Da Mystery of Chessboxin

You may not immediately associate the acclaimed hip-hop collective known as The Wu-Tang Clan with the tiny pieces of colorful plastic known as Legos. But, it's high time something was done about that. The anthemic track "Da Mystery of Chessboxin" comes from Wu-Tang Clan's justly lauded 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). And here we have a clever little accompanying video, featuring all the synchronized sword-play and allegorical chess maneuvers you could wish for. Don't expect the slick polish of Michel Gondry's award-winning video for The White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl". What you've got here is relatively low-tech stop-motion animation that nicely manages to capture the humor and menace of the original track. The highlight for me is the hilariously glowering Lego-man that denotes ODB. Green overalls! I also like the inclusion of several blank-faced figures (around the 2-minute and 2-minutes-30-second mark) which seem to correspond with the original album cover. I commend the Wu-Tang aficionado who put this video together, whoever he or she may be. I'm guessing it was done by a particularly industrious and inspired intern at Wu-Tang international headquarters, located in central Shaolin.

Warning: Video Contains Explicit Lyrics and LEGO Weapons


Courtesy of Flavorwire

Oscar watch : How to Train Your Dragon

Based on a children's book by Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon, is an engaging film with an excellent message for young and old alike. Jay Baruchel voices the main character, Hiccup, the son of the head Viking and dragon slayer, Stoick ( Gerard Butler). I'm sure you can tell where this is going based on the character's names . . . Hiccup is not the brave boy his father hopes him to be so Stoick sends him to dragon-slaying school. Hiccup does not excel at slaying as the other kids do (voiced by America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, and Kristen Wiig among others), and instead ends up befriending an injured dragon in one of the sweetest moments in cinema all year. The requisite scene of redemption soon follows when Hiccup proves his father, and townspeople, he is the boy he should be.

Oscar prediction: How to Train Your Dragon will be nominated for best Animated Feature, but it will lose out to the nostalgia surrounding Toy Story 3.

How to Train Your Dragon
DVD FAMILY HOW
Find it in the catalog!

Planet 51 at the library!

75 people attended yesterday afternoon's free showing of Planet 51 at the library! I put out a variety of coloring pages that featured the characters from Planet 51 and also How to Train Your Dragon, and they all disappeared by the end of the movie. I will be sure to have more on hand for the next family-oriented film we show (Field of Dreams on April 17). I think everyone had a good time. Here is what one audience member had to say:

"I thought it was entertaining and amusing. It was like a kid designed the inventions and the humor was genius. All in all it was awesome."
-- Haley B, age 10, East Dundee

If you haven't a chance to check out Planet 51, you can put yourself on hold for a copy from the library:
Find it in the catalog!

Ponyo and other films by Hayao Miyazaki

On Saturday afternoon 72 people attended the library's free screening of the movie Ponyo. Hayao Miyazaki, the film's writer and director, is known for his imaginative style of animation. The stories in his films feature fantastical elements and young protagonists who, when faced with daunting challenges, must find the courage within themselves to succeed.

Some audience member comments:

"It was awesome!"
~ Breanna D., East Dundee

While refilling his drink at the beverage counter, a boy shared his feelings with me about the movie (hearing his comment, a girl jumped in with her thoughts):

Boy: This movie is really strange.
Girl: And funny.
Boy: It's really strange.
Girl: ...and funny!

I simply nodded my head in agreement with both statements. The movie is about a goldfish, Ponyo, who becomes human and develops a strong friendship with Sosuke. If you haven't been able to see it yet, you can put yourself on hold for a copy from the library:
Find it in the catalog!

Other Miyazaki films we have at the library:

Howl's Moving Castle
DVD FAMILY HOWL'S
Nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.
Find it in the catalog!

My Neighbor Totoro
DVD FAMILY MY
Find it in the catalog!

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
DVD FAMILY NAUSICAA
Find it in the catalog!

Spirited Away
DVD FAMILY SPIRITED
Won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.
Find it in the catalog!

Kiki's Delivery Service
DVD FAMILY KIKI'S
Find it in the catalog!

Princess Mononoke
DVD ANIME PRINCESS
Find it in the catalog!

Movie screenings at the Dundee Township Public Library in March

Visit the library in March and catch a free movie on the big screen! If you are a basketball fan and get swept up in March Madness, then Hoosiers and More Than A Game are right up your alley. Hoosiers (1986), starring Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper, is our Classic Movie Night selection. More Than A Game is a documentary about a high school basketball team in Akron, Ohio. LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, Dru Joyce III, and Romeo Travis are the Fab Five on St. Vincent-St. Mary's Fighting Irish team. The movie is a touching portrait of friendship, hard work, and leadership. The third movie we will show during March is from Japanese writer-director Hayao Miyazaki, who also made Spirited Away (2001). Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen tale The Little Mermaid, this animated film is about a boy named Sosuke and his friendship with a goldfish named Ponyo. Come join us! All movies are shown in the downstairs Meeting Room. No tickets or reservations are required, but audience space is limited to 80 people.

Hoosiers
Wednesday, March 17 at 6 PM
Rated PG; 1 hour 55 minutes
Doors open at 5:30 PM for free popcorn and refreshments.

Ponyo
Saturday, March 20 at 2 PM
Rated G; 1 hour 41 minutes
Doors open at 1:30 PM for free popcorn and refreshments.

More Than A Game
Saturday, March 27 at 2 PM
Rated PG; 1 hour 42 minutes
Doors open at 1:30 PM for free popcorn and refreshments.

The moviemaking team of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp

The creative movie partnership of director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp that began with Edward Scissorhands has endured for twenty years. Burton once again teams up with Depp in Alice in Wonderland, which opened in theaters on Friday (in both 2-D and 3-D). You can check out their previous collaborations on DVD, available through the library:

Edward Scissorhands (1990)
DVD FICTION EDWARD
Find it in the catalog!

Ed Wood (1994)
DVD FICTION EDWARD
Find it in the catalog!

Sleepy Hollow (1999)
DVD HORROR SCI-FI
Find it in the catalog!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
DVD FAMILY CHARLIE
Find it in the catalog!

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005)
DVD MUSICAL CORPSE
Find it in the catalog!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
DVD MUSICAL SWEENEY
Find it in the catalog!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at the library

Today we had a great audience of 51 people attend our free screening of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. At the end of the movie we had a prize giveaway where five people each won a book. Everyone seemed to enjoy the movie. Bill Hader provided the voice for Flint Lockwood, the main character, and I always think his work is hilarious. One of my favorite quotes came after he asked his friends what food they wanted for breakfast and his assistant Steve (a monkey) suggested gummi bears. Flint responded, "Wait. Steve, no. We know how you get around gummi bears!" I made some comment slips so that audience members could share their opinions of the movie. Here is one audience member's comments:

"Loved it. Thanks so much for doing this for the community. We love the addition of popcorn for a really enjoyable day. Please make sure there is a kids movie one time a month."
-- Missy G., Carpentersville

I hope more people take the time to write a mini-review after future movies! If you haven't had a chance to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs you can put yourself on hold for a copy:
Find it in the catalog!

2010 Oscar nominees: Who was overlooked

Earlier this month the nominees for this year's Academy Awards were announced. While the Best Picture category expanded to 10 films, the rest of the categories still have only 5 spots. Take a look at the nominations here. I know it's next to impossible to nominate all of the deserving artists or movies, but I made a list of work that I think is good enough to receive a nomination. What do you think of the nominees? Who, or which films, do you think were snubbed?

Here is my list of snubs from this year's nominations:

Best Motion Picture of the Year
(500) Days of Summer
Bright Star  
The Hangover

Star Trek

Directing
J.J. Abrams, Star Trek
Wes Andersen, Fantastic Mr. Fox (coming to DVD March 23)
Jane Campion, Bright Star
Greg Mottola, Adventureland

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Matt Damon in The Informant! (out on DVD February 23)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover
Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker
Alfred Molina in An Education (currently playing in theaters)

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria (currently playing in theaters)
Abbie Cornish in Bright Star
Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days of Summer

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Diane Krueger in Inglourious Basterds
Melanie Laurent in Inglourious Basterds

Best Documentary Feature
More Than A Game

Adapted Screenplay
Bright Star
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Informant!
Where the Wild Things Are (coming to DVD March 2)

Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer
Adventureland
The Hangover
I Love You, Man

Original Score
Where the Wild Things Are (original songs by Karen O and the Kids)

Movies at the library in February

Come join us for our free movie nights in February at the Dundee Township Public Library. We have free popcorn and refreshments available at each movie. You can pick up your tickets at the Information Desk (847-428-3661 x 308) starting today. Walk-ins are also welcome; just keep in mind that the audience capacity is 80 people. Doors open 30 minutes before the movie starts. I hope to see you at the movies!

Fame (2009)
Wednesday, February 17 at 6 PM
Rated PG; 1 hour 47 minutes

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Saturday, February 20 at 2 PM
Rated PG; 1 hour 21 minutes

Casablanca (1942)
CLASSIC MOVIE NIGHT!
Tuesday, February 23 at 6 PM
Not rated; 1 hour 42 minutes

Golden Globe nominees

Several of the movies nominated for Golden Globes tonight are available on DVD:

Inglourious Basterds has 4 nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director (Quentin Tarantino), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Christoph Waltz), and Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Quentin Tarantino).

The Hurt Locker has 3 nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), and Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Mark Boal).

(500) Days of Summer has 2 nominations: Best Motion Picture - Comedy of Musical and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

Julie & Julia has 2 nominations: Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical and Best Performance by and Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Meryl Streep).

In the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical category, Sandra Bullock is nominated for The Proposal and Julia Roberts is nominated for Duplicity.

Three of the Best Animated Feature Film contenders are already out on DVD: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, Coraline, and Up. Up is also nominated for Best Original Score - Motion Picture.

District 9 is nominated for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture and The Hangover is nominated for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.

Download a ballot and pick your favorites in each category!

Great performances in 2009

After thinking about the movies I saw in the theater during 2009 I came up with this list of my favorites. All but two are now available on DVD. Check them out (or put them on hold) from the library!

(500) Days of Summer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoey Deschanel star in this story, told out of sequence, of boy meets girl. I love that this movie doesn't follow the boring "romantic comedy" rules. Gordon-Levitt is one of the most talented young actors working today. Find it in the catalog!
 
Adventureland: A movie about twenty-somethings working at a theme park during the summer of 1987. The movie's 1980s details (music, clothes) don't overshadow how the feelings and situations faced by the characters can fit into any decade: You've graduated college and are supposed to move on to the next phase of your life, but you're not entirely sure what that next phase is. Stand-out performances from actors Jesse Eisenberg and Martin Starr. Find it in the catalog!

Bright Star: Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw are mesmerizing in this movie about the romance between the poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. Possibly still playing in theaters.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Based on the 1970 children's book by Roald Dahl, Wes Anderson directs this animated stop-motion film filled with whimsical details that is fun for moviegoers of all ages. George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Jason Schwartzman do excellent voice-over work as a family of foxes who are pushed out of their home by three farmers. After watching Fantastic Mr. Fox you'll want to modify your tube socks into bandit hats, too. Still playing in theaters.

The Hangover: I am rooting for Zach Galifianakis to receive an Oscar nomination for his uproarious performance in this movie about a bachelor party gone awry in Las Vegas. Another of my favorite highlights is Ed Helms' song at the piano, in which he ponders what tigers dream about. Find it in the catalog!

I Love You, Man: Jason Segel and Paul Rudd make an awesome comedy (and musical) duo. I loved the movie so much I took my picture next to several Spanish-language posters advertising the movie when I was in Spain over the summer. Find it in the catalog!

Inglourious Basterds: Melanie Laurent steals the movie with her performance as Shosanna Dreyfus, whose entire family was killed by Nazis. Years later, when German soldier Fredrick Zoller rents her movie theater out for a private screening of his war movie she sets into motion her plans for revenge. Find it in the catalog!

Paper Heart: Comedian/musician Charlyne Li interviews people across the country about love. What I especially enjoy about this movie is how Li creates puppets and dioramas to recreate special memories shared by the interviewees, whose stories are at once sweet, moving, and hilarious. Find it in the catalog!

Star Trek: Director J.J. Abrams does a brilliant job of restarting the Star Trek franchise with actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, and my personal favorite Simon Pegg. Find it in the catalog!

Up: Russell, a Wilderness Explorer Scout, assists Mr. Fredericksen in an adventure that takes them to South America in a floating house tied with balloons. A good movie to watch with the whole family. "Squirrel!" Find it in the catalog!

Free movies showing at the library in December

Come to the Dundee Township Public Library District to watch movies on the big screen for FREE! During December we are screening four movies-- two recent releases on DVD and two classics! Tickets for these movies are available at the Information Desk starting Tuesday, December 1. The audience is limited to 80 people, so don't wait to pick up tickets!

Star Trek
Thursday, December 17 at 6 PM
Doors open at 5:30 PM

Up
Saturday, December 19 at 2 PM
Doors open at 1:30 PM

White Christmas
Tuesday, December 22 at 6 PM
Doors open at 5:30 PM

The Shop Around the Corner 
Tuesday, December 29 at 6 PM
Doors open at 5:30 PM

Movies are shown on the lower level in the Meeting Room. Free popcorn and refreshments!

Monsters vs. Aliens: What did you think of the movie?

Huge thanks to everyone who came to the library to watch Monsters vs. Aliens yesterday. 63 people showed up! After the movie there was a drawing to win a Night at the Museum 2 poster.

I think my favorite part of the movie was when B.O.B. (voiced by Seth Rogen) tried to be smooth and used pick-up lines on a green jello mold. Too funny. Later in the movie B.O.B. copies Susan's break-up with her boyfriend Derek and adds his own spin on it: "Derek, you're a stupid jerk, and guess what? I've met someone else. She's lime-green, she has 14 little chunks of pineapple inside of her, and she is everything I deserve in life! I'm happy now, Derek, without you. It's over!" Monsters vs. Aliens got a ton of laughs and I'm glad everyone had a good time! I missed most of the beginning of the movie because I was making popcorn, so I think I'll have to check it out from the library in the near future!

Have you seen Monsters vs. Aliens? What did you think? If you haven't seen it yet or would like to watch it again, put a copy from the library on hold for yourself:
Find it in the catalog!

I hope we'll see everyone at one (or all) of the four movies Dundee Township Public Library District is showing in December! More on those later!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

The children's classic Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has made its transition to the big screen. Written by Judi Barrett (and illustrated by her then-husband Ron Barrett) in 1978, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is the story of Chewandswallow, an aptly named mythical community where all three meals rain down from the sky each day. The town's unique meteorological phenomena is a blessing that - not surprisingly - becomes a curse.

If you have fond childhood memories of this whimsical book, you may feel a hint of anxiety at the notion of a 3-D film adaptation which now revolves around a would-be super-scientist and his talking monkey. While the film does drastically rework the original story, much of its charm and inventiveness is still intact, and the 3-D effects are not overly intrusive. It doesn't hold a candle to this year's standout animated feature Up, but it is an entertaining family film that will likely amuse you and your children. And seriously, who doesn't want to see gargantuan pancakes fall from the sky?

DVDs out April 7th

Didn’t get to see these movies when they were out in theaters?

Bedtime Stories Find it in the catalog!

The Day the Earth Stood Still Find it in the catalog!

Doubt Find it in the catalog!

The Tale of Despereaux Find it in the catalog!

Yes Man Find it in the catalog!

They are out on DVD tomorrow, so be sure to reserve a copy today. All you have to do is use your library card number to place these movies on hold.

Movies in April

On April 1 tickets for Get Smart (PG-13) and Igor (PG) will be available at the Media Desk. Tickets always go fast, so don’t wait if you want to see either of these movies for free!

Each month the library shows movies downstairs in the Meeting Room. Free beverages and freshly popped popcorn are served. Each person in attendance is entered into a drawing held after the movie for a prize, such as a movie poster, DVD, or coupons for free DVD check-outs. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Arrive early to get your drinks, popcorn, and seats!