Beware:  these films will make you hungry.  The protagonist in both is a chef—a cooking wizard, really.  The food preparation scenes are gloriously and meticulously filmed.  In one case the cook is an expert Mexican chef in the other case he is a master of Chinese foods.  Both chefs have three wayward daughters and both, with increasing difficulty and without a spouse, are trying to hold the family together.  And both chefs insist that everyone gather at the family home once a week for his love offerings of food.  If you haven’t guessed already, these two films are actually the same story set in two different countries with different casts, crews, and directors.  Both films are equally good; this may be the only instance in film history where the remake, regardless of its vast cultural differences, is every bit as good as the original film.  Both films are delightful, entertaining, heart-tugging, and laugh-making.  Which should you see first?  Well… what are you hungry for?

In honor of creator Matt Groening’s birthday (Feb 15, 1954), I’d like to give a shout out to one of my favorite TV shows, the Simpsons.  In addition to books, our library carries many television series (like the Simpsons) on DVD.   Most episodes of the Simpsons can be seen in syndication, but it’s worth watching them again on DVD.  In addition to the usual audio commentaries and deleted scenes features, you can see segments that were trimmed for syndication.  You can also find a few episodes that are almost never aired on TV at all.  When was the last time you saw the episode where Homer and his friends form a barbershop quartet?  What about the 4^th season show where Lisa gets braces from an evil dentist and Homer becomes president of the power plant’s union?  Whether you are a fan of the newer episodes or classics, these DVDs make great viewing… and they are commercial-free! For those who just can’t get enough, the library also has great Simpsons comic books, episode guides, an unauthorized history of the show, a biography of Nancy Cartwright (who voices Bart,) and even serious Simpons lit (“The Psychology of the Simpsons: D’oh!”)   You may have to place a reserve to get the DVDs, but we almost always have a few of the books in stock and ready for checkout!