Eight More Great Kanopy Films

You've probably heard about Kanopy, Carnegie-Stout's streaming movie collection and all of the independent films, documentaries, international films, and children's movies available. If you're not sure how to get started, visit the library's YouTube page to watch a video on how to use Kanopy.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by all of the great films available on Kanopy and aren't sure what to watch first, I've gathered together another eight great suggestions you can watch this month! If you missed it, be sure to check out the earlier blog post Eight of the Best Films on Kanopy.

• Loving Vincent: In the first fully painted feature film, 2018 Oscar-nominated LOVING VINCENT tells the story of the mysterious and tragic death of the world's most famous artist, Vincent van Gogh.
• Melancholia: Acclaimed filmmaker Lars von Trier grapples with his own experiences with depression in this 2011 dark sci-fi drama and Palme d'Or nominee.
• Mister Rogers: It's You I Like: This 2018 documentary pays tribute to the beloved Fred Rogers and the nearly 900 episodes of his landmark children's television program first seen in 1968 on PBS that continues to resonate with children and adults alike.
• Moonlight: The 2016 Oscar-winner for Best Picture, this is a moving and transcendent look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young man growing up in Miami.

• Nebraska: This 2013 comedic drama about a father and his adult son on a journey to claim a million-dollar prize, from the Oscar-winning director Alexander Payne.
• Oldboy: Director Park Chan-wook's 2003 film of revenge features stunning plot twists and arresting action sequences. 
• Rashomon: Director Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film that investigates the nature of truth and the meaning of justice is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.
• Robot & Frank: This 2012 film starring Frank Langella and Peter Sarsgaard is the story of an ex-jewel thief who receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.

-Sarah, Adult Services

Eight of the Best Films on Kanopy

Your Dubuque resident library card gives you access to all sorts of incredible online resources and digital collections, so many that it can be overwhelming sometimes. Carnegie-Stout Public Library staff are here to help, whether you have questions about how to get the technology to work or you need a suggestion for a book, movie, or music you might enjoy!

If you're a movie buff or a fan of educational documentaries, you should definitely check out Kanopy, Carnegie-Stout's streaming movie collection. Need help getting started? Visit the library's YouTube page to watch a video on how to use Kanopy. Not sure what Kanopy has to offer? Keep reading for a list with eight great films available now on Kanopy!

• Bill Cunningham New York is a 2010 documentary of the decades long career of New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham.
• A Cat in Paris is a 2010 nominee for the Academy Award for Best Animated feature about a Parisian cat, and a Parisian cat burglar.
• Florence Foster Jenkins is a 2016 film based on a true story of a woman who dreams of stardom, starring Meryl Streep in an award-nominated performance.
• The Hours is a 2002 film inspired by the works and life of Virginia Woolf, actress Nicole Kidman won the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance.

• Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a 2016 comedy from director Taika Waititi about a child and his uncle on a journey through the New Zealand wilderness.
• I Am Big Bird is a 2015 film about Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer responsible for creating Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.
• Lady Bird is a 2017 film by director Greta Gerwig starring Saoirse Ronan in a Golden Globe winning performance as a teen struggling with her mother in her last year of high school.
• Midsommar is a 2019 horror film about an American couple who attend a Swedish festival that hides a sinister secret.

-Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey has become the gold standard of period dramas. For many people, nothing will ever compare and though it ran for 6 series (we call them seasons on this side of the pond) and ended in 2015, Downton Abbey is still incredibly popular. Created by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey was co-produced by Carnival Films and Masterpiece. Episodes aired on ITV in the United Kingdom first and then after a series ended it aired on PBS in America.  

Why is Downton Abbey still so popular you may ask? There are many reasons: compelling characters and storylines, amazing scenery, amazing costumes, incredible writing...the list goes on. Downton Abbey follows the Crawley family, the hereditary Earls of Grantham, and their servants from the period between 1912 and 1925.

As part of the backstory, the main character, Robert, Earl of Grantham, had married an American heiress, Cora Levinson, to resolve past financial difficulties. Her considerable dowry was contractually incorporated into the comital entail in perpetuity. Basically that means that only a male heir can inherit the title and Cora's dowry can only be passed on to said male heir. The bad news is that Robert and Cora have 3 daughters and no sons. The oldest daughter, Mary, was to marry her second-cousin Patrick, second-in-line to the title. More bad news, the series starts with the Crawley family finding out that Patrick and his father James (first-in-line to the title) perished during an ill fated ocean voyage. Maybe you've heard of it? The ship was called the RMS Titanic.

(I wonder if Rose and Patrick were acquainted?)

For six seasons the lives of all those living at Downton Abbey are affected by historical events that took place during 1912 to 1925. Starting with the sinking of the Titanic, the Crawley's also experience the First World War, the Spanish influenza pandemic, and the Irish War of Independence, to name a few. Throughout all of this, we see the rise of the working class and the decline of the British Aristocracy. The Crawleys, and their servants, struggle to cope with the changing dynamics of the world around them.

The cast is truly amazing and, in my opinion, Maggie Smith shines the brightest as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Her acerbic wit and one-line zingers often bring some much needed levity to some of the more dour storylines. Nobody does disapproving facial expressions like the Dowager Countess of Grantham. 

If you haven't watched Downton Abbey, sit down with a cup of tea and give it a try. It is truly a masterpiece (see what I did there?). If you have a yen to travel to England, the real Downton Abbey is called Highclere Castle located in North Hampshire, and was used for exterior shots and most of the interior filming. If you are already a fan and wish to read more about Downton Abbey, here is a handy list of books you can check-out from Carnegie-Stout.  

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Boardwalk Empire

Period dramas can be an entertaining mix of historical facts and popular folklore. Writers of these historical dramas have a way of sparking a viewer’s interest in history that a dry textbook doesn’t. Boardwalk Empire is definitely one of those shows if you are a history enthusiast like myself. It is fascinating how the show’s creator and writers recreate a period piece to tell this type of story.

The show is set in the Prohibition Era and takes you inside the criminal underworld in Atlantic City. Boardwalk Empire is centered around the life of Nucky Thompson. His character is based on real life 1920s New Jersey political figure Enoch Lewis “Nucky” Johnson and his colleagues and rivals.

The inner conflicts of each character help the viewer get a glimpse of what life was like on both sides of the law. There are the criminals and there is the law, and even some law enforcement could not resist the temptation of booze. The conflict between the characters gives momentum to the story line in each episode and builds all the way to the final season.

This show has elements meant for a mature audience: sex, crime, scandals, and violence. Yet the story cannot be fully understood nor effective without them. In my opinion, if there were a “watered down” version of this show, it would not have lasted five seasons.

From the cinematic scenes to the finely recreated sets, the cast and crew bring the historic Atlantic City to life. This series is so compelling that you cannot get away from your TV. So, get your snacks and put on your comfortable clothes because this show is a must-see!

-Alanda, Circulation

Bingeworthy TV: The Sopranos

The Sopranos and The Wire often butt heads for first place for best-ever TV drama. I just finished watching The Sopranos -- over several months. You could binge-watch it but you might lose the will to live.

Not that The Sopranos isn't good; it's excellent, but, wow, can it be intense. The seven-season show offers a bird's-eye view of one Mafia family, headed by Tony Soprano, played by the late actor James Gandolfini, who manages to imbue the role with equal measures of sensitivity and boorishness, quick intelligence and thick-headedness.

Tony is a thug, a racketeer, an extortionist, and a cold-blooded killer, but he loves his wife and kids (he also loves animals). His love of family doesn't stop him from sleeping with an endless stream of  women or brutally offing relatives who've strayed from true north. He's in therapy about all this, a secret he prefers his mob associates not know.

The real beauty of the show lies in its huge cast of characters and their unfolding lives over time -- Tony's henchmen, their families, Tony's own extended family, competing crime families, and a revolving door of comers and goers (the latter often exit in pieces). Performances are great across the board.


I liked the domestic subplots the best, involving mob children growing up and independent (or not) and sympathetic mob wives and girlfriends who love their thugs and their church and the pope. The women lunch, they shop, they refuse to face the fact that their lives are entirely subsidized by blood money; all the while their men wreak holy havoc like outlaws in the Wild West except it's today and this is New Jersey.

~Ann, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Jessica Jones

There are a lot of television shows based on comic books these days, and it often feels overwhelming to try to keep up with them all (even before you consider the movies and comics...). I'm happy to say that you can watch and enjoy Jessica Jones without watching any other Netflix or Marvel TV series. You certainly shouldn't feel any pressure to read Brian Michael Bendis's comics that introduced the character, as the entire story has been altered, updated, and, in my opinion, improved.

This is not a series for young viewers. Bendis's original comic was part of an effort to break out of the restrictions imposed by the Comics Code Authority, and the TV series includes sex, violence, sexual violence, drug use, swearing, and alcohol abuse. When I read the comics, they often felt sexist and dated in a way that left me uncomfortable. In comparison, the TV series is an exploration of abuse, recovery, and revenge that feels very real.

Jessica Jones stars Krysten Ritter as the title character. Jessica gained superpowers in a tragic childhood accident, and as a young adult she was inspired to use those powers to help others. Unfortunately, this brought her to the attention of a manipulative, superpowered villain who abused and broke her.

Jessica copes with her trauma in unhealthy ways, primarily by drinking too much and isolating herself. Instead of a flashy career as a superhero, she uses her skills as a Private Eye, though she can't resist helping those in need. When a case suddenly provides a clue that might allow her to bring down the villain who hurt her, Jessica suddenly has a new and dangerous focus.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Call the Midwife

Recently I've needed a gentle, upbeat escape in the evenings, so I started watching Call the Midwife. This historical drama about a team of young nurse midwives and Angelican nuns in the late 1950s takes its inspiration from the memoirs of Jennifer Worth. Worth served as a nurse midwife in an impoverished neighborhood in London's East End where she encountered both great hardships and a supportive community.

The characters do face enormous challenges. Pregnancy and childbirth still pose a medical danger to this day, but sixty years ago there were even more unknowns and fewer medical interventions possible. One of the most frequent tasks undertaken by the midwives in this program is to visit the homes of expectant mothers and ensure that the environment is suitable for giving birth. It's only in later seasons that hospital births become an option.

A good part of the optimism and good cheer of Call the Midwife comes from the fact that the characters are taking an active part in improving the health care for their patients. There are frequent reminders of just how much more grim things were a generation ago (even without taking the Blitz into consideration). New tools, new techniques, better hygiene, cutting edge medicines, and a talented and dedicated staff all work together to create a better chance for happy endings in each episode.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Staff Review: "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by Maurene Goo

If you're looking for a fun, romantic read for Valentine's Day, I suggest you check out I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo. This book is a sweet and goofy look at first love that will remind readers of the fun of watching a romantic comedy, and anyone who loves k-dramas is in for a special treat.

To call 17-year-old Desi Lee a perfectionist is putting things mildly. Desi's mother died when she was very young, and her father was devastated. Desi dedicated herself to being the perfect daughter, excelling in school, in soccer, and helping out at home. Everything about her life is on track, and it seems inevitable that Desi will finish high school and head to Stanford, her mother's alma mater, where she will become a doctor, like her mother. The one blemish in Desi's perfect life is the fact that she is a devastating failure in the romance department.

Not only has Desi never had a boyfriend (or a first kiss), every time she gets even close to the possibility of maybe having a romantic encounter with a boy she likes, she goes down in flames. For example, when she meets the incredibly hot new transfer student, Desi's pants literally fall off. Despite this incredibly cringe-worthy first meeting, Desi is not one to give up. Instead she resolves to overcome her romantic failures and win her crush's heart, taking inspiration from her Korean-immigrant father's favorite television shows.

If you are a k-drama fan, you'll love all of the references to familiar shows. If you haven't seen a k-drama, you're likely to walk away from I Believe in a Thing Called Love wanting to watch one. K-dramas, or Korean dramas, are a specific style of Korean television series similar in some ways to telenovelas. They often have a heavy focus on a romantic plot and typically last for only a single season of 10-20 episodes (though some series last for much longer and some are only one or two episodes long). I highly recommend flipping to the end of the book where there's a list of recommended k-dramas that you can stream (subtitled) through various online services.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Law & Order:SVU

Binge on Law & Order: SVU? Are you crazy? That show is intense and sad*. Well, I had a vacation week and I didn't go anywhere. USA was running a Law & Order: SVU marathon and I swear I spent nearly three days just watching episode after episode. With 19 seasons of SVU, there is a lot of material to choose from. Here is the thing: it really doesn't matter if you watch the episodes in order.  The show has had some character turnover, but the one constant is Olivia Benson.

There are over 400 episodes available. You could conceivably watch SVU for 19 days straight (if you wanted to forego sleep and food and fry your brain). So go ahead, binge on SVU. You know you want to!

*Disclaimer:  SVU stands for "Special Victims Unit".  This show deals with sex crimes of all types and has very adult themes. 

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Broadchurch

The British crime drama Broadchurch has an impressive cast of talented actors, and viewers are likely to recognize several faces including David Tennant and Olivia Colman, who play the main investigators. The series is set in a fictional coastal town of Broadchurch whose small community is rocked by the murder of an 11-year-old boy.

Ellie Miller (Colman) has recently returned from a family vacation to discover that she's been passed over for promotion in favor of Alec Hardy (Tennant), an outsider with a poor reputation. So tensions are already high when Danny Latimer's body is discovered. The ensuing investigation uncovers painful secrets and divides the town.

Broadchurch is an incredibly tense and rather depressing series, so the use of striking natural visuals (and occasional bits of humor) helped greatly. After the emotional roller coaster of the first season, it took me some time before I was able to pick up the second season, which delves into the trail of Danny's murderer. And while it's hard to revisit these characters and their pain, the compelling storytelling provides a rewarding experience.

~Sarah, Adult Services