Hot This Week: December 30

Our final list of 2019 features three new movies, including the conclusion to the hit adaptation of the seminal Stephen King novel It. Harry Styles and Blake Shelton land new albums at the top of the music chart. The holiday season keeps popular favorites on our audiobook lists, but humorist Mo Rocca does land his new book among the nonfiction selections.

Movies

1. It: Chapter Two (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Hustlers (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Angel Has Fallen (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. Ready or Not (Blu-ray)
6. Good Boys (Blu-ray)
7. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Blu-ray)
9. The Lion King (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. The Kitchen (Blu-ray)

Music

1. Harry Styles, Fine Line
2. Blake Shelton, Fully Loaded: God's Country
3. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
4. Frozen II Soundtrack
5. Michael Buble, Christmas
6. Pentatonix, The Best of Pentatonix Christmas
7. Mariah Carey, Merry Christmas
8. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
9. Taylor Swift, Lover
10. Nat King Cole, The Christmas Song

Fiction

1. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
2. The Guardians, John Grisham
3. The Institute, Stephen King
4. Criss Cross, James Patterson
5. Blue Moon, Lee Child
6. A Minute to Midnight, David Baldacci
7. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
8. Twisted Twenty-Six, Janet Evanovich
9. The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides
10. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood

Nonfiction

1. Becoming, Michelle Obama
2. Educated, Tara Westover
3. Me, Elton John
4. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
5. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers, Brian Kilmeade
6. The Body, Bill Bryson
7. A Warning, Anonymous
8. Mobituaries, Mo Rocca
9. Triggered, Donald Trump Jr.
10. Finding Chika, Mitch Albom

Hot This Week: December 16

Movement on our list seems to have slowed somewhat as we move toward the holidays. Movies see the most change with three new titles, led by the black comedy/horror flick Ready or Not at #2. Christmas tunes jingle their way onto the music chart, with perennial favorites Michael Buble and Mariah Carey joining a new compilation from a cappella sensation Pentatonix. Popular titles in both fiction and nonfiction stand strong from weeks past.

Movies

1. Angel Has Fallen (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Ready or Not (Blu-ray)
3. Good Boys (Blu-ray)
4. Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Blu-ray)
5. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. The Lion King (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. The Kitchen (Blu-ray)
8. Killerman
9. The Goldfinch (Blu-ray)
10. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)

Music

1. Frozen II Soundtrack
2. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
3. Trippie Redd, A Love Letter to You 4
4. Taylor Swift, Lover
5. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
6. Michael Buble, Christmas
7. Pentatonix, The Best of Pentatonix Christmas
8. Mariah Carey, Merry Christmas
9. Summer Walker, Over It
10. Luke Combs, What You See Is What You Get

Fiction

1. The Guardians, John Grisham
2. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
3. Criss Cross, James Patterson
4. The Institute, Stephen King
5. A Minute to Midnight, David Baldacci
6. Blue Moon, Lee Child
7. Twisted Twenty-Six, Janet Evanovich
8. The Rise of Magicks, Nora Roberts
9. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
10. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood

Nonfiction

1. Me, Elton John
2. Educated, Tara Westover
3. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers, Brian Kilmeade
4. Becoming, Michelle Obama
5. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
6. A Warning, Anonymous
7. The Book of Gutsy Women, Hillary Rodham and Chelsea Clinton
8. The Body, Bill Bryson
9. Triggered, Donald Trump Jr.
10. Finding Chika, Mitch Albom

Hot This Week: December 9

Most of this week's lists are top-heavy. The action-thriller Angel Has Fallen is the only newcomer in movies. In music, new discs from Trippie Redd and Jason Aldean take over the chart. The fiction list is bookended by new novels from Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel, with a new James Patterson in the middle, while nonfiction holds onto its familiar favorites.

Movies

1. Angel Has Fallen (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Blu-ray)
3. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Good Boys (Blu-ray)
5. The Lion King (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. The Kitchen (Blu-ray)
7. The Angry Birds Movie 2 (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (Blu-ray)

Music

1. Trippie Redd, A Love Letter to You 4
2. Jason Aldean, 9
3. Frozen II Soundtrack
4. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
5. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
6. Taylor Swift, Lover
7. Coldplay, Everyday Life
8. Luke Combs, What You See Is What You Get
9. Summer Walker, Over It
10. Tory Lanez, Chixtape 5

Fiction

1. The Rise of Magicks, Nora Roberts
2. The Guardians, John Grisham
3. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
4. Criss Cross, James Patterson
5. A Minute to Midnight, David Baldacci
6. The Institute, Stephen King
7. Twisted Twenty-Six, Janet Evanovich
8. Blue Moon, Lee Child
9. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood
10. Spy, Danielle Steel

Nonfiction

1. Me, Elton John
2. A Warning, Anonymous
3. Educated, Tara Westover
4. Triggered, Donald Trump Jr.
5. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
6. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers, Brian Kilmeade
7. Becoming, Michelle Obama
8. Finding Chika, Mitch Albom
9. The Body, Bill Bryson
10. Home Work, Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

Hot This Week: December 2

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! As we move into December, just one new movie makes the list—the live-action Dora the Explorer adventure. The first new English-language album in six years from Celine Dion tops the music chart, joined by new discs from Tory Lanez and Lady Antebellum, as well as the soundtrack to the Frozen sequel. A new thriller from David Baldacci takes over the fiction list, while the anonymous depiction of the Trump administration does the same in nonfiction.

Movies

1. Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Blu-ray)
2. Good Boys (Blu-ray)
3. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. The Kitchen (Blu-ray)
5. The Angry Birds Movie 2 (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. The Lion King (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (Blu-ray)
8. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. The Peanut Butter Falcon (Blu-ray)
10. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)

Music

1. Celine Dion, Courage
2. Tory Lanez, Chixtape 5
3. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
4. Taylor Swift, Lover
5. Luke Combs, What You See Is What You Get
6. Summer Walker, Over It
7. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
8. Lady Antebellum, Ocean
9. Frozen II Soundtrack
10. Chris Brown, Indigo

Fiction

1. A Minute to Midnight, David Baldacci
2. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
3. The Guardians, John Grisham
4. Twisted Twenty-Six, Janet Evanovich
5. Blue Moon, Lee Child
6. Tom Clancy: Code of Honor, Marc Cameron
7. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
8. The Night Fire, Michael Connelly
9. The Institute, Stephen King
10. Olive, Again, Elizabeth Strout

Nonfiction 

1. A Warning, Anonymous
2. Triggered, Donald Trump Jr.
3. Me, Elton John
4. Becoming, Michelle Obama
5. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers, Brian Kilmeade
6. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
7. Finding Chika, Mitch Albom
8. Educated, Tara Westover
9. The Body, Bill Bryson
10. With All Due Respect, Nikki Haley

Hot This Week: November 25

We head into the holiday week with something for everyone on our weekly list. In movies there are four new additions, headed by the comedy Good Boys at the top. Country music star Luke Combs lands a new album at #1 in music, and brings a past album back onto the list as well. Janet Evanovich's latest Stephanie Plum novel tops the fiction list, and a new book from former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley debuts in nonfiction.

Movies

1. Good Boys (Blu-ray)
2. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. The Angry Birds Movie 2 (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (Blu-ray)
5. The Lion King (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. The Kitchen (Blu-ray)
7. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. The Peanut Butter Falcon (Blu-ray)
9. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. The Art of Racing in the Rain (Blu-ray)

Music

1. Luke Combs, What You See Is What You Get
2. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
3. Summer Walker, Over It
4. Taylor Swift, Lover
5. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
6. Chris Brown, Indigo
7. Luke Combs, This One's for You
8. Ed Sheeran, No. 6 Collaborations Project
9. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
10. Travis Scott, Astroworld

Fiction

1. Twisted Twenty-Six, Janet Evanovich
2. The Guardians, John Grisham
3. Blue Moon, Lee Child
4. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
5. The Night Fire, Michael Connelly
6. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
7. Olive, Again, Elizabeth Strout
8. The Institute, Stephen King
9. The Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern
10. The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes

Nonfiction 

1. Triggered, Donald Trump Jr.
2. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers, Brian Kilmeade
3. With All Due Respect, Nikki Haley
4. Finding Chika, Mitch Albom
5. Me, Elton John
6. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
7. Educated, Tara Westover
8. Blowout, Rachel Maddow
9. The Body, Bill Bryson
10. Catch and Kill, Ronan Farrow

Hot This Week: November 18

The new installment in the Fast & Furious franchise wins the week in movies, with three others making their debuts as well. Miranda Lambert and Summer Walker join the music chart, just behind Post Malone, who holds strong at #1 (and #8). Erin Morgenstern and Lisa Jewell bring new novels onto the fiction list, while nonfiction sees an unusually busy week with four new titles at the top.

Movies

1. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. The Lion King (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. The Kitchen (Blu-ray)
5. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. The Art of Racing in the Rain (Blu-ray)
7. Aladdin (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Stuber (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Spider-Man: Far from Home (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Crawl (Blu-ray)

Music

1. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
2. Miranda Lambert, Wildcard
3. Summer Walker, Over It
4. Taylor Swift, Lover
5. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
6. Chris Brown, Indigo
7. Ed Sheeran, No. 6 Collaborations Project
8. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
9. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
10. Travis Scott, Astroworld

Fiction

1. Blue Moon, Lee Child
2. The Guardians, John Grisham
3. The Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern
4. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
5. The Night Fire, Michael Connelly
6. The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes
7. The Family Upstairs, Lisa Jewell
8. The Institute, Stephen King
9. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
10. Olive, Again, Elizabeth Strout

Nonfiction 

1. Triggered, Donald Trump Jr.
2. Finding Chika, Mitch Albom
3. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers, Brian Kilmeade
4. Acid for the Children, Flea
5. Me, Elton John
6. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
7. The Book of Gutsy Women, Hillary Rodham and Chelsea Clinton
8. Blowout, Rachel Maddow
9. Educated, Tara Westover
10. Catch and Kill, Ronan Farrow

Cameron Back for More Terminator

Written by Jon Williams

Terminator: Dark Fate is in theaters now, and is available for pre-order on DVD and Blu-ray. This big-budget blockbuster is a blast from the past, a unique entry in a franchise that has been entertaining audiences for 35 years.

The Terminator, the first film in the series, was a sensation from the moment in hit theaters in 1984. It starred Arnold Schwarzenegger in the titular role of an emotionless cyborg mercenary sent from the future to assassinate Sarah Connor before she can have a son who will grow up to lead the human resistance against their machine overlords. Hailed by fans and critics alike, it spawned a 1991 sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which Schwarzenegger’s cyborg is once again sent back in time, this time reprogrammed to protect Sarah and her young son against a more advanced Terminator model capable of shifting its shape. Another smashing success, this is the highest-grossing movie of Schwarzenegger’s career to date.

These first two Terminator films were written and directed by James Cameron, who has had quite a career in the film industry, to say the least. After the success of The Terminator, he helped Sylvester Stallone write the screenplay for Rambo: First Blood Part II, then went on to write and direct the sci-fi hits Aliens and The Abyss. He followed up T2 with True Lies, an action thriller starring Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. Then in 1997 came Titanic, the tale of doomed romance aboard the doomed ship starring Leonard DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. That film won 14 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and it held the record for highest-grossing film of all time until 2010, when it was overtaken by Avatar—another Cameron film.

While Cameron may have turned his attention to these other acclaimed projects after T2, the franchise did not wither in his absence. In 2003, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines showed how Skynet, the artificial intelligence ruling the machines, managed to rise to power despite the events of the first two movies. Then the series came to the small screen with The Sarah Connor Chronicles, a show that ran for two seasons with Lena Headey starring as Sarah Connor as she protects and trains her son John for his role in the future. Terminator Salvation brought the franchise back into theaters, showing the struggles of John Connor (Christian Bale) as the leader of the human resistance. Then in 2015, Terminator Genisys brought Emilia Clarke into the series as Sarah Connor in a past that has been fractured by time travel.

Genisys was planned to be the new direction for the franchise until James Cameron returned to the fold. He provided the story for Dark Fate, which reunites Schwarzenegger’s Terminator and Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor in a movie that serves as a direct sequel to T2. The films and TV show produced in the interim are now considered to be part of an alternate timeline. At present, future films are planned to follow on from Dark Fate.

James Cameron has made some of the most groundbreaking and popular cinema of all time. Keep his movies on your shelves using the links above, or SmartBrowse on our website for more. Also, make sure your comics-loving patrons know there is plenty of Terminator content for them to enjoy on hoopla digital as well!

Hot This Week: November 11

The hot Disney movies atop last week's list hold strong at their positions, while one new entry, the Bruce Willis heist flick 10 Minutes Gone, makes the list. In music, new albums from Rex Orange County and Old Dominion take their places on the chart. Lee Child's new Reacher novel debuts at the #1 spot in fiction, while a new political examination by Lee Smith is the only newcomer in nonfiction.

Movies

1. The Lion King (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Stuber (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Aladdin (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. Crawl (Blu-ray)
6. Spider-Man: Far from Home (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. 10 Minutes Gone (Blu-ray)
8. Annabelle Comes Home (Blu-ray)
9. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Men in Black: International (Blu-ray | 4K)

Music

1. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
2. Rex Orange County, Pony
3. Taylor Swift, Lover
4. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
5. Old Dominion, Old Dominion
6. Chris Brown, Indigo
7. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
8. Ed Sheeran, No. 6 Collaborations Project
9. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
10. Travis Scott, Astroworld

Fiction

1. Blue Moon, Lee Child
2. The Guardians, John Grisham
3. The Night Fire, Michael Connelly
4. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
5. Find Me, Andre Aciman
6. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
7. The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes
8. The Institute, Stephen King
9. The 19th Christmas, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
10. The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates

Nonfiction 

1. Me, Elton John
2. Blowout, Rachel Maddow
3. Catch and Kill, Ronan Farrow
4. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
5. The Plot Against the President, Lee Smith
6. Three Days at the Brink, Bret Baier and Catherine Whitney
7. Educated, Tara Westover
8. Permanent Record, Edward Snowden
9. The Book of Gutsy Women, Hillary Rodham and Chelsea Clinton
10. The Body, Bill Bryson

Hot This Week: November 4

We kick off November with just one new movie, but it's a big one: the blockbuster live-action adaption of Disney's The Lion King. The albums on the music chart are largely holding strong, with the only new addition being the new disc from rockers Alter Bridge. The most movement occurred on the fiction list, which sees new novels from Michael Connelly, Nelson and Alex DeMille, and John le Carre. In nonfiction, an examination of a historic meeting of world leaders during World War II is the week's only addition.

Movies

1. The Lion King (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Stuber (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Crawl (Blu-ray)
5. Spider-Man: Far from Home (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. Aladdin (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. Annabelle Comes Home (Blu-ray)
8. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Men in Black: International (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. 3 from Hell (Blu-ray | 4K)

Music

1. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
2. Taylor Swift, Lover
3. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
4. Chris Brown, Indigo
5. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
6. Ed Sheeran, No. 6 Collaborations Project
7. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
8. Alter Bridge, Walk the Sky
9. Travis Scott, Astroworld
10. Luke Combs, This One's for You

Fiction

1. The Night Fire, Michael Connelly
2. The Guardians, John Grisham
3. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
4. The Deserter, Nelson and Alex DeMille
5. Agent Running in the Field, John le Carre
6. The 19th Christmas, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
7. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
8. The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates
9. The Institute, Stephen King
10. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood

Nonfiction 

1. Me, Elton John
2. Catch and Kill, Ronan Farrow
3. Blowout, Rachel Maddow
4. Three Days at the Brink, Bret Baier and Catherine Whitney
5. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
6. Permanent Record, Edward Snowden
7. Educated, Tara Westover
8. The Way I Heard It, Mike Rowe
9. The Body, Bill Bryson
10. The United States of Trump, Bill O'Reilly

Hot This Week: October 28

We close out October with another impressive batch of new titles. In movies, three new titles come in behind Toy Story 4, led by the Kumail Nanjiani/Dave Bautista comedy Stuber. The music chart sees new additions from rapper Wale and Japanese metal band Babymetal. John Grisham takes over the fiction list, with Elizabeth Strout's follow-up to Olive Kitteridge joining as well. In nonfiction, an unprecedented five new titles are led by a long-awaited memoir from musical superstar Elton John.

Movies

1. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Stuber (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Crawl (Blu-ray)
4. Spider-Man: Far from Home (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. Aladdin (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. Annabelle Comes Home (Blu-ray)
7. 3 from Hell (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Men in Black: International (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Blu-ray | 4K)

Music

1. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
2. Taylor Swift, Lover
3. Wale, Wow...That's Crazy
4. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
5. Chris Brown, Indigo
6. SuperM, SuperM: The 1st Mini Album
7. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
8. Babymetal, Metal Galaxy
9. Ed Sheeran, No. 6 Collaborations Project
10. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys

Fiction

1. The Guardians, John Grisham
2. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
3. The 19th Christmas, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
4. The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates
5. The Institute, Stephen King
6. Olive, Again, Elizabeth Strout
7. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
8. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood
9. Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo
10. The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes

Nonfiction 

1. Me, Elton John
2. Catch and Kill, Ronan Farrow
3. Blowout, Rachel Maddow
4. The Way I Heard It, Mike Rowe
5. Home Work, Julie Andrews
6. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
7. The Body, Bill Bryson
8. Educated, Tara Westover
9. The United States of Trump, Bill O'Reilly
10. The Book of Gutsy Women, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton

Hot This Week: October 21

We're back to help wind down October with plenty of new titles. Four new movies are led by the latest Spider-Man/MCU blockbuster. K-pop group SuperM leads the way in music, which sees the Beatles land their reissue of the classic album Abbey Road on the chart as well. James Patterson presages the holiday season with his latest collaborative novel, while the nonfiction list sees an influx of political titles.

Movies

1. Spider-Man: Far from Home (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Toy Story 4 (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Annabelle Comes Home (Blu-ray)
4. Aladdin (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. Men in Black: International (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Midsommar (Blu-ray)
9. Anna (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Yesterday (Blu-ray | 4K)

CD

1. SuperM, SuperM: The 1st Mini Album
2. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
3. Taylor Swift, Lover
4. Chris Brown, Indigo
5. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
6. Brantley Gilbert, Fire & Brimstone
7. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
8. The Beatles, Abbey Road
9. Ed Sheeran, No. 6 Collaborations Project
10. Travis Scott, Astroworld

Fiction

1. The 19th Christmas, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
2. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
3. What Happens in Paradise, Elin Hilderbrand
4. Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo
5. The Institute, Stephen King
6. The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates
7. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
8. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood
9. Child's Play, Danielle Steel
10. The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes

Nonfiction 

1. Blowout, Rachel Maddow
2. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
3. Witch Hunt, Gregg Jarrett
4. The United States of Trump, Bill O'Reilly
5. The Book of Gutsy Women, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton
6. Tough Love, Susan Rice
7. Educated, Tara Westover
8. Inside Out, Demi Moore
9. Call Sign Chaos, Jim Mattis and Bing West
10. Over the Top, Jonathan Van Ness

Hot This Week: October 7

We head into October with a plethora of hot new titles your patrons will be looking for. The live-action version of Aladdin moves to the top of the movie list, where four new entries are led by the latest take on Shaft. Post Malone holds onto music's #1 slot, while Zac Brown Band, Blink-182, and Alabama Shakes singer Brittany Howard land new albums. Ta-Nehisi Coates takes over the fiction list with his new novel, and the nonfiction list includes new books from Demi Moore, Bill O'Reilly, and Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness.

Movies

1. Aladdin (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Shaft (Blu-ray)
4. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. Anna (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. Yesterday (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. Child's Play (Blu-ray)
8. Men in Black: International (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. The Secret Life of Pets 2 (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Ma (Blu-ray)

CD

1. Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding
2. Zac Brown Band, The Owl
3. Blink-182, Nine
4. Taylor Swift, Lover
5. Chris Brown, Indigo
6. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
7. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
8. Ed Sheeran, No. 6 Collaborations Project
9. Quality Control: Control the Streets, Volume 2
10. Brittany Howard, Jaime

Fiction

1. The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates
2. The Institute, Stephen King
3. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood
4. Lethal Agent, Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills
5. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
6. The Dutch House, Ann Patchett
7. The Girl Who Lived Twice, David Lagercrantz
8. Killer Instinct, James Patterson and Howard Roughan
9. Red at the Bone, Jacqueline Woodson
10. The Nickel Boys, Colson Whitehead

Nonfiction 

1. Inside Out, Demi Moore
2. Talking to Strangers, Malcolm Gladwell
3. The United States of Trump, Bill O'Reilly
4. Over the Top, Jonathan Van Ness
5. Permanent Record, Edward Snowden
6. Educated, Tara Westover
7. Call Sign Chaos, Jim Mattis and Bing West
8. The Only Plane in the Sky, Garrett M. Graff
9. Becoming, Michelle Obama
10. The Education of an Idealist, Samantha Power

Get Ready for Joker

Written by Jon Williams

Batman is one of the oldest and most beloved superheroes, having now been around for 80 years. Now, though, his most famous nemesis is stepping into the spotlight. Joker launches into theaters this weekend with plenty of buzz, looking to thrill audiences and break box office records. Here is a look at how the character has evolved throughout its various iterations over the years.

The Joker is nearly as old as the Caped Crusader himself. He made his first appearance in the premiere issue of Batman early in 1940, and the two have been fighting ever since. The original origin story holds that he fell into a vat of chemical waste, altering his appearance and driving him insane. This has changed often, due ostensibly to the mercurial nature of the character. In the comics he has been by turns a vicious murderer and a mischievous prankster. Patrons interested in these exploits will find a wide range of classic and contemporary comics from DC on hoopla digital.

This iconic villain remained a page-only creation for more than two and a half decades. He came to the screen for the first time when he was played by Cesar Romero in the classic television show that began in 1966, as well as the movie that accompanied it. The series featured camp over grit, and the Joker in this version was impish rather than violent. He came to animation in 1968 in The Adventures of Batman, voiced by Ted Knight, who reprised the role in 1972 when Batman teamed up with the Mystery, Inc. crew for The New Scooby-Doo Movies. In 1977, The New Adventures of Batman saw the Joker voiced by Lennie Weinrib, and in 1985 he was voiced for one episode of The Super Powers Team by legendary voice actor Frank Welker.

Being aimed more or less at kids, those iterations of the Joker were generally lighthearted in nature. Things began taking a darker turn with Tim Burton’s 1989 take on Batman, which saw Jack Nicholson portray the Joker as a twisted gangster intent on taking out the population of Gotham City. Mark Hamill provided what many consider the definitive voice of the animated Joker beginning in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series and continuing for years through several animated projects and video games, including the movies Mask of the Phantasm (1993) and Return of the Joker (2000), and even up through recent outings like The Killing Joke.

After Nicholson’s incredible performance and with Hamill holding down the fort on the animated side, the Joker wasn’t seen again in live-action form until 2008. In The Dark Knight, the middle film of Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Batman trilogy, Heath Ledger made it worth the wait with a powerhouse performance that earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Unfortunately, it was a posthumous award, as the actor tragically passed away shortly before the film’s release.

Since then, however, focus has returned to the Joker, with a variety of big names playing him. He was portrayed by Jared Leto in 2016’s Suicide Squad along a team of super villains, with Harley Quinn and Deadshot among them. This movie has a sequel in development as well as several planned spinoffs, so fans will be seeing this version of the Joker again. In 2017’s animated Lego Batman Movie, he was voiced by comic actor Zach Galifianakis. And now, in Joker, he’s played by Joaquin Phoenix in an unhinged performance that is already drawing raves.

Batman vs. the Joker is a rivalry that has stood the test of time. Visit our website for plenty of Batman media across all our formats, and point your patrons toward hoopla for comics and more they can enjoy immediately on all their devices.