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The Lord of the Rings films are a triumph on many levels. Not only were they critically acclaimed, but the films also presented Tolkien’s Middle Earth in such a way that fans and newcomers could both enjoy, all the while proving that the fantasy genre was still viable. The films also launched the career of Orlando Bloom and catapulted director Peter Jackson into the echelon reserved for cinematic gods. With all of this to consider, it’s amazing to think that The Lord of the Rings films were almost fated not to exist in the forms we now know and love. More importantly, these films exist beyond what we saw in the theater. There’s the history, the production, the actors and crew and all of the little bits that fill the gaps in between that the average viewer may have missed. Keeping track of every detail is difficult. Thankfully, you don’t have to. Author J.W. Braun has written The Lord of the Films: The Unofficial Guide to Tolkien’s Middle earth on the Big Screen.

In just a little over 200 pages Braun has somehow managed to capture every little additional detail you could ask for from The Lord of the Rings films every step of the way. The book is a wonderful read as either light reading for fans of the films, looking for more LotR content and deeper appreciation or as a companion guide while the movies play on the television. The Lord of the Films is wisely written in chronological order, with quick scene descriptions to help orient the reader as to which part of the film is being illuminated.

Additionally, just like the best do-it-yourself guides, The Lord of the Films is also broken down into sub-sections to prevent readers from being overwhelmed. For example, the sections called “What the Wizards Know” feature behind-the-scenes information that Braun has compiled from several sources over the years. In these sections readers will find tidbits like the odd places Jackson slept in between shoots and where to look to find Arwen at the battle of Helm’s Deep – even though her character had been cut from that battle altogether. For fun, Braun also includes sections called “What the Big Folk Were Saying” which is a collection of outbursts by audience members watching the films that typically consist of all the things average moviegoers hate overhearing while trying to be immersed in a story.

Black and white photographs also help to flesh out the context of the films. Readers will be treated to artistic scratchboard illustrations of iconic scenes, images of cast and crew as well as a few random miscellaneous pictures, such as a scale model of Minas Tirith constructed completely out of toothpicks. Interviews also help to break things up, though Braun’s exchanges are limited to more peripheral production members, like extras and makeup artists. Nevertheless, these typically unsung heroes of cinema give unique insight that will no doubt pique the interest of fans and film buffs.

To round things off, Braun includes an activity section that younger readers will enjoy, which includes search-word and crossword puzzles as well as a FAQ and trivia section. Finally, Braun whets Tolkien fans’ appetites with information on the planned prequels to The Lord of the Rings, which will be based on Tolkien’s book The Hobbit. With any luck, Braun will have the opportunity to write another guide.

Abbott & Costello are the definitive straight man/funny man double act. Abbott sets up the comedy with his high-minded, yet often treacherous demeanor, allowing Costello to fall – quite literally – victim in hilarious ways due to his childlike, bumbling persona. It also helps that Abbott is tall and thin while Costello is short and dumpy. Together, they are comedic maestros with perfect timing, comfortable adlibs and a genuine love for their craft. Younger viewers may not recognize them by name or by sight, but they’ll definitely know Abbott & Costello’s routines, like “Who’s on First?” where Costello has a hard time identifying ballplayers when their names are Who, What and I Don’t Know.

Now Abbott & Costello are available for an entire new generation to enjoy. Infinity Entertainment Group offers a comprehensive 6-DVD collection of Abbott & Costello’s performances across three mediums: film, television and radio. Most of the material is composed of 14 episodes of the Colgate Comedy Hour spread over the years 1951 – 1954. Owners will also appreciate the included 17 radio episodes of The Abbott & Costello Show as well as the feature films: African Screams and Jack and the Beanstalk. There are also a number of movie trailers as well as blooper reels. Pick up this collection as an Abbott & Costello novice and become an expert by the time the last DVD ends.

The amount of material included in this collection is a steal for its selling price. There’s so much to enjoy here. Like all comedy, Abbott & Costello are usually on point, but sometimes miss the mark on laugh-out-loud funny. Sometimes their shticks run too long or are predictable – especially for modern audiences who have seen these routines replicated in more contemporary shows. The charm of this collection, however, is that the majority of it is composed of live performances. It’s a rare treat to watch these comedians break character to complain about stagehands or to get the audience going when laughter starts dying. In addition, the commercial breaks during the Colgate Comedy Hour were kept intact, offering viewers a clear perspective of 1950’s sensibilities where animations and catchy jingles ruled the advertising world and preying on social embarrassment was more blatant.

Another plus is that this collection isn’t purely Abbott & Costello. Fans of the era will also appreciate seeing stars of the time, like Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney, Jr., Louis Armstrong and more come to life in ways that only live shows allow them to. Watching Errol Flynn interrupt a skit in order to bask in the applause of “[his] public” is priceless.

Not everything is perfect with this collection, unfortunately. The menus are very basic and don’t always function properly. Each DVD features multiple episodes and once an episode is selected it’s impossible to get back to the main menu without physically ejecting the disc. Some episodes would continually loop its last chapter once it ended. Some of the menus didn’t look complete – one featured “for placement only” text. Of course these inconsistencies may be related to this review copy and the DVD player it was viewed with, so your mileage may vary. Nevertheless, these minor issues shouldn’t dissuade anyone from buying this collection.

Terry Fator’s talent is undeniable. If it weren’t for a few unnatural throat movements, one would never guess that he was voicing the silly puppets sitting next to him. Even then, the physical movements that betray Fator are only detected under the most intense scrutiny. For all intents and purposes, the zany puppets really do have a life of their own. They have unique movements and personalities and audiences will quickly learn what they can expect from each puppet, adding to the comedy. Cowboy Walter has traditional Southern values and enjoys flirting with women. Winston the Impersonating Turtle loves to – you guessed it – impersonate celebrities. There’s also a stoner and a cougar thrown into the mix. There are enough different personalities to fill the entire show – which runs just shy of an hour and a half – and keep it fresh. The fact that each puppet is so distinct is further testament to Fator’s talent.

The show itself is entertaining overall. Fator is a wonderful singer and he imitates great recording artists almost perfectly, like Aaron Neville, Etta James and Roy Orbison, either by himself or through one of his puppets. In fact, most of the show is singing, so if you were expecting a straight-up comedy routine, you may be disappointed. On the other hand, Fator only sings a portion of the songs before he gets back to puppet banter, which is arguably the weakest part of the show. The jokes are corny and the voices start sounding the same after a while. Fator’s voice is naturally higher-pitched so his imitations are all of people in the same vocal range and there’s always a hint of Fator’s voice that betrays him. All things being equal, however, expectations need to be mitigated since he is doing all the impersonations without moving his lips, after all.

Highlights of the performance that will genuinely have viewers laughing out loud are when Fator messes up on stage and when he invites audience participation. During a routine with Cowboy Walter, Fator accidently gives Walter a different voice, forcing Fator to duck behind the puppet to cover up his laughter. The moment is almost show-stopping, but Fator uses the slipup to inject some great improvised meta humor. Towards the end of the show, he also invites an audience member on stage to become a live puppet. Fator voices the victim into saying ridiculous things that are truly hilarious. Finally, what Vegas show would be complete with a beautiful assistant? The young lady that helps walk puppets on and off the stage is an Amazonian goddess that almost justifies ticket prices herself.

Lastly, some words should be dedicated to the Michael Jackson segment of this show. Terry Fator – Live from Las Vegas was filmed over two nights at the end of February and beginning of March – months before Jackson’s passing. As such, mean spirited jokes about the King of Pop was still publicly accepted, so viewers will be treated to Fator dressed as Michael Jackson, grabbing his crotch, slinging a swaddled baby doll around recklessly and telling plastic surgery jokes. How could he have known that Jackson would die later in the year? Fortunately, Fator wisely includes an insert with the video, explaining his “utmost respect” for the late artist. Watching the segment, however, makes it difficult to reconcile the respect with the performance.

Nevertheless, Terry Fator possesses a rare talent at a level shared by no one else. Whether he’s performing vocal gymnastics by yodeling without moving his lips or throwing his voice to sound like it’s coming from offstage, Fator’s ability is uncanny. While not every joke will have you in stitches and not every imitation is spotless, the performance is varied enough to keep the most critical viewer entertained.

The BIONICLE toy is essentially a do-it-yourself action figure for children seven and up, depending on the difficulty of the model. BIONICLEs will appeal to young boys mostly as the models available usually have some kind of visceral weapon or are armed with projectiles. Since there are several small pieces, it would be wise to heed the age requirement to prevent accidental choking on any of the parts. The models come disassembled in approximately 150-200 small pieces with a very thorough, but easy to follow picture instruction manual that will guide the assembly.

BIONICLEs come in a wide range of models, ranging from stalwart looking humanoids to fierce insect-like creatures. As such, there is definitely an opportunity to begin a collection. What’s more, there is incentive to collect all of the BIONICLEs in a particular set because the separate models can be dismantled and reconstructed together into an uber-BIONICLE, for which instructions are provided with each BIONICLE in the set. At around twenty dollars for each model, collecting the set will not break the bank, especially if the purchases are spaced out accordingly. By doing this, LEGO has extended the replay value of each toy. Beyond that, the child is also welcome to use his or her imagination and ingenuity and create a BIONICLE of their very own, sans instructions. If your child is up to that level with any toy, then you know you got your money’s worth.

Assembly took about an hour, but you may want to supervise your child with some of the stubborn pieces that require a bit more muscle power to fit into place. Thankfully, those moments will be few and far between. Opening the box is the real ordeal. The package does not have shrink-wrap or a simple piece of tape holding the flap down. Instead, every access point is literally glued shut and you will be hard pressed not to destroy the box entirely just to get to the contents.

Playing with the BIONICLE is hit and miss. The model looks great when you pose it, as most of its parts are movable. It’s easy to imagine the action of the scene you’re playing out when you can move the legs and arms realistically. The BIONICLE I played with, Makuta, had a movable torso that was activated by a hidden knob in its back which allowed for life-like slashing with its polearm. On the other hand, rough play with the model is not advised, even if the natural inclination is to bash your BIONICLE into another BIONICLE in a last-man-standing kind of warfare. This warning is largely due to the movable joints held together by small cylinders of plastic that could easily snap in two. Moreover, other parts were simply not created for rough play, like the head of my Makuta, which kept popping out of its socket and crashing to the ground. The real enjoyment to be had is in the construction of the model. Parents who are interested in building motor skills and teaching their children how to follow directions would be wise to pick up this toy. Your child will feel industrious as the model takes shape and he or she will marvel at the simple engineering of the interlocking and moving parts. I did, anyway.

BIONICLEs satisfy a niche in the building blocks genre of toys. With its slick design and unique parts, the BIONICLE models can easily be categorized as “LEGOs advanced,” however, parents should beware that BIONICLEs will not deliver the same experience as the standard LEGO playsets, which normally construct into a locale like a castle or a pirate ship. Therefore, parents with burgeoning LEGO maniacs should really decide if their child will be happy with having one sleek looking model with realistically moving parts over a playset that depicts a particular setting. In any event, the BIONICLE line of toys is a worthy addition to the LEGO universe. It is a solid product with very good production value and plenty of room for expansion. For the mechanically inclined child, this toy comes highly recommended.