Lots of good viewing!

Want to be transported to the court of Henry VIII? How about viewing the greatest archeological find ever. Maybe cop shows are your thing, and if those cops are smart gritty English women, so much the better! We have a new batch of great dvds, ready for you to view. The non fiction offerings are:


The Sixties, a three dvd set exploring the explosive decade many are still here to remember. Vietnam, the civil rights movement, the start of the hippie era, and so much more.

The Emperor's Ghost Army, about the fabulous find in China, a complete terra-cotta army, 8000 strong with terra-cotta horses and weapons, buried for hundred of years. Who created these warriors and why?

We have three eras of British history, fictionalized. First is the dramatization of one aspect of the court of Henry VIII, Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, focusing on Henry's councilor Thomas Cromwell. Award winning!

Call the Midwife is a series taken from Jennifer Worth's memoir, who, was just twenty-two when she volunteered to spend her early years of midwifery training in London's East End in the 1950s. Coming from a sheltered background there were tough lessons to be learned. The conditions in which many women gave birth just half a century ago were horrifying. This series is so popular there have been four seasons so far.

  

Scott & Bailey is a thrilling investigative drama series exploring the personal and professional lives of two female detectives. Despite their differences, impulsive, funny and single Rachel and reflective, married mother-of-two Janet, have a great partnership. Thrown together in the toughest of murder cases, they have become the best of friends, ready to support each other both in and away from the incident room. Each episode sees Rachel and Janet face a serious crime that is both challenging and emotionally difficult, whilst coping with their complex personal lives. ML

A Bundle of Bunnies...

Got some time off and looking for entertainment? Try one of our many bunny flicks. Classic movies include Alice in Wonderland, The Velveteen Rabbit, and Watership Down. Funny, silly titles are The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, starring Wallace and Gromit and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? For those with a taste for history try Miss Potter, a story about beloved author Beatrix Potter’s life. An enjoyable short children’s film is Brer Rabbit and the Wonderful Tar Baby in which clever Brer Rabbit outsmarts the wily Brer Fox. The Ugly Duckling and Winnie-the-Pooh have bunny buddies too. Happy viewing and Happy Spring! DB

A Life Well-Lived

A Simple Life is a spare and gorgeously filmed movie that explores the end of life and who we consider to be our "family" when it really comes down to it. Maid Ah Tao has served a single household for four generations, culminating with the last bachelor son, Roger.  After suffering a stroke, Ah Tao decides to retire to an assisted-living facility where she comes to terms with her own mortality and where she and Roger begin to realize that their bond goes much deeper than as merely servant and employer.  HM

Defend the Turf

Attack the Block is a comedy/horror movie (think Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) with a surprising dash of morality thrown in. When an alien crash lands in their council estate, a gang of teenagers do what anybody else would: they kill it. However, this one fatal decision causes a full-scale alien invasion and the boys and their leader, Moses, are left to defend the block. They team up with Sam, a woman they had previously mugged, to thwart the police, fight against drug dealers, and protect their neighborhood. Along the way, both Sam and Moses begin to realize that they are responsible for the consequences caused by their actions and prejudices. HM

All Good Things Come to Those Who Shoot Straight

It's deer season unlike any other, eh!

Ruban Soady is cursed. Unlike his famously outdoors-y relatives before him, he's never gotten a buck. But this year could be different. This year at deer camp mysterious things happen: Strange lights appear in the sky (UFOs?), the Euchre cards change face, the camp's supply of homemade sweet sap whisky turns to maple syrup, and the DNR stops for more than just a casual visit. Terrifying! Strangest of all, this might be the year Ruban finally gets his buck!

Adapted from a play written by Jeff Daniels, Escanaba in da Moonlight has become a (deer) seasonal favorite--especially among Michigan natives. But you don't have to be a deer hunter to appreciate this feel-good comedy about believing in your dreams and making them come true. --AJL

Movie Night Suggestions

If you find yourself in the mood for cozying up with a good movie, film expert Roger Ebert has some great suggestions for you in The Great Movies III. The one hundred essays look at old and new, and include everything from The Godfather to A Prairie Home Companion. You will certainly find something of interest!

A Film With "Universal" Appeal

It's The Beatles as you've never experienced them! Set in the United States during the height of the Vietnam War and narrated through gorgeously unique re-arrangements of favorite Beatles hits, Across the Universe centers on the tumultuous relationship between Lucy, a sheltered New Jersey teen, and Jude, a dockworker from Liverpool who has traveled to American to locate his estranged father. When Lucy's older brother, Max, is drafted and shipped overseas, everything suddenly hits too close to home for her. Lucy becomes deeply involved with a radical organization opposing the war. At the same time, Jude deals with the stress of war in his own more passive way. This places a strain on their relationship. Also struggling with how to deal with the war (as well as their own inner turmoils) are Sadie, a middle-aged nightclub singer trying to make it big, Jo-Jo, a guitarist from Detroit trying to escape a tragic past, and Prudence, a confused runaway from rural Ohio who is going through a very big identity crisis. Across the Universe is the story of how these six strangers come together to form a bond of friendship that helps each of them deal with their individual struggles and, by the time the credits roll, prove to the audience that "all you need is love." The music, combined with gorgeous costumes, detailed choreography, and cool special effects provide a truly unique cinematic experience. Rated: PG-13 for mature content. Soundtrack also available at Oxford Public Library.