Read it!

A Life in Stories
Russell Crowe
Gabor H. Wylie
ECW Press, $16.95
Blending fact and fiction, the author of this Crowe-magnus wants you to know the full measure of the man who once was the Gladiator ... but who apparently has been known to weep at the death of a farm animal. And there's pictures, too ... perhaps the best being Crowe all dolled up as Frank N. Furter for a stage production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.




What A Way To Go
Fabulous Funerals of the Famous and Infamous
Adele Q. Brown
Raincoat Books, $26.95
A fascinating book of black and white photographs and details of the funerals and processions of famous folk. You learn about the life and death of such luminaries as Jim Henson, Marilyn Monroe, Notorious B.I.G. and Diana, Princess of Wales. The most gruesome shot has to be the feverish Iranian mourners so eager to touch the body of the Ayatollah Khomeini that they pull his coffin open en route to the cemetery. In the "Odd Coincidences" category we learn that Abraham Lincoln's personal secretary was named Kennedy while Kennedy's was named Lincoln, they were elected 100 years apart (1860, 1960) and both their assassins had three 15-character names - John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald.

Use it!

Crest Whitestrips is an easy, effective and safe way to brighten up those teeth. Each package contains 56 tooth whitening strips, 28 for the top teeth and 28 for the bottom teeth. These virtually transparent strips are placed on your teeth for only 30 minutes twice a day to get your teeth their pearliest.


Hear it!

Gosford Park
Decca/Universal
This wonderfully whimsical soundtrack to Robert Altman's latest film includes a little of everything. There's hints of the Pink Panther theme in the song "Inspector Thompson," a little nod to Gilbert and Sullivan in "What a Duke Should Be" and something reminiscent of Edith Piaf in "Only For a While." The original music is composed by Patrick Doyle with songs from Ivor Novello, the real-life composer Jeremy Northam plays in the movie.



A Walk to Remember
Epic


Switchfoot leads off this compilation CD with "Dare You To Move" and contributes three more cuts. The movie's star, Mandy Moore, also shows up on four tracks and there's contributions from Toploader, Cold, Rachael Lampa, Jonathan Foreman and New Radicals.



I Am Sam
V2 Records
If you're looking for a blast from the past with some up-to- date flare, check out the soundtrack for I Am Sam.  A full cover of classic Beatles tunes by a roster of artists that includes, Aimee Mann and Michael Penn (Sean's brother) collaborating on "Two of Us", Ben Harper performing "Strawberry Fields Forever", and Sarah McLachlan's exquisite rendition of "Blackbird". Even Beatles purists will find something to like on this worthwhile soundtrack.
- Gerry Young