Author Archives: Fran

Ballet DVDs

Posted on May 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

degasMany little girls go through a phase of wanting to become a ballerina. Dazzled by the sugar-spun tutus, the glittering tiaras, and the seemingly effortless grace of ballerinas floating across the stage, they see themselves in the spotlight.

Most of us go through a second phase, however. We discover that ballerinas are athletes in disguise, constantly training. Then, too, we may discover that we have two left feet. So we must get our ballet “fix” vicariously, and watching movies is a great way to do this. Here’s a rundown on some of the ballet DVDs in our collection.

ballerinaBallerina (792.8028 BAL) Profiles five ballet dancers whose onstage performances reveal no hint of the hard work and pain endured in the rehearsal studio. From Swan Lake to Romeo and Juliet, from the backstage studio to performing on stages around the world, we see the the sublime beauty of ballet, in all its grace and glory.

primaPrima Ballerina (792.8028 PRI) This documentary is a portrait of two contemporary Russian ballerinas, Svetlana Zakharova, of the Bolshoi Theater, and Ulyana Lopatkina, from the Mariinsky Theater. It includes interviews and excerpts from ballet classics. (It was made by the same people who created “Ballerina.”)

companyThe Company (DVD COM) A behind-the-scenes look at the world of dance as seen through the eyes of a talented young dancer on the brink of success, this movie features real-life members of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago.

balanchineBringing Balanchine Back (792.8 BRI) Follow the New York City Ballet, led by Master in Chief Peter Martins, to the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, where ballet legend and NYC Ballet co-founder George Balanchine and others took their first ballet steps. Narrated by Kevin Kline.

ballet shoesBallet Shoes (J DVD BAL) Three girls adopted by an explorer are raised as sisters. As each of the girls have their own dreams, they learn that in order to realize them, they must also keep their family together. While aimed at a teen audience, adults will enjoy this as well.

redshoesThe Red Shoes (DVD RED) Made in 1948 and starring Moira Shearer as ballerina Victoria Page, this classic movie was responsible for many young girls falling in love with ballet.

balletInspired to learn a few ballet steps yourself? Search in our catalog on “ballet exercise,” to find books and DVDs with ballet steps and exercises to try.

Here is a trailer for “Ballerina.”

 

 

 

 

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A Farewell to Roger Ebert

Posted on April 9, 2013 | Comments Off

ebertLast week, when I heard that Roger Ebert had died, it came as a big shock, and I started to wonder why his death had affected me so, since I had never met or spoken to him. There is the obvious reason—that for years I had read and enjoyed his movie reviews, identifying with the Midwestern common sense of his critiques, which were laced with humor. Sometimes I didn’t agree with his opinions, but he always made me see where he was coming from.

But there’s another reason for missing him: his upbeat attitude as he battled cancer continually astonished me. For many people, to suffer a so-called “disfiguring” surgery and then to lose their voice would give reason for disappearing from public life. Instead, he barely skipped a beat, finding new outlets in social media, as well as continuing his online movie reviews. I’m sure he had his dark days, but in the several times I saw him interviewed on TV, the joy in his eyes was real. I learned as much from that joy in the face of adversity as from reading many years of movie revues.

lifeitselfIn his book “Life Itself: A Memoir,” Ebert said, “I believe that if, at the end, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. I didn’t always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.”

We meet gurus in strange places, and I think that in the future, every time life throws me a curve ball, I will think of Roger Ebert.

His last review, published on April 6, was of Terrence Malick’s “To the Wonder,” and you might also want to check out this compilation of some of Ebert’s “top films.”

Lastly, here’s an interview with Ebert about film criticism, including his explanation of the origin of the “two thumbs up” rating system.

 

 

 

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Cat Ballou

Posted on March 26, 2013 | Comments Off

I watched the comedy/western Cat Ballou the other day and laughed so hard that I thought I would mention it here, in case anyone could use cheering up. It’s not new (made in 1965), but it’s a charming and funny spoof on westerns, and appears frequently on lists of “Best Westerns.”

The plot can be summed up as follows: A prim schoolteacher named Catherine Ballou (Jane Fonda) hires a famous gunman to protect her father’s ranch, and later to avenge her father’s murder, but finds that the man she hires is not whom she expected. She has hired legendary gunfighter Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin) to come and help protect her father from fast-drawing Tim Strawn (also played by Marvin), alias ‘Silvernose,’ the hired killer who is threatening her father, Frankie. There are various plot convolutions, and the prim Catherine Ballou emerges as “Cat Ballou,” girl train robber, with the “face of an angel, who fights like a devil.”

Lee Marvin as Kid Shelleen

Lee Marvin as Kid Shelleen

Marvin is inspired in this movie, with a kind of crazed goofiness, and he won an Oscar for Best Actor for his dual role. The scene where, as Kid Shelleen, he sobers up and dons his gunfighting costume, starting with a corset, is a classic.

Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye are billed onscreen simply as “Shouters.” They act as banjo-playing, wandering minstrels, intermittently narrating the story with verses of “The Ballad of Cat Ballou.”

Be forewarned that Cat Ballou could be accused of not being politically correct, and it looks like it was filmed on a studio back lot. But it has a light-heartedness and sense of fun that is really enjoyable.

Note: If you enjoy Cat Ballou, consider watching Blazing Saddles next. It’s the spiritual heir to Cat Ballou, with some of the same plot machinations, and it will keep the smiles coming.

marvinYou also might want to read Lee Marvin: Point Blank (B MARVIN), a new biography of the actor.

 

 

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Spiritual Cinema Circle: A Different Kind of Viewing Experience

Posted on February 7, 2013 | Comments Off

Spiritual_Cinema_Circle_logoTired of the usual run-of-the-mill movies with car chases, explosions, and digitally-enhanced special effects?  If so, you might enjoy movies from Spiritual Cinema Circle, which the Library subscribes to. Every month we receive a compilation of four movies, which includes one full-length film, as well as “shorts” and documentaries, many of which are by independent filmmakers. Topics explore spirituality, morality, the power of the mind, and other enriching themes. Each group of films comes along with “reflection questions,” to help you get the most from your viewing.

So to find some inspirational movies with “heart and soul,” check out Spiritual Cinema Circle. These movies can be found in 204 SPI, along with books on spirituality, and are not with movie DVDs.

 

 

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Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World

Posted on January 28, 2013 | Comments Off

mandcThe movie Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World often pops up on lists of “Most Underrated Films,” and I agree, it’s a fine movie that deserves to be seen more. But coming out at about the same time as Pirates of the Caribbean (late 2003), it got scuppered, or whatever is the nautical word for getting lost in the backwash of another ship.

The movie is based on the novels of Patrick O’Brian, who was known for his  detailed portrayals of 19-century naval life. The books Master and Commander and the Far Side of the World are part of a 20-novel series.

The title signals that we are going on an adventure, and the sense of being whisked away to another world and time is one of the things I love about this movie. As a Russell Crowe fan, I loved seeing him as Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey, master and commander of the HMS Surprise, and enjoyed seeing  life aboard this early nineteenth century man-of-war. An Oscar for Best Sound Editing went to Russell Boyd, who recorded realistic sound effects for the battle and storm scenes. So not only are we seeing this other world, we are hearing it.

Plot-wise, Master and Commander is set during the Napoleonic Wars, when England was under threat of invasion. The captain plays a cat-and-mouse game with the French war vessel, the Acheron, pushing his men and his ship to their limits, as they sail around South America, often on stormy seas. On board is Dr. Stephen Maturin, an amateur naturalist, who hopes to stop at the Galapagos Islands to study their natural history. The growing friendship between the captain and the doctor forms an enjoyable subplot to the naval adventure.

At the end of the movie, the captain and the doctor sit in the captain’s quarters and play music on their cello and fiddle, indicating that peace has returned to the ship. Then, suddenly omnipotent, we see the ship, sails billowing, turning to the far horizon. What adventure will be next?

To learn more about nineteenth century naval life and history, read Jack Aubrey Commands: an Historical Companion to the Naval World of Patrick O’Brian by Brian Lavery, and Patrick O’Brian’s Navy: the Illustrated Companion to Jack Aubrey’s World, edited by Richard O’Neil.

Note: The sound track of Master and Commander is worth borrowing–over the years it’s earned four and a half stars at Amazon–so that you can listen to the music again . . . and again.

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2013 Academy Award Nominations

Posted on January 15, 2013 | Comments Off

Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards, to be broadcast on Feb. 24, are in. Who are your odds-on favorites? Print ballots, and make a record of your picks!

Note: We will be adding links to our catalog as items become available.

Best Picture
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Amour
Django Unchained
Argo

Read more about Amour, and its surprise Oscars nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director.

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)
Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)
Alan Arkin (Argo)
Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Dreamworks Studios/Touchstone Pictures

Tommy Lee Jones as Senator Thaddeus Stevens in “Lincoln”
DreamWorks Studios/Touchstone Pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Best Supporting Actress
Sally Field (Lincoln)
Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)
Helen Hunt (The Sessions)
Amy Adams (The Master)

Amy Adams in "The Master"The Weinstein Co.

Amy Adams in “The Master”
The Weinstein Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Best Director
David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)
Ang Lee (Life of Pi)
Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
Michael Haneke (Amour
Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

denzel

From Theatrical Trailer Poster

 

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)
Denzel Washington (Flight)
Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)
Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)
Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

 

 

 

Best Actress
Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Naomi Watts in "The Impossible"Jose Haro/Summit Entertainment

Naomi Watts in “The Impossible”
Jose Haro/Summit Entertainment

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Animated Feature
Frankenweenie
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph
ParaNorman
Brave

Best Foreign Feature
Amour
A Royal Affair
Kon-Tiki
No
War Witch

Best Visual Effects
Life of Pi
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Avengers
Prometheus
Snow White and the Huntsman

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Life of Pi
Source: Rotten Tomatoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Cinematography
Skyfall
Anna Karenina
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Lincoln (based in part on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin)
Silver Linings Playbook (based on the book Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick)
Argo (based on the book Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled off the Most Audacious Rescue in History by Antonio Mendez)
Life of Pi (based on Life of Pi by Yann Martel)
Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Costume Design
Anna Karenina
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Mirror Mirror
Snow White and the Huntsman

Best Documentary Feature
Searching for Sugar Man
How to Survive a Plague
The Gatekeepers
5 Broken Cameras
The Invisible War

Best Documentary Short
Open Heart
Inocente
Redemption
Kings Point
Mondays at Racine

Best Music (Original Score)
Anna Karenina
Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

Best Music (Original Song)
Before My Time (from “Chasing Ice”)
Everybody Needs A Best Friend (from “Ted”)
Pi’s Lullaby (from “Life of Pi”)
Skyfall (from “Skyfall”)
Suddenly (from “Les Misérables“)

Interested in the Short Film Nominees? Check out the Short of the Week website to see films and trailers.

 

 

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Marley

Posted on October 17, 2012 | Comments Off

A long, long, long, long time ago, I went to a Bob Marley concert in downtown Chicago. I have a confused recollection of a mob of strobe-lit musicians up on the darkened stage, and of the colorfully dressed and turbaned women backup singers. I’d never been a big fan of reggae, finding the beat rather plodding, and the concert, though fun, didn’t really change my opinion. This was a bit before Marley went on to become a megawatt star.

Now that I’ve watched Marley, the story of Jamaican music superstar Bob Marley, I wish that I’d paid more attention. Marley was born poor in the Jamaican countryside, fathered by a white British government worker. He was rejected both by whites and blacks as a bi-racial child, and early on knew that his guitar was his ticket out of poverty and strife. With friends, he absorbed not only the local Jamaican music known as “ska,” but the American music he heard on the radio. It’s fun to listen to some of his old recordings of songs like Dion’s “Teenager in Love.” He became a follower of the Rastafari movement, which believes that the Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie I, was Jesus incarnate, and that cannabis should be used for spiritual purposes. They call Western society “Babylon,” and male members are forbidden to cut their hair, which knots into dreadlocks.

His rise to stardom was steady and he became a superstar, almost a cult figure, among young people worldwide. Why was he so popular? I learned why from Marley. His charisma comes pouring through the screen. He was incredibly good-looking, and danced with the abandon of a child before his audiences. He was also a talented songwriter–music poured out of him. He died at the age of 36 in 1981, when cancer from a neglected malignant melanoma spread. It was a great loss.

Marley is colorful, well-crafted, and full of music and energy. Don’t miss the interview with Marley’s aunt. Do I like reggae more after seeing Marley? Yes, because there’s a lot more to it than “I Shot the Sheriff.” Marley wrote some beautiful songs, as well as inspirational ones, and among music-lovers, he is still missed.

 

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Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Posted on September 6, 2012 | Comments Off

St. Charles Public Library IL - Jiro Dreams of SushiIf by any chance you should journey to Tokyo, Japan, and see the sushi bar called Sukiyabashi Jiro, which is in the basement of a subway station, you might never guess that it is one of the premier sushi restaurants in the world, and that people from all over the world book reservations at its 10-seat bar months in advance. And you might be surprised to learn that it’s been awarded three-stars from the Michelin Guide.

Sushi by Hiroshige

The guiding light, chef, and owner of the restaurant is Jiro Ono, who is obsessed with sushi, which is made with vinegared rice and fish, usually raw. On occasion, he dreams about it.  Acolytes buzz about Ono, toasting sheets of seaweed over coals, massaging an octopus for 45 minutes to tenderize or smoking fish over a pile of special twigs used for fuel. They are taught to form a serving of sushi as gently as they would hold a baby chick. At the age of 85, Ono professes to still have not attained perfection. Some of the drama in Jiro Dreams of Sushi stems from the worries of Ono’s son, Yoshikazu, who is understandably nervous about assuming the mantle of the restaurant’s reputation when his father passes on.

Whether or not you like sushi, if you are a “foodie” you will enjoy this captivating story of an artist obsessed with his craft, along with seeing the jewel-like specimens of sushi, and the traditional methods of its production. You may feel inspired to try to make sushi yourself! We have a number of books on sushi–just look in 641.692, and you will soon be “sushi-ing”!

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Science Fiction Noir

Posted on August 16, 2012 | 2 Comments

St. Charles Public Library IL - Blade Runner - Harrison FordOne of the glories of science fiction is that as well as taking us to far-flung worlds and to other galaxies, it can take us to worlds of our imagination. Some of these imaginary worlds are dark and dystopian, and a genre called “science fiction noir” has emerged over the years. You may be familiar with the term “film noir,” which refers to atmospheric crime melodramas usually shot in black and white, with menacing shadows and smoky rooms. The hero is often as disaffected as the villain, and wanders lost through the urban labyrinth.  The amoeba-like genre that is science fiction has easily appropriated this dark vision, and has come up with its own twists to film noir, though perhaps the power of  “sci fi noir” lies not in its fantasy scenerios, but from the alienation of modern society that it plugs into. You’re not a replicant? Really? Are you sure?

St. Charles Public Library IL - Dark CityTwo of the all-time great sci-fi noir films are Blade Runner (1982) and Dark City (1998). Some would say that Blade Runner is one of the greatest sci fi movies, ever.  In the dark and ever-raining  world of Los Angeles in 2019, expert Blade Runner Rick Deckard reluctantly agrees to hunt down a group of recently escaped replicants. Blade Runner was based on writer Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep? Eight other sci fi noir-type movies are based on Dick’s fiction, of which Dick wrote, “In my writing I even question the universe; I wonder out loud if it is real, and I wonder out loud if all of us are real.” This is the uneasy premise that much of sci-fi noir is based upon.

Dark City is set in a 1940-ish city where the sun never shines. A man wakes up to find himself accused of a string of murders, and soon he is on the run from both the police, and some mysterious people called the“Strangers.”

Some other films that are characterized as being sci-fi noir include Twelve Monkeys, co-authored by David Peoples (who wrote Blade Runner), Minority Report, and Alphaville. Alphaville, which was shot on the night-time streets of Paris, is about a secret agent who must destroy Alphaville and its dictatorial computer, Alpha 60. The 1927 classic Metropolis is also sometimes typified as being sci-fi noir.

Here’s a challenge: What movie isn’t mentioned above, but should be? Make your case!

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Facebook for Film Nuts

Posted on August 6, 2012 | Comments Off
St. Charles Public Library IL - Charlie Chaplin in "The Gold Rush" (1925)

Charlie Chaplin in “The Gold Rush,” (1925) distributed by The Criterion Collection.

Lately I’ve discovered that if you are a “film nut,” one of the most fascinating windows into the world of film is through its Facebook pages. The Criterion Collection, for instance, which distributes classic movies, promotes whatever is their latest film release on their Facebook page. They also includes posts with fascinating film snippets from long-gone films, along with movie memorabilia. They occasionally post links to entire movies!

St. Charles Public Library IL - Johnny Depp

From: flikr.com/photos/nicogenin

The Criterion Collection page led me to the Facebook page of Janus Films, which distributes foreign films to American audiences. Their Facebook page has post after post of what can only be called interesting film stuff. One of Janus Films’ page “likes” is Francois Truffaut. That’s when I discovered that even though Truffaut died in 1984, he has his own “tribute” Facebook page with 99,000 followers! The Facebook page of Warner Brothers Archive is also a treasure trove of film clips and stills from their archive of more than 1,000 vintage movies. The Hollywood Archive page gives links to its “Picture Vaults,” which contain an endless assortment of film celebrity pix and film memorabilia, so if you are looking for a picture of an old poster of “Casablanca,” or thirty pages of photos of Johnny Depp, stop here. The Turner Classic Movies Facebook page has lots of fan discussion of great stars and classic movies, as well as background information about movies they broadcast on TCM, their cable network. You can even download a free app for a self-guided Hollywood tour.

Of course, you can go to the websites of these groups, but the fan input and rapidly-changing content of the Facebook pages are especially fun. Also, if you check out the “Likes” on any particular page, you will find links to an amazing assortment of other film-related Facebook pages, and you may find yourself hopping from link to link. So if you are a film nut (or, if you prefer, a “film aficionado”) check out these Facebook pages for some interesting reading.

 

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