Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #614
by muffy
Monterey Bay *, a debut by Lindsay Hatton beautifully re-imagines the last days of John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row and its memorable characters, real and fictional.
Accompany her entrepreneur father Anders, Margot Fiske arrives in Monterey Bay a confident, self-sufficient (exceedingly tall) 15 year-old, having traveled the world with him, looking after their businesses. An accident in the tide pool brings her into contact with denizens of Cannery Row, where her talent as an artist/illustrator immediately impresses Ed Ricketts, a marine biologist known as Doc, who, against Steinbeck's displeasure, offers her a job to sketch the specimens he collects.
Ricketts, a charismatic, hard-drinking bohemian/scholar, quickly becomes the object of Margot’s fascination and soon her lover. In the meantime, Anders is quietly amassing support for the most ambitious and controversial project to date: the transformation of the Row’s largest cannery into an aquarium, while making himself unpopular with the most powerful family on the peninsula.
Finding herself often alone and at odds with her father, Margot gets to know Steinbeck, Ricketts’s benefactor, who is hiding out from Hollywood; and other locals who would play a crucial role in transforming life in Monterey in the decades to come.
"Hatton, in her first novel, takes up a formidable challenge for herself, setting her story in one of American literature’s most famous locations. She does an excellent job of recreating the Cannery Row that no longer exists, honoring the memory of Steinbeck and Ricketts and all the workers who once toiled there, as seen through the eyes of a precocious teenage heroine." (Publishers Weekly)
Readers will undoubtedly want to revisit Cannery Row and its sequel Sweet Thursday, the basis for the 1982 movie adaptation, starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger. To find out more about John Steinbeck's legendary voyage with Ed Ricketts that serves as a critical turning point in Hatton's novel, check out the documentary Journey to the Sea of Cortez.
* = starred review
Blog Post
TV Spotlight: 11.22.63
by manz
11.22.63 is a sci fi thriller based on the best-selling Stephen King novel of the same name. The 8 part television series is another interesting look into the assassination of John F. Kennedy and I thoroughly enjoyed the series. It makes me want to watch Oliver Stone’s JFK again!
James Franco stars as Jake Epping, a recently divorced English teacher who is offered a chance to go back in time after finding out that a friend of his discovered a portal that takes you back to 1960. He is then tasked with travelling back in time to prevent JFK’s assassination on November 22, 1963, focusing on Lee Harvey Oswald, in order to alter the course of history. With the past always trying to “push back” this is not an easy task for Jake and he finds many hurdles along the way that leave room for plenty of suspense. He also meets sweet and stunning librarian Sadie Dunhill who throws a wrench in keeping on track with his big plans.
If you like history or suspense, give the show a try!
Blog Post
Books Made Into New Movies!
by manz
Three new movies that came out this year were based on books and are now coming out on DVD and just hit the catalog! They are all great adventures for kids and families to enjoy together.
The BFG
This new animated film is based on the novel by Roald Dahl. A young girl named Sophie accidentally sees a giant out her window, and he then whisks her away to the land of giants. At first afraid, she soon learns that he is a Big Friendly Giant and not one who eats children like the other giants do.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Loosely based on the classic Lewis Carroll novel, and is the sequel to the 2010 film, Alice in Wonderland. The film is produced by Tim Burton and once again stars Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. Alice slips through a looking glass and finds herself back in the Underland and on more wild and trippy adventures.
The Jungle Book
Based on Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 book The Jungle Book. There have been many adaptations and this newest animated film features voices of Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Sir Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, and Christopher Walken. It’s a continuing adventure of Mowgli deep in the jungle with a band of animals with personality.
Blog Post
TV Spotlight: Family Tree
by manz
One of the funniest films I’ve ever seen is Best in Show. I seriously could not stop laughing while viewing. The humor is so dry and bizarre and right up my alley, thanks to Christopher Guest who directed and co-wrote the film.
The HBO show Family Tree was created by Christopher Guest and Jim Piddock, and carries that same sense of calm, extremely dry humor. The documentary style half-hour comedy stars Chis O'Dowd as Tom, a 30 year old man in between jobs and girlfriends, who has just inherited a box of trinkets from a dead aunt he’s never met. The mementos in the box lead him to research his family tree at home in England and eventually America. His day to day search includes a cast of eccentric friends and relatives who aid and encourage his search in amusing ways. (They are portrayed by some of Guest’s favorite regular crew, including Ed Begley Jr., Fred Willard, and Michael McKean.)
There is something about the writing and thus the sentences that come out of these characters mouths and the manner in which they flow that hit my funny bone just right. Because of this, Guest’s musings are not for everyone.
The show received mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it. I loved the nonsense of it. One thing I did tire of very quickly was the sister with the talking monkey puppet. Yep, I said it was a bizarre show. The show was cancelled after just the one season.
Films also written and/or directed by Guest with a wacky cast of regulars includes This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, and A Mighty Wind.
Blog Post
MELODY ELLISON's 1960s History List
by ryanikoglu
"I Heard it Through The Grapevine" ...
American Girl's MELODY ELLISON Doll arrives in Detroit August 2016 !!
You can jump into Melody Ellison's world of the 1960s in Detroit, MI. and experience more stories of Motown Music and African-American Civil Rights Movements.
Here is MELODY ELLISON's 1960s History List especially chosen for kids in grades 2-6.
The list includes multiple formats.
You will find historical fiction Books, CD recordings of Motown Songs, informational and poetry Books, and DVD Movies for children in Elementary and Middle School.
Add some adult interpretations and family stories to the mix.
Your child can experience a significant era in US History, just because of the launch of a new doll.
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
It's a fun way to go.
"I'll Be There"!
Blog Post
If you liked Stranger Things…
by manz
The most talked about television show of the summer has been Stranger Things, a Netflix original that premiered on July 15. If you have not watched it yet, stop reading this and go watch it immediately.
Okay, you’re back. The 8-episode sci-fi horror series hit children of the 80s in the face like a bag of nostalgia that they didn’t know they needed so badly in 2016. Created by the Duffer brothers, it’s filled with enough suspenseful fright to keep you up at night (grab a buddy to watch with), but also adorned with well intended, adorable, adventurous kids to keep you smiling.
Set in 1983 the story follows four 12 year old boys who geek out over Dungeons and Dragons and the AV club. One of them goes missing and the others try to find him once his disappearance turns suspicious. Enter a small town police chief, a frantic mother of the boy gone missing (played effortlessly by Winona Ryder), a government lab, a mysterious alien creature, and a psychokinetic 12 year old girl… and well, you’ve got quite a story.
The show references so many 70s and 80s films it almost seems unreal. It’s an homage to Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. It’s Stand By Me meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It’s Cujo meets The Goonies. It’s Firestarter meets E.T. It’s IT meets Cloak and Dagger. It goes so far. And the music? Yes. An 80s soundtrack paired with eerie electronic music and John Carpenter-ish synth twangs, which fills another void you didn’t know existed. The first volume of a soundtrack will be released digitally this Friday, with a CD to follow.
As a fan of what I call “little boy adventure stories,” I was hooked immediately, and the nostalgia and soundtrack sealed the deal and created many late nights of watching the show.
Here is a list of books and movies that might be of interest to you if you finished season 1 and are jonesing for season 2 to begin, and yes, the Duffer brothers have claimed there are more seasons to follow.
Blog Post
New Movies at the AADL!
by eapearce
The AADL has just added a plethora of new movies to our collection, from more obscure older titles to films that came out just this year. Here’s a peek at some of the brand new additions:
Everybody Wants Some!!, directed by Richard Linklater, is a hilariously accurate depiction of a 1980s baseball team and their antics the week before college classes start. Freshman pitcher Jake (Blake Jenner) is excited to start college, move into the baseball house and make new friends (and meet girls, of course). Although he feels pretty cool as he rolls up to his new home in his powder-blue car, record collection in tow, Jake realizes that he has a lot to learn about where he fits in among the ranks of his teammates. A weekend of parties, disco-hopping, honky tonk bars, drinking games and, of course, baseball, puts Jake in his place… but that place turns about to be a pretty good spot to be in. Everybody Wants Some!! is the best of lighthearted fun with a killer soundtrack, surprisingly good performances from a number of previously-unknown actors, and lots of classic 80s fashion. (This blogger admits a slight bias because she loves 80s fashion, Blondie and baseball.)
The Nice Guys, starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, was one of those movies that, had it tried to take itself the least bit seriously, would have been a total bust. Luckily, director Shane Black knew better, and the movie is an outrageous comedy thriller that in many places makes no sense… but it doesn’t really matter. The Nice Guys follows a pair of private eyes, down-on-his-luck, yet still prideful Holland March (Gosling) and tough guy enforcer Jackson Healy (Crowe) who somewhat inadvertently get involved in the investigation of a missing girl. The movie features mysterious fires, amateur filmmakers, unnamed thugs that attack you in the night, investigative journalism and the dramatically delivered line, “what’s good for Detroit is good for America.”
Slow West is a classic western film starring Michael Fassbender that was quietly released in 2015. The story of a 16-year-old boy searching for his lost love in the nineteenth century American West, the movie is as much a great road trip (well, trail trip) film as it is an action-packed western. Young Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) travels to America from Scotland to search for his childhood love, Rose. Upon his arrival, he encounters a bounty hunter, Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender), whom he hires for protection. Unbeknownst to Jay, however, Silas has his own reasons for working for the young boy. As the two travel together seeking Rose and her father, they encounter all of the typical trials and tribulations that you might see during a game of Oregon Trail, along with much, much more. Although the movie is action-packed, one of the best parts are the serene, glorious shots of the scenery that Silas and Jay travel through on their journey. It’s increasingly rare these days that true western movies are made, and Slow West is made even more of a treat for its unarguable claim of that categorization.
Want to see what other great movies we’ve just put into the collection? Click on the “New DVDs” link under the catalog search bar!
Blog Post
Goodbye Mr. Spalding
by manz
The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. –Terrence Mann, Field of Dreams.
Baseball. No movies hit the nostalgia soft spot for me during summer like baseball movies do. I think I like baseball movies more than baseball, and I have no idea why. Some call it America's pastime. There’s just something about the drama unfolding on the diamond, the crack of the bat, the announcer’s voice, the essential sports suspense, and the team camaraderie .
There have been several movies over the years where baseball is a central figure in the action. A few classics that I’ve enjoyed time and again are Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, The Natural, A League of Their Own, Bang the Drum Slowly, and of course The Sandlot – because I also have a major league weakness for “little boy adventure films.”
What’s your favorite baseball film?
Blog Post
TV Spotlight: Narcos
by manz
Narcos started as a Netflix exclusive last year and is based on the true story of the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Set and filmed in Colombia the show focuses on the two DEA agents who worked to defeat Escobar and the Medellin Drug Cartel that helped make Escobar a billionaire working in the drug trade.
With superb acting and a gripping story, the show is great and it’s an easy one to get hooked on. It’s also dark, violent, and gritty with not a lot of positivity. But being based on Escobar’s life it is too interesting to pass up.
Season 1 is AADL’s catalog and a season 2 is set to air in September.
Blog Post
New TV Shows @ AADL, Pt. 2
by manz
The library is always acquiring additional TV shows and new seasons of them, be they hot and new, or oldies but goodies. Here are some new-to-AADL series:
Supergirl, Season 1
Born on the doomed planet Krypton, Kara Zor-El escaped at the same time as her cousin, Superman, but didn’t arrive on Earth until years later after being lost. Raised by her adopted family, the Danvers, Kara grew up in the shadow of her foster sister, Alex, and learned to hide the phenomenal powers she shares with her famous cousin. Kara has spent so many years trying to fit in that she forgot to ever stand out.
Code Black, Season 1
Residency Director Dr. Leanne Rorish leads four first-year residents through the life-or-death challenges that will change the course of their careers and lives.
Colony, Season 1
Set in the very near future, it centers on one family's struggle to survive an occupied Los Angeles, now a dangerous world of divided ideologies. While some choose to collaborate with the occupation and benefit from the new order, others rebel and suffer the consequences. Will Bowman a former FBI agent, and his wife Katie have been separated from their son during the invasion and do whatever is necessary to be reunited.
The Girlfriend Experience, Season 1
Christine Reade is a second year student at Chicago-Burnham Law School and a new intern at the prestigious firm of Kirkland & Allen. Working hard to establish herself at the firm, her focus quickly shifts when a classmate introduces her to the world of transactional relationships. Known as GFEs, they are women who provide emotional and sexual relationships at a very high price. Christine quickly finds herself drawn into the GFE world.
Narcos, Season 1
Based on a true story of the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the two DEA agents that brought the famed Medellin Cartel to its knees.
Blindspot, Season 1
A vast international plot explodes when a mysterious Jane Doe is discovered in Times Square, covered in cryptic tattoos with no memory of who she is. But there's one tattoo that's impossible to miss: the name of FBI agent Kurt Weller, on her back. Soon, Weller and his FBI team realize that each mark on her body is a crime to solve, leading them closer to the truth about her identity.
Slasher, Season 1
Follows the plight of a young woman who returns to the small town where she was born, only to find herself the centerpiece in a series of horrifying copycat murders, based on the widely known, grisly killings of her parents.
Vinyl, Season 1
A New York music executive in the 1970s hustles to make a career out of the city's diverse music scene.
Superstore, Season 1
A hilarious workplace comedy venturing into the world of retail. The giant megastore is staffed by employees ranging from bright-eyed newbies and the seen-it-all veterans, to the clueless summer hires and the in-it-for-life managers. Together they tackle the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales and nap-worthy training sessions.
For more TV shows, be sure to check out AADL’s lists for HOT TV shows, as well as NEW TV shows.