This is a small, ninety-page paperback from the British series Pocket Essentials. There is a slight three-page introduction to Bollywood that focuses on economic aspects of Bollwood film production. Then it's on to the films. The fifty films are broken into eleven chapters that group them chronologically and by genre. Each film receives a page or two of attention which includes the title, production date, producer, director, major cast, "ishtory" which is a description of the story, comment, highlights, "more like this," and a "Kiss-Kitsch Rating." I wish they would explain what this Kiss-Kitsch Rating means, but they don't. The ratings are usually 3/5, 4/5, or 5/5, so I think that is just a rating with a possible high of 5, though "Sholay" receives a 6/5. The rating does not seem to relate to a level of Kitsch for the film, which is disappointing since the Kitsch factor will appeal to many readers and would be nice to know. I wish the book had done more to explain why Bollywood films are the way that they are, and had sections on the major directors and performers rather than just on the films. But if you do read through all of the film descriptions you will learn about major aspects of the Bollywood oeuvre. Among the films described are: "Pyassa," "Sangam," "Awara," "Mother India," "Kanoon," "Jewel Thief," "Upkaar", "Padosan," "Johnny Mera Naam," "Mera Naam Joker," "Zanjeer," "Bobby," "Deewar," "Amar Akbar Anthony," "Trishul," "Arth," "Betaab," "Ankush," "Ghayal," "Roja," "Bandit Queen," "Rangeela," "Sarfarosh," "Mohabbatein," and "Lagaan." Yes, those are mostly the shorter titles. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the great "Gunmaan," made famous by the movie "Ghost World" and definitely the Kitschiest Bollywood movie I have seen (though "Amar Akbar Anthony" is pretty good). I suppose this book offers decent value for the price, but would be of more use to help you choose which Bollywood film to watch next than to actually inform you about Bollywood.

The Gillian Welch Revelator Collection DVD is 59 minutes of black and white footage of the great folk music duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Though Welch always gets solo billing on the duo's recordings, this disc does reveal that this is a duo act, as anyone who's seen them knows. There are three edited "videos" shot in a studio in Nashville, "Elvis Presley Blues," "My First Lover" featuring Welch on banjo, and the title track. Then there are nine songs filmed live at performances in Carrboro, NC and Knoxville, TN in 2001. The songs are a very tender "April the 14th," the Welch-penned "Wichita" which was a bluegrass hit for Tim O'Brien, a rousing "Red Clay Halo," a beautiful rendering of Bob Dylan's "Billy" from the Pat Garrett soundtrack, Neil Young's "Pocahontas," a second "Revelator," David Rawlings' lead vocal on the Bill Monroe "I'm On My Way Back to the Old Home," Townes Van Zandt's "White Freghtliner Blues," and a "bonus track" of the fine "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll." The moments before "Pocahontas" show Welch and Rawlings humbly discussing the box that is always behind them when they play, and a harmonica that is found inside. This casual discussion best conveys the cozy, improvised feeling that one gets a Welch-Rawlings concert. The Welch-Rawlings CDs are fine, especially Revelator, but the live concert portion of this DVD presents this exemplary folk duo in their truest form. I highly recommend this DVD as the best possible introduction for those who aren't yet familiar with Welch and Rawlings, and as a wonderful souvenir for the faithful waiting for the next chance to see them live in concert.

The outstanding HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," based on the Steven Ambrose book of the same name, should be required viewing for everyone, due to its unflinching depiction of the realities of war. But this series is as captivating as it is informative, and even entertaining despite the difficult subject matter. This is the true story of the Easy Company of the 105th Airborne Division paratroopers, following their combat training, their actual combat on D-Day, at Market-Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and their liberation of a concentration camp and control of Hitler's German mountain refuge. All of the characters are real, and are mostly played by lesser known actors. David Schwimmer of "Friends" does appear in a couple episodes as do "Saturday Night Live's" Jimmy Fallon (very briefly) and Tom Hanks' son Colin. Fans of NBC's "Boomtown" will also recognize four of the actors, especially Donnie Wahlberg and Neal McDonough, who have major roles. Each episode begins with pertinent moments from interviews with the actual surviving members of Easy Company, though they are not identified so as not to give away which characters survive the war. It takes a while, but becoming familiar with the many characters and their comaraderie for one another is what makes this series so compelling. Producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks have delivered outstanding filmmaking which will definitely remind you of "Saving Private Ryan" but improves on that film because of the depth that a miniseries allows. You will want to watch the DVD extras, especially the 80 minute documentary with the surviving soldiers, so you can see these characters as they are now in real life. The thirty minute making-of documentary is decent but not extraordinary. Actor Ron Livingston's "video diaries" for HBO take you through the ten-day "boot camp" that the actors went through before shooting, and provides some amusement, but is mainly just HBO promotional material as are the rest of the DVD extras.

Rock Hudson and Lauren Bacall star and Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone support in this quintessential 1950s Technicolor melodrama by the Master, imported German director Douglas Sirk. The plot involves a wealthy oil heir (Stack), the secretary (Bacall) loved by both him and his best friend (Hudson) and a bad-girl sister (Malone, in an Oscar-winning role). But neither the story nor the acting are really very good. What makes this film interesting to watch is the cinematography under Sirk's inspired direction, complete with twisted angles, and the symbolic use of color, mise-en-scene, and mirrors. Edward Platt, "Chief" from TV's "Get Smart" also appears as a doctor. The DVD extras are slight for a Criterion Collection, no featurette or commentary track. There is only a lengthy text discussion that allows you to scroll through descriptions and sometimes stills from all of Sirk's films. This text discussion is well-written and well-researched but will take you a long time to scroll through, and the often redundant images of production stills and lobby cards will make you frustrated. All in all, this DVD is worth watching, though I doubt you would want to view it over and over.

A nice little dream journey by j.otto Seibold and V.L. Walsh for the very young book-looker. Chongo Chingi is a penguin who dreams of flying, all the way to outer space, then is woken up by the alarm clock. Very few words here, much fewer than most of their books. Also simpler drawings on most pages with a few spreads of the famously inventive j.otto detail. Might not appeal as much to older readers as most j.otto books but still recommended.

More than forty years later, it may be hard for modern audiences to understand how revolutionary Jean-Luc Godard and his Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave) contemporaries really were. So many aspects of Godard's stylistic achievements, such as the unabashedly hand-held camera, have become so popular in music videos, TV, and the movies, that its use here may not seem notable. Film critic David Sterritt's commentary track does an excellent job of conveying the importance of this first feature-length Godard opus, and also emphasizes the many ways in which the director is having fun with his audience. As Sterritt demonstrates, Godard uses what he has enjoyed from his life as a lover of movies to deliver a filmgoing experience that contains the humor and action that he enjoys. Godard lingers on the lengthy interactions between Breathless' two young actors, allowing us all to savor their intimacy, and also uses Brechtian self-conscious techniques to encourage the viewer to stop and consider his filmic experience. Breathless is a great introduction to Godard, much more accessible to current American audiences than his later work. Watch the movie first, then watch it again with the excellent commentary track.

I have never been a fan of Clint Eastwood, but my friends wanted to get this movie from the video rental store, and it had the encouraging two thumbs up from Ebert and pal, so I gave it a shot. Clint still totes a gun, and still gets the girl, a young Latina, even younger than his real-life wife Dina Ruiz who makes two brief appearances as a TV reporter. The intracacies of the murder plot are fine, though not any better than an average episode of "Boomtown" or "Law and Order," leading up to the usual climactic firearm battle. However, the script gives these poor actors a long list of laughably ridiculous lines which really can't be delivered with any realistic authority. Watch at your own risk, this is bad, bad stuff.

Having recently discovered the wonderful works of J.otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh I went ahead and bought this title, one of their earlier works. Neither the art nor the writing are as fully developed as their later works, such as the exquisite Gluey, but all of the trademark elements are in place. J.otto's art is still irrestibly charming and full of humorous details to find and enjoy. Walsh's writing is simple enough for youngsters to understand, but subtly includes whimsy and benevolence in her typically unforced manner. All ages will enjoy the dog Mr. Lunch's downstream journey to Venice.

Gerard Depardieu plays a steward of a French Prince who must win the favor of King Louis IV by lavishing him with amazingly extravagant banquets. Uma Thurman and Tim Roth join Depardieu in sleepwalking through their uninspiring performances, delivered in English despite being based on actual events in French history. The art direction during the banquets is very impressive, but there is little else of interest in this tale of aristocratic decadence and trickery. The only extra on the DVD is a very short piece supposedly (but hardly actually) about the film's costumes. This is one DVD that could definitely benefit from the typical extras such as a commentary track to help us get a notion as to why the film was ever produced. Fans of period costume pieces should watch ones with more substance such as Moulin Rouge, Shakespeare in Love, or Rob Roy.

I've read all of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics and his novels, but this venture into young adult horror/fantasy resembles Roald Dahl or C.S. Lewis more than Gaiman's adult work. Few of the standard Gaiman obsessions appear here, but his fine writing and subtle humor remain. This is an old-fashioned girl versus witch tale but in a completely modern setting. Despite the whimsical supporting characters, the story would definitely be too frightening for small childrens. McKean's occasional black-and-white illustrations help set the tone for this new sort of Gaiman opus. Well recommended for fans of Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket as well as Gaiman.