Water Cooler: Fresh selections on Kanopy
Kanopy, a streaming service platform via libraries and universities, is loaded with new selections. Here are a few of many films you can watch from the collections. Spokane Public Library members have access to this service for free. Visit spokanelibrary.kanopy.com to log in and start streaming.
“Mars Attacks!” – In this chaotic sci-fi spoof, Earth is invaded with a kooky sense of extraterrestrial weapons accompanied by weapons made from unbeatable alien technology. Directed by Tim Burton. Starring Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Glenn Close, Annette Bening and Danny DeVito. 1996. PG-14. 106 minutes.
“Inherent Vice” – A drug-fueled meandering neo-noir set in 1970s Los Angeles that follows the sullen and perplexed private investigator Larry “Doc” Sportello as he looks into the disappearance of a former lover. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston and Joanna Newsom. 2014. R. 148 minutes.
“The 11th Hour” – A documentary presented by actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio about climate change and its threat to ecosystems relied upon for sustaining life on the planet. Directed by Leila Conners and Nadia Conners. 2007. PG. 93 minutes.
“Her” – An exploration of love in a tech-dominated future where the line between artificial intelligence and flesh and blood is not so distinct. A somber and earnest man Theodore Twombly makes his living by writing heartfelt letters for other people. Driven by the heartache of losing an intimate relationship, he launches an advanced, new operating system named Samantha. The two develop a surprising friendship that grows more complex as it evolves. Directed by Spike Jonze. Starring Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Wilde, Rooney Mara and Scarlett Johansson. 2013. R. 126 minutes.
“Sweetgrass” – A documentary takes an honest look at one of the last remaining modern-day cowboys as they lead their flocks of sheep through the awe-inspiring landscapes of Montana and the Absaroka-Beartooth mountains. Directed by Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor. 2009. Not rated. 101 minutes.
“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” – A petty thief pretending to be a struggling actor is invited to an unexpected audition, taking him down a messy path of entanglement in a murder mystery with one actually struggling actor and a private investigator. Directed by Shane Blac. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Larry Miller and Corbin Bernsen. 2005. R. 103 minutes.
“The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble” – A documentary that follows an international collective of musicians traveling across the world and speaking to the universal power of music as well as its ability to blur geographical and political boundaries. Directed by Morgan Neville. 2016. Not rated. 96 minutes.
“The Majestic” – In McCarthyism-riddled America, a Hollywood writer mourns his career after becoming blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. After a night of drinking, he crashes his car into a river, waking up in a small town to discover he no longer remembers who he is. His uncanny resemblance to a missing World War II soldier causes the town’s residents to mistake his identity, further confusing the writer and complicating all the issues he was running away from in the first place. Directed by Frank Darabont. Starring Jim Carrey, Laurie Holden, Allen Garfield, Amanda Detmer, Bob Balaban, Brent Briscoe, Hal Holbrook and Jeffrey DeMunn. 2001. PG. 152 minutes.
“The USA vs. Bergdahl” – The true story of an American soldier held as a prisoner of war by the Taliban after being captured in 2009 and his return to the United States where he was depicted by many as a traitor due to past mistakes and false allegations. Directed by Sean Langan. 2017. Not rated. 96 minutes.