It not be too late! Seasonal pirate movies

Avast! Today marks International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a holiday on which you do exactly as described. Frankly, we’ll take any excuse to dress up like pirates and speak in a raspy voice. There’s still time to celebrate this dubious holiday. Come visit Media Services and pick up one of these tarrrrrific pirate-related movies, … Continue reading “It not be too late! Seasonal pirate movies”

Avast! Today marks International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a holiday on which you do exactly as described. Frankly, we’ll take any excuse to dress up like pirates and speak in a raspy voice.

There’s still time to celebrate this dubious holiday. Come visit Media Services and pick up one of these tarrrrrific pirate-related movies, ye scurvy dog:

The Pirates of Penzance – HU DVD 915
Mutiny on the Bounty – HU DVD 1954
The Princess Bride – HU DVD 2817
The Adventures of Tintin – HU DVD 2887
Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life – HU DVD 5766
Captain Blood – HU DVD 6595
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – HU DVD 8641
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – HU DVD 8642
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – HU DVD 8643
The Pirate – HU DVD 8784
Blackbeard the Pirate – HU DVD 8786
Buccaneers: The Complete Series – HU DVD 8787
The Pirate Movie – HU DVD 9298

(Media Services does not condone piracy, even the cool kind with gold teeth and buried treasures).

Michael Clarke Duncan dies at 54

Over the weekend, actor Michael Clarke Duncan died from complications following cardiac arrest. Duncan was a towering presence in film, and although he died at a shockingly young age and appeared in only a few big movies, his impact was powerful and is already missed by fans around the world. His performance in The Green … Continue reading “Michael Clarke Duncan dies at 54”


Over the weekend, actor Michael Clarke Duncan died from complications following cardiac arrest. Duncan was a towering presence in film, and although he died at a shockingly young age and appeared in only a few big movies, his impact was powerful and is already missed by fans around the world. His performance in The Green Mile was his most famous, earning the actor an Academy Award nomination.

Duncan’s filmography runs the gamut from a Mel Brooks comedy-musical to big-budget comic book movies. Many of his roles were from smaller, less notable productions, but some of his most memorable films are available in Media Services.

Sin City – HU DVD 1959
Kung Fu Panda – HU DVD 7932
The Green Mile – HU DVD 8592
The Producers (deleted scenes) – MUSIC LIBRARY DVD 251

Controversial documentary re-ignites a political crisis

This past Tuesday, Israeli courts absolved the state of responsibility for the death of Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist who was killed during the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza. Tempers have flared around the case, alternately framing Rachel Corrie as either a victim of circumstance or a political casualty. In 2008, filmmaker Simone Bitton … Continue reading “Controversial documentary re-ignites a political crisis”

This past Tuesday, Israeli courts absolved the state of responsibility for the death of Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist who was killed during the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza. Tempers have flared around the case, alternately framing Rachel Corrie as either a victim of circumstance or a political casualty.

In 2008, filmmaker Simone Bitton produced documentary about the incident. To call it controversial would be an understatement: its screening at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival caused boycotts and the resignation of the festival’s president. The reaction to the film revealed the difficulty of critiquing actions by Israel amid accusations of anti-Semitism.

We don’t want to come down one way or another about the documentary, but given its significance, it is part of our collection. Rachel is available to watch in Media Services (DVD 9237).

Happy fall semester! Watch our best college movies

And with that, the 2012 fall semester at American University has begun. The first day of classes is winding to a close, but for incoming freshmen, the college experience has just begun. Whether you’re taking Leadership Gateway or preparing for your capstone, now is a great time to watch some of the greatest college movies … Continue reading “Happy fall semester! Watch our best college movies”

And with that, the 2012 fall semester at American University has begun. The first day of classes is winding to a close, but for incoming freshmen, the college experience has just begun.

Whether you’re taking Leadership Gateway or preparing for your capstone, now is a great time to watch some of the greatest college movies in our collection. Just… don’t use them as instructional guides. Especially not The Social Network and Animal House.

School Daze – HU DVD 357
Horse Feathers – HU DVD 1128
Good Will Hunting – HU DVD 1724
The War at Home – DVD 3102
The Great Debaters – HU DVD 4232
National Lampoon’s Animal House – HU DVD 4913
Berkeley in the Sixties – DVD 5238
The Social Network – HU DVD 7969
Old School – HU DVD 8779

Time Out New York crowns the greatest New York films

Here’s your controversial (if slightly old) link of the day: Time Out New York has compiled a list of the top 100 movies set in New York City. They put together a fairly complete list – but of course, you can dispute the ones at the top. Judging by the comments section, there are some … Continue reading “Time Out New York crowns the greatest New York films”

Here’s your controversial (if slightly old) link of the day: Time Out New York has compiled a list of the top 100 movies set in New York City. They put together a fairly complete list – but of course, you can dispute the ones at the top. Judging by the comments section, there are some notable omissions. And The Godfather at #41?

Read on for a spoilerful list of their Top 10 with their call numbers in our collection…
10. On the Town – HU DVD 276
9. Escape from New York – HU DVD 10192
8. Shadows – HU DVD 1390
7. King Kong – HU DVD 1601
6. Do the Right Thing – HU DVD 38
5. Manhattan – HU DVD 128
4. Rosemary’s Baby – HU DVD 5783
3. Dog Day Afternoon – HU DVD 2109
2. Sweet Smell of Success – HU DVD 1296

1. Taxi Driver – HU DVD 904

Director Tony Scott dies

Film director Tony Scott committed suicide yesterday at age 68. While he was never an arthouse institution and didn’t have critical weight, Scott’s movies were immensely popular and changed the direction of big-action blockbusters. Perhaps most notably, Scott was sort of a Hollywood kingmaker, directing films that were massively successful game-changers for Jerry Bruckheimer and … Continue reading “Director Tony Scott dies”

Film director Tony Scott committed suicide yesterday at age 68. While he was never an arthouse institution and didn’t have critical weight, Scott’s movies were immensely popular and changed the direction of big-action blockbusters. Perhaps most notably, Scott was sort of a Hollywood kingmaker, directing films that were massively successful game-changers for Jerry Bruckheimer and Tom Cruise.

Take off your faded pink caps and ride into the danger zone one last time with a few of Tony Scott’s films:

Top Gun – HU DVD 2959
True Romance – HU DVD 3820
Life in a Day – HU DVD 9229

Hitchcock turns 113

It would be remiss not to mention Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday, which passed by yesterday. The legendary director, who needs no introduction, would have turned 113. Celebrate the big 1-1-3 by enjoying a deep cut of his filmography at Media Services: Vertigo – HU DVD 14* Psycho – HU DVD 77*Easy Virtue – DVD 332 Blackmail – DVD … Continue reading “Hitchcock turns 113”

It would be remiss not to mention Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday, which passed by yesterday. The legendary director, who needs no introduction, would have turned 113.

Celebrate the big 1-1-3 by enjoying a deep cut of his filmography at Media Services:

Vertigo – HU DVD 14*
Psycho – HU DVD 77*
Easy Virtue – DVD 332
Blackmail – DVD 332
Number Seventeen – DVD 333
The Ring – DVD 333
The Farmer’s Wife – DVD 334
The Manxman – DVD 335
Juno and the Paycock – DVD 336
The 39 Steps – DVD 337
Notorious – DVD 338
Strangers on a Train – HU DVD 339
Rebecca – HU DVD 345*
Rear Window – HU DVD 368*
The Lady Vanishes – HU DVD 426*
The Birds – HU DVD 1053
Dial M for Murder – HU DVD 1412
Lifeboat – HU DVD 1633
Shadow of a Doubt – HU DVD 1783
North by Northwest – HU DVD 2217
Sabotage – HU DVD 3522
Foreign Correspondent – HU DVD 3523
Suspicion – HU DVD 3524
Saboteur – HU DVD 3525
Rope – HU DVD 3526
Under Capricorn – HU DVD 3527
To Catch a Thief – HU DVD 3528
The Man Who Knew Too Much – HU DVD 3529
The Wrong Man – HU DVD 3530
Marnie – HU DVD 3531
Topaz – HU DVD 3532
Frenzy – HU DVD 3533
Spellbound – HU DVD 5198
Torn Curtain – HU DVD 5199
Family Plot – HU DVD 5200
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog – HU DVD 5394
The Trouble with Harry – HU DVD 5494
The Paradine Case – HU DVD 9142
Secret Agent – HU DVD 9763

Shark Week begins!

Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week extravaganza has officially begun. Often maligned but never ignored, sharks are one of the most feared and most misunderstood creatures of the seas. Their appearances on screen are among the most memorable, from the sublime blockbuster Jaws to… well, Shark Attack 3 (above). If your looking for supplemental Shark Week … Continue reading “Shark Week begins!”

Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week extravaganza has officially begun. Often maligned but never ignored, sharks are one of the most feared and most misunderstood creatures of the seas. Their appearances on screen are among the most memorable, from the sublime blockbuster Jaws to… well, Shark Attack 3 (above).

If your looking for supplemental Shark Week material to sink your teeth into, come to Media Services and check out some of the most well-known sharks on film. The leaping shark from Planet Earth is not to be missed!

Jaws – HU DVD 98
Open Water – HU DVD 1134
Planet Earth, Disc 4 – HU DVD 2724
Search for the Great Sharks – HU DVD 3188
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou – HU DVD 5101

If you’d prefer a less ferocious take on these creatures, you can also access the streaming docuementary Fish and Marine Mammals: Swimming and Diving.

Composer Marvin Hamlisch dies

Prolific composer Marvin Hamlisch died this Monday. Hamlisch was a media legend who won every conceivable award for his music – including an Oscar, Grammy, Tony, Emmy, Golden Globe, and the Pulitzer Prize for Music. His accomplishments are staggering; even if you don’t know his name, you may have heard pieces from one of his … Continue reading “Composer Marvin Hamlisch dies”

Prolific composer Marvin Hamlisch died this Monday. Hamlisch was a media legend who won every conceivable award for his music – including an Oscar, Grammy, Tony, Emmy, Golden Globe, and the Pulitzer Prize for Music. His accomplishments are staggering; even if you don’t know his name, you may have heard pieces from one of his 45 films, 8 musicals, or one of the countless movies and television shows that have reused his works.

While we don’t have all of Hamlisch’s films, we do have a handful available for checkout:

Bananas – HU DVD 122
The Way We Were – HU DVD 3087
Ordinary People – HU DVD 3105
Sophie’s Choice – HU DVD 4376
The Spy Who Loved Me – HU DVD 4997
Take the Money and Run – HU DVD 5371
Every Little Step – HU DVD 6894
The Informant! – HU DVD 7054
A Chorus Line – HU DVD 9659 and MUSIC LIBRARY DVD 222

Also of interest is Tradition, a streaming PBS documentary about Broadway in the 1960s and 70s for which Hamlisch was interviewed.

Take to the stars with Cosmos

Tonight, NASA will attempt to land the Curiosity rover on Mars to investigate whether the red planet once housed life. It’s a risky and hilariously expensive ($2.5 billion!), but the rover is part of an important mission to discover whether or not we are alone in the universe. Nobody has explored that goal in popular … Continue reading “Take to the stars with Cosmos”

Tonight, NASA will attempt to land the Curiosity rover on Mars to investigate whether the red planet once housed life. It’s a risky and hilariously expensive ($2.5 billion!), but the rover is part of an important mission to discover whether or not we are alone in the universe.

Nobody has explored that goal in popular media like Carl Sagan, host of the 1980 miniseries Cosmos. The series is a unique fusion of science, history, and politics that still stands as the high watermark for popular science.

As we re-explore the chances of extraterrestrial life, now’s as good of a time as any to watch (or rewatch!) Sagan’s legendary series.

HU DVD 4271 – 4277 — Cosmos