DVDs
Dallas: The Complete First and Second Seasons (NR) (3 stars)
$49.98
If any show encapsulated the glamour, greed and ethical depravity of America's Me Decade, the '80s, it was CBS' ground-breaking prime-time soap, Dallas. Not only did this guilty pleasure spawn dozens of similar series and spoofs, but Larry Hagman's wicked J.R. Ewing also may have inspired such kindred spirits as Donald Trump, George W. Bush and Martha Stewart. The five-disc collection includes interviews and a reunion special.
Purple Rain (R) (4 stars)
$26.99
Twenty years ago, the Artist Once Again Known as Prince played a cocky Minneapolis musician in one of the best rock musicals of all time. The music was terrific, of course, as was the depiction of his rivalry with Morris Day. The two-disc package will thrill any fan of His Purple Highness. Not so swell—cinematically, at least—are his subsequent vanity projects: the truly bizarre Under the Cherry Moon and Graffiti Bridge.
Book
Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans (4 stars)
By the editors of McSweeney's
Get a warm chuckle from Beetle Bailey? Then don't bother with this roundup of determinedly off-kilter humor. It's literary, out-there: Supreme Court cases decided by basketball. An ancient Indian burial ground cursed by an even more ancient Indian burial ground. Caveman corporations vying for the rights to fire. Buy the premise, buy the bit, as Carson said, and these are great premises. But read it in quick hits; the sensibilities can run together after a while.
CD
The Utmost (3.5 stars)
The Utmost
Hey, a local pop-punk band that actually knows the meaning of "pop"! A lively, well-produced collection of mostly under-three-minute nuggets that brings to mind bands like Green Day and NOFX. The greatest compliment: contains a cover of the Beatles' "Paperback Writer" that doesn't sound at all out of place.
Olympic Viewing Diary
Friday: Turned TV on, heard announcer say "coxswain," turned TV off.
Saturday: Watched four hours of equestrian events under mistaken assumption that dressage would be followed by undressage.
Sunday: Weightlifting is on. Hee, hee, they said "clean and jerk."
Monday: Turned TV on, heard announcer say "Greco-Roman style," turned TV off.
Tuesday: Watched four hours of rowing under mistaken assumption that "eight-man sculling" would involve Gillian Anderson.
Wednesday: Gave up, went to Olympic Garden.