Burl C.'s blog

On the second Monday of every month, a new release will be shown at the main library's auditorium. Due to copyright restrictions we can not "publish" or "advertise" the name of the movie too far ahead of showing it. You can however use the library's "calendar of events" link on the main page to locate the date of the movie and send yourself an e-reminder of the event. See an example here: Read more »

Everything is not what it seems. I guess I watch too much tv. I've always been under the impression that forensic investigations and death investigations were done in a highly scientific and professional manner. As it turns out, the reality is that throughout most of America the position of Coroner is an elected position. This means that the person doing the investigation could have little to no experience at all which could then lead to a Read more »

Currently I'm a little in love with pretty much anything coming out of South Korea. Whether it's Thirst, The Host, Oldboy, or 3-Iron, I love pretty much everything I see. South Korean directors manage to make some of the most deliciously weird movies I've seen. The latest batch of weirdness comes courtesy of The Housemaid, the latest from Sang-soo Im. Read more »

Last weekend I watched a “reality” documentary called Sweet Grass. It represents the name of Sweet Grass County in Montana. The film features a family of ranchers that take several hundred sheep out on a long and arduous cattle drive to graze for fresh grass in the mountains before returning home. Read more »

I decided to take a break from watching documentaries to see the movie "No Strings Attached." Because it was new, popular, and the talk of the town when I first heard about it I thought I had to place a reserve on it and watch it. While romantic comedies are not really my cup of tea, this one is interesting because of its gender-role reversal.

The normal story line of a romantic comedy happens when a man meets a woman and they interact in very ridiculous scenarios. Later, the man does something that derails the momentum of a possible relationship and then Read more »

Are you having trouble training your dogs to behave in public or at home? Well here's another reality television show about dog training. Also, if you haven't seen the Dog Whisperer you might want to check it out. I like Cesar Millan's personality much more in the Dog Whisperer than I like Brad Pattison's in the Dog House. As far as techniques go, they are both excellent in providing tips and tricks to get your dog properly trained. Read more »

Here’s another “WOW!” alert. Talk about a web of lies, deceit and confusion; they most certainly exist in this new documentary called, Forbidden Lie$. There are as many twists and turns as there are in just about any action-packed thriller. First though, you need to understand the background information.

In 2003, a Jordanian woman known as Norma Khouri published a book called, “Honor Lost: Love and Death in Modern Day Jordan.” Read more »

I decided to take a look at Freegal again to see what was going on. I noticed that along the left hand side of the website are the top ten downloads from our library patrons. Next to that are the national top ten downloads from other people across the country. Read more »

The best part about the Monroe County Public Library's dvd collection is that there's always something good on the shelf that you haven't seen yet. Most people forget about this because they are focused on new titles and other popular items. Read more »

I love exorcism movies! I don't know why I enjoy them so much. I think it has something to do with watching Poltergeist and the Exorcist on television when I was child. The latest exorcism movie that it out is called, "The Rite". The library has seven copies available. Read more »