Happy Holidays!

My holiday pick!

It's a Wonderful Life (Butler Media DVD8412) directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern is my recommended holiday film. According to the AFI Catalog, Van Doren Stern enclosed the story in his 1943 Christmas cards. The film was James Stewart's first film after four years of military service during WWII. Also starring Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, the fabulous Henry Travers and Beulah Bondi -- this film is timeless, touching and just the reminder we sometimes need -- it is indeed a wonderful life.


Happy Holidays!

Golden Globe Nominations

Globes Shine on 'King's Speech'

Best Picture nominations include:

"Black Swan"

"The Fighter"

"Inception"

"The King's Speech"

"The Social Network"

Where is James Franco?

Franco Checks Back In to 'General Hospital

Check out the actor in MILK directed by Gus Van Sant.

Butler Media Res

DVD8157

Remembering John Lennon

The Beatles : the first US visit ; a film by Alfred Maysles and David Maysles

Butler Media Res

DVD10067

The Ed Sullivan Show Featuring the Beatles and various other artists

Butler Media Res

DVD2392

Featured DVD of the Week

THE WRESTLER directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei.

Butler Media Res

DVD8155

Featured DVD of the Week

Thanksgiving Dinner in the movies!

Redux -- suggestions from 2009 -- Enjoy and best wishes for the holiday!

Avalon (1990)
Directed by Barry Levinson

The Gold Rush (1925)
Directed by Charlie Chaplin

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Directed by Woody Allen

The House of Yes (1997)
Directed by Mark Waters

The Ice Storm (1997)
Directed by Ang Lee

Pieces of April (2003)
Directed by Peter Hedges

Featured DVD

Cats in starring and supporting roles!

Bell, Book and Candle
DVD13481

Breakfast at Tiffany's
DVD6333

Cats and Dogs
MPDVD02009

I Remember Mama
DVD10691

Savages
DVD6989

Squid and the Whale
DVD4614

Featured Resource

FIAF Index to Film Periodicals provides access to a number of different databases. You can search for articles on film and television topics. The coverage begins in 1972. You can also search the Treasures from Film Archives for information on film holdings from a collection of international archives.

FIAF includes full-text journals, permits searching by director or film and provides access to trade publications, magazines and scholarly journals.

In Memoriam

Jill Clayburgh
Read Janet Maslin's appraisal.

Get out and vote!

This week's featured DVD is Otto Preminger's Advise and Consent starring Henry Fonda, Walter Pidgeon, Gene Tierney, Burgess Meredith, and, the one and only, Charles Laughton as Senator Cooley.

The film is timely and still riveting.

Advise and Consent

Butler Media (Circulating)

DVD9525

Featured DVDs

Time for horror films!

My picks for this year feature an impressive list of silent films.

The Avenging Conscience (1914)
Directed by D.W. Griffith
Butler Media Res
DVD7647

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)
Directed by Robert Wiene
Butler Media Res
DVD7220

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
Directed by John S. Robertson
Butler Media Res
DVD6107

Eyes of the Mummy (1922)
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Butler Media Res
DVD10390

The Hands of Orlac (1924)
Directed by Robert Wiene
Butler Media Res
DVD7221

Haunted Castle (1921)
Directed by F. W. Murnau
Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD13100

Nosferatu (1922)
Directed by F.W. Murnau
Butler Media Res
DVD4716

The Penalty (1920)
Directed by Wallace Worsley
Butler Media Res
DVD6109

The Phantom of the Opera (1929)
Directed by Rupert Julian
Butler Media Res
DVD0270

Waxworks (1924)
Directed by Paul Leni
Butler Media Res
DVD1336

Featured DVD

If you are like me and completely blanked on getting a ticket for the already sold out ANGELS IN AMERICA at the Signature Theater, the first New York revival since the spectacular Broadway run in 1993-1994 (which I did see), check out the Mike Nichols film version made for HBO.
Starring Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Jeffrey Wright, Justin Kirk, Patrick Wilson, Mary-Louise Parker and others -- Tony Kushner's brilliant play works on the small screen.

Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD9767

Featured DVD of the Week

In response to this New York Times article entitled "Longing for the Lines That Had Us at Hello," I will add one of my favorites from Donnie Brasco -- "Forget about it."

Donnie Brasco

Butler Media Res

DVD0015

Donnie Brasc

Featured Resource

Film Language Glossary

A multimedia dictionary of essential film terms.

Tribute to Tony Curtis

Just a few of his remarkable films.


Boston Strangler
Butler Media
DVD8929

Defiant Ones
Butler Media Res
DVD7157

Great Race
Butler Media
DVD9136

Operation Petticoat
Butler Media
DVD9098

Some Like it Hot
Butler Media Res
DVD4121

Spartacus
Butler Media
DVD9399

Sweet Smell of Success
Butler Media
DVD9537

In Memoriam

The fabulous Tony Curtis dies at 85.

Read the New York Times Obituary.

In Memoriam

Director of 'Bonnie and Clyde' dies at 88 years of age.

See the New York Times Obituary.

New York Film Festival

Runs through October 10th. Tickets are still available.

A few of the films featured on the main slate -- Certified Copy (d. Kiarostami), Film Socialisme (d. Godard), and Inside Job (d. Ferguson).

Featured DVD

Juno
Butler Media Res
DVD7163


Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

In Memoriam

Kevin McCarthy Dies at 96.

Read the New York Times Obituary.

In Memoriam - Claude Chabrol

Read the New York Times Obituary.

Featured Resource

Ethnographic Video Online

This database contains more than 750 hours of film content representing some of the most influential documentary filmmakers of the 20th century. Also included are text transcripts, field notes, study guides and the ability to mark and set clips.

Featured DVDs

The Only Son and There was a Father by Yasujiro Ozu.

These rare and early films by Yasujiro Ozu were recently released by Criterion.

Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD13403

Welcome Students!

Take a break and watch Buster Keaton in COLLEGE.

Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD9363

Featured DVD

Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" turns 50 this year. Adapted for the screen only a few years after its publication, Horton Foote won the Oscar for Best Screenplay (adapted) and Gregory Peck won Best Actor.

See the New York Times article for more information about the celebrations.

The DVD version is available from the Butler Media Res Collection -- call number DVD3805.

Featured Actor

Robert De Niro in Raging Bull (1980) playing Jake Le Motta doing a fine imitation of Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (1954).

De Niro won the Oscar for Best Actor. Thelma Schoonmaker won the Oscar for Best Film Editing.

Cannes Film Festival -- 2010

Thai film "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" won the coveted Palme d'Or for best picture at the Cannes film festival Sunday.

Cannes Film Festival.

Featured DVD of the Week

Dogs in both featured and supporting roles!

As Good As It Gets

Butler Media Res

DVD0537

Babe

Butler Media -- Offsite

MPDVD00820

Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy

Butler Media -- Offsite

MPDVD00596

Best in Show

Butler Media

DVD8700

Bolt

Butler Media Res

DVD8164

Bringing Up Baby

Butler Media

DVD9216

Down and Out in Beverly Hills

Butler Media

DVD12572

Lady and the Tramp

Butler Media Res

DVD4554

My Dog Skip

Butler Media Res

DVD0717

Sounder

Butler Media Res

DVD7778

Thin Man

Butler Media Res

DVD3746

Umberto D.

Butler Media

DVD8957

White Dog

Butler Media Res

DVD7779

Wizard of Oz

Butler Media Res
DVD3938

Remembering Lena Horne

A link to her obituary in the New York TImes.

Oscar Noir: 1940s Writing Nominees -- Film Noir

Celebrate film noir!
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be screening 15 film noir classics from the 1940s, all of which were nominated in the writing categories. The screenings run May - August in Los Angeles. No plans to travel to LA -- check them out in Butler.

Title List:

The Maltese Falcon
Shadow of a Doubt
Laura
Double Indemnity
Mildred Pierce
The Killers
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
The Dark Mirror
The Blue Dahlia
The Stranger
Body and Soul
Crossfire
A Double Life
The Kiss of Death
White heat

Featured DVD of the Week

Watching the detective.

American Gangster
DVD10708

Bad Lieutenant
DVD12410

Black Dahlia
DVD8946

In the Valley of Elah
DVD6617

Maltese Falcon
DVD5032

Missing
DVD7558

Mr. Moto in Danger Island
DVD5415

Monsieur Hire
DVD6254

Vertigo
DVD3909

Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone)
DVD1927

Thin Man
DVD1421
The Wire -- Series 1
DVD11137

Lynn Redgrave Dies at 67

The New York Times obituary.

Featured Resource

Searching for information on the business of film and the performing arts?

Recommended resources include:

• ABI Inform is an authoritative resource for business research including information on the business of film and the performing arts. Indexes major scholarly journals, popular magazines and news publications.

• Factiva (Dow Jones) exceptional content and search features -- indexes and provides full-text for Variety.

• Proquest all-purpose article database with full-text.
  

It's Baseball Season!

People will come. Baseball is a part of our past. It is the one constant. Baseball.

Go Yankees! Home opener -- 108th -- April 13th -- I love NY!

Featured Resource

Useful sites for identifying blogs or weblogs.

• Globe of Blogs

• Technorati

• The Weblogreview

Featured DVD of the Week

The Devil Wears Prada
Butler Media Res
DVD5243

Meryl Streep is The Master.

Featured DVD of the Week

Los Angeles in film.

Born in East L.A.
Butler Media Res
DVD1749

Chinatown
Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD9502

Escape from L.A.
Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD8488

L.A. Confidential
Butler Media Res
DVD7654

Laurel Canyon
Butler Media Res
DVD1707

Mulholland Drive
Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD10174

Sunset Boulevard
Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD10408

To Live and Die in L.A.
Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD8766

Featured DVD of the Week

Silence of the Lambs
Butler Media (Circulating)
DVD9020

See clip.

Oscar Night!

The Hurt Locker gets my vote!

movieclips.com

movieclips.com -- host of the largest collection of officially-licensed, high quality movie scenes on the web, today opened up its service to users worldwide. For additional information, see the blog.

Enjoy this clip from ROMAN HOLIDAY.

View from the Bridge -- Last 7 weeks

Directed by Gregory Mosher.

For Tickets -- check the website and CUARTS.

Lincoln Center to Stage Almodóvar

From the New York Times

"The new musical “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” based on the 1988 Pedro Almodóvar film, and the acclaimed British production of the play “War Horse” will be two of the major shows of the 2010-11 season at Lincoln Center Theater, executives there said on Thursday."

See article.

Featured Resource

from Libraries Spotlight Blog

Announcing CLIO Beta
by Jen on January 25, 2010

Beginning Monday, January 25, 2010 CLIO Beta will replace CLIO Classic as the primary search tool for Columbia University Libraries.

What does this mean?

CLIO Beta will be the new CLIO interface now. All links to CLIO will take you to the CLIO Beta interface.

Is the search different?
No. CLIO Beta and Classic have exactly the same content. Your searches will get the same results in Beta or Classic. The CLIO Beta Interface will offer you more functionality, though.

What’s new in CLIO Beta?
Here are just a few features to look for in CLIO Beta:

• A search box on every page
• ISBN/ISSN searches available in the basic and advanced searches
• Book covers accompany search results, with up-turned page corners when full- or partial- text is available in Google Books
• Text or email a the title, location and call number of an item to you cell phone
• Permanent URLs are available for each record

What if I still want to use CLIO Classic?
There will be a link from CLIO Beta to CLIO Classic, if you’d prefer to use the previous interface.

CLIO Beta is an evolving search interface. We look forward to your feedback, and will continue to make improvements.

Featured DVD of the Week

Deutschland im jahre null / Germany Year Zero
The Criterion Collection
New restored high-definition digital transfer.

Butler Media Res
DVD11801

Produced in 1948, Roberto Rossellini's film tells the story of Edmund, a young boy who struggles for survival amid the rubble that is Berlin after WWII.

Congratulations to Eric Mendelsohn!

Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program Associate Professor Eric Mendelsohn won the Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival for his film 3 Backyards.

Featured DVD of the Week

The Hurt Locker

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (SoA Film '81)

Butler Media Circulating
DVD11483

One of the most critically acclaimed films of 2009. Bigelow won the 2009 Directors Guild of America award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for The Hurt Locker. The film was recently nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

Featured DVD of the Week

The Hollywood Librarian: a look at librarians through film
A documentary film by Ann Seidl

Butler Media Res
DVD11623

"The Hollywood Librarian is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject of librarians. A vivid blend of factual documentary, feature film, and storytelling, it reveals the history and realities of librarianship in the entertaining and appealing context of American movies. Interviews with actual librarians, intercut with film clips of cinematic librarians, examine such issues as literature, books and reading, censorship, library funding, citizenship and democracy. For the first time, we see and understand the real lives and real work of American librarians who for decades have been a cultural force hiding in plain sight."--Container.

Featured Resource

The History Makers is a collection of interviews with 100 contemporary African Americans in video along with full transcripts. This collection can be browsed by name of interviewee, occupation, subject category or theme. You can access The History Makers via Black Studies Center database.

Eric Rohmer Dies at 89

Read the New York Times Obituary.

A few favorite films by Eric Rohmer.

Chloe in the afternoon
Butler Media Res
DVD0275

Claire's Knee
Butler Media Res
DVD4993

Love in the afternoon
Butler Media Res
DVD4995

My night at Maud's
Butler Media Res
DVD0277