Month: June 2013

Learn Final Cut Pro X TODAY at the New Media Center

Although Media Services is understandably a bit less busy during the summer, the New Media Center is still going at it. Our series of summer training sessions continues today with the popular Final Cut Pro X Bootcamp, a two-hour session that teaches you the ins and outs of one of the most popular video-editing programs. … Continue reading “Learn Final Cut Pro X TODAY at the New Media Center”

Although Media Services is understandably a bit less busy during the summer, the New Media Center is still going at it. Our series of summer training sessions continues today with the popular Final Cut Pro X Bootcamp, a two-hour session that teaches you the ins and outs of one of the most popular video-editing programs.

The bootcamp session starts at 2pm today in the New Media Center. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to edit videos with more professional software than iMovie or Live Movie Maker, now’s your chance!

If you can’t make this session, there will be a few more in the coming weeks, including a few evening classes. Check our schedule for a full list.

No RSVP is required. Hope to see you there!

Behold, the Pugs of Middle-earth

It’s very hot out to day, and we’re exhausted. Some weather outlets say it feels like 97° right now. Yikes. So, without comment, here are pictures of pugs dressed like the cast of Lord of the Rings.

It’s very hot out to day, and we’re exhausted. Some weather outlets say it feels like 97° right now. Yikes.

So, without comment, here are pictures of pugs dressed like the cast of Lord of the Rings.

Media Services at the Movies: White House Down

The summer blockbuster season is here! “Media Services at the Movies” will look at what big movie is coming out this week, then offer a few movies like it from our collection. Okay, hear us out on this one. There was once a time when summer blockbusters were not superhero movies. They were just loud … Continue reading “Media Services at the Movies: White House Down”

The summer blockbuster season is here! “Media Services at the Movies” will look at what big movie is coming out this week, then offer a few movies like it from our collection.

Okay, hear us out on this one.

There was once a time when summer blockbusters were not superhero movies. They were just loud and stupid. And for all their sins, they weren’t based on any pre-existing property. You would pay $5 (yes, $5) to see an action hero blow things up for a bit, sometimes with very little plot, and that was it. Most of these movies were made by Roland Emmerich, schlockmeister extraordinaire and one of the highest-grossing directors of all time.

After a series of weird, boring misfires like 10,000 BC and Anonymous, Roland Emmerich has returned to his old wheelhouse for a Channing Tatum movie about the White House exploding. So, whatever, we’re okay with that.

Given the insane/stupid nature of most of Emmerich’s movies, we don’t have too many like them in our collection. But every explosion counts!

The Patriot – HU DVD 347
Independence Day – HU DVD 3111
Lethal Weapon – HU DVD 3591
Point Break – HU DVD 6765
Face/Off – HU DVD 10655
Speed – HU DVD 10859

Beyond Tony Soprano: James Gandolfini in film and television

No doubt you’ve read the news about the tragic, young death of James Gandolfini, the actor best for his powerhouse role as Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano. No one doubts that role is one for the ages. But even without The Sopranos, Gandolfini had a large and diverse career, including documentaries about war veterans and … Continue reading “Beyond Tony Soprano: James Gandolfini in film and television”

No doubt you’ve read the news about the tragic, young death of James Gandolfini, the actor best for his powerhouse role as Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano. No one doubts that role is one for the ages. But even without The Sopranos, Gandolfini had a large and diverse career, including documentaries about war veterans and children’s movies.

If you enjoyed James Gandolfini on HBO, consider watching these other films and television shows that he starred in and produced.

The Sopranos – HU DVD 14030-14037
The Man Who Wasn’t There – HU DVD 365
All the King’s Men – HU DVD 3662
True Romance – HU DVD 3820
Zero Dark Thirty – HU DVD 6211
In the Loop – HU DVD 7060
Where the Wild Things Are – HU DVD 7208
Romance & Cigarettes – HU DVD 9322
Cinema Verite – HU DVD 10180
Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq – HU DVD 10343
Wartorn: 1861-2010 – HU DVD 10384
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – HU DVD 10438

Slim Whitman, musician featured in Mars Attacks!, dies

Here’s a sad movie trivia obituary. Slim Whitman, renowned folk yodeler, died today at age 89. Though not exactly a beloved or legendary musician, Slim Whitman has a small place in film lore. In the climactic scene of Tim Burton’s 1996 movie Mars Attacks! (DVD 4555), Whitman’s “Indian Love Call” is used by the military … Continue reading “Slim Whitman, musician featured in Mars Attacks!, dies”

Here’s a sad movie trivia obituary. Slim Whitman, renowned folk yodeler, died today at age 89. Though not exactly a beloved or legendary musician, Slim Whitman has a small place in film lore. In the climactic scene of Tim Burton’s 1996 movie Mars Attacks! (DVD 4555), Whitman’s “Indian Love Call” is used by the military as the ultimate weapon to defeat the Martian invaders.

Maybe that’s a silly legacy for a singer with a career spanning eight decades, especially considering the movie isn’t that flattering towards Whitman’s yodeling. But if there’s a way he’ll be remembered decades from now when yodeling is even more out of style, it’s through Mars Attacks!

Media Services at the Movies: Monsters University

The summer blockbuster season is here! “Media Services at the Movies” will look at what big movie is coming out this week, then offer a few movies like it from our collection. Who among us have never, at least once, loved a Pixar film? The Disney-owned studio has nearly two decades of bona fide classics … Continue reading “Media Services at the Movies: Monsters University”

The summer blockbuster season is here! “Media Services at the Movies” will look at what big movie is coming out this week, then offer a few movies like it from our collection.

Who among us have never, at least once, loved a Pixar film? The Disney-owned studio has nearly two decades of bona fide classics under its belt, a legacy that will hopefully expand with Friday’s release of Monsters University. Though Pixar rarely tackles non-Toy Story sequels, Monsters University looks to begin a new trend of continuing beloved movies from years past; a Finding Nemo follow-up is also in the works.

It’s understandable that Pixar would want to capitalize on the success of its biggest properties, but the studio’s recently spotty track record raises cause for skepticism about whether this is the right time to start franchising its history.

With that said, this week is a great time to re-watch your Pixar favorites.

Finding Nemo – HU DVD 836
The Incredibles – HU DVD 1901
Pixar Short Films Collection, Volume 1 – HU DVD 3341
Ratatouille – HU DVD 3814
WALL-E – HU DVD 4950
Up – HU DVD 6690
Toy Story – HU DVD 7768
Toy Story 2 – HU DVD 7769
Toy Story 3 – HU DVD 7770
Monsters, Inc. – HU DVD 8596
Brave – HU DVD 11021

Spielberg joins Soderbergh in warning of film industry “implosion”

Pessimism loves company. Roughly a month after now-retired director Steven Soderbergh engaged in an epic-length verbal takedown of the movie industry, Steven Spielberg has followed suit; Hollywood Reporter quotes a foreboding Spielberg warning of the industry’s imminent restructuring. The director predicts a number of changes, such as higher ticket prices for pricier blockbusters and the … Continue reading “Spielberg joins Soderbergh in warning of film industry “implosion””

Pessimism loves company. Roughly a month after now-retired director Steven Soderbergh engaged in an epic-length verbal takedown of the movie industry, Steven Spielberg has followed suit; Hollywood Reporter quotes a foreboding Spielberg warning of the industry’s imminent restructuring. The director predicts a number of changes, such as higher ticket prices for pricier blockbusters and the explosion of films through alternatives mediums such as television and video game consoles.

Though Spielberg was not as apocalyptic as Soderbergh, he notes that the industry only needs a few more John Carter-size flops to collapse the business. “There’s going to be an implosion,” he cautions, “where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen megabudget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that’s going to change the paradigm.” The director speaks from experience: Lincoln nearly would have been produced and released by HBO for cost reasons, and Spielberg is currently working on an exclusive television series for Xbox.

Is this going to happen sooner rather then later? With the international market, even failures in the US are picking up plenty of money abroad to recoup their costs. But keep an eye out: upcoming mega-blockbusters like The Lone Ranger are high-risk gambles that might cost studios more than a couple million dollars.

IWDRM is a mesmerizing tribute to iconic film images

I’ve been looking for an excuse to post this for a while, but no good one has come up. Consider it a little Tuesday pick-me-up. IWDRM is a blog that posts animated stills of famous movie scenes. That sounds confusing, and the results are somewhat confounding too. Pictures on the site combine animation with still … Continue reading “IWDRM is a mesmerizing tribute to iconic film images”

I’ve been looking for an excuse to post this for a while, but no good one has come up. Consider it a little Tuesday pick-me-up.

IWDRM is a blog that posts animated stills of famous movie scenes. That sounds confusing, and the results are somewhat confounding too. Pictures on the site combine animation with still photography, lending them a surreal quality that accurately captures the look and feel of each scene. It’s difficult to describe, but you’ll be hooked. Click the sample picture above to go to their blog and see more.

Sadly, the site has not updated as frequently recently. But there’s still hundreds of fascinating GIFs available for viewing right now. See you tomorrow!

Media Services at the Movies: Man of Steel

The summer blockbuster season is here! “Media Services at the Movies” will look at what big movie is coming out this week, then offer a few movies like it from our collection. Seven years have passed since the last Superman film – 33 years since arguably the last good Superman film. We didn’t expect them … Continue reading “Media Services at the Movies: Man of Steel”

The summer blockbuster season is here! “Media Services at the Movies” will look at what big movie is coming out this week, then offer a few movies like it from our collection.

Seven years have passed since the last Superman film – 33 years since arguably the last good Superman film. We didn’t expect them to get it right this time. Not with a darker tone, and not with the director of 300 in charge. But here’s the thing: Man of Steel looks great. Dark superhero movies may be falling out of vogue, but producer Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder’s unique, mature take on Superman may have finally nailed down the most intriguing and exciting aspects of the character’s story. Henry Cavill might go down at the definitive Superman, which might lead to a lucrative new franchise for Warner Bros.

Superman is one of the cornerstone franchises of DC Comics. We’ve already hawked for Marvel movies with Iron Man 3, so let’s turn an eye to the DC and Zack Snyder films in our collection…

300 – HU DVD 2788
Batman (1966) – HU DVD 4288
Batman (1989) – HU DVD 4701
Batmen Returns – HU DVD 4702
Batman Forever – HU DVD 4703
Batman & Robin – HU DVD 4704
Superman – HU DVD 4877
V for Vendetta – HU DVD 5558
Watchmen – HU DVD 6080
Sucker Punch – HU DVD 10038
Batman Begins – HU DVD 10790
The Dark Knight – HU DVD 10791
The Dark Knight Rises – HU DVD 10792

“Fitzcardboardaldo” will make any Herzog fan’s week

This might be best to share without much context. Experimental artist and puppeteer Robin Frohardt recreated Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo in cardboard. We see creative tributes to movies all the time, but the sheer audacity of this project and its unusual choice of subject are laudable. And ironic, given Herzog’s tendency to make movies about impossible … Continue reading ““Fitzcardboardaldo” will make any Herzog fan’s week”

This might be best to share without much context. Experimental artist and puppeteer Robin Frohardt recreated Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo in cardboard. We see creative tributes to movies all the time, but the sheer audacity of this project and its unusual choice of subject are laudable. And ironic, given Herzog’s tendency to make movies about impossible dreams and struggles against nature.