Lafayette College Library

What would Jesus buy? (2007)

Irene encourages viewers to make another foray into Skillman’s documentary ghetto to meet Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. Irene expected to find the good reverend and his followers, who travel the country trying to make Americans more aware of their thoughtless over-consumption, boorish or extremist but instead found them thoughtful, sincere—-and darn good entertainers. Watch this DVD and you might find yourself stepping away from the mall and becoming a believer.

Jane Eyre (2011)

Fast-paced adaptation of the classic novel of wild passion mixed with a wee bit of terror that will satisfy both purists and those who have never encountered Jane and Rochester. Mia Wasikowska does a great job capturing Jane's fierceness and vulnerability. Irene almost didn't recognize Sally Hawkins (whom she so enjoyed in Happy-go-lucky) as Jane's dastardly aunt.

Destry Rides Again (1939; Jimmy Stewart, Marlene Dietrich)

Irene can't understand why this comic western doesn't get more attention. True, the hero is a bit unconventional -- a deputy who prefers carving napkin rings to carrying a gun. And then there's the sheriff who can't keep his shirt tucked in, and another deputy who's a Russian immigrant with a desperate desire to be a cowboy. But all the classic elements of a good western are still there, plus Stewart and Dietrich's star power. Watch it now and then recommend it to all your friends.

Strangers on a Train (1951; dir by Alfred Hitchcock)

Irene loves a movie with a good moral and in this case it's crystal clear: never make small talk with a stranger on a train. Filled with creepiness and psychological insight as only a Hitchcock film based upon a Patricia Highsmith novel can be.

The Swimmer (1968; Burt Lancaster)

Irene is a long-time fan of John Cheever's story "The Swimmer," but only recently discovered this film version of it. Though it feels a bit dated, it definitely captures the main character's metaphorical journey from halcyon summer days (of youth?) to melancholy, stormy autumn (of old age?) as he swims across his suburban county via his neighbors' pools. Watch for a young (pre-surgically-altered?) Joan Rivers.

Those who aren't familiar with the story, can find it in Collected stories and other writings of John Cheever or can listen to it from the New Yorker's free fiction podcasts.

The Valet / La Doublure (2006)

French comedy about a valet who is paid to pretend to date a supermodel and ends up befriending her. Director Francis Veber, a master of farce, pulls off this wildly unlikely plot, making it fun rather than ridiculous. Irene especially enjoyed the lesson in French-to-English slurs and endearments provided by the subtitles and plans to keep "ass-face" in her back pocket for an opportune moment. Those who enjoy this film should try others featuring the Pignon character: The Closet (set in a condom factory) and the highly regarded Dinner Game.

Blonde Venus (1932; Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant; dir. by Josef von Sternberg)

A classic tale of a fallen woman, noble and misunderstood, with which Irene identifies so. Perfect for those who want a taste of Marlene's stylish star power. Includes the famous scenes of Dietrich in a gorilla suit and in a suave white tux and top hat.

Last Train Home (2009)

Irene thought it time once again to encourage viewers to venture into Skillman's "documentary ghetto," so is recommending this new addition. Follows a husband and wife, both migrant workers in China, as they try to keep their family together, working in a city far from their familial village and seeing their children only once a year. Since the film has virtually no explanatory commentary, viewers are left to draw their own conclusions from scenes that have universal familiarity (e.g., a sullen teen's terse conversation with her mother) and those that are foreign to us in the U.S. (e.g., waiting at a station for five days to get a train home for the holidays). For those who want more about China's industrial landscape after watching this, one of Irene's colleagues recommends another documentary, Edward Burtynsky: Manufactured Landscapes for its riveting images of factory dormitories and other glimpses of life in China.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966; dir. by Mike Nichols)

Irene once sent this film to a friend as a wedding gift, who luckily shared her sense of humor. Never seen it? It's a captivating adaptation of Edward Albee's work, nicely described in our library catalog as "a freewheeling, headlong slide into the corrosive hell of a marriage twisted by years of hatred and humiliation." In other words, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton play themselves. For another vintage 60s masterpiece on marriage mores, try Stanley Donen's "Two for the Road" starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney, also in the Skillman collection.

Meet the Feebles (2002)

Once hard to find, this early cult-hit by director Sir Peter (Lord of the Rings; The Lovely Bones) Jackson is now readily available on DVD. Follow the cast of the fabulous Feebles Variety Show as their degenerate ways catch up with them and they self-implode in this adult puppet feature. It lives up to the much quoted Village Voice review ("So tasteless it scrapes genius") and will leave you wondering how he managed to suppress his anarchistic sense of humor long enough to make Rings. Definitely NOT for children.