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In the popular movie “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”, author C.S. Lewis created the imaginary land of Narnia, where 4 children encounter time travel and discover the forces of both good and evil, and take a much greater part in that battle than they had ever dreamed possible.

Set during World War 2, four siblings Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund are moved to the county because of the bombing in London, and begin to explore the big house that is their temporary new home. In a back room of the house is a large wardrobe filled with many coats. The youngest sister, Lucy, runs into the wardrobe to hide from the other kids, and in so doing discovers that the back of the wardrobe is the door to another world named Narnia. In that world she encounters a faun named Tumnus who lulls her to sleep with an enchanting tune on his flute. When she returns hours later through the wardrobe to her brothers and sister, she finds that no time at all has elapsed. Apparently time in Narnia is non-correlated with time in England. (A notion, by the way, consistent with Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.) Her siblings quite naturally chide her when she tells them of her adventure, but she remains convinced her experience was real. One by one the others also enter, but find that this new world of Narnia is no longer a happy place but is locked in the grip of perpetual winter by the magic of an evil queen.

In due time the children, known in Narnia as “sons of Adam and daughters of Eve” learn that Aslan, the lion king of this world of Narnia, is coming back and can help them against the witch. But when they learn that one of their own, Edmund, was deceived by the witch and now is actually in her service, they need even more help. Aslan is as good as he is powerful, and with him all things are possible. He eventually gives his life in exchange for their release from the magic of the White Witch, then comes back to life due to “deeper magic from before the dawn of time.” (Wormholes into another dimension?) After much battling the forces of evil with Aslan’s help and finally defeating the White Witch, the 4 children eventually rule the kingdom of Narnia as Kings and Queens for what seemed like a thousand years before being whisked back to England only to find themselves children again playing in the old house.

Hmmmm. Sounds kind of familiar…like something that has been going on in our world for the past few thousand years.

Well, be that as it may, and setting aside for a moment the obvious parallels to Christianity, it occurred to me that Einstein would have been first in line to see the movie.

How so?

For one thing, Einstein, known for his massive knowledge, said “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

In the land of Narnia time was completely non-correlated to time in England, which is consistent with Einstein’ theory of time dilation. And wormholes that tunnel into distant regions of space and time and black holes and string theory and spacetime curvature… “The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe” has it all and more.

Move over, Albert, I’m coming with you!

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. His weekly DVD home-study course for adults who want to learn to play the piano “Crash Course In Exciting Piano Playing For Busy Adults!” is being used widely around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions” with over 70,000 current subscribers. He also is the father of 4 now-grown kids, all of whom grew up hearing their Dad read “The Chronicles of Narnia” to them.

Remember the cute little doggie in the movie “As Good as it Gets”, or the monkey in the television series, “Friends”? These are some of the most sought after actors there areanimal talent is out therebut much more scarce. After all, at what point in his or her life does a monkey or a cat or a bird or a cute little doggie say “I want to be an actor, mommy. Can you take me to some classes, find me a manager or get me an audition?” Honestly, it is likely the filmmakers who worry most about trained animal talent. But sometimes, the animal role in a film, television series or play can be absolutely vital to the success of it.

For example, in the film “Arachnophobia” there are more spiders than you can countso how did the directors get spiders trained to move the right way, to come down from the shower curtain into the drain. I assume that in some cases there had to be many takes. The filmmakers also had to choose a type of spider that looked dangerous and scary but that would not actually harm the cast if anything got out of hand. I know that in many scenes when the spiders were supposed to run or move in a certain direction, the filmmakers used hotplates under the sets where the spiders were walking. The spiders would walk away from the hotplates in the direction that the script called for them to go. Animal talent of this sort is not as necessary anymore, at least as far as spiders are concerned. If you might recall, the spiders, and most of the other animals used in the Harry Potter movies are all computer generated.

As far as the cute little doggie with the cute little face in “As Good as it Gets” goesthat precious little guy should have gotten an award as best supporting actor! He had been trained to walk over cracks in the sidewalk, to look as if he were about to cry, and became one of the most pivotal and dimensional characters in the whole movie. This puppy was able to convey human emotion to the point where the audience got choked up over it.

I am sure there are schools to train for animal talent in such detail that these types of four-legged stars are possible. And I’m sure that there are some pet owners who envision their own pets on the silver screen one day. However, I would venture to guess that the ratio of animal talent versus the human talent out there is little (in animals) to too much (in humans). For human actors the casting directors question iswho will be best for the part. Far animal talent, the question that casting directors will be asking isis there an animal out there that can do what we need it to do? The answer is not always yesand animals like the dog in “As Good as it Gets” can’t be computer generated. They need to be genuine and interactive. Plainly put a good animal actor is quite hard to find.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on fur boots and fashion please visit Acting Talent.

Even though there are lots of ways for people to entertain themselves, television is still probably the biggest avenue for entertainment. Every year networks spend millions of dollars trying to find ways to keep the general public watching their shows. Hit shows can be a trial and error process, as the saying goes, “there’s no accounting for taste”. In an effort to try and predict successful shows, networks may use focus groups. The focus groups will be shown episodes of television shows before they’ve been shown to the public. The focus groups will then provide feedback to the networks, based on what they thought about the shows.

There are many episodes produced every year of potential new shows that never make it on the air. Television is a very lucrative and competitive business; a hit show can bring a network literally millions of dollars in ad revenues. Television is also a copycat industry; that’s why if one network has a huge hit show, it’ll only be a matter of time until the other networks try to copy that show. The public actually has more power when it comes to what’s on television than they do with the politicians they elected.

The public has long been considered lazy when it comes to watching television because people have a tendency to lean towards lighter, easier to follow shows, instead of the more complex shows, where the plots aren’t so obvious. Unfortunately, the networks have also decided to become lazy. Instead of having new comedies and dramas to look forward to, the only new shows the networks appear to be releasing are reality shows. Reality shows are television shows where non professional actors are used. The networks would like the public to believe these are normal people, but what normal people are followed around by television cameras.

There aren’t any plots to reality television shows, regardless of what networks would like you to believe. All reality shows have the same hook, which is, these are regular people on these shows. The networks are selling the point that reality shows have no professional actors. But the reality is that once the camera is turned on, everybody becomes an actor. Reality shows are just a step above game shows. It’s obvious that the public likes reality shows because every time you turn around, there’s a new one. The networks love reality shows because they make them a lot of money, they’re probably cheaper to make then regular productions and they don’t have to worry about actors holding out for more money because the casts of reality shows change constantly.

Maybe there is no more creativity in the television industry, maybe all the ground breaking shows have already been done. It’s a shame that television has turned its back on producing quality shows. But maybe this is what the public deserves because television had produced a lot of critically acclaimed shows in the past, but the public didn’t watch; now television is turning out mindless, cheap fodder and the public can’t get enough of it.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Reality TV

Nominated for 18 Gemini Awards (which honor the English language achievements of Canadian television), La Femme Nikita established itself as a stalwart on the USA Network in the late-1990s. Based on the 1990 motion picture of the same name, La Femme Nikita changed its cast, but not its edgy characters and exciting underworld setting. A forerunner to the successful hit series Alias, the show features all the intrigue of its successor coupled with the fast-paced action of 24. An hour-long action/adventure drama series, La Femme Nikita premiered on the first day of 1997 and quickly built a loyal fan base that followed the series for five stellar seasons before its premature cancellation in Spring 2001…

La Femme Nikita follows the life of Nikita (Peta Wilson), a woman wrongfully convicted of a brutal murder. Sentenced to life in prison, a top-secret government agency known only as Section One sets its sights on the woman it believes to be a ruthless killer. Faking Nikita’s suicide, they usher her out of prison to train and program her into a willing and obedient assassin. But the conspirators at Section One didn’t bank on Nikita’s innocence. Now, they’re stuck with a bloodthirsty felon who’s not as bloodthirsty as they thought. Nevertheless, Nikita (now code-named ‘Josephine’) must carry out the orders of her superiors or else face her own death at the hands of an organization intent on keeping its secrets from the outside world. La Femme Nikita boasts an excellent cast to compliment Nikita’s numerous adventures, among them are Michael Samuelle (Roy Dupuis), Davenport (Lawrence Bayne), Seymour Birkoff (Matthew Ferguson), Walter (Don Francks), and Paul “Operations” Wolfe (Eugene Robert Glazer). Together, they create an intriguing atmosphere of mysterious identities, ruthless assassins, and government conspiracies that is certain to entertain even the most discriminating of viewers…

The La Femme Nikita DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the series premiere “Nikita” in which Nikita, a lone girl living on the streets, is wrongfully convicted of a murder she did not commit. When the government fakes her prison cell suicide, Nikita awakes in the care of Section One, a super secret government entity with the goal of turning Nikita into an anti-terrorist assassin. But Nikita, who is innocent, initially resists the brainwashing techniques before finally submitting to the organization in order to stay alive… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “Gray” in which a hacker compromises the employee database of Section One, and “Noise” in which Birkoff’s fear of dying while on a mission threatens to end his career with Section One…

Below is a list of episodes included on the La Femme Nikita (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Nikita) Air Date: 01-13-1997
Episode 2 (Friend) Air Date: 01-20-1997
Episode 3 (Simone) Air Date: 01-27-1997
Episode 4 (Charity) Air Date: 02-03-1997
Episode 5 (Mother) Air Date: 02-10-1997
Episode 6 (Love) Air Date: 02-17-1997
Episode 7 (Treason) Air Date: 02-24-1997
Episode 8 (Escape) Air Date: 03-03-1997
Episode 9 (Gray) Air Date: 03-10-1997
Episode 10 (Choice) Air Date: 04-07-1997
Episode 11 (Rescue) Air Date: 04-14-1997
Episode 12 (Innocent) Air Date: 04-21-1997
Episode 13 (Recruit) Air Date: 06-22-1997
Episode 14 (Gambit) Air Date: 06-29-1997
Episode 15 (Obsessed) Air Date: 07-20-1997
Episode 16 (Noise) Air Date: 07-27-1997
Episode 17 (War) Air Date: 08-03-1997
Episode 18 (Missing) Air Date: 08-10-1997
Episode 19 (Voices) Air Date: 08-17-1997
Episode 20 (Brainwash) Air Date: 09-21-1997
Episode 21 (Verdict) Air Date: 09-28-1997
Episode 22 (Mercy) Air Date: 10-05-1997

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the La Femme Nikita (DVD).

Taken from the end of my Introduction to a book on the Krishnamurtis which is nearing completion.

After watching Dances With Wolves for the twentieth time early one morning on July 1st (Convenient timing), 2006, I penned these words as I sniffled and dried my eyes.

When Lt John Dunbar left ‘the people’ he did a harsh thing. Wind in His Hair cried out from the cliff to all who gathered to see the love he had shared with them go away from their lives. With Stands With A Fist by his side he left those he loved and whom he had learned about life (Real life) from. (sniff, sniff)

He hoped to talk to the politicians and other heathens in pursuit of power and money.

But nothing would come in the way of money, for society; and we are left with this culture rather than learning through Real Love. The discovery of a law of nature is only the forerunner of a more universal law. Thus in the search for truth the endless tide of progression rolls on, forever conveying to man broader conceptions of truth and carrying him into a higher realization of his relationship with divinity.

Is there a greater threat to Peace and Brotherhood than the dogma that passes for truth? Both Krishnamurtis thought not.

Plot points are linear links that make up the chain of traditional Aristotelian 3-act dramatic structure. This classic structure worked well in Hollywood for almost a century now. Although young movie makers are forcing the limits of this structure, plot points still rule the day as the “tent poles” that hold up of the circus of our dreams. Here are the plot points of North Country (2005), as I see them.

North Country (2005)

Starring: Charlize Theron (Josey Aimes), Elle Peterson (Karen Aimes), Thomas Curtis (Sammy Aimes), Frances McDormand (Glory), Sean Bean (Kyle), Woody Harrelson (Bill White), Jeremy Renner (Bobby Sharp), Richard Jenkins (Hank Aimes), Sissy Spacek (Alice Aimes)
Directed by: Niki Caro
Writers: Michael Seitzman (screenplay), Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy (book: Class Action)

PROTAGONIST JOSEY’S DILEMMA: Josey, a poor but good looking and young single mother, is trying to build a dignified life for herself in a North Minnesota mining town that won’t allow that to happen.

PROTAGONIST’S DESIRE: To be a happy and self-sufficient adult.

HER CHIEF OBSTACLE: The sexist and aggressive male culture at the mine which accuses all female workers with “stealing the jobs” of male workers and wants to force them to quit through physical intimidation.

ESTABLISHING SHOT: A snowy Christmas day in a low-income house in cold Northern Minnesota.

INCITING INCIDENT: Josey gets beaten up bad by her ex husband.

PLOT POINT 1: Josey hits an ultimate low by dragging her son out of the car of a neighbor and creates an embarrassing public scene.

MID POINT EVENT: The attorney Bill White agrees to take on Josey’s case an file a class-action suit against the company.

PLOT POINT 2: Hank Aimes, Josey’s father, at long last stands up for her during a highly electrified union meeting where Josey is made the target of all kinds of sex jokes.

3rd ACT RESOLUTION: Led by the paraplegic Glory, all female workers as well as some of the men stand up in the court as the additional witnesses needed to win the class-action suit. Josey wins the case and gets on with her life with her children.

Nominated for 58 Emmys, including one for Outstanding Drama Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation fulfilled all the potential and promise anticipated of a long-awaited successor to the original 1960s series: Star Trek. Created by a former L.A. police officer, Gene Roddenberry, the Star Trek TV series morphed into a franchise famous for the unprecedented fanatical devotion of its audience. Lasting only three seasons during its original network run, Star Trek struck gold with its syndicated reruns, launching a number of motion pictures featuring the original cast as well as novels, comic books, collectibles, and reams of Star Trek-related memorabilia. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) became the first TV series to follow on the heels of the original, and its success would spark the creation of three additional series - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001). But The Next Generation remained the most popular spin-off. Despite new characters and new episodes, the mission remained the same as before - “to boldly go where no man has gone before…” And to continue the rich tradition of the Star Trek name - a mission Star Trek: The Next Generation accomplishes with relative ease…

Star Trek: The Next Generation takes place in the 24th Century, almost one-hundred years after Captain Kirk’s crew set out to explore strange new worlds. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart - I Claudius) commands the USS Enterprise-D and its diverse crew of humans, cyborgs, and varying life forms. Accompanying him on his voyage is an entirely new cast of passengers and crew including Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes - North & South), Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby), Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and her son Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton)… Together, they struggle against numerous obstacles to carry out the mission of the USS Enterprise: “To explore strange new worlds… To seek out new life; new civilizations… To boldly go where no one has gone before!” This pioneering attitude, coupled with imaginative and brilliantly-produced alien worlds, provides Star Trek with its unique allure and special place within American pop culture - especially those episodes from the original series, widely regarded as the most popular of the Star Trek franchise…

The Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 6) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere “Time’s Arrow” in which time travel creates more problems for the Enterprise as the away team’s mission is disturbed by a curious and nosy Samuel Clemens. Meanwhile, Capt. Picard has a recollection of an encounter on Earth in the 1890s… Other notable episodes from Season 6 include “A Fistful of Datas” in which a group of hackers have stolen Data’s physical features and real life abilities and the crew must work overtime to get him back, and “Lessons” in which Capt. Picard is placed in a precarious position when carrying out his duty threatens to place the woman he loves in dire jeopardy…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 6) DVD:

Episode 127 (Time’s Arrow) Air Date: 09-21-1992
Episode 128 (Realm of Fear) Air Date: 09-28-1992
Episode 129 (Man of the People) Air Date: 10-05-1992
Episode 130 (Relics) Air Date: 10-12-1992
Episode 131 (Schisms) Air Date: 10-19-1992
Episode 132 (True Q) Air Date: 10-26-1992
Episode 133 (Rascals) Air Date: 11-02-1992
Episode 134 (A Fistful of Datas) Air Date: 11-09-1992
Episode 135 (The Quality of Life) Air Date: 11-16-1992
Episode 136 (Chain of Command: Part 1) Air Date: 12-14-1992
Episode 137 (Chain of Command: Part 2) Air Date: 12-21-1992
Episode 138 (Ship in a Bottle) Air Date: 01-25-1993
Episode 139 (Aquiel) Air Date: 02-01-1993
Episode 140 (Face of the Enemy) Air Date: 02-08-1993
Episode 141 (Tapestry) Air Date: 02-15-1993
Episode 142 (Birthright: Part 1) Air Date: 02-22-1993
Episode 143 (Birthright: Part 2) Air Date: 03-01-1993
Episode 144 (Starship Mine) Air Date: 03-29-1993
Episode 145 (Lessons) Air Date: 04-05-1993
Episode 146 (The Chase) Air Date: 04-26-1993
Episode 147 (Frame of Mind) Air Date: 05-03-1993
Episode 148 (Suspicions) Air Date: 05-10-1993
Episode 149 (Rightful Heir) Air Date: 05-17-1993
Episode 150 (Second Chances) Air Date: 05-24-1993
Episode 151 (Timescape) Air Date: 06-14-1993
Episode 152 (Descent) Air Date: 06-21-1993

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 6) DVD.

Nominated for three Academy Awards, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe follows on the heels of recent successful big screen adaptations of other childrens’ fantasy novels such as The Lord of the Rings books and the Harry Potter series. But while each of these series feature underlying tones of Christian symbolism, The Chronicles of Narnia is overtly intended as a Christian allegory. Written by the brilliant 20th Century Oxford and Cambridge literature professor C.S. Lewis, the Narnia stories were a tribute to his deep Christian faith. And this big screen transition is something of which he can be proud. Directed by Andrew Adamson, veteran director of the Shrek franchise, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is a master blend of traditional human acting and computer generated imagery.

The film follows the exploits of the four Pevensie children, two brothers and two sisters. Set during the early years of World War II, their mother sends them away to the countryside in order to escape the relentless Nazi bombing raids on London. Left to their own devices in the cavernous mansion of Professor Kirke (Jim Broadbent), they engage in a traditional game of hide-and-seek, whereupon the youngest of children, Lucy (Georgie Henley) crawls into a lone wardrobe stationed in an otherwise empty room. Backing her way through the garments, she stumbles into a wintry wonderland where she encounters a faun named Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy).

Initially, Mr. Tumnus tries to kidnap the young girl, but he experiences a change of heart due to the kindness of her spirit. As a result, he reveals to her the truth about the land into which she stumbled. Narnia is dominated by the evil White Witch who claims to be ruler of the forest, but the true ruler is a lion named Aslan who prophesied long ago that two “sons of Adam” and “daughters of Eve” would usher in the end of the one hundred year darkness administered by the White Witch. Knowing the prophecy, the witch intends to murder the children upon their arrival. But when Lucy relays the facts of the adventure to her family, they don’t believe her.

Despite their initial reservations, her older siblings - Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Peter (William Moseley) - all find their way into the magical land of Narnia. With talking trees, a forest filled with danger, and an evil witch in hot pursuit, the Pevensie kids must navigate their way through the treacherous land in order to find Aslan (Liam Neeson), the Messianic lion king who can help them to fulfill their rightful destiny as heirs to the thrones of Narnia…

Aided by an outstanding soundtrack which perfectly compliments each sequence of events, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is an inspiring film of epic proportions. For Christians, it will have significant meaning far in excess of a traditional film. For instance, the climatic scene of the film in which Aslan provides the ultimate sacrifice will evoke images of Roman soldiers beating and mocking Jesus in the hours leading up to his crucifixion. It’s undeniably the most powerful scene of the film. Meanwhile, Georgie Henley turns in an unforgettable performance as the innocent and playful Lucy. Her charisma exudes from the screen in a manner rarely common to child actors. This performance is complimented by Tilda Swinton who is magnificently cast in the role of the White Witch. She simultaneously displays the satanic traits of seductive beauty and ruthless cunning with heavenly perfection. Add a final battle sequence reminiscent of Braveheart, and you’ve got a blockbuster movie the whole family can enjoy. Although parents of small children who scare easily should take note that some of the scenes can be frightening, but probably no more frightening than Darth Vader and the aliens from Star Wars. Nevertheless, parents should preview the film before introducing it to young children. Overall, this first film in The Chronicles of Narnia series is well worth any movie-goer’s attention…

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (DVD).

Nominated for five Academy Awards (most of them related to effects and visuals), and winner of the Oscar for Special Visual Effects, Tora! Tora! Tora! is a true Hollywood blockbuster. Long before the star-studded, over-hyped Disney film Pearl Harbor, film creators gave us a much better depiction of the events surrounding December 7, 1941. Often shown on the History Channel, Tora! Tora! Tora! almost fits the definition of a documentary. The film doesn’t employ sideshow tricks such as love triangles (i.e. Pearl Harbor) in order to create audience interest. In fact, few of the actors stand out on their own. Instead, each character plays his part as it most likely unfolded in real life - and the real life version of Pearl Harbor is interesting enough on its own…

Tora! Tora! Tora! originates as the Japanese call sign for a full-fledged attack on the American naval installation at Pearl Harbor. When the Japanese Empire continues its expansion throughout the Asian-Pacific realm, the United States institutes economic sanctions. As further divisions threaten to bring about war between the two nations, Japanese admirals convene in order to plan a surprise preemptive attack on the United States Navy in the event that war becomes inevitable.

Among those present is Admiral Yamamoto (So Yamamura) who agrees to carry out the plan, but as a man who studied extensively in the United States, he believes his fellow countrymen underestimate the resolve and the industrial might of the American people. Nonetheless, the Japanese continue their surveillance of Pearl Harbor with a plan to annihilate the US Navy and its vital fleet of aircraft carriers.

Meanwhile, certain people in Washington are intercepting coded messages between the island of Japan and its ambassador to the United States. As the rumor of a Japanese attack begins to take hold, officials attempt to convince the top leaders in the chain of command. But the idea of such a bold and unprovoked attack is difficult to comprehend.

When the Japanese arrive at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, they realize their plan has worked well. They achieve total surprise, and the call of Tora! Tora! Tora! goes out to the fleet, launching a second wave of attack planes. The Japanese attacks sink several battleships, but not a single carrier (the carriers unexpectedly left the harbor to practice maneuvers). Threatening to annihilate Pearl Harbor, the Japanese are unexpectedly called back by a conservative admiral, leaving the scene before than can inflict maximum damage. The mistake is eloquently expressed by Admiral Yamamoto who fears that his countrymen have “only managed to awaken a sleeping giant”…

Despite its 1970 release date, Tora! Tora! Tora! remains a wonderful film that can hold its own in the special effects department with any modern day blockbuster. In fact, the older camera technology makes the scenes subconsciously feel more realistic than modern day films such Pearl Harbor. If you’re looking for a good, suspenseful movie (and one which teaches history too), then you’ll be hard pressed to find a better option than Tora! Tora! Tora! One of the best war films of all time, Tora! Tora! Tora! is a definite must see film…

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Tora! Tora! Tora! (DVD).

In the Fall of 1961, CBS first aired The Dick Van Dyke Show, one of funniest sitcoms in television history. Similar to I Love Lucy, but featuring more docile and less eccentric characters, the show became a mainstay in the top 10 Nielsen ratings for its first four seasons. When the show’s ratings slipped in the fifth season, the network cancelled the show. But in the four decades since, The Dick Van Dyke Show has continued to entertain its fans and their children (and their children’s children) via syndicated re-runs…

The Dick Van Dyke Show is centered around the life of Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), a family man living in suburban New York. As the head writer for the fictional “Alan Brady Show,” he works with co-writers Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) and Sally Rogers (Rose Marie). Rob’s work life is always interesting given Buddy’s constant wisecracks, Sally’s never-ending search for a husband, and the trio’s unified harassment of Alan Brady’s brother-in-law, Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon). At home, Rob’s loving yet overly-nervous wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) stays at home with the couple’s son Ritchie (Larry Mathews). Surrounded by all these unique characters, Rob is always embroiled in someone’s scheme, fantasy, or shenanigan…

The Dick Van Dyke Show (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “That’s My Boy???” in which Rob recounts the story of Ritchie’s birth. When he and Laura brought Ritchie home from the hospital, they thought he looked different so they began to believe they brought home the wrong baby. After putting their heads together with another couple, they determine that the baby they brought home is theirs after all… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “The Third One from the Left” in which Rob tries to prevent a guest star from falling in love with him, and “My Part-Time Wife” in which Laura drives Rob crazy while filling in at his office…

Below is a list of episodes included on The Dick Van Dyke Show (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 64 (That’s My Boy???) Air Date: 09-25-1963
Episode 65 (The Masterpiece) Air Date: 10-02-1963
Episode 66 (Laura’s Little Lie) Air Date: 10-09-1963
Episode 67 (Very Old Shoes, Very Old Rice) Air Date: 10-16-1963
Episode 68 (Uncle George) Air Date: 10-23-1963
Episode 69 (Too Many Stars) Air Date: 10-30-1963
Episode 70 (Who and Where Was Antonio Stradivarius?) Air Date: 11-06-1963
Episode 71 (Big Max Calvada) Air Date: 11-20-1963
Episode 72 (The Ballad of the Betty Lou) Air Date: 11-27-1963
Episode 73 (Turtles, Ties, and Toreadors) Air Date: 12-04-1963
Episode 74 (The Sound of Trumpets of Conscience Falls Deafly on a Brain That Holds Its Ears) Air Date: 12-11-1963
Episode 75 (The Third One from the Left) Air Date: 12-18-1963
Episode 76 (The Alan Brady Show Presents) Air Date: 01-01-1964
Episode 77 (My Husband is the Best One) Air Date: 01-08-1964
Episode 78 (Happy Birthday and Too Many More) Air Date: 02-05-1964
Episode 79 (The Lady and the Tiger and the Lawyer) Air Date: 01-15-1964
Episode 80 (The Life and Love of Joe Coogan) Air Date: 01-22-1964
Episode 81 (A Nice, Friendly Game of Cards) Air Date: 01-29-1964
Episode 82 (The Brave and the Backache) Air Date: 02-12-1964
Episode 83 (The Pen is Mightier Than the Mouth) Air Date: 02-19-1964
Episode 84 (My Part-Time Wife) Air Date: 02-26-1964
Episode 85 (Honeymoons are for the Lucky) Air Date: 03-04-1964
Episode 86 (How to Spank a Star) Air Date: 03-11-1964
Episode 87 (The Plots Thicken) Air Date: 03-18-1964
Episode 88 (Scratch My Car and Die) Air Date: 03-25-1964
Episode 89 (The Return of Edwin Carp) Air Date: 04-01-1964
Episode 90 (October Eve) Air Date: 04-08-1964
Episode 91 (Dear Mrs. Petrie, Your Husband is in Jail) Air Date: 04-15-1964
Episode 92 (My Neighbor’s Husband’s Other Life) Air Date: 04-22-1964
Episode 93 (I’d Rather Be Bald Than Have No Head At All) Air Date: 04-29-1964
Episode 94 (Teacher’s Petrie) Air Date: 05-13-1964

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Dick Van Dyke Show (Season 3) DVD.