Sherlock Holmes is back this Christmas, in the first serious attempt to bring the legendary detective to the big screen since 1979’s Murder by Decree. This time, Holmes is played as more of an action hero by Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man) with Jude Law (Road to Perdition) as the stalwart Dr. Watson. At the library, you can find out how they originally met in Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet. Then get caught up with some of the best Holmes stories of all time in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. If you REALLY want to bone up, check out The Complete Sherlock Holmes, which includes all 56 stories and 4 novels written by Doyle.

But the adventure doesn’t stop there! Authors have been writing their own, new Sherlock Holmes stories for decades. The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a new collection of supernaturally inspired Holmes stories, written by authors such as Stephen King. That’s just one of dozens of examples! And if you’re in the mood for a fresh perspective on Holmes’ world, try the young adult novel The Case of the Missing Marquess, a mystery by Nancy Springer which introduces Holmes’ defiant younger sister Enola, who is not quite ready to be squeezed into a corset and sent away to a Victorian finishing school!

You can view a trailer for the upcoming film below.

– John

Come to the library for some fun and free entertainment… and time with people your own age. The library’s not just about books anymore, and our events prove it. Here are some happening during the winter break.

Pizza & Pages Book Discussion (Grades 4 & up)
Date: Monday, December 21, 2009
Start Time: 5:00 PM
Library: Aurelius Library

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Page to Screen
Date: Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Start Time: 1:00 PM
Library: Dansville Library

Description:

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Teens & Tweens Holiday Bash
Date: Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Start Time: 6:00 PM
Library: Leslie Library

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Guitar Hero Tournament (grades 4-8)
Date: Monday, December 28, 2009
Start Time: 12:00 PM
Library: Mason Library

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Page to Screen
Date: Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Start Time: 1:00 PM
Library: Dansville Library

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Teen Wii Night
Date: Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Start Time: 4:00 PM
Library: Aurelius Library

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Live at the Library Coffeehouse Presents: Viking Dad
Date: Sunday, January 03, 2010
Start Time: 2:30 PM
Library: Stockbridge Library

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Click here for a full list of upcoming Teen & Tween events at the Capital Area District Library. Don’t forget that all CADL branches are closed December 24-25 & December 31 – January 1.

The whole world knows that the New Moon movie is coming out on November 20.  Many of you are probably rereading the book before you see the film.  If you love the Twilight Saga, check out these juicy paranormal read-alikes:

 Need by Carrie Jones: A group of werewolves threatens the safety of a small Maine town.

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz: Half human, half vampire, Schuyler Van Allen must discover her place in vampire high society.

Evernight by Claudia Gray: Bianca Olivier leaves behind everything she knows when her parents become teachers at a paranormal boarding school. 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead: At a school deep in the Montana woods, Rose Hathaway must fight with everything she has to protect her best friend, a vampire princess named Lissa.

Evermore by Allison Noel: Ever can read people’s thoughts, until she meets the mysterious Damen, who hides a deep secret even Ever cannot discover.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater: Grace has always loved the wolf who lives in her woods, but she never thought she’d meet him in person.

P.S. Don’t forget New Moon: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion and the official soundtrack CD!

– Liz

Hayao Miyazaki has been called the Walt Disney of Japan. His gorgeously animated films have always had cult popularity in America, but his fame and success have skyrocketed in the USA after his films began to be dubbed, distributed and released by (appropriately) Disney. You might have seen titles such as Nausicaä, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle – all available on DVD through CADL.

Miyazaki’s latest animated masterpiece, Ponyo (full title “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”), has just been released to theaters on a limited basis. It tells the story of a goldfish named Ponyo who befriends a five-year old boy and wants to become a human girl. The film has a 92% rating at RottenTomatoes at present, and is playing in Lansing-area theaters. The all-star English-language voice cast includes Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey and Liam Neeson. See it while you can, and don’t forget to check-out more films and art books from Miyazaki (click here) and Studio Ghibli at your local library!

Several influential people have spent time in Lansing—basketball great Magic Johnson; Hootie and the Blowfish drummer Jim ‘Soni’ Sonefeld, and CNN reporter Suzanne Malveaux. Lansing recently lost one of its notable one-time residents, film icon John Hughes. Hughes is the celebrated director of favorite teen flicks like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. And his writing credits aren’t too shabby either. Hughes put his pen to work on classics like Pretty in Pink, The Great Outdoors and Home Alone.

Born on February 18, 1950 in Lansing, Hughes spent most of his life in Wisconsin and Illinois. He started his career as a copywriter in Chicago and eventually went on to write for National Lampoon Magazine before directing films. Renowned for his keen portrayal of teen social habits, Hughes was once called “the philosopher of adolescence” by critic Roger Ebert.

Hughes passed away on August 6, 2009 in New York City. For a complete list of his work, visit www.imdb.com.

Posted by ErinS

The critically acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore hit the theaters with much anticipation on March 6, 2009. Now, less than five months later the DVD release is finally here.

The world of the Watchmen is set in an alternative 1985 where Nixon is still President, the Cold War is still in full force and the threat of a nuclear apocalypse seems closer than ever. The story follows the lives of the now retired costumed heroes as they attempt to make sense of the recent murder of their former costumed colleague, the Comedian. Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre and the rest are left to ask if there is really a plot to eliminate costumed heroes or something much worse.

The “heroes” of the Watchmen are not the super-powered superheroes of the Marvel Universe but regular, everyday people who, inspired by the comic book crime fighters of their past decided to don costumes and take up arms on the side of justice and virtue. However, the careers of the costumed crime fighters were not to last as the public began to question their motives and intentions by asking “Who Watches the Watchmen?”

With the release of the movie this week on DVD and BluRay we want to know “who is watching the Watchmen?”

But if you are a fan of Watchmen do not stop there, check out the plethora of other materials available from the world of the Watchmen.

Watchmen (Motion Picture)  DVD | BluRay

Watchmen: The Art of the Film by Peter Aperlo

Watchmen: Portraits by Clay Enos

Watchmen: Music From the Motion Picture

Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test / edited by Mark D. White

Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic  DVD | BluRay

Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter

Watchmen (Graphic Novel)

Posted by ThomasM

Star Trek has always had something of a “geek” image, despite the pop culture appeal of characters like Mr. Spock, and catchphrases like “Beam me up, Scotty.” There’s certainly no denying that Trek seemed on its last legs just a few years ago. The final movies and TV series became less and less successful, leading many to declare that Star Trek was dead.

But that was before J.J. Abrams (creater of Alias, Lost and Fringe) and his partners Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Transformers) came along. Their new Star Trek movie, which tells the story of how Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, etc. first got together, is getting amazing reviews (it’s 95% fresh at RottenTomatoes) and breaking records at the box office (it’s already the most financially successful Trek film of all time).

You can celebrate the phenomenon by checking out the many great tie-in products available at CADL! First, there’s the comic prequel, Star Trek: Countdown. Then read the novelization by renowned Sci-Fi author Alan Dean Foster (he ghost-wrote the novelization of the original Star Wars, among many, many others) — also available as an audiobook. Finally, there’s the CD soundtrack, featuring the exciting and emotional music of Michael Giacchino.

And of course, all six Star Trek TV series (The Original Series, The Animated Adventures, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise) and all ten previous movies (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX & X) are still available … not to mention all the other CDs and novels that have been published over the years! A good starting point might be the new Star Trek Motion Picture Trilogy on DVD and Blu-Ray, featuring newly remastered versions of films II-IV (that’s the one with Khan through the one with the whales).

So happy Trekking! And if you have a reaction to/review of the new film for us, please post it below!

If you have a Blu-Ray player or PlayStation 3, you can now get your favorite movies on Blu-Ray at CADL! This new technology features improved picture and sound quality, more advanced special features, and lets you take advantage of your hi-def TV or computer monitor! Check out a sampling of our great titles below:

… and more! We’ve even got many of the latest Oscar nominees, like The Dark Knight and Kung Fu Panda. Browse our entire Blu-Ray selection by clicking here.

P.S. Feel free to post your Oscar reactions/predictions below! Which movie should win Best Picture? Should Heath Ledger win a posthumous Oscar for his role as the Joker? You can see the official list of nominees by clicking this link.

Twilight: The Movie is in theaters on November 21! This is the place to post your predictions and reactions. What scene or line of dialogue do you think absolutely MUST be in the movie? Is there anything you want to see — but you’re afraid you won’t?

After you’ve seen the movie, come back and give us your review! Did it measure up to your expectations? What did it change? Did it improve on anything from the book? If you haven’t read the book yet, did the movie convince you to give it a try?

Now is also a good time to get on the waiting list for The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide by Stephenie Meyer — coming soon to CADL!

In case you’ve been keeping score, The Dark Knight just passed half-a-billion dollars at the box office (it’s now second only to Titanic). It’s a bona fide pop culture phenomenon, and a big part of that success is the late Heath Ledger’s much talked-about turn as Batman’s nemesis, the Joker … and he’s sure to be even more talked-about as Oscar time approaches.

But where did the Joker come from? I’m not talking about his comic book backstory, which has been left shrouded in mystery (the recently re-released The Killing Joke gave what many people consider the definitive version). Heath Ledger inherited the role from such greats as Jack Nicholson (Tim Burton’s Batman) and Mark Hamill (Batman: The Animated Series), who in turn looked back to other actors, and eventually to Batman creator Bob Kane, whose original 1940 Joker tale can be read in The Dark Knight Archives, Vol. 1.

But Kane had his own inspiration when he created the Joker: an obscure silent film from 1928 called The Man Who Laughs. The film (actually more of a melodrama than a horror picture) starred actor Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine, a man doomed to live life with a permanent grin literally carved into his face. Sound familiar? Take a look at the DVD cover, or do a Google image search, and you’ll see that Kane got all the visual inspiration he needed!

But the story doesn’t end there. The Man Who Laughs was not an original screenplay. It was, in fact, based on a 1869 French novel of the same name (in French, L’Homme qui rit) by author Victor Hugo. If that name sounds familiar, it should, because Hugo is among the most famous novelists of all time. He’s the one who gave us The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables, to name a few.

So the next time you’re watching The Dark Knight or reading your favorite Batman graphic novel, just think … it all goes back to a 19th Century Frenchman with a timeless imagination!