Grand Canyon or Bust!

My family and I drove the 3,200 miles to the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona and back in eight days. Almost four days were spent in a rented Chevy SUV because we wanted to see the West from a car window. We planned our trip using the Chicago Public Library's rich collection of Southwest U.S. travel books such…
View More about Grand Canyon or Bust!

American Presidents on DVD

In February, we celebrate President's Day as a national holiday. Much has been written and recorded about our chief executives, especially on film. Throughout American history, our presidents were in the forefront of issues facing our nation. Founding Fathers (2000 TV-Mini-Series), with a cast including Brian Dennehy as George Washington, James Woods as John Adams…
View More about American Presidents on DVD

Photogenic Chicago: Hollywood and the “Windy City”

Chicago has always been considered one of the most photogenic cities in the world. Hollywood movie producers have utilized the city's scenic assets (e.g. the sparkling lakefront, the awesome skyline, the gritty industrial sites, the diverse neighborhoods, etc.) on numerous occasions as background and as part of a film's content. Many movies shot wholly or in…
View More about Photogenic Chicago: Hollywood and the “Windy City”

Film Noir: Playing in Shadows

    Film noir is a style of black-and-white movies that first appeared in the early 1940s. The term film noir (literally "black film") was initially used by French film critics to describe and comment on the dark, downbeat looks and themes of many of the American crime movies released in French theaters following World War…
View More about Film Noir: Playing in Shadows

Some Chilling Euro-Horror Movies

   After World War II, the horror film genre was nearly dead.  Hollywood was producing comedic satires of movie monsters like “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” and dozens of nuclear-fused, giant bug and outer space films. Beginning in the late 1950s, British, Italian and French movie makers delved into fresh re-workings and re-imaginings of the gothic…
View More about Some Chilling Euro-Horror Movies
1 - 8 of 8