Well, it's about time. This October, Warner's is finally releasing five classics on DVD from MGM, "the Tiffany of movie studios": Producer David O. Selznick's A Tale of Two Cities (1935), starring Ronald Colman and Basil Rathbone and David Copperfied (1935), starring W.C. Fields; Treasure Island (1934), starring Wallace Beery; the opulent Marie Antionette (1938), starring Norma Shearer; and, drum roll, please, the 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice starring Laurence Olivier. As if that wasn't enough, the classic civil rights documentary series Eyes on the Prize will be here in November (we currently have the VHS edition), as well as 49 Up, the next installment in the landmark documentary series by filmmaker Michael Apted that began with the 1964 film Seven Up!. Stay tuned. We'll be getting them all.

September 28 is the birthday of Italian actor, Marcello Mastroianni who was born on this date in 1924. Often cast as a womanizer or a jilted lover,Mastroianni was best known for the films, La Dolce Vita and Divorce, Italian Style. In addition to films with Mastroianni, the Library has an extensive collection of Italian films.

Michigan Theater has posted the schedule for the 2006-2007 Not Just for Kids Movie Series, and there is an exciting lineup. The theater is partnering with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, producing a great experience full of music, movies and theater. The library has many books to compliment the lineup including Peter and the Wolf, Junie B. Jones and Henry and Mudge.

A discussion on the importance of short films in American cinema will take place here at AADL on Wednesday, August 30, 7-8:30 p.m. (check here for details). Meanwhile, AADL has several great collections of short films on DVD, including:

Franz Kafka's It's A Wonderful Life...and Other Strange Tales
More Treasures from the American Film Archives, 1894-1931
Shorts! 15 Award-winning Film Festival Shorts
The 75th Annual Academy Awards Short Films

And my personal favorite: Curly Classics

According to Sunday's Ann Arbor News, Idlewild, the new film opening this week, is named after the famous Lake County Michigan resort, otherwise known as the Black Eden of Michigan in the 1920s and '30s and the Summer Apollo of Michigan in the 1950s and '60s. Idlewild, Michigan, hosted great jazz acts in its day, including Duke Ellington, and was the vacation spot of choice for such black luminaries as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. Even W.E.B. Du Bois owned a home there. But the film itself is set in Georgia and its "Idlewild" is a small-town speakeasy. It does take place during the same period and features the music of OutKast (a bit of a historical stretch, but oh well). So far, reviews are mixed but Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gives it an A-.

You can read more about the real Idlewild in Idlewild: the Black Eden of Michigan by Ronald J. Stephens.

Conan O'Brien hosts the Emmy Awards this Sunday, August 27, at 8:00 p.m. Here are a few of this year's contenders:
Made for TV Movies:
Flight 93 (on order, September)
Flight that Fought Back (not yet available)
The Girl in the Cafe
Mrs. Harris (on order, September)
Yesterday (on order, September)
Drama series
Grey's Anatomy
House
Sopranos
24
West Wing

Check out the Emmy Awards website or the Saturday Ann Arbor News for a complete listing.

Tarnation is the true life story of Jonathan Caouette's childhood with a schizophrenic mother. Made up of snapshots, Super-8, answering machine messages, video diaries, and early short films, this film is unlike anything else I have seen. Visually, this documentary is amazing, especially knowing it was edited with Apple's free program "imovie". If you are looking for a change from traditional cinema, certainly, give Tarnation a look!

Coming to theaters on October 20:
Fast Food Nation: Director Richard Linklater (Waking Life, Dazed and Confused) takes on the controversial 2001 book by author Eric Schlosser. Also, Flags of Our Fathers, directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Paul Haggis (director of last year's Oscar winner, Crash), and adapted from James Bradley's book, tells the story of the six men who raised the flag at The Battle of Iwo Jima.

Coming to theaters on November 17: Bobby, directed by Emilio Estevez, follows the stories of 22 people who were at the Ambassador Hotel when U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on June 6, 1968.

Here are four 4-star titles recently purchased by the Library.

Windsor Castle: A Royal Year chronicles a year in the life of the world's oldest working castle. "A must-see for Anglophiles and royal watchers" (Booklist).

John and Abigail Adams is based heavily on the extraordinary correspondence between the second President and his wife. "Combining fine on-location shooting, solid dramatic recreations...this is highly recommended." (Video Librarian).

History of Black Achievement in America uses dramatic recreations, archival footage, stills and artwork to produce "an outstanding eight-part series that brings much-needed balance, highlighting the exemplary contributions of African Americans to U.S. society and culture" (Video Librarian).)

On August 2, 1865, Lewis Carroll published Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. AADL owns several versions, as well as sound recordings and film adaptations. The latter include Walt Disney's 1951 animated film, the subversie and haunting 1966 retelling by director Jonathan Miller, starring Michael Redgrave, Peter Sellers and John Gielgud, and Alice in Wonderland in Dance.