Actor David Carradine died on the 3rd of June in Bangkok, Thailand, aged 72 years.

Carradine was the eldest son of legendary character actor John Carradine. He was born in Hollywood and educated at San Francisco State College, where he studied music theory and composition. It was while writing music for the Drama Department’s annual revues that he discovered his own passion for the stage, joining a Shakespearean repertory company and learning his craft on his feet.

His first break came when he was cast opposite Barbara Hershey in ‘Boxcar Bertha‘, but he would go on to become best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine (’Grasshopper’), a Shaolin priest travelling the 1800s American frontier West in the TV series “Kung Fu,” which aired in 1972-75.  His subsequent career included more than 100 feature films, including the cult movie ‘Death Race 2000‘ as well as a return to TV, playing the grandson of his original character in ‘Kung Fu: The Legend Continues’ (1993-1997).

Carradine received the Best Actor Award from the National Board of Film Review as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Woody Guthrie in ‘Bound for Glory‘ (1976)  and won critical acclaim for his work as Cole Younger in ‘The Long Riders‘ (1980), and a second Golden Globe nomination for his supporting role in ‘North & South‘ (1985).

While Carradine spent the majority of the 80’s & 90’s in low budget B movies Quentin Tarantino resurrected his career in 2003, casting him as the title character in ‘Kill Bill, Vol. 1‘, & ‘Kill Bill, Vol. 2‘, where his portrayal of ‘Bill’ the sinister sword wielding head of a team of crack assassins, gained him a new cult following & his fourth Golden Globe nomination.

Attention has once again been drawn to the graphic novel genre with the recent movie release of Watchmen, written by Alan Moore, a series published between 1986-1987. This is the seventh graphic novel by Allan Moore to be produced as a movie. Others were, From Hell, published 1994, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, published between 1999-2007 and V for Vendetta , published between 1982-1989. Alan Moore, born in England in 1953, is one of the world’s most prolific graphic novelists, with publications too numerous to count. He has also published novels, poetry and short stories. His work has received many awards and much recognition. In 1988 Watchmen won a Hugo award in the category, Other Forms. This category was created for that year only and has not as yet been re-instated. In 2005 Watchmen was the only graphic novel included in Time Magazines “All-Time 100 Novels”

Other graphic novels to have been produced as movies include Sin City by Frank Miller, Iron Man by Stuart Moore, Punisher, based on  John Constantine, Hellblazer graphic novel series, History of Violence by John Wagner and Batman: the dark knight returns by Frank Miller. All these movie titles are held by Wellington City Libraries.

The nominations for this year’s Oscar contenders have just been released. (Full list available here)
Although most of the nominated films are yet to be released on DVD, we do have The Dark Knight featuring Heath Ledger in his Oscar nominated role as the Joker.

While waiting for the current round of nominated films to be released to DVD, why not take advantage of the Libraries’ new 4 for 3 DVD offer and check out some previous Oscar winning films.

Revolutionary Road, the first of seven novels by Richard Yates, was published in 1961 and was much acclaimed by the critics. Set in the mid 1950s it tells the story of a young married couple, who feel they are more than ordinary, they dispise their urban lifestyle, its people and the social confines of the time they inhabit. They are ambitious for a life beyond, filled with purpose and the promise they are sure they deserve. This novel reflects the social aspects of post war America brilliantly. The movie, based on the novel is due for release on 22 January, and stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet ( who won a Golden Globe for her performance). You could win a double pass, courtesy Paramount Pictures to the film Revolutionary Road by completing a simple quiz on our Fiction webpage and sending us your details.

Lonely hearts. ‘Lonely Hearts’ is the sort of solid Hollywood entertainment that slips under the radar. Set in the 1940s it tells the true story of the notorious ‘Lonely Hearts’ killers Martha Beck & Raymond Fernandez (played by Jared Leto & Selma Hayek) who preyed on single women, milking them of their savings & ultimately killing them. Tracking them are two blue collar cops Elmer ‘Buster’ Robinson (played by John Travolta) & his partner Charles Hilderbrandt (played by James Gandolfini). Scarred by the unexplained suicide of his wife, Travolta’s character becomes obsessed with linking the suicide of a beautiful young widow with a confidence scam preying on lonely people who place ads in the newspapers ‘Lonely Hearts’ columns; and together with his partner sets out to bring the confidence artists to justice, uncovering along the way a bloody trail of victims. Travolta is suitably anguished, and the 40’s milieu is convincingly recreated, but full credit goes to Leto & especially Hayek with her chilling portrait of the cold-blooded Martha. Written & directed by Todd Robinson, the grandson of the character played by John Travolta, and the accompanying feature has him recalling memories of his grandfather.”

See more library staff DVD reviews for December on the WCL Movies page.

From now on, every 4th DVD you borrow is free! Take out any three DVDs from our wide collection of movies, documentaries or music in the Central Library and you can choose one more for free. This offer does not apply to DVDs from our children and young adults, or those held at our other libraries.

There will be blood
Daniel Day Lewis is the finest actor of our generation and ‘There Will be Blood’ is his finest work. His portrayal of a man, lacking in any greater social conscience, and his inevitable self-destruction is flawless. Director and screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson has crafted a masterpiece here, massive in scope, yet intimate in every detail, the story of Daniel Plainview’s assent as an oil prospector and his moral decline is magnificent. Every facet of the film, from the sets to the costumes, the cinematography to the scenery, is all so expertly handled it’s breathtaking. The script is rich in painful nuance and foreboding doom, yet its finest detail is perhaps its minimalism, not much is said, but what is said is interwoven with scene upon scene of such expertly constructed film it is a wonder to behold. With a sublime soundtrack from Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood this stark tale of spiritual corruption is worthy of repeated viewing. (Craig)

More reviews can be found on our Popular Topics: Movies page.

The Film Festival is down to its final days and there has been a huge variety of films on this week. The Patti Smith documentary (filmed over ten years) kept us all enthralled, Waltz With Bashir made us weep and Be Kind Rewind gave us the oppportunity to remember those 70s and 80s films – albeit with a new DIY perspective.

For enjoying these and other films on this week, the Film and Television database has articles from a broad range of film magazines: Film Comment, Cineaste, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, Sight & Sound, OnFilm plus many others.  Here is a selection: Waltz With Bashir, Be Kind Rewind, Patti Smith: Dream of Life, The Savages, Let The Right One In, Dear Zachary and Frozen River (if the links don’t work automatically for you, login here first).

Seen any films that make you want to check out the director’s previous offerings? Our DVD collection is here to help. You may already know that our collection includes films by directors such as Eric Rohmer, Ken Loach, Werner Herzog, Michel Gondry and Errol Morris, but you may not realise that you can continue your film festival after this weekend by also exploring these other directors who are featured this year:Derek Jarman, Costa Botes, Julian Schnabel, Alex Gibney, Barbet Schroeder, Gregory King, Jacques Rivette, Michael Curtiz, Tom McCarthy, Shane Meadows, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Alexander Sokurov, Sergei Bodrov, Bent Hamer, Wong Kar-wai, Dany Boon, Cedric Klapisch and of course Vincent Ward. Marjane Satrapi may not have made any other movies yet , but her graphic novels are excellent – one of which is the original Persepolis graphic novel.

Spending every waking moment at the Film Festival?  Or just going to the odd film that takes your fancy? Here are some reviews and information about films showing over the first week, courtesy of our new Film and Television database.

(If the links below don’t work for you automatically, login to EBSCO with your library card details, then return to this page – the links will then take you to the reviews.)

Man on Wire | Persepolis | Waltz with Bashir | Adventures of Robin Hood | Paris | No End in Sight | Vexville | Anita O’Day: The Life of a Singer | Earth | Somers Town

Of course if you want further inspiration, we’ll be highlighting more films as the Festival progresses.  In the meantime, check out the Festival posters currently on display on the First Floor of Central Library – along with items from our extensive film book collection.