Laughter: The Instant Vacation

Despite living in Pennsylvania all my life, I am not a winter person. Of course, I'm hardly alone in that: with below-average temperatures, and sunset falling around 5:30 p.m., it can be hard not to get a bit down as the winter season rolls in.

So what's the best way to beat the winter blues?  Laughter, as they say, can be the best medicine. Read on for some recommendations of my personal favorite comedies -- guaranteed to make the cold dark of winter seem just a little bit brighter.



-- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

"And there was much rejoicing." Arguably the funniest film outing from the Monty Python comedy trope, the movie's a loose retelling of King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail. It allows for a marvelous collection of history-flavored skits that cover everything from witch hunts and Black Plague to sword duels and arranged marriages. There's also a song-and-dance number and a Trojan Rabbit. It's really not to be missed.

Request Monty Python and the Holy Grail from the Catalog



-- The Princess Bride (1987)

"Is this a kissing book??" In many ways, The Princess Bride has a similar flavor to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with the routines taking jabs at fairy tales (instead of history). But the story of The Princess Bride has a stronger structure and gets layered more deeply, letting most of the humor come directly from the characters. The fairy tale plotline is framed as a bedtime story being read by his grandfather to his under-the-weather grandson, giving an additional twist (and plenty of extra humor) to the set-up.

Request The Princess Bride from the Catalog



-- The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

"You threw off my groove!" Kuzco is a spoiled Incan emperor whose royal advisor accidentally transforms him into a llama. Teamed up with a good-hearted farmer (whose house Kuzco was was about to knock down to make way for his new palace), Kuzco has to learn how to find a little humility ... or risk remaining a llama forever. It would be a straight-up buddy comedy if not for the abundance of sight gags, sly references, and snappy dialogue -- making this unusual Disney animated movie a film that borders on satire.

Request The Emperor's New Groove from the Catalog

-- Galaxy Quest (1999)

"By Grabthar's Hammer ... what a savings." Jason Nesmith and his actor pals haven't had a real acting gig since the cancellation of their cult-classic sci-fi series Galaxy Quest. These days, they eke out a living with convention appearances and publicity stunts -- all the while growing increasingly frustrated with Jason, who seems to think he's really as important as his on-screen alter ego, Captain Taggart. But when a group of fans show up who turn out to be literally out of this world, Jason and his Galaxy Quest crew suddenly find themselves in the center of an intergalactic adventure that they're not quite prepared for. You don't have to be a Star Trek fan to appreciate this clear Star Trek satire -- but if you're a Trekkie, this is not one to be missed.

Request Galaxy Quest from the Catalog

-- The World's End (2013)

"Face it, we are the human race and we don't like being told what to do!" When Gary King was in high school, he and his four best friends attempted "the Golden Mile," an infamous pub crawl across their hometown of Newton Haven, England. Now, some twenty years later, Gary's decided to put the gang back together to complete the Golden Mile once and for all. But as it turns out, it's not so easy to go home again -- particularly when your hometown just might be the center of the upcoming alien apocalypse!  The trappings sound like a sci-fi take on The Hangover, but nothing could be further from the truth; instead, it's a delightfully quirky and surprisingly sweet movie that's all about growing up and finding your way out in the "real world" past high school.

Request The World's End from the Catalog

-- Post by Ms. B 

Thank You For Being a Friend

September is Women's Friendship Month, and while the month is over, it's never too late to celebrate the beauty of friendship!  Read on for five of our favorite fictional friendships:


Rosalind and Celia - Shakespeare's As You Like It

These Shakespearean cousins would clearly be friends even if they weren't related!  When Celia's father bans Rosalind from court, Celia promptly follows her friend into the Forest of Arden. Once there, she's more than happy to join Rosalind in donning disguises and enjoying the often complex, always hilarious antics of the forest. These are pals who know how to stay together through thick and thin -- but who also know how to have fun together.

Request "As You Like It" on DVD from the Catalog



Anne and Diana - L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." So says Anne Shirley, the spunky, imaginative, orphaned hero of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables books. When she arrives at Green Gables newly adopted, she is thrilled to discover there's another little girl her own age at the next house over -- Diana Barry, who quickly becomes Anne's BFF (or "bosom friend"). Their childhood friendship forms a bond that lasts throughout their lives -- and the book series.

Request "Anne of Green Gables" from the Catalog



Laverne and Shirley -- Laverne & Shirley

Starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, this ABC sitcom revolved around the lives of two roommates, co-workers, and best friends. Working together as bottlecappers in a Milwaukee brewery, the characters originally appeared as buddies of Fonzie on Happy Days before warranting their own spin-off show. The two friends were presented as polar opposites: Laverne is a tough-talking tomboy from Brooklyn, while sunny Shirley is a bit shyer and decidedly more optimistic. Their differences give the two gal-pals unique outlooks on life -- but it also makes for a fun, and decidedly hilarious, friendship.

Request "Laverne & Shirley" Season One on DVD from the Catalog

Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia - The Golden Girls

Long before Samantha, Miranda, Carrie, and Charlotte -- there were the Golden Girls. The show revolved around a trio of women living as roommates in 1980s Miami: Dorothy, a no-nonsense but good-humored substitute teacher from New York; Rose, a simple but good-hearted counselor from Minnesota; and Blanche, a Southern belle who just manages to find time for her job at a local art museum in between her busy nightlife. And then there's Sophia, Dorothy's mother, who is perhaps the wisest -- and most mischievous -- of the bunch. Supporting each other through dating woes, family crises, and the challenges of changing lives, these gals are always there for each other. Usually over a cheesecake.

Request Season One of "The Golden Girls" on DVD from the Catalog

Ashburn and Mullins - The Heat

Buddy cop movies are a dime a dozen -- but it's rare that the cops in question are women. In The Heat, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy take center stage as the story's leading ladies. Bullock plays Ashburn, the tough-as-nails FBI agent whose strength and skill in the field isn't enough to win over her fellow agents when they come up against her unforgiving personality. It's not until she meets Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) -- a Boston plainclothes cop whose unorthodox methods seem to (usually) help, rather than hamper, her investigations -- that Ashburn may have finally found a partner, and a friend, who can understand her. It just might take a little effort for them to find a way to work together ... but you can count on there being plenty of laughs along the way.

Request "The Heat" on DVD from the Catalog



-- Post by Ms. B

School Days

School's back in session!  With the first day of school just behind us, students of all ages are settling down into new schools, new grades, and new worlds of fresh challenges. (And maybe just a little wistful daydreaming of the next summer vacation.)

So if you know a student who might need some help getting back into the school spirit, try one of these recommended reads about the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of school life.



For Kindergarteners:

-- I Am Too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child

Though they have their own animated TV show now, Lola and older brother Charlie got their start as characters in Lauren Child's immensely popular Charlie and Lola picture book series. Seven-year-old Charlie is a very kind older brother who occasionally finds it challenging when he's asked to mind his precocious and imaginative four-year-old little sister -- especially when Soren Lorenson, Lola's best imaginary friend, is around.

When Mum and Dad decide that Lola is big enough to start school, Lola's not so sure it's a good idea. "I probably do not have time to go to school," she informs Charlie. "I am too extremely busy doing important things at home."

But Charlie is quick to point out all the important things Lola needs to learn how to do (like writing letters to Santa Claus, reading secret messages on the fridge, or learning how to count out the correct number of snacks in case of surprise elephant attacks). Persuaded at last, Lola decides to give school a go, and discovers it just might be fun after all. (Even if Soren Lorenson is a bit nervous.)



For Elementary School Students:

-- Wayside School series by Louis Sachar

1. Sideways Stories From Wayside School

2. Wayside School is Falling Down 

3. Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger

Wayside: The Movie [DVD]

Wayside School was designed to be a normal elementary school -- a one-story building with thirty classrooms inside. But the builder got it a little wrong, and accidentally constructed a thirty-story building with one classroom on each floor. (He said he was very sorry.)

So perhaps it's to be expected that Wayside School is a school where strange things tend to happen. Where students are sometimes actually rats, math problems are made up of words instead of numbers,  and there is no 19th floor.

The series kicks off with thirty stories about the class on their thirtieth floor -- and their new teacher, Mrs. Jewls (their former teacher got turned into an apple). These clever, funny, and zany little tales are the perfect read for students of all ages.

For Middle-School Students:

-- Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf by Jennifer L. Holm

The premise of this book rests in the idea that the things around us have a story to tell. And in this book, it makes for a compelling argument. Cards, notes, school reports, diary entries, receipts, mail, invitations, report cards, and more are all used to tell the story of a year in the life of Ginny Davis. She's kicking off her first year of middle school with a list of goals that include a starring role in her dance school's production of The Nutcracker, rekindling her friendship with former chum Mary Catherine Kelly, keeping her older brother Henry in line ... and getting her mother to marry Bob so that Ginny can have a proper stepdad at last. But, as Ginny is quick to discover, such plans rarely go as expected.

Told with English class essays, text messages, shopping receipts, teacher notes, cards from her Grandpa, and Ginny's own notes and pictures, the story of Ginny's ups and downs of her first middle school year is told in a wholly unique style.



-- It's the First Day of School ... Forever! by R.L. Stine

Phil Connors of Groundhog Day got off easy. Artie has a much bigger problem: he's stuck repeating the first day of sixth grade.

Artie starts off the morning by falling out of bed and smacking his head -- not a good way to kick off your first day of school. The day only goes downhill from there: his little brother gets glue in Artie's hair, Artie's dog jumps up on the new school principal, and Artie manages to make enemies with Brick the Bully. At least tomorrow will have to be better ... until Artie wakes up and discovers he's trapped, reliving the first (and worst) day of school. What's a new sixth-grader to do?

This humorous (and horrifying) read is a perfect fit between premise and writer: author R.L. Stine has long been known as the master of horror for the middle school set. His popular Goosebumps series is full of creepily fun titles like The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena, It Came From Beneath the Sink! and The Cuckoo Clock of Doom. Stine is always careful to find a balance between the screams and the laughs in his quirky midde-school novellas, and it pays off in spades in this fun and freaky read.



For High School Students:

-- Freaks and Geeks [DVD]

Though short-lived (the show ran for only eighteen episodes), Freaks and Geeks has become an undeniable cult classic. It was created by Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids and The Heat, and produced by Judd Apatow, who directed Knocked Up and This is Forty. 

Set in the early 80s, the show was timeless in its representation of the high school hierarchy. "Mathlete" Lindsay Weir is struggling to break out of the expectations put on her by herself and others, and so befriends the "freaks" -- the misfit slackers who are on the fringes of the William McKinley High School social scene. Meanwhile, her younger brother, Sam, hangs out with his fellow "geeks" as he and his friends work hard to fit in.

The show played with the humor of teenage stereotypes, but was always aware of the pain involved in finding yourself and your place in the world ... and in high school. It makes for a relatable story that should appeal to high school students everywhere -- and those who remember those school days.

-- Post by Ms. B

Monsters Inc.

This June 20th marked the 39th anniversary of one of the most classic monster movies of all time. Based on an original novel by Peter Benchley, Jaws was a smash hit that briefly held the record of the world's highest-grossing film (Star Wars would claim the top spot just a few years later). With an Oscar-winning score, and one of the most famous film lines in Hollywood history ("You're gonna need a bigger boat"), this story of a great white shark terrorizing the tourists of Amity Island arguably invented the modern-day summer blockbuster.

But "Bruce" (the nickname given to the giant, animatronic shark used in shooting the film) was not the first great movie monster, and certainly not the last. Read on to see our top five picks of the film world's most famous -- and infamous -- movie monsters.


-- Request the film "Jaws" from the Catalog

-- Request the book "Jaws" from the Catalog



5. The Alien

Killer aliens have been a dime a dozen in Hollywood for decades, showing up in everything from The Avengers to Independence Day. But for the ultimate in alien monsters, the title character of director Ridley Scott's Alien series is surely in the top spot.

These monsters have a complex -- and completely horrifying -- growth cycle, implanting their eggs inside human hosts only to have their baby "chestbursters" live up to their names in gruesome and bloody film spectacle. Luckily, Sigourney Weaver's tough-as-nails Ellen Ripley is exactly the heroine needed to keep these Aliens, and their Queen, at bay.

Still, even with Ripley on the side of humanity, this is one movie monster you wouldn't want to meet!

-- Request "Alien" from the Catalog

-- Request "Aliens" from the Catalog

-- Request "Alien 3" from the Catalog

-- Request "Alien Resurrection" from the Catalog



4. Cujo

From artist Laz Marquez

He didn't start out a monster. Before being bitten by a rabid bat, Cujo was a sweet and good-natured St. Bernard, who wanted nothing more than to be a good dog and please his masters. Of course, it's precisely his gentle nature that makes Cujo's transformation from family friend to rabid beast so horrifying.

Both the film and the original Stephen King novel follow the story of Donna Trenton and her young son, Tad. Though Cujo is not the Trentons' dog, it is Donna and Tad who end up trapped in a stalled car, facing off against the now-monstrous Cujo. With no way out and no way to contact help, it becomes a race against time for Donna to get herself and her young son to safety. And if you think you know how the story ends, well ...

-- Request the book from the Catalog

-- Request the film from the Catalog



3. Gizmo

This cuddly little stuffed animal doesn't look deserving of a place on a list of classic monsters. But that's the thing about gremlins: if you want to keep them cute and cuddly, there's three very specific rules to follow. Don't get them wet, don't expose them to bright lights -- and, whatever you do, no matter how much they beg, never feed them after midnight.

But, of course, nobody wants a monster movie where everything goes according to plan. When young Billy Peltzer fails to follow the rules about his new pet, hilarity -- and horror -- promptly ensue. While it's a bit of family-friendly fare for older kids, this movie is notable for helping to bring about the classification of a new movie rating: PG-13.

-- Request "Gremlins" from the Catalog



2. King Kong

He's not completely monstrous -- maybe just a little misunderstood. Kong, a giant gorilla living a solitary life on a little-visited island, is captured by an ill-intentioned filmmaker who plans to bring Kong back to New York City and show him off as "the eighth wonder of the world."

This goes off about as well as can be expected, and the only thing which keeps Kong from bringing down the whole city is a squadron of fighter jets ... and Ann Darrow, the beautiful actress who Kong wants only to protect. The film ends with another line that lives on in movie history: "Oh, no, it wasn't the airplanes ... it was Beauty killed the Beast."

-- Request the classic film from the Catalog

-- Request the 1976 remake from the Catalog

-- Request the 2005 remake from the Catalog



1. Godzilla

With 28 films made by the Japanese production company Toho Studios (and several more American adaptations), Godzilla is arguably the most famous movie monster of all time. Originally appearing on the silver screen less than a decade after the World War II atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Godzilla himself served as a metaphor for the horrors of nuclear power. Awakened and fueled by nuclear energy, Godzilla had catastrophic effects on the cities he attacked.

At least, at first. As time went on, and Godzilla became embedded in the public consciousness, the character saw a shift -- changing from mindless monster to unlikely hero. These days, a Godzilla movie is more likely to show this dinosaur-like creature fighting off other monstrous "enemies" and saving the humans around him -- as can be seen in the new blockbuster film released this summer.

(And no, we don't speak of the 1998 Matthew Broderick film. We just don't.)

-- Request the original 1954 film from the Catalog

-- Request "Mothra vs. Godzilla" from the Catalog

-- Request "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" from the Catalog

-- Request  "Godzilla: Final Wars" from the Catalog

Listen to the classic "Jaws" theme here

-- Post by Ms. B 

The (Other) Christmas Classics

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ... there are plenty of avowed Christmas special classics. But if you're looking for something a little different to watch this holiday season, check out one of these films. They aren't Christmas specials but are, instead, movies that just happen to be set at Christmas.

Just click on the title to request it from the Library Catalog!

-- Die Hard

There's a growing movement among certain movie aficionados to name Die Hard as their favorite Christmas movie.  It's not, of course, precisely a Christmas movie, but the film -- which follows an off-duty police officer as he attempts to rescue a group of hostages trapped in a Los Angeles skyscraper -- does inarguably take place during the holiday season.

It was the movie that launched Willis's career as an action hero (as, up until that point, he'd been known as a comedy actor). Co-starring Alan Rickman in the role of the villain, the movie is an action classic that, thanks to its holiday setting, can, indeed, double as your favorite Christmas movie.

(Lethal Weapon, another classic action flick, also fits the bill quite nicely.)



-- The Lion in Winter

Starring the late, great Peter O'Toole, this historical film takes a look at the lives of King Henry II and his wife,  Eleanor of Aquitaine. It's Christmas, and Henry and Eleanor are welcoming home their three sons (Richard, Geoffrey, and John) -- as well as houseguest Philip II, the king of France (who just so happens to be the son of Eleanor's ex-husband).

It might be the twelfth century, but some things remain constant and universal, including the stress of family get-togethers. Henry and Eleanor take turns talking up their respective favorite sons for career promotion (the "promotion" in this case being the next king of England), deal with Henry's would-be mistress, and handle emerging family scandals throughout the festivities. While the movie itself is fictitious (King Henry held no such family Christmas gathering), the background of the historical figures is accurate. It makes The Lion in Winter a great film for history buffs -- or anybody stressing over family during the holidays!



-- We're No Angels

This 1955 comedy stars Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov as three convicts on the run after their recent escape from prison. Hoping to find a place to lie low, they find their way to a family-owned shop and quickly realize that offering their services as handymen will give them a more permanent place to hide out. Things get complicated when the trio realizes their new "family" is in dire financial straits -- and that they want to do what they can to help out.

Having escaped from prison just before Christmas, the film features a family holiday dinner made mostly out of stolen ingredients, not to mention a redemption story that is both funny and lightly heartwarming. (It's also one of Bogart's few comedic roles.)

-- Catch Me If You Can

We've mentioned before our love of the film Catch Me If You Can, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as real-life (former) con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. Before he turned 21, Abagnale had cashed over 2 million dollars in fraudulent checks, while also successfully posing as an airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and a college professor. Abagnale was caught and served some prison time, but redeemed himself after his release by putting his acquired skills to a more noble use. He started his own security company and served many years as a consultant to the FBI, helping to catch check forgers and creating better security against fraud and identity theft. 

The film based on his life is as much a story of his life as a criminal as it is a story about his redemption, making the recurring theme of Christmas all that more appropriate. "Christmas, Carl!" he exclaims to the FBI agent who has spent the last three holidays chasing him. "How is it we're always talking on Christmas??"

-- Iron Man 3

The latest offering in the Iron Man franchise presents us with a superhero, Tony Stark, who's fighting a different sort of bad guy: the panic attacks and PTSD brought on by the traumatic events he experienced in New York (as seen in 2013's blockbuster film The Avengers).

Though the focus of the movie is not on its Christmas setting, the idea of Christmas still permeates the story -- from Tony's ongoing quest to find the perfect Christmas gift for his girlfriend, to the appearance of his very own Ghost-of-Christmas-Past in the form of ten-year-old Harley. With the story's focus on a hero who must rebuild himself, it seems only natural to place the film on the cusp of a new year -- and during a holiday season that's all about hope.



-- Post by Ms. B

Put a Spell on You

It’s Halloween!  If you’re planning a family-friendly spookathon, here’s our top movie recommendations:



- Hocus Pocus (1993)

Salem, Massachusetts is still remembered as the historical site of the infamous witch trials of 1692. To this day, Salem makes use of that well-known history, as reflected in tourism and the local décor – especially come Halloween.

The town not only serves as the setting for the film Hocus Pocus, but also as the premise. The story starts three centuries earlier, when a trio of witchy sisters are facing execution (they may have tried to steal the lives of village children in order to reclaim their own youth). The sisters are beaten but not truly defeated – the eldest Sanderson sister vows that she and her sisters will be back.

Fast forward three hundred years. Teenaged Max and his sister, Dani, have just relocated to Salem from their hometown of L.A. It's Max's idea to break into the old Sanderson house, which has since been turned into a local museum. (As a new kid, Max has it in his head to impress Allison.) It’s hard enough to get used to a new town without accidentally bringing three witches back from the dead on Halloween night, but, well, sometimes these things just happen.

The Sanderson sisters – played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker – are the inarguable stars of the show, trying to navigate through a modern world as they race to find a way to extend their magical stay past sunrise. They are, of course, the baddies, but they’re so deliciously fun and funny that it’s almost hard not to root for them.

Well. Almost.

There's even a song-and-dance number. It's just a great film.

-- Request Hocus Pocus from the Catalog




- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Jack Skellington is the King of Halloweentown – “Halloweentown” being one of several magical worlds that are in charge of running the holiday seasons. As the Pumpkin King, Jack’s in charge of the yearly Halloween festivities, but he’s beginning to feel a bit fed up by the daily grind. Sure, he’s great at his job – but he’s tired of being all about the scares. Isn’t there more to life than that?

So imagine his surprise when he’s sucked into Christmasland, a place run by cheerful elves who spend their time making toys, cookies, and holiday cheer. It’s not at all like the ghoul-infested, scare-ridden world of Halloweentown, and Jack instantly falls in love with the lights, colors, and warmth. So much so that he makes a decision: he (and the rest of Halloweentown) are going to be in charge of Christmas this year. Surely Santa Claus could use a year off, anyway?

Of course, just because you enjoy doing something doesn’t mean you’re all that good at it. Jack’s plans for the Christmas season fail to work out as he’d intended, and it’s up to Santa Claus to save the day – though Jack, of course, always meant well. But it’s not all hopeless for Jack in the end, as he comes to some important conclusions about being true to oneself … and that, even if you fail at something, you can have a lot of fun trying!

This highly-unusual animated musical remains a perpetual favorite of mine. Based on an original story by Tim Burton, the film was animated via stop motion (creating sculpted puppets and photographing them a frame at a time). It’s also a true musical, with nearly a dozen songs propelling the story along. Best of all, if you miss seeing it in time for Halloween – it can double as a Christmas special.


-- Request The Nightmare Before Christmas on DVD from the Catalog
-- Request the Nightmare Before Christmas CD soundtrack from the Catalog

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
- Halloween is Grinch Night (1977)
- Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
- The Witches (1990)
- The Halloween Tree (1993)
- Goosebumps: TV Series (1995-1998)

-- Post by Ms. B

All For One

I love The Three Musketeers.

That is to say, I love the classic novel The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas. And, if you've read or seen any version of the story, you'll know that the book is actually about four Musketeers. There's the experienced trio of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. But there's also the headstrong, determined, quixotic D'Artagnan, who has just left home and family and is on a quest to join the Musketeers.

D'Artagnan first meets his future friends when he makes it to Paris and promptly manages to insult three different people in the space of a few minutes. Each man challenges D'Artagnan to a duel, and D'Artagnan, never one to back down from a challenge (his father told him not to!), schedules the duels back-to-back-to-back. When he arrives at the meeting place for Duel #1, he quickly realizes that the three men he's fighting in turn are all friends -- and that, moreso, they are all Musketeers.

The duels never take place; the four of them become too busy fighting off the Guards of Cardinal Richelieu (who have arrived to arrest them for illegal dueling). D'Artagnan may be young and rash, but he proves his bravery and honor when he assists the three Musketeers in overpowering the Guards. The trio decides to take D'Artagnan under their wings, and what follows is a high-rollicking adventure tale packed with action, intrigue, and broad, sweeping romance.

Dumas would go on to write two sequels to The Three Musketeers: Twenty Years After and Ten Years Later. (The third novel, Ten Years Later, is so lengthy that it's often published as three separate volumes: The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Valliere, and The Man in the Iron Mask.) The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask remain the most-read works from Dumas's complete "D'Artagnan Romances" cycle, and have inspired numerous stage and film adaptations.

While the D'Artagnan Romances are, of course, historical fiction, it's interesting to note that they were historical fiction even at the time of their publication. The Musketeers' tales are all set in the seventeenth century, but Dumas himself was writing them in the nineteenth, with The Three Musketeers first appearing in serialized installments in 1843. That first novel was written by Alexandre Dumas and a collaborator, Auguste Maquet, a history teacher and fellow author (if one of less acclaim, by far, than Dumas, who was already a celebrated playright when he wrote Musketeers).

Dumas and Maquet did some homework for their tale, and the D'Artagnan Romances are based on a real-life figure. Charles de Baatz d'Artagnan, born in 1623, became the capitaine lieutenant of one of King Louis XIV's two Musketeer companies. He was a lifelong soldier who would go on to be appointed governor of Lille, and he died in battle in Hollan in 1673.

The Memoirs of Charles D'Artagnan were written by another real-life Musketeer (though not, unfortunately, by Charles D'Artagnan himself), and it was these memoirs that served as much of the inspiration for Dumas's novels. The other three Musketeers -- Athos, Porthos, and Aramis -- were also all real-life figures, who receive mention in the D'Artagnan memoirs. How much of these "memoirs" are factual is a matter of some debate, but what's certain is that both D'Artagnan and the Musketeers were figures who really existed.

The Musketeers themselves were formed by King Louis XIII of France, a combination of soldier and personal royal bodyguard. Louis armed his personal guards with a newly developed flintlock, muzzle-loading riffle -- the musket (hence the company's name). The Musketeers of history were variously disbanded and reassembled throughout the next two hundred years by various members of French royalty, before finally being permanently dissolved in the time of Napoleon.

A monument to the Four Musketeers in Southern France

Of course, in the end, the lasting appeal of D'Artagnan and the three Musketeers lies not in their factual history, but rather in what they've come to represent.

From the beginning, the Musketeers have had a glamorous appeal. King Louis XIII was something of a romantic, and he had a fondness for the by-gone days of chivalry. (It's what made him so reluctant to actually enforce any of those anti-dueling laws he kept enacting -- seeing as dueling itself was, in theory at least, a method of "defending one's honor.") The Musketeers themselves were career soldiers who did not include noble blood as an entry requirement to their ranks; you became a Musketeer through your own actions and merits, not by merit of your birth.

Dumas himself seemed entranced by the romantic chivalry of the Musketeers, writing about them two hundred years after their real-life creation. Audiences since then have responded to his books in kind, taking the stories to heart for their action, adventure, and chivalry.

Even in medieval times (where we think of the concept originating), chivalry was generally far more of a theory than a practice. There wasn't much more of it in the seventeenth century. So rather than harkening back to a better, nobler past, D'Artagnan and his friends represent a world of bravery, courtesy, and honor that's never really existed outside the pages of a book.

Or, at least, one that has not existed yet. It's true that the fun and adventure of Dumas's Musketeer tales is undoubtably a primary reason for the stories' staying power. And yet, the ability of story to inspire should never be overlooked. People would not keep reading these books if they did not see some appeal in the ideals of courage, honor, and friendship that Dumas wove throughout his stories. Hopefully, that appeal will prove inspirational to Dumas's readers. The honorable world of the Musketeers may not be in our past -- but perhaps it may be in our future.

Alexandre Dumas, born on July 24, 1802

From the Catalog:

-- The Three Musketeers
-- Twenty Years After
-- Ten Years Later
* The Vicomte de Bragelonne
* Louise de la Valliere
* The Man in the Iron Mask

-- All books by Alexandre Dumas
-- Film adaptations of The Three Musketeers
-- Film adaptations of The Man in the Iron Mask


(non-fiction)

-- D'Artagnan, The Ultimate Musketeer: A Biography by Geoffrey F. Hall and Joan Sanders.
-- Éminence: Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France by Jean-Vincent Blanchard.
-- Books on King Louis XIII
-- Books on King Louis XIV



-- Post by Ms. B

Mob Mentality

Six years after going off the show, The Sopranos is still remembered by fans and critics alike as one of the best-loved television series ever made. The six-season show told the story of Tony Soprano, an Italian-American mobster living in New Jersey and trying to balance the demands of "work" ... and family. Critically acclaimed for its sharp writing and talented actors, the show is remembered both for its impact on pop culture -- and its maddening "fade-to-black" series finale.

Sopranos' star James Gandolifini, who played Tony Soprano, unexpectedly passed away yesterday while on a family vacation in Italy. Fans and fellow actors have already taken to the internet, writing tributes to the actor best remembered for his role in the acclaimed HBO series.

So in honor of his most iconic role, let's take a look at some other classic films in the crime-and-criminal genre.


-- The Public Enemy [1931]

James Cagney is best remembered for playing "tough guys," and this film was the reason why. In his seventh film role, Cagney played Tom Powers, a tough guy rising through the gangster ranks during the Prohibition. His tough, harsh, cruel performance made an unforgettable mark on the genre of gangster pictures.



-- The Godfather Trilogy [1972, 1974, 1990]

Okay, okay, you know this one. But no list of gangster movies would be complete without the Godfather trilogy. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola (and based on a novel by Mario Puzo), the trio of films following the story of the Corleone Mafia family received a total of 29 Academy Award nominations, winning nine (including acting Oscars for Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro, Best Director for Coppola, and two Best Picture awards).



-- Once Upon a Time in America [1984]

Director Sergio Leone is best remembered for his Spaghetti Western films, like the Dollars trilogy and Once Upon a Time in the West. But Leone should still get credit for this, his final movie. Starring Robert De Niro, the film chronicles the life of David "Noodles" Aaronson, and his fifty-year dark struggle in pursuit of the American dream.



-- The Untouchables [1987] 

With Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness -- and Robert De Niro as Al Capone -- this Brian De Palma film has become the definitive adaptation of American Prohibition agent Ness's autobiography.



-- Miller’s Crossing [1990] 

From the ever-unique Coen Brothers, this film follows the personal fallout as a war unfolds between rival Irish and Italians gangs.



-- Reservoir Dogs [1992]

Director Quentin Tarantino is your go-to guy when you're looking for something a little off the beaten path. Think of this one as The Avengers for gangsters. Here, six strangers are pulled together by a local mob boss to pull off the perfect heist. Trouble is, it looks like one of them's a police mole.



-- Donnie Brasco [1997]

Based on a real-life story (as written in FBI agent Joseph Pistone's autobiography), Donnie Brasco tells the story of an undercover agent who infiltrates New York's Bonanno crime family ... for six years. In the end, Pistone is left with the choice of whether or not to betray his mob boss "mentor," Lefty Ruggiero.



-- Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels  [1998]

Four kids owe money to the local gang boss; what're they to do?  The plan they concoct -- to steal the cash from their drug-dealing next-door neighbors -- might not be their best call. Or is it?  Directed by Guy Ritchie, this is one of the more surreal entries on the list.



-- Road to Perdition [2002]

Recently voted as the most trustworthy person in America, Tom Hanks might be an unexpected choice to play a mob hitman. It's precisely what makes this movie so memorable, as Michael Sullivan (Hanks) must navigate between his job and his responsibilities to his son.



-- The Departed [2006]

It's another undercover story -- with a twist!  While an undercover officer is busy infiltrating a family of organized crime, the crime family is returning the favor, with one of their members joining the police force. The film, which won Martin Scorsese his first-ever Best Picture Oscar, is actually a remake of the Hong Kong film Internal Affairs -- which is worth a watch in its own right.


-- Post by Ms. B