Peter Gunn is the first private eye TV show I can remember watching. I liked it, but being nine at the time, I didn’t “get” a lot of what was going on. Some might complain that these DVDs are bit hissy and the editing is heavy-handed. Granted. However, until a better, cleaner, more complete set of Peter Gunn disks show up, these will do nicely.

This slim book speaks Truth to Power. Bacevich, a retired U. S. Army Colonel and presently a professor of history and international relations at Boston University, doesn’t sugar-coat his words. America is in deep shit and we’re sliding ever closer to the Abyss. Our failed wars, our collapsed economy, and our illusions of the Future are dissected by Bacevich’s scalpel of Reason. Bacevich’s eloquence and insight into our problems makes The Limits of Power compelling reading. GRADE: A

Rhino Records has just released a three-disc expanded Deluxe Edition of Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb’s 1969 double-LP pop masterpiece, presented in deluxe packaging that reproduces the original release’s red-flocked cover, including a poster and sticker. Disc one features the original stereo mixes of the title’s 17 song sequence. Disc two marks the U.S. recording debut of the original mono mixes of the same 17 songs. Bonus disc 3 boasts 22 previously unreleased recordings, including 20 alternate takes and demos plus two songs not featured on the original album–“Pity” and “Nobody’s Someone.” If you’re only familiar with the disco Bee Gees and “Stayin’ Alive” you’re in for a treat. Odessa is classic baroque pop.
GRADE: A

Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. What more do you need? In this romantic comedy for adults (instead of the Generation Y antics of He’s Just Not That Into You) two older folks find Real Love. The plot is totally conventional and is not up to the Star Power of Hoffman and Thompson. It would have been nice if the script had given Hoffman and Thompson some challenges. But in this frequently mawkish genre, Last Chance Harvey projects genuine warmth. GRADE: B

I’ve been listening to Vonda Shepard’s sultry, soulful voice for 20 years. Her big break was becoming the musical “voice” of Ally McBeal. But since the end of Ally McBeal Vonda Shepard fans haven’t had a lot to listen to except for the old CDs. However, the end of 2008 brought two new CDs: Vonda Shepard Live-A Retrospective (an import from Germany available from AMAZON) and From the Sun. Hardcore fans will want both. Causal fans would be wise to stick with the live album which comes with a DVD. The DVD is coded for “Region 2” but I was able to view it on my DELL computer which reads other “Region” formats. From the Sun is okay, but only 34 minutes long. If you’ve never listened to Vonda Shepard sing “Baby, Don’t You Break My Heart Slow” your life is incomplete.

Just about everyone who’s a mystery fan knows that Joseph Hansen made publishing history in 1970 with Fadeout, the first detective novel that featured an openly gay investigator, Dave Brandstetter. But how many mystery fans know that Hansen published 12 Dave Brandstetter mysteries? I didn’t know that until I saw The Complete Brandstetter offered by Daedalus Books at http://salesbooks.com. The omnibus collection  published by England’s No Exit Press (www.noexit.co.uk) contains all 12 of the Brandstetters at a bargain price. Don’t miss this one!

“Get off of my lawn!” Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) rasps as he points his rifle at a bunch of Hmong gangbangers who were busy pummeling his teenage neighbor.  Gran Torino is a vehicle for Clint Eastwood to play a retired Ford autoworker who finds himself a relic of a vanished world.  His Polish neighborhood is now populated by immigrants.  His priest is a third of his age.  His wife is dead.  He’s mocked by his family.  He growls alot.  But circumstances take this aloof retiree into a Twilight Zone of violence.  You’ll be surprised at the humor in this movie.  And you’ll also be touched by Eastwood’s message about families.  GRADE: B+

The Funk Brothers were Motown’s in-house band. They invented the “Motown” sound. The Funk Brothers labored in obscurity until STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN, a documentary, appeared in 2002. The remaining members of The Funk Brothers perform with contemporary artists like Joan Osborne. The founder of Motown Records, Barry Gordy, Jr. worked at Ford. He was fascinated by the assembly line process. So when he started a recording company, it operated like an assembly line. The Funk Brothers explain how the process worked and it’s fascinating stuff. If you haven’t seen this fine documentary, it can be had for a song at Wal-Mart or put it in your NetFlix queue.

This 3-disk set features most of the Motown establishment: the Supremes, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. All the familiar tunes are here. However, if you’re more adventurous, try the COMPLETE MOTOWN #1s in the cute little house (10 CDs for $127.49 on AMAZON).

For the first time in recent memory, I agree with the Golden Globe choices. Here they are:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Colin Farrell, In Bruges

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Kate Winslet, The Reader

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
WALL-E

Look for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE to be the favorite at Oscar-time.