Sometimes it’s fun to make lists. Does anyone have a list to share? We want to know.
My top five foreign films:
My top five teen flicks:
My top five movies about food:
My top five documentaries:
The Story of the Weeping Camel
any favorite horror movies??
Back in my days of undergraduate studies, I remember being freaked out by the movie An American Werewolf in London. True, I had mononucleosis at the time & it probably didn’t take much to rattle me. The Library has the original DVD release and the 2009 “full moon” edition with a bonus disc. Take your pick!
More recently, I totally recommend three films directed by Guillermo del Toro: Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone, and Pan’s Labyrinth.
For a classic movie and a little beyond, try the 1922 vampire film Nosferatu, the 1979 re-make, and then Shadow of the Vampire.
If you’re feeling musical go with Tim Burton’s – The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride.
Last but not least, fun for all ages (i.e. 5-year-olds & kids at heart), I loved the DVD Shaun the Sheep: Little Sheep of Horrors.
Which actor do you like as Hercule Poirot?
In June, catch David Suchet on Masterpiece Mystery! in two new Poirot episodes.
Attention Masterpiece Mystery! fans. Did you catch the first installment of the three-part series, Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh as the troubled Swedish detective? Any comments?
FYI, these are based on the popular books by Henning Mankell. The first episode, Sidetracked, aired locally on PBS this past Sunday night. It is being re-run Tuesday, May 12th at 2:30am. The next episode is Firewall. It airs Sunday, May 17 at 8:00pm and again Wednesday, May 20th at 2:30am. The third episode, One Step Behind, is scheduled for Sunday, May 31st at 8:00pm. The Library has orderd the DVD. If you missed out, reserve it now.
Posted under Movies & Music, books to film, general, tv showsTwo major releases – both dealing with relationships – come out on DVD this week. We’ve got trailers for you, and links to place your holds.
Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson show off fantastic chemistry in Last Chance Harvey.
We also have Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in David Fincher’s opus The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This decade-spanning love story is (loosely) based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and garnered a whopping 13 Academy Award nominations. (It brought three home.)
If you can’t wait to see the film, it’s playing at the Library on Friday, May 8th at 1:30. Alexandre Desplat’s sweeping soundtrack is also available.
Posted under events, generalDo you have a favorite cinematic Miss Marple? Check out the possibilities.
Catch new Marple episodes starring Julia McKenzie on PBS, starting this July as part of the Masterpiece Mystery series. (P.S. the Library does not have these yet on DVD. Stay tuned.)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki
Not just because it’s Earth Day – really. This comic book series and animated feature length film are highly recommended at any time! Nausicaä has a strong ecological theme. So it seemed appropriate to write about it today. The message is timeless and important. Read the graphic novels, watch the DVD.
My movie review: In the post-apocalyptic future, pacifist and environmental warrior Princess Nausicaa lives in Valley of the Wind, a small rural territory at the edge of an expanding wasteland. When a ship carrying a weapon from a long-gone industrial age crashes nearby and soldiers come to retrieve the cargo, she and the people of the Valley struggle to prevent conflicting nations from destroying one another and the declining planet. (read more)
See a selected list of environmental-themed documentaries.
Posted under Movie, general, reviewsIn observance of - Earth Day – here are some DVD suggestions:
Atmospheres: Earth, Air, Water
Becoming Green – Growing Environmental Awareness
Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk
Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures: Return to the Amazon
Six Degrees Could Change the World
Posted under generalIt’s National Library Week. Do you have a favorite celluloid librarian?
Here is a selected list of movies and TV shows featuring adventuresome (and sometimes wacky) librarians & archivists:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (television series). Not Rated. 1997-2003.
The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag. PG-13. 1992.
The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice. Not Rated. 2008.
The Librarian: The Quest for the Spear. Not Rated. 2004.
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines. Not Rated. 2006.
The Mummy. PG-13. 1999.
Party Girl. R. 1994.
Shooting the Past. Not rated. 1999.
Yeah, I’ve seen all of the above and liked everything. If I have to pick a favorite pretend librarian, I guess it’s Flynn Carsen (played by actor Noah Wyle) in the Librarian made-for-TV movies. But Rupert Giles (played by Anthony Head) of Buffy the Vampire fame is an extremely close second!
See my earlier post about The Librarian as an action hero.
Posted under Movie, general, tv shows
The British miniseries Lost in Austen is being broadcast on PBS this month. I hope that I’m not the only one who finds this exciting news. The Library has ordered the DVD. Reserve it now!
For more viewing ideas, have a look at our film list – Movies Based on the Works of Jane Austen.
I also recommend watching The Jane Austen Book Club.
Here is a short review: For various reasons, five women and one man start a Jane Austen book group. It’s perfect. There are six books and six people. They agree to discuss one novel a month, and each will take a turn to host the gathering. Amid the confusion and complexity of modern-day relationships, the question is: “What would Jane do?” Based on the book by Karen Joy Fowler. (read more)
See a related Bookshelf post.
Posted under Movies & Music, general, movie news, reviews, view-a-likes