Staff Recommendation #34: Snowpiercer

I'm a huge fan of post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories and have been for a very long time. My first post-apocalyptic book I can recall reading was Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien, which is about a young girl who seems to be the sole survivor of a nuclear accident, until one day a man shows up at her house. I suppose as a young person I was impressed by this young woman, not much older than me at the time, who was surviving on her own in a desolate world. Of course, I've read many more since then, with The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and the MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood being my favorites.

After watching the recently-released DVD Snowpiercer, I've finally realized what appeals most to me about this genre -- the determination of the human spirit and the will to persevere. There are many other genres that tackle this subject, but dystopian stories resonate with me for some reason. Maybe it's the idea that we hope the future will be bright and shiny-- but here are stories of nuclear destruction, plagues, and war. How did we let this kind of event happen? How can anyone survive such a cataclysmic event?

In the case of Snowpiercer, based on a French graphic novel, the event is a failed attempt to control global warming. Instead of cooling the earth a little bit, it cooled it a whole lot and froze the earth. The lucky few who survive board a train that continually travels the globe, with the wealthy traveling in style and the poor crammed into the last few cars of the train, literally living on top of each other.

There have been several attempts at getting to the front of the train in the 17 years they have been traveling, but they have all failed. Curtis (Chris Evans) is determined to break out and help the rest of those stuck at the back who are eating gelatinous mounds called protein bars. Messages are mysteriously appearing in those bars, but who is sending them and why? With the help of Gilliam (John Hurt), Edgar (Jamie Bell), and many others, they make their break. Will they make it to the front and what will they find if they do?

No matter the circumstances that find humans in a post-apocalyptic situation, they somehow find a way to survive. It may not be a wonderful existence, but they keep battling on, longing for that day when things will get better. While I read and watch, I wonder how I would survive in this kind of world and am constantly amazed by what the people in these stories are willing to sacrifice in order for them and many others to survive. I'm not sure how I would do, but I hope I never have to find out!

Click here to request Snowpiercer [DVD or Blu-Ray].

Click here to request Snowpiercer [graphic novel].

--Post by Tracy

Staff Recommendation #13: Fringe

Fringe: The Television Series

When The X-Files went off the air in 2002, I was a bit sad. It had been on the air for nine years, and it was my favorite show through every one of those years. Admittedly, it lasted a few years longer than it probably should have, but it was still my show.

At that time, I thought that I would never care about a show as much as I did about The X-Files. Boy, was I wrong!

A little over a year ago, I discovered this show called Fringe. As followers of this blog know, I’m a big fan of science fiction, especially in movies and television. Before I started watching Fringe, I had heard a bit about the show and it intrigued me. So I decided to give it a try and I requested the first season from our catalog. I was hooked from the very beginning.

Here is the basic premise of the show -- FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) needs the help of Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), an eccentric scientist. Dunham needs Bishop to save the life of her partner, John Scott (Mark Valley), who has been exposed to some unknown chemical agent in an explosion.

The problem is that Dr. Bishop has been in a mental institution for the past 17 years, after the accidental death of his lab assistant, and can only be released by the authorization of a relative. That relative would be Walter's wayward son, Peter (Joshua Jackson).

Olivia finds Peter in Iraq, trying to complete a "deal" with some Iraqi businessmen. She convinces him that he has to return with her, even though he has no desire to reunite with a father he hasn't seen in 17 years. Peter, unfortunately, has no choice (Olivia uses a bit of blackmail to convince him).

Olivia informs Peter that his father has been involved in an area of science known as "fringe" science since the 1970s, mostly working on projects for the U.S. government. (Peter, for his part, had always believed that Walter did research for a toothpaste company.)

The trio eventually becomes part of a team working for the FBI, investigating unexplained events that may or may not be related to something called the Pattern. As the story continues, relationships will form and secrets will be revealed. We will learn more about the Pattern and how it relates to Olivia, Walter, and Peter.

As much as I love the sci-fi and supernatural element of this show, what sets it apart from so many other shows are the characters. I agree with how Jeff Pinkner, one of the showrunners for most of its 5-year run, described the show: it's "very much like a family drama masquerading as a science fiction [show]." It's really all about family. These three people form the center of this family unit and the show explores how that family unit functions through these bizarre events happening around them.

While the writers have created a group of complex and believable characters, the actors have made them so very real. All the actors have done a remarkable job, but unfortunately, none of them have been recognized for their work. (Science fiction and other genre shows tend to get overlooked by the major awards shows.)

Coming from the creative team of J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek) and Bad Robot, Fringe debuted on Fox on September 9, 2008, to great fanfare. The pilot that aired that night was a big, expensive thriller -- reportedly made with a $10 million budget. Three months prior to the air date, the pilot was leaked on the internet (intentional or not, who knows). This, of course, created even more interest.

The original intent of the show was to be more episodic and less mythological than Abrams's big hit, Lost. And, while Fringe did introduce elements of a serialized storyline, it was definitely more episodic than Lost. Actually, it was rather like The X-Files, in the sense that most episodes were a freak-of-the-week type. The writers were slowly developing and revealing parts of the back stories of these characters, but "slowly" is the operative word. About halfway through that first season, they just decided to move away from episodic storytelling and have a more serialized storyline.

Unfortunately, the ratings did not remain high once the writers went in the new direction. But the fans they had stuck with them through it all. Through their first four seasons, Fringe was always on the brink of cancellation. But these fans (or "Fringies," as they like to call themselves) were a determined bunch, and were always coming up with new ways to show support for their show. Kevin Reilly, president of Fox Television, has admitted that he received 200 cases of Red Vines from fans in 2011. (Red Vines are the favorite snack of one of the characters on the show).

If you've noticed, I haven't said much more about what happens on the show after the pilot episode. That was intentional. If you want to see where the story goes over the five seasons it was on the air, you can check out many sites devoted to the show. But to truly appreciate the twists and turns and surprises that the wonderful group of writers came up with, you just need to watch it.

-- Request the first season of Fringe here

-- Request the second season of Fringe here

-- Request the third season of Fringe here

-- Request the fourth season of Fringe here


-- Post by Tracy

Staff Recommendation #8: The Artist

When I first started hearing about The Artist, I couldn't really imagine what it would be like. A Frenchman making a silent film (in black and white) about Hollywood in the late 20s? But the more I heard about it, the more I wanted to see it. Unfortunately, I never got to see it on the big screen. Life conspired against me and I just never made it to my local multiplex to see it. So I made sure I had my name on the list to get the DVD as soon as it was available through the library. The film did not disappoint.

The Artist (available on DVD or Blu-Ray) is an homage to Hollywood of the Silent Era. The story opens, in 1927, with George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) at the height of his stardom and the height of the silent film industry. While posing for photographers on the red carpet, he meets a fan, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). Peppy takes full advantage of the encounter and ends up on the front page of Variety with George. The next thing we know, Peppy is cast as an extra in George's next film. There is some flirting between the two, but since George is married, albeit unhappily, they go their separate ways. Years pass and we see Peppy becoming a bigger and bigger movie star, while George's star is fading due to the introduction of talking pictures. 

There are so many things going for this film, it's hard to know where to start. What got me right away was the look of the film. If I wouldn't have known better, I would have thought I was watching a film made in the 20s. The attention to detail is amazing. The five Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Actor in a Leading Role, Costume Design, and Original Score) that the film won were well deserved.

Director Michel Hazanavicius has created a beautiful and touching story about love and friendship showcased in this tribute to Silent Films. Although there are many familiar American actors in this film (John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller), it's the French trio of Hazanavicius, Dujardin, and Bejo that make this film come alive. Unless you are a fan of French films, you most likely have never heard of them. I know I hadn't. But I don't know if there could have been two more charming leading actors to play these parts than Dujardin and Bejo. 


While you are waiting your turn to see The Artist, you might want to check out some of the all-time great Silent Films:

The General (1926)

When Union spies steal an engineer's beloved locomotive, he pursues it single handedly and straight through enemy lines. (107 mins.)

Metropolis (1927)

In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences. (153 mins.)

City Lights (1931)

The Tramp struggles to help a blind flower girl he has fallen in love with. (87 mins.)

Nosferatu (1922)

Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence - and real estate agent Hutter's wife. Silent classic based on the story "Dracula." (94 mins.)

Birth of a Nation (1915)

The Civil War divides friends and destroys families, but that's nothing compared to the anarchy in the black-ruled South after the war. (165 mins.)

-- Post by Tracy

Happy Birthday Cary Grant!

Growing up in the 70s and 80s I watched a lot of TV. If I wasn't reading a book, I was watching some old show or movie on the very limited number of channels available to us in those days. And what I really loved, was when there would be old movies from the 30s, 40s or 50s on. It was even more exciting if the movie happened to star Cary Grant. While many of the characters he portrayed were all very similar, I loved them none the less. Growing up in a blue collar, middle class family there weren't too many people I knew who were as sophisticated and sauve as Cary Grant. Plus he was funny! Of course, he was handsome, but that wasn't really important to me when I was 10.

So to mark the anniversary of the birth (January 18) of Archibald Leach (a.k.a. Cary Grant) here some DVDs (which will include some of my personal favorites) and books to check out:

An Affair to Remember

This is one of Cary Grant's most famous and memorable movies, mostly for its importance in the film Sleepless in Seattle. Two people, while engaged to other people, meet and fall in love on a cruise. They agree to meet 6 months later on the top of The Empire State Building, but unfortunately one of them doesn't make it there. This is one of the all time great tear jerkers, so if you haven't already seen it, or even if you have, make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand!

North by Northwest

In this film, one of many made with director Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant plays a hapless New York advertising executive who is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive. Also stars Eva Marie Saint.

To Catch A Thief

When a reformed jewel thief is suspected of returning to his former occupation, he must ferret out the real thief in order to prove his innocence. Filmed on location on the French Riviera, which only makes Grant and his glamorous co-star Grace Kelly, look even more beautiful.

Bringing Up Baby

While trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard "Baby." This is one of four films that Cary Grant did with Katherine Hepburn. And while it seems to be considered a classic screw ball comedy, it is not one of my personal favorites. But since it's been a long time since I've seen it, I may have to give it another try.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

A man and his wife decide they can afford to have a house in the country built to their specifications. It's a lot more trouble than they think! If you've ever hired someone to do any kind of renovations on your house, or had your own house built, you will understand the problems Mr. Blandings and his wife (the marvelous Myrna Loy) encounter on the way to their dream house.

The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer

A high school girl (Shirley Temple) falls for a playboy artist with screwball results. This is a very silly movie, with a very silly premise, but I love it all the same. And once again, Mr. Grant stars with Myrna Loy.

Arsenic and Old Lace

An easy going drama critic discovers that his kind and gentle Aunts Abby and Martha have a bizarre habit of poisoning gentleman callers and burying them in the cellar. This is a charming movie despite the odd premise. 

I Was A Male War Bride

Captain Henri Rochard is a French officer assigned to work with Lt. Catherine Gates. Through a wacky series of misadventures, they fall in love and marry. When the war ends, Capt. Rochard tries to return to America with the other female war brides. Zany gender-confusing antics follow. 

The Philadelphia Story

And now to my all time favorite Cary Grant film: when a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned 2nd marriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself. This is a fantastic combination of Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart. Some of the funniest scenes are actually between Grant and Stewart. This is a movie not to miss!

And, if you'd like to read about Cary Grant's life, here are a few biographies of note:

Cary Grant,  A Life in Pictures edited by Yann-Brice Dherbier

Dear Cary: A Memoir by Dyan Cannon

Good Stuff: A Reminiscence Of My Father, Cary Grant by Jennifer Grant

Cary Grant: A Biography by Marc Eliot

-- Post by Tracy

Scary Movies

With Halloween almost here, it started making me think about all of the scary horror films so many people seem to love. To be honest, I am not a fan of the slasher films. Maybe when Halloween first hit the cinemas back in 1978, it was original -- but now they all just seem like variations on the same theme to me. I much prefer a story that leaves more to my imagination. That's a much scarier place! 

So here, in no particular order, are some of the films that I have found frightening.

Psycho (1960)

Norman Bates is a troubled son who believes "a boy's best friend is his mother." Marion Crane is an ill-fated traveler who checks into the eerie Bates Motel wanting only a hot shower and a warm bed. Her journey ends sooner than she planned in the shocking scene that has haunted generations of movie-watchers. The tension and horror mount when a private detective and Marian's sister search for her, and for the true identity of the mysterious Psycho.

Silence of the Lambs (1991)
FBI agent Clarice Starling is assigned to help find a missing woman and save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Attempting to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the killer, Clarice is sent to talk to another psychopath -- Hannibal Lecter.

Alien (1979)
"In space, no one can hear you scream." 
A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigate.

The Omen (1976)
A chilling suspense mystery, this riveting tale of the supernatural explores the Biblical prophecy of the warning which will foretell the coming of Armageddon. The final confrontation between the forces of good and evil will begin with the birth of the son of Satan, in human form.

The Changeling (1980)
Scott stars as Dr. John Russell, a composer living in New York City, who moves cross-country to Washington state following the deaths of his wife and daughter in a traffic accident while on a winter vacation in upstate New York. In suburban Seattle, Russell rents a large, old, and eerie Victorian-era mansion and begins piecing his life back together. However, Dr. Russell soon discovers that he has unexpected company in his new home — the ghost of a murdered child. It shatters windows, abruptly opens and shuts doors, and manifests itself during a séance. Russell investigates and finds that the mystery is linked to a powerful local family, the heir of which is a wealthy United States senator.

The Sixth Sense (1999)
"I see dead people." The film tells the story of Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist (Bruce Willis) who tries to help him.

-- Post by Tracy