Waitlisting…And Actually Getting In!

On my first night in Salt Lake City I had all but given up the idea that I would see a film that night. Being my first time in the city I was just up for going with the flow. Thankfully, fate stepped in. My host for the night and I ran into a friend of his and his boyfriend. After introductions were done they told us they had to get going to get in line for Grabbers. My jaw dropped and I exclaimed that I wanted to see it too. In fact it had been a top pick that I was not able to buy a ticket for in advance.

So to break it down, I decided to buy individual tickets vs. a ticket package so months in advance I signed up for a time to buy my movie tickets. Sadly everything I had wanted was sold out right before so I bought a few award winners, a couple random ones, and one that I actually did think sounded pretty good. I knew I would have to go to the box office in the morning or to waitlist for anything else.

“Waitlisting” at Sundance means you have to get there a few hours early and stand in line to get a number. We had spot 1 and 2 and thankfully there were spots for us because honestly I think I would have been a bit devastated if it didn’t happen for me.

Grabbers is an Irish horror-comedy in the vain of Shawn of the Dead and Zombieland. In the film mysterious creatures fall from the sky into the water right next to a quaint Irish fishing village. Of course they have a bad habit of killing people, but thankfully the resident cops and local booze hounds soon discover that by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol they have a defense against these slimy monsters. If you like a little chuckle with your blood and guts this is the film for you. Of all the Sundance films I attended this was my absolute favorite by far. I was fully expecting sub-par special effects, but I was surprised to be jumping out of my seat and half hiding behind my partner in sheer delight. It was amazing and I look forward to when more people will be getting the thrill of seeing Grabbers.

Taking a Recommendation

Then there was The Raid. I would honestly never had considered this movie if not for one of my employees telling me that I needed to see it, because he wanted to be jealous and hear a report back from an actual person he knows. I am very glad this happened, because The Raid was, pardon the saying, an ‘adrenaline packed’ martial arts movie that even got me totally immersed and excited. There were some annoying young men behind us that talked through the bit before the movie started and I was about to have a harsh word with them, but they finally hushed up. I guess my angry librarian look still works.

As for the plot, the movie centers on a drug raid that is going terribly wrong and there is of course one good guy that we all are rooting for and some really terrible badies. It all happens at one location which causes the entire film to feel like it is in real time. This in combination with very slick editing (there is some slowing down, speeding up, and sharp cuts which not terribly original did work very well here) and the very talented martial arts skills of the actors/stunts made this film while cringeworthy in bloodiness, also very stunning.

What disturbed me and touched me most about this film is that it went beyond what I normally would have expected and while to be sure there was a glorification of violence on one hand, it also was not simple. Without even getting into the deeper plot because that may ruin it a bit, I will say that I was struck with a distaste knowing that some of the things that happen in the film have at one time or another actually happened. While I enjoyed the film for how intense it all was it also did make me think about some uncomfortable things (something I’m sure the young men behind me did not glean from it). I will say that it is very graphically violent and it is a bit frustrating in the beginning of the movie when there are a lot of guns and not much martial arts, but once they bring it on it is full force. This is a must for fans of the genre.

Selecting a Film for an Actor

As a huge geeky fan of Once Upon a Time I picked out California Solo for Robert Carlyle. Carlyle plays a washed up musician that now works on an organic farm in California and uses drink and a radio show about dead musicians to at first avoid and later deal with the tragedies of his life. He gets in a bit of trouble drinking and driving that turns into a very large problem as he is facing deportation. While fans of The Visitor would appreciate this film for both the topic and tone,it is a film unto itself. Clearly you will have different feelings about the main character in California Solo as his troubles are brought on by himself, I was pulling for him too. I found great joy in this film, but I was made angry and sad when the character disappointed me. So, I reflected and found peace with it because at the end of the day this film was a story truer than often is told. I was touched by this film in great part to this fine actor and I would love to see him at least get some nominations from this one.

Quick Final Thoughts

I also would recommend 5 Broken Cameras for documentary fans and NEXT Award winner Sleepwalk with Me for a comedy. The New Frontier was amazing and I hope to write more about one of the exhibits a bit later. For now have a lovely weekend!

It seems like either you love or hate 3D and I have to say that I loved it for Fright Night‘s new remake  — or rather I loved it after I told the theater workers to fix the projection since it was off during the previews.  I firmly believe 3D is best served when used in horror movies.
That said, it isn’t the kind of movie you can only watch in 3D.

The basic plot is the same as the original.  Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) believes his neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire.  He seeks out the help of a supposed vampire expert, Peter Vincent, to kill said neighbor.  The humor fell flat for the most part, but I did giggle some (not nearly as much as the original).  That said as funnier as the original was I loved the new direction of this film and was glad they went darker.  It was a heart-pounding adrenaline rush.  I am glad I didn’t watch the trailer for the film.  Do yourself a favor and skip the trailer.

Seeing Colin Farrell was a happy surprise for me as I didn’t look into the film that much before going.  He could have made or broke this film, but he blew me away.  Having someone that good-looking in the film also a nice change from the original.  Instead of it being campy or cliched Farrell gave one of the best performances of someone truly disturbing that I have ever seen.  He was not so much a vampire as much as he was a serial killer that happened to be a vampire, a thing far more terrifying than any creature alone could be.  Jerry is insanely attractive and charming so knowing what he is doing and that he can still pull off being attractive is frightening in and of itself.

Tony Collette was also amazing as the single mom.  She gave a bit more depth to the story that added a level of terror just due to the believability of her performance.

As always David Tennant was fantastic and brought range to what could have been a pretty static character.  Peter Vincent in the 2011 version is a bit of a Chris-Angel-esk Vegas act.  Tennant brought some humor to what could have been an unfunny movie (although that Ebay line was horrible and forced, I think we all can admit that) and was able to manage to make this role his own.

All in all, I would recommend this movie as long as you expect it to be darker than the original.  While it wasn’t as funny as Zombieland, if you were a fan of that film you should check this out.  And if you haven’t seen the original Fright Night just don’t expect it to actually be frightening…at all.

Fright Night (2011): Official Website

Fright Night (1985): Get it at Your Library!

I am currently sitting at the desk of the Teabrarian herself and I am struck but how much I miss writing.  It is one of those things where this website became something I wanted to do, but I felt pressure to have it be something that was spectacular when at the end of the day as much as I hope others enjoy this website it really is for me just as much as it is for others if I am to be honest.  I hope I can continue to write when I am no longer able to sit at Laura’s desk, but this does seem to help.

This is for anyone that was interrupted when all they wanted to do was read a book.  Enjoy.

And just because I like you weird librarians so much, here are a few more clips from “Portlandia.”  This one is called “Hide and Seek.” Enjoy.  And if you want more go to the Portlandia website.  I highly recommend for librarians “Technology Loop.”  Brilliantly funny.

Enjoy this clip from IFC’s new show Portlandia starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.  Did you read????

IFC's "Portlandia"

Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, recently narrated this infographic video on the “The State of Wikipedia” to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the free and open-to-edit encyclopedia.

Obviously the video highlights other great things about the library, but one of the highlights to me is that the Undergraduate Library at the University of Illinois has one of the best popular viewing DVD collections around.  It has everything from Dark Shadows to Gilmore Girls. When you combine it with the nearby Champaign Public Library‘s collection and many others in the area it is a beautiful thing.

And on the topic of library rapping…We are much more than books these days, but don’t forget the original rap artists that promoted libraries.  What am I saying?!  How could you forget!

So this post isn’t entirely self-promotion here two of my favorite infographic videos that I have found while searching the Internet.  Enjoy!

Janet Leigh in the famous shower scene of "Psycho"

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the theatrical release of the classic Alfred Hitchcock horror film Psycho.  This means that for half a century people have been terrified of taking a shower.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Psycho.  Despite being in a large room of people, I still was affected enough that to this day I tell people that Psycho is the most terrifying movie I have ever seen.

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is on the run when she stops at the Bates Motel.  There she meets a handsome and mild-mannered young man named Norman (Anthony Perkins) that owns the motel.  Norman tells Janet that he and his mother live on the property, and he feels trapped.  Feeling trapped herself, Janet feels sorry for Norman, who she feels is being controlled by his mother.

Norman Bates and Marion Crane

Most of us have probably seen the shower scene, and know that things don’t look good for Marion’s disappearance, but the tension of the film is masterful.  It certainly has stood the test of time, and is a must for any horror fan that enjoys the psychological terror over a gore-fest.

The movie is being re-released in a special Blu-ray 50th Anniversary edition this fall, but you don’t have to wait to enjoy this classic.

Check this item out at a library near you!