Holiday Films

Mix and Match Staff Picks
"Can you recommend a good holiday film?" Whether or not you started gearing up for the holidays in October -- which is easy enough to do -- our guess is you'll be watching holiday films up to New Years Day. Here's a few that might make your laugh, lift your spirits, or at least let you know you're better off than film characters. Staff member Ian Dunbar weighs in here:

Ref : Denis Leary, while laying low after a botched heist, makes the mistake of taking a bickering CT couple hostage and must referee their failing marriage and criminally inclined son during Christmas dinner with obnoxious relatives.

Love Actually : Learn what (and how many) crustaceans and cephalopods were present at the Nativity in this charming romantic comedy portraying the tribulations and joys of different couples during the holiday season.

Joyeux Noel : On Christmas Eve, an informal armistice is formed on the front line of France during the Great War. French, German, and Scottish soldiers put down their rifles and join together to feast and play football before their commanders learn of their mutiny.

And don't forget the 'Grinch' ... 365 days a year...

Film descriptions by Ian Dunbar

Aria, Idol and A Capella Voices

Holiday Tunes

If you are looking for holiday music to play while you are on your way to or from a shopping trip -- or at home preparing for guests -- here's a trio of delightful CDs sure to lighten your load and your spirit.

My Christmas with Andrea Bocelli

Christmas Cheers with Straight No Chaser

Christmas from the Heart with David Archuleta

Each of these CDs features religious and secular songs and are among the many CDs included in our holiday CD collection.

Surf's Up

If you haven't seen Straight No Chaser on PBS, enjoy the video and visit SNC's web site.

Bocelli and the Muppets!

Holiday Films

Mix and Match Staff Picks
"Can you recommend a good holiday film?" is a question we always hear at this time of year. You ask each other as you browse our DVD collection and just as often, you ask your library's staff members. In the few short days leading up to New Year 2010, we'll be posting staff suggestions. Tessa Handy leads off:

Oldies
Miracle on 34th Street -- Most memorable about this one is watching a very young Natalie Wood. Based on the 1947 novel by Valentine Davies.

White Christmas -- Without fail, I always tear up at the scene when "The General" walks into his surprise party.

It's a Wonderful Life -- OK, so everyone's seen this one a million times. I remember watching the film for the first time with my family; my mother was excited for us as we watched the scene when the dance floor literally opens up in the middle.

Family Comedies
A Christmas Story -- I can totally relate to Ralphie and his snowsuit. I had one just like it! Based on the novel In God We Trust : All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd.

The Family Stone -- A surprising, poignant revelation at the end will melt your heart just as it did the Stones'.

Christmas with the Kranks -- Talk about last-minute hustle and bustle on Christmas Eve; the Kranks give this a whole new meaning. There is a nice "oh" moment at film's end. Based on the novel Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

Post by Tessa Handy

The Earth Gets Drilled

Star Trek Is Back!
The latest in the Star Trek franchise is fun. There are tons of special effects (which we are all addicted to) plus explosions and damage, even though the shields are fully up and functioning.

There's also a great deal of noise except when the storyline takes to space; a very astute move by the filmmakers. One of the criticisms of the TV series was the whooshing whoosh of the Enterprise as it sailed by the 17-inch apertures of our TV sets. We all know there's no noise in space. How pleasant this must be : no weight, no noise, and plenty of space. But I digress...

Star Trek is a prequel and tells how the famous crew came to be. James T. is the wild one and always on target. McCoy's a nut with a needle. Spock's a prissy pest. Sulu can't yet put his metal to the pedal. Scotty's introduced half-way through and Chek[h]ov is a playwright whose works you might enjoy.

In short, the crew goes after a big cockroach of a battleship that has the ability to drill big holes in planets from outer space. Very bad for the environment I must say but the drill, the mad drillee Romulan, and his hole is the whole story. Nice touches? Captain Pike's there and Leonard Nemoy plays an older Spock.

Fun family movie (PG13) but not one-tenth as interesting as Gene Roddenberry's TV series original which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2006. Episodes are broadcast on the TVLand cable channel.

Post by Phil Carr

The Last Homecoming

The Simplicity of Fear
The Last Homecoming is a film with little palm fronds plastered all over the case. On my first go-round, I gave up 20-minutes into the film. The cinematography was old; the colors muted, and the acting so common I thought it bland. But it bothered me. Had I been hoodwinked by the award fronds? Or was I missing something? I started over...

The film takes place in Cyprus in summer 1974, during the time of the partition and just prior to the Greek military junta and Turkish invasion. The minutia of the everyday life of families, much of which looks like it was shot with home recording device, tells of who is loving who; what everyone is eating and drinking, and the excitement of an upcoming play staged by the locals on a beach.

I found myself falling into the people, their routine, and the dappled sunlight across the white tablecloths of their communal dinners. But the whole show changes dramatically when just below the surface political leanings and far away governments suddenly jump in your face.

A great but really scary film to watch in these perilous times. Deserving of the many fronds and your time, too.

Post by Phil Carr

Rockin' Around the DVD...

December DVD Additions : Part Deux

From box office hits, to sleeper indie hits, to foreign and documentary film goodies -- there's a little something for everyone this month on DVD. Here's a short list:

December 15

G-Force (Disney)

The Hangover (Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifiankis, Heather Graham)

Inglourious Basterds (Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Christopher Waltz)

Taking Woodstock (Demetri Martin, Emile Hirsch; directed by Ang Lee)

December 22

500 Days of Summer (Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

It Might Get Loud (Jimmy Page, Jack White, The Edge on the electric guitar)

December 29

District 9 (Sci-fi; produced by Peter Jackson; a film by Neill Blomkamp)

The Moon (Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey)

Other Additions

A Christmas Tale (French, Criterion Collection, starring Catherine Deneuve)

Shorts (William H. Macy, Jon Cryer, James Spader)

Glee, Season 1 (Attention, gleeks!)

Into the Storm (Brendan Gleeson as Churchill)

Pigs, Pimps & Prostitutes (Criterion Collection ; three films by Shohei Imamura)

Scott Walker : 30 Century Man (Documentary on a rock legend)

Fire Up Your Head Phones...

Mix and Match on Music CD

Many of you have been kind enough to tell us that our music CD collection is good, especially in rock, alt-rock, and classic jazz and blues categories. We pay attention to Top 40, award winners, college picks, and soundtracks (hello, local theater community) and we'll be paying major attention to other CD categories over the next few months.

In the mean time, click here for an abbreviated preview of recently added music CDs.