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Attention vampire lovers! The 60's TV cult classic, Dark Shadows, is back starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton.
Who's excited about this one?
Have a favorite vampire film? I like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Here's one you may have heard of...
Adapted from comedian Steve Harvey's book, Think Like a Man opens tonight. Four mens' love lives are shaken up after the ladies they are pursuing buy Harvey's book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book's insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.
The reviews are good, Brian Tallerico of Hollywood Chicago says: "It's a movie that could have been better but works on its own terms - it's funny, clever, and even sweet."
Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence J, Jenifer Lewis, Romany Malco, Gary Owen, and Gabrielle Union star.
Seeing it? Seen anything good lately? Let us know!
You are invited to join us at the Oak Park Public Library Main Library Veterans Room for the first ever OPPL Hunger Games Competition! Teens in grades 6 through 12 will compete for prizes and glory for their district as they battle it out. Only one can win!
We will be dividing attendees in to Districts and testing tributes in a variety of areas. In order to preserve the fun of the day, we are not revealing exactly what those areas are - but knowing something about the series would probably be a good thing!
No registration is required for this special program, but arrive early to secure your assignment. Spaces are limited!
These pop up on lists all over the place. And of course, your library has them all: Dirty Dancing! Amelie! Pretty Woman! Strictly Ballroom! The Notebook! Juno?
What's your favorite romantic movie of all time? Mine is Brief Encounter (because I'm old.)
The biggest award in teen fiction, the Michael L Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, was announced this morning! We live for these big award nominations! Go ahead and call us nerds, but don't miss these fantastic award winners representing the very best in teen reads from 2011.
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Witty, sardonic Cullen Witter agonizes over the disappearance of his beloved brother, Gabriel, while everyone else in his stiflingly dull Arkansas town thrills to the apparent return of a long-extinct woodpecker. Kidnapping, bromance, arcane religious texts, and ornithology collide in this ground-breaking coming-of-age tale.
“Straightforward, yet increasingly complex, this novel masterfully weaves together themes of brotherhood, friendship, loss and religious obsession,” said Printz Award Committee Chair Erin Helmrich.
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman
Published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
In this beautiful piece of bookmaking, heartbroken movie obsessive Min Green dumps a box of relationship ephemera on ex-love Ed Slaterton’s porch, each item attached to a raging, loving, insecure and regretful letter explaining how each memento contributed to their breakup.
The Returning by Christine Hinwood
Published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group Young Readers Group USA.
A large cast of characters from two fictional kingdoms recover from a drawn-out, brutal war in a portrait both sweeping and specific as it explores the ramifications of the conflict on Cam, the only one who lives to return to his village.
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
Published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Spurred by the mysterious death of a schoolmate, Charlie confronts racism and his fears as he learns about family, friendship and love in the oppressive heat of small-town 1960s Australia. Silvey weaves themes of freedom and loyalty with moments of humor in this wrenching novel.
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.
A bloody, intoxicating horse race on the Island of Thisby is the backdrop for this atmospheric novel. The heart-pounding story pits two teens against death – to win is to survive.
We've had a lot of middle school students asking for a very specific kind of book lately. They are looking for at least three books, all by one author, and the books cannot be part of a series (including sequels and prequels). The books must also be from the library's YA section. What might sound like a relatively simple request actually gets pretty tough because of the number of sequels and series published in today's YA literature.
So, in our effort to help you get what you need, we've created a list of authors who fit the above criteria. Just a note to remember, some of these authors (like Meg Cabot and Margaret Peterson Haddix) also write series but they also write enough stand alone novels to fit the needs of the list above.
Please remember that there are a wide variety of reading levels and subject matter represented by the authors on this list. If you have any questions, or just want a more specific suggestion, please contact us for more.
A hit at Sundance, and up for a slew of Gotham, Black Reel, and Independent Spirit awards, Pariah is about a Brooklyn teenager who juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak, and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.
Emmanual Levy says Pariah "elevates the visibility of a taboo subject within black culture that has remained unexplored by independent cinema."
"Ultimately, Pariah chronicles pain and beauty in the birth of an artist. The film's only real pariahs are those who reject her."
Read a bit about the development of this unique coming of age film that has already gotten a ton of positive reviews, even though it opens tomorrow. What's your favorite coming of age film? Rushmore? Have you seen Submarine?
It's red carpet night at the library! 7 to 9 PM on Tuesday, December 20 in the Main Library Veterans Room.
Anyone is welcome as we screen films from our 24-hour filmmaker contest for teens. Cheer on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Q&A with the filmmakers follows.
We had terrific entries from our contestants. Come and watch them on the big screen. Tell your friends, start a buzz!
And we're off! The clock is now ticking on our 24-hour film contest for teens in grades 6 through 12. We finished the opening workshop and the participants are now hard at work on their masterpieces. All submitted must follow the following three things:
Theme: Impulse
Prop: Water
Action: Leading
Image by London College of Fashion Short Course via Creative Commons
In case you weren't at the workshop or need a refresher, these are the rules:
Participants must provide their own cameras and editing equipment.
Films will be judged on general creativity along with how well they incorporate the assigned theme, prop, and action -- impulse, water, and leading, respectively -- and how effectively they tell a story in four minutes or less (including opening and closing credits).
Remember, you may end up watching your finished film at a public screening in front of your parents, so think "PG-13" when it comes to language and content restrictions.
First prize is a $75 gift certificate to Lake Theatre. Second prize: $50; third prize: $25, also to Lake Theatre.
Films must be converted to digital format (.mov, .mv4, .avi) and burned to a CD or DVD, or uploaded to YouTube or a similar video-sharing website.
All films must be turned in, either in person at the library's second-floor reference desk or via an e-mail (with the film either attached or with a posted link) sent to rwcass@gmail.com, by 2 PM on Saturday, November 26.
Judging and the announcement of our winners will take place the afternoon of Monday, November 28th. For more information, contact Robert Cass at rwcass@gmail.com or the Oak Park Public Library at 452-3440.
In case you are still looking for some more helpful info for creating your film, our workshop leader Robert Cass has provided some helpful links and books to check out:
FREE EDITING SOFTWARE:
http://www.akascope.com/2011/07/15/free-video-editing-software/
COPYRIGHT-FRIENDLY AND COPYRIGHT-FREE MUSIC:
http://copyrightfriendly.wikispaces.com/Copyright-friendly+music+and+sound
http://www.gettyimages.com/music
And here are a few links to books about making short films, for what it's worth:
Short Films 101: How to Make a Short Film and Launch Your Filmmaking Career by Frederick Levy
NONFICTION / 791.43 LEV
How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck by Steve Stockman
Making Short Films: The Complete Guide From Script to Screen by Clifford Thurlow
NONFICTION / 791.4302 THU
We are so excited to see what comes in! Good luck to all of our participants.
We are getting ridiculously excited for all things Hunger Games here at the Oak Park Public Library. In our ultimate quest to feature all things Katniss and Peeta coupled with our interest in an afternoon snack we bring you, Food in the Hunger Games!
Fictional Food is an amazing resource when you're trying to find interesting food ideas from your favorite books and movies. Greasy Sae has created a list of all of the foods featured in the Hunger Games trilogy. This would be an awesome place to start when hosting your own movie release party in March. I'll take some goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves, please. Here are some more recipes for the adventurous among you.
Pale Purple Melon - Sure it looks great, but all that time soaking in food coloring makes it taste "absolutely disgusting."
Cupcakes on Fire - These Mockingjay cupcakes look like they take some serious decorating skills but they look AMAZING.
Lamb Stew with Dried Plums - It was THE BEST thing about the first district. So we have to try it, right?
Hungergamestrilogy.net has some party ideas for food which includes a totally incredible cake. Apparently Hunger Games fans rule at baking.
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