Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff
Brave hearts
Images of young soldiers slogging through the heat and witnessing combat horror in foreign lands is always a good reality check for a generation ready to complain about the temperature of a Starbucks latte. For the latest revisiting of World War II and what the 鈥済reatest generation鈥� went through to preserve the freedoms many of us enjoy today, tune into 鈥�The Pacific,鈥� from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, HBO鈥檚 blockbuster 10-part series debuting March 14 at 9 p.m.
Stories of old
Just in time for Easter, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will begin rereleasing on DVD its well-received 鈥淭he Bible Stories鈥� TV series. The first two films, 鈥淭he Bible Stories: Jesus,鈥� starring Jeremy Sisto, Debra Messing, Jacqueline Bisset, and Gary Oldman; and 鈥淭he Bible Stories: Esther,鈥� starring Louise Lombard, Thomas Kretschmann, and F. Murray Abraham, arrive March 2. Shot in Morocco and Malta in conjunction with 海角大神, Jewish, and Muslim Scripture scholars, these movies were created by the largest television coproduction in history.
For the love of wolves
In this Smithsonian Channel documentary, 鈥淩unning With Wolves,鈥� biologist and mother Gudrun Pflueger returns to the mountain terrain of western Canada to research some of the world鈥檚 most elusive wolves. A sequel to last year鈥檚 鈥淎 Woman Among Wolves,鈥� the show details her struggle against a life-threatening illness and how her effort to raise awareness of these misunderstood animals has sped her return to health. Airs March 7 at 8 p.m. following an encore presentation of 鈥淎 Woman Among Wolves.鈥�
Norah鈥檚 tour
Sultry songstress Norah Jones launches her US tour this week, showcasing her chart-topping album, 鈥淭he Fall,鈥� released by EMI鈥檚 Blue Note Records last November. The 36-city tour opens in the Midwest and proceeds to both coasts through May. For more information go to: www.norahjones.com/tour/.
The antihero
In 鈥�Up in the Air鈥� (out on DVD March 9), George Clooney鈥檚 Ryan Bingham is a 鈥渃areer transition consultant,鈥� i.e., a guy who does the dirty work of corporate bosses too cowardly to fire their own employees. The movie鈥檚 title is an apt description of Ryan鈥檚 existential condition, and his literal one, too, since he spends on average 322 days a year on the job, often on planes. Ryan is an antihero for these parlous times, and the movie for the most part scrupulously avoids sentimentality.
An earlier Alice
鈥淎lice in Wonderland,鈥� the 1999 NBC miniseries lands on DVD March 2. This Emmy Award-winning, star-studded joint effort from Jim Henson and Hallmark also draws on 鈥淭hrough the Looking Glass,鈥� as well as 鈥淭he Wizard of Oz.鈥� While it received mixed reviews, the notable cast, including Sir Ben Kingsley, Miranda Richardson, and Robbie Coltrane, make it a fascinating reminder of how rich the Lewis Carroll world remains.
