Celluloid Librarians

Hopefully many of you know about the BIG Library Centennial party that we will be having this Friday (June 12th) from 4pm-7pm @ the Central Library. Come see yours truly perform in the Book Cart Drill Team!! It should be a fun and festive occasion! The whole library centennial thing got me thinking about librarians and, because I am me, it got me thinking about movies. Librarians and libraries have been portrayed in many ways on the celluloid screen. Here are a few of my favorites:
Party Girl: (DVD)
Mary (Parker Posey)is living the wild bohemian life in New York. She calls her godmother, a librarian, for bail money after being arrested for throwing an illegal party. To repay the loan, she begins working for her godmother in the library. The detail of library work rubs against her flamboyant, live-by-the-moment grain ("Keith Richards would make a better librarian than me!''). After a bit, she learns to groove on the Dewey Decimal System and enjoy the order it gives to her otherwise chaotic life.

The Mummy: (DVD)
Probably my favorite librarian character comes from this film. Rachel Weisz’s Evie takes librarianship to its adventurous best. She drunkenly exclaims, “I am proud to be what I am. I am a LIBRARIAN!” And you believe she is. Adventurous librarian, swashbuckling hero and life sucking mummy, how can you resist!

The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (DVD)
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines (DVD)
The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (DVD)
The Librarian started in 2004 and now has three films in the series. Noah Wyle plays Flynn Carsen, a perpetual college student who has 22 academic degrees. He is compelled to leave academia and get some real world experience so he applies for a position at the Metropolitan Public Library. His job is to protect historical and often magical items in a secret section of the library. Within this collection are artifacts like the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant. Adventures abound for this meek but feisty librarian.

Probably my favorite librarian quote comes from the first film. Noah Wyle is interviewing with Jane Curtain for “The Librarian” position. Curtain asks: What makes you think you could be the Librarian?
Wyle: I know the Dewey Decimal System, Library of Congress, research paper orthodoxy, web searching. I can set up an RSS feed...
Curtain: Everybody knows that. They're librarians.
Maybe it’s Curtains' snarky tone or you have to be a librarian to find it that funny, but it cracks me up every time.

All these titles are available on DVD from our Media Department.

The White Ribbon @Cannes

While we were celebrating Memorial Day with flags and BBQ, the French were finishing up their annual film extravaganza at Cannes. This year the coveted Palme d’Or went to an Austrian film, The White Ribbon. Filmed in black and white by Austrian director, Michael Haneke, the film follows a sinister series of crimes which rock a village in northern Germany on the eve of World War One, and appears linked to a group of children brutalized and scarred by their parents. Another Austrian, Christoph Waltz, walked away with the Best Actor prize for his flamboyant performance as a SS officer in Quentin Tarantino’s World War II film Inglorious Bastards.
The most controversial film in Cannes was Danish director Lars von Trier’s Antichrist, which sharply divided critics and drew boos and cheers at screenings for its graphic portrayals of sex and violence. France’s Charlotte Gainsbourg, who plays a wife mourning the death of her son, was named Best Actress.

Ooooo lala Gerard!

It wasn’t until the early ‘90’s that I became enamored by foreign films. Two films, both released in 1990, set me down the path of foreign film appreciation. One was Cinema Paradiso and the other was Cyrano de Bergerac. This Cyrano was spectacularly performed by French actor Gerard Depardieu. It had been quite a while since I had seen this version of Cyrano but fortunately, we have it available in the HBPL Media Department. I watched it last weekend and it still does not disappoint. It just reinforces what a powerful performance Gerard gave as Cyrano. So, if you haven’t seen this version, we have it!! Here are some more Depardieu gems for your consideration:
Jean de Florette (DVD): Jean de Florette is a French film set in Provence in the 1920s. It's the story of how two provincial French farmers systematically destroy the happiness of a man who comes out from the city to till the land. The man from the city is Jean de Florette, a hunchback tax collector played by Gerard Depardieu. A touching performance in a film that shows the dark side of human greed.

Man in the Iron Mask (VHS): All for one and one for all! Gerard Depardieu plays an aging Porthos in this entertaining rendition of Dumas classic novel. Along with his other Musketeers, Aramis (Jeremy Iron) and Athos (John Malkovich), they come out of retirement to avenge the death of Athos’ son. Unfortunately, the one responsible is King Louis XIV and the King’s bodyguard is led by one time fourth-Musketeer, D'Artagan (Gabriel Byrne). Leonardo DiCaprio does a commendable job in a dual role as King Louis XIV and the pauper that the Musketeers get to impersonate the King.

Green Card (VHS): Gerard plays a Frenchman that wants to stay in the United States. Andie MacDowell plays a single woman that wants a fabulous apartment that will only be rented to a married couple. A marriage of convenience seems the ideal solution to both problems. This charming romantic comedy shows what happens when cultures collide!

The Last Holiday (DVD): A clerk (Queen Latifah) from a New Orleans department store, puts life on hold and denies herself most luxuries of life. This all changes when a CT Scan discloses she has three weeks to live. She cashes her savings and heads to Europe's Grand Hotel Pupp, where Chef Didier presides. She lives life at its fullest to delightful results. Although this is really a Queen Latifah film, Gerard Depardieu’s role as Chef Didier is a scene stealer.

Earth Day Movies

This Wednesday, April 22nd, is EARTH DAY! What better way to celebrate then to watch a film about the destruction of earth’s resources by we naughty humans. Some say these films are eye openers to our future, like the ghost of Christmas future that visited old Scrooge. They can be seen as eye openers but they are also entertaining and available at the HBPL Media Department.

The Day After Tomorrow: Global warming has caught up with the earth in this catastrophic sci-fi thriller. A special-effects-filled look at what the world would look like if the greenhouse effect and global warming continued at such levels that they resulted in worldwide catastrophe and disaster, including multiple hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, floods and the beginning of the next Ice Age. It is up to climatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) to save his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), and the world, from the new Ice Age.

Eleventh Hour: documentary narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio that covers global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction, and depletion of the oceans' habitats . The film's over all premises is that the future of humanity is in jeopardy. This is another serious look at how our world is, and another good reminder for earth day that we need to change things.

AI: Artificial Intelligence: Steven Spielberg’s film (based on an idea by Stanley Kubrick) presents a future world affected by melting polar ice caps. Flooding devastates coastal cities, forcing citizens to move towards the center of the continents. Despite the climatic setback, mankind proceeds to make stunning technological leaps forward while stumbling backward by indulging in new forms of prejudice and discrimination.

WALL-E: After decades of environmental degradation, Earth is completely uninhabitable. Humans turn to space, leaving Earth a lifeless wasteland. With a total dependency on technology and instant gratification, humans become lethargic, lazy, and obese. The only thing that will save the species is a trash collecting robot (and Hello Dolly! of course!).

Other Earth Day choices: An Inconvenient Truth, Waterworld, Who Killed the Electric Car?, Encounters at the End of the World
So you should all pop in a film, hug a tree, think about going greener and have an environmentally friendly Earth Day.

Such a Deal!

Just in case there are some of you out there that don’t know, our Media Department will be closed on Monday April 6th, Tuesday April 7th and Wednesday April 8th. They will be closed down for re-carpeting. What that means is if you check out any new DVD on Saturday, you will be able to keep it until Thursday April 9th! Might be a great opportunity to catch up on your new release viewing!

Take a bite out of Spring!

Yesterday was the first official first day of spring; certainly an event in itself. Today, however, marks an even bigger event (at least to some people…)!! Today Twilight comes out on DVD. Of course, the HBPL Media department has multiple copies (Five!!) available for our patrons. But just like the books, the Twilight DVD’s will be very popular. So while you are waiting you might try some other vampire-fare:

The Lost Boys: Before he started saving the world as Jack Bauer, Keifer Sutherland played a punk vampire in this 1987 campy vampire flick. Dianne Weist plays a mother who moves with her sons to a small California coastal town. Of course, suspicious things start happening. The younger son starts hanging out with some teenage vampire hunters (played by the Corey’s – Corey Haim and Corey Feldman) while the older boy starts sleeping days and staying out all night. I always loved the tagline for this film: Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire. And that about says it all about this film.

Låt den rätte komma in (aka Let the Right One In): Do you like your vampires Swedish? If so, this is the film for you! Twelve year old Oskar is so wimpy that he's constantly picked on by the other boys at his school. Out of fear, Oskar never fights back. One evening, Oskar notices a new girl about his age and her father moving into the apartment next door to his. Eli, the new girl, is not very friendly, as she tells him right off that she can't be friends with him. What she doesn’t tell him is that she is a vampire. Although there is certainly blood galore in this film, it is ultimately a story of friendship and the difficulties of coming of age.


And if these two aren’t enough for you, there is always the vampire mainstays like Dracula or Interview with the Vampire. The Media department will have many titles that you can sink your teeth into (vampire pun intended!).

Film Festival Fun

The thing I like most about going to film festivals is that I get to see incredible films that will never reach our theaters. For every film that makes the American movie theater, there are hundreds that will never get distribution. I just got back from the Cinequest Film Festival (http://www.cinequest.org/ ) up in San Jose, CA. Only a quick three day visit but I was able to see seven films. My favorites were the documentaries.

Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders:
After 15 years of a devastating civil war, Liberia is basically left with no medical infrastructure, while the Congo has collapsed into its own that has left over 4,000,000 people dead. The riveting Living in Emergency follows four members of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Doctors Without Borders on their missions to “provide emergency medical care to populations in distress.”
and
Rocaterrania:
When Renaldo's father moved his family to a remote Colorado ranch as a child, Renaldo dealt with his isolation by escaping to his private fantasy world and fabricating the fantasy nation of Rocaterrania. What began as the illustrated history of an imaginary world became a lifelong obsession - one that would secretly document the satirically coded story of his life. Now 76, Renaldo spins his spellbinding tale, illustrated by works of art, which delve deep into the psyche of this delightful and complex genius.

Neither of these currently have distribution but might in the future. They were certainly worthy of a wider audience.
You never know what gems you will find when you go to a festival. If you have never been to one, the Newport Beach Film Festival runs from April 23rd to 30th. You can give a festival a try without going far from home!

And the winner is...

Or at least who I think the winners will be! Here are my picks for this years Academy Awards:
Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor: Sean Penn (You KNOW I would really like to be able to say that Richard Jenkins will win but alas….)
Best Actress: Kate Winslet
Best Director: Danny Boyle
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (duh!)
Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis
Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Animated Feature: Wall-E
Art Direction: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Costume Design: The Duchess
Documentary: Man on Wire
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Foreign Language: Waltz with Bashir
Make-up: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Song: Slumdog Millionaire - "Jai Ho"
Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
Sound Mixing: The Dark Knight
Visual Effects: Curious Case of Benjamin Button


The Oscars are on this Sunday night. But for those indie minded folk out there, the Independent Spirit Awards are on Saturday night at 10pm on AMC (or live at 5pm if you have IFC channel). Here is a link to this year’s Independent Spirit nominees (http://spiritawards.com/nominees).
Let the games begin!

Film Forum Cancelled

Unfortunately, we have to cancel the Watching the Detectives Saturday Film Forum. Major issues came up with the schedule and the library theater and as no satisfactory solution reared its head, we will have to cancel the entire program. Sorry to my loyal Film Forum followers!!

The Guilds have Spoken!

Recently many of the entertainment guilds have announced their awards for the 2008 film season.
The Producer’s Guild award went to Slumdog Millionaire.
The Writers Guild went to Milk for Original Screenplay and Slumdog Millionaire for Adapted Screenplay.
The Director’s Guild went to Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire.
Hmmmm…could this possible be a trend?
The BAFTA’s (British Film Awards) were announced this weekend and it seems that Slumdog Millionaire is the darling of the BAFTA’s as well! It walked away with Best Film, Best Director (Danny Boyle), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Sound. Oddly enough, it didn’t get any BAFTA acting awards. Those went to: Best Actress Kate Winslet for The Reader, Best Actor Mickey Rourke for the Wrestler, Best Supporting Actor Heath Ledger for Dark Knight and Best Supporting Actress Penelope Cruz for Vicky, Cristina Barcelona.

The American Cinematographers will announce their awards on Sunday, February 15th and the Costume Designers Guild announces on Tuesday, February 17th.
The guild awards are always a good indication of who might walk away with an Oscar on February 22nd.

I haven’t seen a release date for Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler, Revolutionary Road or Curious Case of Benjamin button on DVD but Frozen River should be in this week, Changeling will be out February 17th, Milk and Rachel Getting Married are coming on March 10th, Doubt on April 7th, The Reader is scheduled for April 14th. Of course, all are on order for the HBPL Media Department!

Let the Games Begin – 2009!

At the crack of dawn this morning (530am!), the Oscar nominations were announced for this year’s performances. I was particularly pleased to see Richard Jenkins get nominated for his amazing work in The Visitor. Personally, I think he might just take the Oscar home this year. I was also pleased that The Reader got a nod for both Best Picture and for Kate Winslet’s Best Actress performance. (Yes, I know the Golden Globes gave her a Best Supporting Actress for this but it was really a leading role.).
Many of these films are still in the theaters, but not all! Here are the films that are currently available at the HBPL Media Department that received nominations:

The Dark Knight (Best Supporting Actor – Heath Ledger, Best Editing, Make-up, Art Direction, Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects )
The Duchess (Best Art Direction and Costume)
Encounters at the End of the World (Best Documentary)
Hellboy II (Best Make-Up)
In Bruges (Best Original Screenplay)
Iron Man (Best Sound Editing, Visual Effects)
Kung-Fu Panda (Best Animated Film)
Man On Wire (Best Documentary)
Tropic Thunder (Best Supporting Actor – Robert Downey Jr.) (He's The Dude Playing the Dude Disguised as Another Dude - I love that line!)
The Visitor ( Best Actor – Richard Jenkins)
WALL-E (Best Animated Feature, Original Score, Original Song – Down to Earth, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Screenplay)
Wanted (Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing)


Many of the nominated films are scheduled for DVD release in the very near future. That and my picks for the Oscars will be in the next posts to this blog. I will also be asking for your picks for the top categories, so start thinking!

Blu-Ray Comes to HBPL

Did you know that the HBPL Media Department now has a selection of Blu-Ray DVD’s? Well, we do! Now that the price of Blu-Ray players has come down, we have decided to offer some titles to our patrons.
Now available on Blu-Ray:
Kung-Fu Panda, Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Dark Knight, Wanted, Hancock, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Eagle Eye, Iron Man, WALL-E, Horton Hears a Who, Tropic Thunder, and Mamma Mia!

Blu-Ray DVD’s can be played on Blu-Ray players and Playstation3 but cannot be played on a regular DVD player. But if you have the right equipment, these DVD’s offer an incredible visual experience!

Saturday Film Forum Returns!

Yes, it is official! As some of you may (or may not) know, our director, Ron Hayden, retired after over 20 years at the helm of HBPL. We now have a new leader! Welcome Stephanie Beverage as the new director of our library. Welcome, because just today she gave the go-ahead for the Saturday Film Forum! This time I will take you to the seedy, noir and animated world of detectives! The official title: On the QT and Very Hush-Hush: Watching the Detectives.

Here are the films and the dates:
February 28th - The Maltese Falcon: After the murder of his business partner, private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette, the jeweled Falcon of Malta.

March 28th - L.A. Confidential: 1950's Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Based on James Ellroy’s crime novel, the film follows three detectives that try to find the truth; each in their own way.

April 18th – Chinatown: In 1930 Los Angeles, private eye "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson), at the request of a beautiful bombshell (Faye Dunaway), becomes entangled in a scandal of greed, depravity, and corruption surrounding L.A.’s water supply.

May 16th - Who Framed Roger Rabbit? : Roger, an animated rabbit with big feet, long ears and a polka-dot tie, enlists the help of a second-rate gumshoe in an adventure that has murder, mayhem, and lots of fun! Roger thinks his wife is two-timing him, but he uncovers something much more menacing in this 1940s Hollywood adventure.

I had wanted to screen Blade Runner as the fourth film, but alas! I was unable to get the screening rights so, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? it is!! Not that I am disappointed! If you haven’t seen Roger Rabbit or if you haven’t seen it for awhile, it is a mix of animation and live action and a Zemeckis tour-de force!
All screenings will be at 2p, on Saturdays, in the Library Theater and, of course, are FREE!
I hope to see you and “as many of your adult friends that you can drag along” there!

Happy Award Season!!

Of course we all know that we are in the holiday season but we are also just starting the big awards season! Many organizations have already announced their top film and acting awards/nominees:

National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film Critics, New York Film Critics, Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards have all been announced. There seems to be a few films that every group agrees on! Across the board, Man on Wire gets best documentary nods. This fascinating documentary follows the high wire walks of Philippe Petit, including his infamous walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. It is currently available on DVD in the HBPL Media center. Another, which is also now out on DVD and available at HBPL, is the Best Animated Film, Wall-E. For my money, Pixar makes the best animated films that are currently being released. This is no exception; a smart, funny, charming animated adventure of a lonely waste management robot. Who knew trash could be so loveable?

It seems that Josh Brolin is fated to be at the Oscars again this year. Although not nominated for his portrayal in No Country For Old Men, from all the accolades he has already received for his supporting actor role of Dan White in Milk, it would be a great surprise if an Oscar nomination didn’t come his way as well. And speaking of Milk, another actor whose performance is recognized by the critics is Sean Penn in Milk as Harvey Milk. From every group he is either their pick as best actor or in the nominated group.

The other films that seem to be getting multiple nominations are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, Slumdog Millionaire (an amazing film that should not be missed!) and Frost/Nixon. Of course, all will eventually be available on DVD and will make their way onto the shelves at HBPL.

In the new year I will write more on the films that are getting recognized. The award season culminates with the Oscars on February 22, 2009 (with Hugh Jackman as host…but that will be a post in itself!). But until then have a wonderful holiday season and I will be back in 2009!

Holiday Madness

Yes yes! Tis the season that we all go crazy. We are running around trying to make a fun and festive holiday for our friends and family. What a better way to relax than with a hot chocolate/toddy and a favorite movie. You would think that Christmas movies would be the first movies I would reach for this time of year. Of course, I have my favorites among the Christmas films but when I want to relax, my thoughts turn to Alan Rickman. Contemporary audiences know him as Snape in the Harry Potter films. Unfortunately, my favorite Rickman film, Truly, Madly, Deeply is hard to find and not in our media department. But we certainly have other Rickman fare to offer:

Galaxy Quest: It has been 17 years since the "Galaxy Quest'' TV series was canceled, and the actors' careers have been reduced to appearances at annual conventions. Alan Rickman plays a Spock-like character who hates the direction that his career has taken and his co-stars. Aliens show up after watching years of the series, thinking they have been watching historical documents. They want the intrepid crew of Galaxy Quest to help them defeat their enemies. So funny, so campy, so galactic!

Sense and Sensibility: Rickman in Austen! What a great combination. The screenplay for this version was written by Emma Thompson, who also stars in the film. Rickman plays the love struck Colonel Brandon who eventually ends up with the girl (Kate Winslet, no less)!

Harry Potters: Alan Rickman is superbly cast as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. The voice, the sneer, the hair! A decidedly misunderstood character! We who have read the entire Harry Potter series, know that Snape is somewhat redeemed in the final act. I can’t wait to see Rickman’s portrayal in the film version of the Deathly Hallows.

Bottle Shock: This delightful film was based on a true story and was just out in the theaters. Rickman plays a British wine connoisseur, owner of a wine shop in France. He sets up blind wine tasting in Paris, pitting California wines against the French ones. This 1976 event shocked the wine community when a small California vineyard was triumphant against the French. For those that missed this film in the theaters, it will be available on DVD in February (02/03/09).

You are never too old!

I have always had an interest in the arts. Of course, I love film but, for my entire life, I have also been involved with music. One of my musical pursuits was singing, for ten years, with a jazz choir. This is but one reason that I couldn’t wait to see the documentary Young @ Heart. This documentary was the darling of the festivals last year and a big hit at Sundance in January of this year.

Young @ Heart is a geriatric rock 'n roll singing choir from Northampton, Massachusetts which you've got to see (and hear) to believe. If you are a fan of “The Ramones”, just wait until you've seen a 92-year-old woman steady herself with her cane as she walks to the microphone and belts out "I Wanna Be Sedated". It gives a whole new twist to punk music!

This is a documentary about how music can enrich your life at any age. It is also about twisting your perspective and appreciating that getting old doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying life. Young @ Heart is a thoroughly enjoyable documentary filled with humor, affection, irony, fascination and toe-tapping music.
It is available on DVD from the HBPL Media Department.

Less than a Week!

Yes it is less than a week to go to see who will be at the helm of America for the next four years. So my second (and last) installment of recommended political films are:


Bulworth (DVD)
Bulworth is a disillusioned, Democratic senator. He hates his job and his life, and has just lost millions in the market. So he puts out a contract on his own life and has only three days to live. But in those three days he decides that, for once, he is free to say exactly what he thinks, and that's what he does. Warren Beatty, who directed, produced, co- wrote and stars in this film, deserves huge credit for pulling off an enterprise as audacious and risky as Bulworth.

Dr Strangelove (DVD)
For me, Dr. Strangelove is the best political satire film ever made. The film starts with a deranged General Ripper declaring a "Code Red", sealing off his Air Force base, and ordering a nuclear attack on Russia. What follows is political satire at it’s finest as President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers), hawkish General Turgidson (George C. Scott) and Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers), an ex-Nazi scientist are called to determine how to react to the crisis. Hilarious and frightening, all at the same time!

All the President’s Men (VHS)
This film is based on the non-fiction book written by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. It starts with the investigation of a seemingly minor break-in which leads Bernstein and Woodward all the way to the White House. Their investigation of the Watergate incident was instrumental in the resignation of Richard Nixon.

Bob Roberts (VHS)
Documentary-style look at the fictional Senatorial campaign of Bob Roberts (Tim Robbins), an arch-conservative, self-made millionaire, folk singer turned politician. Although Roberts has the look of a home town Woody Guthrie, his message is that greed is good, the bottom line is the only line and winning is everything.

And remember, if you haven’t voted early…make sure and vote on November 4th!!

It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Although my “political films” Saturday Film Forum couldn’t happen this autumn, I did promise you that I would post some political film titles to get you through to November 4th. So here is your first installment. These are the four films I would have shown as my film program:

The Manchurian Candidate
And when I say Manchurian Candidate, I mean the original Frank Sinatra, 1962 version of this film. (Despite the excellent cast, the 2004 remake just wasn’t anywhere near the quality of this version). The plot: an American patrol is captured by Chinese communists during the Korean War, and one soldier is programmed to become an assassin; two years later, he's ordered to kill a presidential candidate. This is a minimalist view of this complex and intriguing film. After its release in 1962, Pauline Kael wrote, "It may be the most sophisticated political satire ever made in Hollywood". A must see for political film fans. Or those that want to see what real acting chops Angela Lansbury has!

Dave
Ivan Reitman directed this gem of a film. When the president falls into a coma, Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) a dead-ringer look alike for the president is asked to temporarily step in. The White House chief of staff, an evil genius played by Frank Langella, decides not to turn over the reins of power to the vice president (Ben Kingsley) but instead to use Dave as a permanent front man, with him pulling the strings. Problems begin, however, when Dave starts to act like a leader – a compassionate and intelligent one -- instead of the puppet that his Chief of Staff wants him to be.

The Contender
The always wonderful Joan Allen portrays a senator who is nominated to become Vice President following the death of the previous office holder. The President (Jeff Bridges) who is near the end of his final term, decides to leave a legacy by selecting a woman to fill the position. Unfortunately, there are those that don’t’ think this is a wise choice and they dig up things from the senator’s past that have her fighting for her good name.

Election
One of my favorite films! This is most certainly about politics; the politics of a high school election. Based on the Tom Perrotta novel of the same name, Election is about the eternally perky, Tracy Flick’s (Reese Witherspoon) bid for class president. Flick’s exuberance rubs teacher, Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), the wrong way and he sets out to foil her election plans. Cynical, dark comedy at its best!

R.I.P. ol’ Blue Eyes

To my mother’s generation, ol’ blue eyes was Frank Sinatra, but the blue eyes of my generation was Paul Newman. I say “was” because we lost this cinematic treasure yesterday. Paul Newman died on Friday after a long fight against cancer. Newman’s career actually took off when I was too young to care but his films from the late 60’s on certainly helped shape my enjoyment of cinema. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid alone made him (and Robert Redford) household words and heart throbs for women of many generations. And who could look at hard boiled eggs (or mirrored sunglasses) the same after Cool Hand Luke. He was a film star, a philanthropist (donating all after tax proceeds of Newman’s Own profits to charity), a devoted family man (married to Joanne Woodward for 50 years, father of six) and race car enthusiast (co-owner of the Newman-Haas racing team). There is much that can be said about Paul Newman, but I will let his work speak for him. Fortunately, the HBPL media department has quite a few of Newman’s films for you to relive the talent that has now joined the ages. R.I.P. ol’ Blue Eyes.

Life is an adventure

I am back from my vacation and what a vacation it was! I did a seven day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon and it was a trip of a lifetime! Spectacular! Because I am still in the “great outdoors” mode mentally, I asked my fellow rafters to contribute to this blog by listing their favorite adventure/nature/outdoors movies.
Here are the top five:

Touching the Void: I have touted the wonder of this film before in this blog. It is one of the most amazing adventure survival stories ever told. Two climbers, 20,813 foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes, one climber leaves the other believing him dead, but he wasn’t…
This is my favorite adventure film and one that was mentioned several times by my fellow rafters.

March of the Penguins: I am sure many of you have seen this fascinating documentary. It won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Documentary and it was certainly worthy. The film depicts the yearly journeys of the emperor penguins of Antarctica. The beauty of their life and the tragedy as well, it is one of the best nature films ever. It emotionally engages audiences more successfully than most other films of this genre.

Into the Wild: Based on the 1996 non-fiction book by Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild is a feature film, based on the adventures of Christopher McCandless. McCandless travelled around the country, ending up in Alaska. He survived for approximately 112 days in the Alaskan wilderness before meeting his demise. Whether you think he was a crazy, irresponsible youth or an adventurer with a poet’s soul, McCandless’ story is certainly compelling.

Blue Planet: This 2001 David Attenborough documentary claims to be the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans. It has outstanding photography and includes footage of some sea creatures that have never before been captured on film. This film took 5 years to make and they filmed in over 200 locations around the globe. HBPL has the eight episodes available in a 5 DVD set. Each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of marine life.

River Wild: Alas, HBPL does not have this currently on DVD (it is on order), but I still wanted to include it because several of my fellow vacationers gave it as an adventure film to watch. Directed by Curtis Hansen (L.A. Confidential) and starring Meryl Streep. The story involves a family on a whitewater rafting trip who encounter two violent criminals in the wilderness. The supporting cast includes John C Reilly, David Straithairn and Kevin Bacon who puts in the best performance as the charming but sinister bad guy.