceans: A Journey From the Surface to the Seafloor
Jen Green
Silver Dolphin Books
2007, 31 pages
ISBN: 9781592237685
ages 8+

Oceans are very special places and children of all ages can learn about them in the very cool book 3-D Explorer Oceans: A Journey From the Surface to the Seafloor. Topics include ocean zones, ocean life cycle, rock pools, coral reefs, kelp forests, murky depths and much more. Informative  diagrams, incredible photographs and quality illustrations complement the interesting text. The 3-D diagrams of rock pools, coral reefs, kelp forests, life in the shadows and black smokers are full of information and lots of fun to explore. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy and learn from this fascinating book!

3-D Explorer Rain Forest: A Journey From the River to the Treetops
Joe Fullman
Silver Dolphin Books
2007, 31 pages
ISBN: 9781592237593
ages 8+

Another interesting nature book for children is 3-D Explorer Rain Forest: A Journey From the River to the Treetops. By perusing the pages of this book the reader learns about the wonders and beauty of the rain forest. Five pop-up scenes with see-through layers display the Amazon River, the forest floor, the understory, the canopy and emergents. Other topics covered in the book include rain forests, forest layers, circle of life and rivers and flooded forest.

Rain forests are vital parts of the planet - and they're incredibly interesting. Children will enjoy learning about these fascinating places by reading 3-D Explorer Rain Forest.

Rain Forests
Richard C. Vogt
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2009, 64 pages
ISBN: 9781416938668
ages 10+

Another very good book about rain forests is Rain Forests by Richard C. Vogt. This 64-page book is full of interesting illustrations of life in these wondrous ecosystems. As you study the illustrations and read the text, you discover the different layers of the rain forest, the forest floor, rivers, plants, animals, biodiversity and rain forests of the world.

There are also sections on how humans are destroying rain forests. In the chapter "Past, Present, and Future" the reader gets an idea of how fast we are decimating these incredible places.

"In 1800, rain forest covered about 15 percent of Earth's total land area; today less than 7 percent of Earth's total land area is rain forest. Logging and deforestation destroy the rain forest habitat and threaten the wildlife that depend on it."

The section on "Felling the Forests" continues to describe our species brutal assault on rain forests.

"Large areas of rain forest are cleared for cattle ranches or for the planting of cash crops. Governments, too, can be responsible for felling rain forests to make way for roads or dams. An area of rain forest as big as Florida is destroyed each year, and the consequences are disastrous."

Reading Rain Forest is an educational adventure that takes the reader deep into these incredible habitats. A detailed glossary is also included.

The Forever Forest: Kids Save a Tropical Treasure
Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini with Rachel Crandell
Dawn Publications
2008, 32 pages
ISBN: 9781584691020
ages 5 to 10

The Forever Forest: Kids Save a Tropical Treasure is the informative and inspirational story about young students who started to protect a rain forest in Costa Rica. Soon children from several countries worked together to protect the rain forest. In fact, children from 44 countries donated to the Children's Eternal Rainforest protecting the various species of plants and animals that live there.

While reading the story about how first and second grade students in Sweden started to raise money to protect some of Costa Rica's rain forest the reader also gets educated about some of the plants and animals who live there. Throughout the story are interesting sections pertaining to some of the species that live in the rain forest. The reader learns about the Strangler Fig - a tree "that grows from the top down" or Kinkajous - mammals who are pollinators. Mantled Howler Monkeys, who are the loudest land animals, are also included as are Hoffman's Two-toed Sloths and Baird's Tapir as well as many other plants and animals.

The end of the entertaining book has a timeline of the Children's Eternal Rainforest. The Forever Forest: Kids Save a Tropical Treasure is a good environmental book for children that provides an excellent lesson in how much good a small group of concerned people can do.

All Around Me I See
Laya Steinberg, illustrated by Cris Arbo
Dawn Publications
2005, 32 pages
ISBN: 1584690690
ages 3 to 8

All Around Me I See is another good nature book for young children as it takes them on an adventure and shows them many wondrous things in nature including birds, the ocean, a whale, a river, salmon, a frog, a beetle, a turtle, a deer, a forest, a seed, a bee, a squirrel, a flower, an owl, the sun, the sky, the moon and the Earth. Beautiful illustrations complement the simple text providing the young reader with a glimpse of the natural beauty of the planet.

Classic Television on DVD!

The Three Stooges Collection: Volume Five 1946-1948 (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, woop-woop-woop-wooop! Stooges fans will rejoice with the latest collection of shorts from The Three Stooges. The Three Stooges Collection: Volume Five 1946-1948 features 25 digitally remastered shorts on two discs (approximately 432 minutes).

1947 was when Curly Howard retired after suffering a stroke and was replaced with his older brother Shemp Howard (Curly replaced Shemp in 1932). So, this collection of classic Stooges shorts contains Moe Howard (Moe), Larry Fine (Larry), Curly Howard (Curly) and Shemp Howard (Shemp).

Created in 1925 "when Moe and Shemp met Larry Fine" the hilarious slapstick antics of The Three Stooges was classic comedy for much of the early to mid 20th century.

This entertaining collection contains:

1946:Beer Barrel Polecats, A Bird In the Head, Uncivil Warbirds, Three Troubledoers, Monkey Businessmen, Three Loan Wolves, G. I. Wanna Home, Rhythm and Weep and Three Little Pirates

1947: Half-Wits Holiday, Fright Night, Out West, Hold That Lion, Brideless Groom, Sing a Song of Six Pants and All Gummed Up

1948: Shivering Sherlocks, Pardon My Clutch, Squareheads of the Round Table, Fiddlers Three, The Hot Scots, Heavenly Daze, I'm a Monkey's Uncle, Mummy's Dummies and Crime on Their Hands

Our family enjoyed watching these funny episodes from another era. Highly recommended for comedy fans!

Get Smart: Season 2 (Warner Home Video)
Another DVD collection that our family is enjoying is Get Smart: Season 2. Get Smart was a very good sitcom that ran from 1965 to 1970. Featuring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 and Edward Platt as Chief, this Emmy Award-winning "spy-spoof series" was excellent and was created by Buck Henry and Mel Brooks. 

Maxwell Smart is Agent 86 for the counter intelligence agency known as CONTROL. Although not the sharpest tack in the box, Maxwell Smart is able to thwart the efforts of KAOS - an evil organization with designs on destroying the world. Some of the funny, top-secret gadgets featured in the show include the Cone of Silence and Maxwell Smart's shoe phone.

All 30 episodes from the show's second season are contained on four discs in Get Smart: Season 2. Some of the digitally restored episodes in this collection include "Bronzefinger" and the three-part episode "A Man Called Smart".

Fans of classic television will want to add Get Smart: Season 2 to their DVD collection.

The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Paramount Home Video)
Another good television show from the sixties was The Man From U.N.C.L.E. This show was an hour-long spy show featuring Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo and David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin - secret agents with the crime-fighting organization the United Network Command for Law Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.). This show ran from 1964 to 1968.

Recently made available on DVD is The Return of the Man From Uncle: The Fifteen Years Later Affair a "feature-length TV movie" starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as they continue their roles as Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin. Joining Vaughn and McCallum in this movie is Patrick Macnee and Keenan Wynn. Solo and Kuryakin are reunited to fight a terrorist organization that has stolen a warhead and threatens to trigger a "nuclear catastrophe".

The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E. is an enjoyable movie for fans of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. television show.

Books For St. Patrick's Day!

In honour of St. Patrick's Day I thought it fitting to cover the entertaining novels by Patrick Taylor. Dr. Taylor was born and raised in Northern Ireland and his books are based on journals he kept as a doctor in rural Ireland. Dr. Taylor's books about Doctor Barry Laverty and his senior colleague Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly and their rural practice in the northern Irish community of Ballybucklebo are very popular. Dr. Taylor's books have been compared to those of James Herriot. And, switch rural England to rural Ireland and change the patients from four-legged ones to two-legged ones and there are many similarities - including the fact that these novels are very entertaining.

An Irish Country Doctor (A Forge Paperback, ISBN: 9780765319951, 351 pages) finds Barry Laverty, M.B. seeking employment as a doctor in the village of Ballybucklebo where he learns about country life and the village's residents. The characters in Taylor's book are very well done and you look forward to visiting Doctors Laverty and O'Reilly and their interesting patients. For those who require help with the Irish terminology, there is a glossary at the back of the book.

Another good book in the series is An Irish Country Village (A Forge Book, 2008, ISBN: 9780765316240, 431 pages). In this novel, Dr. Laverty has a serious problem - especially for a doctor in a small village where people gossip. One of Dr. Laverty's patients suddenly dies putting the young doctor's reputation on the line. As Laverty awaits word of the postmortem, he continues treating his patients in the country village with the help of his senior colleague Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'reilly.

Not all of the issues that they face are medical cases either. In this book the good doctors also join forces to try to ensure that their pub, the Black Swan also known as the "Mucky Duck", remains the modest country pub that it is.

If you prefer to listen to this entertaining story, An Irish Country Village is available on CD from Macmillan Audio (11 Cds, ISBN: 9781427202765, approximately 14 hours). While the book is very good, the audio book expertly read by John Keating is excellent.

If you still haven't had enough of this humourous, interesting series there is An Irish Country Christmas (Macmillan Audio, 13 CDs, ISBN: 9781427205209, approximately 16.5 hours) on CD. Last December, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audio book which sees Doctors Laverty and O'Reilly, dealing with competition arriving in Ballybucklebo, helping a single mother in need and caring for the village's sick and injured. This entertaining book is read by John Keating.

If you are looking for some well written stories, I recommend Dr. Taylor's novels set in the fictional rural Irish village of Ballybucklebo in the 1960s. I hope there will be several more books in this series.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Movies From Seville Pictures

Real Time (Rated 14A)
I thoroughly enjoyed Real Time which features Randy Quaid and Jay Baruchel. Andy (Baruchel), a compulsive gambler, has amassed a considerable gambling debt. Reuben (Quaid) is a hit man sent to kill Andy. Reuben has given Andy an hour before he kills him. The movie is shot in real time and the interaction between Andy and Reuben is funny and cleverly done. As it gets closer to the end Andy becomes increasingly anxious and you learn that both Andy and Reuben have their secrets. Most of the movie is dialogue between Andy and Reuben as they drive around in Reuben's car. While this may not sound terribly exciting, Real Time is very well done and one of the more entertaining films I've seen in some time.

Stuck (Rated 18A)
Stuck is the intense movie about Brandi (Mena Suvari), a nursing assistant, who drives her car into Tom (Stephen Rea), a homeless man. Tom is stuck in the car's windshield. Not wanting to jeopardize a possible job promotion, Brandi drives her car home, leaving it in the garage with the trapped and bleeding man near death. Not knowing what to do, Brandi goes on as usual while she tries to figure out what to do with her victim. This disturbing thriller was inspired by true events and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.

Keith (Rated PG)
Natalie (Elisabeth Harnois) is a smart, popular high school senior who is likely to get a scholarship at Duke University because of her tennis abilities. She appears to have her life all figured out, that is until she meets Keith (Jesse McCartney), a mysterious student who becomes friends with Natalie changing the course of her life. As Natalie and Keith spend more time together they grow closer. Unfortunately, there is something about Keith that Natalie doesn't know, something that will change both of their lives.

Northern Greetings (Rated G)
Northern Greetings is an interesting documentary about the town of Radisson. Radisson, in northern Quebec, was created "for the sole purpose of housing the thousands of workers who came to James Bay to build the massive hydroelectric power station." This documentary looks at the lives of the people of the nearby Cree village of Chisasibi as well as those who came north to work and who decided to stay in Radisson.

The Last Continent (Rated G)
The Last Continent is an exciting documentary about Jean Lemire and his crew composed of scientists, filmmakers and explorers who sail aboard the schooner Sedna IV to Antarctica. During their 430-day adventure they document some of the frightening effects of global warming. Narrated by Donald Sutherland, this expedition takes the viewer on an awesome Antarctica journey where you get to view the spectacular scenery and wonderful animals of this special, fragile and rapidly changing (the average winter temperature here has risen 6C in the last 50 years) place. The Last Continent is an excellent family film.

Elegy (Rated 14A)
Being released on March 17 is Elegy, a movie about David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley) who doesn't know what to do when he meets Consuela Castillo (Penelope Cruz). Kepesh is a "cultural critic", author and college professor who never gets too close to the women he romances - until he meets Castillo, a student in his class. Kepesh and Castillo fall in love, but Kepesh becomes jealous and obsessed with Castillo which ultimately destroys their relationship. Upset with his loss, Kepesh immerses himself in his work until Castillo contacts him two years later with some startling news and a request. This entertaining film also features Dennis Hopper and Deborah Harry.

My Name Is Bruce (Rated 14A)
Things in the small mining town of Gold Lick become dangerous, violent and downright deadly when some teenagers awaken Guan-di - the Chinese protector of the dead. The population of Gold Lick is taking a licking as Guan-di continues his bloody crusade to wipe out the town's population (his killing maneuver of choice is decapitation.)

Fortunately, Bruce Campbell is recruited to save the town. Bruce's credentials? Well, he's a B-movie star. Will Bruce be successful in stopping Guan-di? You'll have to watch this movie to see.

The movie is rated 14A for language as well as violence and gory scenes. The film is silly, but it's fun.

Bruce Campbell plays Bruce Campbell. The director is...Bruce Campbell. Other actors in the comedy-horror include Grace Thorsen and Taylor Sharpe.

Screamers: The Hunting (Rated 14A)
A violent sci-fi thriller is Screamers: The Hunting. Screamers are robotic killing machines which kill humans on the planet Sirius 6-B. When a group of humans respond to an SOS signal on the planet they discover other humans barely surviving on the planet as they try to avoid the screamers. They also discover an even greater threat - the screamers are able to take on a human form.

The film is rated 14A for violence and gore. Screamers: The Hunting will appeal to those who like slasher and science fiction films - think Captain Kirk meets Freddy Krueger!

Charmed: The Complete Series

Charmed: The Complete Series
Paramount Home Entertainment (Rated 14A)
49-disc collection

Charmed is the entertaining supernatural show about the magical Halliwell sisters: Phobe (Alyssa Milano), Prue (Shannon Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Page (Rose McGowan). Charmed was on for eight seasons (1998 - 2006) and all 173 episodes are included in Charmed: The Complete Series.

Join the "Power of Three" as they fight evil forces. These good witches have magical powers. Prue can magically move objects. Piper can freeze time. Phoebe can see the future. Later in the series their half sister, Paige, joins the Charmed Ones as they fight warlocks, demons and other evil entities while protecting the innocent.

The magical plots are fun and the special effects are impressive. If you enjoy shows featuring magic, supernatural forces and lots of suspense you'll enjoy this series. This collection not only contains the show's eight seasons, but also lots of special features including the original unaired pilot, Charmed effects, The Power of Three and the Book of Shadows - and much more.

While this "supernatural saga" is entertaining, it is also contained in a very cool package. In fact, of all the DVD sets that I've seen, the packaging of Charmed is the most innovative and creative. The 49 discs are contained in the pages of the "Book of Shadows". The attractive book contains nice illustrations and descriptions of evil beings such as the "Bunyip" which is "A monstrous creature from Aboriginal land. The Bunyip lives in swamps, lakes and rivers of the Australian Outback. It is believed to bring disease and is roughly the size of a cow. Usually the Bunyip leaves humans alone but when their source of food is disturbed they take humans under the water to their death in revenge."

Other evil entities that are described in words and illustrations include: banshees, lazarus, gremlins, the crone and belthazor. The book also contains lots of photos of the Charmed Ones along with episode descriptions.

Charmed: The Complete Series is an impressive addition to any DVD library - and the "Book of Shadows" looks great on the book shelf.