Thursday, October 18, 2012

New this week (10/17/12):

Homeland, the complete first season
When a rescued POW returns home after eight years, a CIA agent begins to believe that the war hero may be a danger to America.

Moonrise Kingdom
Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore, and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.

People Like Us
After a salesman learns that his father has died, he returns home to settle the estate and discovers he has a sister he never knew about.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room, until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large, Professor James Moriarty, and not only is he Holmes's intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may give him an advantage over the renowned detective. Holmes's investigation into Moriarty's plot becomes more dangerous as it leads him and Watson out of London to France, Germany, and finally Switzerland.

That’s My Boy
While still in his teens, Donny fathered a son, Todd, and raised him as a single parent up until Todd's 18th birthday. Now, after not seeing each other for years, Todd's world comes crashing down on the eve of his wedding when an uninvited Donny suddenly shows up. Trying desperately to reconnect with his son, Donny is now forced to deal with the repercussions of his bad parenting skills.

Think Like a Man
Four men learn that the women in their lives are reading Steve Harvey's book, "Act like a lady, think like a man" and using Harvey's advice against them.

Wrath of the Titans 
After Hades and Ares kidnap Zeus to release the power of Kronos, Perseus is called on to fight against the gods.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

New this week (10/10/12):

Cabin in the Woods
A rambunctious group of five college friends steal away for a weekend of debauchery in an isolated country cabin, only to be attacked by horrific supernatural creatures in a night of endless terror and bloodshed. Sound familiar? Just wait. As the teens begin to exhibit standard horror movie behavior, a group of technicians in a control room are scrutinizing, and sometimes even controlling, every move the terrified kids make! With their efforts continually thwarted by an all-powerful 'eye in the sky,' do they have any chance of escape?

A Cat in Paris (Animated—French)
A cat, who lives secretly as a burglar's aide, must rescue the little girl he lives with after she falls into the hands of a gangster. “A Cat in Paris is a delightful little animated caper from …and a movie that wouldn't have come up on most people's radar had it not been one of two surprise nominees--both of them foreign films--for last year's Best Animated Film Oscar. But it is a film worth singling out, a lovely, artisan effort in a style where films look increasingly the same. There is (as far as I can tell) no computer-generation on display here; it's a hand-drawn film, and the personal touch of that style gives it a welcome and loving children's book quality.”—DVD Talk.

Chico & Rita (Animated—Spanish)
Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and desire unite them as they chase their dreams and each other from Havana to New York to Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas.

The Lady
The Lady is the extraordinary story of Aung San Suu Kyi and her husband, Michael Aris. It is also the epic story of the peaceful quest of the woman who is at the core of Burma's democracy movement. Despite distance, long separations, and a dangerously hostile regime, their love endures until the very end. A story of devotion and human understanding set against a backdrop of political turmoil that continues today.

New Tricks, seasons 3 and 4
Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman leads a motley crew of retired cops who solve cold cases.

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (French—2006)
Secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, a.k.a. OSS 117, manages to succeed in spite of his ineptitude as he investigates the murder of a fellow agent.

Peace, Love and Misunderstanding
After her husband asks for a divorce, Diane, a New York City attorney, heads to Woodstock with her two teens to stay with her estranged flower-child mother. In this charming village, Diane and her city kids get a new perspective on life and love.

Prometheus
Explorers have discovered a clue that brings them to the origins of mankind on Earth. This leads them on a journey that takes them to the darkest corners of the universe.

The Raven
Baltimore 1849. While investigating a horrific double murder, police detective Emmett Fields makes a startling discovery: the killer's methods mirror the twisted writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Suspecting Poe at first, Fields ultimately enlists his help to stop future attacks. But in this deadly game of cat and mouse, the stakes are raised with each gruesome slaying as the pair races to catch a madman before he brings every one of Poe's shocking stories to chilling life, and death.

Red Lights
Paranormal researcher Tom Buckley investigates retired psychic Simon Silver despite the advice from his more experienced colleague to stop.

Sound of My Voice
A filmmaker and his girlfriend set out to expose the beautiful leader of a cult, who claims to be from the future. But the more they explore, the more danger they face in this 'an intricate and taut thriller'.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Recently added to the collection:

Because of the many donations brought to the library in anticipation of the Booksale I was able to add these older titles to our collection:

40-Year Old Virgin (2005)
40-year-old Andy Stitzer has a cushy job stamping invoices at an electronics superstore, a nice apartment that includes a collection of action figures and comic books, good friends, a nice attitude. But at 40, Andy is still a virgin. His friends think he's a bit of an oddball, but they consider it their duty to help Andy out of his dire situation and decide to go to great lengths to help him. But nothing proves effective enough to lure their friend out of lifelong chastity until he meets Trish, a 40-year-old mother of three. Andy's friends are excited by the possibility that "it" may finally happen, that is until they hear that Andy and Trish have begun their relationship based on a mutual no-sex policy.

Bad Education (Spanish—2005)
Traces the effects of sexual abuse and religious schooling on the lives of two lifelong friends. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Gael García Bernal.

Barney Miller, the first season (1974-75)
Follows Captain Barney Miller of New York's 12th Precinct and his unlikely band of police detectives, including grumpy old man Phil Fish, Puerto Rican stand-up comedian Chano Amenguale, and gullible Stanley "Wojo" Wojciehowicz, as they combat crime.

CSI : Crime Scene Investigation (1st, 2nd, and 3rd seasons) (2000-2004)
Follows the investigations of the forensics team of the Las Vegas Police Department.

Hitch (2005)
Hitch is New York City's greatest matchmaker. Love is his job and when Albert Brennaman wins the heart of gorgeous society heiress Allegra Cole, Albert has Hitch to thank. So when tabloid columnist Sara Melas decides to uncover the secret behind the relationships unlikely success, she's shocked to discover that Alex Hitchens, the charming young man she's been dating, is the legendary date doctor himself. Exposed in a front-page scoop, it's now up to Alex to try and save Albert and Allegra's relationship as well as his own.

Imaginary Heroes (2004)
The Travis family experiences a stunning tragedy which begins to unravel them. Teenage son Tim views his life as a bad dream. His father, Ben tunes out and treats his wife and children like strangers. His mother, Sandy sharpens her tongue with sarcasm and dulls her senses with pot while struggling hard to conceal a secret that threatens to ruin them all. The Travises, eventually, learn to accept one another as family - warts and all.

Just Like Heaven (2005)
Elizabeth is a dedicated, workaholic doctor who is much too busy to have a life. One night, she gets into a terrible car accident and dies. She becomes a spirit stuck between heaven and earth. She doesn't realize that she is dead and thinks nothing has happened. That is until she meets David, a lonely architect, who has rented her old apartment. David thinks he is going crazy when he sees Elizabeth's spirit and tries every way he can think of to get rid of her, but she just won't go away. Although the two are complete opposites, they somehow manage to form a relationship.

Legends of the Fall (1994)
An epic Western saga about a woman and the three sons of a Montana rancher who love her, told against the backdrop of World War I. Starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.
Love Liza (2002)
Successful web designer Wilson Joel's life spirals out of control after the sudden suicide of his wife. Unable to read the note she left him, Wilson forges new, unpredictable relationships with friends, co-workers and his stunned mother-in-law. But when he starts taking a dangerous drug, it could take what's left of his blown-apart life and extinguish it completely.

Rembrandt (1936)
In Amsterdam of 1642, master painter Rembrandt Van Rijn enjoys a full life until the sudden death of his wife. Bankrupt and bereft, he finds comfort in a pretty servant in his home. Can he summon the courage to overcome his demons or will tragedy continue to haunt him? Directed by Alexander Korda; starring Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester.

River Runs Through It (1992)
Academy Award-winning director Robert Redford captures the majesty of the Montana Wilderness and the strength of the American family in this acclaimed adaptation of Norman Maclean's classic autobiography. Craig Sheffer stars as the young Norman, and Brad Pitt also stars as his brother Paul, an irresistible daredevil driven to challenge the world. Growing up, both boys rebel against their stern minister father. While Norman channels his rebellion into writing, Paul descends a slippery path to self-destruction. Co-starring Tom Skerritt as the Reverend Maclean and Emily Lloyd as wild-hearted Jessie Burns, A river runs through it is "destined to become a classic. It's a knockout".

Sensation of Sight (2006)
Finn is an English teacher going through a mid-life crisis. Having just had a recent tragedy in his life, he takes up selling encyclopedias to the town as he looks for meaning in life. Starring David Strathairn.

St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)
Seven friends, recent college graduates, search for a place in the real world and face the issues of career and commitment. Against the backdrop of St. Elmo's, their local hang-out, they save, betray and love each other as only the closest of friends can.

Sunshine (1999)
The film follows a Jewish family living in Hungary through three generations, rising from humble beginnings to positions of wealth and power in the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. Directed by Istvan Szabo; starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz.

Yours, Mine and Ours (2005)
When Coast Guard commander Frank Beardsley bumps into his old high school flame Helen North, sparks fly again, and the two quickly marry. Complications arrive when it comes time to merge their two families. Frank has 8 kids and Helen has 10 kids. With Frank looking to keep tight military control over the brood, and Helen preferring her loving, hippy-like ways of encouragement, the two struggle to maintain a family and home where the kids don't like each other and refuse to cooperate with any request for unity.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

New This Week: (10/4/12)

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
When seven cash-strapped seniors decide to 'outsource' their retirement to a resort in far-off India, friendship and romance blossom in the most unexpected ways.

Boardwalk Empire, The Complete Second Season
Atlantic City, 1921. In a city whose fortunes have soared in the wake of Prohibition, Nucky Thompson is paying a steep price for wielding ultimate power in 'the world's playground'. Though the 1920 election is over, Nucky finds himself the target of a federal investigation for vote tampering, and an insurrection by those he counted among his closest allies.

Bored to Death, The Complete Third Season
Writer turned private-eye Jonathan Ames was last spotted duking it out in a dean's office (almost) saving Super Ray from a stalker, and endorsing George's decision to resign from his glossy magazine gig. This season Jonathan will come face-to-face with 'furries', hang with Dick Cavett, and go on the ultimate oedipal investigation.

The Last Detective, The Complete Collection
Underdog detective 'Dangerous' Davies toils at a small London police station, where his slicker colleagues taunt him and his boss calls him the last detective he would put on a big case. That makes it all the sweeter when he cracks the big ones anyway.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

New in September:

Avengers
Marvel makes cinematic history as it unites the Super Hero team-up of a lifetime. Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, and Captain America assemble together for the very first time ever in this epic, action-packed blockbuster alongside Black Widow, Hawkeye and Nick Fury.

Detachment
Henry Barthes is an educator with a talent to connect with his students. Yet as a substitute teacher he hides his gift to avoid emotional connections. When an assignment places him at a school with a burned-out administration and an apathetic student body, he becomes a role model as a teacher. His emotional bond with the students and teachers help him see he is not alone in a life and death struggle to find beauty in a seemingly vicious and loveless world.

Get the Gringo
A career criminal nabbed by Mexican authorities is placed in a tough prison where he learns to survive with the help of a 9-year-old boy.

Little Bit of Heaven
Marley is young, beautiful, and funny, but she's afraid of opening herself up to true love. A life-changing visit to her doctor sends both of them on an eye-opening adventure of mutual discovery, leading to revelations neither thought possible.

Raid: Redemption
A SWAT team arrives at a rundown apartment block with a mission to remove its owner, a notorious drug lord named Tama. The building has never been raided before, never been touched by police. Seen as a no-go zone, it has since become a sanctuary to killers, gangs, rapists, and thieves seeking accommodation in the one place they know they cannot be touched. Making their move in the break of dawn, the SWAT team works its way up the building under cover of silence.

Snow White and the Huntsman
Snow White is the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen who is out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman who was dispatched to kill her.

Where Do We Go Now? (French)
A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village.