Flick Picks 9/24/13: Iron Man 3, Redemption, Unfinished Song

New on DVD at the Library This Week!

ENTERTAINMENT: Robert Downey once again dons the metal suit and takes on the baddies in Iron Man 3. This time, Downey must fight international terrorist The Mandarin who has targeted Tony Stark for elimination. Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle return to once again bring us nonstop action interspersed with wisecracks (or is it the other way around?) We've got it on DVD and Blu-ray. If that's not enough action for you, Jason Statham plays an ex-Special Forces officer who is out for revenge when he learns the identity of his friend's murderer in Redemption.

We also have some quieter options as well. The incredible Terence Stamp stars in the sweet and sentimental Unfinished Song, about a curmudgeon whose discovery of his love of music changes his life. Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Eccleston and Gemma Arterton round up the cast. Opera fans are sure to enjoy 1st Night, which features Richard E. Grant as a wealthy businessman who decides to stage an opera while romancing Sarah Brightman (playing an orchestra conductor). Our indie pic this week is The Kings of Summer, a quirky look at three teenagers who decide to build a house and live off the land. It was a hit at the Sundance festival and has a supporting cast that includes Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and Alison Brie.

SERIES: Everyone's favorite cannibal is the focus of the series Hannibal, which follows the relationship between psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and a young FBI profiler (Hugh Dancy). Also arriving this week are season 7 of Foyle's War and season 4 of Modern Family.

SUBTITLED: Kristin Scott Thomas works out her French-speaking muscles in the darkly comic drama In the House about the relationship between a teacher who becomes involved in the life of a talented teenage boy. Also from France, Carlos director Olivier Assayas brings us Something in the Air, about a young couple in early 1970s France who become politicized, and eventually head down a dangerous path. Finally, Israel sends us the drama Fill the Void, in which a woman must choose between marrying her true love or her sister's widower. It won 7 Ophir awards (the Israeli Oscars) and was Israel's entry for Best Foreign Language at the Academy Awards.

DOCUMENTARIES: Are you a fan of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining? You're probably not anywhere as big a fan as the people who are interviewed in the eccentric Room 237, each of whom brings his or her insane theories to explain the meaning of the film.

All of our new releases are available in Bibliocommons!

Get Caught up on Emmy Winners

The winners of the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Sunday night and as usual the show was a mix of comedy, clothes and controversy! We've got all of the Emmy Award winners that are currently available on DVD so it's a great time to watch them all!

Drama Series: Breaking Bad
Comedy Series: Modern Family
Miniseries or Movie: Behind the Candelabra
Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Claire Danes, Homeland
Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Tony Hale, Veep
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals (coming soon)
Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: James Cromwell, American Horror Story
Directing for a Drama Series: House of Cards
Directing for a Comedy Series: Modern Family
Directing for a Miniseries or Movie: Behind the Candelabra
Writing for Miniseries or Movie: The Hour
Writing for Drama Series: Homeland
Writing for Comedy Series: 30 Rock

Flick Picks 9/17/13: World War Z, Behind the Candelabra, The Bling Ring

New at the Library on DVD and Blu-ray!

ENTERTAINMENT: There are LOTS of new DVDs for you to enjoy this week! Don't forget to ask us for recommendations! Leading off the list is big budget loose adaptation of the Max Brooks zombie novel World War Z. Brad Pitt stars as a retired United Nations investigator who must bring the zombie epidemic under control before we all become food. Don't be scared off by its horror origins as it's really just an action film (and rated PG-13). We've got it on DVD and Blu-ray. A little more intimate is the Michael Douglas and Matt Damon Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra, which probably could have gone to the theaters but ended up as a high profile HBO flick. Also this week, Emma Watson expands her acting chops in Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring. Beautifully shot like all of Coppola's flicks, The Bling Ring is based on the true story of teens who rob from Hollywood celebrities. A Crash for the iPhone generation, Disconnect features Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Alexander Skarsgard and many other talented actors in a number of interconnected stories about the issues surrounding the way we communicate in our constantly wired life.

Skarsgard has been busy as he also stars in The East, a spy flick in which Brit Marling finds herself developing romantic feelings for the leader of the anarchist group that she has been tasked to infiltrate. Director Carl Franklin, who brought us Devil in a Blue Dress and One False Move, makes a welcome return with Bless Me, Ultima, the gorgeously shot adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya's novel in which a young boy in the 1940s must wrestle with good magic, bad magic and religion in small town New Mexico. Rock music lovers aren't neglected this week as it brings us Greetings From Tim Buckley in which the now deceased Jeff Buckley must deal with his rise to stardom while coming to terms with his father's legacy. Finally, we've got a wacky little comic indie pick with Somebody Up There Likes Me, starring Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman as half of a pair of longtime slacker friends who are in love with the same woman.

SERIES: New this week is The Hollow Crown, an adaptation of four Shakespeare plays (Richard II, Henry IV parts 1 and 2 and Henry V) made for the BBC by director Sam Mendes. Originally released as part of the celebration surrounding the British Summer Olympics, it went on to win two BAFTA awards (the British Emmys). From closer to home we get the new hit Nashville, about competing country singers, and Bates Motel, which tells the story of a young Norman Bates. They're both good choices particularly since the female leads of these two shows, Connie Britton (Nashville) and Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), are competing against each other for Lead Actress Emmys this year! Also this week is season 5 of the Timothy Hutton comedy-drama Leverage.

SUBTITLED: In the Fog is a drama set in 1942 USSR and involves the choices made by a captured rail worker and the German officer who decides to set him free. The French Augustine explores the relationship between a young 19th century woman suffering from "hysteria" and the psychiatrist who treats her.

All of our forthcoming DVDs and Blu-rays can be found in Bibliocommons!

Talking Pictures
We will be screening Woody Allen's To Rome With Love at our next Talking Pictures program on Thursday, September 20th at 1:00. It will be followed by a discussion led by Susan Benjamin. All of our Talking Pictures films are screened in the Hammond Room of the library and are free and open to everyone!

Your Opera Favorites on DVD!

The new season of Lyric Opera begins next month! Brush up on the offerings beforehand, watch an old favorite or discover something new in the comfort of your living room! The Lyric Opera shows that we have on DVD are:

• Otello
• Madama Butterfly
• Parsifal
• La Traviata
• Die Fledermaus
• The Barber of Seville
• Rusalka
• La Clemenza di Tito

And if you'd like to enjoy these or any operas even more, be sure to take out How to Listen and Understand Opera, from The Great Courses series.

Flick Picks 9/10/13: Star Trek Into Darkness, Homeland Season 2

New DVDs and Blu-rays at the Glencoe Public Library

ENTERTAINMENT: Who would have guessed that the new take on Star Trek would become one of the most entertaining science fiction film series in recent years? The second of the new big screen versions of the series comes to DVD and Blu-ray this week as Star Trek Into Darkness brings us a young Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew before they launch their five year mission. Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch is the villain and J.J. Abrams returns to the director's chair for this nonstop action fun. Our other major release available this week is Pain and Gain, Michael Bay's action-comedy in which Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson star as a pair of bodybuilders who get involved in theft, kidnapping and murder.

There are many of interesting little releases this week so if you're tired of the big budget Hollywood films there might be something for you here! The English Teacher is a heartwarming comedy about an unmarried literature-loving teacher (Julianne Moore) who decides to mount a former student's play. In the sweet Love is All You Need, Pierce Brosnan is an American living in Denmark who connects with the woman whose son is about to marry Brosnan's daughter. HBO's biopic about Phil Spector focuses on the relationship between Spector (played by Al Pacino) and his defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden (Helen Mirren) while he was being tried for murder. Also from HBO, Hilary Swank and Brenda Blethyn portray two very women from different backgrounds who work together to fight malaria in Africa in Mary and Martha. Finally, based on a TV series from the BBC, the thriller Blood features Paul Bettany, Mark Strong and Brian Cox in the story of two cop brothers who commit murder.

SERIES:  Here's one that you've been asking for ever since season 1 came out: season 2 of Showtime's Homeland is finally here! The aforementioned Mr. Cumberbatch stars with Rebecca Hall in the BBC and HBO co-produced miniseries Parade's End, an adaptation of the Ford Maddox Ford novels about a love triangle during World War I. Also out this week are season 3 of the dark BBC detective series Luther, season 5 of mystery novelist Richard Castle's adventures in Castle, season 6 of hilarious nerd comedy Big Bang Theory and season 3 of the Tom Selleck cop show Blue Bloods.

DOCUMENTARIES: National Geographic photographer James Balog uses time-lapse cameras to capture disappearing glaciers in the beautifully filmed Chasing Ice. Ping Pong follows the contestants (including a 100-year old Australian)  in an over-80s ping pong championship held in Mongolia.

SUBTITLED: One of 2013's nominees for best foreign language film, the brutal War Witch tells the story of a 14-year old girl who is kidnapped by African rebels in the Congo.

You can find all of our new releases in Bibliocommons!

Monday Night at the Movies
On Monday, September 16th we will screen Mud in which Matthew McConaughey plays Mud, a fugitive hiding on a island in the Mississippi River who is discovered by two boys. Mud is able to convince the boys to help him and an unusual friendship is born. The film is 131 minutes and rated PG-13. All of our Monday Night at the Movies screenings take place at 1:00 and 7:00 at the Woman's Library Club at 325 Tudor Ct. Our Monday Night at the Movies are free and open to everyone.

9/11 Movies

Remember 9/11 with these documentaries and narrative films.

• 102 Minutes That Changed America is an A&E produced documentary that follows the events of that morning using actual footage.
• The film adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lawrence Wright's play My Trip to Al-Qaeda shows how he tries to come to terms with Islamic terrorism.
• Fahrenheit 9/11 is divisive documentarian Michael Moore's look at the Bush administration's response to the 9/11 attacks.
• Best Picture nominee Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is the fictional look a boy investigating a key left behind by his father who died in the attack on the World Trade Center.
• United 93 is an intense docudrama showing what happened on the hijacked plane that crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
• World Trade Center stars Nicholas Cage in the based-on-a-true-story of two policemen trapped in the rubble of the collapsed buildings.

Flick Picks 9/3/13: Now You See Me, The Iceman, From Up On Poppy Hill

New to DVD and Blu-ray at the library this week

ENTERTAINMENT: It's the FBI vs. bank robber magicians in the extravagantly entertaining Now You See Me. There are some fantastic names in this cast, with Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine leading it up. Is Steppenwolf Theatre's Michael Shannon one of the greatest film actors working today? You can try to answer that question yourself with help from The Iceman, the based-on-a-true story of a former mob assassin now living with a family that is unaware of his former profession. Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta and David Schwimmer co-star. Goro Miyazaki, the son of Japan's greatest living animator Hayao Miyazaki, shows that filmmaking skill can run in the family as his beautiful From Up On Poppy Hill captures 1963 Yokohama. This is an animated though not kid-targeted look at the budding relationship between two high school schoolmates. Our indie pick this week is At Any Price, which stars Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron as a farming father and his son who wishes to become a race car driver. Ramin Bahrani, the director of our 2009 Monday Night at the Movies pick Goodbye Solo, brings us this film about personal relationships and the plight of the modern farmer.

SERIES: Blandings, a new comedy series from the BBC, is perhaps the flipside of Downton Abbey, as Timothy Spall tries to find peace and privacy with his pet pig in 1929 Britain. It's based on the P.G. Wodehouse Blandings Castle series and also stars Absolutely Fabulous' Jennifer Saunders. A much more dramatic British import is DCI Banks: Aftermath, which kicks off the DCI Banks crime series about a police inspector who has seen it all. Canada sends us Bomb Girls, telling the story of women working in a munitions factory during World War II. We're also adding two new selections to our growing collection of quality subtitled imports. The Italian Inspector Vivaldi Mysteries, set in the city of Trieste, follows an old-school detective who teams up with his cop son to solve crimes. The 6 episode series Frank Riva stars French superstar Alain Delon as the title character, a retired undercover cop who is called back into action when his brother is found murdered.

We also have a number of returning series this week. This bloody and sexy Spartacus series returns with Spartacus: War of the Damned (season 3) and we've got season 2 of the political thriller Scandal as well as season 2 of the crime drama Person of Interest. On the lighter side, we see season 9 of The Office and season 5 of Parks and Recreation arrive this week.

DOCUMENTARIES: In these days of social media amplified loudmouths and scandals, a guy like Morton Downey Jr. almost seems quaint! Check out Evocateur and relive his controversial 1980s peak.

SUBTITLED: Based on Angel Parra's memoirs of his mother Violeta Parra, who who helped revive traditional Chilean music, Violeta Went to Heaven is both an interesting look at Chilean history and a musical treat.

All of our new DVDs and Blu-rays can be found in Bibliocommons.

Unsung Series

Many of us are as addicted to watching tv series as you are. They are free, can give a week's worth of entertainment and, if we're lucky, they keep coming for years. We were blown away by the first season of the Sundance Channel's Rectify but we haven't been hearing a whole lot of buzz about it, despite it being one of the best reviewed shows of the last year. Rectify follows Daniel Holden who is released from prison after spending 19 years on Death Row. Here are some other great series that you might have missed.

• Before Aaron Sorkin brought us The Newsroom he produced Sports Night, another tv show about a tv show. Don't be scared off by the setting if you're not interested in sports, since the show is mainly about personalities, relationships, fast dialogue and great performances.
• Judd Apatow is a director whose great tv show Freaks and Geeks, about high school outcasts, only became recognized as the masterpiece that it is, years after it went off the air.
• Modern teenager Veronica Mars solves crimes in high school and later college and also launches Kristen Bell's career. A recently completed Kickstarter means that there may be an upcoming fourth season.
• The Larry Sanders Show was one of cable tv's early hits as Garry Shandling took on late night talk shows. Real life stars appearing as themselves, a writing team that included Apatow and a regular cast of Jeremy Piven, Janeane Garafalo and Jeffery Tambor as insecure sidekick Hank Kingsley make this show timeless.
• Before his career-making role as Al Swearengen on Deadwood, Ian McShane portrayed Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer with a skill for determining real from fake in both items and people.
• Another classic BBC comedy is the Father Ted, which chronicles the adventures of three priests on a fictional island off the coast of Ireland.