Deja_Vu

Suggestion:
More films on female Latin American documentary filmmakers, or even just female Latin American filmmakers. More specifically, I'm looking for films by Marta Rodriguez.

Our response:
The Media Librarian agrees that the collection needs more work by Latin American filmmakers in general. Marta Rodriguez's work is so far difficult to acquire, but her film Love, Women, and Flowers is available from Women Make Movies. We will put it on our wish list for next year!
In the meantime, Emerson Professor Cristina Kotz Cornejo 's film 3 Americas is showing at the Museum of Fine Arts tomorrow (Saturday, May 3) at 3:30 p.m. It's a must for anyone interested in female Latin American filmmakers!

Suggestion: To have a Netflix subscription. It would help broaden the video collection.
Our response: We have been using Netflix on a trial basis this year, mainly for student requests. Not many students have taken advantage of it, but several instructors have used it to find materials they wanted their students to view. Many libraries do use Netflix, and hopefully we will too, but perhaps more for faculty requests.
However, we have two student request videos on reserve till May 7: Deadwood, Season 1, Disc 1, and the excellent Jonathan Demme profile of Jean Dominique, The Agronomist. Check them out between study sessions and exams!

You know, records--LPs--vinyl records?
What the Media Librarian likes to call "legacy media".
So, I don't know how exactly you want to celebrate record store day
probably you are supposed to buy records. BUT, you can honor the legacy media without spending any money at the record store by checking out the Iwasaki Library's sound recording collection. Yes, we have many CDs, phonotapes, and even LPs. Our holdings are especially strong in comedy, spoken word, drama, and old radio shows. To locate a sound recording, use the Library's FLO catalog, and find the yellow box near the bottom of the screen that says "set limits." Look for "medium" on the left side of the search limits page, and selected "sound recordings." Hit "set limits" and go back to enter a keyword (like comedy, or spoken word, or David Bowie). Final step: The selection page has a box that says "Limit to (optional)." Select Emerson College Media Collection, and you're good to go.

If your search turns up any LPs, they are most likely in storage. You can ask the staff at the Iwasaki Library to retrieve them. This usually takes about a day. Sometimes the FLO catalog will indicate that the LP has been transferred to an archival CD. These CDs are stored at Media Services on the 3rd floor of the Ansin Building, and you can listen to them onsite. Otherwise, feel free to check out any sound CDs and phonotapes!

Well since I missed it last week I guess I'll just pick two titles for this week - both with the theme of "films you shouldn't let young children watch"

My first pick is Happiness (DVD721) - A twisted black comedy about three New Jersey Sisters and the problems in their families and sex lives. A phenomenal ensemble cast with even more incredible performances (Philip Seymour Hoffman will blow your mind) makes this a must see - Just not when you're 9 years old.

Next up is the college classic Eraserhead (DVD 1032). Last weekend I got to go back home to New York and see this on the big screen at a midnight showing - a must for any film student. Also check out David Lynch's short films (DVD 1064). Or anything else he has done. (Lnych fans click here)

The Media Librarian gave a DVD of The Ten Commandments as a birthday gift on Saturday night, and then hours later, heard of Charlton Heston's death. Very weird. This, after the ritual viewing of the film over the Easter weekend, during which the Media Librarian screamed with laughter at the dialogue, much of it spoken by Charlton Heston.

It has been easy to scoff at Heston over the years, especially in his role of president of the National Rifle Association. But that wasn't all he was. He wasn't even always a conservative, having been a Kennedy-style liberal during the 60's.

And if his Moses seems comic today, it is more the datedness of Cecil B. DeMille's over-the-top style that strikes us funny. Heston did the best he could under the circumstances--and can you imagine any other actor in that role?

Heston won an Oscar for his work in Ben-Hur (we have it on DVD--DVD 529), and the chariot scene is still one of the great action scenes in film. He spent 5 weeks learning to drive a chariot, which he described as "a hard-won and mostly useless skill, but I can't help taking pride in it."

Other films in the collection featuring performances by Charlton Heston include:
El Cid (V 1815)
Planet of the Apes (DVD 1034)
Touch of Evil (DVD 198)
Airport 1975 (DVD 528
and Earthquake (V 3374)

Suggestion: Faculty access to Netflix rentals. Sometimes I need something right away, or sometimes the same film is being taught by several classes, and it would be a cheap and easy solution.

Our Response: This does seem like a good option for times we need multiple copies. It would also be a good way to preview materials--if an instructor liked an item enough to use it again after the initial Netflix showing, we could certainly purchase it and add it to the collection. The Media Librarian will look into this further, and who knows? maybe we can offer Netflix scheduling for faculty next year. Stay tuned!

My recommendation for the week is:

Dexter Season 1

DVD1691

This is a wickedly clever show about a Serial killer who hunts serial killers. I love it, you will too!

-Keiko

This past week I was able to attend a lecture by acclaimed female film director Mira Nair. She gave a Q&A type lecture at Northeastern University which elaborated upon the various stages of her career and art. Her films are some of the most provocative and engaging works. They span from documentary to narrative; from one culture to another, telling beautiful stories with integrity. As an aspiring female filmmaker it was a truly inspirational experience to see a highly successful and respected woman making films for a living.

I'd like to recommend some of Mira Nair's films:

Salaam Bombay!
Mississippi Masala
Monsoon Wedding

We have them in the Media Library so come check them out!

-Keiko (Media Librarian Assistant Extraordinaire)

The Fisher King

Homeless man and traumatized shock deejay join forces in search of the Holy Grail in Manhattan. With Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges.

Pick of the week:
Lars Von Trier's "The Idiots" (VHS 2239)

I highly suggest EVERYONE check this out in Media Services at some point. From IMDB - "The group of people gather at the house in Copenhagen suburb to break all the limitations and to bring out the "inner idiot" in themselves". There really isn't much else to it, the movie is about a collective of people who "spass out" in public (meaning: act mentally handicapped). It is the second movie of the Dogme 95 movement, started by Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, a movement in film meant to show to "absolute truth" in its subjects. Dogme films must follow the "Vow of Chastity" (link), which states that shooting must be on location, the camera must be handheld, in addition to several other rules the director must follow.

We will rectify the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' gross oversight in failing EVER to give an Oscar to any film directed by a woman--something that irks the Media Librarian whenever she thinks about it--by honoring The Three--count 'em--THREE! women ever nominated for Best Director.

We will throw in Barbra Streisand, because her film Prince of Tides was nominated for Best Picture in 1992. Alas, we don't have that title in our collection, but we do have Funny Girl. So, for the rest of March, feel free to borrow that title, or the following three:

Jame Campion's The Piano
Lina Wertmuller's Seven Beauties
Sophia Coppola's Lost in Translation.

The usual conditions apply: borrow one at a time, overnight or over a weekend.