Happy Noirvember

Every November, movie fans celebrate “Noirvember,” a month-long commemoration of film noir. A moody, pessimistic type of crime film that originated in 1940s Hollywood, film noir has enjoyed a long shelf life beyond its original postwar milieu. Defining “film noir” (a French term that means “black film”) is surprisingly difficult. Some see it as a…
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October 30, 1735 – Birthday of John Adams, second president of the United States

This October 30th marks the 288th birthday of John Adams, the second president of the United States. While often overshadowed by the other major players of the American Revolution, Adams' role should not be overshadowed. Few would deny he was a strong political philosopher with a keen intellect and fierce sense of integrity. Adams was…
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Spotlight: “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” by Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo's 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame saved Notre Dame cathedral during a crucial period in French history. This is no exaggeration. In the early nineteenth-century, the historical and cultural value of surviving medieval architecture was ignored by the general populace. Efforts to update the Notre Dame cathedral, which included replacing its stained…
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August 13, 1899: Birthday of iconic filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock

British filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was born 124 years ago today on a Friday the 13th. That latter fact seems only fitting since Hitchcock’s style has forever become associated with suspense and terror. While his most well-known films came out in the 1950s and 1960s, Hitchcock’s career lasted from the early 1920s to the late 1970s…
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Bastille Day

“Vive le 14 julliet!” This phrase is associated what English speakers call Bastille Day and the French call “Quatzore Julliet.” It is the anniversary of two early events of the French Revolution: the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the Festival of the Federation, a mass gathering held in Paris the year after. The…
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Selections from Marilyn Monroe’s bookshelf

Born 97 years ago today, Marilyn Monroe remains a twentieth-century icon, representing cinematic glamor and sadly often remembered more for her untimely death than her acting talent or her contributions to the Civil Rights movement. Another thing few realize about Monroe is that she was a passionate book lover with a personal library containing over…
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