Mickey Mouse and His Space Ship was published in 1951 by Golden Books. I was two years old and my Mom would read this early science fiction adventure to me every night. Clearly, this began my love of Disney characters, especially Uncle Scrooge, and imaginative space adventures. I don’t remember many of my other kids books, but I sure remember this one after having it read to me about a thousand times. Jane Werner, Milton Banta, and John Ushler are listed as authors.

Sixties music is really the star of this frothy entertainment. Back in 1966, the BBC only played two hours of rock music per week. Pirate radio stations broadcasting from ships in the North Sea brought the music of the Who, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and hundreds of rock artists 24 hours a day. The thin plot of this movie centers around the Government’s attempts to shut down the pirate radio stations. There’s plenty of drinking and sex aboard the pirate ship. The crew, featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy, with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson spicing up the action, becomes endearing as the Government’s actions get more dire. Through it all, the vintage music scintillates. Plenty of fun here. GRADE: B+

Patti Abbott was right about the TOP CHEF judges banishing Jennifer last week. So tonight we’re down to Kevin (my favorite), Bryan, and Michael. Expect the usual TOP CHEF trickery as the judges throw some curves at these finalists in an attempt to get them off their game. I would be fine with Bryan winning if Kevin somehow messes up, but the thought of arrogant Michael winning gives me the shivers. This Sixth Season of TOP CHEF was one of the best. Plenty of great cooking and competitive challenges. I can’t wait for Season Seven! My prediction is that we’ll hear Padma say, “Kevin, you are TOP CHEF!”

“A writing course in a box.” That’s the way I would market this fabulous box set of interviews on the craft of writing. Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, Kurt Vonnegut, Elizabeth Bishop, Richard Price, Joan Didion, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Philip Larkin, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Stephen King, Robert Lowell, Ralph Ellison, Joyce Carol Oates, Raymond Carver, Salman Rushdie, Martin Amis, Maya Angelou, Haruki Murakami, Paul Auster, Marilynne Robinson, and many more writers discuss how and why they write. It doesn’t get much better than this. Who wouldn’t want this wonderful set as a holiday gift? GRADE: A

Four CDs, 48 songs in all for merely $19.95. That’s the steal of the week with The Live Anthology by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. I’ve seen this box set priced at $16.99 in some New York City newspapers. “The collection brings together material from 1978-2007 culled from hundreds of hours of live concert recordings covering every era of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ tours and represents the best tracks as chosen by producers Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and Ryan Ulyate.
The producers made no fixes or overdubs, letting the newly mixed original recordings showcase the invention, spontaneity, craft, and the musicianship that has made Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers among the most celebrated live performers of their time. Along with powerful interpretations of their own classic hits and originals, The Live Anthology features the band tackling some of their best-loved cover material, from classics to obscure beauties to unexpected adaptations. The theme from Goldfinger, the Zombies’ ‘I Want You Back Again,’ the Grateful Dead’s ‘Friend of the Devil,’ early Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well,’ Booker T. and the MGs’ ‘Green Onions,’ James Brown’s ‘Good, Good Lovin’ and many more.” You’re getting a lot for your money with this package. Just in time for holiday giving, too! GRADE: A

I’ve always liked Robert Altman’s movies so this oral biography was a must-read. Zuckoff’s approach is to let the people who worked with Altman tell their stories. Lauren Bacall, Warren Beatty, Kenneth Branagh, James Caan, Neve Campbell, Keith Caradine, Cher, Leonard Cohen, Robert Duvall, Henry Gibson, Jeff Goldblum, Elliot Gould, Buck Henry, Lauren Hutton, Sally Kellerman, Kevin Kline, Malcolm McDowell, Paul Newman, Tim Robbins, George Segal, Sissy Spacek, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, and dozens more celebrate one of the great film makers. The minute I finished this book, I wanted to watch Altman’s movies all over again! GRADE: A

The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra rolled into Buffalo for a tune-up before their big Carnegie Hall concert. They played Mozart’s “Ballet Music from Idomeneo” which was a lively piece. Then came the surprise of the evening. Oboist Albrecht Mayer strolled onto the stage and transported the audience to Nirvana with Strauss’ “Oboe Concerto.” He followed that up with an encore from Bach’s “Cantata #156.” Plenty of standing ovations followed that performance! I bolted from my seat at intermission and ran to the lobby to buy Albrecht Mayer CDs and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra CDs. But they weren’t selling any CDs! Don’t these musicians know how to market themselves? Plenty of other audience members were ready to buy, too. What a missed opportunity! The second half of the concert started with Stravinsky’s “Eight Instrumental Miniatures.” It sounded okay, but it was a filler piece. Then the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra finished the concert with a spirited rendition of Mozart’s “Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K. 425 (“Linz”).” This is the program the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra will be playing tonight at Carnegie Hall. Very entertaining!

Those of you of a certain age will remember The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh series on Walt Disney’s Wide World of Color in 1964. Patrick McGoohan played both the meek pastor, Dr. Syn, and by night, The Scarecrow, a smuggler with Robin Hood tendencies who donated all his smuggling profits to the poor people of his community. Disney based their series on Russell Thorndike’s adventure novels. I’ve read them all and enjoyed them all. The books have been reprinted many times and should be relatively easy to come by. If you enjoy classic adventure fiction, the Dr. Syn series delivers.

Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh (1915)
Doctor Syn on the High Seas (1935)
Doctor Syn Returns (1936)
Further Adventures of Doctor Syn (1936)
Courageous Exploits of Doctor Syn (1938)
Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn (1939)
Shadow of Doctor Syn (1944)
An expanded version of Doctor Syn Returns titled The Scarecrow Rides was published by The Dial Press in 1935.

I’ve been a fan of Loreena McKennitt’s brand of World music for decades so factor that into this review. This new 2-CD collection features one disk of “retrospective” music from McKennitt’s previous CDs, The Mask and the Mirror, An Ancient Muse, The Book of Secrets, and The Visit. Consider it a Greatest Hits of Loreena McKennitt collection. The second CD is a series of live performances that sound fabulous. Loreena McKennitt’s clear, lilting voice never fails to delight me. If you haven’t listened to Loreena McKennitt, this is the perfect place to start. GRADE: A
Disc: 1
1. Mystic Dream
2. Tango to Evora
3. Gates of Istanbul
4. Penelope’s Song
5. Marco Polo
6. Marrakesh Night Market
7. Santiago
8. Caravanserai
9. Dark Night of the Soul
10. Sacred Shabbat
11. Mummer’s Dance [Single Version]
Disc: 2
1. Gates of Istanbul
2. Dark Night of the Soul
3. Marco Polo
4. Penelope’s Song
5. Sacred Shabbat
6. Caravanserai
7. Santiago
8. Beneath a Phyrgian Sky
9. Tango to Evora
10. Full Circle

We’re down to the Final Four in Top Chef: Jen, Kevin, Michael, and Bryan. I consider Jen as the weakest chef, but funny things happen on Top Chef. I’m guessing Jen finds a way to make it into next week’s Finale. Kevin is the best chef. He’s been strong since Episode One. He’ll make the Finale. So now it’s down to the Voltaggio brothers: Michael and Bryan. One of them will be sent home tonight. My guess is that it will be Michael, the younger brother. Michael can be snarky. He said, “I cook like Kevin on my day off.” Not nice. I’m predicting that Padma will say, “Michael, please pack your knives and go.”