USCCB Movie Reviews The above link will connect you to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's movie and video reviews. They contain a brief overview of many movies with the USCCB's classification and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating. They may have a comment on any inappropriate language or violence in the film. You may also want to check out the Catholic News Service capsule movie reviews.

Media/Arts Briefs

Square dance classes at Westport

TV Programs of Note

Following are some theatrical movies and television programs of note. This information is being provided to assist people in making viewing choices.

Monday-Friday, 2:30 p.m., Inspiration Channel (cable) -- Catholic Mass.

Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 6 p.m., 11 p.m., EWTN (cable) -- Daily Mass. No 6 p.m. showing on Sunday.

Sunday, Aug. 31, 7 a.m., WISC (CBS) -- Mass. Celebrated by Msgr. Thomas Campion, sponsored by Apostolate to the Handicapped.

Sunday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m., EWTN (cable) -- Ukraine: Emerging from the Catacombs. This video tells the history of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine. It makes use of film footage from both the present and the past (especially the Communist treatment) to tell how this part of the Catholic Church survived, even though it was officially abolished by being merged into the Russian Orthodox Church. Repeats noon Sept. 2 and 2 a.m. Sept. 5.

Sunday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m., WKOW (ABC) -- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). Widowed inventor (Dick Van Dyke) takes his two children and girlfriend (Sally Ann Howes) on a magical mystery tour of the imagination involving an evil baron (Gert Frobe), a cavernous castle in the air, the rescue of imprisoned children, and the strange flying car of the title. Though adults may be disappointed by the indifferent lyrics and lackluster special effects of this musical fantasy directed by Ken Hughes, there is still more than enough good fun for the young and uncritical. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-I - general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G - general audiences.

Sunday, Aug. 31, 8:30 p.m., WYOU (cable) -- Christopher Close-up: "Shaping Our World." Christopher Closeup host Msgr. Jim Lisante looks at the winners of The Christophers' 15th annual Video Contest for College Students.

Sunday, Aug. 31, 11:30 p.m., WHA (PBS) -- Wisconsin Stories: "School Days." Wisconsin Stories explores how water has affected people and the places they live. Potawotami elder Billy Daniels says that rivers and streams are Mother Earth's life-sustaining veins. The Herrling Saw Mill at Wade House allows modern visitors a realistic glimpse into the early industrial age. From the 1880s into the early 1900s, "taking the waters" from fresh springs in Waukesha was believed to improve health. The Beckman Mill in Rock County is a case study in local action as area residents worked to restore the historic gristmill and the dam that fed it.

Monday, Sept. 1, 3:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., EWTN (cable) -- The Vatican of John Paul II. A behind the scenes visit to the Vatican using historical and contemporary footage. Episode two: 3:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 2; Episode three: 3:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 3; Episode four: 3:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 4; Episode five: 3:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 5.

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 9 p.m., WHA (PBS) -- "Arthur Miller, Elia Kazan, and the Blacklist: None without Sin." Hollywood's infamous blacklist era is viewed through the polarizing prism of two American icons' stormy friendship. As part of the American Masters series, director Michael Epstein examines one of the nation's darker chapters, integrating rare photos, archival footage and interviews with industry insiders who knew both Kazan and Miller, including some whose film and television careers were tragically derailed by Kazan's testimony before the House Un-American Affairs Committee. Much more than historical record, the program has the cautionary tone of a parable, challenging viewers to weigh the demands of both patriotism and personal integrity, issues as relevant today as they were a half-century ago.

Saturday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m., EWTN (cable) -- Madonna House: The People of the Towel and Water. This program explores the origins and the apostolate of Madonna House. The Madonna House, based in Combermere, Ontario, Canada, is a Catholic lay community of men, women, and priests founded by Catherine Doherty and her husband, Eddie Doherty, in 1947. The members of Madonna House, who come from all walks of life, make promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Repeats 2 a.m. Sept. 2 and noon Sept. 4.