Free Library Blog - Posts by Peter SM

Friday Five: Criterion Collection Cult Movies

Peter SM — 2013-05-17T12:00:00-05:00

The Criterion Collection is widely known as one of the most eclectic film collections ever assembled. For close to 30 years, they've specialized in showcasing and curating cult, foreign, and critically acclaimed films, from classics to contemporary cinema.

In a day and age where special features on a movie's DVD or Blu-ray release really aren't always so "special" anymore, Criterion was the original pioneer of presenting special editions of films with the correct aspect ratio for home video viewing (i.e. "letterbox" / widescreen format), theatrical trailers, documentaries, bonus materials (deleted scenes, alternate takes, production stills, and artwork), and commentary tracks endorsed by and involving the filmmakers themselves.

Here's a "Friday Five" of some of the weirdest, funniest, trashiest, most "out-there" films in the Criterion Collection:

	Repo Man (1984) The very definition of a "cult classic," Alex Cox’s Repo Man ups the weird factor by mashing together sci-fi, comedy, action, Reagan-era politics, consumerism, nuclear war, punk rock, and... car repossession in desolate downtown L.A. Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez play off each other like the Odd Couple version of a buddy cop flick, both with enough quotable lines to last a lifetime ("The life of a Repo Man is always intense!"). Special features include a restored digital transfer of the film approved by the director, new audio commentaries and interviews with cast and crew, and a booklet featuring essays an amazingly illustrated production history by Cox. Lastly, this movie was produced by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees!
	The Blob (1958) One of the classic creatures of the '50s sci fi and horror movie boom, The Blob is a gooey, gelatinous being from another world that crash lands in a small town in Pennsylvania (Phoenixville, represent!) and basically runs... er, slimes amok. Only one man in town can stay cool enough to save everyone, the "King of Cool" himself, Steve McQueen! It should be noted that another cool character wrote the groovy theme song for this film, legendary composer Burt Bacharach. Special features include a high-def digital restoration of the film, audio commentary with director Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., the theatrical trailer, and Blobabilia!, a gallery of stills, posters, and props from the movie. This movie is so loved, the town of Phoenixville holds a Blobfest every year to celebrate!
	Videodrome (1983) David Cronenberg's Videodrome is a surreal sci-fi horror film about a cable access video feed showing extreme scenes of sex and violence that when watched not only takes over your mind, but also transforms your body (sometimes in grotesque fashion, a theme through most of Cronenberg's films). But is it real or is it all a hallucination? And who's behind the "Videodrome" signal? The mystery and madness draw Max Renn (James Woods) into a global conspiracy to find out. Years later, the film has become eerily prophetic with its social commentary on media. Special features include a high-def transfer of the unrated version of the film, audio commentaries with the director and stars James Woods and Deborah Harry, a documentary on Rick Baker's groundbreaking video and prosthetic makeup effects, and photo galleries featuring rare behind-the-scenes production photos. "Long Live The New Flesh!"
	Slacker (1991) The very essence of D.I.Y., no-budget filmmaking, Slacker takes the viewer on a weird trip through an underground scene of artists, musicians, poets, and all around bohemians in Austin, Texas during the alternative heyday of the early '90s. There's really no plot in this movie, per se, but more a bunch of quirky vignettes featuring crazy characters that weave a larger narrative. Director / writer / producer Richard Linklater shot the film on 16mm for a mere $3,000, helping to launch the prolific independent film movement of the time. Special features include audio commentaries with Linklater and members of the cast and crew, casting tape “auditions” from the over one-hundred-member cast, a copy of the "script", and information about the Austin Film Society.
	Rushmore (1998) This highly entertaining and inventive film from Wes Anderson is a coming-of-age drama that plays like a slapstick comedy, and vice-versa. Private school student Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a legend in his own time--at least in his own mind. He's on the verge of getting expelled from school, until he meets a cantankerous millionaire (the hilarious Bill Murray), falls in love with a school teacher twice his age (Olivia Williams), and writes his magnum opus (yet completely and inappropriately over the top) play based on Vietnam, "Heaven and Hell". The soundtrack to the film, full of British Invasion-flavored garage rock, totally compliments the teenage loudness and adolescent awkwardness of its protagonist. Special features include a director’s cut of the film, audio commentary featuring the director, co-writer Owen Wilson, and actor Jason Schwartzman, a "making-of" documentary, audition footage, and Anderson’s hand-drawn storyboards for the film.

Search through over 500 Criterion Collection titles in our catalog and have yourself a movie marathon that would make a film school student jealous!

Leave a comment below and let us know some of your favorite cult films.

Free Library Mobile Services at the Tap of Your Finger!

Peter SM — 2013-05-14T15:30:00-05:00

The Free Library Mobile Services page has recently been updated!

There are new step-by-step instructions and screenshots illustrating how to access and bookmark the Free Library's mobile website on your mobile device of choice. By adding our mobile app icon to your mobile device's home screen, you can access all the great books, music, movies, information, resources, and services available to you from the Free Library with a tap of your finger!

You can sign in and manage your library account, search our vast catalog and databases, download ebooks and podcasts, browse through thousands of images in our extensive digital collections, view the calendar of events at your neighborhood library, and even access and read this very blog.

Leave a comment below and let us know how you use our mobile website and any features you might like to see in a future update!

Software Upgrade Beginning Saturday, May 18th

Peter SM — 2013-05-10T12:30:00-05:00

Beginning on Saturday, May 18th at 5:00 p.m., Free Library IT staff will be performing a software upgrade and system maintenance on our online catalog.
The upgrade is essential to keep our catalog up-to-date and ready to implement future features and services for our customers.

Between 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18th when the Free Library system closes for the day and Sunday, May 19th at 1:00 p.m. when we re-open, the following online services will be unavailable to customers:

The "classic catalog."
My Account, including online renewals, fine payments, placing or viewing holds, creating tags, writing reviews, or adding items to lists.
Electronic resources, including Freegal, Freading, TumbleBooks, and eBooks on EBSCOhost.
The telephone renewal system.

NOTE: Customers will still be able to use the VuFind catalog, as well as download any ebook holds that become available for them through Free Library's OverDrive Digital Library.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this important upgrade!

Visual Effects Pioneer Ray Harryhausen R.I.P. 1920 - 2013

Peter SM — 2013-05-09T10:00:00-05:00

A true legend of the silver screen passed away earlier this week, and while you may not know his name or what he looks like, chances are if you've ever watched a science fiction, fantasy, or action-adventure film and been amazed at the special fx or blurted out "HOW did they do that?!", you can trace it all back to Ray Harryhausen.

Much like the fans his amazing and groundbreaking work would later thrill and inspire, Harryhausen himself was a mesmerized moviegoer after a screening of King Kong in 1933; one of the first films to use the "stop-motion animation" technique, where a physical object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the film is screened together as a whole.

Harryhausen would go on to be a pioneer in the visual effects world of films, a one man special fx department whose precision and dedication to his craft was legendary as noted by this entry in his bio from IMDb: "The most famous example of the kind of patience required being the exciting skeleton sword fight sequence in Jason and the Argonauts (1963) in which Harryhausen often shot no more than 13 frames of film (one-half second of elapsed time) per day." A far cry from the speed and ease of CGI effects and computers nowadays!

Filmmakers such as Steven Speilberg, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and Tim Burton have all cited Ray Harryhausen as a tremendous influence and you only have to look at Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or The Nightmare Before Christmas to prove it.

The video below brings back fond childhood memories of lazy weekend afternoons, sprawled out on the floor of the living room watching Jason and the Argonauts, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), or Clash of the Titans (1981) with my brother on now bygone UHF channels like Ch. 48 and Ch. 57.

Learn more about Ray Harryhausen and check out his films at the Free Library!

Arts, Culture, and Creativity Mapped Out on CultureBlocks

Peter SM — 2013-05-08T10:00:00-05:00

Another resource and ally in the Open Data movement (as I've written about in previous blog posts) has popped up online as of last week: CultureBlocks.com.

CultureBlocks is a free web-based mapping tool that collects cultural data and assets throughout Philadelphia (i.e. schools, rec centers, public transportation, parks, and libraries) which can be combined with economic, demographic and geographic census data (i.e. neighborhoods, council districts, and school catchments) to create detailed and robust maps to inform individuals and organizations on arts initiatives, investments, and neighborhood revitilization.

The Free Library is an integral part of neighborhoods in Philadelphia and invaluable cultural asset in the city that promotes literacy and the arts.

The site was launched by the City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy; the City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce; The Reinvestment Fund’s (TRF) Policy Map; and the Social Impact of the Arts Project (SAIP) at the University of Pennsylvania; and is supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and ArtPlace.

The web-tool is being managed by the Office of Arts Culture and the Creative Economy, which will coordinate the use of CultureBlocks among City agencies and provide technical assistance to public users. Moira Baylson, Deputy Cultural Officer of the OACCE, says, "The vision of CultureBlocks is to use data to foster economic and social vitality in Philadelphia neighborhoods."

Overall, CultureBlocks it is a very robust site and great tool to learn more about the arts and how they relate to the neighbrohoods that make Philadelphia a vibrant, exciting, and interesting place to live, work, and visit.

In related news, be on the lookout for some new map updates and features from Free Library in the coming weeks!

Friday Five: Superhero Movies

Peter SM — 2013-05-03T08:45:00-05:00

Iron Man 3 rockets onto screens today and ushers in the 2013 summer movie season.
Superheroes are at the forefront of the box office again this summer with Man of Steel, the newest entry in the Superman movie franchise; The Wolverine, the continuing tales of the X-Men's most ferocious mutant team member; and Kick-Ass 2, the sequel to the over-the-top, not-for-kids, vigilante superhero series.

Here is a "Friday Five" of some of the best superhero movies to ever Bif! Bam! Pow! their way onto movie screens and home video.

	Superman (1978 - Rated PG) Superman is perhaps the modern superhero film to measure all other future superhero films and starring the quintessential comic book superhero of all time. With a great cast, story, cinematography, and score, the film runs the full gamut of action, adventure, drama, romance, and just enough comedic relief. When Superman was released, no one had ever seen a movie like it and the special FX still hold up in today's CGI crazed Hollywood. The movie truly made good on its poster's promise, "You'll Believe A Man Can Fly".
	The Avengers (2012 - Rated PG-13) Captain America. Iron Man. Thor. The Hulk. Hawkeye. Black Widow. Nick Fury. "Avengers Assemble!" Joss Whedon basically did the impossible with this film, juggling all of the characters and their backtstories, yet giving them all their own time to shine while also weaving them all into the larger story arc of this movie and all Marvel superhero movies to come. The Avengers is one of the most enjoyable, exciting and re-watchable superhero movies ever. Excelsior!
	The Dark Knight (2008 - Rated PG-13) The Dark Knight is Christopher Nolan's crowning achievement in the Batman cinematic universe. It transcends superhero movies by taking these fictional comic book characters and putting them in a world where everything is based in reality, science, and physics. At its simplest it's an epic crime drama and at its most ambitious it's a political commentary on our post-9/11 world. Heath Ledger's Joker is truly and frighteningly unhinged, even more so due to the tragic death of the actor shortly after filming was finished (Ledger was posthumously awarded Best Supporting Actor).
	The Incredibles (2004 - Rated PG) The super powered family that fights maniacal-super-villains-set-on-taking-over-the-world together, stays together. Director Brad Bird's homage to 60's spy films and the Silver Age of comic books is the perfect marriage of style and story, with hearty doses of humor and love thrown into the mix as well. Pixar does it again with The Incredibles, making a movie that is fun for kids and at the same time doesn't dumb it down for the grownups.
	Hellboy (2004 - Rated PG-13) A creature from hell ("Hellboy", 'natch!) brought through a mysterious portal during World War II who helps fight supernatural evil throughout the world, aided by The B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) which comprises a pyrokinetic (Liz Sherman), an aquatic telepathic scientist (Abe Sapien), and more firepower, cool gadgets, and monsters seen on screen since Star Wars. Based on the acclaimed comic book series by Mike Mignola and directed by genre guru Guillermo del Toro.

Search our catalog to find more super heroic movies under the subjects "superhero films"and "comic book films".

What are some of your favorite superhero movies? Tell us in the comments!

Top 10 ebooks OverDrive Digital Library April 2013

Peter SM — 2013-05-01T11:00:00-05:00

Here are the Top 10 ebooks downloaded from Free Library's OverDrive Digital Library in April 2013.
There were more than 850 ebooks checked out and downloaded for the month!

This following list comprises fiction and nonfiction titles from across all genres.

1.		The Best Man (fiction) by Kristan Higgins A humorous romance novel from bestselling author and two-time winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA Award Kristan Higgins.
2.		Bite Me, Your Grace (fiction) by Brooklyn Ann New paranormal romance series from author Brooklyn Ann.
3.		Starting Now (fiction) by Debbie Macomber A heartfelt tale of friendship, renewal, and discovering what's truly important in life in this newest Blosom Stret novel from Debbie Macomber.
4.		Tapestry of Fortunes (fiction) by Elizabeth Berg Four women venture into their pasts in order to shape their futures, fates, and fortunes in this New York Times bestseller.
5.		Lean In (nonfiction) by Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, examines womens' current state in the modern workplace, offering compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential.
6.		Sealed With A Kiss (fiction) by Carly Phillips Latest contemporary romance novel from award-winning writer Carly Phillips.
7.		All That Is (fiction) by James Salter A coming of age tale in a post-World War II setting by PEN/Faulkner winning author James Salter.
8.		A Chance Worth Taking (fiction) by Carrie Weaver Drama screeches its tires and burns rubber all over the pages of this NASCAR-themed romance novel.
9.		Cover of Snow (fiction) by Jenny Milchman Stylish suspense thriller from first time novelist Jenny Milchman.
10.		The Reluctant Lark (fiction) by Iris Johansen New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen pens a story of classic love and loss in this romance novel.

Want to begin e-reading but don't know where to start?
Check out our comprehensive ebook guide!

Have a Laugh; It's National Humor Month : D

Peter SM — 2013-04-26T09:30:00-05:00

"Humor is mankind's greatest blessing." - Mark Twain

Did you know that besides being National Poetry Month and some other unique "holidays" such as National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (April 2nd) and National High Five Day (April 18th), that April is also National Humor Month?

Well, it must be true, I read it on the Internet! ; P

Here's a "Friday Five" of humorous books available at Free Library, from smart and sarcastic to side-splitting slapstick, that have put a wry smile on my face and made me LOL.

	What I'd Say To The Martians by Jack Handey Some of the most bizarre, out-there, laugh-out-loud non sequiturs and essays I have ever read. These are the writings of one of America's greatest humorists or the ramblings of a madman. Or both.
	Our Dumb Century by The Onion Presented by "America's Finest News Source", prepare to read some of the most absurd, ridiculous, silly, and of course completely fabricated stories and headlines from satirical news publication The Onion. A collection of some of the sharpest satire currently around and the quintessential parody paper of record.
	Brain Droppings by George Carlin Master of the monologue and the turn of a phrase, George Carlin was a philosopher in comedian's clothing. A smart, provocative, and wildly hilarious collection of essays, monologues, observations, and jokes that you'll read, re-read, and try to quote to make your friend's think you are smart and funny.
	Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Scathing, satirical commentary from the humorist heir apparent to Mark Twain. Vonnegut's 1963 subversive science fiction novel takes jabs at the cold war, the atom bomb, technology, and theology with a crazy cast of characters. Dark humor at its finest.
	In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd Jean Shepherd's voice of midwestern Americana and nostalgia are the perfect narration for some of the funniest childhood stories you'll ever read. Some of the passages in this book were the basis for the holiday movie classic "A Christmas Story".

Search our catalog to find more items under the subject "humor" or "comedy".
Leave a comment and let us know what books you've checked out from the Free Library that have made you laugh!

Free Library Branches and Departments on Facebook

Peter SM — 2013-04-24T11:00:00-05:00

If you attended any of the recent Philadelphia Book Festival events, or are planning on attending any of the remaining Philadelphia Science Week or Philly Tech Week events, you've probably stopped by one of our 54 branches.

Want to continue to find out about exciting, educational, and enlightening events at your local neighborhood library?
Have a Facebook account?

Surf on over to our Facebook page and at the top you will see a tab for "Branches and Departments".

Click on that tab and you will be able to access links to all of our branches and departments that have Facebook pages.

Find your local neighborhood library branch's page and "Like" it, check out the latest bestsellers and DVDs available in Philbrick Hall by "Liking" its department page or "Like" our Summer Reading page to get ready for this summer's reading challenge!

Comment and interact with other Free Library Facebook followers, post a suggestion or question on a branch or department page, and share posts and pictures with your friends from the Free Library pages you "Like"!

Philly Tech Week 2013 Featured Events @ Free Library

Peter SM — 2013-04-16T11:00:00-05:00

Calling all tech enthusiasts, digital strategists, web entrepreneurs, online editors, software developers, web designers, engineers, bloggers, hackers, gamers, students, and gadget geeks all throughout the Philadelphia area: Philly Tech Week is almost here!

Philly Tech Week begins a week-long celebration of technology and innovation in Philadelphia kicking off Friday, April 19th and running through Sunday, April 28th. In its third year, the annual week of events is as varied, interesting, educational, and sometimes geeky as ever with hackathons, TEDTalks, tech summits, digital arts galleries, robotics expos, green technology seminars, 3D printer demonstrations, app building tutorials, and probably the coolest "geek out!" event of Tech Week: A Pong video game tournament played on the 430-foot Cira Center skyscraper in University City utilizing the building's LED light array (spectators will be able to watch from Art Museum).

Of course, Philly Tech Week is not only for seasoned techies; there are numerous informational events, seminars and tutorials aimed at novices, students, families and anyone else who wants to learn something new.

The Free Library of Philadelphia is proud to be a signature sponsor and partner for this year's Philly Tech Week and will be hosting two events at Parkway Central, helping to bridge the "digital divide":

EveryoneOn Launch
Monday, April 22 @ 2:00 p.m.
Free Library of Philadelphia will help kick off the EveryoneOn initiative, which is working to bridge the "digital divide" and reach families, students, and others throughout the Philadelphia area and get them online access.

Blackout: Reinventing Black Media in the Digital Age
Monday, April 22 @ 5:00 p.m.
Free Library President and Director Sibohan A. Reardon will be on hand to introduce this event, along with special keynote speaker Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. The event will explore and examine how three local and longstanding African-American businesses within the communications and telecommunications industries in Philadelphia have dealt with the "digital divide".

Our Techmobile team will also be out in full force for Philly Tech Week on Wednesday, April 24th from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Presby’s Inspired Life, 2050 S. 58th Street. "All Hands On Technology: A Senior Learning Event" will help adults 55+ explore their hobbies and interests online in a comfortable, senior-focused learning environment.

All three of these events are free and open to the public with the intent to give access to technology tools, information, and services—all of which the Free Library strives to give our customers to help guide learning and inspire curiosity.