New Additions to the TV Series Collection

June 22, 2023Cheryl

If you are looking for a new television series to start or ready to catch the next season of a favorite series, here are some of the recently added titles in our TV Series on DVD collection.

The Flight Attendant. The Complete Seasons 1 & 2. Cassie Bowden is a globe-trotting flight attendant with a devil-may-care attitude who relishes flying off at a moment’s notice to her next great adventure. But Cassie’s seemingly glamorous world is suddenly thrown into a tailspin when her illegal escapades catch up with her.

The Man Who Fell to Earth. Season One. An alien crashes deep into the oilfields of New Mexico with a mission: he must find the brilliant scientist Justin Falls, the one woman on earth who can help save his species. An unlikely duo, together they discover that in order to save his world, they must first save ours. An inspired continuation of the novel by Walter Tevis and the iconic 1976 film starring David Bowie.

Ghosts. Season One. Freelance writer Samantha and aspiring chef Jay throw both caution and money to the wind to leave NYC and convert a rundown country estate they inherited into a bed & breakfast, only to find that it’s inhabited by a close-knit, eclectic group of spirits of deceased former residents. Adding to the supernatural surprises, Samantha discovers that she can see and hear ghosts everywhere, including those with whom she now shares a home. Old-school haunting and oddball humor fuel this sharp-witted, quirky comedy series that gives new meaning to the real estate phrase, ‘It’s got great bones.’

Star Trek, Strange New Worlds. Season One. Season 1 is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the USS Enterprise. The series features fan favorites from Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery – Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike and the crew in the decade before Captain Kirk boarded the USS Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

The Suspect. Joe O’Loughlin is a successful psychologist with a loving family, but a recent medical diagnosis has thrown his life off balance. When the police ask him to assist in the case of a murdered young woman, ghosts from his past begin to resurface.

Yellowstone. Season 5. Determined to protect his land and legacy at any cost, John Dutton takes his fight to the halls of government in the most explosive season of Yellowstone yet. But with greater power comes further scrutiny…of his family, his land, and the morally questionable measures he’s taken to protect them both. As new threats emerge and old enemies return, John, Beth, Kayce, Rip, and Jamie learn that power has a price.

Sanditon. Season Three. The final season continues the story of high-spirited heroine Charlotte Heywood and her friend, Georgiana Lambe. What adventures, scandals, intrigue, and – above all else – romance await them?

City on a Hill. Season Three. Having left the FBI, Jackie Rohr lands a new gig running security for a wealthy family in Boston’s high society Beacon Hill. Life is good until secrets begin to unravel. ADA Decourcy Ward sees an opportunity to rip out the machinery perpetuating a broken criminal justice system. Siobhan Quays encounters the city’s corruption firsthand, all while coping with the traumatic events of her past year. As Jenny Rohr can attest, some experiences will haunt you beyond your breaking point.

All Creatures Great & Small. Season 3. It’s the spring of 1939. Big changes are happening at Skeldale House and everyone has to learn how to adjust. Tristan is now a qualified vet while James enters a new stage of his life with Helen and at the practice.

Vienna Blood. Season 3. 1900s Vienna is a hotbed of philosophy, science and art, where a clash of cultures and ideas collide in the city’s grand cafes and opera houses. Brilliant Dr. Max Liebermann is a student of Sigmund Freud, and together with Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt, they investigate a series of unusual and disturbing murders.

His Dark Materials. The Complete Third Season. The third and final season of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Material trilogy returns with an adaptation of the final book in the best-loved book series, The Amber Spyglass. Season Three opens with Lyra unconscious, having been given a sleeping draught by her mother, as Will, still carrying the Subtle Knife, continues his quest to find her in this epic story of love and truth.

New Television Series

October 26, 2022November 29, 2022Cheryl

Looking for a new television series to start? Find these new titles in SPL’s DVD collection.

Hotel Portofino. Season One

Follows a British family who open a hotel for upper class travelers on the magical Italian Riviera during the Roaring ’20s.

Starring Natascha McElhone, Lucy Akhurst, Louisa Binder, Elizabeth Carling, Oliver Dench, Pasquale Esposito, Rocco Fasano, Lily Frazer, Adam James, Anna Chancellor.

The Chelsea Detective. Series 1

Max Arnold is a detective whose lifestyle on a battered houseboat in Chelsea’s Cheyne Walk contrasts sharply with the affluent elite whose crimes he helps solve alongside his partner Priya Shamsie.

Starring Adrian Scarborough, Sonita Henry, Peter Bankolé, Lucy Phelps, Sophie Stone, Frances Barber, Davood Ghadami, Anamaria Marinca.

Hidden Assets. Series 1

Follows Detective Emer Berry of the Criminal Assets Bureau in Ireland and Chief Inspector Christian de Jong of the anti-terrorism squad in Belgium as they team up to investigate an international conspiracy after diamonds are found during a drug raid that are linked to a series of bombings.

Starring Angeline Ball, Wouter Hendrickx, Simone Kirby, Michael Ironside.

61st Street. Season 1

61st Street follows Moses Johnson, a promising Black high school athlete who is swept up into the infamously corrupt Chicago criminal justice system, and Franklin Roberts, the public defender who takes up his case. While Roberts has promised his wife he’ll retire, he takes on this case because he recognizes its potential to upend the entire Chicago judicial system, challenging the institutional racism and endemic corruption at its heart.

Starring Courtney B. Vance, Aunjanue Ellis.

Mayor of Kingstown. Season one

From Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of Yellowstone, and Hugh Dillon, it follows the McLusky family – power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.

Starring Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Derek Webster, Hamish Allan-Headley, Pha’rez Lass, Aidan Gillen, Kyle Chandler.

White Lotus. The Complete First Season

As the newest set of high class vacationers check into the exclusive White Lotus resort in Hawaii, manager Armand finds himself facing more than the usual excessive demands of one-percenters. He takes on momma’s boys and workaholics with a professional facade, his coping mechanisms become as extreme as the pressure he’s under, while the guests themselves unravel inside their toxic dynamics until the situations collide with incredible consequences.

Starring s Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney, Steve Zahn.

Close to Me

The story of a Danish translator who loses a year of her memory following a fall. As she tries to piece her memories back together, she realizes that her life wasn’t as perfect as she was led to believe.

Starring Connie Nielsen, Christopher Eccleston, Rosy McEwen, Tom Taylor, Leanne Best, Nick Blood, Oliver Gatz, Ellie Haddington, Susan Lynch, Jamie Flatters.

The Split. Season One

The Split examines the fast paced circuit of high-powered female divorce lawyers in London through the lens of three sisters, Hannah, Nina and the youngest, Rose. Exposing the complex realities of high end divorce and broken marriage through female divorce lawyers and sisters embattled and bound by their own troubled past.

Starring Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Annabel Scholey, Fiona Button, Barry Atsma, Stephen Tompkinson, Meera Syal, Anthony Head, Deborah Findlay.

Signora Volpe. Series 1

Top British spy Sylvia Fox is in Italy for her niece’s wedding when the groom goes missing, leaving a dead body behind him. Sylvia solves the mystery and falls in love with Italy, and with a crumbling old house on a hillside. Disillusioned with her job and longing to reconnect with her family, Sylvia decides to stay on and start a new life in the little town of Panicale. But trouble has a habit of seeking Sylvia out and she finds herself tackling a fresh mystery every week and in the process, becoming increasingly close to handsome local cop Giovanni Riva.

Starring Emilia Fox, Tara Fitzgerald, Giovanni Cirfiera, Jamie Bamber, Matteo Carlomagno, Issy Knopfler, Imma Piro.

La Brea. Season One

An epic adventure begins when a massive sinkhole opens in the middle of Los Angeles, pulling hundreds of people and buildings into its depths. Those who fell in find themselves in a mysterious and dangerous primeval land, where they have no choice but to band together to survive. Meanwhile, the rest of the world desperately seeks to understand what happened. In the search for answers, one family torn apart by this disaster will have to unlock the secrets of this inexplicable event to find a way back to each other.

Starring Natalie Zea, Eoin Macken, Chiké Okonkwo, Karina Logue, Zyra Gorecki, Jack Martin, Veronica St. Clair, Rohan Mirchandaney, Lily Santiago, Chloe De Los Santos, Josh McKenzie, Nicholas Gonzalez, Jon Seda.

Movies Filmed Locally

July 12, 2022November 29, 2022Richelle

You may have heard that Pittsburgh has been a choice locale lately for the filming industry. But did you know that Sewickley is the backdrop of many feature films and TV shows, as well?

Movies/TV Shows Filmed in Sewickley

Foxcatcher (2014) – U.S. Olympic wrestling champions and brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz join “Team Foxcatcher”, led by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont, as they train for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, but John’s self-destructive behavior threatens to consume them all. Filmed in Fall 2012 and starring Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum. The filming includes scenes shot at Wilpen Hall in Sewickley Heights.

Happiest Season (2020) – A holiday romantic comedy that captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas by revealing a nasty secret. The film features shots of Beaver Street in Sewickley, as well as many other scenes shot around the Pittsburgh region.

Houseguest (1995) – In hot water with the mob over an unpaid debt, a con man poses as a family friend in an affluent Pennsylvania suburb. Starring Sinbad and Phil Hartman and shot in many locations throughout Sewickley – including the McDonald’s ?! (Get the details here.)

Jack Reacher (2012) – A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting. This Tom Cruise film based on Lee Child’s popular book series features the former Sewickley Country Inn on Route 65, as well as other Pittsburgh locales.

The Lifeguard (2013) – A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager. Filmed in the summer of 2012 and features actors Kristen Bell and Martin Starr. Shots feature scenes at Sewickley Cemetery, Wolcot Park and Beaver Street.

Love the Coopers (2015) – The intertwined stories of four generations of Coopers unfold right before the annual family reunion on Christmas Eve. Can they survive the most beautiful time of the year? Filmed in 2015 and features exterior shots of a home on Grove Street, as well as actors Diane Keaton and John Goodman.

Roommates (1995) – An elderly yet young-at-heart man moves in with his grandson and both their lives turn upside-down. Filmed in several places throughout Pittsburgh, including the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, at a diner in Polish Hill, a tavern in Shadyside, and in Sewickley Heights.

The Chair (TV) (Netflix*) – At a major university, the first woman of color to become chair tries to meet the dizzying demands and high expectations of a failing English department. Filming includes scenes on Beaver Street and at the Borough Building on Thorn Street.

Mindhunter (TV) (Netflix*) – In the late 1970s two FBI agents expand criminal science by delving into the psychology of murder and getting uneasily close to all-too-real monsters. Mindhunter filmed scenes at the Sewickley Borough building and across the river at the old Coraopolis Police Station among additional Pittsburgh-regions.

Sweet Magnolias (TV) (Netflix*) – Three South Carolina women, best friends since high school, shepherd one another through the complexities of romance, career, and family. A few scenes from Sweet Magnolias were filmed at the intersection of Broad Street and Beaver Street.

*No Netflix? No problem! Borrow one of the Roku devices from SPL’s equipment library which includes use of Netflix!

And if you’re a Hallmark Christmas movie fan, keep an eye out for scenes of Sewickley and other Pittsburgh-area shots!

Movies/TV Shows Filmed in Pittsburgh and Surrounding Areas

An American Pickle (2020) – filming locations
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) – filming locations
Abduction (2011) – filming locations
Adventureland (2009) – filming locations
American Rust (TV) (Showtime – subscription required) – filming locations
The Avengers (2012) – filming locations
Boys on the Side (1995) – filming locations
Bridge to Nowhere (2009) – based in Pittsburgh & filmed over the city
Concussion (2015) – filming locations
The Crazies (2010) – filming locations
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – filming locations
The Deer Hunter (1978) – filming locations
Dogma (1999) – filming locations
Fathers and Daughters (2015) – filming locations
The Fault in our Stars (2014) – filming locations
Fences (2016) – filming locations
Flashdance (1983) – filming locations
Groundhog Day (1993)- filming locations
Hoffa (1992) – filming locations
I am Number Four (2011) – filming locations
Independence Day (1996) – filming locations
Inspector Gadget (1999) – filming locations
Kingpin (1996)- filming locations
The Last Witch Hunter (2015) – filming locations
Love & Other Drugs (1995) – filming locations
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) (Netflix) – filming locations
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) – filming locations
Milk Money (1994) – filming locations
The Mothman Prophecies (2002) – filming locations
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008) – filming locations
The Next Three Days (2010) – filming locations
Night of the Living Dead (1968) – filming locations & subsequent film series
One for the Money – filming locations
Out of the Furnace (2013) – filming locations
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) – filming locations
The Piano Lesson (1995) – based in and filmed in various locations throughout Pittsburgh, look for a new adaptation from Netflix starring Denzel Washington soon
Promised Land (2012) – filming locations
The Road (2009) – filming locations
RoboCop (1987)- filming locations
She’s Out of My League (2010) – filming locations
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – filming locations
Slap Shot (1977) – filming locations
Smart People (2008) – filming locations
Southpaw (2015) – filming locations
Striking Distance (1993) – filming locations
Sudden Death (1995) – filming locations
Sweet Girl (2021) (Netflix) – filming locations
Unstoppable (2010) – filming locations
Waterland (1992) – filming locations
Warrior (2011) – filming locations
A Wedding for Bella (aka The Bread, My Sweet) (2001) – filming locations
Where’d You Go, Bernadette (2019)- filming locations
Wonder Boys (2000) – filming locations
Zack and Miri Make A Porno (2008) – filming locations

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are even more movies filmed in the Steel City! Check out the Filmography from the Pittsburgh Film Office for an even bigger list!

Miniseries/Limited Series on DVD

September 20, 2021November 29, 2022Monique

After its heyday in the 70s and early 80s (Roots, anyone, or The Thorn Birds?), the miniseries declined in popularity on broadcast television. However, the last ten to twenty years have seen a resurgence (now often rebranded as limited series) on cable and streaming networks. Longer than movies in total run time, the limited series allows for greater character development and extended story telling, perfect for book adaptations. Find the following titles, and more, in SPL’s DVD collection.

11.22.63

On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was killed in Dallas and the world changed forever. But what if it could be changed back? Jake Epping is an English teacher who accepts the monumental mission of trying to prevent the assassination of JFK. Luckily, he has the help of Sadie Dunhill, a resourceful librarian who’s trying to reconcile secrets of her own. Based on the novel by Stephen King.

Starring James Franco, Sarah Gadon, and George MacKay. Originally aired on Hulu in 2016. 8 episodes.

Band of Brothers

This 10-part miniseries is based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s nonfiction bestseller about a World War II army unit called ‘Easy Company.’ Nominated for 19 Emmy Awards, Band of Brothers follows the story of Easy Company as they participate in some of the worst battles of World War II and experience the horrors of war and the evil that men do. Also includes the 80-minute documentary We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company.

Starring Damian Lewis, and Ron Livingston. Originally aired on HBO in 2001. 10 episodes.

Chernobyl

This award-winning series tells the story of the 1986 nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the cleanup effort that followed. Based on Voices From Chernobyl, by Belarusian Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich, a compilation of interviews with survivors of the nuclear reactor accident.

Starring Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson. Originally aired on HBO in 2019. 5 episodes.

Grant

This dramatized miniseries examines Grant’s life story using his perspective and experiences to explore a turbulent time in history: the Civil War and Reconstruction. Based on the acclaimed biography by Ron Chernow.

Starring Justin Salinge, Carel Nel and Dianne Simpson. Originally broadcast on History Channel in 2020. 3 episodes.

Hatfields & McCoys

Triggered by a murder based on misunderstandings and an illicit love affair, this is the dramatic historic feud that teeters on the brink of an all-out civil war as friends and neighbors join opposing sides in a rivalry that would ultimately shape American history.

Starring Bill Paxton, Kevin Costner and Tom Berenger. Originally broadcast on the History Channel in 2012. 3 episodes.

Howard’s End

This series follows Margaret and Helen Schlegel, two intelligent, idealistic sisters living together in Edwardian London with their hypochondriac brother, Tibby. Their loving but interfering Aunt Juley tries to keep the siblings in line after the death of their parents, but a series of events pushes the sisters to lead unorthodox lives full of romance, tragedy, and drama. Based on the novel by E.M. Forster.

Starring Hayley Atwell, Philippa Coulthard, and Tracey Ullman. Originally aired on PBS’s Masterpiece in 2017. 4 episodes.

Mildred Pierce

This series charts the hopes and heartaches of a single, middle class, Los Angeles mother as she fights to win her daughter’s affections during the Great Depression. Based on the novel by James M. Cain.

Starring Kate Winslet , Guy Pearce, and Evan Rachel Wood. Originally aired on HBO in 2011. 5 episodes.

Les Misérables

An adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel, following a cast of characters struggling to survive in 19th century war-torn France. Not to be confused with the musical, this six episode series doesn’t skimp on character development, giving a complete and compelling screen rendition.

Starring Dominic West, David Oyelowo, and Lily Collins. Originally broadcast on PBS’s Masterpiece in 2018. 6 episodes.

The Pacific

This award-winning series follows the lives of three men and their fellow Marines across the Pacific theater during World War II. Based on true stories.

Starring James Badge Dale, Jon Seda, Joseph Mazzello, and Rami Malek. Executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Originally aired on HBO in 2010. 10 episodes.

Sharp Objects

A reporter confronts the psychological demons from her past when she returns to her hometown to cover a violent murder. Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn.

Starring Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, and Chris Messina. Originally aired on HBO in 2018. 8 episodes.

More From Page to Screen

August 9, 2021November 29, 2022Monique

Books continue to inspire both large and small screen adaptations. Here are several added to the SPL collection during the past year.

Call of the Wild

The story of a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s.

Based on the classic novel by Jack London, this 2020 feature motion picture stars Harrison Ford.
Available on DVD and Blu Ray Combo.

News of the World

Five years after the Civil War, Captain Kidd moves from town to town as a storyteller. In Texas, he crosses paths with Johanna, a ten-year-old taken in by the Kiowa people six years earlier. She is being returned to her biological aunt and uncle against her will. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles, the two will face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place that either can call home.

Based on the 2016 novel by Paulette Jiles.
Available on DVD and Blu Ray Combo.

Nomadland

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad.

This Academy Award winning 2020 film is based on the 2017 nonfiction book by Jessica Bruder.
Available on Blu Ray only.

The Secret Garden

Mary Lennox is a prickly and unloved ten-year-old girl, born in India to wealthy British parents. When they suddenly die, she is sent back to England to live with her uncle, where she begins to uncover many family secrets, particularly after meeting her sickly cousin Colin, who has been shut away in a wing of the house. Together, these two damaged, slightly misfit children heal each other through their discovery of a wondrous secret garden.

Based on the classic children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Available on DVD.

The Turning

Newly appointed nanny Kate is charged with the care of two orphans, Flora and Miles. Quickly, she discovers that both the children and the house are harboring dark secrets and things may not be as they appear.

This 2020 motion picture is based on Henry James’s novella, The Turn of the Screw.
Available on DVD.

The Undoing

From writer David E. Kelley, this HBO limited series focuses on Nicole Kidman’s Grace Fraser, a successful therapist, and her devoted husband, Jonathan (Hugh Grant), and their young son who attends an elite private school in New York City. A chasm opens in Grace’s seemingly perfect life: a violent death, a missing spouse, and a chain of terrible revelations.

Based on the novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz (2014).
Available on DVD.

His Dark Materials

This HBO series follows Lyra Belacqua, a brave young woman from another world. Lyra’s quest to find her kidnapped friend leads her to uncover a sinister plot of a secret organization, encounter extraordinary beings and protect dangerous secrets.

Based on the beloved trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman. Seasons 1 and 2, following the arcs of the first two novels, have been released so far. A third and final season is expected, probably in 2022.
Available on DVD.

Defending Jacob

An assistant district attorney and his wife’s comfortable life is turned upside down when their son is accused of murder. Part thriller, part courtroom drama, this series explores the lengths parents will go to protect their child.

Based on the 2012 novel by William Landay, this AppleTV+ limited series stars Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery.
Available on DVD.

Let’s Get Cooking

May 2, 2020November 29, 2022Monique

With everyone at home, it’s become more necessary than ever to get cooking. Fortunately, the library offers digital magazines, ebooks, and even tv shows for food inspiration. And unlike many online recipes and food blogs, you can skip the annoying pop-up ads!

Flipster Magazines

Read magazines on your computer, tablet, or phone with Flipster. There are several food related choices, and if you don’t find inspiration from a current magazine, you can view back issues as well.

For more information, including how to access back issues, see Flipster FAQ.

Overdrive Magazines

You may already be familiar with using Overdrive to get ebooks, but did you know that you can check out magazine issues as well? Check out these popular titles for creative cooking ideas!

Access via the Overdrive website on your computer or the Libby app on your device.

Overdrive Cookbooks

There are thousands of cookbooks available on Overdrive. To avoid wait lists, try browsing the Always Available cooking collection. This includes cookbooks from popular authors, such as Bobby Flay and Ina Garten, and respected institutions like America’s Test Kitchen. Peruse cookbooks for special equipment, like instant pots or air fryers, and special diets, like vegan, keto, and paleo. There are recipe collections for budget eats, quick eats, and more! Although the specific titles pictured may not be available, similar titles will be.

Hoopla

Whether you prefer ebooks or television episodes, Hoopla’s collection is always available. Check out several cookbooks from New York Times best selling author Mark Bittman, including How to Cook Everything Fast. If slow cooking is more your speed, try a cookbook from the popular Fix-It and Forget-It series, like the Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook. If you can’t get enough of celebrity cooking, you may like Daphne Oz’s The Happy Cook or Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table.

If you prefer to watch cooking shows for inspiration, you may want to try episodes from:

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television (food from around the world)
The Great British Baki ng Show (as addictive as the baked goods they produce)
A Chef’s Life (a NY chef explores Southern living and food)

and more!

2019 Golden Globes: Award-Nominated Media at the Library

December 13, 2018November 29, 2022Tricia

With awards season just around the corner, the first batch of award nominations are beginning to trickle in. The nominees for the 76th Golden Globe Awards were recently announced, which acknowledge the arts of both film and television. While many of the nominated works aren’t available yet to purchase, here is a list of the nominated movies and television series owned by the Sewickley Public Library!

If you’d like the full list of nominees, click here!

Looking for a Good Mystery to Watch?

March 15, 2016November 29, 2022Stephanie

Check out this list of recommended titles from one of our librarians!

Films

The Bourne Identity (2002) Found with two bullets in his back, Jason Bourne discovers that he has the skills of a very dangerous man and no memory of his violent past. Racing to unlock his secret identity, he discovers that he’s an elite government agent that his government no longer trusts.

Clue (1985) Who killed Mr. Boddy? Was it Colonel Mustard in the study with the gun? Miss Scarlet in the billiard room with the rope? Or was it Wadsworth the butler?

Dial M for Murder (1954) A man devises a plan to murder his wife for her money.

Flypaper (2011) A nervous bank customer has a crush on beautiful teller. They and the other staff and customers become hostages when two very different groups of crooks hit the bank simultaneously. When people begin mysteriously dying one by one, everyone involved begins to wonder if there’s someone else in the bank up to no good.

Locker 13 (2014) An anthology feature film comprised of five vignettes. Each story is connected by a mysterious locker 13.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) Detective Sam Spade goes in search of a priceless statuette after the death of his partner.

Memento (2000) An intricate crime story about a man who has lost his short term memory due to a rare brain disorder. Now he is out to catch his wife’s murderer, whose identity he cannot ever know for sure. The more he tries to figure out what is true and real, the more he sinks deeper into a multi-layered abyss of uncertainty and surprises.

Murder by Decree (2003) Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson conduct a gruesome and dangerous search through London’s squalid east end for the legendary Jack the Ripper. They soon discover that he is no ordinary murderer, but one with influential and determined friends.

Non-Stop (2014) During a transatlantic flight from New York City to London, U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks receives a series of cryptic text messages threatening to kill a passenger every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred into an off-shore account. With lives of hundreds of passengers hanging in the balance, Marks must use every nuance of his training to uncover the killer traveling on the aircraft.

Out of the Furnace (2014) When Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforcement doesn’t follow through fast enough, his older brother, Russell, takes matters into his own hands to find justice.

Reach Me (2014) A motivational book written by a mysterious man quickly gains popularity, inspiring a group of people that includes a journalist, his editor, a former inmate, a hip-hop mogul, an actor and an undercover cop to re-evaluate their choices and decisions by confronting their fears in hopes of creating more positive lives.

Restless (2015) Haunted by the death of her brother at the hands of fascist thugs, Russian émigré Eva is recruited to be a British secret agent by a shadowy figure. After proving her merit in the field, she is sent on the most dangerous mission of her life. She must use any means necessary to manipulate the American press and draw the States into World War II.

Sherlock Holmes (2009) After finally catching serial killer and occult ‘sorcerer’ Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. After his execution, Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again.

A Time to Kill (1996) A murder trial brings a small Mississippi town’s racial tension to the flashpoint. Amid a frenzy of activist marches, Klan terror, media clamor and brutal riots, an unseasoned but idealistic young attorney mounts a stirring courtroom battle for justice.

The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947) A psychopathic artist paints his wives as angels of death before poisoning them.

The Usual Suspects (1995) Police investigating an exploded boat on a San Pedro pier discover the only survivors are a severely burned Hungarian terrorist and Roger Kint, a crippled con-man. Reluctantly, Kint explains what happened. His story begins six weeks earlier with five criminals being dragged in by police desperate for suspects in a truck highjacking, and ends with the possible identification of a criminal mastermind.

Vertigo (1958) Scottie Ferguson, a recently retired San Francisco police detective, is hired to shadow a rich shipbuilder’s tragically suicidal wife. After he saves her from drowning in the San Francisco Bay, Scottie’s interest in the beautiful but icy blonde shifts from business to romance. But when tragedy strikes again, Scottie must overcome the vertigo that haunts his dreams in order to unravel the secrets of the past and find the key to his future.

A Walk Among the Tombstones (2015) Private investigator Matthew Scudder is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife.

Television Series

Agatha Christie’s Poirot (1990 -) With the his razor-sharp mind and the aid of the affabel Captain Hastings, Poirot unravels the thorniest cases without mussing a hair of his famously sculpted mustache.

Grantchester (2014) It’s 1953 and Sidney Chambers is vicar of Grantchester, a village just outside Cambridge, England. Sidney’s is a quiet life. He tends to his flock, keeps up with his jazz collection, and does his best to contain his passion for beautiful heiress Amanda Kendall. But when one of his parishioners dies in suspicious circumstances, Sidney quickly finds that people confide things in a parish priest that they would never tell police.

Murder on the Home Front (2014) During the London Blitz of 1940, people live life in the moment–and criminals use the blackout and devastation to hide their darkest activities. As the Luftwaffe drop their bombs, people below are literally getting away with murder. Sherlock

Murdoch Mysteries (2009 -) In the 1890’s, Detective William Murdoch adopts modern techniques like ‘finger marks’ and forensics to track Toronto’s most sinister killers. Though derided by his skeptical boss, Murdoch finds friends and allies in a lovely pathologist and an eager-to-learn constable.

Sherlock (2010) Offers a contemporary take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tales.

A Touch of Frost (1992 -) Detective Inspector Jack Frost is a policeman with a knack for trouble. In the dreary town of Denton, he approaches each case with his characteristic wit and sense of moral justice.

Celebrate Fat Tuesday!

February 9, 2016November 29, 2022Richelle

Get in the mood for Mardi Gras with these books and DVDs!

American Horror Story: Coven (DVD)
The exceptional young witches at Miss Robichaux’s Academy are under assault by forces of ignorance and hate. Caught in the turmoil is new arrival, Zoe, who harbors a terrifying secret of her own. Fiona, a Supreme Witch with unimaginable powers, is determined to protect the Coven, but her obsessive quest for immortality will lead her to cross paths with a formidable voodoo queen and a murderous slave owner cursed with eternal life.

Fat Tuesday By Brown, Sandra (Print Book)
It’s Mardi Gras week in the French Quarter, a perfect time for narcotics cop Burke Basile to avenge the acquittal of his partner’s murderer by kidnapping the defense attorney’s sheltered wife. So begins Sandra Brown’s riveting story of corruption in the Big Easy. As the crisis reaches a fevered pitch, the line between saint and sinner blurs. Who will find redemption as the clock ticks toward midnight on Fat Tuesday?

Keepsake crimes By Childs, Laura (eBook)
New Orleans scrapbooking shop owner Carmela Bertrand delights her customers with the sophisticated looks she achieves with their scrapbooks. But among her client’s keepsakes she finds a tip of her own-about a murder

Paper crafts for Mardi Gras By McGee, Randel (Print Book)
Dress up as a jester or a king or queen and lead a Mardi Gras parade! Follow storyteller Randel McGee as he explores the history and symbols of Mardi Gras in PAPER CRAFTS FOR MARDI GRAS. Create a Columbina mask, paper bead throw necklace, a gold doubloon necklace, a rhythm maker, and more!

Treme, the Complete First Season (DVD)
Amid the ruins of New Orleans, ordinary people–musicians, chefs, residents–find themselves clinging to a unique culture and wondering if the city that gave birth to that culture still has a future.