Fresh in from the Book Shop

Print is dead, long live print : the world's best independent magazines

Ruth Jamieson.

050 JAM  

While magazines such as Spin and The Face have disappeared from newsstands and mailboxes, there has been an explosion of independent, creatively led magazines that are currently shaping the future of print. Non-traditional periodicals with names like Boneshaker, Lucky Peach, Anorak, WRAP and Kinfolk are taking their places on shelves and coffee tables everywhere. Print is Dead. Long Live Print is an eye-opening look into the fascinating field of independent print journalism, showcasing over 50 examples of innovative magazines from around the globe. The book divides the magazines into genres, including art and culture, travel, sports and style. Each periodical is represented by selected spreads and newly commissioned photography, along with a brief introductory text. Interviews with editors, art directors and founders from each magazine offer background information as well as insight into why they decided to start their publications and the challenges they face. A directory at the back lists dozens more magazines worth investigating. This paean to the printed word is filled with creativity and innovation as well as hope for the future of print media.

 

Postdigital artisans : craftsmanship with a new aesthetic in fashion, art, design and architecture

Jonathan Openshaw.

700.105 OPE  

Digital technology now mediates much of our interaction with the world, and a vast majority of the images that we absorb daily come through a screen. The digital comes with its own aesthetic framework that cannot help but colour our experience of the world, and change our expectations of the objects that surround us. As the digital becomes ever more pervasive however, there is also a return to physical experiences that technology cannot satisfy. This is true across sectors, from immersive theatre to vinyl records, and although digital will undoubtedly dominate our future, there are pockets of resistance. This book will look at contemporary artisans who are deeply influenced by the digital world in which we live, but who reject processes such as 3D printing as a final output. Inspired by the internet and a screen-based aesthetic, they choose to craft things by hand, rendering a postdigital mindset in tactile materials, such as metal, glass and wood. It represents a return to the physical in the digital age.

 

Drawing and painting : materials and techniques for contemporary artists

Kate Wilson.

751 WIL  

Bursting with practical techniques, engaging artist profiles and inspirational galleries, Drawing & Painting combines an authoritative category killer approach with a contemporary aesthetic guaranteed to appeal to all artists. The books up-to-date approach is a far cry from the dry instructions and dated artwork that feature in more traditional art books. In contrast to other, largely project-orientated titles, Drawing & Painting places the emphasis on the techniques themselves, encompassing drawing, sketching and a range of painting styles. Covering everything from pen and ink to oils and acrylics, specially commissioned photography and artwork accompanies step-by-step techniques, while profiles of contemporary artists provide insight into various working methods, materials and techniques. Acknowledging the growing interest in digital tools as a medium, information is provided throughout the book on how effects can be created using Smart Pens, tablets and apps.

China through the looking glass

Andrew Bolton, Harold Koda, Homay King, Mei Mei Rado, Wong Kar-wai.

391.00951 BOL  

For centuries, China's export arts-jade, silks, porcelains, and, more recently, cinema-have fueled Western fantasies of an exotic East and served as enduring sources of inspiration for fashion. This stunning publication explores the influence of Chinese aesthetics on designers, including Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, Alexander McQueen, and Yves Saint Laurent. Drawing upon Chinese decorative arts, cinema, and costume-notably imperial court robes, the close-fitting cheongsam, and the unisex Mao suit-their designs are fantastical pastiches of anachronistic motifs. As in the game of "telephone," the process of cultural translation transforms the source material into ingeniously original fashions that are products solely of the designers' imaginations. In a similar way, contemporary Chinese film directors render fanciful, highly stylized evocations of various epochs in China's history-demonstrating that China's imagery is equally seductive to artists in the East and further inspiring today's designers. Juxtaposing modern fashions and film stills with their forebears in fine and decorative arts and historical dress, this book reveals the rich and ongoing creative dialogue between East and West, past and present.

Aspects of promotion for Fashion

Mastering fashion buying and merchandising management

Tim Jackson and David Shaw.

391.00688 JAC  

The first academic textbook covering European retail fashion buying and merchandising. It provides a unique insight into best practice across the fashion industry. - Covering design, marketing, sourcing, negotiation, range planning, supply chain and stock management, it clearly integrates current operational practice with theory. - This, combined with a thorough explanation of careers, makes it a key text as it provides an important reference source for existing practitioners, as well as being vital for students, new entrants and those seeking a career change into buying and merchandising.

Fashion, media, promotion : the new black magic

Jayne Sheridan.

391.00688 SHE  

In Fashion, Media, Promotion: the new black magic Fashion is linked to its communication networks - involving the reader in the process of selling Fashion in the global marketplace. Fashion's ingenuity in adapting to new means of promotion for digital and print media, websites, advertising, cinema, music and television, is celebrated. * Hollywood's role in shaping Fashion's influence is assessed through Audrey Hepburn's persuasive iconography and the impact of the most watched movie of the 20th century: Gone with the Wind. * Exceptional designers Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Rei Kawakubo, Mary Quant, Elsa Schiaparelli, Vivienne Westwood are considered, together with extraordinary innovators Paul Smith, Vidal Sassoon, Lynne Franks. * Roland Barthes' Fashion System and Mythologies are viewed as cultural and promotional texts, with revealing insights into the technologies which bring Fashion to mass audiences. * Marketing and branding successes are reviewed and Fashion's continuing narrative is illustrated with luminous colour images.

 

Luxury world : the past, present and future of luxury brands

Mark Tungate.

658.827 TUN  

The word 'luxury' has almost lost its meaning. Once used to describe genuinely prestigious products or places, the concept of luxury has been hijacked by a multitude of aspiring or overpriced commodities, from foot spas to chocolates. So what is real luxury? Which are the genuine luxury brands, and how have they reacted to the rise of the 'mass luxury' sector? What strategies do they use to lift themselves into the realm of the truly elite? Who are their customers - and what kind of lives do these remarkable people lead? How do luxury brands attract and retain them? And above all, where can the industry turn now excess is out of fashion? With wit, accuracy and insatiable curiosity, "Luxury World" takes us on a voyage around the luxury universe, slipping behind the facades of the world's most sophisticated businesses to show the reader how they function. Among other destinations, best-selling author Mark Tungate visits Swiss watchmakers, the Champagne houses of France, the diamond district of Antwerp, the luxury enclave of Monte Carlo, the discreet ateliers of the last craftsmen and a host of brands in Paris - the self-proclaimed capital of elegance. Along the way, he uncovers the true face of today's luxury industry.

Contagious : how to build word of mouth in the digital age

Jonah Berger.

659.133 BER  

Why are some products and ideas talked about more than others? Why do some articles make the most emailed list? Why do some YouTube videos go viral? Word-of-mouth. Whether through face-to-face conversations, emails from friends, or online product reviews, the information and opinions we get from others have a strong impact on our own behaviour. Indeed, word-of-mouth generates more than two times the sales of paid advertising and is the primary factor behind 20-50% of all purchasing decisions.It is between 8.5 and 30 times more effective than traditional media.But want to know the best thing about word-of-mouth? It's available to everyone.Whether you're a Fortune 500 company trying to increase sales, a corner restaurant trying to raise awareness, a non-profit trying to fight obesity, or a newbie politician running for city council, word-of-mouth can help you succeed. And you don't have to have millions of dollars to spend on an advertising budget. You just have to get people to talk.The challenge, though, is how to do that. This book will show you how.

Decoded : the science behind why we buy

Phil Barden ; foreword by Rory Sutherland.

658.8342 BAR 

In this groundbreaking book Phil Barden reveals what decision science explains about people s purchase behaviour, and specifically demonstrates its value to marketing. He shares the latest research on the motivations behind consumers choices and what happens in the human brain as buyers make their decisions. He deciphers the secret codes of products, services and brands to explain why people buy them. And finally he shows how to apply this knowledge in day to day marketing to great effect by dramatically improving key factors such as relevance, differentiation and credibility. * Shows how the latest insights from the fields of Behavioural Economics, psychology and neuro-economics explain why we buy what we buy * Offers a pragmatic framework and guidelines for day-to-day marketing practice on how to employ this knowledge for more effective brand management - from strategy to implementation and NPD. * The first book to apply Daniel Kahneman s Nobel Prize-winning work to marketing and advertising * Packed with case studies, this is a must-read for marketers, advertising professionals, web designers, R&D managers, industrial designers, graphic designers in fact anyone whose role or interest focuses on the why behind consumer behaviour. * Foreword by Rory Sutherland, Executive Creative Director and Vice-Chairman, OgilvyOne London and Vice-Chairman,Ogilvy Group UK * Full colour throughout

New books to get you inspired by the Swinging Sixties.

Swinging Britain : fashion in the 1960s

Mark Armstrong.

391.009046 ARM  

Travel back in time to the era when Carnaby Street led the world, a golden age of youthful innovation and exhilarating pop culture, and a fashion scene that defined a generation. The 1960s was one of the most exciting fashion decades of the twentieth century, during which British pop and youth culture gave birth to styles that would set international trends. This book reveals how the sweeping social changes of the 1960s affected the British look, how designers and entrepreneurs such as Mary Quant and John Stephen made London the fashion city of the decade, and the influence of public figures such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Cathy McGowan, Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton on the national identity of a country finally recovering from a prolonged period of austerity.

Gear guide : [hip-pocket guide to Britain's swinging fashion scene]

by David Johnson and Roger Dunkley ; drawings and design by Julia Stone ; photographs by Bob Baker.

 391.009046 JOH  

This 'hip pocket guide to Britain's swinging fashion scene', gives a charming and now quite humorous look back at the emergence of London as a major player in the world of style during the 1960s. Opening with an informative and entertaining chapter exploring how the trend began and developed, it lists the most with-it Carnaby St boutiques and looks forward to the fashions of the future.

The swinging sixties : 

an iconic decade in pictures.

391.009046 SWI  

The Swinging Sixties was the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in Great Britain during the 1960s, with 'Swinging London' as the hip capital. The predominantly youth-orientated phenomenon emphasised all that was new and modern in a period of optimism and hedonism after the austerity of the post-war years, while some fashions harked back to the flourishes of the Edwardian era. Fashion designers experimented with new materials and styles and trendy photographers such as David Bailey snapped evocative images of sultry models. This was the decade that saw the emergence of The Beatles, and very British pop bands such as The Who, The Kinks and The Dave Clark Five. This book takes a look back at the fashions, music and lifestyles of this vibrant decade in almost 400 photographs hand-pickes from the archives of Mirrorpix.

Foale and Tuffin : the sixties : a decade in fashion

Iain R. Webb.

391.009046 WEB  

Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin were two bolshy girls who just did it. After meeting at Walthamstow Art School in 1955 and then studying together at the Royal College of Art, they embarked on a trailblazing career in fashion lasting throughout the 1960s, until their partnership came to an end in 1972. Quirky, youthful creativity, acute sensitivity to the latest moods and trends, expert craftsmanship, and a little Swinging Sixties good fortune placed them at the hub of the cultural explosion in London that defined the era. Their boutique off Carnaby Street was at the epicentre of the new fashion scene. Suddenly, David Bailey was photographing their outfits for Vogue, Cathy MacGowan was wearing them on Ready, Steady, Go!, and they were jetting around America as part of the ground-breaking Youthquake tour. Through detailed interviews with Foale and Tuffin themselves, exclusive access to their personal archives, and contributions from an extraordinary array of figures from the fashion, art and cultural scenes of the 1960s, 70s and beyond, Iain R. Webb builds a fascinating picture of the time, throwing new light on how fashion and business underwent a period of unprecedented change. It was a period of cross-pollination in art, music and fashion, of entrepreneurial and cultural innovation. Contributors include Manolo Blahnik, Sir Terence Conran, Felicity Green, Barbara Hulanicki, Caterine Milinaire, Janet Street Porter, Mary Quant and Jean Shrimpton. The narrative of the "Foale and Tuffin" story perfectly traces the decade from its groovy, optimistic beginnings, when the two embryonic fashion designers blithely set up shop in 1961, to its crash-and-burn finale, as Sixties sanguinity melted away into a hangover of Seventies cynicism, masked as it was with the distraction of fancy-dress escapism.

Fab gear : the Beatles and fashion

Paolo Hewitt.

391.009046 HEW  

The Beatles knew how much image mattered in the 1960s, and whether it was Nehru jackets, skinny ties, granny glasses, or the Cuban heel boot-if John, Paul, George, or Ringo wore it, the rest of their millions of fans followed. Renowned music and fashion author Paolo Hewitt takes readers on a fashion tour of the Beatles' career and the trends they co-opted. From their Hamburg debut in sunglasses, leather, and black sweaters to the conservative suits they were ordered to wear by their manager Brian Epstein; from their infatuation with Pierre Cardin's collarless jackets to their more casual corduroy; from their Mod madness to psychedelic spaciness to faux-military attire to hippy-chic-each style is revealed as a reflection of the music they made and the world views they embraced. Filled with fabulous photographs and with an appealing retro feel, the book features numerous images, many of which have never been published before. It offers insights into how the band's meteoric rise and enduring success shaped their fashion choices. There's even a chapter devoted to their hairstyles. Fans of all ages, as well as anyone interested in fashion, will be enthralled with this first ever Beatles stylebook that proves the Fab Four were as timely as they were timeless.

 

The day of the peacock : style for men, 1963-1973

Geoffrey Aquilina Ross.

391.109046 ROS 

In the 1960s men's fashion witnessed an extraordinary rebirth that led to lasting social, cultural and commercial change - what media commentators came to coin the Peacock Revolution. "The Day of the Peacock" takes a fascinating look at the shops, celebrity photographers, tailors and fashionable dressers who made up the scene - all illustrated with photographs, outfits and ephemera drawn from the V&A's superb archives. Broad in range and scope, and neatly evoking the 60s atmosphere of optimism and opportunity, the author looks at the era's most dashing figures - including John Stephen, Tommy Nutter, Cecil Beaton,Mick Jagger and Patrick Lichfield - and discusses such iconic shops as Granny takes a Trip, Blades, Hung on You and Mr Fish. This richly illustrated personal memoir evokes a definitive break from the past - from a time when one could invariably guess a man's occupation from how he dressed, to a time when a man might make dressing himself his occupation.

1960s fashion print : a sourcebook

Marnie Fogg.

391.009046 FOG 

A sourcebook of 1960s fashion print - the apogee of fashion print - that will be the inspiration for designers for years to come. The creativity of the period is given full expression in this sourcebook of hundreds of designs that makes it an essential for contemporary design practitioners and students. The book contains exclusive illustrations and original artwork from designers as well as finished prints. Each short chapter introduction is followed by a range of illustrations with captions to give provenance and relevance. The prints are arranged in the chapters: * Art into Pop: fashion prints that saw the influence of Pop Art * Revivals and Reflections: Biba"s revival of 19th-century designs * Flower Power: floral designs, from Marimekko to Ken Scott * Lost in multicoloured hues, kaleidoscopic colours and psychedelia prints * Magical Mystery Tour: the influence of other cultures on print design

1950s fashion print

Marnie Fogg.

391.009045 FOG  

* Hundreds of prints from this key decade of fashion design * A unique sourcebook for contemporary designers and students * Includes prints by Lucienne Day, Robert Stewart and Marimekko * Contains exclusive illustrations and original artwork of print designers A sourcebook of 1950s fashion print, this book covers the heyday of postwar design where an analytical approach to design, with a lightness and freshness, combined with whimsical imagery and idiosyncratic subject matter. The designs and influences of the print gurus of the time - Lucienne Day, Robert Stewart and Maija Isola of Marimekko - are all covered. The creativity of the period - the beginning of the atomic age - is given full expression in this sourcebook of hundreds of designs. It is an essential sourcebook for contemporary design practitioners and students. The book contains exclusive illustrations and original artwork from designers as well as finished prints. Each short chapter introduction is followed by a range of illustrations with captions to give provenance and relevance. The prints are arranged in the following chapters: * Narrative and Novelty: prints from cowboys to spacemen * Abstraction: abstracted, distorted and attenuated forms used in print * Artistic license: the influence of artists such as Miro and de Kooning on fashion print * Kinetic prints that showed the influence of the era's 'mobiles, doodles and spasms'

For the Love of Trees

Photographing trees

Edward Parker.

778.934 PAR 

With examples from around the world, renowned wildlife photographer Edward Parker reveals the skills and techniques needed to improve your photographs with little or no adjustments to the automatic settings or those which you are comfortable using. The first part of the book explains how the brain perceives an image and how to use this to produce great photos through better composition, better use of light and conscious use of foreground and background. For more advanced photographers, Parker then explains techniques on how to take control of the camera though understanding exposure, focus, aperture, shutter speed, and using flash. The final part of the book looks at the many way in which trees can be photographed, putting all of this into practice, illustrated by stunning images from around the world along with anecdotes on how they were captured.

Trees up close : the beauty of bark, leaves, flowers, and seeds

Nancy Ross Hugo ; photography by Robert Llewellyn.

582.16 HUG  

Robert Llewellyn's stunning photographs reveal the intricate detail of trees as you've never seen them before. Nancy Ross Hugo's text illuminates the photographs by explaining the unique characteristics of everyday trees. Together, they celebrate the rich variety of popular trees and offer us a new perspective on our favourites. This is a fantastic gift for gardeners in a compact paperback format. It is perfect for both amateur naturalists and keen photographers. It offers informative and in-depth profiles of trees from an expert author.

New books for the Fine Arts

Sketch your world : essential techniques for drawing on location

James Hobbs.

741.2 HOB  

acked with accessible tutorials and inside tips and advice from contemporary artists, Sketch your World is the ultimate handbook for anyone seeking to explore the exciting creative possibilities afforded by sketching on location, whether in a bustling cafe, colorful street market, or leafy park. Combining a winning formula of practical instruction and creative inspiration, Sketch your World examines a range of techniques for capturing great sketches on the go, covering topics such as how to improve observation skills, sketch moving subjects, and create depth and mood in order to convey a sense of atmosphere. Uniquely, the book also includes a variety of techniques for working with digital tools such as tablets and smart pens. Offering engaging advice and featuring the work of some of today's most inventive urban artists from all over the world, Sketch your World gives invaluable insight into their inspiration and working processes, while detailed tutorials illustrate a range of techniques for readers to try, examining a variety of drawing and sketching media from pencils to water colors. With its fresh, highly accessible approach and use of inspirational, hip, and bang up-to-date examples, Sketch your World is guaranteed to appeal to the growing numbers of recreational artists who- permanently armed with sketchpad (or tablet) and pen-thrive on capturing the world around them, wherever they happen to be.

Sketching 365 : tips and techniques to build your confidence and skills daily

Katherine Tyrell.

741.2 TYR  

Packed with insightful, easy-to-follow tips and featuring a refreshingly diverse range of work from contemporary artists, 365 Hints & Tips for Drawing & Sketching is a comprehensive, highly accessible guide that is guaranteed to appeal to aspiring artists of all levels. Based on 'a tip a day' being one of the most effective ways for artists to tackle new techniques and approaches, the book's clear, straightforward advice helps beginners to gain in confidence as they build their skills. A far cry from other dry, run-of-the-mill art instruction books, 365 Hints & Tips for Drawing & Sketching uses concise, easy-to-follow text to engage readers and guide them through each different technique, covering everything from how to hold a pencil to how to achieve depth and balance composition, as well as tips for tackling specific subjects such as how to draw people or landscapes. Handy cross-references are also peppered across every page, helping to direct readers toward other relevant tips elsewhere in the book. Throughout the book, tips and advice are accompanied by artwork from a range of exciting contemporary artists, showcasing a wide variety of different media-including pencils, pen and ink, and charcoal-and inspiring readers to try and achieve similar results for themselves.

The art of urban sketching : drawing on location around the world  

Gabriel Campanario.

741.091732 CAM  

The Art of Urban Sketching is both a comprehensive guide and a showcase of location drawings by artists around the world who draw the cities where they live and travel. This beautiful volume explains urban sketching within the context of a long historical tradition and how it is practiced today. It includes profiles of leading practitioners, a discussion of the benefits of working in this art form, and shows how one can participate and experience it through modern-day social networks and online activity. The book is illustrated with over 700 beautiful, contemporary illustrations, and includes artists' profiles and extended captions where these urban sketchers share their stories, tips and tools. With sketches and observations from more than 50 cities in more than 30 countries, the book offers a visually arresting, storytelling take on urban life from different cultures and artistic styles, as well as insight into various drawing techniques and mediums.

Drawing for beginners : a step-by-step guide to successful drawing

Peter Partington

741.2 PAR  

This bumper gift book for beginners is full of practical advice and step-by-step exercises on drawing a wide range of popular subjects - wildlife, people, the countryside and buildings. Drawing for Beginners covers all the essential aspects of drawing, starting with advice on the various drawing media - from pencils and pens to charcoal, pastel, pen and wash, and conte - and explaining how they can be used to achieve different effects. Other sections look at topics such as proportion, composition, light, tone and texture. All the techniques are very clearly and simply described, providing an ideal introduction to drawing for the complete beginner.

How to draw anything

by Mark Linley.

741.2 LIN  

If you can write your name, you have enough touch to learn to draw. Let Mark Linley inspire you to pick up your pencil and create a magical masterpiece. His positive approach secures quick, accurate results and ever-growing confidence. Learn to look properly and get the basic outlines correct; include the key features but simplify what you see; understand how shading (such as dot stipple or cross-hatching) can transform a sketch; get the eye level right and see how a grid helps with the composition. Whatever you want to draw - a beautiful holiday scene, a lifelike portrait of your family or favourite pet, or even a funny cartoon to illustrate a birthday card - Mark Linley shows, in this new edition of his bestselling book, everything you need to succeed.

Let's draw cute animals

by Sachiko Umoto.

743.6 UMO  

Created by one of Japan's most popular artists, this book provides detailed and complete instruction for illustrating fun and appealing characters and elements that celebrate life. The author's special and distinct style is simple, appealing, happy, and cute and offers artists, crafters, and art enthusiasts-with and without experience-the instruction and inspiration to draw in the Japanese character style. This book is for artists and crafters of all skill levels that want to bring their own illustration to their work. It offers both entertaining and fun drawing instruction and techniques along with inspiring and sweet unique style characters and elements.

Just add watercolour : inspiration & painting techniques from contemporary artists 

Helen Birch.

751.422 BIR  

Just Add Watercolour is an innovative and accessible guide to this most dynamic of artforms, packed with bite-sized creative painting tips and advice, offering aspiring artists the freedom to dip in and out for practical information or flick through for fresh inspiration and ideas. Showcasing nearly 100 works by contemporary artists across a range of different styles and approaches, Just Add Watercolour highlights and examines the different techniques, qualities and effects relating to each piece. Organized into chapters according to medium and materials (e.g. traditional watercolour, gouache, digital, mixed media) artwork is featured large and luscious, accompanied by extended captions, insightful tips and practical advice. A visual index at the front of the book enables the reader to easily identify a specific painting, style, colour or subject matter. Throughout the book, useful information and practical tips are provided on a wide range of topics such as tone, perspective, colour and much more besides. Readers are encouraged to discover the various ways in which similar subjects and styles are executed by different artists, while also being inspired to use the tips in the book as a way of building on their existing skills. Offering a bold, refreshing change from other run-of-the-mill art books, Just Add Watercolour adopts the unique approach of accessing practical information via the images, focusing on the way subjects can be treated using a range of different watercolour techniques, rather than looking at how to master one single style.

 A little book of portraits : beyond the canvas

Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano, Kate Bryan.

757 SKY  

Inspired to paint or enthralled by the world of portraiture? A Little Book of Portraits: Beyond the Canvas accompanies the celebrated Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year series and includes sixty-four of the finest portraits painted during the competition with illuminating commentary from the three series judges: Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano and Kate Bryan. The paintings featured in this book, include portraits of famous sitters, such as Juliet Stevenson and John Humphrys, self-portraits of the artists themselves and commissioned paintings of Hilary Mantel and Sophie Dahl. The judges approach each painting from a different angle and with a unique voice, reflecting their differing specialities within the art world. Between them they uncover the approach, style and effectiveness of each portrait whilst discussing the techniques critical to the success of the painter's brushwork, likeness and perspective. With a wide range of different mediums from oil to charcoal or even soil, the book takes us behind the finished portrait and into the myriad of processes that creates one great work of art. A Little Book of Portraits reveals the skills behind the artist's brush that makes timeless and inventive portraiture.

Accompanies the celebrated Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year series and includes sixty-four of the finest portraits painted during the competition. Off Air Recording of the series can be found in DVD Section of the Library at 757 SKY

Movies Galore

Hairspray791.4372 HAI

Musical comedy starring John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer. Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) is an overweight teenager with all the right moves who is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny (Amanda Bynes) run home to watch the show and drool over the hot Link Larkin (Zac Efron), much to Tracy's mother Edna's (Travolta) dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins holds auditions to see who will be the next person on the Corny Collins show. With the help of her friend Seaweed (Elijah Kelly), Tracy makes it on the show, angering the evil dance queen Amber Von Tussle (Brittany Snow) and her mother Velma (Pfeiffer). Tracy then decides that it's not fair that the black kids can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and with the help of Seaweed, Link, Penny, Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah), her father (Christopher Walken) and Edna, she decides to take action.

Catch me if you can 791.4372 CAT

Inspired by the extraordinary true story of a brilliant young master of deception and the FBI agent hot on his trail, Catch Me If You Can stars Oscar®* nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and two-time Academy Award** winner Tom Hanks. From three-time Oscar*** winning director Steven Spielberg, Catch Me If You Can follows Frank W. Abagnale, Jr. as he successfully passes himself off as a pilot, a lawyer and a doctor--all before his 21st birthday

Dreamgirls 791.4372DRE

Three young women, Deena Jones, Effie White and Lorrell Robinson desire to become pop stars. They get their wish when they are picked to be backup singers for the legendary James "Thunder" Early. When they are set free for leads, Curtis Taylor and Effie's brother C.C. decide that Deena should be the lead singer, which upsets Effie. The girls discover exactly what it takes to be in the music business and what they must give up to realize their dreams.

Sweet Charity 791.4372 SWE

Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria. However, where Fellini's black-and-white Italian film concerns the romantic ups-and-downs of an ever-hopeful prostitute, in the musical the central character is a dancer-for-hire at a Times Square dance hall. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1966, where it was nominated for 9 Tony Awards, and also ran in the West End as well as having revivals and international productions. The musical was adapted for the screen in 1969 with Shirley MacLaine as Charity and John McMartin recreating his Broadway role as Oscar Lindquist. Bob Fosse directed and choreographed this film.

Gone Girl 791.4372

David Fincher returns to the director's chair for this 20th Century Fox thriller based on Gillian Flynn's bestseller (and adapted for the screen by the author) about a husband who becomes the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance after she vanishes on their fifth wedding anniversary.

Nightcrawler 791.4372NIG

An ambitious young crime journalist probes the dark underbelly of L.A. in this cynical urban drama that marks the feature directorial debut of film writer Dan Gilroy (Real Steal, The Bourne Legacy). Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a petty thief in search of a payday when he stumbles onto the scene of a grisly car accident, and witnesses seasoned "Nightcrawler" Joe Loder (Bill Paxton) gathering video footage for a local news broadcast. Convinced that this is a career he could excel at, Lou promptly purchases a police scanner and a cheap video camera, and hits the streets. In short order Lou has hired an assistant (Riz Ahmed) to help him navigate the city streets, and started selling footage to local TV producer Nina (Rene Russo), one of Joe's regular buyers. A fast learner with an eye for detail, Lou isn't above manipulating a crime scene in order to get a picture that tells a story. When Lou beats the police to the scene of a deadly home invasion in an affluent neighborhood, however, his shocking footage catches the attention of two homicide detectives who suspect he's hiding evidence that could be crucial to their investigation. But that very footage may be just what Lou needs to enter the big time. 

Birdman, or,(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) 791.4372 BIR

A black comedy story of an actor famous for portraying an iconic superhero as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. A fading actor (Michael Keaton) best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.