Thursday, August 20, 2009

New to the library:

17 Again
What would you do if you got a second shot at life? Mike's glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage has fallen apart, he's been passed over for a promotion, and his kids think he's a loser. But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17 and he's suddenly back at Hayden High School where he becomes the star of the basketball team, a total hottie and a classmate to his own teenage kids.

The Class (French)
François and his fellow teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough neighborhood. Armed with the best intentions, they brace themselves to not let discouragement stop them from trying to give the best education to their students. Cultures and attitudes often clash in the classroom, a microcosm of contemporary France. As amusing and inspiring as the teenaged students can be, their difficult behavior can still jeopardize any teacher's enthusiasm for the low-paying job. François insists on an atmosphere of respect and diligence. Neither stuffy nor severe, his extravagant frankness often takes the students by surprise. But his classroom ethics are put to the test when his students begin to challenge his methods.

Coco Chanel
"Coco Chanel" is the rags-to-riches tale charting the rise of one of the most influential fashion icons of the 20th century. From her humble childhood and early days as a young dressmaker's assistant, to her passionate love affair with a dashing Englishman and ultimate success.

Edge of Love
When legendary poet Dylan Thomas reconnects with Vera, his teenage sweetheart, a romantic rival begins between her and his wife Caitlin. As the women begin to bond an unusual trio is formed. The threesome live in bliss until Vera's husband, a handsome soldier, returns from fighting in the war and jealousy erupts, threatening the trio's fragile happiness.

Green Lantern: First Flight
When Hal Jordan becomes a Green Lantern, he is put under the supervision of senior Lantern, Sinestro, only to discover that his so-called mentor is part of a secret conspiracy that threatens the entire Green Lantern Corps.

I Love You, Man
After Peter gets engaged to the woman of his dreams, he realizes he has not one friend to serve as his best man. To rectify the situation, he goes on a series of man-dates before he meets Sydney Fife, with whom he instantly bonds. While Peter and Sydney become closer, his relationship with his fiancée begins to suffer, forcing him to choose between her or his new B.F.F.

Jesse Stone: Sea Change
Jesse Stone is a down-and-out former L.A. police detective whose biggest battle is now against the bottle. Finding refuge in the small town of Paradise, Chief Stone reopens an unsolved murder case, digging up clues in an old grave and pursuing the ghosts of a forgotten crime. But it's not just the victim's and killer's pasts that rise up to the surface-- it's his own, becoming the chilling focus of a riveting investigation that uncovers one shocking revelation after another.

Love Takes Wing
Two female doctors come to Sikeston, Missouri and none too soon. The town is in the grip of an epidemic that appears to have started in the town orphanage. It's soon identified not as a kind of influenza as was thought, but the far more deadly cholera. This is the seventh in the Janette Oke series.

Push
Nick is a 'mover' - someone who can move things with his mind. He meets up with Cassie who is a 'watcher' - someone who can predict the future. She is trying to rescue her mother from the government. As they try to piece things together, Kira enters their lives. Kira is a 'pusher' - someone who can influence the thoughts of others. She has had a relationship with Nick and is the only person to survive a powerful 'enhancement' drug that was administered to her by the sinister Company. Now, the Company is after her, and Nick and Cassie will need to help her if they want to survive.

Tokyo!
A cinematic triptych of three Tokyo-set stories: "Tokyo!" is a three-way with Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Joon-ho Bong, re-inventing Japan’s great city as modern fairy tales. Three fantasies of alienation, form into the most unique, original, and entertaining film of the year so far.

Incredible Journey of the Butterflies
Every year monarch butterflies migrate across North America to a remote area of Mexico. This presentation discusses how the butterflies navigate and endure the long journey and takes you to the locations they call home.

Friday, August 14, 2009

New to the library:

Bart Got a Room
Danny seems to have everything ready for his Senior Prom...except a date. With his hormones and his reputation on the line, Danny must find a date so he isn't worse off than the biggest nerd in school. Bart Got a Room is “an infectiously charming little movie, blessed with a unique style and a wry comic sensibility.”—DVDtalk.com

Fast & Furious
Brian O'Conner, now working for the FBI in LA, teams up with Dominic Toretto to bring down a heroin importer by infiltrating his operation. Stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
One of the most legendary games in the history of sports; Harvard Stadium, November 23, 1968: Harvard and Yale, both teams undefeated for the first time since 1909, meet for the annual climax of the Ivy League football season. Yale and Harvard stage an unforgettable football contest that baffled even their own coaches. “It takes a lot of confidence for a film to give away its ending in its title, which is just what "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" does. This is a documentary that knows it's got the goods, and does it ever.-Kenneth Turan, L.A. Times

Haunting in Connecticut
The Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut. They soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history. The house was once a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred. The owner's clairvoyant son, Jonah, served as a demonic messenger. He provided a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover. Now unspeakable terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the dead, returns to unleash horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family. Based on a true story.

Nightmares & Dreamscapes
This is a television mini-series adaptation of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Stephen King's collection of short horror stories.

Pink Panther 2
When legendary treasures from around the world are stolen, including the priceless Pink Panther diamond, Clouseau is assigned to a dream team of international detectives who are under pressure to bring the master thief to justice before he strikes again.

Soloist
A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Julliard trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper. The film “features two of the year's best performances from Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx…”—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Les Paul

Les Paul, the musician and inventor, died Thursday at the age of 94. He was probably best known as the creator of the solid-body electric guitar which bears his name but his other contributions to the music world were equally valuable. One of his other inventions was multi-track recording which allows for “multiple layers of ‘overdubs’ to guitar reverb and other sound effects.” Not educated as an engineer, he was a tinkerer from early on. At age 13 he was already experimenting with amplification. He learned to play the guitar, in fact, to test his electronic theories. As a musician during the 50’s he and his wife Mary Ford had 36 gold records.

If you don’t know much about Les Paul but would like to know more I recommend the film Les Paul: Chasing Sound. His contribution to the world of popular music is inestimable and his legacy will live forever.