Wings of Desire (DVD)

This highly-acclaimed and beautifully atmospheric film by German director, Wim Wenders, reveals  a world of trench-coated angels inhabiting the skies above a war-wounded Berlin who descend  to earth to listen to the conflicted thoughts of mortals, extending comfort and love.  One angel’s emotional investment deepens to the point where he yearns to become mortal himself, having fallen in love with a graceful trapeze performer.

Being a librarian, one of the things that I liked the most about this visually stunning and psychologically-nuanced movie was that one physical space in which these angels silently spoke to the melancholy humans in need of their comfort and care were the communal yet contemplative spaces of libraries.

Oddly enough, Peter Falk, plays himself in this absorbing and original film. 

Tonight there will be lines of Science Fiction Fans waiting outside of movie theatres across the country to be among the first to see John Carter of Mars, Disney's latest film. 

Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote Princess of Mars 95 years ago and tonight it will be translated onto the big screen.  We've got several copies in print here at the library, but I want to encourage you to download the ebook version.  It is available for free on Project Gutenburg.

Why download an ebook version?  Well it is a scanned copy of the original 1917 edition of the book.  It includes some really gorgeous artwork by Frank Schoonover and while we do own one copy of that 1917 edition, you can't check it out.  If you are among the folks waiting in line tonight, you can read the book while you wait.  I know I always prefer to read the book first, then see the movie, don't you?

Check in with us and let us know what you thought of the book and the movie!

Are you ready for a movie that is so ridiculous it will make you laugh until you cry? Youth in Revolt, an adaptation of the novel by C.D. Payne, is a film following a smart yet impulsive 14 year-old boy as he tries to win the heart of Sheeni, an eccentric girl he meets on a family vacation.  The movie unfolds into a series of unfortunate events as Nick (played by Michael Cera) goes to outrageous lengths to get the attention of this seemingly unattainable love interest, played by Portia Doubleday.  As Nick finds trouble with every turn, we are introduced to his quirky best friend Lefty and his dysfunctional divorced parents.  The colorful characters and gut-busting story make this a great movie to help you relive your past!

And if you loved the movie, you can read the novel it is based on -- Youth In Revolt: the Journals of Nick Twisp by C.D. Payne.  Find it at one of our branch libraries!

Princess Ka’iulani, starring Q'orianka Kilcher, shows glimpses of the adolescence and early adulthood of Victoria Ka’iulani Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kawēkiu i Lunalilo Cleghorn, the last princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii.   Princess Ka’iulani was daughter of Princess Likelike, from the the House of Kalākaua, and Archibald Scott Cleghorn, a Scottish businessman. 

Iron Jawed Angels, starring Hilary Swank as Alice Stokes Paul, Frances O'Connor as Lucy Burns and Anjelica Huston as Carrie Chapman Catt, is about women’s rights activists who worked hard to influence the United States government to grant women the right to vote.  

Mona Lisa Smile, starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles, is about a professor (Julia Roberts) who teaches art history at Wellesley College in the 1950’s.   Although the female college students had more rights than their mothers and grandmothers did, they still lived in a world where women were expected to behave a certain way.

San Jose Public Library has many other movies that you may be interested in.   Come on by, and visit!    Any DVD that you check out from one SJPL location may be returned to any other SJPL location.

Wonder Struck (AR 4.0, Level 5.4) by Brian Selznick is a beautiful book.  This title follows the story of Ben and Rose.  Ben's story unfolds in words and Rose's story unfolds in pictures.  Both characters are connected by a desire to find people that are missing from their lives.  After the death of Ben's mother, he yearns to find his father.  Ben's mother, Elaine, has told him nothing about his father.  However, after accidentally finding information that may lead to his father, Ben sets out for New York City, where his father last lived.  Will Ben find his long-missing father?

Rose is desperately unhappy living with her father.  She has been creating a scrapbook about the career of a  mysterious actress, Lillian Mayhew.  Feeling that Ms. Mayhew can help her, she sets off for New York City.  What will she find there and how will Ms. Mayhew help her?

Both stories are set apart by fifty years.  However, both characters are similar in that they are both deaf.  What is truly remarkable about both characters is the lack of sadness or anger about their disabilities.  Both courageously go to one of the largest cities in the world, sure of their purpose.  The reader is immediately drawn into both stories because of the remarkably life-like drawings and compelling stories.

Brian Selznick, the Caldecott Medal winner for The Invention of Hugo Cabret (AR 4.0, Level 5.1) once again makes a movie-like book.  Mr. Selznick has said that his interest in this story began when he learned about the new sound technology in 1927, which would affect the deaf community.  Prior to 1927, both hearing and deaf people could enjoy the movies together.  After 1927, deaf people were left out of the experience of enjoying film.

Is there a great movie you missed seeing at the theater? Is there one that you would love to see again? Best of all, would you like to view it for free?

Check out the collection at your local San Jose Public Library! You will find an ever-changing array of movies, documentaries and educational DVDs for all ages.  The DVDs are now shelved at whichever library they are returned to, so you never know what you will find on the shelves to check out!

Library DVDs come in a variety of languages, including English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Hindi, Chinese and French. 

Movies are checked out for 3 weeks, and cannot be renewed. The other DVDs also check out for 3 weeks, but can be renewed if no one has placed a request for that particular title.

Some library locations also show movies, and may even provide popcorn! Check the events listings on the library’s homepage, www.sjpl.org, for details.