Tag: timely things

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).

September 11 in film and footage

Today marks the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This is an appropriate and somber time to reflect on how we got here, what happened, and where we’re going. To that end, the Media Services collections include many films about the attacks, including a number of creative responses by filmmakers and footage from the … Continue reading “September 11 in film and footage”

Today marks the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This is an appropriate and somber time to reflect on how we got here, what happened, and where we’re going. To that end, the Media Services collections include many films about the attacks, including a number of creative responses by filmmakers and footage from the time of the events.

This list was selected to include thought-provoking and interesting items from our collection. It excludes overtly political or controversial films. If you are interested in media that deals more explicitly with criticism of the government or conspiracy theories, those are available as well.

Feature Films

World Trade Center – HU DVD 2338
United 93 – HU DVD 2339
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – HU DVD 10028

Found Footage

WTC: The First 24 Hours – DVD 808
The 11th of September: Moyers in Conversation – DVD 1095
9/11 and Beyond: Coping Strategies for Trauma and Stress – Streaming video

Documentaries

Twin Towers – DVD 1588
Protocols of Zion – DVD 2074
The Al-Qaeda Files – HU DVD 2283
Up from Zero – DVD 4628
Osama bin Laden – DVD 5648
Longitudes and Latitudes – DVD 5650
Campaign Against Terror – DVD 8847
Faith & Doubt at Ground Zero – Streaming video
The Road to 9/11 – Streaming video
New York, 1946-2003: The Center of the World – Streaming video
7l West Broadway, Ground Zero, N.Y. – Streaming video

Filmmaker Responses

11’09″01 – DVD 1329
Underground Zero – DVD 3284

Film screenings on- and off-campus this Friday

We’re heading into the second weekend of the semester. Hopefully the workload hasn’t piled up too much, because the weather is still pleasant enough for a few movie screenings. On campus tomorrow, the AU Student Government will show The Hunger Games in the Tavern at 10 PM. The Hunger Games will kick off Artemas Ward … Continue reading “Film screenings on- and off-campus this Friday”

We’re heading into the second weekend of the semester. Hopefully the workload hasn’t piled up too much, because the weather is still pleasant enough for a few movie screenings.

On campus tomorrow, the AU Student Government will show The Hunger Games in the Tavern at 10 PM. The Hunger Games will kick off Artemas Ward Week, the Student Government’s annual celebration of the Revolutionary War general who lends his name to the traffic circle near campus. It’s an appropriate movie choice that glorifies the same renegade, anti-authoritarian spirit which Ward fought for.

At the same time, National Harbor will continue its outdoor film series with a screening of Spaceballs, the Mel Brooks-directed Star Wars parody. If you have access to transportation to National Harbor, take advantage of this opportunity while the temperature is nice enough.

DC Shorts Film Festival opens tomorrow

For the second time in a week, two significant film festivals are kicking off. Perhaps the most significant is the Toronto International Film Festival, which opens tomorrow and will premiere a number of film on the radar for the upcoming award season. More interestingly for the audience of this blog, the DC Shorts Film Festival … Continue reading “DC Shorts Film Festival opens tomorrow”

For the second time in a week, two significant film festivals are kicking off. Perhaps the most significant is the Toronto International Film Festival, which opens tomorrow and will premiere a number of film on the radar for the upcoming award season.

More interestingly for the audience of this blog, the DC Shorts Film Festival also opens tomorrow! DC Shorts is entering ninth year and will premiere over 100 films from across the globe. Tickets to screenings are relatively inexpensive, hovering around $12 per screening, or $125 for a festival pass. If you’re in the DC area and a fan of world cinema, take advantage of such a large festival going on in the DC area.

Even if you’re not, DC Shorts also offers to stream the festival selections online through your computer or smartphone for a small fee. If you’re interested, there really isn’t much of an excuse at this point.

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).

Two film festivals with very different audiences

Today marks the start of the Venice Film Festival, the oldest international film festival. Though smaller than notable rivals such as Cannes and Sundance, the Venice Film Festival is getting attention this year by premiering new movies from award magnets Paul Thomas Anderson and Terrence Malick. Some might call it the start of the Oscar … Continue reading “Two film festivals with very different audiences”

Today marks the start of the Venice Film Festival, the oldest international film festival. Though smaller than notable rivals such as Cannes and Sundance, the Venice Film Festival is getting attention this year by premiering new movies from award magnets Paul Thomas Anderson and Terrence Malick. Some might call it the start of the Oscar season; in any event, it’s sure to debut some thought-provoking films.

Which brings us to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Tomorrow, the Walker debuts the world’s first Internet Cat Video Film Festival, which, it should be clarified, is a real thing that is actually happening. The hour-long festival will be preceded by something identified only as the “Death Metal Drawing Club.”

In a way, these festivals embody the immense scope of film. One celebrates the auteurs of a traditional art form, while the other pushes the definition of film as a social experiment. Arguably, they’re two great tastes that taste well together.

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.

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

If you like Total Recall… Philip K. Dick on screen

The remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger hit Total Recall opens in theaters tomorrow, but it’s not just a redux of a schlocky movie – it’s also a readaptation of the original short story, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” by science fiction visionary Philip K. Dick. Even though he saw rousing success in … Continue reading “If you like Total Recall… Philip K. Dick on screen”

The remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger hit Total Recall opens in theaters tomorrow, but it’s not just a redux of a schlocky movie – it’s also a readaptation of the original short story, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” by science fiction visionary Philip K. Dick.

Even though he saw rousing success in his lifetime with his dozens of short stories and novels, Dick’s lasting legacy might be the film versions of his works. Philip K. Dick’s stories have inspired some of Hollywood’s most famous pictures. Before you get your memory wiped, make sure to experience these P.K.D.-inspired classics in our collection:

Blade Runner – HU DVD 1064*
Minority Report – HU DVD 1969
Total Recall – HU DVD 2040
A Scanner Darkly – HU DVD 2416

Alternative programming: The Olympics on film and television

The thirtieth Olympiad is well underway. If you don’t feel like watching gymnastics this evening, take the night off and check out one of these gold-quality videos from our collection. One Day in September — DVD 450Monty Python’s Flying Circus: Olympic Hide-and-Seek Final — HU DVD 771Olympia — DVD 1663Munich — HU DVD 2172Tokyo Olympiad … Continue reading “Alternative programming: The Olympics on film and television”

The thirtieth Olympiad is well underway. If you don’t feel like watching gymnastics this evening, take the night off and check out one of these gold-quality videos from our collection.

One Day in September — DVD 450
Monty Python’s Flying Circus: Olympic Hide-and-Seek Final — HU DVD 771
Olympia — DVD 1663
Munich — HU DVD 2172
Tokyo Olympiad — DVD 2791
Charlie Chan at the Olympics — HU DVD 4004
The Office, Season 2: Office Olympics — HU DVD 4012
Prefontaine — HU DVD 5547
30 for 30: Marion Jones: Press Pause — HU DVD 7911
Have you heard from Johannesburg? — DVD 7924
Cool Runnings — HU DVD 7973

If you’re sitting out the Olympics this year on account of a pulled hamstring or a stubbed toe, you can always watch the streaming video Sports Injuries: Classification and Management via Films on Demand.