Our Picks

Posted by Neil Pond, American Profile About Life Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

‘America’s Great Railroad Stations’ Book Review

Reminders of a time when our nation rolled on steel wheels

By Roger Strauss III

Hardcover, 236 pages ($40)

Once bustling, hustling hubs of commerce and travel, America’s remaining railroad depots are today revered as architectural icons and links to a time when our nation rolled on steel wheels. This gorgeous coffee-table collection of more than 250 full-color photos and dozens of vintage black-and-white images presents a stately, coast-to-coast reflection on these cathedrals of transportation and community, many of which have been meticulously restored to the grandeurs of yesteryear.

 

‘Country Side of Bluegrass’ CD Review

Janie Fricke brightens up previous hits with new homespun sounds

CD ($10) available at www.janiefricke.com

An award-winning country vocalist in the ’80s, Fricke topped the charts with a string of successful singles, including “He’s a Heartache,” “I’ll Need Someone to Hold Me (When I Cry)” and “Do Me With Love.” For her latest project, she returns to the familiar turf of her previous hits and adds a couple of country standards, giving them all a bright, brand-new, bluegrass-y spin with the homespun instrumental textures of fiddle, banjo, Dobro, fiddle, mandolin and acoustic guitar.

‘Dead Poets Society/Good Morning Vietnam’ Blu-ray Review

Robin Williams shines in Blu-ray debut of two ’80s classics

Blu-ray ($20 each)

Robin Williams is at the top of his game in these two ‘80s classics, both debuting on Blu-ray and each with new bonus materials. “Dead Poets Society” (1989), about an inspiring, unconventional professor and the students he rallies to greatness, includes interviews with director Peter Weir, star Ethan Hawke and others, and behind-the-scenes footage. “Good Morning Vietnam” (1987), based on the true story of a popular but controversial U.S. Army DJ who rocked the troops with the sounds of the ’60s, celebrates its 25^th anniversary with the inclusion of several making-of documentaries and a closer look at the movie’s toe-tapping soundtrack.

 

‘The Ides of March’ DVD Review

George Clooney, Ryan Gosling star in political thriller

DVD $30.99

The road to the White House is slippery with scandal in this smart, sharp drama starring George Clooney as a suave presidential candidate hiding a deep, dark secret and Ryan Gosling as a whiz-kid campaign strategist entangled in his growing web of win-at-any-cost deceit. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood round out the excellent cast, and bonus materials include commentary, a closer look at the actors and their roles, and a featurette on Clooney, who also co-wrote the screenplay, co-produced and directed.

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