Flick Picks 3/19/13: The Hobbit, Zero Dark 30, This is 40

New This Week!

ENTERTAINMENT: Zero Dark Thirty was shut out at the Oscars (though it had 5 nominations) but was certainly one of the more buzzed-about and controversial movies of the year. It tells the story of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, focusing on one CIA officer's (played by Jessica Chastain) persistence. It's available on DVD and Blu-ray. Also this week, everybody's favorite hairy-footed protagonist Bilbo Baggins get his own adventure in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first part of Peter Jackson's most recent attempt at adapting the J.R.R. Tolkien oeuvre. Martin Freeman is the title character and Ian McKellen reprises his Lord of the Rings role of Gandalf. We've got it on DVD and Blu-ray. The other big release this week is This is 40, Judd Apatow's latest comedic look at adulthood. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's Knocked Up characters turn 40 while balancing their careers, children and relationship. It too is available on both DVD and Blu-ray.

A couple movies that you might not have heard of also come out this week. The comedy Bachelorette has a great cast of Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan and Isla Fisher as bridesmaids looking for fun on the night before their friend's wedding. Also this week, the always delightful Parker Posey stars in Price Check as the new boss who pulls one of her executives into her crazy life.

SERIES: A Mind to Kill is a gritty Welsh import about a brilliant detective who seeks to protect his daughter from the criminal world that he knows all too well.

SUBTITLED: Marion Cotillard's latest French language role is in Rust and Bone, about a woman who loses the use of her legs in a tragic accident and becomes romantically involved with a Belgian boxer. The Other Son is a drama about two young men, one Israeli and one Palestinian, whose families must deal with the consequences when they discover that the boys were switched at birth. Finally, Catherine Deneuve fans (and who is not a Deneuve fan?) will enjoy having 1970's Tristana, directed by Luis Bunuel, finally available on DVD. It explores the relationship between Deneuve's character and an older man (Fernando Rey).

DOCUMENTARY: In Search of Memory is the story of Eric Kandel, a neurologist whose pioneering work on memory as well as his personal ties to Judaism are explored. Or try Kumare which follows an American filmmaker who transforms himself into a "guru". Initially simply inspired to teach a lesson about blind faith, he ends up forming bonds with some of his followers which leads him to question his experiment.

Art on DVD
After enjoying our Picasso program this week, you just might feel inspired to learn more about your favorite artists. Luckily we've got a DVD collection that supports your needs!

• Simon Schama is a well-known art historian whose Power of Art series focuses on 8 iconic works and the time in history that helped produce them.
• The Great Courses set The World's Greatest Paintings consists of 24 lectures of 30 minutes each that is like having a college course in your own living room.
• The Landmarks of Western Art series is another long survey of art throughout history.
• Art expert Sister Wendy is well represented the four discs of Sister Wendy: The Complete Collection.
• Explore the history and art within one of the world's great art museums with the Hermitage Masterpieces set.
• There are also many videos on impressionism and post-impressionism, such as From Monet to Van Gogh as well as individual artists such as Monet, Seurat, Rousseau and Cezanne.  

Flick Picks 3/12/13: Life of Pi, Hitchcock, Rise of the Guardians,

New This Week

ENTERTAINMENT: Which film won four Oscars and costars a computer generated Bengal tiger? Life of Pi, which arrives on DVD and Blu-ray this week. Directed by Oscar winner Ang Lee, Life of Pi is mysterious, metaphorical and visually stunning. It's based on the Yann Martel novel and wowed audiences worldwide. In our other major release this week, Anthony Hopkins plays Alfred Hitchcock in the film of the same last name. Helen Mirren stars as his wife Alma and the film is centered on their relationship during the filming of Psycho. We've got it on DVD and Blu-ray.

There are other interesting options this week as well. Smashed has Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul in the story of a woman who joins Alcoholics Anonymous and is forced to reevaluate her life and relationships after she becomes sober. This Must be the Place provides an unusual role for Sean Penn as a heavy eyeliner-wearing former glam rocker who launches on a road trip following his father's death. Finally, the kids won't want to miss Rise of the Guardians, the animated tale of a group of characters well-known to children (Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy) who battle the boogeyman.

SERIES: New from the BBC is Ripper Street, in which the toughest group of policemen in Victorian England   try to maintain order in post-Jack the Ripper London and keep organized crime under control. Also new is Thorne, a British import starring David Morrissey as detective Tom Thorne, an out-of-the-box thinker who investigates murders while dealing with his own personal demons. It's based on two novels by Mark Billingham.

DOCUMENTARY: David Grohl, drummer from Foo Fighters and Nirvana, makes his directorial debut with Sound City, which tells about the studio of the same name in which hits from Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac and Metallica and more were recorded. Many musicians contributed to this film, which is a must-see for popular music lovers. A can't miss DVD for Downton Abbey lovers is the PBS special Secrets of Highclere Castle, which takes you inside the castle that is the real-life setting for the series.

This is Not a Film is the look at Iraninan director Jafar Panahi's house arrest. Shot clandestinely on an iPhone, the film captures Panahi's day-to-day life. It was smuggled out of Iran (in a cake!) for late entry into Cannes and is a fascinating thought piece on politics and filmmaking. Also, learn the story of Donald Trump's attempt to build a golf course in Scotland and the local homeowners who took him on in You've Been Trumped. Finally, chock full of old photos and recordings, Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness tells the story of the great Jewish writer whose words inspired Fiddler on the Roof.

Please check Bibliocommons for all of our new and upcoming releases!

Monday at the Movies
At our next Monday at the Movies, we'll be showing A Late Quartet, with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener and Christoper Walken in the story of a classical music group that is forced to deal with long-contained emotions when they receive unexpected news about their cellist's health. We will be showing the film at 1:00 and 7:00 on March 18th at the Women's Library Club, 325 Tudor Ct.

Erin Go Bragh!

We may not have corned beef and green beer at the library but we've got plenty of great Irish themed videos to help you celebrate St. Patrick's Day this Sunday. Cead Mile Failte!!!

• Start by getting your history straight with The Story of Ireland, a five part miniseries from the BBC. 
• The Irish Tenors with the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra presents many of your favorite Irish musical favorites performed by a top-notch group of musicians. 
• American boxer John Wayne retires to his Irish homeland in John Ford's The Quiet Man. 
• The charming Once is the story of an Irish street musician who teams up with a Czech immigrant in music and love. 
• The Guard stars Brendan Gleeson as an Irish police officer who teams up with an American FBI agent (Don Cheadle) to take down drug smugglers.
• Acclaimed director Paul Greengrass made Bloody Sunday, the story of the events of that infamous day, feel more like a documentary than the reenactment that it is.
• Veronica Guerin is based on the real life character of the same name who was murdered while investigating the Irish drug trade.
• The Secret of Roan Inish is a mystical film about a young girl who is convinced that her missing brother is being raised by selkies, or seals that can shed their skins to become human. 
• The Secret of Kells is the Oscar-nominated animated tale of the fictionalized creation of the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the Bible which has become a national treasure in Ireland.

Flick Picks 3/5/13: Wreck-It Ralph, The Intouchables

New This Week

ENTERTAINMENT: Wreck-It Ralph, the newest animated hit from Disney, is possibly even more fun for adults than for kids due to its affectionate take on old-school videogames like Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. John C. Reilly stars as the voice of Ralph, who wishes to escape the confines of his videogame where he has been cast as the villain. We own this on DVD and Blu-ray. Also this week, California Solo stars the entertaining Robert Carlyle as a former rock star living a quiet life in California who must confront his past and his family relationships when he is threatened with deportation. Finally, the intellectual thriller Collaborator stars Martin Donovan (who also wrote and directed the film) as a playwright whose ex-con former neighbor (David Morse) holds him hostage.

SUBTITLED: The Intouchables is the feel-good French import about the relationship between a wealthy quadriplegic and his Senegalese caretaker. It was a huge hit in France and eventually became a major word-of-mouth success in the United States as well. If you're interested in something well-reviewed but surreal and bizarrre, the French Holy Motors follows a few hours in the life of a man whose identity is unclear.

SERIES: Season 5 of the Canadian police procedural Murdoch Mysteries crosses the border this week.

DOCUMENTARIES: We've got the newest breathtaking documentary from the producers of Planet Earth and Frozen Planet: Africa.

America's Musical Theater Legends...on DVD!

We know that you love our America's Musical Theater Legends program, hosted by Susan Benjamin. Luckily, the fun doesn't have to end when you leave the library. We've got your favorite legends available on DVD, most of which go out for free! Here are some of the musical legends covered most recently in our series:

Harold Arlen: My Blue Heaven, A Star is Born, The Wizard of Oz
Vic Damone: Deep in My Heart, Hit the Deck, Kismet
Jimmy Durante: The Man Who Came to Dinner, On an Island With You
Judy Garland: Duets, Meet Me in St. Louis, A Star is Born, The Wizard of Oz and more.
Ira Gershwin: An American in Paris, The Barkleys of Broadway, Funny Face, Shall We Dance
Oscar Hammerstein: Carousel, The King and I, Oklahoma!, South Pacific and more.
Dean Martin: Bells are Ringing, Rio Bravo
Liza Minnelli: Cabaret, Liza With a "Z", New York, New York
Johnny Mercer: Dangerous When Wet, The Harvey Girls
Cole Porter: High Society, Night and Day, You're the Top and more.
Frank Sinatra: Anything Goes, Concert Collection, Guys and Dolls, The Man and the Myth and more.

Staff Picks 2/26/13: The Master, Breaking Dawn Part II, Oscar Winners

New This Week!

ENTERTAINMENT: One of the more challenging of last year's major releases - The Master - arrives this week. The Master tells the story of a veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) who becomes involved with a charismatic religious leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Amy Adams also stars and the film was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of Magnolia and There Will Be Blood. We have it on DVD and Blu-ray. Also, we can finally discover whether Bella and Edward live happily ever after in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, also available in both DVD and Blu-ray. For something a little quieter, Gael Garcia Bernal stars in The Loneliest Planet, about an engaged couple whose backpacking trip through Georgia (the country, not the state) makes them examine their relationship to each other and the world.

DOCUMENTARIES: A diagnosis of AIDS used to mean an automatic death sentence. The Oscar-nominated How to Survive a Plague tells the story of activists who were able to encourage pharmaceutical companies to quickly move new drugs from research to testing in order lessen the deadly threat of AIDS.

SUBTITLED: The makers of the animated Persepolis bring us Chicken With Plums, a whimsical story of a man waiting for death in pre-revolutionary Tehran. In the intimate Madrid 1987 a male journalist and a female journalism student end up locked in a bathroom with no clothes on. Their wide-ranging conversation over the next 24 hours is both personal and political. A Simple Life tells the story of a family's servant in Hong Kong who has a stroke, after which the family becomes the caretaker. The beautifully filmed Silent Souls takes you to West-Central Russia, where a man decides to dispose of his wife's remains according to his ancestors' traditions. Finally, the 1958 epic French version of Les Miserables is generally considered one of the best versions committed to film, staying adapted to the original novel.

You can find all of our new and upcoming releases in Bibliocommons!

Talking Pictures
This Thursday, February 28th, Susan Benjamin will host a showing of The Help at the library, followed by a discussion. The screening takes place at 1:00 in the Hammond Room.

Oscar Mania!

Hopefully Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremony has you revved up to see some excellent movies, most of which we own or have on order. Here's the list of winners:


Best Picture: Argo
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Directing: Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Foreign Language Film: Amour
Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, Argo
Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Animated Feature Film: Brave
Production Design: Lincoln
Cinematography: Life of Pi
Sound Mixing: Les Miserables
Sound Editing (tie): Skyfall, Zero Dark Thirty
Original Score: Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
Original Song: "Skyfall" from Skyfall, Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth.
Costume: Anna Karenina
Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man
Documentary (short subject): Inocente
Film Editing: Argo
Makeup and Hairstyling: Les Miserables
Animated Short Film: Paperman
Live Action Short Film: Curfew
Visual Effects: Life of Pi

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.

Flick Picks 2/12/13: Skyfall, Robot and Frank, Weeds and Nurse Jackie

New This Week!

ENTERTAINMENT: Daniel Craig takes a third shot at Bond...James Bond in Skyfall, the highest grossing Bond film in the franchise's 50 year history. Someone is outing MI6 agents and Bond must work with M (Judi Dench) to quash this threat. Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem also star in what has been one of the best-reviewed Bond films of all time. We've got it on DVD and Blu-ray.

Also available this week is the charmer Robot and Frank, with Frank Langella as an ex-con who sees an opportunity to put to use the robot that's been assigned to assist him in order pull off one last heist. The Sessions is the well-reviewed drama starring Helen Hunt as the sex therapist hired to provide a paralyzed man (John Hawkes) with a level of physical intimacy that he has never experienced. Finally, The Perks of Being a Wallflower allows Emma Watson to break away from Harry Potter into a contemporary role. This film, based on a popular young adult novel, follows a group of three outsider kids who try to adjust to high school.

SERIES: We've got the final season of Showtime's marijuana comedy-drama Weeds as well as season 4 of the popular Nurse Jackie.

SUBTITLED: Arriving from China is Dangerous Liaisons, a stylish new take on the French novel, now set in Shanghai. Also this week, the surprisingly sweet Teddy Bear is about a bodybuilder from Copenhagen who travels to Thailand in search of true love.

DOCUMENTARIES: Bully is the controversial film that follows five children who are victims of bullying in their schools, with hidden cameras capturing some shocking footage. Filmmaker Ross McElwee, who brought us the entertaining Sherman's March and Bright Leaves, gives us the personal Photographic Memory in which McElwee traces his roots in order to better understand his son. Planet of Snail is a Korean feature about a young poet who can no longer see or hear and his relationship with his wife and the world around him. It's a touching gem, currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Monday Night at the Movies
We will be screening the documentary Searching for Sugar Man on February 18th at 1:00 and 7:00 at the Woman's Library Club. Searching for Sugar Man is the story of the little-known Detroit singer Rodriguez whose music was rediscovered by South Africans, which eventually spurred a search for the musician. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary.

Valentine's Day

Looking for idea for something to do on Valentine's Day with your sweetheart? Why not grab a classic romantic film? They're free, fun and timeless.

• Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman set the bar for moody romance in Casablanca
• The Empire State Building is the place to meet in An Affair to Remember, with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr
• Taking home Love Story means never having to say you're sorry
• Is there a more charming character in film than Audrey Hepburn's Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady?
• Sabrina is another Audrey Hepburn winner in which she tries to choose between two brothers
• The Shop Around the Corner, later remade as You've Got Mail, is the classic story of coworkers who can't stand each other but unknowingly fall in love as pen pals
• The Lady Eve is a comedy that provides a classic role for Barbara Stanwyck as a con artist who falls in love with her mark

Flick Picks 2/5/13: Flight, Alex Cross, Here Comes the Boom

New This Week

ENTERTAINMENT: One of the best reviewed dramas of the year - Flight - arrives this week. It stars Denzel Washington in the story of a pilot who lands a plane after a mid-air catastrophe but subsequently has to deal with the substance abuse issues that threaten to overshadow his heroic status. It also stars John Goodman and Don Cheadle and was nominated for two Oscars including Best Actor for Washington. We've got it on DVD and Blu-ray.

Also this week, Tyler Perry stashes the dress and stretches his acting chops as the title character in Alex Cross, the latest attempt to bring James Patterson's well-known character to the screen. He chases serial killer Matthew Fox in this creepy thriller. More family friendly is Here Comes the Boom, in which Kevin James attempts mixed martial arts fighting and hilarity ensues. The charming indie relationship drama Celeste and Jesse Forever stars Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg as married high school sweethearts who pursue the idea of divorcing in order to remain friends.

SERIES: Season two of the British police series Above Suspicion comes out this week, as do seasons 3 and 4 of the LA cop series Southland.

SUBTITLED: France's hottest actress Marion Cotillard and Oscar winner Jean Dujardin star in Little White Lies, which has been described as a French Big Chill. Another French import - My Worst Nightmare - stars Isabelle Huppert in an odd couple comedy about an upper-crust intellectual who becomes involved with a lower-class lout. The Pool is an Indian drama about an 18-year old boy who cleans rooms and whose obsession with a swimming pool leads him to becoming friends with the pool's owners. Finally, we've got the gorgeous animated Tales of the Night, a French film shot in shadow puppet style that tells six exotic fables. It will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys unique animation styles.

DOCUMENTARY: Somewhere Between follows four Chinese-born teens who were adopted by American families and attempt to reconcile their cultural past with their current identity. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel profiles one of the 20th Century's fashion icons. New Yorkers of the winged variety are the focus of Birders, which follows many different birdwatchers who take refuge in Central Park to try to spot elusive birds.

Are You Still Ready For Some Football?

The Super Bowl turned out to be an exciting game, even though one of the big questions was whether the power would be restored. Spring training is around the corner and despite a quality Chicago team, strike-shortened hockey just doesn't seem the same. Luckily we've still got some options for those of you who haven't quite been able to accept the fact that football season is over.

Relive the Super Bowls of the past with Greatest Super Bowl Moments. We're not sure when the Bears will make it to the Super Bowl again but you can comfort yourself with Chicago Bears: The Complete History. If you didn't see it at one of our Monday at the Movies screenings, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 is an entertaining look at a one-of-a-kind game. If you caught Michael Oher playing for the Ravens last night you might also want to see The Blind Side, based on the story of his life. For pure entertainment, how about taking out the Friday Night Lights movie (or its wonderful follow-up series)?