Happy New Year to all our friends and members of the Pasadena Libraries. We had a good year last year, and look for an even better year in 2014.
Movies may be the key word for 2014. We are getting thousands of new movies for your enjoyment. All the latest and best films are in the MovieBoxes at the Fairmont and Central libraries. If you haven't tried it yet, you are missing out on some great fun and adventure. Ask us and we will be glad to show you how to find and reserve a film, and how to retrieve it from the MovieBox. But there is even more for movie buffs.
A group of film buffs started the Pasadena Film Society this last year to show interesting films from all genres and locales to our friends and neighbors here in Pasadena. The first season of the Pasadena Film Society kicks off on Friday, January 31st. The society will show a series of films in the Winter and in the Fall each year. The films will be screened with a beautiful, new high definition projection system in the intimate setting of the Fairmont Library's theater. Each film will start at 7 p.m. after the library closes to its regular customers. After each film coffee and dessert will be served. There will be a short discussion of the film and its impact and meaning. All of this is free courtesy of the Friends of the Pasadena Public Library and the Pasadena Library, a service of the City of Pasadena. But, because of the limited seating, you must make a reservation to be admitted to the theater.
This first season will feature films around the theme of Love and Romance. More information on the films and how to make reservations will be found at each library.
January 31 * Crouching, Tiger Hidden Dragon
An epic set against the breathtaking landscapes of ancient China, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" combines the exhilarating martial arts choreography by Yuen Wo-Ping (The Matrix) with the sensitivity and classical storytelling of an Ang Lee film. The result is something truly unexpected: romantic, emotionally powerful entertainment and the inescapable, enduring power of love.
February 1 * Never on Sunday
Thirty-two years before "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" brought Greek-American culture to a mainstream audience, "Never on Sunday" took mainstream culture to Greece, with similarly popular results. Expatriate director Jules Dassin wrote, directed, and costars in this vibrant and (in retrospect) rather simple-minded celebration of good living, as embodied by the vivacious Melina Mercouri in the Cannes award-winning role of her career. She's Ilya, a fiercely independent prostitute who hand-picks her clientele, and Dassin plays Homer, an American intellectual enamored of all things Greek, and determined to steer Ilya onto the straight and moral path. He's out of his depth, of course; it's not long before his efforts are exposed as naively self-serving, and half the fun of Never on Sunday comes from watching Mercouri amiably deflect any attempt to dampen her indomitable spirit. Innocently good-natured by latter-day standards, Dassin's delightful film still retains its popular charm, and its familiar bouzouki theme is an irresistible invitation to join in the fun. --Jeff Shannon
February 7 * Stairway to Heaven
One of Michael Powell's most requested films, "Stairway To Heaven" is a marvelous 1946 fantasy film regarding a WWII pilot who claims he was accidently chosen to die and now must plead his case in front of a heavenly court.
February 8 * Singin' in the Rain
Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds in a 60th-anniversary newly remastered film in 2011 4K transfer of the best-loved Hollywood musical ever-filled with memorable songs, lavish routines and Kelly's fabulous song-and-dance number performed in the rain.
February 14 * Romeo and Juliet
Franco Zeffirelli's production was revolutionary for 1967, in using teenage actors for the tragic Romeo and Juliet, and his choices were perfection: the young Olivia Hussey is a heartbreakingly beautiful, vulnerable and courageous Juliet, while Leonard Whiting is a sensitive, poetically handsome and appealing Romeo. Zeffirelli's career as a director of opera is put to spectacular use here--each scene is meticulously crafted to be an accurate representation of an actual Renaissance scene. Stunningly beautiful clothing, furniture, food, glass, sculpture--it is an overwhelming feast for the eyes. The backgrounds are the preserved medieval towns of Northern Italy, and the gorgeous settings, such as the Borghese palace for the balcony scene, give the entire film the appearance of an animated Renaissance painting. This is THE quintessential Romeo and Juliet on film. *
February 15 * Roman Holiday
This was Audrey Hepburn's debut in a starring role. She was 24 years-old and had appeared in two or three other movies but just in bit parts. Here she plays a reigning European princess visiting Rome who would like an escape from her daily regime of official duties, thus the title and theme of the movie, a Roman holiday. Gregory Peck plays an American newspaper reporter living in the Eternal City. This is perhaps the most romantic picture I have ever seen. There is a hint of something almost spiritual beyond what happens.*
Please join me for all of the films in the opening series of the Pasadena Film Society, Love and Romance, at the Fairmont Library Theater.
Reservations are a must. Call the reservation hotline or email your requests to our email site.
Phone the Reservation hot line: 832-598-4191
Email your reservation:
Pasadenafilmsociety@yahoo.com
Tell us the film, the date, and number of tickets you will need, plus your name and phone number.
Thomas C. Simiele
Director, Pasadena Libraries 
