Rocket Science (DVD HBO 071)

I remember when the film “Rocket Science” came out. I remember because I stole a poster off of the wall of the HUB and then promptly lost it. I didn’t know anything about it I just liked the poster. Then as I was checking in items one day I came across the film and decided that in order to justify my stealing of the poster (it was really nice card board and everything) I should at least watch the film. So I did. Come to find out that the poster I stole was not that of the film “Rocket Science” and my remembering of when it came out was 2 years too early. Ignoring this fact after watching the film I felt better about both the stealing of the poster and my crappy High School Speech and Debate career. The film is about a kid, Hal, who has a bad stutter and is recruited by, Ginny, whom he has a monster crush on, to be her debate partner. Wonderful awkward High School drama ensues, including but not limited to: an awkward make out scene in a janitor’s closet, an awkward spying, awkward other peoples parents, etc. I would recommend this film to anyone who ever did policy debate, stuttered, or went to high school. You could even make it a High School double feature with the film “Welcome to the Dollhouse” (DVD CTHV 001) which is approximately 2.5 times more awkward than this film.

-Anna

New Media - July '08

Haitian gangs. Iraqi War letters. Japanese street fashions. Indian bus rides. French realist painters. Rook band tours. TV bloopers. Iceberg infatuations. Ugandan dances.

Check out the Media Center's new DVDs, VHS tapes, and CDs for July 2008.

Review - Nouveau FLamenco (CD HOM 001)

Ottmar Liebert’s Nouveau Flamenco is perhaps a bit different than what traditional flamenco listeners would expect. Nevertheless, Nouveau Flamenco was a tremendous success when it originally came out in 1990’s: the CD sold over half a million copies. Liebert adds a touch of new age music to flamenco, playing smooth and passionate melodies with such elegance that it may make you want to listen for hours. If you have ever listened to flamenco, or more commonly ‘Spanish guitar’ music, you should definitely check this CD out.

Reviewed by Amirhossein Talebi Liasi

Review - AbrAxas: Guardian of the Universe (VHS PRSM 001)

AbrAxas is the true life documentary of how Jesse “The Body” Ventura came to earth. You see, before he was a wrestler or a governor he was an alien, an intergalactic cop alien to be exact, a 10,000 year old intergalactic cop alien to be precise. Mr. The Body was sent on a mission by his superiors to catch a rebel 10,000 year old intergalactic cop alien who was seeking to impregnate a fertile member of the human race so as to create the “Comater” and get the anti-life equation. When first you learn that Secundus (the rebel) needs to impregnate a birthing member of our race you think, can they really show this old guy raping a teenager in a movie that seems to be marketed toward the teen-preteen crowd, well he only kind of does, he puts his hand on her tummy and then 5 minutes later she gives birth to a baby while still fully clothed. Jesse Ventura gives perhaps the driest performance of his career in what can only be considered the Grand Poobah of Intergalactic Cop movies.

-Reviewed by Anna

New Media - June '08

Before June's over, check out our new DVDs, VHS tapes, and CDs:
http://www.lib.washington.edu/media/searches.html

Canadian Traditional Music Collection

What is Canadian traditional music? Or perhaps it's more accurate to ask, what are Canadian traditional musics?

The answer to both questions can be found in the Libraries Media Center and the Music Library. Thanks to the generosity of the UW Canadian Studies Center and the intrepid discographic research of ethnomusicologist Devon Léger, the Media Center and Music Library are home to vast array of Canadian sounds. Too browse the recordings go the collection's homepage and/or search the UW Libraries.

The Canadian Traditional Music Collection is intended to raise awareness of modern Canadian culture and to shed light on its musical roots. Canadian culture is seen too often as a pale reflection of the culture of the United States. By looking to the rich diversity of Canadian musical traditions, we are more able to see what defines Canada as a country.

To learn more about the collection please contact us here.

Northwest Folklife Festival - May 23-26

The Northwest Folklife Festival is the annual free climactic celebration of year-round ethnic, folk, and traditional arts activities produced by Northwest Folklife. Artists from the Pacific Northwest along with special guests from throughout the world create an ethnic extravaganza embracing music and dance performances, visual arts and folklore exhibits, hands-on ethnic children's activities, symposia, dance and music workshops, crafts, food, imported goods, demonstrations of traditional arts, and more. Check it out!

The Media Center is in the process of collecting music from Folklife and other regional artists as part of its Puget Sounds project, so be on the watch for new arrivals in the coming weeks.