Paul Ornstein

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93rd Academy Awards

The 93rd Academy Awards are coming soon! Nominations for Oscars were announced on March 15, 2021 and the awards ceremony will air live on ABC on Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 8:00pm. The Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will honour the best films of 2020 and early 2021.

Caledon Public Library is running an Oscars’ winner prediction contest! Make your Oscar predictions for a chance to win a $25 prepaid VISA gift card. You must be a Caledon resident to enter and win. Click here to enter. Ballots must be completed by April 24 at 11:59 pm.

We already have some of the Best Picture nominees and when the rest are available for order, we’ll get them too. Below is the complete list of the Best Picture nominees. Place your holds on the available titles now!

The Father: A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.

Judas and the Black Messiah : Bill O’Neal infiltrates the Black Panther Party per FBI Agent Mitchell and J. Edgar Hoover. As Party Chairman Fred Hampton ascends, falling for a fellow revolutionary en route, a battle wages for O’Neal’s soul.

Mank: 1930’s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane (1941).

Minari: A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas

Nomadland : After losing everything in the Great Recession, a woman embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

Promising Young Woman: A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who crossed her path.

Sound of Metal: A heavy-metal drummer’s life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.

The Trial of the Chicago 7: The story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.

New DVDs in April

Paul Ornstein For Adults, New This Month

Boss Level

Director: Joe Carnahan
Stars: Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts
Summary: A retired Special Forces officer is trapped in a never-ending time loop on the day of his death.

My Salinger Year

Director: Philippe Falardeau
Stars: Margaret Qualley, Sigourney Weaver, Douglas Booth
Summary: A college grad takes a clerical job working for the literary agent of the renowned, reclusive writer J.D. Salinger.

Soul

Directors: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton
Summary: After landing the gig of a lifetime, a New York jazz pianist suddenly finds himself trapped in a strange land between Earth and the afterlife.

Test Pattern

Director: Shatara Michelle Ford
Stars: Brittany S. Hall, Will Brill, Gail Bean
Summary: Test Pattern follows an interracial couple whose relationship is put to the test after a Black woman is sexually assaulted and her white boyfriend drives her from hospital to hospital in search of a rape kit.

Wonder Woman 1984

Director: Patty Jenkins
Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig
Summary: Diana must contend with a work colleague and businessman, whose desire for extreme wealth sends the world down a path of destruction, after an ancient artifact that grants wishes goes missing.

Canada Reads 2021

Paul Ornstein For Adults, News

Canada Reads is CBC’s annual “Battle of the Books.”

It’s a literary contest with 5 celebrities championing 1 book each. Panelists then vote to eliminate books until a single title remains – a book the country should read.

Over four days, the five champions will bring their diverse perspectives to this year’s theme: One Book to Transport Us.

This year’s celebrity champions and their chosen books are:

Olympian and broadcaster Rosey Edeh champions The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk

Summary: In the fantasy novel The Midnight Bargain, Beatrice is making her debut at “bargaining season” — an annual event where wealthy young men and women gather from all over the world to make advantageous marriages. But she harbours secret plans that will upend society. Rather than get married, Beatrice plans to bind a greater spirit and become a full magician. Performing the secret ritual goes against the rules of her world, which prohibits women from practicing magic while they can still bear children. With the help of the wealthy Lavan siblings, fiery Ysbeta and her handsome brother Ianthe, Beatrice searches for a way to change old patriarchal traditions.

Singer-songwriter Scott Helman champions Two Trees Make a Forest by Jessica J. Lee

Summary: Two Trees Make a Forest is a nonfiction book that explores how geographical forces are interlaced with our family stories. A chance discovery of letters written by her immigrant grandfather leads Jessica J. Lee to her ancestral homeland, Taiwan. There, she traces his story while growing closer to the land he knew. Throughout her adventures, Lee uncovers surprising parallels between nature and human stories that shaped her family and their beloved island. In the memoir, she also turns a critical eye onto colonialist explorers who mapped the land and named plants, and both relied on and often erased the labour and knowledge of local communities.

Actor and filmmaker Devery Jacobs champions Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

Summary: Jonny Appleseed is a novel about a two-spirit Indigiqueer young man who leaves the reserve and becomes a cybersex worker in the big city to make ends meet. But he must reckon with his past when he returns home to attend his stepfather’s funeral. Jonny Appleseed won the Lambda Literary Award for gay fiction and was shortlisted for the the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction and the Amazon Canada First Novel Award. It was also longlisted for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee champions Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Summary: Hench is a novel about Anna, a woman who pays the bills by doing administrative work for villains. But when an incident involving the world’s most popular superhero leaves her injured and gets her fired, Anna realizes what happened to her isn’t unique — and she might have the means to take down the so-called hero who hurt her. How? With every office worker’s secret weapon: data.

Chef, recording artist and TV host Roger Mooking champions Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

Summary: Butter Honey Pig Bread is a novel about twin sisters, Kehinde and Taiye, and their mother, Kambirinachi. Kambirinachi believes she was a spirit who was supposed to die as a small child. By staying alive, she is cursing her family — a fear that appears to come true when Kehinde experiences something that tears the family apart, and divides the twins for years. But when the three women connect years later, they must confront their past and find forgiveness.

The Canada Reads’ debates take place March 8-11, 2021.

Follow along here!

New DVDs in March

Paul Ornstein For Adults, New This Month

Fatale

Director: Deon Taylor
Stars: Hilary Swank, Michael Ealy, Mike Colter
Summary: After a one-night stand, a successful married man finds himself entangled in a cunning police detective’s latest investigation.

The Marksman

Director: Robert Lorenz
Stars: Katheryn Winnick, Liam Neeson, Teresa Ruiz
Summary: A rancher on the Arizona border becomes the unlikely defender of a young Mexican boy desperately fleeing the cartel assassins who’ve pursued him into the U.S.

Monster Hunter

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Stars: Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Ron Perlman
Summary: When Lt. Artemis and her loyal soldiers are transported to a new world, they engage in a desperate battle for survival against enormous enemies with incredible powers. Feature film based on the video game by Capcom.

News of the World

Director: Paul Greengrass
Stars: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Tom Astor
Summary: A Civil War veteran agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will. They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home.

Promising Young Woman

Director: Emerald Fennell
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie
Summary: A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who crossed her path.

Celebrate Freedom to Read Week

Paul Ornstein Events

Freedom to Read Week (February 21–27, 2021) is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed to them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In honour of Freedom to Read Week, here is a list of some popular books that have been challenged and the silly reasons why:

Where’s Waldo? was banned from a local library when someone noticed there was a topless woman sunbathing in one of the beach pictures and showing off some side boob. In later editions of the book, the sunbather is given a bathing suit top and the offending breast has been covered.

Winnie the Pooh’s days of pantslessness were also challenged. Because Pooh is half-naked, they said, “the problem with that bear is it doesn’t have a complete wardrobe, which is wholly inappropriate for children.”

Harriet the Spy was challenged because Harriet acts sneakily – basically she spies.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was once challenged because it depicts animals being able to talk. People felt this put animals on the same level as humans.

Maurice Sendak has been challenged twice for his “provocative” children’s books. Where the Wild Things Are was challenged for promoting abuse because Max’s mother threatens to send him to bed without supper. In the Night Kitchen was challenged for baby nudity.

A Heartbreaking work of staggering genius by David Eggers was challenged at the Toronto Public Library because it “contained profanity and poor grammar and sentence structure”. As a Pulitzer Prize nominated book, it was retained in the collection.

The Caledon Public Library is committed to protecting intellectual freedom and selects materials based on the belief that all individuals have the right to freely access information. To learn more read our Collection Development Policy.

Whether you’re an educator, student or member of the community, there are lots of ways you can help mark this annual event!

Oh Canada Evening Book Club

Paul Ornstein Events, For Adults

Caledon Public Library recently launched an evening Book Club. The Oh Canada Evening Book Club is held on the 2^nd Thursday of each month at 7pm. For the Club we will be reading books written by Canadian authors. And we have a surprise for you! For some of the books, come to the book club and meet the author!

The next Oh Canada Evening Book Club will be held on Thursday, February 11 at 7pm and we will be discussing Woman on the Edge by Samantha Bailey. Samantha will be joining us at the start of the club to answer questions!

Summary:
In a split second, Morgan Kincaid’s life changes forever. She’s on her way home from work when a mother begs her to take her baby, then places the infant in her arms. Before Morgan can stop her, the distraught mother jumps in front of an oncoming train. Morgan has never seen this woman before, and she can’t understand what would cause a person to give away her child and take her own life. She also can’t understand how this woman knew her name. The police take Morgan in for questioning. She soon learns that the woman who jumped was Nicole Markham, prominent CEO of the athletic brand, Breathe. She also learns that no witness can corroborate her version of events, which means she’s just become a murder suspect. To prove her innocence, Morgan frantically retraces the last days of Nicole’s life. Was Nicole a new mother struggling with paranoia or was she in danger? When strange things start happening to Morgan, she suddenly realizes she might be in danger, too.

Next on Thursday, March 11 at 7pm we will be discussing The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton and Ian will also be joining the discussion!

Summary:
Ava Lee is a young Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant who works for an elderly Hong Kong–based “Uncle,” who may or may not have ties to the Triads. At 115 lbs., she hardly seems a threat. But her razorsharp intellect and resourcefulness allows her to succeed where traditional methods have failed.

In The Water Rat of Wanchai, Ava travels across continents to track $5 million owed by a seafood company. But it’s in Guyana where she meets her match: Captain Robbins, a huge hulk of a man and godfather-like figure who controls the police, politicians, and criminals alike. In exchange for his help, he decides he wants a piece of Ava’s $5 million action and will do whatever it takes to get his fair share…

On Thursday, April 8 Genevieve Graham will join our group to discuss her novel, The Forgotten Home Child.

Summary:
2018
At ninety-seven years old, Winnifred Ellis knows she doesn’t have much time left, and it is almost a relief to realize that once she is gone, the truth about her shameful past will die with her. But when her great-grandson Jamie, the spitting image of her dear late husband, asks about his family tree, Winnifred can’t lie any longer, even if it means breaking a promise she made so long ago…

1936
Fifteen-year-old Winny has never known a real home. After running away from an abusive stepfather, she falls in with Mary, Jack, and their ragtag group of friends roaming the streets of Liverpool. When the children are caught stealing food, Winny and Mary are left in Dr. Barnardo’s Barkingside Home for Girls, a local home for orphans and forgotten children found in the city’s slums. At Barkingside, Winny learns she will soon join other boys and girls in a faraway place called Canada, where families and better lives await them.

But Winny’s hopes are dashed when she is separated from her friends and sent to live with a family that has no use for another daughter. Instead, they have paid for an indentured servant to work on their farm. Faced with this harsh new reality, Winny clings to the belief that she will someday find her friends again.

New DVDs in February

Paul Ornstein For Adults, New This Month

Breach

Director: John Suits
Stars: Cody Kearsley, Bruce Willis, Rachel Nichols
Summary: On the cusp of fatherhood, a junior mechanic aboard an interstellar ark to New Earth must outwit a malevolent cosmic terror intent on using the spaceship as a weapon.

A Call to Spy

Director: Lydia Dean Pilcher
Stars: Sarah Megan Thomas, Stana Katic, Radhika Apte
Summary: In the beginning of WWII, with Britain becoming desperate, Churchill orders his new spy agency – SOE – to recruit and train women as spies.

Come Play

Director: Jacob Chase
Stars: Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr.
Summary: A monster named Larry manifests itself through smart phones and mobile devices. Feature film version of the 2017 short film.

Freaky

Director: Christopher Landon
Stars: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Celeste O’Connor
Summary: After swapping bodies with a deranged serial killer, a young girl in high school discovers she has less than 24 hours before the change becomes permanent.

Let Him Go

Director: Thomas Bezucha
Stars: Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Kayli Carter
Summary: A retired sheriff and his wife, grieving over the death of their son, set out to find their only grandson.

Christmas Flicks

Paul Ornstein For Adults

Written by Laura Foti

In these slightly less than predictable times, one thing that remains true and will never waiver is the nostalgia and feel good vibes that a Christmas movie provides. They’re really “the gift that keeps on giving” and prove themselves more of a staple than a stuffed turkey. This year in particular, what better excuse to curl up inside with a hot cocao in your pjs and reading socks (which are a great great idea if you’re stumped, and should be a staple in keeping with the theme) and add to your Christmas flick list?

Perhaps this year may seem less conventional than years past, so why not roll with the punches and contemplate some movie choices you’ve never considered? Maybe this is an opportunity to take the snowy road less travelled and could be an occasion to create some new movie essentials for you and your loved ones to enjoy.

With that in mind I decided to go rogue rather than entertain the “customary”, and found some options that CPL has to offer that could end up making your Christmas “list” for years beyond this one!

First things first, I went to my trusted source that I’ve come to rely on more than Netflix these days and that’s our Hoopla app. This is a great resource for borrowing movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks and even comics. I came across the movie Christmas In the City and decided to give it a try. In this film you’ll join a mother and daughter on their move to the big city, where Christmas is far different than the ones they’re accustomed to. While the Mom takes on a job at a department store, it’s pretty clear to both of them that the city lacks the Christmas spirit and it’s cute to join them in their adventure to try to keep this from happening. The typical role of Scrooge in the movie is well-played by Ashanti (R&B artist from the 90s) and her crafty ways of trying to sabotage the Christmas traditions makes this an inviting and interesting watch. Sadly, Ashanti doesn’t perform, however, the soundtrack and performances of holiday songs in the movie make up for it…a very enjoyable and easy watch.

Then I decided to see what I could find on our Kanopy app. This is a go-to for those who enjoy classic cinema, indie films, documentaries and festival award-winning films. Rather than watch the traditional Nutcracker, I opted for a documentary on a behind the scenes look at timeless ballet. Getting to the Nutcracker follows the comings and goings of a dance studio, and documents all the behind the scenes ins and outs of what goes into the whole production of this classic recital. Many angles are explored from the props, to music, to the decision-making process of how to cast and for what role. Young dancers and their families are documented and give their accounts of what this ballet means to them and the amount of pressure involved in the casting and performance. Gives the viewer a whole new appreciation for this age-old tradition.

Last, and certainly not least, I perused our vast collection of multi-media in one of our CPL locations and decided on a Christmas DVD comedy called The Night Before. To put it mildly, of all three choices it doesn’t get less traditional than this choice! If you’ve overdone it on the fruit cake this season, fear no longer, an ab workout is an added bonus this flick offers. I won’t spoil it, that would be a travesty, but three friends take their Christmas Eve adventure to a whole new level that makes the Griswold’s going to cut a tree down pale in comparison. This comedy does not disappoint and the lengths their characters go to make their last annual tradition as memorable as possible get increasingly more and more shocking as the Eve unfolds. Certainly not a pick for the faint of heart, and I’d suggest not having the kiddos around for this one, but for some intense laughter and shock value I highly recommend giving it a try.

There you have it folks! Whether you decide to stick with the traditional route this year, or choose the less conventional route, I hope that one thing remains unwavering, and that’s an enjoyable holiday with good company, good flicks, and good vibes all around. Season’s Greetings to all from all of us at CPL!

New DVDs in December

Paul Ornstein For Adults, New This Month

Honest Thief

Director: Mark Williams
Stars: Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney
Summary: Wanting to lead an honest life, a notorious bank robber turns himself in, only to be double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents.

Mulan

Director: Niki Caro
Stars: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Li Gong
Summary: A young Chinese maiden disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father.

The New Mutants

Director: Josh Boone
Stars: Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton
Summary: Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

Possessor Uncut

Director: Brandon Cronenberg
Stars: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Summary: Possessor follows an agent who works for a secretive organization that uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people’s bodies – ultimately driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients.

The War With Grandpa

Director: Tim Hill
Stars: Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle
Summary: Upset that he has to share the room he loves with his grandfather, Peter decides to declare war in an attempt to get it back.

Tenet

Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki

Summary: Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

New DVDs This Month: November

Paul Ornstein For Adults, New This Month

After We Collided
Director: Roger Kumble
Stars: Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Louise Lombard
Summary: Based on the 2014 romance novel of the same name, this follows the love life of two young adults.

Antebellum
Directors: Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz
Stars: Janelle Monáe, Eric Lange, Jena Malone
Summary: Successful author Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late.

Bill & Ted Face the Music
Director: Dean Parisot
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Kristen Schaal
Summary: Once told they’d save the universe during a time-traveling adventure, 2 would-be rockers from San Dimas, California find themselves as middle-aged dads still trying to crank out a hit song and fulfill their destiny.

The Broken Hearts Gallery
Director: Natalie Krinsky
Stars: Geraldine Viswanathan, Dacre Montgomery, Utkarsh Ambudkar
Summary: After a break-up, a young woman decides to start a gallery where people can leave trinkets from past relationships.

Unhinged
Director: Derrick Borte
Stars: Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman
Summary: After a confrontation with an unstable man at an intersection, a woman becomes the target of his rage.