Saturday, February 26, 2011

New this week (2/26/11):

Catfish
In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel's brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. A reality thriller that is a shocking product of our times, Catfish is a riveting story of love, deception and grace within a labyrinth of online intrigue.

Due Date
Expectant first-time father Peter Highman (Robert Downey, Jr.) looks forward to his new child's due date five days away. As Peter hurries to catch a flight home from Atlanta to be at his wife's side for the birth, his best intentions go completely awry when an encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) forces Peter to hitch a ride with Ethan on a cross-country trip that will ultimately destroy several cars, many friendships and Peter's last nerve.

Exit through the Gift Shop
An eccentric French shopkeeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner with spectacular results. Banksy is a graffiti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post-hurricane New Orleans to the Palestinian segregation wall in the West Bank. Fiercely guarding his anonymity to avoid prosecution, Banksy has so far resisted all attempts to be captured on film.

Fish Tank
Mia... lives with her mother and sister in the housing projects of Essex. Mia's adolescent conflicts and emerging sexuality reach a boiling point when her mother's new boyfriend... enters the picture. “A fantastic symphony of characters making poor decisions, "Fish Tank" is a depiction of innocence lost, set against a common backdrop of working-class England, with its claustrophobic habitats and perpetual ambiance of hostility.”—dvdtalk.com

Get Low
Felix Bush, a Tennessee hermit, is either feared or hated by most of the people that live in the town. One day, he gets the idea to throw one big bash before he kicks the bucket. While he is still alive and kickin' he plans his very own rollicking funeral party.

Great Migrations (591.568)
Takes viewers around the world on the arduous journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species. Shot from land and air, in trees and cliff-blinds, on ice floes and underwater, this collection tells the formidable, powerful stories of many of the planet’s species and their movements, while revealing new scientific insights with breathtaking high-definition clarity.

Love the Beast
Eric Bana's directorial debut explores the importance of his 25-year-long love affair with his first car- a Ford XB Falcon Coupe "The Beast". Obsessed with cars and racing since he was a child, Eric takes us on a journey that spans a lifetime and culminates in The Beast's untimely death in one of the world's most dangerous races, the Targa Tasmania.

Man in a Suitcase
Formerly a U.S. intelligence agent, McGill was based in London. He was thrown out of the agency for something he did not do, and now finds his 'false' reputation has preceded him everywhere he goes. While trying to clear his name, he takes odd and intriguing 'private eye' jobs all over Europe, to make ends meet.

Two in the Wave
Directors Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut changed the face of cinema forever as members of the French New Wave. They also happened to be best friends. This film documents their combative and creative relationship during their time as writers for the Cahiers du cinema, their work on The 400 blows and Breathless, and their dramatic falling out following the worker and student strikes of May 1968. It also presents the unique bond both filmmakers shared with the actor Jean-Pierre Léaud, who started his career as a child and grew up with Godard and Truffaut as brilliantly bickering father figures.

Waiting for “Superman”
This documentary has helped launch a movement to achieve a real and lasting change through the compelling stories of five unforgettable students such as Emily, a Silicon Valley eighth-grader who is afraid of being labeled as unfit for college, and Francisco, a Bronx first-grader whose mom will do anything to give him a shot at a better life. It is an engaging and inspiring look at public education in the United States.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

New last week:

Unstoppable
A runaway train transporting deadly, toxic chemicals is barreling down on Scranton, Pennsylvania, and only two men can stop it: a veteran engineer and a young conductor. Thousands of lives hang in the balance as these ordinary heroes attempt to chase down one million tons of hurtling steel and prevent an epic disaster.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Charles Dickens is one of the most popular and most important writers in all of English literature. He is as much beloved today for his colorful characters and cliffhanger stories as he was during his lifetime. It is no surprise then that films made from his novels are also popular. Immerse yourself in the injustices of the 19th century legal system in Bleak House or do a little time traveling with Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Overcome adversity with Dickens’ own favorite child, David Copperfield or join Fagin’s’ waifs in Oliver Twist. Explore “the conflict between doing what society expects of you, or being true to yourself” in Our Mutual Friend or the subject of arranged marriages in Dombey and Son. Or, if you want something lighter take a look at the more humorous side of Dickens in The Pickwick Papers. Whichever film you choose you know you will be seeing the work of a master storyteller so you know it will be good. Many of these films were originally made for Masterpiece Theatre so if you’re a fan of that BBC production be sure to check out these titles.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

New this week (2/9/11):

Conviction
Betty Anne Waters is a young woman whose world is shattered when her beloved brother Kenny is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Steadfastly convinced of his innocence, Betty Anne embarks on an 18-year journey to set Kenny free, using state-of-the-art forensic technology. The unshakable bond between a brother and sister, at the heart of this real-life drama, will stir your emotions and inspire you.

Hideaway (French)
Mousse and Louis are young, beautiful, rich, and in love, but drugs have invaded their lives. After Louis' fatal overdose, Mousse soon learns she is pregnant. Feeling lost, Mousse escapes to a beautiful beach house far from Paris and is soon joined in her refuge by Louis' gay brother, Paul. The two strangers gradually develop an unusual and deeply moving relationship as Ozon continues his unique exploration of the nature of family and blood ties.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Sometimes what's in your head isn't as crazy as you think ... that's certainly true for Craig, a stressed-out teenager who checks himself into a mental health clinic for some time out. What he finds instead is an unlikely mentor, a potential new romance and an opportunity to begin anew. Charming, witty and smart, it's a coming-of-age story that's kind of a funny story.

Let Me In
Abby, an eerily self-possessed young girl, emerges from her heavily curtained apartment only at night and always barefoot, seemingly immune to the bitter winter elements. Owen, an alienated 12-year-old boy, recognizes a fellow outcast and opens up to her, forming a unique bond. But as a string of grisly murders occupy his town, Owen has to confront the reality that this seemingly innocent girl might be hiding an unthinkable secret.

Life as We Know It
Holly is an up-and-coming caterer and Messer is a promising network sports director. After a disastrous first date, all they have in common is their dislike for each other and their love for their goddaughter Sophie. But when they suddenly become all Sophie has in this world, Holly and Messer must set their differences aside. Juggling career ambitions and competing social calendars, they'll have to find common ground while living under the same roof.

Never Let Me Go
Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are best friends who grow up together at an English boarding school with a chilling secret. When they learn the shocking truth that they are genetically engineered clones raised to be organ donors, they embrace their fleeting chance to live and love. Based on the acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Paranormal Activity 2
Security cameras capture the torment as a demonic presence terrorizes new parents Dan and Kristi, tearing apart their seemingly perfect world and turning it into an inescapable nightmare.

Romantics
Alliances are tested when seven college pals reunite to watch two of their own say 'I do' at a seaside wedding. But the maid of honor and the groom share a passionate history, and the bride isn't the only one who's wondering if it's all in the past, proving that nothing complicates friendship like love.

Stone
Jack Mabry, a parole officer days away from retirement, is asked to review the case of Gerald 'Stone' Creeson, in prison for arson. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man's decision with his wife Lucetta have profound and unexpected effects on them both.

Superman/Superman II/Superman III/Superman IV—on 2 discs
This is a 2-disc set that includes the four Superman films starring Christopher Reeve.

You Again
For Marnie, high school was a horror movie, and her brother's wedding is the sequel when her archrival comes back to haunt her as his bride. It's nice girl versus mean girl in this hysterical reunion with the one person Marnie would really like to forget. And if that weren't enough, Marnie's mom reunites with her own high school nemesis.

Quebec: C’est Magnifique (917.14 QUE)
We visit Quebec's world-class metropolis, Montreal, then its captivating capital, Quebec City, and journey northward into just a few of its many-splendored places

Toronto: Diverse and Delicious (917.135 TOR)
Toronto is as dynamic, diverse, and delicious as nearly any city in North America. Culinary Travels with Dave Eckert will take viewers inside Ontario's capital for a look at the chefs, markets, and culinary creations that make Toronto a favorite destination.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

New this week (2/3/11):

Downton Abbey
Set in an Edwardian country house in 1912, Downton Abbey portrays the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who work for them. In the drawing rooms, library, and beautiful bedrooms, with their tall windows looking across the park, lives the family, but below stairs are other residents, the servants, as fiercely possessive of their ranks as anyone above.

The Guilty
London attorney Steven Vey has a brilliant career, a beautiful wife, and money to burn. To top it off, he's about to be named Britain's youngest-ever judge. But one night a celebration with his pretty secretary, Nicky, goes too far. He calls it a drunken indiscretion; she calls it rape. Meanwhile, Birmingham punk Eddy Doyle is fresh out of prison with no prospects. After learning that the stuffy vicar who raised him isn't his real dad, Eddie goes in search of his father.

Heart breaker (French)
Alex is a romantic for hire. If your daughter or sister or friend is falling for the wrong man, Alex will get her to fall for him, watch her dump the loser, and then break her heart by walking away. She'll be sad but wiser and lucky to have avoided a bad relationship. It's a highly profitable business with one rule: don't fall in love. When Alex is hired to woo Juliette, he breaks her heart, and his own rule.

My Own Worst Enemy
Henry is a middle-class efficiency expert living a humdrum life in the suburbs with his wife, Angelica, their two kids, a dog, and a minivan. Edward is an operative who speaks 13 languages, runs a four-minute mile, and is trained to kill. Henry and Edward share only one thing in common: the same body.

Nowhere Boy
Set in Liverpool in 1955, the adolescent years of John Lennon are chronicled. Raised by his Aunt Mimi, his world is turned inside-out when his free spirited mother re-enters his life, opening up old wounds that release pain, anger, frustration, and his artistry.


Sister Act (1992) / Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
A nightclub singer is forced to take refuge from the mob in a convent. While there she turns the convent choir into a "soulful chorus of swingin' sisters." The sudden celebrity of the choir jeopardizes her identity. / Whoopi Goldberg returns as the lounge singer who goes undercover as a nun to help an ailing inner-city school.

Soul Kitchen (Greek)
When Zinos hires a gourmet chef for his struggling restaurant, it drives away his low-life regulars. In the meantime, his girlfriend, Nadine, moves back to China, but a hip new clientele brings the restaurant back to life. When he goes to China to get Nadine back, he leaves the restaurant in the hands of his criminal brother. When Zinos discovers that Nadine has a new boyfriend, and his brother has gambled away his restaurant, he knows he must work with his brother if he is to get it back.