New DVDs

Home Use America Inside Out with Katie Couric: Season 1 (DVD 16110) Norman:The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (DVD 16111) Molly’s Game (DVD 16112) The Durrells in Corfu: The Complete First Season (DVD 16113) Kedi (DVD 16114) Last Men in Aleppo (DVD 16115) The Chinese Exclusion Act (DVD 16116) Jane … Continue reading “New DVDs”

Home Use

  • America Inside Out with Katie Couric: Season 1 (DVD 16110)
  • Norman:The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (DVD 16111)
  • Molly’s Game (DVD 16112)
  • The Durrells in Corfu: The Complete First Season (DVD 16113)
  • Kedi (DVD 16114)
  • Last Men in Aleppo (DVD 16115)
  • The Chinese Exclusion Act (DVD 16116)
  • Jane Austen’s Mafia! (DVD 16117)
  • The Real Mad Men of Advertising (DVD 16118)
  • A Raisin in the Sun (DVD 424)

Kedi is the award-winning (and heartwarming!) documentary film about the street cats of Istanbul. Look at this adorable kitty named Psikopat!

Bernardo Bertolucci and Stephen Hillenburg

This week saw the death of two artists, giants in their respective fields. On Monday, Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci died at age 77. Bertolucci rose to fame with the 1973 release of Last Tango in Paris, a controversial film that was earned an X rating after extensive cuts. One of these scenes depicted a middle … Continue reading “Bernardo Bertolucci and Stephen Hillenburg”

By Associazione Culturale Cinemazero from Pordenone, Italia – Bernardo Bertolucci 030, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24288846

This week saw the death of two artists, giants in their respective fields. On Monday, Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci died at age 77. Bertolucci rose to fame with the 1973 release of Last Tango in Paris, a controversial film that was earned an X rating after extensive cuts. One of these scenes depicted a middle aged man (Marlon Brando) raping his young lover (Maria Schneider), using only butter as a lubricant. Neither Bertolucci nor Brando informed Schneider that this was to take place, as Bertolucci wanted her reaction “not as an actress, but as a girl.” After filming wrapped, Schneider refused to speak to Bertolucci, as she “felt humiliated and… a little raped,” by both the director and Brando.[1]

Bertolucci eventually won the Academy Award for Best Director for 1987’s The Last Emperor, the first Western film made with the cooperation of China’s communist government.

On the opposite end of the entertainment spectrum, we mourn the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob is the longest running tv show in American History, and has brought joy to generations of children around the world. For those unfamiliar with this ubiquitous sea

By Carlos Cazurro Burgos (http://www.cazurro.com/) – https://www.flickr.com/photos/toonaville/6512337683/, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30282060

creature, SpongeBob is an enthusiastic, cheerful fry cook who lives in a pineapple under the sea. The show follows SpongeBob and his friends’ adventures and mishaps.

You can find Bertolucci films like The Last Emperor (DVD 4098) and Last Tango in Paris (DVD 4560) in our collection. We also have the first three seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants (DVD 14168, 14169, and 14170).  You should definitely check out the second season, which features my favorite episode—“Band Geeks.”

 

 

 

 

[1] https://www.npr.org/2018/11/26/670768954/bernardo-bertolucci-last-tango-in-paris-director-dies-at-77

Random Movie Monday — Moral Orel

Happy Cyber Monday! Take a break from scouring the internet for deals and give this week’s random movie a watch. Or should I say “Random TV Show.” Moral Orel Volume 1 (DVD 12994) collects the first season of Adult’s Swim’s award-winning mid 2000s tv show about an Evangelical boy in Middle America. Because it’s Adult Swim, … Continue reading “Random Movie Monday — Moral Orel”

Happy Cyber Monday! Take a break from scouring the internet for deals and give this week’s random movie a watch. Or should I say “Random TV Show.” Moral Orel Volume 1 (DVD 12994) collects the first season of Adult’s Swim’s award-winning mid 2000s tv show about an Evangelical boy in Middle America. Because it’s Adult Swim, the show is a lot less… innocent than Orel’s clean-cut character design implies.

New DVDs for Thanksgiving Break

Can’t go home for Thanksgiving? Check out our newest acquisitions: Home Use: Henry Miller: Asleep and Awake (DVD 16056) Dolores (DVD 16091) Deadpool 2 (DVD 16097) Daniel Day-Lewis Triple feature (DVD 16108) Annihilation (DVD 16107) A Ghost Story (DVD 16106) From Caligari to Hitler (DVD 16105) Beirut (DVD 16104) Hereditary (DVD 16102) Jane (DVD 16101) … Continue reading “New DVDs for Thanksgiving Break”

Can’t go home for Thanksgiving? Check out our newest acquisitions:

Home Use:

Henry Miller: Asleep and Awake (DVD 16056)

Dolores (DVD 16091)

Deadpool 2 (DVD 16097)

Daniel Day-Lewis Triple feature (DVD 16108)

Annihilation (DVD 16107)

A Ghost Story (DVD 16106)

From Caligari to Hitler (DVD 16105)

Beirut (DVD 16104)

Hereditary (DVD 16102)

Jane (DVD 16101)

Eighth Grade (DVD 16109)

Conduct! Every Move Counts (DVD 16100)

Campus Use: 

The Rape of Recy Taylor (DVD 16103)

I missed ‘Annihilation’ in theaters. I’m glad we have it, because now I can watch Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson team up.

Five Movies Featuring… Death by TB

I don’t cry very often at movies, except for one, glaring reason. If someone snuffs it due to tuberculosis (aka Consumption), I will ugly cry. Not a couple of poignant tears, but full-on weeping. It doesn’t matter how bad the movie is, I will bawl my eyes out. Unfortunately for me, TB is a popular … Continue reading “Five Movies Featuring… Death by TB”

I don’t cry very often at movies, except for one, glaring reason. If someone snuffs it due to tuberculosis (aka Consumption), I will ugly cry. Not a couple of poignant tears, but full-on weeping. It doesn’t matter how bad the movie is, I will bawl my eyes out.

Unfortunately for me, TB is a popular disease to die of in movies, especially in the period dramas I love so much. I’m doomed to an eternity of tears because of movies like these.

The Wind Rises (DVD 11597)

This one messed me up good. I cried in the movie theater, I cried in the lobby, and I cried into my hot chocolate at the café we retreated to afterward. It’s one of my favorite films.

Moulin Rouge (DVD 297)

Is there any movie scene more sad than consumptive Nicole Kidman dying in Ewan Mcgregor’s arms? I don’t think so.

Bright Star (DVD 7070)

In which the waifish John Keats dies of TB in Rome, forever separated from his beloved Fanny.

Tombstone (DVD 2812)

Doc Holliday battles tuberculosis…. And outlaws. I haven’t seen this one yet, but now I have to.

Les Miserables (DVD 254)

Anne Hathaway’s Oscar-winning performance as the long-suffering Fantine left me in tears.

Bonus:

The Forgotten Plague (DVD 12023)

Just in case you want to learn more about tuberculosis, the good people at PBS have you covered.

Random Movie Monday — A Tale of Two Cities: The Circuit City Story

This week’s random movie seems appropriate for the week of Black Friday: A tale of Two Cities: The Circuit City Story (DVD 16523). Here’s our summary: In early 2009, more than 34,000 American workers lost their jobs and one of retail’s greatest stories of entrepreneurship abruptly came to an end. After 60 years in business … Continue reading “Random Movie Monday — A Tale of Two Cities: The Circuit City Story”

This week’s random movie seems appropriate for the week of Black Friday: A tale of Two Cities: The Circuit City Story (DVD 16523). Here’s our summary:

In early 2009, more than 34,000 American workers lost their jobs and one of retail’s greatest stories of entrepreneurship abruptly came to an end. After 60 years in business and a presence in every major U.S. city, Circuit City seemed to just disappear. How and why did it happen?

Now that I think about it, Circuit City did kind of just…disappear. Here’s to the changing economy I guess?

News DVDs! New DVDs!

Here’s a huge batch of new acquisitions! Home Use Memories of Underdevelopment: DVD 429 Midnight Cowboy (Criterion Collection): DVD 4987 In Search of History: The Plot to Overthrow FDR: DVD 16068 Nothing Sacred: DVD 16069 My Letter to the World: DVD 16071 Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curios George’s Creators: DVD 16070 Little Women: DVD … Continue reading “News DVDs! New DVDs!”

Here’s a huge batch of new acquisitions!

Home Use

  • Memories of Underdevelopment: DVD 429
  • Midnight Cowboy (Criterion Collection): DVD 4987
  • In Search of History: The Plot to Overthrow FDR: DVD 16068
  • Nothing Sacred: DVD 16069
  • My Letter to the World: DVD 16071
  • Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curios George’s Creators: DVD 16070
  • Little Women: DVD 16072
  • A Foreign Affair: DVD 16073
  • Isle of the Dogs: DVD 16077
  • Holiday Inn: DVD 16078
  • I Am Another You: DVD 16079
  • Hitler’s Hollywood: DVD 16080
  • My Friend Dahmer: DVD 16081
  • Martin Luther: The Idea That Changed the World: DVD 16082
  • Kill the Irishman: DVD 16083
  • Manila in the Claws of Light: 16084
  • Moonrise: DVD 16085
  • Atlanta: The Complete First Season: DVD 16086
  • Basquiat: From Rage to Riches: DVD 16087
  • Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia: DVD 16088
  • Hockney: DVD 16089
  • Black Panther: DVD 16090 (Two copies)

Campus Use

  • Dolores: DVD 16091
  • Eating Animals: DVD 16092

A Tribute to Stan Lee

American pop culture lost one of its patriarchs today. Stan Lee, born in 1922, revolutionized the comic book industry, helping it to evolve from a niche industry into cultural force.  Lee built an incredible, interconnected world at Marvel Comics, and I don’t know where I’d be personally if I hadn’t had Uncanny X-Men to get me … Continue reading “A Tribute to Stan Lee”

American pop culture lost one of its patriarchs today. Stan Lee, born in 1922, revolutionized the comic book industry, helping it to evolve from a niche industry into cultural force.  Lee built an incredible, interconnected world at Marvel Comics, and I don’t know where I’d be personally if I hadn’t had Uncanny X-Men to get me through some rough patches. He was an impressive businessman, creator, and human, and he will be sorely missed.

There will be plenty of great eulogies and tributes in the days to come, but we here at Media Services know Stan Lee for his cameos in most of the Marvel movies. His brief performances always added a spot of levity to the most serious films, and he was always a delight to watch.

You can see Stan Lee in any of these films in Media Services:

Iron Man: DVD 2763

Iron Man 2: DVD 2764

Iron Man 3: DVD 11830

The Incredible Hulk: DVD 11915

Thor: DVD 10965

Thor: the Dark World: DVD 12292

Captain America: The First Avenger: DVD 10147

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: DVD 11478

Captain America: Civil War DVD 13578

Marvel’s The Avengers BLU 10501

Avengers: Age of Ultron: DVD 12895

Guardians of the Galaxy: DVD 11681

Deadpoool: DVD 13132

Ant Man: DVD 12892

Spider-Man: DVD 7121

Spider-Man 2: DVD 7122

Black Panther DVD 16090

Spider-Man 3: DVD 7123

The Amazing Spider-Man: DVD 6493

X-Men: DVD 1441

X-Men the Last Stand: DVD 1443

Random Movie Monday — Stalag 17

Our WWI series has come to an end, and today’s random movie is all about the Second World War: Stalag 17 (DVD 5384).  Here’s our summary: A group of American G.I.s in a POW camp suspect a spy is among them. A short summary, but I think it adds to the suspense, don’t you? It’s … Continue reading “Random Movie Monday — Stalag 17”

Our WWI series has come to an end, and today’s random movie is all about the Second World War: Stalag 17 (DVD 5384).  Here’s our summary:

A group of American G.I.s in a POW camp suspect a spy is among them.

A short summary, but I think it adds to the suspense, don’t you? It’s definitely going on my war movie watch list.

 

 

What’s the Point of a War Film: War Requiem

We’re ending our series on WWI films with War Requiem. I’d never seen this movie before I watched it for this blog post, but I chose it for this series because it seemed nontraditional. Little did I know. This film was probably the weirdest movie I’ve ever seen. Well, I shouldn’t say “weird,” I should … Continue reading “What’s the Point of a War Film: War Requiem”

We’re ending our series on WWI films with War Requiem. I’d never seen this movie before I watched it for this blog post, but I chose it for this series because it seemed nontraditional. Little did I know. This film was probably the weirdest movie I’ve ever seen. Well, I shouldn’t say “weird,” I should say avant garde. I didn’t enjoy it, but that’s probably because I don’t enjoy avant garde cinema in general. Still, this film stands out because it is an interpretation of an interpretation of the First World War.

Released in 1989, the film tells a war story, but without any dialogue. Some sound comes from an occasional Wilfred Owen poem, but the film is really a showcase for War Requiem, British composer Benjamin Brittain’s orchestra tribute to the war. Brittain composed the score in the 1960s, but her never served in the War himself. He leaned heavily on Wilfred Owen’s poetry, and the music itself is beautiful. It tells a story of a pointless, unending war. There’s great sadness, but also little victories. Shame, joy, hope, and loss. It’s all conveyed through the music, which makes me wonder why a movie version was even necessary.

The cast, certainly, is star-studded. It stars a young Tilda Swinton, and Laurence Olivier even makes an appearance. There are portions where the characters have conversations with each other, but the audience can’t hear what they’re saying. Most of the acting is basically pantomime, and there are long stretches where the characters seem to be acting out some prearranged ceremony. I think, ultimately, that may be one of the points director Derek Jarman was trying to make. In a way, subsequent generations have reduced the people who lived through and died in the war—people like Wilfred Owen, who’s the main character of the movie—into certain proscribed roles. X ordered Y to go to war and there Y was slaughtered.

But maybe that point isn’t for us, the people who had nothing to do with the War. The film places a huge emphasis on ritual. Tilda Swinton’s Nurse crowns a dead Owen with his helmet. A priest sacrifices Owen while fat civilians in top hats and monocles watch. The Nurse crowns herself and other soldiers with a barbed wire crown meant to invoke Jesus’ crown of thorns. Maybe the reason why the war began, and why it continued, was because the people in power didn’t see their soldiers as humans, but as actors in some scripted, divinely blessed play.

I’m really not sure what to make of this movie. Its anti-war message is far from ambiguous, but it feels like a condemnation. The trouble is, I can’t figure out what it’s condemning. The obvious answer is war and violence, but it feels like something more than that. Maybe I’m searching for meaning where there is none. I think, instead of trying to make sense of World War I, the point of War Requiem is to show just how pointless it all actually is. But was just the war pointless, or is trying to interpret it pointless? That’s definitely not a question I’m prepared to answer.