Flick Picks 10/7/14: Edge of Tomorrow, Million Dollar Arm

New on DVD at the Library This Week

ENTERTAINMENT: Many films are released in extended cuts but this week we get a film with an extended title, in the critically acclaimed Tom Cruise flick Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow. This action-packed sci-fi extravaganza brings us earth-invading aliens and inexperienced combat soldier Cruise who discovers that he can keep going back in time until he gets everything right. Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton are also around and Doug Limon, whose career includes gems like Swingers, The Bourne Ultimatum and Fair Game, directs with an eye towards both action and humor. We've got it on DVD and Blu-ray. Also this week, is Jon Hamm a mad man in importing cricket players to try to make it in baseball's bigs? Find out in the inspirational true story Million Dollar Arm.

Seth MacFarlane brings us his follow-up to Ted in A Million Ways to Die in the West, a cowboy comedy. Besides MacFarlane in the lead, the cast offers up Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried and Liam Neeson. The bitingly funny Obvious Child is an honest look at an unwed stand-up comic who must decide what to do about her unwanted pregnancy. Newbie writer/director Gillian Robespierre is a talent to keep your eye on. The charming Grand Seduction tells the story of a small Canadian fishing village that tries to keep a big city doctor in town. Taylor Kitsch is the doc and Brendan Gleeson is one of the scheming townsfolk. Fans of Louise Penny will want to pick up Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery, an adaptation of one of her books set in Quebec.

SERIES: The History Channel offers up the two-part miniseries Houdini, based on the life of the famous magician and featuring Adrien Brody in the title role. Another new miniseries this week is The Great Train Robbery, featuring Luke Evans and Jim Broadbent in a retelling of the infamous 1963 event. The newest season of American Horror Story (subtitled Coven) arrives this week and focuses on a pack of witches, while seasons 2 of Norman Bates origin story Bates Motel, Kevin Bacon psychothriller The Following, Canadian P.I. comedy-drama Republic of Doyle and The History Channel's Vikings all arrive this week.

You can find all of our new DVDs in Enterprise.

Talking Pictures
Our next Talking Pictures screening is Philomena, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in the true story of a woman who decides to search for the son whom she gave up for adoption years earlier. The film will be shown in the library's Hammond Room at 1:00 on Friday, October 10th and will be followed by a discussion led by Susan Benjamin. All of our film screenings are free and open to the public.

Teen Movie Double Feature
In town for Columbus Day - Monday, October 13th - and looking for something fun to do? We have just the ticket: screenings of Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars, both based on popular YA novels! We’re kicking things off with Divergent at 4:00, followed immediately by pizza and TFIOS at 6:30. Join us for one movie (or two) or just pizza. See you at the movies at the library! Please note that this program is only for those in 6th-12th grade and that both movies are rated PG-13.

Columbus Day Films

Columbus Day has turned into a celebration of Native Americans as well as our country's discovery by Europe. Here's a selection of films on both subjects!

• Columbus: The Lost Voyage tells the story of Columbus years after he landed in America.
• The New World is based on the story of another Native American - Pocahantas - and her romance with Captain John Smith.
• The animated Pocahantas tells the same story for a younger audience.
• The American Experience documentary The Way West takes a look at the frontier, from the early days up to Wounded Knee.
• You might not realize how much impact The French and Indian War had on America but after watching The War That Made America you will!