April 14, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 19 ‘Pirates’ fight for rock ‘n’ roll on the airwaves by Dennis Seuling “Pirate Radio” (Universal Home Entertainment) takes place in the mid-1960s, a period when the Beatles and The Rolling Stones dominated popular music in the United States. In Great Britain, however, the government-run BBC hardly played any rock music. Essentially a comedy, “Pirate Radio” is grounded in actual incidents of offshore ships that broadcasted rock music to British listeners 24 hours a day. Director Richard Curtis shows the onboard antics of the assorted outlaw DJs through the eyes of young Carl (Tom Sturridge), a teenager tossed out of school and sent to spend time with his godfather, Quentin (Bill Nighy). Quentin runs Radio Rock, which transmits to England from the North Sea. The excellent cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kenneth Branagh, Rhys Ifans, and Emma Thompson. Recreating the freewheeling atmosphere of the ‘60s, the broadcasting ship often resembles a floating Woodstock with crew members dancing to music of the era, sprawled stoned across the decks in assorted stages of undress, and grooving on bucking the establishment as banner bearers for freedom. Music from The Kinks, The Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and other popular ‘60s performers blares from the soundtrack. “Pirate Radio” is available in Blu-ray and DVD formats. Blu-ray bonus materials include deleted scenes and six featurettes that deal with the influence pirate radio had in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, the fun and perils of filming at sea, the creation of the ship set on dry land, and how the actors approached their DJ roles. Many famous movies were born as TV dramas. “No Time for Sergeants,” “Marty,” “The Days of Wine and Roses,” and “Bang the Drum Slowly,” for instance, all bowed on the small screen before being adapted into feature films. “Twelve Angry Men” (E1 Entertainment), written by Reginald Rose, debuted on live TV in 1954. Inspired by Rose’s own experience while sitting on a jury, the teleplay redefined America’s perceptions of the judicial process and was later adapted into the 1957 movie starring Henry Fonda. The TV version won Emmys for Best Written Dramatic Material, Best Direction (Franklin Schaffner), and Best Actor in a Single Performance (Robert Cummings). In the claustrophobic setting of a jury room, the drama uncovers the biases, preformed notions, and failure to focus on details that drive the dynamic of The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is one of the DJ’s broadcasting rock music to England in ‘Pirate Radio.’ a dozen men trying to determine the fate of another. One of the most prolific writers for early television was Rod Serling, even before his famous stint as host and frequent writer of the classic “Twilight Zone” series. “Rod Serling: Studio One Dramas” (E1 Entertainment) contains two programs aired on the prestigious live drama anthology, (continued on Crossword page) NOW OPEN NOW OPEN C All New • O • R •T• I • N • A R I S T O R A N T E “A HIDDEN GEM” Fine Dining For Lunch & Dinner Lunch Starts at $7.00 • Monday-Friday 11:30AM–2:30PM Dinner Starts at $12.00 • Monday-Thursday 5:00PM–9:30PM Friday & Saturday 5:00PM–10:00PM Proud to announce our Third Location Dine & Dance - Live Entertainment Wednesdays: Ray La Rovere - Piano, Emil Rizzo - Mandolin Saturdays: Mike Constantino, Piano Introductory Special for 4/13 to 4/20 Private Party Room For Up To 60 People Call for Reservations - 973-942-1750 118 Berkshire Ave., Paterson, NJ (Totowa Section) • www.cortinarestaurant.com 20 OFF % Entire Menu (by Super Stop & Shop) EARLY DINING MENU 8 Our 12” Thin Crust with choice of 2 toppings Choice of Soup or Salad 840 FRANKLIN AVE., FRANKLIN LAKES 201-560-0023 1051 Bloomfield Ave., Clifton • 973-916-0700  500 S. River St., Hackensack • 201-641-7500 www.tasteoftuscanyrestaurant.com Visit us at all our locations: Including several of our Bavarian Dishes, Fresh Seafood, Shrimp, Chicken, Beef & Pasta 3-31-10 ester/janine $ 95 CortinaRestaurant3x3A(3-31-10) Starting at 3 x 3” Served Monday – Saturday •Noon - 6pm Includes: Soup or Salad, Potato & Vegetable Coffee/Tea OVER 35 ENTREES! Plus Thursdays: PIZZA ONLY “TOTALLY THURSDAY” Plus All Day Noon – 9:30pm for $ 95 9 www.kirkers.com • All Major Credit Cards Accepted • Dinner, Mon. - Sat. 11:30 am - 11:00 pm KIRKERS INN 237 Diamond Bridge Ave, Hawthorne 973-427-7700