Dublin City Libraries will be closed from Saturday 16 to Monday 18 March inclusive. Happy St Patrick's Day! Libraries will reopen on Tuesday 19 March 2024.
The section’s main aim is to go out into the community and let people know about all the amazing things available in their library, both in branch and online.
Hollywood producers and executives treated the screenwriter as an indentured servant until a hirsute Hungarian started making a whole lot of Chicken Mole for Hollywood. As described in Hollywood Animal, Joe Eszterhas changed the dynamic of the relationship between producer and screenwriter.
‘Put your pants on, Chief!’. Hollywood hates Hippies. Misogyny, sexual exploitation, violence against women and empty hedonism are synonymous with Hippies in films such as Skidoo (1968), Medium Cool (1969), Forrest Gump (1994) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). The apogee of vitriol towards the Hippy movement however, is Don Siegel’s Coogan’s Bluff (1968) - a maverick Sheriff's Deputy, Walt Coogan (Clint Eastwood) is sent to New York City to extradite convicted murderer Jimmy Ringerman (Don Stroud). New York is an appalling landscape of violence and disease, its denizens driven mad by America’ murderous foreign policies - a civilization lost, unloved, and uncared for.The maniacal violence of the Metropolis is manifested in the character of Ringerman - a Hippy cult leader deranged by LSD and corrupted by power. Using the ‘far out’ argot and symbolism of the counterculture, his Svengali power over his Hippy followers is absolute: his docile and obedient ‘family’ are weaponised to serve their master’s deviant urges. One year after the release of Coogan’s Bluff, the Manson Family carried out perhaps the most infamous, bizarre and perverted murders in Post-War American history. Siegel’s preternatural depiction of the manipulation of a susceptible corps of the bewildered by an evil and ambitious charlatan is the auteur’s diagnosis of a psychotic superpower, where violence begets violence.The seemingly ad-hoc and indiscriminate violence of the Hippie is at odds with the sectarian and laconic violence of Coogan. Eastwood’s character embodies the etiquette of the ‘Old West’, the individualism of justice where Coogan is judge, jury and executioner. The outsourcing of Justice to the private realm foreshadows Harry Callaghan in Siegel’s Dirty Harry (1971) - the Criminal Justice system that fails to protect women and the most vulnerable leads Callaghan to vigilantism to exterminate the child murderer Scorpio (Andrew Robinson).There is a distinct political ambiguity in Siegel’s canon of work: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) is seen as both a parable of the dangers of Soviet style Communism and a critique of Red Scare McCarthyism; Coogan’s Bluff and Dirty Harry are casually portrayed as a ballad to the facistic values of the unreconstructed American cop, or are Coogan and Callaghan the sword and the shield of the weak and vulnerable in a dystopian United States of America?Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Coogan’s Bluff, and Dirty Harry, are available to borrow on DVD from Dublin City Libraries. Submitted by Tom in Drumcondra Library.
The second blog post written by Transition Year student, Aisling, on recent work experience in Pearse Street Library, all about her favourite films this time.Starting off with arguably one of my favourite movies from 2019 - Elton John’s biopic, Rocketman! With arguably one of the best performances I’ve ever seen by Taron Egerton as the Pinball Wizard himself, Rocketman led me through a rollercoaster of emotions I never expected to take as we peer into the life of Reginald Dwight, now known as Elton John. I can concede that the cast album is nothing short as amazing as the film itself - it’s on constant loop on my Spotify! It’s definitely a film I’d recommend, though keep in mind it’s for 16 year olds and up!Yet another film that see’s Taron Egerton as the lead, we next have Kingsman:The Secret Service, which is the first of the two films. The story is a perfect blend of ‘gentleman spies’, British comedy and Iggy Azalea references to keep you wanting more. One of the very best things I can note about this film is how its fight scenes are filmed. I can’t help but let my jaw drop each time the Church Scene is shown! Kingsman tells the story of Eggsy Unwin, a young man who grew up in a dangerous part of England with his mum, baby stepsister and frankly horrible stepfather. He soon meets up with Harry Hart, better known through his codename of “Galahad” through yet another amazingly filmed battle scene, and eventually Eggsy finds out his father used to be part of the Secret Service of gentleman spies, and begins his journey to become one of them, despite being your stereotypical ‘chav’.I can’t go through this list without mentioning the most iconic of animated films I’ve ever seen, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse! Definitely my favourite film of 2018, Into The Spider-Verse completely changed my view on animated movies with its stylised 3-D look to its special effects, story, and spectacular soundtrack. This film tells the story of Miles Morales, a Afro-Latino fourteen year old boy who finds himself holding up his universe’s Spider-Man’s task of saving the multiverse. And let me tell you, there are plenty of Spider-Men to go around. My one and only love will always be Gwen Stacy, however. This film is definitely something I’d recommend if you’re interested in animation but want a more mature story.With its jaw-dropping stop-motion animation and beautiful story, I’m surprised no one has talked much about Kubo and the Two Strings. Kubo and the Two Strings tells the story of Kubo, a young boy, along with Monkey and Beetle (yes, that is their names), trying to find and wear his father’s legendary suit of armour in order to defeat an evil spirit. The movie also includes a chilling, more Eastern cover of The Beatles’ While My Guitar Gently Weeps by Regina Spektor. I can’t say much about the film due to spoilers, but I can say for certain that it was beautiful and stunning throughout. Alas, it’s probably one of the last feature length films the company, LAIKA Studios, will create due to low budgets.Now, call me childish, but you have to admit that The Lego Movie is actually the peak of film. I could go on and say that this film is a masterpiece, but I can already see you rolling your eyes from beyond the screen. Don’t you think I can’t. With it’s stylised CGI animation (yes! No stop-motion, minus the credits,) The Lego Movie told a timeless story behind a story through it’s fantasy world of Emmet, an ordinary individual prophesied to be the Special, and is entrusted with a huge responsibility of saving the Lego world from the cruel ways of Lord Business. And honestly? This movie is too quotable for its own good. I can’t count how many times in 2015 I found myself randomly yelling “SPACESHIP!” at the top of my lungs.
Ok, I stole that heading, but in a blog about piracy, a bit of thieving is only to be expected. Of course, the romance of piracy is very different from the reality, which usually meant an outlaw life of hardship and brutality – and still does; nevertheless the romantic view lives on, and is especially celebrated every year on September 19: International Talk Like A Pirate Day. This is a convention that’s been going on for a good few years now, and has a substantial following, replete with costumes, grog, and pretty much every cliché going. Say arr. Treasure Island by Robert Louis StevensonThe original and best pirate story, and the source of most of the clichés we have today: peglegs, parrots, and yo-ho-ho. Jim Hawkings finds himself aboard the Hispaniola with a crew of murderous pirates bound for an island holding buried treasure. Adventure abounds, and Jim finds himself amidst cut-throats in a quest for treasure, learning quite a few lessons along the way about greed, entitlement, and lust for life. Irish Pirates and Privateers by Michael J. Carroll looks at Irish pirate activity from the Spanish Main to Bantry Bay. Activity in Irish waters flourished for a time between around 1603 to 1625, aided and abetted by the English Admiralty which was supposed to repress it, but actually benefitted from the trade because it kept 50% of every seizure. Eventually the trade moved to the more profitable Caribbean waters, and the Irishmen went with it. This book includes little biographies on the many Irishmen – and a surprising number of women – in the records, such as the Cullen Brothers from Cork, ‘Redlegs’, and Darby Mullins. Granuaile: The Life of Grace O'Malley. Granuaile lived in radically changing times, and stood on the cusp of two worlds: the old Gaelic life of tribalism was dying out, and Ireland was being forced to catch up with England and with renaissance Europe. Granuaile took full advantage of the flux , taking the law into her own hands, and seizing for herself a life of adventure and chaos. While it has to be said that this book concentrates more on life ashore than at sea, providing a huge amount of background detail on the customs and lifestyle of Gaelic Ireland, if ever anyone abided by the pirate maxim ‘No prey, no pay’, it was Grace. Pirates of Barbary. This book examines the background of piracy: how James I wanted peace with Spain and so withdrew the sanctions enjoyed in the Elizabethan age, and also reduced the status of the Navy, making it no longer a viable career option. Suddenly sailors were disempowered and disenchanted, and decided to forge their own careers. The Barbary Coast of North Africa was where piracy flourished in the 1600s, as these European sailors clashed with Turkish corsairs, looking to fill a thriving slave market (including a raid on Baltimore). The last great corsair was killed in 1815 by a US ship, spelling the end of an era. The Pirate Hunter. The story of Captain Kidd, ostensibly a pirate hunter, but accused of piracy himself. Was he or wasn’t he? This book says not. Along the way, it debunks a lot of our cherished pirate myths: they were democratic; they never flew the skull and crossbones, but they did often fly a blood-red flag known as the ‘Jolie Rouge’. On the other hand, they did love fancy clothes and wore the most outlandish costumes, thumbing their noses at the Sumptuary Laws which were still in place; they were ‘mostly young, foul-mouthed men on stolen ships on a constant search for liquor, money, and women’. Celtic tiger, anyone? Pirates of the Caribbean (DVD)Johnny Depp channels Captain Blackbeard via Keith Richards. This is the romantic side of piracy with no apologies. Pure escapism and very good fun. Pretty much what ‘National talk like a pirate day’ is all about. Lots of derring-do, ingenious escapes, and the whole ‘live fast, die young’ ethos. Treasure Island - the drama (DVD)A two-part production of Stevenson’s tale. They’re all here: Jim, Silver, Billy Bones, Ben Gunn, and a realistically multi-national crew. It does take the odd liberty with the plot but mostly stays true. It’s rollicking, fast-paced, but not romantic, and it does show what a murderous, dirty world this was – very much a man’s world, which makes you wonder how any of the female pirates could cope in it. Still, makes me want to set sail and head for the Spice Islands. Arrrrr!
70 years ago today the Allied forces landed on the Normandy beaches, thus beginning the Allied invasion of German-occupied Western Europe (Operation Overlord). The Normandy landings on D-Day, codenamed Operation Neptune, involved the largest seaborne invasion in history. A myriad of books have been written about the war, the events of June and afterwards, and a myriad of documentaries and films have appeared on our TV screens ever since.Utah, Gold, Omaha, Juno, Sword - the names of the Normandy beaches where thousands of landing craft poured ashore. Over 160,000 soldiers crossed the English Channel on D-Day, and many soldiers lost their lives before they even left their landing point. Then too there was the airborne assault, with thousands of planes involved, soldiers landing behind enemy lines in order to secure bridges and other strategic points.There are many truths, and many myths, surrounding D-Day, and to help you get a clearer picture of what actually happened, and to help you understand the true nature and horror of war, we have compiled a list of books and films readily available in or via our branch libraries.One of the best known military history books has to be The Longest Day by Irish-born war correspondent Cornelius Ryan and first published in 1959. This remarkable history sometimes reads like a novel, but is based on the experiences of real people and entailed a huge amount of research. A 1962 film based on the book, and featuring many leading actors of the time, is also called The Longest Day. Unfortunately copies of the book are in short supply and we don't have the film version, but don't let that stop you requesting it and we will see what we can do.Right: Cover of first edition of The Longest Day.Other titles to seek out include:D-Day, the battle for Normandy by Antony BeevorD-Day by Martin GilbertD-day, piercing the Atlantic wall by Robert KershawTwo sides of the beach, the invasion and defence of Europe in 1944 by Edmund BlandfordThe D-Day companion, leading historians explore history's greatest amphibious assault, editor, Jane PenroseSix armies in Normandy, from D-Day to the liberation of Paris, June 6th-August 25th 1944 by John Keegan ...and DVDsThe World at War Box set (11 DVDs, 1343 mins) Episode 17: The development and execution of Operation OverlordBrothers in Arms - The Real Band of Brothers (1 DVD) Useful WebsitesThe Royal British Legion Facts & Figures of D-Day.The D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery (Portsmouth).Below: The front page of the Irish Press, 7th June, 1944.You can access the Irish Newspaper Archives online at any branch of Dublin City Public Libraries free of charge.
Vampires - From Dracula to Twilight and everything in between
Post by Fabienne Sauberlich.Are the Acheronian Dracula and the sparkling chick magnet Edward Cullen one and the same? Definitely not. But they are both vampires. Maybe there is not "That Vampire" anymore but a few very different types of vampires? And that is exactly how it is; they kind of spread over the whole media market placing themselves in different genres with different attributes. So if you think you know vampires, vampires fiction and vampires movies you might have missed some. What vampires do you like? The creature of human nightmares, the pitiless hunter of the night longing for your blood? You can find them with famous horror authors like Stephen King in Salem’s Lot, hunted by brave people like Van Helsing, Buffy and so on, or in classics like Dracula and Nosferatu.Or is it the more complex vampire you are looking for? The one struggling with his conflict between the need for blood and his reluctance to kill or hurt others. Fighting his own demons while losing everyone he loves, to be damned to an eternal life of loneliness while trying to find his way, like Louis in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, or like Darran Shan, and other characters of fantasy authors.If a vampire has human-like feelings as Louis and most modern vampires have, he is also able to love. But how can you be with the one you love when losing control might result in killing him/her? And if you did fall in love with a stranger, could you still love him if you knew his secret? Would you follow him into his world? Love, danger, secrets and dark passion. That is what you find in the stories of Lynsay Sands, Kerrelyn Sparks and many more.So that is what they are. Vampires. Murderers and gentleman. Passionate and cool as ice. And everything in between.------------------------About our Guest BloggerFabienne Sauberlich is a student of Library and Information Science in Germany with special interests in Psychology, Horror, Fantasy and Mystery Media.
You've read the book, now you want to see the film. What to do? Well why not check the library catalogue online, you may well come up trumps! Dublin City Libraries has a huge range of films and television series on DVD for you to choose from, PLUS you can can borrow several at any one time if your appetite so allows.
I think it fair to say that the Nordic countries have not got it all to themselves after all! What might I be referring to, you may ask? The market in crime fiction of course. But maybe some of you never thought they had to to begin with - after all we have always had a wealth of crime fiction emanating from the United States and from Britain, and you could add to that several others including the Italians and in recent times the Irish too. I have to say it IS great to see Irish crime fiction writing blossoming in recent years, a subject I really must blog about soon.But there is another jurisdiction we must visit and pay tribute to also, and that is France. Crime fiction is hugely popular in France; I have read where it says one in five books sold there is a crime novel. As a bit of an aside, I recall many years ago seeing Diva (1981), that wonderful french film about a Parisian mail courier (Jules) in possession of two highly sought-after tapes: the first containing a rare recording of an American opera singer with whom he has fallen in love; the second is a tape slipped into his bag by a young woman just before she is murdered. The unwitting Jules finds himself being pursued by a gang of drug-dealers who will do anything to get their hands on the cassettes. A marvellous film, do borrow the DVD from the library when you get the chance (and sitting on the shelf in Pearse Street Library as I write!).While that was probably my introduction to French noir, in more recent times you may have seen or heard of two famed french crime dramas, Spiral (4 series) and Braquo (2 series) (both links to Amazon). Having seen some episodes of these, it seems to me that the French go for a grittier and darker crime story, where the forces of law and order often seem not so squeaky clean, though in thinking that, I can't say that about the crime novels of one of my favourite authors, Parisienne Fred Vargas. I have written here before about Vargas, and to my mind she is one of the best crime authors writing today. Vargas's stories are always a little quirky, her style distinct and often infused with humour. While there is invariably an element of the supernatural, the surreal, in her stories, it is never such that they stretch incredulity. Her series starring Commissaire Adamsberg you will find a joy to read; do check the catalogue for books by Fred Vargas asap.The seventh and most recent in the Commissaire Adamsberg series is The Ghost Riders of Ordebec . In this Adamsberg travels to Normandy following a visit from an old woman, intrigued by her tale of ghostly horsemen who, since medieval times, have returned time and again to inflict gruesome punishments on some of society's more unsavoury characters. And who now again seem to be wreaking a certain havoc on the village of Ordebec. But while the supernatural often serves to enrich and add intrigue to her stories, real world happenings invariably lie at the centre of events. In parallel, the death of a Parisian businessman, burnt to death in his car, occupies Adamsberg and his team's attention.An author new to me is Pierre Lemaitre, and what an exciting discovery he has been! Alex is the first novel in English translation by Lemaitre, and an excellent one it is. Not an easy book to put down this, it is easy to see why Lemaitre is held in such high regard in his native country. If you can see past the rather gruesome elements, you will see a well crafted, intricate plotline and a novel well worth your attention. There is suspense, there is tension; plus it can be dark and unsettling at times. To boot the characters, each and all, are well developed and of interest for different reasons, but none more so than the tough, resourceful and compelling heroine Alex and the diminutive, brilliant and driven Commandant Camille.The story starts with a kidnapping and a race against time to locate and free the kidnapped woman. But as the story develops it twists and you begin to realise that efforts to predict its path and its outcome will be a waste of time. Your sympathies may be challenged, and you will be kept guessing 'til the end. To say anymore would be to reveal too much. This is a gripping read, quite different from most everything else I have read. I can highly recommend it, it gets top marks from me. Not a Frenchman but...While not a Frenchman, British-born author Peter Mayle has been writing books about France for some time and is probably best known for his books about life in Provence. So it was with a certain curiosity that I picked up and started reading Mayle's 'The Marseille Caper' , in the hope of it taking me to a setting that would enthral me and a story that would absorb me. Unfortunately, it did not quite live up to my hopes and expectations. As a crime novel it lacked suspense, furthermore I thought the dialogue weak, the characters uninteresting and the plot weak. It does have a beautiful setting and you do get fair mention of the local cuisine if you like that sort of thing (which I can do), but all the while I felt as though I was reading a travel writer rather than a true crime writer. Yes, this book might just be the thing to entertain you while lying on a beach in Cannes if you just want a light, relaxing and untaxing read, but I would still prefer to take a Vargas (or a Camilleri or a Leon for that matter) with me. The story itself is of Hollywood lawyer Sam who travels to Marseille with his partner Elena to champion a property tycoon's bid for a seafront development over two rival entries, and the shenanigans that thereafter unfold. But while danger beckons, you do know in your bones that this is going to be a happy ending sort of story. This is a follow up to the 'The Vintage Caper', but it does not seem necessary to have read one before the other. But I do hope you get more from it than I did, should you read it!Other SuggestionsOther French crime writers that I have not yet read but may be worth checking out are Julia Kristeva and Dominique Manotti. One of my favourite crime blogs is Eurocrime, and it has a list of French crime novels, many of which it will have reviews of. The websites Crime Fiction Lover and crimetime.co.uk also have some suggestions.
Doc Watson was the best American Folk guitarist that lived. He died on the 29 May 2012 at the age of 89. He was born into a musical family and lost his sight before his first birthday. Although he never had a hit record or was in the American Billboard chart, he was a leader of the American folk music that became commercially popular particularly through the Coen Brothers film, "O Brother Where Art Thou?". His distinctive style was born out of playing fiddle parts in a country swing band. Before that the guitar was a background instrument to the ukulele and fiddle. His lightening quick finger and flat picking style is a pleasure to listen to as it accompanies his mellow voice filled with sincerity.He has won seven Grammy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award.The Album Trouble in Mind is a compilation of performances and background of the earliest folk and blues songs that inspired him while growing up.I think if you are new to his music then The Essential Doc Watson Volume 1 is a great place to begin. Both of these titles and more are available in the Music Library. There is also a biography available called Blind But Now I See.If you are a fan of the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss album Raising Sand, then you are familiar with an original Watson song, Your Long Journey. Just go to www.youtube.com, and type his name in, enjoy!