The book tells the story of falconer Steve Chindgren, as well as the fascinating subculture of falconry and the people who participate in it. Rachel also goes into the forces that threaten this ancient sport: mining, gas industries, and agriculture.

Of course, all this has me thinking of movies about birds. Here are five that spring to mind. Tell me YOUR favorite bird movies in the comments below.

1. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2003). This award-winning documentary features Mark Bittner, the self appointed caretaker of San Francisco’s flock of wild Cherry-Headed Conures. It tells the story of his journey to preserve the flock and its home. Buy it on Amazon.

2. Ladyhawke (1985). Rutger Hauer plays Captain Etienne Navarre, a man cursed for loving the beautiful Lady Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer). The curse: he becomes a wolf by night, while she becomes a hawk by day. Together, with a thief named Philippe Gaston (Matthew Broderick), they must try to overthrow the corrupt Bishop and break the spell. Tops in fantasy tales. Buy it on Amazon.

3. The March of the Penguins (2005). Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this doc takes a keen look into the lives of of the Emperor Penguins. These birds have it rough! But despite their harsh conditions and tragic lives (sitting for months on end with a precious egg between their feet), they continue to miraculously survive. Buy it on Amazon.

4. Birdman of Alcatrez (1962). It’s a prison movie about a bitter convict named Robert Stroud (Burt Lancaster), who nurses a feeble sparrow back to life that he found in the prison yard. There’s no happy ending here, but it’s a fascinating look at a real-life killer who manages to redeem himself through his power to heal birds. Buy it on Amazon.

5. The Birds (1963). Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren star in this Alfred Hitchcock film about birds … bad birds, birds who terrorize people on an island. One of Hitchcock’s best, this classic is filled with great effects and eerie quiet scenes intermixed with pecking birds. Buy it on Amazon.

Images: Amazon.com

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Anyway, it’s a perfect opportunity for me to expound on my favorite pot-smoking movies. Read on, and tell me YOUR favorite pot-smoking movies in the comments below. Or perhaps, favorite movies to watch WHILE smoking pot…?

1. Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke. Obviously, the granddaddy of all pot-smoking movies, the one that made it cool to smoke pot. Ok, maybe not cool. Ok, maybe cool. Anyhoo, watch it again, but not before you read my interview with professional pot-smoker himself, Tommy Chong.

2. Reefer Madness. Oh, the evils of the weed. How it destroyed lives, wreaked havoc, caused people to murder and go insane, especially in 1936 when this movie was made. Women cry for it! Men die for it! Watch it with drug-crazed abandon! It’s even a musical now!

3. Easy Rider. Smoking pot was just one of the wild and crazy things that Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson did on those choppers. Captain America was absolutely right when he said, "You’re stoned out of your mind, man."

4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It’s a simple premise: an oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer take a road trip to Vegas with a briefcase full of drugs. Lots of drugs. And with Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro in the car, they were definitely one toke over the line. Sweet Jesus.

5. Pineapple Express. Ok, I actually haven’t seen this movie, but from all the trailers and press I’ve read – and the fact that it’s helmed by Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow and James Franco – it looks like the ultimate stoner movie. Anyone see it and can comment on the stoner factor?

As always, I look forward to your mesmerizing comments below.

Images: Amazon.com

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1. IT’S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN. Easter is coming, and the gang is preparing for the spring holiday in their usual catastrophic way. Charlie Brown is frustrated over the Christmas pre-sales at the local department stores.

Sally wants a new pair of platform shoes (this movie was made in 1974!). Peppermint Patty is trying to teach a clueless Marcy how to color eggs. Snoopy is shopping for a new bachelor pad for Woodstock. And Linus is busy telling everyone about the Easter Beagle, who rises up on Easter morning to give eggs to all the children (sound familiar?). Buy it on Amazon.

2. YOGI, THE EASTER BEAR. When Yogi accidentally ruins the big Easter Jamboree at Jellystone Park right before hundreds of kids are set to arrive, he and Boo Boo go in search of the Easter Bunny to save the day, only to discover that he’s been kidnapped by a gang of criminals! The pair must work fast when they learn that Ranger Smith has arranged for them to join a circus in Siberia. Buy it on Amazon.

3. EASTER PARADE. Mention this 1948 classic and visions of Easter bonnets, snappy tunes, and sunny days spring to mind. It begins with the dance team of Don Hewes (Fred Astaire) and Nadine Hale (Ann Miller) breaking up because she wants to go it alone.

Determined to prove he can succeed without her, Hewes vows to pick any random chorus girl and make her a star. Fortunately for him, the girl he picks happens to be one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, Judy Garland. Sure, you could drive a truck through the flimsy storyline, but Astaire and Garland’s great chemistry more than makes up for it. Buy it on Amazon.

4. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. This lively celebration of the Jewish spirit takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia and centers on the life of Tevye (Topol), a poor milkman trying to keep his family’s traditions alive while marrying off three of his five daughters. But times are changing and the daughters want to make their own matches and break free of the customs of Judaism.

In the background, Russia is on the brink of revolution and Jews are feeling more and more unwelcome in their villages. This must-see musical is filled with familiar songs like “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Tradition,” where Tevye sings of trying to keep everyone and everything as it has always been. Buy it on Amazon.

5. PETER COTTONTAIL: THE MOVIE. In 1971’s Here “Comes Peter Cottontail,” the evil Irontail wanted the job of Easter Bunny for himself, but lost out to Peter Cottontail. This sequel, released on DVD in 2006, picks up with Irontail back for revenge, teaming up with the icy Jackie Frost in a devious plot to plunge the world into permanent winter. Now it’s up to Peter Cottontail’s son, Junior, to save the day.

Joining forces with food-loving mouse Munch and flight-challenged bird Flutter, these unlikely heroes set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Along the way, they’ll solve a mystery, travel to the edge of the Earth, and test their friendship. Christopher Lloyd, Roger Moore, and Molly Shannon provide voices. Buy it on Amazon.com.

Images: Amazon.com

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Yeah, I believe it. She rocked in the “Alien” movies, and that’s a pretty awesome achievement when you consider that she beat out Arnold Schwarzenegger (2nd place), and Sylvester Stallone and Chuck Norris (tied for third place) in a poll conducted by British cable channel Sky Movies.

Matt Damon, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis and Steven Seagal also made it into the top 10. Each star was judged on five categories: weapons, one-liners, kill count, creative ass kicking and sex appeal.

But Sigourney was the only female on the list, which is impressive. Seems like Angelina Jolie should have been in there somewhere for “Lara Croft,” “Wanted,” and the other action flicks she’s made.

Photo Credit: TM and © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved

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1. Watchmen (March 6). “Who watches the Watchmen?” That’s the question in this graphic-novel-turned-movie directed by Zach Snyder. Vigilantes, murders, superheroes, and lots of good and bad karma populate this movie, along with stars Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jackie Earle Haley. [Trailer] [Film Gecko Links] [Official Site]

2. Sunshine Cleaning (March 13). This probably won’t hit all the mainstream theaters, but it looks like a quirky film that will hit all the right notes. Amy Adams is a single mom who, along with her slacker sister (Emily Blunt) starts a crime-scene cleanup biz as a way out of their dead-end lives. Alan Arkin plays the doting dad in this dramedy that scored big at Sundance last year. [Official Site]

3. Knowing (March 20). Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne star in this latest movie about number puzzles. Cage plays an MIT professor investigating a mysterious sequence of digits unearthed in a time capsule. Oh, and the numbers foretell tragic events, like a jet crashing on a freeway. [Official Site]

4. Duplicity (March 20). Ack! Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star in this romantic crime-thriller from Michael Clayton mastermind Tony Gilroy. I’ve heard that Clive Owen watched old Cary Grant films like “His Girl Friday” to get the fast-talking witty banter down to a science. [Trailer] [Official Site]

5. Monsters vs. Aliens (March 27). Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, and Seth Rogen star in this animated 3D flick from DreamWorks about, you guessed it, monsters who are called upon to battle a group of aliens who’ve invaded Earth. They’re the kind of monsters you’d see in a B movie in the 1950s. [Trailer and Super Bowl Spot] [Official Site]

6. Fast & Furious (April 3). Get your speed fix with this newest installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. Crash-and-burn stunts, high-octane chases, and plenty of action are in store here. The stunt doubles have all the fun, don’t they? After his release from prison, Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) teams up with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) to work with the feds and bring down a heroin importer. Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster also star. [Trailer] [Official Site]

7. Dragonball: Evolution (April 8). If you missed the cult manga comics/animated TV shows, you can catch up with this movie. It’s a live-action version about a group of warriors protecting Earth from an evil force. Stars Justin Chatwin, Jamie Chung, Emmy Rossum, James Marsters, Yun-Fat Chow and Ernic Hudson. [Official Site]

8. State of Play (April 17). An overweight Russell Crowe plays a hard-nosed crime reporter investigating a politician (Ben Affleck) implicated in his assistant’s murder. Rachel McAdams and the fabulous Helen Mirren also star. [Official Site]

9. Angels & Demons (May 15). This sequel to 2006’s brings back Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist working to solve a murder and thwart a terrorist attack on the Vatican. Newcomer Ayelet Zurer also stars. [Teaser Trailer] [Official Site]

10. Terminator Salvation (May 22). Christian Bale plays John Connor, roaming a post-Judgment Day wasteland and gathering an army to fight the dreaded terminators. I can already tell this McG-directed flick will feature fantastic special fx. [Trailer] [Moon Bloodgood Gets Nude] [Christian Bale Goes Ballistic] [Official Site]

11. Up (May 29). Some animated movies just look lame right off the bat, and others look awesome. This one falls into the latter category. It’s a Pixar story about a curmudgeon (voiced by Ed Asner) who tries to escape his life by floating away in a house buoyed by balloons. The only flaw in the plan is the chirpy stowaway voiced by Jordan Nagai. [Official Site]

12. Public Enemies (July 1). Could a 1930’s gangster movie directed by Michael Mann and starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, and Channing Tatum be anything less than magnificent? I doubt it! It’s all about the Feds trying to take down notorious gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during the gritty crime wave of the 1930s. [30-Second Clip] [UNOfficial Site]

13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 17). Harry and the gang return for their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As usual, nothing is as it seems. Harry comes into possession of a mysterious book scrawled with “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince,” and learns more about Lord Voldemort and how he got to be so evil. [Trailer] [Official Site]

14. 2012 (Nov. 13). John Cusack and Amanda Peet star in this Roland Emmerich-directed movie about the year 2012, when a global cataclysm that brings ruin to the world and leaves a few struggling to survive. [Trailer]

15. New Moon (Nov. 20). The much-anticipated sequel to “Twilight” continues the romantic and brooding story of vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swann (Kristen Stewart). Directed by Chris Weitz, Bella finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires. [Film Gecko Links]

16. Sherlock Holmes (Dec. 25). My family and I will make our traditional trek to the theater on Christmas to see this flick, starring Robert Downey, Jr. as the classic detective. Directed by Guy Ritchie, also stars Jude Law and Rachel McAdams. [Film Gecko Links]

Images: Watchmen, © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved; Duplicity, Universal Pictures; Terminator Salvation, © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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1. An Officer and a Gentleman. Zack (Richard Gere) is a commitment-shy Naval trainee who’s afraid of love. Paula (Debra Winger) is a world-weary factory worker whose Naval officer father loved and left her mother 20 years earlier. It looks like this relationship is headed for NoWheresVille, too, but then…Zack strides through the factory in his white Navy uniform, swoops Paula up in his arms, and carries her out as all of her friends cheer. And we cheer, too, because, well…the guy usually doesn’t come back. Not in real life, anyway.

2. Sleepless in Seattle. As Annie (Meg Ryan) wanders sadly around the top of the Empire State Building, she’s afraid she blew her one chance at happiness. Then she sees a backpack and picks it up, just as Sam (Tom Hanks) and his son, Jonah, step off the elevator. Sam and Annie can’t stop looking at each other as they all get on the elevator and begin the rest of their lives together…sigh…

3. Romancing the Stone. They faced down smugglers and kidnappers together, but when Jack (Michael Douglas) jumps over the side of that boat in search of the crocodile that ate the diamond…well, we never expected to see him or the diamond again. And neither did Joan (Kathleen Turner), which makes him showing up outside her NYC apartment with new yacht in tow all the more sweeter.

4. When Harry Met Sally. It’s New Year’s Eve, and Sally (Meg Ryan) is looking around for someone to kiss, but everyone is taken, and then…we see Harry (Billy Crystal) running frantically down the street and into the party. He fights his way through the crowd to find her and says breathlessly, “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” Yes!

5. An Affair to Remember. Nickie (Cary Grant) is getting ready to leave Terry’s (Deborah Kerr) apartment forever, and then he stops and realizes…he strides across the room and opens the door of an adjacent room, sees the wheelchair, and goes back to embrace her. “Oh, it’s nobody’s fault but my own!” she cries. “I was looking up… it was the nearest thing to heaven! You were there…” And we just know she’ll be able to walk again, but even if she doesn’t, all is right with the world.

Images: Amazon.com

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Notice how some people keep showing up on these lists? Like Patrick Swayze, Renee Zellweger, Julia Roberts, Richard Gere … I guess some people are just more romantic than others. I hope you’ll take some time to revisit some of these feel-good favorites!

1. Pretty Woman. As Vivian (Julia Roberts) gets ready to leave town and start a new life, we weep for the love she thought could never work. Then we see a limo pull up outside her apartment, and Edward (Richard Gere) is sticking his head out of the sunroof waving a bouquet of flowers. She comes to the fire escape in disbelief, as he climbs up to rescue her from a life of struggle (remember – he’s afraid of heights!). And she gets to "rescue him right back." Priceless. Two broken people, mended at last.

2. Ghost. Oda Mae (Whoopi Goldberg) is trying to convince Molly (Demi Moore) that the ghost of her dead lover is inhabiting her body (hey, it’s a movie!). They’re on opposite sides of a closed door, and, desperate to make her believe, Sam the ghost (Patrick Swayze) tells Oda Mae to slide a penny under the door, which she does. Sam then lifts the penny and Molly finally, tearfully believes. And so do we!

3. Working Girl. On their way down the stairs from a successful business meeting, Jack (Harrison Ford) and Tess (Melanie Griffith) suddenly stop, drop their briefcases, and embrace in a passionate kiss to beat all kisses. The next scene finds them tearing each others’ clothes off as they stumble through the door of his apartment. It’s a scene guaranteed to get some cardio into your life, even if you don’t get on that treadmill.

4. While You Were Sleeping. Lucy (Sandra Bullock) is sitting in her booth at the station, drearily taking tokens for the train. Her life is a mess. All of a sudden, someone drops an engagement ring through the little window, and she looks up to see Jack (Bill Pullman) standing there with his whole family beaming from ear to ear. "Lucy? I have to ask you a question," he says. It’s a movie-moment proposal par excellence.

5. Green Card. It’s a relationship doomed to fail. Bronte (Andie MacDowell) is an organized, plant-loving vegetarian. Georges (Gerard Depardieu) is a loud, messy carnivore. But we know it’s true love when she races to find him at the café and they embrace in a passionate kiss right before he’s forced to leave the country, courtesy of the Immigration Department. Will these mismatched lovebirds find their way back to each other? We’re pretty sure they will.

What are YOUR favorite romantic movie moments?

Images: Amazon.com; Buena Vista Pictures, Paramount Pictures

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1. Dirty Dancing. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." You tell ‘em, Johnny! And then the street-wise dancer grab’s the young girl’s hand and pulls her on-stage for "their" dance. Could there be a better ending to this nostalgic movie about young love at a 50’s-era summer resort? I think not.

2. Bridget Jones’s Diary. Daniel (Hugh Grant) and Bridget (Renee Zellweger) have just emerged onto the street from an intimate, candle-lit dinner. She raises her arm to hail a taxi, and then he pulls her into his arms and gives her one of THE most romantic kisses in cinema history. And then, of course, they go back to her apartment, where she realizes she wore…the BIG underpants! Just like real life.

3. Casablanca. But there MUST be a way it can work, we think silently, watching Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) stand in front of that plane and decide to spend their lives apart. But no, he gazes into her sad eyes and declares, "It doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that." But…but…

4. Jerry Maguire. "You…complete…me…," says Jerry (Tom Cruise), and we all wish someone would say that to us just ONCE before we die. Whatever happens after that in the movie doesn’t matter because those heartfelt words captured Dorothy’s (Renee Zellweger) heart and ours, too.

5. Moonstruck. "I love you," says Ronny (Nicolas Cage). Slap! "Snap out of it!" yells Loretta (Cher). But the droopy-eyed bread-baker won’t be put off. "I love you," he says again, "but love don’t make things nice. It ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren’t here to make things perfect. We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and DIE. The storybooks are BULLSHIT! Now I want you to come upstairs with me and GET in my bed!" Perfect. What girl could refuse a proposition like that?

So spill. What are YOUR top romantic movie moments?

Images: Amazon.com; Lions Gate Films, Warner Bro. Pictures

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And thanks for my next Film Gecko Five – Bloodiest Movies. But I need your help, Geckos, because I don’t watch a lot of the blood and gore. What are your favorite bloody movies?

I’ll start with a poll, but feel free to add your own or tell me your favorites in the comments section. After a few days, I’ll pick the top five and run a Film Gecko Five. Let’s go! n

Image: Amazon.com

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5. Gone With the Wind. What could be sexier than stepping over bodies strewn about the streets of Atlanta? Ok, maybe that’s not the sexiest scene of this classic 1939 film, but the banter between Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable more than makes up for it. Sexiest Scene: When Rhett says to Scarlett, “No, I don’t think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.” [Official Site]

More after the jump…

4. Wild Orchid. With Mickey Rourke back in vogue now, it’s making me think of this sexy movie he did with Carre Otis. In fact, rumor has it the sex scenes were NOT faked, but director Zalman King isn’t talking. This is probably as close to a porn movie as you can get without actually being a porn movie. Anyway, if you’re in the mood for some mesmerizing sex scenes, check out this flick about a woman lawyer (Jacqueline Bisset) who becomes enamored with Rourke’s millionaire character while on a trip to sexy Rio. Sexiest Scene: Sex up against a wall in a hotel construction site. [IMDB Page]

3. The Age of Innocence. I love this Martin Scorsese film set in 19th century New York City. It’s an era where people simply didn’t have sex outside of marriage – at least, not proper people. This doesn’t bode well for Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska. Played by Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer, you just REALLY WANT them to be together. But alas, he’s married to sweet May Welland (Winona Ryder) Sexiest Scene: When Newland gently unbuttons Ellen’s glove and kisses her wrist. [IMDB Page]

2. Dirty Dancing. I can’t surf by this movie without stopping to watch Patrick Swayze’s sizzling bad-boy connect with Jennifer Grey’s young innocent girl at a summer resort in the 1950s. I’ve been known to watch the end scene several times in a row. You know the one – where she jumps into his arms and they dance their way out of the room. I always wonder what happened to this couple after the movie ended. I’m hoping that she encouraged him to pursue his dreams, whatever those may have been. Sexiest Scene: When Baby goes to Johnny’s cabin and ends up staying the night. [Official Site]

1. Titanic. I know, this is sort of a throw-away, because it’s so unabashedly romantic. It’s yet another film about forbidden love, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are two beautiful people who are even more beautiful together, even though we know it ends badly. Sexiest Scene: When he’s sketching a portrait of her in all her naked glory. [Official Site]

Your turn! What are YOUR favorite sexy movies?

Images: Gone with the Wind, MGM, 1939; All the Rest: Amazon.com

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