Michael Tucker

This recording captures the 1985 London cast that transformed an obscure French musical based on Victor Hugo's gargantuan novel of pre-Revolutionary France into a worldwide phenomenon throughout the late-'80s and '90s and became one of the best examples of the era's trend of blockbuster musical spectacles. Yes, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schoenberg's score tends to recycle its themes, but the beautiful melodies and stirring anthems rarely fail to captivate and touch its audience. Colm Wilkinson is the heroic Valjean, Patti LuPone is the tragic Fantine, Michael Ball is the love-struck Marius, and Frances Ruffelle is the despondent Eponine, with Roger Allam (Javert), Alun Armstrong and Sue Jane Tanner (the Thénardiers), Rebecca Caine (older Cosette), and David Burt (Enjolras) filling out the excellent cast. Fans will want to take note that this recording includes some material that was revised when the show crossed the pond to Broadway--"Little People" was lost altogether, while the "Love Montage" was significantly rewritten. Les Misérables sounds especially vivid in its 1998 remastering, and a synopsis and full lyrics are included. --David Horiuchi

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For such a boldly titled and apparently driven attempt to reinstate Michael Jackson at the center of the pop world, Invincible is a listless thing. Split between scratchy funk workouts and midtempo ballads that might have appeared as Bad B-sides, the album plays on and on while never seriously promoting dancing or romancing. Its handful of weird moments--the resurrection-by-tape of Biggie Smalls on the bridge of the title track, for instance--are hardly large-scale bizarre like the first disc of HIStory. The title track turns out to be hardly the rampant egofest you'd imagine; instead, its subject is a female whom Jackson cheers on. Likewise, the most ear-catching moments of the "comeback" single "You Rock My World" come with Chris Tucker's jivey introduction. Despite a debt to "Payback"-era James Brown, "Rock" floats away like steam midway through. It's almost a relief when the old self-regard turns up: on the growling "Privacy," Jackson rants about muckrakers "stalking" him in search of "the stories you need to bury me," all this long after foundering divas and troubled boy-group members have replaced him on tabloid covers. The man may occasionally break away from the mirror but seems unsure where else to find inspiration. --Rickey Wright

JACKSON MICHAEL INVINCIBLE

John Eliot Gardiner's 1974 recording of Monteverdi's extraordinary Vespers of 1610 was a landmark, helping establish the modern reputations of both music and conductor. In 1989, to celebrate the silver anniversary of his Monteverdi Choir (named in honor of this work), he recorded the cycle again--this time live in the Basilica of San Marco in Venice. He made use of resources he didn't have 15 years earlier, like period instruments and, for soloists, a mix of early-music specialists (Ann Monoyios and Michael Chance) and opera singers (the young Bryn Terfel). As a bonus, he recorded both the standard version of the Magnificat for voices and instruments and Monteverdi's published alternative setting for six voices and organ. Gardiner gives a vigorous, theatrical, yet very detailed account of this music, caressing some phrases, thundering out others, using lots of carefully judged crescendos and decrescendos. On its terms, it works, thanks largely to the wondrous Monteverdi Choir, which can do anything asked of it. But there seems little of the sacred in the performance and almost nothing of the spontaneous or natural--the carefully calibrated effects can come across as overdetermined. In his booklet essay, Gardiner makes quite a point of his fidelity to the published score, yet he liberally adds instruments to double the voices, and he takes an odd liberty with the much-loved duet-trio "Duo seraphim": at the close of each half of the motet, at the words "plena est omnis terra," he has the tenors of his chorus take over from his soloists. If you're uncomfortable with that sort of thing, go for Andrew Parrott's marvelous one-singer-per-part performance or (for those who want a full chorus) for the version of William Christie or that of René Jacobs; if these additions don't faze you and you want a high-powered, adrenaline-rush performance, you'll find it here. --Matthew Westphal

John Eliot Gardiner's 1974 recording of Monteverdi's extraordinary Vespers of 1610 was a landmark, helping establish the modern reputations of both music and conductor. In 1989, to celebrate the silver anniversary of his Monteverdi Choir (named in honor of this work), he recorded the cycle again--this time live in the Basilica of San Marco in Venice. He made use of resources he didn't have 15 years earlier, like period instruments and, for soloists, a mix of early-music specialists (Ann Monoyios and Michael Chance) and opera singers (the young Bryn Terfel). As a bonus, he recorded both the standard version of the Magnificat for voices and instruments and Monteverdi's published alternative setting for six voices and organ. Gardiner gives a vigorous, theatrical, yet very detailed account of this music, caressing some phrases, thundering out others, using lots of carefully judged crescendos and decrescendos. On its terms, it works, thanks largely to the wondrous Monteverdi Choir, which can do anything asked of it. But there seems little of the sacred in the performance and almost nothing of the spontaneous or natural--the carefully calibrated effects can come across as overdetermined. In his booklet essay, Gardiner makes quite a point of his fidelity to the published score, yet he liberally adds instruments to double the voices, and he takes an odd liberty with the much-loved duet-trio "Duo seraphim": at the close of each half of the motet, at the words "plena est omnis terra," he has the tenors of his chorus take over from his soloists. If you're uncomfortable with that sort of thing, go for Andrew Parrott's marvelous one-singer-per-part performance or (for those who want a full chorus) for the version of William Christie or that of René Jacobs; if these additions don't faze you and you want a high-powered, adrenaline-rush performance, you'll find it here. --Matthew Westphal

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The Buddies puppies are back for another adventure, and this time the talking bundles of golden fur find themselves right in the middle of a Halloween scare that started way back in 1937. Fernfield legend tells of an evil warlock, Warwick, who entered into a pact with the menacing Halloween Hound to open a portal between realities and allow the spirits of the netherworld to escape and take over the world. Time ran out before the Halloween Hound could steal the souls of five dogs of the same blood in order to open the portal. But conditions are just right in the present for Warwick the Warlock and the Halloween Hound to return and complete their mission. The Buddies stumble into the middle of Warwick's plan and suddenly find themselves the town's only hope, along with a puppy ghost from the past named Pip, their new clairvoyant friend Zelda, and a young boy grown old. Young audiences find these cute talking puppies quite appealing, but the whole premise of ghosts and dark spirits from the underworld is potentially quite frightening to some. Additionally, some viewers may be surprised by the film's portrayal of the church as a safe sanctuary from dark spirits and the Bible as a powerful weapon to be brandished in the face of evil. While this fifth Buddies movie is just as cute as and no less believable than the previous films, the writers have chosen to treat the puppies more as one cohesive group rather than as individuals with distinct personalities, and the plot is certainly much scarier than in earlier films. What hasn't changed is the message that teamwork and confidence triumphs over evil. Bonus features include a tour of Rosebud's house, a "Monster Mash" music video featuring the cast of Shake It Up, and a sneak peak of Treasure Buddies. (Ages 6 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Features include: •MPAA Rating: G•Format: Blu-Ray•Runtime: 88 minutes

Television director-producer Scott Winant (thirtysomething) made his feature debut with this predictable romantic-comedy about two people destined to meet and fall in love--though it takes 20 years for their lives to intersect. A good idea done before, the film doesn't have anything new to offer, and the excessive sweetness of Winant's approach can't mask the lack of originality. Still, it boasts a very attractive cast, and it's fun watching these actors work together. --Tom Keogh

Mix and match these detailed, wooden stamps to create hundreds of beautiful scenes and more. Sets include color stamp pads and conveniently store in a wooden box. Washable, non-toxic inks.

Ahoy, Matey! Store your treasures in the realistic wooden Pirate Chest from Melissa and Doug! Included in the set are a pirate bandana, an eye patch, a velvety loot bag, golden doubloon coins and a secret compartment to stash away your most valuable loot!

Grades 2 & up. Make a solid volcano with the mold and plaster that is provided. Paint and decorate it with lava flow, landscapes, etc. Put baking soda and vinegar into the crater and watch the eruption. Everything you need is in the kit.

This is the book Nudists, Vegas, and the Amish don't want you to read.It's rude, crude, and full of attitude. Huck Finn never thought he'd wake up on a pool table beside a NudistBeauty Queen. But since he caught his long time girlfriend cheating onhim with a Port-O-Pottie salesman the night they were supposed to moveto California together, Huck's gone buck wild. From Redneck Regatta tosmall talk with a Sword Swallower, Cougar Bait to Hipster HeartlandHunk, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer have embarked on the cross countrySpring Break road trip that Huck's girlfriend never let him take incollege.Also get Banned: The Complete Series (Books 1-6) now for just $2.99Check out the Banned webcomic at: bannedcomic.blogspot.com

This is the book Nudists, Vegas, and the Amish don't want you to read.It's rude, crude, and full of attitude. Hary never thought he'd wake up on a pool table beside a NudistBeauty Queen. But since he caught his long time girlfriend cheating onhim with a Port-O-Pottie salesman the night they were supposed to moveto California together, Harry has gone buck wild. From Redneck Regatta tosmall talk with a Sword Swallower, Cougar Bait to Hipster HeartlandHunk, Harry and Tom have embarked on the cross countrySpring Break road trip that Huck's girlfriend never let him take incollege.Also get Banned: The Complete Series (Books 1-6) now for just $2.99

The actor Michael Tucker and his wife, the actress Jill Eikenberry, having sent their last child off to college, were vacationing in Italy when they happened upon a small cottage nestled in the Umbrian countryside. The three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Rustico sat perched on a hill in the verdant Spoleto valley amid an olive grove and fruit trees of every kind. For the Tuckers, it was literally love at first sight, and the couple purchased the house without testing the water pressure or checking for signs of termites. Shedding the vestiges of their American life, Michael and Jill endeavored to learn the language, understand the nuances of Italian culture, and build a home in this new chapter of their lives. Both a celebration of a good marriage and a careful study of the nature of home, Living in a Foreign Language is a gorgeous, organic travelogue written with an epicurean’s delight in detail and a gourmand’s appreciation for all things fine.

The actor Michael Tucker and his wife, the actress Jill Eikenberry, having sent their last child off to college, were vacationing in Italy when they happened upon a small cottage nestled in the Umbrian countryside. The three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Rustico sat perched on a hill in the verdant Spoleto valley amid an olive grove and fruit trees of every kind. For the Tuckers, it was literally love at first sight, and the couple purchased the house without testing the water pressure or checking for signs of termites. Shedding the vestiges of their American life, Michael and Jill endeavored to learn the language, understand the nuances of Italian culture, and build a home in this new chapter of their lives. Both a celebration of a good marriage and a careful study of the nature of home, Living in a Foreign Language is a gorgeous, organic travelogue written with an epicurean’s delight in detail and a gourmand’s appreciation for all things fine.