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
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............//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!
****
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