Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho premiered in theaters on June 16, 1960, fifty years ago. I still remember sitting slouched down in my seat, ready to cover my eyes. You just knew as Janet Leigh pulled into the Bates Motel something wicked was coming her way. They don't call Alfred Hitchcock the Master of Suspense for nothing! He created terror in your heart, kept you at the edge of your seat, waiting, waiting...then sent you reeling back because you didn't see that coming!

One of my favorite childrens' series are the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. My son enjoys them as well. Now you can see Ramona on the big screen. Ramona and Beezus will be in theaters on July 23rd. Check out the Ramona series, as well as Beverly Cleary's other books such as the Henry Huggins series, Mitch and Amy and The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

The anime classic Neon Genesis Evangelion has gotten a remake, and it's stunning. Evangleion 1.11 is the first of three planned movies set to 'retell' the original. The major difference this time around is that it has improved animation and a slightly streamlined plotline. It looks sleeker than ever, and with the quicker pace the beginning of this classic has only gotten better. Check out this old series remade new.

Hey movie fans! Be sure to check out the new Iron Man 2 movie that hit theaters not too long ago! It's full of action and great special effects. Until you can get to the theater, be sure to check out our graphic novels filled with Iron Man's adventures! Enjoy!

We just expanded our Science collection with two cool new DVD series that make learning science concepts fun! The first is Science of Disney Imagineering. This series uses attractions from the Most Magical Place on Earth — Disney World — to demonstrate things like Gravity, Magnetism, Trajectory and the like. The second is a familiar and well-loved science staple finally gracing the shelves here at CPL — Bill Nye the Science Guy. Bill explains scientific concepts in funny, kid-accessible illustrations. Both of these video series often include experiment demonstrations that could be useful for Science Fair Projects. Take one home today!

During a series of events held across North America’s northernmost nation, the shortlists of books nominated for the 2010 Arthur Ellis Awards were announced on April 22 by the Crime Writers of Canada. The prestigious Arthur Ellis Awards are presented in 6 categories for excellence in works in the crime genre published for the first time in the previous year by authors living in Canada, regardless of their nationality, or by Canadian writers living outside of Canada. The CBC News Web site has a partial rundown, but the following list comes from The Rap Sheet. The winners will be announced during a ceremony on May 27 in Toronto.

Oceans, the newest big screen documentary from Disneynature, will open in theaters — appropriately — on Earth Day, April 22. Using the latest underwater technologies, the film gives viewers an unprecedented look at the mysteries living beneath the seas which cover nearly three quarters of the earth's surface. In addition, for every viewer that sees the film during its opening week (April 22-28), Disneynature will make a contribution to The Nature Conservancy to save the world's coral reefs.

The inspiring story of the modern environmental movement is related in Earth Days, part of the American Experience series presented on PBS. Director Robert Stone traces the origins of the movement through the eyes of nine Americans who were involved in the movement from the 1950s to the establishment of the first Earth Day in 1970. Debuting tonight at 9:00PM on most PBS channels, the DVD will also be available in the Library's collection on its release.

Although Earth Day is officially celebrated once a year - on April 22 - the Library has a great collection of environmentally-themed documentaries that are available all year round. From wildlife to climate change, from recycling to alternate energy, we have it covered!

April 21 is the 100 year anniversary of the death of Mark Twain (November 24, 1832 - April 21, 1910). A keen observer of human nature, Twain's stories portray America as it became a nation. An American humorist, lecturer, essayist, and author, several of Twain's books have been adapted for the screen including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, and a present-day version of The Prince and the Pauper.

Coraline: A Visual Companion by Stephen Jones

Coraline is a movie based on an excellent book by Neil Gaiman, and this visual companion offers a wealth of behind-the-scenes images and information about the making of the movie. The stop-motion technique used to create the movie's sets and characters is a painstaking, detail-oriented process which in this case took years before the movie was complete. This guide has interviews with creators, cast and crew, as well as many concept drawings and a jackpot of other neat information.

Did you see Diary of a Wimpy Kid when it released on Friday? If you did you were one of the many that helped the film reach second place at the box office. Waiting until spring break to catch it? Explore the movie's website, where you can "wimp" yourself, try your hand at wimpy kid trivia or watch the trailer. For parents, here's a review of the movie from commonsense media.

Good Eats: The Early Years by Alton Brown

This hefty guide to the first six seasons of Alton Brown's TV show, Good Eats, includes an episode-by-episode rundown of every single show including the recipes featured and behind-the-scenes info on how each show was made. Brown's wry sense of humor and no-nonsense approach to cooking come through, making this book a treat as well as a useful resource.

If you've seen Pride and Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth you just might! You can see this and other period film wedding dresses at Somerset Center in Troy until Sunday, March 21st. The dresses cover time periods from as early as the 1740s with a dress from The Aristocrats to the early 1910s, represented by a dress from Out of Africa. Go take a look. You might just find out about period film you haven't seen yet!

Canton Public Library is part of the Metro Detroit Everyone's Reading 2010: Presumed Innocent, a legal thriller written by Scott Turow and later made into a movie starring Harrison Ford. On Tuesday, March 23, from 7:00 to 8:30PM in the Community Room, Joyce Simowski (Adult Services Librarian) will share her expertise and love of legal thrillers. She'll talk about a few familiar authors and introduce you to some new authors and their characters as well. The Friends of the Canton Public Library will supply prize baskets to a couple of lucky attendees.
No registration required.

It's Oscar Night - will you be watching to see who wins? To find out more about the Academy Awards, check out one of the hundreds of items in CPL's collection. We've got official and unofficial histories, murder mysteries, red carpet fashion facts, and much more. You can also watch trailers for the nominated films online before the show airs tonight at 8:00PM.
Photo by netzkobold used by Creative Commons license.

The 2010 Spirit Awards will be presented Saturday, March 6 In Los Angeles. You can watch the program live on the Independent Film Channel at 8:00 p.m. Given out annually by Film Independent, this year's nominees include Amreeka, Sin Nombre, (500) Days of Summer for Best Film, and Helen Mirren, Gabourey Sidibe, Samantha Morton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Colin Firth among the actors nominated in both lead and supporting roles.

MASTERPIECE on PBS and BBC Worldwide Sales and Distribution, Americas have announced a major co-production deal that includes Sherlock, a Sherlock Holmes with a 21st. century spin on it and three Aurelio Zen mysteries based on the series written by Michael Didbin (1947-2007).

Nominated for Best Documentary Feature, The Cove documents the abuse of dolphins by fishermen in Taiji, a sleepy lagoon off the coast of Japan. Animal rights activist and filmmaker Richard O'Barry - a former animal trainer who once captured the dolphins used on the television series Flipper - has four decades later renounced his previous profession. Instead he has captured on film shocking images of how the dolphins' habitat has been poisoned by the fishermen and their marine ecology endangered. The film received its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.