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MOVIE
1. 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III'
TV craftsman J.J. Abrams galvanizes the popcorn franchise with a clever
script, an excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman as a grungy villain, and a
redemptively tender turn by Tom Cruise. Review >
MOVIE
2. 'WE SHALL OVERCOME?,' BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Let freedom rock: In an infectiously joyful CD tribute to folk pioneer
Pete Seeger, old-timey ballads are born anew as 21st-century hymns of
hope. Review >
BOOKS
3. 'BUST,' BY KEN BRUEN AND JASON STARR
A cheating husband, a smart floozy, and a poetic killer are enmeshed in
the web of this tense, witty, cold-blooded noir. Review >
STAGE
4. 'AWAKE AND SING!'
Mark Ruffalo and Lauren Ambrose are among the gifted ensemble players in
Broadway's revival of Clifford Odets' exuberant, ageless Depression-era
drama. Review >
TV
5. 'THE WEST WING'
As NBC's White House series ends its term in office, the ML offers up a
bipartisan resolution honoring the stellar cast — and the late, great John
Spencer. Feature >
DVD
6. 'SCRUBS: SEASON 3'
Tara Reid and the Soup Nazi check in for hospital high jinks in the
loopy, sexed-up third season of NBC's beloved med-com, now on DVD. Review >
DVD
7. TENNESSEE WILLIAMS FILM COLLECTION
Copious DVD extras reveal how censors tampered with classics like A
Streetcar Named Desire but couldn't cage Marlon Brando's raw
ferocity. Review >
BOOKS
8. 'BLACK SWAN GREEN,' BY DAVID MITCHELL
In this dazzlingly stylish, multilayered coming-of-age novel, a
13-year-old English schoolboy contends with Gypsies, intellectuals,
bickering parents, and the pains of growing up. Review >
MUSIC
9. 'CUTS ACROSS THE LAND,' THE DUKE SPIRIT
Kick-start your summer with this CD — a bracing blast of garage-y Brit
punk from a London-based quintet.
MOVIE
10. 'UNITED 93'
Writer-director Paul Greengrass and a cast of unknowns bring painstaking
authenticity to this taut, compelling big-screen tribute to the tragic
heroes of Sept. 11. Review >
