From the Film Vault
New on DVD: Margin Call (2011)
First-time features don’t get a whole lot more assured than Margin Call, an incisive, biting look at the Wall Street mindset and machinations that led to our current economic doldrums.
Program Notes: Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Prior to 1989’s Crimes and Misdemeanors, Woody Allen tended to be either hilarious or dour, but neither at the same time. But he achieved a precarious, breathtaking balance in Crimes...
Program Notes: The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Hollywood has a long history of movies about aliens who come to Earth bent on conquest. But how do you fight an alien germ? That’s the question posed by The Andromeda Strain, Robert Wise’s nail-biter adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel.
And the Nominees Are...
With the announcement of the 2012 Academy Award nominations, movie lovers have just one month to see all the nominated films before the big day. The Kansas City Public Library is on the case!
Program Notes: The Sand Pebbles (1966)
Robert Wise wasn’t a “personal” filmmaker. Instead, he was a journeyman director who brought insight and competence to almost every genre. But if there is a truly personal film on his resume, it is The Sand Pebbles.
