All classics have a common trait - they are timeless. It's the essence of being a classic, and the reason that you can read a classic book, watch a classic movie, wear classic fashion, drive a classic car, and play a classic video game (yes, I feel old, too!), and easily see the elements of influence from all of these things represented in the even most contemporary and innovative works of art and technology today. Which is why it can be incredibly fun, enlightening, and satisfying to kick back and enjoy a classic novel or film - whether you'll be reading it on your e-reader, watching it on your iPad, or a simply turning the pages in a book.

Please join us this February, March, and April for our Spring Classics Discussion Series. This time, our selections feature a mysterious death that haunts a marriage, a coming-of-age tale about conformity and independence, a madwoman locked in an attack, and one of the most romantic stories every written. For each selection, we'll begin with a Monday afternoon movie showing. Then, the following Thursday afternoon, join us to chat about the respective books and authors over tea & scones in our cozy Classics room, located on the 2nd floor.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

• Monday, February 22 at 2 PM - Film Screening of Rebecca (1940); Not Rated.
  Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sander.
• Thursday, February 25 at 3 PM - Discussion of the book, film, and author  

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

• Monday, March 22 at 2 PM - Film Screening of Little Women (1994); Rated PG.
  Starring Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Christian Bale, Gabriel Byrne, Eric Stoltz, Kirsten Dunst.
• Thursday, March 25 at 3 PM - Discussion of the book, film, and author 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

• Monday, April 12 at 2 PM - Film Screening of Jane Eyre (1944); Not Rated.
  Starring Orson Welles, Joan Fontaine.
• Thursday, April 15 at 3 PM - Discussion of the book, film, and the Bronte sisters.

Coming soon!

By the time February rolls around, I am so tired of winter. I don't care what the groundhog has to say - one more day of winter is too much, as far as I'm concerned. So, I like to think of February as a short sprint toward spring. Luckily, we have lots to keep our minds busy as we careen wildly toward winter's finish line. Throughout the month, as usual, we'll have the "latest" and the "biggest" DVD releases arriving, but we're also expecting some of the best in weirdness (see Pezheads, at left), wonder, and wow. Please take a few moments and poke the antennas out from inside those cozy winter cocoons -  here are some of the DVDs that will arrive soon that are probably not on your radar. 

So, now that we've taken care of the unexpected, here are a few of the movies that we know you've been expecting:

February.

Stay warm.

Enjoy.

Watch time fly.
  

Today. On DVD.

Michael Jackson's This Is It is here.

I've seen it. Twice. And the only encouragement I'd need to watch it again is this...the trailer. Watch and reserve. (Repeat.)

It's a great day for DVDs. Here's what else landed on our shelves this morning:

Every so often, a young athlete's story is so outstanding that he (or she) starts garnering national attention...like when LeBron James landed on Sports Illustrated's cover as a high school junior back in 2002, labeled as "The Chosen One." Eight years later, he is the premiere superstar in the NBA, but nearly a decade ago in Akron, Ohio, he and four other players comprised what may have been the best high school basketball team of all time.

More Than a Game documents this team and the way each of the five players learns to depend on the others and grow on court and off, including footage all the way back to their junior high years, friendships and tensions, controversy, setbacks, and achievement together. We all know what happened to LeBron, but who were the other four guys who helped him become a household name before he was old enough to vote?

A little more slick than Hoop Dreams, a lot more involving than re-created films "based on the true story," filmmaker Kristopher Belman took a chance when he started documenting the Akron team in 2001 -- there was no way of knowing that the story would be worth telling. Here we have the early days of a future Hall of Famer, the coming of age of five young men, and a compelling piece on sports and high school basketball in our modern culture -- a three pointer!

Today on DVD: In the Loop

This is a forecast you can count on, too! Behold! There's a nice wintry mix of entertainment moving onto the shelves today.

First, I have to talk about In the Loop, hands down, the funniest movie I've seen in a very long time. The world is at stake. It hinges on words - an accidental utterance...and misunderstandings, and ego, and, of course, politics. It's political satire. It's Dr. Strangelove turned upside-down, inside-out, and on its ear for a new era. Its language, the likes of which you've never heard, is scathing, wildly creative (um, some may say "filthy"), rapid-fire, and relentless. Proving that bad language is not always a sign of no or low intelligence, a team of writers is responsible for this brilliantly smart, exhausting, and screechingly hilarious film from the other side of the pond that does not stop its assault until the credits roll.

Also out today on DVD:

And, new to the book shelves today:

Coming January 26th!

Michael Jackson's This Is It  is everything you hope it will be AND an excellent example of documentary filmmaking. This film takes the viewer behind-the-scenes during rehearsals for Jackson's sold-out London concerts. And that's exactly what it feels like...that you were somehow allowed backstage. Hard work. Professionalism. Talent. Endurance. Dedication. Excellence. (Did I say talent???) These are the elements that came through loud and clear...the sparkles that remain. This was one of my favorite films from 2009. That said, and though the documentary is stellar and (almost) subtle in its spectacle, this is not, by any means IT for the month of January. As you've come to expect, we are expecting a mix of features, indies, and foreign films to arrive throughout the month. 

 During the month of January, you will visit 19th Century England (Bright Star), a world where people only speak the truth (The Invention of Lying), and present-day Iraq (The Hurt Locker).

You will encounter "the world's biggest New York Giants fan (Big Fan), robotic surrogates (Surrogates), and a Japanese concert cellist turned funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life (Departures).  

Visits to an Indian boarding school (Like Stars on Earth), the roller derby (Whip It), and even the moon (Moon) complete our January adventures.

Today's DVD Tuesday News is truly an amusing mix of strangeness - indie and "out-there" pictures are waiting to fill your screens. (500) Days of Summer was an indie hit which is really no surprise considering its quirky premise, cute cast, and great soundtrack. There's not much to say about All About Steve. When it came out in theaters, it got awful reviews, most of us didn't want to know ANYTHING about Steve, and it was out of those theaters pronto. So I approached the viewing of this Sandra Bullock vehicle with the LOWEST of expectations (i.e. background noise). As it turns out, that is how anyone considering watching this should view it because then you'll discover that you may just mine a few comedic nuggets out of it. Extract rolls out today, too, and I have just two words to say...Jason. Bateman. (Attention fellow Arrested Development fans!) Now, we get to District 9, one of the weirdest movie I've seen in ages. I can't outright enthusiastically recommend it. I can't NOT recommend it. I do not believe that I'm saying this, but it's really great in its own way. It's got aliens, it's got action, it's got humor, it's got gore-galore, and despite all the times that I had to cover my eyes to get through this, even I have to acknowledge this exceptionally creative and intelligent effort. I admit -- it's also got a peculiar charm. (Talk about quirky!) 

That's it for this week. Happy Holidays!

We've put a lot of thought into this jolly endeavor and are well-prepared with suggestions! (We are in agreement that most of us know someone who would LOVE the new Agassi book, OPEN. You probably will, too.)

A couple of weeks ago, we hosted Holiday Helpers, a very special edtion of our popular Meet Us on Main Street  program. Darien Library staff members talked about their best gift-ideas. Here are just a few of our ideas; click below for the entire list.

What follows are even more gift selection suggestions for adults and teens (young adults). For a complete list of the suggested books for children, click here.

For even more ideas, check out these "Best of 2009" lists.

Happy shopping! Happy Holidays!

Here's what's landing on our book shelves today:

...and for you movie fans:

Coming to DVD in December!

Look at all this holiday cheer! In this season of high expectations and list-making marathons, I am suggesting that you keep your expectations high and prepare your list of must-see movies!

What's a holiday season without Harry? Harry Potter has entertained us each holiday season in one way or another...on the big screen or the small screen since 2001. The newest, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, comes out on DVD on December 8th, so if you're wild about Harry, the time is near.

If you're looking for luminous amidst December's wrappings, look no further than Catherine Deneuve in A Christmas Tale. Matriarch of the dysfunctional Vuillard family, she brings everyone together at Christmas with the news that she is in need of a bone marrow transplant from a blood relative. (Can a Christmastime reunion, a scheme concocted by three of the youngest family members, finally bring peace to their clan?) It a drama...it's a comedy...it's poignant...it's slapstick...in other words, it's family.  Also in December, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams bring their own brand of brilliance to the screen in Julie & Julia, and also arriving will be what I believe to be the funniest movie of 2009, The Hangover.

If you know me at all, you know that I am a huge fan of Arrested Development, therefore a month with a film with Jason Bateman (Extract) and a film with Michael Cera (Paper Heart) is a good movie month in my book. If you're looking for the squirm-factor, District 9 and Inglourious Basterds might be the direction to look (or, as in my case, looking away from the screen many (many) times as I did when I saw these two in the theater...major squirm-alerts.).

Take a look at our December - there's not a bad one in the bunch.