where Tolkien grew up, in shaping his literary imagination and how the ancient northern languages he studied and taught throughout his life influenced his writing. These factors stimulated him to provide a context in which his own, invented languages might be spoken: an imaginary land called Middle-earth. Accounts of the origins of The Hobbit and of The Lord of the Rings, and the phenomenal success that Tolkien somewhat reluctantly enjoyed when taken up by the counter-culture of the 1960s are included. Narrator: Juliet Aubrey The Hobbit Performed by Rob Inglis Readings by Chris Villiers Produced and Directed by Julian Birkett Series Editor: Michael Poole  (less)

from the world and refusing any contact. Yet Salinger is said to be alive today and living somewhere in New Hampshire. After the success of his mythical book, the man himself has become a living legend. In 2007, French writer Frédéric Beigbeder decided to travel to the United States in search of J.D. Salinger, who would have been 89 years old. As he searches for Salinger, followed closely by the camera of Jean-Marie Périer, a film unfolds of a French writer seeking his personal and cultural sources, while at the same time creating a vivid portrait of contemporary American culture. Directed by Jean-Marie Perier  (less)

Answer the door – a shocking surprise awaits. From producer Bryan Singer (director of X-Men and Superman Returns) and writer-director Michael Dougherty (co-scripter of X2 and Superman Returns) comes a multitale bag of wicked yarns, four cleverly interlocked stories built on Shocktober admonitions like always check the candy and don’t extinguish the jack-o-lantern before midnight. So answer the door now: Experience horror made for today's fright fan.  (less)

approach to nefarious new depths with four interwoven tales set on Halloween night: a high school principal (DYLAN BAKER) moonlights as a vicious serial killer; the quest of a young virgin (ANNA PAQUIN) for that special someone takes a gruesome turn; a group of teens carries out a cruel prank with disastrous consequences; and a cantankerous old man (BRIAN COX) battles a mischievous trick-or-treating demon.  (less)

high school bubbling over with naive optimism, but quickly discovers that her unruly classroom isn't easily won over by her good intentions. After a few floundering attempts to connect with her students, Gruwell gives them the assignment of keeping journals about their own lives--an assignment that the class bites into with relish, which eventually bonds them together and pushes racial rivalries aside. This plotline has been made before, sometimes well, sometimes poorly; Freedom Writers , by drawing heavily from the published journals of the students--and thanks to a (mostly) unheroic script, direction that emphasizes individual characters over stereotypes, and rigorous performances from the whole cast--makes the story seem fresh and genuin...  (less)

old Hawaii Five-O time slot (Thursdays at 9) in December of 1980, Magnum quickly became a hit, thanks to the combination of smart and witty scripting, gorgeous locations, and the considerable charm of lead Tom Selleck as former Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Magnum, who gives up his position to become a private investigator on Oahu with the help of fellow Vietnam vets T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) and Rick (Larry Manetti). Magnum also provided security for the lavish estate of wealthy (and never-seen) mystery writer Robin Masters, which gave him access to the author's expensive vehicles (including a prized Ferrari), much to the disapproval of Masters's manservant Higgins (Jonathan Hillerman). A rare series that skillfully blended action, humor, drama...  (less)

high school bubbling over with naive optimism, but quickly discovers that her unruly classroom isn't easily won over by her good intentions. After a few floundering attempts to connect with her students, Gruwell gives them the assignment of keeping journals about their own lives--an assignment that the class bites into with relish, which eventually bonds them together and pushes racial rivalries aside. This plotline has been made before, sometimes well, sometimes poorly; Freedom Writers , by drawing heavily from the published journals of the students--and thanks to a (mostly) unheroic script, direction that emphasizes individual characters over stereotypes, and rigorous performances from the whole cast--makes the story seem fresh and genuin...  (less)

her jealousy and learn an important lesson about love and friendship.  (less)

but it's rough as he's still hung up on his ex-wife.  (less)

creator-writer-producer Manny Coto dreamed up this provocative pastiche of sci-fi ideas, connecting an end-of-the-world scenario with a time-travel twist and an alien invasion plot with X-Files overtones. You could argue that Coto's reach exceeded his grasp, since none of these elements combine to form a fully satisfying whole (especially since the series was cancelled before it reached its intended conclusion), but there's something to be said for the show's entertaining tangents and unexpected complications. It all begins when the five-member crew of the space shuttle Odyssey witnesses the shocking implosion of the Earth, leaving them stranded and doomed to suffocate when their air supply is depleted. Instead, they are rescued by t...  (less)

(Dre) gets a job as assistant manager at the wash, Sean finds himself caught between his tyrannical boss (the ever-blustery George Wallace) and his friend. But the plot isn't really the point-- The Wash is a loose, ambling collection of off-hand jokes, character portraits, and girls in tight clothes, much in the same vein as Friday or I Got the Hook-Up . Cameos include Shaquille O'Neal, Ludacris, Pauly Shore (as a mob victim tied up in a car trunk), and Eminem. Writer-director DJ Pooh also plays a dimwitted kidnapper and has some of the funniest bits. --Bret Fetzer  (less)

literature and society around the globe. John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was born in Salinas, California and educated at Stanford University. As a youth, he worked as a ranch hand and fruit picker. His novel, Cup of Gold (1929), romanticizes the life and exploits of the famous 17th century Welsh pirate, Sir Henry Morgan. In The Pastures of Heaven (1932), a group of short stories depicting a community of southern California farmers, Steinbeck first dealt with the hardworking people and social themes associated with most of his works. Among his other early are Tortilla Flat (1935), a sympathetic portrayal of Americans of Mexican descent dwelling near Monterey, California; In Dubious Battle (1936), a novel concerned with a strike of migratory...  (less)