Max’s Best DVD and Blu-ray Picks – February, 2012

Hi, I’m Max. best friend of Walt Oleksy (waltmax@comcast.net), and I review new DVD and Blu-ray releases each month. We don’t care for most of the new stuff out of Hollywood. We’ve seen more than enough thrillers, car chases, men and women in their birthday suits, and comedies the critics say are “hilarious” but which just aren’t funny unless you’re two years old (I’m nine and my master admits to being “over thirty-nine.” We don’t watch anything with vampires in it, except the original “Dracula.” We like movies that tell a good story and maybe we learn something from it. We figure you can read about the new so-called blockbuster films everywhere else, so we look for flicks that are worth seeing but get little publicity and are not seen in most mall theaters.

Everyone’s so busy these days, I keep my recommendations brief. Here goes for what I think you’ll like on DVD this month.

Best Pick of the Month

DOWNTON ABBEY, SEASON 2

No question about it, the second series is as good a bone to chew on or even better than the first, which knocked a lot of socks off for its wit, drama, intelligence, and just plain great entertainment. Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery, Brendan Coyle, and the rest of the terrific cast returns with some new members including longtime favorites of mine, Ian Glen and David Robb, to keep the plot pot boiling over as the “upstairs, downstairs” families get deeper into World War I and domestic action centering around the decline of the system of class and privilege in England. My master and I have been watching it Sunday nights on PBS Television’s Masterpiece series, and he just got it all on Blu-ray which is a special treat for sharpness. Extras on both the Blu-ray and DVD formats include short documentaries about the fashions and uniforms of the war period, Romance in the Time of War, about romantic relationships in the mansion, and how it was converted into a hospital during wartime. Season One won an Emmy as best television miniseries and the new season could well win another. It’s available now on both Blu-ray and DVD, nine hours of great entertainment on three discs from PBS Distribution. My tail is still wagging after watching it all and I can hardly wait for the third season which is already in production. There’s also a lot of cliff-hanging romance in the series, so since February is the month of Valentine’s Day, both season one and two on Blu-ray or DVD would make a great gift for your loved one. My master and I find that watching it on disc helps us to catch stuff we missed watching it on television. Will Lady Mary win back Matthew? Will Bates and the ladies’ maid escape the claws of his scheming wife? Will the Daisy the kitchen helper continue to encourage the soldier? DOWNTON ABBEY always keeps us guessing.

Max’s rating: Two paws up and lots of “woo! Woo’s!”

Also recommended this month:

BEGINNERS

A father (Christopher Plummer) comes out to his son (Ewan McGregor) before dying and we are taken on a very personal journey into their distant relationship. It’s a strong movie from writer-director Mike Mills that is well worth watching, not only for the story but the two lead performances (Plummer was nominated for a supporting actor Academy Award and is my favorite to win). Often stealing scenes is a Jack Russell terrier called Arthur in the film. I’d like to play with him, but since he lives in California and I near Chicago, that’s unlikely. So I’ll keep playing with Lucie, a chocolate brown Lab next door, and my new playmate, Lola, a Golden Retriever up the block. Sorry for digressing. The movie is on DVD and Blu-ray from Focus Features.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

This is an old-fashioned romantic melodrama going back to the 1930s that my master and I enjoyed this month. Robert Patterson took his teeth out of girls’ necks as a vampire long enough to star in this film as a would-be veterinarian who works at a traveling circus. He falls in love with the wife (Reese Witherspoon) of the circus owner (Christopher Waltz) while tending to the health needs of an abused elephant. Waltz, last year’s winner of an Oscar for best supporting actor in the war film INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, steals this show as a slightly off-kilter and very jealous husband. Talk about a temper! My only objection to the film is some violence against animals and people. The DVD and Blu-ray is from Fox Searchlight.

ZATT

This horror film was so bad it is now considered good, (sometimes this happens with dogs, too), a cult classic that took ten years to be released, in 1982. Now it was been restored and in high definition in a special DVD/Blu-ray combo pack from Film Chest on the Cultra and HD Cinema Classics labels. The story is about a man who drinks some bad water and turns into a human-sized walking catfish. He goes after anyone who laughs at him and also tries to get some women to drink the same bad water so he has a female catfish companion. Also called BLOOD WATERS OF DOTOR Z, it is not for everyone (not everyone likes fish, either), but if you’re looking for some midwinter madness, this could more than fill your plate.

THE JAZZ SINGER

You may never have known (I didn’t), that comedian Jerry Lewis also starred in a version of the 1927 classic Al Jolson film that first brought sound to the movies. In celebration of Lewis’s 80 years in show business, this rare television broadcast of Lewis as the cantor’s son who prefers to sing pop songs, is now on DVD from Inception Media Group. It was originally a 1959 special for NBC’s Lincoln-Mercury Startime television series and was never rebroadcast or distributed in any home format since it was first aired.

Documentaries

EYES ON THE PRIZE

The 25^th anniversary of the definitive Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary report on the civil rights movement, now on DVD from PBS Distribution. The 6-hour special first aired on PBS Television in 1987 and was called by the New York Times “the most ambitious documentary undertaken by black filmmakers and one of the largest television series ever undertaken,” while the Chicago Sun-Times said “This is not just superb television, it is a journey into the soul of America,” as it recounts the fight to end decades of discrimination and segregation. My master and I watched the three disc DVD set just after seeing the new film, THE HELP, on DVD, and it added greatly to our understanding of the civil rights movement. And if you haven’t seen THE HELP yes, I highly recommend it as one of the best movies of last year and a strong contender for the best picture Academy Award and its star, Viola Davis, who could be named best actress.

DEFENDING THE REALM

Honoring the 70^th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, this documentary recounts the summer of 1940 when Royal Air Force pilots saved London during intensive bombing by the Nazis before America entered World War II. It was the heroic action of the RAF that summer that Prime Minister Winston Churchill said “Never in the field of human conflict have so many owed so much to so few.” The exciting documentary is on DVD from ITV Studios Ltd. and BFS Entertainment. Must-viewing for most of us.

FRONTLINE: “A PERFECT TERRORIST,” and “DIGITAL MEDIA: NEW LEARNERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY”

Two excellent documentaries from PBS Television. The terrorist documentary from the award-winning Frontline series reports on the mysterious events that led David Coleman Headley to escalate from heroin dealer and U.S. government informant to the master plotter of the 2008 attack on Mumbai, India. The attack by a Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, the most spectacular terror attack since 9/11, left 166 dead. The other documentary tells how digital media such as smart phones and other hand-held communications gadgets for playing electronic games, social networking, texting, and blogging, is impacting the lives of American children and influencing how they learn. The hour-long documentary attempts to answer questions of parents and educators about what young people are doing with these technologies as a social and educational revolution. Both documentaries are on DVD from PBS Distribution.

NOVA: Bombing Hitler’s Dams and 3D Spies of World War II, Destroying Hitler’s Top-Secret Rockets

The award-winning PBS Television series focuses on how experts have re-created the heroic World War II events during 1943 in which British pilots bombed Nazi dams, the most audacious raids in history. The bombs destroyed two huge dams in Germany’s industrial heartland. The two-hour documentary is on DVD from PBS Distribution. The spy documentary tells how British pilots flew over Germany early in World War II to take 3-dimensional photographs of sites which housed Hitler’s top secret rocket facilities. Air photo intelligence teams in a country house near London then studied the millions of photos using 3D graphics to enable Allied pilots to bomb Hitler’s hidden rocket sites. The raids were crucial setbacks to the German rocket program and helped ensure the success of the D-Day landings and bring about an earlier end to the war. The hour-long DVD is also from PBS Distribution.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: Custer’s Last Stand and Underground Railroad: The William Still Story

Two more excellent documentaries in the award-winning PBS Television series. In the Custer documentary, historians report on the June 26, 1876 massacre of U.S. Cavalry Gen. George Armstrong Custer and his men at the Little Big Horn River in Montana Territory by a large army of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. Researchers present both sides of the unsolved historical argument of whether Custer was a hero or a glory-bent military leader who intentionally sacrificed his life and those of his troops. The two-hour documentary, as exciting as any movie, is from PBS Distribution. The other documentary profiles the heroic efforts of William Still, a free-born African-American Pennsylvania abolitionist and historian, who helped slaves cross the U.S. border into Canada via the so-called Underground Railroad. It also explores the major role Canada played in the secret missions in which tens of thousands of men, women, and children, were delivered from bondage to freedom before and during the American Civil War. The hour-long DVD is also from PBS Distribution.

FRONTLINE: THE INTERRUPTERS

This exciting documentary reports on how three people known as “violence interrupters” bravely worked to protect their Chicago neighborhoods from violence they once had used themselves. The New York Times says the film “has put a face to a raging epidemic and an unforgivable American tragedy” – the violence in our cities. The three Chicagoans are shown attempting to intervene in situations in which two brothers threaten to shoot each other, an angry teenage girl just home from prison, and a young man headed toward an act of dangerous revenge. The award-winning two-hour documentary from producer-director Steve James (HOOP DREAMS) and author-producer Alex Kotlowitz (THERE ARE NO CHILDREN) is on both DVD and Blu-Ray from PBS Distribution.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: William Jefferson Clinton

Continuing its fascinating series of in-depth biographies of famous Americans including its former Presidents, this documentary focuses on former President Clinton. From draft-dodger to admired President whose administration was one of prosperity and a balanced budget, with a scandal along the way, we learn more about the man and official than we may well never have known. The portrait is of one of the most successful politicians in modern American history and one of the most complex and conflicted public figures. The three-hour DVD is on both DVD and Blu-ray from PBS Distribution.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Amish

The PBS Television series focuses on a year in contemporary Amish faith and life of the insular religious community that holds strict to their 300-yar-old traditions of living modestly and old-fashioned in modern America. The two-hour documentary, the first to deeply penetrate and explore is values and where the Amish may be headed, is on both DVD and Blu-ray from PBS Distribution.

FRONTLINE: The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela

An intimate portrait of one of the 20^th Century’s greatest leaders. The documentary probes into the South African leader’s character, leadership, and life’s method through interviews with friends and political allies and adversaries. Also interviewed are fellow prisoners and jailors where he spent 18 of his 27 prison years on Robben island off Cape Town, Africa, transforming from radical into mature leader and statesman. The two-hour documentary is on DVD from PBS Distribution.

ROUGH CUT – Woodworking with Tommy Mac: Season 2

Four new episodes of how to build furniture from the series that was nominated for a daytime Emmy its first season. Thirteen new projects range from a drop-leaf Shaker-like table to a turned floor lamp and veneered coffee table, all shown in half-hour how-to episodes by young woodworking expert Tommy MacDonald. Ladies, if you’re not into woodworking, you might just enjoy looking at Tommy, a blond All-American Boy from Boston who looks great in a black t-shirt. Each project is on a separate DVD which includes fold-out instructions. From PBS Distribution.

THAT SHOW WITH JOAN RIVERS, Vols. 1-3

Long before the show she hosted in the early 1990s, the comedienne’s first talk show was televised from 1968-69 on NBC. Guest stars included Johnny Carson, Carol Lawrence, Jerry Louis, Dick Cavett, and many more. Her many fans can how see this top-rated show on DVD from Film Chest.

LAWRENCE WELK

The popular band leader and accordionist, and his bouncy music and bubble machine are back in a DVD, Lawrence Welk Classic Episodes, Vo. 1-4, from Film Chest. His show, first broadcast in 1951, and which continued for 27 years, remains the longest-running American musical/variety show on television. Featured in this four-disc set are the fifth anniversary show, the “Gypsy” show, a salute to America’s military veterans, and a Mardi Gras celebration.

That’s all for February. See you here again at the same fire hydrant next month.

Max’s Best DVD and Blu-ray Picks – January, 2012

Hi, I’m Max. best friend of Walt Oleksy (waltmax@comcast.net), and I review new DVD and Blu-ray releases each month. We don’t care for most of the new stuff out of Hollywood. We’ve seen more than enough thrillers, car chases, men and women in their birth-day suits, and comedies the critics say are “hilarious” but which just aren’t funny unless you’re two years old (I’m nine and my master admits to being “over thirty-nine.” We don’t watch anything with vampires in it, except the original “Dracula.” We like movies that tell a good story and maybe we learn something from it. We figured you can read about the new so-called blockbuster films everywhere else, so we look for flicks that are worth seeing but get little publicity and are not seen in most mall theaters.

Everyone’s so busy these days, and starting a new year can be even busier, so I keep my recommendations brief. Here goes for what I think you’ll like on DVD this month.

THE GUARD

Critics call it a raucous, wickedly funny Irish take on the “cop-buddy” film genre, and I liked it, too. Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle star as policemen whose work takes them into adventures including blackmail, international drug-smuggling, police corruption, and murder. It was an official selection of last year’s Sundance Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Film Festival, and is released on DVD and Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Great fun for adults but not for youngsters because of some violence, drug material, and sexual content.

THE TREE OF LIFE

A strong drama about relationship pains between a father (Brad Pitt) and his adult son (Sean Penn) in Texas during the 1950s. The disillusioned son feels lost in the modern world and questions the origins and meaning of life as well as his faith. Heavy subjects treated with intelligence. It’s a little stretch to think of Pitt as Penn’s father, but otherwise it holds up. Older dogs, know, of course, that their pups may not always follow in their pawsteps. From Fox Searchlight.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

In this romantic fantasy from Woody Allen (who wrote and directed but did not appear in the film), a family travels to Paris on business, and a daughter and the young man she may marry tag along. The engaged couple is faced with questioning whether a life different from their own back in the U.S. may be better if they marry. The boy drifts into a fantasy time-travel back to the 1920s Paris where he falls in love with the mystique of the literary and art world and meets F. Scott Fitzgerald and some of the other icons of the era. He becomes convinced he would want to live in Paris with his wife, but she prefers not to move there. Since I am not a fan of the male star, Clive Wilson (I tired long ago of his nasal voice in every movie he’s in), I didn’t “tune in” to his plight, although I loved the old songs which to me were the best thing about the film, and I say this despite admitting to being a romantic. Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates co-star, but to me the best actor in the film was French actress Marion Cotillard as Picasso's mistress. From Sony Pictures Classics.

THE HELP

In a sort-of Upstairs/Downstairs American Style film, an African-American writer decides to write a book about the lives of black women who were maids to white families in Mississippi during the civil rights movement of the 1960's. She causes a minor earthquake in her home town as she interviews black women who spent their lives taking care of prominent Southern white families there. Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett, it’s a strong movie well worth your time and may well be up for Academy Award consideration as best film. From Dreamworks and Touchstone.

COWBOYS AND ALIENS

It starts out as a typical western as an outlaw wanders into a frontier town and a local war breaks out between the sheriff and a local land baron. Then it breaks from the Old West genre as aliens attack and abduct people. Harrison Ford, no stranger to Outer Space because of the Star Wars movies, plays the land baron whose son has been abducted by space aliens and leads a posse to search for him. Daniel Craig, the current James Bond, is in on the search which… well, I won’t give away any more of the plot. It’s a fun wild ride into both the past and the future, on DVD and Blu-ray from Universal. The Blu-ray has some excellent interviews with the stars.

AGE OF HEROES

If you’re looking for a World War II bone to chew on, this is a good new one. Sean Bean and James D’Arcy, two of my favorite young British actors, star in a film based on the true story of the James Bond author Ian Fleming’s book, 30 Commando Assault Unit. That was an elite special operations division that went after the Nazis in a top secret search-and-destroy mission behind enemy lines. Lots of action in this movie on DVD and Blu-ray from Entertainment One.

THERE BE DRAGONS

My master and I enjoyed this unusual film a lot. A journalist, Robert Torres, researches a book he is assigned to write about the late Rev. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, in hopes that it will bring him closer to his own father who was Escriva’s boyhood friend. As he learns more about his father’s past, Torres learns secrets that will change his life. Opus Dei, a predominately laypersons’ organization of the Catholic Church, was founded in 1928 by Eschiva, a priest who has been sainted. It teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that our ordinary life is a path to sanctity. There are more than 90,00 members today including 2,000 priests. Besides personal charity and social work, members are involved in running universities, university residences, schools, publishing houses, and technical and agricultural training centers. Inspired by actual events, the film stars Dougray Scott as Torres and Charlie Cox as Escriva, with Wes Bentley, Derek Jacobi and Geraldine Chaplin. Written and directed by Roland Joffe, Oscar nominated director of “The Killing Fields” and “The Mission,” the DVD and Blu-ray is from 20^th Century Fox.

THE YEAR DOLLY PARTON WAS MY MOM

This is a delightful comedy for the whole family, about an almost teenage girl’s heartwarming coming-of-age adventure that is set to the songs of Dolly Parton. Set in 1976, a daughter runs away in search of her birth mother while her adoptive mother searches for her. Both are really searching for themselves in this poignant film, on DVD from Osiris Entertainment.

Classics on Blu-ray

It’s really wonderful that more classic films are being restored in image and sound and available at last on DVD. Two of the most recent releases on Blu-Ray are WINGS, the World War I flying epic that won the first Academy Award for best picture in 1927. Stars of the silent film were Clara Bow, Charles “Buddy” Rogers and Richard Arlen, and launched the career of Gary Cooper in a small but memorable role as a doomed flier. Also available on DVD, both discs from Paramount Home Entertainment include a new making-of documentary while the Blu-ray also contains two featurettes about early aeronautics and the film’s restoration process. The other classic new to Blu-ray is MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, a family musical comedy-drama that depicts America in the early 1900s. Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien star as sisters and made movie history in a song-and-dance number. If you long for a kinder, gentler time, see this movie on Blu-ray and see America how it may never really have been, but as we’d love to think it was. From Warner Home Entertainment.

Documentaries

YOUNGER NEXT YEAR: THE NEW SCIENCE OF AGING.

Based on the international best-selling books co-authored by Dr. Henry Lodge and Chris Crowley, Lodge explains that everyone, no matter how old, can take control of their biology and reverse the process of aging through the biological impact of exercise and emotion on the body and mind. It’s an hour-long documentary well worth the time watching. As seen on PBS television, the DVD is from PBS Distribution

JANE’S JOURNEY

Animal behaviorist Jane Goodall, now 77 years old and still very active, takes us on a journey of 300 days to tell how we can solve natural problems such as deforestation and climate change. Along the way, she returns to Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to revisit the place where she spent years studying chimpanzees. It’s a wonderful film for anyone, but especially those who love animals. The DVD is from First Run.

NOVA: ICEMAN MURDER MYSTERY

Five thousand years ago a man died on an Alpine glacier. He remained frozen there until about 20 years ago when his mummified corpse was found. Scientists defrosted the incredibly intact body, called the man Otzi, and learned how and why he died there. They concluded that he had been murdered. It’s a riveting documentary unraveling the mystery of life and death in prehistoric times. The hour-long documentary was shown on NOVA on PBS television and

THE TITANIC DISASTER

Honoring the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, this hour-long documentary tells new information about the tragedy that includes insight into why more Americans were among the survivors than those from Great Britain. There will be other documentaries on television and DVD about the event, but this one is a very good summary, from Southport Productions.

NATURE: THE ANIMAL HOUSE

I’m of course especially fond of dogs, but also love to learn about other animals and really liked this documentary from PBS Television’s NATURE series. It takes us to the homes of many different species of animals, from ants and beavers to prairie dogs who build homes, towns, and even great cities complete with heating, cooling, and intersecting highways. A really interesting and fun nature documentary on both DVD and Blu-ray from PBS Distribution.

FRONTLINE: LOST IN DETENTION: THE HIDDEN WORLD OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

A very hot political issue as the 2012 national and Presidential elections approach, immigration enforcement in the United States is a complex one, and this DVD from PBS Television’s FRONTLINE helps us to understand it. Members of American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop and FRONTLINE correspondent Maria Hinojosa take a penetrating look at the vastly expanded immigration program, exploring the controversial Secure Communities enforcement program and going inside the hidden world of immigration detention. The hour-long documentary is from PBS Distribution.

AMERICA IN PRIMETIME

A very entertaining four-hour documentary exploring the beginnings of the biggest television hits of today and yesterday. Segments focus on series about the man of the house, the independent woman, the misfit and the crusader, among others. Featured are more than 100 interviews with the creators, writers, and actors of the best-loved television shows and series. Those interviewed include Julianna Margulies, Sarah Jessica Parker, Roseanne Barr, Bill Paxton, Ray Romano, Ron Howard, David Chase, Jon Hamm, Alan Alda, Hugh Laurie, and Danny DeVito. On DVD and Blu-ray from PBS Distribution.

NOVA: FINDING LIFE BEYOND EARTH

Scientists take us on a journey to the far reaches of the solar system to explore the possibilities of life on other planets. They now believe that life can not only exist but thrive in environments more extreme than previously thought. Are we alone in the universe? This two-hour documentary on both DVD and Blu-ray from PBS Distribution has some intriguing answers to that big question.

FRONTLINE: THE ANTHRAX FILES

Late in the autumn of 2001, envelopes containing deadly anthrax were delivered to U.S. Senate offices, network television news offices, and a tabloid newspaper. Five people died and many more were infected, and the nation became terrified. Who sent them? The F.B.I. insists they found the sender, but new questions are being raised about the case. FRONTLINE investigators tell about the anthrax experience in an hour-long documentary on DVD from PBS Distribution.

ELUSIVE JUSTICE: THE SEARCH FOR NAZI WAR CRIMINALS

During the Nuremberg Trials following World War II, about 1,000 Nazi officials were convicted of crimes against humanity, but hundreds of thousands of others suspected war criminals evaded prosecution by concealing their war records, assuming false identifies, fleeing Europe, or by serving the Allies as spies or scientists. Thousands of Nazi criminals are still believed to be alive. This new documentary tells about efforts both official and unofficial to locate, prosecute, and punish fugitive Nazis around the world. Candice Bergen narrates the documentary, on DVD from PBS Distribution.

Those are quite a few documentary bones to chew on, and they may keep you busy until next time.

Lots of “woo woo’s” and tail wags from your friendly movie and documentary reviewer, Max. See you at the same fire hydrant in February.

Max’s Best DVD and Blu-ray Picks – December 2011

Hi, I’m Max. best friend of Walt Oleksy (waltmax@comcast.net), and I review new DVD and Blu-ray releases each month. We don’t care for most of the new stuff out of Hollywood. We’ve seen more than enough thrillers, car chases, men and women in their birth-day suits, and comedies the critics say are “hilarious” but which just aren’t funny unless you’re two years old (I’m nine and my master admits to being “over thirty-nine.” We don’t watch anything with vampires in it, except the original “Dracula.” We like movies that tell a good story and maybe we learn something from it. We figured you can read about the new so-called blockbuster films everywhere else, so we look for flicks that are worth seeing but get little publicity and are not seen in most mall theaters.

Everyone’s so busy these days, I keep my recommendations brief. So here goes for what I think you’ll like this month.

Let’s start by recommending our favorite movie on DVD this past year:

DOWNTON ABBEY

The British television miniseries won lots of awards and we agree. It has everything… drama, comedy, great performances, sets, costumes, cars, and always keeps you guessing. It’s a new take on the classic old “upstairs, downstairs” story, taking place in a country manor house just before the start of World War 1. I won’t tell you more if you haven’t already seen it, because you’ll enjoy discovering its many charms as you watch it. From PBS Distribution in both DVD and Blu-ray. If you have seen it, see it again to prepare for Downton Abbey 2 which is coming on PBS Television in January.

Others I think you’ll like:

THE COMPLETE INSPECTOR LEWIS

Mystery fans will welcome this boxed set of all 20 episodes of the series through series four which were all spun off from the Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter. From PBS Distribution.

THE LEGACY COLLECTION: KIRK DOUGLAS

Kirk made some great movies and was named one of the 25 greatest male American screen legends of all time by the American Film Institute. Inception Media Group has put together a DVD tribute to Douglas with some of his lesser films and television appearances. Films on the 3-disc set include “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers” (1946), “My Dear Secretary” (1948), “The Big Trees” (1952).

DAHLING: A TRIBUTE TO ZSA ZSA GABOR

Merv Griffin called her “glamour personified,” the beautful Hungrian actress who graced dozens of films and television shows. Inception Media Group has compiled some of her films and television appearances in a disc that her fans will love. Included are full-length movies “Mooch Goes to Hollywood” (1971) and “Frankenstein;s Great Aunt Tillie (1984). Granted they are not classics, but lots of fun anyway. Also seen are her appearances on the Milton Berle Show (1950), and The G.E. True Theater feature “The Honest Man (1956).

Documentaries

DOGS

Forgive me for recommending this series of PBS Television specials on my favorite subject, but it’s the best thing about us adoreable, loyal, loving, man’s and woman’s best friends. The boxed set of four DDs includes “How Smart Are Animals,” “Dogs Decoded,” “Through a Dog’s Eyes,” and “Dogs and More Dogs.’ From PBS Disdtribution.

RADIOACTIVE WOLVES

My ancestors are the stars of this documentary about some packs of wolves and other wildlife that are (thankfully) thriving today in the “dead zone” that still surrounds the remains of the devastating nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, Soviet Union, 25 years ago. In Blu-ray and DVD from PBS Distribition

LIDIA’S CHRISTMAS KITCHEN: Nonna Tell Me a Story

Just in time for the holiday, Lidia Bastianich delights us with a mix of Christmas storytelling, and cooking instructions, sharing special family moments in her home, especially the kitchen. On DVD and Blu-ray from PBS Distribution.

FRONTLINE: FAITH AND DOUBT AT GROUND ZERO

The award-winning television series explores how the spiritual lives of Americans who are both believers and nonbelievers have changed sine the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Most wonder how God could have allowed such a disaster, some gaining strength from their faith and others doubting the existence of a higher being. The thought-provoking two-hour DVD is from PBS Distribution.

COAST

A wonderful armhair journey along Britain’s coastline and inland, an award-winning documentary in 16 episodes, hosted by experts on history, architecture and other subject. The adventure following relationships between the coastal communities and their neighbors goes from prehistoric times to World War II and later. My master especially enjoyed the section tht helped him remember catching a ferry from Belgiu and crossing the English Channel to Dover when he was a G.I. in Germany in 1957. See the complete coastal journey all in a few evening gulps or ration the 16 hours to one or two a night. From BFS Entertainment.

TOO IMPORTANT TO FAIL

Television host Tavis Smiley reports on the alarming nearly 50 percent high school dropout rate among young black males in America in this segment of Tavis Smiley Reports. He suggests the root cause of the problem and what can be done to reverse it. From PBS Distribution.

WOMEN, WAR & PEACE

This documentary focuses on the untold stories of women’s strategic roles in global conflict and peacemaking. The women focused on will give you new insight into women today in modern warfare. Narrating the stories are movie stars Alfre Woodard, Matt Damon, Geena Davis, Tilda Swinton. The DVD is fom PBS Distribution. “This ground-breaking series must be seen,” says one critic, and I agree.

H.M.S. PINAFORE

On the lighter side, I loved this new staging of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic operetta in the Guthrie Theater production. Ite’s a fresh comic treatement of the show loved for its songs, story, and satire. Nearly four hours of musical joy on a DVD from PBS Distribution.

For Puppies and Kids

FIZZY’S LUNCH LAB: FRESH FOOD 101 teaches kids about good nutrition and eating right in this new animated DVD. Professor Fizzy and his friends prepare tasty snacks and tell kids the difference between healthy and bad food. Kids also learn what happens once the food they eat goes into the body. The learning segments are short and sometimes funny, an easy way for kids to digest the information. From PBS Distribution.

See you next month at the same fire hydrant, and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Max's Best DVD and Blu-ray Picks, November 2011

Max’s Best DVD and Blu-ray Picks – November 2011

Hi, I’m Max. best friend of Walt Oleksy (waltmax@comcast.net), and I review new DVD and Blu-ray releases each month. We don’t care for most of the new stuff out of Hollywood. We’ve seen more than enough thrillers, car chases, men and women in their birth-day suits, and comedies the critics say are “hilarious” but which just aren’t funny unless you’re two years old (I’m nine and my master admits to being “over thirty-nine.” We don’t watch anything with vampires in it, except the original “Dracula.” We like movies that tell a good story and maybe we learn something from it. We figured you can read about the new blockbuster films everywhere else, so we look for flicks that are worth seeing but get little publicity and are not seen in most mall theaters. So here goes for what we think you’ll like this month.

Good grief, where did the long, hot summer go? Now Halloween’s over and we’re thinking about turkey and then Christmas. Well, one holiday at a time, I always say. Here are a few movies and documentaries that are not mindless, like most of the new films from Hollywood again this month, but are on strong subjects worth spending your time with.

Max’s rating for the first three films: Two paws up and several loud “Woo woo’s!”

GLORIOUS 39

Not new but recently released on DVD, a very interesting 2009 British television movie about how British aristocracy was divided on whether to appease Hitler as the Nazi dictator began to gobble up Europe at the start of World War II. Some hoped he would leave England alone, or at least them. The story starts in 1939 when an upper-class family enjoyed its last idyllic summer. Then a young adopted daughter’s discovery of some phonograph records in the great house leads to revelations about the family’s secret political sentiments. That in turn leads to catastrophy. This one will keep you guessing and intrigued, as do all the other works by British writer and director Stephen Polikoff . It stars Romola Garai, Bill Nighy, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Northam, David Tennant, and in small parts in the ensemble, Julie Christie and Jenny Agutter. I love movies about lesser-known aspects of the war. The DVD is from EI Entertainment. And if you haven’t seen it yet, do see Polikoff’s ALMOST STRANGERS which takes another look at a family impacted by many things including World War II.

LAND OF THE BLIND

Everyone is in euphoria over the populist movement in the Middle East that is overthrowing political tyrants. We all hope things will be better in those countries after decades of authoritatian rule, but what if they aren’t? This film, though no romp in the park off-leash on a sunny day, tells what happens when one such tyrant is exterminated in a revolutionary coup. Ralph Fiennes, to me the best actor working today, stars as a prison guard loyal to the political establishment who gradually aids the revolution’s leader, played by Donald Sutherland. The despot, played by Tom Hollander, is killed, and then the revolutionary leader becomes as bad or worse. Food for thought, from writer-director Robert Edwards. Critics virtually ignored the film and it showed on only a few screens when it was released in 2006, but it is well worth seeing. On DVD from Vivendi Visual Entertainment.

PAGE EIGHT

An exciting new British thriller from a screenplay by David Hare who wrote THE READER, THE HOURS, PLENTY, and DAMAGES. Bill Nighy plays an MI5 intelligence officer who has to take over an explosive foreign relations investigation when his boss and best friend (Michael Gambon) dies. It involves a top secret MI5 file regarding the alleged U.S. government’s policy of using torture to get “the truth” from terrorist suspects. I’ve wondered why anyone would believe anything someone says when they’re tortured. Didn’t we learn anything from the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem witch hunts? The film’s title refers to that page of the file. Does the British Prime Minister (played by Ralph Finnes) know of the file, or is the U.S. government keeping it a secret from him? Exposure of the file could endanger the entire MI5 organization and be very damaging to British-U.S. diplomatic relations, not to mention endangering Nighy’s own life. The poilitical drama is played out simultanerously with Nigy’s personal life which is in a shambles because of two divorces and a grown daughter who paints very emotionally disturbing pictures he can’t stand. I couldn’t either. Can he trust anyone, including his beautiful political activist neighbor (Rachel Weiss) who may have her own agenda? He doesn’t even have a dog, so he can’t trust it. The strong supporting cast also includes two great actresses of recent years, Judy Davis, Marthe Keller. It’s an intelligent, tense drama straight out of today’s headlines and typically a British television “good show.” My master suggests that afterwards, just watch something lighter before bedtime or you may not get to sleep. In both DVD and Blu-Ray from PBS Disdtribution, made by HeyDey Films, Carnival Films and being shown this month on U.S. television on PBS’s Masterpiece Contemporary.

FATHER VS. SON

A screwball comedy in which a father and son compete for the love of the same woman. Paul Wolff plays a newly-divorced father and Josh Dean his easily-embarrassed son, both smitten by Heather Stephens (she could walk my leash anytime). Adding laughs is Eric Stonestreet of the tv series Modern Family. From Osiris Entertainment.

Documentaries

PROHIBITION

Ken Burns’ new documentary, this one with Lynn Novick, tells more than you ever thought you would ever know about the banning of alcohol in the U.S. in the 1920s. The three-part series tells how the movement began, impacted the nation, and finally ended with repeal of the 18^th Amendment to the Constitution. The journey will remind you of modern parallels including the influence of big business on government and politics, and dangers of one issue dominating politics. Filled with photos and film clips and interviews with those who lived through the era. It was all new to me, but my master says his parents were among those who bought “bathtub gin” from friends who profitted from the liquor ban. It’s a good reminder that whatever the government bans will only make people want it more, and no good can come from legislating morality. A fascinating docmenteary from PBS Distribution.

ROYAL UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

If you enjoyed the British television miniseries Upstairs, Downstairs (and most of those in the world with a television set did, including my master and me), you will also like this documentary series that captivated audiences on BBC last spring. An antiques expert couple visited country houses or castles which had been visited by Queen Victoria in the 1800s, and tell how a royal visit affected both those living upstairs and their downstairs servants. All 20 episodes of the series about the queen’s visits are included in a new DVD from PBS Distribution. Jolly good entertainment from our British cousins. Did I tell you my best friend, Annie, is an English Lab? Beautiful, smart, and as playful as a puppy even though she’s now nine.

THESE AMAZING SHADOWS: THE MOVIES THAT MAKE AMERICA

A wonderful documentary seen on PBS Television exploring the history of the National Film Registry and the powerful influence of movies on American and even world culture. It includes clips from the most-beloved American films, with Library of Congress and other archivists and guest stears telling how they reflected our culture and even changed lives. On both Blu-ray and DVD from PBS Disdtribution. The 550 films already inducted into The National Film Registry have been deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and must be at least 10 years old to even be considered for possible induction. The current list of films includes selections from every genre – documentaries to home movies, Hollywood classics, avant-garde, musicals, newsreels, silent films and even commercials felt to be culturally significant. The documentary includes footage from classic films such as “Star Wars,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “The Deer Hunter,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Blade Runner,” and “The Wizard of Oz,” among many, many others. Film lovers will love this documentary and the special features not shown on television, such as a deeper look into film restoration and preservation and how the music score for the documentary was made. On both Blu-ray and DVD from PBS Distribution.

ROUGH CUT, Woodworking with Tommy Mac, Season 2

Tommy MacDonald, the fine craftsman woodworker is back showing how he makes 13 new projects including a mirror and coat rack and a clock and potting station. The amiable and capable hunk is also eye candy for ladies who like handsome blond young men in black T-shirts showing biceps most men would die for. If I wasn’t a dog, I could go for him, too. Woof, woof! Each half-hour episode shows him building a project and offering tips on techniques. Woodworking, that is. The DVD is from PBS Distribution.

THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS

Physicist and author Brian Greene hosts an exploration of space, time, the universe, and the nature of reality in this new NOVA television special. Wow, that’s quite a bone to chew on, isnit it! The PBS television series was shown recently in four one-hour segments. The programs are now on two discs in both Blu-ray and DVD from PBS Distribution. This is heavy stuff for me, and since my doggie head does not have a science degree, I’ll just qute from the publicity release: “THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS lets viewers in on a secret: we’ve all been deceived. Our perceptions of time and space have led us astray. Much of what we thought we knew about our universe – that the past has already happened and the future is yet to be, that space is just an empty void, that our universe is the only universe that exists – just might be wrong.: Greene takes viewers on a journey to the frontiers of physics to see how scientists are piecing together the most complete picture yet of space, time and the universe. With each step, audiences will discover that just beneath the surface of our everyday experience lies a world we’d hardly recognize – a startling world far stranger and more wondrous than anyone expected.” This one can really space you out.

NATURE: “MY LIFE AS A TURKEY”

Before you have your Thanksgiving dinner, be sure to see this NATURE documentary. A man named Joe Hutto tells how he raised some wild turkey hatchlings in Florida’s Flatwoods and how he learned more from them than he ever expected. In fact, they changed his life, and for the better. He became so involved that he began speaking with them even before they hatched, and bonded with them as they emerged from their shells. Then, day after day, he lived as a turkey mother, taking on the fulltime job of raising 16 turkey chicks. He learned their individual idiosyncrasies and voices, and became especially fond of two he named Sweet Pea and Turkey Boy. Based on Hutto’s illustrated book, Illumination in the Flatwoods, the documentary is from Passion Pictures, Thirteen, BBC Television, and the Blu-ray and DVD are from PBS Distribution.

NATURE: JUNGLE EAGLE

Another terrific NATURE documentary, this one focuses on Harpy eagles, the most powerful birds of prey. Until recently, scientists knew very little about them. Wildlife filmmaker Fergus Beeley and his team of cameramen locted a nest and documented the lives of these elusive birds in Venezuela’s Orinoco River jungle. The hour-long documentary is from PBS Distribution.

FRONTLINE: TOP SECRET AMERICA

FRONTLINE producer Michael Kirk and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dana Priest investigate the question, “are we any safer after all of the changes that have taken place throughout the country (after the 9/11 tererorist attacks)?” They reveal the little-known creation of a vast maze of clandestine government and private agencies designed to hunt terrorists and prevent future attacks on the United States. Over one hour, the film examines the history of the dark side of America’s “war on terror.” From the creation of black site prisons abroad and super-secret facilities here in America, to targeted killings and covert wars waged by special forces, to a multibillion-dollar terrorism industrial complex, the researchers ask how a decade of fighting terrorism has reshaped the country and whether it has made us any safer. The fascinating DVD is dfrom PBS Distribution.

FRONTLINE: THE MAN WHO KNEW

This documentary explores the life and death of former FBI top counterterrorism agent John O’Neil who insisted on doing away with Osama Bin Laden before the devastating attack was launched on the US by Al Qaeda. O’Neill investigated the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Africa and the attack on the USS Cole, and joined then-national security counterterrorism co-coordinator Richard Clarke in believing that the United States should kill Osama bin Laden before Al Qaeda launched a devastating attack on America. Speaking in his first major interview, Clarke talks about O’Neill’s battles with the FBI top brass who took objected to O’Neill’s James Bond style job performance. Forced out of the job he loved, O’Neill took a new position in the private sector — as head of security at the World Trade Center, where he was killed on September 11, 2001. The story of O’Neill’s life and death provides a rare glimpse inside the FBI and helps answer the question: What did the government know? The DVD is from PBS Distdribution.

LIDIA CELEBRATES AMERICA:

HOLIDAY TABLES & TRADITIONS”

and “THE BEST OF LIDIA: PASTA”

Enough about war and terrorism, already. Let’s think about food. I always find that thinking about food is one of the best things I can do for myself. Chef, restauranteur, and cookbook author Lidia Bastianich knows how to dish up some tasty meals, some especially for Christmas, in these two delicious DVDs from PBS Distribution. Actor Stanley Tucci joins Lidia in New York as they take part in a traditional Christmas Eve feast. Then she travels to San Antonio, Texas, to be with four generations of an Hispanic-American family as they celebrate Christmas. She then goes on to San Francisco and the largest Chinese New Year outside of Asia. Finally, she returns to New York to celebrate Passove with two of Manhattan’s most traditional and historic families. The disc on pasta contains more than a dozen of Lidia’s favorite dishes from her book Lidia’s Italy in America. Are you ready for some

spaghetti alla carbonara, linguini with white clam sauce, and spaghetti with garlic and oil? I sure am!

For kids and puppies

WINNIE THE POOH

The lovable teddy bear is back in his first feature film after 35 years. Christopher Robin is in danger so his friends Pooh, Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga-Roo, and Eeyore go to his rescue in this wonderful 73-minute animated film. The DVD is from Disney.

PBS KIDS:

PBS Distribution has released DVDs of two top-rated PBS KIDS’ television programs, "Arthur: Hooray for Health," "Arthur: The Good Sport," both teaching pre-school kids about health and good sportsmanship. Arthur the aardvark tells about chicken pox and how to eat right, not just pigging out on hot dogs and candy. In the sports DVD, kids learn about being good sports playing baseball and bicycle-riding. PEEP: AND THE BIG WIDE WORLD: “Star Light, Star Bright," and "Seasons of Adventure." Pre-school kids learn about science subjects in this Emmy award winning series, and have fun at the same time. They’re all on DVD from PBS Distribution.

“Th-th-th-at’s All, F-f-f-olks!”

See you next month at the same fire hydrant.