La La Land | Planet Earth II | I Am Not Your Negro | Blood on the Mountain | Fire at Sea | Confronting ISIS | Tower Scene & Heard
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May- June 2017 VOL. 32 THE VIDEO REVIEW MAGAZINE FOR LIBRARIES NO. 3 IN THIS ISSUE La La Land | Planet Earth II | I Am Not Your Negro | Blood on the Mountain | Fire at Sea | Confronting ISIS | Tower scene & heard BAKER & TAYLOR’S SPECIALIZED A/V TEAM OFFERS ALL THE PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND EXPERTISE TO FULFILL YOUR LIBRARY PATRONS’ NEEDS. Learn more about Baker & Taylor’s Scene & Heard team: ELITE Helpful personnel focused exclusively on A/V products and customized services to meet continued patron demand PROFICIENT Qualified entertainment content buyers ensure frontlist and backlist titles are available and delivered on time SKILLED Supportive Sales Representatives with an average of 15 years industry experience DEVOTED Nationwide team of A/V processing staff ready to prepare your movie and music products to your shelf-ready specifications Experience KNOWLEDGEABLE Baker & Taylor is the Full-time staff of A/V catalogers, most experienced in the backed by their MLS degree and more than 43 years of media cataloging business; selling A/V expertise products to libraries since 1986. 800-775-2600 x2050 [email protected] www.baker-taylor.com Spotlight Review La La Land HHHH breezy romanticism of make-believe through Lionsgate, 128 min., PG- entrancing, unabashedly twinkly musical 13, DVD: $29.99, Blu- numbers choreographed by Mandy Moore ray/DVD Combo: $39.99, (not the pop singer) that are reminiscent of Publisher/Editor: Randy Pitman Apr. 25 Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly/ Opening with a Debbie Reynolds, particularly when the Associate Editor: Jazza Williams-Wood fabulous fantasy song- lovebirds glide into the heavens during the Editorial Assistant: Christopher Pitman and-dance sequence sparkling “City of Stars” at the Griffith Ob- Graphic Designer: Carol Kaufman featuring commuters servatory. A lovely contemporary update of caught in congested the classic Hollywood musical, this is highly Marketing Director: Anne Williams traffic on Los Ange- recommended. Editor’s Choice. (S. Granger) les freeways, Damien Chazelle’s dazzling multi-Oscar-winning contemporary musical Contributing Writers serves up a chronicle of longing, love, and In many of its song- and-dance numbers, La Carson Block, formerly with lingering wistfulness. Aspiring actress Mia Poudre River Public Library District (Emma Stone) works as a barista on the La Land pays homage Warner Bros. lot, while brooding jazz pianist to the Golden Age of Kathleen C. Fennessy, Reviewer, the Hollywood musical, The Stranger Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is tired of playing background music at bars and restaurants. particularly MGM’s hits Susan Granger, SSG Syndicate They “meet cute” several times before actu- from the 1930s through Donald Liebenson, Reviewer, ally connecting, after which they encourage the ‘50s. Viewers can get a taste of those Entertainment Weekly, Amazon.com each other to follow their dreams as their classic, star-studded films in Warner Home Video’s That’s Entertainment! The Stephen Rees, Librarian, formerly with respective careers move forward. Mia writes Bucks Co. Free Library, Levittown, PA a one-woman show attracting the interest of Complete Collection (VL Online-11/04), an influential agent, while Sebastian joins a which compiles 1974’s That’s Entertain- Frank Swietek, Associate Professor ment!, 1976’s That’s Entertainment, Part 2, of History, University of Dallas, TX touring pop band that is fronted by his old friend (John Legend). But long separations and 1994’s That’s Entertainment III, and take a toll on their romantic relationship as features Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Additional Contributors: the story follows the couple over changing Stewart, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and seasons. Inspired by Jacques Demy’s classic Donald O’Connor, among others. Sean Axmaker The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, as well as A Star Charles Cassady Is Born and Singin’ in the Rain, Chazelle styl- Cover Photo: © 2017 Summit Entertainment, LLC. ishly transitions from naturalism into the All Rights Reserved. Jose Cruz Phil Hall TABLE OF CONTENTS Tom Keogh Lisa Martincik Michael Sandlin Video Newsbriefs 4 Relationships & Sexuality 55 Books Into Movies 5 Food & Spirits 55 Mixed Media 6 Business & Economics 56 Video Movies 12 Computers & Technology 56 Video Librarian (ISSN: 0887-6851) is pub- TV on Video Sports, Games & Recreation lished bi-monthly by Video Librarian, 3435 37 56 NE Nine Boulder Dr., Poulsbo, WA 98370. Key to Star Ratings The Arts 58 Subscriptions: $64 for one year in the Unit- 42 ed States; $69 (US) in Canada (includes Video Reviews History & Current Events 59 GST); $86 elsewhere. Address all correspon- 42 dence to Video Librarian, 3435 NE Nine Children’s 42 Biography 62 Boulder Dr., Poulsbo, WA 98370. Period- icals Postage Paid at Poulsbo, WA and at Psychology & Self-Help 44 Series Update 64 additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Video Librarian, Religion & Philosophy 44 Japanese Anime 65 3435 NE Nine Boulder Dr., Poulsbo, WA 98370. Copyright © 2017 by Randy Pitman. Social & Political Issues 45 Music/Dance 68 All rights reserved. Telephone/Fax/E-mail Education 50 Distributor Addresses 70 Subscriptions: (800) 692-2270 Law & Crime 50 Title Index 72 Editorial: (360) 626-1259 Advertising: (800) 265-7965 Nature, Math & Science 51 Advertiser Directory 72 Fax: (360) 626-1260 E-mail: [email protected] Health & Fitness 52 Final Frame 74 Web: www.videolibrarian.com Childbirth & Parenting 54 MAY/JUNE 2017 3 VIDEO LIBRARIAN Video Newsbriefs “Marseille Trilogy,” “Straw personal stories that illustrate the Dogs,” and “Ugetsu” Lead issue from multi- Criterion Collection June Slate ple points of view: New Releases parents, children, The Criterion Collection’s June slate the police, and kicks off June 6 with Kenji Mizoguchi’s the community. 1953 Japanese drama Ugetsu (DVD: 2 Among those pro- discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95), an exqui- filed are activist site ghost tale derived from stories by and founder of Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, The Ethics Proj- following two villagers whose pursuit of ect, Dr. Christi Griffin; Samaria Rice, fame and fortune leads them far astray mother of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy from their loyal wives. Coming June killed by the Cleveland police while 13 is legendary director Nicholas Ray’s playing with a toy gun in a local park; 1948 debut They Live By Night (DVD: Reverend Catherine Brown, who was KAZIRANGA $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95), a lyrical film assaulted by Chicago police in front Explores the battle between poachers and noir that travels with a wide-eyed fugi- of her children in her own car; retired conservationists in Kaziranga Park, the last tive (Farley Granger) and his innocent NYPD sergeant Trevena Garel; Brooklyn stronghold for the endangered Indian rhino. love interest (Cathy O’Donnell). Arriv- Borough President Eric Adams, and “A powerful portrayal of how human empathy ing June 20 is a newly restored edition of members of the South Carolina Crimi- is an effective strategy for reforming rhino Marcel Pagnol’s Marseille Trilogy (DVD: nal Justice Academy. Other participants poachers.” —Dawn Smallman, Festival Director, 4 discs, $99.95; Blu-ray: 3 discs, $99.95), include black-ish creator Kenya Barris, Portland EcoFilm Festival a sweeping three-film saga set in the musician Nas, actress Rosie Perez, film- author’s native Provence that tracks the maker John Singleton, and New York lives and loves of its characters over the Times columnist Charles Blow. course of a generation: Marius (1931), a tale of lovers torn between devotion and the restless urge for adventure; Fanny Shout! Factory Announces (1932), which picks up moments after June 27 Release for “The Pink Marius has left his would-be titular Panther Film Collection” wife for a sailor’s life; and César (1936), leaping forward 20 years and resolving Shout! Factory has announced the the protagonists’ star-crossed destinies. upcoming release of The Pink Panther Slated for June 27 is 1927’s The Lodg- Film Collection (Blu-ray: 6 discs, $99.99), SINCE: THE BOMBING OF er: A Story of the London Fog (DVD: 2 slated for June 27. The legendary Peter PAN AM FLIGHT 103 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95), a silent Sellers stars as the irrepressible and Tells the story of some of the first victims of serial-killer boardinghouse thriller incompetent Inspector Jacques Clou- terrorism, who proved that ordinary people can that Alfred Hitchcock considered his seau in this six-film collection, which accomplish extraordinary feats in the wake of true debut, starring matinee idol Ivor includes The Pink Panther (1964), A Shot politically fueled mass murder. Novello. Also coming June 27 is Sam in the Dark (1964), The Return of the “A powerful portrayal of the emotional price Peckinpah’s notorious 1971 shocker Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther of terrorism.” Straw Dogs (DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu- Strikes Again (1976), Revenge of the Pink —Heather Kenihan, Newport Beach Film Festival ray: $39.95), starring Dustin Hoffman as Panther (1978), and Trail of the Pink Pan- a young American mathematician who ther (1982), each directed by Academy is forced to face off against local thugs Award winner Blake Edwards (with four after he moves to the village hometown of the titles making their Blu-ray de- of his English wife (Susan George). buts). One of the most influential comic actors of all time, Academy Award nom- inee Sellers is well-remembered for his “The Talk: Race in America” iconic role as the bumbling detective Available Now from PBS Inspector Clouseau. The Pink Panther films showcase a magical combination Distribution of Edwards’s masterful directing, writ- PBS Distribution has recently released ing, and producing skills; Sellers’s hi- BEYOND THE DIVIDE the documentary The Talk: Race in larious verbal and physical antics; and Two brave people find a way to bridge the America (DVD: $24.99), centering on sparkling performances from, among divide of unresolved resentment between those increasingly common conversations others, series staples Herbert Lom, Burt who served in the Vietnam War and those who taking place in homes and communities Kwouk, André Maranne, and Graham fought a different war at home.