July 1, 2017 | madame librarian
Films can transport us to another time, another place--that's the wonder of film.
"No art form is as instantly and continuously gratifying as film. When the house lights go down and the lion roars, we settle in to be shocked, frightened, elated, moved, and thrilled. We expect magic. While we're being exhilarated and terrified, our minds are also processing data of all sorts--visual, linguistic, auditory, spatial--to collaborate in the construction of meaning. Thomas C. Foster's Reading the Silver Screen will show movie buffs, students of film, and even aspiring screenwriters and directors how to transition from merely being viewers to becoming accomplished readers of this great medium. Beginning with the grammar of film, Foster demonstrates how every art form has a grammar, a set of practices and if-then propositions that amount to rules. He goes on to explain how the language of film enables movies to communicate the purpose behind their stories and the messages they are striving to convey to audiences by following and occasionally breaking these rules. In Reading the Silver Screen, readers will gain the expertise and confidence to glean all they can from the movies they love,"--Amazon.com.
Whether we are trying to impress a date after an art-house film screening or discussing Oscar nominations with friends, we all need ways to watch and talk about movies. But with so much variety between an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and a Nora Ephron romantic comedy, how can everyday viewers determine what makes a good movie? In Talking Pictures, veteran film critic Ann Hornaday walks us through the production of a typical movie-from writing the script and casting to the final sound edit-and explains how to evaluate each piece of the process. How do we know if a film is well-written, above and beyond snappy dialogue? What constitutes a great screen performance? What goes into praiseworthy cinematography, editing, and sound design? And what does a director really do? Full of engaging anecdotes and interviews with actors and filmmakers, Talking Pictures will help us see movies in a whole new light-not just as fans, but as film critics in our own right.
"Stealing Home", winner of the recent Freep Film Festival audience award, chronicles the history of Tiger Stadium and the recent action of the Navin Field Grounds Crew to resurrect and maintain the remaining footprint of this historic location. This film presents the day-to-day activities of the Grounds Crew alongside historic imagery of the field from the past 100 years. Join us on Wednesday, June 18, 7:00-8:45 PM, as we watch this fantastic piece of Detroit Tiger history and then join director Jason Roche, Professor of Communication Studies at University of Detroit-Mercy, for an informative Q&A. This presentation is open to patrons of all ages and is a must-see for baseball fans and history buffs alike. This is also a CYS Game On: On the Scene approved program. Click here for Grantland's story on the topic from the recent Detroit feature.
