Music and Movies

One of the ways I cope with a musician’s death is to listen to their albums nonstop, which is what I did all day on Sunday after learning of Chi’s passing. I played Around the Fur first and drove around listening to "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" because not only is this my favorite song off this album, but it had the right mood. . . . more »

Sam Raimi has been making big movie news in 2013. First, for directing Oz, The Great and Powerful and now, again topping the box office, by producing the big budget remake of his 1982 horror film The Evil Dead. Newcomer Fede Alvarez directed the 2013 version of Sam Raimi's cult classic. If you're a horror fan wanting to get caught up with Sam Raimi's influential . . . more »

In honor of Coachella this weekend (no, I'm not going- while I've been before and it's awesome, the desert is so hot!), here are my partial list of rockumentaries and mock-rockumentaries to get the party started in your living room! Coachella: featuring some great performances of years past. Enough said. It's been said that the Altamont concert was the end of flower power. The Criterion . . . more »

Perhaps you missed the live screening of the Metropolitan Opera's Ring Cycle, or didn't get to see the premiere of The Enchanted Island on the big screen. No worries, the library has these and all Metropolitan Opera live in HD performances as they become available on dvd. Der Ring des Nibelungen Madama Butterfly Carmen Doctor Atomic All Metropolitan live in HD dvds here Top image: . . . more »

Ill Communication These Rap artists will be a great choice to get you in a good mood while we are having some nice spring weather. Time to drive around with the top down! Beastie Boys- "Sabotage" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City Kendrick Lamar- "Swimming Pools (Drank)" video: The Chronic It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Timeless Get Rich or Die . . . more »

Roger Ebert passed away on Thursday, April 4th, 2013. Arguably, he was the most prominent and well known film critic in America. He was the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize (in 1975) while he was writing for the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper. 1975 was also the year he began filming the PBS movie review show Sneak Previews with rival Chicago film critic Gene . . . more »

The de Young Museum in San Francisco is the first North American venue to present the art exhibit Girl with a Pearl Earring Dutch : Paintings from the Mauritshuis . Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring painting has intrigued art lovers for centuries partially because so little is known about the artist himself. The film, Girl with A Pearl Earring, based on Tracy Chevalier's novel, . . . more »

Ever find yourself in a museum looking at a painting or art installation, and think to yourself, "My kid could do that!"? I think I have a pretty open mind when it comes to art, but I can't deny that this thought has occasionally crossed my mind. But there are other times when a somewhat eccentric, or seemingly simple work of art has had a . . . more »

Tasty Have you ever gotten hungry just looking at the music titles on your iPod? I know I get extra thirsty just listening to Kelis's "Milkshake" song. Or how about feeling a rumblin' in my tummy with Weird Al's "Eat It"? I made a list of the Library's tastiest music albums and artist names that will get you into the groove! The Food Album Hard . . . more »

With this weekend's release of Oz, the Great and Powerful, I started thinking about the most bizarre Oz tie-in, I've ever experienced. If the idea of the cartoon characters Tom and Jerry cutting capers while Dorothy Gale croons out "Over the Rainbow" gives you pause, you should definitely avoid this 2011 direct to video mash up of the creations of L. Frank Baum, William Hanna . . . more »