Flick Picks 2/19/13: Argo, Anna Karenina and Game of Thrones

New This Week!

ENTERTAINMENT: Despite not being nominated for a Best Director award at the Oscars, Ben Affleck has been riding high this awards season, pulling in Best Director awards at the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards and Golden Globes for Argo. Argo has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, so if you haven't seen it yet your chance has arrived this week! Argo is based on the true story of Tony Mendez (Affleck), a CIA operative who plans a rescue of Iranian hostages by creating a fictional Hollywood film. We've got it on DVD and Blu-ray.

Also out this week, Keira Knightley teams up with director Joe Wright for the third time (following Pride and Prejudice and Atonement) to bring us a new adaptation of Anna Karenina. Jude Law is also on board and the script was written by Tom Stoppard. Finally, Ethan Hawke continues his recent trend of interesting little movies with the scarefest Sinister, about an author who moves his family into a haunted house. It's from the producer of the Paranormal Activity films and is that rarity of a well-reviewed horror film.

SERIES: The last season of Game of Thrones left us with many unanswered questions so it's a good thing that season two is finally here. If you haven't caught this thrilling fantasy series yet you should take out season one to see what the buzz is all about.

DOCUMENTARY: 2011's Oscar winner for Best Documentary finally arrives this week, as Undefeated tells the story of a football team from an impoverished Memphis area and the volunteer coach who tries to help the players excel on and off the field. Even if you have no interest in sports this film is a must-see. Bestiaire is a beautiful, meditative look at animals and their relationship to humans at a Quebec wildlife park. Finally, Paul Williams Still Alive brings us up-to-date on the Academy Award and Grammy winning songwriter, performer and actor.

You can see all of our new and upcoming films in Bibliocommons.

The Presidents On Film

It's Presidents Day this week and nothing brings this elite group of Americans to life like a documentary. Here's some of what we have to offer to help quench your thirst for knowledge about the men who have run the country.

Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided is a six-part program that examines both Lincoln's presidency and his personal life. A. Lincoln: Attorney at Law focuses on his career as a lawyer, which paved the way to his future presidency. John and Abigail Adams is unique in that it is not just about the president but about his remarkable wife and confidante. Thomas Jefferson: A Film was directed by Ken Burns. The Presidents series from PBS' American Experience series has documentaries on Woodrow Wilson, LBJ, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, FDR, The Kennedys and Teddy Roosevelt. We also have documentaries on the more recent presidencies of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. For a look at the relationship between presidents throughout history and mass media give Mandate: The President and the People a try.