Lost – A TV Series Review

Chances are, you know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who watched Lost. Most likely, you’ve heard people complain about how confusing it is, how dumb it got near the end of the show, etc etc. Despite all of the problems Lost does have, I can tell you that it is one of the most artfully made shows of our generation.
In case you don’t know, the show revolves around a group of survivors of flight 815, who crash on a mysterious island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The island is far from ordinary and the survivors are faced with challenges extending far beyond the usual detail for one stuck on a tropical island. Flashbacks allow us to get the know characters backstory, and we become very closely acquainted with characters like Jack, a surgeon who quickly takes on a leadership role but is dealing with some deep seated family issues.
The show spans six seasons, jam packed full of new characters, new storylines and an unbelievable amount of plot twists. But what makes the show truly exceptional is the way the characters develop and change. Truly good television has the ability to show us that we are all capable of being “the bad guy” and “the good guy” sometimes at the same time. Lost displays the complexities of human nature, wrapped up with some very complex timey-wimey stuff and a lot of breaking the laws of physics. Also, it’s super addicting. Super, duper addicting. If your curiosity is getting the best of you and you’re dying to watch, you’re in luck- the library owns all six seasons! Good luck and happy watching! Whitni S.

Remembering VHS

Many of the students at Coe seem to forget about our wonderful AV department. To me, this place has and always will occupy a special place in my heart. You don’t just browse through films in the AV department but rather you browse through history. Looking through the VHS tapes, personally, brings back fond childhood memories of rewinding a tape before watching it or the pure frustration of renting un-re-winded movie. To many this experience is foreign but to me, and surely many others, it takes me back to simpler times I dearly miss. Unfortunately, technology has made places like the AV Theater more obsolete, since with a click of a mouse you could find any thing you desire. However, I would like to challenge everyone to take a moment and walk through the aisles of not just film but history, before it is too late. Yafet M.

Library work study students

Photo opportunity for the Stewart Memorial Library work study students in their "This is how we roll" t-shirts.

Get out the VOTE with these film titles!

It's one more day until the big election, and the AV Department has got you covered! Come in and check out our display of political titles! (image courtesy of the Oskaloosa Public Library)

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual

The AV Department is now on Pinterest!

The AV Department now has one more way that you can easily find new releases--on Pinterest! Click here to check out our New Arrivals board!

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual

The AV Department? Not just films!

Sure, the AV Department has a ton of films available for checkout, but did you know that we also carry a large collection of television seasons? Come check out one of these TV shows in the following genres:

Animated:

• Daria


• Family Guy

Comedy:

• Bored to Death


• Flight of the Conchords

Crime Drama:

• Numbers


• The Wire

Gritty Drama:

• Breaking Bad


• Entourage

Historical Drama:

• Downton Abbey


• The Tudors

Medical Drama:

• Nip/Tuck


• Nurse Jackie

Mystery:

• Sherlock


• Veronica Mars

Sci Fi/Fantasy:

• Battlestar Galactica


• Game of Thrones

Sports:

• Eastbound & Down


• The League

Suspense:

• Dexter


• 24

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual

A student's perspective.....

One of the great things about the library - and Coe itself - is the AV department. There are so many DVDs including movies, TV series and documentaries to choose from; my roommate and I made it a tradition to rent TV series and to watch an episode or two every night, and to watch movies in the AV theater whenever we had downtime. The AV library is a really great resource to de-stress when the rest of campus seems to have nothing but work associated with it.

Check out some animated fun from Studio Ghibli!

Looking for a fun summer movie? Our Studio Ghibli collection is a great place to start, and good for all ages. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio founded by acclaimed directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Studio Ghibli focuses on films filled with whimsical fantasy elements and often features strong heroines. Here’s just three of the 18 that have been produced by the studio:

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) tells the story of two young girls who move with their father to the Japanese countryside and encounter many friendly woodland spirits, named Totoros. The main Totoro helps older sister Satsuki find her 4 year old sister Mei when she turns up missing.

Spirited Away (2001) is the story of Chihiro, a strong-willed 10 year old girl. She moves with her parents to the suburbs and one night discovers an alternate reality inhabited by thousands of mysterious spirits. When Chihiro’s parents are transformed into pigs by a witch, she takes a job at a bathhouse for these spirits to free herself and her parents from this alternate reality.

Pom Poko (1994) chronicles the struggle of shapeshifting raccoons, called tanuki, that are fighting to save their home from urban development. The lazy tanuki put themselves through a strict training regimen so they are able to utilize their shapeshifting powers to trick the humans and evil foxes invading their habitat.

The AV Department has the majority of films by Studio Ghibli, come check them out!

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual

Celebrate Earth Day with these titles!

Earth day is April 22nd, and the Audiovisual Department has got you covered with a great display of films to help you celebrate and contemplate. Here are three titles that will help get you in the spirit:

The 11th Hour (2008), narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, outlines the damage already done to the environment, while providing hope for the future in the form of ‘green’ technology. Showing images of collapsing glaciers and floods, the program offers solace from such experts as Steven Hawking and sustainable-design experts.

Agnés Varda, a French documentary filmmaker, travels her native country documenting the actions of gleaners in The Gleaners and I (2000). These gleaners are essentially modern-day scavengers, who search for food and other discarded products in dumpsters and refuse containers. Varda highlights their disregard for wastefulness and consumerism.

Andy Goldsworthy’s Rivers and Tides (2004) is a documentary about Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy, who works exclusively with materials from nature. He builds ephemeral sculptures from such materials as branches, ice, and loose rock, and installs them within their original environment. His sculptures eventually become part of the landscape, where they become overgrown by plants or washed over by rising tides.

--Laura, Head of AV

Film Clubs on Campus

Looking for some fellow students that appreciate film as much as you do? The AV Department is glad to partner with three film clubs on campus:

--The Film Appreciation Society meets Saturday nights from 7:00 to 10:00 in Kesler Auditorium. Contact Colin Morris at crmorris@coe.edu for details.

--The Horror Flicks Club meets from 7:00 to 10:00 PM on Fridays in Kesler Auditorium. Contact Ryan Chavez at rcchavez@coe.edu or horrorflick@coe.edu for details.

The Kohawk Otaku Anime Club meets from 7:00 to 10:00 on Thursday nights in the AV Preview Room (downstairs in the AV Department). Contact Alexis Berman at amberman@coe.edu or anime@coe.edu for details.

Each group holds special screenings complete with catering and related events, so make sure to check your email inbox for upcoming events!

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual

Need help editing your video/audio files?

Have you been sitting on a video or audio file, needing to edit it or burn it to disc? Have a video due for class and don't know where to start? Stop on down to the AV Department and use our newly remodeled editing room with three Mac stations for all of your editing needs! The editing room is open and available for students to use during the hours that AV is open. As an added bonus, if you stop by during the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday-Friday, Laura or Linda will be there to help you out with your editing projects! Stop down and see us today!

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual

Find out about new films from @CoeAV!

Wondering which new films have recently arrived at the library, but it's a bit too cold to make the trek to find out in person? Sign up for twitter updates from the Audiovisual Department at @CoeAV! Click here to head over to AV's twitter feed.

--Laura, Head of AV

Hunger Games fever?

Are you psyched to see the 'Hunger Games' trilogy open in theaters in March? Before Jennifer Lawrence was fighting authority as Katniss in the 'Hunger Games', she was fighting for her family (and still hunting for food) as Ree in 'Winter's Bone.' 'Winter's Bone won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010, and Lawrence was even nominated for an Oscar for her performance. It's a gritty, raw film that is not to be missed! Head on downstairs to the AV Department and check out 'Winter's Bone' today!

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual