3 Day Movies Coming in February

3 DAY MOVIES COMING IN FEBRUARY

These movies will soon be available as 3-day loan DVDs at Perrot (ho holds, no renewals):

ARGO - A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, with Bryan Cranston.

FLIGHT - An airline pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling.  Starring Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle.

THE SESSIONS - A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest.  Starring Helen Hunt and John Hawkes.

THE MASTER - A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader.  Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix.

*Plot summaries provided by IMDB.com

DVD Diva: Alfred Hitchcock

With the release of the new Hitchcock movie staring Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Helen Mirren as his wife, why not take out some classic Hitchcock thrillers? Between Perrot and Greenwich we have them all. I especially like Dial M for Murder starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings and North by Northwest starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason. And of course, the ever famous Psycho starring Anthony Perkins and briefly, Janet Leigh.  

-The DVD Diva

DVD Diva: Downton Abbey

Have you caught up on the first two seasons of Downton Abbey?  If not, be sure to borrow them from Perrot prior to January 2013, which is the scheduled U.S. premiere date for Season 3.

Request Downtown Abbey Season 1: DVD | Blu-Ray
Request Downtown Abbey Season 2: DVD | Blu-Ray

The upcoming third season of Downton Abbey will be set in the 1920s. According to The Hollywood Reporter, fans can expect to see slim, low-waisted flapper silhouettes, as corsets are no longer trending. The ladies will additionally style their hair in bobs and flapper spit curls. The characters may enjoy cocktails which at that moment are making their debuts in London's first night clubs. In language, the characters will be using new slang and phrases such as "the bee's knees" (the ultimate compliment), "the cat's meow" (another top compliment), and "giggle water."  In society, women will begin to enter the workplace.

So where does Downton Abbey go now? Trailers for episode one of season three will face the Roaring ‘20s-- with the accompanying freedoms on all sides. But already fans are anxious for answers. When will season 3 pick up? What will be the fates of various characters? Another interesting topic is the future of Mr. Bates and the Lifestyle evolution that is addressed. From all of the press reviews is seems this series is set to be another great success, giving us something to look forward to on Sunday evenings.

-The DVD Diva

DVD Diva: Romantic Movies

Romance will soon be in the air with Valentine’s Day coming, so why not have a candlelit dinner and watch one of these romantic movies with your sweetie:

It’s always fun to watch Hugh Grant fumble his way through life as he tries to find his special someone. Two that I particularly like are Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Four Weddings and a Funeral with Andie McDowell.

Michael Douglas and Annette Benning combine politics and romance in The American President.

And when you combine intrigue and romance and the great line “We'll always have Paris,” you get Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in one of the all-time favorite romantic movies, Casablanca.

Shakespeare in Love features a young Shakespeare, out of ideas and short of cash, when he meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet.

You've Got Mail has Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan falling in love over the internet, a not-uncommon way to meet your mate these days.

In Jerry Maguire, Renee Zellweger tells Tom Cruise “You had me at hello” and a new catch-phrase was born.

And in Love Story, Ryan O'Neill tells Ali McGraw "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

DVD Diva: Cary Grant

Once told by an interviewer, "Everybody would like to be Cary Grant," Grant is said to have replied, "So would I."

Here are some of his movies available at Perrot:

• In the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, North by Northwest, Grant plays a hapless New York advertising executive who is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive.


• In The Philadelphia Story a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage and she begins to learn the truth about herself. With Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart.


• A bishop trying to get a new cathedral built prays for guidance in The Bishop's Wife. An angel (Mr. Cary Grant) arrives, but his guidance isn't about fundraising. With Loretta Young and David Niven.

DVD Diva: Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford wanted a career in show business because it was much more glamorous than the odd jobs she was working. She won a dance contest which landed her a job in a chorus line. After two years, she moved to the movie colony of Hollywood. She felt movies might afford her a chance of fame and glory. She was determined to succeed and succeed she did.

One of my favorite Joan Crawford movies is Mildred Pierce. After her cheating husband leaves her, Crawford's character proves she can become independent and successful, but she still can't win the approval of her spoiled daughter.

In The Women, released in 1939, Crawford plays the ruthless and husband-stealing Crystal Allen. The movie also stars Rosalind Russell and Norma Shearer. This movie has been remade several times, most recently in 2008 with Meg Ryan and Annette Bening.

Also available at Perrot is The Joan Crawford Collection Volume 2, which includes A Woman's Face, Flamingo Road, Sadie McKee, Strange Cargo, and Torch Song.

--The DVD Diva

DVD Diva: Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor, who turned 77 in February, is one of Hollywood’s most famous actresses. Here are a few of her movies available at Perrot:

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof: This 1958 movie is a story of the deception which is destroying a patriarchal Southern family as its members gather for the imminent demise of their "Big Daddy." Also starring Paul Newman.

Life With Father: In this 1947 film, William Powell plays a Wall Street broker who tries to run his family like a bookkeeper only to realize his wife, played by Irene Dunn, actually rules the roost.

A Place In The Sun: With Montgomery Clift as a poor young man determined to win a place in respectable society and the heart of beautiful socialite. He is ultimately driven to a desperate act of passion that unravels his world forever. Originally released in 1951.

Taylor also starred with her husband, Richard Burton, in these movies:

The Taming of the Shrew: In this play by Shakespeare, Richard Burton plays Petrucio, a fortune-hunting scoundrel from Verona who arrives in Padua hoping to capture a wealthy wife.

Coming soon to Perrot on DVD is Cleopatra– with Richard Burton as Marc Anthony and Rex Harrison as Caesar– who can resist the ultimate love triangle? Also coming soon-- The Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection on DVD. It includes The Sandpiper, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Comedians.

For more details about this famous actress, her 2002 biography, Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry is available on the 2nd floor.

DVD Diva: Favorite Oscar Winners

A slightly belated list of the DVD Diva's favorite Oscar winners:

• A Beautiful Mind (2001): Stars Russell Crowe as John Nash, a mathematical genius, who made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. After many years of struggle, he eventually triumphed over his schizophrenia, and finally, late in life, received the Nobel Prize.
• Forrest Gump (1994): Follows the life of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) and his meetings with the love of his life, Jenny. The film chronicles his accidental experiences with some of the most important people and events in America The problem is, simple Forrest doesn't realize the significance of his actions.
• Amadeus (1984): The life and music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) are viewed through the memories of an envious rival, Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham). Mozart's music is featured throughout the film.
• Ordinary People (1980): The "ordinary" existence of an upper middle class family is shattered following the death of the older son and the struggle of the younger son against guilt and suicide– starring Mary Tyler moore and Donald Sutherland.
• The Deer Hunter (1978): Tracks a group of steelworker pals from a Pennsylvania blast furnace to the coal hunting grounds of the Alleghenies to the lethal cauldron of Vietnam. It is a drama of friendship and courage and of what happens to these qualities under stress.
• A Man for All Seasons (1966): A drama about the opposition of Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) to the divorce of King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) and the events which led to More's trial on the charge of treason. Also starring orson wells.
• On the Waterfront (1954): Stars Marlon Brando as an ex-fighter who gets a job working on the gang-ridden waterfront under a crooked gangster boss (Lee J. Cobb).
• The Lost Weekend (1945): A would-be writer's dissatisfaction with his life leads him on a three-day binge. This film gives an uncompromising look at the devastating effects of alcoholism. Starring Ray Miland and Jane Wyman.

Leave your favorite Academy Award winners in the comments...

DVD Diva: Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet has been nominated for 5 Oscars but just recently received two Golden Globes for her roles in The Reader and Revolutionary Road, now playing in theaters. Here are four of the movies for which she was Oscar-nominated:

Titanic: Winslet's first role with Leonardo DiCaprio, in which two people from different worlds meet and fall in love on the brief, tragic maiden voyage of the grand ocean liner.

Little Children: Sarah Pierce is a new stay-at-home mom struggling with the solitude of her new role. Spending every moment with a three-year-old tests the patience of the one-time English scholar.

Sense & Sensibility: In this Jane Austen story, Winslet plays the role of Marriane Dashwood.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: When Joel, played by Jim Carrey, discovers that his girlfriend, Clementine, has had their tumultuous relationship erased from her mind through an experimental scientific procedure, he decides to ease his pain by getting the same treatment.

[The complete list of Kate Winslet movies available in the Greenwich Library system]

DVD Diva: Hugh Grant

Best known for his work in romantic comedies, Hugh Grant is always enjoyable to watch. Here is a sampling of his earlier films:

Maurice is based on an E.M. Forster story about two Edwardian-era Cambridge graduates that fall in love, but must abide by British society's strict norms regarding homosexuality.


The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain is the story of a young English cartographer who must tell a Welsh village that their mountain is only a hill.

In Sense and Sensibility, which also stars Emma Thompson, the Dashwood sisters find their chances at marriage seemingly doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune.

Four Weddings and a Funeral is a romantic comedy about a young man who meets the girl of his dreams at a friend's wedding. However, the timing is wrong, and it takes three more weddings and a funeral before the two finally connect.

In 2002, Hugh Grant worked with Woody Allen in Small Time Crooks, the story of a loser crook and his wife who strike it rich when a bank job gets botched.

Check our catalog for more Hugh Grant films . . .

DVD Diva: It's that time of year again....

• Christmas With the Kranks: When only child Blair leaves the family nest, Luther and Nora decide to book an cruise and skip Christmas altogether. Their decision to boycott tradition has the whole neighborhood in an uproar.
• Deck the Halls: Two neighbors in a small New England town go to war when one of them decides to decorate his house with a so many Christmas lights that they are visible from space!
• Fred Claus: Fred Claus has lived in his little brother's shadow for most of his life. Now Fred is in jail, and Nicholas bails him out on the condition that Fred help out at the North Pole to repay his debt.
• Surviving Christmas: Drew Latham is a wealthy executive leading an empty, shallow life. Facing another lonely Christmas ahead, Drew wants to revisit his old childhood home. But when he arrives, he finds that the house where he was raised is now no longer the home he grew up in. Owned by another family, Drew offers a nice financial reward that has the family all a buzz. But is Drew's generous cash offer only the beginning of an annoying visitor or will everyone be able to find the true holiday spirit?
• Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause: With another Christmas season fast approaching, Santa Claus/Scott Calvin is feeling even more pressure. Mrs. Claus is expecting a little Claus. She is also longing for the company of some "tall people." So Scott agrees to let her parents visit, as long as they believe that they're really in Canada rather than at the North Pole.

For more Christmas classics, take a look at last year's Christmas DVD post.

DVD Diva: Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver has been in over 50 movies (theatrical and TV). She attended the Yale School of Drama in New York. Although Weaver has played a number of critically acclaimed roles in movies, she is best known for her appearances as Warrant Officer/Lieutenant Ellen Ripley in the blockbuster Alien movie franchise.

Ghostbusters When ghosts go on a rampage, only three men can save the world. Soon every spook in the city is loose and our heroes face the supreme challenge If you want your spirits raised, who you gonna call?

Alien Terror begins when the crew of a spaceship investigates a transmission from a desolate planet and discovers a life form that is perfectly evolved to annihilate mankind. Each crew member is slain until only Ripley is left.

Alien Resurrection Ripley is recovering from her first encounter with the deadly alien. Her account of that event is received with skepticism. Burke, an up-and-coming company man, talks Ripley into going back with a squad of colonial marines. Of course, the Marines do not take her warnings seriously either, until they come face-to-face with the awesome alien spawn.

Alien 3 Third chapter of the most terrifying saga in science fiction history. Ripley is the lone survivor when her crippled spaceship crash lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wasteland inhabited by former inmates of the planet's prison. This is the story of her fears that an Alien was aboard her craft and the realization that may compel her to try to destroy not only the creature but herself.

The Village In a quiet, isolated village in olde Pennsylvania, there lies a pact between the people of the village and the creatures who reside in the surrounding woods. The townspeople do not enter the woods, and the creatures do not enter the village. The pact stays intact for many years, until the headstrong Lucius Hunt goes out to seek medical supplies from a neighboring towns beyond the woods. Animal carcasses begin to appear around the village, causing the elders to fear for the safety of the village and the sanctity of the pact.

Galaxy Quest For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector set off on thrilling and often dangerous missions in space. . . and then their series was cancelled. Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beamed up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director and no clue, the actors must turn in the performances of their lives.

P.S. Internet Movie Database is now showing free, full-length movies and TV shows on their website.

Relive the Olympics

The Olympics are over, but perhaps you missed some of the highlights or would like to see them again. Perrot now has three new non-fiction DVD’s (796.48 BEIJI) that will recapture the excitement of these events:

• Beijing 2008 Complete Opening Ceremony: A two-volume DVD which will allow you to relive the complete Opening Ceremony or pick and choose your favorite parts to view again.
  
• Beijing 2008 Highlights: The Games of the XXIX Olympiad, including gold medal performances in track and field, gymnastics, beach volleyball, and many more.
  
• Michael Phelps: Inside Story of the Beijing Games: Includes personal interviews with Michael’s mother and coach, and descriptions of each race in his own words as he became the greatest Olympic champion in history.

-The Reference Librarians

Paul Newman, 1925-2008

As many of you are aware, Connecticut’s own Paul Newman passed away over the weekend. He will be greatly missed by all. His movies were enjoyable to watch but what defined him more was his charitable work-- Newman founded Newman's Own, a successful food company he built from the ground up, which gives 100% of its proceeds to charity. Newman also started The Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, an organization for terminally ill children. Although nominated many times for an Oscar, he finally won Best Actor for The Color of Money in 1987.


Here is a list of Newman's movies which are available at Perrot:

• The Color Of Money


• The Towering Inferno
  
• Slap Shot


• Cool Hand Luke


• Exodus


• Road To Perdition


• The Hustler


• The Sting


• The Verdict


• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (on order)


• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (on order)
  

More on Paul Newman:

• New York Times Obituary


• "He left his mark on all he touched": an article about Newman's philanthropy in the Stamford Advocate


• A video tribute to Paul Newman on YouTube

DVD Diva: Christopher Walken

Christopher Walken, a prolific actor who has spent more than 50 years on stage and screen, has appeared in over 100 movie and television roles. Many of his films are available at Perrot. Here is a small sampling:

The Deer Hunter

Tracks a group of steelworker pals from a Pennsylvania blast furnace, to the coal hunting grounds of the Alleghenies, to the lethal cauldron of Vietnam. It is a drama of friendship and courage, and of what happens to these qualities under stress. Also starring Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep.

True Romance

The story of two unlikely lovers (Christain Slater and Patricia Arquette) who find themselves in possession of a suitcase full of valuable mob contraband, which they plan to take from Detroit to Los Angeles, sell, and begin a new life. Christopher Walken plays the role of Vincenzo Coccotti, a crazed mob enforcer.

Blast From the Past

Walken plays an eccentric nuclear physicist whose fears of a nuclear war lead him to build an enormous fallout shelter beneath his suburban home. He and his family (Sissy Spacek and Brendan Fraser as his son) live in the shelter for 35 years before realizing that the nuclear holocaust never happened.

Who Am I This Time?

In this American Playhouse film from 1982, adapted from a Kurt Vonnegut short story, Walken stars opposite Susan Sarandon as the shy leading man in a community theater’s productions.

DVD Diva: British Television Series

Very popular at the library right now are British television productions. Here is a sampling you can choose from:

The First Churchills
Tells the story of the 50-year marriage of John and Sarah Churchill, the first Churchills to make their mark on British history.

Monarch of the Glen
Based on the Highland novels of Compton MacKenzie, this series explores the comings and goings of the Lairds at the decaying family estate, Glenbogle, in Scotland.

The Complete Jeeves & Wooster
Stars Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster, the classic young British man of means, blessed with a touch too generous a heart and a slight deficit in the noggin department. Steven Fry is Jeeves, his hilariously arch and resourceful valet, a "Gentleman's Gentleman."

Prime Suspect
Helen Mirren stars as Detective Chief Inspector Tennison, and the first woman to hold the position.

Touching Evil
A contemporary, darkly-edged mini-series that follows the exploits of the Organized and Serial Crime Unit.

Agatha Christie’s Poirot
David Suchet plays the role of Hercule Poirot, who always solves crimes by using his little grey cells.

Second Sight
Stars Clive Owen as a hotshot police detective who lives for the thrill of the chase, while desperate to conceal a terrifying secret: he's losing his vision.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
No detective is better suited to expose the secrets of the upper classes than Lynley, himself the eighth Earl of Asherton. And while his partner, Havers, may not know her earl from her escargot, she knows how to dig for clues in places a bit too seedy for the well-manicured Lynley.

Morning Glory

A movie recommendation from Thalia:

Morning Glory (part of DVD set Katharine Hepburn: 100th Anniversary Collection)

It’s “quintessential Kate,” and a showcase of her breadth and depth. I really enjoyed this film; it’s a refreshing stroll down memory lane– and a special treat for aspiring actors (you’ll see why)!

DVD Diva: Kevin Kline

I would classify Kevin Kline as a "Renaissance actor," if such a term exists. In film, Kline has portrayed every type of character-- from comedies to dramas to Shakespeare. On Broadway, he has musical roles and won two Tony awards. Here is a small sampling of Kevin Kline's movies (in no particular order) that I have enjoyed (click on each DVD to view it in the catalog and place a hold):


The Emperor's Club
When a new student starts in Professor Hundert's class, little does he know that he will change his life forever.







I Love You to Death
A dark comedy about a devoted wife who discovers her pizza-making husband cheating on her, and decides to kill him for breaking her heart. Her plot includes the help of her mother, an oddball busboy and two drug-addled cousins.







The Ice Storm
Filmed in Fairfield County (New Canaan, Greenwich, and Stamford), this movie features two disfunctional families learning to cope with nature-- human nature.








The Big Chill
When seven college housemates reunite at the funeral of a friend, they discover that having entered adulthood as non-conformists, most now belong to the establishment.








The Pirates of Penzance
Gilbert and Sullivan's raucous and comedic operatic tale is captured in all its fun and glory in this production.





Click here for more Kevin Kline movies in the catalog.

Don't forget to listen to AM station WGCH 1490 to hear the DVD Diva's recommendations on-air!

2 Books and a DVD

[Click on each cover image to view that item in the catalog and to place a hold.]


Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, by John Perkins
This is a real page-turner-- an absolutely fascinating expose that reads like a gripping novel. It’s disturbing, informative, timely, and true.






In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, by Michael Pollan
An excellent reminder of what “real food” is and what food used to be, before processing, packaging, and the media. It’s an educational eye-opening experience, regardless of one’s dietary preference.





10 Questions for the Dalai Lama: One Man’s Journey through The Northern Himalayas (DVD)
A beautiful and poignant way to have an audience with the Dalai Lama, in your own home. “If you only had one hour, what would you ask?”



-Thalia

DVD Diva: Cinematic Trips to the Library Stacks

Entertainment Weekly recently ran an article called “18 Sexy Trips to the Library Stacks,” which featured 18 movies with scenes in a library.

Here is a sampling of some of the movies listed [click on each title to view that item in the catalog and to place a hold]:

• THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985): Five teens from drastically different cliques spend a day in detention with each other, delving into each others' true personalities.
• THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004): When global warming triggers the onset of a new Ice Age, tornadoes flatten Los Angeles, a tidal wave engulfs New York City and the entire Northern Hemisphere begns to freeze solid, climatologist Jack Hall and a small band of survivors must stay alive in the face of Mother Nature.
• GHOSTBUSTERS (1984): When ghosts go on a rampage, only three men can save the world. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
• THE MUMMY (1999): Deep in the Egyptian desert, a handful of people searching for a long-lost treasure unearth a 3,000-year-old legacy of terror.
• HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005): Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts is marked by the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, in which student representatives from three different wizarding schools compete in a series of increasingly challenging contests.
• SE7EN (1995): A disturbing psychological thriller about two detectives on the trail of a serial killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins.
• INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989): Indiana Jones and his estranged father join forces to find the mystically-empowered Holy Grail.
• PHILADELPHIA (1993): The powerful story of two lawyers who join together to sue a prestigious Philadelphia law firm when the firm fires one of them because he has AIDS.
  

To view the complete list of titles (including pictures of all the library action!), go to: http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20190897,00.html