The ish is that many of my kids miss allusions all the time and just a sort of general knowledge should help

Sounds like they need bible stories more than the bible itself. There's a lot left over, and it's the sort of stuff that can put one off the whole work.

Branagh's Henry V (with bonus bits of IV) made me go, "There. That's the Henry V I wanted to see and didn't know it."

ITA. It really is a great adaptation, with excellent casting--Branagh, Jacobi, Brian Blessed (love him as Exeter!!), Paul Scofield, Thompson, and Robert Stephens, father of Toby, husband of Maggie Smith, recently re-emerged from the bottom of the bottle he spent the '60s and '70s in and just nailing the part of Pistol.

The second book I'm positive had been translated from either Norwegian or Swedish. The main characters were a brother and sister who stumble into some kind of dastardly plot to steal something. I don't remember the nefarious intentions offhand, but what stuck in my head was that they used Morse code to communicate when one of them was tied up to the pipes in a basement by the bad guy.

Aghh! This is so familiar, I know that I read this book. I'm coming up completely blank on any details beyond your description. Frustrating!

Was it Number the Stars by Lois Lowry?

Or....

******

Bernie Magruder and the Case of the Big Stink
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Bernie Magruder and his family live in the Bessledorf Hotel. Mr. Magruder is the manager and the family wants to be sure that the hotel is safe and well run so that their dad will not be fired. One day, Bernie's sister, Delores, comes home from the parachute factory, Middleburg's main employer. She has been gassed. The police suspect that the crazy gasser lives at the Bessledorf Hotel. Bernie, Georgene and Weasel decide to find the culprit. They devise a plan to investigate each of the residents to be sure that the hotel is not hiding the crazy gasser. When the next attack occurs, the police inspector reenacts the crime. Suddenly the door opens and Hildegarde comes in with her mop and bucket. They found the gas but not the gasser. When Bernie and his friends discover the Mad Gasser in the hotel, they are held hostage. Using Morse code they signal where they are and who is the real Mad Gasser. The whole thing is a scheme to shut down the parachute factory and extort money. Bernie and his friends are real heroes. They save the parachute factory and Dad's job as the hotel manager is secure. 2001, Aladdin Paperbacks, Ages 8 to 12, $4.99. Reviewer: Karen Werner ISBN: 0-689-84128-0

I think the King James Bible is something that people should read at least once in their lives, being the antecedent to a number of phrases and traditions that carry through the English language and American culture.

We had it as required reading my sophomore year of high school in honors English.

It was more interesting than Crime & Punishment.

Hey, I loved Crime and Punishment! It taught me that classic books can be just as exciting and interesting as regular books!

I am widely disagreed with, and I'm okay with that, but I find Burton's Hamlet to be breathtakingly awesome. Various things rankle and put people off, including the bare stage, the filming of an unmiked stage performance, the lack of sets and the actors in practice clothes. I found it all amazing. The darkened stage and the actors' black clothing throw their faces and hands into the spotlight, and while not all the actors are equally skilled, I don't think I've ever been more impressed with a portrayal of Hamlet. I also love Hume Cronyn as Polonius. It's a stripped-down version, so if you love period locations, sets, and costumes, if you like lush soundtracks and realistic immersion, this probably isn't the production for you.

If you'd like to concentrate on the book and the actors' performances, Netflix has it.

Bev, I think the first time I ever saw Hamlet performed, it was like that. But not that version. I think it was the one with Kevin Kline.

It taught me that classic books can be just as exciting and interesting as regular books!

Les Miserable and Don Quixote did that for me.