Movies Blog

Our Dancing Daughters: Hollywood's Zenith of the Jazz Era

Submitted by Chris on March 7, 2013 - 5:13pm
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Joan Crawford in Our Dancing Daughters. Photo: Glamamor.com

A film considered the great apex of the silent film era, Our Dancing Daughters is a perfect time capsule of 1920s high society and a showcase for the young woman formerly known as Lucille Le Sueur -- Joan Crawford.

She rose to fame as the quintessential Jazz Baby -- a woman of social means and relaxed morals who was liberated of the corsets and sexual mores of the previous age. And Joan Crawford was embraced by American and international film fans as the ideal movie star. She remained a box office favorite until the late 1940s and never stopped being a star until her death in 1977.

She Was The First "It" Girl

Submitted by Chris on February 6, 2013 - 7:34pm
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"We had individuality. We did as we pleased. We stayed up late. We dressed the way we wanted. I used to whiz down Sunset Boulevard in my open Kissel, with several red chow dogs to match my hair. Today, they're sensible and end up with better health. But we had more fun." -- Clara Bow

She challenged even the relaxed mores of Hollywood. Born to a mentally ill mother who tainted much of her childhood, she came from poverty and abuse to remake herself into the eponymous IT girl; Clara Bow is the stuff of Hollywood legends.

See the original film this month at Denver Public Library, and you'll get "it."

The Perfect Valentine's Day = Chocolate, Roses and Zombies

Submitted by Chris on February 1, 2013 - 2:31pm
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If all the hearts and flowers and sugary confections leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed, Fresh City Life offers an alternative: our Anti-Valentine’s Day Heartburn Party. And this year, for fun, we've added in zombies.

When we talked to our friends at Mile High Cinema and told them that we wanted to do something extra special for our Anti-Valentine's Day party this year, they didn't hesitate when they told us they had the perfect film for us: a new entry in the current love affair with zombies, Pontypool. Hope you can join us for this presentation of a newly-minted classic.

First, when there's nothing but a slow glowing dream

Submitted by Chris on January 18, 2013 - 9:06am
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Marine Jahan as Jennifer Beals as Alexandra Owens in Flashdance

We're putting on our toe shoes -- for a film night at the Colorado Ballet

KNITTING EN POINTE: MOVIE AND KNITTING WORKSHOP HOSTED BY COLORADO BALLET

We’re excited about our renewed community partnership with the coolest cultural group in the neighborhood – Colorado Ballet! Together, we’ll be creating wonderful opportunities for you to learn about dance in the city and enjoy the best that the Denver performance scene has to offer. 

FEEDING FRENZY - 12 DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT FOOD

Submitted by Lisa on January 3, 2013 - 2:41pm
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Once again, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has proclaimed Colorado the most fit state.

No one is exactly sure why only 20.7% of us fall into the "obese" category (obesity is defined as having a BMI equal to or above 30). It could be the absence of Southern cooking, our fondness for hiking and biking, or our participation in the Farm to School program.

HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT PARTY ON NEW YEAR'S EVE!

Submitted by Lisa on December 18, 2012 - 9:03pm
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Are you looking for a fun way to ring in the new year? A movie marathon provides safe, low-key entertainment for revelers of every age.

If your celebration includes both adults and children, you can set up two different movies, space permitting. Just select two or three films, and switch over to TV at midnight to watch the ball drop. Here are a few ideas to make things festive:

THEODOR DREYER'S PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC

Submitted by Lisa on December 4, 2012 - 4:12pm
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Twenty-first century movie fans would never have seen this 1928 silent masterpiece if not for an employee of a mental institution in Oslo, Norway, who found some film canisters in a janitor's closet in 1981.

The canisters, which were labeled "The Passion of Joan of Arc," were sent to the Norwegian Film Institute, where they were in storage for three years before being examined. The prints were discovered to be the original, uncensored cut of director Theodor's Dreyer's landmark version of the trial of Joan of Arc.

Don't Judge This Book By Its Movie

Submitted by Brett on November 15, 2012 - 5:51pm
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On the Road

Around here, fans of Kerouac's On the Road are giddy with anticipation and anxiety (okay, mostly anxiety) about the upcoming film adaptation, which already received some mixed reviews following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. We're making a list of great books that were turned into less-than-great movies, and we want your help.

Take a look at the books we've selected so far. Is there a horrible movie adaptation out there that we've forgotten to include? Is your favorite movie on this list and you want to plead its case? Let me know in the comments. We'll incorporate your suggestions and publish the final version of the list in a couple of weeks on our booklist page.

RAGING AGAINST THE MACHINE: PATRICK MCGOOHAN AS THE PRISONER

Submitted by Lisa on October 31, 2012 - 4:43pm
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Amid the growth of the peace movement, the birth of the Big Mac, and the first 60 Minutes, American television viewers had their minds blown in 1968 when the British spy thriller The Prisoner made its debut.

The 17-episode show was conceived, directed, and mostly written by its star, Patrick McGoohan, who had just completed the final season of the British espionage series Danger Man. The Prisoner's opening sequence (shown below) is like watching a 3-minute movie; an unnamed British secret agent speeds through London in his roadster to his boss's office, where he angrily hands in his resignation.

Based on the Book

Submitted by Brett on October 26, 2012 - 12:47pm
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Cloud Atlas

Back in August, we let you know about some upcoming movies based on classic books, but every day we're coming across more book-to-film adaptations. At least a dozen will open within the next couple of months! Here are the trailers for a few of the upcoming adaptations we can't wait to see.

If you want to read the book before you head out to the theater, click on the titles below to check availability or to place a hold request in our online catalog.

 

Now Playing:

Cloud Atlas, based on the book Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell

Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Jim Broadbent

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