Obama, Romney share television favorites

With Hurricane Sandy largely out of the way, the media now turns to the upcoming presidential election. Less than a week remains until the election, and without enough time for any more debates or major game-changing developments, the time has come for silly feature stories. TV Guide scored exclusive interviews with both President Obama and … Continue reading “Obama, Romney share television favorites”

With Hurricane Sandy largely out of the way, the media now turns to the upcoming presidential election. Less than a week remains until the election, and without enough time for any more debates or major game-changing developments, the time has come for silly feature stories.

TV Guide scored exclusive interviews with both President Obama and Governor Romney. Rather than pressing them on the economy or gender equality, TV Guide decided to figure out what their favorite television shows are. If you’d believe it, Obama is a fan of HBO dramas Boardwalk Empire and The Wire, while Romney prefers down-to-earth hits like Justified, Magnum P.I., and Friday Night Lights.

You could extrapolate some political points from the list if you wanted to analyze Obama’s choice of Homeland or Romney’s love for Modern Family, but this is really just a fun list. Also, apparently Romney is a fan of the old Transformers animated series. Who knew!

Hurricane update

As a result of the incoming hurricane, the library will be operating on limited hours tomorrow. Media Services will be open from 11am to 6pm.

As a result of the incoming hurricane, the library will be operating on limited hours tomorrow. Media Services will be open from 11am to 6pm.

Alternative programming: Outlast Sandy with disaster movies

If you’ve looked outside in the past 12 hours, you’ve no doubt noticed the impending, massive onslaught of Hurricane Sandy. This storm could be pretty serious. The Capital Weather Gang as The Washington Post has put together a guide for how to stay safe and supplied during the storm. Check in with them for updates … Continue reading “Alternative programming: Outlast Sandy with disaster movies”

If you’ve looked outside in the past 12 hours, you’ve no doubt noticed the impending, massive onslaught of Hurricane Sandy. This storm could be pretty serious. The Capital Weather Gang as The Washington Post has put together a guide for how to stay safe and supplied during the storm. Check in with them for updates about how this storm will unfold over the next three days.

That said, if you happen to already be on or around campus, what better way to wait for the inevitable power outage than to watch a few movies? Media Services has a thin collection of disaster movies, but we have plenty of films about survival and the post-apocalypse.

The Wizard of Oz – HU DVD 666
Key Largo – HU DVD 4679
The Road – HU DVD 7217
127 Hours – HU DVD 8294
The Walking Dead: Season 1 – HU DVD 10531 (recommended purchase!)

We also have a movie about boxing called The Hurricane  (HU DVD 491).

Films and documentaries about Hurricane Katrina were intentionally omitted. If you’re looking for something more substantive and educational, consider watching PBS’s free streaming version of The Hurricane of ’38, a particularly brutal hurricane that hit the East Coast nearly a century ago.

Stay safe and dry!

Dress up like Death or RoboCop, get a gift bag

Criterion has put their own unexpected twist on the glut of seasonal costume contests and themed events. They are currently running a costume contest rewarding people who dress up as characters from one of the 600+ films in the Criterion Collection. This sounds like a daunting task, since it’s hard to pull of a recognizable … Continue reading “Dress up like Death or RoboCop, get a gift bag”

Criterion has put their own unexpected twist on the glut of seasonal costume contests and themed events. They are currently running a costume contest rewarding people who dress up as characters from one of the 600+ films in the Criterion Collection. This sounds like a daunting task, since it’s hard to pull of a recognizable Antoine Doinel costume, but Criterion’s archives are full of exciting and costume-able characters. This is Spinal Tap, Brazil, and Armageddon, for instance, both saw Criterion releases.

If you send Criterion a picture if your costume by the end of the day on Halloween, you’ll be entered to win a Criterion-themed gift bag. No telling what’s inside except winning!

Wikipedia has a handy list of all the films released by Criterion if you need a reference.

Celebrate Food Day with The Weight of the Nation screening TODAY

As part of a campus-wide celebration of Food Day, a day designated by a D.C. group for celebrating sustainable, healthy food, the School of Education, Teaching, and Health will screen portions of the HBO documentary series The Weight of the Nation in Ward 2 today at 2 PM. The screening will be followed by a … Continue reading “Celebrate Food Day with The Weight of the Nation screening TODAY”

As part of a campus-wide celebration of Food Day, a day designated by a D.C. group for celebrating sustainable, healthy food, the School of Education, Teaching, and Health will screen portions of the HBO documentary series The Weight of the Nation in Ward 2 today at 2 PM. The screening will be followed by a “multidisciplinary faculty panel discussion.”

The documentary covers the consequences of the nationwide obesity epidemic, its effects on children, and the ways to change it. This is an entertaining way to bring attention to the important issues that Food Day addresses.

The two-hour screening will only cover a portion of The Weight of the Nation; the full program lasts closer to five hours. If you want to view the rest of the series, you can view it at Media Services (HU DVD 10386).

Sam Raimi turns 53

Self-made director-writer-producer Sam Raimi turns 53 today. Raimi has led a storied and versatile career, starting with the breakout success of low-budget horror movie The Evil Dead. Over the course of three decades, Raimi has collaborated with the Coen brothers, produced hit television shows, and helmed the Spider-Man film franchise. On top of directing major … Continue reading “Sam Raimi turns 53”

Self-made director-writer-producer Sam Raimi turns 53 today. Raimi has led a storied and versatile career, starting with the breakout success of low-budget horror movie The Evil Dead. Over the course of three decades, Raimi has collaborated with the Coen brothers, produced hit television shows, and helmed the Spider-Man film franchise. On top of directing major Hollywood tentpole titles, he now regularly returns to his roots and produces and funds small horror movies.

Who knows what next turn Raimi’s career will take, but his filmography is diverse and exciting. Especially given the seasonal focus on horror movies, it’s worth taking time to look back at some of Raimi’s biggest films.

The Gift – HU DVD 897
The Hudsucker Proxy – HU DVD 1054
Spider-Man – HU DVD 7121
Spider-Man 2 – HU DVD 7122
Spider-Man 3 – HU DVD 7123
The Grudge – HU DVD 7779
Evil Dead – HU DVD 8141
Evil Dead II – HU DVD 8142
Drag Me to Hell – HU DVD 10122

60 Minutes gets in Spielberg’s head

Steven Spielberg is widely accepted to be among the most notable and important (if not one of the best) contemporary American film directors. With the impending release of Spielberg’s highly anticipated Lincoln, it makes sense that there’s a renewed interest in the now-65-year-old director’s work. Yesterday, 60 Minutes had an extensive interview with Spielberg about … Continue reading “60 Minutes gets in Spielberg’s head”

Steven Spielberg is widely accepted to be among the most notable and important (if not one of the best) contemporary American film directors. With the impending release of Spielberg’s highly anticipated Lincoln, it makes sense that there’s a renewed interest in the now-65-year-old director’s work.

Yesterday, 60 Minutes had an extensive interview with Spielberg about how his childhood and relationship with his father have influenced his films. While the 14-minute piece is more of a biography than an incisive look at Spielberg’s oeuvre, the video is still worth watching for a glimpse into how Spielberg has exorcised his demons — and how his new films take an entirely different tact.

New Films on Demand titles – October 2012

Films on Demand, a streaming video platform used by Media Services, continues to surprise with the size and breadth of its collection. The service just added in excess of 450 streaming videos to its database that you can view from on- or off-campus. Though they aren’t yet in the library catalog, they can all be … Continue reading “New Films on Demand titles – October 2012”

Films on Demand, a streaming video platform used by Media Services, continues to surprise with the size and breadth of its collection. The service just added in excess of 450 streaming videos to its database that you can view from on- or off-campus. Though they aren’t yet in the library catalog, they can all be accessed from the Films on Demand website. A few highlights include…

Last of the Giants: Medical Mysteries, Series 1 (2001, 50 min.)
Giants are not just the stuff of myth and legend; they are real people, and their condition is caused by a medical disorder that can now be treated. John Paul Ofwono of Uganda is currently the tallest man in the world. Though that makes him a celebrity in his country, he urgently needs treatment for acromegaly, the condition that now threatens his life. Acromegaly is caused by a disorder of the pituitary gland that causes it to produce excessive amou­nts of growth hormone. It is likely the same condition that made the biblical Goliath such a huge man. The program features famous giants and several young people who would have died in early middle age, but who have now been successfully treated.

Student Speeches for Analysis, Volume 1 (2005, 105 min.)
By observing and analyzing some of the best and worst speech techniques, students are encouraged to examine their own speeches more critically. A supplement to any speech textbook, this first volume examines introductions plus informative and persuasive speeches.
   
The Foolish Wise Ones (1957, 35 min.)
This classic program focuses on the savant syndrome, telling the story of three severely mentally handicapped people. Each possesses an extraordinary talent—for playing music, creating art, or remembering dates. Noel Patterson is autistic and requires constant care, yet he is an exceptional pianist and can reproduce almost any music effortlessly. David Kidd has an IQ of only 68, but he is an expert in the recondite mathematics of calculating the calendar. Although Stephen Wiltshire is mentally challenged, he draws remarkable pen-and-ink likenesses of buildings from memory. The savant syndrome was first identified by a 19th-century French psychologist, who referred to these remarkable individuals as the “foolish wise ones.”

Plastics: Quirky Science (2011, 30 min.)
Plastic has become ubiquitous—impressive, since we’d been living without it for centuries! Can you imagine that plastic was invented accidentally—for the purpose of making billiard balls? This program investigates the history of plastic: from the first plastic—discovered when someone witnessed how Southeast Asian farmers used the poop of a little beetle, called shellac, to preserve wood—to Dupont’s development of nylon, the first synthetic material to replace silk. But plastic is made with oil and is hard to break down. See how a U.S.-based company is creating a bioplastic grown inside microorganisms. Plastic grown in the field? Now that is quirky! Part of the series Quirky Science.

Off the Grid: American Communities in the Wake of the Financial Crisis (2011, 75 min.)
Crafting a unified response to economic turmoil is no easy task at the federal level, but towns and cities across the U.S. have faced the aftermath of the 2008 recession in ways that are quick, innovative, and authentic. Their methods, while not always successful, offer a wealth of teaching points for studies in civics, economics, sociology, and political science. In Great Barrington, Massachusetts, a new local currency circulates. In Austin, Texas, big corporations and the federal government alike have triggered community opposition. And in Colorado Springs, the link between an anti-tax philosophy and a lack of city services becomes all too evident. The film also looks at symptoms of the recession seen in America’s broader infrastructure and society—such as declining roads and highways, decaying buildings, and swelling homeless populations.

Learn about fair use next Thursday

Our friends at the Music Library were quick to remind us about the upcoming Digital Futures Forum to be hosted by the library next Thursday. This time around, the topic is the fair use of copyrighted material. Fair use is often used as a blanket disclaimer for using copyrighted material, with some leeway provided for … Continue reading “Learn about fair use next Thursday”

Our friends at the Music Library were quick to remind us about the upcoming Digital Futures Forum to be hosted by the library next Thursday. This time around, the topic is the fair use of copyrighted material.

Fair use is often used as a blanket disclaimer for using copyrighted material, with some leeway provided for educational purposes, parody, and other creative uses. But fair use law has changed recently, especially in relation to changes in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the rise of streaming video services. Knowing the difference between arguable fair use and copyright infringement could save you great legal troubles. Copyright prosecution has actually happened at the university level; it’s not a nebulous, unenforceable threat.

If you’re planning on using video or other copyrighted content in projects this semester, be sure to learn the limits and privileges of fair use at the Digital Futures Forum next Thursday. For more information and to RSVP, email LibEvents@american.edu.

mental_floss on television that changed the world

Television has been hardwired into our cultural vocabulary for decades, so it’s not surprising that shows can change the way we behave and challenge social norms. When you spell out all their effects, though, it can be staggering. The good people at mental_floss put together an interesting list of television shows that have influenced society … Continue reading “mental_floss on television that changed the world”

Television has been hardwired into our cultural vocabulary for decades, so it’s not surprising that shows can change the way we behave and challenge social norms.

When you spell out all their effects, though, it can be staggering. The good people at mental_floss put together an interesting list of television shows that have influenced society outside of their own popular spheres. There are a surprising number of shows that have affected politics, changed our vocabulary, or made us healthier people. Some of these are a little weak — Celine Dion does not count as a world-changing milestone — but the stories about subversive Dutch reality shows and CSI‘s effect on criminal trials are proof of TV’s inescapable grip on our subconscious.

Many of the shows on the list are international programs or shows without home media releases like America’s Most Wanted, but a number of them are available at Media Services. Judge for yourself whether our world is different because of them.

The Simpsons – HU DVD 6581 – 6591
Glee – HU DVD 7621 – 7633
SpongeBob SquarePants – HU DVD 8451 – 8459
Star Trek: The Next Generation – HU DVD 6401 – 6449
Curb Your Enthusiasm – HU DVD 5211 – 5226
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – HU DVD 2821 – 2859
Friends – HU DVD 8501 – 8540
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – HU DVD 10291
Sex and the City – HU DVD 3901 – 3919