Flick Picks 7/30

New this week

It's a slow week for new releases, with the Emmy-nominated History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys as the biggest one. This is a different type of miniseries than History Channel has typically produced, with an all-star cast of Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Tom Berenger and Mare Winningham (all of whom received Emmy nods). If you enjoy history-rich Westerns you'll want to pick this one up.


SERIES There are no new series coming out this week but there's good news for all of you fans of the new series The Newsroom. We now own the series that made Aaron Sorkin a star - The West Wing. It's seven seasons long and is sure to get you in the mood for the upcoming presidential election!


SUBTITLED In Le Havre, Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki tells the warm-hearted story of a kindly French shoe shiner who befriends a young African refugee and tries to keep him from being deported. It's a sweet film that's got a 99% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a great indication of its qualities!

DOCUMENTARY Would you like to know why poker has been so hot over the last few years? Check out All In: The Poker Movie, which has interviews from everyone from Matt Damon to poker champion Annie Duke.

You can find all upcoming and recent DVD releases in Bibliocommons.

The Olympics on video!

If you can't get your fill of the Olympics then have we got some DVDs for you! Those of you curious about the history of the Olympics will want to see The Real Olympics, which reconstructs what the games in ancient Greece were actually like while also showing more contemporary highlights. Chariots of Fire is the based on a true story of Olympic runners, and while Miracle is not from the summer Olympics, it does a great job of capturing a classic Winter Olympic moment. On a more somber note, One Day in September is a moving documentary about the 1972 Munich Olympics, where 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage in the Olympic village. The film Munich deals with this event and the Israeli response that followed.

Flick Picks 7/23

New This Week!

ENTERTAINMENT There's only one feature film out this week but it's a good one. The Deep Blue Sea is an adaptation of Terence Ratigan's 1952 play set in post World War II England. It stars Rachel Weisz as a woman trapped in a passionless marriage who becomes involved with former RAF pilot Tom Hiddleston.

SERIES The Boss leads the new tv series releases this week. It stars Kelsey Grammar as Chicago Mayor Tom Kane, who rules the city with an iron fist. Also this week, the new Masterpiece Mystery movie Endeavor tells the story of the early years of Inspector Morse as he investigates the disappearance of a schoolgirl in Oxford. Finally, series 5 of  Inspector Lewis also arrives on this side of the pond.

SUBTITLED The Israeli film Footnote is a dark comedy that tells the story of father and son Talmudic scholars, with the child as the more celebrated of the two. When the father is accidentally given an award intended for the son the committee that presented the award expects the son to break the news to the father, creating a moral dilemma.

You can check Bibliocommons for a complete list of new and upcoming titles.

Emmy Nominations
Last week the nominees for the 2012 Emmys were announced. Here are the ones that we own followed by the name(s) of the major awards for which they were nominated.

The Amish (Documentary Filmmaking)
The Big Bang Theory (Comedy Series; Comedy Actor; Supporting Comedy Actress)
Boardwalk Empire (Drama Series; Drama Actor; Directing for a Drama Series)
Bobby Fischer Against The World (Nonfiction Special)
Breaking Bad (Drama Series; Drama Actor; Supporting Drama Actress; Supporting Drama Actor; Directing for a Drama Series; Guest Actor in a Drama Series)
Community (Writing for a Comedy Series)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (Comedy Series; Comedy Actor; Guest Actor in a Comedy Series; Directing for a Comedy Series)
Damages (Drama Actress)
Dexter (Drama Actor)
Downton Abbey (Drama Series; Drama Actress; Drama Actor; Supporting Drama Actress; Supporting Drama Actor; Directing for a Drama Series; Writing for a Drama Series)
Game of Thrones (Drama Series; Supporting Drama Actor)
George Harrison: Living in the Material World (Nonfiction Special; Directing for Nonfiction Programming)
Glee (Guest Actress in a Comedy Series)
Grey's Anatomy (Guest Actress in a Drama Series)
The Good Wife (Drama Actress; Supporting Drama Actress; Guest Actor in a Drama Series)
Hatfields & McCoys (Miniseries or TV Movie; Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie; Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special; Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special)
Homeland (Drama Series; Drama Actress; Drama Actor; Directing for a Drama Series; Writing for a Drama Series)
The Hour (Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special)
Justified (Guest Actor in a Drama Series)
Louie (Writing for a Comedy Series)
Luther (Miniseries or TV Movie; Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special; Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special)
Mad Men (Drama Series; Drama Actress; Drama Actor; Supporting Drama Actress; Supporting Drama Actor; Directing for a Drama Series; Writing for a Drama Series)
Mike & Molly (Comedy Actress)
Modern Family (Comedy Series; Supporting Comedy Actress; Supporting Comedy Actor; Guest Actor in a Comedy Series; Directing for a Comedy Series)
Nurse Jackie (Comedy Actress; Supporting Comedy Actress; Guest Actor in a Comedy Series)
Parenthood (Guest Actor in a Drama Series)
Parks and Recreation (Comedy Actress; Writing for a Comedy Series)
Portlandia (Directing for a Variety Series; Writing for a Variety Series)
Prohibition (Writing for Nonfiction Programming)
Shameless (Guest Actress in a Drama Series)
Sherlock (Miniseries or TV Movie; Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special; Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special)
The Simpsons (Animated Program)
30 Rock (Comedy Series; Comedy Actor; Comedy Actress; Guest Actress in a Comedy Series; Guest Actor in a Comedy Series)

Flick Picks 7/16

New This Week!

ENTERTAINMENT We've got new DVDs for whatever mood you're in this week. Jennifer Westfeldt who wrote and produced the charming Kissing Jessica Stein brings us her directorial debut, the romantic comedy Friends With Kids. Starring Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig and Adam Scott, Friends With Kids tells the story of two friends who have a baby together while trying to keep their relationship platonic. If that concept sounds a little too classy then perhaps you'd prefer nyuking it up with The Three Stooges. Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly of Dumb and Dumber fame, The Three Stooges brings Moe, Larry and Curly into modern times.

Also this week is the straight to cable Mel Gibson flick Get the Gringo on DVD and Blu-ray. Don't let the fact that this didn't make it to theaters scare you off as it is supposed to be one of his grittiest thrillers and it received excellent reviews. It's a tough action flick in which Mel tries to survive in a Mexican prison, Payback style. Here stars the fine young actor Ben Foster as a young American who gets involved in an intense romantic relationship while on the road in Armenia. Finally, Black Butterflies tells the story of Ingrid Jonker, a woman who has been called the South African Sylvia Plath. It stars Carice van Houten (from the Dutch thriller Black Book) and Rutger Hauer.

SERIES New this week is the much anticipated InBetweeners, a hilarious British series following the exploits of 4 teenage outcasts who try to survive school, acquire beer and hook up with girls. Also arriving this week is the 4th season of Leverage, the Timothy Hutton crime drama.

SUBTITLED If you are a fan of whimsical French comedy you are going to want to be sure to see The Fairy. It tells the story of a hotel clerk who falls in love with a wish-granting fairy and it will charm your socks off! Or if you're looking for something a little more bleak you might try master Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr's final film The Turin Horse. Shot in stark black and white it tells the story of the horse whose abuse sent Friedrich Nietzsche into a mental crisis. It is full of long takes and is a must see for students of serious film.

DOCUMENTARY One of the true American gems, Johnny Carson, is profiled in the new Johnny Carson: King of Late Night. Carson was an intensely private man, which makes this documentary so enlightening.

You can always find and place holds on new and upcoming films through Bibliocommons.

Animal documentaries abound!

Were you as blown away by the last Monday Night at the Movies film Project Nim as some of us were? There are many more great documentaries about animals' relationships with people for you to explore. Similar to Project Nim, The Elephant in the Living Room examines the disturbing trend of exotic pet ownership. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill was another Monday Night at the Movies and it's a surprisingly captivating film. The recent Buck tells the story of a true life horse whisperer,who worked with Robert Redford. Academy Award winner (and yet another Monday Night at the Movies film) The Cove focuses on dolphin advocates trying to change the way that Japan treats dolphins. And Nenette is a quiet treat, observing the way that humans interact with a 40 year old orangutan that lives at a French zoo.

Talking Pictures

Our next Talking Pictures program takes place on August 1st at 1:00 when we will be showing After the Wedding. It's a Danish film that tells the story of the manager of an Indian orphanage who travels to Copenhagen only to discover a shocking family secret. The film was nominated for an Academy Award and a discussion will follow the screening.

Flick Picks 7/9

New This Week!

ENTERTAINMENT This week we've got a film that you might not have heard of but which is worth getting your hands on called Margaret, which stars Anna Paquin, Matt Damon and Mark Ruffalo. It's about a 17-year old who feels that she has inadvertently caused a bus accident resulting in the the death of a pedestrian and the effect that the guilt has on her and those around her. Filmed in 2005, it received a very limited release due to lawsuits surrounding the production of the film and it is finally arriving on DVD in both the theatrical and extended cuts. Roger Ebert put it on his list of best films of 2011 while multiple critics have praised Anna Paquin's performance. Director Kenneth Lonergan's previous (and only other) film was the wonderful and original brother/sister dramedy You Can Count On Me so if you're looking to discover an interesting gem this one could be your film!

Also out this week is Being Flynn, starring Paul Dano as a young poet who reconnected with his homeless dad (Robert DeNiro). It's directed by Paul Weitz and is based on Nick Flynn's memoir. Finally, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a charming film about a fishing expert (Ewan McGregor) brought in by a sheik to introduce the sport of fly-fishing to the desert.

SERIES The one series release coming out this week is The Glades. Mix Justified with Burn Notice and you'll get a sense of this police procedural. If you're looking for something a little more quaint, we recently picked up the complete Nero Wolfe, with Maury Chaykin as Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Archie.

SUBTITLED Our lone subtitled film this week is Seven Minutes in Heaven, an Israeli drama about suicide bombers and one woman's attempt to deal with the past. It was nominated for various Israeli film awards.

You can always find and place holds on new and forthcoming DVDs in our Bibliocommons catalog!

Beat the heat

In case you haven't made it outside, here's an update: it's been HOT out there! Put a hold on the charming Thin Ice to get a dose of cold weather to cool you down. Or try one of these great snowy movies:

• Fargo
• March of the Penguins
• Groundhog Day
• The Gold Rush
• The Ice Storm
• Doctor Zhivago
• Touching the Void
• Eight Below
• Let Me In
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (both the original and the American remake)

Do you have a favorite movie for beating the heat? Put it in the comments below!

Monday Night at the Movies
Our next Monday Night at the Movies is the fascinating Project Nim, a documentary about a chimpanzee taken away from its mother at birth and raised like a human. It will be shown on Monday, July 16th at 1:00 and 7:00 at the Women's Library Club.

Flick Picks 7/2

New this week!

ENTERTAINMENT This holiday week is a quiet one for new DVD releases but there are two worth checking out. The Hunter stars Willem Dafoe in the tense story of a hunter sent by a biotech company to Australia hunt the last remaining Tasmanian tiger. His involvement with a local family complicates matters. Also arriving this week is the dark black comedy God Bless America with Joel Murray (Bill's brother - you've seen him in Mad Men) as a recently fired terminally ill man who decides to take out his rage and frustration on America's most irritating celebrities. Bobcat Goldthwait, whose last film was the edgy dark comedy World's Greatest Dad, directed it.

SERIES The UK has decided to help us celebrate the 4th of July with new seasons of a couple of long-running series. Midsomer Murders is all the way up to set 20 while George Gently reaches series 4. We've also got season 2 of Louis C.K.'s Louie available this week. The Week magazine recently asked the question of whether Louie is the best show on tv. Take it out and see for yourself!

Don't forget to get stocked up on DVDs as we are closed on July 4th. You can always find all of our new releases and upcoming DVDs in our Bibliocommons catalog.


Celebrate our country's birthday

Sometime when you're not enjoying the parades and the fireworks you might find yourself reflecting on the meaning of the 4th of July holiday. We've got a great selection of entertaining and educational films about the founding of the country. The Founding of America, from The History Channel, tells the story of all the people behind the creation of this country. Also from The History Channel, America: The Story of Us is a 12 episode history of the United States as a nation, which asks the question of what it means to be an American.

Bill Moyers leads discussions with some of our greatest thinkers about the history and disputes around the U.S. Constitution in In Search of the Constitution. While it might not be one of Ken Burns' best known documentaries, The Congress is another well-done series. We've also got documentaries about John and Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson. And don't forget about the kids! We've got two sets of Schoolhouse Rock for them to enjoy while spurring your memories: Election Collection Rock and America Rock.

Movies on the Green

Did you know that we cosponsor the Movies on the Green program? The next one is Puss in Boots which screens on Friday, July 13th. All Movies on the Green start at dusk and take place on Wyman Green.

Flick Picks 6/26

New this week!
ENTERTAINMENT The moment that we've all been waiting for since the last Academy Awards broadcast is finally here as the Oscar winner for Best Picture The Artist hits DVD and Blu-ray! Jean Dujardin stars in this near-silent tribute to Hollywood's past. Get your holds in so you can see what the buzz is about!

Another major release this week is the surprisingly well-reviewed comedy 21 Jump Street, which stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as police officers going undercover as high school teens. Unlike many of the old tv show remakes this one has some real laughs (as well as some surprising cameos). We have it on DVD and Blu-ray.

Rounding up the major releases are Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to 2010's Clash of the Titans, on DVD and Blu-ray. Sam Worthington returns Persues as does Liam Neeson as his dad, Zeus. Meanwhile, Mirror Mirror provides family fun as it retells the Snow White story with Julia Roberts in wicked stepmother mode. Finally, you might not have heard of the based on a true story Oranges and Sunshine but it's a sensitive drama starring Emily Watson as a social worker who uncovered the mass deportation of children from the UK to Australia.

TV SERIES The major tv series release this week is the fourth season of Damages, starring Glenn Close as a ruthless lawyer. In the meantime, you've probably heard about the tv show House M.D. but if you haven't had a chance to see it yet we've picked up seasons 1-7!

SUBTITLED The Hedgehog, the much anticipated adaptation of Muriel Barbery's The Elegence of the Hedgehog, tells the story of a disillusioned young French girl who learns about life from her building's prickly concierge. For those of you looking for something a little grittier, Bullhead is about a young cattle farmer who is approached to make a shady deal that eventually leads to violence. It was Belgium's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film category of the Academy Awards last year. The Turkish Oscar entry Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, a long, quiet thriller telling the story of a murder investigation, also comes out on DVD this week. 

You can see and place holds on all of our new and forthcoming releases in our Bibliocommons catalog.

Criterion means quality

Would you like to watch an interesting classic, documentary or subtitled film? Why not look for the Criterion label? Since 1998 The Criterion Collection of DVDs has included some of the finest transfers of cinematic gems as well as informational booklets and commentaries. We own over 100 Criterion titles, and the following are some of the essentials:

• Grey Gardens
• Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion and Rules of the Game
• Francois Truffaut's Antoine Doinel saga
• Lots of Ingmar Bergman including The Seventh Seal and Cries and Whispers
• Early Hitchcock films The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes
• Fellini's Amarcord and 8 1/2

Criterion also releases films that were only recently in the theaters, such as Tiny Furniture and Life During Wartime. Check out the entire list of the Criterion DVDs that we carry!


Talking Pictures
Our next Talking Pictures program takes place on Monday, July 2nd at 1:00 in the library's Hammond Room. We will be showing Water for Elephants, with Susan Benjamin leading the discussion following the film.

Flick Picks: Ernst Lubitsch and a Hollywood Golden Age

There might not have been one Hollywood golden age so much as several. Certainly, a great number of film comedies produced in the 1930's constitute one such age. This was particularly the case in the period between the adoption of the Production Code (also known as the Hays Code) in 1930 and the beginning of its enforcement in 1934. Hollywood films of this brief window in time achieved a level of candor and sophistication not to be seen for decades.

One of the giants of 1930's and 40's film comedy was German immigrant Ernst Lubitsch.  So polished were the director's comedies of manners that they were eventually and rightfully heralded as having "the Lubitsch touch."

Miriam Hopkins

The Glencoe Library has recently acquired two great Lubitsch comedies from the years before the crackdown of the Production Code. Both star Miriam Hopkins, an actress little known today but one of the great screwball comediennes of the 30's and beyond.  


In Design for Living, Hopkins is in the middle of a Parisian love triangle between Gary Cooper and Frederic March. This lasts until the menage a trois becomes too much for everyone and Hopkins' character runs off to America and marries a staid businessman played by Lubitsch regular Edward Everett Horton. Neither Cooper nor March can stand for this and the sanctity of marriage is in for an irreverent assault, the laughs courtesy of a typically sharp script by Ben Hecht, based on a play by Noel Coward.  

Even better is Trouble in Paradise, in which Hopkins is matched with the suave English actor Herbert Marshall. They play two thieves who meet in Venice and decide to team up to rob a wealthy perfume manufacturer (played by another major star of the 1930's, Kay Francis). Both critics and audiences at the time were very pleased with the results. But so risque was Trouble in Paradise considered after the enforcement of the Production Code that the film did not see the light of day nor the dark of the cinema between its banishment in 1935 and the end of the Code in 1968. Lubitsch apparently considered it one of his favorites and you're much more likely to be charmed than scandalized by Trouble in Paradise from your 21st-century vantage point.

Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marhsall in Trouble in Paradise

The library also has several other Lubitsch films in its collection:  Ninotchka (Garbo laughs!), The Shop Around the Corner and Heaven Can Wait. We also have many great comedies from the 1930's and beyond in our "Classic" section, all of the films in the Glencoe collection released before 1976. Check 'em out!