Video

This four-volume set of psychological thrillers involving ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances was originally televised in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s to great success. Dying Day stars a young Ian McKellen as a lonely man who believes he is about to be murdered. A man's wife vanishes without a trace in The Limbo Connection. Rachel in Danger is about a girl setting off to meet the father she never knew, and in The Victim, a wealthy man embarks on a hunt for his daughter's kidnapper. Though the films are a bit dated, the production quality is high; on the whole, a thoroughly enjoyable set for fans of British mysteries. [Set 2, with The Chelsea Murders and The Chelsea Murders feature-length version; The Circe Complex; and Quiet as a Nun, will be available later this month, DVD UPC 0-54961-82789-3. $49.99.]—Julia Stump, Vooheesville P.L., NY

This is the final season of the dark, atmospheric, and gritty UK drama about police officer Sam Tyler (John Simm), who is struck by a hit-and-run driver in Manchester in 2006 and wakes up in 1973. Simm is exceptional as a man who isn't quite sure if he's dreaming, in a coma, or just mad. Phillip Glenister (Sam's boss) and Liz White (Sam's romantic interest) are standouts in a stellar ensemble cast. With accurate period detail from clothing to music to behavior, Life on Mars highlights progress made in law enforcement and the changing roles of women and minorities from 1973 to the present. There is a definitive ending to Tyler's dilemma; however, the keenly awaited conclusion is ambiguous. Bonus featurettes ("The Return of Life on Mars" and "The End of Life on Mars") are supplemented by behind-the-scenes footage. For those who like a little speculation with their drama as well as lovers of British TV and well-crafted and -acted police action. Fans of the U.S. series with Harvey Keitel might enjoy seeing how the two compare; includes some coarse language.—Charli Osborne, Oxford P.L., MI

These releases resemble one another in their exemplification of William Shakespeare's continued cultural and social significance as much as they differ in their staging and production quality. Morse directs the University of Cambridge production of Merchant, intending to explore the comic aspects of the play and the relevance of Portia, two elements that are often overshadowed by the character of Shylock. It is essentially a filmed version of a staged play; its audio levels are uneven and the camera angles often dizzying, making this version problematic for high school viewing. It would be best used as a supplement to a college Shakespeare course. Nonetheless, the players are amiable and talented, and the shift in focus from Shylock's ambivalence to the comedic and ironical notes of the work illustrate that Shakespeare's acumen for comedy was on par with his ability to explore the darkest shades of humanity.

The most inventive and original of the three is This Is Macbeth, the brainchild of producers Watkins and Jeremy Sabol, two Stanford University lecturers. They employ an interview format akin to that of Larry King Live to flesh out the dense language and archetypal plot. Between the interviews with the leading characters are interposed stagings of integral scenes and commercials that parody the violence of Macbeth's world and highlight some of the better-known phrases from the play (e.g., "Out Damned Spot" stain remover). This video is strongly recommended for both high school and college courses, as it clarifies difficult passages and provides a fresh take on an iconic, but too often standardized, piece of literature.

The strongest of the trio is the stalwart King Lear, led by the Royal Shakespeare Company and starring multiple Academy Award winner Sir Ian McKellen as the mad and mercurial Lear, a king fighting the advancing forces of dementia and avaricious offspring. One of Shakespeare's later plays, it lays bare the human soul, making fool of king and philosopher of clown in an existentialist critique of both the structures of royal society and the tenuous, arguably illusory control that each individual holds on fate. The technical qualities surpass those of the other two productions, from set design to costumes. King Lear is strongly recommended for those studying Shakespeare or for those with even a passing interest in the Bard's works.—Christopher Rager, Pasadena, CA

Anyone with a web page nowadays can be a movie critic, but in its heyday, film reviewing was akin to art. Widely published film critic Peary has assembled a remarkably thorough historical overview of film criticism from its origin in the early 20th century, through its high watermark in the late 1960s and 1970s, up to (sadly) its current print-media decline and Internet rise. Whether looking at the old or new guard, popular or academic oriented, Peary explores what it takes to be a critic (e.g., finding one's own voice) by letting more than two dozen critics (including Roger Ebert and Kenneth Turan) discuss their work in fresh as well as archival interviews. Film criticism may be a profession under siege (30 newspaper reviewers have been let go in the last few years), but this pithy yet edifying tribute gets a thumbs up for all moviegoers.—Jeff T. Dick, Davenport, IA

By 1939, thousands of European artists and free thinkers immigrated to America to escape the Third Reich. Many settled in Los Angeles, making it a world-class center of cultural endeavor. The transition was not always easy or successful, even for the likes of Thomas Mann, Berthold Brecht, and Arnold Schoenberg. Some were able to reinvent themselves in their new home, while others could not; homesickness was common in both instances. In a sadly ironic turn, Mann and others returned to Europe in response to postwar Communist witch hunts. Home movie and newsreel footage, narrated excerpts from diaries and memoirs, personal accounts, and live performances of pieces by Schoenberg and Hanns Eisler, among others, combine to convey with gravity and grandeur the factual and human sides of this compelling story. The single major flaw is the program's length of only one hour. Bonus features are limited to chapter selection. Highly recommended for all audiences.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB

As if taking a cue from Nietzsche's dictum that "only peripatetic thoughts have any value," Taylor's Examined Life accompanies several contemporary philosophers in various forms of transit as they each spend their ten minutes on-screen expanding conversationally upon Socrates's claim that "the unexamined life is not worth living." For example, ethicist Peter Singer reflects on consumerism and global poverty during a walk amid Fifth Avenue's upscale boutiques as Anglo-Ghanian Kwame Anthony Appiah discusses globalization and cosmopolitanism while wandering through an empty Canadian airport. Political philosopher Martha Nussbaum critiques the social contract while strolling along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Also on hand are Cornel West, Michael Hardt (coauthor of Empire), Avital Ronell, Judith Butler (accompanied by Taylor's sister, Sunaura), and Slavoj Zizek (the subject of Taylor's previous documentary, Zizek!). Spirited and widely accessible, Examined Life is highly recommended for all audiences.

By contrast, Voegelin in Toronto, a recording from the 1978 conference "Hermeneutics and Structuralism: Merging Horizons" at York University, is an abstruse and technically spare production. The contents cover events in which conservative anti-utopian political scientist and philosopher Eric Voegelin (1901–85) participated: a lecture on "Structures in Consciousness" and two panels, one of which ("Reading Plato's Republic") includes political philosopher Allan Bloom (1930–92; The Closing of the American Mind) and both of which include renowned German philosopher Hans-George Gadamer (1900–2002). Recommended for relevant research library collections; the appeal will be limited to specialists.—Robert A. Sica, Eastern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Richmond

In 2005, the Academy of American Poets produced a compilation of profiles of some of America's most accomplished living poets—John Ashbery, former poet laureate Louise Glück, Anthony Hecht, and W.S. Merwin—with each piece also available individually. This new release includes those four pieces and adds a fifth segment on current U.S. poet laureate Kay Ryan, recorded just prior to her appointment in 2008. Each 20-minute section, consisting primarily of interview snippets filmed at the poet's home, offers a well-rounded overview of the writer's background, personal life, and career. They provide fascinating insight into their techniques and daily routines. Also included is brief footage of the poets reading excepts of their work in classrooms, libraries, and bookstores. This entertaining and intelligent video is a potentially useful tool for students and teachers, but nonacademic fans of these writers or of poetry in general will also find it rewarding.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

This excellent examination of Vietnam's several wars (from 1946 to 1975) emphasizes American involvement, the abandoning of South Vietnam, and the long-term effects of Vietnam on late 20th- and early 21st-century U.S. foreign policy. The chapters are focused and brief enough to be televised in a class period with discussion. Part of a series designed to support the teaching of 20th-century history, this DVD is an objective historical treatment of a controversial period in American history and is suitable for middle and high school students and, in its entirety, may be of interest to general audiences as well. Highly recommended in support of the teaching of American history.—Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH

This fascinating look at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, presents the various presidential portraits as the director of the gallery, Marc Pachter, comments on their significance. The program guides viewers through different trends in presidential portraiture, from the famous Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington to the casual pose of Bill Clinton rendered by Chuck Close to the abstract expressionist view of John F. Kennedy by Elaine de Kooning. Ann Shumard, one of the gallery's curators, discusses presidential photography, including a rare photo of Abraham Lincoln taken a few months before his death. The program also traces the history of presidential caricatures and political cartoons from their heyday in the era of Thomas Nast to the modern works of Pat Oliphant. Bonus segments focus on Stuart's Lansdowne portrait of Washington. Pachter remarks that image is everything in the American presidency, leaving viewers with the desire to visit the Smithsonian and see for themselves.—Margaret B. Miller, Univ. of South Dakota Lib., Vermillion

These four programs offer a look into various beliefs concerning prophecy and, most specifically, the predictions of "end times" that some think is slated for December 21, 2012. Why this date? It is then that the sun, as seen from Earth, will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, an astrological event that takes place approximately every 26,000 years and for some portends a great change on our planet. The programs offer varying interpretations, however. Nostradamus: 2012 takes the most pessimistic view, focusing on why many accept that the end of human existence will occur on or near that date. It centers on seven drawings from a recently rediscovered text called The Lost Book of Nostradamus (discussed below) and compares expositions of these drawings with modern-day views of prophecies in Egyptian, Mayan, Freemason, Vedic, Biblical, and Hopi teachings and artifacts.

Doomsday 2012, while agreeing that humankind may perish in 2012, presents alternative takes as well as the opinions of skeptics and those who define the "end times" as being a difficult rebirth into a new human consciousness. This program looks at a different set of prophecies, including those of the I Ching, the Sibylline and Delphic oracles, the historic Merlin, the Book of Revelations, Black Elk, and Mother Shipton.

2012: Science or Superstition examines the same evidence as the other two programs but also includes the opinions of modern North and South American shamans and some scientists. It discusses in more detail the Mayan calendar (which ends on December 21, 2012). Overall, this program suggests that 2012 will escalate an age of destruction that is already under way. However, the shamans believe that this is a natural cyclical progression that has occurred before and may lead to a new world consciousness for a much-reduced population.

The Nostradamus Files is a two-disc set that offers an unchanged Nostradamus: 2012 along with The Lost Book of Nostradamus. The latter considers more closely the text and whether it is indeed the work of reputed seer Nostradamus (1503–66). It offers theories as to the identity of Nostradamus and why people are still interested in his prophecies. As the buildup to 2012 continues, the first three programs are basics to understanding what the "2012" talk is all about. The Nostradamus Files, as it is related to the work of a prophet who still interests users, will have continuing interest beyond 2012—we hope.—Kathleen Sullivan, Phoenix P.L.

Hypocrisy, not sexuality, serves as the focal point of Dick's (This Film Is Not Yet Rated) exposé. He concentrates on conservative politicians who back legislation hostile to gay men and women for political advantage yet who cruise clubs, private parties, and washrooms for male partners. The film argues that closeted lawmakers are dangerous to the country as their double life and the need to cover up may cloud their judgment. Former Idaho Senator Larry Craig, Florida governor Charlie Crist, and former New York City mayor Ed Koch are among those identified as closeted gays, while gay activists Larry Kramer, Michael Rogers, and Michelangelo Signorile are among the commentators supporting the outing of such individuals. This is a powerful examination of those who, as openly gay Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank states, think they are above the law. Bonus features include deleted scenes and commentary. For all political junkies and collections on gender issues.—Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Parkersburg Lib.

The late well-regarded journalist Charles Kuralt is our soothing guide across the United States through 18 episodes in this set, including into the kitchen of a kindhearted and generous 80-year-old cook and to the Zildjian cymbal company in Massachusetts. Though the visual quality is dated (the programs were originally broadcast from 1967 to 1987), the quality of Kuralt's interviews compensates for any fuzziness viewers encounter. Kuralt did an excellent job covering the extraordinary and the ordinary all over the country. He asks sometimes silly but more often insightful questions of his interviewees that allow us a delicious glimpse into their tasks. Viewers won't be able to stop at just one episode (there are 77 in the whole series).—Claire A. Moitra, Providence

This video demonstration of Swedish massage shows the proper methods of effleurage, progressing through petrissage to friction and tapotement (percussion) techniques. The video is accompanied by voice-over explanations of how the movements should be performed. This solid introduction to Swedish massage would be even more effective as a refresher course. Winner of a bronze medal at the Telly Awards, this program is worthwhile though a bit expensive. It doesn't take the place of formal training, but it is a very thorough demonstration that will appeal to couples and other interested parties.—Susan B. Hagloch, formerly with Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH

One in 12 U.S. households owns a recreational vehicle (RV), and while formal training comes briefly at the time of sale, bad driving habits inevitably are passed down from parents and friends. Here's a chance to receive proper training on that large investment. Mark Polk traded his RV technician and sales careers to devote time to writing (The RV Book, rev. ed., 2007) and now to creating this series. The RV Orientation takes viewers on a tour of an RV, instructing them on proper operations. Helpful tips that many learn the hard way are sprinkled throughout. Drive Your Motorhome features Polk and author Lorrin Walsh, who specializes in communicating the dynamics and techniques that go along with driving a motor home. The instruction is clear and concise and well enhanced by the visuals. This series should be packed into every new or used motor home sold! Longtime RV owners will be impressed with the hosts' hands-on aptitude and will probably be recommending "RV Education 101" to novice motor home owners.—Debbie Rzepczynski, Lake Cty. P.L., Merrillville, IN

This 1996 debut from filmmaker Minsker is a raw and intimate portrait of New York City female punks, mostly articulate musicians and spoken-word artists who communicate openly and passionately about their lifestyles, their music, and how they struggle to survive and get their message across in a male-dominated scene. The ample live footage can grow wearisome for nonfans of loud and abrasive music, but the acumen demonstrated in the too-brief interviews is worth the wait. The production quality is appropriately simple, straightforward, and shoddy. Featuring plenty of nudity as well as simulated on-stage violence, this documentary is for mature audiences only.

Mark of the Ninja, a 2004 film, introduces viewers to the Antagonist Art Movement, spearheaded by a group of New York City visual and spoken-word artists. Though fun and entertaining, ultimately, it raises more questions than it answers. Several artists discuss their work and motivations in forming the movement, but the film fails to delve any deeper into who they are, what they do, or why they do it. Bonus features include additional footage at a showing and a trailer for a film that appears to be a more informative exploration of the group. Far from essential, this two-film set is worth a look for fans of iconoclastic art and artists.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

In a genre dominated by men and misogyny, women are struggling to have their voices heard. This film by Nirit Peled (aka Mamamess) documents the efforts of hip-hop and R&B artists in New York, London, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles to gain their fair share of respect. The filmmaker does an excellent job of providing context, with performers, including such pioneers as Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte, and Erykah Badu, interviewed in their neighborhood, workplace, studio, and at home. While the artists demonstrate a diversity of inspiration, they share a common sense of drive and mission. Full of engaging performances and compelling interviews, this film is recommended for those who take their hip hop seriously.—Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR