The Iliad is almost 1,600 lines long, so we are offering our readers the following condensed version: boy meets girl; they fall in love; boy takes girl home to meet dad; girl’s husband (oops!) takes offense; husband follows wife and brings 50,000 close friends to set things right; boy’s brother pays huge price; extended intermission.

The Walt Disney Studio was taken over by the military on 12/8/41. Instead of producing family films the studio began to crank out cartoons with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto and others in WWII propaganda shorts. The first DVD in the collection features 29 of these cartoons dealing with all kinds of homeland WWII material. From “Donald gets Drafted” and “Commando Duck” to the classic “Der Fuehrer’s Face” featuring Donald and the Spike Jones Band hit of the same name.

This Russian-made film explores the world of partisans and civilians caught behind German lines during World War II. It is dark, grimy, and depressing, but contains a message about the human spirit that makes this movie a must-see.

One of our readers checks in with their review of the new Russel Crowe movie “Master and Commander.” If you enjoy the age of sail, this movie is probably for you! Read the review for the inside scoop.