Blog Post
A Few Words From Ensemble Cast
by breuter
As you might glean from the title, Eulogy is a comedy of the darkest sort. A feuding family returns home and and attempts to reconnect after the death of the patriarch. Long-forgotten family secrets and quarrels are rehashed, but don't prepare the family for the shocking truth they are about to encounter. Fans of filmmaker Wes Anderson will love this spastically funny, low-budget comedy. The ensemble cast includes Hank Azaria, Zooey Deschanel, Famke Janssen, Kelly Preston, Ray Romano and Debra Winger.
Blog Post
Futurama
by kimatr
Futurama was Matt Groening's other show, a fact that worked both for and against it. On one hand, Groening had honed his craft with The Simpsons, so the characters and storylines of Futurama seem fully-formed from the very first season. On the other hand, though, it was unavoidable that people would approach the show as a second Simpsons and ultimately be disappointed, since the two shows aren't (and weren't meant to be) identical.
Futurama is an extremely funny show, full of the same absurd humor as the Simpsons, but also laden with in-jokes for science fiction fans and fish-out-of-water moments as 20th century boy Philip J. Fry copes with life in the year 3000. Additionally, although it is a comedy, Futurama's writers weren't afraid to end an episode on a melancholy note - "Jurassic Bark" and "Time Keeps on Slipping" are particularly good examples of this. It's too bad that the show was canceled after only four seasons, but at least the DVDs are there to watch again and again.
Blog Post
"She's a cheerleader, you've seen Star Wars 47 times. You do the math."
by carbonear
Nostalgic for high school? Can't wait for it to end so you can get on with your life?
If you don't run with the Heathers, or if your Breakfast Club persona is more Judd Nelson or Anthony Michael Hall than Molly Ringwald or Emilio Estevez, then Freaks and Geeks might be for you.
Set in a northern suburb of Detroit during the 1980-81 school year, the show traces the lives of a group of high school burnouts and their D&D-playing younger siblings as they try to figure out the answer to life, the universe and everything. As heartwarming, cringeworthy, and funny as real life, Freaks and Geeks is solid -- it didn't run long enough to Jump the Shark.
Creator Paul Feig, raised in Mt. Clemens, has just released a new book and is signed on to direct a movie adaptation of Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl. McKinley High "alumni" have gone on to appear in projects from Spider-Man and its sequel to ER to The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
Blog Post
Six Feet Under is Laid to Rest
by Rich
Critically acclaimed HBO series Six Feet Under recently aired its series finale and fans of the show will surely be in mourning for quite some time. The show's Fisher family, operators of a funeral home in Pasadena, showed audiences what a dysfunctional family really looks like. Series creator Alan Ball, who also wrote American Beauty, gave us refreshing characters and story lines that reminded us that television does offer alternatives to the endless selection of reality tv. If you're already a fan, maybe it's time to experience the series all over again. If you're new to the show, start with Season 1 Disc 1 and enjoy. If you're looking for a show that looks at life (and death) with a bit more humor, check out Dead Like Me.
Blog Post
Beyond Bobby Darin
by breuter
Kevin Spacey directs and stars in this biopic of Bobby Darin. The film chronicles Darin's rise from a sickly childhood to following Sinatra's footsteps at the Copacabana. Although Darin was famous for recording such hits as Mack the Knife, Splish Splash, and Dream Lover, Spacey pulls triple duty by singing all of the musical numbers for the film. Kate Bosworth stars as Darin's Hollywood wife, Sandra Dee.
Blog Post
While You're Waiting For...
by amy
... Grizzly Man, the new, heart-wrenching documentary by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog about grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, you might consider checking out what may well be its perfect antidote: Project Grizzly. This whimsical film documents Canadian Troy Hurtubise's seven-year quest to design a protective suit that will stand up to a Grizzly attack.
More Herzog films, including Signs of Life and Land of Silence and Darkness, are also on the way.
Blog Post
Ice Princess
by Edith Wharton
I just watched Ice Princess, the film equivalent of eating a fluffernutter sandwich: sweet and enjoyable, but without nutritional value. Torn by the expectations of her mother and her true dreams, geeky Casey must choose between Harvard and a chance at a professional skating career. I'm sure we can all guess the outcome, but no one's watching this for the surprise ending, I assure you.
This film lacks the mature romance of The Cutting Edge and at times it feels like a big music video, but you weren't expecting The Seventh Seal, so just enjoy the ride, okay?
Buffy fans might enjoy seeing Michell Trachtenberg again, but Joan Cusack and Kim Catrall steal the show as single Moms who live through their daughters. Catrall's character is Tanya Harding with better hair, and Cusack is Casey's Harvard-obsessed mother who angsts over her daughter getting pretty and losing her brains. Needless to say the two mothers have issues, but at least they aren't desperate housewives.
Blog Post
The Alamo
by eyrec
Remember The Alamo!! The Alamo tells the story of the infamous 13 day seige of the Alamo fortress by the Mexican Army in 1836 in which a group of Texan and Tejano men including Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett and Colonel William Travis lost their lives. The movie ends with Texan General Sam Houston's defeat of Mexican dictator Santa Anna giving Texas freedom from Mexico.
Stars Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric and Patrick Wilson. Directed by John Lee Hancock.
Blog Post
Legendary Korean filmmaker: Im Kwon-Taek
by Rich
The library has recently added many new titles to its DVD Collection, including several recent standouts from South Korean film. Chi-hwa-seon, also known as Painted Fire, uses vibrant imagery and powerful acting to tell the story of a famous 19th century Korean painter. Legendary Korean filmmaker Im Kwon-Taek won the award for best director at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival for this film.
I'm also directed Chunhyang, based on a famous Korean folk-tale. This film interestingly blends traditional film storytelling and a form of Korean singing known as Pansori.
Both films are worth checking out.
Blog Post
Are You Ready For Some Futbol!!! Er, Soccer!!!
by jimmyg
Getting ready for the upcoming Fall soccer season? Whether young or old(er), check out the variety of soccer training DVDs in the collection. Titles such as Play Like Champions, All the Right Moves, and 110 Exercises for Conditioning, Agility and Ball Control have a wealth of material including moves to fake out your opponent, drills to make sure your header finds the back of the net, and conditioning drills so you're not sucking wind late in the game.