Living in the time of cholera, and other such events (why you should use Kanopy).
photograph shot by Countess Becca
When do we really date the beginning of this pandemic? There’s an absolute answer that might be answered in the global sense.
In the local sense, the answer is a little more uncertain, as orders, mandates, protocols, information, and general reaction COVID-19, a.k.a. Coronavirus, was learned.
There’s a few things I’m certain of. Number 15 is that there are a lot households, many with children, getting a bit of extra time with one another. And I’m certain that at least a few of those families might be getting a little weary of each other’s company, and possibly spending a little more time on televisions, tablets, phones, and computers than they might have otherwise.
I’m also certain that many are anxiously checking their bank accounts and figuring what qualify as necessary expenses, all that. So with those two realities, let me take this chance to run yet another piece propaganda for public libraries. Here goes.
If you’re an elite member of a public library - and by elite member, I mean that you are elite simply by choosing to join for free - then there is a very good chance that you have free access to one of the great streaming apps of our time. Kanopy.
Kanopy’s tagline is : Thoughtful entertainment. Meaning: excellent curated selection of Criterion classics, world cinema, and popular faves. Great streaming selection; you get a certain number of credits per week, depending on your library system’s deal (Fort Vancouver Regional Library system currently gets you 20 play credits a month).
Five Films for Adults I recommend on Kanopy
Captain Fantastic (2016). Single dad raising a bunch of kids his way in the wilderness. All is meant to be a sort of paradise. And then it’s not.
Logan Lucky (2017). Funny, free-wheeling Stephen Soderbergh heist flick. All the joy of Ocean’s 11…in the south. Daniel Craig’s character alone makes it worth a see.
The Lobster (2016). Bizarre, one-of-a-kind surreal comedy from The Favourite director. Hilarious, sweet, romantic, strange, and unlike anything else. Unless you can think of another film where people are turned into an animal of their choice unless they fall in love and find a mate within 45 days.
Lady Bird (2017). Greta Gerwig’s lovely coming-of-age story and an imitable girl’s relationship with her mother and others. Our kids are infatuated with Saiorse Ronan after Little Women. Understandable.
What We Do In The Shadows (2014). Pre-Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi did this little gem of a faux-documentary about the day-to-day lives of a group of vampire housemates. Not for everyone. But funny. My brother Jonny told me to watch for and I finally did. Worth it.
Eighth Grade (2018). An eighth-grade girl who doesn’t quite fit in and is trying to find her way in a social media-driven world as she closes out a not-so-great experience with middle school. Must see.
Five Classic Films for Families on Kanopy
The Kid (1921).Yeah, so they grumble the first few minutes they realize they’re watching something in black-and-white. And with captions to read. They’ll get over it and fall in love. Oh yeah, it’s also a silent film. Charlie Chaplin’s travails and trials raising a young child are still lovely and lovable a hundred years later.
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005). Julianne Moore drama, with many humorous moments, about a woman raising a big family who has to figure out how to support her family…and starts writing advertising jingles.
We’re No Angels (1955). Humphrey Bogart classic comedy about convicts hiding out.
His Girl Friday (1940). Classic screwball rom-com…and a great introduction for your kids to Cary Grant and the fast-talking world of cinema that oddly existed long before Gilmore Girls.
Charade (1963). Who couldn’t use some Audrey Hepburn during this stressful time? Or at pretty much any time? Tough to go wrong with an adventure thriller featuring her and Cary Grant in a European mystery involving murder, stolen money, and exotic locales that you can’t travel to right now. Okay, that last sentence was a bit of a bummer. Sorry. But dream big and have hope.
Five Films I Plan to Watch Over the Next Month on Kanopy
Under the Skin.
Leave No Trace.
The Bookshop.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.
High Life.
*Force Majeure
Also, there’s a great deal of children’s television programming, as well as many, many fiction, documentary, and learning titles in a variety of sectors. Whether you want to be entertained or educated, Kanopy has some great options.
Enjoy, and let me know if you see anything especially wonderful or illuminating!
Be well, play well, stay well.
