Showing posts with label Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Show all posts

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Being Human, UK v. US


Smackdown: UK Being Human season 1 v. US Being Human season 1

Basic premise of both: a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost co-habitate in order to appear and try to live as humans.

In the original UK version we begin when vampire Mitchell (Adian Turner) and werewolf George (Russell Tovey) rent a place together and find ghost Annie (Lenora Crichlow) haunting it. She died in the house and can't cross-over; Mitchell and George are the first beings to actually be able to see her since she died 6 months prior. They form a tight trio and help each other out with their supernatural issues, which of course keep getting in the way of "begin human."

In the US version we follow vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer) and werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) as they rent a house and find ghost Sally (Meaghan Rath). The beginning and basic plotlines follow those of the UK version, but there are some variations as the season progresses. One plotline in the US version doesn't even happen until the second series of the UK version, so the US makers seem eager to begin the separation fairly quickly from the original material.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

"Lightning has struck!": Midnight screening of final Harry Potter film

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.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Inception: "Dreams feel real when we're in them."

Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a fugitive from U.S. law, who specializes in a very unique service: subliminal security. This complex, and very fictional, type of security involves entering the dream-world of the targeted sleeper and extracting information from their subconscious. In an attempt to buy back his freedom and be reunited with his children, DiCaprio's character accepts a job offer that takes the process even further, by planting an idea inside a sleeper's head. Thus: inception. Granted, this is high-concept, and could pretty easily be the premise of the Sci-Fi Channel's movie of the week. But, director Christopher Nolan invests the film with fully realized ideas and layers of complexity that are suspenseful from beginning to end. It's also visually audacious in its depictions of the dream-state. If you've ever wanted to see the city of Paris rise into the air and fold in on itself, well, this is the film for you. Aiding DiCaprio in his subliminal invasion, of billionaire corporate scion Cilian Murphy, are Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Ellen Page, and Dileep Rao. (I'm going on record here in stating that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is almost certainly the best-dressed young actor in Hollywood. But, I'll save that list for another blog entry.) Many 'heist film' trappings are on display here, notably a hero who must assemble a group of professionals for the one big score that he so desperately needs. There is also corporate intrigue, high energy chase scenes, prolonged action sequences, and haunting psychological complexity involving DiCaprio and his wife, played by Marion Cotillard. All of these strands are artfully assembled, and at 148 minutes, the film never seemed to lag. Inception may not be the masterpiece that some critics have made it out be, but it is a stylish, inventive thriller that raises interesting questions about dreams and the nature of reality. For a mainstream movie released in the summer of 2010, that's a pretty extraordinary accomplishment.

What follows are the highlights of Christopher Nolan's filmography. I recommend all of  his previous films, but Memento is particularly relevant to Inception's themes of haunted memory and obsession. It's also just a really good movie.

Memento (2000)

Batman Begins (2005)

The Prestige (2006)

The Dark Knight (2008)

Following (1998)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Harry Potter 7 trailer: The excitement builds!

The trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final installment in author J.K. Rowling's popular series, was recently released. This movie will actually be split into two parts. Part 1 comes to theaters on November 19, 2010, and Part 2 is released July 15 2011. What do you think of the trailer? If you've read the book, you know that a key scene, Harry's final battle with Voldemort, is altered in the movie-- the scene is not set in the Great Hall surrounded by the other characters. I will have to see how the scene plays out in the movie, because I thought the way Rowling wrote the scene was quite brilliant. Anyway, I am still unbelievably excited for both parts of Deathly Hallows. Accio anticipation for HP7!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Somebody save me: Superheroes on DVD

collage by Danielle!
I cannot wait to see Iron Man 2, which comes to theaters May 7. The first Iron Man movie was awesome not only for its action scenes but because of Robert Downey Jr.'s charismatic, humorous, and grounded performance as millionaire Tony Stark. Downey again teams with director Jon Favreau and co-star Gwyneth Paltrow for the next installment, which finds villain Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) looking to knock Iron Man down to size. Other cast additions include Scarlett Johannson as Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow and Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard as Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes.

Plenty of other superheroes have been given the big screen treatment, sometimes going through several incarnations and visions within a short time period. The Batman films, which kicked off with Tim Burton's Batman in 1989, petered out with Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin in 1997; the Batman franchise was then re-started with Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins in 2005. And of course, even before those Batman films Adam West played Batman in the 1966-68 Batman TV series and 1966 movie. Ang Lee's Hulk (2003) starring Eric Bana was a disappointment; in 2008 director Louis Leterrier took over with Edward Norton smashing things up in The Incredible Hulk. Three Spider-Man films directed by Sam Raimi have been made during the years 2002-2007. Shortly after the announcement that a Spider-Man 4 would be made came the news that the movie would follow Peter Parker in high school, meaning the search was on for an all new cast (bye bye Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst).

Other superhero films in development include The Green Hornet starring Seth Rogen (coming January 2011...in 3-D), Thor starring Chris Hemsworth and directed by Kenneth Branagh(!) (May 2011), Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds (June 2011), The First Avenger: Captain America starring Chris Evans (July 2011), The Avengers (May 2012), and The Flash (still in early stages of development).

In celebration of superheroes I tried to compile as thorough of a list that I could from DVDs available at Dundee Library. DVDs are divided alphabetically by superhero.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Guilty Pleasure Pick: Signs

M. Night Shyamalan doesn't exactly have a great reputation as a director.  Since his blockbuster debut, the Sixth Sense, Shyamalan has become sort of a one trick pony (horror movies with twist endings) and his films seem to be increasingly critically panned.  Signs stands apart in his oeuvre because it doesn't really have a twist ending. The movie also works better as a comedy than a horror movie for me, though there are some genuinely tense moments in it. 

For those unfamiliar with the movie, it is about widowed Reverend Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) who lost his faith after his wife died.  He lives on a farm with his two kids (Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin) and his brother (Joaquin Phoenix).  When mysterious crop circles start appearing in their cornfield, some of the locals in his town believe they may have been created by aliens.

The Five Best Things about Signs:

1).  Joaquin Phoenix before he became a rap star: The best reason to see this movie is probably Joaquin Phoenix's performance.  Before he became the This is Spinal Tap version of himself, Phoenix was a credible and talented actor, turning out interesting performances in movies like Quills, Gladiator, and Hotel Rwanda.  Here he plays Merrill Hess, a former minor league baseball star.  Merrill is not the brightest character and is the source for a lot of the humor in the movie. Phoenix is probably best known for his work in serious roles like Walk the Line, but here he demonstrates his comedic abilities. 

2).  Merrill's monologue on fate: One time, I was at this party... and I was sitting on the couch with Amanda McKinney. She was just sitting there, looking beautiful. So, I lean in to kiss her, and I realize I have gum in my mouth. So, I turn to spit it out and put it in a paper cup. I turn back, and Amanda McKinney throws up all over herself. I knew the moment it happened, it was a miracle. I could have been kissing her when she threw up. It would have scarred me for life. I may never have recovered.

3). Michael Showalter in a non-humorous role:  Primarily a comedian, Showalter appears in only one scene as Lionel Prichard, who refers to Merrill as a "class A-screw up" to an army recruiter.  To see Showalter's funny side, check out the State, the Baxter or the Michael Showalter Showalter (warning: clips contain adult language).

4). Tracy Abernathy: A pharmacist with a foul mouth who confesses all her sins to Reverend Graham because she believe the alien invasion is a sign of the end of the world.

5). The tin foil scene:



Find it in the Catalog

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Twilight Saga: New Moon on DVD

"Half of the time, I'm just overjoyed to be a part of this. The other half I'm nervous that I'm going to be hunted down and killed by a pack of teenage girls."
- New Moon director Chris Weitz
The second installment in the Twilight series just arrived on DVD this month. Vampire heartthrob Edward (Robert Pattinson) thinks that his mortal teenage girlfriend Bella (Kristen Stewart) is safer without him so he breaks up with her, vowing he will never see her again. Bella's good friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner) helps lift her out of her depression. But even though being with Jacob helps ease her heartbreak, Bella still will not let go of Edward. After discovering she is able to see an apparition of Edward whenever she participates in risky activities, Bella engages in dangerous behaviors such as riding on a stranger's motorcycle and cliff jumping. When Edward believes Bella to be dead he goes to Italy because he wants the Volturri (law-upholding vampires) to kill him. Bella then rushes to Italy, hoping she can stop this from occurring.

This is a two-DVD set, and the six-part documentary is worth a view. All sorts of details about the making of the movie are discussed, including how new director Weitz works (Catherine Hardwicke directed the first film). At one point actor Michael Sheen (Aro) describes Weitz as a cross between a vampire and a werewolf. The documentary allows you to stand on the sidelines during the first day of shooting, while stunts are being shot with stand-ins, on location in Italy, and even in the editing room. I thought it was interesting to watch how they shot the scene where Jacob turns into a wolf. To the surprise of the stunt crew Taylor Launter insisted on doing his own stunts and did them just as well as a stunt person. Another part of the documentary reveals how the production designers wanted to have an "emotional texture" to the look of the film. We also get to see how the special effects team got Robert Pattinson's skin to sparkle like diamonds and how they created the wolves.

Even if you've seen New Moon already, I recommend checking out the special features on this DVD.
Find it in the catalog! 

How many days until the midnight opening of Eclipse on June 30?

Thursday, March 11, 2010

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.

Monday, February 15, 2010

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)

Monday, February 1, 2010

Even more Lost

"They're coming."
~ Jacob
We have to wait just over 24 hours until the sixth and final season of Lost premieres on ABC. A recap episode airs tomorrow at 7 PM, followed by the two-hour premiere at 8 PM. Are you all caught up with the previous seasons and ready to find out what happens to the castaways? I know I am! I always get very absorbed in Lost episodes and talk back to the TV and/or scream in response to plot developments. Who are the good guys? Who lives?! Who dies?! Which deceased castaways are returning (and why)?! Why doesn't Richard Alpert age? What year is it? And what is the island? Here are a few useful sites to bookmark and revisit as you watch the final season to get your Lost fix.

Totally Lost at ew.com: After each episode this is where I go to read Jeff "Doc" Jensen's incredibly detailed and well-researched recaps. Jensen is a hard-core fan and I look forward to reading his take on each episode. Reader beware: at times Jensen's crazy enthusiasm and insightful theories cause the reader to develop headaches.

Lostpedia: A Lost encyclopedia.

Official ABC site: Watch full episodes, attend Lost University, buy Lost gear, and read character and actor bios.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

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!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie night recap

Thank you to everyone who attended our free screening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince this afternoon! A great audience of 40 people came to watch the movie. This is the second highest audience turnout we've had since the library's renovation (the Monsters vs. Aliens screening in November currently holds the top spot)! For a two and half hour movie I thought people might start to get restless, but the action really held everyone's attention. I wish I could insert myself into the scene at Professor Slughorn's supper party where Hermione, Harry, and other Hogwarts students are eating ice cream out of glass goblets the size of soup bowls. Yum! I also think the library at Hogwarts is pretty neat: in one scene, as Hermione walks from one set of stacks to another, all she has to do is hold a book up and then it magically floats to its proper place on the shelf. And, of course, you gotta love Ron Weasley. Unlucky with love potions but awesome on the Quidditch pitch!

Have you seen Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? What did you think?

If you haven't watched the movie yet, or would like to see it again, put yourself on hold for a copy from the library:
Find it in the catalog!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Free movies in January at the library

Looking to get out of the cold? Come to the Dundee Township Public Library and catch a movie for free on the big screen! Several times a month we show movies downstairs in the Meeting Room. Free popcorn and refreshments are always served! To guarantee a seat at the movie pick up tickets before the date of the show at the Information Desk (847-428-3661, ext. 308). Walk-ins are also welcome as long as space is available (the audience is limited to 80 people). Check out what we are showing in January:

The Wizard of Oz
Tuesday, January 12 at 6 PM

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Saturday, January 16 at 2 PM

Julie & Julia
Wednesday, January 20 at 6 PM

Come join us! In February we will screen Fame (2009), Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, and Casablanca.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Get your Lost on (on DVD)!

We have to wait less than a month until the premiere of the sixth and final season of Lost! The final season starts on Tuesday, February 2nd. Are you ready? I am so excited to see what happens next to all the characters (especially what happened after the screen went white) and how the series will be wrapped up. Do you need to refresh yourself on plot lines and characters? Put yourself on hold for one (or all) of seasons 1-5, available through the library.

Lost. The Complete First Season (2004-2005)
Find it in the catalog!

Lost. The Complete Second Season (2005-2006)
Find it in the catalog!

Lost. The Complete Third Season (2006-2007)
Find it in the catalog!

Lost. The Complete Fourth Season (2008)
Find it in the catalog!

Lost. The Complete Fifth Season (2009)
Find it in the catalog!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

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!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Best films of the 2000s

Looking back on the 2000s, several movie critics have put together lists of the best films from the past ten years. Whether or not you agree with their rankings, I think it is fun to see which movies are included. Take a look at this selection of the best of the decade lists. Do you agree with the films selected? Are there any listed you will make a note to check out from the library and watch?

Owen Gleiberman, movie critic at Entertainment Weekly, lists his 10 Best Movies of the Decade. Far From Heaven (2002) is his top choice.

Entertainment Weekly staff members pick the 10 Best Movies of the Decade! Their top spot goes to the Lord of the Rings trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003).

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips chooses his 10 favorite films of the decade. He picks There Will Be Blood (2007) as his #1 film.

Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire writes about movies in the 2000s in the article Decade big on remakes, reboots and raunchy rom-coms. Gire selects The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2004) as the most influential film of the decade.

Writers at the AV Club highlight their 50 Best films of the '00s, with the top spot going to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2003).

Saturday, December 5, 2009

The countdown to the final season of Lost

The sixth and final season of Lost begins on Tuesday, February 2 on ABC. The "premiere event" is scheduled to start at 7 PM. No new footage from season six has been released to be used in promotional TV spots, which means ABC's commercials have been pretty boring. If you are a Lost fan, check out this awesome TV promo from Spanish station Cuatro. The editing (Kate, Ben, Jack, and Locke are pieces on a chessboard!), music ("Everything in its Right Place" by Radiohead), and poem excerpt (Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam) combine together brilliantly:

Sunday, November 29, 2009

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!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Part two of New Moon opening night recap: The wait is over


During the break between Twilight and New Moon AMC Peter was back for further audience hassling; he asked if the ending of Twilight was the same or if it had changed since the last time we watched it. Hilarious stuff! He also wanted to see who had more support, Team Edward or Team Jacob. After a short screaming match Team Edward was deemed the winner in our theater, but it sounded like a tie to my ears.

Once midnight hit the waiting still was not over, as we had to sit through trailers (seven total). The trailer for Remember Me (starring Robert Pattinson) ignited freak-outs in a majority of the audience. The audience clapped and then screamed once the trailers ended. When the Summit logo appeared people started to shush each other.

New Moon focuses on Bella's (Kristen Stewart) relationship with her newly-buff friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner), who turns into a werewolf when he gets angry or hunts vampires. In much of the movie Bella is in a depressed state because her vampire boyfriend Edward (Robert Pattinson) broke up with her. When Bella spends time with Jacob she feels better and isn't so down about everything. He cares deeply for her, but Bella only likes Jacob as a friend. Bella still cannot let go of Edward. She realizes that when she behaves recklessly she is able to see and hear Edward, so she rides motorcycles and participates in other dangerous activities. When she cliff dives she sets off a chain of events that leads Edward to believe Bella is dead. He then goes to Italy to offer himself to the Volturi, a group of vampires that uphold vampire laws.

Similar to the first Twilight film, Bella's dad Charlie (Billy Burke) and her friends from Forks High School provide some nice comedic moments. In one highlight Bella sits between Mike Newton (Michael Welch) and Jacob at the movies, and each guy has his hand upturned on the armrest while she keeps her hands to herself. In another, Jessica (Anna Kendrick) explains why she does not like zombie movies. Paul, Sam, Jared, and Embry of The Wolf Pack also get some comedic jabs in, although their personalities aren't as clearly defined as those of the Cullen vampire family. I wanted to see more done with the Quileute tribe and the members who turn into werewolves (aka "The Wolf Pack"). And not because they're shirtless most of the time! The movie only briefly touches on their abilities, one of which is how they are able to read each other's minds.

There's no question who got the most screams: Jacob. His first New Moon appearance prompts Bella to say, "Hello, biceps." During the scene where Bella confronts Jacob in the rain someone in the theater even took a picture. Jokes about his bulked-up physique aside, I think Lauter gives a fantastic performance in New Moon. He is such a sweetheart to Bella; audience members went, "Aww" whenever she rejected any of his advances. I admit it: I am switching to Team Jacob after seeing Lautner's performance.

New Moon tallies*:
The number of times...
... the audience screamed: 8
... the audience clapped: 12
... Edward appears shirtless: 3
... Jacob appears shirtless: 5 or 6*
... a member of the wolf pack appears shirtless: 17
... Edward appears to be in pain: 27
... Edward smiles and/or laughs: 10
... Bella mopes and/or has nightmares: 13
... Bella is rescued: 5
... Jasper has a hilarious look on his face: 10
... Edward's image appears before Bella when she is being reckless or in danger: 15

* At certain points my pen was running out of ink and I had to go back and forth over the paper several times. Looking at my tallies now it's hard to tell where I was trying to darken one tally mark or add an additional one (it was pretty dark in the theater, okay?). Can anyone fill in the gaps to these numbers? If not, I guess I'll just have to see New Moon a second time.

The third installment in the series, Eclipse, comes to theaters June 2010!
  • The Twilight Saga: New Moon is now playing at theaters everywhere
  • 2 hours and 10 minutes; rated PG-13

Part one of New Moon opening night recap: Twilight


Last night I caught a double feature of Twilight and New Moon at the AMC in South Barrington. Several theaters in the area screened last year's Twilight at 9 PM before screening the next installment, New Moon, at midnight. In anticipation of the craziness I bought the tickets online and then picked them before the actual date of the showtime. It was a good deal to do the double feature. My friend and I got to the theater around 8:30 and saw that there were already two holding pens of Twilight fans waiting for the midnight showing, but we were able to go right into the theater. Although I've seen Twilight twice before in the theater I thought it would be fun to see it with a packed crowd of hard-core fans. I didn't see many people dressed as the characters, but plenty of fans (including myself) were wearing Twilight-related shirts.

Shortly before 9 PM an AMC employee named Peter welcomed us and then proceeded to mock our decision to see Twilight in the theater again: "Everyone feeling satisfied you paid $6 to see a movie you already own on DVD?" (screams!) Perhaps he was also trying to give the audience's lungs a workout; he mentioned something about the new Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp (more screams!), and then asked if anyone watched the TV show True Blood (screams!). He asked the audience whether Twilight or True Blood was better (indistinguishable screams!). His response: "The correct answer is True Blood."

By the time the lights went out for Twilight, the screams started up again. I heard audible gasps erupt from the audience the first time we saw the Cullens walk into the school cafeteria. The first close-up of Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) provoked the loudest screams. Interestingly enough the only other character whose appearance caused screams was Carlise (Peter Facinelli). Yep, that's right, nobody was screaming for Jacob, played by Taylor Lautner (yet).

Seeing the movie this time around I noticed things I hadn't before. On Bella's (Kristen Stewart) first day at Forks High School she gets a prime parking spot right in front of the school. Not believable! And, why doesn't Emmett Cullen (Kellan Lutz) like to sit down when he rides in cars? He always stands or crouches. Also, what's with the monkey references? Edward calls Bella a "spider-monkey" and Rosalie (Nikki Reed) refers to Emmett as her "monkey man." Furthermore, the head cocking and air sniffing that Cam Gigandet brings to the role of James is also something he used in the movie Never Back Down. Finally, while I always paid close attention to the hilarious strained looks on Jasper's (Jackson Rathbone) face, I never realized he is doing a sort of jig when he and Emmett burn the body of James in the ballet studio. Dance, Jasper, dance! Things to think about. I also kept a few tallies going during the movie:

Twilight tallies: The number of times...
... the audience screamed: 3*
... the audience clapped: 5
... Bella is helped/rescued: 5
... Jasper makes a painful face: 11
... Edward appears as if he's in pain: 38
... Edward smiles and/or laughs: 33
... there were bad special effects: 8

* I didn't start counting until after the movie began. I wish I would have kept track of all the screams during AMC Peter's "welcome."