My Favorite Holiday Movies

Holiday movies can be sentimental or fun. I don’t do too many holiday movies so the list is short, but I never get tired of these. Here they are  in no particular order:

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Forget Johnny Depp (and I’m a fan) the Willie Wonka that warms my heart is Gene Wilder! He is just the right amount of funny and serious! Throw in the bad children and a kid’s (and adult’s) dream of all that cool candy and it is heaven!  I still try to imitate Veruka and every time I see the ending (and it has been MANY times), I cry! They aren’t even in the elevator yet and I’m tearing up. He gives Charlie the WHOLE factory! And it admit it, you are singing the Oompa Loompa song to yourself right now.

A Christmas Story

Fffffudge….. admit it you have seen this movie, a holiday staple, dozens of times…. you worried that Ralphie would “shoot his eye out”…you wanted your own leg lamp and you remember that age of trusting in Santa, just in case. I didn’t grow up in the time period, but this movie made one nostalgic for simpler holiday times, when it wasn’t about the next electronic item, but  more about simple pleasures.

The Santa Clause

I think I watch this movie at least two or three times every holiday.  Tim Allen plays a newly divorced man trying to connect with his son during the holidays. One night, he gets a job offer he really can’t refuse. From the first scene to the last, you’ll smile and have a laugh.  I love the sequels almost as much!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

This was a classic hit back in my day that still holds up well. John Candy and Steve Martin are hysterical as two very different men trying to get home during the holidays who end up stuck with each other and deal with bad situation after bad situations…. I love the deer scene.  John Candy was truly a comic genius and is so missed. Growing up near the areas they filmed, I still tell my son “I remember driving past the El Rancho Motel”!

Christmas in Connecticut

The original 1945 version with Barbara Stanwyck as a food writer and 1940′s version of Martha Stewart,  who agrees to “host” a homey Christmas for a returning WWII hero. Problem is she can’t cook and is nowhere near a homemaker…. its funny, sappy and romantic… I love it!

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

This is a fantasy film I saw recently, but can’t wait to watch again. Filmed in Finland, it’s about of group of people who discover the truth behind the Santa legend. Let’s just say he wasn’t quite so nice! Instead of rewarding good children, he punished the naughty. Children start disappearing and the reindeer start turning up dead. A group of men, led by one of man’s son, set out to capture Santa and put an end to all this. What follows is bizarre, but really fun.

-Christine

A Saturday with Bill the Poster Guy

A warm thanks to film art enthusiast and movie poster collector Bill Brandeis, who was in the library lobby on Saturday, November 17 displaying an exciting selection of posters for recently released and upcoming films.  Patrons were able to peruse and enjoy posters for over 30 popular movies, including current favorites Wreck-It Ralph and Breaking Dawn – Part 2, and forthcoming films The Hobbit, The Guilt Trip, Mama, Zero Dark Thirty, and Oz: The Great and Powerful.  Bill showcases his collection at the Fountaindale Public Library three Saturdays a year.  Look for him again in February 2013, when he will join us with a new selection of posters.  Please note that as the posters come from his personal collection, they are not for sale.

-ZM

He’s Back!!!

Sunday is Oscar night when Hollywood puts on their tuxes and gowns to celebrate the year’s best in film. I am very excited about watching it this year! Billy Crystal is back!!! Yay! After Eddie Murphy backed out (thank you!), it was announced he would be hosting.  Starting in 1990, Billy has hosted on and off 8 times. This Sunday will make it 9, second to Bob Hope who hosted 18 times!

Billy has had many very funny and memorable moments on the show… Billy being wheeled out ala Hannibal Lecter, or his hysterical introductions of the nominated films (paying tribute to Titanic with the Gilligan Island’s theme).  He is just funny enough to make what seems like an endless show (editing for a short documentary award, anyone??) be pleasurable. After suffering through last year’s James Franco and Anne Hathaway debacle, it is so nice to see Billy back. It has been too long, 8 too long years.

And what better way to show his humor as this, after he accepted the hosting job, he tweeted  ” Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show.”

So am I.

-Christine

Telecaster at 60

The sound of a Fender Telecaster cannot be mistaken for any other guitar.  The licks you heard played by Steve Cropper, in the song Green Onions by Booker T and the MG’s, in the movie American Graffiti… a Telecaster.  Jimmy Page’s famous solo in Stairway to Heaven… a Telecaster. The melodic chording and riffs of jazz guitarist Bill Frisell …a Telecaster. The blazing solos of country artist, Brad Paisley…that, too, is a Telecaster.

Officially introduced to the music world early in 1951, the guitar has become a musical icon over the past six decades and has become the go-to-instrument for many of the world’s top guitarists because of its unique sound qualities, simplicity, and versatility.

If you already own one of these guitars, if you’ve been thinking about buying one, or are just interested in learning more about these guitars and the artists who play them and the music they make, the library currently has a display of  books, magazines and CDs from our collections that are available for you to check out. The materials are conveniently located on the 3rd Floor, in the New Books area. While you’re browsing, go ahead and pick up a copy of the pathfinder, Telecaster At 60. The pathfinder will tell you a little bit about the books on the display, show you some guitar magazines that we subscribe to, and give you an idea of some of the Telecaster players that are represented in our CD collection. There’s even a web link to a great story about these guitars, The Telecaster: Still Wailing At 60, that was featured on National Public Radio (NPR).

Have fun looking, listening, reading, and playing!

Tom D.

Portrait of a President and the Birth of the United States

When a friend of my husband’s recommended he see the HBO miniseries “John Adams“, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it. A seven part miniseries? About a President I didn’t know too much about (let’s face it Washington and Jefferson get all the publicity!)? Regardless, I borrowed the mini-series from the Fountaindale Library. “John Adams” is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning  book of the same name by David McCullough, about one of our founding fathers and 2nd president,  and stars Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney as John and Abigail Adams.

I was intrigued from the start. When I was younger, I was really interested in the American Revolution so it was neat to see the stories I had read unfold before my eyes… the Boston Massacre… Crispus Attucks… I found myself really getting drawn into it. I was so thrilled to see Benjamin Franklin, played to perfection by Tom Wilkinson, over the top but shrewd. George Washington, played by David Morse, stoic, calm and overwhelmed in his role as president. And finally Thomas Jefferson, played by Stephen Dillane, a man who is described as soft spoken but with a gift of writing that was unsurpassed. Then there are, John Adams, and his beloved wife and partner, Abigail Adams.  Both actors were so good in their roles. Adams is portrayed as both a leader, sometimes the coolest head in the room, but still with much to learn as he goes along.  He isn’t perfect, he makes mistakes, but he stands for what he believes in.  Abigail is shown for the strong  and devoted woman she was.  The two have a real partnership. Adams often consults with her and she is not afraid to give  her opinion.

 Along the way, I discovered that I never gave it a thought that the 13 colonies were essentially 13 “countries”…. what guts and bravado it took for these men to get passed their differences, joing together, to rebel against the Crown and establish a new country. It was really moving. The DVD also has a feature where you can get an onscreen historical guide for each episode as they unfold.

-Christine

Superman!

     This book is the official guide to the movie Superman Returns from Warner Brothers. It includes many still shots from the movie along with excerpts from the screenplay. In addition, it contains essays that examine the movie’s storyline and that reveal the magic of film making.

      If you like Superman, you will like this book.

 

     The Fountaindale Library owns this book. To see about availability, check our online library catalog.

 

     Happy reading!

  

 - Bob

Let me tell you about a great movie!

    

     Let me tell you about a great movie! It is called Hotel for Dogs starring Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin:

     Foster children Andi and Bruce have been placed with a strange couple who care more about their music careers than their foster children. After a close call with the local pound, the kids end up searching for Friday, their secretly adopted dog, in an abandoned old hotel. In the hotel,  they find several other stray dogs seeking shelter. Andi and Bruce, along with three other local kids, begin caring for the strays. Bruce is a clever inventor whose innovative gadgets ensure top-notch care and constant entertainment for all the dogs.

     The film is funny, heartwarming, and has great special effects. It is good entertainment for the whole family. I think you will enjoy it.

     (The Fountaindale Library own this DVD. To see about availability, please check our online library catalog.)

- Bob

Welcome to Amreeka

 

Awhile back, I happened to be watching IFC and caught the tail end of the  Spirit Awards for independent films.  As winners were announced, I wrote down numerous titles that looked of interest. When it got to the best actress category, I was intrigued by a scene from a movie I had never heard of, Amreeka. I also, from that small clip, could see why the lead actress, Nisreen Faour, was nominated. She didn’t win, but I came away with a movie I was dying to see.

Amreeka tells the story of a Palestinian woman, Muna and her teenage son Fadi, who win a green card lottery and are able to immigrate to America (Amreeka) and live with her sister, doctor brother-in-law and 3 daughters, in a suburb of Chicago. Leaving behind the violence of their homeland, Muna hopes to create a better life for her son and herself. unfortunately,  unbeknownst to her, Muna has a box of cookies confiscated from her at customs. Fadi notices but doesn’t realize their life savings is in that box for safe keeping. Once here in the States, Muna, a qualified banker in her homeland, finds no one will hire her and ends up taking a job at White Castle, letting her family believe she works at an adjacent bank.

What follows is a touching, sad, sometimes frustrating and eye-opening movie experience, which left me saying “I just saw my favorite movie of the year” .  The acting was wonderful, perhaps aided by the fact that stars are fairly unknown, giving it a realistic non-hollywood feel. In addition to nominations for several Spirit Awards, it was nominated for other awards such as Cannes and Sundance, for film, acting, screenplay and directing.

If you would like to see this hidden gem of a film, it is available to be sent to Fountaindale from one of the owning  libraries our PrairieCat catalog consortium. Just follow this link to place a hold. There is also a book titled “A Country Called Amreeka” by Alia Malek, if you would like to know more about the Arab experience in the US.

-Christine J.

The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies

     Let me tell you about a cool book. It is called The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies: Featuring the 100 Greatest Sports Films of All Time by Ray Didinger and Glen MacNow.

     It includes trivia, fun facts, pictures, plot summaries, and behind the scenes accounts on great movies such as:

 

     Rocky;  Hoosiers;  The Natural;  Field of Dreams;  Brian’s Song;  Pride of the Yankees;  Remember the Titans;  Breaking Away;  Knute Rockne: All American;  The Rookie;  Seabiscuit;  Bull Durham;  Bend It Like Beckham;  Jim Thorpe: All American;  Rudy;  Raging Bull;  Eight Men Out;  Miracle;  Million Dollar Baby;  Chariots of Fire;  A League of Their Own;  Tin Cup;  Happy Gilmore;  Caddyshack; and of course, The Karate Kid!

  

     In addition, there are special features such as:

 

     Down for the Count: the Rocky Sequels.

     Actors as Athletes: Who Makes the Cut?

     The Worst Sports Sequels Ever Made.

     Athletes Who Could Act.

     Athletes Who Could Not Act.

 

     If you like sports movies, you will like this book.

 

     (This book is owned by the Fountaindale Library. To check on availability, please check our online library catalog.)

 

     Happy reading!

 

 

- Bob
 

The World’s Fastest Indian!

      

       The World’s Fastest Indian is a wonderful story about a man pursuing his dream: 

       Burt Munro, a Kiwi from New Zealand, has been building and rebuilding his 1920 Indian motorcycle for decades; dreaming of the day when he and his bike can go to Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats and see what they can do. In 1967, he and the motorcycle went to America to take part in an event called Speed Week. His journey from New Zealand to Utah brings him into contact with many people who recognize that Burt has a burning desire to achieve a dream; and they help him achieve that dream. 

       This movie is based on a true story. It is very realistic and quite enjoyable. I think you will like it.

      (The Fountaindale Library owns this DVD. To see about availability, please check our online library catalog.)

 

- Bob