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Falling neatly into the Enchanted April and Under the Tuscan Sun category, the made-for-HBO My House in Umbria boasts lovely Italian vistas and comforting Englishness. But it begins with a note of violence: on a train rolling through the sunny countryside, a terrorist bomb detonates, killing a handful of passengers. The strangers that survive recuperate at the villa of an eccentric but kindly romance novelist, also a survivor of the blast. She's played by Maggie Smith, who bustles through the role with a pleasing mix of gin and daffodils. Chris Cooper is an uptight American who comes to the villa to pick up his orphaned niece and bristles at the bohemian atmosphere. Director Richard Loncraine maintains the melancholy mood amidst the sun-dappled gardens of Umbria, but Smith really holds the film together with her authority and slightly tipsy humor. --Robert Horton

This set includes four episodes of Mysteries of the Bible:

The Bible's Greatest Secrets
The Bible is the equivalent of a treasure map in this archeological edition of A&E's Mysteries of the Bible series. Both contemporary scientists and those from the last century have taken their cues from the scriptures when digging, leading to excavation of the 3,000-year-old remains of the towns of Beersheba and Capernaum. Also, there are accidental finds like a shepherd's 1947 discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave. This 45-minute tape, narrated by Richard Kiley, examines the relationship between archaeology and the Bible, illuminating such personalities as Sir William Flinders Petrie, whose ballerina attire convinced the Egyptians it would be harmless to let him measure the pyramids. The husband-and-wife team of Eric and Carol Meyers explain how their work on the Masada both confirms and contradicts the only contemporaneous historical account of the siege and mass suicide there. Finally, there's a good example of technology at work: electromagnetic images eliminate random digging, computer models graphically resurrect ancient Jerusalem.

Biblical Angels
Are angels male or female or both? Eternal or mortal? Messengers from God or shapers of destiny? In an attempt to resolve these and other questions regarding the nature of angels, this A&E program (part of the Mysteries of the Bible series) looks to a variety of sources for answers: the Bible, the Apocrypha, Dante's Divine Comedy--even Phoenician drawings. Jean Simmons reads the quotations in response to narrator Richard Kiley's questions, and several professors, with specialties ranging from the Old Testament to Renaissance studies, chime in. The material is organized into five acts, with titles like "Celestial Guardians" and "Earthly Spirits." While the essence of angels isn't ultimately resolved in this 45-minute offering, viewers do get an eyeful of some of the more famous visions of angels by artists, including da Vinci, Raphael, and Botticelli.

Heaven and Hell
This exploration into the question of the afterlife begins with a discussion of near-death experiences against a hospital backdrop before it dives into the subjects of hell and Satan with equally gruesome paintings of both. Part of the A&E Bible mysteries series, this 45-minute tape examines Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant ideas of hell as well as those of Dante, complete with his diagram of the seven circles. A priest and a minister debate the origin and purpose of the concept of purgatory; Irish, Chinese, and Americans share their views on the afterlife; Jean Simmons reads excerpts from the Old and New Testaments and The Divine Comedy; and narrator Richard Kiley presides over the proceedings. Kiley traces the sparse mentions of hell in the Hebrew Bible, the fallen angel references in the Apocryphal Book of Enoch, and frequent references in the New Testament, particularly the Book of Revelation. He concludes that while there is no scientific evidence of an afterlife, people want to believe that a good life will be rewarded and an evil one punished.

Herod the Great
Scholars may debate whether Judean King Herod committed the act he is most famous for--the slaughter of a nation's young boys in a failed attempt to assassinate the baby Jesus--but no one doubts that he was mean enough to do it. After all, the king did murder his second wife, their two sons, and all of his in-laws, according to this A&E program. While this is part of the Mysteries of the Bible series, this 45-minute installment actually serves more as a biography of the half-Jewish king known for his Roman affiliations, brilliance in building, and penchant for murdering those who got in his way. Since Herod actually appears only infrequently in the Bible, the producers rely heavily on the biographical work of first-century historian Josephus, with Jean Simmons reading quotations. Richard Kiley narrates and various professors weigh in on the fine line between brilliant madman and great king. The video charts Herod's early political rise and his unprecedented architectural accomplishments, from enormous temples to Caesarea, a coastline port city built probably as much for the challenge as the necessity. But much of the focus is on his long, violent decline, which ended only with his death. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Who's buried in Khufu's tomb? Find out in National Geographic's Egypt: Secrets of the Pharaohs, a wide-ranging look at the rituals and relics of one of the first monumental civilizations. Watch as one team of archaeologists braves the arid plains to investigate the construction of the great pyramids. Back in the lab, a group of medical archaeologists try to re-create the ancient Egyptian process of mummification step by step in a macabre sequence that vividly portrays the first steps toward immortality. Finally, venture deep into Pharaoh Khufu's tomb as one of the strangest treasures of all is unearthed: a complete ship destined to carry him through the Land of the Dead. A National Geographic map of the Nile Valley accompanies the video and is both helpful for reference while viewing and a valuable resource in its own right. --Rob Lightner