Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson gets James Cameron to fix a scientific inaccuracy for the 3D version of Titanic

SlashFilm recently posted a great article about how Neil deGrasse Tyson noticed that the sky in the scene were Rose (Kate Winslet) is floating on a plank and gazing at the sky. According to Neil deGrasse Tyson, the sky is completely inaccurate for the time of night on that particular date (April 15, 1912 at 4:20 AM).

Below is an interesting video in which Neil deGrasse Tyson describes the mini saga which finally resulted in a phone call from a guy who works post production for James Cameron. The call was requesting his assistance on a sky upgrade for the 10 year anniversary release of the film. This sky grade is also used in the 3D version of Titanic. Skip ahead to 26:00 or 26:10 for the bit about Titanic. Neil deGrasse Tyson is quite a funny guy.

The Real Georges Méliès: Friday, November 18 from 4:30pm - 5:30pm Lower Level of the Library

The Real Georges Méliès
Friday, November 18, at 4:30 pm
American University Library
Media Classroom
Lower Level





Discover the films of George Méliès, whose life and work structure the story of Martin Scorsese's HUGO. Professor Despina Kakoudaki will present an overview of early cinema, show and discuss some of Méliès most beloved films, and screen Trip to the Moon (1902).

The Media Classroom is located in Media Services, on the lower level of the American University Library. Inquire at the Media Services desk and we'll direct you to the screening room.



















More Georges Méliès can be found here in Media Services:

Méliès le cinémagicien – DVD 540

The great train robbery and other primary works – DVD 551
A Trip to the Moon

The Magic of Méliès – DVD 554

Georges Méliès̀: first wizard of cinema (1896-1913) – DVD 4141

Landmarks of early film: Vol. 1 – DVD 6116
A Trip to the Moon

Saved from the flames: 54 rare and restored films – DVD 7271
Excelsior! Prince of Magicians

75th Anniversary of Gone with the Wind

Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the novel by Margaret Mitchell. Gone With the Wind was published in June 1936. Mitchell was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her sweeping novel the following May. It was made into an equally famous motion picture starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. The movie had its world premiere at the Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta December 15, 1939.

Check out this little video about Margaret Mitchell.

Of course, Gone with the Wind is part of the Media Services Home Use Collection. Check it out this month!

Gone with the Wind - HU DVD 9

300+ Free movies Online: Classics, Indies, Noir, Westerns...

Where to watch free movies online? This may be too good to be true, but it appears to be a site attempting to be a gateway to legitimate streams of feature films online.

OpenCulture.com has put together a list of 300+ quality films that you can watch online. The collection is divided into the following categories: Comedy & Drama; Film Noir, Horror & Hitchcock; Westerns & John Wayne; Silent Films; Documentaries, and Animation.

Here are a few titles:

COMEDY & DRAMA
A Farewell to Arms - Free - Buy DVD - Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes star in film based on famous novel by Ernest Hemingway. (1932)

Alexander Nevsky - Free - Buy DVD - A historical drama film directed by the great Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein. (1938)

All Quiet on the Western Front - Free - Buy DVD - This is a classic based on a novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque. (1930)

Angel on My Shoulder - Free - Buy DVD - A gangster comedy starring Claude Rains and Paul Muni. (1946)

To see the full list, go here.

[As seen on OpenCulture.com]

For kicks: Movie Titles in Movies

Let us now praise obsessive movie fanatics:

link

Hollywood star Jane Russell dies at 89

Former Hollywood actress and sex symbol, Jane Russell has died at the age of 89. Read more.

Obituary: Jane Russell

Come to Media Services and check out the following Jane Russell classics from our Home Use Collection.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – HU DVD 244
His Kind of Woman – HU DVD 2409

Top 100 Movies by Location

Top 100 Movies by Location on Very Small Array

Recent Acquisitions in Film Noir at Media Services!

Here at Media Services our film noir collection has grown considerably. Over the summer we included tons of classic film noir titles to our collection like Armored Car Robbery - HU DVD 7323 and Human Desire - HU DVD 7296. See a list of all our recently acquired film noir titles below.



















Scarlet Street - HU DVD7275
The Hitch-Hiker - HU DVD 7276
Contraband - HU DVD 7277
They Made Me a Fugitive - HU DVD 7278
Strange Impersonation - HU DVD 7279
Born to Kill - HU DVD 7301
Clash by Night - HU DVD 7302
Crossfire - HU DVD 7303
Dillinger - HU DVD 7304
The Narrow Margin - HU DVD 7305
Act of Violence/Mystery Street - HU DVD 7306
Crime Wave/Decoy - HU DVD 7307
Illegal/The Big Steal - HU DVD 7308
They Live by Night/Side Street - HU DVD 7309
Where Danger Lives/Tension - HU DVD 7310
14 Hours - HU DVD 7315
The Sniper - HU DVD 7291
The Big Heat - HU DVD 7292
5 Against the House - HU DVD 7293
The Lineup - HU DVD 7294
Murder by Contract - HU DVD 7295
Human Desire - HU DVD 7296
Pushover - HU DVD 7297
The Brothers Rico - HU DVD 7298
Nightfall - HU DVD 7299
City of Fear - HU DVD 7300
The Killer that Stalked New York/Two of a Kind - HU DVD 7311
Bad for Each Other/The Glass Wall - HU DVD 7312
Night Editor/One Girl's Confession - HU 7313
Women's Prison/Over-Exposed - HU DVD 7314
Twilight Women/The Slasher - HU DVD 7316
Desperate/Cornered - HU DVD 7321
The Phenix City Story/Dial 1119 - HU DVD 7322
Armored Car Robbery/Crime in the Streets - HU DVD 7323
Backfire/Deadline at Dawn - HU DVD 7324

Happy Friday the 13th!

We've got hundreds of scary movies here in Media Services to satisfy your urge to get spooked today or any day. Here are just a few:

Friday the 13th - HU DVD 859
The Orphanage - HU DVD 639
Chronos - HU DVD 6087
Hellboy - HU DVD 5311
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - HU DVD 5312
Nightmare on Elm St - HU DVD 864
The Ring - HU DVD 1547
Bug - HU DVD 6119
Scream - HU DVD 6
Scream 2 - HU DVD 7
The American Nightmare - HU DVD 998

TONIGHT! This Summer's Final Screen on the Green - Bonnie and Clyde

Tonight, in a few short hours, will be the final Screen on the Green for the summer. Tonight's film is Bonnie and Clyde. Media Services has this classic on DVD and we also have a Blu-ray version. See Screen on the Green details below:

What It's About:
Meet Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. They rob banks. Explosive (if romanticized) crime drama, set during the Depression, follows the Barrow gang's crime sprees from Kansas to Texas. Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty were blessed with their juiciest roles yet, but Oscars went to the cinematography and to supporting actress Estelle Parsons. A career launcher for Parsons, it also showcased another newcomer, Gene Wilder. Director Arthur Penn made his markwith one of the most influential movies of the 1960's and that legendary climax became the stuff of cinematic lore. (Warnder Bros., 1967) 111 Min.

Where:
The screen is located off of Constitution Avenue, between 4th & 7th Streets.

When:
Tonight at sunset (around 8pm). The movie will play unless there are extreme weather conditions. For weather updates call: 877.262.5866

Nearest Subway Stop:
The Smithsonian stop (blue/orange line)

What to Bring:
Blankets, snacks, beverages, umbrellas, bug spray, warm clothes. You can pack snacks and non-alcoholic drinks for a picnic vibe.

What Not to Bring:
weapons, drugs, alcohol, and tall chairs are among the forbidden items.

Official site:
http://www.nps.gov/nama/

Reservoir Dogs - Homage or Stealing?

Quentin Tarantino has always been a derisive filmmaker. However, what few of his fans know is how his love of cinema, back when he was a video store clerk may have made too much of an impression on his future films:

http://current.com/shows/the-rotten-tomatoes-show/92405892_reservoir-dogs-homage-or-stealing.htm

City on Fire vs. Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary)

Tim Robbins & James Gandolfini Join The HBO Movie 'Cinema Verite'

Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini are set to co-star opposite Diane Lane in HBO Films’ Cinema Verite. The movie, written by David Seltzer, is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the groundbreaking 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family. The series by Oscar-winning doc filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond centered on Santa Barbara couple Pat Loud (Lane) and Bill Loud (Robbins), who split up during the filming, and their children, the eldest of whom, son Lance, became TV's first openly gay character. For the rest of the story, click here.

Media Services owns the follow-up film to "An American Family," called "American Family Revisited" (VHS 2641) and the very funny Albert Brooks' spoof, "Real Life" (VHS 4876 or DVD 6108). Unfortunately, the original "An American Family" 12 part series has not been released on VHS or DVD. Rest assured, Media Services will purchase it once it does.

My Favorite Website Discovery of the Summer: The Auteurs

They stream complete and comparatively beautiful versions of classic films. Mostly they're in the business of pay per view at $2-$5 per viewing bu they do offer ten films at no charge. The free fare includes L'Avventura, Harakiri, Cleo from 5 to 7, and The Cranes are Flying. These films though are readily available on DVD. Even cooler is that there are videos you can't find on DVD but can be seen here for a minimal investment. Examples include Laurent Cantet's Human Resources, Marcel Carne's The Adultress, Takeshi Kitano's Kids Return, Guy Maddin's My Dad is 100 Years Old, and Jan Svankmajer's The Death of Stalinism in Bohemia, among others.

link

Classic Movies Not on DVD

We've created a big wiki of classic, cult, guilty pleasure, and otherwise favorite films (700+ titles) that have yet to make it to DVD in the US. Take a look and feel welcome to add titles that we've missed.

Among the titles on this list, here's a sampling of what we have on VHS and are recommended viewing:

African Queen VHS 112
Alsino and the Condor VHS 6216
Antonio das Mortes VHS 568
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez VHS 375
Blue Dahlia VHS 3075
A Brief History of Time VHS 4999
Brighton Rock VHS 6798
Celine and Julie Go Boating VHS 4482
Cul-de-sac VHS 3004
David Holzman's Diary VHS 3584
The Glass Key VHS 4555
Homicide VHS 5092
India Song VHS 3703
Ironweed VHS 1954
Johnny Guitar VHS 5268
Lonely Are the Brave VHS 1630
Ministry of Fear VHS 5226
Paisan VHS 2731
Streetwise VHS 205
Underworld USA VHS 4589

Classics Not On DVD Wiki