New releases for April 6, 2010: "Lord of the Rings" on Blu-ray, Trisha Yearwood's new cookbook and more
Three Oklahoma authors have new books on the shelf this week, including country music star Trisha Yearwood.
Yearwood, who lives in Owasso with husband Garth Brooks, again partners with her mom and sister to share family traditions and warm, homegrown recipes in “Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends.” The follow-up to her best-selling 2008 cookbook “Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours,” the new book features another foreword from Brooks.
Oklahoma City author Carolyn Hart makes her 20th entry in her popular series “Death on Demand” series with “Laugh ‘Til He Died.” Mystery bookstore owner Annie Darling and her husband, Max, who specialize in solving problems, plunge into a startling web of danger and deceit when a trio of deaths is linked to the island’s youth recreation center.
And Oklahoma City writer Ann K. Larson releases her latest children’s book, “The Terrifying Tub Tornado,” a whimsical, fantasy rhyme designed to help children overcome any fear they may have of the bathtub tornado that forms when the water goes down the drain.
Movie and book buffs also can celebrate this week as Peter Jackson’s incredible cinematic adaptation of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy gets its first Blu-ray release. The theatrical versions of the three films are now out in the high-definition format. My colleague Matt Price from Nerdage reviews the “LOTR” Blu-ray set here.
Here is a list of new CDs, DVDs and books, from Amazon.com, VideoETA.com and The Oklahoman’s Renee Lawrence:
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-20101" title="star wars - R2D2 and C3PO" src="http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/wp-content/imagescaler/afb039e0d4f08c249ff991ba599df432.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" imagescaler="http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/wp-content/imagescaler/afb039e0d4f08c249ff991ba599df432.jpg" /> LucasFilm Animation is hard at work on a new comedic "Star Wars" animated series, according to <a href="http://www.cinematical.com/2010/04/06/will-star-wars-work-as-a-comedy-on-tv/">Cinematical. </a> The new (and presently untitled) series will be produced by Gemini Award and Daytime Emmy winner Jennifer Hill ("The Backyardigans"), with Todd Grimes (ugh, "Back at the Barnyard") in the director's chair. Interestingly, Seth Green and Matthew Senreich – the guys behind "Robot Chicken" and their hilarious "Robot Chicken: Star Wars" specials – will have "creative involvement." This oddball creative team doesn't make it clear whether the "Star Wars" animated series will be geared more toward children or adults. Hill and Grimes specialize in kiddie fare, while the "Robot Chicken" connection would indicate a more adult audience is intended. LucasFilm already has an animated series for kids in "Clone Wars," though it isn't a comedy. Either way, this "Star Wars" animated sit-com sounds like it will be either absolutely uproarious or a complete and utter disaster. I'm not sure there's much room for anything in between. "Star Wars" has produced some comedic moments over the decades, especially in the terrific verbal byplay between R2-D2 and C-3PO and Han Solo and Chewbacca, not to mention the whole "Star Wars Holiday Special." But in recent years, the comedy has too often fallen flat or descended into complete stupidity. I know it hurts, but think Jar-Jar Binks. - BAM
CDs
Slash, “Slash.”
Stephen Sondheim, “A Little Night Music.”
Madonna, “The Sticky & Sweet Tour” (CD/DVD set).
Jakob Dylan, “Women and Country.”
Peter Wolf, “Midnight Souvenirs.”
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, “I Learned The Hard Way.”
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, “Here Lies Love” (2-CD set).
BoDeans, “Mr. Sad Clown.”
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-20101" title="star wars - R2D2 and C3PO" src="http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/wp-content/imagescaler/afb039e0d4f08c249ff991ba599df432.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" imagescaler="http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/wp-content/imagescaler/afb039e0d4f08c249ff991ba599df432.jpg" /> LucasFilm Animation is hard at work on a new comedic "Star Wars" animated series, according to <a href="http://www.cinematical.com/2010/04/06/will-star-wars-work-as-a-comedy-on-tv/">Cinematical. </a> The new (and presently untitled) series will be produced by Gemini Award and Daytime Emmy winner Jennifer Hill ("The Backyardigans"), with Todd Grimes (ugh, "Back at the Barnyard") in the director's chair. Interestingly, Seth Green and Matthew Senreich – the guys behind "Robot Chicken" and their hilarious "Robot Chicken: Star Wars" specials – will have "creative involvement." This oddball creative team doesn't make it clear whether the "Star Wars" animated series will be geared more toward children or adults. Hill and Grimes specialize in kiddie fare, while the "Robot Chicken" connection would indicate a more adult audience is intended. LucasFilm already has an animated series for kids in "Clone Wars," though it isn't a comedy. Either way, this "Star Wars" animated sit-com sounds like it will be either absolutely uproarious or a complete and utter disaster. I'm not sure there's much room for anything in between. "Star Wars" has produced some comedic moments over the decades, especially in the terrific verbal byplay between R2-D2 and C-3PO and Han Solo and Chewbacca, not to mention the whole "Star Wars Holiday Special." But in recent years, the comedy has too often fallen flat or descended into complete stupidity. I know it hurts, but think Jar-Jar Binks. - BAM
Next Story