Libraries Aren't Just Books Anymore: July 2015

Why did I spend four years at university learning French when all I needed to do was memorize the Scrabble dictionary?!

Nigel Richards memorized French-language Scrabble dictionary in nine weeks to win world championship despite not speaking French. Nigel Richards of New Zealand won the Francophone Scrabble World Championship on Monday despite not speaking French.

Nigel Richards of New Zealand won the Francophone Scrabble World Championship on Monday despite not speaking French.

Pierre Calendini/Fédération Française de Scrabble/Facebook

Arguably the best Scrabble player on Earth, Nigel Richards can now add French-language champion to his list of accomplishments.

And the New Zealand native didn’t let one pesky detail stand in his way: il ne parle pas français.

That’s right, Richards doesn’t speak a lick of French.

“The Scrabble microcosm is shaken, turned upside down, amused, stunned, delighted, blown away,” the French Scrabble Federation wrote on its Facebook page Monday.

“Nigel Richards (New Zealand) just won the Francophone Scrabble World Championship while not speaking a single word of French!”

Richards, who lives in Malaysia, defeated Schelick Ilagou Rekawe, a French speaker from Gabon, on Monday at the tournament in Belgium.

A classic board game, Scrabble players choose tiled letters to form words on a grid. Each letter has a numbered value, and special spots on the board also boost a word’s point total.

Richards memorized the francophone Scrabble dictionary in nine weeks in preparation for the tournament, the federation said.

“He doesn't speak French at all, he just learnt the words. He won’t know what they mean, wouldn’t be able to carry out a conversation in French I wouldn’t think,” Richards’ close friend Liz Fagerlund told the New Zealand Herald.

Richards was given a standing ovation after his victory, which has stunned many observers of competitive Scrabble.

“In my opinion, his secret must be found in his brain, a photographic memory no doubt . . . And of course, lots of practice,” someone commented on Facebook.

“Bravo, the human spirit still saves us nice surprises!” another wrote.

Others were a little discouraged: “This is exactly what discourages many potential players in clubs, Scrabble has nothing to do with French (and) this is proof. To win you need to be a machine that can memorize the words that only exist in the (official Scrabble dictionary).”

“Just a winning machine,” another quipped.

But the French federation didn’t lose its sense of humour about it all. “Rumour has it that Nigel wants to stop French Scrabble to take up Spanish Scrabble. More to come,” the group joked.

Richards won the English-language World Scrabble Championship in 2007, the World Players Championship in 2008, and holds several National Scrabble Championship titles, the biggest competition in North America.

Looking for some great movies for summer viewing? Check out this eclectic list from the Internet Movie Database website. I love Midnight in Paris, Amelie and Lost in Translation. I would add Happy Gilmore to this list. It isn't summer unless the CBC shows Happy Gilmore! What else would you add?

by sam_fringo created 06 Apr 2013 | last updated - 09 Jun 2013

Dazed and Confused (1993)

The adventures of incoming high school and junior high students on the last day of school, in May of 1976. (102 mins.)

Director: Richard Linklater

Stars: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey, Rory Cochrane

Almost Famous (2000)

A high-school boy is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies it on their concert tour. (122 mins.)

Director: Cameron Crowe

Stars: Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand

Adventureland (2009)

In the summer of 1987, a college graduate takes a 'nowhere' job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world. (107 mins.)

Director: Greg Mottola

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Kelsey Ford

Do the Right Thing (1989)

On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence. (120 mins.)

Director: Spike Lee

Stars: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson

The Big Lebowski (1998)

"The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it. (117 mins.)

Director: Joel Coen

Stars: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

An oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychedelic escapades. (118 mins.)

Director: Terry Gilliam

Stars: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Ellen Barkin

The Goonies (1985)

In order to save their home from foreclosure, a group of misfits set out to find a pirate's ancient treasure. (114 mins.)

Director: Richard Donner

Stars: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman

Cocktail (1988)

A talented New York bartender takes a job at a bar in Jamaica and falls in love. (104 mins.)

Director: Roger Donaldson

Stars: Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, Elisabeth Shue, Lisa Banes

Risky Business (1983)

A Chicago teenager is looking for fun at home while his parents are away, but the situation quickly gets out of hand. (99 mins.)

Director: Paul Brickman

Stars: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Masur

10.

Garden State (2004)

A quietly troubled young man returns home for his mother's funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade. (102 mins.)

Director: Zach Braff

Stars: Zach Braff, Peter Sarsgaard, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm

11.

The Lost Boys (1987)

After moving to a new town, two brothers are convinced that the area is frequented by vampires. (97 mins.)

Director: Joel Schumacher

Stars: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes

12.

Say Anything... (1989)

A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college. (100 mins.)

Director: Cameron Crowe

Stars: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney, Lili Taylor

13.

Reality Bites (1994)

Generation X Graduates face life after college with a filmmaker looking for work and love in Houston. (99 mins.)

Director: Ben Stiller

Stars: Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, Steve Zahn

14.

The Graduate (1967)

A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter. (106 mins.)

Director: Mike Nichols

Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels

15.

Spring Breakers (2012)

Four college girls hold up a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation. While partying/drinking/taking drugs they are arrested only to be bailed out by a drug and arms dealer. (94 mins.)

Director: Harmony Korine

Stars: Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine

16.

Into the Wild (2007)

After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life. (148 mins.)

Director: Sean Penn

Stars: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Marcia Gay Harden

17.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. (154 mins.)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis

18.

Pineapple Express (2008)

A process server and his marijuana dealer wind up on the run from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after he witness his dealer's boss murder a competitor while trying to serve papers on him. (111 mins.)

Director: David Gordon Green

Stars: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Danny McBride

19.

Superbad (2007)

Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry. (113 mins.)

Director: Greg Mottola

Stars: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader

20.

Clerks (1994)

A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof. (92 mins.)

Director: Kevin Smith

Stars: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer

21.

500 Days of Summer (2009)

An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her. (95 mins.)

Director: Marc Webb

Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz

Add to Watchlist

“ not just because 'Summer' is in the title ” - sam_fringo

22.

Jaws (1975)

When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it. (124 mins.)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary

23.

Falling Down (1993)

An unemployed defense worker frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society, begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them. (113 mins.)

Director: Joel Schumacher

Stars: Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin

24.

Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

In Mexico, two teenage boys and an attractive older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life, friendship, sex, and each other. (106 mins.)

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Stars: Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ana López Mercado

25.

Caddyshack (1980)

An exclusive golf course has to deal with a brash new member and a destructive dancing gopher. (98 mins.)

Director: Harold Ramis

Stars: Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Ted Knight

26.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies. (111 mins.)

Director: Nicholas Ray

Stars: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus

27.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Disturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her. (122 mins.)

Director: Elia Kazan

Stars: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden

28.

A Good Year (2006)

A British investment broker inherits his uncle's chateau and vineyard in Provence, where he spent much of his childhood. He discovers a new laid-back lifestyle as he tries to renovate the estate to be sold. (117 mins.)

Director: Ridley Scott

Stars: Russell Crowe, Abbie Cornish, Albert Finney, Marion Cotillard

29.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

The story of a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys and their lives over the years. (134 mins.)

Director: Ang Lee

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid

30.

Taking Woodstock (2009)

A man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969. (120 mins.)

Director: Ang Lee

Stars: Demetri Martin, Henry Goodman, Edward Hibbert, Imelda Staunton

31.

Stand by Me (1986)

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy. (89 mins.)

Director: Rob Reiner

Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell

32.

Friday (1995)

Two homies, Smokey &Craig, smoke up a dope dealer's weed and try to figure a way to get the $200 they owe the dope dealer by 10:00pm that night. In that time they smoke weed, get jacked, and they get shot at in a drive-by. (91 mins.)

Director: F. Gary Gray

Stars: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister

33.

Sixteen Candles (1984)

A young girl's "sweet sixteenth" birthday becomes anything but special as she suffers from every embarrassment possible. (93 mins.)

Director: John Hughes

Stars: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling

34.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Spending the summer in a holiday camp with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor Johnny Castle. (100 mins.)

Director: Emile Ardolino

Stars: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes

35.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight. (94 mins.)

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Kurt Fuller

36.

50 First Dates (2004)

Henry Roth is a man afraid of commitment up until he meets the beautiful Lucy. They hit it off and Henry think he's finally found the girl of his dreams, until he discovers she has short-term memory loss and forgets him the very next day. (99 mins.)

Director: Peter Segal

Stars: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin

37.

Death Proof (2007)

Two separate sets of voluptuous women are stalked at different times by a scarred stuntman who uses his "death proof" cars to execute his murderous plans. (113 mins.)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Stars: Kurt Russell, Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito

38.

The Godfather (1972)

The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son. (175 mins.)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton

Add to Watchlist

39.

Amélie (2001)

Amelie is an innocent and naive girl in Paris with her own sense of justice. She decides to help those around her and, along the way, discovers love. (122 mins.)

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Stars: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta

Add to Watchlist

40.

Roman Holiday (1953)

A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome. (118 mins.)

Director: William Wyler

Stars: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power

41.

In Bruges (2008)

Guilt-stricken after a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be. (107 mins.)

Director: Martin McDonagh

Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds, Elizabeth Berrington

42.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus. (101 mins.)

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Stars: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Abigail Breslin

43.

Drive (2011)

A mysterious Hollywood stuntman and mechanic moonlights as a getaway driver and finds himself trouble when he helps out his neighbor. (100 mins.)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks

44.

Boogie Nights (1997)

The story of a young man's adventures in the Californian pornography industry of the late 1970s and early 1980s. (155 mins.)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Luis Guzman

45.

True Romance (1993)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.0/10 X Clarence marries hooker Alabama, steals cocaine from her pimp, and tries to sell it in Hollywood, while the owners of the coke try to reclaim it. (120 mins.)

Director: Tony Scott

Stars: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer

46.

Lost in Translation (2003)

A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo. (101 mins.)

Director: Sofia Coppola

Stars: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris

47.

The Descendants (2011)

A land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident. (115 mins.)

Director: Alexander Payne

Stars: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause

Add to Watchlist

48.

The Boat That Rocked (2009)

A period comedy about an illegal radio station in the North Sea in the 1960s. (135 mins.)

Director: Richard Curtis

Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Michael Hadley

49.

Friday the 13th (1980)

A group of camp counselors is stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp which, years before, was the site of a child's drowning. (95 mins.)

Director: Sean S. Cunningham

Stars: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan