It’s 11:17 on Tuesday night, and you have the sudden urge to see “Casablanca.” Never fear! The recently expanded movie collection in the library can help! The collection includes a great bunch of Academy Award winners for Best Picture, The American Film Institute’s top 100 films, and several spiritually significant films. Students can check them out for two days, plenty of time for an Alfred Hitchcock marathon. In the words of Library Director Mary Habermas, “help yourself!” Here are just a few of the movies in JBU’s classy collection:
“Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” (1982)
Rigby Reardon is hot on the case when a beautiful dame enters his office with a conspiracy to uncover. Will he solve the mystery of the labyrinthine Carlotta lists, or be distracted by his babe of a client? A film noir parody containing clips from old noir and Steve Martin, this movie might be the most idiotic and hilarious thing you’ve seen for quite some time. Be advised of several instances of sexual humor.
“Monster on Campus” (1958)
Want to see what college was like in the fifties? Too bad, this story’s about the professor. When Dr. Donald Blake is exposed to the blood of a prehistoric fish, things get a little…hairy. This 50s horror flick has it all: obsession, passion, gamma rays, and a really big bug. A good movie at which to laugh and throw popcorn.
Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” (1963)
Melanie Daniels just wanted to pick up a cute guy. Now she’s trapped in a madhouse of a town that’s being attacked by, of all things, birds! And it’s not as funny as it sounds. Not being a horror fan, I don’t know how much it means, but this is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. With the artistic signature of all Hitchcock films, this thriller will have you twitching at birdsong for weeks.
“All the King’s Men” (1949)
Who is Willie Stark? Reporter Jack Burden thinks he’s something special for a politician, namely, an honest man. Is he right? “All the King’s Men” is not a film for the faint of heart. This movie isn’t happy, nor does it cater to those of us with short attention spans, but it is a masterful study of character, and well worth the watching.