Staff Picks Movies/TV
December 2019
Carol
2015 was stacked with equally fantastic movies like “Spotlight” and “Room,” but “Carol” takes the cake. Another emotive love story, this one relying more on stolen glances than dialogue to portray the power of their affection. This also featured a standout score.
Recommended by: Lisa Stemmons, Patron Services Clerk
Posted in: Movies/TV
Interstellar
Going in blind and seeing this in theaters was the closest thing I’ve ever come to a religious experience in 2014. The score, the performances and the CGI, all meld together in such perfect coherence.
Recommended by: Lisa Stemmons, Patron Services Clerk
Posted in: Movies/TV
Before Midnight
Rounding out Richard Linklater’s trilogy, “Before Midnight” maintains the perfect amount of romanticism while remaining realistic about the trials of marriage.
Recommended by: Lisa Stemmons, Patron Services Clerk
Posted in: Movies/TV
The Dark Knight Rises
Without fail, I still manage to get goosebumps at the end of “Dark Knight Rises.” Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy deliver in this cinematic and epic finale.
Recommended by: Lisa Stemmons, Patron Services Clerk
Posted in: Movies/TV
Bridesmaids
Women have always been funny, but the notion actually gained traction among men with Paul Feig’s release of “Bridesmaids.” I’m tough on comedies and rarely laugh out loud at things, but this is a flawless comedic masterpiece.
Recommended by: Lisa Stemmons, Patron Services Clerk
Posted in: Movies/TV
November 2019
Meet Me in St. Louis
Not strictly a Christmas movie, this film opens in the sweltering summer of 1903 and follows the Smith family’s last few months in their beloved St. Louis before they move to New York City. Funny and heartwarming, this musical marks the screen debut of the classic song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by the incomparable Judy Garland.
Recommended by: Katie Allen, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Movies/TV
They Shall Not Grow Old
They Shall Not Grow Old is a fascinating look at World War One through the eyes of ordinary British soldiers. Composed almost entirely of footage made at the time, and with narration supplied by the veterans themselves, it provides an on-the-ground look at what it was like to fight in, and live through, the First World War. From the outbreak of war to training, shipping out, and daily life at the front, through battles and finally peace, They Shall Not Grow Old takes you through the Western Front, with the ordinary British soldiers as your guide.
Recommended by: Peter Tew, Reference Librarian
Posted in: Movies/TV