Hitchcocktoberfest continues with REAR WINDOW

Rear Window (1954, PG)

Join the CALS Ron Robinson Theater for HITCHCOCKTOBERFEST! They will be screening FIVE classic Hitchcock films throughout October, and continue the series off tonight (October 8) with Rear Window.

The screening starts at 7pm.

The 1954 film is the second collaboration between Alfred Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart. It also featured Grace Kelly (another in the long line of cool, attractive blondes which Hitchcock cast in his movies), Raymond Burr, Thelma Ritter, and Judith Evelyn.

Professional photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (Stewart) breaks his leg while getting an action shot at an auto race. Confined to his New York apartment, he spends his time looking out of the rear window observing the neighbors. He begins to suspect that a man (Burr) across the courtyard may have murdered his wife. Jeff enlists the help of his high society fashion-consultant girlfriend Lisa Freemont (Kelly) and his visiting nurse Stella (Ritter) to investigate.

The movie was nominated for four Oscars: Director, Screenplay, Color Cinematography, and Sound. Surprisingly none of the cast were nominated. At the time, Ritter was nominated almost every year in the Best Supporting Actress category, though she never won.

CALS Announces Organizational Changes at Roberts Library

This spring, the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) unveiled a new strategic plan effective through 2022. The CALS strategic plan describes the library system’s mission, core values, and vision while also identifying goal areas where CALS will direct its energy and resources over the next several years.

The Roberts Library is CALS special collections branch composed of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Genealogy Department, and the Galleries at Library Square.

Beginning October 1, two key changes took place at Roberts Library in alignment with the strategic plan: Director of the Roberts Library David Stricklin will become Director of Strategic Partnerships & Community Engagement for the CALS system as a whole, where he will help guide the implementation of the Strategic Plan and strengthen relationships with governments, elected officials, community leaders and centers of influence; and Glenn Whaley will serve as Manager of the Roberts Library, expanding her role as operational leader for the past five years.

“The staffing changes will allow the library to benefit more from the unique gifts of two talented leaders,” said CALS Executive Director Nate Coulter. “David will be invaluable in driving the strategic evolution of our organization, and Glenn has already demonstrated her organizational and management skills as second-in-command of the Roberts Library. She’ll be an excellent leader to continue the vital and important work being done by the Roberts Library team.”

The CALS strategic plan is the result of broad-based community input, executive team engagement, consultation from national library planning experts, and board review and approval. The plan outlines seven organizational goals in the areas of (1) Extending Community Connections, (2) Services and Collections, (3) Facilities and Spaces, (4) Resource Allocation and Integration, (5) Public Awareness and Marketing, (6) Resource Development, and (7) Organizational Culture.

Shiver with Anticipation! CALS Ron Robinson Theater is showing Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight

Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, R)

Do the Time Warp again tonight at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater when The Rocky Horror Picture Show is screened.

The movie starts at 9:30 pm, and it is interactive!

A mixture of fantastical rock opera and horror movie spoof. A couple of ordinary kids – Brad and (Dammit) Janet (I love you) – have car trouble one dark and rainy night and knock on the door of a looming gothic mansion. They are stunned to learn that they have stumbled into an ongoing convention of kinky characters, hosted by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist who is a sweet transvestite from Transylvania.

The movie stars Tony nominee Tim Curry, Tony winner Barry Bostwick and Oscar winner Susan Sarandon along with appearances by Meat Loaf, and Richard O’Brien (who wrote the stage show and co-wrote the movie).

Originally a flop, it became one of the first cult-classic movies which ended up running for years in various cities.  Now is the chance to again see it on the big screen.

Admission is $5. Concessions are available for purchase.

CALS will be showing the movie again on each Friday in October!

Don’t Cross the Stream. Instead see 1984’s GHOSTBUSTERS tonight at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Ghostbusters (1984, PG)

Who you gonna call? Thanks to the Central Arkansas Library System, the answer is Ghostbusters!

At 7pm tonight, this 1984 action comedy thriller is being shown on the CALS Ron Robinson Theater screen.

Directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, it was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City who start a ghost-catching business. Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis co-star as a client and her neighbor. Others in the cast include Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton, Alice Drummond and Reginald VelJohnson.

The movie was nominated for two Oscars: Best Visual Effects and Best Song.

Doors open at 6pm.  Wine, beer, and concessions are available for sale.  Tickets cost $5.

2002 ADAPTATION screened tonight at CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Adaptation (2002, R)

In conjunction with Susan Orlean’s personal visit to CALS on September 28, CALS presents this stunning original comedy based on her work that seamlessly blends fictional characters and situations with the lives of real people.

It is a meta-film experience as Adaptation centers around obsessive orchid hunter John Laroche (played by Chris Cooper), New Yorker journalist Susan Orlean (played by Meryl Streep), Hollywood screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (played by Nicolas Cage), and his twin brother, Donald (also Cage).

As Charlie struggles to adapt Orlean’s best-selling book The Orchid Thief, he writes himself into his own movie. The various stories crash into one another exploding into a wildly imaginative film. Adaptation is at once a hilarious drama and a moving comedy.  The film was nominated for four Oscars (including an Adapted Screenplay nomination for real-life Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin Donald Kaufman).  Cooper won the Supporting Actor Oscar.

Admission is free! Doors to the CALS Ron Robinson Theater open at 6:00 p.m. Film starts at 7:00 p.m. Beer, wine, and concessions will be available!

Celebrate Banned Books Week with the Central Arkansas Library System

Join CALS for its annual celebration of Banned Books Week, during which entertaining CALS events will commemorate the battle against censorship!

Groups that resist book banning have protected classic works such as To Kill a MockingbirdOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Lord of the Flies. These books that address important themes often contain disturbing scenes, as they reflect realistic challenges and situations in our world. But without disturbing us, authors would not be able to convey important truths such as the violence and injustice caused by racism, or the mistreatment of the mentally ill.

Banned Books Week honors freedom of choice for individuals, as well as the freedom to write on and read about important cultural topics even when those topics have the power to offend.

More information on the CALS Banned Books Week activities can be found here: https://cals.org/banned-books-week/