Celebrating Saul Bass

A very good doodle from Google.  Read more.

Opening Film at Cannes Film Festival

Baz Luhrmann's 'Great Gatsby' will open the Cannes Film Festival.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire, as his friend, Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, and Joel Edgerton, as her husband, Tom.

For more information, see the New York Times article. 

Happy Sweet 16 -- Butler Media Collection!

The Butler Media Collection celebrates 16 years!

Established in 1997, the collection is rapidly approaching a count of 30,000 DVDs. With more than 6,000 VHS titles -- this collection is highly regarded as a major research collection for film studies at Columbia University. The collection supports both a popular circulating collection of feature films and a research collection strong in American and foreign feature films, early cinema, documentaries, television programming,  and video art.  The Starr East Asian Library is adding hundreds of films from China to the Butler Media Collection - for more information -- read the press release.


MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA holds the distinctive call number -- DVD0001.

Recent feature film acquisitions -- THE MASTER, THE SESSIONS, FOOTNOTE -- and all seasons of the television program -- BREAKING BAD.

I am delighted to have helped in establishing this collection -- and continue to serve as the first and primary selector for this important resource.

Film Language Glossary

The Film Language Glossary has been made available for public use. Developed in 2005 by the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning at Columbia University, the website provides definitions of essential terms used in basic and advanced film courses. The terms are supplemented by film clips, animations, images and/or commentary to enhance the understanding of these terms.


Click here for full announcement.

Seven Days a Week!

MoMA Plans to be Open.

 See related article from the New York Times.

One for the casebooks!

Netflix -- what happened?

See story in The New York Times.

Arts Endowment Trims Support for PBS Shows

The New York Times reported this morning that the "National Endowment for the Arts made sweeping cuts in its support of established PBS shows under the 2012 Arts in Media grants which were announced Wednesday morning. In its place, the endowment awarded large grants to an array of gaming and Web-based projects."

The total amount awarded was down $4 million from last year but resulted in an increase in the number of grants awarded -- 78 up from 64 in 2011.


Big hit to "The PBS NewsHour -- and WNET received a grant towards a new series "The Electric Animation Festival."

Emphasis this year- - funding for public media and not just broadcast.

The Canyons

The Canyons is a contemporary thriller to be directed by Paul Schrader and written by Bret Easton Ellis -- follow the development on Facebook.

‘Robert Johnson at 100’ at the Apollo Theater

In honor of Robert Johnson (see New York Times article on the event), enjoy this clip from the Coen Brothers amazing film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Eiko Ishioka Dies at 73

Eiko Ishioka brought a unique vision to all of her design work in film, theater, and advertising. Her work was provocative and fascinating. She won and Academy Award for costume design in 1992 for "Bram Stoker's Dracula" directed by Francis Ford Coppola. She designed costumes for the Broadway productions of "M. Butterfly" and "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark."

Her obituary from the New York Times.

School of the Arts Exhibit in Butler

The Art of the Book in Butler Library -- terrific exhibit now on display on the third floor of Butler Library through May.

Ethel and Ernest -- who knew?

"It was a storybook celebrity marriage that captured a public’s imagination, and then suddenly it was over before they even had a chance to complete their wedding registry." -- from the New York Times

One of Hollywood's shortest marriages, Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine -- apparently the marriage fell apart during the honeymoon. In her autobiography entitled Merman (1978) - the chapter entitled "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine" consists of one blank page.

Celebrate the Book

“I don’t know what it is, man — books,” Mr. Squibb said. “I just feel better." From article on Occupy Boston.

Resources in Film Studies and Performing Arts

Please join me for one of these sessions. I will provide an introduction to a wide-range of resources supporting research in Film Studies and Performing Arts --- including advanced searching in Google, how to find books, articles, plays, films, images, and more.

Location: 306 Butler Library
When: September 22 -- 11am - 1pm & September 30 -- 10am - 12noon
RSVP: nef4@columbia.edu


Hope to see you there!

Elizabeth Taylor Dead at 79

The end of an era.

Read the New York Times obituary.

Academy Award Nominations Announced!

The King's Speech received the most nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and in the acting categories -- nominations for Best Actor, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role. For more information -- see The New York Times, Variety, and Oscar.com.

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

In Memoriam

Jill Clayburgh
Read Janet Maslin's appraisal.

In Memoriam

The fabulous Tony Curtis dies at 85.

Read the New York Times Obituary.