Hailed as a modern holiday classic, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers was nominated for five Oscars this year, including Best Picture—all thanks to a short but memorable scene in the Brattle’s sale lot. In this episode we’ll talk about what being featured in such an acclaimed film has meant for the shop: an influx of cinephile visitors, local news stories, and callers with questions (yes, those were our books). We’ll also dish out some flattering gossip about actor Paul Giamatti and spill the low-tech special effects secrets we picked up during our day of filming.
Brattlecast #165 - The Grolier Club Lecture
In this episode we’ll be talking about Ken’s exciting upcoming lecture at the Grolier Club in New York City. Founded in 1884, the Grolier Club is America’s oldest and largest bibliophile society, with the objective to promote the study, collecting, and appreciation of books and works on paper. As a speaker, Ken strives to keep these events lively and fun, with an emphasis not so much on the books themselves but on the fascinating stories behind them. This lecture will take place on Thursday, October 5th, from 6 - 7.30pm. More information, as well as a full schedule of in-person and virtual events, can be found on our website.
While we’re on the subject, if you’d like Ken to give a talk at your library, club, museum, or bookish child’s birthday party, don’t hesitate to reach out to info@brattlebookshop.com.
Brattlecast #137 - Hollywood Calling!
The Brattle often rents books out as props, and sometimes serves as a set for student films, but recently, for the first time, a major Hollywood movie filmed a scene at the shop. The Holdovers, directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants) and starring Paul Giamatti (American Splendor, Billions) is set at a New England prep school over the winter break of 1970. We’ll talk about what it took to transform our sale lot into a part of Boston’s gritty, bygone Combat Zone (not much), where film crews find snow, and more show business secrets on this behind the scenes #brattlecast.