Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Television Video Editor, Jenny Brown FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL: * Word for Word: Rick Steves, host of "Travel the World" * New Releases for Sale * This Month's Top Picks--Beyond "South Park": Animation for adults * Minis at the Emmys: Nominees for Outstanding Miniseries * The Discovery Channel in Auctions * Advance Orders: Coming to your home soon! WORD FOR WORD: RICK STEVES, HOST OF "TRAVEL THE WORLD" ****************************************************** "[T]he best experience I had was connecting on these rare little moments when you really get a nice feel for that special spark of European culture, the way people are living a sort of an art form. In France, you go into a little cheese shop across the street from your hotel, and the woman who's there, she's so excited about how many different types of goat cheese she has, and she picks up one moldy glob of cheese and she holds it close to her nose and takes a deep whiff and says, 'Oh, it smells like ze feet of angels.'" --Rick Steves, on his experiences filming his PBS program "Travel the World" Read more of Amazon.com's interview with Rick Steves. Television & Documentary NEW RELEASES FOR SALE ********************* "The Duchess of Duke Street" (NR) starring Gemma Jones, Christopher Cazenove, and June Brown; directed by Bill Bain and Cyril Coke http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6304563809/entertainmentsit From the creators of "Upstairs Downstairs" comes the rags- to-riches story of Louisa Trotter, a scullery maid who works her way up to owner of a popular hotel on Duke Street. Based on the true story of Rosa Lewis, the renowned proprietor of the Cavendish Hotel, this Masterpiece Theatre precisely chronicles life in England at the beginning of the 20th century through the stories of Trotter and her guests. "Noah's Ark" (NR) starring Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen, and F. Murray Abraham; directed by John Irvin http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305468427/entertainmentsit Two by two they boarded the ark, as the story goes. But this may be the only familiar thing in this network version of the biblical "Noah's Ark." Tremendous liberties were taken in the retelling of this story, so if accuracy is what you're looking for, go elsewhere. What Jon Voight's Noah can offer you, though, is animals from the Jim Henson's Creature Shop, a postapocalyptic sea battle, and some offbeat comedy. Anchors aweigh. "Legalese" (R) starring James Garner, Gina Gershon, and Mary-Louise Parker; directed by Glenn Jordan http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0780625587/entertainmentsit TV movies--especially ones made for cable--are becoming hipper and edgier. "Legalese" is the perfect example. This satirical look at the legal world showcases Gina Gershon as an actress accused of killing her brother-in-law, with whom she may also have been carrying on. Edward Kerr is her attorney, although James Garner is the celebrity lawyer really controlling the show. And to round things out in this smart and cutting film, Mary-Louise Parker sharpens her claws as Garner's assistant and Kathleen Turner is the muckraking tabloid queen. THIS MONTH'S TOP PICKS--BEYOND "SOUTH PARK" ******************************************* The kids are screaming for more "Ren and Stimpy," "Beavis and Butt-Head," and "South Park." But if you hear "Oh my God, they killed Kenny" one more time, you're going to hurl faster than Stan when he sees Wendy Testaburger, right? Luckily, there's more to animation than kiddy fare. We've picked out some of our favorite animated titles geared for more sophisticated tastes. "Bob and Margaret: A Night In, Vol. 1" (NR) starring Bob and Margaret http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JGL0/entertainmentsit You wouldn't think this show would be so funny. The premise is remarkably simple: he's a dentist, she's a chiropodist; no kids, a couple of dogs; and a lot of everyday activities. But this British animated sitcom is hilarious in the same way "Seinfeld" is: by looking at the follies of daily life they've created characters to whom we can all relate. Volume 1, a great introduction to this homey couple, contains two episodes, "A Night In" and "Discomfort of Strangers." "Aeon Flux" (NR) starring Aeon Flux; directed by Peter Chung http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6304030657/entertainmentsit The MTV series "Aeon Flux" is Japanese animation for those not quite ready to embrace the world of anime--the style is more "Heavy Metal" than "Ghost in the Shell." Aeon Flux is a dominatrix double agent known for seduction, assassination, and general treachery. With heavy doses of sex and lots of implied violence, this is definitely for mature audiences. "The Best of the Simpsons, Gift Set 4" (NR) starring Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Bart Simpson; directed by Neil Affleck and Bob Anderson http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305320136/entertainmentsit Yes, Bart Simpson definitely appeals to the younger set, but "The Simpsons" is really too intelligent to leave to the kids. With references to everything from "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" to "Goodfellas" and "The Jazz Singer," this series of episodes will have grownups rewinding to figure out why that last scene looked so familiar. And as a bonus, the six shows in this collection are simply hilarious, including treasures such as "Lisa's Pony" and "Like Father, Like Clown." Not to be missed. "Wallace and Gromit" (NR) starring Wallace and Gromit; directed by Nick Park http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6304179030/entertainmentsit Cheese-loving Wallace is a mad inventor who creates Rube Goldberg-type contraptions. His dog Gromit tolerates him with quiet disdain as he inevitably saves the day in each of the three shorts in this set. Nick Park's Oscar-winning clay-animation creations are definitely suitable for the 18 and under crowd, but why should they have all the fun? Parks uses his medium for what it was intended: trips to the moon, thieving penguins, and machines from out of this world. This is one of the most clever, amusing animations out there, even if it is wholesome enough for the whole family. "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, Vol. 1" (NR) starring Dr. Katz; directed by Jonathan Katz http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6304127278/entertainmentsit Squigglevision--a form of computer animation that makes the lines quiver--gives "Dr. Katz" the frenetic, neurotic feel that a show about a divorced shrink, his lazy son, and his nutty patients requires. This offbeat Comedy Central program features guest spots by many familiar voices; the two shows on this tape sport appearances by Ray Romano and Emo Phillips, in stories about a midlife crisis, a sexually repressed woman, memory-loss phobia, strange childhoods, and an uptight mother. Not so different from you and me, huh? MINIS AT THE EMMYS: NOMINEES FOR OUTSTANDING MINISERIES ******************************************************* No, we're not talking about Calista Flockhart's incredible shrinking hemline; we're talking about the sweep of short epics nominated for Outstanding Miniseries at the 1999 Emmy Awards. And this year, you don't have to wait months for a rerun--all five are available on video and three are on DVD. We've got the scoop on all the TV flicks at this year's Emmys. Television & Documentary THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL IN AUCTIONS ********************************* Feel the excitement of bringing prehistoric fossils to life at Amazon.com Auctions. An Ice Age cave bear, a 520-million- year-old trilobite from Morocco, a genuine mammoth tooth-- you heard right. It's all here at the Discovery Channel Fossil Auction, taking place from August 9 to 29. Television & Documentary ADVANCE ORDERS: COMING TO YOUR HOME SOON! ***************************************** "Cleopatra" (NR) starring Leonor Varela, Billy Zane, and Timothy Dalton; directed by Franc Roddam http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305496021/entertainmentsit Network TV doesn't get any steamier than it does with this sexy miniseries about the young and manipulative queen of the Nile. Available August 31. "The Avengers '66, Set 1" (NR) starring Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee; directed by Jonathan Alwyn and Robert Asher http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767016351/entertainmentsit Mrs. Peel is back in all her glory (and her skintight clothing) in volume 1 of "The Avengers" episodes from 1966. Available August 31. "Home Improvement: The Series Finale" (NR) starring Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, and Richard Karn http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000J2J6/entertainmentsit For eight years, Tim Allen had men grunting at their wives. Pre-order your copy of the series' finale now. Available September 7. ****** You'll find more great videos, articles, and interviews in Amazon.com's Televsion & Documentary Video section at Television & Documentary
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