DVD Calendar: UNIVERSAL DVD RELEASES
Land Before Time: Invasion of the Tinysauruses January 11, 2005
Friday Night Lights January 18, 2005
Balto III: Wings of Change February 1, 2005
Vanity Fair February 1, 2005
Ray February 1, 2005
Miami Vice: Season One February 8, 2005
Motorcycle Diaries February 15, 2005
Half Baked: Fully Baked Edition February 15, 2005
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason March 22, 2005
Apollo 13 10th Anniversary Edition March 29, 2005
Seed of Chucky April 5, 2005
Journey-Man: As the lead guitarist and songwriter for Journey, his work with Santana and composer Jan Hammer, Neal Schon has kept busy. He’s about to release his sixth solo album, guitar instrumentals, due out
Ritter will be playing select East Coast performances this December:
Josh Ritter December Performances:
December 9
December 10
December 11
PBS Christmas Specials: Celebrate the holidays to a musical soundtrack as PBS’ month of holiday musical performances offers something for everyone — from opera to country to pop, with a variety of performance styles and locales, many with regional flare. In addition, the PBS KIDS® on-air and online traditional holiday offerings make PBS a home for the holidays for the whole family this December.
CHRISTMAS WITH THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR, featuring Frederica von Stade and Bryn Terfel, premieres on PBS
Immediately following the premiere of CHRISTMAS WITH THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR, PBS travels to the heart of America’s “Music City” — Nashville, Tennessee — for CHRISTMAS AT BELMONT. With Christmas carols echoing from its carillon tower and the historic Belmont Mansion decked in holiday décor, concert-goers inside Massey Concert Hall witness a concert so grand that they’re outnumbered at times by performers, who perform from the balconies and in the aisles as well as on stage. Country recording legend Brenda Lee — known for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” — hosts CHRISTMAS AT BELMONT, airing on PBS
The festivities continue with CHRISTMAS AT BAYLOR, airing on PBS
On Christmas Eve, PBS presents a special repeat of CHRISTMAS WITH THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR at
Viewers can spend the holidays in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with Rick Sebak and his crew as they capture a variety of worship services, community events, parties and seasonal attractions in celebration of Hanukah, Ramadan, Christmas and Kwanzaa. The encore presentation of HAPPY HOLIDAYS IN PITTSBURGH (December 2004, check local listings) is a heartwarming and sometimes wacky take on the customs, traditions and happenings that distinguish the holidays around Pittsburgh.
On the west coast, viewers discover the artistic and cultural diversity of Southern California’s holiday celebrations with L.A. HOLIDAY CELEBRATION 2004 (December 2004, check local listings), a one-hour highlight version of the 44th Annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration, featuring segments filmed in the area’s diverse neighborhoods.
SING WE NOW OF CHRISTMAS: A FESTIVAL OF CAROLS (December 2004, check local listings) features the renowned adult choir of the Moline, Illinois, First Presbyterian Church performing by candlelight in a recently restored 100-year old Victorian Sanctuary, an architectural and acoustical masterpiece. Accompanied by a symphony orchestra, the choir performs popular Christmas music, both secular and sacred, including holiday favorites “Joy to the World,” “Away in a Manger,” “The First Noel” and “Silent Night.” Special guests include the nationally recognized piano duo Howard Helvey and Richard Steinbach.
PBS’ selection of family-oriented programs continues when everyone’s favorite aardvark gives kids a new spin on seasonal traditions in a one-hour primetime special that shows children many ways to celebrate the holidays. In ARTHUR’S PERFECT CHRISTMAS (December 2004, check local listings), plans are underway for the best holidays ever as Arthur, D.W., their family and friends make preparations for perfect gifts, perfect parties and perfect family traditions for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and even “Baxter Day” (Buster and his mom’s special celebration). The only problem is, just as in real life, perfection is hard to attain and things start to fall apart.
CHANUKAH ON PLANET MATZAH BALL (December 2004, check local listings) features a family from the Planet Matzah Ball who discovers their Jewish roots and rockets down to Cleveland, Ohio, to find out all about Chanukah. The music-driven special takes the family tumbling through space to learn the 2,000-year-old story of Judah Maccabbee recapturing the Temple in Jerusalem and lighting the one-day supply of oil that miraculously burned for eight days. Jewish children celebrate the holiday by spinning dreidels, eating latkes, singing Chanukah songs and lighting one new candle in the menorah each night until the final night, when eight candles burn together, commemorating the event.
Holiday and winter-themed activities, including e-cards, games, and crafts, will be featured on pbskids.org and pbskidsgo.org during the month of December. On December 8, PBS Parents (pbsparents.org) will launch a winter holiday page that includes links to PBS Kids holiday and winter-themed activities, as well as a schedule of seasonal and holiday programming that site visitors can localize to view air dates and times for their local PBS stations. And to help parents tame the “gimmes” during the seasonal blitz of toy advertising, there will be an article with tips and strategies for reducing kids’ susceptibility to advertisers.
GREAT PERFORMANCES continues its time-honored holiday tradition with the 21st annual New Year’s Day visit to Vienna with host Walter Cronkite. “From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2005” airs on PBS Saturday, November 1, 2005, 2:30 p.m. ET with a repeat airing at 8:00 p.m. ET. This year, Lorin Maazel returns as guest conductor to lead the renowned Vienna Philharmonic in a program of delightful Strauss Family waltzes from the majestic Musikverein; and international ballet star Vladimir Malakhov joins the Vienna State Opera Ballet as soloist and choreographer in performances from two of Vienna’s architectural splendors, the Belvedere and Coburg palaces. In a special addition to this year’s program, GREAT PERFORMANCES presents Vienna’s delectable treats and idyllic retreats: the creation of Viennese apfelstrudel from apple blossom to serving table, and a tour of the city’s famous woodland, set to Johann Strauss II’s “Tales From the Vienna Woods.”
Who’s Wearing What: Tennis star Maria Sharapova attended the GQ 2004 Men of the Year Awards in
