Feature Length Films

Books Soon to be Movies in 2014

Emily Miller

“I’m glad I read the book first,” is a phrase I often hear people say after seeing a film based off a book. Books as inspiration for movies are more popular than ever, and 2014 is set to be a good one if you enjoy literary films.

BuzzFeed recently posted a list of “16 Books to Read Before They Hit Theaters This Year.” Here are a few that can be found at Sewickley Public Library. Click the titles to request them through the library catalog:

 

LABOR DAY by Joyce Maynard – Booklist Review: Stranger danger is a concept unfamiliar to 13-year-old Henry, who befriends an injured man during one of his and his agoraphobic mother’s rare shopping excursions in town with disastrous results for all. To be fair, neither mother nor son have much worldly experience, thanks to Adele’s emotional fragility following her divorce. Yet their willingness to assist a strange man has less to do with their collective lack of judgment than it does with Frank’s infectious charm, a quality that will escalate over the coming days as the escaped convict and murderer holds the pair hostage in their own home. With remarkable ease, Adele falls in love with Frank. As she helps him plan a second escape to Canada, Henry fears losing the little stability he has ever known. Told from Henry’s point of view, Maynard’s inventive coming-of-age tale indelibly captures the anxiety and confusion inherent in adolescence, while the addition of a menacing element of suspense makes this emotionally fraught journey that much more harrowing.–Haggas, Carol Copyright 2009 Booklist

 

THE MONUMENTS MEN: ALLIED HEROES, NAZI THIEVES, AND THE GREATEST TREASURE HUNT IN HISTORY by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter – Booklist Review: This is a chronicle of an unusual and largely unknown aspect of World War II. The heroes here aren’t flamboyant generals or grizzled GIs in combat. In civilian life these men and women had been architects, museum directors, sculptors, and patrons of the arts. They were drawn from thirteen nations, although most were American or British citizens. Beginning in 1943, they were recruited into a special unit formed to protect and recover cultural treasure that had been looted by top Nazis, especially Hitler and Goring. As Allied armies liberated areas of northern Europe after D-Day, these monuments men moved into the front lines. Since they had little advance knowledge of the location of the looted art, their efforts often resembled treasure hunts. In addition to recovering stolen art, they worked tirelessly, often at personal risk, to protect and restore art damaged by the ravages of war. Edsel describes the exploits of these men and women in a fast-moving narrative that effectively captures the excitement and dangers of their mission.–Freeman, Jay Copyright 2009 Booklist

 

A LONG WAY DOWN by Nick Hornby – Booklist Review: In his trademark warm and witty prose, Hornby follows four depressed people from their aborted suicide attempts on New Years Eve through the surprising developments that occur over the following three months. Middle-aged Maureen has been caring for her profoundly disabled son for decades; Martin is a celebrity-turned-has-been after sleeping with a 15-year-old girl; teenage Jess, trash-talker extraordinaire, is still haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her older sister years before; and JJ is upset by the collapse of his band and his breakup with his longtime girlfriend. The four meet while scoping out a tower rooftop looking for the best exit point. Inhibited by the idea of having an audience, they agree instead to form a support group of sorts. But rather than indulging in sappy therapy-speak, they frequently direct lacerating, bitingly funny comments at each other–and the bracing mix of complete candor and endless complaining seems to work as a kind of tonic. Hornby funnels the perceptive music and cultural references he is known for through the character of JJ, but he also expands far beyond his usual territory, exploring the changes in perspective that can suddenly make a life seem worth living and adroitly shifting the tone from sad to happy and back again. The true revelation of this funny and moving novel is its realistic, all-too-human characters, who stumble frequently, moving along their redemptive path only by increments. –Joanne Wilkinson Copyright 2005 Booklist

 

THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU by Jonathan Tropper – Booklist Review: Judd Foxman is in his late thirties when he finds himself living in a damp, moldy basement apartment, without a job and separated from his wife, who is having an affair with his now ex-boss. To make matters worse, Judd finds out his wife is pregnant with his child and that his father has just died, leaving a dying wish to have all four of his children sit shivah for seven days. What transpires over the course of that week is a Foxman family reunion like no other; filled with fistfights, arguments, sex, and a parade of characters offering their sympathies and copious amounts of food. This is a story that could be told by your best guy friend: laugh-out-loud funny, intimate, honest, raunchy, and thoroughly enjoyable. Tropper is spot-on with his observations of family relationships as each member deals with new grief, old resentments, and life’s funny twists of fate. Tropper’s characters are real, flawed, and very likable, making for a great summer read.–Kubisz, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist

 

Happy New Year! We hope you enjoy reading and watching along with us here at Do Something @ Sewickley Public Library!

New DVDs January & February 2013

Richelle

Alex Cross – A homicide detective is pushed to the brink of his moral and physical limits as he tangles with a ferociously skilled serial killer who specializes in torture and pain. Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox (PG-13, 101min) Release 2/5/13

Anna Karenina – Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky. Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (R, 129min) Release 2/19/13

Argo – A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman (R, 120min) Release 2/19/13

The Awakening – Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Everything she believes unravels as the ‘missing’ begin to show themselves. Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton (R, 107min) 1/29/13

Chasing Mavericks – When young Jay Moriarity discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it. Jonny Weston, Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue (PG, 116min) Release 2/26/13

Cosmopolis – Riding across Manhattan in a stretch limo in order to get a haircut, a 28-year-old billionaire asset manager’s day devolves into an odyssey with a cast of characters that start to tear his world apart. Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche (R, 109min) Release 1/1/13

Downton Abbey Season 3 – Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, the drama centers on the Crawley family and their servants. Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern Release 1/29/13

End of Watch – Shot documentary-style, this film follows the daily grind of two young police officers in LA who are partners and friends, and what happens when they meet criminal forces greater than themselves. Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña (R, 109min) Release 1/22/13

Flight – An airline pilot saves almost all his passengers on his malfunctioning airliner which eventually crashed, but an investigation into the accident reveals something troubling. Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle (R, 138min) Release 2/5/13

Game of Thrones Season 2 – Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Maisie Williams (TVMA) Release 2/19/13

Here Comes the Boom – A high school biology teacher looks to become a successful mixed-martial arts fighter in an effort to raise money to prevent extra-curricular activities from being axed at his cash-strapped school. Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler (PG, 105min) Release 2/5/13

Hotel Transylvania – Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count’s teen-aged daughter. Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg (PG, 91min) Release 1/29/13

House at the End of the Street – A mother and daughter move to a new town and find themselves living next door to a house where a young girl murdered her parents. When the daughter befriends the surviving son, she learns the story is far from over. Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue (PG-13, 101min) Release 1/8/13

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. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams (R, 144min) Release 2/26/13

The Paperboy – A reporter returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate. Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack (R, 107min) Release 1/22/13

Paranormal Activity 4 – It has been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter, and a suburban family witness strange events in their neighborhood when a woman and a mysterious child move in. Stephen Dunham, Matt Shively (R, 88min) Release 1/29/13

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller (PG-13, 102min) Release 2/12/13

Robot & Frank – Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team. Peter Sarsgaard, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon (PG-13, 89min) Release 2/12/13

Searching for Sugar Man – Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock ‘n’ roller, Rodriguez. Rodriguez, Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman, Dennis Coffey (PG-13, 86min) Release 1/22/13

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. John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy (R, 95min) Release 2/12/13

Seven Psychopaths – A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster’s beloved Shih Tzu. Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell (R, 110min) Release 1/29/13

Skyfall – Bond’s loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. Whilst MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris (PG-13, 143min) Release 2/12/13

Taken 2 – In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter. Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace (PG-13, 92min) Release 1/15/13

New DVDs – December 2012

Richelle

10 Years – The night before their high school reunion, a group of friends realize they still haven’t quite grown up in some ways. Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson and Chris Pratt. (PG-13, 111 min) Release: 12/18/12

Arbitrage – A troubled hedge fund magnate desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire makes an error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help. Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Brit Marling. (R, 107 min) Release: 12/21/12

The Amazing Spiderman – Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father’s former partner. Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans. (PG-13, 136 min) Release: 11/9/12

Arthur Christmas – On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa’s youngest son looks to use his father’s high-tech operation for an urgent mission. James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, and Bill Nighy. (PG, 97 min) Release: 11/6/12

Brave – Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse. Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson. (PG, 93 min) Release: 11/13/12

The Bourne Legacy – Centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films. Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton. (PG-13, 135 min) Release: 12/11/12

The Dark Knight Rises – Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham’s finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy. Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway. (PG-13, 165 min) Release: 12/4/12

The Expendables 2 – Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat. Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth and Randy Couture. (R, 102 min) Release: 11/20/12

Hope Springs – After thirty years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense, week-long counseling session to work on their relationship. Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell. (PG-13, 100 min) Release: 12/4/12

Ice Age: Continental Drift  – Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world. Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo. (PG,  88 min) Release: 12/11/12

Lawless – Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by a new deputy and other authorities who want a cut of their profits. Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, and Guy Pearce. (R, 116 min) Release: 11/27/12

Looper – In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to ‘close the loop’ by transporting back Joe’s future self. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. (R, 119 min) Release: 12/31/12

Men in Black 3 – Agent J travels in time to M.I.B.’s early days in 1969 to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history. Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. (PG-13, 106 min) Release: 11/30/12

The Odd Life of Timothy Green – A childless couple bury a box in their backyard, containing all of their wishes for an infant. Soon, a child is born, though Timothy Green is not all that he appears. Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton and CJ Adams. (PG, 105 min) Release: 12/4/12

Paranorman – A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse. Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. (PG, 92 min) Release: 11/27/12

Savages – Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively. (R, 131 min) Release: 11/13/12

Sleepwalk with Me – A burgeoning stand-up comedian struggles with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he is desperate to ignore. Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose and James Rebhorn. (PG-13, 90 min) Release: 12/18/12

Sparkle – Set in the 1960s, three sisters form girl group and soon become local sensations with major label interest, but fame becomes a challenge as the close-knit family begins to fall apart.  Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, and Whitney Houston. (PG-13, 116 min) Release: 11/30/12

Step Up Revolution – Emily arrives in Miami with aspirations to become a professional dancer. She sparks with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighborhood is threatened by Emily’s father’s development plans. Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman and Cleopatra Coleman. (PG-13, 99 min) Release: 11/27/12

Ted – As the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett’s teddy bear, Ted, came to life and has been by John’s side ever since – a friendship that’s tested when Lori, John’s girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship. Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane. (R, 106 min) Release: 12/11/12

Total Recall – A factory worker, Douglas Quaid, begins to suspect that he is a spy after visiting Rekall – a company that provides its clients with implanted fake memories of a life they would like to have led – goes wrong and he finds himself on the run. Colin Farrell, Bokeem Woodbine and Bryan Cranston. (PG-13, 118 min) Release: 12/18/12

The Watch – Four men who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion. Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill. (R, 102 min) Release: 11/13/12

The Words – A writer at the peak of his literary success discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man’s work. Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid, and Olivia Wilde. (PG-13, 97 min) Release: 12/24/12

 

 

Click on the titles or contact the Reference Desk at 412-741-6920 ext. 3 to order any of the above.

New Feature Films on DVD – June 2012

Richelle

the artist

Click on the Titles to order the DVDs or Blu-Rays from the catalog.

21 Jump Street– A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring. R. 6/26/12

Act of Valor – An elite team of Navy SEALs embark on a covert mission to recover a kidnapped CIA agent. R. 6/5/12

The Artist – Silent movie star George Valentin bemoans the coming era of talking pictures and fades into oblivion and self-destruction, but finds sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer lighting up talkies like no one else. PG-13. 6/26/12. Come watch it at the Library on Thursday, June 28 @ 2PM.

The Assault – Based on a true story, a SWAT team is tasked with storming a high-jacked Air France plane to save its passengers. R. 6/12/12

Bad Ass – A Vietnam veteran who becomes a local hero after saving a man from attackers on a city bus decides to take action when his best friend is murdered and the police show little interest in solving the crime. R. 6/5/12

Big Miracle – In small town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his ex-girlfriend – a Greenpeace volunteer – on a campaign to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle. PG. 6/19/12

Breakway – An ethnic Canadian hockey player struggles against traditional family values and discrimination from mainstream hockey players. PG-13. 6/26/12

The Decoy Bride – When the world’s media descend on the remote Scottish island where a Hollywood actress is attempting to get married, a local girl is hired as a decoy bride to put the paparazzi off the scent. PG. 6/26/12

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – As Johnny Blaze hides out in Eastern Europe, he is called upon to stop the devil, who is trying to take human form. PG-13. 6/12/12

Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds – Businessman Wesley Deeds is jolted out of his scripted life when he meets Lindsey, a single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building. PG-13. 6/12/12

In Darkness – A dramatization of one man’s rescue of Jewish refugees in the Nazi-occupied Polish city of Lvov. R. 6/12/12meets Lindsey, a single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building. PG-13. 6/12/12

Jeff, Who Lives at Home – Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife. R. 6/19/12

John Carter – Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior. PG-13. 6/5/12

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – Sean Anderson partners with his mom’s husband on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island. PG. 6/5/12

Kill Speed – A group of young, speed-freak pilots make a killing by transporting crystal meth across the Mexican border in their supersonic planes. R. 6/12/12

Legend of Hell’s Gate – When a curious errand boy catches wind of one of America’s most infamous crimes – the assassination of Abraham Lincoln – he falls in with two desperate men on the wrong side of the law. PG-13. 6/19/12

A Little Bit of Heaven – An irreverent young woman who uses her humor to prevent matters from getting serious has a life-changing visit with her doctor. PG-13 6/12/12

Machine Gun Preacher – Sam Childers is a former drug-dealing biker tough guy who found God and became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children who’ve been forced to become soldiers. R. 6/5/12

Mirror Mirror – An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright. PG. 6/26/12. Come to the Library and watch it on Thursday, July 19 @ 2PM

The Perfect Family – A devoutly Catholic wife and mother has been nominated for one of the church’s top awards. She then goes about trying to prove she has the “perfect” family, refusing to accept them for who they are. PG-13. 6/26/12

Project X – 3 high school seniors throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves. As the night progresses, things spiral out of control as word of the party spreads. R. 6/19/12

Safe House – A young CIA agent is tasked with looking after a fugitive in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge. R. 6/5/12

Seeking Justice – After his wife is assaulted, a husband enlists the services of a vigilante group to help him settle the score. Then he discovers they want a ‘favor’ from him in return. R. 6/19/12

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty. PG-13. 6/12/12

Thin Ice – An insurance agent looking for a way out of frigid Wisconsin is blackmailed by an unstable locksmith in the theft of a rare violin that belongs to a retired farmer. R. 6/12/12

A Thousand Words – After stretching the truth on a deal with a spiritual guru, literary agent Jack McCall finds a Bodhi tree on his property. Its appearance holds a valuable lesson on the consequences of every word we speak. PG-13. 6/26/12

Wanderlust – Rattled by sudden unemployment, a Manhattan couple surveys alternative living options, ultimately deciding to experiment with living on a rural commune where free love rules. R. 6/19/12

Wrath of the Titans – Perseus braves the treacherous underworld to rescue his father, Zeus, captured by his son, Ares, and brother Hades who unleash the ancient Titans upon the world. PG-13. 6/26/12

Yankles – About Charlie Jones, a washed up, ex major league ballplayer, and how he gets a second chance at life and love by managing a Jewish, orthodox yeshiva baseball team. PG-13. 6/5/12

New DVDs April & May 2012

New DVDs April & May 2012

Richelle

Click on the Titles to order the DVDs or Blu-Rays from the catalog. If the titles do not have links, they are just not in the system yet. Check back soon!

Chronicle – Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides. PG-13. Release: 5/15/12

Contraband – To protect his brother-in-law from a drug lord, a former smuggler heads to Panama to score millions of dollars in counterfeit bills. R. Release 4/24/12

The Darkest Hour – In Moscow, five young people lead the charge against an alien race who have attacked Earth via our power supply. PG-13. Release: 4/10/12

The Divide – Survivors of a nuclear attack are grouped together for days in the basement of their apartment building, where fear and dwindling supplies wear away at their dynamic. R. Release: 4/17/12

Frozen Planet – From the Emmy-winning team behind Planet Earth and The Blue Planet comes Frozen Planet, the epic tale of two disappearing wildernesses. The Arctic and Antarctic remain the greatest wildernesses on Earth. The scale and beauty of the scenery and the sheer power of the elements are unmatched anywhere else on our planet. NR. Release: 4/17/12

The Grey – After their plane crashes in Alaska, seven oil workers are led by a skilled huntsman to survival, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step. R . Release: 5/15/12

Haywire – A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission. R. Release: 5/1/12

The Innkeepers – After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees – Claire and Luke – are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England’s most haunted hotels. R. Release: 4/24/12

The Iron Lady – An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene. PG-13. Release: 4/10/12

Joyful Noise – G.G. Sparrow faces off with her choir’s newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill, over the group’s direction as they head into a national competition. PG-13. Release: 5/1/12fe, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene. PG-13. Release: 4/10/12

Love’s Everlasting Courage – Wes Brown joins Cheryl Ladd and Bruce Boxleitner in this heartwarming story adapted from the bestselling “Love Comes Softly” series by Janette Oke. When the wife of a struggling homesteader on the western frontier unexpectedly dies, the man searches for the strength and courage to raise his young daughter – and finds it, with the help of his parents. NR. Release: 5/8/12

Masterpiece Classic: Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks’ epic love story, set against a backdrop of the First World War, became a modern classic when it was published in 1993. Now adapted for the screen for the first time, Abi Morgan has created a riveting, sumptuous masterpiece. Shifting in time between 1910 and 1916, Birdsong is the story of Stephen Wraysford, a young Englishman who arrives in Amiens in Northern France to stay with the Azaire family and falls desperately in love with Isabelle Azaire. NR. Release: 4/24/12

Masterpiece Classic: Great Expectations – An orphan boy meets an escaped convict, a crazed rich woman, a bewitching girl, and grows up to have great expectations of wealth from a mysterious patron, in Great Expectations, Charles Dickens’ remarkable tale of rags to riches to self-knowledge. NR. Release: 4/3/12

Miss Representation  – As the most persuasive and pervasive force of communication in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that a woman’s primary value lay in her youth, beauty and sexuality-and not in her capacity as a leader, making it difficult for women to obtain leadership positions and for girls to reach their full potential. The film accumulates startling facts and asks the question, “What can we do?” NR. Release: 4/10/12

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization’s name. PG-13. Release: 4/17/12

One for the Money – Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin’s bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past. PG-13. Release: 5/15/12

Red Tails – A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard. PG-13. Release: 5/22/12

Sherlock (BBC): Season 2 – Nominated for 4 primetime Emmys, Sherlock is back with Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson in three new stories. With beguiling performances, witty scripts and some of the most intriguing characters ever created, it’s no wonder that Sherlock has proven to be a worldwide success. NR. Release: 5/22/12

This Means War – Two top CIA operatives wage an epic battle against one another after they discover they are dating the same woman. PG-13. Release: 5/22/12

True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season – Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, True Blood tells the continuing tale of Sookie a human waitress with telepathic gifts – and a so-far irresistible attraction to 174-year-old vampire Bill Compton. NR. Release: 5/29/12

Underworld: Awakening – When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind. R. Release: 5/8/12

The Vow  – A car accident puts Paige in a coma, and when she wakes up with severe memory loss, her husband Leo works to win her heart again. PG-13. Release: 5/8/12

War Horse – Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert’s hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on. PG-13. Release: 4/3/12

We Bought a Zoo – Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. PG. Release: 4/3/12

The Woman in Black – A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals. PG-13. Release: 5/22//12

 

New DVDs – Winter 2012

Richelle

New Releases (in order of release date, most recent first)

Muppets – March 20, 2012
Movies attempting to retrieve cherished nuggets of pop culture often stumble, either by appealing solely to the die-hard minutia enthusiasts or clunking up the batter with unnecessary additions to the base material. (Enough with the human love triangles, get to the giant robots fighting.) Thankfully, this revival of Jim Henson’s beloved characters gets the formula delightfully right, providing a googly-eyed nostalgia trip for adults while also retaining the original’s sense of bright (and mildly subversive) wonder.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – March 20, 2012
High-ranking intelligence officer George Smiley (Gary Oldman) was forced out of service when a mission in Hungary went very wrong, but rumors of a Soviet mole hidden within the agency bring him back into play. If the theory of the former head, Control (John Hurt), is to be believed, the mole is at the very top, one of four senior officers, played by Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Firth, and David Dencik (of the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). With the help of a lower-ranking agent with a few secrets of his own (Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock) and a field agent who may be a source of disinformation (Tom Hardy, Inception), Smiley slowly draws out the clues he needs to lay a trap for the mole.

Footloose – March 6, 2012
The struggle between innocence and rigid morality is revisited when city-boy Ren finds himself in an uptight town where dancing has been banned. Filled with contemporary music and iconic classics from the original, this fresh look on youth culture is sure to win fans of young and old.

Game of Thrones – March 6, 2012
Set in a world where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and ancient Wall that protects the realm from the mysterious darkness beyond, the powerful families of the Seven Kingdoms are locked in a battle for the Iron Throne. This is a story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honor, conquest, and triumph. In the Game of Thrones, you either win or you die.

Like Crazy – March 6, 2012
Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is devastating. When a British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin), they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated when she violates the terms of her visa. Like Crazy explores how a couple faces the real challenges of being together and of being apart. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for best Actress for Felicity Jones, Like Crazy depicts both the hopefulness and the heartbreak of love.

Tower Heist – February 21, 2012
Queens native Josh Kovacs has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in New York City for more than a decade. Under his watchful eye, nothing goes undetected. In the swankiest unit atop Josh’s building, Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw is under house arrest after being caught stealing two billion from his investors. The hardest hit among those he defrauded? The tower staffers whose pensions he was entrusted to manage.

The Way – February 21, 2012
“The Way” is a powerful and inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-changing and complicated world. Martin Sheen plays Tom, who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son , killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago,. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son’s desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn’t plan on is the profound impact the journey will have on him. From the unexpected and, oftentimes, amusing experiences along “The Way,” Tom begins to learn what it means to be a citizen of the world again. Through his unresolved relationship with his son, he discovers the difference between “the life we live and the life we choose.”

Paranormal Activity 3 – February 14, 2012
Paranormal Activity 3 takes you back to where it all began and the activity is more intense than ever. The cameras are on and recording the chilling moments when evil begins to terrorize young sisters Katie and Kristi for the first time. Brace yourself for the horror phenomenon that delivers “heart-exploding scares”* so frightening that “the last 15 minutes will mess you up for life.”

Breaking Dawn Part 1 – February 11, 2012
In the highly anticipated fourth installment of the Twilight Saga, a marriage, a honeymoon, and the birth of a child bring unforeseen and shocking developments for Bella and Edward and those they love, including new complications with young werewolf Jacob Black.

The Double – January 31, 2012
When a United States Senator is brutally murdered, the evidence points to a Soviet assassin code-named Cassius, who was long-thought to be dead. Two men who know Cassius best are thrown together to catch him. Paul Shepherdson is a retired CIA operative who spent his career tracking Cassius around the globe. Ben Geary is a hotshot young FBI Agent and family man who has studied the killer’s every move. Ben thinks he knows Cassius, but Paul knows he is dead wrong.

Abduction – January 17, 2012
Taylor Lautner explodes on-screen as a young man whose secret past is set to collide with a dangerous reality. After uncovering a deadly lie, Nathan (Lautner) is propelled on a lethal, no-holds barred mission to learn the truth. Aided by a devoted family friend, Nathan’s hunt for the facts pits him against ruthless assassins and questionable allies.

Bucky Larson Born to be a Star – January 17, 2012
A small-town grocery bagger discovers that his conservative parents were once adult film stars and heads out to Los Angeles, hoping to follow in their footsteps.

The Ides of March – January 17, 2012
During the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, an up-and-coming campaign press secretary finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate’s shot at the presidency.

Boardwalk Empire. Season 1 – January 10, 2012
A lavish period drama set in Atlantic City, following the life and times of Nucky Thompson, the undisputed political and criminal mastermind whose grip on power and control of the city’s liquor supply is under constant threat.

Don’t be Afraid of the Dark – January 3, 3012
Sally Hurst is going to Rhode Island to live with her father Alex and his new girlfriend Kim in the nineteenth-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the estate, Sally finds a hidden basement and accidentally lets loose a race of ancient, dark-dwelling creatures who conspire to drag her down into the mysterious house’s bottomless depths. Before the evil lurking in the dark consumes them all, Sally must convince Alex and Kim that it’s not a fantasy.

I Don’t Know How She Does It – January 3, 2012
The tale of Kate, a finance executive who is the breadwinner for her husband and two kids. When Kate gets handed a major new account that will require frequent trips to New York, her husband also wins the new job he’s been hoping, spreading them both even thinner. Complicating matters is Kate’s charming new business associate, a handsome executive who proves to be an unexpected source of temptation.

Mildred Pierce – January 3, 2012
The tale of an independent woman who finds herself newly divorced during the Depression. As a struggling single mother, she is determined to fulfill the demands of her eldest daughter, surpassing societal expectation and the betrayal of lovers along the way.

 

It’s Cold Outside…Warm up with These DVDs

Richelle

To see if the item is available, click on the title.

The Bishop’s Wife – Cary Grant stars as an angel who materializes in answer to the prayers of a harried young bishop, David Niven. Niven’s efforts to raise money for a new cathedral have endangered his marriage to beautiful Loretta Young. Grand hopes to end the problems plaguing the family, but instead the bishop’s neglected wife becomes infatuated with him. (NR, 109min, 1947.)

Blossoms in the Dust– To Edna Gladney, founder of the Texas Children’s home and Aid Society, every abandoned child deserves the miracle of a loving home. Edna’s devotion echoes today as she declares, “There are no illegitimate babies– only illegitimate parents.” (NR, 100min, 1941.)

Classic Christmas favorites: 10 Holiday Favorites– Dr.Seuss’ How the Grinch stole Christmas — Leprechauns’ Christmas gold — Pinocchio’s Christmas — Stingiest man in town — Extra Goodies: Making animation and bringing it to life; Dr. Seuss and the Grinch – From Whoville to Hollywood ; Songs in the key of Grinch ; making-of featurette and pencil test — Year without a Santa Claus deluxe edition — Rudolph’s shiny new year — Nestor, the long-eared Christmas donkey — Extra Goodies: We are Santa’s Elves featurette ; Stop motion 101 featurette — Frosty’s winter wonderland — T’was the night before Christmas — Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. (NR, 393min, 2008.)

A Charlie Brown Christmas – ‘Tis the season to be jolly, but Charlie Brown, feeling that the Christmas message is lost amid all the seasonal glitter, has the blues. Join the Peanuts gang as they discover for themselves the true meaning of Christmas. (NR, 48min, 1965.)

A Christmas Story – Ralphie, a nine-year-old boy in 1940s Indiana, dreams of receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas but encounters resistance at every turn when he makes his wish known. (PG, 98min, 1983.)

Deck the Halls – Two neighbors in a small New England town go to war when one of them decides to decorate his house with so many Christmas lights that they are visible from space. The neighborhood is turned upside down as the families try to discover the true meaning of Christmas. (PG, 95min, 2006.)

Elf – A human baby accidentally ends up at the North Pole and grows up among the elf community. Buddy, as he comes to be known, knows that he’s “special”. When he’s 30, Buddy learns from Santa that he’s really a human. He decides to go in search of his father, to find out where he belongs. He walks to Manhattan, and is immediately run over by a cab. His father at first rejects him and Buddy ends up in a department store where other elves are working. But all the while, things are looking bad for Santa Claus. When Santa crashes his sleigh in Central Park, it’s Buddy’s moment to shine. (PG, 97min, 2003.)

Four Christmases – Every Christmas, Brad and Kate escape divorced parents and exasperating relatives by getting on a plane. But this year, heavy fog shuts down the airport, forcing the couple to celebrate Christmas with four sets of relatives. (PG-13, 88min, 2009.)

Fred Claus – Fred Claus has lived in his little brother’s shadow for most of his life. Fred is in jail and Nicholas has to bail him out on the condition he come to the North Pole and repay his debt. (PG, 115min, 2008.)

Gremlins (Blu-Ray) – When a young bank teller inadvertently breaks the rules of Mogwai care, his new pet Gizmo multiplies into a bevy of mischievous brothers, who soon morph into malevolent scaly creatures. (PG, 106min, 1984.)

Holiday – Amanda lives in Los Angeles and is a movie trailer editor. Iris lives in Surrey, England and is a journalist. The two live five thousand miles apart and have never met, but are dealing with the same problem: men. They both come upon a website that advocates home exchange and the two swap houses for two weeks at Christmas, both with a goal to forget their troubled love lives. Love ends up finding them anyways. (PG-13, 136min, 2006.)

Home Alone – An eight-year-old boy is left home alone on Christmas, and has to defend his home against two bumbling burglars.(PG, 103min, 1990.)

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – Kevin McCallister is ready to turn the Big Apple into his own playground. The notorious Wet Bandits, still smarting from their last encounter with Kevin, are plotting a huge holiday heist in New York. Kevin’s ready to welcome them with a battery of booby traps that the bumbling bandits will never forget. (PG, 120min, 1992.)

How the Grinch stole Christmas! (Classic Animated Tale) OR How the Grinch stole Christmas! (Jim Carrey Version) – Presents the tale of the mean-spirited Grinch and his attempts to steal the Christmas celebration of Who-ville.

It’s a Wonderful Life – An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed. A Christmas classic. Features both the black and white and the colorized version. (NR, 130min, 1946.)

Lethal Weapon – The story of two Vietnam-vets-turned-cops who have just one thing in common: both hate to work with partners. But their partnership becomes the key to survival when a murder investigation leads to war with a heroin ring. (R, 117min, 1987.)

Love Actually – It’s all about love and holiday cheer in London. The Prime Minister is smitten with his caterer; a widower’s young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother copes with her potentially unfaithful husband; and a lovelorn American is desperately attracted to a colleague. (R, 135min, 2004.)

Meet Me in St. Louis – Story of a family at the 1903 World’s Fair. (NR, 113min, 1944.)

Miracle on 34th Street – In this Oscar-winning classic, a Macy’s Department Store Santa who insists his name is Kris Kringle teaches everyone a lesson in love, faith and the value of imagination. (NR, 97min, 1947.)

Muppet Christmas Carol – Miser Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and reforms his heartless and money-grubbing ways after being visited on Christmas Eve by four ghosts. Anniversary edition. (G, 89min, 1992.)

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – Christmas is the perfect season for Clark Griswold and his family. Clark’s a disaster waiting to happen. You have to see it to believe it. There are 25,000 lights on the Griswold rooftop. An exploding turkey. And a house full of relatives. (PG-13, 97min, 1989.)

Nothing Like the Holidays – For the first time in years the entire Rodriguez clan comes home to Chicago to celebrate Christmas where traditions will be celebrated. During the course of this eventful week they will celebrate one member’s safe return from Iraq, secrets will be revealed, old resentments forgotten, each family member will learn something about themselves and each other, and the healing power of laughter will work its magic. (PG-13, 98min, 2008.)

Polar Express – When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. (G, 100min, 2004)

The Santa Clause – Scott is distressed to learn that his ex-wife and her husband have informed his son, Charlie, that there is no Santa Claus. While a sullen Charlie visits his dad on Christmas Eve, a noise on the roof brings them outside. It turns out that there is a Santa after all, and Scott has just accidentally killed him. Because of “the Santa clause,” Scott inherits the job of Santa. As the next year passes, Scott rapidly gains weight, grows a white beard and meets the elf Bernard. Charlie’s stepdad becomes concerned about Scott and forces him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. (PG, 97min, 2002.)

The Santa Clause 2 – Scott Calvin has been Santa Claus for the past eight years, and his elves consider him the best ever. But Santa’s world is turned upside down when his son gets on the naughty list, and if Scott doesn’t marry soon, he’ll stop being Santa forever. (G, 104min, 2003.)

The Santa Clause 3 – 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. (G, 92min, 2007.)

This Christmas  – For the first time in years, the entire Whitfield clan has come home to spend the Christmas holiday with their mother and her boyfriend. Each has brought plenty of baggage along with them. As the lights are hung and the tree is trimmed, secrets are revealed and ties are tested, but eventually they rediscover and celebrate the wonderful gift of family. (PG-13, 119min, 2007.)

Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas – Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, decides to give Santa Claus the year off and take over Christmas — and the holiday will never be the same. (PG, 76min, 1993.)

Trading Places – he lives of an upper class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet by two rich brothers. (R, 116min, 1983.)

French Films – Foreign Language DVDs at your Fingertips

Richelle

L’age d’or – Using a melange of strange and unrelated images, this surrealistic film about two lovers who mock convention is a statement by Buñuel on the nature of the bourgeoisie, the Church and the police. Banned in France within two weeks of its release. NR

Almost Peaceful – Set immediately following World War II, the story follows a group of Jewish Parisians as they restart their lives. NR

Amélie from Montmartre – A whimsical, comedy-drama about a young French woman (Audrey Tautou) who makes it her mission to raise the spirits of several strangers in her neighborhood. R

And Now … Ladies and Gentlemen – A romantic drama about the love that grows between a British jewel thief (Jeremy Irons) and an ill, but glamorous French jazz singer in Morocco. PG13

Après Vous – A romantic comedy about a Parisian waiter’s random act of kindness in preventing a stranger from committing suicide, the insecure romantic he tries to rehabilitate, and the beautiful woman who comes between them. R

Avenue Montaigne – A young provincial woman who recently moved to Paris and makes a living as a waitress observes the lives of a classical pianist, an art collector, an actress and other famous clientele. NR

Babette’s Feast – A leisurely paced drama about French maid’s elaborate meal preparations for elderly employers in 1870s-era Denmark.  G

Balzac: a Life of Passion – The passionate life of the great French novelist, Honore de Balzac (Gerard Depardieu). NR

The Barbarian Invasions – It’s not easy for a narrow-minded professor to reconcile with his equally stubborn son. R

The Beat That My Heart Skipped – 28-year-old Tom seems destined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Parisian property shark. But after a chance encounter with his late mother’s music agent, Tom believes that he can become a concert pianist like she was. NR

Beauty and the Beast  – Tells the fable of the kindly beast and the self-sacrificing beauty whose love releases the prince in him. NR

Betty Blue – Betty and Zorg are not your average French lovers. Together, they make life a magical fantasy in which absolutely anything can happen–until their dreams collide with reality. NR

Caché – A talk show host and his wife are living an ideal life until videotapes of them show up on their front porch. As the tapes get more and more personal, they start investigating who is behind it. R

The Chorus – When a kindly music teacher begins a new job at a boarding school that adheres to a code of utter strictness and discipline, he attempts to soften the approach, through both understanding and music. PG13

The Closet – A comedy about a nervous French accountant who spreads a rumor around that he’s gay in an effort to stave off being fired. R

Cyrano de Bergerac – The French romantic tragedy about the hapless, long-nosed romantic featuring Gerard Depardieu. PG

Diva – Cynthia Hawkins is the operatic superstar whose refusal to make a recording frustrates her adoring public. A young fan named Jules makes a secret tape and is stalked by thugs who plan to blackmail the diva. Jules also accidentally acquires a tape which tells of a top mobster’s role in an international sex and drug ring. He must escape the police chief, the cop’s henchmen and the bootleggers to keep both tapes safe, and to stay alive. R

Eight Women – A wealthy industrialist is found murdered in his home while his family gathers for the holiday season. Eight women are his potential murderers. R

Far Side of the Moon – After the death of his mother, a man tries to discover a meaning to his life, to the universe and to rebuild a relationship with the only family he has left: his brother. NR

The Girl from Paris – Sandrine (Mathilde Seigner) is a successful Parisienne who tires of her job and decides to buy an isolated farm. NR

God is Great and I’m Not – A whimsical romance about a French supermodel whose strict adherence to multiple religions frustrates her metaphysically lackadaisical boyfriend. NR

Le Grand Voyage  – A few weeks before his college entrance exams, Réda, a young man who lives in the south of France, finds himself obligated to drive his father to Mecca. NR

Happenstance – This winsome romantic comedy follows numerous Paris residents whose lives become intertwined through an increasingly complex set of circumstances. R

A Heart in Winter – Camille, a concert violinist, becomes intrigued by her lover’s business partner, Stephane. The love triangle that develops reveals the complexity and imperfection of the three characters. NR

The Horseman on the Roof – In 1832, an Italian revolutionary living in Provence is pursued by assassins. He takes refuge in a small town ravaged by a cholera epidemic, where he meets a mysterious and beautiful noblewoman. R

Intimate Strangers – Seeking psychiatric help, an enigmatic woman mistakes a financial planner for her new shrink. Touched by the heartfelt confessions of her problems, he does not have the heart to tell her that he is not a psychiatrist, which results in more sessions. R

It’s Easier for a Camel – When Federica was a young girl she fantasized about countless adventures that took her to the far side of the world. Now Federica’s daydreams can only provide a meager distraction from the realities of her life. NR

Jean de Florette – The story of Jean Cadoret, a man who inherits a farm from his mother and foolishly hopes to become a gentleman farmer. But even before he arrives, his powerful neighbor is plotting to steal his land. PG

Jet Lag – A romantic comedy about an encounter at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris between a worn-out  businessman on his way to a funeral and a troubled beautician on the run from her boyfriend. R

Joyeux Noël – Based on a true events, Joyeux Noel recreates one Christmas night during WWI when enemies were able to lay aside their differences in order to celebrate the holiday together. A.k.a. “Merry Christmas.” NR

Look at Me – Lolita, the daughter of a famous writer/publisher, tries in vain to get her self-centered father’s attention. When this fails, she begins to push away a young man who truly loves her. PG13

Love Me If You Dare – A couple of lifetime friends’ long-standing game of outrageous stunts interferes with their blossoming love for one another. R

Monsieur Ibrahim – Set in a working class neighborhood in 1960’s Paris, the film tells the unlikely friendship between an elderly Turkish grocer and a young Jewish boy. R

My Father’s Glory – The enchanting story of Marcel Pagnol’s childhood in the south of France, and a very special summer in the countryside of Provence when he was 11 years old. G

My Mother’s Castle – A young boy learns about life through outings to the Provence countryside with his family. PG

Persepolis – Follows the Islamic Revolution through the eyes of a precocious 9-year-old Iranian girl. PG13

Private Fears in Public Places – Six people all look for love despite typically having their romantic aspirations dashed at every turn. NR

Seaside – The stories of the residents of a small coastal town in Northern France whose livelihoods depend on the visiting summer tourists. NR

Seducing Dr. Lewis – A ragtag fishing community on a tiny, impoverished island must persuade a young Montreal-based doctor to live in their town in order to get a much-needed new factory. NR

The Son – A powerful minimalist drama tells the story of a carpenter who passes on his skills to troubled youths. Things intensify when it’s revealed that one of his students is connected to a painful event from the past. NR

Strayed – After the German occupation of Paris during World War II, a young widow flees the war-torn city with her two children and must rely on a mysterious young stranger in order to survive. NR

Swept from the Sea – A pair of beautiful outcasts falls in love, defying village prejudice, in this period romance. PG13

Three Colors = Trois Couleurs – Filmmaker Krzysztof Kielowski’s trilogy created for France’s bicentenial, the titles and the themes of the films come from the the colors of the French flag representing liberty, equality, and fraternity. R

To Be and to Have – At the center of this intimate and touching story is Georges Lopez – a remarkably devoted teacher responsible for nurturing a dozen children ages 3-11 in all their school subjects and life’s lessons. NR

The Triplets of Belleville – A French animation comedy about an old lady and her beloved pooch Bruno who team up with three eccentric female music-hall stars from the 1930s to rescue her grandson from the French mafia. PG13

The Valet – To avoid a messy divorce, a billionaire industrialist invents an outrageous lie and asks a valet parking attendant for help. PG13

La Vie en Rose – The tragic life story of French singer Edith Piaf. PG13

The Widow of Saint-Pierre – Waiting to be executed by guillotine, a convicted murderer is befriended by the wife of a respected local officer. R

New DVDs – Fall 2011

Richelle

Midnight in Paris – December 20, 2011
Owen Wilson (Actor), Kurt Fuller (Actor) Rated: PG-13
“A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better”–IMDB.com

The Debt  – December 6, 2011
Sam Worthington (Actor), Helen Mirren (Actor) Rated: R
The story begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel and Stephan about their former colleague David. All three have been venerated for decades by Israel because of the secret mission that they embarked on for their country back in 1965-1966, when the trio tracked down Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, the feared Surgeon of Birkenau, in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team’s mission was accomplished – or was it?

The Help  – December 6, 2011
Emma Stone (Actor), Bryce Dallas Howard (Actor) Rated: PG-13
Mississippi during the 1960s: Skeeter, a southern society girl, returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives, and a small Mississippi town, upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Aibileen, Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, is the first to open up, to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community.

Sarah’s Key – November 22, 2011
Kristin Scott Thomas (Actor), Niels Arestrup (Actor), Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Director) Rated: PG-13
In modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. She stumbles upon a family secret which will link her forever to the destiny of a young Jewish girl, Sarah.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – November 11, 2011
Daniel Radcliffe (Actor), Rupert Grint (Actor), David Yates (Director) Rated: PG-13
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

Californication: The Fourth Season – November 1, 2011
Evan Handler (Actor), David Duchovny (Actor) Rated: Unrated
Novelist Hank Moody’s home life is in ruins, but the scandal surrounding his latest book has turned him into a hot commodity, in more ways than one. Find out if Hank can navigate the mess he’s made of his life and still come out on top.

Crazy, Stupid, Love – November 1, 2011
Steve Carell (Actor), Julianne Moore (Actor) Rated: PG-13
A father’s life unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children.

The Last Mountain – November 1, 2011
Robert Kennedy Jr. (Actor), Bill Haney (Director) | Rated: PG
The fight for the last great mountain in America’s Appalachian heartland pits the mining giant that wants to explode it to extract the coal within against the community fighting to preserve the mountain and build a wind farm on its ridges instead. Robert Kennedy Jr. joins the fight to preserve the mountain.

Pearl Jam Twenty – October 24, 2011
Cameron Crowe (Director) Rated: NR
In honor of Pearl Jam’s twentieth anniversary, Academy Award-winning director and music journalist Cameron Crowe created a definitive portrait of the seminal band: part concert film, part intimate insider-hang, part testimonial to the power of music and uncompromising artists.

Page One: Inside The New York Times – October 18, 2011
David Carr (Actor), Bruce Headlam (Actor), Andrew Rossi (Director) Rated: R
During the most tumultuous time for media in generations, filmmaker Andrew Rossi gains unprecedented access to the newsroom at The New York times, chronicling a year in the life of the journalists who work at the newpaper’s Media Desk, a department created to cover the transformation of the media industry. Reporters Brian Stelter, Tim Arango, David Carr, and others track print journalism’s metamorphosis even as their own paper struggles to stay vital and solvent.

Horrible Bosses – October 11, 2011
Jason Bateman (Actor), Jennifer Aniston (Actor), Seth Gordon (Director) Rated: R
For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers, permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.

New DVDs – Summer 2011

Richelle

Bad Teacher – October 18, 2011
Fast Five – October 4, 2011
Scream 4 – October 4, 2011
Bridesmaids – September 20, 2011
Thor – September 13, 2011
Everything Must Go – September 6, 2011
Hanna – September 6, 2011
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family – August 30, 2011
The Beaver – August 29, 2011
Gossip Girl, Season 4 – August 23, 2011
Win Win – August 23, 2011
The Conspirator – August 16, 2011
Dexter, Season 5 – August 16, 2011
Jane Eyre – August 16, 2011
Priest – August 16, 2011
Something Borrowed – August 16, 2011
Mars Needs Moms – August 9, 2011
Paul – August 9, 2011
Super – August 9, 2011
Your Highness – August 9, 2011
Stake Land – August 2, 2011
Zen: Vendetta Cabal Ratking – August 2, 2011
Limitless – July 19, 2011
Entourage Season 7 – July 12, 2011
The Lincoln Lawyer – July 12, 2011
13 Assassins – July 5, 2011
The Other Woman – May 17, 2011
Blue Valentine – May 10, 2011
From Prada to Nada – May 3, 2011
The Green Hornet – May 3, 2011