Thursday, November 19, 2009

New last week:

American Violet
Based on a true story, a single mother falsely accused of dealing drugs in a small Texas town attempts to clear her name. “American Violet, which is based on real events that took place in late 2000, has the quasi-documentary feel of a well-made television drama.”—Stephen Holden, New York Times

Ugly Truth
The search for 'Mr. Right' has left Abby, a romantically challenged morning show producer, hopelessly single. She receives an eye-opening education when she gets teamed up with Mike, a hardcore TV personality, who wants to prove his theories on what makes men tick by helping her find true love. The unexpected results may surprise them both.

New this week:

Accidental Husband
When New York's most practical-minded 'doctor of love' convinces one of her distraught callers to break off her engagement, the caller's unpredictable fiancé decides to get revenge. Creating a fake marriage license, he 'accidentally' weds himself to the doctor, who is already engaged. A wildly unpredictable romance is set in motion that neither one expects to find.

All Creatures Great and Small. Series 7
The trials and misadventures of the staff of a country veterinary office in 1940's Yorkshire.

Brüno
As Bruno travels the world in search of fame, no one, whether they are celebrities, politicians or even terrorists, will be spared from his signature sense of style and his wickedly off-kilter manner. And, yes, they are all real situations. Prepare yourself for non-stop laughs and outright gasps when you experience the unforgettable antics of Bruno.

Cherry Orchard (1962 and 1981 versions)
Set in late nineteenth-century Russia, a Russian aristocrat returns home after a long absence and learns her family fortune has been squandered and she may have to sell her mansion and the beloved cherry orchard.

Gone With the Wind (1939)
Margaret Mitchell’s epic Civil War classic brought to the screen with monumental performances by Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s about time you did.

Hedda Gabler (1963)
Hedda has just come back from her honeymoon, married to boring but reliable academic George Tesman. Refusing to tie herself down in life and name, Hedda is banking on George being appointed a professorship to secure a better life for the young couple. However, the arrival of cleaned up ex-lover Eilert threatens to destroy everything.

Is Anybody There?
Ten-year-old Edward lives in his family-run retirement home. While his mother struggles to keep the family business afloat and his father copes with the onset of a mid-life crisis, Edward leads an increasingly lonely existence until he meets Clarence, a retired magician and grieving widower who refuses to give in gracefully to old age.

Jekyll
A new Dr. Jekyll has an old problem: Mr. Hyde. But they have a deal, a body share, and an impossible life is somehow lived. What Hyde doesn't know is that Jekyll is married. There's a wife and two children that Dr. Jekyll will do anything to protect from his dark side. What neither of them know is that an ancient organization is monitoring their every move, and a plan over a century in the making is coming to fruition. The return of Dr. Jekyll is no accident.

My Sister’s Keeper
Sara and Brian live an idyllic life with their young son and daughter. Suddenly, their baby girl falls ill, and her only hope for survival rests in her parents' ability to find a compatible bone marrow donator. Their desperate decision to conceive another child raises both ethical and moral questions and begins to erode their relationship. Their actions ultimately set off a court case that threatens to tear the family apart.

Pygmalion (1963)
A stuffy professor of phonetics takes a bet that in six months time he can turn a Cockney flower seller into a lady he could pass off as a duchess. Starring Lynn Redgrave as Eliza Doolittle.

Star Trek
On the day of James Kirk's birth, his father dies on his ship in a last stand against a mysterious alien vessel. He was searching for Ambassador Spock, who is a child on Vulcan, disdained by his neighbors for his half-human nature. Twenty years later, Kirk has grown into a young troublemaker. He is inspired by Capt. Christopher Pike to fulfill his potential in Starfleet, even though he annoys his instructors. Suddenly, there is an emergency on Vulcan when the Romulan Nero comes from the future to take revenge on the Federation. The newly commissioned USS Enterprise is crewed with promising cadets like Uhura, Sulu, Chekov and even Kirk himself thanks to Leonard McCoy's medical trickery. Together, this crew will travel to the final frontier where the old legend is altered forever.

17th Century Masters
Presents the stories behind masterpieces of painting: Rembrant van Rijn's The night watch; Johannes Vermeer, The art of painting; Diego Velazquez, The Rokeby Venus.

Michael Palin Hemingway Adventure and Great Railway Journeys
In Hemingway adventure, Michael Palin takes the viewer to locations where Hemingway lived, visited, and wrote about. In Great railway journeys, Palin travels from Londonderry to the western tip of Ireland, following the progression of his family's migration.

Songs of a Lifetime
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor ; Leone Mageira, piano. Excerpts from operas and Neapolitan songs, for tenor and piano.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

New last week:

12 Monkeys
An inmate from a futuristic prison is sent to the past to gather information about the virus that sent the human race to live underground. “12 Monkeys is a unique, bizarre, thought-provoking film that displays director Terry Gilliam at the top of his talents.”—dvdtalk.com

The Big Lebowski
A stoned-out leftover from the 1960s is asked to be the go-between when the wife of a rich man for whom he is mistaken is kidnapped. “There's really nothing else out there like The Big Lebowski. The Coens' have made many great films…but they never made one funnier or more bizarre… There's something magical about seeing Jeff Bridges play the laziest bum of a man who finds himself dragged in to all kinds of surreal situations. The supporting cast is beyond outstanding…”—dvdtalk.com. If you haven’t met the Dude yet, don’t hesitate—check it out!

Food, Inc.
Lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profits ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Reveals surprising - and often shocking truths - about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation.

The Great Escape
Allied POWs plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II. “The Great Escape stands alone among war movies; to date it's still the most successful effort that maintains a basic truth to its events while embellishing them with irresistible adventure.”—dvdtalk.com

Orphan
After the loss of their unborn baby, Kate and John Coleman decide to adopt a child as a way to bring some joy and normalcy into their lives. The couple is drawn to Esther, a 9-year-old orphan and they welcome her into their home. As soon as Esther moves in, a series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there's something wrong with Esther - this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be.

The Taking of Pelham 123
New York Metropolitan Transit Authority train dispatcher Walter Garber's day is turned upside down when he must face-off against Ryder, the criminal mind that has hijacked the passengers of subway train, Pelham 1-2-3. Ryder is the leader of a highly-armed gang of four, including a henchman who used to work for the MTA. NYPD Hostage Negotiator Detective Camonetti initially takes charge of the situation, but quickly realizes that Ryder will only deal with Garber. Garber begins to employ his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

This film, based on the novel by John Godey, is an action-packed drama featuring John Travolta as the leader of the bad guys who have hijacked a subway train in NYC for a 10 million dollar ransom. His first contact is with a train dispatcher, played by Denzel Washington, who gets drawn into the plan as the negotiations progress and the pressure mounts. This was a thoroughly entertaining movie with a good mix of suspense, action and humor seasoned with some great New York City flavor.

From guest reviewer Judie Harren.

Monday, November 9, 2009

New to the library:

Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme
Dr. Steve Strange embarks on a wondrous journey to the heights of a Tibetan mountain, where he seeks healing at the feet of the mysterious Ancient One. Before his wounds can mend, he must first let go of his painful past and awaken a gift granted to few - the gift of magic. Empowered as the new Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange now tests his limits, rising up against monsters that push at the gates, facing the most terrifying entity humankind has ever known.

Inu Yasha: Down the Well
A high school girl, Kagome, travels back in time through a well in the garden and arrives at a time of civil war. She has a mysterious ball which makes evil spirits more powerful. She has to fight the evil spirits that want the ball, joining forces with Inuyasha, a half-man, half-spirit ally.

Last Homecoming (Greek)
Alexandra and Orestes are a young couple who decide to spend the summer holidays in the picture-perfect seaside town on Cyprus with Orestes' family. Phaedra, the mother of Orestes, decides to stage a play with the help of family and townspeople. When Orestes' brother and Phaedra's old lover enter the scene, tensions begin to mount, relationships are tested, and love and betrayal are all on the program.

Nothing Like the Holidays
For the first time in years the entire Rodriguez clan comes home to Chicago to celebrate Christmas where traditions will be celebrated. During the course of this eventful week they will celebrate one member's safe return from Iraq, secrets will be revealed, old resentments forgotten, each family member will learn something about themselves and each other, and the healing power of laughter will work its magic.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
College-bound Sam Witwicky learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. He will have to accept his destiny and join Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in their epic battle against the Decepticons. The Decepticon forces, having returned stronger than ever, come to Earth on a mission to take Sam prisoner and destroy the world.

Van Der Valk Mysteries
Detective Piet van der Valk spends his time in the darkest places of Amsterdam, far from the tourist spots, where he is the happiest taking on the seedy drug dealers and criminals. Episodes include One Herring's Not Enough; Blue Notes; Thicker Than Water; Elected Silence; and more.

Whatever Works
Boris Yellnikoff is a lifelong New York resident who attempts to impress his ideologies of religion, relationships, and the randomness of existence onto anyone who will listen. But when he begrudgingly allows Melodie St. Ann Celestine, a naïve Mississippi runaway, to live in his apartment, his reclusive rages give way to an unlikely friendship and Boris begins to mold the impressionable young girl's worldly views to match his own. When it comes to love, 'whatever works' is his motto, but his already perplexed life complicates itself further when Melodie's parents eventually track her down. Directed by Woody Allen.