September 11th Films

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) Rated R

Through actual footage, interviews, and declassified documents, Michael Moore presents an examination of the role played by money and oil in the wake of the tragic events of 9/11.

The Guys (2002) Rated PG

Based on a true story of a New York City journalist and a fire captain who form an unexpeced bond as they pay tribute to the heroes lost in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Unable to write the eulogies himself, he asks for help from a journalist who can offer the assistance that he needs.

102 Minutes That Changed America (2008) Rated NR

A stunning chronological record of the events of September 11, 2001, presenting a real time, moment-by-moment account of the World Trade Center collapse as seen by New Yorkers. Includes bonus documentary I-Witness to 9/11..

Reign Over Me (2007) Rated R

Alan Johnson runs into his old college roommate, Charlie Fineman, on the streets of New York City. He is surprised to find that Charlie does not remember him at all. Alan later learns that Charlie is suffering with grief over the loss of his family on 9/11. Flooded with grief, Charlie quits his job and isolates himself from everyone around him. Alan attempts to help Charlie get over his grief by rekindling their friendship. As Alan spends a lot of time with Charlie, it puts a strain on his relationship with his wife and kids.

United 93 (2006) Rated R

Tells the story of the heroic passengers and crew members who prevented the terrorists from carrying out their plans for the fourth hijacked plane on September 11, 2001. As on-ground military and civilian teams scrambled to make sense of the unfolding events, forty people who sat down as strangers found the courage to stand up as one.

World Trade Center (2006) Rated PG-13

The true story of Port Authority policemen John McLoughlin and William J. Jimeno, who volunteered for rescue duty and became trapped in the rubble of the Towers on September 11, 2001. The men became two of the last survivors extracted from Ground Zero. It is a story of the true heroes and of that fateful time in United States history, when buildings would fall and heroes would rise, literally from the ashes to inspire the entire human race.

Jeff Conaway

1950-2011

On May 11, 2011, Conaway was found unconscious from what was initially described as an overdose of substances, believed to be pain medication, and was taken to Encino Tarzana Medical Center in Encino, California, where he was listed as being in critical condition and in a coma. On May 26, 2011, Conaway’s family took him off life support after doctors decided there was nothing they could do to revive him. Conaway died the following morning at the age of 60.

Babylon 5 (1994-1998) Rated NR

Babylon 5 is an outer-space way station, a port-of-call for diplomats, entrepreneurs, and scalawags of all species. Commander Jeffrey Sinclair–aided by chief security officer Michael Garibaldi, Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova, and resident telepath Talia Winters–tries to keep apprised of all the intrigues swirling around his little corner of the galaxy, but things invariably spiral out of control.

Taxi (1978-1982) Rated NR

Louie De Palma is a cantankerous taxi dispatcher for a New York City taxi company. He tries to maintain order over the varied collection of strange characters who drive for him. As he bullies and insults them from the safety of his “cage,” they form a special bond among themselves, becoming friends and supporting each other through the inevitable trials and tribulations of life.

Grease (1978) Rated PG

It’s love when a greaser falls for a good girl in this musical depicting young life in the fifties.

Pete’s Dragon (1977) Rated G

A 9-year old boy and his pet dragon (invisible to all but him) run away from his foster parents.

The Eagle Has Landed (1976) Rated PG

Sixteen German paratroopers are dropped on the coast of England in 1943 with orders to kidnap Churchill and bring him back to Hitler.

Information cited from Reuters, May 19, 2011 and Los Angeles Times, May 27, 2011.

PageTurners Read : “House of Mirth”

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

“The House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton was written in 1905, contemporary to the action of the novel. Lily Bart is a beautiful and vivacious woman, living among wealthy relatives in turn of the century New York City. She is popular with many, and receives numerous marriage proposals. However, after an indiscretion of hers becomes known, she is made persona non grata among her former friends. The novel traces her rise and fall as she is held to a high social standard that makes no allowances for individuality or foibles.

Three people attended the discussion for “House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton. Opinions were divided on whether it was liked, but everyone agreed that it was as timely now as when it was written in 1905. The average score was 3.37 out of 5 possible; the lowest was a 2.5, and the highest was a 4.5. Click on the books below to see a full write up of the book club’s opinions.

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“The House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton is available at the Rice Lake Public Library. There are over twenty copies of this book in the MORE System. Please visit the card catalog website or call us at 234-4861 to reserve a copy today.

The PageTurners Book Club is sponsored by the Friends of the Rice Lake Public Library. It usually meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6 pm at the Rice Lake Public Library. Discussion lasts an hour; everyone is welcome.

Celebrity Deaths

This week we have had a couple of Celebrity deaths. Jane Russell, an actress,  died on February 28th due to a respiratory-related illness and Gary Winick, a director, passed away on February 27th from  pneumonia after battle brain cancer. To honor them here is a list of their films.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Rated NR

A musical comedy about the adventures of two beautiful showgirls–an apparently stupid blonde gold digger and her provocative brunette friend–during a voyage from New York to Paris.

His Kind of Woman! (1951) Rated NR

Hard-luck gambler Dan Milner is in sudden luck. He’ll get $50,000 to hang out at a posh Mexican resort. $5,000 now and the big payoff when the reason he’s been sent there is revealed. Of course, the gangsters making the offer don’t expect him to live long enough to collect.

The Outlaw (1943) Rated NR

One of the most controversial movies of its time. The thrilling tale of Doc Holliday and Billy the Kid and their feud over a fiery woman named Rio.

The Paleface (1948) Rated NR

A timid frontier dentist finds himself gunslinging alongside the fearless Calamity Jane as she fights off outlaws and Indians.

The Tall Men (1955) Rated NR

The Allison brothers, Ben and Clint, are ex-Confederate soldiers now trying their hands at robbery. But one attempt to get rich quick leads them into the company of Nathan Stark, a Texas cattle baron with a huge herd to get to market. Along the dangerous journey both bullets and fists are flying as these rough and ready cowpokes take on anything standing in their way, while Ben and Nathan compete for Nella’s affection.

In 1986, Jane Russell wrote an autobiography My Path and My Detours. You might want to check that out.

13 Going on 30 (2004) Rated PG-13

Jenna makes a wish on her 13th birthday to be 30 and grown up. When she wakes up the next day she finds herself, miraculously, just weeks away from her 30th birthday. The new, older Jenna is a successful magazine editor with friends in high places and a lion’s share of potential suitors. The problem is that her mind hasn’t matured with her body and Jenna finds it a little more terrifying than cool to be living on her own.

Bride Wars (2009) Rated PG

Lifelong best friends Liv and Emma have shared a dream since childhood. Each yearns for the perfect June wedding at the famed Plaza Hotel in New York City. Both find themselves engaged at the same time and go to a wedding coordinator to set up the perfect wedding. A clerical error puts them both down for nuptials on the same day at the same time. One of them will have to switch the date. More than the bouquet goes flying when these desperate brides-to-be fight it out for matrimonial supremacy.

Charlotte’s Web (2006) Rated G

Fern is a young farm girl who rescues the runt, Wilbur. Wilbur the pig is saved from certain death and Fern visits him every day at her Uncle Homer’s farm. But it’s Wilbur’s friendship with Charlotte the spider that ultimately saves him from the “smoke house.” Charlotte’s talent for weaving praiseworthy words about Wilbur into her web turns the Zuckerman farm into a tourist attraction.

Letters to Juliet (2010)  Rated PG

“In Verona, Italy – the beautiful city where Romeo first met Juliet – there is a place where the heartbroken leave notes asking Juliet for her help. It’s there that aspiring writer Sophie finds a 50-year-old letter that will change her life forever. As she sets off on a romantic journey of the heart with the letter’s author, Claire, now a grandmother, and her handsome grandson, all three will discover that sometimes the greatest love story ever told is your own”

Starting Out In the Evening (2007) Rated PG-13

Battling illness and unable to finish a novel that has taken him ten years to write, aging novelist Leonard Schiller is slipping into literary obscurity. At one time a famous author, Schiller has been all but forgotten by the readers, colleagues and critics who once praised his works. When Heather Wolfe, an ambitious graduate student, convinces Schiller that her thesis could reintroduce his writing to the world, the reclusive writer is forced to confront his past regrets.

Romantic Films

It’s February, time to warm up those nights with a little romance. Here’s a list of films to help start the spark:

Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961) Rated NR

Holly Golightly is an eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. Her next-door neighbor, the writer Paul, is himself “sponsored” by a wealthy woman.

Enchanted (2007) Rated PG

The beautiful princess Giselle is banished from the animated land of Andalasia by the evil queen. She finds herself in the gritty streets of the real, modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that does not operate on a “happily ever after” basis, Giselle find herself adrift in a chaotic world that is badly in need of enchantment. Giselle begins to fall in love with the cynical, no-nonsense divorce lawyer who has come to her aid. Little does he realize that this joyful, wide-eyed innocent is about to enchant him.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Rated R

When Joel discovers that his girlfriend, Clementine, has had their tumultuous relationship erased from her mind through an experimental scientific procedure, he decides to ease his own pain by getting the same treatment. But, as each memory of Clementine is systematically eliminated, Joel suddenly realizes how much he still loves her and desperately attempts to reverse the process.

Good Luck Chuck (2007) Rated R

It all started when Charlie Logan was ten years old. Breaking the cardinal rules of spin-the-bottle, Charlie refused to lip-lock with a demented Goth girl. She puts a hex on Charlie. Now, twenty-five years later, Charlie is a successful dentist and still, well, cursed. He discovers that every woman he’s ever slept with has found true love–with the next guy after him. Before he knows it, Charlie has become a “good luck charm” for women who flock to him for one-night stands. But Charlie is lonely–that is, until he meets Cam. Cam is a beautiful, but accident-prone penguin specialist. When true romance develops, Charlie realizes he has to find a way to break his good-luck curse.

My Fair Lady (1964) Rated G

A Cockney waif is transformed by a linguistics professor into an elegant lady.

Can’t find what you are looking for here’s a link to our catalog of romantic films.

Some timeless romantic films:

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Rated PG-13

Doctor Zhivago (1965) Rated PG-13

Groundhog Day (1993) Rated PG

Pretty Woman (1990) Rated R

Pride and Prejudice (1995, 2005) Rated NR, PG

Summer Films

Waiting for summer to arrive, here’s a list of films at your local library to tie you over until June.

50 First Dates (2004) Rated PG-13

Henry Roth lives an enviable life in a Hawaiian paradise, spending every night with a different beautiful tourist in search of an island fling. It’s a great life, no strings attached–until he meets Lucy. He and Lucy hit it off right from the start, but the next day she acts like she doesn’t know him. Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss, so every night all memory of her day is erased. But a man in love will go to great lengths to win the girl of his dreams. In an effort to help her remember him, he makes a video tape for her to watch every morning.

Bee Movie (2007) Rated PG

Having just graduated from college, Barry B. Benson finds himself disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice – honey. As he ventures outside of the hive for the first time, he breaks one of the cardinal rules of the bee world and talks to a human, a New York City florist named Vanessa. He is shocked to discover that the humans have been stealing and eating the bee’s honey for centuries. He ultimately realizes that his true calling in life is to set the world right by suing the human race. That is until the ensuing chaos upsets the very balance of nature. It is up to Barry to prove that even a little bee can spell big changes in the world.

Esther Williams Vol. 2 (1945-1953) Rated NR

Thrill of a romance: A war hero takes swimming lessons in order to woo the instructor. Fiesta: A woman disguises herself as a matador to fill in for her brother. This time for keeps: A veteran falls in love with a swimmer. Pagan love song: A love story set on Tahiti. Million dollar mermaid: Dramatizes the life of Annette Kellerman. Easy to love: A water skier falls in love with her agent.

Jaws (1975) Rated PG

A man-eating shark causes havoc off the Long Island coast and three men join together to hunt and destroy it.

South Pacific (1958) Rated NR

Set in the Pacific theater during World War II, this musical film explores the theme of racial prejudice in two parallel stories–that of a Navy nurse’s love for a plantation owner with two Eurasian children, and a Marine lieutenant’s love for a native woman.

New Year’s Eve Films

Not planning on going out this New Year-here’s some films that you curl up and watch.

Are We There Yet? (2005) Rated PG

Nick offers to take Suzanne’s kids cross-country in an effort to win her heart. He must survive 24 hours with two kids bent on destroying him. Through all the road-blocks, he impresses not only Suzanne, but himself also.

Boogie Nights (1997) Rated R

A film that throws the covers back on California’s adult entertainment industry in the swinging seventies through the story of rising porn star Dirk Diggler. It’s a touching and often humorous portrait of a most unusual family of filmmakers, brought to dazzling life by an all-star cast and sizzling seventies soundtrack.

End of Days (1999) Rated R

When a burned-out former New York City cop named Jericho is assigned to security detail for a mysterious and foreboding stranger, Jericho thwarts an assassination attempt. During the ensuing investigation, he and his parner save the life of a beautiful and terrified woman, whose destiny involves death, the devil and the fate of mankind.

Poseidon Adventure (1972) Rated PG

The survivors of a capsized cruise ship fight for life. Spectacular visual effects.

Very Merry Pooh Year (2002) Rated G

After fond recollections of a Christmas past, the countdown to New Year’s begins! Rabbit plans a party, but when Pooh and friends bother him, he starts to sulk– threatening to move away. To appease Rabbit, everyone makes a New Year’s resolution to change. But see what happens to the Hundred Acre Wood when Piglet starts bouncing to conquer his dear, Pooh become gloomy from not eating any honey, and Tigger– unbounce-able.

When Harry Met Sally (1989) Rated R

Will sex ruin a perfect relationship between a man and a woman? That’s what Harry and Sally debate during their first meeting and for the next eleven years.

Blake Edwards

Blake Edwards passed away on Dec. 15th, 2010 due to complications from pneumonia. We will all remember his films for the joy and laughter that he brought to them.

Blind Date (1987) Rated PG-13

Workaholic Walter Davis invites beautiful southern belle Nadia Gates to a corporate dinner, expecting to impress his associates with this dazzling beauty. But all hell breaks loose when Nadia has “one too many” and reduces the evening to a shambles.

Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961) Rated NR

Holly Golightly is an eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. Her next-door neighbor, the writer Paul, is himself “sponsored” by a wealthy woman.

Operation Petticoat (1959) Rated NR

The U.S.S. Sea Tiger is forced out to sea prematurely by any enemy air attack. The sub leaks, and limps along its path. Five stranded Army nurses board it and initiate their own renovations–and the sub ends up a blushing pink, making it a target for both Japanese and American forces.

The Pink Panther (1964) Rated NR

A bumbling, disaster-prone inspector invades a Swiss ski resort and becomes obsessed with capturing a jewel thief hoping to lift the legendary ‘Pink Panther’ diamond.

Victor/Victoria (1982) Rated NR

A poverty-stricken singer in 1930s Paris becomes convinced that the only way she can earn a living on the nightclub circuit is to masquerade as a man who impersonates women. Then she meets the man of her dreams.