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
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............//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.
****
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