Our Picks Reviews - Page 42

Throughout the ‘70s, this animated pink feline was pop culture’s coolest cat, starring in a cartoon series and a string of holiday-themed half-hour specials—all scored to some of the snazziest, jazziest cartoon-theme music of all time. This cozy Christmas special from 1976 (adapted from an O. Henry short story, “The Cop and the Anthem,” with a signature heartwarming twist at the end) finds the lanky, loveable feline in search of a warm meal in cold, snowy New York City. Two additional half-hour specials, themed around the winter Olympics and Valentine’s Day, round out the 90-minute package of pink-hued, family-friendly fun.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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The passage of time makes it easy, especially for younger generations, to forget that the late Bob Hope once reigned supreme as a TV personality, movie star and long-running ringmaster for entertainment-starved soldiers stationed overseas. This 8-hour collection of comedic highlights, star-studded U.S.O. tours, Christmas specials and other vintage goodies from the television vault is a nostalgic stroll through five decades of feel-good memories and a testament to the countless smiles he put on American faces during one of the most durable careers in the history of show business.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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Rarely seen since it went off the air in 1991, this short-lived TV series about a Northwestern hamlet turned creepily inside-out by a murder became an instant cult classic for its quirky characters, devilish cloak of ever-deepening mystery, and the oddball sensibilities of its movie-making co-creator, director David Lynch. Now all 29 episodes make a most welcome return, packaged with hours of bonus materials, including an interactive map of the show’s real-life locations outside Seattle and a documentary that follows a group of the show’s devotees, “Peaks Freaks,” at the 2006 Twin Peaks Festival.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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Here’s one collaboration you probably didn’t see coming. Bluegrass songbird Alison Krauss and Led Zeppelin’s rock god Robert Plant combine their distinctive vocal talents on this unique, genre-bending excursion through 13 tunes that stir their individual styles into a bubbling musical stew of country, rock, bluegrass and folk. It’s an unexpected treat for ears of all types.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, Daredevil and dozens of other colorful superheroes sprang to life on the pages of Marvel Comics. Spanning more than six decades and packed with reproductions of rare original sketches, rough drafts, fan-club collectibles and other delightful do-dads and pullouts, this scrapbook-style collection is like having a comic-book convention at your fingertips.
Neil Pond, American Profile

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From sea to shining sea, the majesty of the United States unfolds in spectacular photographs of 100 natural wonders, man-made marvels and other awe-inspiring landmarks chosen by the editors of LIFE magazine as sites all Americans should visit. Half the fun is sponging up the breathtaking detail of the images; the other is finding out the “whys” behind the “wheres.”
Neil Pond, American Profile

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The coolest cats in the casino cut loose with this collection of Yuletide classics, all originally recorded between the late ’50s and 1970. Ol’ Blue Eyes, Dean-o and Sammy stir up one swingin’ cocktail party as they weave their way through 21 holly-jolly tunes, including “The First Noel,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
Neil Pond, American Profile

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Feast on this buffet of murder mystery, double-crosses, best-laid plans run awry and off-beat humor that hits you where you least expect it in Joel and Ethan Coen’s Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, Miller’s Crossing and Fargo. The pop-up trivia track on Fargo reveals that award-winning star William H. Macy was studying to become a veterinarian before pursuing acting, plus dozens of other fascinating factoids. (Rated PG/R)
Neil Pond, American Profile

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Pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, snuggle into your favorite chair and bask in the retro glow of these classic animated Christmas specials from yesteryear: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns, The Little Drummer Boy and Cricket on the Hearth—plus a bonus CD of Christmas tunes by Burl Ives, Bobby Rydell, Jewel, Otis Redding and Chicago.
Neil Pond, American Profile

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If you’ve got a special “spy guy” on your shopping list, you can’t go wrong with this colossal collection. Bond is a bounty of 21 movies, from Dr. No (1962) to last year’s blockbuster Casino Royale, loaded with venomous villains, ingenious gadgets, gorgeous gals and a bonanza of bonus materials.
Neil Pond, American Profile

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