A+E

The final selection in my yearlong Peanut Butter and Jelly of the Month Club adventure is a bit of a disappointment. The Peanut Better Vanilla-Cranberry Peanut Butter is sort of a sweetness overload, but not a bad taste on its own. Combined with Outerbridge's Sherry-Pepper jelly, though, the result is less than tasty. The jelly is spicy and pungent, a mixture of jalapeños and alcohol that is not exactly ideal for sandwich-making, nor does it mix well with the vanilla-cranberry peanut butter. It also looks a bit like toxic waste. An unfortunate end to an exciting year in the world of peanut butter and jelly. (2 stars)

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Vegas magician Lance Burton rode the FTD float to victory in January 2's Tournament of Roses, winning the Sweepstakes Trophy for most beautiful entry, though he was unable to make the rain disappear. Grand marshal for the first bad-weather day in more than half a century was Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Fifty-one years ago, when it also rained, the grand marshal was Chief Justice Earl Warren. Interestingly enough, both judges are considered disappointments by, among others, folks who believe in a higher power. Now, we're hardly suggesting that a divine force was expressing its displeasure—only that there might be something to this whole intelligent design thing after all.

Slick of the Shock Mob

Elements of the Game (2.5 stars)

Morey Alexander, the veteran music manager who introduced N.W.A. to the masses, has partly staked his return to prominence on Slick, a 35-year-old Italian gangsta rapper. The faith isn't exactly misplaced: Slick is a capable emcee with a universal ear and Elements has songs for every geographic region and touches on every rap genre: bubble gum (made popular by Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life"), Twista-style speed rapping, shallow introspection, an obligatory Tupac-like shout to moms. But trying to please everyone actually dilutes Slick's gangsta vibe.

A Great Day in Harlem (NR) (5 stars)


$24.99

Jean Bach's fascinating re-creation of the day in August 1958 when an Esquire photographer assembled nearly 60 great jazz musicians in front of a Harlem brownstone makes a second appearance on DVD. Added to it are interviews with several of the artists present, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Marian McPartland, among them. It also adds home movies shot that day and vintage performance footage. A second disc offers profiles of the participants, and musings about such legendary figures as Thelonious Monk, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Charles Mingus, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.

Cartoon Adventures Starring Gerald McBoing Boing (NR) (4 stars)


$14.94

In the history of TV, there have been few more endearing characters—animated, or otherwise—than Gerald McBoing Boing, a boy who spoke in sound effects instead of words. A creation of UPA Studios, Gerald was introduced in 1951 in an Oscar-winning cartoon short. Adapted by Bill Scott (Rocky & Bullwinkle) and Phil Eastman (The Family Circus) from a Dr, Seuss recording, Gerald McBoing Boing began a short TV stint in 1956. Sadly, it was more memorable for its deceptively simple animation and infectious whimsy than its ratings.

Broken Flowers (R) (3 stars)


$29.98

In Jim Jarmusch's typically offbeat dramedy, Bill Murray plays yet another emotionally detached, middle-aged American male. Existing uneasily in semi-retirement, Don Johnstone has filled his home with the kinds of toys one would expect from a one-time computer wiz. None seem to give him pleasure, though. It takes an anonymous letter from a long-discarded ex-lover, alerting Johnstone to the imminent arrival at his doorstep of a son he didn't know existed, to shake him out of his near-comatose existence. With the help of the amateur sleuth who lives next door, Johnstone endeavors to identify the old flame and better prepare himself for delayed fatherhood. While not conclusive, his search reveals much about the man Johnstone once was, has become, and possibly, will be. The extras offer few clues either way.