Page 28 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • November 17, 2010 DVDs (continued from page 25) torn by his allegiance to both. The film received eight Oscar nominations and won Best Picture. Produced by MGM at the height of the studio’s power, this film was one of several based on literary classics. The studio had a huge stable of stars and spared no expense on these prestige pictures, giving them an epic look. Laughton and Gable are excellent, and the battle of wills between the two men in the confined space of a ship at sea gives the film suspense. Bonuses include a 32-page book containing facts about the movie with photos, the 1935 short “Pitcairn Island Today,” Academy Awards newsreel, and theatrical trailers of this and the 1962 remake with Marlon Brando. “Modern Times” (The Criterion Collection), available for the first time in Blu-ray, is Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 satirical masterpiece that combines terrific sight gags with the romantic tale of a simple factory worker (Chaplin) who falls for a lovely young woman (Paulette Goddard). Chaplin, who had honed his considerable comic skills in movies since 1914, is in top form here, playing his Little Tramp character for the last time on screen. The movie pokes fun at the forces that allow labor to govern people’s lives. Though “Modern Times” was made well into the sound era, it is essentially a silent film with sound sequences, including a song. The sequence in which Chaplin is drawn into the massive factory machinery over cogs, flywheels, and conveyor belts is one of the funniest scenes of screen comedy. Chaplin also produced, directed, and wrote the score for “Modern Times.” Extras include two segments cut from the film, “The Rink” (a 1916 Chaplin two-reeler), home movies of Chaplin and Goddard, several featurettes, and a booklet of essays about Chaplin and the film. “The Twilight Zone Fan Favorites” (Image Entertainment) is a great idea. Though the original “Twilight Zone” series is well loved, not every episode was a classic. This collection assembles 19 uncut black-and-white shows that rank among the series’ best. This reviewer’s all-time favorite, “Walking Distance,” is here. That is the one in which a harried “Mad Men”era advertising executive returns to his old home and finds things and people exactly as they were when he was a child. Bernard Herrmann’s haunting score adds to the nostalgic, longing mood of the show, and Gig Young is excellent as a man who discovers you can never really go home again. The collection also includes “Nothing in the Dark” (wounded policeman Robert Redford convinces elderly recluse Gladys Cooper that death is not all that bad); “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (William Shatner, recovering from a nervous breakdown, sees a gremlin on the wing of an inflight airplane); “Time Enough at Last” (bookworm Henry Bemis survives a nuclear attack and discovers he is the last living man on earth); and “The Invaders” (Agnes Moorehead is attacked by tiny aliens). Other actors in the collection include Art Carney, Burgess Meredith, Claude Akins, Elizabeth Montgomery, Don Rickles, Charles Bronson, Ted Knight, Ron Howard, Jack Klugman, and Lee Marvin. The five-disc set is packaged in a tin collector’s case. Bonuses include background information on the shows, cast information, and season-by-season commentary. “The World at War” (A&E Home Entertainment) is available in a new nine-disc Blu-ray edition. The 26-episode series has been restored and re-mastered in high definition with new master audio tracks and contains 12 hours of bonus programming. Broadcast more than 30 years ago, “The World at War” was called “a show of staggering ambition” and remains a definitive visual history of World War II. The episodes, narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, are filled with historical details and combine newsreel, propaganda, and home-movie footage drawn from the archives of 18 nations. Interviews with eyewitness participants -- from Hitler’s secretary to ordinary citizens who stood outside the battle lines -- are included. The bonus programming contains seven related feature-length films, including “The Final Solution,” which chronicles how one nation came to believe in the necessity of genocide, and “The Two Deaths of Adolf Hitler,” which discusses the controversy and rumors about Hitler’s death. “Sondheim: The Birthday Concert” (Image Entertainment) is a musical record of the March 2010 80th birthday tribute to composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Performers include Elaine Stritch, Victoria Clark, Laura Benanti, Donna Murphy, Audra McDonald, Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Patti Lupone, Jason Danieley, George Hearn, and Michael Cerveris. Highlights include “America” (“West Side Story”), “The Road You Didn’t Take” (“Follies”), “So Many People” (“Saturday Night”), “Not a Day Goes By” (“Merrily We Roll Along”), “The Ladies Who Lunch” (“Company”), “Johanna” (“Sweeney Todd”) and “Finishing the Hat” (“Sunday in the Park with George”). This release is available in Blu-ray and DVD. ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 ARIES --Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, people cannot fathom why you Aries, people cannot fathom why you are focusing in on the most trivial of are focusing in on the most trivial of details. It’s because you simply do not details. It’s because you simply do not know how to spend your time another know how to spend your time another way. way. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 TAURUS --Apr 21/May 21 Stay positive through the rough week Stay positive through the rough week ahead, Taurus. Focus on the blessings ahead, Taurus. Focus on the blessings in your life when you are faced with in your life when you are faced with dark moments. It’ll give you strength. dark moments. It’ll give you strength. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 GEMINI --May 22/Jun 21 There is flaw in plan that you must There is aaflaw in aaplan that you must bring to light, Gemini. Speak up now bring to light, Gemini. Speak up now before others get involved and it bebefore others get involved and it becomes too late. Romance is put on comes too late. Romance is put on hold. hold. CANCER Jun 22/Jul 22 CANCER --Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, push yourself even further Cancer, push yourself even further this week and you’ll soon find that the this week and you’ll soon find that the boundaries you’ve set up for yourself boundaries you’ve set up for yourself can be broken through. Libra provides can be broken through. Libra provides inspiration on Tuesday. inspiration on Tuesday. LEO Jul 23/Aug 23 LEO --Jul 23/Aug 23 You have knack for getting your You have aa knack for getting your opinions heard, Leo. When situation opinions heard, Leo. When aasituation arises at work, this is exactly what you arises at work, this is exactly what you must do -- speak up and help solve the must do -- speak up and help solve the problem. problem. VIRGO Aug 24/Sept 22 VIRGO --Aug 24/Sept 22 Indulge yourself in whatever makes Indulge yourself in whatever makes you happy, Virgo. It is not so often you happy, Virgo. It is not so often that you will have free reign to live out that you will have free reign to live out fantasies or desires, so don’t waste any fantasies or desires, so don’t waste any time. time. LIBRA Sept 23/Oct 23 LIBRA --Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, others are finding that there is Libra, others are finding that there is more substance behind your exterior more substance behind your exterior than once thought. However, you knew than once thought. However, you knew it all along. Keep your wits about you, it all along. Keep your wits about you, though. though. SCORPIO Oct 24/Nov 22 SCORPIO --Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, instead of keeping things all Scorpio, instead of keeping things all bottled up and secretive, put yourself bottled up and secretive, put yourself out there instead. You just may find out there instead. You just may find that others will warm up to you much that others will warm up to you much more. more. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23/Dec 21 SAGITTARIUS --Nov 23/Dec 21 This week you are very persuasive, This week you are very persuasive, Sagittarius, so use it to your best adSagittarius, so use it to your best advantage for mediating family convantage for mediating aa family confrontation. It’s best to leave financial frontation. It’s best to leave financial matters hanging, though. matters hanging, though. CAPRICORN Dec 22/Jan 20 CAPRICORN --Dec 22/Jan 20 You will have to concentrate on the You will have to concentrate on the details of the plan you’ve set out to acdetails of the plan you’ve set out to accomplish, Capricorn. It’s good to look complish, Capricorn. It’s good to look at the big picture, but this time you at the big picture, but this time you have to work out all the nuances. have to work out all the nuances. AQUARIUS Jan 21/Feb 18 AQUARIUS --Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, this week won’t be stellar in Aquarius, this week won’t be stellar in terms of your behavior However, you terms of your behavior However, you can redeem yourself relatively quickly can redeem yourself relatively quickly in the next few weeks. in the next few weeks. PISCES Feb 19/Mar 20 PISCES --Feb 19/Mar 20 Have fun with all of the activities that Have fun with all of the activities that fill up your days, Pisces. This week fill up your days, Pisces. This week work won’t seem so much like work. work won’t seem so much like work. Answer to Last Week’s Puzzle Answer to Last Week’s Puzzle