****new release list no.240

Halloween is this weekend. Is everyone ready? I’m not. Then again, I really never am. Truth be told, in the past, I always treated every day like Halloween and then I usually stayed home with the lights out on Oct 31st. Now with kids, it’s a whole new ballgame. Each year we philosophize about costuming, litigate about candy consumption, hypothesize about store giveaways, and hyperbolize about the insanity that Cortland Ave becomes on All Hallows Eve. Last year, I kicked it with the kids as Amy sat and handed out Four Star Video temporary tattoos. Instead of being relaxed and “off-duty”, I was stressed and irritable all night! Fun!

I have always felt there was something slightly pervasive in a not wonderful way about the major holidays.

However, we march on! Halloween is this weekend – and we are psyched! We have our scary movies out in the Four Star Favorites section. New kids Halloween films are in, and all in all, it should be a very fun night! Not to mention a chocolate party (ain’t no party like my gramma’s chocolate party!).

Woody Allen has a new movie out on DVD. WHATEVER WORKS is a treatise on bad behavior leading to good things starring Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood. David plays Boris, a brilliant angry man who lives to disrespect others. His philosophy is only slightly tempered by the beautiful southern runaway who slinks into his life and becomes his wife. In MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY, two hipsters struggle to define themselves during the course of a 36-hour one night stand. San Francisco is like the third wheel hanging out with the couple in this excellent debut by director Barry Jenkins. In BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA: THE PLAN, the origins of the Cylons are explored as this feature opens the doors to a new Battlestar series. IL DIVO is the famous Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s treatise on politician Giulio Andreotti’s life. This film won the Jury prize at Cannes Film Festival. In the kids animation department, ICE AGE 3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS is out, and in the adult animation department, the French scary film FEARS OF THE DARK is in. Other films of note include MONTY PYTHON: ALMOST THE TRUTH and THE ORPHAN and Z released on Criterion.

We also have a bunch of new additions this week headlined by BEVERLY HILLS COP. Scroll down for the full list!

One of our customers (Good luck Elgy!) is writing film reviews over at Culture Vulture! Do you read this site? It is pretty awesome. You can check it out here.

She also just informed me about the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. I have never heard about this great sounding place out in Fremont, but it seems like a great place for any cinephile to visit. Here is some info about it:
The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum is located out in tiny Niles, a community at the end of Highway 84, at 37417 Niles Boulevard in Fremont, CA (phone is 510.494.1411).

In 1915, Charlie Chaplin came to this out-of-the-way East Bay community to make 15 movies, including The Tramp. Niles is where Essanay Studios churned out silent movies back in the 19-teens. Film nights feature local pianists like Frederick Hodges. There’s also the tiny excursion train that goes around Niles Canyon on Sundays to Sunol. Mary Pickford apparently started a copycat studio at nearby Pleasanton back in the day too!

Well, there's our history lesson of the week. If you head on down there, let us know what you think.

Alrighty then, see you down at the store.

Love and Kisses,
Ken

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............//NEW RELEASES//............

FEARS OF THE DARK.
Animation/Drama/Horror/Mystery/B&W/Foreign (French).
Directed by Blutch and Charles Burns and Marie Caillou and more.
* Very super creepy short animations dealing with your fears of the dark.

GRETCHEN.
Comedy.
Courtney Davis/John Merriman.
Directed by Steve Collins.
* Heartfelt indie film about a high school girl dealing with, well, high school! If her parents and her fashion sense aren’t bad enough, her obsessed focus on the schools “bad boy” brings on unwanted change. Also featuring 3 short films by the director.

ICE AGE 3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Animation/Family.
Bill Hader/Queen Latifah/Denis Leary/John Leguizamo.
Directed by Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeier.
* Movie three in the series about pre-historic friends trying to survive troubling times…don’t forget your 3D glasses.

IL DIVO.
Fictobiopic/Drama/History/Foreign (Italian and English).
Toni Servillo.
Directed by Paolo Sorrentino.
* This film won 14 awards worldwide, including the coveted Jury prize at Cannes Film festival last year. It is the story of Italian politician Giulio Andreotti, who has held office of one sort or another in Italy since 1946 and was Prime Minister seven times from 1972 to 1992.

MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY.
Drama/Romance/Indie.
Wyatt Cenac/Tracey Heggins/San Francisco.
Directed by Barry Jenkins.
* It’s a one night stand that lasts one day and two nights and covers nearly every neighborhood in San Francisco. This true indie film is about two young hipsters trying to define themselves in a city where they feel exceedingly alienated. Quiet and unobtrusive, the film is washed out and grey in a purposeful way. And it features a scene of dancing and drinking at Bernal Heights own THE KNOCKOUT. http://www.theknockoutsf.com/

THE ORPHAN.
Drama/Horror/Thriller.
Vera Farmiga/Peter Sarsgaard.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
* This seriously frightening and warped horror flick is about a couple dealing with the loss of a baby who adopt a 9-year old who is hiding some significant secrets. If you like horror films, this one seems pretty great. It scared the hell out of Shila! Happy Halloween!

PERESTROIKA.
Drama.
F. Murray Abraham/Sam Robards/Ally Sheedy.
Directed by Slave Tsukerman.
* A Russian astrophysicist (which is what I used to be, before I bought the video store) who has been living in the US for 17 years, goes back to his native land in 1992 during the time of perestroika (restructuring) following the fall of the iron curtain (wow, that was a long time ago now!) .

STAN HELSING.
Comedy/Parody.
Directed by Bo Zenga.
* Another in the long line of parody films like SCARY MOVIE and DISASTER MOVIE…Chris walked up to me with the box saying “I thought you said you weren’t buying movies like this anymore”. I did say that, but I…Then, on imdb.com, one reviewer cautions “watch this movie high – trust me”. Okay, I trust you.

WHATEVER WORKS.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Comedy/Romance.
Larry David/Evan Rachel Wood/Patricia Clarkson/Ed Begley, Jr.
Directed by Woody Allen.
* Woody pops out a movie just about every year. They don’t always win Oscars! This one will definitely not win any awards, but it is still moderately entertaining. David plays a self-proclaimed genius (“I was once considered for a Nobel prize”) who is now old and miserable and saddled with a limp gained from surviving a suicide attempt that was foiled by his landing on an awning after leaping from a high window. Now he basically lives to ridicule and humiliate anyone and everyone who comes in his path, most notably the small children he teaches chess. Into his life comes Melody (Wood) a southern belle runaway who latches on to him and becomes his quite unlikely wife. The film meanders along, never quite hitting with its dialogue or grasping with its philosophy until Melody’s parents come into the picture. Clarkson, as her mother, discovers an aptitude for photography and an appetite for multiple sexual partners, and Begley, Jr., as her father, discovers the real reason that passion was missing from his marriage.

Z.
Criterion/Suspense/Foreign (French).
Yves Montand/Irene Papas.
Directed by Costa-Gavras.
* Winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 1970 (and Best Editing as well), this political thriller tracks the overthrow of a government in Greece and follows the intricate ins and outs of the right and left wings battling each other through the intrigue of murder and chaos.

............//DOCUMENTARY/............

ART 21: SEASON FOUR.
Documentary.
* From Amazon: Contemporary artists work in globally influenced, culturally diverse and technologically dynamic milieus. In the US artists reflect a varied and changing landscape of identity, values and beliefs. The artists featured in this series demonstrate the breadth of artistic practice across the country and reveal a wealth of multicultural talent. Each episode is organized around a theme to help audiences compare and contrast the artists profiled.

MONTY PYTHON: ALMOST THE TRUTH: THE LAWYER’S CUT.
Comedy/Doc.
John Cleese/Eric Idle/Michael Palin/Terry Jones/Terry Gilliam.
Directed by Alan Parker.
* Three discs and 360 full minutes of Monty Python history revisited.

............//TELEVISION/............

BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA: THE PLAN.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Sci-Fi.
Tricia Helfer/Grace Park/Edward James Olmos.
Directed by Edward James Olmos.
* THE PLAN is a pilot for a new Battlestar show about the origins of the Cylons, and their catastrophic plan to wipe out their human creators. Freaking toasters…

THE WAY WE LIVE NOW.
BBC/Drama/Romance.
* From the imdb: At the centre of the story is Augustus Melmotte (David Suchet), a European-born city financier, whose origins are as mysterious as his business dealings. Trollope describes him as 'something in the city', but the "something" part is not always clear. Within weeks of arriving in London, he announces a new company and promises instant fortune to those who join him in this scheme. Melmotte is surrounded by a circle of decadent aristos, scheming widows and nouveau riche businessmen, all trying to get a piece of the financial pie. His disobedient daughter, Marie, is played by Shirley Henderson, while Cheryl Campbell, Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza bring to life the aristocratic but impoverished Carbury family.

............//KIDS/............

IRON MAN ARMORED ADVENTURES: VOLUME ONE.

TINKER BELL AND THE LOST TREASURE.

............//NEW ADDITIONS/............

BEVERLY HILLS COP: 1, 2 AND 3.
* Who even knew there was a three? But in all seriousness, number one was an awesome movie, and now we got it on DVD.

DANTE’S COVE: THE FIRST TWO SEASONS.
* Gay culture delivered in the sex and camp variety made this show a cult sensation.

THE FISHER KING.
* Robin Williams’ zany lunacy mixed with Jeff Bridges ponytail? Amazing! This Terry Gilliam film was nominated for five Oscars in 1992 and won one, too.

MY NAME IS BILL W.
* James Woods, James Garner and JoBeth Williams star in this fictobiopic about the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.

TIN CUP.
* Uh, yeah, this Kevin Costner/Renee Russo golfing love story was critical to our collection.

............//REPLACEMENT DVD’S/............

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.
* Doesn’t it seem like I buy this movie every other month? I think that’s because I do!

HOLLYWOOD ENDING.

IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN.

STAR WARS TRILOGY: EPISODES 4-6.

STAR WARS TRILOGY: EPISODES 1-3.

****

****new release list no.239

Fiesta on the Hill was a blast. I spent the entire day outside in front of the store, hawking used movies, chatting with my peoples, rocking to the music, eating BBQ, and updating my fantasy football scores on my cellphone! More excellent days are rarely found. I know I was engaged in the receiving end of capitalistic activity, but I actually felt as though I myself was reinvesting emotionally in my community. The chatting, the hellos, the smiles and the mini-discussions about Bernal Bucks, the Neighborhood center, the economy, and this year’s musical selections (much more “rocking” than in recent years), all these interactions felt like transactions at the feel-good ATM, where I was making deposits and withdrawals all day long in what felt like a full-on neighborhood love-fest. Anyone else feel this way?

Well, I love my city, and I love my neighborhood. Days like yesterday remind me why.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN is in this week, starring the burgeoning superstar Shia Labeouf and Megan Fox. It is a Michael Bay film which means one explosion follows the last. If action is your thing, you’ll be digging this one. In CHERI, Michelle Pfeiffer plays an courtesan dealing with inevitable issues surrounding aging. With Kathy Bates and Rupert Friend.

PAGEANT is a documentary about 52 men vying to be crowned Miss Gay America. THE LISTENING PROJECT is a documentary about international thoughts and feelings directed at the United States.

On television, we’ve got the final season of the THE L WORD! Six ground-breaking seasons comes to an end on three discs. Put in your reservation today! There are a couple of other television releases of note. The first is TOP CHEF: SEASON FIVE. For some reason, this is the first season they are releasing. Oh, well – beggars can’t be choosers. The second is an old show, just making it to DVD. IT’S GARRY SHANDLING’S SHOW, and don’t you forget it! This hysterical mid-80’s show holds up just fine as Garry faces crises, and the audience time and time again.

Alrighty then, see you down at the store.

Love and Kisses,
Ken

******************************************************************************
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If you are going to make a monthly commitment, make it a local one.
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ESUB -One Movie at a time – Three movies total – $9.99 + Tax/Month
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******************************************************************************

............//NEW RELEASES//............

BLACK RAIN.
Drama/War/B&W/Foreign (Japanese).
Directed by Shohei Imamura.
* This 1989 film, based on the novel by Masuji Ibuse, is about the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing in WWII. The film won 24 awards worldwide, including a massive haul from the Academy of Japanese filmmaking.

BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Action/Horror/Thriller.
Gianna Jun/Allison Miller.
Directed by Chris Nahon.
* Live-action from the BLOOD+ series about an old-soul, half-human, half-vampire named Saya who is hunting a deadly vampire named Onigen.

CHERI.
Drama/Romance.
Michelle Pfeiffer/Kathy Bates/Felicity Jones/Rupert Friend.
Directed by Stephen Frears.
* Period piece based on a pair of novels by Colette (CHERI and THE LAST OF CHERI) about a slightly aging courtesan (Pfeiffer – at 51 still very hot!) who hooks up with the 19-year old son (Friend) of a former rival (Bates) and then must deal with private disappointment when he is married off to a much younger woman. As for the lover himself, he is also devastated at the separation and his mind somewhat unravels.

FADOS.
Musical/Foreign (Spanish).
Directed by Carlos Saura.
* Do you know the work of Carlos Saura – he has been making films since the 1950’s and has worked on a wide variety of films. He is best known for his music and dance work (CARMEN, BLOOD WEDDING) and this film is the completion of his latest Flamenco trilogy (with FLAMENCO and the Oscar-nominated TANGO) . My personal favorite is a 70’s era drama called CRIA CUERVOS which we have in the Criterion section.

JUST FOR LAUGHS: V03 LAUNCHING PAD.
Standup Comedy.

MONSOON WEDDING.
Criterion/Romance/Beauty/Foreign (English/Hindi/Punjabi/Urdu).
Naseeruddin Shah/Lillette Dubey.
Directed by Mira Nair.
* Two insanely hectic days in Delhi with the Verma family who is planning a giant wedding in the midst of chaos in every corner of the household. If you haven’t seen this beautiful and lush film you are in for a major treat .

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN.***ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Action.
Shia LaBeouf/Megan Fox/John Turturro/Rainn Wilson.
Directed by Michael Bay.
* Won the Teen Choice awards for Best Choice Female Movie Star for Megan Fox and Best Choice Male Movie Star for Shia LaBeouf. It’s not Pokemon, but similarly un-understandable.

WHOLPHIN NO.9.
* Number nine in the awesome series of shorts and docs by many award-winning and unknown filmmakers. This one features three never before seen shorts by Spike Jonze.

............//DOCUMENTARY/............

THE LISTENING PROJECT.
Documentary.
Directed by Dominic Howel and Joel Weber.
* This important film addresses the question “What does the world think of The United States of America?” The filmmakers went around the world asking this question through fourteen countries.

PAGEANT.
Beauty.
Directed by Ron Davis and Steward Halpern-Fingerhut.
* Inside the lives of the 52 men trying desperately to be crowned Miss Gay America. Awesome singing and dancing!

............//TELEVISION/............

IT’S GARRY SHANDLING’S SHOW: COMPLETE SERIES.
Comedy.
Garry Shandling/Rip Torn.
* All four seasons of the ground-breaking comedy from the mid-80’s about, well…Garry Shandling, and his funny life. This was one of the first shows that took down the fourth wall very often. Also, dig the insanely funny opening theme song.

THE L WORD: FINAL SEASON.
Drama.
Jennifer Beals/Mia Kirshner/Pam Grier/Leisha Hailey.
* The sixth and final season of the award-winning show following a group of lesbians living in Los Angeles.

TOP CHEF NEW YORK: SEASON FIVE.
Reality/Food.
* For whatever bizarre reason decisions get made, the powers that be finally have released TOP CHEF on DVD, but are they starting with season one? Nuh-uh. It’s season five to begin with. Believe me, when 1-4 become available, we will have them here. In the meantime, 17 cheftestants are headed to New York to begin the ultimate food competition.

............//KIDS/............

THE MARVELOUS MISADVENTURES OF FLAPJACK.

PEANUTS 1970’S COLLECTION: VOL 1.

YO GABBA GABBA! MEET MY FAMILY.

............//NEW ON BLU/............

EASY RIDER.
* Oh, I got a helmet. I got a helmet – and it’s a doozy!

****

****new release list no.238

Thanks again to Leslie and Anne for putting on the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema festival. I had such a great time at all the events that I was able to attend. The finale at Precita Park was a blast, and we loved the MAMMA MIA sing along. My kids can’t stop singing Dancing Queen – it’s a non-stop disco party at my house right now.

This Thursday and Saturday (Oct 15th and 17th) the VideoFest film festival is on! Labor and Dreams were the themes to this year’s festival. This year a Four Star Video award was given to the top local filmmaker entered in the festival. Congratulations to Jonathan King for winning this prize. The program runs at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, and I urge you to go!

Fiesta on the Hill is this Sunday – should be a super fun community party as usual. Don’t forget about Bernal Bucks, which will be up and running at Fiesta. The Bernal Bucks website has nice explanations about this new community economic system. Contact: Arno Hesse 415-935-1050 for more information. Four Star will also be selling used DVD’s outside the shop that day at $5 a pop. So come on down, get some food, pet some animals, dance with your neighbors and have a grand old time.

In the blockbuster New Release department, THE PROPOSAL starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as faux fiancées is here, as is LAND OF THE LOST, the Will Ferrell take on the classic story of people of the current era finding themselves back in the days when dinosaurs ruled the land. Also of note is DRAG ME TO HELL, Sam Raimi’s horror tale of a cursed mortgage banker (insert joke here) trying to avoid an eternal trip to hell. There’s more! Scroll on down, scroll on down the page.

Alrighty, that’s all folks, hope to see you at the store.

Love and Kisses,
Ken

******************************************************************************
KenFlix - the only Independent Monthly Subscription Film Renting Service in SF
If you are going to make a monthly commitment, make it a local one.
No due dates. No late fees.

ESUB -One Movie at a time – Three movies total – $9.99 + Tax/Month
1SUB - One Movie at a time – Unlimited exchange – $18.99 + Tax/Month
3SUB - Three Movies at a time – Unlimited exchange – $24.99 + Tax/Month
4SUB - Four Movies at a time – Unlimited exchange – $32.99 + Tax/Month
******************************************************************************

............//NEW RELEASES//............

ADORATION.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Drama.
Devon Bostick/Scott Speedman.
Directed by Atom Egoyan.
* A boy uses the internet, and the wide-spread audience it offers, to re-write his life-story in a way that helps him understand what really happened.

DRAG ME TO HELL.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Horror/Suspense.
Alison Lohman/Justin Long.
Directed by Sam Raimi.
* Christine Brown (Lohman) is going to hell. Seriously. In three days! See, she tried to be the tough at the bank she works at, in order to get a promotion. But she has offended the wrong mortgage holder, and now she has been cursed with an eternal vacation to a very hot place. Can she avoid her fate? Is there a way she can maybe pass it on to someone else? Maybe…

ECLIPSE SERIES 18: DUSAN MAKAVEJEV FREE RADICAL.
Directed by Duan Makavejev.
* The three movies in this collection are MAN IS NOT A BIRD, LOVE AFFAIR OR THE CASE OF THE MISSING SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR, and INNOCENCE UNPROTECTED. This is the description from Amazon: There’s never been another filmmaker quite like Dusan Makavejev. Even in the 1960s, when all of cinema’s steadfast rules seemed to be breaking down and artists such as Godard, Cassavetes, and Marker were dissolving the boundaries between fiction and documentary, Yugoslavia’s Makavejev stood alone. His films about political and sexual liberation were revolutionary, raucous, and ribald. Across these, his wild, college-like first three films, Makavejev investigates—with a tonic mix of earnestness and whimsy—love, death, and work; the legacy of war and the absurdity of daily life in a Communist state; criminology and hypnosis; strudels and strongmen. .

HOW TO BE A SERIAL KILLER.
Comedy/Horror.
Matthew Gubler/Dameon Clarke.
Directed by Luke Ricci.
* Sort of an American version of MAN BITES DOG about a serial killer who trains a young man in the art, while being followed around by a camera crew.

JACK BROWN: GENIUS.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
Martin Czokas/Timothy Balme.
Directed by Tony Hiles.
Written and Produced by Peter Jackson.
* There’s crazy monks, eternities in hell, amplifiers in tape machines that can make you fly, Chinese investors, greedy ex-bosses and lover, and more in this quirky indie from New Zealand.

THE KILLING ROOM.
Horror/Suspense.
Nick Cannon/Chloe Sevigny/Clea DuVall/Timothy Hutton.
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman.
* You know those rough economic times where being a paid participant in a psychological study seems like a good idea? This movie suggests that might be a bad idea. The four who sign up here are truly sorry they did, as the study becomes less psychological and more diabolical. What are the scientists looking for?

LAND OF THE LOST.***ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Comedy.
Will Ferrell/Anna Friel/Danny McBride.
Directed by Brad Silberling.
* Look, I bought a big batch of this film, but I can’t be expected to hype it in any way.

LOVE OF SIAM.
LGBT/Romance/Foreign (Thai)
Directed by Chookiat Sakveerakul.
* When a girl goes missing in Bangkok, the lives of her younger brother and his best friend are thrown into turmoil. Years later the boys meet again, under different circumstances, and find themselves draw to each other.

ORAL FIXATION.
Suspense.
Emily Parker.
Directed by Jake Cashill.
* I mean, I really like my dentist. He’s awesome! I mean, a great practitioner, and a great guy. But I’m not obsessed with him! Rachel Marks (Parker) has different needs. And she’ll stop at nothing to get her dentist’s special attention.

THE PROPOSAL.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Comedy/Romance.
Sandra Bullock/Ryan Reynolds/Craig T. Nelson/Mary Steenburgen.
Directed by Anne Fletcher.
* Bollock plays the bossy executive in charge of a publishing company who basically pushes her assistant (Reynolds) into a “green-card wedding” in order to not get deported to Canada (snort). However, the immigration officer forces them to spend some time with his family to test their story, and among other things, real love blossoms. With Nelson and Steenburgen as Reynolds parents.

SUNCHASER.
Drama.
Woody Harrelson/Jon Seda/Anne Bancroft.
Directed by Michael Cimino.
* This 1996 Cimino (THE DEER HUNTER, DESPERATE HOURS, HEAVEN’S GATE) film is about a dying patient (Seda) who kidnaps his oncologist and tries to find meaning in his desperate plan.

............//DOCUMENTARY/............

ELEPHANTS.
Nature.
Directed by Animal Planet.

EVERY LITTLE STEP.
Music.
Directed by Adam Deo and James Stern.
* This documentary goes behind the scenes of real life dancers, actors, writers, choreographers, producers and directors for the Broadway musical A CHORUS LINE.

............//TELEVISION/............

JACKASS: THE LOST TAPES.
Reality/Really.

NIP/TUCK: SEASON FIVE PART TWO.
Reality/Really.
Dylan Walsh/Julian McMahon.
* This is a really tripped out show about plastic surgeons.

............//KIDS/............

BACKYARDIGANS: BIG BACKYARD ADVENTURES.

BACKYARDIGANS: ROBOT REPAIRMAN.

BOB THE BUILDER: CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER.

CURIOUS GEORGE: A VERY MONKEY CHRISTMAS.

GONNA CATCH SANTA CLAUS.
* Featuring William Shatner!

KONG: RETURN TO THE JUNGLE.

LITTLE SPIRIT: CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK.
Danny DeVito/Freddy Rodriguez/Lucy Liu.

THOMAS AND FRIENDS: SODOR HOLIDAY COLLECTION.

WOW WOW WUBBZY: WUBB-IDOL.
* Featuring Beyonce!

............//NEW ON BLU/............

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS.
* Jim Carrey doing his thing.

NATURAL BORN KILLERS.
* Creepy but almost a comedy.

SOUTH PARK: BIGGER LONGER UNCUT.
* There are some really wonderful family scenes in this movie.

TALKING HEADS: STOP MAKING SENSE.
* Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.

............//NEW ADDITIONS/............

DEATH NOTE.
Adventure/Crime/Drama/Mystery/Foreign (Japanese and English).
Directed by Shusuke Kaneko.
* Award winning live-action version of the popular Manga series. Bought by customer request (thanks Rebekah!).

DEATH NOTE II: THE LAST NAME.
Adventure/Crime/Drama/Mystery/Foreign (Japanese and English).
Directed by Shusuke Kaneko.
* Part two of the award winning live-action version of the popular Manga series. Part three coming soon!

Sarkar blurbs by local filmmaker and Asian film guru Valerie Soe.

SARKAR
* Bollywood's take on The Godfather, this sprawling saga stars real-life
father and son Amitabh and Abishek Bachchan, two of India's most popular
stars, as leaders of a powerful Mumbai family.

SARKAR RAJ
* The sequel to Sarkar Raj adds the glamorous and beautiful Aishwarya Rai
into the mix, as the story of the powerful and ruthless Nagre family
continues.

****

****new release list no.237

We are smack dab in the middle of the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema festival. Have you made it to an event yet? We had a great time on Friday here at Four Star! Here is a rundown of this week’s festivities.

Monday, Oct. 5th, the BHOC ventures into the Excelsior with a co-presentation at the Excelsior Branch of the public library at 4400 Mission Street. Screenings will go from 6:00-8:00pm and will feature local filmmakers Max Strebel, Nathan and Kathy Kensinger, Michelle Meeker and more.

Here is a breakdown of this week’s events. Check the BHOC website for updates and more information.

Tues, Oct 6th – Red Poppy – is hosting a Filmmaker/Musician Forum featuring Beth Custer, Marshall Crutcher, Greta Snider and Johunna Grayson– I will be moderating this event. Do you make movies? Do you make music? Do you want to meet your counterpart to get music for your movies or movies for your music? Come to this event!

Wed, Oct 7th – Kingmond Young Studio – Music by The Richter Scales, Candace Guirao and Terry Adams and short films (including one by Joseph Smooke, executive director of the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, one by Four Star’s own Andrew Friedman{!} and a 3-D film by the above mentioned Greta Snider and Johunna Grayson).

Thur, Oct 8th – SoCha Café – Short films with music provided by Vishnu’s Secret.

Friday, Oct 9th – Films and Old Time Music and Dancing at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center with music by The Knuckle Knockers, with dancing called by Susan Pena.

Saturday, Oct – Closing night at Precita park with music by my band, The Dont’s, short films and at 8pm a MAMMA MIA sing along! Fun fun fun!

Don’t forget, next Thursday and Saturday (Oct 15th and 17th) the VideoFest film festival is on! This is another festival not to be missed. We are proud to let you know that this year a Four Star Video award was given to the top local filmmaker entered in the festival. The program runs at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, and I urge you to go!

You know how I’ve been going on and on about economy/community/personal responsibility and all that for the last year or two? Well check out this amazing new idea: Bernal Bucks! That’s right, a sort of a localized currency within our neighborhood. They are rolling out the idea in the form of a sort of game at Fiesta on the Hill. Here is a short press release from the Bernal Buck people:

Coming to a wallet near you: Bernal Bucks, an exciting way to keep Bernal thriving.

Starting October 18 – the day of Fiesta on the Hill – people and business can start paying with Bernal Bucks. They are regular Dollars with a “Bernal” tag, a nifty way to promote and reward shopping local.

While this locally enriched currency promotes spending your money in Bernal, businesses are encouraged to throw in a little bonus when being paid with Bernal Bucks. Something like an upgrade a bigger cup of coffee, or a free dessert for a $60 restaurant check. The participating businesses will be highlighted on posters and the web. They also will be known to give the desired Bernal Bucks as change. The owner/employees can spend them and enjoy the perks at other Bernal shops.

Initially, Bernal Bucks are Dollar bills with a removable “Bernal” sticker tags. They tags have unique numbers. When registered on the bernalbucks.org website, people can check where their money has been and where it goes to. It’s about attaining the longest unbroken chain of circulation among Bernal residents and businesses. A bit of a fun game.

Bernal Bucks support neighborhood causes. In their fund gathering for non-profits like the Neighborhood Center or the Friends of the Public Library, people can give donations for the Bernal Bucks tags, - and then enjoy the bonus perks when using them. Win-win-win.

The bernalbucks.org website has nice explanations about Bernal Bucks. That’s where you can get involved. Contact: Arno Hesse 415-935-1050 for more information.

(Back to Ken here)
Wow! I am really excited about this. Four Star Video will definitely be involved in some way. Bookmark their site, and check them out at Fiesta on the Hill on October 18th to find out how to get yer Bernal Bucks!

What? You’re here to read about movies…then read you shall, young Jedi. This week, there are a lot of Documentaries. Starting with the much anticipated ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL and including THE NATIONAL PARKS (Ken Burns), IN A DREAM and more. You should be well covered in your quest for knowledge! There is some good comedy also including the quirky indie ASSASSINATION OF A HIGH SCHOOL PRESIDENT with Bruce Willis and YEAR ONE with Jack Black and Michael Cera. It seems like this time of year there are always a lot of horror films and kids holiday films, so we have a 2009 version of CHILDREN OF THE CORN, and a new DVD release of THE GATE, as well as the Anne Paquin vehicle TRICK ‘R TREAT.

Scroll on down to read about the rest.

Alrighty, that’s all folks, hope to see you at the store.

Love and Kisses,
Ken

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............//NEW RELEASES//............

ASSASSINATION OF A HIGH SCHOOL PRESIDENT.
Comedy.
Mischa Barton/Reece Thompson/Bruce Willis.
Directed by Brett Simon.
* Thompson plays Bobby Funke, a sophomore at a Catholic high school where some SAT’s have been stolen and as a staff member of the school paper, he investigates the matter. Hooking up with a sexy senior (Barton) is one of the payoffs for his investigation, but soon Bobby starts wondering if the wool is being pulled over his eyes. What is really going on at school? And who is in the inside circle? With Willis as the ex-soldier Principal of the school.

CHILDREN OF THE CORN (2009).
Horrorish.
Daniel Newman/Preston Bailey.
Directed by Donald Borchers.
* Another rendition of the great Steven King short story. Remake’s shmemakes…you know? If you really want to scare people, you should make a story called Children of the Brussels Sprouts, or Children of the Zucchini. Or how about Children of the Creamed Corn? Aaaaaaaagh! Now that’s scary.

CHINATOWN: THE CENTENNIAL COLLECTION.
Drama.
Jack/Faye.
Directed by Roman Polanski.
* If you haven’t seen this film, please do…it is really amazing, features direction, writing, acting, cinematography at the very top of the game. And, it has one of the most perfect movie endings of all time.

CHINESE ODYSSEY 2002.
Comedy/Romance/Action/Foreign (Cantonese).
Tony Leung Chiu Wai/Wei Zhao.
Directed by Jeffrey Lau.
* This looks like a pretty funny cross-dressing, gender bending comedy-of-errors, historical period piece action film about a couple pairs of siblings battling fate during in Ming Dynasty China.

THE GATE: SPECIAL EDITION.
Horror.
Christa Denton/Stephen Dorff.
Directed by Tibor Takacs.
* Heavy metal music help some children realize that the giant hole in their backyard is actually a gateway to HELL (cue the music, people). This 1987 film feature Dorff in one of his first roles. Can you name any others?
 
MY LIFE IN RUINS.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Comedy/Romance.
Nia Vardalos/Richard Dreyfuss.
Directed by Donald Petrie.
* This is the woman from MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING and MY BIG FAT GREEK LIFE and the big fat film must have had a big fat budget cuz it has big fat Richard Dreyfuss and it is a big fat comedy about two people discovering big fat love while cruising through the big fat beauty of Greece. No disrespect intended.

TRICK ‘R TREAT.
Horror.
Anna Paquin.
Directed by Michael Dougherty.
* Bloody fun starring the star of TRUE BLOOD (Paquin). Seriously, if you are into the bloodfest, you’ll probably dig this film, cuz its got a 7.9 out of 10 on imdb.com.

YEAR ONE.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Comedy.
Jack Black/Michael Cera/Olivia Wilde/David Cross/Paul Rudd.
Directed by Harold Ramis.
* Hijinks abound when poor hunter-gatherers Zed and Oh (Black and Cera) are booted out of the tribe and go off on a biblically spiced adventure.

............//DOCUMENTARY/............

ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL.
Music/Comedy.
Directed by Sacha Gervasi.
* This doc tracks the Canadian heavy metal band Anvil through their simple beginnings as teenagers pledging to each other a lifetime of rock through their current status as rock and roll never-beens.

IN A DREAM.
Art.
Directed by Jeremiah Zagar.
* This is the story of Julie and Isaiah Zagar, a couple from Philadelphia, and the filmmakers’ parents. It is the story of an artist, Isaiah, who has covered 50,000 square feet of Philly in wild and amazing murals made of tile, paint, mirror and concrete. It is also the story of a family in denial, dealing with (and not shying away from) abuse, addiction and mental illness. This film won a lot of festival awards and is a must-see.

LOST TAPES.
Nature/Animal Planet.

MARLENE.
Arts/Lit.
Directed by Maximilian Schell.
* 1984 Oscar nominated film about Marlene Dietrich just hitting Four Star on DVD for the first time.

THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA.****ALSO ON BLU-RAY****
Nature/Politics/Etc.
Directed by Ken Burns.
*.

NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD.
OZploitation.
Directed by Mark Hartley.
* From the imdb - NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD is the wild, untold story of "OZPLOITATION" movies - a time when Australian cinema got its gear off and showed the world a full-frontal explosion of sex, violence, horror and foot-to-the-floor, full bore action! Jam packed full of outrageous anecdotes, lessons in maverick filmmaking and a genuine, infectious love of Australian movies, NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD is a fast moving journey through Aussie genre cinema of the 70s and early 80s - an unjustly forgotten cinematic era unashamedly packed full of boobs, pubes, tubes... and even a little kung fu. NOTE FROM KEN: clearly not to be missed.

............//TELEVISION/............

MAN VS. FOOD: SEASON ONE.
Reality/Really.
Adam Richman.
* This is a really weird show…where dude attempts to eat lots of crazy stuff, big big big food.

............//KIDS/............

A MISER BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS.

CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS: V01.

DINOSAURS ALIVE!
Narrated by Michael Douglas.

ELMO’S ANIMAL ADVENTURES.

FROSTY FRIENDS.

I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN.
* The music alone is enough to rent these awesome Peanuts tales.

NI HAO KAI-LAN: KAI-LANS CARNIVAL.

............//NEW ON BLU/............

WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
* Only one of the very best films of all time.

............//NEW ADDITIONS/............

DIRTY DANCING: 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
* In honor of Patrick Swayze.

GHOST: COLLECTOR’S EDITION
* Also in honor of Patrick Swayze.

............//REPLACEMENT DISCS/............

MY FAIR LADY
* Not really a replacement, more of another copy…for whatever reason. It is a great movie.

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