Do you know a three letter word for "the sound of water hitting a hot pan" or "what both Humpty Dumpty and Miss Muffet did?" If you're dying to find out the strategies of some of the most most adept and lovable crossword puzzle addicts, come to the Downtown branch tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 24 at 6:30 p.m. to watch Wordplay, the movie about the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament run by New York Times crossword master, Will Shortz. The film will be introduced by Firefly Club owner, jazz singer and fellow word lover, Susan Chastain who welcomes people to the club every Wednesday to play Scrabble.

A new film version of Hairspray, which is also an award winning Broadway musical, was released last week in theaters. Before heading out to see it why not check out the original film version by John Waters. The original cast, featuring Sonny Bono, Divine, Debbie Harry, and Ricki Lake, is sure to please. Watch Tracy Turnblad as she takes the Baltimore dance scene by storm with her hip moves and her wild hair-do. Don’t feel like watching a movie? The Broadway cast sound recording will get your feet tapping as well.

The fifth installment of the Harry Potter movie series comes to theaters this week, and is facing harsh criticism from critics. The Associated Press gives it only two and a half stars out of four, while NPR describes it as just another episode that is building towards the final film. The New York Times is slightly kinder with their review. I, for one, still plan on checking it out, no matter what the reviewers say!

Ratatouille Remey

If you consider yourself a foodie who loves to discuss the intricacies of a fine cheese or the layers of flavour in a well prepared dish, then I have the movie for you! Pixar's latest film, Ratatouille, is about a talented rat who aspires to become a great chef. The film is getting rave reviews from the New York Times and NPR, amongst others, and begins playing in town today! So grab the kids, some good cheese and head for the theater!

Today is John Cusack’s birthday. You remember John Cusack, don’t you? His current flick showing in theaters now, 1408, is a thriller, but he’s best known for his fast talking charming characters in various romantic comedies and those unforgettable eighties flicks. His filmography is huge, here are some of my favorites available on DVD: Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, Say Anything, Grosse Pointe Blank, and Being John Malkovich.

A movie adaptation of the popular girl’s detective and adventure series, Nancy Drew, reaches theater screens June 15th. In the film, Nancy is conspicuously out of place as a student at Hollywood High, but soon, she is up to her old ways investigating the death of actress Dehlia Draycott. Interesting factoid, Carolyn Keene is actually a pseudonym for the many different writers that penned the series since it was created in 1930. For example, Mildred Wirt Augustine is the author of the very first book, The Secret of the Old Clock.

If you're old enough, you'll remember the days of drive-in movie theaters. On June 6, 1933, Richard M. Hollingshead opened the first one in the U.S. in Camden, N.J. In 1958, at the height of their popularity, there were more than 4,000 drive-ins across America. Today, there are fewer than 600. The largest of these is in Dearborn, MI with nine screens and parking for 3,000 cars.

To find out more about the history of drive-in theaters, read American Drive-In Movie Theater by Don and Susan Sanders. Starlite Drive-in by Marjorie Reynolds is a bittersweet novel whose setting is rural Indiana in the 1950's where 12 year old Callie's father works at a drive-in. Oh those hot summer nights. Ready for a ride to Dearborn?

In 2001, Angela Shelton was on a quest to find herself in an effort to heal from her past. The result of that quest is her 2004 film, Searching for Angela Shelton.

Join Ms. Shelton at the downtown Library this Sunday, June 10, from 1-4 pm in the 4th floor meeting room. She will introduce a screening of her award-winning film and afterwards lead a discussion. The film is not rated, but has strong language. Cosponsored by SafeHouse Center.

Have you watched The Queen, or read Abundance: a Novel of Marie Antoinette, or checked out other books and movies with characters based on real people?

If you want to find out more about the real lives of those portrayed on screen and in print, try the Biography Resource Center with Marquis Who's Who. The database includes narrative biographies, as well as articles and selected websites. Access it through our Research page in the Biography section.

Don’t forget you can use the database from home with a Library card!