Staff Picks Movies/TV

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June 2020

World on Fire

This World War II British drama follows the lives of ordinary people and how the war affected them.  Staring actors like Sean Bean and Helen Hunt this is one TV series you don’t want to miss.
Recommended by: April Balasa, Patron Services Clerk

Posted in: Movies/TV


VFW

Don’t let the title mislead you. VFW is not another war picture but something a little more out there. While spending another night at their local VFW hall a group of military veterans get thrown head first into an all out war, when an innocent teenager shows up with a bag full of drugs she stole from a drug dealer that was responsible for her sister’s death. Now with the dealer and his goons wanting their stash back the veterans are in for the fight of their lives as they try to protect their VFW hall and the teenage girl. With a fabulous cast of actors as well as some good one liners VFW is a one of a kind movie you don’t want to miss.
Recommended by: April Balasa, Patron Services Clerk

Posted in: Movies/TV


Abigail

When Abigail was just a little girl her father was taken away. The authorities claimed he was one of the sick. Now that Abby is old and the epidemic has returned to her closed off city, she is more then determined to find out what really happened to her father. This beautiful Steampunk movie takes the viewer on an adventure as they question what seems to be on Abby’s mind: what if they sick aren’t really sick, but they have magic instead?
Recommended by: April Balasa, Patron Services Clerk

Posted in: Movies/TV


Bungo Stray Dogs Complete Season One

Nakajima Atsushi is kicked out of his orphanage and with no one to care for him, he is all alone in the world. At least he was until be saves a man he finds floating upside down in the river. As luck would have it the man he saved was none other then Dazai Osamu a member of the Armed Detective Agency. Nakajima is soon taken in by the Agency for his special ability of being a were-tiger. As he tried to get use to his new powers and his new life as a detective trouble rears it’s ugly head as a group known as the Port side Mafia are looking for him and they want his ability for themselves.
Recommended by: April Balasa, Patron Services Clerk

Posted in: Movies/TV


May 2020

Queens of Mystery, Season 1

Detective Sergeant Matilda Stone is solving murder mysteries with the assistance of her three aunts who are mystery authors as well as bookstore owners. Season 1 consists of three themed episodes broken down into six easy to watch segments. Storylines include a murder at an author’s award ceremony, the deaths of band members who have come together for a reunion album, and a murder at a play written by Matilda’s aunt Jane. All plots are helped along with a narrator and a few silly character spotlights making the series fast-moving as well as lighthearted. It’s a good cozy type of mystery for fans along the lines of M.C. Beatons’ Agatha Raisin series. Available on Hoopla.

Recommended by: Michelle Przekwas, Adult Services Shelver

Posted in: Movies/TV


April 2020

London Kills: Series 1

A murder squad, consisting of two detectives and two constables, is the focus of this London based series. Actress Sharon Small (a familiar face from the Inspector Lynley mystery series) as DI Cole takes the forefront of various investigations while her boss, DI Bradford, is conspicuously missing in action. This five-episode season relies on quick solve cases while also including snippets of other investigations. It is a slow build-up to the final episode which seemed so much better than all the previous episodes in pace as well as the content. You must watch them in order which isn’t hard to do since they are each less than an hour in length. This is a good police procedural series that seems realistic and not Hollywood dramatized. Fans of Midsomer Murders or the VERA television series might like to try this one. Also available on Hoopla.

Recommended by: Michelle Przekwas, Adult Services Shelver

Posted in: Movies/TV


The Food That Built America: Season 1

Many foods that we take for granted today, such as breakfast cereal, ketchup, milk chocolate, and Coke did not exist a little over one hundred years ago. This show tells the fascinating stories of the people like Henry Heinz, Milton Hershey, John & Will Kellogg, Clarence Birdseye, and the McDonald brothers, who created the foods that we know and love today. It documents their imagination, drive, risks, trials & errors, and hard work – changing the American diet (for better & worse), while building cities, developing new technologies, fostering social & cultural change, and creating multimillion-dollar empires along the way. Available on Hoopla.

Recommended by: Dawn Gowgiel, Adult Services Shelver

Posted in: Documentary


March 2020

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

Linda Ronstadt’s original voice was enjoyed by many beginning in the 1970s. Her performances, throughout many years, became a highlight of theater, pop and folk music. This biographical film features interviews with Ronstadt’s friends and fellow artists, as well as wonderful concert footage. An extra bonus is a very personal (and very moving) interview with Ronstadt near the films’ conclusion.  There is a lot of great music in this DVD, so much that you might even find yourself humming her songs for days after. If you love music, this is the film for you.

Recommended by: Michelle Przekwas, Adult Services Shelver

Posted in: Documentary


Baristas

This movie follows four baristas as they practice and then travel to South Korea for an intense coffee competition. It is not all about your basic cup of coffee in this film as competitors race against a clock during presentations while also trying to inform judges about a new style of coffee that they have personally tried to develop. If you have any interest in what baristas do, or just love your coffee, then this is the film for you.

Recommended by: Michelle Przekwas, Adult Services Shelver

Posted in: Documentary


January 2020

Chernobyl : a 5-part miniseries

In 1986, the Soviet Union experienced one of the most severe nuclear disasters in the history of the world.  This miniseries follows the events that led up to the disaster, the response by the Soviet government to uncover as well as hide the truth, and the gruesome effects that are still being felt today.  Despite knowing that they manage to control the radiation by the fact that Eastern Europe is not a nuclear wasteland, this show will keep you hooked to find out exactly what happened.  With only five episodes,  Chernobyl is by perfect binge-worthy show.  Winner of the Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy.

Recommended by: Brandi Smits, Youth Services Manager 

Posted in: Movies/TV


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