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Once upon a time a video rental store named Hollywood Video helped me realize that the goal is not to just watch movies, but also to have fun in doing so. It was because of them that I learned the definition of 'cult classic', discovered who Tom Servo and Crow were, and first witnessed the fascinatingly complex relationship between the city of Tokyo and Godzilla. Some of my favorite all-time Christmas memories involve nights spent with flurries against the living room window, a room lit only by the Christmas tree and a TV screen, and a big stack of Hollywood Video VHS rentals.

Today, working at the Des Plaines Public Library, I strive to engender a similar atmosphere of camaraderie amongst cinephiles. At the third floor Readers Services desk we are always happy to answer any questions you might have, to provide any recommendations for any type of event, taste, or mood, or to just plain banter about films and what they mean to us.
 
Ultimately, a movie doesn’t have to be a comedy for me to find it fun, its actual value lies in how the film makes me feel and why. If you happen to have some free time to watch some BluRays or DVD at home this time of the year, I recommend the movies below. Some of them left lingering questions in my head days after watching them and others were just a terrific experience to see. Either way, they were fun to watch.

Headhunters

Non-stop action combines with a riveting plot and excellent characters in this Norwegian thriller based on a novel by Jo Nesbo.

The Hunter

Willem Dafoe fronts this melancholy reflection on devotion versus avarice set against the remote backdrop of the search for a Tasmanian tiger.

Love Crime

A slick French tale of seduction and betrayal that puts the perfect murder in a sympathetic light.

Quigley Down Under

Tom Selleck and his moustache star opposite consummate bad guy Alan Rickman in this Australian western that tackles racial and class differences.

Sound of My Voice

A quiet yet mind-bending thriller that is as baffling as it is short.