Library holds film treasures galore

Did you know that the library has thousands of movies you can rent for free whenever you want - Specifically 6,000 videos and nearly 1,000 DVDs? This is not a joke. You may have thought the library was only good for socializing. You may have even been upset those Friday and Saturday nights when the library closes earlier than usual. Well, as it turns out, you can bring the library entertainment home three movies at a time!

I know about this fantastic resource, because I spent my Intersession in Baltimore. Without many activity options available to a girl without a car, I decided to settle for what my school had to offer. I could have spent my time in jovial debauchery, in class, in bed or even in front of my television. While I did go to class and sit in CVP a few nights, and maybe even lie in bed all day some Saturdays, I spent the majority of my time checking out what good old Milton D. had to offer in the form of entertainment. Let me tell you what I found and what you could find too.

For all of you who, like me, missed the first two Lord of the Rings installments and didn't want to see the third without seeing them first, rest assured, because the library is there to cover your back. Of course, you better start working on your sprinting abilities now, because they are always checked out.

Along those same lines, Sex and Lucia, a Spanish film written and directed by Julio Medem, was often checked out. An erotic and sexually explicit film, Sex and Lucia is about how the lives of different people on a Mediterranean island coincide through an author, Lucia's boyfriend. On a slightly deeper level, it is a movie about love, finding love, losing love and imagining love. After losing her boyfriend, the writer, Lucia retreats to a Mediterranean island. While there, she discovers details of her boyfriend's life and aspects of her relationship with him that she never knew. Similar to Adaptation, the basic plot intertwines with the novel the boyfriend is writing at the time. Medem succeeds in creating the island and all it has to offer as another character. The camera captures both the desperation and inert sexuality of Lucia through its depiction of her surroundings. Although the movie is far from bad, the role of time is not made clear throughout to the point where the viewer may be confused at the end.

Obviously, I also rented Sex and the City. With seasons two and three available, what girl could be disappointed? Well, turns out, this one. Each disc has on it approximately eight episodes from its respective season. Yet each disc had on it approximately six marred episodes. The abundance of scratches was unbearable and a disgrace to such a brilliant show. I did not, however, lose faith in what A-Level had to offer.

Carnal Knowledge, a Mike Nichols film from the early '70s, was another one of my favorite acquisitions. The movie was not just great because of its all-star cast, including Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Candace Bergen and Ann-Margret or because it was disputed in the Supreme Court for violating obscenity laws. It is just a great film, plain and simple. The movie is about two college buddies and their relationships with women throughout their lives. The plot moves at a good pace, not too fast but just quick enough to keep the viewer glued to his or her seat for fear that he or she might miss something. The characters are filled with conflict and desire as portrayed through the usage of light and camera angles. There are holes in the movie overall, more specifically in the screenplay, that force the viewer to make some assumptions about time and certain occurrences. On the whole, however, it is a great film to watch, if not for the film itself, then for its political significance in film history.

Don't be misguided by what I rented. The library has more than just foreign and old films. Their collection has great range, including modern day indie favorites like Waiting for Guffman, smash hits like The Royal Tenenbaums, action-hero blockbusters like Batman, past Oscar winners like Shakespeare in Love and even TV greats like I Love Lucy and The Simpsons.

So, how about it? Don't you feel the urgent need to run to the libs and catch a flick? Save your friends from their studying: Grab a partner and see a movie!