****new release list no.296

Black Friday came, then we had Small Business Saturday, then I have heard today called Cyber Monday. What will tomorrow bring? Cute little nicknamed shopping days make me feel weird. Even as a retail business(es) owner.

Shop local; that pretty much says everything I care about.

We don’t have a cute nickname for our Bernal-based "shop local" night yet, but December 9th will be a neighborhood-wide shopping night with businesses open late, roving music on the streets (do you play? Wanna join us?), at least one food tent set up in front of the Neighborhood Center, and many special sales, discounts and deals at all your favorite establishments. This night is being co-sponsored by the Bernal Business Alliance and Bernal Bucks, and here is a little map with all the businesses that are participating listed. Bookmark that BBA page, as we will start using it to promote neighborhood events regularly.

Mark it on your calendar.

It will be a good night to grab a bite at Vega’s, or The Liberty Café, or Progressive Grounds (to name just a few of the many awesome eateries we have here), and then head up and down Cortland, taking care of all your holiday needs, and probably running into friends and neighbors as well.

Geez, speaking of Holiday needs, suddenly this very week it is Hanukah!

Happy Hannuka, my Jewish brothers and sisters!

Chanukkah is an 8-day holiday, which means my little ones will be clamoring for 8 nights for something good from Mom and Dad. At my house, we give out a few gifts, and we are also heavy into Certificates.

For us, this means gifting out some power to the kiddos, such as “ONE TRIP TO THE ICE CREAM STORE OF YOUR CHOOSING ON SUDDEN NOTICE AS LONG AS YOU’VE EATEN A GOOD SUPPER THAT NIGHT AND THE FOUR OF US ARE HOME WITH NO VISITORS”. Usually, we head straight to Mitchell’s the night this certificate gets handed out.

I like Channnnukkkahhh, cuz the miracle of the story is that a small group of people can band together and make a difference, even with great odds against them. It is a “never give up” tale, and one that I personally take to heart.

Three or four big titles this week include ECLIPSE, the third in the TWILIGHT series about a girl who wants to hook up with a vampire who wants to wait until they are married. Yeah, that’s a simplification, but I think you know what this one is about by now… Also out is KNIGHT AND DAY, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz about a wayward spy who is trying to stay alive while somewhat courting an attractive new friend. In GOING THE DISTANCE, Justin Long and Drew Barrymore travel back and forth from NY to SF trying to keep their love affair intact. THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE is Jay Baruchel, and Nick Cage is the sorcerer. The film is pretty awesome fun for the young set, but I think Nick needs to put some magic back into his career.

Amy and I watched FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH last night…wow, what an incredibly iconic film. I thought it was interesting how much faster kids are supposedly today, yet how racy and sex-obsessed those 70’s and 80’s high school movies were! Some things change, some things not so much.

After posting the information about Beth Custer’s film-related fundraising page, I heard from another Bernal Heights filmmaker. Gail Mallimson is working on a movie about “the battle to protect endangered species from the onslaught of suburban sprawl” in California. One place that is focused on in the film is San Bruno Mountain. The trailer for this film, which is called THE EDGE OF THE WILD, played here at Four Star (or actually at Succulence) as part of the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema festival in September. I was so taken by it, that I brought my family on a hike up San Bruno mountain just a week or two later. I highly recommend getting acquainted with that glorious place, and there is no better place to start than Gail’s film. Here is the kickstarter fundraising page for her film. Check it out!

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

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 – Two Exchanges a month (3 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//............

ECLIPSE.****BD****
Vampire/Abstinence/Teen.
Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart/Bryce Dallas Howard/Taylor Lautner.
Directed by David Slade.
* Chapter three in the TWILIGHT saga sees Bella struggling between her undying love for Edward Cullen, who ups the vamp ramp to the highest degree with his gentlevampirish ways of decency, consideration and restraint, and Jacob the Wolf, the passionate and nearly human changeling whose love for Bella shows no sign of ebbing, even in light of her clearly stated preference for E-Vamp. What’s a high school girl to do? Meanwhile, up in Seattle, it is raining hard! And someone is making an army of “newborne” vampires who are hungry for that yum yum yummy taste of human blood. What’s the deal, here? Well, whatever it is, Edwards peeps and Jacob’s peeps join together to fight off the threat and protect Bella, and somehow E-Vamp and J-Wolf form a bit of an understanding and damn near a bond in their mutual love for Bella.

GOING THE DISTANCE. ****BD****
Romantic Comedy/Youth Clutch.
Drew Barrymore/Justin Long/Christina Applegate/Charlie Day.
Directed by Nannette Burstein.
* Makes me think of that awesome song by Cake, “The Distance”…and I almost think the movie and song are about the same thing…In the movie, a couple (Barrymore, Long) live in separate sides of the US of A, in fact in the only two cities that matter (psyche, just kinda kidding!), San Francisco and New York. They both are engaged enough in their lives so that they don’t want to move to their lover’s city, but they are engaged enough with each other so that they are willing to travel regularly to see each other, and keep their love strong. Will that engagement be enough? Can a long distance relationship work?

KNIGHT AND DAY.****BD****
Romance/Comedy/Action/Adventure.
Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz/Peter Sarsgaard/Viola Davis/Paul Dano.
Directed by James Mangold.
* Tom Cruise is such a rogue! A rakish rogue! A snaggle-toothed, rakish rogue, dapper and delicious in his fancy duds sporting automatic weaponry and a three day stubble that screams, “aren’t I the cutest Hollywood fellow ever!”. And Ms. Diaz, tremendously cute as well, and tall! So tall! I saw her once at a U2 concert in LA and I swear she was like 7 feet tall! Wearing a blue suede suit. Hot! Not sure what this film is about, actually. I think Tom plays a secret agent – a rogue Agent. And she plays a beautiful woman – a tall beauty. And there is comedy, and intrigue, and international travel, and shooting, and I think, eventually, love. Rakish love.

LA BRACONNE.
Comedy/Drama/Foreign (French).
Francis Perrin/Henri Guybet.
Directed by Serge Penard.
* This 1993 film was evidently a big hit at Cannes that year…It actually feels more like it was made in 1953. It is the story of two brothers who are in a Cain/Abel type relationship in a small town in France sometime long ago. It is told mostly from the perspective of their young nephew who likes them both, but admires and is the young apprentice to Andre, the poacher, who lives of his wits, and his ability to snag animals from the woods and fish from the ponds surrounding the town. Unfortunately for him, that brings upon him the wrath (and love) of the townspeople. I liked this film, it is a gentle and humorous tale.

THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE.
Action/Fantasy.
Jay Baruchel/Nicholas Cage/Alfred Molina.
Directed by Jon Turtletaub.
* I took my 9-year-old son to see this in the theatre and we enjoyed it a lot. Why Nicholas Cage is in the film, though, is beyond me…The story is of a centuries old sorcerer (Cage) and his arch-nemesis (Molina) and their battle in modern day New York. The apprentice (Baruchel) is the kind of regular “everyday normal guy” that Baruchel usually plays. I am somewhat fascinated with Jay Baruchel and his strange career. Recently, we watched the television show UNDECLARED, which he stars in with Seth Rogen and others. I recommend it! It is the next show for Judd Apatow after FREAKS AND GEEKS and tells the story of a bunch of college freshmen, struggling with the bizarre purgatory of college, where you are no longer a child (and can stay up as late as you want, eat as much candy as you want, have sex whenever you want), but you are so clearly not yet an adult. It is funny and poignant. And here it is being reviewed in the SORCERER’S APPRENTICE spot…I am all over the place today.

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP.
Drama/Fictobiopic/HBO.
Michael Sheen/Dennis Quaid.
Directed by Richard Loncraine.
* This pseudo historical drama tells of the relationship between UK Prime Minister Tony Blair (Sheen) and US President Bill Clinton (Dennis Quaid – wow, did they miss an opportunity to have Quaid’s brother Randy play Bill’s brother Roger or what!) . Blair and Clinton shared an obvious admiration, but also had a love/hate relationship which soured in the later years of their empowerment.

VAMPIRES SUCK.
Spoof/Comedy.
Directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer.
* In the lines of SCARY MOVIE, and all those other spoof flicks, this one lampoons the TWILIGHT series among many others.

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

LEMONADE.
Documentary.
* This doc focuses on the lives of 16 advertising industry workers who have lost their jobs during this recession/depression and are trying to rebuild their lives

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

THE LOST ROOM.
Television/Mini-Series
Peter Krause/Elle Fanning.
* This 3-part miniseries exists in the HEROES meets LOST vein, full of complicated plot twists, confusing conspiracies, and other mystical malfusions. AND, it stars Peter Krause, of SIX FEET UNDER fame.

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

IRON MAN: EXTREMIS.

LOONEY TUNES: FOGHORN LEGHORN AND FRIENDS.

LOONEY TUNES: TWEETY AND SYLVESTER.

SID AND MARTY KROFFTS SATURDAY MORNING HITS.

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

SHALL WE DANCE?
* Koji Yakusho stars in this 1997 Masayuki Suo film.

............// THE REPLACEMENTS //............

SEXY BEAST.
* He’s sexy! Oh so sexy…But a beast! A guttural beast!

****

****new release list no.295

I must admit that when it comes to the holidays, I’m a bit of a downer with a well-deserved reputation as a bah-humbugger type. My friend John says that’s cuz I’m Jewish, but he’s from North Cackalacky (Carolina) so what does he know!

Yet, when the chill hits this time of year, and I’m walking through the leaves that have randomly decided to follow a seasonal change, I often find my heart soaring with a confusing elation. What is that?

Does the external cold ignite some internal warmth that sparks a chemical reaction sending happiness to my brain? Does the fire within react with the crisp air to form some sort of emotional condensation that nourishes and protects?

Not sure! I’m mostly a question-asker, not a question answerer.

Either way, I found myself right now relishing this time of year…preparing for some sort of familial gut check that will be parsed with yummy food, some laughs, probably a few tears and a lot of cleaning up.

This year Hanukah rapidly follows Thanksgiving and then Christmas is not far behind and pretty soon, we will hear ourselves say out loud: Twenty Eleven. Try it right now – no, out loud.

It’s crazy to hear, right? Total science fiction.

Well, I guess this time of year we get continuous “welcome to your life” moments, ushered in by “The Holiday Season”, and, this year, sponsored by the numbers “Twenty Eleven.”

Guess I’m saying Happy Holidays to you.

Yes, it’s that “eat, pray, love” time of the year, and that’s probably why the DVD release of EAT PRAY LOVE starring Javier Bardem, Julia Roberts, James Franco (also Billy Crudup, Richard Jenkins and Viola Davis) is coming out on Tuesday. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Elizabeth Gilbert, it’s the story of a woman who tears her life apart to rebuild it with a new, stronger foundation. Just like autumn!

Hey look, if you are more into blowing stuff up than kissy kissy, than you may be interested in THE EXPENDABLES starring (deep breath here) Sylvester Stallon, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, Danny Trejo, Eric Roberts and some very beautiful women, it is the story of some mercenary dudes who get hired to go kill some not nice folks down South America way. Boom!

If I were to suggest watching one film this week, it would be I’M STILL HERE, the para-documentary by Casey Affleck about Joaquin Phoenix’s retirement from film. The documentary aspect of this film is a parody, but not a joke. The film is funny as hell! It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Joaquin Phoenix, I think in a parallel universe. Well, maybe not. But it is a brilliant film, and I highly recommend it.

Do you know about Kickstarter.com? It is a fabulous new website that is used to fund projects. Someone has something they want to fund, and people make pledges on the website and if (and only if) they reach their stated financial goal, they get the money. Pretty awesome… Anyhow, local music hero Beth Custer is currently fundraising to send her ensemble to the Republic of Georgia to perform her score to a rare silent film called MY GRANDMOTHER made in 1929. Read about the project here, and donate if you can. While you are there, take a look around, this is a website that should have some staying power.

Who misses Chris? Everyone, I imagine. I certainly do. I had some email exchange with him recently and he told me he has started to write a blog called BACK OF YOUR FRONT. You, too, can read his blog and stay in touch with him. We miss you, Chris!

Mark your calendar people, Thursday night, December 9th, will be the first ever Bernal Shopping Night! As an encouragement to spend your holiday dollars in the neighborhood, many stores (including both of mine) will be open late for a night of discounts, treats, music and fun. Soon you will see flyers around and individual stores will have sales and deals posted in their windows for that night only. We are all in it together people, let’s keep Bernal businesses afloat.

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

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 – Two Exchanges a month (3 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//............


THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED.
Crime/Drama/Thriller.
Martin Compston/Gemma Arterton/Eddie Marsan.
Directed by J. Blakeson.
* Alice is kidnapped and bound to a bed in this taut thriller by debut filmmaker J. Blakeson.

EAT PRAY LOVE.****BD****
Dramedy.
Julia Roberts/Javier Bardem/James Franco/Billy Crudup/Richard Jenkins/Viola Davis.
Directed by Ryan Murphy.
* Adapted from the best selling novel, this film follows a woman’s quest to change her life, at the cost of a marriage, but for the sake of growth, passion and love. Julia Roberts gives her usual powerful performance in this tear-jerking celebration of life.

THE EXPENDABLES.****BD****
Action/Suspense.
Sylvester Stallone/Jet Li/Jason Statham/Mickey Rourke/Dolph Lundren/Bruce Willis/Steve Austin/Arnold/Not Jean-Claude/Eric Roberts.
Directed by Sylvester Stallone.
* A band of mercenaries, filled with weapons-experts of every shape and size, get hired to depose a South American dictator. No really, that’s what it’s about! This film features just about anyone who has ever starred in an action film, except Jean-Claude Van Damme.

FLIPPED.
Comedy/Drama/Family.
Madeline Carroll/Anthony Edwards/Rebecca De Mornay/Callan McAuliffe/Aidan Quinn.
Directed by Rob Reiner.
* This heart-warming tale adapted from the novel by Wendelin Van Draanen, is about a couple 8th graders who are dealing with some big-kid feelings they are having. The girl has had a crush on the boy since they were seven years old, but he has never shown interest. Now, he is feeling it, but she thinks perhaps he is pretty (oh so pretty), but vacant.

I’M STILL HERE.****BD****
Comedy/Drama/Documentary/Music.
Joaquin Phoenix/Casey Affleck/P-Diddy/Ben Stiller.
Directed by Casey Affleck.
* Technically, this film is billed as a documentary, and should be listed in that section…yet, I am personally unable to see this as an actual documentary. Not in the traditional sense. Something is certainly being documented here, but what? The story ostensibly being told is that Joaquin Phoenix is retiring from film to pursue a career as a rap artist. You may remember hearing about this last year, while he was supposedly “retired”. You may even have seen this clip on YouTube of him falling off stage after one of his “performances”. When I saw these rap clips, I sensed a hoax immediately, simply because he was so BAD! Not just “not so good”, but simply awful. So, in this way, the film is simply a fraud, pretending to be something that it is not. Watching the movie, however, you get an idea that Affleck is telling an honest story, just not the one you think you’re watching. No, this film is not about JP, the pathetic rapper seeking personal freedom, this film is about the very nature of celebrity, about what it is like to have your every move watched and judged. I don’t generally have any sympathy for celebrities; they get compensated quite well and so too bad for them if they are constantly hounded. But Affleck is not looking for sympathy, as much as he is fully enjoying the stage which he gets to play on. And for that I totally applaud these guys! This was one of the best films I have seen all year. I laughed a ton, huge lung bursting laughs, and eventually, it almost made me cry. See it as a comedy. One where Joaquin Phoenix plays an actor named Joaquin Phoenix, sick of acting, feeling like a fake, longing for passionate release, desperate to find himself, drinking, smoking and eventually spiraling, like a mobile, to its collision. Could there be an Oscar-winning performance here? Maybe, maybe.

LENNON NAKED.
Fictobiopic.
Christopher Eccleston/Andrew Scott/Naoko Mori.
Directed by Edmund Coulthard.
* This John Lennon biography is focused on his dealings with his father and his first wife Cynthia and the struggles he has to not repeat his father’s failures.

MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY: THE PLAY.
Comedy/Drama/Performing Arts.
Tyler Perry/Bow wow/Loretta Devine.
Directed by Charles Laughton.
* Perry continues his glorious cross-dressing ways in this theatrically staged story following the continuing saga of Madea and her big crazy family!

SHOOTING JOHNSON ROEBLING.
Comedy.
Directed by Christopher Burke.
* Charles Pavolsk, a burgeoning film director, throws away what appears to be a promising career (in reality television) in order to track down his film mentor on the streets of New York.

THE WINNING SEASON.
Comedy/Drama.
Sam Rockwell/Emma Roberts.
Directed by James C. Strouse.
* This redemption story first debuted to much success at the 2009 Sundance festival. It is the story of a down-and-out coach (Rockwell) who is given his final shot to put his life back together when he is asked to coach the local high school girl’s basketball team. Co-starring Emma Roberts as one of the players.

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

COUNTDOWN TO ZERO.
Documentary/Nuclear Arms Race.
Lucy Walker.
* Alarming. Exhilarating. Gripping. Engrossing. At least according to the box!

HARLAN: IN THE SHADOW OF JEW SUSS.
Documentary/Propaganda/Foreign (German/French/Italian).
Directed by Felix Moeller.
* Veit Harlan was a filmmaker in Nazi Germany who made vicious anti-Semitic propaganda films. His most famous was film Jud Süß made in 1940. This film tells a bit of his story while examining WWII from a film history point of view.

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

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH.
Television/Drama/Mini-Series.
Ian McShane/Rufus Sewell/Hayley Atwell.
Based on the novel by Ken Follett.
Directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan.
* Follett’s novel of political and cultural turmoil in 12th century England is made into an 8-part epic saga.

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

THE SEARCH FOR SANTA PAWS.

****

****new release list no.294

For those of you of a certain age, or with children of a certain age, I am sure you are aware that the first chapter in the 7th Harry Potter film comes out this Thursday night at midnight! I probably will miss it that night, but I am definitely looking forward to these last two chapters of this pop phenomenon. Huck pointed out that Harry has a little scruff on his face in the billboard photo for the film, and he was properly impressed by how they aged the kids during the making of these films. Ah, youth.

In the meantime, we have a couple at least one of the bigger titles of the year out this week. In THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play a married couple (not sure in which state, but I enjoyed how little was made of this fact) with a pair of teenage kids that they had using the sperm of an anonymous donor. When the oldest turns eighteen, she has the right to contact the donor and ask if he’d like to meet them, and, after a bit of pushing from her younger brother, she exercises that right. Enter Paul (Mark Ruffalo), a free-spirit bachelor who rides a motorcycle and owns a restaurant and a small organic farm. Paul is very excited to meet the kids and to get involved with the family; only his involvement gets a bit intrusive and causes turmoil in the family. I found myself laughing constantly as the two women talked about anything, mostly out of the sort of embarrassment you get when humor gets too close to home. It is good to know yourself, and I think this film does a nice gentle job holding up the mirror to our culture. The fact that they are a same-sex couple, and that this is inherently a sperm donor story is certainly central to the tale, but at the core, this film is about family, you know, people of different generations living together and caring for each other and raising each other the best they can.

Also out this week is 2009’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL, starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth. Animated darkly and full of foreboding, this film was a smash hit last Christmas, and should be a fun holiday film this year – maybe for the older children though, there is some pretty scary imagery in this movie!

THE LAST AIRBENDER is the newest by M. Night Shyamalan, and is an adaptation of the popular cartoon about Four Kingdoms, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, battling each other for supremacy.

Also out this week is the new Extended Collector’s Edition of AVATAR. I hear it is bigger, longer and less cut.

There are lots of kid’s movies out this week, including CATS AND DOGS 2: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE, OPPOSITE DAY, and (joy!) a new Barbie movie – BARBIE AS RAPUNZEL!

There are also a bunch of interesting indie films led by THE EXTRA MAN, starring Kevin Kline and Paul Dano as mismatched housemates in Manhattan. Also METROPIA, a distorted animation sci-fi film about a Europe not far off the present day where underground tunnels are the main method of transportation.

Scroll down, there is more down there, including DR. WHO: COMPLETE SEASON FIVE, and PARENTHOOD: SEASON ONE. Read on, film viewer, read on.

We hope you are enjoying the changes we have made at the store. It has been gratifying to hear many of your comments, even the critical ones. We should be implementing a couple new innovations in the New Release Room which should make the lower films more accessible and give the whole space a bit more airiness. You will have to check it out to see what I’m talking about. Overall, thanks for all the positivity. It has helped.

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

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 – Two Exchanges a month (3 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//............

AVATAR: EXTENDED COLLECTORS EDITION.****BD****
Sci-Fi.
Sam Worthington/Zoe Saldana/Sigourney Weaver/Giovanni Ribisi/Michelle Rodriguez.
Directed by James Cameron.
* I think you’ve heard of this movie about the blue hippies in space and the rogue American energy company man who goes mutinous on the mother company in the hopes of saving Pandora, the peaceful living planet that the fine people of Earth are trying to rape for its fuel source? It’s no FORREST GUMP, but it did pretty good at the box office.

CATS AND DOGS 2: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE.
Family/Comedy.
Chris O’Donnell/Alec Baldwin/Katt Williams/Bette Midler/Roger Moore.
Directed by Brad Peyton.
* This movie sets out to prove that evil is good, because it takes an evil rogue spy (like Kitty Galore) to make the rest of the cats and dogs put aside their differences and come together for the common good.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S MODERN TIMES.
Criterion/Comedy.
Charlie Chaplin/Paulette Goddard/Henry Bergman.
Directed by Charlie Chaplin.
* Chaplin’s last “silent” film (though filled with wild sound!) was made when many filmmakers were already making talking pictures. Maybe this is the best way to look at MODERN TIMES, as a comment on a society that had already passed it by. Chaplin’s character is struggling to understand society in this look at a technology obsessed world where you either adapt or get dumped like yesterdays VCR. So many of the things that get touched on in this 1936 masterpiece are as relevant today as they were then – issues like fear of communism, anger at the homeless, automatic mechanical production – it’s hard to believe they didn’t have smartphones and twitter back then! Through it all, Chaplin stays focused on the moment, and we follow him through one folly after the next, while remaining confident that if we just stay calm we might be able to make this thing work.

THE CHOSEN ONE.
Comedy/Drama.
Rob Schneider/Steve Buscemi.
Directed by Rob Schneider.
* Schneider plays an average guy, whose faults are all too easy to catalog who discovers that he is indeed, The Chosen One.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009).****BD****
Comedy/Family.
Jim Carrey/Gary Oldman/Colin Firth/Robin Wright/Bob Hoskins.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis.
* Disney’s animated version of the famous Dicken’s tale is dark and magical and was a monster hit during the Christmas season last year. Although it is marketed as a family film, many children will be haunted by some of the imagery in this phantasmagorical tale of self-redemption.

THE EXTRA MAN.
Comedy.
Kevin Kline/Paul Dano/John C. Reilly/Katie Holmes.
Directed by Shari Berman and Robert Pulcini.
* The Extra Man is the guy rich older women like to have around to keep them company and do things for them…or at least so says Henry Harrison (Kline – brilliant as usual), a playwright whose disastrous Manhattan apartment Louis Ives (Dano) moves into after getting fired from his teaching job in Connecticut. Louis is a troubled, cross-dressing, aspiring writer who seems to live in another decade altogether (like maybe the 1920’s) working at an Environmentalist magazine and trying to discover himself. The film combines a ton of different pieces and puts them together somewhat haphazardly, like a giant precariously perched Lego landscape. Henry has a saying he likes to say before he goes to bed, that kind of sums up this film, “Ah, here we are – where are we?”

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT.****BD****
Comedy/Drama.
Annette Bening/Julianne Moore/Mark Ruffalo/Josh Hutcherson/Mia Wasikowska.
Directed by Daniel Adams.
* When Mia (Wasikowska) turns 18, her Moms (Bening and Moore, both superb) can’t stop her from contacting the Sperm Bank to find out if her (and her younger brother’s) sperm donor wants to meet them, in fact, they can’t stop her from doing anything (a fact she keeps needing to remind them). When she does contact him, and he does want to meet them, the whole family is thrown into turmoil as they try to gain something from Paul (Ruffalo), their rakish, bachelor, entrepreneurial donor. Some of them don’t gain enough and at least one gains more than she bargained for. Eventually, though, things settle down, and life goes on. The kids, though shook up a bit, aren’t struggling so hard to process things (like their parents are) and so for them, it’s just another speed bump in today’s rapid journey to grown-upedness.

THE LAST AIRBENDER.****BD****
Adventure/Fantasy.
Noah Ringer/Dev Patel.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
* I remember when this movie first came out, it was still called AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, but that movie starring the Blue Men (no?) made it so they dropped the “Avatar” pretty quick…This fantasy tale from Shamalamadingdong is an adaptation of the popular kids cartoon series about Aang (Ringer) a young Avatar who must protect the three kingdoms of Air, Earth and Water from the evil and opportunistic Fire Kingdom who seeks to enslave them. I heard Zac Efron almost played the lead in this film, which I think would have been pretty cool.

LIGHTKEEPERS.
Comedy.
Richard Dreyfuss/Blythe Danner/Julie Harris/Bruce Dern.
Directed by Daniel Adams.
* This period piece set in 1912 Cape Cod tells the story of Seth, a lighthouse keeper who has cut off all contact with women. His narrow world is thrown into turmoil with the arrival of two summering ladies who move into a cottage nearby. This movie reminded me of this great song by The Dukes of the Stratosphere.

LOTTERY TICKET.
Comedy.
Ice Cube/Mike Epps/Bow Wow/Woof!
Directed by Erik White.
* After a young man’s neighbors find out he’s got a winning lottery ticket worth 370 million, he must somehow survive the weekend before he can cash it in. Ice Cube continues his “Gansta meets After-School-Special” comedy style.

METROPIA.
Sci-Fi/Thriller/Animation.
Vincent Gallo/Juliette Lewis/Stellan Skarsgard.
Directed by Tarik Saleh.
* Tripped out animation story about a futuristic Europe where everything is connected by underground tunnels and a young man feels as though his every move is predetermined.

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955).
Criterion/Drama/Suspense.
Robert Mitchum/Shelley Winters.
Directed by Charles Laughton.
* This taut noir thiller tells the story of Harry Powell (Mitchum), a “preacher” who roams the countryside decrying evil, though he may be the most evil thing out there. When he meets a convicted thief about to get executed for his crime, he decides to woo his soon-to-be widow whose young children know the location of money their father stole. He will stop at nothing to get that money, and killing in the name of the lord is his favorite nothing.

OPPOSITE DAY.
Comedy/Family.
Pauly Shore/Billy Unger.
Directed by R. Michael Givens.
* It’s like Freaky Friday, only freakier.

SONDHEIM! THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT.
Performing Arts.
* The New York Philharmonic celebrates Stephen Sondheim with this concert of his songs performed (and filmed) March 15th and 16th, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City with Stephen Sondheim’s longtime collaborator Paul Gemignani conducting.

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

DR. WHO: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON.
Television/Sci-Fi.
Matt Smith.
* Season five of the modern adventures of the time traveling scientist sees Matt Smith taking over from David Tennant as the good Doctor.

PARENTHOOD: SEASON ONE.
Television/Comedy.
* This new show is a portrait of an American family, with a mother and father and their three adult age children with children of their own. I hear this show is funny and poignant – so I bought it!

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

BARBIE AS RAPUNZEL.
* Humorously, my daughter, Trudy, told me about this movie a couple nights ago. How would a five –year-old have already heard of this film before it came out on DVD? Gosh, advertising really works!

THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF.

CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE AND MORE FUN ON THE FARM.

ELMO AND FRIENDS: LETTER QUEST AND OTHER MAGICAL TALES.

FRANNY’S FEET: FARMHOUSE FRIENDS.

LEGO HERO FACTORY: RISE OF THE ROOKIES.

WOW WOW WUBBZY: FLY US TO THE MOON.

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

FELICITY: AN AMERICAN GIRL ADVENTURE.
* This is from the “American Girl” series about girls during different parts of America’s history.

****

****new release no.293

You may have noticed a big change in Four Star Video this week.

Our sister store, Succulence, which we opened last year in the patio and barn area behind Four Star, has moved inside and is now occupying The Space Formerly Known as The New Release room.

The most important thing for you to know is that we LOVE Four Star Video, and we are making this change because we care about the store and its longevity, and we hope you continue to support your neighborhood video store. We have not shrunk our collection to make this change; we have simply bought new shelving that enabled us to move things around in order to shrink the footprint of the store. We will continue to make some minor adjustments in the New New Release room to make the films as accessible as possible, and to create a bit more space for throngs of renters to co-exist in that area of the store simultaneously.

We all know that technology has altered this business tremendously; most people can look at their own renting habits to acknowledge that. It is true that we rent fewer movies now than we did since 2004, but hey, we rent more movies now than we did in 2003! The basic fact is that we are being flexible and rolling with the cultural changes and contemplating ways that we can still provide our service to the people who still want it. We know who you are, and we are grateful for your business!

In the meantime, we feel that Succulence is also a great store, and we want it to be exposed to more people than ever! The holiday season is right around the corner, and we have a ton to offer. So if you haven’t wandered through our life and garden store, than please do; we think you’ll find a great deal of beauty resides back there.

Many people have also asked us, what will happen to the barn? Succulence is expanding, not moving. It may take us a few months to re-establish the ambiance that we created back there, but soon we shall. It will be a showroom for outdoor furniture, a winter home for smaller plants, a potting area, and an art gallery waiting to happen… It will be beautiful; that we can promise you!

Our friends and neighbors, remember to sway in the breeze like the reeds in the river, breathe the delicious air that blows in off the Pacific, and take part in the pleasures of your life! Change is scary, but it is just change, and sometimes the brightest rainbows emerge from what once just seemed like a silver lining.

We love you!

Love and Kisses, Ken & Amy, Four Star owners, Frauke and Daniel, Succulence co-owners with Ken and Amy, and the entire staffs of Four Star Video and Succulence

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

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 – Two Exchanges a month (3 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//............

ANTICHRIST.
Horror/Suspense/Criterion.
Willem Dafoe/Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Directed by Lars Von Trier.
* Painfully graphic story about pain as played out between a grieving couple and their resulting descent into madness. Won a lot of awards internationally and was a huge polarizing hit at Cannes in 2009.

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD.
Drama.
Zac Efron/Kim Basinger/Amanda Crew/Charlie Tahan.
Directed by Burr Steers.
* Zac continues his efforts toward acting respectability in this drama about a boy overcome with grief at the death of his younger brother. Charlie has either an unusual and supernatural ability or he is having a psychotic break when he regularly visits with his brother after the accident that claims his life. When a girl enters his world, Charlie must figure out how he wants to continue to live his life.

FOUR-FACED LIAR.
Comedy/Romance/Drama/LGBT.
Marja Lewis Ryan/Emily Peck/Todd Kubrak.
Directed by Jacob Chase.
* What begins as a chance meeting between a couple of best friends and a happy couple, disintegrates into betrayal, romance (I wish I could write “bromance” but it’s the chicks that hook up), and, eventually, a greater understanding.

GROWN-UPS.
Comedy.
Adam Sandler/Chris Rock/Kevin James/David Spade/Rob Schneider/Salma Hayek/Maya Rudolph/Maria Bello.
Directed by Dennis Dugan.
* The Hollywood “It” story of the year about a bunch of dudes in their early mid-lives wishing they were young again, and lamenting their age. Probably funny, but I just want to say to those guys “boo-hoo-hoo!”.

LIGHT GRADIENT.
Drama/Romance/LGBT.
Sebastian Schlect/Eric Golub/Iris Minich.
Directed by Jan Kruger.
* Strange love tale of pursuit and capture about two new lovers on a hike through the woods.

LOVE RANCH.
Drama.
Hellen Mirren/Joe Pesci/Gina Gershon.
Directed by Taylor Hackford.
* Hey, what happen in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Well, maybe not, then again, I don’t think this film takes place, just in the lawless sandlands of Nevada where a couple opens the first legal brothel and finds out it is a tougher business to run than a video store.

LOVELY STILL.
Drama/Romance.
Martin Landau/Ellen Burstyn/Elizabeth Banks.
Directed by Nik Fackler.
* This lovely looking tale is about an elderly man who falls in love for the first time. It looks like a family movie, though there is “brief smoking” which garnishes is with a PG rating, so be prepared to cover the kiddo’s eyes.

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE XIX.
Sci-fi/Action/Monster/Schlock.
* Feature the films: Robot Monster, Bride of the Monster, Devil Doll, and Devil Fish.

RAMONA AND BEEZUS.
Comedy/Family.
Joey King/Selena Gomez/Josh Duhamel/Bridget Moynahan.
Directed by Elizabeth Allen.
* Ah, Ramona Quimby from Beverly Cleary's phenomenal kid’s books, you were many kids favorite character for a while! Now you got a feature film, congratulations.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD.****BD****
Animation/Family.
Michael Cera/Mary Elizabeth Winstead/Chris Evans/Kieran Culkin/Anna Kendrick/Jason Schwartzman.
Directed by Edgar Wright.
* Scott Pilgrim is a stud (somehow) who gets the ladies as easy as my cat, Pate, gets fleas. He is currently juggling a high schooler who loves him when he meets Ramona, who he falls for hard. Poor Scotty, though, must battle her seven evil ex-boyfriends in pure action video game style battles in order to…uh, in order to, uh. In order to not get killed! Yes, that’s it! This movie is like, totally made for the video game that I am certain came out with it. Or maybe that’s not it, maybe it is as though the movie was made from the video game that came first? Actually, it is an adaptation from a graphic novel, and the adaptation is pretty slick. You definitely feel like you are communicating in a visual guttural style. I liked this movie a lot, but I am really worried about Michael Cera’s career. I think he has maybe one more whiny little puppy dogged voice movie in him, and then, if he doesn’t find another gear, it’s the garbage heap for his career.

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

I KNEW IT WAS YOU: REDISCOVERING JOHN CAZALE.
Documentary/Cinema.
Steve Buscemi/Francis Ford Coppola/Robert De Niro/Richard Dreyfuss/Gene Hackman.
Directed by Richard Shepard.
* Do you know who Cazale was? He was an American actor who made just five feature films before dying from cancer and leaving behind a distraught fiancée, Meryl Streep, and a lonely audience who wept for him in vain. His films? THE GODFATHER (Fredo Corleone), THE GODFATHER PART II, THE CONVERSATION (as Stan, Gene Hackman’s character’s assistant), DOG DAY AFTERNOON ( Sal, the partner), and finally THE DEER HUNTER (Again, playing a character named Stan). This portrait trips through his films and lays them out like a moving photo album of our past.

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: RADIANT CHILD.
Documentary/Art.
Basquiat/Julian Schnabel/Fab 5 Freddy/Jeffrey Deitch.
Directed by Tamara Davis.
* In-depth look at the neo-expressionist 1980’s era artist who died at the ripe young age of 27 in 1988. 27, you know…that’s the age the great artists die…Jimi, Janis, Jim, Kurt…(J, J, J and K…whoa! – just like The Dont’s!). Ooops, Jim (Morrison) was 28.

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

THE BOONDOCKS: THE COMPLETE 3RD SEASON.
Television/Comedy/Animation.
Created by Aaron McGruder.
* This intense socio-commentary show is billed as comedy, and it is definitely funny, but it is also full of anger and sharp wit and will provoke more discomfort than guffaws. Three cheers to McGruder for staying on his point and full of integrity.

CALIFORNICATION: THE COMPLETE 3RD SEASON.
Drama/Sex.
David Duchovny (why won’t you love me?).
* Dude gets it all, and has always gotten it all, so what is he complaining about? Oh, my writer life is so hard, and it’s so painful juggling all these hot women while trying to have a meaningful relationship with my daughter. Get over it, Moody!

MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.
Television/Drama/Comedy.
Ray Romano/Scott Bakula/Andre Braugher.
* This cable show can push the envelope a bit more than regular network tv and thrives on the realism of its forty-everything characters that are lost in the ocean of their lives.

SHERLOCK: SEASON ONE.
Television/Mystery/BBC.
Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman.
* It’s a thoroughly modernized version of the famous detective tales, with no-shit Sherlock living in the current day London and working his magic on the most complicated of crimes.

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

SUPERMAN/SHAZAM! THE RETURN OF BLACK ADAM.

SUPER HERO SQUAD V02.

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

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984).
* The George C. Scott version.

OCEAN’S 11 (1960).
* The rat pack is in full swing in this caper comedy that spawned the George Clooney-led sequels of the past decade.

............// THE REPLACEMENTS //............

HARRIET THE SPY.
* Yes, that’s the Harriet the spy.

****

****new release list no.292

Wahoo! The Giants Win!

I’m not even a Giants fan, but I got totally caught up in the excitement, blaring my horn with everyone else on Monday night! What a buzz, being in a city that wins a major sports championship! It’s pretty awesome to see so many people so psyched and feeling so good. Pretty great year to get that full city high. Especially in light of the failing of Proposition 19 tonight. Dagnabbit! How bummed I am about that! Doesn’t everyone realize that it really doesn’t matter how confusing it was (duuude, it’s confuuuusing…) or how badly it was written. Basically 19 was just a tool to force the conversation to take place on a federal level. I don’t feel righteously disrespected, but I do feel disappointed that the discussion continues about legalization, while alcohol continues to be sold in, like 50 places right in our neighborhood. Ah well, good thing we live in San Francisco (home of the Champion San Francisco Giants), where marijuana is basically decriminalized, and you can get a permit to carry some and grow your own. Not bad work, if you can get it.

Big news down here at the video store. We have done some serious shifting around inside. Have you been in this week? Digging for the documentary section? Searching for Suspense? Wisting for Westerns? Can’t find Criterion (it didn’t move)? Wondering what is happening? Well, yes, it is a big confusing. Lots is happening, because we are making room to share a bit of the space inside 402 Cortland with our sister store, Succulence. We realized last month that if we replaced the old slotted shelving with regular flat shelving that we had enough space to move everything from the foreign film/director’s wall section into the middle sections of the store and that we could make a new New Release room on the side there, freeing up the old New Release room (as of this Friday) for Succulence to cozy on into.

Bring deep. Do not panic.

Actually, I doubt you are panicking. I am sure, like me, you see the brilliance in this pragmatic move, and once you see the awesome things that we sell at Succulence, you will be even more psyched! We think that the two businesses can co-exist just splendidly inside the store, and we are looking forward to seeing it in action! We are sure it will be a little confusing at first, figuring out where to return the movies inside (currently slightly blocked, but a solution is beginning to formulate), where to find the movies you are looking for (please ask us for any help!) and what about Naomi (I don’t know what this means, but my dad used to say it when I was growing up during moments of group confusion like this)? In case things get extra confusing, I have posted a map at the top of this entry. Print the map on black paper with white ink and then attempt to read it in the store with your shades on – at that point, everything should be clear. Seriously, though – we will help make this transition as smooth as possible, and we are genuinely excited about how it will all work. We hope you are, too!

Still with me? On to some movies:

This week, TOY STORY 3 is the marquee title. Woody and the gang are dispatched to a day care center, only to have Woody lead the folks back to their rightful place: in storage in Andy’s attic. LOVE & DISTRUST is full of huge names (Robert Downey, Jr, James Franco, Robert Pattinson) and is the story of five separate relationship struggling to find balance within love and passion (and distrust). There are a bunch of other titles that I hope you find interesting as well.

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 – Two Exchanges a month (3 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//............

CENTURION.
Action/Adventure.
Michael Fassbender/Dominic West/Olga Kurylenko/Ulrich Thomsen.
Directed by Neil Marshall.
* Historical battle film about some Roman soldiers fighting for their lives.

EXTERMINATORS.
Comedy/Drama.
Heather Graham/Jennifer Coolidge/Amber Heard/Joey Lauren Adams.
Directed by John Inwood.
* About an all-woman exterminator company who is literally taking care of business.

THE GOONIES: 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION.
Comedy/Adventure.
Sean Astin/Josh Brolin/Corey Feldman.
Directed by Richard Donner.
* Well, holy cow! There is a young Josh Brolin as one of the kid’s big brother! Trip on out the door! Yup, this film came out in 1985, and yup, 1985 was 25 years ago. Put that in your time machine and…do something to it. In the meantime, somehow the 80’s stuff has become such beloved capsules, holding our teen angst at their core.

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE.
Horror.
Directed by Tom Six.
* Um…suffice to say, it’s really gross. My friend saw it and wished he could unsee it. Then again, I am sure that is a turn on for many. The bad guy in the first of these movies (yes, a sequel awaits), um, assembles a human centipede with victims and surgery.

KATT WILLIAMS: NINE LIVES.
Standup Comedy.
* You know by now that we at Four Star think Katt Williams is funny.

LOVE & DISTRUST.
Drama/Romance.
Robert Pattinson/Sam Worthington/Robert Downey, Jr/Amy Adams/Michael Imperioli/James Franco.
Directed by Eric Kmetz.
* Five stories of love and longing and passion.

MENAGE A TROIS.
Drama/Indie
* This 1997 trippy film won some awards on the circuit years ago, and is just getting to DVD. It is about the hard to describe (without ruining the story) relationship between a woman and two brothers.

ROSENCRANZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD.
Comedy.
Jake Hoffman/Devon Aoki.
Directed by Jordan Galland.
* Another strange and twisted comedy springs from the fount of these two throw away characters from Shakespeare’s HAMLET.

TOY STORY 3.****BD****
Animation/Family.
Tom Hanks/Tim Allen/Joan Cusack/Don Rickles/Michael Keaton.
Directed by Lee Unkrich.
* Ah, the toys, still in a constant state of un and over organized…In this case, Andy is finally going to college and it seems like his toys have been put away for good. In fact they are seemingly donated to a day care center right as Andy is splitting, but Woody refuses to believe they are just being tossed away like yesterday’s toys. He convinces the others to try to find their way home, whatever strange construct that may be to a toy, or other living beings.

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

VAN GOGH: BRUSH WITH GENIUS.
Documentary/Art.
Directed by Francois Bertrand.
* I think this film is about the time Van Gogh met me for a second. It is a “made for IMAX” film, so the images are gorgeous and crisp and detailed.

THE WAY WE GET BY.
Documentary.
Joan Gaudet/William Knight/Gerald Mundy.
Directed by Aron Gaudet .
* These three senior citizens spend a lot of time greeting troops with love and support at a small airport in Maine. What? Near Kennebunkport? I don’t know.

WINNEBAGO MAN.
Documentary/Viral Internet Humor.
Jack Rebney.
Directed by Ben Steinbauer .
* Gosh, I missed the internet phenomenon that was Winnebago Man (not linguistically safe for loud office viewing, if f-bombs are a problem at your work). In this hysterical documentary, the director tracks this guy down and tries to find out what he is really all about. Ever wonder what they’d find out if a documentary director tracked YOU down to find out what you’re all about? Scary!

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

FAMILY GUY: PARTIAL TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.
Television/Comedy/Animation.
* Oh Nelly, Lois agrees to help a infertile couple have a child by carrying the baby for them; Peter is unhappy about it.

LAND GIRLS.
Drama/BBC.
Summer Stralen/Christine Bottomley/Jo Woodcock/Becci Gemmell/Susan Cookson.
Directed by Steve Hughes
* This BBC series is about a group of women consigned to work on the land during WWII.

THE PACIFIC.
War/Mini-Series.
Directed by Carl Franklin and David Nutter and Timothy Patten and Jeremy Podeswa.
* The creators of BAND OF BROTHERS are back with this 10-part miniseries about the battle between the U.S. forces and the Japanese in the Pacific Islands during WWII.

V: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.
Television/Sci-fi.
* Do you remember this mini-series from the 80’s? It was super hyped! This is a remake about aliens who come to earth supposedly on a peace mission but truly to find some yummy human shaped food.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS: COMPLETE SEASON TWO.
Television/Animation.
Created by Luke Skywalker.

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

CARS: MATER’S TALL TALES.

KABOOM KIDS: LET’S LEARN.

KABOOM: LET’S SOLVE.

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

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI.
* This awesome 1957 war film won 7 Oscars!

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

IN THE SHADOW OF THE STARS.
* San Francisco based Academy award winning documentary from 1991 about the San Francisco Opera.

****