Written by Jon Williams
Inside Llewyn Davis, released
theatrically earlier this month, follows the trials and tribulations of a young
folk singer in 1961, flailing through a stalled career following the death of
his partner. It’s among the best films
of 2013, garnering critical acclaim and a number of awards and nominations. The
movie and the performances have been well regarded, as has its soundtrack,
which, like 2000’s O
Brother Where Art Thou? (also by the Coen Brothers), was overseen by producer
T Bone Burnett.
Also like
several other Coen Brothers productions, Inside Llewyn Davis features John
Goodman in a prominent role, this time as a fellow musician who berates the
title character on an ill-fated trip to Chicago. Goodman’s association with
Joel and Ethan Coen dates back to 1987, when he was featured in Raising
Arizona. Widely regarded as one of the funniest films of all time, it
was one of the earliest efforts from the filmmaking team.
Since then,
Goodman has gone on to act onscreen in four more of the Coens’ films: Barton
Fink (1991), The
Big Lebowski (1998), O
Brother Where Art Thou? (2000), and Inside
Llewyn Davis. In addition, he served as the narrator to their 1994 film The
Hudsucker Proxy. Goodman considers his role in Lebowski to be one of
his favourites, as his character, Walter Sobchak, is the one for which he’s
recognized the most by fans.
Of course,
Goodman has had quite a notable career outside of Coen Brothers films as well.
He’s best known for his role as Dan Conner, Roseanne’s husband in the sitcom Roseanne,
which ran from 1988 to 1997, and he voiced the monster James P. Sullivan in the
Disney/Pixar hit Monsters,
Inc. and the sequel Monsters
University (as well as an appearance in Cars).
He’s also played such characters as Santa
Claus, Fred
Flintstone, and Babe
Ruth. Recently he starred as the villain in The
Hangover Part III, and next will be seen alongside George Clooney, Matt
Damon, and Bill Murray in the upcoming adaptation of The
Monuments Men, scheduled to hit theatres in February.
This is just
a small sampling of the titles available from CVS Midwest Tape, both from John
Goodman and from the Coen Brothers. For more, SmartBrowse ‘John Goodman,’ ‘Joel
Coen,’ and ‘Ethan Coen’ on our website.
Written by Kyle Slagley
The story of an orphaned English boy who, within the span of
seven years, must grow up and realize that he is a famous wizard who saved the
world once and must do so all over again is well known to millions around the
world. Put another way, Harry Potter is one of the most famous people who never
lived.
Fans of J.K. Rowling’s book series were given a big boost
back in September when it was announced that Rowling had cut a deal with Warner
Bros (who produced all eight of the Harry Potter films) to produce a film
around Fantastic Beasts & Where to
Find Them, a supplemental book to the seven-novel series about Potter. Fantastic Beasts is neither a prequel
nor a sequel to the Harry Potter line
of novels and films; instead it begins 70 years prior to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in New York City. Rowling is hoping to turn the film into a
series of its own.
Potter fans tend to be an insatiable bunch, so it’s a good
thing Fantastic Beasts isn’t the only
piece of news I have to tell. Just this morning I read that Rowling is also
bringing Harry Potter to the stage. Unlike
Fantastic Beasts, the stage play will
reportedly be a prequel to Philosopher’s
Stone, and address Potter’s early days as an orphan and misfit.
Writing extensions to a series as beloved and established as
Harry Potter is indeed a tricky
business. I have to say, choosing a medium other than film was a wise choice on
Rowling’s part. Fans grew used to a distinctive style of filmmaking by the time
the eighth movie was released, so writing a prequel for the stage gives Rowling
a chance to branch out a bit in style without risking as much rejection from
die-hard fans of the film.
Moreover, writing the prequel as a stage play has its
advantages for the actors – particularly the lucky (or unlucky, depending on
how you look at it) young men who will be cast as Harry. On film, audiences
would expect and demand a younger version of Daniel Radcliffe. On the stage,
audiences will likely give the actors more room to interpret the role.
These two projects will be Rowling’s first attempt at
writing both a screenplay and a stage script. With no word on a release date
for Fantastic Beasts or an opening
night for the stage show, fans will have to get by re-reading the book
series and re-watching the film
series. We’ll keep you updated if we hear more.
Written by Jon Williams
This morning
the U.S. Library of Congress announced this year’s additions to the National Film
Registry. The Registry was established in 1988 to recognize and preserve “culturally,
historically, or aesthetically significant films” produced in the U.S.
One of the titles
added this year is Disney’s Mary Poppins,
which has just been rereleased on DVD
and Blu-ray
in a digitally restored 50th Anniversary Edition. This is particularly timely
due to the upcoming theatrical release of Saving
Mr. Banks, the film starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson that details Walt
Disney’s efforts to bring Mary Poppins
from the page to the screen. Other notable titles being added this year include
Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp
Fiction, The
Magnificent Seven, and The
Right Stuff.
With the
2013 list announced, there have now been 25 classes of films added to the
National Film Registry, bringing the total number of films listed to 625. Although it is a U.S.-centric list, it is a fine collection of essential films that your patrons would love to
experience for the first time or revisit over and over again. Make sure to have
these movies on your shelves; SmartBrowse ‘National Film Registry’ on our
homepage for a complete list of films available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Written by Jon Williams
It’s been a
big week for news and events in country music.
First and
foremost, the American Country Awards were held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
on Tuesday night. It was a star-studded affair, hosted by Trace Adkins and
Danica Patrick and featuring performances by Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, and
Kellie Pickler, among others. The awards, voted on by fans, recognize the best
of the past year in a variety of categories. The big winners on the night were Florida
Georgia Line (six awards) and Blake
Shelton (four awards), as well as Luke
Bryan, who was named artist of the year. For a complete list of the night’s
winners, click
here.
That same
day, it was announced that a new Johnny
Cash album will be released in March, featuring unheard music from the
country legend. Out Among the Stars
was recorded in the early ‘80s and then never released. The material was mostly
forgotten and assumed lost, and has only recently been rediscovered. This will
be the fourth album release since Cash’s passing in 2003, the first since American
VI: Ain’t No Grave in 2010. Stay tuned for ordering information on the
upcoming album.
Finally, Garth
Brooks announced this week on Good
Morning America that he will begin touring again in 2014. Brooks shocked
the music world when he announced his retirement from touring and recording in
2000, at the height of his immense popularity, saying he wanted to spend time
with his wife (country singer Trisha
Yearwood) and children. Now, with his youngest daughter about to graduate
from high school, Brooks is ready to get back to what he does best. In preparation,
Brooks has released a 6-disc compilation, Blame
It All on My Roots, which features his take on songs which have
influenced him over the course of his life and career, a mixture of classic
country, classic rock, and more. There’s no word yet on any upcoming releases
of new original material, but you have to imagine that’ll be the next step.
Written by Kyle Slagley
This week marks the first annual Computer Science Education
Week, or CSEdWeek for short. Sponsored by Code.org, the week is intended to
inspire K-12 students to learn the basics, and hopefully more, of computer
science. The week also serves a double-purpose in that it recognizes the
December 9th birthday of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, who is widely considered to
be a pioneer in computing.
The big push during this year’s CSEdWeek is the “Hour of
Code” initiative. Big names like Ashton Kutcher, President Obama, and
(unsurprisingly) Mark Zuckerberg have been encouraging people to take part in
hour-long seminars where participants are taught the basics of computer code.
Beginning Monday morning, I was very happy to see dozens of
tweets by libraries in all corners of the U.S. and Canada advocating for “Hour
of Code” and CSEdWeek. Loads of libraries are offering their own Hour of Code
seminars this week, or at the very least are directing patrons to other local
organizations who are hosting.
In case your patrons want some additional material regarding
either code or computer science in general, I’ve pulled together a couple of
titles you can order from CVS Midwest Tape that might help.
Learn
HTML - Explains what HTML is, web pages, scanners, servers, web page design
issues, and more. Learn how to create a page or simply be up-to-date with
today's technology. Everything viewers need to learn is at their fingertips.
Mastering Java Programming – Vol.
1 & Vol.
2: Learn how to program in Java with step-by-step video lessons. Presuming
viewers know nothing about programming at all, viewers will be walked through
each concept necessary to write Java programs quickly and effectively. Then
continue the Mastering Java series with step-by-step video lessons and example
code. The student will learn about keyboard input, for loop, if statements,
while loops, math libraries, and much more.
If your patrons have questions regarding a specific type of
computing, SmartBrowse “Information Technology” for a complete list of our
available titles.
Written by Kyle Slagley
Today, free men and women from all nations are forced to say
goodbye to one of the most influential men in history. Nelson Mandela passed
away peacefully yesterday at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa,
amid his family and friends at the age of 95.
After spending his younger years as a political activist,
Mandela was eventually arrested and would spend nearly 30 years in prison for
his activities. Just four years after being released from prison, Mandela was
elected President of South Africa and served one five-year term from 1994-1999
before voluntarily retiring.
As one of the most influential men of the 20th century,
Mandela has fittingly been portrayed by some of Hollywood’s best actors over
the years; among them are Morgan Freeman, Sidney Poitier, David Harewood,
Dennis Haysbert, Terrence Howard, Clarke Peters, and Idris Elba. Mandela also
gave the world a chance to know him through his writing; the most popular in
recent years would be Long Walk to
Freedom, thanks largely to the film version starring Elba.
Thanks to his tireless courage and commitment to ideals like
freedom, education, and peace, many nations across the world feel as though
they are saying goodbye to one of their own. Celebrities and heads of state
across the world are sharing Mandela’s words today, and many national flags are
flying at half-mast.
Because it is incredibly difficult to find words that truly
do justice to a man as great as Mandela, I will instead leave you with the
words that he himself used to find courage during his many years in prison.
Invictus
by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
For titles by and about Nelson Mandela, visit our website here.
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