Before he died, legendary director Ingmar Bergman had acquired over 80,000 videocassettes, disposing ones he didn’t care for and keeping about 1,700 of them. That’s quite the collection, especially when you consider that the ones he kept are among the roughly 2% of films that Bergman decided were worth keeping. It might surprise you that […]
Continue readingKen Loach opens personal archives
Here’s a tantalizing story for fans of bonus material: filmmaker Ken Loach is publishing his personal archives of notes, scripts, research, and other materials through the British Film Insitute. Loach was awarded the Palme d’Or in 2006 for his film The Wind that Shakes the Barley and has received repute for his use of socialist […]
Continue readingJames Bond screen tests reveal what might have been
The good folks at Retronaut have once again unearthed some rarely seen behind-the-scenes photos from the set of an iconic movie. Retronaut previously brought us some entertaining pictures of Frankenstein in repose. This time, they found a series of photos from the auditions to replace Sean Connery as James Bond in 1967. There’s at least […]
Continue readingMedia Services Recommends…: Desk Staff
The Media Services staff frequently gets asked for recommendations. In an effort to help patrons make good choices, we’re posting lists of our favorite movies! These recommendations are from the part-time Media Services desk staff. AnastasiaThe General – HU DVD 34The Fall – HU DVD 4716The Constant Gardener – HU DVD 1739Kiss Kiss Bang Bang […]
Continue readingCatch up on 30 for 30
ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 documentary series starts up tonight for a second volume of 30 hour-long documentaries about the most compelling stories in sports. This week’s episode, “Broke,” highlights all-star athletes who, despite their success, drove themselves into bankruptcy. 30 for 30 has always highlighted some fascinating, lesser-known stories, and it looks like they’re […]
Continue readingTwo master classes at the New Media Center
The New Media Center continues its Beyond the Studio series this week with two master classes on very different subjects taught by American University staff and faculty. First off, this Tuesday (tomorrow!) at 4PM, SOC Librarian Robin Chin-Romer will speak about the evolution of memes in her training session, “Rick Rolled Again: Memes and Meaning.” […]
Continue readingHas television captured the zeitgeist?
If you think about the most popular and highly reviewed media of the year, much of it is from television. Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and Homeland are all having their moment in the sun. Meanwhile, landmark films such as The Master are playing to receptive audiences in arthouses while Resident Evil: Retribution is at […]
Continue readingWe’re on Pinterest!
Media Services is now on Pinterest! We’re using Pinterest as a way to visually organize some of the popular titles in our collection. One of the most popular parts of our browseable Home Use binder is the poster section in the back, so we decided to take the next step and put them online. We […]
Continue readingVanishing of the Bees tomorrow at 12pm
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Rachel Carson’s watershed environmental book Silent Spring, the School of International Service’s Global Environmental Politics program will screen the film Vanishing of the Bees, a film that looks at the environmental ramifications and causes of the sudden disappearance of honeybees.The screening takes place at 12pm in the Abramson Family […]
Continue readingNew Films on Demand titles – September 2012
Great news for students and faculty: Films on Demand, a streaming video platform used by Media Services, has added the collections of California Newsreel to its catalog. California Newsreel is one of the oldest and most reputable social documentary groups. You might recognize them for producing Race: The Power of an Illusion, a documentary frequently […]
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