I love Halloween. I've done a lot of Halloween cartoons so I thought I'd post a trick or treat selection from the last couple of years. After all, cartoons are better for your teeth than candy!
On another note, for a good scary time check out the classy horror magazine Shroud who also publish some great original horror titles. We hosted them at the library and I was very impressed by how beautifully done these are.
And don't forget tomorrow AMC premieres "The Walking Dead". Here's an amazingly embedded trailer to get you ready:
And remember... as they say at Hill House "No one will hear you... in the dark...in the night... no one will hear you screeeeeeeeeeam!"
Happy Halloween!
When I moved to NH I used to run a film society at the house. This was before everyone had VCRs. We used to chip in and rent a projector and rent 16 MM movies like "the Producers" .
Since I've been working at the library I really wanted to start a movie group for grown-ups and our Friends finally bought us a license! And we got an LCD projector. All systems go (with a few minor glitches) and the Farmington Film Society was born. We showed "The Book of Eli". Great film. I wanted to show "the Road" as it didn't play in our area (I saw it in Boston), the book won a Pulitzer, etc. but our licensing company wanted an extra $100.00 to show it, I've no clue why, so we settled for Denzel, who is always a captivating actor, and there's a road in this one that looks like the same one Viggo trod on.
Then I got the OK to show a movie in October, as the patrons who came to "Book of Eli" asked to see something scary for Halloween.
When I think "scary" there is one film that stands out, to me, as the mother of all scary films and which many filmmakers have tried to imitate including a pretty bad remake. I'm talking the 1963 "The Haunting" based on the very creepy "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson. I saw the movie when it came out and was creeped out and disturbed by it at a young age and every time I see it I have pretty much the same reaction. Here, once again, through the miracle of embedding and Youtube is the original trailer for the movie:
I guess they give a lot away in the trailer, which is too bad, if you haven't seen it already. Anyway, with Netflix and on demand audiences (our patrons) have seen pretty much everything so its hard to find something different to get them out in the evening and into the library. Two film buffs I know are both planning to come and both have seen it multiple times, so I'm hoping for a good turn-out.
If you haven't seen it before be sure to put it in your cue or come on down to the Goodwin Library. We promise to leave the light on in the hall.
Gwyneth has a new movie coming out in which she plays a country singer. Isn't that great news? Those of us who love the movie "Duets" and have seen her sing that song "Rain Forests Must Die" (or something like that) on an old Saturday Night Live know what a terrific talent and good singer she is. And, honestly, is there anyone more adorable than Gwyneth? (Well, maybe Nico). Let's have a look through the miracle of Youtube embedding at some of her greatest roles:
Sliding Doors is one of those movies that can stand repeat viewings because it is funny, poignant, and just a really good story of what might have been had one taken a different path, so we really get two Gwyneths for the price of one. Good deal! Plus John Hannah as an attractive leading man. Take a look:
Now, let's take a look at her very famous duet with Huey Lewis singing "Cruisin'" in Duets:
And here's the trailer for "Country Strong" where we will get to see Gwyneth singing and playing a country singer trying to re-start her career.
Sounds like it will be right up there with "Nashville" and "The Thing Called Love" two of my all time favorites. Maybe we'll look at those two movies on another blog. But to wrap up all things Gwyneth, here is a link to GOOP, her lifestyles online newsletter: GOOP a link to her Academy Award win for "Shakespeare In Love" (sorry, can't embed this):Gwyneth Academy Award And a final look at her in full charm mode in Emma:
Very sad to see this today, so soon after my blog.
The original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" was a masterpiece of sci-fi paranoia, largely due to Mr. McCarthy's incredible performance.
A couple of weeks ago we had the garden group members up to our house for a harvest lunch. There were several hardcore garden experts in the group.
So, when we had a tour of the garden I took them over to see the romanesco cauliflower to get some opinions...because, honestly, these things didn't exactly look like the seed catalog photos. The answer I got was "Huh. Never saw anything like THAT before."
Not exactly words you want to hear. These things are MUTANTS! I knew there was something unearthly about them. I needed someone who wasn't just a garden expert. Someone who knew his way around evil outer space alien plant growths. I needed KEVIN McCARTHY!
Kevin, what do you make of these things. Have a look.
So, Kev, give me your honest opinion. No holding back. I can take it.
Oh, no. Worse than I thought! Well, we had our revenge. We ate their young. Quite tasty, with a hint of broccoli. But, wait... the zucchini is looking a bit odd. Kevin? Now, where did he go?
Sometimes I really appreciate it when an author writes a book and that's it. I may have said this before. Just one book and not a whole series that can drag on and on. That said, sometimes there are series SO good you don't want them to end because you have become so attached to the characters. "Twilight" was one (though I'm not happy with "Breaking Dawn"), Harry Potter, of course and... "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.
"The Hunger Games" is an absolutely unputdownable trilogy. If you have not read this chillingly realistic futuristic post-apocalyptic story, let me give you a brief lead in: Katniss Everdeen is a 16 year old girl who lives with her mother and sister in a place called District 12 one of 12 areas under the control of the evil Capital, which keeps its citizens oppressed and starving to keep down rebellion (District 13 has already been obliterated). Once a year, the Capital "reaps" a boy and girl from each community and pits them against each other in a fight to the death which is televised as an entertaining reality show. The winner, or last left alive, becomes a celebrity. Katniss has been the main support for her mother and sister since her father died in a mining accident. She is a skilled archer and hunter. I'll only say that Katniss takes the place of her little sister who is the chosen girl for the 74th Hunger Games.
Katniss is an incredibly strong female lead and Suzanne Collins' writing is so descriptive you feel like you are right there on the journey towards the arena with her. There's suspense, there's scary stuff and there's even ROMANCE!
What's great about "Mockingjay's" release is it now allows new readers to sit down and enter the world of the "Hunger Games" and read them all the way through, like watching a great TV series on DVD without the ads!
The Goodwin Library book club will be reading the whole series and the 6 new members (so far) have not read them before, so I can't wait to have some great discussions as we progress! Come join us! We'll ILL a copy just for you!
