Angel-A, Parenthood, The World's Fastest Indian

Thomas Pierce
Library technician, Encinitas

Pink Floyd The Wall has a dark, evocative story by Roger Waters and brilliant animation by Gerald Scarfe. It’s essentially a feature-length music video directed by Alan Parker. Parker also directed Angela’s Ashes (based on Frank McCourt’s book and starring Emily Watson), which is another favorite DVD of mine.

I think Peter Jackson did the best anyone could have hoped for with his adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. It is flawed, of course, in my opinion by the substitution of essential scenes from the book with child-pleasing scenes not dreamt of by Mr. Tolkien.

Pink Floyd - The Wall 25th Anniversary (Deluxe Edition)
(England) 1982, Sony Pictures

Angela's Ashes
(USA/Ireland) 1999, Paramount

The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Widescreen Edition)
(New Zealand/USA) 2001-03, New Line Cinema

Sandy Housley
Branch librarian, Encinitas, encinitaslive.com

The Big Read-Encinitas inspired me to watch To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time. The book’s one of my favorites, and the movie made me fall in love with the characters all over again. Relive this classic at our Big Read-Encinitas screenings.

The Songcatcher concerns a musicologist in the early 1900s who’s passed over for a promotion because she’s a woman. She heads to Appalachia to capture the ballads and folk songs of the region. The scenery and music are the compelling backdrop for her struggle to win the trust of these mountain people who profoundly change her in the process.

The triumph of an underdog is a favorite theme and The World’s Fastest Indian distinguishes itself with one of my favorite Anthony Hopkins performances. An old New Zealander with one passionate dream takes his rebuilt Indian motorcycle to Bonneville Flats to set a world land-speed record.

To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition)
(USA) 1962, Universal

Songcatcher
(USA) 2000, Lionsgate

The World's Fastest Indian
(New Zealand/USA) 2005, Magnolia

Irene Hendricks
Assistant branch manager, Encinitas library

Angel-A is a beautifully rendered movie in which French director Luc Besson chooses black and white to juxtapose different aspects of the film: good and evil; the beauty of Paris and the ugliness of its underworld; even the heights of the main characters. Entertaining and insightful with a surprise ending.

Parenthood is a hilarious romp in the realm of parents’ worst nightmares and greatest hopes. Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen give wonderful performances as parents of children who challenge and beguile. Ron Howard ties up this fantastic package with astute and timely direction to make this an outstanding comedy.

James Cameron is capable of doing what few action-film directors can: meld action, sci-fi, and character development with humor and gripping moments of fright without overindulgent gore. In Aliens, Sigourney Weaver is given the opportunity to fulfill a maternal instinct that was seemingly lost with decades of hypersleep.

Angel-A
(France) 2005, Sony Pictures

Parenthood (Special Edition)
(USA) 1989, Universal

Aliens (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
(USA) 1986, 20th Century Fox