Blog Post
New TV Shows @ AADL
by manz
The library is always acquiring additional TV shows and new seasons of them, be they hot and new, or oldies but goodies. Here are some new-to-AADL series:
The Larry Sanders show, The Complete Series
Garry Shandling stars as Larry Sanders, a neurotic late-night talk show host flanked by his foul-mouthed producer and his bumbling sidekick, who are all train wrecks and ego off-air, but late-night's finest when the cameras are on.
The Sweeney, Series 1-4
Britain's first hard-hitting, police-based television series delves deep into the gritty encounters of The Flying Squad (nicknamed "The Sweeney"), the elite investigation unit of London's Police Force and the seedy underworld of organized crime.
Silent Witness, Season 1
While Cambridge police detectives interview witnesses who may or may not tell the truth, 'Sam' extracts revealing truths from calcified bones, decomposed and charred bodies, tell-tale bruises and overlooked fingerprints. Brace yourself for twists and turns in four gripping episodes: the suspicious drowning of a six-year-old girl, the apparently ritual killing of a young man, a death in police custody, and the fiery murder of a refugee's business partner.
For more TV shows, be sure to check out AADL’s lists for HOT TV shows, as well as NEW TV shows.
Blog Post
Book to Film: The Scorch Trials
by manz
Now in theaters is The Scorch Trials, based on the book of the same name by James Dashner. This is the 2nd of 5 books in the popular dystopian science fiction Maze Runner series, and this new movie looks like another adrenaline rusher!
In The Maze Runner 16 year old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and he realizes he must work with those around him in order to stay alive and escape. Now in The Scorch Trials he and several others face even more obstacles as they struggle to fight for their lives in the Scorch.
Blog Post
Emmy Awards Winners
by manz
Last night the winners of the 67th Emmy Awards were announced at its usual star-studded event, this time hosted by funny man Andy Samberg. The awards recognize excellence within various areas of television and emerging media.
Top honors went to Game Of Thrones for Outstanding Drama Series and Veep for Outstanding Comedy Series. Olive Kitteridge won for Outstanding Miniseries.
Outstanding Actor/Actress nods went to Jon Hamm for Mad Men, Viola Davis for How to Get Away With Murder, Jeffrey Tambor for Transparent, Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Veep, Peter Dinklage for Game Of Thrones, Uzo Aduba for Orange Is the New Black, Allison Janney for Mom, and Tony Hale for Veep.
Be sure to check out the full list of winners to see who won for directing, writing, guest star appearances and more.
Blog Post
Geronimo!
by manz
And Thea, too!
Some of your favorite chapter book characters are now on DVD with more adventures of Geronimo Stilton and his sister Thea. The animated series centers on the life and adventures of the famous Geronimo Stilton, head of a media empire, a peaceful mouse and klutz extraordinaire, and his fearless nephew Benjamin Stilton. Adventure always comes knocking on their door, launching them paws-first into capers in New Mouse City or in exotic locales around the world.
If you’re a fan of the book series check out Geronimo Stilton: Going Down to Chinatown and Other Adventures, as well as Geronimo Stilton: Operation shufongfong, and the newest one Geronimo Stilton: Top Model Thea
Blog Post
I am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
by manz
One of the most recognizable figures to both children and adults alike is that sweet yellow bird known as Big Bird from Sesame Street. The critically acclaimed I am Big Bird is a documentary that explores the man behind the bird, or should I say the man inside the bird! Caroll Spinney has been Big Bird for over 45 years and he’s still going at it at age 81. You can meet his apprentices in this film!
The film explores Spinney's early interest in puppets that he got picked on for, and his later initial collaborations with Jim Henson, which of course lead to his career as a Muppeteer playing assorted characters and landing his roles as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. It’s a delightful story that reveals interesting information and tidbits about the kind hearted man that has helped create this iconic and beloved character. From reflections about his parents, his two wives, his children, with plenty of archival footage including clips of Spinney as Big Bird at Jim Henson’s funeral, and behind the scenes in filming Sesame Street and other shows he was on such as Bozo the Clown, it is indeed a special documentary, as Caroll Spinney is truly the heart and soul that encompasses Big Bird.
Blog Post
New TV Shows @ AADL
by manz
The library is always acquiring additional TV shows and new seasons of them, be they hot and new, or oldies but goodies. Here are some new-to-AADL series:
Izombie, Season 1
How many people can say that satisfying their munchies helps solve murders? Olivia Moore is a medical resident on the fast track to a perfect life, until she's turned into a zombie. Stuck between half-alive and undead, Liv transfers to Seattle's morgue to access the only thing that allows her to maintain her humanity, human brains. But there are side effects to Liv's new diet: flashes of the corpse's memories, including clues as to how they were killed.
Scorpion, Season 1
When Scorpion is on the case, saving the world is a no-brainer! Walter, the eccentric leader of a team of brilliant misfits -- a psychiatrist with a gambling addition, a mechanical prodigy with anger issues, and a "human calculator" with social anxiety, who save the world from problems only a genius could solve.
Happyish, Season 1
At 44, Thom Payne finds his world in disarray. At home he suspects certain meds are interfering with his antidepressants. And at work he now answers to a twenty-five-year-old with a Digital Age vocabulary. Is he in need of "rebranding," or does he just have a "low joy ceiling?"
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Season 1
After self-help book author and guru, Abby McCarthy, publicly admits that she has separated from her husband Jake, America's once-favorite girlfriend finds her career and marriage in a free fall. The show is inspired by the best-selling Girlfriends' Guide book series.
The Leftovers, Season 1
Takes place three years after a global event in which many people disappeared, known as the "Sudden Departure", which caused the inexplicable disappearance of 140 million people, 2% of the world's population. The story focuses primarily on the Garvey family and their acquaintances in the fictional town of Mapleton, New York.
Playing House, Season 1
When Maggie discovers that her husband is having an online affair with a muscular German woman, her childhood best friend Emma gives up her burgeoning business career to help Maggie raise her baby. The feisty duo complement each other the way only best friends can, by facing the challenges of their past, present and future together.
Powers, Season 1
Set in a world where humans and superheroes (called "powers") co-exist, a former power/ current homicide detective had his own powers taken from him. Along with his partner they work in a special homicide division called Powers, which investigates crimes involving superhumans. Based on the graphic novel.
Black Jesus, Season 1
An Adult Swim comedy that follows Jesus in present day Compton, CA on a daily mission to spread love and kindness throughout the neighborhood with the help of his small but loyal group of downtrodden followers.
Wayward Pines, Season 1
Secret Service agent Ethan Burke wakes up in a hospital in a strangely idyllic mountain town in Idaho. But the more Ethan tries to find out what happened to him, and to two missing fellow agents, the more he discovers that nothing is as it seems in Wayward Pines. Desperate to learn the truth and return to his family, Ethan eventually unveils a terrifying secret that affects all of mankind.
Mrs. Brown's Boys, The Complete Series
A comedy centered on a loud-mouthed Irish matriarch whose favorite pastime is meddling in the lives of her six children.
Olympus, Season 1
Centers on how a few brave men and women banished the gods to the realm of the unconscious: a place they called the Underworld, or the Kingdom of Hades. The series follows Hero on his journey as he transforms from a fresh-faced and raw young man through the dramatic experiences of betrayal, love, disappointment, empowerment and exile, until he emerges a ruthless leader of man and a match for the gods themselves.
Fore more TV shows, be sure to check out AADL’s lists for HOT TV shows, as well as NEW TV shows.
Blog Post
The Sensory Ethnography Lab on DVD
by Eahagen
The Sensory Ethnography Lab (SEL) is an experimental filmmaking laboratory based out of Harvard University. You can find three of their feature films: SWEETGRASS (2009), LEVIATHAN (2012), and MANAKAMANA (2013) in the AADL catalog! If you’re interested in non-fiction or documentary film, and are inclined to witness amazing people and places through filmic immersion, give these a try. The SEL advocates use of aesthetics, both visual and acoustic, in documentary filmmaking. While the films produced by the SEL are diverse in approach and content, they are united by a goal to document the realities of worldly existence through sound and image relationships. Prepare to be immersed; these films are absolute adventures!
SWEETGRASS follows modern-day American cowboys as they shepherd their sheep through the vast and picturesque mountains of Montana. The film doesn’t seek glorify the cowboys, but rather examines the relationship between nature, humans, and animals, often revealing both vulnerability and violence.
LEVIATHAN portrays the dangerous actualities of the commercial fishing industry. The filmmakers followed a New England fishing crew on a 80 foot ‘dragger’ ship, and shot the film entirely on miniature Go-Pro cameras; the results are visceral, tumbling, haunting and raw. The directors refer to the film as a ‘monster!’
MANAKAMANA was “filmed entirely inside the narrow confines of a cable car, high above a jungle in Nepal that transports villagers to an ancient mountaintop temple.” The two-hour film is comprised of fixed portrait shots, each approximately ten minutes long and completely unedited. The durational structure is a test of patience, which ultimately rewards those who commit, to the unspoken beauty of everyday moments.
And if you’d like see more contemporary documentary films, see this list.
Blog Post
Browsing the Documentary DVDs: Some Interesting Choices You May Not Know We Have
by ballybeg
Birders: A stunning film about the birds of Central Park and the people who watch them. Something known as the “Central Park effect” attracts birds in droves during spring and autumn migrations, making it a hotspot for viewing over 200 species of birds. Central Park is entirely human-made, and has many recreations to offer, but also provides a bit of wildness in the shadow of skyscrapers. Watch this for inspiration and then get out your binoculars, or borrow a pair from us, and head over to the Arboretum this fall, to see the beauty of birds.
10 Questions for the Dalai Lama: You’ve been granted a rare, private audience with the Dalai Lama and are told you can ask 10 questions. What would you ask of one of the world’s wisest leaders? This is a probing tale of the Dalai Lama’s history, Tibet’s take-over by China and the exiled community in India where he and many Tibetan Buddhists have found refuge. As the Dalai Lama answers the questions posed by the documentary film-maker, you realize this is a rare person, who has learned to practice the high ideals of his religion.
Queen of the Sun, What the Bees Are Telling Us: Honeybees are disappearing. Whole hives of bees just don’t come home one day. Known as Colony Collapse Disorder, this phenomenon is like a canary in the mine, warning us of a huge imbalance and threat in the natural world. The beekeepers in this film have a picture of health and balance to offer the bees, and learning to help bees, helps the environment and helps us all. At least 40% of the food you eat is pollinated by honeybees and other pollinators. Our future, in many ways, is tied to the health of bees.
Watchers of the Sky: A history of modern genocide and the people who fight to make it impossible. One of these was Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term “genocide”, and fought a protracted battle in international courts to have it recognized as a crime. This film is sad, but very inspiring. I don’t think you can get through it dry-eyed or without the conviction to make a difference for good in the world, even in a small way. The title comes from a beautiful story about Tycho Brahe (told near the end).
A Year in Burgundy: Through the seasons in Burgundy, this film follows seven wine-making families and how they grow their grapes, work their land, and meld all the growing and processing factors into that fermented drink the world loves. Getting their wines to the peak of perfection takes artistry, experience, drive, profound commitment, plain old hard work, and, you might say, love.
Blog Post
Horror Director Wes Craven Dies at 76
by manz
Legendary horror director, writer and producer Wes Craven died August 30 at his Los Angeles home after battling brain cancer.
Best known for his Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream film franchises, horror movies and film buffs are indebted to his style and creativity. Scre4m actually filmed in Ann Arbor in 2011! Other notable films include The Hills Have Eyes, My Soul to Take, and The Last House On the Left - which was his first film and he wrote, directed, and edited it.
My childhood nightmares wouldn’t be complete without Freddy Krueger. Thank you Mr. Craven for all the thrills and chills.
Blog Post
Dr. Wayne Dyer, Self-Help Guru, Motivational Speaker Has Died
by lucroe
The author, motivational speaker, and psychotherapist, Wayne Dyer, passed away this past Saturday at 75 years old after battling leukemia. He was born in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Wayne State University where he received his doctorate degree in counseling. He was a self-help guru popular with a number of celebrities, like Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres (whose marriage to Portia De Rossi he officiated). He believed that the power of positive thinking could lead to a healthier, happier life. His book, Your Erroneous Zones, is one of the bestselling books of all time.