Safety not Guaranteed

Every once in a while a movie comes along that pleasantly surprises you. Safety not Guaranteed is one of those films. Although made with relatively unknown actors, this cast of characters brings something fresh to the screen.

Safety not Guaranteed is a fairly understated & genuine film about taking chances. There is also an underlying message about regret and how we should cope with it, either by living with it, forgetting it, or changing it.

The movie begins at a Seattle magazine where the boss (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is looking for story ideas. Jake Johnson who plays Jeff suggests investigating a bizarre classified ad that reads:

"Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed."  The three journalists who investigate this "time traveler" are all on different tracks in their lives as far as time goes. They're all on a journey of self discovery.

So many movies like this starts off strongly and then  peter out in a swirl of poor writing. However this gem was quite the opposite.As the movie progresses, little by little you find yourself rooting for the "crazy time traveler" and really hope that he travel back in time despite the fact it is obvious he will not. (Not a spoiler)


For me, Safety not Guaranteed struck a long and very deep note, as we are all unfortunately time travelers, but the opportunity to go back and repair however a bit cliched, is what we as humans have longed for since the beginning of time.

I love my Kindle!

I love my kindle, words I'd never ever in a million years thought I'd say. Well, my friends, it looks like I have finally crossed over into the 21st century of reading! For the past few years whenever someone has mentioned  how much they adore their kindle, or other ereader, I have gotten this look of horror on my face, isn't that blaspheme?(especially if you are a book lover?) How could anyone who enjoys curling up with a good book, curl up with an ereader?

I just didn't get it. I love the smell of a new crisp book, the way it feels in my hands as I turn the page. I love that when I am tired and ready for bed, and struggle to see the print because my eyes are glazing over, I place my book mark into my last page read and then lay it on my night stand and turn out the light.

I have been an avid reader since I was 6 years old. I love knowledge that comes with reading a book. I love the escapism that comes with reading a book. I realized a very long time ago that a library was my window to the world. I have read in my lifetime hundreds of books, from fiction to nonfiction. If I want to learn more about a topic, I read. If I want to learn more about an occurrence or happening, I read about it. If I am feeling sad, I read. If I am feeling happy, I read just because I can!

So by now you are probably wondering...why did I decide to get a kindle? Actually I didn't, a friend offered my hubby and me his, and we accepted.(A big thank you to Jared) So after about a week of it laying on my nightstand I decided to familiarize myself with it. Our friend had a few books already loaded on it and I decided to read one (Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury). When I first began it felt a little weird, it seemed cold, very stiff. However the more I read, the more I began to enjoy it. A few days later when I had finished the novel, my first thought was...WOW I need to get more books on this thing! My second thought was....WOW how am I going to afford this? One face palm later it dawned on me; I have a world of books at my fingertips every single day of the year! I work at a library! And the library has a collection of eAudio as well as eBooks.

Before this day I hadn't really thought much about our eBook collection. I looked upon it more as a nuisance than a great service, due to the fact I maintain the library's database and have to make sure that all eBook records are complete and correct.(Which isn't a horrible job, just time consuming)

I decided I needed to try to check out a few of these eBooks and see how difficult the process was downloading them to my kindle. After going to the eBook website and figuring out how to do it, I learned I was able to check out 10 items for 7 days. That first day I downloaded 4 different books that I had been wanting to read. I was able to use my library card number, peruse the catalog by marking all books available in kindle form and then choosing from a list I was able to download them and save the file to my pc and transfer them over to the kindle. With the four books loaded I was ready to roll.

At home that evening I created a monster. I read and read and read until I could no longer keep my eyes open. I was a little bit worried about closing up my kindle for the night, worried that I would lose my place, however the next day when I opened the kindle back up, it went right back to the page I was on the night before.(who needs a bookmark?)

I have to confess my kindle and I are rarely separated now. I have over 24 books loaded onto it, some are on loan, others I downloaded from free sites like www.gutenberg.org. Even Amazon offers some free books for download. Will I ever go back to a good old regular book? As long as I have my kindle the world may never know.

Halloween is a real Treat!

As Halloween approaches, scary themed items will be everywhere. If you're thinking about entertaining guests with a good old spook fest I suggest you come into the Warsaw Community Public Library and check out our Halloween material

To set the mood, we have CDs with scary sounds and music, “Halloween Howls” or “Scary Sound effects” are some of the titles the library has. Want to bake up some scary treats? We can assist you with a few books on baking, “Halloween Sweets and Treats” by Ruth Owen or “The Halloween Cookbook” by Sarah Schuette just might be what you need. How can a party be complete without the decorations? Well WCPL has you covered on that as well. We have “Horrorgami” by Chris Marks, if you are interested in making Halloween themed origami. In need of a costume idea? We have “Stick or Treat” by Patti Wallenfang. If you prefer one book to meet all your needs then “Gooseberry Ghastly-good Halloween” is a great one to check out. Goodies baked, decorations and costumes complete, all that's left is choosing some great Halloween movies to scare your guests.

If you are looking for a movie that's not so scary and can be enjoyed by all then “It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” is just the movie to get your party started. If you’re a Zombie fanatic then “Night of the Living Dead”, which was released in 1968, is a perfect choice. These flesh eating ghouls are just as terrifying as their modern-day counterparts. If you're just not into all the scare and instead prefer comedy, we have that too. “Shaun of the Dead”, “Zombieland”,“Beetlejuice” all mix horror with comedy and are great films to watch on Halloween.

Not into the whole Halloween party scene? Prefer to spend the holiday night home alone? Why not curl up with a scary novel? “Dracula” by Bram Stoker and “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley are horror classics. If you prefer modern literature why not try Stephen King's “The Shining”, Anne Rice's “Interview with the Vampire”, or the Newbery award winning “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman.

Warsaw Community Public Library has all your Spooky needs for the Halloween season. We are even participating in the Spooktacular on November 1^st. So bring out the kids for some fun and treats. We are open from 9AM to 8PM on Monday-Tuesday, 9AM-6PM Wednesday-Friday,10AM-2PM on Saturday and closed Sunday.

World War Z has shambled into the Library

For more than 40 years, blank-eyed creatures have shambled across our movie screens, providing us with midnight movie screams, blood, guts and gore. World War Z is the latest in this ever growing movie genre. I admit I love everything that is zombie! In fact in our house we are prepared for if and when the Z apocalypse finally arrives. I have always felt that I could survive a zombie outbreak and that out running these fellows would be a piece of cake. (Not so much now) World War Z introduced me to zombies that simply cannot be out run, or hacked to death with a machete. No, these undead initiates a new kind of fear. They act almost superhuman.

WWZ wastes no time in getting started. Less than 10 minutes into the movie and we are thrown in! Brad Pitt plays Gerry Lane, a former military man who goes back to work for the military in return for securing his family shelter during the zombie apocalypse. They send Gerry around the world investigating a possible cure for the zombies, or a weapon to use against them.

It is truly an impressive movie, especially considering it is PG-13. For being a zombie movie, it doesn't have many action scenes, and this might come as a surprise, but there is very little blood and gore ANYWHERE. I saw this coming 15 minutes in and thought, oh no...but truth be told, this doesn't ruin the film. While I tend to like the gore in a zombie film, WWZ proves you don't really need it to be horrific.

I highly suggest it to zombie fans, and to anyone else that wants a scary, enthralling tale. However be warned, if you are into the slash and run zombie films, then you won't find this as entertaining. And if you're expecting WWZ be a dead on version of the book then understand it isn't even close! But it is certainly one of the most gratifying zombie movies in years. And if nothing else watch it because Brad Pitt proves he's still a big-screen star. Even when he's being chased by hordes of the undead, he is cool, unflappable, and ridiculously good-looking.

So why not shamble into the Warsaw Community Public Library and check out World War Z or another Zombie flick? We have a wide assortment of items to meet all your Zombie needs.

Breaking Dawn...Thank God we are free!

So it's finally over and thank God we are free at last! The most over-blown, over-hyped, over-extended movie series ever to have been made has at long last limped(maybe a better word is stumbled) to a close. After the debacle of Breaking Dawn Part 1, it would have taken a miracle to make Part 2 even remotely entertaining.(Not even close) Why? Maybe it was the creepy, computer-generated baby they used (apparently there just wasn't a baby cute enough); maybe it was the fact that a good 90% of the dialogue was spoken over dramatic music (This, in my opinion was done because most of the dialogue was so awful no one would ever want to hear it)

Kristen Stewart, as usual, gives her lip-biting, mouth-breathing, one-note performance as Bella, trying to look fierce during the climactic fake battle scene and managing only to look somewhat constipated.(Will someone please get this girl out of showbiz!)

Robert Pattinson, a much better actor, does what he can with the excruciating lines he has to say ("We're the same temperature now." Seriously?) Some of the other supporting roles (Rosalie, for instance) have been so shortened they hardly have anything to say. Except for Jacob, the wolves don't do anything but act wolfy. And the Volturi are nowhere near as menacing as they were in "New Moon" and "Eclipse". Jane was a truly diabolical character, sending out excruciating pain with a baby-faced grin. Now she's just standing around wearing too much eyeliner looking almost as bored as we are watching her(Seriously Dakota deserves more)

Save for the battle scene most everything else was downright horrid and even that scene turned bad once we found out it was a F-A-K-E. Don't get me wrong this “fakery” did manage to liven up a laughable confrontation between the good guys and bad guys. However in the words of the Comedian in the movie Watchmen “It's a joke. It's all a freaking joke” (My spouse, bless his heart walked around all night with fists clinched uttering “Well that was a waste of another two hours I could have spent gouging my eyes out!” Sadly, I agree!)

So now that the Volturi has run off with their tails between their legs and everything is safe once again for the Cullens and the wolfpack now what? Happily ever after into infinity? We do get a glimpse into Renesmee's(Gotta admit that's an ugly name) future and of course we see Jacob because we shouldn't forget that he imprinted on her when she was a mere babe in the woods...can you say creepy?

Crazy is the New Normal

Looking for a little entertainment this weekend away from the heat? Why not come and peruse the video collection at the Warsaw Community Public Library? If you're not quite sure about what to choose, have I got a film for you...Silver Linings Playbook.

Every now and then a movie comes along that works on nearly every level and bowls you over. For me, Silver Linings Playbook was one of those movies. When I first sat down to watch this movie, I wasn't sure what to expect, but as I settled in, I began to recognize parts of my life in this story and could relate to its characters. Set in Philadelphia, the movie shows Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) returning home from a stint in a mental institution after a domestic incident with his ex-wife highlighted his struggle with bipolar mood swings. Pat moves back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) as he tries to get his life back together, hoping to reunite with his ex-wife. Things get very interesting when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman with issues of her own.

At heart, this is a film about mental illness and its effects on everyday life. And how sometimes we are left with the task of putting our lives back together and starting over, and probably not for the last time. It's about dealing with unemployment, failed relationships, feeling 'less than', different, like we don't fit in...the older than our years wisdom that we acquire from years of suffering, dealing with our demons and doing "a lot of therapy", the long list of medications we have tried, looking for something that works and learning to accept the side effects, the realization that we are not the only ones with issues, that we are all, in the end, just human beings and everyone around us is struggling with something and that we all have our strengths and weaknesses. And how we just need to find that "silver lining" to get through life.

This film is good medicine for anyone who deals with the ups and down of mental illness. It is ultimately a joyous affirmation of life's possibilities. And who doesn't need a little of that?

Let's pretend this never happened

First of all I'd like to say that Jenny Lawson had me on her book cover alone! Who doesn't love a white mouse doing Shakespeare? Her memoir entitled “Let's pretend this never happened made me laugh so hard that I cried. Even as I was laughing, I was thinking, "Should I be laughing at this?”

Let's pretend starts out with hilarious childhood stories that revolve around Jenny's unconventional taxidermist father and kindhearted mother. Most of us did not grow up with dead animal carcasses hanging around the house but Jenny Lawson did and it served many humorous moments. She holds nothing back. She tells of her struggles to get pregnant, of her marriage, of her patient husband, and many other anecdotal incidents along the way. Though this book is written as a humor novel, it is also a tale of a woman who struggles with anxiety disorder which often inhibits her in social situations while providing her a unique strange view of the world.

I could relate to Jenny Lawson in that, like me, she realizes that her experiences in life has made her the unique individual she is and that she wouldn't trade it for anything else. Plus, she also believes in the impending zombie apocalypse! Definitely a woman after my own heart!

Truth is Stranger than Fiction

I spent last Sunday afternoon watching a TV show on MTV called “Catfish”. I had heard of this show through my sons and since MTV was having a Catfish marathon I decided to watch it. After watching the last episode of the first season I figured why not watch the movie that started this whole “Catfish” phenomenon? Where better to find this movie than at the Warsaw Community Public Library? So I grabbed the movie, settled in and was hooked from the first frame to the last.

In this day and age it seems that social networking has dominated our lives. People think nothing of interacting online with someone they've never met in person. The big question is how much can you really trust a person you meet online? The movie Catfish is a documentary that addresses this. Yaniv Schulman(Nev) is a young 20 something photographer who thinks he has found the perfect woman, problem is they've never met in person. When Nev discovers that Megan(his dream girl) is being deceptive, he, his brother, and a friend embark on a road trip to meet her face to face. What they find is partly what viewers will expect, but partly not. What emerges from this story is a tense, more-than-a-little-disturbing study on human deception and the lengths some people will go through to live a lie.

It's not to say that every online friendship/romance turns out this way(mine had a happy ending), and while this story is not the worst case situation it was one that was definitely full of lies. While it is entertaining to watch, it is also really sad that someone's life can become so pathetic that they create this whole world online in an attempt to reach out to what they've missed out on and how that can hurt the person at the other end. A little lie always has to be covered up by dozens of other little lies and sometimes, as in the case of “Megan”, your whole life becomes a lie. Even when she is caught, she continues to lie.

I think Catfish should be required viewing for all teens so there is an awareness that what you see or hear isn't always truth. There is a difference between perception and reality. Some people like to say perception is reality....Catfish proves otherwise.

I Want my MTV back!

Do you have moments where you long for those glory days of the 80's? Well then, VJ the unplugged adventures of MTV's first wave is the book for you! If you were a teenager in the early 80s(Like me) and were fortunate enough to have cable, MTV was in all likelihood a momentous part of your life. Embraced by the young and bashed by the critics, MTV made it's debut on August 1, 1981 at 12:01 am, and it forever changed the way music marketed itself. In the beginning there were the original five VJ's : Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson and Martha Quinn. Most of us from that era have our favorite(mine was Mark, loved the hair). MTV introduced me to tons of music I would have never heard otherwise(U2, The Cure, etc.). I can remember setting the timer on our VCR to record the debut of new videos that were unveiled well after midnight on school nights(This was way back when they actually played videos  24/7).

But VJ isn't really about the network MTV, instead it is a collection of 
recollections and interviews by the four surviving original VJs(JJ Jackson passed away in 2004). The book encompasses their lives from the beginning before their hiring, to their departures from the network, to a few being rehired, to all the way to present day.  I have to give props to all of them for their frankness in discussing their immersion into the world of sex drugs and rock 'n' roll. They seem very much like how I imagined them. The only downfall to this book was the absence of JJ Jackson's voice, who was sorely missed.

An item of interest that I did not know was the VJ's were never actually watching the videos they introduced! All their VJ segments were recorded separately(Who knew?)

 I have to say after finishing the book I was saddened by the fact that these five amazing people, who were such a big part of my youth, just sort of faded into oblivion as did the format of MTV(Even now I still mourn the loss of the 24/7 video play). And yet even after 30 plus years these five are still widely remembered by those of us who can remember the moment when video did actually kill the radio star.

The Red Dawns: a comparison

Hollywood's constant idea of recycling old successful movies has become irritating(with the exception of Star Trek) More so than those other remade films, Red Dawn was a period piece which played into a specific '80s obsession: “The Cold War”...The Communists are out to get us! Updating the scenario to the 21^st century, who's the enemy now? Well initially the filmmakers made China the enemy, but shortly after finishing production realized, "Oh wait it might not be such a good idea to tick off China". So after being shelved for 2 years, changes were made to the remake and the bad guys became North Korea. The 1984 Red Dawn was about not backing down and fighting for freedom. 28 years later, we are totally happy to neuter our super-patriotic movies so as not to offend a country whose money we want and need.

Because of this (the remake) I didn't buy that it was guerrilla warfare. It seemed more like either a weekend survivalist retreat with some poorly staged battle sequences or a fun game of capture the flag. Even though there are some scenes that try to play homage to the original, such as the drinking of the deer blood, they mostly fall flat. When one of the wolverines states their situation is just like Modern Warfare, I have to disagree. Modern Warfare is more believable.

Chris Hemsworth as Jed, is likeable but the rest of the cast lacks the chemistry of the original  cast. I idolized the Wolverines of the first movie, they were fighting for our country. These new wolverines seemed like wannabe thugs who were given toys and spent most of their time blowing up stuff.

And if this wasn't irritating enough the filmmakers tried to convince us that the youth of America are just one bad-ass training montage away from becoming guerrilla warriors, a group that are suppose to stir up a lot of patriotic fervor defending their homeland. Instead we are shown whiny image-conscious, spoiled brats.(Like those self-involved kids in horror flicks you take pleasure in watching die at the hands of the hacksaw murderer hiding in the woods)

So the best advice I can give you is if you were around for the first Red Dawn you probably really don't want to waste your time on this new forgettable one! But if you aren't part of Generation X you might want to consider watching the remake before taking on the original.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the filmmakers and studio might be wanting to make the film into a franchise with sequels, due to how the remake ended.

If this is the case may God have mercy on our souls.

High School Never Changes!

American Teen takes its cue from the classic teen movie Breakfast club. Most politically correct people would say that there are no easy stereotypes in high school and that this movie does not represent the true American Teen. Well, I hate to break it to these people, but ... there are and even though our town of Warsaw might be labeled affluent it's what I would consider middle America. Every high school has its cliques, the privileged, the underprivileged, the in crowd, the out crowd, etc.

This documentary tells the senior-year story of four and a half(The half being Mitch) very different teens living in our small town of Warsaw. I found each story compelling in its own way. Hannah, the rebel, wants out of Indiana(I related to her the most). Colin, the jock, needs a basketball scholarship. Megan , the queen bee needs to be accepted to Notre Dame. Jake, the geek, wants a better social life. And last but not least is Mitch, the heart throb.(Enough said)What I truly liked about American Teen apart from the obvious fact that it was filmed in Warsaw, was the sheer brilliance of the director in how she was able to make us feel both the excruciating pain and overwhelming joy, that comes with being a teenager. When you're that age and in high school, all that really matters is your world and your issues and while most of those said issues are trite they are and will remain huge issues to teenagers.

 Some would say that this film isn't really a documentary because a few of the scenes and situations seem set up or scripted. Whether real or scripted I think American Teen skillfully captures the tumultuous time of Senior year and the mixture of optimism, uncertainty, and the transition of a group of complex young people trying to find their way into adulthood. And even though the times have changed the hopes, fears and stresses of high school remain the same for each and everyone of us.

No matter how long it's been since you've been in high school, you will find yourself identifying with these teens and also remembering those pressures of growing up(Now the issues and pressures seem so few). High school...you either loved it or hated it. You either grew and went on to bigger and better things, or you didn't and realize high school is all you have, meaning you peaked.

It's been close to 5 years now since the documentary was shown and I would be interested in catching up with these teens who are now adults and seeing how different or the same they are from their teenage selves. Each had the potential for awesomeness, just wondered if they achieved it!

Life of Pi, a beautiful Journey of faith

It's been days and I am still awestruck! Not since “Avatar”, has a movie left me so riveted! “Life of Pi” turned out to be nothing like I had anticipated. I went in with modest expectations, and came out truly amazed. This movie reaffirmed that there is humanity in cinema. From the trailer, I had anticipated amazing visuals, yet was not quite sure about the story. I figured mediocre, at best(I was mistaken) The story is incredible, a fascinating parable about faith and determination. The director, Ang Lee is impeccable(As always). His mastery of imagery is superb

The story centers on Pi, the son of an Indian zookeeper, who due to unfortunate events finds his family and himself on a freighter to Canada. All the animals are on board and are to be sold once they arrive. A shipwreck later, the boy finds himself alone on a lifeboat with a tiger, zebra, orangutan and hyena. The story is told in flashback mode to a reporter.(Normally I don't care for flashback story-lines) Pi, now a middle-aged man, promises that by the end of the tale, the reporter will believe in God.

I will not give away any more details, except that there are two versions of the shipwreck story and you have to discover which version is believable to yourself. What we do know is that a young man went on a hero's journey, resolved either by pure human perseverance and a Darwinian instinct for survival or by divine intervention. This, in my opinion, is the best part of the film. Long after the credits have rolled you will keep “Life of Pi” in your brain and ponder on this fantastic story's message...It makes no difference what religion you follow, or don't follow for that matter, as long as you're blessed and find reason for your existence, NO ONE has the right to tell you otherwise. We should learn to live and let live and above all never lose hope even when we are pushed to our weakest points.

So if you want a movie that will not only make you think, but captivate you visually as well, then be sure to make a trip to the Warsaw Community Public Library and pick up a copy of “Life of Pi” and remember to tell them Missy sent you!

The Beautiful Solidarity of Youth

More times than not movies about high school miss the mark. Whether it's the actors, the stories, or just the overall feeling of inaccuracy,it just rarely feels authentic. When I think of "Perks of being a Wallflower" I think perfection! Everything about this movie is spot on.. The acting, directing, soundtrack, the story, writing- everything!

Take the best things about the 80s-90's: making mix tapes for people you like, going to dances, having your first crushes, dealing with insecurities and shyness, knowing deep secrets about the popular people in school, but then combine all of the dramatic scenes with very powerful performances, and you have a film that is absolutely fabulous!

Perks takes place in 1991, and centers around a group of friends who are in high school in Pittsburgh. All of them are Seniors except one, Charlie(Logan Lerman), who as an incoming Freshman is already counting down the days to graduation(1384). Charlie starts high school with no friends, a messed up past and struggles with mental illness. He then meets Patrick(Ezra Miller) and Sam(Emma Stone) a couple of sibling seniors who befriends and welcomes him into their group of friends. From there Charlie starts to experience quite a few firsts in his life, kiss, girlfriend, first high, etc. The acting is superb especially Emma Watson, who proves she's not just Hermione Granger (I was impressed) I was also impressed that Stephen Chbosky not only wrote the novel, but the screenplay as well and even directed the film! (What a talent).

In terms of high school movies I would put this right by "Breakfast Club" because “Perks”depicts the loneliness, anxiety and all-out mess of adolescence so perfectly.

So what is this movie trying to say to all of us? Charlie said it best when he said “I know we'll all become somebody-we'll all become old photographs and we'll all become somebody's mom and dad. Right now these moments are not stories, this is happening...and in this moment I swear we are infinite.” And it did happen to us and our parents and it is happening right now to our children and we all are infinite.

Is there something I should know?

In the Pleasure Groove : Love, death and Duran Duran

by John Taylor

  Oh how time flies! Remember when MTV had music videos all day long and quite of few of those videos through the 80's were of the infamous Duran Duran? Growing up in the 80's plastered all over my bedroom walls were posters of the Duran guys and my favorite was John Taylor. So of course when his book “In the Pleasure Groove” came across my desk I had to read it...Please please tell me now..Is there something I should know?

Most of us assume the life of a successful musician is all glitz and glam. On the contrary, Mr. Taylor opens our eyes to the stress, demands, sacrifices and scars that go along with being a pop idol.

This is the story of a nerdy, bespectacled only-child and poor student, who had a single-minded focus on music. So much so that he dedicates all of his energies to making it in the music business. His ambitious goals are to make it to Madison Square Garden in 4 short years. In order to accomplish this he feeds D2 to the teen fan machine,and music video world. This propels the band to “Supergroup” status which in turn undermines their credibility as legitimate artists. (They were and are legit)

What I liked most about John's book was he not only focused on his life's experience with Duran Duran but his early life as well. He was very candid and honest about his ups and downs, his short comings and his struggles with self acceptance. He also did a very rare thing-he told his story and he did it without dragging anyone through the mud(Which in the music industry is rarity) The only sadness I experienced is when I finished his book.

I just wish people would stop saying "it's been over 32 years since you formed Duran..." ugh – I feel so old!

If you were and are a Duran fan...READ IT!