Category Archives: School librarian

First impressions: The Amazing Spider-Man

In an earlier post, I had highlighted a clip of Stan Lee revealing his cameo as a librarian in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). Earlier this week, the hubby and I got to see the film at a local drive-in movie theater, along with The Dark Knight Rises. A loooong night (and early morning), but worth it!

If you haven’t seen the film yet, then there are minor SPOILERS ahead.

To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting much from this latest Spider-Man film, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Andrew Garfield (as Peter Parker) and the ever-adorable Emma Stone (as Parker’s first love, Gwen Stacy) have chemistry to spare, and the supporting cast members, including Denis Leary, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, and Campbell Scott, were all quite solid. (Martin Sheen, I ♥ you.) And yes, I teared up when the construction crews lined up the cranes to clear a path for Spider-Man. Ah, teamwork and selfless acts, they get me every time.

Stan Lee cameo in The Amazing Spider-Man. Click image for source info.

Stan Lee has a cameo in just about every film adaptation of his stories and characters (see here for a detailed list of his cameos), and this one is quite memorable. I carried a tape recorder with me to the film, as I didn’t want to put on a light and distract from the other drive-in moviegoers. Here’s a transcript of what I noted while watching the scene:

Stan Lee plays a school librarian who’s listening to classical music, and it’s like an hour and forty minutes into the film. He’s wearing a black sweater vest and chinos and — [Sam interjects, "bow tie"] — bow tie, white button-down. Oblivious. Kind of like the [librarian in] Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Comic relief. That was like, what, 2-3 seconds? Ok, and they’re in the high school. So, that’s that.

What is Stan Lee’s librarian oblivious about? The fact that Spider-Man and the Lizard are fighting right behind him – and tearing the school library apart! The contrast of the classical music choice is very funny, and Stan Lee as the oblivious School Librarian definitely joins the Comic Relief librarians.

And if you’re wondering about the librarian in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and other Comic Relief librarians, read more by clicking here.

And for as long as this clip stays online, here’s a look at the scene and Stan Lee’s librarian cameo:

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Is reading a spectator sport? Librarians in sports movies

The Olympics have begun! Oh, you haven’t heard? ;) I ♥ me some Olympics, so that got me thinking about any sports movies featuring reel librarians. Are there any?

Of course!

Major League (1989)

The flag-bearer in this procession goes to reel librarian Lynn Wells in Major League (1989). Rene Russo plays Lynn, a former swimmer — and alternate for the ’80 Olympics in the 200 individual medley, no less! — and ex-wife of baseball catcher Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger). After her athletic career, she turned to librarianship (a natural progression), and “in two years, [...] put together one of the best special collections in the country.” Of course. :)

Lynn in Major League (1989) is the only example I’ve been able to find so far of a reel librarian who is also an athlete. But there are a few additional examples of major characters and athletes who fall in love with librarians. Of course. :)

Good News (1947)

First up is 1947 musical Good News, starring college football hero Tommy (Lawford), who falls for fellow student and college library assistant Connie (June Allyson). You can check out their Meet Cute moment and duet sung in the library by clicking here.

Love Story (1970)

In Love Story (1970), Harvard law student and jock Oliver (Ryan O’Neal) falls in love with Jennifer, a Radcliffe music major (Ali MacGraw). The opening scene features their first encounter, set at the Radcliffe library where MacGraw works as a library assistant.

Movie Movie (1978)

The 1978 film Movie Movie is made up of a twin bill of 1930s spoofs, including the boxing-themed “Dynamite Hands.” Delivery boy Joey (Harry Hamlin) becomes a boxing success, supported by Betsy (Trish Van Devere), his loyal girlfriend who works at the New York Public Library.

Rudy (1993)

The quintessential underdog, feel-good sports movie has got to be Rudy (1993), starring Sean Astin as the title character, a below-average student with no natural athletic ability. Nevertheless, he has the determination and spirit to join the Notre Dame football team. In one scene, a kindly librarian (Marie Anspaugh) wakes Rudy up after a study marathon in the college library.

Finding Forrester (2000)

In Finding Forrester (2000), reclusive author (Sean Connery) becomes a mentor to a young African-American writing prodigy, Jamal (Rob Brown), who also happens to be a standout basketball player. In one brief scene, Jamal visits the library, where we see a reel librarian cameo (Sophia Wu).

Bookies (2003)

A negative side of sports is shown in Bookies (2003), in which three college roommates set up a bookmaking business in their dorm room. Jude (Johnny Galecki) works as a student library worker, using the library as the drop-off spot in their bookmaking scheme. (Sigh.)

Murder at the Gallop (1963)

Murder at the Gallop (1963) is set amidst a backdrop of horse racing at an English country estate. Stringer Davis plays his usual role of village librarian and sidekick in this entry of the Margaret Rutherford-as-Miss Marple series.

Rollerball (1975)

In Rollerball (1975), Jonathan (James Caan) is the star of the ultra-violent sport Rollerball. He rebels against the corporate rulers, which involves two library scenes. Unfortunately, the librarians are less than useless in this dystopian future.

Billy Elliot (2000)

And last but not least, Jamie Bell stars as title character Billy Elliot (2000), who wants to become a ballet dancer even though his family expects him to be interested in boxing and become a miner. In one short scene, Billy steals a book from a library bookmobile  because the stern librarian (Carol McGuigan) won’t let him check it out on a junior ticket.

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The Last American Virgin librarian

When I noticed that The Last American Virgin (1982) was available for free on our Video-on-Demand list, I told Sam that we had to watch it because it was on my Master List. Can you guess his reaction?

“Is the librarian the title character?”

I should have seen that one coming. (Sigh.) ;)

So who IS the last American virgin of this film? That would be Gary (Lawrence Monoson), the main character in this quintessentially ’80s movie. It’s like a walking, talking time capsule. The music, the clothes, the hair, the makeup, the naivety. The plot is almost interchangeable with the cult classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which was released the same year as this film —  teenagers trying to have sex and then dealing with the consequences. Half of the time, I felt the movie nailed (tee hee) the awkwardness of teenage life, and half the time I was shouting at the screen, “Who ARE these people?”

Library Closed!! Because without the second exclamation point, students wouldn’t know we mean business.

Anyways… a little over an hour into the movie, the main characters finally visit the school library, where everybody seems to be hanging out right before the Christmas holidays. What’s the attraction? Certainly not the warm, fuzzy feeling you get from this “LIBRARY CLOSED!!” sign hanging on the door (see right). This is our first shot of the school library (!), and Sam and I spent waaaay too much time deciphering this sign. We finally figured out it was a drawing of the library doors locked up, with a bomb and some kind of hammer or axe trying to break through. Click the screenshot to view a larger image.

We hear the school librarian before we see her. Again, the recurring theme is all about service.

Next time, bring that book on time if you don’t want to pay a fine. We charge for every day overdue.

Gary then asks the librarian (played by Blanche Rubin, who gets listed right above “Soda Jerk” in the credits) a question.

That Christmas tree on the counter is the saddest thing since Charlie Brown’s Christmas special.

You can bet there’s no welcoming chit-chat at this library counter.

Gary:  Do you have the October Consumer Reports?

Librarian:  What year?

Gary:  1980.

Librarian:  I’ll look. [turns to open up a card catalog drawer behind the desk]

Gary then spies one of his best friends, Rick (Steven Antin), who’s busy being a douchebag to the main love interest, Karen (Diane Franklin). No spoilers here; let’s just skip the plot and get straight to the money shot. That lovely wooden card catalog in the background is such a scene-stealer, right? Ohhhhh, yeah. ;)

Stop looking at that card catalog and listen to me!

So, the two friends get into a loud argument (in the shot above, do you see the guy on the left giving them the evil eye?) and gasp! start a fist fight in the library. The librarian is SHOCKED! Let’s check out her reactions:

First comes surprise… … then comes anger!

Never moving from her counter, she slams her fist on the counter and shouts out:

Stop it! I will not have that in here!

Then she pulls out the big guns:

Get out of here! I will call the principal if you don’t get out of here!

Apparently, the librarian is shouting at Gary specifically, and as he slams the door on his way out, we hear an extra-loud “Oh!” from her. (Maybe she was worried the LIBRARY CLOSED!! sign would fall off.) So we get to hear the librarian coming and going.

The library scenes are quite brief, lasting only about 3 minutes total. But due to those priceless reaction shots, she makes it into the Class III category. And as her scenes both begin and end with an emphasis on rules — and rule-breaking — she exemplifies the Spinster Librarian type. And let’s face it, she’s pretty dowdy in that drab outfit. Sam made an astute observation that the top might have been considered fashionable… like 20 years prior! Like this movie, the school librarian herself is a time capsule. Secondarily, she also serves as an Information Provider.

The school scenes were filmed at Birmingham High School (now known as the Birmingham Community Charter High School), which has starred in several films, TV shows, and music videos. You can read more about the filming locations here and here. I’m going to assume the school library scenes were also part of the high school.

Throughout the short scene, we get to see quite a few wide shots of the library interior, even during the fight.

This movie, generic plot and all, is actually a remake of a popular 1978 Israeli film called Eskimo Limon (aka Lemon Popsicle), which itself spawned 8 sequels. And apparently, director Brett Ratner announced last year that he was planning a modern remake. Seems there’s a lot of fondness out there for The Last American Virgin. If you are one of those people who are nostalgic for this movie (admittedly, I am not), you might also enjoy this quiz from Rotten Tomatoes.

Below is the original theatrical trailer, which includes a flash of the library fight!

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Welcome to Sunnydale, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love Buffy

English: The entertitle of Buffy made on Paint.

English: The entertitle of Buffy made on Paint.

I have a confession to make. Until this past week, I had never seen an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (or the movie). That HUGE oversight has now been corrected. Of course, I knew that one of the main characters in the TV version of Buffy included Rupert Giles, the school librarian at Sunnydale High. I didn’t live in a cave during Buffy‘s run, and I even like vampire stories (one of our current faves is The Vampire Diaries). And obviously, I love watching and analyzing librarian portrayals onscreen. So I really don’t have any kind of satisfactory answer as to why I didn’t ever get into Buffy. It may have simply been the timing, as the show started around the time that I began college, and you know, I had other priorities. ;) Or maybe once I did realize that hey, maybe I should watch that, the show had been on a long time, and getting into it seemed kind of overwhelming.

So, now onto correcting that oversight. Last week, I saw that the 1992 film was available — for free — on my Video-On-Demand list, so I decided to check it out. I wasn’t sure if the same librarian character was in the movie (yes, I know, Buffy fans, don’t crucify me for not knowing this!) or what the connection was between the film and TV series. Turns out, Joss Whedon HATED the film adaptation of his story, effectively disowning the movie. And I can see why. It’s pretty terrible, yet also kind of awesomely bad in that special, early ’90s way.

Note:  This film would be a fantastic drinking game for star cameos! Luke Perry was arguably the biggest name at the time it was released, but I also enjoyed picking out Ricki Lake, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Ben Affleck, David Arquette, Thomas Jane, Paul Reubens, and Hilary Swank (in her film debut!) throughout the movie.

Oh, and there’s no librarian in the movie. The “Watcher” role, Merrick, is played by Donald Sutherland. You can tell he looks embarrassed to be in it.

Through our Hulu subscription, I then watched the first two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the long-running TV series from 1997-2003. And yay, the school library and librarian get major screen time from the beginning! :) Anthony Stewart Head (who forever will be known first in my mind as star of those sexy Taster’s Choice commercials from the late ’80s and early ’90s) plays Giles in a typically British droll and earnest fashion. He’s the Watcher in this version, and I personally LOVE that Whedon chose to place the role of guide and trainer in a library. There’s no mention of Giles’s actual qualifications as a librarian — only that he’s from England (with that accent, he’s got to be smart, duh), and he’s brought a lot of books with him. Giles is definitely a technophobe, as he calls a computer that “dread machine.” (Sigh.) If you want to read more about his character and background, I would start here and here.

Hello? I need a librarian, stat!

The library set is pretty cool, with bookshelves encircling a lounge area. Kind of homey, with lots of dark wood (and shadows). The main monster-fighting gang seem to be the only ones who choose to hang in the library, as they don’t show much concern about others overhearing them talk about vampires and such. It was a little odd, however, to see a cage behind Giles for his introductory shot. Kind of creepy.

Taster’s Choice? No thank you, I’m working.

And how does Buffy describe Giles (to his face!) in the first episode?

You’re like a textbook with arms.

You need a personality, stat.

Not very flattering, Buffy. But I’m hopeful that will change. :)

All in all, I enjoyed my first foray into the Buffy universe. Oooh, and I’m totally hoping that the “Ripper” spin-off of the Giles character is still a possibility… Team Giles!

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Debbie does a play

During my research of librarian films, I have come across two erotic films, Debbie Does Dallas (1978) and Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Comedy (1976) that reportedly include librarian characters. I haven’t seen either film yet, and I don’t intend to include straight-to-video adult films that include librarians on this site — that’s a whole other subset of Naughty Librarians that I won’t get into. But these two films were both highly successful at the time and considered classics of their kind, produced during the so-called “Golden Age of Porn” where adult films became more mainstream. Just telling it as it is, folks.

The plot of Debbie Does Dallas is quite simple:  a group of cheerleaders try to earn enough money to send Debbie to try out for the “Texas Cowgirls” squad (obviously a riff off the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders). How do they earn that money? There’s a reason it’s called the oldest profession in the world, of course. ;)

As I detailed in a earlier post about how I find new titles to watch, I routinely check my Master List against various sources. And imagine my surprise when I found a copy of Debbie Does Dallas in my local community college consortium — not the film, alas, but the play! I had no idea that the film had been adapted for the stage, but indeed, Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical was created in 2001 by Susan L. Schwartz for the New York International Fringe Festival. It was adapted by Erica Schmidt, with original musical numbers by Andrew Sherman.

And indeed, there is a librarian in the play, a Mr. Biddle. Here’s how he’s described in the script notes:

Mr. Biddle works at the high-school library. He is repressed and reserved. Biddle is of a forgotten generation in his principles and etiquette. (He is a male character in a porno and he does not want sex.) He is smart, rash, quick to anger and passionate about poetry.

From that description, I immediately thought Anti-Social Male Librarian, the male equivalent of the Spinster Librarian. This type of reel librarian tends to hoard knowledge, exhibits poor social skills, dislikes people, and focuses on rules. Makes sense, right?

Mr. Biddle is definitely a minor character, turning up in only a few scenes. In Scene 8, “Girls Get Jobs,” the poet cheerleader Donna asks if she can work at the library. He is reluctant, but is convinced by Donna’s scintillating argument:  ”I could help by watching books and stamping and stuff.” (Sigh.) His response?  ”Oh, ok.” (Double sigh.)

Getting spanked in Debbie Does Dallas the Musical

His biggest and final scene comes in Scene 20, “The Library.” Mr. Biddle catches Donna and her boyfriend Tim fooling around. Angry, he shouts, “You know the rules here. How could you so wantonly break them?” Afraid he will tell her parents, she allows him to spank her (see right). And then he asks her to spank him:  ”I always wanted to be bent over and spanked by a cheerleader ’cause I’m a bad and nasty boy.” Donna readily agrees, calling him “Bad Biddle.” This sets him back $105.

And with that, he also serves as a Naughty Librarian — the males of this type, unlike the female Naughty Librarians, are generally unattractive (check) and interested in deviant or unusual sexual acts (check).

So is the play successful? The scenes are extremely short, with repeated occurrences of inane dialogue. I lost count of how many times I read, “Oh, ok” and “Ok, bye.” The sex acts are hinted at or simulated or played with bananas (not kidding, see below). In truth, I rolled my eyes at the self-described tone of the play, as set out in the introductory notes:

The style of this piece is: rodeo-porno-football-circus. Every performer must be willing to go over the top and yet NOT BE CAMPY. The performances are meant to be big in size but never winking at the audience.

Debbie Does Dallas on the stage

Does Mr. Biddle’s character in the play mimic his reel counterpart? Apparently so, as according to Frank Vigorito’s review from the 2001 New York International Fringe Festival, “Debbie’s plot and script are word-for-word faithful to the original 1978 film.” And the scenes feel so short because of the removal of the sex scenes, so scenes “seemingly occur about every 30 seconds.” I agree with Vigorito’s final verdict:

Essentially, the play moves from one pointless scene of dialogue to the next, with the audience left waiting for something to look forward to, but that moment never arrives, unless you consider the final curtain.

The play is available from Dramatists Play Service, where you can also listen to music samples.

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