A Reformed Druids Bibliography of Essential Druish Knowledge

Paganism Today
Neo-Paganism
Aspirations & Inspirations
Modern Druidism
Historical Paganism
Ancient History & Archaeology
Goddess Herstory
Medieval Witchcraft

Myth - Theaology
General Mythology
Goddesses
Gods

"Nature is good."
Eco - Philosophy
Cosmology & Metaphysics
"Evolution is."

Behavioral Psychology
Personal Evolution & Psychology
Sexuality / Relationships / Community

Reversing Societal Programming
Consciousness
Paradigm Reprogramming
Psychedelia
Science's Outer Limits

Men & Women
Feminist Spirituality & Theaology
Men's Mysteries

Social Revolution
Feminism
Eco-Politik
Futurism

Comparative Religion & Global Myth
The Celts
Greece & Rome
Egypt
Shamanism
First Nations
Afro-Caribbean Religions
Northern Europe
Alternative Religions, Cults & Secret Societies
Eastern Religion
Xtianity

Metaphysical Arts
Basic Magick & Ritual
Qabalah & Ceremonial Magick
Divination
Astrology
General Metaphysics

Music
Celtic
Contemporary Pagan
Modern Bards in the Celtic Tradition
Pagan Influenced Classic Rock

Miscellaneous
Movies
TV
Literature
Celtic Village Films

Avalon Risen: HOME

Miscellaneous

Note: All titles are in DVD format unless otherwise noted.

Movies

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, 1988, Lawrence Kasdan. The ultimate movie about the behavior of Virgos. William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, David Ogden Stiers, Ed Bagley Jr., Geena Davis. (DVD)

THE ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK/THE TEMPLE OF DOOM/THE LAST CRUSADE), 2003, Stephen Spielberg. Three DVD set in Widescreen with lots of extras. (DVD)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME, 1992, Errol Morris. Movie version of Stephen Hawkings' book - Hawkings narrates. (documentary)(VHS)

THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN,1989, Terry Gilliam

ALICE'S RESTAURANT, 1969, Arthur Penn. The 60s social/intellectual/spiritual divide is illustrated in Alice's Restaurant by this insane question: can anyone who dumps litter be sufficiently moral to help kill people in another land? The social divide of the 60s has additional clarity in Alice's Restaurant because the movie director was in one ideological camp and Arlo Guthrie was in the other! In addition, an extremely valid spiritual dimension is provided to the story because Alice's restaurant was in a church; a fertile and far-reaching symbol! It makes the movie and real-life story into one wonderful (but never utopian) heart-warming adventure! (DVD)

ANGEL HEART, 1987, Alan Parker. The plot is simple. In the mid nineteen fifties, a mysterious and slightly sinister business man, Louis Cypher (Robert De Niro), hires Brooklyn gumshoe, Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke), for a missing person case. Angel's investigation, for which he is being paid a princely sum for the time, takes him from Harlem to New Orleans, as he looks for a former crooner named Johnny Favorite, who sometime during the early nineteen forties apparently welched on a business deal with Louis Cypher and hasn't been heard from since. Favorite quote: "In some religions, the egg is symbolic of the soul." Then Cypher eats the egg. (DVD)

A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM, 1999, Michael Hoffman. This all-star version of Shakespeare's comedy is gorgeously shot in Tuscany, complete with a magical forest, breathtaking landscapes, beautiful villas, picturesque villages, and stunning period costumes. The fairies of the forest play mix and match with four young lovers, courtesy of a magical love potion. Hoffman couldn't ask for better actors to play Shakespeare's dreamlike love games--Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Anna Friel, Dominic West, the list goes on and on. Flockhart (as the lovestruck Helena), Tucci (a sprightly Puck), Pfeiffer (dazzling and funny as the queen of the fairies), and Kline (as weaver-turned-donkey Bottom) connect with their characters in ways that make this adaptation soar. (DVD)

BAGDAD CAFE, 1988, Percy Adlon. Jasmin (Marianne Sägebrecht), a German tourist, has just walked off from her husband at the side of the road in the middle of the Mojave Desert; Brenda (CCH Pounder) has just kicked her husband out of the roadside cafe-motel they operate. When Jasmin arrives at the cafe, the two begin developing a prickly but ultimately rewarding friendship. (DVD)

BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE, 1958, Richard Quine. It's Christmas, and Staid, secure publisher James Stewart leads a quiet life until he meets his bewitching downstairs neighbor, Kim Novak. Novak is at her best as a Greenwich witch halfway between the worlds of magic and mortals, looking after her dotty aunt (Elsa Lanchester) and mischievous warlock brother (Jack Lemmon) as they keep their skills in practice. Novak's specialty is making men fall for her, but it's a one-way street: when a witch falls in love, she loses her powers. Director Richard Quine gives the witches an almost beatnik sensibility, a real Greenwich Village subculture hanging out in underground clubs and smart curio shops. Ever wonder where the cat name "Pyewacket" comes from? (DVD)

BECKET, 1964, Peter Glenville. Fact-based story of Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and his dear friend, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Richard Burton). When the king appoints his former drinking buddy to the high religious office, he believes he has placed an ally into power. Instead, he learns that Thomas very much takes his job to heart, prompting Henry to ask that fateful question--"Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" (VHS)

BELIZAIRE THE CAJUN, 1986, Glen Pitre. The movie takes place in Louisiana just before the Civil War. Anglo vigilantes are riding at night to force out the Cajuns, whom they consider undesireable. Belizaire Breaux is a healer and a fast-talker. In the opening we watch him talk the local priest into reducing a penance. He's also honorable, in his way. A Cajun woman he has always loved has married one of the Anglo leaders of the vigilantes. Some people are killed, Belizaire is falsely accused, justice -- through Belizaire's quick thinking and fast talking -- wins out. A great scene is Belizaire on the scaffold with the noose around his neck giving out his charms and potions to the sympathetic crowd, and in the process makes the murderer come forth. (DVD)

THE BIG CHILL, 1983, Lawrence Kasdan. A group of '60's radicals reunites 15 years later for the funeral of one of their own, and spends a weekend together in a kind of communal bliss. Wonderful film with Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilley, and JoBeth Williams. The pre-cursor to "Friends?" This movie is one of Sybok's favorites. It almost always makes him cry. (DVD)

THE BIG EASY, 1987, Jim McBride. An atmospheric and sexy crime caper, this stars Dennis Quaid as a New Orleans police detective. He's a smooth talker who butts heads with the new assistant district attorney, Ellen Barkin. She's rigid and plays by the rules; he is mildly corrupt. They soon find themselves romantically entwined, and a bit chagrined. Mostly, this is a key-hole look at Cajun-French culture. (DVD)

THE BIRD CAGE, 1996, Mike Nichols. Robin Williams stars as a gay Miami nightclub owner who is forced to play it straight and ask his drag-queen partner (Nathan Lane) to hide out when Williams's son invites his prospective--and highly conservative--in-laws and fiancée to a meet-and-greet dinner party. Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest play the straight-laced senator and his wife, and Calista Flockhart (from television's Ally McBeal) plays their daughter in a culture-clash with outrageous consequences. (DVD)

THE BUTCHER'S WIFE, 1991, Terry Hughes. Marina (Demi Moore), a blonde Southern belle with a clairvoyant streak, sees signs--a shooting star with two tails, a snowglobe that washes up on the beach, a wedding band inside of a fish--telling her that her true love is about to come ashore. And soon enough, a boat lands on the beach in front of her home; only the guy inside is a stout butcher from New York City named Leo (George Dzundza). Still, portents are portents, and the next thing you know she's married and running barefoot around a butcher's shop in Greenwich Village, where she inspires various residents with her predictions. Leo, however, is creeped out by his wife's abilities, and encourages her to see Alex (Jeff Daniels), a psychiatrist who works across the street. To placate him, she does--and soon begins to suspect that she's misread her signs and married the wrong man. (DVD)

BUTTERFLY, 2000, Doug Wolens. On her own, almost 200 feet up in an old-growth redwood tree, Julia Butterfly Hill led a nation of environmentally aware activists by example. Climbing up the tree in order to protect it and to spread the word that old-growth forests are disappearing and not coming back, she is revered as a heroine by many in the environmental movement. Butterfly documents her experience and struggle, from her spiritual connection with the forest and Luna (the tree she called home for two years) to the reactions of local loggers, Earth First! protestors, and other concerned citizens. Though the film is certainly biased toward Butterfly's cause, the viewer still gets a better understanding of the needs and concerns of local people, despite, not because of, the logging company's pathetically desperate shilling. Though some of the singing and poetry might grate on those whose aesthetics have matured a bit past their undergraduate years, the emphasis on interviews brings out the vital spirit of Butterfly and her supporters just as well. Her experience might be foreign to most viewers, but her direct, genuine expression of her feelings is no more alienating than a walk through a beautiful virgin forest. --Rob Lightner (documentary) (VHS)

CAST A DEADLY SPELL, 1991, Martin Campbell. A noir thriller/Comedy set in 1948 L.A. ("where everyone does magick"), pits Detective Harry P. Lovecraft against a cast of horrors in his search for the Necronomicon. The scene where Fred Ward has a conversation with a real estate agent who praises the fact that her homes are made with "the finest Thaumaturgy" and builder zombies falling in the background will split your gut...no pun intended. Anyone will enjoy this film; but Occultists will howl. Plus, Old Cthulhu never looked so good. (VHS)

THE CELLULOID CLOSET, 1996, Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman. Author Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City) wrote Lily Tomlin's narration for this superb documentary, based on a book by the late Vito Russo, about Hollywood's treatment of homosexual characters in the 20th century. Never pointing a finger at anyone in the film community, The Celluloid Closet presents clips from more than 100 mainstream features (including The Children's Hour, Advise and Consent, The Boys in the Band, and The Hunger) that speak loudly in their respective images of gays and lesbians. The film makes a persuasive case for patterns of sexual mythology in Hollywood, such as presenting homosexuals repeatedly as tragic, helpless figures redeemed only through death or as back-street monsters cavorting in the shadows. Things change, of course, and clips from more recent films by gay and lesbian filmmakers suggest a more vital, diverse, autobiographical approach. There are lots of great interviews with screenwriters (Gore Vidal), filmmakers (John Schlesinger), actors (Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg), and others to enunciate the major themes. --Tom Keogh (documentary) (DVD)

CLEARCUT, 1993, Ryszard Bugajski. This story of corporate destruction of our environment comes from a uniquely Native American point of view, with Graham Greene starring as a kind of native earth spirit. Some of the points made in this film are very subtle, so pay close attention. (VHS)

DANCES WITH WOLVES, 1990, Kevin Costner. Kevin Costner directed, produced and starred in the 1990 western epic "Dances with Wolves", which was based upon the novel of the same name by author Michael Blake, who also wrote the film's screenplay. Costner plays U.S. Army Lieutenant John G. Dunbar during and shortly after the U.S. Civil War. Following a victory with Union troops under his command, he requests an assignment to the western frontier and is assigned to an isolated military outpost in the Dakota Territory. John waits patiently for other troops to arrive at the outpost, but they never do. With no means to communicate with his superiors, John bides his time by taking care of the outpost and himself, as well as writing in his journal. A nearby wolf begins to take an interest in John. At first, he tries to chase the wolf away, but eventually, the wolf becomes John's unwitting companion. Later, John realizes that there is a nearby Native American Sioux tribe. Members of the tribe meet John, but since they do not have a common language to speak with one another, they are somewhat suspicious of him. Later, they invite John to visit their encampment where he sees a Caucasian woman (Mary McDonnell) living with them. She remembers a little English is able to talk with him and tells him that her name is Stands With A Fist. Eventually, John learns how to speak Sioux and is adopted by the tribe after he helps them. (DVD)

THE DARK CRYSTAL, 1982, Frank Oz, Jim Henson. The story of a race of grotesque birdlike lizards called the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. A prophecy tells of a Gelfling (a small elfin being) who will topple their empire, so in their reign of terror they have exterminated the race, or so they think. The orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal (which gives the Skeksis their power) and restore the balance of the universe. Henson and codirector Frank Oz have pushed puppetry into a new direction: traditional puppets, marionettes, giant bodysuits, and mechanical constructions are mixed seamlessly in a fantasy world of towering castles, simple huts, dank caves, a giant clockwork observatory, and a magnificent landscape that seem to have leaped off the pages of a storybook. (DVD)

THE DARK KINGDOM - THE DRAGON KING, 2006, Uli Edel. Based on the Germanic myth "Das Nibelungenlied" and the Nordic "Volsunga Saga" which also inspired the four-opera cycle by Richard Wagner and J.R.R. Tolkien's epic "The Lord of the Rings", this is the story of the young blacksmith Siegfried, who, not knowing that he is heir to a conquered kingdom, becomes popular with the Burgunds by slaying their bane, the dragon Fafnir. When the reward seems to be a huge treasure, Siegfried ignores the curse that lies on the hoard - which now seems to endanger his love to beautiful Norse warrior queen Brunhild. (DVD)

THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, 1997, Taylor Hackford. Keanu Reeves plays Kevin Lomax, a hotshot Florida attorney who's unbeaten track attracts the attention of a high power New York law firm. He packs up his wife (Charlize Theron) and off he goes, not realizing that his new boss is not quite what he seems....he's the devil.
Al Pacino as Satan is wonderful, energizing his role with demonic glee and self assuredness. Theron is very good in one of her earlier roles, playing the neglected wife who descends into madness, helped along by Reeves' conniving boss. A red-headed Connie Nielsen is seductively effective as Christabella, a sexy siren who wants in Reeves' pants. (DVD)

DRAGONSLAYER, 1981, Matthew Robbins. Dragonslayer is recognized as one of the finest fantasies to emerge from the post-Star Wars boom in special effects. It's still one of the best adventures of its kind, featuring one of the most fearsome fire-breathing serpents in movie history. Ominously named Vermithrax Pejorative, this ill-tempered monster terrorizes the peasantry of sixth-century England, feeding on maidens sacrificed by a duplicitous king until a sorcerer's apprentice named Galen (Peter MacNicol, long before Ally McBeal) is recruited as a reluctant hero. Aided by a tenacious beauty (Caitlin Clarke) and his resurrected mentor (Ralph Richardson), Galen confronts the soaring beast in a breathtaking climax. Filmed in Scotland and Wales. (DVD)

DOGMA, 1999, Kevin Smith. Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). (DVD)

ERIN BROCKOVICH, 2000, Steven Soderbergh. Broke and desperate, the twice-divorced single mom Erin (Julia Roberts)bosses her way into a clerical job with attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney), who's indebted to Erin after failing to win her traffic-injury case. Erin is soon focused on suspicious connections between a mighty power company, its abuse of toxic chromium, and the poisoned water supply of Hinkley, California, where locals have suffered a legacy of death and disease. Matching the dramatic potency of Norma Rae and Silkwood, Erin Brockovich filters cold facts through warm humanity, especially in Erin's rapport with dying victims and her relationship with George (superbly played by Aaron Eckhart), a Harley-riding neighbor who offers more devotion than Erin's ever known. Surely some of these details have been embellished for dramatic effect, but the factual basis of Erin Brockovich adds a boost of satisfaction, proving that greed, neglect, and corporate arrogance are no match against a passionate crusader. (DVD)

ERIK THE VIKING, 1989, Terry Jones. Erik (Tim Robbins) encounters a woman that makes him think (Samantha Bond). He confronts his grand father (Micky Rooney) with the age old question of why young men have to fight. Erik,"I met this woman, she got me to thinking." Grandfather "What did you do?" Erik, "I killed her."
From this and other conversations Erik finds he must go on a quest to end The Age of Ragnorok. In the process they must do a parody of many old monies such as "The Vikings", "Felinni - Satyricon.", and many Viking myths. (VHS)

EXCALIBUR, 1981, John Boorman. Absolutely the best movie accounting of the Arthurian legends ever made. Nicol Williamson is wonderful as Merlin. Look for a youthful Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as Arthur's (Nigel Terry) foster father. This is the source of "the charm of making." (DVD)

FAIRY TALE: A TRUE STORY, 1997, Charles Sturridge. When her father is declared missing in action during World War I, Elsie Wrigth (Florence Hoath) goes to live in England with her cousin Frances Griffiths (Elizabeth Earl) for whom the topic of fairies is forbidden. Immediately, the girls discover the winged creatures in the garden and photograph them for Frances's startled parents. This leads to another kind of adventure for the girls. They become the toasts of London as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Peter O'Toole) and Harry Houdini (Harvey Keitel), who have seen the photographs, escort them around town. Mildly villainous reporters chase the girls and curious spectators invade their garden after the pictures are printed publicly.
Although fairies are the visible subjects, the enchanting video is really about faith. Frances's parents (Phoebe Nicholls and Paul McGann) recently lost their son, Joseph, who had originally discovered the fairies and would like to think he may be an angel. Sir Arthur also lost his son and is courted by clairvoyants who claim they can talk to the boy. Elsie waits patiently for her father to come home, although it appears hopeless that he will. Harry Houdini is an illusionist but acts against the fraudulent claims of greedy mediums and the like. They are all touched by a need to truly believe in what remains hidden. The story is very loosely based on an early 20th-century controversy involving the real Frances and Elsie who faked pictures of fairies similar to the ones in the video. The real girls never confessed, but the video suggests the manner in which the real life photos may have been produced. --Margaret Griffis (DVD)

THE FIFTH ELEMENT, 1997, Luc Besson. Ancient curses, all-powerful monsters, shape-changing assassins, scantily clad stewardesses, laser battles, huge explosions, a perfect woman, a malcontent hero--what more can you ask of a big-budget science fiction movie? Luc Besson's high-octane film incorporates presidents, rock stars, and cab drivers into its peculiar plot, traversing worlds and encountering some pretty wild aliens. Bruce Willis stars as a down-and-out cabbie who must win the love of Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) to save Earth from destruction by Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman) and a dark, unearthly force that makes Darth Vader look like an Ewok. (DVD)

FIRST KNIGHT, 1995, Jerry Zucker. Absolutely the worst Arthurian movie ever made, but it redeems itself by allowing lovers Lancelot ( Richard Gere) and Guinevere (Julia Ormond) to love with the blessing of Arthur (Sean Connery). Also, Arthur's funeral scene at the end is worth the price of admission by it's self. (DVD)

FOUR FRIENDS, 1981, Arthur Penn. In this telescopic view of the '60s. Danilo (Craig Wasson), immigrates to America (Easy Chicago, Indiana to be exact) with his Yugoslavian parents. The center of his life is two other high school friends and the woman all of them are in love with: Georgia Miles (Jodi Thelen), a flower child even before she finds the movement. Georgia and Danilo are probably meant for one another but are too swept up in the '60s to settle down. The men fall in and out of Georgia's arms and through all the touchstone issues of the '60s: Vietnam, civil rights, hippies, sexual politics, and drugs. Director Arthur Penn shies away from the Pomp and Circumstance of later '60s-themed films like Forrest Gump; these characters witness the '60s more than participate. (VHS)

THE FOUR SEASONS, 1981, Alan Alda. This comedy is one of the more enjoyable films to examine midlife crisis. Written and directed by Alan Alda, it examines the effects of middle age on a group of married couples who are longtime friends. Each season they go away on a vacation together, but the dynamic gets skewed when one of the men dumps his wife for a younger woman. Though some may find the characters' self-satisfaction and upscale neuroses a shade cloying, they are more than matched by Alda's solid, often funny writing. The couple with the biggest laughs: the hilariously paired Jack Weston and Rita Moreno (although Alda and Carol Burnett also strike comic sparks). --Marshall Fine (VHS)

THE GOLDEN CHILD, 1986, Michael Ritchie. Features Eddie Murphy playing Chandler Jarrow, a "finder of lost children" hanging out in "The City of Angels," when a beautiful Tibetan woman (Charlotte Lewis) finds him and tells him that he fits the Tibetan prediction, much to the Tibetans' surprise, that "someone in the City of Angels who is no angel will save 'the golden child.'"

Now, the Golden Child is only one child in a series of Golden Children, and this Golden Child represents 'Compassion (this of course is an allusion to the Dalai Lama who is the "Buddha of Compassion).' And if all the evil supernatural beings get a hold of this Golden Child of Compassion, all Compassion will leave the world. Well now, that's mean! So, Chandler (Eddie Murphy), the beautiful Tibetan woman, and several other very mysterious Tibetans must team up to save the Golden Child from a band of particularly disgusting supernatural beings.

There are lots of weird supernatural scenes, from L.A. to Tibet, with just-enough humor injected, and it really is an enjoyable and believable story. (DVD)

GROUNDHOG DAY, 1993, Harold Ramis. The favorite and annual Imbolq diversion of Mithril Star Groves -- Features Bill Murray as a weatherman stuck in a time warp of his own making. (DVD)

THE GURU, 2003, Daisy von Scherler Mayer. This one spoofs Bollywood, the American Porn industry, the New Age movement, and is just hysterical fun. Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure) makes a brief appearance as a sleazy agent. (DVD)

HAIR: The American Love-Rock Musical, 1979, Milos Forman. The Age of Aquarius is brought to life in this film which beautifully brings the '60s back to life. Hair re-creates a colorful world of counterculture finding an anvil to pound on: the Vietnam War. Forman and his design team allow the film to wash over you, starting at the free-flowing opening in which masses of hippies, police, and even their horses eagerly groove to the familiar beat of "Aquarius." Treat Williams makes his debut as Berger, the leader of the Central Park troop who takes draftee Claude (John Savage) under his wing on his trip through New York City and the apex of what the '60s was. The new recording of the music is quite fine, with Chicago band member Don Dacus's rendition of the title song a highlight. As Berger's pièce de résistance number says, "I've Got Life"; so does the film, right down to its poignant declaration to "let the sunshine in." This is what the '60s were to me. (DVD)

HARD DAYS NIGHT, 1964, Richard Lester. The Beatles star in this black white, 108 minute long music video. Except no one had yet heard of a music video before and this was done on film. Just plain fun. (DVD)

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, 2001, Chris Columbus (DVD)

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, 2002, Chris Columbus (DVD)

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, 2004, Alfonso Cuarón (DVD)

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, 2005, Mike Newell (DVD)

HELP!, 1965, Richard Lester. The second movie starring The Beatles has a plot: A Kali worshipping cult has lost the sacrificial ring. Ringo (the original "Lord of Rings") has it but can't get it off. The rest is a spoof of the spy movies of the time and a fun romp from England to the Carribean. (DVD)

HOOK, 1991, Steven Spielberg. Peter Pan (Robin Williams) has grown up and forgotten who he is. But Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) has not. He kidnaps Peter's children, and Peter must return to Never Land, helped by Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts) to save them, and himself. (DVD)

THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1984, Tony Richardson. Beau Bridges is the Berry family patriarch and resident free spirit of the Hotel New Hampshire, where his children thrive on liberal parenting, a parade of unusual patrons, and their own lust for life, love, and--in the case of incestuous siblings John (Rob Lowe) and Frannie (Jodie Foster)--each other. A dark comedy, based on the novel by John Irving. (DVD)

HAMLET, 1996, Kenneth Branagh. With Kate Winslet, Brian Blessed, Richard Attenborough, Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Judi Dench, Gérard Depardieu, John Gielgud, Charlton Heston, Derek Jacobi, Jack Lemmon, Robin Williams. I'm not going to give synopsis of Shakespere's plays because you should already know them. (VHS)

HENRY V, 1989, Kenneth Branagh.

HOMEGROWN, 1989, Stephen Gyllenhaal. Billy Bob Thornton stars in this dark comedy about life in the marijuana culture of Humboldt County CA. It's not as extreme as the film depicts. (DVD)

IN AND OUT, 1997, Frank Oz. When a Hollywood heartthrob (Matt Dillon, playing a Brad Pitt look-alike) "outs" his small-town high-school drama teacher Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) during the Oscar telecast, the entire (fictional) town of Greenleaf, Indiana, wonders if Howard's really gay. More to the point, Howard wonders, too--quite a dilemma considering his pending marriage to Emily (Joan Cusack), who's patiently tolerated a three-year engagement. (DVD)

INHERIT THE WIND, 1960, Stanley Kramer. Classic film about what happens when fundy's write the laws. Based on the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the film a slightly fictionalized account of the Scopes Monkey Trial, that galvanizing legal drama of the 1920s. When a young Tennessee teacher is prosecuted for teaching the theory of evolution in a public school, he receives unwanted public attention as well as the legal advice of a giant. Spencer Tracy plays the role based on Clarence Darrow, the eloquent defense attorney, and Fredrich March storms his way through a part based on Williams Jennings Bryan, the failed presidential candidate (and famed orator) who prosecuted the case. Gene Kelly plays a character based on the acid-penned H.L. Mencken, reporting on the trial and caustically commenting on the absurdity of the human animal. (DVD)

JABBORWACKY, 1977. Terry Gilliam. The Monty Python gang does it again in this witty, modernist fable about an unprepared hero (Michael Palin) pushed through a heroic journey by uncontrollable forces of destiny, propelling him into a duel with a fearsome, man-eating dragon called Jabberwock. (DVD)

JOAN OF ARC, 1999, Christian Duguay. The 140-minute feature follows Joan D'Arc's odyssey from peasant obscurity to notoriety as the "Maid of Orleans," spiritual fulcrum for the beleaguered French forces struggling to halt English invaders. As played by Leelee Sobieski (Eyes Wide Shut), her evolution from naive farm girl to seasoned soldier is convincing, as is her gradual awakening to the underlying agendas of church and state. Most critically, Sobieski radiates the young girl's fervent spiritual devotion. (DVD)

KAMA SUTRA: A TALE OF LOVE, 1997, Mira Nair. Set in 16th-century India, Kama Sutra is the story of a young woman named Maya (the stunning Indira Varma) who has always been lower on the social scale than her well-born friend Tara (Sarita Choudhury), and has always lived in Tara's shadow, wearing her used clothes and being made to feel inferior. When Tara is betrothed to the handsome King Raj Singh (Naveen Andrews, from The English Patient), Tara sneaks into the king's tent on the eve of the wedding and seduces him. Later, after being trained to master the Kama Sutra's many "lessons of love," Maya will be the king's courtesan, and emotions will run high between the former best friends. (DVD)

KING LEAR, 1984, Michael Elliott. Sir Lawrence Olivier stars in this Emmy Award winning production of Shakespeare's King Lear. It is the timeless tale of greed and lust for power, and of a sick old man, his scheming children and lost loyalties. Also stars Diana Rigg, John Hurt, Leo McKern, and Colin Blakely. Special DVD features include a biography and filmography on Sir Lawrence Olivier, character and cast list, chapter stops on each scene, and more. (DVD)

LABYRINTH, 1986, Jim Henson. Sarah (a teenage Jennifer Connelly) rehearses the role of a fairy-tale queen, performing for her stuffed animals. She is about to discover that the time has come to leave her childhood behind. In real life she has to baby-sit her brother and contend with parents who don't understand her at all. Her petulance leads her to call the goblins to take the baby away, but when they actually do, she realizes her responsibility to rescue him. Sarah negotiates the Labyrinth to reach the City of the Goblins and the castle of their king. The king is the only other human in the film and is played by a glam-rocking David Bowie, who performs five of his songs. The rest of the cast are puppets, a wonderful array of Jim Henson's imaginative masterpieces. (DVD)

THE LAST STARFIGHTER, 1984, Nick Castle. A video game is actually a test for prospective starship pilots, planted by embattled aliens under siege from an evil invader. When a restless teenager (Lance Guest) racks up an impressive score, he finds himself spirited away to the besieged planet and thrust into the midst of an intergalactic war. Apart from Castle's skill at contrasting his extraterrestrial settings with the mundane details of his hero's earthbound life, the movie gets lift-off from two thorough pros, Robert Preston, who makes the alien recruiter, Centauri, a planet-hopping cousin to The Music Man's Harold Hill, and Dan O'Herlihy, the alien copilot, who suggests a scaly Walter Brennan. (DVD)

THE LAST SUPPER, 1996, Stacy Title. In the heartland of Iowa, five grad school liberals (Cameron Diaz, Ron Eldard, Annabeth Gish, Jonathan Penner, and Courtney B. Vance) share a house, a left-wing outlook, and Sunday suppers filled with conversation and social criticism. But when a redneck trucker threatens one of their own, he inadvertently puts them on the radical road to serial murder. From soup to nuts, THE LAST SUPPER is "fiendishly funny." (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). (DVD)

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, 1988, Martin Scorsese. My brother and I traveled to Chicago and waited in line to see this film, which fundys were picketing and railing against (and which would never come to white-bread Kankakee IL, my home town). This Jesus bears little resemblance to the classical Christ, who was not, upon careful review of the Gospels, ever reported to have had sex with Barbara Hershey. Heavily informed by Gnostic reinterpretations of the Passion, The Last Temptation of Christ (based rather strictly on Nikos Kazantzakis's novel of the same name) is surely worth seeing for the controversy and blasphemous content alone, but it's difficult to find in skittish chain video stores. (DVD)

THE LAST UNICORN, 1982, Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass. A unicorn (Mia Farrow)--she believes herself the last--searches for any others of her kind, while avoiding the malevolent Red Bull, the agent believed to have destroyed the rest of the herd. Along the way, she is mistaken, ignored, attacked, and obsessed about, finally finding help from a magician named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and a knight named Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges). A haunting film that pays homage to mythology and the people who love it. (DVD)

THE LAST WAVE, 1977, Peter Weir. Richard Chamberlain stars as Australian lawyer David Burton, who takes on the defense of a group of aborigines accused of killing one of their own. He suspects the victim has been killed for violating a tribal taboo, but the defendants deny any tribal association. Burton, plagued by apocalyptic visions of water, slowly realizes his own involvement with the aborigines...and their prophecies. (DVD)

LEGEND, 1986, Ridley Scott. A young Tom Cruise in a fairy-tale world of dwarfs and unicorns and demons. After the horn of a unicorn is broken, darkness and winter descend upon the world. Cruise's character, helped along by a magic sprite played by David Bennent (The Tin Drum), descends into hell to save paradise. (DVD)

LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, 1993, Alfonso Arau. Ayoung woman (Lumi Cavazos) who learns to suppress her passions under the eye of a stern mother, but channels them into her cooking. The result is a steady stream of cuisine so delicious as to be an almost erotic experience for those lucky enough to have a bite. Pagans would immediatly recognize the principle of "charging" objects (like food). (DVD)

THE LION IN WINTER, 1968, Anthony Harvey (II). Arch-Druid Ceridwen's favorite film, this 12th-century version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, features Henry II of England (Peter O'Toole) and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), who meet on Christmas Eve to discuss the future of the throne. These two are having slight marital problems, as she is kept in captivity most of the year for raising a rebellion against him, and he flaunts his young mistress. Then there are the problems raised by their three treacherous and traitorous sons.
James Goldman won an Oscar for the screenplay, based on his Broadway play. It is a tad wordy, as the action is kept to a minimum, but those words are sharp as daggers. The humor is wicked and black and delivered with very dry, dead-on precision. Sparks fly and the screen sizzles whenever Hepburn and O'Toole tango, which is often. Both were nominated for Academy Awards® for their vigorous performances. (She won; he didn't.) There's also an infamous homo-erotic exchange between Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) and Richard the Lionhearted (Anthony Hopkins). (DVD)

LITTLE BUDDHA, 1994, Bernardo Bertolucci. Little Buddha is a very religiously informative film. It takes place in both modern day Seattle and Katmandu, and also in ancient India. It is the alternating story of Jesse, a young American boy, who might be a "reincarnation", and also he retelling of the Siddhartha story. Lama Norbu believes his former teacher has been reincarnated into Jesse and travels to Seattle to find him. Norbu locates Jesse and begins to teach him about Buddhism and Siddhartha the first Buddha. Somewhat later in the story other candidates are found and Jesse and Norbu travel to Katmandu to see which is the real former teacher. (DVD)

LOCH NESS, 1996, John Henderson. A Jaded American scientist (Ted Danson) and a feisty Scottish woman are brought together by the powers of her gifted young daughter and the myth of the Loch Ness monster. (VHS)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, 2001, Peter Jackson. Do I really need to discribe this one? Beautiful cinematic retelling of Tolkein's classic -- an inspiration to Pagans for all time. (DVD)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, 2002, Peter Jackson. Do I really need to discribe this one? Beautiful cinematic retelling of Tolkein's classic -- an inspiration to Pagans for all time. (DVD)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, 2003, Peter Jackson. Do I really need to discribe this one? Beautiful cinematic retelling of Tolkein's classic -- an inspiration to Pagans for all time. (DVD)

MACBETH, 1971, Roman Polanski. Roman Polanski's adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy remains one of the most infamous for a number of reasons: the copious amounts of bloody gore, its expert use of location settings (filmed in North Wales), and Lady Macbeth's nude sleepwalking scene. Despite its notoriety, though, this does remain one of the more compelling film adaptations of the Scottish tragedy. (DVD)

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR, 1967, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr. Take a hit of acid, and have fun with this alternative British travellogue featuring The Beatles. (DVD)

MEDICINE RIVER, 1994, Stuart Margolin. An indigeonous Canadian (Graham Greene), who has found success in the white mans world, rediscovers himself when he returns to the reservation for his mothers funeral. But this is a comedy, not a downer. It might be my favorite Graham Greene movie. (VHS)

MERLIN. 1998, Steve Barron. What kind of guy was the wizard Merlin, anyway? He lives a long time, raises a boy to be a king, props up a Utopian empire with his magic and wisdom, and then watches as it all crumbles under such banal forces as vengeance and betrayal. This four-hour miniseries re-tells the story of Camelot and King Arthur from the perspective of the magic man who sacrifices a great deal to guide mortals toward a better destiny. Sam Neill plays Merlin as an accessible, flesh-and-blood fellow of real passion, powerless to undo the spell of a rival (Rutger Hauer) who has virtually imprisoned Merlin's great love, Nimue (Isabella Rossellini), but gifted enough to counter the treachery of Morgan Le Fey (Helena Bonham Carter) and the wicked Queen Mab (Miranda Richardson). (DVD)

MODERN PROBLEMS, 1981, Ken Shapiro. A very funny comedy in which Chevy Chase plays an air-traffic controller having relationship problems, who develops psycho-kinetic powers after following too closely a truck bearing nuclear waste -- that's when the fun really begins. Have a toke and enjoy! (VHS)

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, 1975, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones. Must see Python version of the Arthurian legend. Hard to say more without giving away anything. (DVD)

MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN, 1979, Terry Jones. Must see Python version of the life of Christ, er, I mean "Brian." Yeah, right, that's what I mean't. Deliciously blasphemous! (DVD)

MONTY PYTHON'S THE MEANING OF LIFE, 1983, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam. Must see Python answer to the ultimate question. Includes the hit,, "Every Sperm is Precious." (DVD)

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, 1993, Kenneth Branaugh. Kenneth Branagh's 1993 production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a vigorous and imaginative work, cheerful and accessible for everyone. Largely the story of Benedick (Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson)--adversaries who come to believe each is trying to woo the other. (DVD)

THE MUMMY, 1999, Stephan Sommers. If you're expecting bandaged-wrapped corpses and a lurching Boris Karloff-type villain, then you've come to the wrong movie. But if outrageous effects, a hunky hero, and some hearty laughs are what you're looking for, the 1999 version of The Mummy is spectacularly good fun. (DVD)

MY LEFT FOOT, 1989, Jim Sheridan. Daniel Day-Lewis won a much-deserved Oscar for his wily, passionate performance as Irish artist and writer Christy Brown, whose cerebral palsy kept him confined to a wheelchair (VHS)

MYSTIC PIZZA, 1988, Donald Petrie. A sweet and sassy comedy about the bonds of sisterhood, Mystic Pizza offers the opportunity to see some solid young actors early in their careers. Three sisters of blue-collar Portuguese descent work in a pizzeria in the coastal town of Mystic, Connecticut. (DVD)

THE MISTS OF AVALON, 2001, Uli Edell. This adaptation of Marion Zimmer Bradley's sprawling and perennially popular book, whose retelling of the Arthurian legends focused on the role of powerful females, compresses a wealth of mysticism, family intrigue, and bloody swordplay into three hours. (DVD)

NELL, 1994, Michael Apted. This film is an intelligent examination of an easygoing doctor (Liam Neeson at his teddy bear best) and his discovery of Nell (Oscar nominee Jodie Foster), a woman who was raised in the woods with no human contact except her speech-impaired mother. (DVD)

NORMA RAE, 1979, Martin Ritt. Veteran director Martin Ritt (Sounder) directed this earnest and very popular tale of a naive textile worker, widow, and mother in the U.S. South who becomes empowered by standing up for her rights in the workplace. Sally Field stars in the Oscar-winning title role as a woman who has been content to go along with the status quo until she realizes that she is entitled to more and can succeed if she stands up for herself. Her fight to improve deplorable working conditions at the textile plant causes a rift between her and the people closest to her, but her determination brings a new awareness to her and to all the women with whom she works. Ritt's typical, socially conscious story uses the politics of Norma Rae's struggle and also its emotions to build the film to a rousing climax. --Robert Lane (DVD)

OUT ON A LIMB, 1986, Shirley MacLaine. I am most amazed at Shirley's incredible courage (others might call it arrogance or gall) to present material that is so antagonistic to the mainstream middle American mind set. After watching this excellent time capsule of New Age Thought from the mid 1980's, I felt a wee bit sad, since I realize this mini-series could never be shown on network TV today! After decades of Republican rule and the subtle but merciless pressure of right wing Christian religion in the US, the beliefs that Shirley presented in this film are much MORE controversial today than they were back in the benignn 1980's. How dare she have an affair with a married man? How dare she claim to be God? How dare she hobnob with channelers who are in the hands of Satan? I can hear all the babble on TV and right wing talk radio if that poor woman were to try this today! (VHS)

PAINT YOUR WAGON, 1969, Joshua Logan. Lerner & Lowe's musical about fun and polyamory in the old west. (DVD)

PHILADELPHIA, 1993, Jonathan Demme. Philadelphia wasn't the first movie about AIDS (it followed such worthy independent films as Parting Glances and Longtime Companion), but it was the first Hollywood studio picture to take AIDS as its primary subject. In that sense, Philadelphia is a historically important film. (DVD)

PI, 1998, Daren Anofsky. Kabbalah - Mathmatics - Mysticism: Patterns exist everywhere: in nature, in science, in religion, in business. Max Cohen (played hauntingly by Sean Gullette) is a mathematician searching for these patterns in everything. Yet, he's not the only one, and everyone from Wall Street investors, looking to break the market, to Hasidic Jews, searching for the 216-digit number that reveals the true name of God, are trying to get their hands on Max. (DVD)

POW WOW HIGHWAY, 1989, Jonathan Wacks. Gary Farmer (Smoke Signals) is the standout in a fine film by Jonathan Wacks about an oversized Cheyenne man-child (Farmer) who decides to go on a spiritual quest, while simultaneously giving a ride to his lifelong Indian activist friend (A. Martinez). (DVD)

PRACTICAL MAGIC, 1998, Griffin Dunne. If a broom falls, company is due. When a circle rings the moon, trouble looms, Should you misplace your broom, sorry; a hand vac can't be used in an exorcism rite. Fun and excitement abound in the Owens family of wily witches. One problem, though: the men the Owens women fall in love with are doomed to an untimely death. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman bring a sparkling screen magic to Practical Magic, adapted from Alice Hoffman's bestseller and directed by Griffin Dunne (Addicted to Love). They play Sally and Gillian Owens, sisters hexed by a centuries -old curse...and coping with a witches brew of events involving a possible love match (Aidan Quinn) for one, a zombie (Goran Visnjic) for the other and a need to resume the age-old witchcraft taught by two doting Owens aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest). Sit for a spell and enjoy. (DVD)

PRIMARY COLORS, 1998, Mike Nichols. Based on the book by Anonymous, this movie presents a fictionalized account of what happened during Bill Clintons first run for the Presidency. It's basically a smear, but it's a good movie otherwise with John Travolta playing a very convincing Clinton, and Emma Thompson an even more convincing Hillary. Mainly it reveals that Bill Clinton was human. He was also the greatest President to ever grace the oval office - IMNSHO! (DVD)

REDS, 1981, Warren Beatty. Warren Beatty's lengthy 1981 drama about American Communist John Reed and his relationships with both the Russian Revolution and a writer named Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton) is a compelling piece of little-known history told in a uniquely personal way. Beatty plays Reed as he did the title gangster in Bugsy and Senator in Bulworth, as a visionary likely to die before anyone fully recognizes the progressiveness of the vision, including those who are supposed to be on the same >Page. Jack Nicholson has an interesting part as fellow intellectual Eugene O'Neill, and the late author Jerzy Kosinski--himself a refugee from then-Soviet-controlled Poland--makes a strong impression as Reed's problematic Russian liaison. --Tom Keogh (VHS)

THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD, 1988, J. Lee Thompson. Michael Sarrazin plays a man who consistently has dreams about living a previous life in the recent past. He discovers that his dreams have a basis in reality when he recognizes the town of his dreams presented in a documentary on television. A search begins and Peter Proud tracks down all the dream clues, discovers his previous identity, and the film builds in excitement as we know that he was a murder victim in the previous life. Eventually he locates his old home and finds out that his family is still around. He uses a clever way to introduce himself to his old family and several strange psychic-like feelings and habits of saying things, tapping on glasses, etc. begin to arouse the suspicion of the former wife that her husband has come back to haunt her due to her guilt or that Dr. Proud is up to some bid for blackmail because of what he knows. In an amazing scene, his ancestral mother in a nursing home spiritually recognizes her son in the embodiment of Peter Proud and the daughter chalks it up to dementia. Proud becomes romantically involved with his daughter and drives the former wife to re-commit the actions of murder again in the spirit of Deja Vu in a great climax to the film. The most interesting aspects of this film are Springfield Mass. scenery, a 1937 Cord convertible with hide-away headlights, the amount of women sexually involved with the character and the overall angles in the filming that promote the mysterious aspects of this work. A charming work from the 70's and though dated it still draws you into the plot. (VHS)

THE SECRET GARDEN, 1993, Agnieszka Holland. In India during the early 1900s, young Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) is orphaned and sent to England to live in Misselthwaite Manor, the gloomy estate of her brooding and melancholy uncle, Lord Craven (John Lynch). Because the uncle is almost always away on travels, struggling to forget the death of his beloved wife, Mary is left mostly alone to explore the estate. Eventually she befriends the young brother of a staff maid and Lord Craven's apparently crippled son, who has been needlessly bedridden for years. Together the three children restore a neglected garden on the estate grounds, and in doing so they set the stage for a moving reaffirmation of life and love. (DVD)

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, 1995, Anq Lee. JaneAusten's tale of 19th-century manners and morals provides a large cast with a feast of possibilities, notably Kate Winslet, in her pre-Titanic flowering, as Thompson's deeply romantic sister. Winslet attracts the wooing of shy Alan Rickman (a nice change of pace from his bad-guy roles) and dashing Greg Wise, while Thompson must endure an incredibly roundabout courtship with Hugh Grant, here in fine and funny form. All of this is doled out with the usual eye-filling English countryside and handsome costumes, yet the film always seems to be about the careful interior lives of its characters. (DVD)

SHAKESPERE IN LOVE, 1999, John Madden. The film tracks young Will Shakespeare's overwrought battle with writer's block and the efforts of theater owner Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush, in rare form) to stage Will's latest comedy, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter. Most of the jokes in the first one-third of the film are along these lines: Will's anachronistic therapist session, a mug inscribed "A Souvenir from Stratford-Upon-Avon," Henslowe's battles to pay off his debts, and the backstage high jinks of pre-production. However, once Will sets his eyes on the beautiful Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), joking takes a backseat to ravishing romance. Well, almost--turns out Viola wants to break into the world of male-only theater, and disguises herself as a young man to wangle herself an audition. She wins the part of Romeo and, after much misunderstanding, the playwright's heart. Soon enough, Will's pirate comedy becomes a beautiful, tragic romance, and Ethel is shoved aside for a woman named Juliet. Will and Viola's romance, however, is equal parts comedy and tragedy--he's married, and she's betrothed to the slimy Lord Wessex (Colin Firth), and it doesn't take an English major to figure out that it's not all's well that ends well. (DVD)

SIDDHARTHA, 1972, Conrad Rooks. A glorious adaptation of the classic Herman Hesse novel, "Siddhartha" was filmed by Conrad Rooks with legendary cinematographer Sven Nykvist in Northern India. Bewitched by the shimmering beauty and magic of this ancient land, they transformed Hesse's tale into widescreen poetry. A moving evocation of each person's search for the divine within, this is the story of young Brahmin who leaves his wealthy parents to become a "sadhu," a wandering ascetic. He meets and is awed by the Buddha but chooses to follow his own path, which leads him to sensual passion and material wealth. In the end he finds these pleasures empty and abandons them to find enlightenment on an entirely different plane. (DVD)

SIRENS, 1994, John Duigan. Starring Hugh Grant, the film finds the handsome, stammering actor playing an Anglican priest newly posted to Australia. There, the clergyman's first mission is to convince a famously libertarian artist (Sam Neill) not to exhibit a painting with mixed erotic and religious themes. The experience of being at their host's anything-goes compound for a few days, however, nestled deep in the wilds and keeping company with uninhibited, frequently naked models proves terribly stirring for Grant and his character's timid wife (Tara Fitzgerald), the two of them a study in sexual repression. The film doesn't have a point so much as it does an appealing atmosphere of unbridled naturalism counterpointed by Grant's charming self-consciousness. Once you've grown accustomed to the phenomenal sight of an unclothed Elle Macpherson wandering toward the bank of a river, for instance, you realize she's only part of the amazing flora and fauna enriching this pocket of earth and the souls of our principal characters. (DVD)

SKINS, 2002, Shris Eyre. In the shadow of Mt. Rushmore, one of America's favorite tourist attractions, lies one of her poorest counties, The Pine Ridge Indian Reservations. For Police officer Rudy Yellow Lodge (Eric Schweig), the painful legacy of Indian existence is brought home every night as he locks up drunk and disorderly Indians, which frequently includes his own brother, Mogie (Graham Greene). Rudy's frustration with the alcoholism on the 'rez' leads him to ttake the law into his own hands, but his trail of vengeance ends tragically when he unwittingly injures Mogie. Ironically, their relationship achieves redemption after Rudy's tragic error in judgement, and the brothers begin the process of mending their fractured relationship. Ultiametly, Rudy is able to honor his big brother, as well as his people, with one exhilarating and life-affirming act of defiance, revealing the redemptive power of the love between the two brothers. (DVD)

SLEEPY HOLLOW, 1999, Tim Burton. Adelicious reworking of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the film is a thrilling ride back to the turn of the 19th century. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, a seemingly hapless constable from New York City who is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to solve the mystery of the decapitations that are plaguing the town. Crane is a bumbling sort, with a tremendous faith in science over mysticism, and he comes up against town secrets, bewitching women, and a number of bodies missing heads. Christina Ricci, as beautiful as ever, is Katrina Van Tassel, the offbeat love interest who alternately charms and frightens Crane. (DVD)

SMOKE SIGNALS, 1998, Chris Eyre. The film concerns two young Idaho men with radically different memories of one Arnold Joseph (Gary Farmer), a former resident of the reservation who split years before and has just died in Phoenix. Arnold's strapping, popular son, Victor (Adam Beach), remembers him best as an alcoholic, occasionally abusive father who drove off one day and never came back. By contrast, Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams), whom Arnold had saved from certain death years earlier, has chosen to exaggerate the man's life and deeds in a mythmaking fashion that drives Victor crazy. Circumstances bring the two together, however, in a bus ride to retrieve Arnold's ashes. There, in Phoenix, a confrontation with the reality of the dead man's fullest legacy has a profound effect on both characters. (DVD)