Search results matching tag 'movies'

Bad Movie Night: The Atomic Brain (1963)

wag.mado@evpl — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:37:00 GMT

The plot of this week's Bad Movie is about a wealthy but miserable old lady who schemes with a scientist to have her brain implanted in a sexy young woman. The movie itself, along with the help from the Mystery Science crew make this movie a must-see to believe.

Come join us for lots of laughs and refreshments at 6:00 PM in Central Library's Browning Room B on Thursday, July 12.

As always, this program is free and open to the public.

"Awake" an amazing TV show, cancelled after tonight

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:48:00 GMT

I'm not a fan of hyperbole...but Awake is, without a doubt, the best show I've seen on TV in a long time.

However, the bean counters at NBC have already cancelled the show. Tonight's season finale will also be the series finale.

Detective Michael Britten survives a horrific car crash with his wife and son as passengers. Following the accident, Michael finds himself living in two realities: one in which his wife survived but his son didn't, and one where his son survived but his wife didn't.

Michael alternates between the two realities every morning when he wakes. Happenings in one reality become clues for the other.

Definitely an interesting concept. But it's the writing, acting, and emotion that make the show so great. The cinematography is excellent as well, always alerting the viewer to which reality they are currently seeing (except for a few scenes that are intentionally vague).

Is one of the realities a dream? Are both? What is going on? We should find out tonight as the 13th and final episode airs.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this series (if you couldn't tell already), but you must watch them in order. They are available for viewing on Hulu.

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My Favorite Sleep/Dream Related Movies

So all this talk about Awake made me think about movies involving sleep & dreaming. Below are 3 of my favs, and as I previously declared my love for all things Christopher Nolan it should be no surprise that two of these are his.

Inception (2010) - Check our catalog

Ambiguous Plot Description: In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, & Ellen Page.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - Check our catalog

Ambiguous Plot Description: A couple undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with. Starring Jim Carrey & Kate Winslet.

Insomnia (2002) - Check our catalog

Ambiguous Plot Description: Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to an Alaska town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the murder of a local teen. Starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, & Hilary Swank.

2012 Bad Movie Night Every Month!

wag.mado@evpl — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:44:00 GMT

Tell your friends and mark your calendar for the 2012 season of Bad Movie Nights! This year we will have one wacky movie after another to keep you entertained and coming back for more.

January's Bad Movie is another one from the wonderful 1980's. The feature will be Mystery Science Theater 3000's Overdrawn At The Memory Bank. Please join us on Thursday, January 12 at 6:00 PM in Central Library's Browning Events Room B. As always, we will provide popcorn and drinks.

Follow this link to see all Bad Movie dates for 2012.

If you have any questions, please call 428-8246.

See you there!

Wacky Wonderful Bad Movie Night!

wag.mado@evpl — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:25:00 GMT

If you’ve never been to Bad Movie Night, you’ve been missing all the fun. Here’s your opportunity to come and enjoy (on the big screen)some of the wackiest movies ever made. In cool comfortable surroundings at Central Library, you and your friends can sit back with a drink and popcorn --------and it’s all free!

Bad Movie Night this month features The Thing With Two Heads starring Ray Milland and Rosie Grier. The 1972 cult film is being shown in Central’s Browning Events Room this Thursday August 11 at 6:30 PM.

Come and see what the excitement is all about!

Slow Cinema

LemmyCaution@evpl — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:30:00 GMT

Tired of the mindless and obnoxious effects laden summer blockbusters inundating the multiplex? Looking for something adventurous and contemplative that forces you to slow down and take in what a director has constructed on screen? Then try a variety of films from all around the world that constitute examples of "slow cinema," and are available through the library. In the past couple of decades directors have emerged from Hungary and Iran to Thailand and Taiwan, who have varying ties to each other artistically and have developed films with long and studious takes meant to be more reflective of reality. While some frame scenes with immobile cameras, others track and follow actors for lengthy periods as they traverse a variety of landscapes.

If you are not accustomed to this style of cinema, then start with Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda whose Still Walking was just acquired by the library. In Still Walking, Kore-eda utilizes a slower pace to portray the mundane activities of an older couple as they work towards a commemoration slowly revealing the history of their lives together. Kore-eda subtle camerawork quietly builds the tension and captures the characters lives with an honesty non-existent in most modern films.

Another director from this category includes the leader of the Taiwanese New Wave film movement, Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Considered by some to be one of the most important filmmakers alive, Hsien's films often contain static shots and understated long takes which gradually allow the narrative to develop, while never overwhelming the viewer with melodramatic portrayals. Often his films revolve around alienated and purposeless Taiwanese youth and underworld figures, or historical films reflective of the changing culture in Taiwan. The most recent film by Hsien to be released in the U.S. is Flight of the Red Balloon, which was inspired by the classic French short film, and tells the story of a young boy living with his mother who is a preoccupied actress.

Hailing from Thailand, Apichatpong Weerasethakul has started gaining worldwide recognition after winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival for Uncle Boonmee Recalls His Past Lives. Currently Uncle Boonmee is on order from the library, but you can still check out Syndromes and a Century, which tells the story of the director's parents who were doctors, with one story set in a rural Thai hospital, and the other set in a modern Bangkok medical center. The film has a free flowing narrative consisting of vignettes which possess a dream-like quality focused on capturing genuinely simple and humane moments.

A film which actually challenges our modern lifestyle and methods of communication comes from the Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. In Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us, a small village is visited by a filmmaker attempting to film the village's mourning rituals as an old woman dies. However, the woman does not die and the man finds himself dealing with life in the village as he waits for her death. The film provides several humorous moments in this poetic and transcendental work, which seemingly anticipated narrative developments in world cinema for the coming decade.

Although some of these films may not be easily digestible at first, they provide a wide variety of simple reflections which illuminate the world around us in ways summer blockbusters never will. Hopefully you will find the experience rewarding.

Christopher Nolan movies you've probably never heard of

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:14:00 GMT

With the success of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and the now-in-theaters Inception, Christopher Nolan has become a pretty popular guy. And rightfully so.

However, most folks don't realize that Nolan has been making films for over 10 years.

As a fan of fine cinema, I've been following (wait for it...) Nolan's films ever since seeing Memento for the first time, shortly after its DVD release. And while his previous films didn't enter the public consciousness upon their release, at least compared to the level of his Batman films, they should have. These are amazing films.

So without further ado, I present a brief look, with purposely-ambiguous plot descriptions (i.e. NO-SPOILERS!), at Nolan's non-Batman/non-Inception films.

Following (1998) - Check our catalog

(...EPIC pun! Sorry, back on topic...)

Ambiguous Plot Description: An aspiring writer, obsessed with following strangers on the streets of London, forms a partnership with a burglar, breaking into flats and prying into the personal lives of the tenants.

Nolan's debut, a low-budget 70 minute black-and-white film, definitely hints at the director's future. The interesting thing about Following is the way the story is told...completely out-of-order. Scenes are shown in a completely random order. At first you'll be extremely confused, then less so as you start putting the pieces together. At the end, when all is revealed,...um, wow.

Memento (2000) - Check our catalog

Ambiguous Plot Description: A man, suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife. Starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano.

Like Following, Memento is not presented in chronological order...but it makes more sense here, in the context of the story. Amazing, one of my favorite movies.

Insomnia (2002) - Check our catalog

Incredible, occasionally disturbing, performances by Pacino & Williams. Things quickly spiral out of control after [plot point that I won't reveal]...

The Prestige (2006) - Check our catalog

Ambiguous Plot Description: A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences. Starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and David Bowie as an amazing Nikola Tesla!

Based on a book of the same name, The Prestige was released between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Strangely enough, it hit theaters right around the same time as The Illusionist...another film about magicians set during the Victorian Era. On its own, The Prestige is the better film; it also stars Scarlett Johansson, which gives it bonus points in my book.

And there you have it...the Christopher Nolan movies you've probably never heard of. But now you have. Check em out and sound off in the comments below.

More Info

IMDB.com: Find out more about Christopher Nolan on his IMDB page.
Amazon.com: Purchase the movies from Amazon using the Public Library Friends' referral link. All of Nolan's films, except Following, have been released on Blu-ray.
Mementos - The Freshmaker: CollegeHumor's Mentos commercial. In the style of Memento.

Crazy Heart

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:10:00 GMT

Jeff Bridges gives an Oscar-worthy performance in his latest, Crazy Heart, in which he plays Bad Blake, a musician who has seen better times. The movie begins with Bad's tour taking place in dive bars located in bowling alleys and small towns. It is during one of these trips that he comes across journalist, Jean, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. A single-mom, Jean is reluctant to get involved with Bad, but their casual fling develops into something more. Bad becomes attached to both Jean and her four-year-old son, and we discover that Bad has a grown son he never knew. Colin Farrell comes into the story as Tommy Sweet, Bad's former protégé, who is willing to give Bad another chance, but only if his ego will allow it. Between his growing relationship with Jean and opening for Tommy on tour, it seems Bad's life is turning around.

Then a fateful event occurs when Bad is drunk (as he often is throughout the movie), that causes him to lose everything he has recently gained. Enter his favorite bartender and friend, played by Robert Duvall, who helps Bad get back on track. With great performances by the entire cast and music by T-Bone Burnett, this movie is worth checking out. Definitely worth the hype it received during the Oscars.

"Moon" and the David Bowie connection

MediaPhile@evpl — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:48:00 GMT

Did you know that the director of the recently relased DVD "Moon" -- Duncan Jones (also known as Zowie or Joey) -- is the son of David Bowie?

Which is especially intriguing because "Moon" is the ethereal tale of a lonely man finishing up a three-year stint as the sole operator of a mining operation on the far side of the moon. Sound familiar?

All Sam (Sam Rockwell) wants is to go home to his loving wife and three-year-old daughter. But instantaneous two-way communication is down (mysteriously) so all he can do is leave messages and watch videos sent by her in reply.

When a mining machine malfunctions and he has to go out to fix it, things start getting really wierd. His faithful robot companion (voiced by Kevin Spacey) is no help as far as providing answers, although he assures him that a rescue crew is on the way.

One wonders if David Bowie's classic song "Ground Control to Major Tom" was reverberating in Jones' head as he made this really classy flick that got a whopping 89% on rottentomatoes.com. For those of you unfamiliar with it (or those who need a refresher), here are the lyrics:

Ground control to Major Tom Ground control to Major Tom:
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground control to Major Tom: Commencing countdown engine's on
Check ig-nition and may God's love be with you

This is ground control to Major Tom, you've really made the grade!
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear,
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare

This is Major Tom to ground con-trol, I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in the most peculiar way 
And the stars look very difeerent today

For here am I sitting in a tin can, far above the world
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do

BRIDGE

Though I'm passed one hundred thousand miles, I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go, 
tell my wife I love her very much she knows

Ground control to Major Tom: 
Your circuit's dead, there's something wong.
Can you hear me Major Tom? 
Can you hear me Major Tom? 
Can you hear me Major Tom? Can you ...

Here am I floating round my tin can, far above the moon
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do

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"John Dillinger : the life and death of America's first celebrity criminal" by Dary Matera

MediaPhile@evpl — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:16:00 GMT

Because of the Indiana connection, I've always been somewhat interested in John Dillinger. But it was only after watching Johnny Depp bring the notorious bankrobber to life in his latest flick, that I decided to check out the details. This book was just the ticket.

Here are some brief FAQs of his short but infamous life:

He was born in Indianapolis. His father was a grocer who believed in harsh discipline, and his mother died just before his fourth birthday. He attended school through 7th grade, then quit to work in a machine shop. He started getting into trouble and his father moved the family to rural Mooresville to avoid the urban temptations. It didn't help.
His first arrest -- and first real crime -- was at age 19, for auto theft. He enlisted in the Navy but was soon dishonorably discharged. He returned to Moorseville, got married and stayed somewhat settled until the marriage ended in divorce when he was 26.
Shortly thereafter, he robbed a grocery store clerk of $50 and was convicted of assault & battery, then sentenced to 10 to 20 years in the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. He was still a really inept criminal but he became friends with quite a few of his fellow prisoners, many of whom made a career of crime. After 8 years he got parolled, then was immediately re-arrested following a couple of bank heists -- in Ohio -- and sent back to prison. He escaped four days thereafter with the help of the first "Dillinger Gang." Two guards were killed in the process, which meant he had moved a step up the criminal justice chain.
Of course we all know what followed -- dozens of bank robberies during a legendary cross-country crime spree that captured the imagination of the nation, even though it only lasted about a year. The chase very much resembled the Keystone Kops, with much of the population rooting for Dillinger. The heist that sealed his fate was one in East Chicago, Indiana (that he may not have even been at) where a policeman was killed. Now he was a cop killer.
He was finally captured in Tuscon, Arizona, and shipped back to Indiana to be charged with murder. Media descended on the small northern Indiana town of Crown Point to interview the famous criminal. His gang within a matter of days "busted him out" -- embarrasing the state of Indiana even more than they already were -- and the gang headed to Chicago. That was basically their downfall since they crossed the state line in a stolen car, bringing down the official wrath of the DOI, the agency which soon became the FBI.
Dillinger's last few months were spent hiding and scrounging, and he was even forced into getting a real job as a clerk. The DOI eventually tracked him down to the Chicago area. Agents gunned him down at the Biograph Theatre in Chicago's Lincoln Park on July 22, 1934.

Having grown up in "da Region" (northwestern Indiana), I was happy to see the award-winning Indiana Welcome Center open there a few years ago. But I never bothered to plunk down a few dollars to visit the Dillinger Museum that is part of it. Next time I'm "home" I will.

Avatar: Visual Spectacle, But Not For Everyone

PotionsMaster@evpl — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:34:00 GMT

Avatar is a pretty amazing flick. The graphics are beautiful, the acting fairly decent and believable enough to not think, "Wow. That's some pretty bad acting." Action scenes are a-MAY-zing. Story line? A little predictable, but I found that I didn't mind that. But I know some people might. The movie is a bit clean-looking, like many sci-fi and space movies are. District 9 is a good contrast; very gritty and heavy handed. But this isn't about District 9. The claims that it have revolutionized the way future movies have been made? I can't say for certain, but it will definitely be a hard pill to swallow if future computer generation images aren't as well executed or realistic.

The first time I saw Avatar was in IMAX 3-D and I can say with certainty that made me absolutely love it. Sheer escapism done exquisitely. The movie implemented a few shots of traditional 3-D tricks, such as an arrow pointing straight at the audience, and when the main character Jake Sully is running for the first time in his avatar (he is a parapalegic Marine embarking on this adventure), dirt is kicked up and seems to fly directly into your face. But those shots are well implemented and not over done in the slightest. Instead of having multiple things coming at my face, it made me feel more like I was experiencing the world with Jake instead of observing it like on a traditional flat movie screen. When Jake is in the jungle running, I found myself moving my head to avoid the leaves, but they weren't blocking me from seeing anything. As an outdoorsy person, I appreciated the sensation and really enjoyed that high a degree of realism. If you can call ten foot tall aliens and their surrounding world real, that is. The one element in the movie that destroyed my suspension of disbelief was the mineral that the humans were going after: 'unobtanium'. Wow. Subtle, isn't it? And the message the movie is sending is one that many movies are using now, such as Wall-E.

I would give it out of , because it is a beautiful film that allows you to forget yourself and the visuals are stunning. The story is formulaic and average; think Dances with Wolves, but with blue aliens instead. 'Unobtainum' seems like a slap of, "Oh crud! We forgot to name the metal!" "How about 'unobtanium'?" "Sounds good, we'll keep it!". Very last minute and not thought about. But being placed in the world, instead of watching it, more than made up for it. Experiencing the world made the joyful parts of the movie feel like your heart was soaring, while the sad parts were completely heart wrenching. And the satisfying feeling at the end? Incredible, because you feel full of hope.

So if you want a bit of pure escapism, see Avatar and do yourself a favor: see it in 3-D. Flat screen will still be good, but the 3-D offers much more. If you don't like such cut and dry stories, it might be a little hard to stomach. But if you can forgive mediocre story lines and have an open mind, Avatar will reward you in ways you could hardly imagine.