Books and Films make wonderful bedfellows... Books into Film this March and April.

Read before you see

"You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation" by Susannah Gora. If you loved the films of John Hughes who died in 2009, you'll love learning more about him, a writer-director who portrayed teens with sensitivity

Book: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Film: The Last Song with Miley Cyrus and Greg Kinnear

Ronnie Miller's 17th summer

Book: Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Film: Green Zone starring Matt Damon, Said Faraj and Yigal Naor. U.S. Army in search of WMDs uncovers government lies. Good but could have been great. B-

Book : The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. The first of a trilogy about festering familial corruption, a vulnerable superhacker, a disgraced financial journalist and octogenarian industrialist. Nothing is as it seems. Don't mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Book: The Repossession Mambo by Eric Garcia novel.

Film: Repo Man

Jude Law & Forest Whitaker
For a price, any organ in your body can be replaced. But it can also be repossessed.

Book and Film: The Losers CIA graphic novel by Andy Diggle

Book: "I Love you, Phillip Morris: a True Story of Life, Love, and Prison Breaks" about famous escape artist Steven Russell by Steven McVicker. Film: I Love You, Phillip Morris

With the Academy Awards and the rush to see as many as possible behind me, I can relax and spend some time with some favorite old friends. Remember

The Lion in Winter with Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole a film that examines the tragic relationship between King Henry II of England and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine as they battle over Henry's successor to the British throne in the 12th century. Wonderfully powerful performances by two icons of the silver screen. Next

Three Coins in a Fountain is pure unadulterated escapism. One summer in Rome and romance of three American women who throw money into a fountain wishing for love. Louis Jourdan and Rossano Brazzi at their romantic best. Anyone who has been to Rome has been to the Trevi fountain!

In this age of computers having all the answers, Desk Set with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn is a stand-out. Released in 1957, this classic Hepburn-Tracy romance between a head librarian of the reference and research department at a TV network and an absent-minded computer genius demonstrates that computers can be a great tool but the knowledge of a Reference Librarian cannot be denied.

The Thomas Crown Affair with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway was a favorite of mine when it came out in 1968 but seeing it again it was a disappointment. I love Steve McQueen but the film moves slowly, doesn't have the suspense and slickness of the 1999 version with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. How twenty years can color a memory!!!

Interested in classic films? The Thursday Matinee Movies series starts April 1 and continues every Thursday at 2pm until May 27 and will include such favorites as: The Pink Panther, Imitation of Life, True Grit, Charade, From Here to Eternity to list a few. For a complete list, check the library web site or pick up a list at the library. This series is cosponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Avon Center Center. Come enjoy some refreshments and a good movie every Thursday at 2pm.

It's over and we know the winners. As each title is released on DVD we will buy, so place your reserves by calling the Reference Desk 860-673-9712.


The March DVD list is out as well. Check it out on our web site http://www.avonctlibrary.info

Some titles on the March liscan recommend are:

Bright Star with Abbie Cornish and Ben Whisham in a film about poet John Keats' love for Fanny Brawne...wonderful sets.

The Cove an Academy Award winning documentry about Japanese fishermen using sonar to confuse and trap schools of dolphins, which are then slaughtered and sold fraudulently as whale meat.

Invention of Lying starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer in a quirky comedy. Not for everyone, but funny.

September Issue If you love fashion you will love this film about Anna Wintour and the annual September issue.

It's down to the wire and I have to pick my favorites. I'm not privy to the politics of Hollywood so my favorites may not win, but goes.

Best Picture: Inglourious Basterds
Although Avatar may walk away with everything, Inglourious Basterd has my vote. An incredible story, incredible script, incredible acting, incredible special effects. It just draws you in and doesn't let go. In my mind, it is an example of a best picture.

Best Actor: Colin Firth
Jeff Bridges is the hand's down favorite and that's okay with me but my favorite performance was by Colin Firth in A Single Man. He captured a man in the depths of grief that still haunts me.

Best Actress: Gabourey Sidibe
Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock are the odds on favorites but Sidibe's portrayal of an abused young woman is courageous and exceptional. Not a pleasant film, not an easy film to watch, it hurts a person's sensibilities to see such cruelty, and she brings that pain to the screen. Sidibe in real life is nothing like the character she plays. As a newcomer, she is not the stereotypical actress and her work is not stereotypical either. She demonstrates ability beyond her years. I hope we will see more of her in the near future.

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Bigelow captures the story of an elite Army bomb squad unit in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb. Bigelow said recently: "I always want to make films. I think of it as a great opportunity to comment on the world in which we live . . . " She's a talented director, a daughter of a librarian (How could I not love that?) and would be the first woman to receive an Oscar for directing.

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz
Hands down winner for his role as the "Jew Hunter" Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds.

Best Supporting Actress: Anna Kendrick
Mo'nique will collect the Oscar on Sunday, but I think Anna Kendrick held her own against George Clooney in Up in the Air. She was captivating as a naive novice in the corporate downsizing game.

I can't wait for Sunday, March 7. . . what a night for movie makers and movie lovers from the red carpet parade and the exception speeches to the antics on stage. . . Oh, what a night!

Only following the Lady Huskie's in the East East and NCAA championships could be better.

Go Tina!!!