District 9
Blu-ray ($39.95)
Space aliens fleeing a home-planet catastrophe end up stranded above South Africa, where the government keeps them corralled them in shantytown squalor. When an eager office drone gets a dubious promotion overseeing their forced eviction into a new compound, things take a crazy turn. Grittily, realistic and riveting, it’s a sci-fi parable about racism, corruption and a man who finds out what it’s truly like to become an outsider. Blu-ray extras include a digital copy and several bonus features, including a look at the amazing special effects.
—Neil Pond, American Profile
Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness
By Reinhard Kleist
Softcover, 224 pages ($17.95)
The life and times of the Man in Black come into stark, black-and-white focus in this illustrated “graphic novel,” which depicts the award-winning singer’s early days, career milestones and transition from musical idol to cultural icon. Already a bestseller in Europe and now available in America, it offers a fresh new perspective on a true musical giant.
—Neil Pond, American Profile
The Historical Atlas of World Railroads
By John Westwood
Hardcover, 400 pages ($45)
All aboard, train lovers! Chug along with 400 pages of photos, maps and history tracing the rise, fall and revival of a mode of transportation that helped open every continent (except Antarctica) to people and progress. The author—a bona fide rail buff—celebrates the ingenuity, diversity and achievement behind everything from 18th century horse-drawn trams to sleek, modern-day bullet trains.
—Neil Pond, American Profile
