Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff
Revel in newly restored "Pinocchio" on DVD, crack up reading Gil McNeil's latest novel, test your trivia with a new video game, and more.
Courtesy of World Music Network
A 'hero' for our times
Is America ready for divinely anointed kings and princes inhabiting the modern-day kingdom of Shiloh – a glistening, skyscraper-filled city that looks remarkably like Manhattan? Tune in for this updated biblical story of a young David Shepherd and King Silas Benjamin on NBC at 8 p.m, March 15. With an A-list cast that includes Ian McShane (Golden Globe winner for HBO's "Deadwood") and Susanna Thompson ("Once & Again"), Kings is a gamble for the peacock network, but the dramatic series based on the history and politics of an earlier, God-centered time might be the distraction that a recession-weary populace will embrace.
Come on, cheer up!
Mike Leigh's funny-sad film Happy-Go-Lucky – just out on DVD – introduces us to Poppy, a quirky 30-year-old elementary school teacher with unsquelchable optimism. When her roommate tells her that she can't make everybody happy, she responds, "There's no harm in trying, is there?" Sally Hawkins's performance is pitch perfect in this gem of a movie – and shouldn't be missed.
Care to tango?
Bypassing most major inventors of this genre, The Rough Guide to Tango: Second Edition (World Music Network), a two-CD album, offers instead a heady overview of neo-tango. The high drama of daredevil violin and bandoneon (accordion) remains constant. New touches include washes of electronica, jazzy saxophone solos, vocal sampling, and chanted poetry. This experimentation never strays far from the feeling of romantic angst at tango's heart, and leathery vocals by Adriana Varela and Daniel Melingo never sound too world-weary for one more stab at romance on the dance floor.
