Are you planning to watch the new Downton Abbey movie or the new Rambo movie this weekend? Maybe you're planning to watch both. We know at least one librarian who is a mega-fan of both franchises! To celebrate, we have a little background on each, as well as related resources you can check out at your friendly BiblioTech Public Library.
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey first aired as a TV show in 2010 and quickly became very popular. It depicts the lives of a wealthy, aristocratic family, as well as their domestic servants, in an English household in the early 20th century. This film adaptation (watch the trailer here) is a continuation of the award-winning series, which was created by Julian Fellows and stars numerous critically-acclaimed actors including Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery. Read about the renowned costumes, which include details such as stamping the footman's buttons with the family crest, at Vogue (reminder: you can also check out Vogue on our RBdigital app) and learn about the real-life royal visit the movie is based around from Town & Country.
You can also get your Downton Abbey fix from BiblioTech! Check out the The Manners of Downton Abbey, a movie on Hoopla, which features interviews with cast members and gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how showrunners get the details right in every episode. Hoopla also has a book titled Edwardian Cooking: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook and several different soundtracks from the show. On our cloudLibrary app, you can check out different takes on the "real" Downton Abbey, as well as a humorous mystery book titled, The Death of Downton Tabby.
Rambo
The book First Blood by David Morrell introduced us to the character John J. Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran, in 1972. In 1982, the movie version of First Blood was released, with Sylvester Stallone playing Rambo. Stallone was also one of the screenwriters on the movie. The movie came out to mixed reviews, but was a box office hit and has become a classic action film and the first in a very successful franchise.
Since the original movie was released, there have been three sequels, with the fourth, Rambo: Last Blood, out this weekend (watch the trailer here). Stallone also co-wrote this movie and recently shared some videos on Instagram talking about the films and the character. There is so much more to learn about the history of this franchise and the real-life person the character was originally based on.
BiblioTech has not only the First Blood book available for check out on cloudLibrary, but also Rambo: First Blood Part II. On Hoopla, you can listen to the Rambo Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, or check out The Ultimate Stallone Reader for details on the star and co-writer.
If you go see either movie this weekend, we hope you have a fantastic time. And if neither of these are up your alley, but you're into the movie sceen, might we suggest reading a Newbery Award-winning book and then filming your own short movie for our amazing 90-Second Newbery contest? It will be so much fun!