Reel Matters and more…

 I’m afraid so, the first tell tale signs were there. I was sitting in a diner with a dear friend and I said something like, “If my guy doesn’t win the election I think I will find myself in a “crisis of faith” that will last the rest of my days”. We both chuckled but it got me to thinking. You know what? This is what the movies play out time and time again. Those moments in life where it seems that every belief that you hold  as dear and true is challenged by what is or could happen.  Just like a character in a movie, I could very likely find myself witnessing my belief system torn and tattered, if “my guy” does not win this election.  Yep, the threat of real emotional crisis is looming…… It’s just ahead for me, maybe,  Uh oh.  But Im ruminating, forgive me……..so……. get out there.  Vote on election day November the 4th, OK? It matters.  More later, caucella

Yes, he had those beautiful blue eyes and a fine chiseled face as well.  No one would argue that he most certainly cut a wonderful figure up there on the silver screen.  He was versatile as only the really great superstars know how to pull off.  He could play tough, funny, cool, sensual or even mean…. we did not always have to like him……..if we did not…… well that was even better because we could enjoy the challenge of “not liking” Paul Newman. LOL.  But whatever our reaction, we could see it all play out across his face, his finest acting tool. And best of all, he aged well taking on roles that played havoc with our expectations of what we expected to see. The foul- mouthed coach of “Slap Shot” or the ruthless old family boss of “Road to Perdition”.  Just great.  When he died earlier this week at 83, I felt a huge jolt of sadness, not only for his suffering but a rage at the simple loss of the man.  We won’t see him again.  He’s gone.  Damn.  That good guy who raced cars, loved his wife and gave away fortunes made selling salad dressing, salsa, popcorn and fine quality food for man’s best friend.  Paul Newman was an enormously talented actor who gave us unforgettable characters who will live on  in our culture for decades to come.  As well they should.  Paul’s “cool” will never lose it’s appeal.  Men will be born who will try to duplicate it, you can be sure. Goodbye, Mr. Newman and thank you so very much. More later, caucella

 Documentary filmmaker Tony Kaye hails from the UK and in his early years of creativity (this would be the late 80’s to early 90’s) built a solid reputation for his expertise in making TV commercials and music videos.  Yeah, definitely a money-making success in a very fickle and difficult business.  Good for him.  This kind of stuff needs to be done well also, no? Anyway in the years since then he has used this renown in the advertising world to ”break into” feature  films as an actor and editor but most notably as the director of “American History X” starring Edward Norton as a racist skinhead in 1996……  Let me ask you something, OK? Even in these our admittedly” litigious times” would you think it was a good idea as an aspiring filmmaker to taut your colleagues and bring a lawsuit against the very distributor who could bring your  ”masterpiece” to the movie going public? I think not, but that is exactly what Tony did.  He brought a $275 million lawsuit against the Directors Guild and New Line Cinema because basically, each of them asked him to make some changes to “American History X”.  Nope, Tony was not about to edit his vision.  In the ensuing debacle he demanded that his name be removed from the film and requested that he be billed as “Humpty Dumpty”.   So why am I telling you about this film guy’s irrational road to ruin? If he wants to conduct business that way…… let him. Personal and financial loss go hand in hand with this kind of thinking, right? But guess what? This very same man who obviously has difficulty with collaboration or for that matter accepting any other “vision” save his own has pulled off the seemingly impossible……….He has made a film entitled “Lake of Fire”  that very effectively depicts both sides of the emotionally charged subject of abortion without damning anyone,  pro or con.  Quite an achievement.  If you have any serious interest in learning more about Roe vs.Wade or how each “side” feels about how abortion can impact our dear country, come on in to the library and check out Tony Kaye’s “Lake of Fire” in our non-fiction DVD collection on the first floor.  It will haunt you.  You will learn something. He worked on it for 10 years.  It’s worth your time.  I know I’m going to see it again before the election….but that’s just me.  More later, caucella

It was quite an  experience. ”Thursday Night at the Movies” provided me with the opportunity to showcase  and share some of the best films of  the last decade. No subject was taboo, and everyone with an interest and the time was invited to join  me here at the Ferguson for an evening of film viewing and discussion. It was all free. It was free in the sense that there was “no charge” involved but much more importantly it was free in spirit. ”Thursday Night” was a nice little haven kept alive by people with an  open curiosity about looking at life on film no matter what the content.  Proudly, the Ferg  provided the setting for that. Isn’t that what libraries are all about? Yeah, it is. I am so glad to have been a part of it. Thanks to ALL. Now lets just take a look at some of the  people, places and things that filled our Thursday nights for almost five years. What a wonderful ride……..George Bush, “Hitler’s Secretary”, Che, “Juno”, Johnny Cash, “Dirty Pretty Things”, Shirley Chisholm, “Venus”, Peter O’Toole, Munich, Robert Mitchum, “The Honeymoon Killers”, Al Gore, The Weathermen, “No End in Sight”, Elvis, (almost) Amitabh Bachchan, Ray Charles, “49 Up”, Werner Herzog, “Bagdad Cafe”, Bunny Lake, Rock Hudson, Roger Corman, “Sicko”, “Gates of Heaven”, “Crazy Love”, Dieter Dengler, “Jesus Camp”, “God Grew Tired of Us”, “Gone Baby Gone”, Truman Capote, James Gandolfini, The Devil, “Little Miss Sunshine”, Rudy Giuliani, “Street Fight”,  The Dixie Chicks, “When the Levees Broke”, Harper Lee, Clint, Queen Elizabeth, “My Son the Fanatic”, Clive Owen, Javier Bardem “Ten Items or Less”, “Murder on a Sunday Morning”, “Half Nelson”, “The Trials of Darryl Hunt”, “Fearful Symmetry”, Leonard Cohen, “Pan’s Labyrinth”, “A Peck on the Cheek”,”This Film is Rated X”, “Junebug”, “Black Book”, ” The Wind That Shakes the Barley”, “La Vie En Rose”, “My Best Friend’,  and so much more. More later, caucella

One of the favorite mysteries of my lifetime is Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep”. It was this detective tale published in 1939 that first introduced us to Philip Marlowe.  A character so smart, clear, cynical and yeah, cool. But you don’t need me to tell you. I mean this character has endured for what, almost 70 years now?. Jeez,  what an original and passionate voice Raymond Chandler created with this flawed man so hardened yet can I say it? …….hopeful. Yep, a sure reminder that there is little that compares to the thrill of discovering a “real” persona  within the powers of the written word……  So I love this mystery novel and  happily the 1946 film with Bogart as Marlowe is just as lovable, it’s so perfect in tone and style. One of my favorite things about this movie is that the plot is so intricate I often forget who the dead  guy is. Somewhere in the midst of it all I find myself thinking “Hey , wait …….Who got murdered?” LOL. Now that’s just fun. Not for nothing, Marlowe became a familiar anti-hero  during the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. And Bogart was not the only guy to play this character on film. Dick Powell, (yeah,  Ruby Keeler’s dancing pal), Robert Mitchum ( in  a remake of “Murder, My Sweet”) and Elliot Gould ( No, it’s true, in “The Long Goodbye”) all took their bow as Chandler’s hardboiled detective. I wonder if we’ll see him again on the silver screen?  Can’t think of any current guy at the moment to play the part but if Elliot got his shot I guess it can happen to anyone, No? Anyway,  the stories stand on their own. So many great mystery writers working in Hollywood during it’s heyday. Well, actually all manner of wonderful  authors using their talents on screenplays and the like. William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker to name a few who come to mind. Ah, the lure of Hollywood and it’s lifestyle!   James M. Cain made his mark in movieland with such classics as “The Postman Always Rings Twice”, “Mildred Pierce” and “Double Indemnity” based on his novels.  (although Raymond Chandler wrote the screenplay for”Indemnity”). No discussion of movie land mysteries would be complete without mention of the stories of Dashiell Hammett. His legacy leaves us with the likes of Sam Spade  a man quite aware of the perils  of the real world .”The Maltese Falcon” seems to make it’s way to everybody’s favorites list year after year. That’s not hard to believe when you revisit the characters of  say “ Brigid O’Shaughnessy” or “Casper Gutman” both models of deceit and self interest almost 75 years on. Just great. More later, caucella

No matter how hard it might be to believe that summer is upon us again it just is. So that means our long standing summer reading program is front and center once more. Great. Now it’s most likely that on whatever course your reading habits have lead you, you consider yourself the master of your own choices, no? That is all well and good.  But our summer reading theme for this year takes that concept a bit further. This year we celebrate the “art of reading” that solitary endeavor which can be practiced with panache with a little help from your friends.  You know, the staff at your favorite library. Yes, together we can “Master the Art of Reading” during the lovely summer months of 2008.  This summer also plays host to “Thursday Night at the Movies present’s The Art of Music in the Movies”. We’ll be showing “I’m Not There” showcasing 4 different actors portraying Bob Dylan in different periods of his life. A decidedly unusual biopic approach for sure. Even actress Cate Blanchett gets her shot at playing Bob. Yep, there really is more than one way to tell a story. Also don’t miss that Oscar-winning pretty little Irish film “Once” that details the beauty of collaboration between two young people determined to write and perform their music. Lastly, join us for the documentary “Almost Elvis” about the continuing quest (the world over) to properly impersonate the true Elvis. He may be dead but his “art” remains. Who could have predicted his power over us? Fascinating. So get ready to witness the art of music in the movies coming soon on 3 Thursdays in July. Watch for our flyers, OK? More later, caucella

Ok, let’s see, when I think of  Dion, I hear the plaintive tone of the refrain “Why must I be a teenager in love?” over and over in my head. Believe me, I can hear him. Or even better, the proud quality declared in the simple line “I’m a wanderer”. Such sadness. Oh and…… great joy. It was back in 57′ that Dion DiMucci and the Belmonts first began to sing on  the streets of the Bronx. So long ago yet somehow so recent in our memory.The Fifties definitely possessed such  a wonderful youthful vibe, don’t you think? The stuff that hopes and yes, dreams are made of. I may be sounding just a bit corny but I believe that  everything starts with a dream of some dimension. It’s just the way it is. So it is this belief in dreams that has me excited about our next film program ”Sunday Afternoon at the Movies Special Event” “Love in the Age of Dion”. The story concerns a man who has returned to his old neighborhood (yeah, the Bronx )  to revisit old friends and ponder what happened to the love that got away. Come join us and meet the author and cast of this great little film.That will be on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 1:30 at the Main Library in the auditorium. And remember to dream on……..More later, caucella

I like to think of the folks that regularly show up for “Thursday Night at the Movies” as loyal, intrepid souls. When I chat about the film on the night of the showing or encourage them to come see a film that the Ferguson plans for the future, they listen attentively and coax the performer in me to continue with murmered “Thank yous” and soft clapping.  If by chance I’m speaking of a film that they have heard no particular “buzz” about,  they seem to trust me and come to see the film anyway. This trust is such a pleasure to realize. There is no question that it adds to the whole great feeling that our efforts here at the public library are appreciatied and yes, worthwhile.So………..who would have guessed that “No Country for Old Men” a film that by it’s very nature comes loaded with a “buzz” all it’s own.(it was the winner of more than one “Oscar”, it’s based on a novel of the same name by established author Cormac McCarthy and  is directed by cinema’s current wunderkinds Joel and Ethan Coen) would have caused such a decided atmosphere of discomfort and confusion.  The  reaction to this film really intrigued me. What the gang expected to see was not anything like what they saw on screen. The biggest disappointment of the evening was that “the “bad guy” got away and the “good guy” died.  Anther lament heard repeatedly was the question of “was all that violence necessary?” or just the simple question “What was that all about”? Most definitely a night filled with fasinating questions and open-ended answers. I’d love to know what you readers out there thought of this film. So take a moment please and drop me a comment. It will be fun. I just need to talk about it because I know what I saw on the screen. More later, caucella

What do they say about the things you can always count on? Well, death and taxes, but something else too.  It’s change.  You can always expect change. So it goes and the Ferguson is no exception.  So in anticipation (and preparation) for the renovation of the library that will begin in early summer the movies that we know and love have moved! Yep, as of now you will find the DVD collection on the first floor in front of the fiction desk.The good stuff and everything in between (all according to personal opinion of course) LOL. So come on in to the library and browse. You won’t be disappointed. More later, caucella

You know that commercial for a certain weight loss program that asks plaintively, “Have you called ***** yet?” You probably know the one I mean. Every time I see that I think “Hey, maybe I should ask our blog readers if they are aware of  the Library’s ”Express” DVD collections”.  It’s one of our newer services  and the staff has done a great job of getting the latest most coveted movies……ALL in one place! How fun is that? You really can’t miss it. It’s right by the elevator on the ground floor( I’m talking Main branch here) the hottest movie titles on the shelf just for the taking as in “first come, first served’. Oh, and no reservations please, and just overnight. That way everybody gets a chance to see the new stuff. Not a bad deal at all, Right? Every Ferguson branch has it’s own Express collection so there’s enough for all who want their movies now, not later. Cool. So let me ask it OK? “Have you tried Express yet? LOL. More later, caucella