🎬 Movies, Media Literacy, and a Vampire with a Questionable Mustache
Inside This Week’s Middle Country Public Library Podcast
Hello and welcome back! This week on the Middle Country Public Library Podcast, Sal, Sara, and Nicole took us on a journey that started with February movie releases and somehow ended with AI scams, misinformation, and the importance of taking a deep breath before reacting online. Honestly? A very on-brand episode.
Let’s break it down.
🍿 February Movies Are Coming (Ready or Not)
Sara kicked things off with a preview of movies arriving in February—many of which will be available right here at the library, because let’s be real: streaming services are getting expensive.
Also discussed:
✔️ Why physical media still matters (director commentaries!)
✔️ Why streaming windows are ridiculously short
✔️ Why libraries remain undefeated
🎭 Juror #2 – A Grown-Up Movie?!
Directed by Clint Eastwood (yes, still alive), Juror #2 feels like a throwback to the kind of thoughtful, mid-budget adult dramas we used to get all the time.
Starring:
- Nicholas Hoult
- Toni Collette
- Chris Messina (Sara-approved ✅)
A courtroom drama, moral dilemmas, jury duty stress, and Savannah, Georgia humidity? Suddenly… compelling.
🧙 Wicked – Long, Green, and Surprisingly Good
Yes, it’s Part One. Yes, it’s 160 minutes. Yes, people were warned not to bring unsuspecting parents.
Sara went in skeptical and came out impressed. Ariana Grande? Surprisingly good. Concerns about everyone looking a little too thin? Also discussed. Bowen Yang? A delight.
Verdict: If you like the stage show or the book, this one might win you over—just hydrate and stretch beforehand.
🗡️ The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
An animated epic clocking in at 134 minutes, based on a Tolkien appendix footnote (probably).
Pros:
- Gorgeous animation
- Brian Cox energy
- Epic names
Cons:
- Very long
- Very dense
- Very easy to nap through
Worth a watch… maybe.
😂 Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
Martin Short’s Jiminy Glick returns in a cult-classic-style mockumentary that critics didn’t love—but fans might.
Is it ridiculous? Yes.
Is it necessary? Also yes.
🧛 Nosferatu – The Vibes Are Immaculate, the Mustache Is Not
Robert Eggers delivers a slow, gothic, beautifully shot reimagining of Nosferatu. Sara saw it and had thoughts:
- Not traditional horror
- Extremely atmospheric
- Needs two viewings
- Lily-Rose Depp? Fine!
- Nosferatu’s mustache? Distractingly luxurious
If you like “slow,” “gothic,” or “burn,” this one’s for you. Otherwise… maybe not.
🇨🇦 Oh, Canada – Short, Serious, and Thought-Provoking
A quieter film starring Richard Gere, Jacob Elordi, and Michael Imperioli, exploring memory, truth, and draft dodging during the Vietnam era.
Nicole was intrigued.
Sara remained unconvinced about Richard Gere’s face.
The runtime? A merciful 94 minutes.
🧠 From Movies to Misinformation
Then the episode took a turn—and in the best way.
Nicole dove into media literacy, misinformation, and how everything we read comes through a lens. Key takeaways:
- Only 8% of Americans have a great deal of trust in mass media
- 36% have no trust at all
- TikTok ranks lowest for trusted news
- Facebook and YouTube… somehow better?
She broke down the difference between:
- Misinformation (false info shared unintentionally)
- Disinformation (false info shared on purpose)
And highlighted excellent resources like:
- AllSides (media bias breakdowns)
- Poynter / MediaWise (fact-checking and media literacy)
- Harvard guides on civil discourse
The message wasn’t “don’t have opinions”—it was:
Pause. Breathe. Check context. It’s okay to change your mind.
🤖 AI Is Here (And It’s Tricky)
The episode wrapped with a reminder that AI-generated content—voices, videos, images, even fake vacation resorts—is getting better.
Pro tip:
If a luxury beachfront resort costs $59 a night… maybe Google it first.
And if you get fooled? You’re not alone. No embarrassment required.
❤️ Final Thoughts
This episode was funny, thoughtful, and sneakily important. From vampire mustaches to misinformation, it reminded us why libraries—and podcasts like this one—matter more than ever.
🎧 Listen to the full episode
💬 Comment on YouTube (the algorithm demands it)
📚 Check the catalog for these movies
🧠 Take a breath before sharing that headline
