I was watching The Simpsons on Sunday, wherein a frustrated Homer Simpson longed to transform into someone radically cooler than he, himself, is. One of the things he used to describe his complete lack of with it-ness, which he hoped desperately to change, was that “black and white films make me angry.” If you recognize yourself in this remark, I have some fantastic news for you: if you check out DVDs from Langsdale Library between now and December 19th, you will be able to keep them until we reopen on January 3rd. Not only do you get to hold onto films for an extended loan period, but patrons may check out up to 10 films at a time! This is a perfect way to divest yourself of your lame, super-square prejudice against black and white cinema. Some recommended titles:
- The Best Years of Our Lives, where a soldier returns home from World War II to a chilly reception from his ungrateful tramp of a wife, and wonders why he made the world safe for democracy in the first place. The film features an awesome real-life veteran with a hook for hand who lights a cigarette, among other feats.
- Sunset Boulevard (maybe one of the greatest B&W movies ever), where a faded and kooky former silent film star goes berserk on the not-so-spry-himself rent boy who double crosses her. This is the go-to movie if you’ve ever wondered what kind of person buys an expensive coffin for her deceased pet chimpanzee.
- A Night at the Opera, which answers the question of how many passengers can fit into a cruise ship cabin at once. Really, any of the Marx brothers’ movies are great—my particular favorite is Duck Soup. Did you know that Harpo Marx was a darling of the cognoscenti, and was considered part of the Algonquin Round Table (an elite group of New York City literary types) due to his association with drama critic and scribe Alexander Woollcott? Or that Harpo and Chico were entirely self-taught musicians? Rent these movies and marvel at their sundry cultural achievements. Why can’t you be like them?
Of course we have many contemporary DVD titles in vivid color for you to enjoy as well. Stop by and pick up your ten DVDs today.
Happy holidays from Langsdale Library—we’ll see you in 2013!