The Lafayette library’s movie and TV treasure

The latest and greatest of movies and TV are at your fingertips at the college. Legally. For free.

Skillman Library is known for being an indispensable academic resource for Lafayette students. However, Skillman also is host to a sizable DVD library on its bottom floor, full of films and television for all tastes.

In this day and age of online streaming, it may seem old-fashioned to pop a DVD in your disk drive. But with hundreds of offerings from as recent as last year, the Skillman DVD library is both cheaper and just as convenient as online streaming, with a much better picture quality to boot.

The Skillman DVD library is characterized by its truly astonishing variety.

The Latest Hits

Did you miss 2014’s “Interstellar”? 2013’s “Gravity”? Skillman gets the hottest movies as they are released, and last year’s biggest hits you may have missed are right at your fingertips.  It can be hard to keep up with the latest and greatest in Hollywood on this campus, but if there is a movie you missed, or one you want to see again, chances are you can find it right in the library.

The Timeless Classics

From “Citizen Kane” to “Mutiny on the Bounty,” if you are an aspiring connoisseur of the art of cinema Skillman can help you fill the blank spots in your classical knowledge. If you always wondered what the big deal was about “The Godfather,” but you don’t want to pay for a Prime amazon membership or a Netflix subscription, the opportunity is there for you.

Animated Adventures

If you are nostalgic for your childhood favorites, or are a shameless Disney nerd who can’t stop singing “Hellfire” or “I Won’t Say I’m In Love”, there is an impressive selection of animated classics. Relive the magic of “Hercules”, discover the strange and wondrous world of “Spirited Away”, or relive the tale as old as time, “Beauty and the Beast” all on the college’s dime.

The Best of Television

I adore “House of Cards.” The Netflix original has taken the country by storm, and it seems as though everyone has seen it. However, the show is only available for a fee. Those without a Netflix subscription, or those looking to cancel theirs, can rest assured that the complete series is available to them, alongside such TV heavyweights as “Game of Thrones”, “The Sopranos”, “Breaking Bad”, and much more.

If you don’t watch much TV, now could be a perfect time to start watching the shows everyone else has been talking about. For the lovers of television, this is a golden opportunity to relive your favorite moments or catch up on the hottest shows.

The Chinese Collection

Skillman is host to films from around the world, but of particular note are the gems from the oldest culture in the world. The best of the best of Chinese cinema has a home at Lafayette, so if you want to branch out and experience new perspectives on cinema, look no further.

From the legendary director Wang Kar-Wai’s “In the Mood for Love” and Quentin Tarantino’s favorite film “Chunking Express,” to the period piece drama of “Raise the Red Lantern” and John Woo’s action packed crime film “A Better Tomorrow”, there is something for everyone who has the inclination to check them out.

So the next time you are looking to have a lazy night in, make a movie night with friends, or just want something to watch while studying, be sure to stop by Skillman’s basement and check out the selection. You never know what you’ll find.