DVD Review: Citizen Kane (1941)

It may not be your stereotypical Christmas movie full of dancing elves, fat Santa’s and talking reindeers but there is something about Citizen Kane that always makes me feel festive.  Orson Welles co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in this 9 times academy nominated film from 1941 and it despite almost costing Welles his career has gained notoriety in the film world and is often the subject of cinematic debate.

Loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, a prominent figure in the newspaper industry of the time, Welles plays Charles Foster Kane, a wealthy newspaper producer, who is living in seclusion in his huge mansion in Florida. We first meet him on his death bed as he utters the word ‘Rosebud’ in his final breath and drops the snow globe he was clutching in his pale hands.  His death becomes global news and a reporter, Jerry Thompson, seeks to decipher the meaning of his final word by talking to those who knew him. He tracks down Kane’s childhood Guardian whose memoirs allow Thompson to learn about Kane’s childhood. He finds out that he grew up in poverty in Colorado. Through a series of flashbacks we learn that the boarding house run by his parents was sitting on top of the world’s third largest goldmine. He was forced to leave his Mother and ended up in the care of Walter Parks Thatcher, his new legal Guardian. At the age of 25, Kane gained full legal access to all of his possessions and enters the newspaper with his seemingly attractive journalistic style of writing which was void of all fact and knowledge and used bold headlines to sell papers. He took over the company, The New York Inquirer, and his rise to power is documented. He marries a President’s niece and runs for the office of Governor of New York State. The next few years see his marriage disintegrate, his chance at office disappear and the wonders of his life ripped away from him. His last few years were spent in isolation in his Floridian home and his staff recall a time he had previously uttered the word ‘Rosebud’ shortly after his first wife had left him.

At the end of the film it is revealed to the audience what ‘Rosebud’ really means, Thompson couldn’t decipher the meaning of the word and it is us and Kane who know exactly what it refers to. This reveal has since been called ‘the greatest secret in cinema’ by renowned film critic David Thomson.  Welles was never particularly keen on the concept of using ‘Rosebud’ as a thematic device for mystery and said in an interview “we did everything we could to take the mickey out of it”. William Randolph Hearst reportedly banned the film from being advertised in any of his newspapers and offered distribution company RKO Films over $800’000 to destroy all known prints and negatives of the film. Despite Hearst’s efforts the film was fairly profitable and was the 6^th most successful film that year, however it is considered to be Welles’ worst work as it almost cost him his career due to the backlash from Hearst.

I can’t tell you why exactly this film reminds me of Christmas because that will ruin it for you, so you will just have to borrow it and see for yourselves! Nothing like a bit of Christmas mystery.

If a black and white film documenting the life and death of a successful newspaper magnate isn’t your idea of a festive favourite, we have plenty of others in the DVD ZONE to choose from, including ELF, MIRACLE ON 34^th STREET and THE MUPPETS CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Have a great Christmas!

Further Reading in the Information Store

Citizen Kane by Orson Welles – DVD ZONE – Shelved at 791.43

Citizen Kane by Dan Williams – BOOK ZONE – Shelved at 791.4372

Orson Welles: A Biography ­by Barbara Leaming – BOOK ZONE – Shelved at 791.430233092

DVD Review: Black Swan (2010)

The theme in the Information Store for the last couple of weeks has been around looking great and feeling great, so the DVD review for this week is Black Swan a psychological thriller/horror addressing the themes of deteriorating mental and physical health.  Directed by Darren Aranofsky and starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, this film will be sure to raise even the most reluctant hairs on the back of your neck.

Nina (Portman) is a professional ballet dancer who is desperate to be cast as the White Swan in her dance group’s latest production of Swan Lake. She is the perfect ballerina. She’s disciplined, elegant, pure and beautiful and encompasses everything the White Swan represents. Her problem is portraying the White Swan’s darker counterpart – the Black Swan.  Her innocence and purity makes it impossible for her to unlock her inner darkness so she can ‘become’ the Black Swan. She lives and breathes ballet and the production’s director, Thomas (Vincent Cassell), refuses to give her the role of the Swan if she cannot become the White and Black Swan equally. Lily (Kunis) is a new ballerina and she is everything Nina is not. She is dark, edgy and dangerous as well as an outstanding ballerina and her jealousy and rivalry becomes more intensified as she loses grip on reality and slips into the darkness she so desperately desires.  



Natalie Portman as Nina

As well as having a captivating story, Black Swan uses various thematic devices to evoke fear in the audience, Aranofsky’s use of mirrors is especially interesting as he uses this to portray the war Nina is having with her own personality.  Her body and mind starts dissolving and descending into madness as obsession and desire overtakes everything else. As she welcomes the darkness into her life, it quickly takes hold of her soul, wrapping her in the blackened wings of the swan she is so desperate to become.

The music, choreography and skill of the performance itself is breath taking and will have you firmly glued to your seat, it’s as intense as it is terrifying and the performances from Portman, Kunis and Cassell exceeds the brilliance of the direction.

Not for the faint hearted but perfect for those who fancy something a bit different and a bit challenging.

Black Swan is shelved in the DVD ZONE at 791.43 B

The Information Store's Top 5 Spookfests!

Rather than frightening you all with one horror film this year, we thought we would give you FIVE of our spookiest films  to chill you to your bones.
 

Ghostface in Scream

5. SCREAM (1996)

So strictly speaking, Scream is more of the horror spoof genre than an actual horror, but it is still packed with enough jumps, blood and gore to warrant a spot in our list. Scream has one of horror’s greatest opening sequences as a young girl is harassed on the phone by the murderous ‘Ghostface’ who murders her boyfriend and mutilates her in her own back garden.  Word gets around the school and young Sydney, a student, is reminded of her awful past and her mother’s brutal murder. However, it becomes clear that Ghostface’s intentions are to bring about a swift end to Sydney’s life as her friends are gut wrenchingly murdered one by one, will she be able to uncover the person beneath the mask?
 

Starring Neve Campbell, David Arquette & Courtney Cox

Best line: “Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!” – Billy



The Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow

4. SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999)
A genuine horror film this time, as creepy as the name suggests and sure enough to raise the hairs on your spine at least once. Ichabod Crane, played by Johnny Depp, is sent to the small village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate three beheadings, the culprit of which is the legendary Headless Horseman who haunts the nearby forest.  With the body count rising as the Horseman continues to massacre the village inhabitants, time is running out for Crane, who fears he could be next. With romance, comedy, peril, danger, mystery, magic and horror it’s a Halloween classic!

 Starring Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken

 

Best line: “Villainy wears many masks, none of which so dangerous as virtue...” – Ichabod Crane

The Biker Gang of Vampires in The Lost Boys

3. THE LOST BOYS (1987)

Again, like Scream, we have wandered into Comedy/Horror territory with our third place film. However, The Lost Boys is the perfect mixture of genuinely scary and subtly funny. It’s a cult classic about a gang of vampires who terrorise a small town in California. A series of unexplained deaths and strange goings on lead two of the towns newest inhabitants, two brothers to investigate further. One befriends a pair of so-called ‘vampire hunters’ and the other joins a biker gang who sleep all day and party all night…will they manage to uncover the towns gory secret? As scary as it is funny and gruesome enough to turn your stomach, this is the perfect example of how a vampire movie should be.

Starring Corey Haim, Keifer Sutherland and Corey Feldman

Best line: “What, you don't like rice? Tell me Michael, how could a billion Chinese people be wrong?” - David

Stabbing its way into second place:

Norman Bates in Psycho

2. PSYCHO (1960)

Last year’s blog entry for Halloween was all about Alfred Hitchcock’s creepy, suspenseful and terrifying Psycho so I won’t go in to too much detail.  Norman Bates is the owner of the secluded Bates Motel which is visited by a woman on the run. The heavy rain forces her to pull in and she famously meets her end while showering in her room. The mystery unravels in pure Hitchcockian style as more people fall to the same fate, but who is wielding the dreaded knife? From ‘The Master of Suspense’ Psycho is a classic horror movie with a gasp-inducing final twist.

Starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins

Best line: “We all go a little mad sometimes” – Norman

Screaming into first place is:

A terrified Wendy in The Shining

1. THE SHINING (1980)
Based on Stephen Kings legendary novel of the same name, Stanley Kubrick took a classic text and turned it into something else, something more twisted, creepy and frightening than King could have predicted.  The Shining is a terrifying, psychological story of a family who offer to take care of The Overlook Hotel during the winter months when the road to it is closed off and the hotel is void of any guests. Jack and Wendy Torrance along with their strange son Danny travel up there for a peaceful, secluded winter in the mountains, but little do they know, the hotel has other ideas. Plagued with the terrifying memories, the hotel unleashes hell upon Jack and Danny who both receive strange visions and meet apparitions of it’s former inhabitants. The hotel takes a hold of Jack and he spirals into madness taking an unexpecting Wendy with him.  By far, my all-time favourite horror movie, it will stay with you for days.  What’s REDRUM backwards?

Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Scatman Carruthers

Best line: “Redrum. Redrum. REDRUM!” – Danny Torrance
 

Further Reading the Information Store:

Come and see our HALLOWEEN display of books and DVD's. Its packed full of scary films, horror novels, books about ghosts, witches and hauntings! Plenty to scare you silly this Halloween!

DVD Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

This week in the Information Store we are displaying various resources to do with dyslexia and celebrating the work of some very famous and successful people who have dyslexia. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley both suffer with dyslexia but have had very successful acting careers and starred together in this week’s DVD review Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl!

Since the released of the first instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series in 2003 there have been three more films and a fifth to be released in 2016. It’s become a massive franchise and although the subsequent films have been increasingly poorly received, the immense popularity of the characters, especially Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp is undeniable.  

The story goes a little something like this. Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) the daughter of a Governer is kidnapped by Captain Barbosa, of the Black Pearl ship as he needs her piece of Aztec gold and her blood to lift the curse set upon his currently un dead crew. Jack Sparrow (Captain) was marooned on an island by the same crew after Barbosa lead a mutiny against him. He meets a young Will Turner, who is head over heels in love with Elizabeth Swann and he and Jack team up to save her and to help Jack become Captain of his ship once more. Will young Mr Turner be able to save his true love from being sacrificed? Will Jack Sparrow be able to stop drinking rum long enough to overthrow Barbosa and regain control of his ship? The Curse of the Black Pearl is a fast paced, swashbuckling adventure full of sword fights, swagger, rum, romance and of course, pirates!

Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow is the main contributor to the film’s success. His appearance oozes cool and his mannerisms resemble those of a drunk Londoner as he very camply staggers around looking for his ship. The funniest lines in the film come from Jack and he is the perfect anti-hero to the clean cut, good boy Will Turner. All Jack cares about is his ship and drinking rum, he makes himself out to be this magnificent pirate, but in actual fact he is just a lazy drunk. He is very entertaining to watch and Depp carries the film throughout. Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner provide a heart-warming side to the adventure and the romance comes from their time on screen together. Will Turner looks like a Disney Prince and is ever girls dream hero,  when he scoops the vulnerable and beautiful Elizabeth up in his arms he simultaneously creates a chorus of ‘Awhhh’ from all the women in the room.  

It’s a great adventure film and an entertaining watch from start to finish. Knightley and Bloom are great, but it is Johnny Depp who really steals the show. Why not have a look at our display and find out which other famous people have dyslexia? For instance, did you know, the genius scientist Albert Einstein was dyslexic?

Further Reading in the Information Store:

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Directed by Gore Verbinski – DVD ZONE – 791.43 P

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Directed by Gore Verbinski – DVD ZONE – 791.43 P

Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End Directed by Gore Verbinksi – DVD ZONE – 791.43 P

The display by the desk also has loads of great books about dyslexia, why not come and have a look?

Oo, arr me hearties!
 

DVD Review: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

 

October is Black History Month and Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird is often celebrated at a pillar of Black History literature. It seems only apt, to then for this week’s DVD review to write about the 1962 film adaptation by Robert Mulligan.

Thankfully the film follows the storyline in the novel very closely and the film takes place almost entirely in a court room. The film is show through the eyes of Scout, the daughter of Lawyer Atticus Finch, who lives in the American state of Alabama. Scout and her brother Jem develop a fascination with their mysterious neighbour known as Boo Radley who lives a life of solitude. They often find gifts in a nearby tree and spend their summer afternoon’s spying on him from afar. The era in which the story takes place in the era of the Great Depression and Harper Lee wrote it at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Up until which, Black people had a tremendously hard time at being accepted by society.  Atticus is assigned the case of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white girl. Atticus, believing that everyone should be treated equally takes on the case and works hard at defending Tom Robinson.  Scout and Jem end up getting bullied at school for their father’s decision and they soon become aware of the racism and evil in the people of their town.

When the accused is ‘murdered’ during transportation to prison, the father of the young girl who was raped attacks Scout on her way home from a Halloween party at her school. Boo Radley, now a friend to young Scout takes matters silently into his own hands, how far will he go to protect the young girl and to help Atticus?

To Kill a Mockingbird is a ground breaking representation of racism in the Southern states of America during the late 1920’s/early 1930’s and is widely celebrated by all ethnicities and backgrounds all over the world. Harper Lee has confessed that in palces the story is semi-autobiographical having observed similar situations during her childhood, growing up in Alabama. The film, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch was very well received by critics upon it’s released and hailed as a masterpiece, winning three Academy Awards and three Golden Globes. Gregory Peck has often declared how lucky he was to be cast in such a defining role.

Borrow it today from the Information Store and immerse yourself in an outstanding, gripping and heart-warming story. You could borrow the book as well!

 

Further Reading in the Information Store:

To Kill a Mockingbird (DVD & Novel) - BOOK ZONE - 823.91 LEE

Independence & Equality by Elizabeth Cregan - BOOK ZONE - 323.4 CRE

Building the Future by Elizabeth Cregan - BOOK ZONE - 305.8 CRE 

DVD Review: My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

 

The theme around the Information Store display this week is Manga and Anime! There are a wide range of books about how to draw in a manga style, the history of manga and loads of manga books and films. Among them is the critically acclaimed anime film My Neighbour Totoro made by Hayao Miyazaki in 1988. A common theme amongst anime films by Miyazaki is the fantastical and his films often involve strange, mysterious creatures of myth. Totoro is no exception to this, he has the ears of a rabbit, staring eyes and a great round body which resembles that of a penguin.

The story is simply that a father and his two young daughters Satsuki and Mei move to a new house to be closer to their mother who is recovering from a long illness in hospital. One day, while playing the garden, Mei sees two ears sticking up from the grass, she follows them to a large mystical creature who identifies himself as Totoro, living in the hollow of a camphor tree. She falls asleep on Totoro and when she wakes up again he has gone.  She tries to explain her discovery to her father and sister, and to comfort young Mei, her father tells her he is the ‘Keeper of the Forest’ and will make himself known to her when he is ready. As Mei and Satsuki wait for their fathers bus one stormy night, they become worried when it doesn't arrive. Totoro appears to both of the girls with only a leaf sheltering him from the rain. Satsuki, seeing him for the first time, offers him her umbrella. In return, he gives the girls a bundle of nuts and seeds and disappears on a bus shaped like a cat – I told you Miyazaki was good at creating fantastical creatures! Shortly after the cat bus slinks away, their fathers bus arrives.

The girls plant the seeds and Totoro and his companions appear to be doing a ceremonial dance around them, the seeds start to sprout. A few days later, a planned visit to their mother in hospital gets cancelled, angry and upset, Mei walks to hospital herself to bring her mother some fresh corn. Satsuki, thinking Mei has disappeared runs to the camphor tree and pleads with Totoro to help her find her sister who takes her on the cat bus to Mei who is sitting on a bench. The two return home and learn that their mother is fine and will be coming home to them soon. The film ends as the two girls, Totoro and his two companions play in the garden. 

 

The animation of My Neighbour Totoro is what brings this innocent and simple story to life as the mystical creatures are filled with life and the film swirls in beautiful colours, emotions and images that make it all the more fantastical. It’s a beautiful masterpiece which addresses the innocence and grace of childhood perfectly, igniting a flame in the coldest hearts and whisking you away for 83 minutes of pure escapism.

I have found, however, that anime is not to everyone’s taste. It’s a very different type of animation that us Westerners are used to, the drawings and expression are very unique, the use of colour and emotion is important and very defining to its style. To put it simply, it’s a million miles away from Disney and Pixar animation!

Highly praised by critics and audiences world wide, My Neighbour Totoro is the perfect introduction to anime, and the reigning king of anime Hayao Miyazaki. Keep an eye out for other Studio Ghibli films like Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, Howls Moving Castle and The Cat Returns – all of which are available to borrow! For free! 

Further Reading in the Information Store

MANGA: Learn to Draw by Jeannie Lee - BOOK ZONE - 741.2 LEE

The Rough Guide to Manga by Jason Jadao - BOOK ZONE - 741.5 JAD

Manga Mania: VILLAINS by Christopher Hart - BOOK ZONE - 741.5 HAR

DVD Review: Juno (2007)

Seeing as the Wellbeing Zone have dedicated their display to sexual health I thought I would address the problem of unsafe sex in this week’s DVD review. Pregnancy is a pretty huge, life changing consequence of unsafe sex, as young Juno MacGuff found out when she made the bold step to lose her virginity to best friend Paulie Bleaker. 

This quirky American comedy first hit cinema screens back in 2007 and writer Diablo Cody scooped the Oscar that year for her wonderfully colloquial screenplay.  We are first introduced to Juno as she is buying a pregnancy test and learning she is pregnant. As we can see already, Juno is not the most conventional of 16 year old girls, she has a bold confidence and very off-beat manner that you would more likely see in an adult man. Juno, accompanied with best friend Leah – an attractive cheerleader type with a penchant for older man – decide to break the news to Juno’s father and step mother. Who, while disappointed in her, are supportive at her decision to have the baby and give it up for adoption.  Juno and Leah hunt through the personal ads and find a couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring, with whom she makes a legal agreement with that they can have her baby when she has it.  That’s the baby problem solved, now what about the father? Paulie Bleeker is a sweet, kind young boy who wholly supports Juno’s decision to give the baby to The Lorings. Bleeker and Juno are best friends, turned couple, who’s unconventional relationship takes a dramatic turn when Paulie asks another girl to go to prom with him. Juno, without saying so, is clearly very heart broken by this and struggles to deal with her ever increasing size and the staring students in the school corridors.
 

She finds an unlikely friend in Mark Loring, future adoptive father to the little foetus, who writes music for commercials. They two end up spending the day together when Juno visits them with a picture from her first sonogram. Vanessa is at work, so they listen to music, talk about music and watch old, gory horror movies together while debating the genius of Herschell Gordon Lewis. Juno gets into the habit quite quickly of spending her days with Mark, which to her is a perfectly normal thing to do and she thinks nothing of it, however, it becomes clear that Mark is seeing it as something more. Juno’s whole world starts crumbling all around her just as her waters break and she is left facing a very difficult decision that could dramatically change her life forever.

Juno is perfectly played by Ellen Page who is accompanied by a whole host of great actors. Michael Cera plays the naïve Paulie Bleeker and Olivia Thirlby plays best pal Leah. With the help of J.K Simmons and Allison Janney as Juno’s parents and Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as The Lorings, its not wonder this film was such a great success.

Director Jason Reitman, whose feature film career was kicked off with Thankyou For Not Smoking in 2005 sky rocketed after the release of Juno and he went on to make more indie films including Up in the Air starring George Clooney and Anna Kendrick and Young Adult starring Charlize Theron.  Pairing up with Diablo Cody at the helm of the screenplay, the successes the film received were well and truly deserving of the talent that was the driving force behind it.

Perfect acting, masterful direction and triumphant writing all topped off with a strong soundtrack makes Juno a must watch for all young adults! 

 

Further Reading in the Information Store:

Juno - DVD ZONE - 791.43 J

Juno: The Orginal Motion Picture Soundtrack - MUSIC CD - Soundtrack J

It Happened to Me: Teenage Pregnancy by Suzie Hayman - BOOK ZONE - 305.23 HAY

Great Answers to Difficult Questions About Adoption by Fanny Cohen Herlem - BOOK ZONE - 362.734 HER

 

Free Resources!

 

We don't just deal in books here at the Information Store, we also offer a wide range of other resources that are completely FREE to borrow! There are:

Magazines & Journals

 

Only the ones with a ‘borrow me’ sticker are available to borrow on a one week loan, but all the rest are free for you to use within the Information Store. There are academic journals for all subjects at the college as well as magazines like Good Food, Vogue and Inside Soap!

 

CD’s

As well as offering a selection of up to date music CD’s we also have a great section of world music, movie soundtracks, musical and sound effects! Come and have a browse, they are free to borrow and you can borrow up to 10 at a time!

 

 

DVD’s

We have got a very extensive DVD collection of a wide range of films and television shows. We have new releases like Silver Linings Playbook and Life of Pi as well as classic films, some even dating back to the silent era. There are also animated films including Disney, Anime, Aardman, Dreamworks and Pixar. There is also a great collection of world cinema featuring films from France, Japan, Spain and Mongolia! Finally is our selection of television box sets including The Wire, Six Feet Under, Green Wing, Peep Show, The Inbetweeners, The Mighty Boosh, Flight of The Conchords…the list goes on! In the book zone is a great variety of music DVD’s featuring live shows and documentaries.

 

 

Audio Books

In the main collection and by the quick read books are some audio books which are also free to borrow, included in these are all the Harry Potter books wonderfully read by Stephen Fry. Perfect for long car journeys or just relaxing at home!

DVD Review - Life of Pi (2012)

Another new film in the Information Store’s collection is the award winning Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee and starring Suraj Sharma in the title role.  Based on the novel of the same name by Yann Martel Life of Pi chronicles the adolescence of a young boy called Pi and a dramatic, life changing event which results in him drifting on a boat across the ocean with a tiger as his only companion.

The tiger, Richard Parker, had once belonged to his father’s zoo which was being moved, by boat, to a new location. The boat was caught in a huge storm and sunk; Pi found a lifeboat in which to save himself and soon discovered that underneath the tarpaulin was the vicious Bengal, Richard Parker.  The following few weeks would be an emotional and physical struggle as the two drifted further and further out to sea willing to be rescued. The hostility of Richard Parker meant that Pi had to build his own flotation device which trailed next to the boat in order to keep himself safe. Pi fed and looked after Richard Parker from afar and the two developed a respect for each other that meant Pi no longer feared being eaten by the beast. Their journey for survival is a constant battle as fierce storms, starvation and utter hopelessness taint their hopes of ever being found. 

The tiger’s name, Richard Parker, comes from several characters through fiction and history. In 1884, a young cabin boy on board the yacht Mignonette was eaten by his crew by means of their survival, his name was Richard Parker. As was the name of another young seaman sacrificed on board the Francis Speight in 1846 which floundered and he was thrown overboard to prevent the lifeboat capsizing. Finally, in the Edgar Allen Poe novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket Richard Parker is a mutinous young sailor who suggests they cannibalise one of their own crew after their ship the Grampus capsizes in a storm. After drawing lots on Parker’s suggestion, it is he who ends up being eaten by the crew. Will the tiger fall to the same fate, will Pi eat him to maintain his own survival? 

While the story being told is an epic tale of adventure, self-discovery and survival it is also riddled with morals and Indian folklore. It is also an absolutely spectacular feast for the eyes as the vast, sweeping ocean is brought to life by Ang Lee’s direction.  More impressive is the tiger itself which was created entirely through motion capture and advanced CGI technologies and looks like a real tiger. If I didn’t know it was CGI I would have been harping on about how well trained the tiger was, it was that realistic. Luckily I did my research. 
 

 

However, despite the amazing special effects, the epic story and beautiful CGI tiger I couldn’t get over how awful an actor Suraj Sharma was. I had high hopes for whoever was chosen to play Pi especially after being so invested in the book when I read it, I was so disappointed in the result. I found him to be annoying, over dramatic and his performance felt forced and unnatural. So much so, I would go as far to say he completely ruined the film for me. Richard Parker completely stole the show and he wasn’t even a real tiger, that’s how bad Sharma was.

Be that as it may, it is an amazing film to watch and a spectacular achievement for Ang Lee who scooped the Oscar for Best Director that year. Sharma wasn’t even nominated, surprise surprise.

Further Reading in the Information Store:

Life of Pi - DVD ZONE - 791.43 L

Life of Pi - BOOK ZONE - 823.91 MAR

Visual Effects for Film and Television by A.J Mitchell - BOOK ZONE - 791.45024 MIT

Movie Special Effects by Liz Miles - BOOK ZONE - 791.43024 MIL

DVD Review - Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

 

David O Russell’s superb film Silver Linings Playbook graced our screens and enchanted our hearts back in 2012 and through generous backing from producer Harvey Weinstein earned itself a great reputation and a bundle of awards to boot, including an Academy Award for Jennifer Lawrence as Best Actress.

The story is about Pat (Bradley Cooper) who has just been released from a psychiatric hospital for attacking his wife’s lover after he found them romantically entwined in his bathroom, Pat has bipolar disorder and he has to see a therapist every week as part of the terms of his release. He returns home and is greeted by his father (Robert De Niro) who also shows signs of having a mental disorder, although this is never actually pinned down to specifics. Pat learns that his wife, Nikki, has moved away yet is still desperate to pick their marriage back up again, delusional to the fact his relationship is completely over. Along the way he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) a sufferer of depression who was diagnosed when her husband, Tommy, died. 

She makes a deal with Pat that she will deliver letters to Nikki for him if he agrees to be her dance partner for an upcoming dance competition.  A couple of letters pass hands and Pat thinks that a reconciliation with Nikki is on the cards. A racially fuelled brawl at football match lands Pat in trouble and his Father in a pile of debt, hope for his family lies entirely on the dance competition with Tiffany, with Nikki in attendance things start to heat up as they both take to the dance floor. With the sounds of The White Stripes ringing out and enough gyration to make Elvis’ head spin, will they reign victorious?

As serious as the subject matter of bipolar disorder may be, Silver Linings Playbook manages to keeps its head above the water without plunging into a swell of depression. The friendship of Pat and Tiffany is at times hilarious, while at others heart wrenching and their story is encapsulating from start to finish. Pat has some painfully honest personal moments which are short, sharp stabs of realism that bipolar disorder is a serious and unrelenting problem suffered by millions.

Beautifully acted and wonderfully directed, Silver Linings Playbook is a real treat from start to finish and every award and nomination well deserving.  It manages to dip into the subject of mental health while simultaneously sculpting an unconventional love story, throw in a bit of wacky dancing and illegal gambling and you’ve got yourself some pretty excellent entertainment.

 

Further Reading in the Information Store:

Silver Linings Playbook by David O' Russell - DVD ZONE - 791.43 S

Bipolar Disorder: Your Questions Answered by Neil Hunt - BOOK ZONE - 616.895 HUN

The Pits and the Pendulum: A Life with Bipolar Disorder by Brian Adams - BOOK ZONE - 616.895 ADA

DVD Review - Amelie (2001)

 

 Amelie Poulain is a young woman who endeavours to bring a little happiness to the lives of those living around her. Despite a rather stunted childhood, she uses many ingenious methods to help the quirky and eccentric people she loves.  These include her father, a glum recluse, who has never offered Amelie any warmth or love. As a result, Amelie has grown up wrapped in her own dreams by way of escaping her lonely life. However, Amelie’s vocation in helping others draws her out of herself and she finds what she believes to be her purpose.

Unlike many feel good films, Amelie is not the perfect heroine. She’s clever and childlike and a little bit out of step, but you love her for it. The film has a typically French sense of style and subtly, with a recurring theme of nostalgia. Throughout the film we are reminded of those things we loved as children, and forgot as we grew up.

The film is shot in saturated colour with a ‘hyper real’ atmosphere in every shot. The sound track is utterly beautiful, echoing the film’s whimsical and sweet nature. The Montmartre portrayed is picture-postcard like, if not completely realistic. And that is quite in tune with the films suspension from reality.

By Erin Bradshaw

Amelie is shelved in the DVD ZONE under 'Foreign Language, French' 791.430944 A

Summery Movies!

Grease

Love-struck Kiwi, Sandy, moves to America and falls in love with high school stud Danny Zucko in this classic musical comedy. She meets him during the summer, knowing nothing of his bad boy reputation and notoriety as leader of the gang ‘T-Birds’. When she starts at Rydell High School all becomes clear to her as Danny’s not the boy she fell in love with on the beach. She decides to prove her worth to him, be the kind of woman that will make him sit up and listen, not the wimpy little Sandra D everyone teases her for being. The result is a feel good classic with tons of catchy tunes and groovy dance moves that will leave you tapping your toes for hours afterwards.

 

(500) Days of Summer

The clue is in the name, however, this is not a film about a prolonged season, instead about a girl named after a season. Tom falls for the whimsical, beautiful and quirky Summer and despite a great start to their relationship, things soon start to completely fall apart. Tom recalls his relationship with Summer through a series of clever flashbacks including an ‘expectations vs. reality’ sequence where he arrives at a party to see Summer.  It’s not the happiest story in the world but it is well acted and hilarious in places. Worth a watch, for sure.

 

Slumdog Millionaire

Everyone was talking about Danny Boyle’s 2008 summer blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire because it was such an amazing, sweeping love story that captured the imaginations of viewers all over the world. Dev Patel plays Jamal who winds up on the Indian version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ Through the tribulations of Jamal’s life and the events that have lead him to this point he is able to easily answer every question down to life experience. He has no need for riches, he hasn’t gone on the show to become a millionaire, yet he is one question away from being one, so why is he there?

 

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

What would you do with one day off school? Play video games? Watch movies? Sleep in until 2pm? Ferris decides that with one day off, he is free to do whatever he wants. He and his friend Cameron bust their other friend Sloane out of school and borrow Cameron’s Dad’s Ferrari and the three of them set out to have the best day they possibly can, and they do.   Classic 80’s comedy in the same vain as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a feel-good summer hit!

 

The Inbetweeners Movie

If you’ve ever watched the TV show The Inbetweener’s, you will know, before watching the film, that you will be in for some vulgarity from the start. The boys decide to go on holiday to Malia together, but of course, its not going to be that simple. Their dreams of a weekend full of girls, alcohol and all night raves is soon completely shattered when everything starts to go very wrong. Have a pillow to hand, this film will have you wanting to cover your face with embarrassment as their misadventures become more and more unfortunate.

If you find yourself faced with a rainy summer day, which let’s face it, is pretty likely, have a borrow of one of these movies to keep your summery spirits up!

Be safe and have a great summer!!

Some Films With Questionable Titles!

There are some films amongst our collection with titles that need to be celebrated. Open your mind to silent documentaries and low budget rockumentaries and explore our list of films with really weird titles!

Nanook of the North (Robert J. Flaherty , 1922)

Although it may sound like a film about an artic e-reader, this is in fact a film about an Inuit. Considered to be the first feature length documentary, although some of its content is arguably fictitious, the film follows Nanook and his family travelling and hunting for food illustrating the arduous Inuit life they endure.  Notable scenes include when Nanook builds and igloo and an interaction at trade post with a man from the Western world.  The film showed the isolation and solitude imposed upon the family by living in such a hostile corner of the world.  Being made in 1922 it is a silent film which makes its content all the more difficult to sustain for its 79 minute duration.


The Story of the Weeping Camel (Bayambasure Duvaa & Luigi Falorni, 2003)

A product of the hybrid genre of ‘docudrama’ this film follows the story of a family of shepherds who are trying to save the life of a rare white camel calf which has been rejected by its mother. In order to try and reconnect the mother with her young a Mongolian ritual is performed whereby a ‘violinist’ plays a lullaby to soothe the mother camel. She then cries (a real tear) and reconciles with her baby. It sounds weird and far fetched but its actually quite a beautiful little film. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2004 and was very well received amongst critics on its release. Odd name, odd story but one worth investing in.

Rumble Fish (Francis Ford Coppola, 1983)

This weird title belongs to a film about gang culture. A man known only as Motorcycle Boy ditches his bad boy reputation for a quieter, more law abiding life. However his younger brother, Rusty James, continues to accepts fights with rival gangs resulting in horrific injury.  Motorcycle Boy intervenes one night while trying to save his brother from serious harm and decides to try and change him. Rusty James resolves to change his ways and be more like his brother. Such noble solutions come at cost though… Considered to be one of Coppola’s best films since Apocalypse Now is a story of brothers, redemption and revenge starring Mickey Rourke and Matt Dillon, not a bad watch by any means!

Eagle Vs. Shark (Taika Waititi,2007)

Quirky romantic comedy starring Jermaine from Flight of the Concords, this film gets its name from a ‘dress as your favourite animal’ party hosted by Jarrod. Lily who attends the party uninvited has a huge crush on Jarrod and just wants to get close to him. They start an awkward relationship even though Jarrod is not interested in her. She meets his father, 9 year old daughter (the result of a one night stand) and learns of Jarrod’s deceased brother. Jarrod is continually mean to Lily, often trying to push her away but will she give up that easily? It’s a weird one, almost too quirky for its own good and too awkward to bare in places. New Zealanders and fans of Flight of the Concords loved it though so you may too!

Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, 1933)

This classic comedy from the 1930’s stars Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo Marx the famed comedy quartet who delighted audiences with their slapstick films. Duck Soup is no exception to their famous mad cap style. The bankrupt state of Freedonia seaks to borrow money from a wealthy lady called Mrs Teasdale. In return for her money she asks for a new president to be appointed, the wacky Rufus T. Firefly. Chaos and nonsense ensues as he takes over the state and neighbouring states attempt to infiltrate his office. It’s as mad and hilarious as the title suggests it to be, guaranteed to cheer you up on a bad day.

Le Donk and Scor-say-zee (Shane Meadows, 2007)

Filmed in five days and largely improvised, this rockumentary follows rock roadie Le Donk as he attempts to make aspiring rapper Scor-say-zee a success. They embark on a crazy and unpredictable journey together and with a little help from the Arctic Monkeys Scor-say-zee is on his way to the top. An amusing fictitious story about the music industry, a nice change from the more depressing subject matter we are used to from Meadows.

 

Snow Cake (Marc Evans, 2006)

An ex-convict accidentally kills a young girl in a car accident and decides to pay the girls mother a visit at her home. Unbeknown to him she is a severely autistic woman who manages to convince him to stay with her while he organises the funeral. He embarks on an emotional journey of friendship, love and grief as he tries to come to terms with his actions. A though provoking drama starring Sigourney Weaver. It’s an emotional one, definitely not about icy baked goods.  

 

Further Reading in the Information Store:

You can find all these DVD's in the DVD ZONE.

Nanook of the North at 791.4353
The Story of the Weeping Camel at 791.4309517
Rumble Fish at 791.43 R
Eagle Vs Shark at 791.43 E
Duck Soup at 791.43 D
Le Donk and Scor-say-zee at 791.43 L
Snow Cake at 791.43 S

Silent Cinema: An Introduction by Paolo Usai - BOOK ZONE - 791.43 USA
The Documentary Film Movement: An Anthology by Ian Aitkin - BOOK ZONE - 791.4353 AIT

Or perhaps these other weird film titles might fuel your curiosity to hunt for more!

Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb by Stanley Kubrick
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ken Kwapis
Poor Cow by Ken Loach

Give it a go, you never know, you might enjoy one of them!