In the stacks: DVDs to cozy up to on fall nights

The windy, rainy nights of autumn are almost upon us. Cozy up with a new DVD or video from the library.

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"Midsomer Murders," a series based on the mystery books of Caroline Graham, featuring Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, includes four titles on DVD: "Death's Shadow," "Strangler's Wood," "Beyond the Grave" and "Blood will Out." Described as "darkly humorous," these English village mysteries teeter between cozy and devastatingly devious.

Along the same lines, we have six new P.D. James mysteries on DVD: "A Taste for Death," "Original Sin," "Cover her Face," "Shroud for a Nightingale," "Death of an Expert Witness" and "The Black Tower." All feature Roy Marsden as Inspector Adam Dalgliesh, and all are great adaptations of the novels on which they are based.

"The Stand," by Stephen King, is six-hours worth of King-ly creepiness, featuring a world-devastating plague and a desperate fight between good and evil. In the aftermath of a plague that kills millions, North American survivors unite into two main bands, one led by the saintly Mother Abigail and the other by demonic Randall Flagg. One group has a nuclear warhead. The other has virtue as a shield. Which side will win and at what cost? Special features on this DVD include a "making-of" feature, make-up effects and production notes.

"Secret Society," is an offbeat British comedy in which Daisy and Ken, happily married but financially struggling, confront the possibility of change when Daisy is recruited into a "secret society" of female sumo wrestlers. As her attitude about her body changes, so does her relationship with Ken. A funny, fascinating and subversive look at societal stereotypes. Special features on this DVD include interviews with cast and director, behind the scenes footage and a photo gallery.

"Frida" is an intriguing film about the life of artist Frida Kahlo, whose passion for life, despite a crippling car accident, spilled over into a rich body of work. As she lies dying in bed, Frida reminisces about her life: her tension-filled marriage to adulterous painter Diego Rivera; her own legendary affairs; and, of course, her paintings. Special features on this DVD include interviews with Salma Hayek and director Julie Taymor, a film commentary, a French language track and Spanish subtitles.

"Spawn of the North" is an oldie but goodie! Set in the 1930s, this is the story of a man who came to Alaska to get rich fishing, but discovers a streak of vigilantism in himself when confronted by Russian fishing pirates. This film won Academy Awards for special photographic and sound effects. Most of the exterior shots were filmed on location in Alaska. Faces to look for in this video include a really young Henry Fonda and an equally young Dorothy Lamour.

"Fires in the Mirror." Anna Deavere Smith wrote and acted in this one-woman show about the death of a 7-year-old black child in Brooklyn, who was run over when a Hasidic man's car leaps the curb. There is a seemingly retaliatory stabbing death of a Hasidic student and subsequent rioting in the Black and Jewish communities. Based on interviews with victims, adversaries and witnesses, this video is a collage of the events that took place in August 1991 in Crown Heights.

"Les Miserables in Concert" really is a concert and not a performance. The idea is that the best (or best-loved) performers from the various productions have been brought together to reprise their roles in a live concert. Though everything that isn't song has been dropped, subtitles showing dates and scenes make it easy to follow the story, and the singing is superb. Magical!

"Schizopolis," written and directed by, and also starring, Stephen Soderbergh, is one odd movie. Perhaps David Lynch meets Monty Python, or maybe Kafka meets sitcom meets impressionism might begin to describe this film. Lacking, as it does, a central point or plot, this experimental film will bore some people, but if you let yourself get in the mood, you might find it an amusing social parody.

• If you'd like to place a hold on any of these titles, call the Juneau Public Library at 586-5249. If you have Internet access, your library card and a PIN, you may place your own holds by going to our Web site (www.juneau.org/library) and look at our catalogue. Placing holds on items featured in this column is now even easier. The new columns are hyperlinked to the catalogue: Simply look up the column, click on the title you want and you will be ready to place a hold.