Sharon and Terry are back, talking about movies! This time we focus on the award-winning movie Crazy Heart (available on DVD and Blu-ray).
Skokie Public Library Studio Podcast
View-a-likes for Crazy Heart:
Other movies starring Jeff Bridges:
Movie soundtracks mentioned in this podcast:
PBS Great Performances airing on Wednesday, April 28
Hamlet. 2009 – David Tennant (as Hamlet) and Patrick Stewart (as Claudius/ghost)
Hamlet. 2001 – Campbell Scott
Hamlet. 2000 – Ethan Hawke
Hamlet. 1996 – Kenneth Branagh (and available on VHS)
Hamlet. 1990 – Mel Gibson
Hamlet. 1990 – Kevin Kline
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. 1980 – Derek Jacobi (and available on VHS)
Hamlet. 1964 – Richard Burton
Hamlet. 1964 – I. Smoktunovskiĭ (in Russian, with English subtitles)
Hamlet. 1948 – Laurence Olivier
(DVD unless otherwise noted)
Posted under Movie, books to film, generalI’m back with more viewing suggestions!
Skokie Public Library Studio Podcast
Titles featured in this podcast:
The Young Victoria (also on Blu-ray)
The next movie in the World Film Fest series at the Library is Storm, to be screened on Monday, April 5 at 7pm.
In the movie a courageous lawyer pursues a case in order to bring justice to a situation involving war crimes in Sarajevo (committed years earlier). This film is truthful and compelling, IMO. The lawyer and the star witness in the highly publicized case confront corruption and personal violence. Despite the horrific war crimes at the heart of the story, this movie does not show a lot of violence. The war crimes are revealed via narrative and fuzzy flashbacks. In fact, I think that a big strength of the movie is the narrative style. Also, the actors turn in top-notch performances.
This movie is distributed by Film Movement, a distributor of independent movies on DVD. If you like courtroom dramas, world politics and independent film making, this is a movie that should be on your radar! Just my two cents.
If you can’t join us for the screening, check out the movie from the collection.
Posted under Movie, events, general, independents, worldWe always have movie suggestions for you!
Skokie Public Library Studio Podcast
Titles featured in this podcast:
Here are four movies that I like to watch again & again. This time, Terry is in the studio with me. Do you think that I convinced her to re-watch the Irish movie Once or check out one of my other suggestions? Hmm… How about you!?
Skokie Public Library Studio Podcast
Titles featured in this podcast:
Also mentioned in this podcast:
Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle
Pride and Prejudice starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier
Once: Music from the Motion Picture
The duo Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova)
Posted under Movie, Movies & Music, Soundtracks, general, independents, podcasts, reviews
The more I watch this television series, the more I like it! In a nutshell, roommates Sheldon and Leonard are 20 something Caltech professors/researchers who truly make geekiness very funny. Sheldon was a child prodigy and now is a theoretical physicist. Leonard is an experimental physicist. Their best friends Rajesh, an astrophysicist, and Howard, an engineer, add a lot of quirky humor. Penny, the attractive Cheesecake Factory waitress next door, is a fantastic foil to her oftentimes socially inept, SF/fantasy, comic book loving neighbors. She may not have the type of smarts that Sheldon and Leonard do, but she’s not a dumb bunny either. She can get to the heart of a matter pretty quickly. The relationship triangle is worth many laughs and rings true through all the comedic twists. The series is well written and original.
I suppose that several events and people are fictionalized; nonetheless the life of Coco Chanel is an interesting story. I like the way the movie shows her faults, strengths, failures, successes, and influences. I think that Audrey Tautou is perfectly cast, and all the other actors do a great job. The costumes are excellent, as are the sets. I don’t know anything about the fashion world or clothing styles. But I do like this story about a strong woman, who was a true original, making a success from difficult circumstances.
A collection of love stories set in New York, this movie has a light touch. In truth, it has gotten mixed reviews, but for me it struck the right note. I enjoyed all the segments and seeing different directors with varied styles. I liked all the actors and have to say that Julie Christie was a standout. I recommend watching this movie and Paris, Je T’Aime as a double feature.
Loved it! The animation is stunning. The story is sweet and with substance. It’s great that Hayao Miyazaki does not back away from important issues (for example environmental/pollution), but still manages to create a movie that can be enjoyed by young, old, and those in-between. He is a master craftsman & it’s refreshing that Studio Ghibli produces such high quality, hand drawn work amidst all the computer-generated animation out there today. I highly recommend Miyazaki’s other films: Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and The Castle of Cagliostro.
Oh, why not for a year end favorite. In my youth, I was a fan of the original TV series. I even went to a few Star Trek conventions. I’m pleased that the storyline got a back-story, so to speak. Perhaps this is not a “great” movie. But it’s a really, really good movie. I loved that Leonard Nimoy had a part and found many of his scenes quite touching. The casting worked all around. For instance, Karl Urban nailed the part of Bones. Bruce Greenwood was great as Captain Pike. Eric Bana did a noteworthy job as the villain, Nero. It was a stroke of genius to have Simon Pegg play Scotty. Chris Pine made an excellent young Kirk. It took me a little time to get used to Zachary Quinto as Spock. By the middle of the movie, I was OK with it. The movie scores high points for the cinematography, special effects, and overall production.
(Editor’s Note: every year at the Library staff are asked to submit a list of their favorite books, DVDs, and albums. These can be materials that came out before 2009, as long as they came to discover them in the past year. We’ve invited everyone to elaborate on their choices. Look for additional blog pieces in the weeks to come. -TG)
Posted under Movie, Movies & Music, generalSometimes 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.
