Movies & TV

  • Hello from the Center of the Universe!

    Your Fremont Branch team misses seeing you at the Center of the Universe and hearing about your latest Library discoveries. Here’s what we’ve enjoyed lately and think you might like, too. While you’re waiting for the Seattle Reads There There events to happen later this year, try reading Lot by Bryan Washington. It’s also a… Continue reading

  • Comics Before Cinema, Part One

    Like many stuck at home, I have been looking forward to warm days that could coax me outdoors and read a good comic while basking in the sun. However, us Washingtonians do expect a spat of rain every now and again to water our Evergreen state and it is a given that most of us… Continue reading

  • Panic on the Rails in our Thrilling Tales podcast

    Panic on the Rails in our Thrilling Tales podcast

    Two trains speed toward each other in a blizzard, as a killer wanders the night! Melodrama on the rails, in this week’s Thrilling Tales: Storytime for Grownups, available now! On May 20, 1920 the readers opening the new issue of Metropolitan magazine were captivated by a heart-stopping tale entitled The Signal Tower, by Wadsworth Camp.… Continue reading

  • Remembering Lynn Shelton

    On May 15th, Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton died from a blood disorder at 54. Shelton was known for her intimate style of filmmaking, which was frequently both touching and funny, and for her commitment to making films about (and filming them in) Seattle. As her career moved forward, she worked with bigger and bigger stars… Continue reading

  • Escapism Through the Documentary

    Documentaries gives us a peek into the window of someone else’s reality, and in these very unusual times, a glimpse into a place where the real world is not upended and devastated by a global panic sounds quite comforting. While during “normal” times, one might escape through fantasy, sci-fi, or a very engrossing drama, during… Continue reading

  • The Story of Film, Part 7: The European New Wave

    In last week’s column on Mark Cousin’s The Story of Film, we took a look at what was happening in world cinema in the United States, India, and Japan. But what was happening in Europe? Quite a bit, as we’ll see in this column. Some of the most famous directors in cinema history were creating masterpieces… Continue reading

  • The Story of Film Part 6: Sex & Melodrama!

    The Story of Film Part 6: Sex & Melodrama!

    Moving forward in Mark Cousin’s The Story of Film, we’ve reached the mid 1950’s. By now, the rise of television in America was making a definite impact on Hollywood. Film-going in the US, which was at its peak in 1946, was declining, especially now that TV sets were affordable to the public. And television was… Continue reading

  • Virtual visits: Art collections and experiences online

    Uncertainty about safe and healthy travel these days has caused many of our plans to be interrupted or canceled. For hours we had planned itineraries, scheduled exhausting (but fun!) days, and made must-do, must-eat, and must-see lists, but sadly those lists will remain unchecked for now. The strolls we imagined we would take in renowned… Continue reading

  • Original Independent: John Sayles

    Filmmaker and author John Sayles has been creating excellent work for over forty years. Helming his first film in 1980 at the age of 30, he had already written two books and a few genre films for Roger Corman, including the timeless eco-parables Piranha and Alligator. Favoring stories about communities during moments of upheaval and… Continue reading

  • Library Resources on Compassion

    “Compassion” and “empathy” have become self-help buzzwords lately, with the recent rise of TED-talk superstars like researcher, author, and speaker Brené Brown. But what does it actually mean to practice compassion towards oneself and others, and how can we use these tools to take better care of our relationships? Here are some library resources for… Continue reading

  • Book vs. (Foreign) Film

    Book vs. (Foreign) Film

    I don’t know about you but when I read a book and then see a movie based on the book about 90% of the time I like the book better because of where my imagination was able to take me.  I have never really done the comparison though with non English films and the accompanying… Continue reading

  • The Story of Film Part 5: Post War Cinema

    The Story of Film Part 5: Post War Cinema

    Our last column on Mark Cousin’s The Story of Film left us in 1939, as the clouds of war rolled in. By the early 1940’s, the world was fully embroiled in the conflict of World War 2. Film production in most countries either slowed down or closed entirely. Films still being made were full of propaganda… Continue reading

  • Learning From Home

    Homeschool is the new school for Washington through the rest of the 2019-2020 year. Teachers are finding ways to connect with parents and classes, providing online and printed resources as best they can to keep pace with their students’ need for knowledge. Families can also find valuable resources through the library to supplement their home… Continue reading

  • Horrorfest on Kanopy

    For those of us finding ourselves spending extra time with housemates or family, horror movie marathons are an excellent way to pass the days. If you’ve exhausted the movie options on your go-to streaming subscription service, Kanopy has an incredible selection of films that are free to access with your library card. Here are a… Continue reading

  • Missing the Library? Us, Too…

    There’s a good chance you are longing for the days when you could simply walk into the library to pick up a book, watch a DVD, browse the internet or peruse the rest of the endless available services and materials. You’re not alone! So, in the spirit of the library being closed but many services… Continue reading

  • The Story of Film, Part 4: The Arrival of Sound

    The Story of Film, Part 4: The Arrival of Sound

    Continuing our journey through Mark Cousin’s The Story of Film, we’ve now reached the first full decade of talking pictures. Though silent films would still be made into the mid 1930’s (with some made in both silent and sound versions for a time), by the end of the decade “talkies” would be the industry standard and… Continue reading

  • The Odd World of the Tiger King

    If you are like the rest of America, you may have seen the documentary “Tiger King” on Netflix.  The weird mix of true crime, eccentric characters, and cute tiger kittens left me wanting more. Get your quirky fix with these reads! Continue reading

  • A Trio of Unsettling Films

    If you like to escape times of high anxiety in this world by transporting yourself to those of another, here are three psychologically unsettling films you must visit: Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Richard Kelly’s 2001 cult classic, Donnie Darko, about an emotionally unstable high school student who is visited by a large ominous rabbit from… Continue reading