Top Picks: 'The Jungle Book,' 'Building Star Trek, and more
Home in Los Angeles
What does 鈥渉ome鈥� truly mean, in particular to people living in the Los Angeles area? The podcast Home: Stories From L.A. explores this, with host Bill Barol talking with subjects including a producer with various TV mementos and a writer from the East Coast who was able to adjust to her new residence. Check it out at .
鈥楾rek鈥� inspiration
How have ideas seen on the classic TV series 鈥淪tar Trek,鈥� which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, influenced our own world? The new Smithsonian Channel program explores how the show helped create dreams for the science and technology community with devices such as a universal translator, and it looks at the creations that are being worked on for the future. 鈥淏uilding Star Trek鈥� premi猫res on Sept. 4 at
8 p.m.
Extraordinary jungle
Disney鈥檚 live-action take on , now available on DVD and Blu-ray, has extraordinary computer-generated effects, with the jungle and its menagerie of beasts and critters looking positively lifelike. Actors Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, and Christopher Walken voice their characters wonderfully.
Van Morrison must
Van Morrison fans, rejoice! There鈥檚 a new companion version to his stirring 1974 live album, titled . It鈥檚 peak-period Morrison, and none of the recordings overlap with the original album. The additional treasure-trove of these early 1973 live recordings capture Morrison at his fiery, mystical zenith, backed by his best band ever, the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, who provide hypnotic grooves and deep, Memphis-via-California grit befitting the master of Celtic soul. It鈥檚 a must for any fan of Van the Man.聽
Stage magic
Already read the script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and wondering just how the story comes together onstage? Tickets for the West End production may be hard to obtain, but a video taking you behind the curtain with set designer Christine Jones includes tantalizing glimpses at some of the scenery and effects that bring the story to life. See the video at .
