Flick Picks 6/18/13: Quartet, Jack the Giant Slayer, Stoker

ENTERTAINMENT: Dustin Hoffman makes his directorial debut with Quartet, the charming adaptation of a play about a British home for retired musicians. In Quartet, four opera singers find out that the new addition to the retirement home is going to be their former singing partner who had left to go solo. Will they be able to move on beyond old resentments and jealousies in order to perform at the retirement home's Verdi gala? This film is a must-see for its music and its perfect British cast that features Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins and Michael Gambon. Also out this week are the big budget adaptation of the beanstalk fairy tale, Jack the Giant Slayer, in Blu-ray and DVD. A top-notch director in Bryan Singer, a cast that includes Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane and Bill Nighy and some very cool and scary giants make this one a cut above. Finally, Nicole Kidman heads up the cast of the atmospheric psychological thriller Stoker. After her father dies, an 18-year old's uncle comes to live with her and her emotionally unstable mother, though she soon wonders if there is something sinister behind his appearance.

SERIES: There are some exciting new foreign subtitled series arriving at the library this week. The highly acclaimed Parisian cop show Spiral is a realistic and gritty look at three cops, each with their own method for seeing that justice is done. Set in the Ferrara region of Italy, Fog and Crimes follows police inspector Franco Soneri who must solve crimes related to Italy's fascist past.  The Swedish import Beck brings us a methodical detective teamed with a more impulsive partner. Private Eye Vares, from Finland, brings us an investigator whose laid-back regular guy nature does not inhibit his ability to solve crimes. Also out this week are the second seasons of the BBC series Call the Midwife and the Lisa Kudrow comedy Web Therapy.

INFORMATIONAL: The Louvre's study days, in which works by major artists are analyzed up-close by experts, are the launching pad for Understanding Art: Hidden Lives of Masterpieces. This series will let you take a look at masterpieces by Raphael, Rembrandt, Poussin, Watteau and Leonardo as they are discussed in detail by restorers, curators, historians and scientists.

PERFORMING ARTS: Enjoy Paul McCartney and Wings at their prime with Rockshow, a concert filmed in 1976. They perform hits such as Live and Let Die, Band On the Run, Silly Love Songs and even some Beatles songs.

All of our new and upcoming releases can be accessed through Bibliocommons.

Talking Pictures

We will be screening Separate Lies on Monday, June 24 at 1:00 in the Hammond Room of the library. Separate Lies features Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson in the story of the investigation of a hit-and-run accident as well as the ways that it affects a married couple. All Talking Pictures screenings are free and are followed by a discussion with Susan Benjamin.

Are You Travelling This Summer?

Or perhaps you're looking for vacation ideas. Maybe you just need to get away in your mind. These are all great reasons to pick up one of our travel videos! The Rick Steves series of videos are great for Europe, with episodes on many individual cities. Rudy Maxa's videos cover countries in six out of the seven continents. If you've ever seen the charming Samantha Brown's shows then you know that she is fun to watch even if you're not planning on going on vacation. We've also got the Discoveries series for individual U.S. states, videos about travelling with kids, and much, much more! So before you head to the travel agent perhaps you should visit the library!