Throwback Thursday: "Life Finds a Way"

In celebration of the release of Jurassic World, please enjoy this "Throwback Thursday" post on the Jurassic Park trilogy. 

Originally posted April 11, 2013.

At movie theaters today, most hit films make a third of their total gross on their opening weekend. Films rarely stay in theaters for more than two months -- and even then, only the biggest blockbusters make it that long. But twenty years ago, a movie came along that not only broke the opening weekend records ($50 million in three days, unheard of in 1993), it nearly doubled that opening the following weekend. And after that record two-week showing, the movie stayed in theaters for over a year. (It was still being shown on 100 movie screens in October 1994, when the film was released on VHS.) It was one of the last movies to ever gain that much play in theaters for so sustained a period.

And what's more, it did it without a single big-name star and without an already-established franchise.

I've gotten some raised eyebrows when I've referred to Jurassic Park as the "Star Wars" of my generation. In a world where Star Wars fans will line up for days ahead of time for movie tickets and write down "Jedi" on census forms as their official religion -- can Jurassic Park fans really compare?

Allow me to make my case.

Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, a paleontologist (a scientist who studies pre-historic life). He and paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) are on a dig in the Badlands of Montana, thrilled with their fresh findings but concerned about the future of their research once their funding runs out. Enter eccentric billionaire John Hammond (Sir Richard Attenborough), who mysteriously promises to fund a three-year dig if Grant and Sattler accompany Hammond to his new theme park and offer their opinions on attractions "so astounding, they'll drive kids out of their minds."

It's a crazy offer, but Grant and Sattler aren't about to refuse. Joined by mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), and fussy lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero), the group travels to a small island off the coast of Costa Rica to see Hammond's flashy new attractions.

The attractions, as it turns out, are genetically engineered dinosaurs, created by scientists who have extracted dino DNA from ancient preserved mosquitos. (No, this would never actually work -- but c'mon, it's a movie.) A previous accident that had occurred with one such "attraction" led Hammond to track down a handful of experts to experience the island for themselves and vouch for the park's safety.

But electrified fences and tranquilizer darts only go so far, and it's not long before disgruntled-employee sabotage leads to the dinosaurs escaping their cages and wrecking havoc on the humans around them. Hammond, Malcolm, and Sattler must find a way to restore working computer systems to the park, while Dr. Grant promptly finds himself lost amidst a cadre of loose dinos -- with Hammond's two young grandkids at his side. (The lawyer winds up eaten.) The ensuing film is an action-adventure story like few others.

A Jurassic Park scientist extracts DNA from a preserved mosquito

To understand the impact that Jurassic Park had on the film industry, you have to delve deeper into what the franchise really accomplished. When it premiered in 1993, Jurassic Park broke new ground in the world of special effects. Although Terminator 2: Judgment Day had already used computer generated imagery (or "CGI") to great effect two years previously, Jurassic Park was held up as proof positive that a new era of movie-making had arrived. Here, now, was CGI being used to create the appearance of living, breathing dinosaurs. There was a bit of a meta effect going on with Jurassic Park: just as movie character John Hammond had found scientists capable of recreating 65 million year old animals from rebuilt DNA, so had director Steven Spielberg found artists capable of recreating those same animals -- but out of computer programs and pixels. The result of the latter was a new world of visuals that was like nothing the movie-going public had ever seen before.

To say it succeeded audience expectations is to put it far too mildly. These days, movie trailers cram in shots of the film's most impressive special effect sequences, in an effort to entice audiences into the theaters. But the trailers for Jurassic Park had not made fully apparent what audiences could expect to see, saving all of the best effects shots for the movie itself. The resulting anticipation to see what the movie had to offer was a huge reason why so many people -- myself included -- went to see the film ... and our anticipation was definitely rewarded.

A computer-generated T-rex eating a Gallimimus (don't worry, the Gallimimus is CGI too)

The irony, of course, is that so many of Jurassic Park's greatest shots weren't CGI at all. Many of the most memorable sequences -- the T-rex attacking two stalled Jeeps (with passengers still inside them), or a pair of Velociraptors stalking the kids in the Visitor Center kitchen -- were achieved with real, physical models, not CGI effects. Most of the shots of the T-rex, for instance, were not computerized but were instead filmed with puppets and robot pieces designed by special/visual effects wizards Stan Winston and Phil Tippett. From building a full-size T-rex robot (weighing in at 9,000 pounds) to creating raptor suits for actors to wear, the practical effects gave the film a more "real," physical feel to it than CGI shots alone could have created.

One of the T-rex "robots"

But to be clear, it's not all about the special effects. One other reason that the Jurassic Park franchise has remained such a steadfast favorite for so many fans was the messages behind the movies. It was one of the first big-budget, visual effects bonanzas I ever saw that nonetheless had something to say. The movie had a strong, clear message -- coming through from Michael Crichton's original novel (Crichton also co-wrote the screenplay) -- about the importance of showing respect, care, and perhaps a little caution within the world of scientific advancements. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could," snaps Ian Malcolm to an unrepentant John Hammond, "They didn't stop to think if they should." While the film is in no way anti-science, it does caution its audience against the temptation to misuse knowledge that's been untempered by humility or discipline.

It's hardly all doom-and-gloom, however. The film's other message -- and it's a strong one -- is the unstoppable force of life. Despite everyone's best attempts to keep the animals of Jurassic Park caged and controlled, the effort is a futile one. Even before the dinosaurs escape, they're forcing their way around the barriers the scientists try to impose: trying to hunt despite being fed, trying to escape despite the fences, and -- most surprising of all, since all the animals were genetically engineered to be female -- building nests and breeding. "Life cannot be contained," Ian Malcolm explains. "Life breaks free, expands to new territories -- painfully, maybe even dangerously. But ... life finds a way."

The movie makes clear that its lessons go beyond the boundaries of the story's fiction. Jurassic Park was released during a time when paleontology was making tremendous breakthroughs in the discipline's understanding of the ancient animals of some 100 million years ago. Originally viewed as sluggish, cold-blooded, and somewhat stupid ancestors of today's reptiles, fresh evidence led scientists to revise their theories. A new understanding was born: dinosaurs were much quicker and more limber than previously thought to be, and many of them had been quite intelligent. What's more, many dinosaurs -- with their particular bone structures and skeletal shape -- are actually closer relatives of today's birds than they are to reptiles.

The dinosaurs may have died out (precisely why is still unknown, although the most agreed-upon theory is a catastrophic meteorite), but their genes live on in their avian cousins. Life finds a way.

I was ten years old when Jurassic Park hit theaters, and I can still remember the twin thrills of fear and excitement that shot through me when I first saw the T-rex break through her fencing and start the adventure. The movie took care to set up its story before launching into the thrills, and it was approaching the first-hour mark when the fences went down and the action began. It was a roller-coaster ride of a movie, unlike anything my ten-year-old, dinosaur-loving self had ever seen before. It's the best time I've ever had at a theater.

I watched the movie over and over as a kid. (I can still quote plenty of the lines verbatim.) I eagerly awaited the arrival of the two sequels, and Michael Crichton's original novel (on which the film was based) was the first "grown-up novel" I ever read.

Last weekend saw the release of a new 3-D version of the movie, hitting theaters in celebration of Jurassic Park's 20th anniversary. The timing, for me, is strangely fitting: it's right around my thirtieth birthday. What better time to return to theaters and become a kid again?

[Video: The Music of Jurassic Park]

-- Request Jurassic Park on DVD
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-- Request Jurassic Park III on DVD
-- Request Jurassic Park III on Blu-ray

-- Request the novel Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
-- Request the novel The Lost World by Michael Crichton

-- Post by Ms. B

6 Reasons Why "Interstellar" Was the Best Film of 2014

March 31 marks the release of Interstellar on DVD and Blu-ray. Directed by Christopher Nolan, this sci-fi film is set in a future in which the earth is being gradually overtaken by the Blight, a mysterious ailment that is destroying the planet's crops one by one. Cooper, a NASA pilot turned farmer, is trying to balance a job in which he has little interest with raising his two children, Tom and Murph (short for Murphy).

When Murph unlocks a mysterious puzzle that sends her and her father stumbling into an undercover NASA base, Cooper suddenly finds himself hired to undertake a seemingly impossible mission: follow the cosmic breadcrumbs out into the far reaches of interstellar space -- and find a new planet for humanity to inhabit before Earth becomes a barren wasteland. Joining the crew of Dr. Brand (the NASA scientist overseeing the mission), Cooper will pilot the ship that will take them farther than any human being has ever been before -- even as Cooper fights to get back home to his family.

Released last year, the film was a smash hit. As a sci-fi buff, it was the 2014 movie I was most excited for -- so I was elated when Interstellar turned out to be the weird, wild, wonderful, and wholly unique ride I had hoped it would be.

Haven't seen it yet?  Here's six reasons why you should give it a go:



1.) You haven't seen space like this before

Nolan named 2001: A Space Odyssey as one of the films that served as his inspiration for Interstellar, and it's easy to see that influence in the awe-inspiring shots of space that the Endurance crew travel through.

But since the release of the Stanley Kubrick classic, there's been a plethora of films set in outer space, from Apollo 13 to Gravity. What makes Nolan's take unique?  First, there's consultant Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist whose expert advice and theories allowed the effects crews to offer a unique take on such typical sci-fi fare as wormholes and ice planets. Then there's Nolan's commitment to practical, physical effects over computerized effects whenever possible. Obviously, a sci-fi film like this one will demand the use of some CGI -- but with much of the action being made without the use of a computer, the film often has a more physical feel to it than similar genre offerings.

Best of all, for me, was the chance to see the film in IMAX. The larger-than-life screen packed an extra-powerful wallop, as sheer size helped bring to life the silent, lonely, terrifying, and beautiful emptiness of space. Never before has a film so effectively offered me a window into what a trip through outer space might really be like.

Speaking of:



2.) The alien worlds are actually alien

Being a Christopher Nolan fan girl, all it took were the words "Nolan" and "outer space" to pique my interest in Interstellar. But it wasn't until I caught the film's trailer that I realized I was in for something special. In the trailer, we're shown a scene in which the Endurance crew have landed on a watery world which is caught in the massive gravitational pull of a nearby black hole.

The crew looks out across the alien sea towards a mountain range in the distance:

Then the pilot, Cooper, gets a better look. And realizes it's not a mountain.

It's a wave.

Well, bummer.

Too often in science fiction, the alien worlds don't seem to be anything of the kind; they are, instead, thinly veiled versions of our own home planet. But Interstellar seemed to kick things up a notch, delivering alien worlds that feel alien in their features, geology, and weather.

This is made all the more ironic by the fact that Nolan was filming in real, natural, outdoor locations (with a bit of CGI thrown in later), but that only adds to the effect of bizarre worlds that are still very physical and real.



3.) These archetypal characters are truly archetypes

The characters in Christopher Nolan stories are often thrown into extraordinary circumstances -- navigating the worlds of other people's dreams or fighting crime behind a rather unusual mask. But despite their otherworldly surroundings, the characters remain relatable Everymen, with recognizable and understandable motivations.

While the characters of Interstellar are searching for a way to build a future for humanity and save them from a dying planet, they are also motivated by more personal reasons. Cooper is looking to find a way back to his family. So, in her way, is Dr. Brand, the NASA scientist in charge of the expedition. Murph, Cooper's daughter, finds her own way of searching for the father who had to leave her behind to save her.

Woven into the vastness of space and time is a theme of the timelessness of family, making these characters and their archetypal motivations something relatable and familiar, no matter how weird or wild their surroundings.



4.) It keeps you guessing

In a world of sequels, prequels, and reboots, it's become the truly rare film that has a wholly original story to tell. Of the top-grossing films of 2014, Interstellar was the only movie in the top ten that was not a sequel or adaptation.

I spent the entirety of the film utterly unsure of where the story might be going. While it seemed reasonable to think that the good guys would triumph, I hadn't the foggiest idea of what they might do to get there, and how the hints and clues sprinkled throughout the film would lead to a solution. From ticking clocks to alien contact, the story was intriguing, unsettling, and, ultimately, full-circle. But never in a way I saw coming.

Which leads me to:



5.) It's "A Wrinkle in Time" for adults

Well, to be fair, Madeleine L'Engle's classic YA novel can be enjoyed by any reader of any age. But the fact remains that I couldn't help but be reminded of A Wrinkle in Time while watching the final act of Interstellar. The film ultimately ties together ideas of space, time, and the way in which love and family can transcend those realms -- which is more or less precisely what L'Engle did in her own sci-fi adventure over fifty years ago.

There's nothing overtly linking Nolan's space adventure to L'Engle's. But just as A Wrinkle in Time opened my nine-year-old mind to worlds I had never before considered -- while also telling a story about the unbreakable bonds of love and family -- so, too, did Interstellar achieve the same feat. It's a sci-fi adventure film, but it's also a tale that resonates on the most personal of levels -- making it the rare story that broadens the limits of imagination and tells an important truth, all at the same time.



6.) There's a snarky robot

I could watch this all day.

And then there's TARS -- the sarcastic, snarky, good-natured, and uniquely-designed robot, used by the Endurance crew to help them on their expedition.

Because what's a sci-fi story without a snarky robot?


Request "Interstellar" on DVD from the Catalog

Request "Interstellar" on Blu-ray from the Catalog

Request "The Science of Interstellar" by Kip Thorne from the Catalog

Request "Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space -- Inside Christopher Nolan's Sci-Fi Epic" by Mark Cotta Vaz from the Catalog

Request the Hans Zimmer soundtrack from the Catalog

-- Post by Ms. B 

It's Oscar Time!

You may recall that I made predictions two years ago for the Academy Awards with the plan of doing it every year. For whatever reason, I did not make any predictions last year. So I am back and I plan to make this an annual occurrence.

Once again I have not seen all of the nominated films or performances. I managed to see four of the eight of the films nominated in the Best Picture category. And while I have my personal favorites I will not share them here, although some may be obvious from prior posts. This is going to be who I think the winners will be, not necessarily who I would like to see win.

So let's get to it! I'll check back in next week to see how I did!


Best Picture

American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

My prediction: Boyhood

Actor in a Leading Role

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

My prediction: Michael Keaton, Birdman

Actor in a Supporting Role

Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

My prediction: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Actress in a Leading Role

Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

My prediction: Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Actress in a Supporting Role

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into The Woods

My prediction: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Directing

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

My prediction: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman

--Post by Tracy

New Year's Resolutions: 2015 Edition

This Thanksgiving, your faithful MPL bloggers had a lot of fun coming up with a list of the pop culture properties that we are most thankful for. But as the holiday season progressed, and we began looking towards 2015, it got us thinking: what other books, films, shows, and music are out there waiting for us to discover?

So we've decided to make a few resolutions. That book we always meant to read?  The films we never got around to watching?  The song Ms. B has always meant to learn to play on the piano?  (More about that in a bit.) This year, we've decided, is the year we tackle such projects.

We now present our official list of New Year's Pop Culture Resolutions for 2015. Wish us luck!

(We'll be back, as the year progresses, to let you know how we do ...)

TRACY'S RESOLUTIONS: 

- Continue watching Classic Doctor Who

Doctor Who is one of the most popular shows in the world. Its very first episode broadcast over 50 years ago. After a brief hiatus in the 90s, the show returned to television in 2005, and became even stronger and more popular than it had ever been. I have only been watching the rebooted Doctor Who for a few years, but I am a genuine Whovian!

Although I am all caught up on the current show, I have much to catch up on with the classic Doctor Who. If you are not familiar with Doctor Who, it is a show about a time-traveling alien who uses an old English police phone box, known as the TARDIS, as his space ship. Oh, and he's really, really old -- but doesn't always look like it! He regenerates into a different body when his current one is too damaged. So there have been 12 Doctors (or 13, depending on how you count them), each played by a different actor.

Classic Doctor Who covers the adventures of the Doctor through his first eight incarnations. I have watched as many as possible of the first two Doctors, but I've been stuck on the Third Doctor for awhile now. I resolve to continue watching Classic Doctor Who episodes until I am caught up!

Request Doctor Who titles from the Catalog.



- Read a gothic novel

One of my favorite Jane Austen novels is Northanger Abbey. It is a story of Catherine, a young woman who is fascinated by the gothic novels that were so popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This fascination gets her in a bit of a misunderstanding with her new friends.

Jane Austen was a reader of these gothic novels herself and, in Northanger Abbey, she parodies them. Now I want to be able to understand that type of novel better. Several novels were mentioned in Northanger Abbey (known as the "horrid novels"), most notably The Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliffe. The others are The Italian, also by Radcliffe, and The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parson.

 I resolve to read at least one, if not all, of these novels!

Request The Mysteries of Udolpho from the Catalog.

Request The Italian from the Catalog.



- Make more geek-related crafts

I love to make crafts for myself and as gifts for my friends and family. Unfortunately, I have not been making as many as I would like. My crafting ability lies mostly in counted cross-stitch, but I am also a decent crocheter. 

Last year I discovered the book Star Trek Cross-Stitch: Explore Strange New Worlds of Crafting. I've already made a few things from it, but I want to make more! And the internet is full of patterns for all kinds of geek-related shows, movies and books. What I really want to make is this Death Star pillow that you see above. It would look great sitting on my couch! So, I resolve to crochet the Death Star pillow in 2015!

Request Star Trek Cross-Stitch: Explore Strange New Worlds of Crafting from the Catalog.

Request Knits for Nerds: 30 Projects: Science Fiction, Comic Books, Fantasy from the Catalog.

Online craft sites to check out:

Geekcrafts and Pinterest are great places to look for geeky craft ideas too.

MS. B'S RESOLUTIONS:


- Read Victor Hugo's Les Miserables

I was a junior in high school when our English Lit class studied the much-beloved musical Les Miserables. Based on the book by Victor Hugo, the musical tells the story of Jean Valjean, a convict imprisoned for nearly twenty years after stealing a loaf of bread for his starving sister and her family. Pursued by the unrelenting police inspector Javert (after Valjean breaks the conditions of his parole), Valjean is soon swept into the events of France's June Rebellion of 1832 (more on that historical event here and here).

I've been a fan of the musical ever since 11th grade, but I've never read the original Victor Hugo novel. Coming in at between 1,200 to 1,400 pages (depending on the edition), and chock-full of historical and political detail, it always seemed like a daunting task -- perhaps too daunting.

But this year, that changes!  I resolve to read Victor Hugo's Les Miserables -- from cover to cover. 

Request Victor Hugo's Les Miserables from the Catalog



- See the '80s Classics

Though I am, technically, a child of the '80s, I was young enough that I missed out almost entirely on the pop culture of the era. And that means I've never watched a number of classic films that came out in that decade.

What films, specifically?  I've had a number of classics on my list for quite some time, including The Goonies, Gremlins, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Labyrinth, Footloose, Ghostbusters, Superman II, The Untouchables, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Fly, and Beverly Hills Cop.

A list that long seems just a little bit intimidating, though (especially since I've got twelve hundred pages of Les Miserables waiting for me). So I hereby resolve to watch at least five '80s films throughout 2015.

Request The Goonies from the Catalog

Request Pretty in Pink from the Catalog

Request Ghostbusters from the Catalog



- Watch Star Trek: Voyager

I've been a Trekkie since before I can remember. And, happily for me, there's been plenty of different flavors of Star Trek for me to enjoy. As a kid, I loved Star Trek: The Next Generation; while in grad school, I became a huge fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Over the past few years, director J.J. Abrams's rebooted Star Trek movies have earned a place among my all-time favorite films. I've even started watching the original '60s series.

But for all that, there's one particular Trek that I have no experience with -- and that is Star Trek: Voyager. I've been interested in watching Voyager for years, especially since it remains the only Trek show to have a woman (Captain Kathryn Janeway) in the command chair. But despite hearing about its intriguing premise and great characters, I've never quite gotten around to giving the show a try.

The time has come to remedy this, and so I resolve to watch all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager by the end of the year.

(There's still Star Trek: Enterprise to get through, but we'll worry about that in 2016.)

Request Season One of Star Trek: Voyager from the Catalog



- Play the music of Hans Zimmer

Maybe not in quite this fashion.

As I've mentioned, I'm a huge fan of film scores and soundtracks. I'm also a particular fan of the scores of Hans Zimmer, the composer behind such film soundtracks as Interstellar, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Dark Knight trilogy, and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. Considering that list more or less comprises my favorite films, it's been a delight to have Zimmer's fantastic and memorable music show up in these movies to help tell their stories.

It also just so happens that I've been playing the piano (to varying degrees of success) nearly all my life. While I haven't been playing much in recent years, I've decided that this is the time to change that.

So, inspired by the works of Hans Zimmer, I resolve to learn to play at least two Zimmer-penned songs on the piano by this time next year. And if I'm successful, I'll upload a video of my performance.

Fingers (and tentacles) crossed!

Request the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest soundtrack from the Catalog

Request the Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows soundtrack from the Catalog

-- Post by Tracy and Ms. B

Giving Thanks: 2014 Edition

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, your friendly neighborhood Library bloggers are here to tell you what they're most thankful for this year ...



TRACY'S PICKS: 

-- Orphan Black (BBC America)

Just what I needed -- another television show to obsess about. But once I got into it, there was no turning back for me with Orphan Black. This Canadian-produced show became a huge hit for BBC America in the spring of 2013. Actress Tatiana Maslany stars as Sarah, a street-wise single mother desperately attempting to get her act together so she can get her daughter back. She discovers that she is not as alone as she thought she was. After witnessing the suicide of Beth, a woman who looks exactly like her, Sarah finds that she is one of many clones who have been placed with a variety of families. And now, someone is trying to kill them off, one by one.

The show can be a little out there at times, but the heart of the show is about families and relationships. First off is Sarah's relationship with her daughter, Kira, and her foster brother, Felix. And then there are the other clones, each one more unique than the last. From hippy scientist Cosima to control freak Allison to trained assassin Helena, television has never really seen the likes of them before. The most amazing part of the show is the fact that Ms. Maslany plays every one of the clones. Sometimes it's easy to forget that they are not different actresses playing these parts. She is truly amazing.

So, for this wild and never-boring show, I am very thankful!

Click here to request Season One and Two of Orphan Black from the Catalog



-- The Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack

Guardians of the Galaxy was a lot of fun, but far from the best superhero film I've ever seen. However, I absolutely LOVED the soundtrack! These are the songs of my youth. I was pleasantly surprised throughout the entire movie with 70s hit after 70s hit blaring throughout the theater.

Listening to the soundtrack makes me so happy and takes me back to a much simpler time in my life, when all I had to worry about was whether I wanted to go out and play, watch TV or listen to 13Q on my brand-new clock radio. For the past several months, this has been my go-to music to cheer me up, help me to clean my house and to just pass the time.

My favorites are Come and Get Your Love by Redbone, Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede, Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Elvin Bishop and I Want You Back by the Jackson 5.

For these songs, and the whole soundtrack, I am truly thankful.

Click here to request Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 from the Catalog



-- Comic Books

This past year, I rediscovered my love of comic books. Not that I was ever a huge fan of the genre, but as a kid, and even into my teens, there were several comic books that I liked. Of course, I loved to read just about anything, so it's really no surprise that the stories were more important to me than the artwork. While I can't remember every comic book that I read, I know that I liked a wide variety of them. One of my favorites as a teen was The Fantastic Four.

Now I'm mostly reading comic books with characters I already know from television shows (Doctor Who, The X Files, Sleepy Hollow). I've also been reading graphic novels like Snowpiercer by Jacques Lob, The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman and The Intergalactic Nemesis by Jason Neulander.

For rediscovering my love of comic books, I am thankful.

Click here to request The X-Files Season 10 from the Catalog



-- Honorable Mention: The Phryne Fisher Series by Kerry Greenwood

For finding a new mystery series to check out, I am thankful! Thanks, Ms. B!

Read Ms. B's review of this series here.




MS. B'S PICKS:

-- Interstellar (Directed by Christopher Nolan)

When I heard that Christopher Nolan -- one of my favorite filmmakers -- was doing a movie about space travel, I could not have been more excited. So when I say Interstellar exceeded my wildest expectations, that is no mean feat.

There's no need to spoil the plot; I've found that Nolan movies are at their most effective when the story beats and plot twists come as a surprise. What I can tell you is that, as a lifelong enthusiast for all things related to astronomy and space travel, watching Interstellar on an IMAX screen was the emotional equivalent of buying a first-class ticket on board the next space shuttle. This was the first film that made me feel just how overpoweringly vast, immensely lonely, and awesomely mind-bending space really is. The alien worlds were more alien, the cost to visit them more extreme. It makes for a story that feels like a true window into the possibilities of uncharted territory -- along with a great set of characters, a crackerjack plot, an emotional core that deeply resonates, and a fantastically sarcastic robot.

So, for a sci-fi film that gave my imagination a ride through the final frontier, I am truly thankful!

Click here to request the making-of book Interstellar -- Beyond Time and Space: Inside Christopher Nolan's Sci-Fi Epic by Mark Cotta Vaz from the Catalog

-- Eighteen Years of South Park

As often as not, I try to keep my affection for South Park under wraps. Convincing non-fans that this rude, crude, foul-mouthed, and all-around irreverent television show is anything more than its surface appearance can often prove something of a challenge.

But what started life as a rather simple animated television show (that is absolutely not intended for children) has grown into something more than a showcase for swear words and crude humor. Don't get me wrong; there's still plenty of that. But for years now, South Park has been used by its creators (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) to offer biting social commentary on a wide variety of issues --  politics, religion, freedom of speech, the environment, poverty, sexism, prejudice, and, at the core of it all, childhood.

South Park's continual ability to provide all that and more, while still telling good stories filled with irreverent humor, is an incredible feat. All the more stunning is their track record. As this year's eighteenth season continues, many of the episodes are on par with the best work Parker and Stone have ever done.

South Park can't last forever, but for now, it's going strong -- and, for that, I'm quite thankful!

Click here to request Season 17 of South Park from the Catalog



-- Loki: Agent of Asgard (by Al Ewing and Lee Garbett)

"You are your own worst enemy." The saying's a cliché for the best of reasons: it's so utterly true. For most of us, the person who holds us back from reaching our full potential is ourselves.

It's a concept that forms the backbone of the story being told in the pages of Marvel's new comic Loki: Agent of Asgard. If you've seen the Marvel movies, you already know that Loki is not only the kid brother of the heroic Thor -- he's also a jealous megalomaniac who is bent on conquest, revenge, and all your usual boilerplate bad-guy schemes.

... or at least, he used to be that guy. Now, after a rather complicated series of events, Loki finds himself on the path to redemption. He's got a fresh new outlook, and he's keen to do what he can to make up for his past ways. But there's a few problems along the way -- including an older version of Loki himself, traveling through time to lure this new and improved Loki back to his former ways.

It all makes for a unique, heartbreaking, and undeniably fun story that explores the struggle to keep the world from stuffing you into its own expectations of who you really are ... and what you have to do to find your own path to the truest version of yourself. It's a story that resonates with me more than any other comic I've ever read -- which, as a lifelong comics fan, is truly saying something.

With crackerjack writing and stunningly emotive artwork, it all makes me quite thankful for the Agent of Asgard.

Click here to request Loki: Agent of Asgard - Vol 1 from the Catalog



-- Honorable Mention: The Martian by Andy Weir

For introducing me to one of my new all-time favorite novels, I am thankful. Thanks, Tracy!

Read Tracy's review of The Martian here.

And, of course, Dancing Groot. Who isn't thankful for Dancing Groot?

-- Post by Tracy and Ms. B

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.

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-- 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.

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-- 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.

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-- 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.

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-- 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.

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-- Post by Ms. B 

Staff Recommendation #35: "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman

Coraline is best explained as a family horror story. By "family horror story," I don't mean it's a horror story about family -- although it certainly is that, too -- but rather that it's a horror story suitable for (older) children as well as adults of all ages.

It doesn't start out like a horror story. When we are first introduced to Coraline, her life is actually quite boring. She and her family have just moved to a new town, taking up residence in an ancient house known as the Pink Palace. They've got plenty of colorful neighbors, but no one that Coraline really feels she can be friends with -- and even her parents are too busy with their own tasks and concerns to pay her any attention.

But then Coraline discovers a tiny door in the wall, a door that takes her to a very different version of the Pink Palace. In this world, Coraline meets her Other Mother, a sweet and mischievous doppelgänger of Coraline's real mom. Unlike her real mom, though, the Other Mother always has time for Coraline, making up games and shows and favorite foods, all for Coraline's amusement. Even the neighbors are better.

The set-up is all very boilerplate, author Neil Gaiman's own fairytale version of Lucy in Narnia or Alice in Wonderland. But then the Other Mother offers Coraline a way to remain in this new, enchanting world forever -- and suddenly, Coraline finds herself no longer living in a dream world, but facing, and fighting, a monster.

The book was published in 2002, and went on to win both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novella. It was also released as a film in 2009, directed by Henry Selick (the director behind The Nightmare Before Christmas), and it was as a film that I first experienced the story. It's not a bad place to start; the movie is both a gorgeously-rendered (and brilliantly-acted) film in its own right, while also being spectacularly faithful to the book it's based on.

But however you choose to approach the story, what makes it so special is not the spine-chilling horror elements in and of themselves. Instead, it is in watching Coraline find the courage, determination, and resourcefulness necessary to defeat the darkness. It transforms Coraline from a heartless horror story into a Hero's Journey about facing the monsters and finding your courage. To borrow the quote that opened the book, observed by G.K. Chesterton (as paraphrased by Neil Gaiman):

"Fairy tales are more than true -- not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten."

-- Request Coraline from the Catalog

-- Request the Coraline audiobook from the Catalog

-- Request the Coraline film from the Catalog

-- Request the Coraline film soundtrack

-- Request the Coraline musical soundtrack

-- Post by Ms. B