The genre of melodrama is not one that I am too familiar with. But still, Cinema Paradiso from the eyes of an un-seasoned melodrama movie goer is wonderful. I got the hair raising chill feeling from watching this film that brought a tear to my eye. The tone is executed absolutely perfectly, mixing the … Continue reading Movie Review: Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Raising Arizona is a comedy starring Nicholas Cage as H.I. McDunnough and Holly Hunter as his police officer wife Ed. The narrative revolves around a series of kidnappings and ransoms while representing a sincere love for the child taken and a deep desire for family and belonging. The characters struggle with moving from a … Continue reading Raising Arizona Review
I really enjoyed watching this movie. The character dynamic between the main characters Dignan and Anthony is hilarious, especially when they carefully plan for all contingencies, but the overall crime is petty and doesn’t require such effort. Dignan’s character as a planner is established with the opening scene where Anthony has to escape from his … Continue reading Movie Society review: Bottle Rocket (1996)
It's no secret that I'm a big advocate of reading aloud. I once read a short story to the entire Senior School Staff cohort at a morning tea event. I love reading the start of a book to the boys in Wide Reading classes to see if they can guess what genre it is or … Continue reading You want me to read out loud?!
Here it is almost March, thought the librarycook, and the librarycook is yet to buckle down to the routine of work and all that entails, which, it seems to the librarycook, is chiefly a reduction in time allocated to reading. To ease back in, what could be finer than the double delight of Double-Saucing … Continue reading The librarycook : Time Marches On
The Great Escape is a captivating historical film that captures the essence of World War Two camaraderie to paint the tragic tale of an attempted escape from a German prison camp, based on true events from the war. Whilst ending in tragedy, the combination of engaging character interaction and an excellent soundtrack creates a light-hearted … Continue reading Movie Review: The Great Escape (1963)
In the 2013 film 'Enemy' a mild-mannered college professor (Jake Gyllenhaal) discovers a look-alike actor and delves into the other man's private affairs. Enemy is a sophisticated, multilayered psychological thriller that examines the ways in which the subconscious work, along with the portrayal of mental illness from the perspective of the mentally ill. Denis … Continue reading Film Review : ENEMY
What was the last book you read? Not for work or an assignment or because your book club forced you. What was the last book you read because you chose to, for nothing more than your own pleasure in the experience? Some people struggle to answer this. Their first thought might be a mental archaeological dig … Continue reading Readers who teach: A professional learning conversation
What are you reading now? This is a question I am asked by (and ask of) students and staff regularly. And, yes, I have the New York Public Library tote bag to match! According to author, entrepreneur and journalist, William Schwalbe, this question can change lives, creating a shared universe for people who are otherwise … Continue reading What are you reading now?
According to Chinese mythology, long ago there was a monster named Nián (年) (which translates to 'year' in english). Nián lived in the deepest depths of the ocean and would come up once a year to fest on humans and animals that lived in a nearby village. On this day, the townspeople and animals … Continue reading The History of Chinese New Year
