And The Actor Goes To.......

On January 29 the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were simulcast over the TNT and TBS cable channels live from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles. The following productions available on DVD from the Merrick Library were honored at the ceremony:

"The Help" - Outstanding Ensemble in a Motion Picture, Best Female Actor in a Leading Role (Viola Davis), Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Octavia Spencer)

"Beginners" - Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Christopher Plummer)

"Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season" - Outstanding Ensemble in a Television Drama Series, Best Male Actor in a Drama Series (Steve Buscemi)

"Mildred Pierce" (HBO) - Best Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries (Kate Winslet)

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" - Best Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

CD-ROM Games for Kids @ the Library!

The Children’s Room has many CD-ROM games that can be borrowed for 7 days.

They are mostly Windows compatible for PCs. We do have some that will work with MACs.

Please come in and see the educational and fun games that are available!

Opera Anyone??

Merrick Library is proud to announce the arrival of the following operatic performances on DVD all recorded live at New York's Metropolitan Opera:

"Peter Grimes" - Benjamin Britten's saga of a man's search for acceptance after a great tragedy

"Hansel and Gretel" - Engelbert Humperdinck's (not the pop singer) family classic based on the classic fairy tale

"Manon Lescaut" - Giacomo Puccini's tale of fatal beauty encompassing two continents

"La Rondine" - Puccini's depiction of the struggle between love and dependence in mid-nineteenth century France

"Turandot" - Puccini's last opera concerning a seemingly inaccessible princess of China

"The First Emperor" - modern opera composed by Oscar winner Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) with an all-star cast led by Placido Domingo

And the Oscar Goes To........

On the morning of January 24 in Los Angeles the nominees were announced for the 84th annual Academy Awards. Among those honored were the following movies in Merrick Library's DVD collection:

"Moneyball" - Best Picture, Best Actor (Brad Pitt), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay

"Warrior" - Best Actor (Nick Nolte)

"Beginners" - Best Actor (Christopher Plummer)

"The Help" - Best Picture, Best Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer)

"Bridesmaids" - Best Supporting Actress (Jessica McCarthy) and Best Original Screenplay

"Kung Fu Panda 2 - Best Animated Feature Film

"Rango" - Best Animated Feature Film

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" - Best Art Direction, Best Makeup and Best Visual Effect

"Rio" - Best Original Song (Real in Rio)

"Midnight in Paris" - Best Picture, Best Director (Woody Allen), Best Art Direction and Best Original Screenplay

"The Tree of Life" - Best Picture, Best Cinematography and Best Director (Terrence Malick)

"Jane Eyre" - Best Costume Design

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" - Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects

"Real Steel" - Best Visual Effects

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" - Best Visual Effects

"The Ides of March" - Best Adapted Screenplay

Author Signing @ Book Revue

Scott Starkey

Saturday, January 28th, 2012, 4pm

Author Scott Starkey will be here speaking and signing his new novel for kids ages 8-12, How to Beat a Bully Without Really Trying.

When luck gives a new kid a false reputation as a tough guy, can he find the strength to live up to his image?

Rodney Rathbone is a self-admitted coward. Things scare him, and he can’t help it. So naturally he’s terrified when he moves to a new town and the bully is ready to pounce. But just as Rodney is about to flee, a baseball flies in from out of nowhere and knocks out the bully. Now everyone thinks Rodney’s invincible—when really he feels just the opposite. Can he figure out to live up to his new reputation and make
friends along the way?

Told with warmth and heart, this debut novel from a middle-school teacher that will speak to the hidden insecurities—and strengths—of every middle-grade reader.

Are You A Fan of Downton Abbey??

If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, you might want to try these titles.......

"Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks

"Howard's End" by E.M. Forster

"The Missing of the Somme" by Geoff Dyer

"The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy" by David Cannadine

New DVD Arrivals!

Just Out:
"Dolphin Tale" - based on the true story of efforts to save a critically injured dolphin - stars Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd and Harry Connick, Jr.

Out January 24:
"50/50" - how one man perseveres to keep a positive attitude upon hearing he has cancer - stars Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Seth Rogen and Angelica Huston

"Final Destination 5" - can Sam keep his premonition of a fatal bridge collapse from becoming real? - stars Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell and Miles Fisher

"Paranormal Activity 3" - what's in their house is more than something that bumps in the night - stars Lauren Bittner and Molly Ephraim

"Real Steel" - it might take a robot boxer to pay off debt and reunite a near-future family - stars Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lily