This time of year many people enjoy watching their favorite Christmas movies: It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Home Alone, Elf, and Miracle on 34th Street, just to name a few. Over the next week we are showing a couple Christmas classics that maybe you forgot about (or aren't as familiar with) and are sure to put you in the holiday mood:
This '80s classic stars Rebecca Harrell, Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, Abe Vigoda, Michael Constantine, Rutanya Alda, and a pre-Jurassic Park Ariana Richards. A little girl finds a wounded reindeer in the woods and believes it is Prancer. Her efforts to nurse it back to health so she can return it to Santa bring about wonderful changes in the lives of everyone- her father, their neighbor, a grouchy vet, a department store Santa and the people of the town.
This is one of four films that Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray starred in together. Both funny and dramatic, Remember the Nightis one of my Christmas favorites. Stanwyck plays Lee Leander, a woman who shoplifts a bracelet and goes to trial for her crime in New York. Because the trial is occurring so close to Christmas, the prosecuting attorney, John Sargeant (Fred MacMurray), gets the trial postponed until after the holidays. He feels bad that Lee will spend Christmas in jail, and posts her bail. When he finds out Lee's hometown is not far from his childhood home in Indiana, he offers to drive her home for Christmas. She ends up spending Christmas with John's family, and gets to participate in their Christmas and New Year's traditions, including a good old-fashioned barn dance. Stanwyck and MacMurray have wonderful chemistry together, and the supporting cast is terrific as well. You may recognize Belulah Bondi from It's a Wonderful Life, or Sterling Holloway from his voice work on Winnie the Pooh or The Jungle Book.
Love Barbara Stanwyck and want more Christmas movie recommendations? Try Christmas in Connecticut for a fun screwball comedy, or Meet John Doe for another film that combines comedy with more dramatic elements.
It's the most wonderful time of the year, when Christmas classics are shown in movie theaters! And what's better than seeing a classic black and white Christmas movie on the big screen? When that movie screen is inside a historic theater such as the Catlow in Barrington, Tivoli in Downers Grove, or Music Box in Chicago, just to name a few. You can watch stars like Barbara Stanwyck, Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Fred MacMurray, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Rosemary Clooney, larger than life... I'm in! Here is a list I compiled of upcoming movie screenings, for the most part at historic movie theaters, in the suburbs and Chicago. I will be attending the TCM double feature of A Christmas Carol and Christmas in Connecticut this weekend and also have tickets to the Annual Music Box Christmas Show. Do you have any plans to catch a Christmas movie in theaters this month?
● Various theaters, including Regal Crystal Lake Showplace Stadium 16 and Century 16 Deer Park
Christmas Cartoons
Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m. - free!
Showing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and The Little Drummer Boy
It's a Wonderful Life
Sunday, December 21 at 2 p.m. - free!
Plus, take pictures with Santa before the show.
July 23 is Batman Day! To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Batman, special events are being held at book stores and comic book stores around the world.
Comic book stores are giving away free copies of Detective Comics #27 Special Edition. Modern Age Comics in Algonquin (2210 East Algonquin Rd) is a local comic book store participating in the Batman Day giveaway.
Additionally, tonight a Batman Day Trivia Contest will be held at 7 p.m. in the Barnes and Noble cafe in Spring Hill Mall.
Another way to celebrate is by watching your favorite Batman movie/s. As a kid I loved watching syndicated episodes of the 1960s Batman television series and the 1966 movie starring Adam West. Today the films in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, starring Christian Bale, rank among my all-time favorites.
In 2016 audiences will see how Ben Affleck fits into the role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I grew up on DC Comics characters, so I am definitely excited to see the
film. The only thing that would be better would to have a movie focused
on Batman's sidekick, Robin (preferably played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt... Dark Knight Rises, why'd you tease us?).
Which actor do you prefer as Batman? Are you looking forward to Batman and Superman sharing the screen in Batman v Superman?
If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, like I am, you most definitely are looking forward to the third season, which starts on Sunday, March 31. I've grown more and more excited each week and am currently in the middle of re-watching Season 1 and Season 2 to get ready. While seasons 1 and 2 covered the story lines from the first books in author George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings, season 3 will cover roughly the first half of the 973-page third book, A Storm of Swords.
No spoilers here: A Storm of Swords. Is. Awesome. And heartbreaking. And captivating. And full of surprises. I can't wait to see how the actors, writers, and directors bring this book to life.
It is known that Game of Thrones includes a long list of characters and settings to keep straight. Do you know the sigil of each house?
House Baratheon: Ours in the Fury
House Bolton: Our Blades are Sharp
House Lannister: Hear Me Roar (unofficial: A Lannister Always Pays His Debts)
House Martell: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
House Mormont: Here we Stand
House Stark: Winter is Coming
House Tully: Family, Duty, Honor
House Targaryen: Fire and Blood
At jointherealm.com you can create your own house sigil by customizing the banner background, text, and icons. Here is the sigil I created. There was no squirrel icon available, so I settled on a food theme:
“I love you, but you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
- Sam to Suzy
Moonrise Kingdom is set during 1965 in New Penzance Island, New England, about two misunderstood twelve-year-olds who fall in love and decide to run away together. This Wes Anderson film is full of whimsy and wonderful performances, especially from the two young leads playing Sam and Suzy.
Sam (Jared Gilman), an orphan, is described as "emotionally deranged" by his fellow Khaki scouts at Camp Ivanhoe. He runs away from the scouts with a canoe stocked full of supplies, which sets off a search party of Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton), the rest of Troup 55, and Island Police, headed by Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis). When Sam's foster parents hear about his running away, they inform Captain Sharp that Sam is no longer welcome back to their home.
Suzy (Kara Hayward) does not have any friends and gets in trouble at
school. Her three younger brothers entertain themselves with games and
listening to records, while she spends her time reading or looking at
the world through her binoculars. She always has binoculars at her side
and believes they are her magical powers.
Sam travels
across the island from Camp Ivanhoe to Summer's End to meet Suzy, one year after their initial meeting. Between summers they wrote each other letters, talking about the difficulty of fitting in and getting
along with classmates and authority figures. (“Dear Suzy, I have been trying very hard to make friends, but I feel people do not like my personality.”) When Suzy's mother (Frances McDormand) discovers one of Sam's letters to Suzy, she and Mr. Bishop (Bill Murray) join the search.
Sam utilizes his Khaki scout knowledge as he and Suzy navigate their way along the Old Chickchaw Harvest Migration Trail. Suzy brings a suitcase full of library books (which she may return, someday), her
cat, Lionel's record player, and her lefty scissors. Whenever they stop to take a break she reads aloud from her books as Sam listens and smokes a pipe. She prefers stories with magical powers and tells Sam that she wants
to go on adventures when she’s older.
I could go on about the awesome cast, from Sam's fellow Khaki scouts to Jason Schwartzman's brief appearance as Cousin Ben. And the script by Anderson and Roman Coppola has so many great lines I had to restrain myself from including twenty quotes in this post.* Additionally, the soundtrack, with songs from composer Benjamin Britton, Alexandre Desplat, and Hank Williams, is beautiful and playful, down to the final “cuckoo, cuckoo.” Hilarious, sweet, and definitely a little crazy, Moonrise Kingdom is my favorite movie of the year.
*Okay, I can't help myself. If you want to see more of my favorite quotes from the movie, click to read more!
Actor Will Ferrell turns 45 today. Ferrell is known for his hilarious and quotable film characters, from Buddy the Elf to anchorman Ron Burgundy to figure skater Chazz Michael Michaels. His latest movie to hit DVD is Casa de mi Padre, out tomorrow. Later this summer Ferrell can be seen in the comedy The Campaign
co-starring Zach Galifianakis. Will Ferrell fans are undoubtedly
looking forward to the Anchorman 2 movie due to be released in 2013, reuniting the cast from the
original 2004 film, which also starred Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David
Koechner, and Christina Applegate.
I always enjoy the way Ferrell plays off his co-stars, and he had great chemistry with his news team in Anchorman. I especially loved the back and forth insult slinging between Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) and Veronica Corningstone (Applegate). Ferrell and John C. Reilly were a great partnership as NASCAR drivers in Talladega Nights, and as rivals who become best friends in Step Brothers:
Brennan: Listen, I know that we started out as foe. But after that courageous act that you showed me against the one they call Derek, maybe someday we could become friends. Friends who ride majestic, translucent steeds, shooting flaming arrows across the bridge of Hemdale.
Dale: I would follow you into the mists of Avalon if that's what you mean.
Ferrell also shared hilarious scenes with Mark Wahlberg in The Other Guys. Wahlberg, as NYC police detective Terry, couldn't stand to be around Ferrell's character Allen Gamble, who he saw as weak and a "fake cop." Terry used a metaphor comparing himself to a lion and Allen to a tuna, and told Allen that he would even go outside the food chain to attack him. Allen came right back at Terry and explained why a tuna could take a lion in the ocean "9 times out of 10":
OK, first off: a lion, swimming in the ocean. Lions don't like water. If you placed it near a river or some sort of fresh water source, that make sense. But you find yourself in the ocean, 20 foot wave, I'm assuming off the coast of South Africa, coming up against a full grown 800 pound tuna with his 20 or 30 friends, you lose that battle, you lose that battle 9 times out of 10. And guess what, you've wandered into our school of tuna and we now have a taste of lion. We've talked to ourselves. We've communicated and said 'You know what, lion tastes good, let's go get some more lion'. We've developed a system to establish a beach-head and aggressively hunt you and your family and we will corner your pride, your children, your offspring.
And that's not even the end of that scene. Another one of my favorite Will Ferrell roles was Buddy in Elf. A "human raised by elves," Buddy was happy all of the time, saw the good in everyone, and loved candy: "We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup."
Ferrell is also not afraid to let loose and sing, which he's done in several of his films. Check out a clip of his performance of "Something to Talk About" in Step Brothers:
Happy birthday to the songbird of his generation, Will Ferrell!
I named a few of my favorite Will Ferrell moments. What is your favorite Will Ferrell scene and/or quote?
Best known as Bella Swan in the Twilight films, Kristen Stewart has an impressive list of acting work that she continues to build upon. I recommend checking out some of her earlier films, such as Panic Room (2002), in which she played Jodie Foster's daughter, and Speak (2004), in which she portrayed a high school freshman shutting out the world after being raped at a party. Speak is based on the book of the same name by Laurie Halse Anderson, and the heavy subject matter was deftly handled by Stewart as a young teen. Stewart also had a small role alongside Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild (2007). Two of my favorite performances of hers are in Adventureland (2009) and The Runaways (2010). Adventureland found Stewart amongst a stellar cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Martin Starr, Kristen Wiig, and Bill Hader; The Runaways showcased Stewart in a new light and made me forget Bella Swan.
Actor Ryan Gosling turns 31 today. He stars in two films now in theaters; he plays a Hollywood stunt driver who also drives getaway cars for robberies in Drive and a political staffer to George Clooney's presidential candidate in The Ides of March.
Born November 12, 1980 in London, Ontario, Gosling first started acting on television, including The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1993-95), Breaker High (1997-98), and Young Hercules (1998-99). He broke out in film with his performance as a Jewish neo-Nazi in The Believer (2001), for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. He continued to take dark roles in indies The Slaughter Rule (2002) and The United States of Leland (2003). In Murder by Numbers (2002), Gosling played a high school student who conspires with Michael Pitt to commit the perfect murder.
In 2007 he attended the Academy Awards as a Best Actor nominee for his performance as a high school teacher addicted to crack in Half Nelson (2006) and then was seen in the thriller Fracture, co-starring Anthony Hopkins. Later that year Gosling starred in Lars and the Real Girl (2007), playing a character who falls for a life-size doll. After being absent from the big screen for several years, he appeared in two movies in late 2010: All Good Things and Blue Valentine. All Good Things (2010), co-starring Kirsten Dunst, is based on the true story of the 1982 disappearance of Katie Marks (Dunst), the wife of David Marks (Gosling), who was suspected but never convicted in her assumed death. Blue Valentine (2011) is about the relationship between Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams). The movie contrasts their moments as a couple falling in love with difficult-to-watch scenes of their marriage falling apart. To call the movie depressing is an understatement; even though I’m a huge Ryan Gosling fan I put off seeing the film for months because I didn't think I could handle the emotional turmoil. But I am glad I finally watched it. One of my favorite moments is when Dean urges Cindy to tap dance in front of a store window with a heart on it. Meanwhile, he serenades her with "You Always Hurt The Ones You Love" on his ukelele. You can check out the song on the Blue Valentine Soundtrack.
I love the way Gosling completely disappears into his characters, and while he has demonstrated his talent in dark roles, I have been hoping for him to take on a comedy for years. One of my favorite movies from 2011 is the comedy-drama Crazy, Stupid, Love, about a man (Steve Carell) dealing with being single after his wife (Julianne Moore) asks for a divorce. Gosling becomes his wingman, advising Carell's character on clothes, women, and how to be a man.
I look forward to more Ryan Gosling films in 2012: Gangster Squad (also starring Sean Penn) and Only God Forgives, in which he reteams with Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn.
Lady Gaga's album Born This Way does not disappoint. Since its release in May this CD has been on repeat in my stereo (and in my head). My favorite songs change from week to week, because there are that many good ones. Lately my favorite is the slinky electronica-esque "Heavy Metal Lover." Just as on previous albums Fame and The Fame Monster, Lady Gaga continues to make fun dance songs filled with energy, including "Marry the Night," "Scheiße," "Judas" and "Born This Way."
Born This Way also includes several songs heavily influenced by the '80s. "Hair" and "Edge of Glory" both feature the late Clarence Clemons of The E Street Band on saxaphone, and "Bad Kids" and "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" sound like they could have been released 30 years ago. I think this album shows the chameleon-like abilities of Lady Gaga as a singer and songwriter. She sounds different on each song, even singing in Spanish on the mariachi-tinged "Americano" and speaking in German over the addictive track "Scheiße." And by addictive I mean, just try to play that song only once.
While Gaga can always be counted on for catchy dance songs, she also writes emotional ballads like "You and I." This song, about a lost love, is one of my favorite Gaga songs ever. I first heard this song at Gaga's February 28 concert at the United Center. Hunched over the piano attacking the keys, she was on fire singing: "It's been a long time since I came around / Been a long time, but I'm back in town / This time I'm not leaving without you." Her February concert was one of my favorite memories of the year, and this album ranks as one of the best of 2011.
Comedienne Lucille Ball would have been 100 today. She was born on this day in 1911 in Jamestown, New York. After working as a showgirl and model in her twenties Lucy started to get small movie roles, beginning with Roman Scandals in 1931. In 1940 she met future husband Desi Arnaz on the set of Too Many Girls; they married in November that same year. After several years of dealing with schedules that kept them apart, Lucy and Desi worked together on the radio show My Favorite Husband, which debuted in 1948. With the growing popularity of television, CBS decided to adapt My Favorite Husband for TV, which became I Love Lucy. The first episode aired October 15, 1951. Lucy played Lucy Ricardo, a housewife who longed to break into show business. Desi played her husband, Ricky Ricardo, a bandleader. Their friends and landlords, Ethel and Fred Mertz, were played by Vivian Vance and William Frawley.
I Love Lucy episodes demonstrate how great Lucille Ball was at physical comedy.Whether it be stomping on grapes in an Italian vineyard or reacting with her unique facial expressions, you never want to take your eyes off her. I think my favorite Lucy facial expression is when she opens her mouth really wide without making a sound and raises her eyebrows as if to say, "WHAT?!" In honor of Lucille's Balls 100th birthday check out seasons 1-9 of I Love Lucy on DVD and re-watch some of the best moments in TV history.
The Complete First Season Find it in the catalog!
This DVD set also includes the lost pilot. Highlights from this season include "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" for the product Vitameatavegamin, which contains vitamins, meat, vegetables, minerals... and is 23% alcohol. "Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular?" In "The Diet" Lucy almost starves herself in order to fit into a size 12, the size of the dress of the girl appearing with Ricky in his show.
The Complete Second Season Find it in the catalog!
In "Job Switching" Ricky and Fred stay home to cook and clean while Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a chocolate factory. Lucy isn't able to get Ricky alone to tell her the news she is pregnant in "Lucy is Enceinte." She comes to his show at the club and writes down a song request; when Ricky walks to each table asking if they are the happy couple, he is surprised to find it's Lucy.
The Complete Third Season Find it in the catalog!
In "Equal Rights" Lucy and Ethel wind up washing dishes at the restaurant where they just ate dinner after Ricky and Fred split the bill into four checks.
The Complete Fourth Season Find it in the catalog!
During this season Ricky, Lucy, Fred, and Ethel visit L.A. and meet such celebrities as William Holden and Eve Arden ("L.A., At Last"), Cornel Wilde ("The Star Upstairs"), and Harpo Marx ("Harpo Marx").
The Complete Fifth Season Find it in the catalog!
At the start of this season the gang is still in L.A. I always liked the episode "Lucy Visits Grauman's" where Lucy and Ethel steal the slab of cement of John Wayne's footprints. Later in the season the group leaves for Europe, visiting London, Scotland, Paris, the Swiss Alps, and Italy, which features the classic episode "Lucy's Italian Movie."
The Complete Sixth Season Find it in the catalog!
In "Lucy and Superman" Lucy asks Ricky to invite Superman (George Reeves), who is in town to sign autographs, to Little Ricky's birthday party. When Ricky tells Lucy that Superman cannot make it, Lucy dresses as Superman and goes out on the ledge outside their apartment in preparation to surprise Little Ricky and his guests. And when Superman changes his plans and does show up to the party, Lucy can't join in on the fun as she gets locked out on the ledge in the rain.
The Final Seasons 7, 8 & 9 Find it in the catalog!
These seasons were called The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show, or The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.
The final installment in the Harry Potter film series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, opened at midnight last week on July 15. While I have attended other midnight screenings and have been a Harry Potter fan for years, this is the first time I bought a ticket for a midnight Harry screening. I am so glad I did because it was a wonderful experience.
A small group of friends and I were the first group in line for the midnight screening at the CineMark in Melrose Park just after 8 PM. Several of the ushers asked us if we knew what time it was, and you could tell they thought we were out of our minds, but we didn't care. We played Uno to pass the time and were also able to see some unique Harry Potter outfits, notably a guy dressed in a decorated t-shirt that read: "Real men don't sparkle. Team Wizard." We were allowed into the theater around 10 PM, which left us with more time to check out the costumes of the other Harry Potter fans. Some made their own shirts touting the end of the series with the symbol of the deathly hallows, and others wore the colors and uniforms of the Hogwarts Houses -- Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. I myself wore a Harry Potter quidditch shirt, and brought along my illuminating Hermione wand. I was most impressed by fans dressed as characters from the series -- I saw Harry, Hagrid, Dobby, Bellatrix, Narcisa, Professor Trelawney, and Luna.
As it came closer for the previews to start, the audience started to clap and chant and I could literally feel the excitement from everyone around me. They were vocal in response to the trailers (lots of excitement for Sherlock Holmes) but became silent once the movie started. Part 2 picks up right where Part 1 left off, with Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) taking the Elder Wand from the hands of the dead Dumbledore. While Part 1 set the scene for Part 2, with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) searching for and destroying horacruxes (a horacrux is an item that Voldemort infused with part of his soul, and hid, in order to insure his immortality), the much more action-packed Part 2 focuses on their return to Hogwarts and the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
Some observations, without being too much of a spoiler:
I enjoyed the scene where Hermione poses as the mad Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) in Gringotts after taking Polyjuice Potion. Watching Bonham Carter play Hermione trying to be evil and horrible (and failing) was fun.
I loved seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts and re-join the other characters we've met throughout the series, like Neville (Matthew Lewis), and Luna (Evanna Lynch). While the characters have spent seven years at Hogwarts as students, the actors filming these eight movies have been together even longer. Seeing all the students and teachers back together again, ready to face Death Eaters, Voldemort, and risk their lives, was very powerful.
Ralph Fiennes is disturbing as ever as Voldemort, and I thought the army of Death Eaters waiting to begin their attack on Hogwarts was a very creepy sight.
The shot of Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) looking out a window at Hogwarts. It's early in the movie, and at first we only see him from behind, but I found it to be a moving visual, already knowing Snape's secrets from reading the book.
I knew the deaths of certain characters were coming, but it was still shocking to see in the movie.
The audience in my theater was awesome. They cheered and clapped at moments like Ron and Hermione's first kiss, Neville's taunts of the Death Eaters, and Molly Weasley's duel with Bellatrix, just to name a few moments. The audience went wild for Neville, especially.
I loved the movie and had a great time seeing it with a packed theater of devoted fans. Throughout the course of the movie I clapped, laughed, gasped, held my breath, and cried. I was filled with so much excitement that when I returned home at 3:30 AM I could not fall asleep. I look forward to watching Part 2 on the big screen again. I saw the 2D version and I would like to see if/how 3D changes the experience. All in all, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is a brilliant, epic conclusion to the film series that started in 2001, and not only does the film do the book justice, it reaffirms the quality and magic found in J.K. Rowling's books.
Haley Reinhart, of Wheeling, has made it to the top 5 on this season of American Idol, and is one of only two females remaining in the competition. Haley has arguably been this season's underdog, both because of the audience preferring to vote male contestants through while ignoring awesome female singers (Pia Toscano!) and because it seems judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson are often harsher on her than the other contestants, whose flat or off-key notes they ignore.
During the first few weeks of competition Haley received criticism for "not knowing who she is an artist," as she tackled songs by Alicia Keys, LeAnn Rimes, and Whitney Houston, singing them with her distinctive growl. I'm not sure what the judges expect on a show that has the contestants participating in theme weeks. I love the fact that Haley is versatile enough to sing R&B, soul, country, jazz, and rock. I think she brought those diverse influences to her performance of "Benny and the Jets" during Elton John week, which is one of my favorites from any singer this season. She started the song slow with only piano accompaniment and once she hit the chorus let loose with some very rockin' riffs.
"Moanin'": Scat-Off between Haley and Casey! (Haley won.)
Apart from her singing, I admire Haley's fighting attitude on AI. When Haley was the only contestant to receive negative comments during Songs from the Movies week for her performance of Blondie's "Call Me," she came back the next night for the results show and not only redeemed herself but blew everyone away on the duet "Moanin'" with fellow contestant Casey Abrams. During that performance you could hear the softer jazzy side of her voice; she sounded like she stepped straight out of a 1940s jazz club or something. And, of course, her scatting was fun and just seemed effortless for her. Another highlight, even though she may have struggled with a few notes, was her cover of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" for Songs of the 21st Century week. She definitely had guts to cover such a current song, and even though it's impossible to outsing Adele, I again enjoyed the jazzy throwback sound to Haley's voice, and thought she would sound great on the radio singing songs in that same style.
I think Haley deserves to make it to the Top 3, but that may be difficult with the large followings for contestants Scotty McCreery, James Durbin, and Lauren Alaina. Right now I think both Scotty and James are locks for two of the spots, which leaves the third spot to either Haley, Lauren, or Jacob Lusk, who I am guessing is the next to go. With Mount Prospect native Lee DeWyze winning AI last year, I think it would be amazing for another Chicago-area native to win the show this year. Go Haley!
New Directions members get their glee on in the stacks.
In honor of National Library Week, I compiled more library scenes to add to last year's list. I think my favorite fictional library enthusiasts are Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls), Brick Heck (The Middle), Jesse St. James (Glee), and the characters on Community.
Beauty and the Beast (1991) Find it in the catalog!
Belle is imprisoned in the Beast's castle after offering herself to be held captive in place of her ailing father. Seeing the way Belle misses her home and how lonely she is, the Beast shows her his lavish library, and tells her that she has her pick from the thousands of volumes.
Before search boxes, you had to search card catalog drawers.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) Find it in the catalog!
After Paul (George Peppard) and Holly (Audrey Hepburn) enter the library she asks him, "What is this place?" Yes, Holly Golightly has never been inside a library. Paul explains how each card is either a book or an author (what about subjects, Paul?). They look under his last name, Varjack, to find the card with his book, Nine Lives. They have to bring the card to one librarian and then wait until their number is called at a different desk. The librarian helping them at that desk is uninterested in the fact that Paul wrote the book. Holly informs her, "It's Varjack, Paul in person!" The librarian is quite annoyed with them, tells them to be quiet, and becomes upset when Holly encourages Paul to sign the library's copy of his book. That provides Holly's cue to go: "I don't think this place is half as nice as Tiffany's."
Community (2009-present) Season 1: Find it in the catalog!
Jeff (Joel McHale), Britta (Gillian Jacobs), Annie (Alison Brie), Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), Troy (Donald Glover), Abed (Danny Pudi) and Pierce (Chevy Chase) form a Spanish study group and every episode is set at least partially in the library, since that is their meeting place. I wanted to highlight a recent season 2 episode, because it demonstrates why Abed and Troy are among my favorite characters on TV and also have one of the best friendships on TV, in addition to the fact that the episode involves a librarian-centric plotline.
If only the librarian would notice them...
Season 2, episode 15: "Early 21st Century Romanticism"
Best friends Troy and Abed both want to ask the same librarian to the Valentine's Dance. They watch her from their study room and hope that if they're too loud she'll shush them, so they yell, "BOOKS!" and then pretend to sleep when she actually does look in their direction. When they finally do approach her, they suggest that she hang out at the dance with both of them, so she can get to know them before she makes her choice.
Troy: Why does being a librarian make her even hotter? Abed: They're keepers of knowledge. She holds the answers to all of our questions, like "Will you marry me?" and "Why are there still libraries?"
Eastbound & Down (2009-present) Season 1: Find it in the catalog!
Former baseball pitcher Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) now teaches gym at a junior high school, where his high school girlfriend April (Katy Mixon) also teaches. In a season 1 episode, he goes to talk to her in the library, where two girls get into a fight. Powers breaks them apart and yells, "If you're gonna fight, do it in a parking lot somewhere, not in a library, surrounded by books!"
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) Season 2: Find it in the catalog!
Season 2, episode 15: "Lost and Found"
Rory's (Alexis Bledel) boyfriend, Dean (Jared Padelecki), can hardly hide his boredom as he sits next to two piles of books she has already selected to buy from the library's Buy a Book! fundraiser. After over two hours of perusing the sale, Rory is still going strong and has yet to look at the astronomy section.
The Middle is a comedy about the Heck family set in the small town of Orson, Indiana. The characters are among my favorite on TV, and the cast is extremely talented and funny. Parents Frankie (Patricia Heaton), a car salesperson, and Mike (Neil Flynn), manager of a limestone quarry, face the everyday madness and exhaustion of raising three kids. Sixteen-year-old Axl (Charlie McDermott) lounges around the house in his boxers and is in a phase where "everyone and everything is lame." Even though he is almost always picking on his younger siblings, he occasionally shows how much he cares for them-- giving Sue his old football jersey, or telling Brick how much he loves him when he briefly loses him in a corn maze. Thirteen-year-old Sue (Eden Sher) is in junior high and very enthusiastic about school clubs, even though she never makes the cut. A running joke throughout the series is how nobody, from teachers to fellow students, is able to remember her. Eden Sher does a great job of portraying Sue's awkwardness, and you can't help but admire her positive attitude and root for her. Nine-year-old Brick (Atticus Shaffer) is happiest buried in a book and doesn't try to hide or apologize for his antisocial personality. "Okay. I'm done talking to you now," he tells a boy his age. He often whispers the last word of a sentence to himself, which everyone else finds really weird but he thinks is soothing (soothing!).
In one of the special features, "Raising a Sitcom Family," co-creators Eileen Heisler & DeAnn Heline talk about how the show is their "love letter to the Midwest." I think they did a great job on these season 1 episodes. Axl, Sue, and Brick actually look like kids you'd see in the neighborhood. Their near constant bickering is almost too real, as it reminds me of when I fought with my younger sister and brother over the tiniest things. I love Mike's honest reactions to the often ridiculous drama of teenagers. The relationship between Frankie and Mike is great to watch because unlike many shows where the husband and wife whine about each other's shortfalls, this is a marriage where they try to solve problems together. I also appreciate the details in the show's set design, with its messy kitchen table and counters. You know, I think it is the messiness of The Middle that makes the show so easy to relate to and so entertaining to watch. If you haven't already checkout out this show, now in its second season on ABC, I recommend you watch these season 1 episodes!
This film is about the teenage John Lennon at a pivotal point in his life during the years 1955-1960. The plot focuses on his relationship with his aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his mother Julia, who reappears in his life after being absent throughout his childhood. At this time John is drawn to rock 'n' roll music and begins the formation of a band, The Quarrymen.
As John, British actor Aaron Johnson is practically unrecognizable from his previous role as Dave Lizewski in Kick Ass, in which he played a bullied American teenager who decides to become a superhero. Not only does Johnson have the Liverpudlian accent down, but he also plays the banjo and guitar and does his own singing in the film. I was very impressed with his performance, in addition to those of his co-stars. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Mimi, who avoids showing or sharing emotions at all costs, even after the death of her husband. Despite her somewhat cold exterior, her love for John is still conveyed through her daily reminders of "glasses!" as he walks out the door, or the disappointed look on her face when he comes home late after a birthday party at Julia's. Julia, played by Anne-Marie Duff, teaches John to play the banjo and shares her love of the latest rock 'n' roll songs with him. Very free-spirited, she behaves more like a friend to John than a mother. She wants to make up for lost time with John, despite the objections of her husband and Mimi.
Nowhere Boy also shows John's first meetings with Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays Paul, and one of my favorite sequences in the film is John and Paul recording the song "In Spite of All the Danger." I recommend this movie to you if you enjoy biopics, Beatles music, or just want to check out the talent of rising star Aaron Johnson.
Even if you prefer to celebrate the birthday of women's rights activist Ann Howard Shaw over Valentine's Day on February 14, I don't think you will regret checking out this "TV Kisses Mashup" video from the AOL TV Squad. Lucy and Ricky! Clair and Cliff! Sawyer and Kate! Kevin and Winnie! (aw.) Watch this clip to see if you can spot your favorite TV couples.
Was anyone else reminded of the montage of kisses at the end of the 1989 Italian film Cinema Paradiso?
Actor James Dean was born 80 years ago, February 8, 1931, in Marion, Indiana. Dean briefly lived in Santa Monica, California, from the ages of six to nine with his parents until the death of his mother, Mildred. After her death, Dean's father, Wilton, remained in California and sent Dean to live Fairmount, Indiana, where he was raised by his uncle Marcus and aunt Ortense on their farm. Following high school graduation, Dean went to California for college, attending Santa Monica City College and UCLA before dropping out. In 1951 Dean moved to New York to do theater and TV work and became part of the Actors Studio in 1953. Director Elia Kazan hired Dean to star in East of Eden in March 1954. Dean's talent was undeniable to audiences when East of Eden hit theaters in March 1955, and his career began to take off within the course of a couple months, in which time he completed filming Rebel Without a Cause and Giant one after the other. Before either of those films were released, Dean was killed in an automobile crash on the way to a car race in California in September 1955. September 30, 2010 marked the 55th anniversary of his death. Each year Fairmount, Indiana holds a James Dean Festival to celebrate his life and work.
East of Eden, released in March 1955
DVD FICTION EAST Find it in the catalog!
James Dean received a posthumous Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role as Cal Trask.
Rebel Without a Cause (Finished filming in June 1955; film was released October 1955.)
DVD DRAMA REBEL Find it in the catalog!
We will be screening this film at the library this Saturday at 2 PM.
Giant (Finished filming in September 1955; film was released November 1956.)
DVD FICTION GIANT Find it in the catalog!
James Dean received a posthumous Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role as Jett Rink.
More about James Dean from the library: *James Dean: Fifty Years Ago by Dennis Stock (2005)
Dennis Stock, a photojournalist, met James Dean at a party thrown by the director Nicholas Ray. The photos in this book were taken by Stock for a photo essay for Life magazine. Dean visits his hometown of Fairmount, Indiana, in February 1955, before the release of East of Eden. Photos capture him on the farm with his cousin, aunt, and uncle, walking around town, and visiting his old high school. Stock also photographs Dean around New York, where Dean kept a small apartment. Dean goes through ballet poses in a dance class and falls asleep in his accountant's office and even at the bar with a cigarette in his hand (Stock says he was an insomniac). Lastly Stock accompanies Dean to LA during the shooting of Rebel Without a Cause.
Glee. Volume 4 includes songs performed by McKinley High glee club New Directions from the first part of season 2, with the exception of songs from the Rocky Horror and Christmas episodes. On this CD you'll find three Britney Spears covers from the "Britney/Brittany" episode: "Me Against The Music," "Stronger," and my favorite, "Toxic." Although I was quite excited for Glee to cover Britney, I thought their versions (and the performances in the episode itself) stuck too close to the originals. I thought that only "Stronger," featuring Kevin McHale on lead vocals, and "Toxic," which utilized the entire cast, did something fun with her songs. The cast also takes on three Bruno Mars songs: "Billionaire," "Marry You," and "Just the Way You Are." Both "Marry You and "Just the Way You Are" are taken from the episode entitled "Furt," where Kurt's father and Finn's mother get married. "Marry You" is one of my favorite Bruno Mars songs, and although I prefer his version, I love the way the song is performed by New Directions as the walk down the aisle at the beginning of the wedding ceremony. Corey Monteith's cover of "Just the Way You Are" had me crying as I watched his character, Finn, sing to his new brother, Kurt. After the past issues between the two characters and Kurt being the target of bullies at school, I thought the performance of "Just the Way You Are" was quite heartfelt and beautiful. I don't know, Glee is often deemed a comedy, but more often than not I'm breaking out the tissues as I watch each week.
But back to the music. More highlights off this CD:
Chris Colfer's heartbreaking version of the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
Gwyneth Paltrow covering Cee Lo Green's "Forget You"
Darren Criss singing Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" -- I've already raved about this performance in my "Great performances in 2010 post".
Lea Michele's cover of "The Only Exception" by Paramore -- which also was the only non-Britney Spears song covered in the "Britney/Brittany" episode.
Joan Osbourne's "One of Us" performed by the entire cast in the "Grilled Cheesus" episode.
Missing: Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley's awesome take on Florence + the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over;" Corey Monteith's cover of REM's "Losing My Religion" from the "Grilled Cheesus" episode.
I tried to write about my favorites in movies and TV this year to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. After my first stanza,
Leo in Shutter Island and Inception
"Does the top stop spinning?" everyone questions
Tom Hardy so good as Eames in disguise
Will be nominated for Best Picture in the critics' eyes
things quickly went downhill with my rhyming attempts to fit all my ideas into a certain number of syllables per line. So instead I made a regular list, mostly limited to what is now out on DVD.What were your favorite things on TV and in the movies in 2010?
◊◊ "Teenage Dream" performed a cappella by Blaine (Darren Criss) and the Dalton Academy Warblers on Glee
I have no idea how many times I rewound my recording of the "Never Been Kissed" episode to watch this performance. I do know that "Teenage Dream" became the most downloaded Glee cover ever and that in his first guest appearance on the show, Darren Criss, known mostly for playing Harry Potter in "A Very Harry Potter Musical," became an instant heartthrob. I also think it made many people forget Katy Perry ever sang the song in the first place. The song was arranged, with background vocals performed by, Tuft University's male a cappella group The Beelzebubs (although they did not actually appear in the episode). Click here to read about their involvement on Glee. Watch the video:
◊◊ The comedies She’s Out of My League and Going the Distance both had hilarious casts with wonderful chemistry. In She's Out of My League Jay Baruchel, T.J. Miller, Nate Torrence, and Mike Vogel have a very tight friendship. The other supporting actors are just as funny: Lindsay Sloane as Kirk's ex-girlfriend Marnie, Hayes MacArthur as Marnie's new boyfriend, Kyle Bornheimer as Kirk's brother Dylan, and Jessica St. Clair as Dylan's fiance. See my full review here.
I'm guessing many people did not go see Going the Distance due to how quickly it disappeared from theaters. Well, I recommend you check out a copy from the library. The chemistry between Justin Long and Drew Barrymore shouldn't be too much of a surprise, since they are a couple in real life, but I loved how director Nanette Burstein (American Teen) captured the moments between them. This is one of Drew Barrymore's best roles and the movie also made me a fan of Justin Long. Romantic comedies often feel so contrived and plastic, and this movie, about a couple trying to make their long distance relationship work, just felt real. Christina Applegate heads up a great supporting cast, including Jim Gaffigan, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day.
◊◊ Michael Shannon in The Runaways: Shannon steals the movie from Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart as Runaways manager Kim Fowley. I didn't even realize it was him until I read the closing credits.
◊◊ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, directed by Edgar Wright, was one of the most entertaining, creative, and fun movies of the year. As Pilgrim, Michael Cera is quite soft-spoken and non-confrontational but turns into a different person playing bass as part of the band Sex Bob-Omb. Kieran Culkin, as Pilgrim's roommate, Wallace, steals all his scenes. Did I mention the awesome soundtrack?
◊◊ Troy and Abed's friendship on Community. The show, which features one of the strongest casts on TV, is currently in its second season on NBC. Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed (Danny Pudi) are usually featured in the scene that plays while the credits roll at the end of each episode. My favorite one is the following "Anthropology Rap" featuring Betty White:
◊◊ Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon. I know I wasn't alone when I became emotional watching Andy drive away to college after having one last round of playtime with his beloved toys. And paying extra to see Dragon in 3D was definitely worth the money-- I felt like I was soaring through the air!
◊◊ The Kids are All Right features award-worthy performances from not only Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo, but the actors who play the teenage kids, Josh Hutcherson as Laser and Mia Wasikowska as Joni.
◊◊ Jimmy Fallon's opening number at the Emmys. This combined so many of my favorite things (Glee! Lost! Choreography! Jon Hamm!) I came close to spontaneously combusting:
◊◊ I thoroughly enjoyed watching Chloe Grace Moretz Kick Ass. Hollywood seems reluctant to allow anyone except handsome young men to don superhero tights, but here is a 13-year-old girl taking care of business.
◊◊ The funny and smart Easy A and its luminous star, Emma Stone, who even displays her singing talent in the film.
◊◊ Harry Shum, Jr. in Glee and Step Up 3. On Glee, Shum plays Mike Chang (jokingly referred to as "Other Asian"), who is usually in the background if he isn't dancing. Since he doesn't have that many lines, I always tend to watch his facial expressions and reactions in the group scenes, because I think he is quite a talented physical comedian. And though he doesn't have a lead role, you can't miss him when he dances toward the screen leading his crew in one of the battles in Step Up 3. Glee: Season 1 on DVD: Find it in the catalog!
◊◊ The engrossing film The Town. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, with another standout performance from Jeremy Renner, seen in last year's The Hurt Locker.
◊◊ The sixth and final season of Lost. I loved how the show ended and think it did the characters justice. Months after the airing of the finale, I'll still get teary-eyed thinking about Jack in that final scene. If you never caught the show, now's the perfect time to watch all the seasons back-to-back (and get your Lost on).
You are better off skipping the movie and just checking out the soundtrack to Burlesque. The music (and Stanley Tucci) are the best parts of the film, which has confusing editing choices and over-the-top dialogue and acting. Christina Aguilera sings 8 of the 10 songs and Cher performs "Welcome to Burlesque" and the Golden Globe-nominated "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me."
I am a fan of Christina's music and I actually enjoy the songs from Burlesque much more than those from her album Bionic, which was released this past summer. The retro sound on much of Burlesque reminds me of Christina's excellent 2006 album Back to Basics. I love her covers of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and "Tough Lover" by Etta James and "A Guy What Takes His Time" by Mae West. Christina also co-wrote the dance songs "Express," "Show Me How You Burlesque," and the gorgeous ballad "Bound to You," which has been nominated for a Golden Globe and is my new favorite song of Christina's. "Beautiful People" reworks the Marilyn Manson song of the same name, and Christina gives the lyrics an aggressive edge with her vocals. Although Burlesque is not one of the best movies I've seen this year, its soundtrack is probably one of my favorite CDs of the year. I had the songs on repeat in my car until I had to return it back to the library.
