In honor of this spookiest of holidays, we’ve created a staff picks list of our favorite Halloween movies and tv shows. While some of these might not be explicitly related to Halloween, they all give off a generally creepy vibe– perfect for everyone’s favorite holiday. Corpse Bride (DVD 13291) I watch Corpse Bride every Halloween […]
Continue readingRandom Movie Monday — The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
Every once and awhile, the random number generator picks something really… random. Case in point, this week’s random movie: The Topp Twins Untouchable Girls (DVD 6050). Here’s our description. Tells the story of the world’s only yodeling country singing and comedy lesbian sibling duo, the Topp Twins (Jools and Lynda Topp), who have inspired a generation with […]
Continue readingFree Passes — See the First Four Episodes of Amazon’s “Homecoming”
Attention movie and tv lovers! The Media Services Desk has two free passes available for a screening of the first four episodes of “Homecoming,” a new show from Amazon Prime. The screening is scheduled for 7pm on October 29th. If you’d like to claim these passes, please present your AU ID at the Media Services […]
Continue readingRandom Movie Monday — The Giver
Happy Monday folks! Today’s random movie is DVD 13980: The Giver. Here’s our summary: The story centers on Jonas, young man who lives in a supposedly ideal world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with the elder, who is the sole keeper of all the community’s memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of […]
Continue readingHappy Birthday Jeff Goldblum
Happy Birthday Jeff Goldblum! An actor so fixed in our collective cultural consciousness that this: Became this: Of all the ways to commemorate the original Jurassic Park’s 25th anniversary, this was certainly the most… interesting. But anyway, happy birthday to Jeff Goldblum. Many happy returns, and may you always be memeable. You can check out […]
Continue readingSmithsonian African American Film Festival
One of the great things about living in DC is that we have this incredible city right at our fingertips. Case in point: the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is hosting its first ever African American Film Festival. While you do have to pay to attend a film screening and a […]
Continue readingNew Movies!
Looking for something new to watch? Check out these new titles in Media Services: Feature Films: American Animals — DVD 16068 Book Club — DVD 16065 Happy End — BLU 16064 First Reformed — DVD 16062 Testament of Youth — DVD 16053 Gold — DVD 16052 Alanis — DVD 16051 And Then I Go — DVD 16058 […]
Continue readingRandom Movie Monday — Mushi-Shi: The Complete Collection
It’s a rainy Monday, so here’s a DVD that’s appropriately atmospheric: DVD 12000, Mushi-shi: The Complete Collection. Here’s our summary: Between this world and the next, there is a point where it becomes impossible to distinguish between plant and animal; between life and death. It is a place man was never meant to tread. It […]
Continue readingRandom Movie Monday- Girl With a Pearl Earring
It’s Random Movie Monday again! This week, we’re featuring a movie that was based on a book that was based painting. A famous (and mysterious) 17th century Dutch painting called Girl With a Pearl Earring. Here’s our summary: 17-year-old Griet must work to support her family, so she becomes a maid in the house of Johannes Vermeer, where she attracts […]
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Julie Andrews: Practically Perfect in Every Way
I originally planned to post this yesterday, but three blog posts seemed a little much for one day. Yesterday, October 1, 2018, was Dame Julie Andrews’ 83rd birthday. The Queen of England may only have made her a knight, but Julie will always be the Queen of Genovia, and the ultimate Queen of Shade.
Andrews began her career as a child performer in post-war London, and she gained fame by appearing in Broadway musicals in the late 1950s. In 1956, she originated the role of Eliza Doolittle in the Broadway production of My Fair Lady, and was soon cast in Camelot and Cinderella. However, when Warner Brothers won the movie rights to My Fair Lady, studio executive Jack Warner cast Audrey Hepburn as Eliza, rather than casting Andrews. Warner was banking on Hepburn’s name recognition, and doubted that the relatively unknown Andrews could draw the audiences needed to make the film a success.
Oh how Jack Warner would come to eat his words. Walt Disney, who saw Andrews in Camelot, knew that she was the practically perfect choice to play Mary Poppins. After begging her to take the role, he even paused pre-production on the film in order to accommodate Andrews’ pregnancy. Mary Poppins went on to become a huge box office success, and Andrews earned an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her performance.
We all know Julie Andrews is the classiest woman alive, but she couldn’t help taking just a bit of revenge against Warner. During her Golden Globes Acceptance speech, she closed with: “And, finally, my thanks to a man who made a wonderful movie and who made all this possible in the first place, Mr. Jack Warner.” If that short dig isn’t the classiest little bit of revenge, then I don’t know what is.
So happy birthday Julie Andrews! If you want to see (or hear) more of this incredible actress with a voice like silver bells, you can find these movies in the AU Media Collection:
- Marry Poppins (DVD 7850)
- The Sound of Music (DVD 5916)
- Thoroughly Modern Millie (Music Library DVD 253)
- Alfred Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain (DVD 5199)
- Victor/Victoria (DVD 6740)
- Shrek 2 (DVD 13518)