Are you excited about The Avengers movie?

Joss Whedon directed and co-wrote the new avengers movie, coming out May 4. Maybe you're already familiar with his work. He's pretty well-known for being the creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", first a movie and then a hit tv show, and its spin-off series, "Angel". But did you know he also co-wrote the screenplay for Toy Story? Or that he was the writer and director of the movie Serenity, based on his own much-loved but short-lived tv show "Firefly"? He also created the television series "Dollhouse" as well as the online sensation "Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog". All these items are available through the Washington County Cooperative- check them out today, and see what all the buzz is about! 

New Non-Fiction DVDs

Lucky: If money can't buy happiness, can winning the lottery come close?
DVD 795.3809 LUC

Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
DVD 356.162 SNI

The President's Book of Secrets
DVD 323.448 PRE

Quirky Westerns

Are you looking for a good western, but want something a little different, a little off the beaten path? Check out these DVDs!

A hardened American gunslinger is repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to mount a showdown in a friendly town in Canada where no one seems to understand or appreciate the brutal code of the American Wild West. An action-comedy-drama.

Five hundred years in the future, a renegrade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the galaxy. Horses, cattle, rifles, and desert landscapes all make an appearance in this short-lived but immensely popular "space western" science fiction series. Action drama with a lot of humor.

A Polish rabbi wanders through the Old West on his way to lead a synogogue in San Francisco. On his way, he meets up with a bank robber and hijinks ensue. Comedy.

New DVDs in Blu-Ray too!

War and combat

War
Junger, Sebastian

Sebastian Junger spent a total of 15 months in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan with platoon infantry. This is one of the most dangerous places in the Afghan war. Filming and living with the soldiers Junger explores the psychology of combat and how men react in battle and how they can become addicted to it.

Restrepo

Filmmakers: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington

Based on Junger's book War, this Oscar nominated documentary focuses on the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. the movie follows a 15 man outpost considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. An entirely experiential film the cameras never leave the valley and no interviews are conducted with generals or diplomats.

Doctor Who?

Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television show that orignially ran from 1963-1989, and was successfully re-started in 2005. The show is hugely popular world-wide, and it's in the Guiness Book of World Records as the longest running science-fiction tv show in the world. If you want to check out the most recent Doctors, here they are:

Doctor Who: The Complete First Series

The ninth incarnation of the Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston, meets Rose Tyler (Billie Piper).

Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series

The tenth doctor (David Tennant) continues the series with Rose Tyler,

and is joined by other companions as well.

Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series

Matt Smith takes over the role of the Doctor, playing the eleventh incarnation. He's joined in his adventures by Amy Pond (Karen Gillan).

Handmade history

The Peabody Award winning PBS documentary series Craft In America offers us the opportunity to reflect on two centuries in which Americans have created beautiful, utilitarian objects by hand. Season 1 explores the history and significance of craft in the United States, focusing on the artist's relationship with the natural world, and the social, emotional connection. And, season 2 continues the journey focusing on those who have discovered craft later in life.

The companion book to the series is entitled, Craft in America: Celebrating Two Centuries of Artists and Objects

New DVDs (on Blu-Ray too!)

Secretariat
Behind every legend lies an impossible dream. Witness the spectacular journey of an incredible horse named Secretariat and the moving story of his unlikely owner, a housewife who risked everything to make him a champion.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest

The final installment of Steig Larsson's 'Millennium' triology. Lisbeth Salander is fighting for her life in more ways than one.

Red

Frank is a former black-ops CIA agent living a quiet life alone, until the day a hit squad shows up to kill him.

New Christmas DVDs

The 12 Dogs of Christmas

J DVD 12

Upon being sent to live with her aunt in the small town of Doverville, 12-year-old Emma finds herself in the middle of a 'dog-fight' with the Mayor and the town dogcatcher. In order to strike down their 'no-dogs' law, Emma must bring together a group of schoolmates, grown-ups and adorable dogs of all shapes and sizes in a spectacular holiday pageant.

A Golden Christmas: A Tail of Puppy Love

J DVD Golden

After a magical summer together, a nine-year-old boy whispers his heart's desire into the ear of his best friend. With a loyal, Golden Retriever by their side, the boy and girl bury a time capsule of keepsakes -- then go their seperate ways. Years later, looking for a fresh start, a man and woman each return to the place they felt most at home as a child. Can a certain dog lead them home again?

Marie's Favorite Film Pics

Over the years we have been offered film recommendations from such great film reviewers as Leonard Maltin, Jeffrey Lyons, Joel Siegel, and Portland's own Shawn Levy, among others.

When we have conversations with friends about movies, invariably everyone will come up with a few movies that they can't wait to share with you. That is how I've discovered some of my favorite movies.

Well it is now my turn to share with you some of my film favorites for you to enjoy for the first time or revist if you have already seen them.

Gather friends and family along with your favorite movie snacks and enjoy!

Enchanted April DVD (1992).

This is a delightful drama that tells the tale of 4 unhappy British women who need to escape their stifling lines in London in the 1920's. They decide to rent a quaint castle by the sea in Italy for the month of April. During their stay the place works its magic on everyone as they fall under its romantic spell and the women learn much about themselves and their relationships.

The "enchanting" Italian settings in Portofino, Liguria, Castello Brown, and Genoa cast a spell over those who view the film. They sure made me feel like I was there.

Moonstruck. DVD (1987)

In Moonstruck, Loretta Castorini, a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30's, decides that it is time to marry again and accepts a proposal from a nice, middle-aged man named Johnny Cammareri. (Her first marriage ended when her husband passed on and she is convinced she was cursed because theygot married in City Hall instead of in a church.)

The story gets interesting when her fiance goes to Italy to see his controlling mother who is "again" on her deathbed. Before he leaves he asks Loretta to visit his estranged brother to invite him to their wedding.

The meeting of Loretta and Johnny Cammareri sets off all kinds of sparks

and the complications that follow will keep you laughing and

wanting more.

For fans of this movie, lines like: "Johnny Cammareri!!!!!" and "Snap out

of it?" and "When you love them they drive you crazy because they know

they can." and "A bride without a head! A wolf without a foot!" and "Birds fly

to the stars - I guess.", along with many others bring back fond memories of

this movie.

Whales of August. DVD (1987)

For those who have never seen the following 3 great film actors, Betty Davis, Lillian Gish and Vincent Price, the Whales of August is a great introduction.

This relatively unknown film is set in the summer in Maine in a seaside home where two elderly widowed sisters have spent there summers for 50 years.

Libby is blind and hard to live with and Sarah is her very devoted sister.

Enter an aging count who tries to sweep Sarah off her feet. Unfortunatley

jealous Libby sabotages the romance.

The theme of whether Sarah should sell the summer cottage and find a

place for Libby to live out the rest of her life weaves its way through the film.

The interior details of the old cottage, the sounds of the wildlife,

the sun shimmering off the water, and the amazing interactions

between the characters draws one into this little slice of life.

Enjoy!

Great Courses on DVD from the Teaching Company

The Teaching Company brings engaging professors into your home through courses on DVD and other formats. Since 1990, great teachers from the Ivy League, Stanford, Georgetown, and other leading colleges and universities have crafted over 250 courses for lifelong learners like you. It's the adventure of learning without the homework or exams.

These DVDs just added to our collection:

Art across the Ages is a mind-broadening survey of Western visual art designed to familiarize you with its basic history, acquaint you with major artists and styles, and provide you with a broad foundation for deeper exploration. (4 parts)

In A Brief History of the World, you'll survey the expanse of human development and civilization across the globe. (3 parts)

Classical Mythology is an introduction to the primary characters and most important stories of classical Greek and Roman mythology. (2 parts)

Greek Tragedy - Professor Vandiver has designed these lectures to give you a full overview of Greek tragedy, both in its original setting and as a lasting contribution to the artistic exploration of the human condition. (2 parts)

New Blu-rays at the Beaverton City Library

DUPLICITY

Two sexy spies turned corporate operatives attempt to pull off one of the biggest heists ever. As the stakes rise in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, they'll put everything on the line to remain one double-cross ahead of the rest.

EASY VIRTUE

A young Englishman falls madly in love with a sexy, glamorous American woman, and marries her impulsively. When he takes her to the family home, his mother takes an instant disliking to her and undermines her every move. Will their love be in danger of slipping away?

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

A committed bachelor who thinks nothing of breaking up with several women on a conference call is visited by the ghosts of his former jilted girlfriends, who take him on a hilarious adventure through his failed relationships - past, present, and future.

SUNSHINE CLEANING

Trying to better her financial situation, a single mother starts a crime scene cleaning business and asks her unreliable sister to join her. Together they clean up the deadly messes left by others, and deal with the messes in their own lives as well.

New Foreign Film DVDs at the Beaverton City Library

BREATHLESS (FRENCH)
A Paris crook falls in love with an American. One of the first films of the French New Wave.






SILENT LIGHT (GERMAN)
In a Mennonite community in Mexico, a man betrays his family by having an affair with another woman, which changes the course of events with both his wife and his mistress.




TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS (ITALIAN)
A little boy breaks his precious pair of clogs, which he needs for his long trek to school. Desperate for wood to make a new pair, his father sneaks into a prized grove in their small village. When he is caught, the unfeeling, rich landlord punishes him.



AT THE BEGINNING OF GLORIOUS DAYS (RUSSIAN)
After great losses in the 17th century, Russia must try to capture a shipyard in order to gain a foothold in foreign trade once again. Now Peter must return to Russia to stop the rebellion started by his own sister.

Travel DVDs - New to the Beaverton City Library

Alaska Globe Trekker
Ian Wright begins his journey on the banks of the Yukon River in the town of Eagle, then travels to the town of Chicken, pans for gold, then north to Kennicott and McCarthy. The next leg of his journey takes Ian to Prince William Sound, Seward and more.


Return to the Amazon
After twenty-five years Jean-Michel Cousteau returns to the Amazon and revisited areas he'd explored with his father, Jacques Cousteau. Deforestation, population shifts and burgeoning cities have taken their toll on the area but so have numerous efforts to protect the rainforests, wildlife and indigenous people. The ecology of this one river has global consequences.

Ancient Egypt
Uncover the secrets of Ancient Egypt's visionary pharaohs, engineers, and architects who created some of the finest monuments the world has ever seen. On-location footage and computer modeling recreate architectural landmarks that continue to enthrall and inspire.


Rick Steve’s Travel DVDs:

- European Travel Skills & Specials
- Greece & Turkey
- Spain & Portugal

New Exercise DVDs at the Beaverton City Library

10 Minute Solution: Dance Off Belly Fat

Designed to help viewers shrink their waistline in the minimum amount of time, this workout program uses a series of dance inspired segments to offer belly-fat burning results in just 10 minutes.




10 Minute Solution: Quick Tummy Toners

Fitness expert Jessica Smith leads the viewer through five different ten minute workouts each designed to flatten, tone, and strengthen the abdominal area.





10 Minute Solution: Dance off Fat Fast
Designed to allow the busiest people enough time to get in shape and have fun along the way, this program offers five separate workouts, all only 10 minutes in length. Featuring dance fitness expert Leah Sarago, each segment conditions the cardiovascular system and burns calories while incorporating dance.

8 Min Core Workouts: Abs, Arms, Thighs, Buns and Stretch

Presented in the signature ":08 min" fitness format, this DVD allows viewers to choose either beginner, intermediate, or advanced skill levels and begin toning their body straight away. For anyone who has ever wanted to try Pilates or yoga but have been too intimidated to make the effort, this is the ideal introduction to both forms of exercise.

Scenic National Parks on Blu-ray

Scenic National Parks takes you off the beaten path to discover untamed places, unique wildlife, and invigorating activities.

Grand Canyon

Yellowstone

Yosemite

Alaska & Hawaii

Brat Pack Movies

Remember big hair? Cyndi Lauper songs?
It must be the 80's!

Brat Pack movies are timeless reminders of friends, coming of age, great soundtracks, and of course, teen angst.

The Outsiders

Class
Sixteen Candles
Oxford Blues
The Breakfast Club

St. Elmo's Fire
Pretty in Pink
Blue City
About Last Night...
Wisdom
Betsy's Wedding