the four star gazer

****new release list no.324

2011-07-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

Who has two thumbs, speaks French and loves a vacation? C’est moi!

We just spent a glorious sunny first half of July touring around our great state. We dabbled in the Central Valley, frolicked in the San Fernando Valley, chilled out in the Sonoma Valley, and gawked at the beauty we passed along the way (particularly some stunning lunar displays!). There is very little like spending time with your family outside of the normal constraints of schools, works, camps, and the ticking clock of the weekend. We wandered around a bit, saw some old friends, bonded with some newer friends, ate so much amazing food that I must ingest nothing but raw vegetable juice for a week or two to get back down to fighting strength (the homemade porchetta was the highlight – shazaam!).

We didn’t have much of a media related vacation, though we did finally see for the first time THE WEDDING CRASHERS, which was significantly funnier than I expected. Bradley Cooper was a revelation, and Vince Vaughn was definitely at the top of his game in this tale of two dudes who work a wedding season like few others. There style? Crash weddings, eat/drink/be merry, and then hook up with the lovely ladies they meet at the party. Rachel McAdams was excellent as the accidental love interest of Owen Wilson’s character, and after loving her in SLINGS & ARROWS (Season One), it was fun to see her star power translate to the big screen. I always worry that a comedy will just be stupid in the bright light its own buzz, but I can confidently say that this one had some true brilliance (the opening scene!) as well as a lot of laugh-out-loud moments that had me literally crying. Probably helped that I heavily employed the green ratings system, but no matter what your movie watching preferences are, I recommend this one.

You may have noticed there are some new people at Four Star Video. After 4 years of working here, Jeff is moving on. He has gotten into an amazing art school and flying away from the nest. We are going to miss him very much, but we wish him the very best! This Sunday (July 24th) is his last day. We will have a couple bottles of wine around during the evening, so come have a toast to Jeff and contribute to what is sure to be a very drunken work night for him. I hope he gives you your right movie.

Soon, there will be more changes. Andrew has been on and off the schedule lately and now is going off it again for a little while. It turns out he is a student, too! Go figure. Soon, Tanya will be flying off to college as well. My goodness! Such change! Well, as Amy says “change is a must”. True, true. We wish these guys well, and look forward to the new relationships that we will make.

In the meantime, we have movies here at Four Star Video. Lots and lots of them. This very week there is a big new stack, and I’ve written a bit about them below. I think you’ll find a couple things there that you might not have heard about, but that might tickle your fancy (whatever your fancy may be!).

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

Love and Kisses,
Ken

Oh, P.S. – Some artist words of note. My band Static People is playing in the East Bay this Friday, July 22nd at The Shattuck Down Low. This is sure to be a fun show, so come rock out with us. What? You don’t go to the East Bay except to visit your sister? Well, then, my band Static People is playing next Thursday, July 28th at The Red Devil Lounge. That show is the finals of a long competition that we have been involved in. If we win, we will get shipped to Quebec for a huge music festival in September. So come support, if ya like Rock and Roll. Also, my art that I make and sell at Succulence will be on display the month of August in the East Bay at The Rare Bird. There will be an art opening on August 16th, which I’ll tell you more about later. There will be lots of crazy things there, and I am very excited about it! What? You don’t go to the East Bay except to visit your Mother? Well, it seems that my art will also be on display at The Stray Bar here on Cortland in September. When that is all confirmed up, I will give you details. Okey-dokey then.

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

DAWNING.
Horror.
* Indie horror film about a family visit at a secluded cabin by a lake in Minnesota who have a bad vacation. Take note, Andrew!

LIMITLESS.****BD****
Action/Suspense.
Bradley Cooper/Robert De Niro/Abbie Cornish/Anna Friel.
Directed by Neil Burger.
* I am pretty sure this film is about me, because it says it is about a writer (Cooper) who takes a drug which allows him to evolve into the perfect version of himself! They do appear to take liberties with my story, because then he becomes the target of many bad guys, including a mogul (De Niro) who imagines he can used to make lots of money. Sadly, side effects create bigger problems than just dealing with non-witty party conversation, and the writer’s amazing future starts looking sort of like Algernon’s.

THE MUSIC ROOM.
Criterion/Drama/Black and White/Foreign (Bengali).
Directed by Satyajit Ray.
* This 1959 film reminds me a tiny bit of THE COMPANY MEN. It is the tale of a landlord, whose money is drying up, yet cannot help himself from continuing to live a lavish life, even as the reality of his shrinking funds becomes more and more evident. Regardless of his families desire to curtail spending and get a handle on their vanishing empire, the landlord continues to spend money on his gorgeous music room and the wild parties he hosts there. Eventually, reality bears down heartily.

PEEP WORLD.****BD****
Comedy.
Michael C. Hall/Sarah Silverman/Rainn Wilson/Kate Mara/Ben Schwartz.
Directed by Barry Blaustein.
* Ah, family, the ultimate expose. Can we keep secrets from our friends and neighbors? Not when family is about. It’s like what Uncle Buddy said in the J.D. Salinger classic, “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters”, “I am a writer, and therefore not a nice man”. In this film, a family gathering for the patriarch’s 70th birthday must reconcile the fact that the youngest of his four children has just written a novel exposing all the darkest secrets of the family. Yikes!

POTICHE.****BD****
Comedy/Foreign (French).
Catherine Deneuve/Gerard Depardieu.
Directed by Francois Ozon.
* Potiche is the French term for trophy wife, and that is what Catherine Deneuve plays in this new comedy from Ozon. In this comedy of errors, she must take over the family business after her husband is kidnapped by his workers. She is doing quite a fine job, thank you very much, until her ex-lover and life-long unionizer (Depardieu) arrives on the scene.

SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS.
Drama/Crime/Thriller.
* Slow moving film about a murder in a small religious community that upsets the flow of things and disturbs a man who has been dealing with his own violent past.

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

DUMBSTRUCK.
Comedy.
* No, it’s not a mockumentary, it’s actually a story about some ventriloquists and features their live performances.

THE LIFE & WORK OF CLAUDE CHABROL. DOUBLE CHECK THIS!
Documentary/Film.
* This 2002 doc examines the, ahem, life and (cough) work, of the prolific French director.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG: MASTERS OF AMERICAN MUSIC - SATCHMO.
Documentary/Music.
* This 1992 film examines the wonderful music of Armstrong.

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

DOCTOR WHO: SERIES SIX, PART ONE.
Television/Sci-Fi.

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

GO DIEGO GO-FIERCEST ANIMAL RESCUES.

I’M DIRTY.
* For the kids people, for the kids.

I’M DIRTY AND I STINK.

PEANUTS: SNOOPY’S ADVENTURES.

PIPPY LONGSTOCKING: PIPPI GOES TO THE FAIR.

SMURFS: A MAGICAL SMURF ADVENTURE.
* Getting all smurfed up for the big smurfy smurf-a-thon.

YOUNG JUSTICE: SEASON ONE, VOLUME ONE.

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

BEAUTY & THE BEAST.****BD****
* The beautiful Jean Cocteau film from 1946 that all movies that share the name were based on.

************

The last two weeks of missing episodes…

13 ASSASSINS.****BD**** This one goes up to 13!
BLOODRAYNE-THIRD REICH.
COMPASSION IN EMPTINESS-DALAI LAMA AT RADIO CITY 2011.
MAX’S MAGICAL JOURNAY.
HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN.****BD****
OF GODS AND MEN.****BD**** You need to see this one.
SESAME STREET SPOOFS.
TOM & JERRY-FUR FLYING ADVENTURES-V02.
MAGRITTE-DAY & NIGHT. Documentary.
NORTH STAR AND MORE STORIES ABOUT FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS.
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING-PIPPI & THE BALLOON.
SALT OF THE SEA. This Palestinian film looks really good.
ARTHUR.****BD**** Russell Brand in the remake of the Dudley Moore comedy.
DAVID BOWIE: THE ROAD TO THE RAILWAY. Love love love Monsieur Bowie.
DAMAGES: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON. Ding ding ding!
DINOCROS VS SUPERGATOR Who will win?
ENTOURAGE: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON. Ode to Jake.
INSIDIOUS.****BD**** Horror.
THE LINCOLN LAWYER.
MI-5: VOLUME 9.
MINTY THE ASSASSIN. I think if you like Roger Corman films this may be for you.
MIRAL. Looks awesome and heavy.
RANGO. ****BD**** Animation for the whole fam.
[ REC. ] 2. Horror!
ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS III.****BD**** I know my chicken…
THE THIRD WAVE. Sean Penn documentary. Not about him, mind you.
THE THUNDERCATS: SEASON ONE, PART ONE.
ULTIMATE AVENGERS: SEASON ONE.
UNCLE BOONMEE. You may have heard about this one, another you should not miss.
WHITE IRISH DRINKERS.****BD**** My movie will be called: WHITE JEWISH POTSMOKERS.

****new release list no.323

2011-06-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

My gosh, my peeps, I totally missed you last week! It was like I was on vacation, but I wasn’t! But I will be next week, and the week after! Ain’t life grand?

Really, it is though. It’s all about the balance sheet. You got honesty, integrity and love on the left. Then there is aggravation, irritation, back-stabbing and idiocy on the right… Also on the left is fresh fruit, butterflies (fluttering by), rainbows and pretty sunsets. Over on the right is smog, rotten avocados, broken hearts and broken toys. The left: sensuality, air, water, food, flowers, kindness. The right: greediness, selfishness (except when it is necessary for self-preservation), unemployment, soullessness, hindrance, encumbrance, vexation. Left – music (unless it is grating), dirt (unless you just need to be clean), sunshine (when shade and water are available), rain (except when you are cold, and unprepared). Right – illness, physical pain (unless you like that kind of thing), oppression, fear, loss, hopelessness. Weigh it out. Scrape stuff off the right. Add liberally to the left (not trying to make a political statement with the left and right stuff here, but if it feels right, run with it).

It’s kind of trite to say, but it’s seems like when we want life to seem great, that is available to us, and when we want it to be cruddy, that’s there, too. Is it that simple? Do we just need to want life to be good to have it be good? Maybe, peeps, it may be.

Well, enough of that. Seen anything good lately? Amy and I just finished watching the UK version of LIFE ON MARS. It was a customer suggestion (thanks!) and we went with it. The show ran for just two seasons and followed a detective who had an accident and woke up in 1973. Is he mad? In a coma? Or really back in time? Whatever's happened, it’s like he’s landed on another planet. Now if he can work out the reason, maybe he can get home. That’s the voice over on in the intro. It took me all 16 episodes to get it down, and I may be off a word or two, but you get the point. Basically, the show is a detective show with a psychedelic twist and we really enjoyed it. It gets my recommendation. We also recently watched ROBIN HOOD, starring that fellow Russell Crowe and the wonderful Cate Blanchett. I had suggested to Amy that I wanted to watch a destruction- based action film, and frankly, it fit the bill perfectly! I don’t watch a ton of action flicks, so I am sure this movie sucked for many people, but for me, there were good battle scenes, a nice amount of bloodshed, arrows, chain-mail, and angry monarchs! I missed the end, b/c the kiddo woke up and climbed into our bed and cried at the sounds of the movie, but even so, I fully enjoyed it. Go figure.

There is a nice batch of movies out this week. BARNEY’S VERSION, starring Paul Giamatti, and SUCKER PUNCH are the bigger Hollywood titles. There are also a bunch of cool Criterion releases, as well as COWBOY BEBOP THE MOVIE out on Blu-ray. Last week, THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU came out as well. Check it out!

Btw: for those of you who know I am a musician, my band The Dont’s has been on an extended hiatus, and I have been rocking with some other bands lately. One such band, Static People, has a show this Thursday at The Stud! The band is really awesome and features a front woman, Dmitra Smith, who is total star material and will probably be rocking on the MTV one day soon. I have been honored to rock with them this summer, and this show should be super fun. We go on at 10:15pm. See you there!

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//............

3 BACKYARDS.
Drama.
Edie Falco/Elias Koteas/Embeth Davidtz.
Directed by Eric Mendelsohn.
* This film follows three people in suburbia during one day in Autumn. For Mendelsohn, it is his second feature film, after 1999’s quirky JUDY BERLIN, also starring Falco.

BARNEY’S VERSION.****BD****
Comedy/Drama.
Paul Giamatti/Rosamund Pike/Minnie Driver/Dustin Hofffman.
Directed by Richard J. Lewis.
*Barney Panofsky (Giamatti) is a loud-mouthed, brash, irritating, boorish guy who lives life to the Nth degree full-time. In this somewhat lovable story, Barney reflects on his mistakes, his fortunes and his path as the finality of his existence comes into focus.

BEASTLY.
Drama/Fantasy/Romance.
Vanessa Hudgens/Alex Pettyfer/Mary-Kate Olsen.
Directed by Daniel Barnz.
* It’s “Beauty & The Beast” retold with the main characters set as teens in New York.

BLACK MOON.
Criterion/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Foreign (English and French).
Directed by Louis Malle.
* This 1975 phantasmagorical story is strange and beautiful and involves a unicorn living with a very strange family. There is much escape from reality in this tale!

BLOODWORTH.
Drama.
Val Kilmer/Kris Kristofferson/Hilary Duff.
Directed by Shane Dax Taylor.
* Bloodworth is a wandering country musician who comes home after decades away to find angry and embittered family members waiting for him. Just as a side-note – Duff is actually a pretty good young actor, and probably raises this films watchability factor by a lot.

LEBANON, PA.
Drama/Comedy.
Josh Hopkins/Samantha Mathis.
Directed by Ben Hickernell.
* This bittersweet tale is about a man who heads home to bury his father, and the complicated familial relationships that he reconnects with while there.

MAX MANUS: MAN OF WAR.
Drama/Suspense/War/Foreign (Norweigan/Russian/German/English/Finnish).
* This intense story is about a real person, a brutally conflicted saboteur during WWII.

PEOPLE ON SUNDAY.
Criterion/Drama/Comedy/Black & White/Silent.
Directed by Robert Siodmak.
* This 1930 movie is nearly a documentary, as everyone basically plays themselves. They are people, working jobs, carrying on affairs, dreaming dreams and basically just living for Sunday, when they will head to the beach, flirt, joke, drink and laugh as they try to fit everything into one glorious afternoon. I guess for all time everybody’s working for the weekend.

SEASON OF THE WITCH.
Adventure/Fantasy/Unintentional Comedy.
Nicholas Cage/Ron Perlman.
Directed by Dominic Sena.
* Cage’s strange career continues, this time he plays a 14th century Knight, transporting a witch to a monastery to destroy her and try to save the world. In other news, his tax problems continue.

SK8 LIFE.
Drama/Skateboarding.
Directed by Wyeth Clarkson.
* A group of skaters band together to save something they love. And look cute skating all over the place.

SUCKER PUNCH.****BD****
Action/Fantasy.
Emily Browning/Vanessa Anne Hudgens/Abby Cornish/Jamie Chung.
Directed by Zack Snyder.
* Weird, heavy and sad film about a young girl institutionalized by her abusive father who escapes into a fantasy world where she and other young woman are going to fight to escape the sanitarium before she is scheduled to be lobotomized.

WHITE LIGHTNIN’.
Drama.
Edward Hogg/Carrie Fisher.
Directed by Dominic Murphy.
* Remember Jesco White, "the dancing outlaw”? There was a great documentary about him and his West Virginia gun-toting, whiskey drinking, dancing ways. This is a feature film about the guy, and his life.

ZAZIE DANS LE METRO.
Criterion/Comedy.
Edward Hogg/Carrie Fisher.
Directed by Louis Malle.
* This madcap 60’s comedy is about a 12-year-old girl who goes awol while staying with relatives in Paris while her mom is off having an affair.

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

BOB DYLAN-GOTTA DO MY TIME.
Documentary/Music.
* A look at Dylan’s life during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Great footage, as usual.

HEMPSTERS-PLANT THE SEED.
Documentary/Social Policy.
Directed by Michael Henning.
* As Peter Tosh sang, “Legalize it, and I will advertise it”. Come on people, move on dot org already. Not surprisingly, Woody Harrelson and Willie Nelson are in this film following a group of hemp activists working to change the laws around the world.

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

DANNY AND THE DINOSAUR.

THE DAY JIMMY’S BOA ATE THE WASH.

GERALD MCBOING BOING COLLECTION.

TIMMY TIME: PICTURE DAY.

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

COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE.****BD****
* Brilliant animation.

************

In last week’s missing episode…

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU.****BD**** Matt Damon in a Philip K. Dick story.
BEDWAYS. - Shazaaam!
CEDAR RAPIDS. - Comedy.
CEREMONY.****BD**** Uma. Romantic comedy.
THE CLOSER: THE COMPLETE 6th SEASON.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 2: RODRICK RULES.
THE EAGLE.****BD**** Channing Tatum, buff, Roman, dangerous.
ECLIPSE SERIES 27-RAFFAELLO MATARAZZOS RUNAWAY MELODRAMAS. - These Eclipse series are Criterion Collections and are generally must-sees for cinema fans.
ELEKTRA LUXX. - Pregnant porn star seeks new career. Is it comedy? Says “action”. Uh-huh.
HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE. - Indie.
HARVEST.
KISS ME DEADLY. - Criterion by Robert Aldrich.
LOUIS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.****BD****
MARPLE: PALE HORSE.
NICKELODEON: BIG BOX OF PLAY DATES.
NICKELODEON FAVORITES: SUMMER VACATION!
POISON: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. - Todd Haynes freaky film.
ROCKO’S MODERN LIFE: SEASON ONE.
UNKNOWN.****BD**** Liam Neeson, action thriller.

****new release list no.322

2011-06-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps! Its mid-June 2011, for those of you living on an island with a calendar or the internet. How are you reading this? Nevermind.

We had a monster week of releases last week, and this week is pretty big again. HALL PASS, starring Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Richard Jenkins and Christina Applegate imagines the hijinks that would ensue if a couple married women gave their husbands “hall passes” to get into whatever sexual situations that they want to for one week without any fear of trouble. Of course, the women get hall passes, too. Which somehow gives the dudes a bit more problems than they bargained for. What I want to know is why these guys are complaining, considering the women they are married to. They are super smart, hot women! I guess the ass is always eener. Typo!

In RED RIDING HOOD, Amanda Seyfried plays the young lassie who lives in a medieval village that is beset with a problematic werewolf who lately is chowing people at an alarming rate. Valerie (as Red is named here) is struggling with the usual love story…she wants to marry one guy, and her folks want her to marry another. Things get further complicated when the werewolf hunter the town hires points out that probably the werewolf is one of them. Spooky!

Aaron Eckhart, in the new film BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, plays a marine near the end of his career who makes his last stand fighting off aliens in Los Angeles. Michelle Rodriguez kicks some alien butt as well.

Chris Messina and Rashida Jones play a couple preparing for marriage who are struggling with cold feet in MONOGAMY. Messina’s character is a photographer who, bored with his regular wedding gigs, begins a new business stalking his clients and taking voyeuristic shots of them.

Are you worried about the bees? There has been a relatively shocking and not very explainable disappearance of them over the last decade. The documentary VANISHING OF THE BEES takes on this confusing topic and attempts to come to some conclusions.

There are a huge amount of new kids DVD’s, including a bunch of LITTLE RASCALS among other things. Also, there are some good older films newly put out on Blu-ray, including the animation classic HEAVY METAL. Scroll down to read about all the films.

It is that “Best of” time of year again. Help Four Star get the city-wide recognition it deserves! You can vote for us for Best Video Store on page four of the poll. Hey, while you’re there, write in Succulence as Best Funky Plant Store, too (I think you’ll have to make up that category). Last year, Succulence was voted best Succor or Succulence by the staff of the Guardian.

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//............

A MATADOR’S MISTRESS.
Drama/Romance.
Adrien Brody/Penelope Cruz.
Directed by Menno Meyjes.
* This is a love story based on a real life matador and the woman he loves.

ADRIFT.
Drama.
Camilla Belle/Vincent Cassel.
Directed by Heitor Dhalia.
* Set in the 80’s, this is a coming-of-age story of a teenage girl who discovers her father’s infidelity while on vacation with him, and then discovers many other secrets.

BATTLE LOS ANGELES.****BD****
Action/War.
Aaron Eckhart/Michael Pena/Bridget Moynahan/Michelle Rodriguez.
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman.
* Los Angeles is mercifully destroyed by aliens…Hold on. Wait, that’s not it…Los Angeles is the last place NOT yet destroyed by aliens, and where a tough aging Marine captain (Eckhart) has his last stand, trying to protect earth from the invading force. And, of course no action film would be complete with Michelle Rodriguez blowing stuff up.

BIG MOMMA: LIKE FATHER LIKE SON.
Comedy/Action.
Martin Lawrence/Brandon T. Jackson.
Directed by John Whitesell.
* Big Momma goes undercover with his step-son at an all-girls school.

CHATROOM.
Drama.
Aaron Johnson/Imogene Poots.
Directed by Hideo Nakata.
* Parents pay close attention! Kids wearing black are probably worshipping satan! Wait…what? Wrong decade? That was the 80’s? Okay…Parents pay close attention! Kids spending a lot of time online are probably pretending to be people they are no while videoblogging their worst behavior behind your back! Or maybe that’s just what these snide kids are doing…in the Chatroom!

HALL PASS.****BD****
Comedy/Romance.
Owen Wilson/Jason Sudeikis/Christina Applegate/Jenna Fischer/Richard Jenkins/Amanda Bynes.
Directed by Peter Farrelly Bobby Farrelly.
* How’s your marriage? Wish you had a “hall pass” for some bad behavior that will be forgiven? That’s what Rick (Wilson) and Fred (Sudeikis) think. When their wives acquiesce and they are granted their freedom, they are completely incompetent and barely able to do anything but giggle at their options. Meanwhile, their wives are free that week, too, and not wasting time…

INSIGNIFICANCE.
Criterion/Comedy.
Gary Busey/Theresa Russell.
Directed by Nicolas Roeg.
* This strange fable-like film from 1985 imagine four 1950’s era icons (Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio and Senator Joseph MacCarthy) meeting in a hotel room. The director of this also made WALKABOUT and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH.

JACKASS 3.5 THE MOVIE.
Drama/Crime.
Johnny Knoxville/Chris Pontius.
Directed by.
* These guys are total jackasses.

KILL THE IRISHMAN.
Drama/Crime.
Val Kilmer/Christopher Walken/Linda Cardelini/Vincent D’Onofrio.
Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh.
* From the imdb: The true story of Danny Greene, a tough Irish thug working for mobsters in Cleveland during the 1970's.

KORKORO.
Drama/Foreign (French/German/Romany).
Directed by Tony Gatlif.
* From the director of 1993’s acclaimed Gypsy documentary LATCHO DROM, comes this story of a Gypsy family traveling in France during World War II. They are arrested for being nomads and imprisoned, and deal with the indignities of being vilified for their lifestyle. However, when given an opportunity to get out of jail and live on gifted property, their ingrained need for movement prevents them from settling down.

LATINO.
War/Drama.
Directed by Haskell Wexler.
*A drama from 1985, this film is set in Nicaragua and deals with the rebel Contras fighting the Sandinista government.

LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN.****BD****
Action/Foreign (Cantonese/Mandarin/Japanese/English).
Donnie Yen.
Directed by Wai-keung Lau.
* Seven years after supposedly being killed a young man returns to wreak his vengeance.

THE MAKIOKA SISTERS.
Criterion/Drama/Foreign (Japanese).
Directed by Kon Ichikawa.
* This lush and sensual story tells about four sisters who gather each year in Kyoto to see the gorgeous cherry blossoms. In 1984, this film was heavily nominated for Japanese Film Academy Awards.

MARVEL KNIGHTS: SPIDER-WOMAN.
Adventure/Animation.

MONOGAMY.
Drama/Suspense.
Chris Messina/Rashida Jones/Meital Dohan
Directed by Dana Shapiro.
* A photographer, struggling with his upcoming nuptials and bored with his life, begins a creepy side business taking voyeuristic stalking photos of his new clients…this creates disharmony and stretches his truth telling capabilities.

RED RIDING HOOD.****BD****
Suspense/Fantasy.
Amanda Seyfried/Gary Oldman/Lukas Haas.
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke.
* Valerie (Seyfried) is NOT little, thus the title. She is, however, a very attractive woman in a red hoodie, which garners her much attention in the medieval village she lives in. But who is the wolf? That is the question the village must ask itself when they bring in a famous werewolf hunter to help them fend off the nasty human eater lingering in the woods when the moon is full. Like everyone else, he wants to eat Valerie cuz she does looks tasty in that red riding hood.

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

VANISHING OF THE BEES.
Documentary/Nature.
Narrated by Ellen Page.
Directed by George Langworthy and Maryan Heinen.
* This film examines the relationship between humans and honey bees and the bizarre situation called Colony Collapse Disorder which has led to the disappearance of millions of bees.

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

DOCTOR WHO: FRONTIOS.
Sci-fi TV.

DOCTOR WHO: TIME AND THE RANI.
Sci-fi TV.

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

BOB THE BUILDER: BIG DINO DIG THE MOVIE.

HAVE A LAUGH VOL 3.

HAVE A LAUGH VOL 4.

THE LITTLE RASCALS: VOL. 1.

THE LITTLE RASCALS: VOL. 2.

THE LITTLE RASCALS: VOL. 3.

THE LITTLE RASCALS: VOL. 4.

THE LITTLE RASCALS: VOL. 5.

THE LITTLE RASCALS: VOL. 6.

THE LITTLE RASCALS: VOL. 7.

SPONGEBOB: HEROS OF BIKINI BOTTOM.
* Uh…

YO GABBA GABBA: CIRCUS!

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

HEAVY METAL.
* I remember watching the preview for this movie while sitting in the theatre with my dad getting ready to watch STRIPES and being somewhat dumbfounded and super crazy intrigued.

JOHNNY MNEMONIC.
* This movie takes place in 2021…just ten years from now…Accurate portrayal of the future?

TRANSFORMERS.

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

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
* Remains one of my top ten movies.

************

****new release list no.321

2011-06-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hey hey! Do you have grit? Perseverance? Resilience? Hardiness? Ambition? Do you have TRUE GRIT? Rooster Cogburn does…He’s also got whiskey! And just one eye, but we don’t know where the other one went. But, we aren’t really on a need-to-know basis, so it doesn’t actually really matter. Rooster Cogburn is a US Marshal, at a time when Marshal’s are for sale, and the law cost hard cash (or whiskey, occasionally). Not that they’d necessarily be bad guys for your currency, but if you want them to chase down the guy who shot your daddy, you better have some good old American money or you might be out of luck. Luckily, Mattie Ross has money, and she’s got balls! She wants to see her daddy’s killer hang, and she’s willing to tote the rifle if necessary.

At first blush, Cogburn doesn’t really seem up to the task. Does he really have grit? True grit? It takes a while for us to be sure while watching the Coen Brothers new version of the 1969 film that saw John Wayne win an Oscar for his portray of Cogburn. It’s Jeff Bridges who has the task this time. His growly voice and his stumbly body language give us a pretty clear idea that he’s spent some time at the bar. Although we aren’t sure if he’s gonna show staying power, we won’t be surprised if he doesn’t, as he has all the makings of a bum with a badge. Now Mattie on the other hand, we don’t know much about her. Why is she so smart? Where is her confidence from? Why does she know all the legal jargon she is throwing around? There’s not a lot of surprises in Ethan and Joel’s movie, and not nearly as much tension as in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. But it is a solid film, and both Bridges and Matt Damon (as a Texas Ranger chasing the same bad guy) are fun to watch. There aren’t a lot of Westerns being made these days, but for me, I can stomach violence and brutality in the historical context of a dog eat dog world, significantly more than I can deal with desperate people shooting each other in today’s dog eat dogfood world.

TRUE GRIT is the biggest release this week, but we have probably the biggest week of new movies we’ve had all year. The other big titles are THE COMPANY MEN, starring Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner and Chris Cooper. Affleck plays a yuppie whose life is thrown into turmoil when he is downsized from the fat corporate gig he has been working. Now he can’t find a job, he can’t make payments on his sports car, he feels emasculated and desperate, and he’s forced to turn to jobs that he isn’t necessarily qualified to do just so he can bring home some money for the family. It is a very real story that millions of people worldwide have struggled with, and Affleck actually brings a quiet dignity to his role. In JUST GO FOR IT, Adam Sandler plays a guy who is hot for a woman 20+ years younger than him. By some strange twist of fate, he tells a stupid lie that than snowballs until he finds himself getting his friends to keep lying for him so that he can continue pursuit of this beautiful young woman. Lies upon lies upon lies. And it’s a comedy! ANOTHER YEAR is the newest offering from Mike
Leigh. His special talent for exposing normal life is again on display in this portrayal of life as seen through a couple’s relationship with their community through one cycle of the four seasons. Life, death, love, hate…It’s all so fucking poignant. James Cameron is one of like 400 producers on the film SANCTUM, but he’s the one whose name is on the cover. The film follows a group of underwater scientists whose exploration of a deep cave gets dangerous, and crisis ensues! They get in way over their heads. Be-dum ching!

I also recommend you watch the horror comedy story RUBBER about a runaway tire with a personality and the ability to do much damage. It’s like a reaction to Hollywood, and its seemingly meaningless films that it just pumps out. And I hear it is both deep and deeply funny. The tire has a name. It’s Robert. Also, THE HOUSEMAID is out. Another suspenseful film from Korea, this one is about the vengeful response by the women of a household to the man of the house hooking up with the maid. Bad idea, fellow.

There is insanely anticipated television this week. I forgot to mention TRUE BLOOD: SEASON THREE last week, but it is here, and on Blu-ray, too. Also, season three of BREAKING BAD is here this week…let me check – yup, there is a copy of that on Blu-ray as well. Also out this week is the first season of THE BIG C, which stars Laura Linney as a cancer patient. Linney rules, as many of you will agree, so I imagine the show is pretty good. PRETTY LITTLE LIARS is out this week, as well as the fourth season of BURN NOTICE. Also of note, both seasons of the very popular HBO show ROME have arrived at the store on Blu-ray as well. Whoop.

There are a huge amount of kids films here this week (scroll down parents), a big amount of new Blu-ray releases (HAIR, DEATH AT A FUNERAL, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, A MAN CALLED HORSE), and there is also a big stack of great looking documentaries. If you like the nature stuff by BBC Earth, you must watch MADAGARSCAR! It is the stuff of dreams. It is the reason the made hi-def cameras. It is a gorgeous and awe-inspiring and rich and magical and again, if nature is your thing, then you will be psyched. Also visually amazing is LEGENDS OF FLIGHT, a movie made to highlight the richness of the Imax movie system. KINGS OF PASTRY, about a French pastry competition, looks great as does several other docs out this week…check them out. Literally.

There is a little list of films I didn’t write about last week at the bottom. The most important one is BIUTIFUL, starring the fantastic Javier Bardem. The movie garnished some Academy Award nominations and Bardem does his usual job of conveying so much through his big droopy eyes. It is a heavy and sad film, but a very powerful one as well.

A couple quick bits of local news in this week where my beautiful son turns 10 and my beautiful wife has a birthday too (tactful!). Skip’s will be having a soft reopening quite soon, with new owners, a new name, newly redecorated with a great new vibe. I don’t drink, but I am really looking forward to checking this place out. Maybe some of you will join me? I will post about it on the Four Star Video page on Facebook when I hear it is opening.

Also, the Bernal Heights Outdoor Film festival has extended its submission dates. You can read all about the festival here, including information as to how to submit. This festival is wonderful, and it’s a great way to expose your friends and neighbors to your work. Come on artists, do it!

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//............

ANOTHER YEAR.****BD****
Comedy/Drama.
Jim Broadbent/Lesley Manville/Ruth Sheen.
Directed by Mike Leigh.
* Leigh has made a career of awkward, illuminating family stories that grate, discomfort and eventually enlighten. In this, the couple, Tom (Broadbent) and Geri (Sheen) are a mostly happy family surrounded by friends that can’t really say the same. The four seasons pass in this community and we experience the changes, both dramatic and subtle that everyone goes through, as another year flits gently by.

BLUE CRUSH 2.
Drama/Adventure.
Directed by Mike Elliot.
* Epic waves, mondo break, gnarly wipeouts, and footage guaranteed to make you yearn for the green room are all featured in this sequel about a girl who heads to South Africa armed with her mom’s journals and a desire to fulfill her mom’s dream to surf Jeffrey’s Bay.

CARANCHO.
Suspense/Drama/Romance/Foreign (Spanish).
Directed by Pablo Trapero.
* Tense story about a corrupt doctor and an ambulance chasing lawyer who fall in love in Argentina.

THE COMPANY MEN.****BD****
Drama.
Ben Affleck/Tommy Lee Jones/Kevin Kostner/Chris Cooper/Maria Bello/Rosemarie DeWitt/Craig T. Nelson.
Directed by John Wells.
* Don’t let the artwork fool you. This is a subtle and well-acted portrait of a man whose well-manicured life that includes a beautiful wife, cute kids, a slick car and a big house comes crashing down around him when the economy tanks and he loses his job. The film is about redefining yourself, and the struggle to make it happen for your family, whatever it takes, whatever it means.

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS.
Sci-Fi/Animation/Adventure.
* The second in a line of 3 “green” superhero movies, this one is NOT the live-action film you have been hearing about. However it is a made-for-adults (or big kids) movie about Mr. Lantern and the illuminating effect he has on bad guys.

THE HOUSEMAID.
Suspense/Foreign (Korean).
Jung-Jae Lee/Do-yeon Jeon.
Directed by Sang-soo Im.
* When a man starts hooking it up with his family maid, it brings nasty consequences from the women in the household.

JUST GO WITH IT.****BD****
Comedy/Romance.
Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston/Nicole Kidman/Brooklyn Decker.
Directed by Dennis Dugan.
* Ah, the little lies we tell and the big trouble it gets us in…In this, Sandler plays a guy who tells a throw-away lie which he then must back up with bigger and bigger lies as he is tracking the girl of his dreams.

NICE GUY JOHNNY.
Drama.
Directed by the Edward Burns.
* He’s a nice guy, but also kind of a schmuck. He leaves his radio gig to get something more appropriate for his soon-to-be wife. Then her uncle suggests a little hanky panky (not with him) before the wedding. Then we get to find out just how much of a nice guy Johnny is.

RUBBER.
Horror/Comedy.
Stephen Spinella/Jack Plotnick.
Directed by the Quentin Dupieux.
* Robert is made of rubber. No, really! He is a rubber tire. And he’s alive! And he can destroy anything he wants! And he does, yes he does. The question is can anyone burn Rubber? I mean, Robert. I don’t know. But you can find out. By watching the movie.

SANCTUM.****BD****
Action/Suspense.
Directed by Alister Grierson.
Produced by James Cameron.
* It’s about an underwater science team that are exploring a very inaccessible cave when tragic crisis erupts!

SHADOWS AND LIES.
Drama/Romance/Crime.
James Franco/Julianne Nicholson.
Produced by Jay Anania.
* Franco plays William, a guy who was forced by threat of death to leave New York but now comes back to try to rescue the woman he loves.

TRUE GRIT.****BD****
Western/Drama.
Jeff Bridges/Hailee Steinfeld/Matt Damon/Josh Brolin.
Directed by the Coen Brothers.
* It’s one of those “not” remakes, where the screenwriters adapt a story not a screenplay. The original film starred John Wayne and won him a Best Actor Oscar. This one was nominated for 10 Oscars, but didn’t win any of them. The story is about a young girl (Steinfeld, in what is bound to be a breakout role for her) who wants justice for the murder of her father and is willing to go great lengths to get it. She hires Rooster Cogburn (Bridges, wonderful again), a hard-drinking, one-eyed US Marshall, to track down the murderer and bring him back to hang for his crime. They encounter a Texas Ranger (Damon) who has been tracking the same guy for months since he killed a politician (not that one) down in Texas. Although none of this unlikely team is really on the same page with one another, they end up working together as long as they can. The kid asks Cogburn if he’s got “grit”. She was told he did, and guess what? He does.

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

KINGS OF PASTRY.
Documentary/Food/Foreign (English and French).
* This doc follows top pastry chefs from around the world as they compete in the Meilleur Ouvrier de France for recognition as the top pastry chef. I hear it is funny and amazing.

LEGENDS OF FLIGHT.****BD****
Documentary/Imax.
* Intense and amazing flight footage in this doc originally made to highlight the incredible effects of the Imax theatre system.

MADAGASCAR.****BD****
Documentary/Nature/BBC Earth.
Narrated by David Attenborough.
* My god, if you like the nature documentaries, this one is going to blow your mind. In Madagascar, animals evolved differently than many other parts of the world. As always, the BBC Earth team has filmed this world in the most gloriously vivid way possible. You will swing with the lemurs and crawl with the chameleons as you explore the complex beauty that is this enormous and sparsely populated island off the southern coast of Africa.

THE PLANETS.
Documentary/Science/Space.
Directed by
* Do you ever find yourself staring up at the sky at night? Looking at the stars and wondering all the little things you’ve ever wondered since you were a kid about existence, reality and the overwhelmingly bigness of it all? Well, this documentary will provide you with all the answers!

SWEETGRASS.
Documentary.
* From the imdb: In the summer of 2003, a group of shepherds took a herd of sheep one final time through the Beartooth Mountains of Montana, in the extreme northwest of the United States. It was a journey of almost 300 kilometers through expansive green valleys, by fields of snow, and across hazardous, narrow ridges - a journey brimming with challenges. The aging shepherds do their very best to keep the hundreds of sheep together; the panoramic high mountains are teeming with hungry wolves and grizzly bears.

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

THE BIG C: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.
Television/Comedy/Drama.
Laura Linney/Gabourey Sidibe/Oliver Platt/John Hickey.
* The fact is that if you are a Laura Linney fan, anything she does is a must-see. This new Showtime series is no different, in fact, she won the 2010 Golden Globe Best Actress Award for her work as a cancer patient struggling to fit her diagnosis into her already packed life.

BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON.****BD****
Television/Drama.
* The return to DVD of one of the most intense shows on television, season three continues the story of the ex-teacher turned meth-maker who is deeper than he ever intended to be in bad bad shit with big-time dealers, feds, guns and drugs that will rot your teeth just thinking about them.

BURN NOTICE: SEASON FOUR.
Television/Crime/Comedy.
* A team of “burned” spies continues to work undercover without the benefit of government support.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.
Television/Mystery/Drama.
* They’re cute, but don’t believe a word they say.

TRUE BLOOD: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON.****BD****
Television/Vampire/GMOs.
* This came out last week, but I thought it was worthy of a bigger mention than the list at the bottom. Season three continues the story of Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton, and the big bad world of blood sucking that happens around them.

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

ANGELINA BALLERINA: POP STAR GIRLS.

BANDS ON THE RUN.

BRATZ: BEST FRIENDS.

ELMOS WORLD: PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.

MADELINE AND HER FRIENDS.

ROARY THE RACING CAR.

THE SCRAMBLED STATES OF AMERICA.

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

THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCELLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT.
Comedy.
* Brilliant comedy from down under about three drag queens heading to a gig in the sticks.

A MAN CALLED HORSE.
* Richard Harris as an Englishman capture by the Sioux.

DEATH AT A FUNERAL.
Comedy.
* This is the original British version of the super funny movie.

HAIR.
Drama/Musical.
* Let the sun shine, let the sun shine, the sun shine in.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.
* The Sergio Leone masterpiece starring Henry Fonda and many more.

ROME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.
Drama/HBO.
* That’s right, ROME on blu-ray!

ROME: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON.
Drama/HBO.

............//LAST WEEK!!!/............

A little stack of movies from last week that were not yet written about including one must-see film, BIUTIFUL, starring Javier Bardem

PICASSO AND BRAQUE GO TO THE MOVIES. Cool doc about art and early cinema.

THE KIDS IN THE HALL: DEATH COMES TO TOWN. A nice return from the hysterical Canadian comic troop.

DRIVE ANGRY. Nicholas Cage in another scratch your head performance, this time in an action film about a felon who breaks out of hell to avenge his daughter’s death.

BIUTIFUL. Javier Bardem in an Academy Award nominated performance about a man living in the underworld of Barcelona and struggling to keep his affairs in order.

UNDERTOW. Drama about a young married fisherman who is in love with a gay painter in town.

STREETBALL. Documentary.

KABOOM. Psychedelic lgbt comedy sci-fi thriller!

************

****new release list no.320

2011-05-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

I AM NUMBER TWELVE! But no one has made a film about my life, so that’s not the release we have this week. No, instead, it is I AM NUMBER FOUR about a teenager in some sort of deep disguise trying to avoid the terrible fates of Numbers 1, 2 and 3. I think this is kind of tweener, teen-age sci-fi movie. It does have Timothy Olyphant (from JUSTIFIED) in it, so that’s appealing.

Also out this week is GNOMEO AND JULIET, which Shila assures me is terrific. My kids haven’t watched it yet, but I imagine it is a fun one for the kids. We’ve been plowing (for the first time) through the SHREK series, which has been super fun. All four of us were crying with laughter at the end of SHREK THE THIRD, when Donkey and Puss in Boots were showcasing their dance moves during the credits. Funny stuff. GNOMEO has some serious star power…putting voices to the animation are James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham and more. Somehow I doubt this one ends the same way as Mr. Shakespeare’s classic.

Some interesting docs out this week include PUBLIC SPEAKING, EATRIP and CROPSEY (probably not related to Banksy, but maybe!). Also a cool looking Tom Waits movie called ONE STAR SHINING is here this week– maybe it features one of the multiple musicians in Bernal who have played in his band!

Lots of kids movies here this week. Also some interesting films made from Anton Chekhov plays. Scroll down to read all about it.

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//............

CRUZANDO.
Adventure/Comedy/Drama.
. Directed by Mando Alvarado and Michael Ray Escamillo.
* A young man child has a due date which is the same day his father is scheduled to be executed in Texas. He and a friend embark on a journey to see his father one last time.

THE DUEL.
Drama.
Directed by Dover Koshashvili.
* From the Anton Chekhov play, this story is about two men, whose very different philosophies point them in the direction of serious conflict.

GNOMEO AND JULIET.****BD****
Animation/Comedy/Family.
James McAvoy/Emily Blunt/Michael Caine/Jason Statham.
Directed by Kelly Asbury.
* Yes, they are garden gnomes, but they share a deep and true love.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.****BD****
Sci-Fi/Adventure.
Alex Pettyfer/Timothy Olyphant.
Directed by D.J. Caruso.
* A mysterious teenager is not who he seems. Forces of evil are trying to destroy him as he tries to pass as a “normal” high school kid.

LILLY’S THORN.
Drama.
Windy Marshall/Michelle Trout.
Directed by Will Bain and Dewell Williams.
* Davy vs Goliath type indie tale about a woman fighting a hostile corporate real estate takeover.

THE SCENESTERS.
Comedy/Crime/Mystery/Indie.
Directed by Todd Berger.
* Indie comedy about a serial killer picking up hipsters in LA and the crime scene videographers who are trying to catch him.

THE UNLOVED.
Drama.
Molly Windsor/Robert Carlyle.
Directed by Samantha Morton.
* Academy-Award nominated actor Samantha Morton makes her directorial debut with this film about an abused young girl and the government system she gets involved with, that doesn’t really protect her or keep her from danger.

WARD NO.6.
Drama/Foreign (Russian).
Directed by Aleksandr Gornovsky and Karen Shakhnazarov.
* Another film based on writings by Anton Chekhov, this one is about a psychiatric doctor who becomes a patient in his own clinic.

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

CROPSEY
Documentary/Crime.
Directed by Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman.
* The two directors, themselves residents of Staten Island, look into some grisly murders from the 1970’s in their neck of the woods and attempt to figure out what might have happened.

EATRIP
Documentary/Food/Foreign (Japanese).
Directed by Yuri Nomura.
* Self-described as food porn, this movie explores our relationship with our food, with the people we eat with, and with nature.

PUBLIC SPEAKING.
Documentary/Sociology.
Fran Lebowitz.
Directed by Martin Scorcese.
* This doc about the philosophy and writings of Fran Lebowitz features archival footage from Truman Capote, Dorothy Parker, William F. Buckley, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and many more.

A SMALL ACT.
Documentary/Foreign (English/Kikuyu/Swedish/Swahili).
Directed by Jennifer Arnold.
* Great example of the whole concept that your niceness and friendliness will continue onward and morph and grow and change. This movie follows a young Kenyan man who becomes the beneficiary of a Swedish stranger who decides to pay for his education. Years later, the Kenyan is now funding his scholarship program to help others.

TOM WAITS: ONE STAR SHINING.
Documentary/Music.
* This music doc focuses on the first decade of Waits glorious career.

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

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS.
Comedy.
Created by and Starring Rob Corddry.
* Very weird, parody of multiple medical dramas.

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

FANBOY AND CHUMCHUM.

THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB: MICKEY’S GREAT OUTDOORS.

THE NAPPING HOUSE AND OTHER STORIES THAT RHYME.

SPLAT THE CAT AND OTHER FURRY FRIENDS.

THE STORY ABOUT PING AND OTHER FINE FEATHERED FRIENDS.

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

THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA.****BD****
Drama.

************

****new release list no.319

2011-05-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Buenas tardes amigos. Hola, my good friends.

The strange batch of releases this week include three (3) films about a young woman who falls for her teacher. Wow! I guess that is what the focus groups said we wanted to watch. At least two of them involve the woman also having an age-appropriate relationship, so a nice love triangle is added to the mix. Also, two of them or decidedly not Hollywood-ish, with one being from France (LA BELLE PERSONNE) and another being a freaky-deaky Indie film (DAYDREAM NATION, starring Kat Dennings). Lest we dismiss the Hollywood offering, THE OTHER WOMAN stars Natalie Portman, so something tells me it is worth seeing as well. Gosh, an Academy Award will really bring out the smaller releases from yesteryear, won’t it? This Portman film is from 2009.

There is also some suspense and horror at Four Star Video this week. I know, I know, I don’t order a ton of horror films. I hear it from the staff all the time. This week, however, we got you covered, with something old, something new…you know the drill. The older film is from the master, Dario Argento, called DEEP RED about a musician who witnesses a murder and the journalist who helps him investigate. In the newer department, we have two films, both sequels to THE GRUDGE from Mari Asato. Also, RITE, starring Anthony Hopkins is out this week. It is the tale of a young seminary student who travels to Italy to take part in an exorcism class. Sounds like a party! I hope these films are nice and terrifying!

The fabulous action hero, Jason Statham, teams up with upcoming star Ben Foster in a remake of a 1972 Charles Bronson film about a hitman and a young apprentice who he trains who is harboring a secret.

We also have a classic by Vittoria De Sica (the director of the amazing film BICYCLE THIEVES). In SHOESHINE, two young boys get involved in a life of crime in order to finance the purchase of a horse that they desire. Sadly, things get more complicated than they bargained for.

Don’t they always?

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//............

LA BELLE PERSONNE (THE BEAUTIFUL PERSON).
Drama/Foreign (French).
Louis Garrell/Lea Seydoux.
Directed by Christophe Honore.
* One of three films this week about a young woman who hooks up with her teacher. This one, much like DAYDREAM NATION (right below), follows a sad girl who has just lost her mother and has moved to a new town where she hooks up with both a nice high school boy, and her Italian teacher.

DAYDREAM NATION.****BD****
Drama/Romance.
Kat Dennings/Reece Thompson/Josh Lucas.
Directed by Michael Goldbach.
* Trippy-made tale about a high school girl, new in town, who gets involved with a teacher and a stoner classmate.

DEEP RED.
Horror/Foreign (Italian).
Directed by Dario Argento.
* This is a lesser known Argento thrill-fest from 1975 about a reporter and a musician teaming up to find a killer intent on not getting caught.

JU-ON: WHITE GHOST BLACK GHOST.
Horror/Foreign (Japanese).
Directed by Mari Asato.
* Ah, I see, this is actually two movies, both sequels to the Japanese horror film, THE GRUDGE. They are both released together on one disc.

THE MECHANIC.****BD****
Action/Suspense/Crime.
Jason Statham/Ben Foster/Donald Sutherland.
Directed by Simon West.
*Statham plays Arthur, a highly regarded hit man with a penchant for getting the job done. Steve (Foster) is a younger guy who becomes his apprentice. Unfortunately for Arthur, Steve has a few secrets that he is preparing to share.

THE OTHER WOMAN.****BD****
Comedy/Drama/Romance.
Natalie Portman/Lisa Kudrow/Lauren Ambrose.
Directed by Don Roos.
* This 2009 film is just making it to DVD. Interesting how Portman is everywhere in the movies recently. She’s terrific, so I am not complaining. In this, she plays a young woman who is the “other woman” in an older married man’s life. When he divorces to marry his pregnant girlfriend, his young son is super unhappy and angry. In a way, the feeling is mutual, as Portman’s character doesn’t really want to share her new husband. The movie has comedic elements, but eventually gets quite serious.

RITE.****BD****
Horror/Suspense.
Anthony Hopkins/Ciaran Hinds/Alice Braga.
Directed by Mikael Hofstrom.
* An exorcism film starring one of the best creepy actors of our time, Anthony Hopkins. The basic tale is of a young American student who travels to Italy (ah, Italia!) to take a course in exorcisms.

THE ROOMMATE.
Suspense.
Leighton Meester/Minka Kelly.
Directed by Christian Christiansen.
* This is a little updated version of SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, but perhaps a bit tamer.

SHOESHINE.
Drama/Classic/Foreign (Italian).
Directed by Vittorio De Sica.
* In this feature film made just two years before his triumph THE BICYCLE THIEVES (one of my top 10 films of all time), this film follows a couple of shoeshine kids whose hopes of owning a horse of their own are dashed when they get involved in a shady deal involving stealing money from an older woman. Once they get to jail their fates are sealed and soon their friendships have eroded and they are both spinning – in opposite directions.

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

ARAYA
Documentary/Industry/Foreign (Spanish).
Directed by Margo Benacerraf.
* This was a darling at the Cannes Film Festival in…1959, yup you read that right. It examines the life of a “salineros”, miners working an old salt mine in Venezuela.

WARTORN: 1861-2010
Documentary/War/HBO.
* This emotional documentary examines soldier’s lives over the last 150 years and questions why the suicide rate among veterans has grown higher over time.

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

BEVERLY HILLS COP.
Drama.
* I’m just burnin’, doin’ the neutron dance - oohoo.

JAGGED EDGE.
Drama.
* Remember this one with Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges?

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

FRANKLIN AND THE GLOOMY DAY.

NICK JR.: FOOD WITH FRIENDS.

************

****new release list no.318

2011-05-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Did you see 2003’s THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE? Writer/director Sylvain Chomet’s animated feature is a wildly inventive, meticulously contrived and brilliantly drawn masterpiece about the kidnap of a young bicycle competitor, and the dogged pursuit of him by his iron-willed Grandmother and her doggy. Aided by three insanely eccentric, frog-eating singing women in the twilight of a career that saw them at one point star club singers known as Les Triplettes but now has left them with little in the way of income, Gramma faces down disaster after disaster, including explosions at sea and gangsters with machine guns to get to the center of the dastardly plot that her kidnapped grandson is being held captive for. The plot is feverishly clever filled with incredible details such as the apartment that grammy and Champion (the bicyclist) live in that is so close to a passing air tram that when the train cruises past it feels as though it is right there in the room and the bizarre swamp bombing the aged singing sisters perform to gather their nightly frog dinner. The movie lacks any true dialogue and tells its story using age-old silent film techniques that have been so lauded in such recent Pixar films like WALL-E and UP. Different than these American films, THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE never really dips into dialogue, content instead that we will understand everything that we see, no matter how far-fetched or unreal the twists may get. The characters are truly compelling, especially the older women (the grandmother and the joyful triplets) who are unwilling to do anything but laugh in the face of life’s cruel jokes. The movie is buoyed and broadened by its incredible soundtrack of Les Triplettes singing both in the past and in the present; their wild harmonies and crazy soulful jazz songs are made of the same uplifting stuff as the indomitable will of life.

Now, Chomet has come out with his first feature film since then in his adaptation of a script that Jacques Tati wrote in 1956 called THE ILLUSIONIST telling the story of an aging stage magician in the early 60’s whose career is being closed out both by his own age and the emergence of new exciting stage acts like rock and roll bands. It is a very different offering from his previous film in that it is a much smaller story, without much in the way of plot devices or twists of really any sort. Instead, it is a straight forward story of an aging entertainer facing unemployment and the fears of being unable to care for himself. He finds himself getting an obscure gig in Scotland in a off-the-path hotel somewhere where he meets a young girl who quickly becomes a fan. When he leaves Scotland, she stows away on the boat on which he’s traveling and basically becomes his ward of a sort. With the gifts that he buys her, she blossoms and becomes a lovely young woman who inspires the affections of a young man who, like her, is at the beginning of a wide open life. As the illusionist struggles to keep their household afloat with any odd job he can get, the gulf separating the two becomes wider and their vastly different futures become impossible to ignore. In general, there is a wistful and timelessness throughout the film, of the sort you’d expect to feel while reading a novel by Dostoevsky or listening to Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21. It serves as testament to the faithful adaptation of Tati’s 55-year old script that the film comes off, though modern and fresh feeling, as if it could have been made back in the 1960’s, or even earlier. As in his previous feature, there is very little dialogue in this film; we watched it without any subtitles, after being annoyed by such lines as “everyone laughs” and “music swells” that didn’t actually add anything to our comprehension of the story. Though not the same sort of must-see film as THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE, THE ILLUSIONIST remains a fascinating portrait of a life of solitude.

Scroll down to read about the rest of the movies this week, including Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in BLUE VALENTINE.

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//............

BLUE VALENTINE.****BD****
Drama.
Ryan Gosling/Michelle Williams.
Directed by Derek Cianfrance.
* This honest and painful portrayal of love and pain in a marriage features two of the hottest actors in Hollywood today. Goslin plays Dean, the child of a broken marriage, a professional house painter, a morning drinker, unapologetically unambitious but relatively good-natured, and a hunk who has relatively accidentally fallen in love and become a father against all natural design. Of course look who he’s in love with, the insanely gorgeous Cindy (Williams), also the child of a difficult home, and also someone who struggles with judgment issues. The film cuts between time periods to put together the puzzle of who they are, how they got there, and what happened along the way. The marriage itself is precariously balanced, and somewhat a third main character that you care for and wonder what will happen to. Anyone who has been in a relationship knows the pitfalls that seem to be available to fall into around every corner and the precarious nature of modern love. Dean and Cindy’s love is a love you know; either one like you’ve been through, or one your good friends are dealing with right now.

I SAW THE DEVIL.
Horror/Suspense/Crime/Foreign (Korean).
Directed by Kim Jee-Woon.
*…and it’s name was the Internet! Actually, in this scary film from the maker of THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD, a killer murders the pregnant fiancée of a secret agent, whose pursuit of revenge knows no boundaries between right and wrong. His pleasureful pursuit of the bad guy involves a sort of cat-and-mouse catch-and-release game that becomes sicker and sicker. I’ve heard this film called the best serial killer movie since THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Hmmm.

THE ILLUSIONIST (2010).****BD****
Animation/Drama/Comedy.
Directed by.
* From the director of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE comes this wonderful little film that I have knick named in my head THE GREAT BIG SAD SCARY WORLD. An aging magician, working at smaller venues then in the past, but acting with great dignity and no anger at the changing world, takes in a young woman and becomes a conduit for her to begin her adult life. Sad, but not in a hopeless way, and joyful, in the sense that we are all in this crazy life together, THE ILLUSIONIST is a beautiful little film about endings and beginnings.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED.****BD****
Comedy.
Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher/Ludacris/Olivia Thirlby/Greta Gerwig/Kevin Kline.
Directed by Ivan Reitman.
* His first film since MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND, Reitman has a way with comedy, and an understanding as to what is funny. Perhaps that is why this somewhat bland, middle-of-the-road looking romantic comedy about two people who just want to have fun, no strings attached, rises above the normal fluff of its kind. Or maybe it’s because Natalie Portman is the star…not sure.

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

WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?****BD****
Documentary/Sociology.
Directed by Pamela Tanner Boll.
* Intense exploration of mothering, and the brutal choices so many moms have to make regarding being a person in the world and being beholden to the lives that she has created. Those choices can affect careers, marriages and relationships, and personal growth. This film focuses on five moms who are trying to do everything, and the challenges they face every day.

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

DOCTOR WHO: PLANET OF THE SPIDERS.
Television/Sci-Fi.
* The John Pertwee years, 1970-1974.

DOCTOR WHO: THE TERROR OF THE AUTONS.
Television/Sci-Fi.
* The John Pertwee years, 1970-1974.

IN PLAIN SIGHT: SEASON 3.
Television/Drama.
Mary McCormack/Frederick Weller.
* The continuing story of a US Marshall whose main gig is in relocating federal witnesses.

MOLL FLANDERS: THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF.
Television/.
* Alex Kingston plays Moll in this 1996 retelling of the tale of Moll Flanders “the wickedest woman in England”, who actually just appears to be the victim of some rotten luck, bad parenting, sexual abuse and, eventually, poor judgment.

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

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION.
Drama/Musical.
* Truly one of the finest musicals ever written.

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

THE BIRDS: COLLECTOR’S EDITION.
* Tweet tweet, aaaaaarghghgh!!!!

************

****new release list no.317

2011-05-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

خوش آمدید برادران و خواهران ا ز ایران! با تشکر از شما برای خواندن.

Check one. Check two. Is this thing on? Déjà vu, right?

Wow, last week I had big plans for the blog. Tim Hetherington, one of the directors of the Academy Award-nominated documentary RESTREPO had just been killed in Libya, and that, combined with so much else going on in that region, had my head just totally spinning. Then, last Sunday night, I got the brutal stomach virus going around and was fully down for the count for five solid days. In the scheme of things, not much of a big deal, but wow, being sidelined for a week really sets you back. Since then, so much else has happened in the world, beginning with the gigantic news out of Pakistan last night that US forces have killed Usama Bin Laden and now I don’t even know where to begin!

Although, truthfully, though the world is spinning and loaded and popping left and right, there wouldn’t really be a proper beginning to this entry (especially considering Mother’s Day this weekend) without extending a huge and loving happy birthday to my very own special mother person, Leslee Feinsod! Mom, I wish you the best; I am so grateful for your presence in my life. Much love and thanks for not overtly obsessing about the environment when you decided to procreate. I appreciate it, as I can only analyze this life through my actual, living mind. Thanks for life, Mom.

I don’t want to come off as uneducated or trite or shallow, so I will not try to verbalize my personal experience of September 11th, 2001. Suffice to say it was one of my worst days. Watching the news last night however, conflicted me tremendously. I am not sorry to see Bin Laden dead, not in the least. But I found the images of chanting, dancing joy to be disturbing to my eyes and my heart. I wanted to grab and hug those dancing kids in Washington, D.C. and say, please go home, don’t look into the camera, don’t smile and chant U.S.A, U.S.A! Finally, this afternoon, I stumbled upon this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr which I think fully speaks to my feelings:

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Forty-plus years later, MLK’s words remain poignant and apt. I am grateful today for them to help me find perspective in this big event, and in this big world.

I think we are having a bit of a watershed moment on the planet right now. In Libya, Syria, in Egypt, in Jordan and Yemen, people of many Islamic countries are fighting and dying for personal freedom. Everyone wants freedom. Many people may have different definitions for freedom. Right here in San Francisco we may argue about the nature of freedom. But the basic fact is that freedom transcends religion, ethnicity, nationality and culture. People. Want. Freedom.

I can live in a world where that is a truth.

If you need some diversions from the emotionally paralyzing realities of life, we’ve got you covered. Here’s an idea. Close your computer, and walk on up to Cortland. There’s a lot of people around. There’s a lot of nice businesses in your neighborhood. The trees look pretty. The air is delicious. While you’re up here, stop in to Four Star Video and rent a movie. We’ll say hi.

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

Love and Kisses,
Ken

P.S. In honor of Mother’s Day, Succulence has some cool stuff happening this weekend. On Friday, Jessica Vidican-Neisius Holguin, the founder of Morning Glory Chai, will be pouring her special spicy sweet blend in-house from 4-6pm. All weekend, Fri – Sunday, from 11am – 7pm, the Succulence Planting Bar will be in effect. You can come and pick a planter, pick plants and toppings (sands/pebbles), and then we’ll shepherd you through the process of planting it up. The end result is that you have a lovely gift for Mom made with your own two hands! We’ve got lots of other great stuff for Mom. If you haven’t perused our offerings lately, make it point to check us out this week. Mom will thank you. So will I!

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

A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN.
Comedy/Drama/Crime/Foreign (Norweigan).
Stellan Skarsgard.
Directed by Hans Moland.
* A man is dealing with his life after being released from a 12-year sentence in jail. Yes, he’s a gangster, but…he’s a tender man of sorts. Sure, sure, he’ll shoot you in the face if he must, it’s just that…he’d rather just maybe get out of the shooting industry and live out his twilight years in relative peace. Is that likely for a “made” man? Not very.

BLOOMINGTON.
Romance/LGBT.
Directed by Fernanda Cadosa.
* It’s a bit of a coming of age tale with a student falling for her college professor.

THE DILEMMA.****BD****
Drama.
Vince Vaughn/Kevin James/Jennifer Connelly/Winona Ryder/Channing Tatum/Queen Latifah.
Directed by Ron Howard.
* A couple of great buddies, now business partners, have their relationship thrown into turmoil when one discovers that the other’s wife is maybe seeing another guy. Should he tell his buddy? And potentially ruin the guys’ marriage? Oh, it’s a tough one…A moral conundrum!

THE GREEN HORNET.****BD****
Action/Comedy/Superhero.
Seth Rogen/Jay Chou/Cameron Diaz/Christopher Waltz/Tom Wilkinson.
Directed by Michel Gondry.
* There’s really no plot to speak of, not much in the way of character development or motivation. There isn’t a ton of pumping music (some), eye candy (sorry Cameron), and even the explosions are meh. So why watch? Well, for one, Seth Rogen remains funny. Especially when he tries to explain things, or talk his way out of things, or understand things, and even occasionally when he wakes up. The guy is just funny. I laughed with this movie a nice bunch of times. It was co-written by Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg (together they scripted SUPERBAD), which makes me think much of the actual “story” must have ended up edited out of the picture. Watch this movie as a spoof of the genre. In that respect, it should hold your attention.

MY OWN LOVE SONG.
Drama.
Renee Zellwegger/Forest Whitaker/Nick Nolte.
Directed Olivier Dahan.
* A group of lost souls head on a road trip looking for redemption.

NINJAS VS. VAMPIRES.
Comedy/Spoof/Horror/Action.
Directed by Justin Timpane.

UNA SEMANA SOLOS.
Comedy/Drama/Foreign (Spanish and Italian).
Directed by Celine Murga.
* This indie from Argentina tells the story of a group of kids left alone in a gated community after the adults go on vacation.

WAITING FOR FOREVER.
Drama/Romance.
Rachel Bilson/Tom Sturridge/Richard Jenkins.
Directed by James Keach.

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

HUMAN PLANET: THE COMPLETE SERIES.****BD****
Documentary/BBC/Naturish.
* The BBC Earth team brings us another audio and visual treat as they examine human life in all the elements around the planet, ranging from cities to jungles, mountains, grasslands, deserts, and more. As usual, incredible dedication and camera work go into making this a must see for any and all amateur (and professional) sociologists. Probably should be watched in schools as well.

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

BEING HUMAN: SEASON THREE.
Television/BBC/Drama/Fantasy.
* Season three in the out-there BBC series about three roommates, a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost making a go of it in the big scary world.

DROP DEAD DIVA: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON.
Television/Comedy.
Brooke Elliot/Margaret Cho.

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

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS.
Criterion/Comedy/Drama.
* Epic Terry Gilliam movie adaptation of the famous Hunter S. Thompson book starring Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro. This is a must-see for serious fans of film, Thompson and/or psychedelia. Featuring many amazing performances topped by Depp’s Hunter S.

WHAT DREAMS MAY COME.
Drama.
* Robin Williams stars in this fantastical examination of the afterlife.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROS: V01.

THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROS: V02.

BEN 10: THE ULTIMATE ALIEN POWER STRUGGLE.

CURIOUS GEORGE PLAYS BALL.

DORA THE EXPLORER: IT’S HAIRCUT DAY.

ELLE: A MODERN CINDERELLA TALE.

REDWALL: THE NEXT ADVENTURE.
* Both my six-year-old daughter and my nearly ten-year-old (!) son really like this adventure series.

SESAME STREET: ELMO’S TRAVEL SONGS AND GAMES.

SPOT: SPOT’S BIRTHDAY PARTY.

SUPER HERO SQUAD: V04.

TIKKI TIKKI TEMBO & MORE STORIES TO CELEBRATE ASIAN HERITAGE.

WOW WOW WUBBZY SAVES THE DAY.

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

DOCTOR WHO: THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES.
* How did we become such a bastion of Doctor Who down here at Four Star? Will we remain this way when Tanya goes off to college in August? Tanya! We miss you already!

DOCTOR WHO: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SERIES.

PETER PAN.

*******HERE IS THE LIST OF LAST WEEKS MOVIES*******

3 IDIOTS.
* Looks super funny.

BLOW OUT.
* Criterion release.

BOB DYLAN: DON’T LOOK BACK.****ON BLU RAY****

BUNNY AND THE BULL.
* Rachel says this comedy is great.

CHAWZ.
* Korean comedy/horror about a wild pig causing much destruction.

FLY AWAY.

JOLENE.

LOOKING FOR FIDEL.
* Great looking doc.

LUCKY.

OPA.

SOUTH PARK: THE COMPLETE 14th SEASON.

TESTEES: THE COMPLETE SERIES.

****

****new release list no.316

2011-04-18T15:55:00.001-07:00

Salutations, mes frères et sœurs français!

We’re all gonna die!

Scary, but so true. Will it be today? Or next month? Or in 37 years? 71 years? We just can’t know. For me, that makes me want to seize each moment and stretch it out. Even the yucky ones. So for the hell of it, let’s all take a moment and take a deep breath together.

Ah.

Hey have you heard about a little movie called THE KING’S SPEECH? I haven’t seen it yet, but I hear it did pretty well in the theatres, and even won some hardware at the Oscar’s this year. Stars a guy named Colin Firth, and I guess he plays the King of England. He’s got a big speech he’s gotta give and its super traumatic for him, so he gets some other dude to emotionally hold his hand while he gives it…Or something like that. Disclaimer: I may be wrong, like I said, I haven’t seen it. But I hear it was pretty good, so I bought, like, a million copies or something.

Other movies you might be interested in include THE WAY BACK, starring Ed Harris, Colin Farrell and Jim Sturgess as prisoners in a gulag in Siberia who take a very long walk to freedom; GULLIVER’S TRAVELS, starring Jack Black as Gulliver; RABBIT HOLE, an emotional drama starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as grieving parents who have lost a young child; SOMEWHERE, Sophia Coppola’s latest about a Hollywood star whose partying ways are stunted by the arrival of his 11-year-old daughter and the disappearance of her mother.

Some smaller titles of interest are IP MAN 2, FALCO: THE RISE AND FALL OF AN 80’S POP ICON (he’s dead!), VISION: FROM THE LIFE OF HILDEGARD VON BINGEN (she will become your hero), and some killer new documentaries, including Spike Lee’s followup to his Hurricane Katrina doc WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE called IF GOD IS WILLING AND DA CREEK DON’T RISE.

Hey, are you into Detective Montalbano? We got two more collections of the adventures of that Sicilian detective in shop this week. We’ve also got something called DOWNTON ABBEY, which is a very highly rated costume drama television show from the UK about a wealthy family and their servants. There’s more that I didn’t mention…scroll down to read all about this week’s releases.

Hey, here’s a question for you - How many video store/plant store combinations do you know about on Planet Earth? None, right? You probably know how hard we’re working down here at Sector 402 (that’s our little knickname for the Four Star/Succulence work zone) to provide our community with interesting art (cinematic and plant-based), and a fun place to hang out and chat with your neighbors. Well, you could tell the world how you feel by voting for Four Star Video and Succulence as your favorite small business in San Francisco! 7x7 Magazine is sponsoring a contest in anticipation of SF Small Business Week and we are one of 49 businesses that are listed on the ballot! The winner gets lots of love and some great free advertising among other things, plus the love and admiration of the entire city of San Francisco. How cool would it be for a video store in 2011 to win an award like this? Let’s find out. Vote for us here.

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

Love and Kisses,
Ken

p.s. Happy Passover, Happy Easter, Happy Beltane, Happy Fertility, Happy Spring!

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

FALCO: THE RISE AND FALL OF AN 80’s POP ICON.
Drama/Music/Foreign (German).
Directed by Thomas Roth.
* The decadent and fabulous life of Falco, creator of such 80’s hits as Rock Me Amadeus and Der Kommissar, is chronicled in this docudrama. Did you know he died in 1998? After you watch this movie, you’ll know so much more about Falco than you ever imagined…

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS.****BD****
Comedy.
Jack Black/Emily Blunt/Jason Segal/Amanda Peet/Billy Connolly.
Directed by Rob Letterman.
* The brilliantly biting and witty social commentary of Jonathan Swift’s novel (1726, yeah, you read that right) is not to be found in this 21st century comedy about a fellow who goes on some wild adventures and ends up on a fantastical island where he is a giant compared to the peeps that live there. This one is probably fun for the kids, with a good cast of comedians providing the laughs…Someone on the imdb also mentioned it is a fabulous albeit unintentional stoner comedy, which sounds about right.

IP MAN 2.****BD****
Action/Martial Artistry.
Donnie Yen.
Directed by Wilson Yip.
* Part two focuses on Ip man moving to Hong Kong in 1949, and his exploits there.

JOHN LEGUIZAMO: FREAK.****BD****
Comedy.
John Leguizamo.
Directed by Spike Lee.
* I am not sure when this was originally released on DVD (or if this is the first time), but this 1998 standup comedy performance features Leguizamo at his zaniest best and gives a somewhat autobiographical account of his youth and the trials that led him to the entertainment world.

KES.
Criterion/Drama.
David Bradley.
Directed by Ken Loach.
* Loach has been directing since 1964, and has some 45 titles to his credit. This about a disaffected young boy who finds meaning and purpose training a kestrel falcon is getting the full Criterion treatment, with a cleaned up master and lots of extras. Billy is 15 and is pretty much either left to his own devices or bullied and treated poorly. Kes, the falcon he trains gives him more than just something to do, it gives him strength and care and concern and attention and love. The film is charming and emotional, while never pulling on the heartstrings, just playing them like a finely tuned stringed instrument…The soundtrack has some terrific music as well.

THE KING’S SPEECH.****BD****
Drama.
Colin Firth/Geoffrey Rush/Helena Bonham Carter/Timothy Spall/Guy Pearce.
Directed by Tom Hooper.
* This is the one we’ve been waiting for. Winner of the Academy Awards for Best Direction Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Actor and Best Writing, Screenplay Written for the Screen, this film has been the talk of movie goers everywhere over the last six months. You are probably familiar with the story. The King of England is George VI, an unlikely King who struggles with a stammer and barely wants the job of leading a nation. However, duty calls, and he grudgingly takes on the job in 1936. The film focuses on his relationship with his speech therapist, a man named Lionel Logue who was ahead of his time in many of his ideas. Using some interesting techniques and utilizing the power of their burgeoning friendship, Logue is able to help George to find his tongue when it matters most.

LORNA DORNE.
Drama.
Clive Owen/Polly Walker/Sean Bean.
* This is the 1990 version of this 18th century double-crossing love tragedy.

RABBIT HOLE.
Drama.
Nicole Kidman/Aaron Eckhart/Dianne Wiest/Sandra Oh.
Directed by John Cameron Mitchell.
* The maker of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH and SHORTBUS has taken a mighty departure from those films with this painful, but hopeful story about a couple dealing with the broken hearted emptiness of the loss of their young child. This film manages to provide some laughs, while treating the pain gently and with dignity. This film was very highly rated by reviewers, and while I haven’t seen it yet, Jeff says it was terrific and recommends it. With Dianne Wiest as the mother of Kidman’s character.

SOMEWHERE.****BD****
Drama.
Stephen Dorff/Elle Fanning/Michelle Monaghan/Benicio Del Toro.
Directed by Sophia Coppola.
* Coppola (Sophia, that is) is such a polarizing director. People seem to really want to criticize her work. (LOST IN TRANSLATION, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, MARIE ANTOINETTE). I think her last name has something to do with it, we really seem to hate the nepotism concept (unless we are benefiting) and the fact that her dad is a famous director makes us think everything has been handed to her. And perhaps it has, but if she was simply a bad director, than would so much be written about each of her films? One way she is generally criticized is that her films are accused of being vapid and empty, and the themes she explores are frequently called selfish and too personal to be worth screen time. Much the way early Jim Jarmusch films were described, films like STRANGER THAN PARADISE and DOWN BY LAW, where little happens, but a vibe is thoroughly instilled that lingers long after the movie ends. This film appears to have gotten very vitriolic comments from many viewers, yet was reasonably well received by critics. In it, Stephen Dorff plays Johnny Marco, a veteran Hollywood actor who is living a solitary and lonely existence while surrounded by the film making world. Into his shallow life, meaning is thrust in the form of his 11-year-old daughter (Elle Fanning). His life starts to be viewed through the filter of this child, and what is shows is not super pleasant, and not very appealing. I, for one, am very glad that Sophia Coppola keeps making films. At the very least, LOST IN TRANSLATION was a pretty awesome movie, and one great one is more than most directors make.

STREET KINGS 2: MOTOR CITY.
Action/Crime/Drama.
Ray Liotta/Linda Boston.
Directed by Chris Fisher.

VISION: FROM THE LIFE OF HILDEGARD VON BINGEN.
Drama/Foreign (German).
Directed Margaretha von Trotta.
* Hildy was a nun from the 12th century people! As someone points out on imdb, she was 1000 years ahead of her time. She was a composer, a theologist, an early suffragette, an above all a free-thinking person, whose force and strength created change.

THE WAY BACK.****BD****
Drama.
Colin Farrell/Ed Harris/Jim Sturgess/Saoirse Ronan.
Directed by Peter Weir.
* Weir hasn’t made a ton of movies lately. You gotta go back to 2003 for MASTER AND COMMANDER, and it was 1998 when THE TRUMAN SHOW came out. Even further back was DEAD POET’S SOCIETY, THE MOSQUITO COAST and WITNESS. Clearly the man knows how to direct. In THE WAY BACK, a group of prisoners in a Siberian gulag escape and walk away, into the hard and harsh weather as they try to traverse the some 4000 miles toward freedom. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup, but alas, did not win (THE WOLFMAN won!).

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

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
Documentary/Economics.
Directed by Nicole Torre.
* This film is a step inside liquid, oil, that is…As we get an up close view of the assorted players in the gigantic American oil game.

IF GOD IS WILLING AND DA CREEK DON’T RISE.
Documentary/HBO/Disaster.
Directed by Spike Lee.
* This four part documentary is a follow up to Lee’s powerful look at the disastrous effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. Now, five years later, Lee returns to N’awlins to see how the rebuilding plans have gotten along.

SQUARE GROUPER: THE GODFATHERS OF GANGA.
Documentary/Drugs.
Directed by Billy Corben.
* From the dude who made COCAINE COWBOYS comes this portrayal of the 1970’s pot smuggling scene in Miami, Florida. Filled with humorous stories, frightening adventures and jolly lawbreakers, this is probably a good one to light up with on a chilly San Francisco night.

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

A MIND TO KILL: SERIES 3.
Television/BBC/Detective.

DETECTIVE MONTALBANO: EPISODES 10-12.
Television/Mystery/Foreign (Italian).
* Do you watch MONTALBANO? It is pretty much super fun. Set in Sicily and based on some great mystery novels by Andrea Camilleri, the action is more cerebral then explosive, and the scenery and dialogue are rich with the natural beauty of the region.

DETECTIVE MONTALBANO: EPISODES 13-15.
Television/Mystery/Foreign (Italian).

DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON ONE.
Television/BBC/Drama.
Hugh Bonneville/Jessica Brown-Findlay.
* This dramatic costume series takes place around the turn of the century in pre-WWI England and centers on a wealthy family and their servants.

THE GOOD WIFE: THE FIRST SEASON.
Television/Drama.
Julianna Margulies/Chris Roth.
* The Golden Globe winning show (5 of them!) is about the wife of a scandalized politician who goes back to work as a litigator to provide for her family.

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

SWEETIE.
Criterion/Drama.
* Jane Campion’s 1989 tour de force!

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

CAPTAIN PLANET AND THE PLANETEERS: SEASON ONE.

SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BIG CHASE.

............//MOREMOREMORE/............

HERCULES.
* Turns out we already had this on DVD, but this little girl whose parents had a broken player wanted it so bad and was so bummed we didn’t have it on VHS that I immediately bought this copy so we wouldn’t disappoint her again…I’m such a softy…

****

****new release list no.315

2011-04-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hey All, and a Happy Colette Day to you!

I was going to include a poem that I wrote and included in a card that Amy and I made and sent in celebration of this special holiday (that we created 15 years ago), but I got shy! So, I posted it on the website, and if you feel like reading it, you can click here. Or just scroll down if you are already reading this on the web.

On to the movies…COUNTRY STRONG is like the Gwyneth Paltrow version of last year’s CRAZY HEART…She is a messed-up, professional rehabber who is struggling to stay on tour and toe the line…but dang it, she just can’t quit her partying ways, or stem her feelings for tour mate Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedlund)…luckily, even during the powerful struggles, during the down times, during the bleak moments, she stays strong…country strong.

Who else stays strong? How about our little buddy, Harry Potter? And even perhaps his buddies Hermione and Ron. Sadly, Volde- I mean, He Who Must Not Be Named, still seems pretty damn strong, too. Country strong. Course that suckah has not been able to kill Harry yet, but not for lack of effort. In HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART ONE, he continues to give it the college try, but Harry continues to barely escape with his life. This 7th film is the very closest one yet to stay true to the flow of the book, which is why they had to make the film in two parts. I, for one, think it is the finest movie to date. The tension is thick, the fear and desperation is palpable, V-Diddy is as bad-ass as ever, and everyone who has been watching these movies for years is ready for serious action to go down! However, there is not a ton of action in this movie…Harry and friends spend much of their time wandering through the world, looking for horcruxes, without a solid plan, and with much friction between them. Basically, they are up Muggle-Creek without a wand. And until the next movie comes out, you are too!

HIGHWATER is a lush surfing documentary from the director of STEP INTO LIQUID.

There are also some new films from Claire Denis (WHITE MATERIAL), Francois Ozon (RICKY) and Michael Winterbottom (SUMMER IN GENOA) as well as the conclusive season of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: SEASON FIVE.

A couple neighborhood notes. First up, the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema is now taking entries for its 2011 season. Read all about it right here. The season will begin around Labor Day weekend.

The second thing I wanted to mention is a bit different. Anyone who has lived in Bernal for a while has noticed the bar Skip’s Tavern. Over the years, it has been a bit of a polarizing bar in the neighborhood. There have been some issues over the years, related to noise things that have mobilized a lot of people. Recently, a Bernal resident named Lisa Marie Delgadillo has been involved in trying to purchase Skip’s. She would like to clean it up and make it a nice place to have a drink and maybe listen to some acoustic music. She has lots of great ideas, a very positive outlook and seems to me to be exactly what the any neighborhood would look for in a local business owner. As a result of the problems that people have had with Skip’s over the years, Lisa is having a big uphill struggle to take ownership and begin all the awesome changes that she would like to implement. I, for one, support Lisa in her quest. Here at Four Star, I have some petitions that you could sign helping her show the proper authorities that she has the support of the some of the neighborhood. One of the petitions is one of full support; the other shows support for her taking over the bar without the entertainment permit. I really hope she gets the full Monty, because as a local musician myself, I would love to play sometimes to my friends and neighbors right on Cortland. Lisa also would be happy to talk with any of you about any concerns you might have and share her vision for the bar with you. Just leave her a note on one of these petitions, and she will get right in touch with you.

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//............

COUNTRY STRONG.****BD****
Drama/Music.
Gwyneth Paltrow/Leighton Meester/Tim McGraw/Garrett Hedlund.
Directed by Shana Feste.
* Country music is alive and kicking, at least on the silver screen. Following the success of CRAZY HEART, this film follows country star, Kelly Canter (Paltrow) as she tries for a big comeback while touring with new singer-star, Beau Hutton.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART ONE.****BD****
Adventure/Fantasy/Action.
Daniel Radcliffe/Rupert Grint/Emily Watson/Alan Rickman/Ralph Fiennes/Helena Bonham Carter.
Directed by David Yates.
* The penultimate film in the great series about good and evil in the land of wizards and muggles follows Harry on his final quest as he is searching for the horcruxes that Lord V-Diddy hid all over the world that will prevent him from dying completely, even without a body. Everyone recognizes at this point that it is kill or be killed for H-Pot, and Hermione and Ron are tagging along for the long ride. As they search far and wide the realization strikes them again and again that they don’t even know what they are looking for. Meanwhile, V-Tone and his evil henchmen (and women) are close behind and they certainly know what they are looking for. This film follows the book quite closely, and really matches the tone and anxiety of the tale. I give it four stars (out of four).

RICKY.
Comedy/Drama/Fantasy/Foreign (French).
Directed by Francois Ozon.
* This little fable is about a couple of normal people who hook up and give birth to an apparent angel.

SUMMER IN GENOA.
Drama/Romance (Italian and English, the language – not the Romance).
Colin Firth/Hope Davis/Catherine Keener.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom.
* After their mother dies in a car accident, two daughters move with their father to Italy to rebuild their lives.

SUMMER LOVE.
Romance/Erotic.
Directed by Robert Crombie.

TiMER.
Rom-Com/Sci-Fi.
Emma Caufield.
Directed by Jac Schaeffer.
* The premise here has something to do with a device that is counting down til the moment you meet your soul mate.

WHITE MATERIAL.
Criterion/Drama/War/Foreign (French).
Isabelle Huppert/Christopher Lambert.
Directed by Claire Denis.
* As a civil war rages in a country in Africa, a white French family tries to saves its holdings as their world violently crumbles beneath their feet. It is a very clear indication when a film has its first release as a Criterion film that is one not to miss. This intense, disturbing but beautiful film is no different.

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

HIGHWATER.****BD****
Documentary/Surfing.
Directed by Dana Brown.
* The maker of DUST TO GLORY and STEP INTO LIQUID is back with an amazing surf documentary centered around surfing’s Triple Crown competitions. Featuring incredible surf footage and insider interviews, if you are a lover of a tubular trip into the green room then you must watch this film.

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

DOCTOR WHO: KINDA.
Television/BBC/Sci-Fi.

DOCTOR WHO: SNAKEDANCE.
Television/BBC/Sci-Fi.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: SEASON FIVE.
Television/Sports.
* The final season of one of the more popular television series over the last few years continues the story of a small Texas town obsessed with its High School musical, I mean football team.

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

LE CERCLE ROUGE.
Criterion/Crime/Drama/Thriller/Foreign (French).
* This 1970 Melville classic is about a thief, a killer, the mob and a kitty-cat loving cop.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

THE GARFIELD SHOW V03: PRIVATE EYE VENTURES.

GO DIEGO GO: DIEGO SAVES THE WORLD.

MAX AND RUBY: RAINY DAY PLAY.

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

JUDGEMENT AT NURENBURG.
* Somehow, we never had this important film…

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

21 GRAMS.

MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS.

****

Colette Day!

2011-04-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Colette Day? Say what? I know, I know, another weirdo thing about the weirdo guy who runs Four Star Video…True. True.

I wrote a bit about Colette Day last year. What I didn’t mention was that Colette Day is named for an old friend Colette Harrington, who, among many other things, was one of those very amazing people who have an extremely strong sense of perspective and are able to see the silver lining under just about any conditions. Colette passed, tragically, many years ago, when we were young adults, but her spirit lives on in just about everyone who knew her, and, through Colette Day, in many who didn’t.

One thing I find so interesting about life is how we can just create reality, take power and choose our own adventure. I really recommend it! Obviously, we have certain…constructs that must be followed, certain parameters that are relatively set in stone – we must eat and sleep regularly, some sort of income must be generated, clothes have to be worn in public – but lots of other aspects of life are just open for our own interpretation. I try to never miss an opportunity to interpret. For me, Colette Day is a great realization of that opportunity. Each year, my wife Amy makes a beautiful piece of art and we send it as a card to many friends and family. We always encourage our friends to "assess their surroundings" and to "be happy with what you got!". It is a powerful message of hope and love that we are happy to share with everyone.

This year was the 15th year we have celebrated this holiday, and I wrote a poem that we put into the card...In the spirit of sharing the love (and not being embarrassed to have written a poem!), I am publishing it here for you to read and for me to share the love. Thanks for being in my life, in whatever way you are. Hey, this isn't our regular film release post, but that will come very soon. Much love! -Ken

A butterfly flapped its wings
in my heart and breathlessly
my eyes were raised to the light

Gifted love creates a wake – a selfless wave with mondo break
Crashing down and exponentially
expanding and expounding
on the little moments; alighting on a song, on a breeze,
on a memory, a favorite shirt.

The summer you tripped lightly through the rich atmosphere
of regular life wearing little but a
smile and that shirt.

and knew the commonality of pain
and felt the rusted barbs of individualism
and laughed with the sheerness of loneliness
and were made drunk by the wind
and shed tears for the yous you’d never be
and rubbed lotion on the callouses of responsibility
and struggled with peace & love & understanding
and celebrated the outcasts and unmanicured
and rough and ragged and illprepared
and hapless and not funny and the eyesores and
the secretly crippled and each of the moments
of every single minute of every single day until you padded
your heart and kept surviving right up until this very morning

Are you the kite and we the flyer? Or is it the opposite?

To me, it’s the string that matters. The hand must hold the string and
also
be lucky that nature doesn’t sever the connection between kite and string
(we have so many names for this).

With this card, sent to you –
year after year after year after year for what now is fifteen years –
we renew our vows to you as fellow passengers on this ride
as possible affecters of this experience
as lucid dreamers in this dream
as the owners of a car, the parent of a child
as breathers of air and drinkers of water; that
We will hold onto the string with every earned bit of strength until at last
our breath gives way to whatever it is our breath gives way to.

Until then, as tradition dictates, we’ll assess our surroundings.
And we’ll find happiness with what we’ve got and share it with you and hopefully you’ll share it with all of your yous…

Because, a butterfly once flapped its wings and look at what happened.

Happy Colette Day people!

****new release list no.314

2011-04-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ich grüße Sie, meine deutschen Brüder und Schwestern! Vielen Dank fürs Lesen!

Lots of interesting films this week, good stuff for the parents, good stuff for the kids.

Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey play jailbird lovers in I LOVE YOU, PHILLIP MORRIS. Carrey’s character Russell will go to great lengths to spring his man from jail.

TRON: LEGACY is the sequel 28 years later to 1982’s TRON. Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn, the computer genius who envisions a world inside “the grid” where humanity can evolve and life can be beautiful. Sadly, things went quite wrong in that there grid, and now many years later, Kevin’s son Sam enters the digital word looking to find his father and bring him back to analogville.

LITTLE FOCKERS continues the endless focking saga of the focking Focker family. Ben Stiller and Robert de Niro lead an all-star cast in this goofy situation comedy.

THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER is the latest in the CHRONICLES OF NARNIA series…Lucy and Edmund join Prince Caspian in an aqua adventure on the seas…The heavy duty religious vibe is pretty unavoidable in this one, as Aslan pretty much makes his messianic presence known.

There is also a batch of cool docs, and a nice bunch of older films newly released on Blu-ray. Scroll down for details!

As some of you know, my wife, Amy Shelf, is an estate planning attorney. In addition to her traditional law practice, Amy has developed an innovative way of helping people put together basic estate plans in a group setting for a price that can't be beat. These Workshops make the whole process more accessible and easy to finish - you leave the Workshop with a completed Will, Power of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directive.

Amy is hosting one of these "Panic-Free Estate Planning Workshops" on Saturday, April 16 at Recess Urban Recreation in Potrero Hill. This will be her last scheduled Workshop until the fall, and there are spaces available. To read more about the Workshops go here. You can also sign up online using the link available on that page. If you want to read testimonials from happy (and relieved) Workshop participants, you can go here.

Hey by the way, did you see that Succulence (our sister store) got a nice little write up in Sunset Magazine! Holy cow, right? Pretty exciting news for us. Check it out (page 28 in the April edition).

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//............

CASINO JACK.
Crime/Politic/Comedy.
Kevin Spacey/Barry Pepper.
Directed by George Hickenlooper.
* Hickenlooper, who brought us THE MAYOR OF SUNSET STRIP and FACTORY GIRL among others, sadly, died last October after making this film. I am not sure how he died, but I guess it is a sign of the times that I am not surprised that something happened to him. After all, this film is about the rise and spectacular fall of Jack Abramoff, super lobbyist to the rich and republican. Spacey excels in his role as the smug Jack, and Pepper does more than his share as his right hand man. Sadly, Jon Lovitz is in this film, too.

I LOVE YOU, PHILLIP MORRIS.****BD****
Drama/Romance/Comedy.
Jim Carrey/Ewan McGregor/Leslie Mann.
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.
* Jim Carrey is Russell, a heterosexually married cop who decides to throw his carefully constructed life away and accept his homosexuality, which leads him to Miami where he begins to live the good life. Which leads him to crime, to pay for the good life. Which leads him to jail, where eventually, destiny’s hand leads him to the heart of Phillip Morris (McGregor). Russell, who has shown a deep wild streak by then, goes way overboard as he refuses to be separated from his lovey-dovey and will do anything – ANYTHING – to stay together. The laws he breaks are many, and in fact it is hard to stay fully sympathetic to his plight. Ah, but McGregor and Carrey make a sweet couple, and it is enjoyable to watch this mainstream outlaw couple movie about a couple a guys. Not quite as exciting as THE FLUFFER, but with more star power.

LITTLE FOCKERS.****BD****
Comedy/Romance.
Ben Stiller/Robert de Niro/Owen Wilson/Dustin Hoffman/Barbara Streisand/Blythe Danner/Jessica Alba/Laura Dern/Other Fockers.
Directed by Paul Weitz.
* Ah, those little focking fockers. They just keep focking making these movies. They can’t focking stop themselves. It’s like they’re focking blinded by all the focking money they know they can make, no matter how focking stupid the movie might be…Not saying this focking movie is stupid, truth be told, I don’t focking know. But I think these movies are like one long focking episode of THREE’S focking COMPANY over and over again, with a moment of confusion leading to suspicion then to anger and eventually a grudging respect…over and focking over again and again. Ah, fock it. I bought 12 copies, so I guess I focking hope you’ll focking rent it.

TAQWACORES.
Drama.
Directed by Eyad Zahra.
* The Muslim life in American can be very hard for a young student from Pakistan. Yusef, living in Buffalo while attending engineering school, moves in with a very interesting household. By day, righteous religious prayer fills the living room, but by night, the house becomes a den of hard-cord Muslim Punk rock with non-stop parties that force Yusef to question everything he believes in.

TRON: LEGACY.****BD****
Sci-Fi.
Jeff Bridges.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski.
* You probably don’t want my opinion about this one. Just a short suggestion, if you are having trouble with the story or dialogue, turn the sound down and put on the soundtrack to ALICE IN WONDERLAND, they match almost perfectly. No, seriously, though, the images are awesome and there is a certain flavor from the original TRON (made 29 years ago!!!) that lingers, but they basically are cashing in on our memories with this one. If I had made this movie, it would have had the lowest end special effects and almost no dialogue.

THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER: CHRONICLES OF NARNIA.****BD****
Adventure/Fantasy.
Skandar Keynes/George Henley/Ben Barnes/Will Poulter/Tilda Swinton.
Directed by Michael Apted.
* The third movie in the Chonic (what?)cles of Narnia involves Edmund and Lucy and good old Prince Caspian and a daring trip across the waters on the royal ship, The Dawn Treader. I remember this as my favorite book in the series, but I can’t really remember why.

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

AFTER THE STORM.
Documentary/Musical Theatre.
Directed by Hilla Medalia.
* Post-Hurricane Katrina, a group of Broadway actors from NY headed down to New Orleans to help local teens by putting on a production with them. This documentary follows their efforts.

AMERICAN JIHADIST.
Documentary/Jihad.
Directed by Mark Claywell and Jody Jenkins.
* From the Amazon product description: American soldier. Family man. Jihadist. Isa Abdullah Ali is a person of many identities and contradictions, but in the beginning, he was a bullied young boy growing up in America s capital. At fifteen he joined the American army, and as a young man he converted to Islam and fought alongside the Amal militia and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Though the details of his past are murky, Isa claims to have killed more than 150 people in the fight to defend his faith. Through Isa s own words and those of family members, psychologists and political experts, this award-winning documentary attempts to decode the social and personal influences that can lead an individual down a path to radicalism. American Jihadist reaches beyond easy labels to grasp the nuances behind one man s decision to fight and kill for his religion

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

A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
* This 2001 Spielberg film about a little robot who wants to be real probably looks pretty amazing on the high-def.

THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT.
* 1996 action flick starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson.

MYSTIC PIZZA.
* Lili Taylor, Julia Roberts and Annabeth Gish had big early roles in their careers starring in this 1988 coming of age story set in Mystic, Connecticut.

TRON.
* This is the original one, that we had such a crazy waiting list for a few months ago...

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

CHUGGINGTON: CHUGGERS TO THE RESCUE.

SESAME STREET: WILD WORDS AND OUTDOOR ADVENTURES.

............//MOREMOREMORE/............

TRON.
* I know, right…a little late for the mad rush…Ah, well, it was $150 on Amazon five months ago, in anticipation of this new edition…

****

****new release list no.313

2011-03-28T00:02:00.001-07:00

Dobrodošli moji Slovenski prijatelji!

Elizabeth Taylor died last Wednesday, she was just one month past her 79th birthday. Just about any film lover will have some iconic film memory of Liz. Whether it is her slinking around in a nightgown as Maggie in the screen adaptation of Tennessee William’s brilliant play CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, or her powerful (and Academy Award-winning) performance as Martha in WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, she left nothing on the table as she poured her heart and soul into both her acting career and her life. She starred in 1943 in LASSIE COME HOME and then became a star as Velvet Brown in 1944’s NATIONAL VELVET.

She captured the film world's hearts as a child actor and very smoothly made the transition to movie star, even being nominated at one point for the Best Actress Academy Award four years in a row (including one of my favorite performances in SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER with Montgomery Clift and Katherine Hepburn)! She worked steadily and effectively through the 80’s and then did a bit of work in the 90’s before finishing her career in 2001. Liz Taylor was a movie star’s movie star, the heights she reached have rarely been attained.

Yet, for all of that, for all her talent and beauty and notoriety and for all the 70 some-odd titles she worked on, what really blows me away was something that Elizabeth Taylor did off-screen. In the early 1980’s when AIDS was first being discussed (and condemned and misinformed and ignored) Liz Taylor was one of the first people to publicly speak out against this epidemic and to use her celebrity to publicize the plight of the millions of people who were suffering in the dark at that time. She organized and hosted the first ever AIDS fundraiser benefitting AIDS Project Los Angeles. She spoke out against the widespread ignorance of the establishment and to fight for rights for people dealing with what was then a supremely fatal illness. She was responsible for helping to raise over $100 million dollars to fund AIDS research, and she helped found multiple foundations that worked tirelessly for that cause. In a time where people were scrambling to disassociate themselves from people who were dying from a so-called “gay” disease, Elizabeth Taylor put herself and her reputation on the line to get the medical help needed to get control of what turned out to eventually kill millions of heterosexuals across the earth.

How cool is that? To me, that is the ultimate cool. In a world where celebrities keep their mouths shut to avoid alienating potential consumers, where Michael Jordan once famously declared “Republicans buy sneakers, too” to defend his silence on any political issue, where many wealthy celebrities just work to protect their own reputations, Elizabeth Taylor said fuck that, people are dying and I will do anything in my power to find a cure. And her power was great.

So I say thank you, Elizabeth Taylor. You were a brilliant actor, a beautiful person, you provided the news machine with many a headline, and you helped countless people survive a terrible disease. Thanks, Liz.

I just have a list of movies coming out this week, including BLACK SWAN, MAD MEN SEASON FOUR, TREME – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, and bunches of cool looking documentaries. I am out for a short break to see the sun shine down like a beacon of glory over Colorado. See you next weekend.

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//............

ALL GOOD THINGS. - Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst – looks awesome!

BLACK SWAN.****BD**** Academy Award nominated starring Natalie Portman.

COLONY.

COOL IT.

FAIR GAME.****BD**** - Naomi Watts, Sean Penn…

HULK VS THOR.

IMAX - HUBBLE.

INGREDIENTS.

LOVING LAMPOSTS.

MAD MEN: SEASON FOUR.****BD**** I think you’ve heard of this one…

MADE IN DAGENHAM.

MESRINE PART 2: PUBLIC ENEMY #1.

PEANUTS: HAPPINESS IS A WARM BLANKET.

SOYLENT GREEN. On****BD***, baby!

THE SWIMSUIT ISSUE.

TANGLED. - This is supposed to be a good animation.

TEENAGE PAPARAZZO.

TREME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON. - This is a highly anticipated new series from HBO about New Orleans.

WHO’S THE CABOOSE. - Sarah Silverman, among others.

THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON ONE. - I think some of you will like this zombie show.

****

****new release list no.312

2011-03-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Добро пожаловать, мои русские друзья и благодарю вас за чтение!

It’s spring, according to my calendar. It’s getting harder for me to quantify my feelings about our seasons, because our weather is so mixed up and confusing. The water came down hard recently, and it has been pretty cold today; but all things considered, January and February were quite warm and lovely and all around it was a somewhat mild seeming winter. The truth is, I am not sure when I am supposed to complain anymore. I need guidance here, so I will not commit a social faux pas. Am I supposed to complain during the Summer, when it is cold and windy and yet mild and wonderful and occasionally fantastic? Or during the Fall, when it is wet and foul, yet mild and wonderful and sometimes superlative? During Winter? When our all-important rainy season kicks off, and in between storms frequently it is also mild and also frequently wonderful? In the immortal words of Charley Partanna (in PRIZZI’S HONOR) – Which one-a dese?

I don’t know, but I know complaining season isn’t the spring.

Not Spring, when the little buds push their way through the ends of the leafless branches of my persimmon tree. Not spring, when dew drops reflect the glint of sunlight that awakens the seeds resting comfortably beneath the soil. Oh, no, not spring. Not when the summer waves to me from behind the clouds with its nostalgic seduction. Not with Passover, Easter, Ostara and eventually clothing-optional Beltane celebrating the newness, the freshness, the visceral ripeness of so many things around us. Not when the very air is intoxicating enough to cause deep sighs the sort of which was described so eloquently by Kenneth Grahame in his fine adventure novel The Wind in The Willows
“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.”

Oh divine discontent, oh hallowed longing! Oh glorious life! Existence! Divinity! Do you like poetry? Somewhat? Not at all? Fuck it, do me a favor, because we are close and I write to you with my heart. Write a poem, right now, about spring and send it to me. I will publish it in my heart and never share it with anyone. Here is a poem I read when I was young, but for some reason moved me deeply. It was written by e.e. cummings.

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and

the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee

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

Love and Kisses,
Ken

P.S. I came across this crazy online music project recently called. You Are Listening to, which combines very beautiful and trippy music with live police feeds. It is currently set to play feeds from five cities, one of which is San Francisco. Here is You Are Listening to San Francisco.

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

ADVENTURES OF A TEENAGE DRAGONSLAYER.
Family/Fantasy/Adventure.
Directed by Andrew Lauer.
* This live action 80’s era throwback movie tells the story of Arthur, a kid who happens upon the secret to killing the evil dragon who is threatening civilization.

ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES 2 AND 3.
Animation/Family.

L’ASSOCIE.
Comedy/Foreign (French).
Directed by Rene Gainville.
* This 1979 French comedy is about a business owner who creates a fake partner to make the business sound cooler…Unfortunately, as the business becomes more successful, it is the fake partner who gets all the credit.

HOW DO YOU KNOW.****BD****
Comedy/Romance.
Reese Witherspoon/Owen Wilson/Paul Rudd/Jack Nicholson.
Directed by James L. Brooks.
* A softball star (Witherspoon) on the US team is in crisis as she is no longer good enough to play and her life feels like it is in shambles. Should she hook up with the baseball player who is shallow but cute and seems somewhat safe (Wilson), or the broken business man (Rudd) she met first who is in the middle of a tough time himself as he is being accused of corporate crime that he has not committed. With Jack as the business guy’s dad.

LOOKING FOR PALLADIN.
Comedy.
Ben Gazzara/David Moscow/Talia Shire.
Directed by Andrzeg Krakowski.
* In this low-budget film, an arrogant Hollywood agent is dispatched to Central America to try to find this older Academy Award winning actor who also once happened to be married to the agent’s mother.

PUNCHING THE CLOWN.
Comedy.
Henry Philips/Ellen Ratner.
Directed by Gregori Viens.
* This indie comedy won the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival and tells the story of a modern troubadour, singing and entertaining his way across America. Rachel watched this film this weekend and said it was what FUNNY PEOPLE, the Apatow comedy starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, should have been; funnier, more down to earth, and nearly an hour shorter.

SASHA.
Drama/LGBT/Comedy/Foreign (German/Serbo-Croation/Bosnian).
Directed by Dennis Todorovich.
* This coming-of-age story is about a Yugoslavic family living in Germany whose teenage son is gay and in fear of his family discovering his sexuality. He loves his piano teacher, and confides in his best friend, who his parents think is his girlfriend, until, that is, his younger brother starts getting jiggy with her himself. Ah, it’s complicated, it’s heavy, it’s emotional, it’s funny…It’s teenage life.

SKYLINE.****BD****
Horror/Sci-Fi.
Eric Balfour.
Directed by Colin Strause and Greg Strause.
* Brain sucking aliens arrive on Earth for supper. Smartly, they begin in Los Angeles.

THE TOURIST.****BD****
Action/Suspense.
Angelina Jolie/Johnny Depp/Paul Bettany/Rufus Sewell/Timothy Dalton.
Directed by Florian Henkel von Donnersmarck.
* Jolie plays Elise, on the run after her lover stole serious coin from a very nasty mob boss and disappeared. She meets Frank (Depp) on a train and uses him as a decoy to hide from the bad guys. Frank is just a sad sack American tourist trying to nurse his broken heart with a lovely trip to Italia.

THE TWIST.
Comedy/Foreign (French).
Bruce Dern/Stephane Audran.
Directed by Claude Chabrol.
* This 1976 film is not considered one of his better movies. It is the story of a couple who are both accusing the other of infidelity. While writing this, I was reminded of one of my favorite Dern movies, 1987’s WORLD GONE WILD. Co-starring Adam Ant as a psychotic cult leader, this film is one of the schlockiest, freakist, post-Apocalyptic films ever made, and Dern is hysterical in it as the hippied out leader of a small enclave of people who are struggling to defend their tiny water source in 2087 America. As Fozzy would say – Funny!

YOGI BEAR (2010).
Animation/Adventure/Comedy.
Dan Aykroyd/Justin Timberlake.
Directed by Eric Brevig.
* Goofy new version of the classic cartoon, saved especially by the brilliant pairing of Aykroyd and Timberlake.

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

DIRTY JOBS: NUMERO 2.
Television/Realityish.

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

STAND BY ME.
* The film that rocketed River Phoenix to fame…One of the top couple Steven King stories to be made into a film. Also featuring a very creepy and young Kiefer Sutherland. Directed by Rob Reiner.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD.
* i.e. Four Star Video.

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

IP MAN.
* In anticipation of IP MAN 2, I got this film…Here is a description direction from imdb: A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun.

............//MOREMOREMORE/............

SLINGS AND ARROWS: THE COMPLETE SERIES.
* I love this show so much that I bought an entire new copy of the series in anticipation of telling so many of you about it.

****

****new release list no.311

2011-03-15T16:37:00.001-07:00

Bonjour mes merveilleux amis de la France!

In THE FIGHTER, Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale play half-brothers struggling to help each other as life threatens to drag them down…Bale is the older, substance-abuser, ex-fighter turned trainer and Wahlberg is Micky Ward, a real life future boxing champion at a cross-roads in his life. Two Academy Awards were won for this film and it was nominated for five others.

HEREAFTER is Clint Eastwood’s new meditative exploration about death. Matt Damon stars as a psychic who has the tantalizing but frightening power to commune with the afterworld.

We have a new trio of documentaries that all look awesome this week. WASTELAND was nominated for an Oscar and is about art and garbage and where the two connect. THE PARKING LOT MOVIE is a strange, funny and wonderful story about parking lot attendants at a huge lot in Virginia. WILDEST DREAM follows the lives of two men who are forever connected but never actually met. One, George Mallory, was one of the first people to attempt to summit Mount Everest and the other, Conrad Anker, found his cold dead body 75 years later. Interesting!

NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS is a new Iranian film about a band trying to find new members while simultaneously trying to obtain visas to go play in London. It is ground zero for rockers in Tehran and while it plays like a documentary, it is actually a feature film, full of longing, desperation and hope.

In THE SWITCH, Wally (Jason Bateman) switches out his good friend Kassie (Jennifer Aniston)’s newly purchased sperm with his own. Oh, the humanity!

I have been mentioning here and there to some of you that Amy and I are completely gaga for SLINGS AND ARROWS, a brilliant Canadian television show from 2003-2006. Only lasting three seasons, full of just six episodes apiece, it is the tale of the New Burbage Shakespeare Festival and the completely crazy theatre people who work there. Funny, sad, outrageous and brilliant, I would characterize it as the best show you’ve never seen. Had this been an HBO show, it would have been insanely huge. I have just bought a second copy of the entire series and next week I will further encapsulate the entire show. For those of you searching for something different, something you haven’t seen, something with depth and beauty and a story line that will hook you, this just might be your show.

Last week I mentioned that we are now open on Friday and Saturday nights until 10pm. Many of you asked us for this, and we listened. Please do come in during those hours so that we know that this was indeed a smart move. Also, I want to remind everyone that we are offering all of our shirts at 50% off for the next month. That is $10 for the adult sizes and $7.50 for the kiddos. Thanks everyone, for shopping at Four Star!

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 FIGHTER.****BD****

Drama.

Mark Wahlberg/Christian Bale/Amy Adams/Melissa Leo.

Directed by David O. Russell.

* The story of "Irish" Micky Ward was made into an Academy Award winning film (Best Support Actor for Bale and Best Supporting Actress for Leo). Wahlberg plays Ward, a boxer from Massachusetts whose half-brother, former fighter Dicky Eklund, helped both of them regain their path to success both in the ring and in life itself. This is a true Rocky story about an underdog, addiction struggles, a fractured family and a burning desire to pummel someone in the ring.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

Drama/Romance.

Mena Suvari/Jack Huston/Matthew Modine/Caterina Murino.

Directed by John Irwin.

* This sexy erotic film is based on the last novel of Ernest Hemingway and follows a young American writer and his wife and her Italian girlfriend across Europe in the 1920’s.

HEREAFTER.****BD****

Drama/Suspense.

Matt Damon/Bryce Dallas Howard.

Directed by Clint Eastwood.

* This Oscar-nominated (for Best Achievement in Visual Affects – it didn’t win) Eastwood film follows three characters around the world who are having intense experiences with death and its ramifications. Damon plays a young man whose psychic abilities let him communicate with people from beyond, a seductive ability that he feels burdened and frightened by. Features intense tsunami footage…

NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS.

Drama/Music/Foreign (Persian).

Directed by Bahman Ghobadi.

* Ghobadi (A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES) brings us this awesome rocker story about a couple of Iranian musicians trying to fill their band for a big gig in London, and having even more difficulty getting visas to make it to the gig. Wanna know what it might be like for a Western-minded young person living in Tehran right now? Check this film out.

THE SWITCH.

Comedy/Romance.

Jennifer Aniston/Jason Bateman/Patrick Wilson/Jeff Goldblum.

Directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon.

* Kassie (Aniston) wants a baby, she doesn’t need a man. She turns to the sperm bank and methodically picks her donor for a myriad of reasons. Her curmudgeonly best friend Wally thinks she’s crazy. But who is crazier? Kassie, for wanting to take control of her life? Or Wally who secretly switches out Kassie’s specially-picked donor sperm with some of his own life-creating juice? Oh, the humanity!

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

THE PARKING LOT MOVIE.

Documentary/Oh, the Humanity.

Directed by Meghan Eckman.

* This little bit of brilliance is about the owner and workers of a parking lot in Charlottesville, Virginia. Is this an unusual parking lot? Are the workers here secret geniuses? Is there something incredibly unusual about the philosophical nature of these young attendants? Or are their secret geniuses at every little business, toiling away in obscurity, struggling to maintain their dignity in the face of disrespect and condescension? I don’t know. But we think this movie is extra funny and cool

WASTELAND.

Documentary/Art/Garbage.

Directed by Lucy Walker and Karen Harley and Joao Jardim.

* This documentary follows Vik Muniz, a successful contemporary artist, on a journey through landfills and mayhem as we learn about recyclers who pick through the garbage and find the most amazing things and use them to create incredible art. This gorgeous film was nominated for the Academy award for Documentary, and won Sundance’s award, and many other awards on the festival circuit.

WILDEST DREAM.

Documentary/Nature/Adventure.

Directed by Anthony Geffen.

* George Mallory and Conrad Anker will always be connected, although they never met. Mallory was the first guy (that we know of for sure) who attempted to summit Mount Everest, and for many years afterwards, his story ended mysteriously, without a trace. That is until Anker found his frozen body 75 years later. This documentary uses gorgeous imagery to trace their stories.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

BARBIE: A FAIRY SECRET.

* Shhhhh, it’s a secret!

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

STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE (DOUBLE DISC) .

TIM BURTON’S CORPSE BRIDE .

* It’s a long title, right?

TROY.

* Bradley looks very handsome in this one.

****

****new release list no.310 - I'M STILL HERE

2011-03-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

Ласкаво просимо до моїх українські друзі!

Today is March 7th, 2011. Four years ago, this week, Amy and I became the proud owners of Four Star Video, a neighborhood institution that has been around since 1986 (25 years!). We became the 4th owners of this excellent store, taking over from the estate of David Ayoob, which included Jamie and Jeremy and Dave’s wonderful daughters, Kelly and Julie.

When we purchased Four Star Video, we went in with our eyes wide open. Our idea from day one was to think about the future and plan for a time when technology might force the video store into extinction, but also to focus on ways of holding onto our customer base. Our close friends berated us for buying a video store (except the ones who were jealous that we snapped up THE video store). You don’t understand, we told them, Four Star is much more than a video store, it’s nearly a community center.

We had always been big fans of the store. We joined when we moved to the neighborhood in the late 1990’s. We met Dave when he bought the joint from Rick. We brought our new baby boy here to meet Dave and crew when he was born in 2001. We were here the day Dave put up the new shelving in the middle of the store. We were here the day Dave took down the “adult” section (telling us he wanted the store to feel safe for Huckleberry and the other neighborhood kids). When Dave introduced the new block system of renting, we bought one immediately and always kept a block from then until we bought the store. We lost movies occasionally, we lost movie boxes occasionally, we asked Dave to buy PURPLE RAIN and he did. We ran into friends here, we lingered with our kids in the middle of the afternoon here, we flirted with the staff here. We stopped on the way to Good Life, on the way home from Martha’s, after yoga, before heading to the bookstore and the library, before and after the playground. In short, it was a place we went to just because.

When Dave died, we cried together at our respective jobs. We cried for Dave, for the community, for ourselves and our fear of growing older. You know what I mean; many of you cried that day, too.

When we discovered Four Star was for sale, I was fascinated with the idea that I could find my place in our community as a merchant. What fun, I thought! What responsibility, what excitement. What a way to finally fit in. The idea that I could be “the movie guy” and putter around in my store like I used to see Dave do was very alluring.

When we bought the place, we thought to ourselves, how long can this store last? Three years? Five years? Longer? Well, people, we still don’t know. It has shrunk a lot in these four years, but it is still vibrant as hell. This weekend I was here every day working at Four Star’s sister store, Succulence, and each night was like a fun party in the store with regulars and non-regulars hanging out, reading movie boxes and talking film.

In fact, we have decided to change the hours again to be open until 10pm all Friday and Saturday nights starting this weekend! Please show us that this makes sense by coming in and utilizing the store. Also, as thanks to everyone for keeping Four Star going, we are offering all of our shirts at 50% off for the next month. Represent!

During these four years both Amy and I have settled into being business owners in Bernal Heights. We now own and operate Succulence here at 402 Cortland, and Amy has her own estate-planning legal practice here as well. We are thankful for the ability to do business here in Bernal Heights. We are thankful for the trust you place in us, and we take that trust very seriously. We don’t know what the future holds, but we hope we’ll be able to continue to make our living right here in the village we love so much for a long time.

I don’t have tiger’s blood, and I’m not a rock star from Mars, but I’M STILL HERE, just like Joaquin Phoenix. So let’s make a toast to that. Let’s toast to existence, to endurance, to continuance, to perseverance, and to longevity, to continuity, to durability, to unity, utility, continuity, ingenuity…and while we’re at it, since life = death, and we can always “watch the ripples change their size but never leave the stream of warm impermanence”, let’s toast the other side, because survival means dabbling on both sides of the coin, and desperate longing creates desire and motivates growth, so with that in mind, let’s toast futility, unattainability, unsustainability, impracticality, ineffectuality, insurmountability, and the painful reality of obsolescence. Hey, everything and everyone gets obsolete eventually, so let’s hold on to each other while we have each other and just glance backwards here and there for perspective but resist the urge to project the future, because the future is simply a moment away, and we can wait for just a moment, can’t we?

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

Love and Kisses,
Ken

For amusement sake, here are a few links to notable blog posts from the past. Peace and love.

First Ever blog from me, April 2007
First anniversary, March 2008
Second anniversary, March 2009
Third anniversary, March 2010

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

FOUR LIONS.****BD****
Comedy.
Kayvan Novak/Nigel Lindsay/Riz Ahmed/Adeel Akhtar.
Directed by Christopher Morris.
* I think had I gotten to see this film this weekend that I would be shouting from the rooftops that you should see it. It is both a comedy and a social commentary and it is said to work very well from both angles. The tale is of four British jihadists who are trying to determine how to best focus their righteous anger and revolutionary ideas. Yes, it is a comedy about suicide bombers. Sadly, all but one of them are not super bright and struggle to do anything correctly. I imagine some people will feel like this film is offensive, and I imagine, as most comedies do, it does make fun of something that is not funny. Yet the critics and the casual viewers all seem to agree that this is a brilliant and hysterical film and perhaps just a laugh is helpful to the planet at times.

JACKASS 3.
Comedy/Realityish.
John Knoxville/Bam Margera.
Directed by Jeff Tremaine.
* These guys are somehow not amongst the millions of unemployed Americans.

MORNING GLORY.****BD****
Comedy/Drama.
Rachel McAdams/Harrison Ford/Diane Keaton/Patrick Wilson/Jeff Goldblum/50 cent.
Directed by Roger Michell.
* McAdams (SLINGS AND ARROWS, SHERLOCK HOLMES) plays Becky, a television producer who gets a big break when she is hired for a popular morning television show. Unfortunately, the job is completely out of control as the personalities on set are bigger than the show. It is a struggle for her to keep this dream job, but she is super determined. The director’s last film was the very awesome VENUS starring Peter O’Toole.

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000: XX.
Sci-Fi/Comedy/Bizarro.
* This collection includes THE MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD, PROJECT MOONBASE, MASTER NINJA I and MASTER NINJA II.

THE NEXT THREE DAYS.****BD****
Action/Suspense/Crime.
Russell Crowe/Elizabeth Banks/Olivia Wilde/Liam Neeson.
Directed by Paul Haggis.
* Haggis’s credits are pretty amazing, ranging from writing credits on DUE SOUTH, ONE DAY AT A TIME, THE SCOOBY DOO SHOW, DIFF’RENT STROKES, THE FACTS OF LIFE and much more to IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, CRASH, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, THE QUANTOM OF SOLACE and CASINO ROYALE, all of which he wrote, some of which he directed, and some he won Academy Awards for his involvement in. Although this one won’t win him any awards, it is clear that he knows how to craft an intelligent and compelling story, and with stars like Crowe and Neeson involved, the probability is that THE NEXT THREE DAYS is a pretty good film. It is the story of a couple (Crowe and Banks) whose life is thrown for a brutal loop when the wife is arrested and jailed for a crime she didn’t commit. When hubby can’t take it anymore, and wifey gets suicidal, the film becomes a jail break movie and everything gets crazy.

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

INSIDE JOB.
Documentary/Politics.
Narrated by Matt Damon.
Directed by Charles Ferguson.
* This film won the Academy Award for BEST DOCUMENTARY this year. The title of the director’s previous film, NO END IN SIGHT, could be used to describe the debacle that this film is about, the most recent global financial meltdown from unbelievable mismanagement and corruption by the banking industry, the housing industry and mass governmental undersight. Filming all over the world, and interviewing a wide array of journalists, politicians and insiders of all sorts, Ferguson paints a pretty infuriating picture of the people who screwed us all, and who have managed to mostly avoid all prosecution.

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

DOCTOR WHO: ARK.
Television/BBC/Sci-Fi.

DOCTOR WHO: THE SEEDS OF DOOM: THE TOM BAKER YEARS 1974-1981.
Television/BBC/Sci-Fi.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

GNOMES AND TROLLS: THE SECRET CHAMBER.

MADELINE ON THE TOWN.

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

RIVERS AND TIDES.
* This is a particularly brilliant documentary from 2001 about Andy Goldsworthy who makes art with nature.

............//NEW ACQUISITIONS/............

FILM NOIR CLASSIC COLLECTION NO.2 .
* This set includes the films BORN TO KILL, CLASH BY NIGHT, CROSSFIRE, DILLINGER and THE NARROW MARGIN. Ask and, occasionally, ye shall receive. Just ask James Z.

****

****new release list no.309

2011-02-28T20:37:00.000-08:00

こんにちは私の日本人の友達が！

I kind of love people. We’re so weird and fascinating and repugnant simultaneously. We’re so self-centered and repulsive, but generous and kind and beautifully ingenuitive at the same time. Whenever I have been a part of those fun-filled conversations about humans destroying the earth, I always imagine that no matter how dreadful we make it for ourselves to live here, we’ll always figure out some demented way to go on. Maybe we’ll build huge domes that we fill with an artificial atmosphere, or perhaps we’ll send ourselves, like a virus, out into the solar system, to muck up some other planet somewhere. We’ve got these big brains and they enable to us to do so much. Not to evolve away from hatred or anything, nothing as smart and self-preserving as that. But… we are problem solvers at the core. That’s what we do best.

There’s a hole in something? We plug it. It breaks? We fix it. It breaks again? We replace it. With something that we repurposed from something else. That once was living. Peacefully. Until we got our hands on it.

It’s not that our will to live is so remarkable. Many animals will deal with some pretty harsh circumstances to survive. It’s just that with our big brains, we can actually come up with some pretty imaginative solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.

Like say we’re in a cavern below the surface, crawling through a crevice, and we displace a big rock causing us and the rock to tumble deeper into the earth’s crust and when we come to rest, the rock is on our arm and it is immobile. Now what? Well, if you are Aron Ralston, you might try to stay calm and contemplate your options. Hmmm. Perhaps you can build a basic pulley system to try to dislodge the rock? Check. Maybe you can use your tiny little knife to scrape away material between the wall and the rock? Check? Perhaps you use the that same tiny little dull knife type thing to remove the trapped part of your arm so that you can go on your merry way and leave that little trapped piece of you behind? Yes? Would you? That’s what Aron decided to do when he was in that situation, and I salute him! I’m not sure why his story resonates so strong with me, but I totally appreciate that sort of fortitude. That desire for existence! That willingness to take ultimate responsibility and power. That bravery. He had to break both bones in his arm to get it fully removed. Read that part again.

127 HOURS is the film starring James Franco as Aron Ralston. Using an intense soundtrack, the beautiful imagery of the Canyonlands, and tight claustrophobic cinematography, we get a pretty grim idea of the hellish five days Aron spent trapped in the earth. I didn’t see a lot of the Academy Award nominated films and I am sure that the winners were worthy, but I thought this film could have won Best Picture and Franco could have taken home the Best Actor hardware, and those awards would have been very well earned. This movie is hard to watch here and there, but for me it really highlights the human spirit and many of the things I love about people.

We had a fun night at Four Star at our Oscar party on Sunday. Brilliant local magician James Crutcher wowed the crowd with card tricks. The FitzHoward girls popped pop corn out front. The Liberty Cafe and Ichi Sushi (among other merchants) provided yummy food. We raised over $500 for the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema festival! Great prizes included a month pass to Fit Bernal Fit and a beautiful handmade necklace with matching earrings from local artisan Feo Jacobsen. The winners of the Oscar picking competition will be announced by the BHOC this week. It was a super fun and chaotic party. The Four Star staff was proud to be a part of this event.

I love the Academy Awards because it can be a window into the lives of these artists who get paid so much and worshipped by millions for their acting skill. At times, you see someone win who didn’t expect it, and you see some pure and real reaction that is wonderful. It is so easy to dislike celebrities. They’re rich and childish and rich. (Oh, those rich bastards!) But sometimes when I watch the Academy Awards, and someone like Natalie Portman is up there gracefully describing her experience working hard in film since she was 11 years old and thanking the industry for continuing to give her jobs I find myself thinking that she’s just like the rest of us, only she happened to stumble into a much more lucrative career. Well, good job Natalie. Thank you for taking your job seriously, and though it doesn’t mean much to you, I will continue to do the same.

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//............

127 HOURS.****BD****
Adventure/Drama/Home Surgery.
James Franco.
Directed by.
* In 2003, Aron Ralston (Franco) went hiking solo in the Canyonlands. Dude was dipping into a canyon below the surface when he dislodged a rock which fell (with him) and landed on his arm trapping him without any way to contact anyone. Five days later, Aron took off his arm with a dull knife in order to survive. Though visceral and upsetting, this film highlights the human spirit and the incredible places we will go to in order to survive. Or at least, that Aron will go to. Dude is hardcore. Franco was unbelievable in this film. Though he didn’t win (though he was nominated), he gave to me what could have been an Academy award winning performance.

BURLESQUE.
Drama/Musical.
Christina Aguilera/Cher/Stanley Tucci/Kristen Bell.
Directed by Steven Antin.
* She’s just a small town girl, living in a lonely world…She took the midnight train going anywhere…Well, actually I’m not sure how she got to Los Angeles, but eventually she ends up working at a version of a strip club run by Cher. Worse fates could be had.

CANNES MAN.
Comedy.
Seymour Cassel/Many famous cameos.
Directed by Richard Martini.
* Ah, I see! This film is from 1996…15 years ago? Wow…This comedy is about a Hollywood producer who makes a bet that he can make anyone a star at the Cannes Film festival, and he goes about doing it. I wonder if we could create that kind of buzz at the Bernal Heights Outdoor Film festival? Hmmmm.

FASTER.
Action.
The Rock/Billy Bob Thornton.
Directed by George Tillman, Jr.
* Driver (The Rock!) has just gotten out of jail, and his prime mission in life is to kill everyone who double-crossed him and his brother ten years ago, leading to his brother’s death. He shoots and stabs a lot of people, some of whom shoot and stab him as well.

JUST BEFORE NIGHTFALL.
Drama/Foreign (French).
Directed by Claude Chabrol.
* This 1971 Chabrol film is about a guy who somewhat accidentally kills his best friend’s wife, with whom he was having an affair with. Though he is not caught, his life is thrown dramatically out of kilter as he tries to deal with the situation, while continuing his innocuous domestic life.

LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS.****BD****
Drama/Romance.
Anne Hathaway/Jake Gyllenhaal.
Directed by Edward Zwick.
* Jamie and Maggie are two players, they live hard and sleep around with anyone and everyone, and they are basically in a constant state of heat. However, Maggie has early onset Parkinson's Disease and is facing a very troubling future. Although their lifestyles and life issues are keeping their relationship from getting serious, their deeper desires draw them together.

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

I CLOWNS.
Documentary/Foreign (Italian).
Directed by Federico Fellini.
*1970 doc about clowns and circuses by the master of strangeness.

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

DICKENS IN AMERICA.
Television/Documentary.
* This three disc set follows the journey that Charles Dickens took across America in 1842.

IN LOVING MEMORY: SERIES ONE.
Television/Comedy/British.
* This is almost like a British SIX FEET UNDER in that it is the store of an undertaker business that carries on after the untimely death of the undertaker.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

BEYBLADE METAL FUSION: VOL 3.

ELMOS WORLD: PENGUINS AND ANIMAL FRIENDS.

KABOOM KIDS: FAVORITE FRIENDS.

KABOOM: AWESOME ADVENTURES.

............//MORE MORE MORE/............

JUSTIFIED: SEASON ONE.
* Damn this one is soooo popular!

****

****new release list no.308

2011-02-23T01:05:00.000-08:00

Hello my people, neighbors, and friends, customers, acquaintances, associates, comrades, compadres, compatriots, expatriates, exhibitionists, abolitionists, abalone-heads, Babylonians, bologna snobs, couch potato blobs, movie snobs, cradle robbers (cradle robbers? Leave him alone, he’s on a roll), hot cross buns, bad puns, Attila and his Huns, tons and tons of love to you this fine evening.

Lots of interesting movies out this week, and for some reason there’s like 30 copies of DUE DATE. So there will be no need for patience on that title this week. One thing I’ve noticed about my new technoself (tech nose elf? Technoshelf?) is that I am much more impatient than I used to be, and that’s saying a lot! They say Patience is a virtue, but they never mention Meekness, Flexibility, Equanimity, Chastity, Ethical Egoism, and lots of other examples of moral excellence that describe Virtue according to my friend Wikipedia. Why is that? Why does Patience get so much play? Could it be more of a universal struggle? More than Chastity – doubt it. But, it’s hard to wait. I feel like if Patience were something I needed to demonstrate to become a Jedi Knight, then I could eventually pull it off. But…I have almost finished the process of accepting that I will never be a Jedi; and I will never look like Taye Diggs. Life can taste so bitter. Just ask Peter Highman (Robert Downey, Jr) as he is attempting to make it from Atlanta to Los Angeles in time for his wife to give scheduled birth to their first child by C-section (is that TMI?). When he crosses paths with Ethan Tremblay (Zachifianakis), his hopes of getting to L.A. plummet dramatically in this farcical comedy that feels quite like a remake of PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES. For Director Todd Phillips, this is his follow-up to the massively successful THE HANGOVER. And speaking of today’s sex comedy (mostly involving men masturbating in the same close space with each other), look for BRIDESMAIDS, the first woman-centric comedy from the Apatow machine. Betcha it’s funnier than this one…whatever one I was drifting around about up there.

GET LOW is another big title out this week. Robert Duvall plays a fellow who has lived in his own self-imposed exile for forty years and now is ready to get right with whoever in order to go on to wherever. Bill Murray is the funeral director who he hires him to give him a living funeral in order to process his life with the good people from town.

MEGAMIND is a really funny new animated film for the kiddos and the lucky adults who check it out. It’s quite funny, and a nice little twist on the usual fare. Megamind, the super hero who stars in this tale, is actually a bad guy. But see, he’s really been painted in this corner, and actually, it is truly not fair. And so, when the blue dude gets out badded by a badder bad guy, it is not a stretch to root for Megamind to beat him and claim his rightful place as a really good bad guy. I watched this whole movie laughing at the weird parent-directed dialog (his heart is like an ocean inside a bigger ocean) and the whole time I thought Owen Wilson was the voice of MEGAMIND and that my good pal, George Clooney was the voice of his first nemesis, the heroic Metro Man. Then it turns out it was actually Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt playing those guys, and the whole world turned upside down.

A couple films out this week that have gotten a lot of hype are part one of MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT. The true-ish story of French Public Enemy no. 1, Jacques Mesrine, follows him as he creates his persona and develops his legend. This movie is a sort of Bonnie and Clyde story with Mesrine’s wild girlfriend Jeanne Schneider along for the thrill ride. With Vincent Cassell and Cecile De France as Jacques and Jeanne. This movie was heavily decorated at the Cesar’s in 2009. FISH TANK is just hitting DVD and is being given the Criterion treatment from the beginning. It is what appears to be a breakout film by Andrea Arnold, an English director who won the Best Short Film, Live Action Academy Award in 2005 for her film WASP. In this one, the main character is a potty-mouthed 15-year-old girl who is in between schools and has little to do, and all day to do it. This film has an 81 rating on Metacritic.com, which is crazy high!

There is lots more, including an Academy Award nominated documentary that I missed in December called GASLAND, and lots of television including season two of NURSE JACKIE, a bunch of seasons of TOP CHEF, a couple more seasons of DETECTIVE MONTALBANO, and season six of WEEDS.

Speaking of the Academy Awards, and assuming you’re still with me in this babbling brook of a tome posted long after sleep should have taken me, while lucidity seems but a silly idea, don’t forget that this Sunday night, we are having an Academy Award party at Four Star Video. We will be projecting the awards outside if weather permits, and we’ll have them on inside the store as well. There will be epic prizes for the people who get the most picks right, so make sure to grab a ballot at the store and fill it out. Prizes include gift certificates to Red Hill Books, Blue Plate, Sports Basement and Fit Bernal Fit, as well as a beautiful hand made necklace made by local artisan Feo Jacobsen. The ballots cost $5 and the money will go to the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema in support of their 8th season. There will also be great food and wine on hand for sale. The party starts at 5pm on our red carpet, so come dressed to the nines and prance down the aisle. We’ll try to have our paparazzi snap a good photo of you and we’ll sell it to the highest bidder (hello, TMZ?). Seriously, peeps, this is going to be a super fun party, so come on down and help raise money for the greatest neighborhood film festival in the city while partying with your friends. Please email me with any questions about this event.

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//............

ALL STAR SUPERMAN.
Comedy/Drama/Foreign (France).
Christina Hendricks/Edward Asner/.
Directed by Sam Liu.
* Well done adaptation of Grant Morrison's "All Star Superman" comic book. But parents beware, this film is rated PG for among other things, “language including brief innuendo”.

BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR.
Suspense/Horror/Romance/Not comedy.
Christina Hendricks/Edward Asner.
Directed by James Nguyen.
* If I was into this kind of movie, this is one I would be extra psyched about. Made as a sort of homage to THE BIRDS, it is eagles and vultures that do the attacking in this film, and they make a lethal team. Look for the sequel coming later this year.

CHANGE OF PLANS.
Comedy/Drama/Foreign (France).
Karin Viard/Dany Boon/Emanuelle Seigner.
Directed by Daniele Thompson.
* Everyone is sleeping with everyone in this French comedy about community and dysfunction.

CHANGI.
Drama.

DUE DATE.****BD****
Comedy.
Robert Downey, Jr/Zach Galifiniakis/Juliette Lewis.
Directed by Todd Phillips.
* I don’t think this is a PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES remake, but it seems like it could have been, it is basically the same story. Straight guy trying to get home to loving wife to make important domestic deadline gets sidetracked by freaky (and slightly chunky) offbeat fellow who then offers to help get dude where he needs to go. In this case, it is RDJ in the Steve Martin role as the straight guy (!) and Zach in the John Candy role. Things get hectic, children get punched, a dog gets spit on, people get stoned and others are beaten. If you liked THE HANGOVER, you’ll probably like this one a bit, too.

FISH TANK.
Drama/Criterion.
Michael Fassbender/Katie Jarvis.
Directed by Andrea Arnold.
* Criterion is giving this the full treatment in its first DVD release (congrats, Andrea Arnold!). It is the story of a 15-year-old who is already at a crux in her young life as she waits to get in to a new school after getting kicked out of her last one.

GET LOW.****BD****
Comedy/Drama.
Robert Duvall/Bill Murray/Lucas Black/Sissy Spacek.
Directed by Aaron Schneider.
* Felix Bush (Duvall) is preparing to die, and he wants to get things straight with his community. A life-long hermit, he evidently has reasons for why he’s lived his isolated life, and he is not content to keep those reasons to himself. So he throws a funeral, with the help of funeral director Frank Quinn (Murray), with the sole purpose of telling the people his side of the story.

GLENN THE FLYING ROBOT.
Sci-Fi.
* Probably this is a film of genius. It is improbably the tale of two rival pianists, whose competition knows no bounds, until Glenn, the flying robot comes into the picture. Please please tell me about this movie after you see it.

MEGAMIND.****BD****
Animation/Comedy/Adventure/Fantasy.
Will Ferrell/Brad Pitt/Tina Fey/Jonah Hill/David Cross/Ben Stiller/J.K. Simmons.
Directed by Tom McGrath.
* Megamind and Metro Man and the bad guy-good guy superhero team that lives in Metro City. However, Metro Man’s heart is not really all committed to being the good guy all the time, and Megamind finally wins the battle. This leaves him bored to tears, and so he creates a new good-guy to battle with him over the city (literally and metaphorically). This movie made me and my kids laugh pretty hard, and is also filled with some great sound-track music including AC/DC and Black Sabbath.

MESRINE: PART ONE KILLER INSTINCT.
Action/Crime/Foreign (French/English/Spanish/Arabic).
Vincent Cassell/Cecile France/Gerard Depardieu.
Directed by Jena-Francois Richet.
* Part one of this long-awaited French film sees Jacques Mesrine become the French gangster legend he became known as. With his crazy girlfriend Jeanne, they do what they want whenever they want, and people who get in their way pay the consequences.

MIDSUMMER MADNESS.
Comedy/Drama/Romance.
Directed by Alexander Hahn.

ROOM IN ROME.
Drama/Romance/LGBT.
Directed by Julio Medem.
* Sexy love story in Rome.

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS.
Criterion/Drama.
Burt Lancaster/Tony Curtis/Marty Milner/Barbara Nichols.
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick.
* This 1957 noir tells the story of a Broadway journalist who is upset by his sister’s romance with a jazz musician and gets a dirty press agent to help him break them up.

SWORD OF WAR.
Action/Adventure.
Rutger Hauer/Raz Degan/F. Murray Abraham.

TEN INCH HERO.
Comedy.
Elisabeth Hanrois/Clea DuVall/Sean Patrick Flanery/Alice Krige.
Directed by David MacKay.
* This comedy is about a group of people working in a sandwich shop in Santa Cruz. Having lived there myself for seven years, I can say there is plenty of rich cinematic material in that town.

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

GASLAND.
Documentary.
* This is in the category of “how’d I miss this one?” From imdb: “It is happening all across America-rural landowners wake up one day to find a lucrative offer from an energy company wanting to lease their property. Reason? The company hopes to tap into a reservoir dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of natural gas." Halliburton developed a way to get the gas out of the ground-a hydraulic drilling process called "fracking"-and suddenly America finds itself on the precipice of becoming an energy superpower.”

LAST TRAIN HOME.
Documentary/Foreign (Mandarin).
Directed by Lixin Fan.
* Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance last year, this doc follows the plight of the migrant worker’s in China.

MIDDLETOWN.
Documentary/Television.
* I am really psyched about this one, it was a television series in 1982, one of the very first reality shows ever made. Examining the city of Muncie, Indiana, the show examines in depth a mayor campaign, a high school basketball rivalry, the struggles of a family business, and the lives of the high school students in town.

TWO IN THE WAVE.
Documentary/Art/Foreign (French).
* This doc tracks the friendship and professional rivalry between French filmmakers, Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut.

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

BROTHERS & SISTERS: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON.
Television/Drama/More Drama.
* This show starring Calista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths, among others, is like a much more serious version of PARENTHOOD. Both follow the siblings of a family through the hard knocks of adult life.

DETECTIVE MONTALBANO: EPISODES 4-6.
Television/Mystery/Foreign (Italian).
* Have you checked these out yet? Adapted from an awesome series of books, Montalbano is a detective in Sicily in the south of Italy. He calms himself with long meditative swims in the Mediterranean, and his own troubled youth gives him empathy for the people he is investigating. He is in charge of every situation, but never impulsive or full of posture. He is a good cop and an honest man. The shows are a bit reminiscent of 80’s American television visually, but the language, the differences between American television and European television and the beautiful backdrop of the dramatic terrain of Sicily make this a super fun watch.

DETECTIVE MONTALBANO: EPISODES 7-10.
Television/Mystery/Foreign (Italian).

MIDSOMER MURDERS: SET 17.
Television/Mystery.

NURSE JACKIE: SEASON TWO.
Television/Comedy/Drama.
Edie Falco/Eve Best.
* Yeah, it’s true that Nurse Jackie is a junkie, and living a life of dishonesty and addiction. But then again, so many of the people in her life are junkies too, popping pills like kids in a candy store. Ah, the hospital life!

TOP CHEF MASTERS: SEASON ONE.
Television/Food.
* Turns out Target has some exclusive DVD arrangement with this show. How lame! Oh well, whatever. We bought it from Target. We already had Season Five, so now we are just missing 2, 3 and 4. We’ll get those soon. In the meantime, we present these three to you.

TOP CHEF LAS VEGAS: SEASON SIX.
Television/Food.
* See above.

TOP CHEF DC: SEASON SEVEN.
Television/Food.
* See above.

WEEDS: SEASON SIX.****ALSO ON BD****
Television/High-fi.
* Has this show gotten weird? Or was it always pretty weird? The cover art is always awesome, and the cult following has not waned.

............//FAMILY............

TIMMY TIME: TIMMY STEALS THE SHOW.
* And then his mom makes him walk back to the store and give it back.

****

****new release list no.307

2011-02-15T21:11:00.001-08:00

Здравствуйте, мои русские друзья!

Valentine’s week made me think of my heart. And my heart made me think of Aerosmith, and Aerosmith made me think about the first amazing 30 seconds of “Sweet Emotion”. Wow, right?. Isn’t it interesting how some of us are very emotive, and others are steadier, and less rocked by their feelings? I wonder why that is? Is there a yin yang thing going on? Do we need both types of people to form a sort of whole community protein? Perhaps.

Personally, I’m an emotional. Sometimes, I have to take deep breaths in order to continue conversations. I’m quick to anger, and quick to laughter and quick to tears. Frankly, it’s a bit of a drag, but then again, I am who I am. And you are who you are. And we are the world. (Where was I?).

Did you watch our video blog last week? If not, click over to the blogspot and check it out. I am hoping to make these little movies somewhat regularly; then again, I am also hoping to write a novel, tour with my band, publish a book of poems, run a marathon, climb Mt. Shasta, paint a series of gigantic oil-paint bar graphs, develop retail fountains, and eventually become a docent at the museum, so I might be overreaching a bit, but it’s good to dream! In the meantime, I made the first one. Tell me what you think!

YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER is the latest Woody Allen film to hit DVD. I could tell you about the plot and name the characters and probe their dilemmas, but I think just saying it is a New York love story about complicated marriage and yearning infidelity pretty much sums it up. With Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts and Josh Brolin, to name a few of the stars.

UNSTOPPABLE is what this train is, see, in the new action flick starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine as two idealists trying to stop it.

I would say, if there was one film that would educate and enrich you this week, it would be A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES. This Kurdish film (the first to reach International release) tells the story of a group of kids on their own, who must do whatever they can to raise money so that their youngest sibling can have a life-saving operation.

Hey, we are getting ready to go full-bore into planning for our Oscar-watching fundraising party at Four Star! There are many epic prizes to be had and red carpet to strut down in your fancy get-up. Pick up your ballot at the store and fill it out for $5 which will go to the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema festival in support of their 8th season. Full prize list in next week's blog. The Oscars (and party) are Sunday, February 27th.

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//............

AT THE SINATRA CLUB.
Action/Drama/Mafia.
* This is a John Gotti tale supposedly telling the story of how he became the successful crime boss that he eventually was. In this story, as a young man, he coalesced many different crime families to pull off a major heist that kind of set him up as almost as big a bossman as the late great George Steinbrenner.

HEARTBREAKER.
Comedy.
Romain Duris/Vanessa Paradis.
Directed by Pascal Chaumeil.
* Duris plays a man who runs a very strange agency with his sister. Their mission? To break up couples! If you are in the mood for a funny comedy that is focused on love, but maybe not in the usual way, this film is probably your ticket.

KITES.
Action/Romance/Foreign (English and Cantonese).
Hirithik Roshan/Barbara Mori.
Directed by Anurag Basu.
* I believe this adventure tale was made both as a Hollywood film and a Bollywood film (and both versions are on this disc)! The story involves a wounded young man who is searching for his sweetheart as he is somehow surviving a brutal shooting, while being pursued by a whole assortment of bad guys.

STORM WARRIORS.
Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Romance/Foreign (English and Cantonese).
Directed by Oxide Pang Chung and Danny Pang.
* From the Pang Brothers comes this adaptation of the comic book series Fung Wan, the story of two friends, Wind and Cloud who are battling an evil warlord intent on destroying their homeland.

TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES.
Drama/War/Foreign (Persian/Kurdish).
Directed by Bahman Ghobadi.
* This heavy but beautiful story is the first Kurdish film to achieve international release. It is the tale of five siblings, fending for themselves after the death of their father. The oldest brother, who is 12, finds out his youngest brother will die unless he has an immediate operation.

UNSTOPPABLE.****BD****
Action/Suspense.
Denzel/Chris Pine/Rosario Dawson.
Directed by Tony Scott.
* It’s a runaway train story filled with highballs loaded with toxicity and dangerous chemicals, in other words, a drunken night at the Wild Side West! With Denzel in the role of dude at the pool table, and Pine as the earnest fellow at the bar.

YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER .****BD****
Comedy/Romance.
Anthony Hopkins/Gemma Jones/Naomi Watts/Josh Brolin/Antonio Banderas.
Directed by Woody Allen.
* Woody is back in the NYC in this comedy that hearkens back to many Allen comedy‘s of the past. He is sleeping with her, but she‘s married to him, and he likes somebody else. Is the moral of the story that love stinks? I‘m not really sure what Woody‘s true philosophy is, but his films certainly tap into a certain special vibe.

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

CANDYMAN.
Documentary.
Directed by Costa Botes.
* David Klein is the man who invented Jelly Belly jelly beans. This doc follows his career. For some strange reason, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic is in the movie.

PROMISED LANDS.
Documentary.
Directed by Susan Sontag.
*From the Amazon product description: PROMISED LANDS is famed writer and critic Susan Sontag's sole documentary project (and her third directorial effort), shot in Israel on the fly in the final days and immediate aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Not only does the film scrutinize the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict, but it also brilliantly underscores the deepening divisions within Jewish thought over the very question of Palestinian sovereignty as well. Banned by Israeli authorities upon its initial release, this visually visceral portrait of a land torn apart by the competing values of militarism, consumerism and religious national identity is as prescient and thought provoking as ever.

WAITING FOR SUPERMAN.
Documentary.
Directed by David Guggenheim.
* This is an unflinching look at the American education system, following individual students around and seeing how the system fails them by inhibiting their education as opposed to encouraging their growth and academic achievement.

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

BILL MOYERS: A WORLD OF IDEAS - WRITERS.
Documentary/Television.
* Bill Moyers unique journalistic style is in full form in this examination of literary giants from around the world.

BILL MOYERS: IN SEARCH OF THE CONSTITUTION.
Documentary/Television.
* Bill Moyers leads a 5-alarm, full-metal jacket, all-points bulletin search from the caves of Madagascar to the beaches of the Arctic Circle for the rumored “Constitution“ which, Moyer believes, may be in terrible danger of being used by terrorists to potentially divert justice for reasons that we are confusing at best, and diabolical at worst. In this 11-part in-depth series, no matter how hard thousands of soldiers from 27 different countries search, it remains elusive and undiscovered. There are unsubstantiated rumors that it might have been stolen by the previous American regime…In the sequel, look for Moyers to search in Texas for it.

DR. WHO: A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
Television/Sci-fi.
* This was the 2010 Dr. Who Christmas special. Four out of five dentists recommend that you chew it on a daily basis.

............//FAMILY............

NICKELODEON’S FAVORITES: SISTERS AND BROTHERS.

THE SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW: VOLUME 3 QUEST FOR THE INFINITY SWORD.

THE WIGGLES: LET’S EAT.

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

DR. WHO: THE MOVIE.
* Eric Roberts (THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE) played “The Master”, Dr. Who’s foe in this 1996 feature film.

............//MORE MORE MORE//............

Are you on the reservation for these movies? Just letting you know I bought some more copies…Hold that download!

ANIMAL KINGDOM.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP.
* That’s right, three more copies.

THE TILLMAN STORY.

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

THE ART OF THE STEAL.

SCREAMING MEN.

****

The video portion of this weeks Four Star Gazer

2011-02-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

****new release no.306

2011-02-08T17:51:00.000-08:00

Welkom op onze Nederlandse vrienden! Bedankt voor het lezen!

Although there are a plootitude of titles this week, there aren’t any huge ones, where the name jumps out at you, begging you to rent it furnishing you with an opinion other than David Denby’s about the film that everyone is facebooking about on their iphones right this moment. No. This week, there are a surprisingly lot of movies that are smaller, chancier and edgier. These tend to be my favorite kind…you miss more than you hit, but when you get a hit? Well, the hits are sublime, and it is awesome to stumble into some brilliant unknown art and feel like you got to the party early. Think ME YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, JUNEBUG and CRAZY.

The movies I chose to take home this weekend were IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, starring the radical Galifianakishness of Zach Galifianakis. In it, a shy and stressed teenager checks himself into the mental health ward of a local hospital where he ends up stuck in the adult ward for the weekend with Galifianak, who both takes the kid under his wing, and tries to climb under the kid’s wing too. But not like that. Anyway, we missed this one, but it looked sweet. We also took home ENTER THE VOID, a mammoth psychedelic adventure involving a super tight bond between brother and sister, a lot of drugs, some crazy crazy visual effects, a few teaspoons of the afterlife, and an extreme sized dose of weirdness. I really wanted to check this out, but Amy was fully uninterested, so we moved on. UNMADE BEDS is the second film by Alexis Dos Santos. Although I hadn’t seen his first film, 2006’s GLUE, I remember the DVD had interesting looking cover art which mentioned soundtrack music from the Violent Femmes. The kid on the cover was cute and the movie looked quirky and smart. The new film, starring Deborah Francois and Fernando Tielve, is about life for a couple of 20 year-olds living in London. The constant pumping soundtrack of live and recorded music provides an excellent foundation with which to understand the youngsters who are trying on adult life like an unwanted jacket given to them by a beloved aunt. They’ll wear it, they have to! But it smells and doesn’t fit just right. So they drink and they try new things while drunk and they yearn for balance, while just barely consciously keeping themselves off kilter. Like REPRISE, the great Norwegian film from 2006, UNMADE BEDS captures well that moment when, like what’s his name in that FORREST GUMP movie, we shake off the leg braces of our youth and run run!

Other movies I thought about bringing home were A PRIVATE FUNCTION, starring Michael Palin and Richard Griffiths, MIDDLE MEN, with Luke Wilson and Giovanni Ribisi and AMARCORD, the Federico Fellini film, being released by Criterion on Blu-ray.

To read about all of this week’s DVD releases, and to find out more about how you pertain to me, go to 4starsf.blogspot.com. And remember; support your local independent video store, cause you will be sad when they’re gone.

Do you enjoy the Oscars? Do you like to dress up and walk on red carpet with photographers taking pictures of you non-stop while people scream and reach for you with desperate star-struck fever? Do you like a good party with your neighbors? On Friday, February 27th, we’ll be hosting an Oscar party benefitting the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema’s 8th Season! Complete a ballot, ($5 to enter) win prizes; enjoy food, beverages and the live broadcast — outdoors and inside the store! Details and ballot available here and also down here at the store.

Do you like art? Have you been to Secession Art down on Mission Street across the street from Safeway? It is a splendid place with multiple in-house designers making jewelry and multi-media paintings and even more designers selling their incredible clothing (men’s, women’s and some stuff for the kiddos) as well as lots of other stuff. For the next two months SUCCULENCE will be filling the windows of the latest show with Living Frames, airplant globes and more. Also featured in the show are the sublime reversible skirts made by local neighborhood artisan Liisa Dalbak. There will be an art opening there this Friday night, Feb 11th. I’ll see you there!

Succulence is hosting a 3 day Planting Bar for Valentine’s Day. We’ll have on hand a variety of containers, as well as tons of succulents, and an array of sands and pebbles and mosses. You pick all the elements and we will help you plant it! Ask us about it.

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//............

AMERICA AMERICA.
Drama.
Directed by Elia Kazan.
* This Oscar-winning film from 1963 was actually the story of the director’s Greek uncle who fled Turkey in the latter portion of the 19th century and headed against his family’s wishes to America.

BEAUTY AND THE BRIEFCASE.
Comedy.
Hilary Duff/Jamie Pressly.
Directed by Gil Junger.
* She is a freelance writer, and she is going undercovers while looking for love. Typo?

ENTER THE VOID.
Psychedelic/Drama/Experimental.
Directed by Gaspar Noe.
* This freak fest tells the story of a brother and sister who share a very tight bond which is not completely broken upon his shooting death. There are crazy effects and techniques applied in this psychedelic adventure. Not sure if the movie is that good, but if it isn‘t, turn the volume down and put on Pink Floyd‘s “The Dark Side of the Moon“, it goes with it perfectly.

FIVE CORNERS.
Drama.
Jodie Foster/Tim Robbins/Todd Graff/John Turturro.
Directed by Tony Bill.
* In this drama, from 1987, Turturro plays a psycho who gets out of jail and looks up the girl (Foster) that he attempted to rape in the crime that sent him up the river.

FOR COLORED GIRLS.
Drama.
Anika Noni Rose/Thandi Newton/Kerry Washington/Janet Jackson.
Directed by Tyler Perry.
* Adapted from a play by Ntozake Shange, this film tells multiple stories of women‘s issues, and in particular women of color.

HIDEAWAY.
Drama/Foreign (French).
Isabelle Carre.
Directed by Francois Ozon.
* A recently pregnant woman, left alone after she survived an OD with her boyfriend who did not, moves to the sticks where she is joined by her exes gay brother, who himself is struggling to find his place in life.

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (2010).****BD****
Horror.
Directed by Steven Monroe.
* Did you see the original? In this updated remake, there’s a bit of SAW and HOSTEL added to the standard brutal rape revenge fantasy. Brutal. Murderous. Torturous. Uh, huh, her.

IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY.
Comedy/Drama.
Keir Gilchrist/Zach Galifianakis/Emma Roberts/Viola Davis/Zoe Kravitz.
Directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden.
* This teenage kid, worried about some suicidal impulses, checks himself into a mental hospital, and ends up with a mandatory 5-day stay in the adult ward. There he meets a variety of unstable people, including Mr. Galifianakis, who becomes a special friend of a sort.

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT.****BD****
Comedy
Josh Duhamel/Katherine Heigl.
Directed by Greg Berlanti.
* Do you have an estate plan? Have any kids? Any sort of directives saying what happens if you pass unexpectedly? Well…Just saying, cuz in this “comedy“ two unprepared single adults become parents of a sort when their great friends die suddenly, leaving behind an orphaned baby girl.

MIDDLE MEN.****BD****
Comedy/Drama.
Luke Wilson/Giovanni Ribisi/James Caan.
Directed by George Gallo.
* This is the story of one of the pioneers of the internet, one of the first people to make solid money online in the 90’s. What did he sell? Sex, of course - what pushes all technology? Sex! This movie actually looks pretty fun.

MY SOUL TO TAKE. ****BD****
Suspense.
Directed by Wes Craven.
* So take it, Wes, hell you’ve got much of our cash, as well. Psych! I’m keeping my soul, and I suggest you do to! But if you are super into the killah killah movies, then this one, might be fun for you - it is the story of a supposedly dead serial killer coming to stalk some youngsters who were born the day he died, that is, if he really did die.

ONG BAK 3: THE FINAL BATTLE.
Action/Foreign (Thai).
Tony Jaa/Dan Chupong.
Directed by Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai.
* The third in this tale of karmatic, meditative violent battle.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2. ****BD****
Horror/Mystery/Thriller.
Directed by Tod Williams.
* The events in this store are not normal. They are outside the range of normal experience or scientific explanation. They’re crazy super freaky! Turn on the lights, look under the bed, get a gun, and then you can start to really freak out, cuz you can’t kill what you can’t touch.

A PRIVATE FUNCTION.****BD****
Comedy.
Michael Palin/Maggie Smith/Richard Griffiths.
Directed by Malcolm Mowbray.
* This laugh riot movie from 1984 has a plot centered around an illegally raised pig, set to be slaughtered and presented to the soon-to-be Queen. Sadly, the pig is stolen.

THE ROMANTICS.
Drama/Romance.
Katie Holmes/Anna Paquin/Josh Duhamel/Malin Akerman/Elijah Wood.
Directed by Galt Niederhoffer.
* Katie Holmes and Anna Paquin are ex-college roommates who battled over the same guy, but ha ha Katie, Anna won! And now she is marrying the lucky fellow (Duhamel) and all the old gang are gathering for the wedding. A drama kind of in the style of RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, this ensemble piece is full of young talent who evidently pull out some fine performances.

SANTA SANGRE.
Horror.
Directed by Alejandro Jodorosky.
* From the maker of EL TOPO and HOLY MOUNTAIN came this 1989 derangathon about a young man dealing with some mental struggles, the kind that come from watching yer Daddy cut off your mama’s arms! Even if she was a religious nut, it was still very extreme! Now, said young man is back with mommy, and has sort of become her hatchet man, so to speak, as together they embark on a murderous vengeful path.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER.
Comedy/Romance.
Justin Kirk/Estella Warren.
Directed by Tamara Tunie.
* New York love story about a woman who feel abandoned by her therapist and starts a network for other walking wounded who are angry at their therapists, too.

STILL WALKING.****BD****
Criterion/Drama/Foreign (Japanese).
Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda.
* Emotive family drama from 2008 about adult kids coming to visit their parents with their families on a lovely summer day. They are there to commemorate the loss of the oldest sibling, from an accident years ago. The film gently shows the way families change and still remain the same.

TAMARA DREWE.
Comedy.
Gemma Arterton/Dominc Cooper/Luke Evans.
Directed by Stephen Frears.
* Developed from the graphic novel by Posy Simmonds, Tamara is a young newpaper writer who returns to her rural roots to help prepare her childhood home for sale.

UNMADE BEDS.
Drama/Indie/Comedy.
Deborah Francois/Fernando Tielve.
Directed by Alexis Dos Santos.
* Ah, the roaring 20‘s; not the decade, the period of life! The transition to adulthood can be rocked by many pitfalls, all-night dancing, black-out drinking, fear of abandonment, sexual options. In this coming of age tale, two separate stories of wistful self-protectiveness criss-cross just slightly in the squat where many artists are living. Axl is somewhat looking for his father who left his family when he was a small child and Vera is so deeply in avoidance of love that her latest boyfriend doesn’t even know her name. Dos Santos follows up his debut film GLUE with another wonderful capture of the joy, fear and exhilaration of early adulthood. Includes an awesome soundtrack.

WILD TARGET.
Action/Comedy.
Bill Nighy/Emily Blunt/Rupert Grint.
Directed by Jonathan Lynn.
* This remake of Cible Emovante (1993) is a classic British-style comedy with a buttoned-up solo assassin falling in love with one of his targets and then trying to avoid his angry client while traipsing around with his new friend.

YEAR OF THE FISH.
Animation/Fantasy/Romance.
Directed by David Kaplan.
* This lush rotoscope-animation sensual feast places the Cinderella story in the depths of New York‘s Chinatown. Rotoscoping is the animation style that was used to make A SCANNER DARKLY, but in this it is a bit lighter and prettier.

YOU AGAIN .****
Comedy.
Kristen Bell/Sigourney Weaver/Jamie Lee Curtis.
Directed by Andy Fickman.
* As if High School wasn‘t a nightmare enough for Marnie (Bell), now her brother is marrying her least favorite friend from that time period.

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

MI 5: VOLUME 8.
Television/Spy.
* The British spy series where they are much more civilized and intelligent in their investigations than their American counterparts. This usually involves lots of tea breaks.

PROJECT RUNWAY: THE COMPLETE 8th SEASON.
Television/Model/Realityish.
* They are still making dresses out of spam to compete for the grand prize of a career in the industry, but…which industry?

............//NEW ON BLU/……….
AMARCORD.
Criterion/Drama/Foreign (Italian).
Directed by Federico Fellini.
* This 1973 Oscar-winning film tells the story of a small Italian coastal town and the people who live there and was based on the town that Fellini grew up in.

............//FAMILY............

CHUGGINGTON: LET’S RIDE THE RAILS.

COOL DOG.

CURIOUS GEORGE: BIKE RIDE ADVENTURE.

MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE: MINNIE’S MASQUERADE.

TOM & JERRY: FUR FLYING ADVENTURES.

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

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER - BOOK 1 WATER: VOL ONE.

****

****new release list no.305

2011-02-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

Moi znajomi polską! Witaj!

Ahoy there mates. It’s time for another edition of The Four Star Gazer!

It’s February as I write, and that seems exciting. Another month in the books, and although January did seem to fly by, when I looked at my calendar I was relatively shocked at all the things that happened last month. So, I think yes, it goes fast, but wow, so full.

In February, the Academy Awards get doled out. I have enjoyed watching them for the last few years, and each year I think, why are we not having a Four Star Video Oscar Party? Well, guess what? This year, we are having one! That’s right, in conjunction with the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema Festival (and actually, as a benefit for their 2011 festival) we are going to host a throw down on Oscar night, Sunday, February 27th! The plan is to project it outside, and have it on inside as well. We will have drinks and snacks for sale outside – think wine and cheese and maybe some yummy locally made sweets. We will also have an Oscar ballot for $5 with prizes for the winners (wonderful, amazing prizes – to be announced!). As I mentioned, this will be a benefit for the local film festival that we all love, can you believe this year will be their 8th season! Anne and Leslie, I salute you! We will encourage you to dress in your favorite film outfit, either as a character you admire, or perhaps in your snappiest red carpet outfit. I am sure we’ll be talking about your dresses and suits for weeks afterwards. I will give you more details as they come together, but calendar this party people, and look for the ballots at the counter of Four Star Video sometime in the next few days. Who loves a party? Everyone do. That’s who.

Lots of films out this week, but I don’t think any are Oscar-related. Ah, well, still and all. LET ME IN is the remake of the classic Swedish vampire movie from 2008, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. The new one stars the fabulous Chloe Moretz (KICK-ASS, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER), and the fact that it is a remake just two years after the fact probably should not be held against it. Also out is WELCOME TO THE RILEYS, where a wayward Kristen Stewart meets a heartbroken James Gandolfini and their resulting friendship helps both of them heal a bit. In CONVICTION, Hillary Swank’s brother Sam Rockwell is convicted and she goes to law school and spends a few decades trying to exonerate him. THE TILLMAN STORY tells the story of Pat Tillman, the once-famous football star who died of friendly fire in Afghanistan, and his family who fought fiercely to find out the details of his death after a military cover-up. There are also a few cool looking foreign films, GIULIA DOESN’T DATE AT NIGHT from Italia, MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON from France, and A WOMAN A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP, a satirical Chinese remake of the Coen Brother’s great early film BLOOD SIMPLE.

Is there more to report? Probably. Noisepop is this month, which is an amazing San Francisco institution. This is the first year in a few that neither Amy or my bands is playing in this festival, but the way Conspiracy of Venus is hitting it these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up in there somewhere. Also, more locally, tomorrow night at the library, the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema is having one of its quarterly screenings. Here’s the details. Is there more? Am I forgetting? Forgive me, it’s late and I am tired.

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//............

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2.
Cutesy.
Erin Cahill/Susan Blakely/George Lopez.
Directed by Alex Zamm.
* Woof woof!

BULLSHOT.
Comedy.
Alan Shearman
Directed by Dick Clement.
* Hilarious 1983 farcical romp. Think BUCKAROO BANZAI without the sci-fi and with British accents, and more funny, and with a completely different plot.

CONVICTION.****BD****
Drama.
Hilary Swank/Sam Rockwell/Minnie Driver/Melissa Leo/Juliette Lewis.
Directed by Tony Goldwyn.
* Did he do it? Betty Anne (Swank) doesn’t think so. So when her convicted brother (Rockwell) has gone through the system and has no further hope from the public defenders who have been representing him, she puts herself through law school to try to represent him and gain his freedom.

ELENA UNDONE.
Drama/Romance/LGBT.
Tracie Dinwiddie/Necar Zadegan.
Directed by Nicole Conn.
* A well-known lesbian writer becomes involved in a passionate affair with the wife of a pastor.

GIULIA DOESN”T DATE AT NIGHT.
Drama/Foreign (Italian).
Valerie Golino.
Directed by Giusseppe Piccioni.
* Emotive tale about trust and fidelity.

LET ME IN.****BD****
Horror/Suspense/Vampire/Remake/Drama.
Chloe Moretz/Kodi Smit-McPhee/Richard Jenkins/Elias Koteas.
Directed by Matt Reeves.
* Just two years ago, the Swedish vampire drama LET THE RIGHT ONE IN took cinema fans by storm. Reviews raved about how it went beyond the vampire genre and was a beautiful story about isolation and friendship and youth. Hollywood jumped on it and has given us this remake which basically follows the same story line…An under loved and somewhat bullied kids becomes friends with a young vampire who helps him gain revenge on his tormentors, among other things. If you loved the original, you will probably find reasons not to like this as much, however the child actors are great, and in case you don’t know it, Chloe Moretz is a Star with a capital S. Not yet 14, she has worked like crazy in the last few years, and truly established herself in Hollywood. You may remember her as the brilliant younger sister in (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, or as the little killing machine Hit-Girl in KICK-ASS. She has between 5 and 8 movies coming out in the next several years, so you will probably know her name well after that.

MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON.
Drama/Foreign (French).
Sandrine Kiberlain/Aure Atika/Vincent Lindon.
Directed by Stephane Brize.
* I have heard sweet things about this simple tale of a father whose life opens up when he volunteers as a substitute teacher at the school his son goes to and finds himself having deeper feelings for his kid’s homeroom teacher, Mademoiselle Chambon. Voila!

MONSTERS.****BD****
Drama/Sci-Fi.
Whitney Able/Scoot McNairy.
Directed by Gareth Edwards.
* They say this movie takes place six years after an alien invasion, and I wanna know which aliens? Not sure, and it’s true that I haven’t seen this film, but it is rated higher than I would have imagined on imdb, and I did buy a stack of them, so perhaps you should check it out! The main story is a journalist is escorting a hot tourist through one of the infected zones, in this case in Mexico, back to the safe haven of the US. Wait, alien invasion? Infected zone in Mexico? What the? Is this some kind of bizarre border immigration subtext story? Uh, not according to writer.

NEVER LET ME GO.****BD****
Drama/Suspense.
Keira Knightley/Carey Mulligan/Andrew Garfield/Sally Hawkins/Charlotte Rampling.
Directed by Mark Romanek.
* Adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro’s powerful novel about a group of young adults who share a wonderful past together, growing up in an idyllic boarding school, but who also share a frightening future based on their purpose in life. You may remember Garfield who just played Eduardo, the jilted partner in THE SOCIAL NETWORK, and Mulligan (AN EDUCATION) continues her rise to fame.

THE PREGNANCY PACT.
Drama.
Thora Birch.
Directed by Rosemary Rodriguez.
* Shila encouraged me to shut my mouth, when I began making an inappropriate joke about this film on Friday. Thanks, Shila! Yes, it is a Lifetime original film, but don’t judge it based on that! Do you remember the story this is based on? In Gloucester, Massachusetts, a group of teenagers made a pact to get pregnant at the same time, and many of them did! I can’t help but think that this was due in some small part to the fact that their families were Red Sox fans.

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS.
Drama.
James Gandolfini/Kristen Stewart/Melissa Leo/Ally Sheedy.
Directed by Jake Scott.
* This performance driven film is about a couple dealing with the terrible loss of their 15-year-old daughter. In the course of resuming his life, Doug Riley (Gandolfini) meets a young runaway (Stewart), and tries to parent her a bit, as he is struggling with his pain. Though the story is a bit trite, the strength of the acting carries this film and indeed carried it enough to be nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2010 (it lost to WINTER’S BONE).

A WOMAN A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP.
Drama/Foreign (Mandarin).
Directed by Yimou Zhang.
* A monkey, a candlestick and an ice cream parlor. A camel, a frozen steak and a sushi restaurant. A mouse, some cheese and a greasy spoon. The lion, the witch and the wardrobe. Oh, fine, the real info? This is a Chinese remake of the Coen brothers brilliant film BLOOD SIMPLE.

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

THE TILLMAN STORY.
Documentary.
Narrated by Josh Brolin.
Directed by Amir Bar-Lev.
* Ah shit, Pat Tillman was a skilled and successful football star at the peek of his young career when he threw it all away to join the military after 911 because he thought it was the right thing to do. Tragically, he was killed by friendly fire in April of 2004. This movie tells the baffling story of how the military withheld this information from the family (and even covered it up) until after a nationally televised memorial service was held lauding him as a hero and ramping up the vitriolic war vibe against the enemy. Maybe we only know the truth of his story because of the dogmatic struggle by his family to get to the bottom of what really happened. Maybe this is their story as well as their sons.

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

PLEASANTVILLE.
* Reese Witherspoon and Tobey McMonkey starred in this awesome 1998 film about siblings from the 90’s who find themselves living in a 1950’s sitcom after they are sucked into the television. Ah, but once the children of the 90’s assert themselves, the world will never be the same.

10.
* Vavoom! Bo Derek is the object of Dudley Moore’s obsession in this campy sex comedy. Did we need this on Blu-ray? Probably not…Are you gonna watch it? Probably so.

YOU’VE GOT MAIL.
* And lots of spam, too.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: 60th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE.****BD****

SCOOBY DOO MYSTERY INCORPORATED: SEASON ONE VOLUME 1.

SESAME STREET: SILLY STORYTIME.

****

****new release list no.304

2011-01-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

THE GIRL WHO KICKED A HORNETS NEST is technically the final segment in the high-octane trilogy based on the award-winning novels by Stieg Larsson. Watch as Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist lurch toward the satisfying conclusion of the incredibly complex and psychologically demented story that has captivated many nations. I say “technically” b/c I read this weekend that there is actually a fourth novel in this series that has not yet been published. Wow, right? It turns out that when Larsson died, at the far too young age of 50 in 2004, he left behind a messy estate, and a computer filled with at least three quarters or more of a manuscript for the next book in the series. In fact, it is generally thought that he was planning up to 10 books starring Salander! Wow, a veritable goldmine! So where is this fourth book? Well, that is the messy part. It is in possession of his girlfriend and life partner for many years, Eva Gabrielsso, who legally had no right to anything in his estate (and as a result has not profited from the book sales or movie-deals). In fact, his family, who Eva claims had little contact or relationship with him, has done all of the profiting, and you can bet they’d love to take a little look-see at that computer she’s got. Maybe they should hire Lisbeth to hack into it and find out what’s really there! You know Ms. Salander would be up to the job. Anyway, enjoy this movie, and get prepared, because the entire trilogy is already being filmed for the English-language remake treatment, with the first film (starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig) tentatively scheduled to be released in December of this very year! I tell you, it is a goldmine. By the way, Larsson died of a somewhat suspect heart attack. Could it have been murder? At this point, we don’t know.

Also out this week is NOWHERE BOY, the fictobiopic about the early years of John Lennon. Focused on the conflict within his family – the free-spirit mother who couldn’t be bothered to raise him and the strict but loving Aunt who did the best she could – the story is mostly about the pain of youth, desperation, dislocation, separation, condemnation, revelation, in temptation, isolation, desolation. You just listen to the song MOTHER by John Lennon and you can pretty much understand the pain he felt. Just listen to the wails on those final refrains of “Mother don’t go. Daddy come home”. It kind of makes you really wonder…I mean, on the one hand, give that kid a hug and some love; on the other hand, the pain fomented into – the Beatles! Life is unfair, and that’s clearly not always bad.

That reminds me of a story a great friend told us this weekend. Their wealthy friends’ child was complaining about something not being fair and one of the parents had just had enough. You know what? He shouted. You’re beautiful – that’s not fair! And you have lots of clothes, that’s not fair either! And you have a pretty decent amount of money, how fair is that? You know what? He continued. You should get on your knees and pray that things don’t get fair, b/c your life is pretty amazing as it is.

Pretty powerful thought, right? I think so.

Other big titles this week, RED starring Bruce Willis and a million other huge names. This action comedy is about a bunch of dangerous retired ex-agents who reunite to shoot their guns a bunch together once more. SECRETARIAT: A woman a horse, a triple crown; Secretariat. (Try it backwards, it’s a palindrome! Also, if you like weird psychological foreign films, you should watch DOGTOOTH, which looks like an all-time tweaker to me. In other news, Ryan Reynolds is BURIED in Iraq. Gerard Depardieu stars in Claude Chabrol’s final film INSPECTOR BELLAMY. And a bunch of powerful documentaries have been released on DVD and offered at Four Star Video – scroll down for details.

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

Love and Kisses,
Ken

p.s. Are you a fan of Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema? You should be! Here is the latest news from this awesome local festival, including some off season screenings and a call for entries for the 2011 festival! Read more here.

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

BURIED.
Suspense/Thriller/Mystery.
Ryan Reynolds.
Directed by Rodrigo Cortes.
* Paul Conroy (Reynolds), a contractor working in Iraq, wakes up to find himself in a coffin seemingly buried in the ground with nothing but a zippo and a blackberry to keep himself company. He vaguely remembers being attacked, but is confused as to the rest of it. The phone works, and soon he is contacting family and government to help him escape before the sand leaking into his coffin completes the job of burying him alive.

DOGTOOTH.
Comedy/Drama/Horror/Foreign (Greek).
Directed by Giorgos Lanthimos.
* Whoa, this super freaky psychological flick is about a family living in isolation who are being demented by their completely unscrewed parents who are teaching them an alternative vocabulary as well as tremendously handicapping their development. The only visitor they have is a woman who is brought in to have sex with the oldest child, the teenage son, to “relieve him of his sexual urges”. When she gets involved with the teenage daughters, the dam collapses, and the family rebels against the insanity. This film got nominated for an Academy Award this morning!

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS NEST.****BD****
Action/Mystery.
Noomi Rapace/Michel Nyqvist/Lena Endre.
Directed by Daniel Alfredson.
* More like, The girl who stomped the hornets’ nest…Most people now know about Lisbeth Salander, the uber-damaged, asocial, computer-hacking, purveyor of her own special brand of justice. She has been brutalized and done her own brutalizing through two previous films, as the mystery of her past has slowly unraveled. This is the brilliant, terrifying and vicious conclusion to the trilogy adapted from the novels written by Stieg Larrson.

INSPECTOR BELLAMY.
Crime/Horror.
Gerard Depardieu.
Directed by Claude Chabrol.
* Chabrol’s last feature film was this 2009 mystery about Parisian Inspector Paul Bellamy, a tired Chief, who is trying to enjoy his vacation only to have it spoiled by his useless brother-in-law and a mysterious investigation. Perhaps not Chabrols best film, still, it is his last, and also his only time working with French cinema giant, Gerard Depardieu.

LIKE DANDELION DUST.
Drama.
Mira Sorvino/Barry Pepper.
Directed by Jon Gunn.
* A heartfelt tale of a child torn between his adopted family and his biological family. Won 16 festival awards around the country.

NOWHERE BOY.****BD****
Drama/Fictobiopic.
Aaron Johnson/Kristin Scott Thomas/Anne-Marie Duff.
Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood.
* This John Lennon fictobiopic chronicles his early years, being brought up in a strict household by his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas). When his mother re-enters his life, she stirs up a lot of emotion (as most parents who abandon their children do) and John turns to music to help him process his feeling. And thank god for that, right?

OPEN SEASON 3.****BD****
Comedy/Animation/Family.
Crispin Glover/Fred Stoller.
Directed by Cody Cameron .
* Somehow, Boog now works for a Russian traveling circus, and his friends must find a way to bring him home.

RED.****BD****
Action/Comedy.
Bruce Willis/Morgan Freeman/Mary-Louise Parker/Hellen Mirren/John Malkovich/John C. Reilly/Richard Dreyfuss/Ernest Borgnine.
Directed by Robert Schwentke.
* This farcical comedy is mostly about retired senior citizens, but if that’s all they were, the film would be called RSC. You see, there actually designation is Retired Extremely Dangerous, senior citizens. Thus, RED. Frank Moses (Willis) is thoroughly bored with retirement, and when danger threatens to return him to work, he heeds the call joyfully. In fact, he calls on the whole old gang to join him in a little gunplay, something these geezers seem to greatly relish.

REFLECTIONS.
Action/Suspense.
Timothy Hutton.
Directed by Bryan Goeres.
* Thriller about an agent tracking a serial killer into Spain.

SAW: THE FINAL CHAPTER.
Horror.
Tobin Bell.
Directed by David Hackl.

SECRETARIAT.****BD****
Drama/Sports.
Diane Lane/Scott Glenn.
Directed by Randall Wallace.
* Secretariat was a horse who (cuz horses are people, too) won the Triple Crown in 1973. This is the cinematic telling of his improbable story and of the woman who owned him.

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

CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER.
Documentary.
Directed by Alex Gibney.
* Spitzer himself sat for interviews with the director for this insider look at his rapid political rise and even faster descent. Somehow he has risen again as a television commentator. Celebrity is beautiful.

INSIDE THE MILKY WAY. ****BD****
Documentary/Nature/Science.
* I love me a milky way.

LAND OF CONFUSION.
Documentary/War.
* The director of this film was one of a group of people in the Pennsylvania National Guard making the transition from citizen to soldier in 2004. He documented this transition as they were sent to Iraq with the goal of finding WMD’s which history has told us were not actually there. This is a very up close exploration of the emotions and training this group went through.

SINS OF MY FATHER.
Documentary/Sociology.
Directed by Nicolas Entel.
* Sebastian Escobar is the son of the late Pablo Escobar, the former boss of Colombia's Medellin drug cartel who was directly responsible for hundreds of deaths and much pain and misery as well as untold millions of dollar gained in illegal drug trade. This film tells Escobar’s story through the words and eyes of his son and his widow. Also being told in this film is the story of a few of the more prominent men whose deaths were ordered by the Medellin cartel. In the film, two of the sons of these men are united with Sebastian Escobar as he tries to atone for his father’s terrible actions. This film won awards on the festival circuit and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance last year in the World Cinema – Documentary category.

WHICH WAY HOME.
Documentary.
Directed by Rebecca Cammisa.
* This well-formed and Oscar-nominated documentary follows unaccompanied minors (as in 9 and 10 year old children) as they try to cross the border into the United States. Some are looking for work, others are looking for their parents, still others are just looking to survive. The director received a Fulbright Scholar Grant to Mexico to make this film

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

THE AGATHA CHRISTIE HOUR: SET 2.
Television/Mystery.
* Season two from the 1982 mystery series featuring some of Christie’s lesser known characters.

GLEE: SEASON TWO: VOLUME ONE.
Television/Musical.
* The first half of season two of the extremely popular show has arrived!

DOC MARTIN: SERIES ONE.
Television/Comedy/Drama.
* This is the first season of a British show that has been out for some time. If you guys are into it, we’ll keep buying it. It is about a socially-challenged doctor who has relocated from London to a general practice by the sea.

THE SHADOW OF THE TOWER.
Mini-Series/Drama/History/BBC.
* James Maxwell (not the local Bernal realtor) plays King Henry the Seventh in this 1972 saga chronicling the founding of the Tudor dynasty.

SKINS: VOLUME FOUR.
Television/Drama.
* Season four of the British series about a bunch of teenagers living fast without much supervision.

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

THE COLOR PURPLE.
* Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey starred in this Steven Spielberg adaptation of a brilliant Alice Walker book.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

LEAPFROG: NUMBERS AHOY.

SHAUN THE SHEEP: SPRING SHENA-A-ANAGINS.

****

****new release list no.303

2011-01-18T22:18:00.001-08:00

Has anyone noticed the lack of good Republicans in this town? Right? I mean, you go to any self-respecting city in America, and there is some good Teabagging Republican action to be had, but here? Here, it’s just a bunch of leftie hippie communists, stirring the pot and arguing about who’s lefter than who, and how big’s your carbon footprint. Hey, my carbon footprint is huge! And that is why I wear huge carbon socks, fitted with gasoline powered toe-warmers. Yeah, they cost a lot of energy, but my little piggly wiggly’s are always warm. And that is what counts. That and no more ring around the collar.

Have you noticed I am in NORMAL MODE in the hair department recently? Where’s my freak flag? What is up with my salty-brown short republican hair-do? Well, maybe I am just trying to spice up the political landscape – did you ever figure that? How boring is it if I just have a multi-colored rainbow on my head? How drab a spiked black Mohawk? How cliché a bright pink moptop? I am risking overexposure here, people. It is much more earth shattering neighborhood news that I have a mousey haircut with my ears exposed.

Did you watch the Golden Globes this weekend? I hear that Ricky Gervais has been blacklisted for his “mean-spirited” but nasty funny comments. I didn’t see the show, but I read this article, and it made me wish I had. THE SOCIAL NETWORK took home some serious hardware…I am looking forward to seeing some of the other big movies of the year as they come out in the next month. None of those have likely come out this week, with JACK GOES BOATING, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s directorial debut, being the biggest title. Hoffman plays an introverted guy named Jack who is seeking love with Connie, another highly introverted person. Good luck, Connie and Jack!

Also out this week is PAPER MAN, starring Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone as a couple of people struggling on the perimeter who provide a bit of sympathy and support to each other.

Also of note is FREAKANOMICS, a new documentary explore the weird and hidden side of life. This film is based on a novel of the same name.

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//............

ANIMAL KINGDOM.
Drama/Crime.
Guy Pearce.
Directed by David Michod.
* A seventeen year old seeks a home with his Melbourne based crime family after his mother dies of an OD. This film won a fair amount of world wide awards including the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in the World Cinema – Dramatic category.

ARMY OF CRIME.
Drama/History/War/Foreign (French and German).
Directed by Robert Guediguian.
* This intense tale tells the story of a young poet, Missak Manouchian, leading a small group of misfits in a resistance against the Nazi occupation of France.

CAIRO TIME.
Drama/Romance.
Patricia Clarkson.
Directed by Ruba Nadda.
* Clarkson plays a married woman on her own in Cairo who hooks up with a local.

DEATH RACE 2.****BD****
Action.
Luke Goss/Danny Trejo/Ving Rhames
Directed by Roel Reine.
* It’s a prequel! There are very serious races. Dangerous, fast races. Barely survivable races. Death races. And women.

DOWN TERRACE.
Comedy.
Bob Hill/Robin Hill.
Directed by Ben Wheatley.
* This crime comedy follows the misadventures of a crime family trying to determine who is the snitch in their midst.

JACK GOES BOATING.****BD****
Action.
Philip Seymour Hoffman/Amy Ryan/John Ortiz.
Directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
* But not for most of the movie…For most of the film, Jack is struggling to connect with his new girlfriend Connie, who his good friends have set him up with. Jack and Connie are both very introverted people who live on societies edges, averting their eyes, and mingling little with the other creatures passing by. Jack wears skanky blond dreads and listens to his positive vibe Reggae music in his walkman (that he must have bought on Ebay, cuz where else would you get one of those things?). He talks in a mumble and dreams of doing something for himself. His best friends, a married couple, continually remind him of the potential miseries and pitfalls of coupled life. Yet, he persists in his desire for it and other new experiences, and eventually, Jack does indeed go boating.

LEBANON.
Drama/History/War/Foreign (Hebrew/Arabic/French/English).
Directed by Samuel Maoz.
* This claustrophobic tale of a tank and its crew during the 1982 Lebanon war was based on the director’s brutal experience as a soldier in that war. The story takes place almost exclusively inside the tank, with its young occupants scared shitless.

PAPER MAN.
Drama/Indie.
Jeff Daniels/Lisa Kudrow/Emma Stone/Kieran Culkin/Ryan Reynolds.
Directed by Kieran Mulroney and Michele Mulroney.
* Daniels plays a washed-up writer with a successful doctor wife (Kudrow, seeming to get better and better with each role she plays). He is somewhat banished to a small town in order to get writing on his next novel, which he cannot do. He has a secret buddy that he’s had since he was a kid named Captain Excellent (Reynolds – actually, this is what he looks like when he is NOT acting). The good Captain at this stage is just worried about his shlumpy buddy. Emma Stone plays a damaged teenager, with a secret buddy of her own (Culkin, in another charismatic performance). Although this movie has some dialog struggles, and maybe could have used my brother-in-laws superior editing, it still manages to retain a sweetness and an internal struggle that should be relatable by many of us.

STONE.
Drama/Action.
Robert De Niro/Edward Norton/Milla Jovovich.
Directed by John Curran.
* Stone (Norton) seeks to get out of jail, and Jack (De Niro) is his hard-ass parole officer. Lucetta (Jovovich) is Stone’s super hot wife who Stone suggests Jack get to know better in a misguided attempt for a get-out-of-jail free card.

SUMMER IN LA GOULETTE.
Comedy/Foreign (French/Arabic/Italian).
Directed by Ferid Boughedir.
* Three seventeen year old girls are determined to lose their virginity in 1967 at the beaches of Tunisi.

TAKERS.
Action/Crime/Thriller.
Matt Dillon.
Directed by.
* Think there’s a connection between all these bank robbery movies and today’s economy? Not sure, but in this one, a seasoned gang of robbers is tracked relentlessly by a rogue cop played by Matt Dillon.

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

FREAKANOMICS. ****BD****
Documentary/Economy.
Directed by Alex Gibney and Morgan Spurlock and more.
* You’re gonna need to take some freakazoloft to get your mind to stop spinning after you watch some of the great documentarians of our time tackle the bizarre underside of our reality. Adapted from a book of the same name.

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

JUSTIFIED: SEASON ONE.
Television/Drama/Westerny.
Timothy Olyphant.
* Raylan Givens is a U.S. Marshal. He’s a throwback to another century, super tough, with a quiet manner, sort of like Clint Eastwood. His brand of justice, borderline outlaw-style, has gotten him reassigned to Eastern Kentucky, where he grew up.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

BEN 10: ULTIMATE ALIEN VOLUME 1.

LEAPFROG: AMAZING ALPHABET AMUSEMENT PARK.

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

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.
* This was the fourth of the series, and we needed a few new copies, so we snagged them...

****

****new release list no.302

2011-01-12T10:43:00.001-08:00

Questions I have been wondering.

How is your social network doing? Are you staying connected with everyone you love? Do you have a phone list taped to the wall next to the home telephone? Do you still have a home telephone? Do you have an address book on paper? Is everything you need coded in little 1’s and 0’s inside your super computer in your pocket? Do you have a smart phone? Is it smart to rely on a phone for everything? How would you find your way around a strange city without a GPS device? What would you do while waiting for the plane without your phone? Can you add two three digit numbers in your head?

Does Google love me?

I would ask Mark Zuckerberg, but after watching THE SOCIAL NETWORK, I’m afraid he would give me some cryptic answer while staring out a window. Mark, Mark! Fund me! I’ll change the name of the store to Facebook Video! (Cool it, Kennyboy). Oops, sorry folks.

Actually, I went into the experience of watching the film about the founders of Facebook with a very skeptical feeling. I am nagged with irritation at that website, though as you all must know, I use it frequently. I have a Four Star Video page, and a Succulence page, and my band The Dont’s has a page, and I have a personal page, too. It is a smart tool for many reasons, yet…sometimes I am just deeply concerned about my peeps that seem to post every little moment of their lives on their pages. Hey everyone – I “checked in” to the bathroom! However, I must admit, THE SOCIAL NETWORK is a great film, and it makes for a very compelling watch. The performances are terrific, and Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg is particularly wonderful.

Two days ago, tomorrow was 1/11/11! But today, that was yesterday, and tomorrow it will be the distant past. What does it mean! Tell me what it means!

I’m fine with it meaning nothing. Actually, I hear this is the year of the corduroy. And I also hear 11/11/11 is like the biggest date in Corduroy history! But 1/11/11 has got to be not far behind. I am (was) wearing corduroy right now, actually, but I think I’ll wear it tomorrow (I did) as well, as a statement of love. You should, too.

Speaking of love, and our endless need for it, I don’t know about you, but I was pretty devastated about the shooting in Arizona this weekend. I would make a bunch of statements about how polarized we are right now as a nation; and I would point out how horribly wrong the violent rhetoric of the Right Wing commentators and pundits is, and how it riles people up and seems regularly to condone violence; and I would point out that Arizona itself is now a hotbed of hate and disagreement between neighbors; and I even suggest that this environment is what brought the young killer down the path that led him to commit this act of terrorism…But it seems like the kid is just mentally ill and not really politically motivated. I saw today that Palin is blaming journalists for pushing a violent agenda on society. When I read this quote of hers - “There are those who claim political rhetoric is to blame for the despicable act of this deranged, apparently apolitical criminal. And they claim political debate has somehow gotten more heated just recently. But when was it less heated? Back in those 'calm days' when political figures literally settled their differences with dueling pistols?" – I couldn’t help thinking about the numerous current political figures who would probably be happy to settle their differences with her with dueling pistols.

Hey Sarah, in the immortal words of my buddy, John, “Let’s try to be good to each other, OK?”

Hey other than THE SOCIAL NETWORK (which by the way, is very good and probably will get a bit of attention from the Academy), also out on DVD this week is PIRANHA, some DOCTOR WHO specials, an animated film called ALPHA AND OMEGA and an HBO comedy show called FUNNY OR DIE PRESENTS… There are also some interesting looking indie films, and a couple of newly released titles starring Robert De Niro on Blu-ray (RAGING BULL, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA). There’s more; scroll down.

A couple other quick hits: today is the deadline for the call to artists for new art work on our library. Sorry for the last minute post, but if you are interested, click this link and fill out the site-Artist application can be found here. This is a very big deal in our little hood. Here’s an opportunity to be a part of it.

Also, many of you know my wife, Amy Shelf, is an estate planning attorney. She is also a super talented writer (and singer, musician, parent, artist, chef, pickler, partner, jam-maker, and she dresses well, too). Each year she begins the year by sending out a big hello to the world at large. Here is her 2011 entry.

Lastly, I discovered an amazing thing recently. My blog site has stats and tells me where the blog is being read (just by Country, not city and block) and it turns out we have readers in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Russia, France, The United Kingdom, Slovenia, Poland, Canada and Japan. That is so awesome! Welcome, international readers! I love you! Drop me a line and tell us how you stumbled across The Four Star Gazer!

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//............

ALPHA AND OMEGA.
Family/Animation.
Justin Long/Hayden Pannettiere/Christina Ricci/Danny Glover/Dennis Hopper.
Directed by Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck.
* Two mismatched wolves find themselves relying on each other to get out of a difficult situation in this funny animated family film.

DAVID’S BIRTHDAY.
Drama/Foreign (Italian).
Directed by Marco Filiberti.
* Two long-time and long-term couples vacation together is fraught with tension and disturbance when one of their sons arrives from the US where he has been going to boarding school.

HAPPY EVER AFTERS.
Comedy/Romance.
Sally Hawkins/Tom Riley.
Directed by Stephen Burke.
* Two wedding, in Ireland, occur at the same hotel, mixing the guests and the participants in a comedy of errors.

PIRANHA.****BD****
Horrorish.
Richard Dreyfuss/Ving Rhames/Elizabeth Shue/Christopher Lloyd.
Directed by Alexandra Aja.
* A long list of familiar names may distract you from the truth which is that this is a schlocky remake of a schlocky horror film about piranha from the deep chewing up scantily clad (and unclad) ladies (and a couple of gentlemen) on spring break. It is what it is, and I am sure that it is entertaining in that respect.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK.****BD****
Drama.
Jesse Eisenberg/Justin Timberlake/Armie Hammer/Andrew Garfield/Rashida Jones.
Directed by David Fincher.
* Fincher (SE7EN, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON) is a part of a tremendous production team on this borderline fictobiopic about Mark Zuckerberg, one of the creators of the tremendously successful website Facebook (used literally by around 1/10 of the planet earth). Told in part in lawyer’s depositions mapping out the two major lawsuits against Zuckerberg, one by the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer in an awesome performance) who claim that he stole their idea and stonewalled them for 6 weeks while he built Facebook instead of their site that they had hired him to build, and the other by Eduardo Saverin (Garfield, also excellent) Zuckerberg’s one-time best friend and Facebook’s original CFO who is cut out of the business by signing a trick contract, and also told through flashbacks set to intense soundtrack music scored by Trent Reznor (NINE INCH NAILS) and Atticus Ross, the film tracks the insanely quick rise to value and use of this site in just a few short years. Reznor’s soundtrack drags you along the early portion of the development of the site relentlessly in a way that really suggests that scoring films may be a solid next act for the former Industrial Music maker. Eisenberg’s Zuckerberg is cold-blooded, extremely brilliant, and very young. One of the biggest things you walk away from this film thinking about is how young this guy is, and how his youth has both helped and hindered him. As Facebook is beginning its unstoppable climb, Zuckerberg meets Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the one-time founder of the early music-sharing site Napster. Parker becomes a bit of a guru for Mark, and convinces him to come to California, eventually connecting him to tremendous VC money and becoming an owner in the company that is valued today at somewhere between 25 and 50 billion dollars. Yipes! According to the film, Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history. I am not sure if this movie will win Academy awards, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see more than a few nominations. It is certainly tremendously well-made and pulls you along through the strange and jealousy-provoking tale of one man’s uber success. I would keep writing about this, but I have to go right now and make a status update on my Facebook page.

Click to “Like”.

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

DUKE ELLINGTON AND MORE STORIES.
Documentary/History.
* This DVD is part of a series by Scholastic Storybook Treasures celebrating African American history.

NFL’S GREATEST PLAYERS: TOP 100.
Documentary/Sports.
* Actually, when I bought this, I thought it was NFL’s 100 Greatest Plays, not Players. Ah well, for a football fan, I imagine this will be fun to watch.

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

DR. WHO: DOMINATORS.
Television/Sci-Fi.

DR. WHO: MEGLOS.
Television/Sci-Fi.

FUNNY OR DIE PRESENTS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.
Television/Comedy/HBO.
Will Ferrell/Don Cheadle/Zach Galifiniakis/Thomas Lennon.
* Created by some of the biggest names in comedy, this is a sketch comedy show currently on HBO. They also have a website where they post some really funny stuff…like Drunk History, and Between Two Ferns. If you like weird comedy, click these links and be prepared to spend some time.

............//FAMILY/KIDS/............

MAX AND RUBY: BUNNY TALES.

YO GABBA GABBA: LET’S VISIT THE DOCTOR.

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

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA.
* This incredible Sergio Leone film stars Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern and many more and tells the story of the Jewish mafia from the 1930’s.

RAGING BULL: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION.
* A couple of Oscars were won in 1981 for this film telling the story of boxer, Jake LaMotta.

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

HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING.
* Richard Grant is genius in this parody of the advertising world. The final scene and monologue in this film is brilliant!

STRAPPED.
* This locally made film (including production work by a Four Star customer!) tells the story of a handsome male prostitute on a trick that keeps giving.

****

****new release list no.301

2011-01-03T12:15:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Well, here we are, at the start of another year. Nothing but the calendar has changed, yet everything feels different. A year is now in the past, and we can label it with our words, and encapsulate it in our memories - any way we want to. Humorously, it will become harder and harder to remember anything all that specific from 2010 in just a few short years (Months? Minutes?), but right now it feels fresh and sharp. I have been reminding myself a bunch in the last several days about the awesome things that happened last year, just to prevent myself from condemning the entire catastrophic experience.

I don’t generally believe in New Year’s Resolutions, and this year is no different. However in Twenty Eleven, I will definitely do some things I have been meaning to do forever! I will most certainly purchase a flying car. I will also buy a jet pack. I will figure out how to redistribute material on the atomic scale so that I can 1) walk through walls, 2) get beamed places (both up and down), 3) scratch my back through my front. I also resolve to teleport, sunjump, market “brobots”, perfect nanotechnology, accelerate change, wear more silver, and fulfill the bigger promises of yoga. All in 2011!

But, not until I get back from New York, where I still am and where the snow is melting now and the city is a big living battery once again.

As we move into the 3rd year of the Worldwide Reorder, I also resolve to be less surprised at change, and to be more like the willows in the wind than ever. Swaying gently; rooted deeply.

To 2011, people! Here, here!

The first film related news that I have to relay is that Pete Postlethwaite died yesterday, January 2nd. Postlethwaite was only 64, sadly, and had been making movies since the 70’s. You may have seen him recently in THE TOWN or INCEPTION, but he’ll probably be best remembered for his role as Guissepe Conlon, Daniel Day-Lewis’s father in the 1993 film IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER about a young man and his family and friends implicated in a murderous IRA bombing. Postlethwaite was nominated for an Oscar for Best Support Actor (as was Leonardo DiCaprio for his role in WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE?), but ultimately lost to Tommy Lee Jones who was chasing Harrison Ford around in THE FUGITIVE. RIP Pete Postlethwaite and thanks for your work!

Big titles out this week include a comedy called DINNER WITH SCHMUCKS starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, a bloodfest by Robert Rodriguez called MACHETE starring Danny Trejo and may more. Some interesting television including BIG LOVE: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON and an animated something or other that you may be crazy hot for called BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SEASON 8: MOTION COMIC!

Another title which I encourage you to check out is HOWL starring the ubiquitous James Franco as Allen Ginsberg and was co-written and directed by Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein (who won an Oscar for his amazing 1984 documentary THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK). Part documentary, part wild animation, part courtroom drama, it is the story of Ginsberg’s controversial and amazing poem “Howl” and how it was the subject of a famous obscenity trial in San Francisco. My brother-in-law Jake Pushinsky (A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, CHOPS, THE SON OF NO ONE (not out yet)) is the film editor on this film, and I was lucky enough to see an advance version of the film. There were many things to like about it, and my favorite scenes are the ones where Franco does a reenactment of a smoky beat café reading of the poem. The poem itself is the true star of this film, and even after 55 years its passionate power is still at full strength: “O victory forget your underwear we’re free.”!
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//............

CASE 39.
Horror/Suspense/Thriller.
Renee Zellwegger/Ian McShane/Bradley Cooper.
Directed by Christian Alvart.
* Zellwegger plays a social worker who gets more involved in a case then maybe she should have.

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS.****BD****
Comedy.
Paul Rudd/Steve Carell/Zach Galifianakis .
Directed by Jay Roach.
* Rudd brings schmuck Carell to the work dinner where the employees win a prize for bringing the most original personality.

DIRTY TRICKS.
Comedy/Drama.
Martin Clunes.
Directed by.
* British comedy from 2000.

DISENGAGEMENT.
Drama.
Juliette Binoche.
Directed by Amos Gitai.
* Binoche plays a French woman headed to the dangerous Gaza strip to find her daughter that she abandoned years ago.

THE LAST EXORCISM.****BD****
Horror.
Directed by Daniel Stamm.
* Until the next one.

MACHETE.****BD****
Action/Crime.
Danny Trejo/Jessica Alba/Michelle Rodriguez/Cheech Marin/Robert De Niro/Don Johnson/Lindsay Lohan.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis.
* A bloodfest about this crazy dude Machete (Trejo) who is out to avenge himself after being double crossed on a hit job gone bad. You know what is funny is reading the parents warning page on imdb about this film – the list of transgressions is amazing!

WHO LOVES THE SUN?
Comedy/Drama/Indie.

THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF .
Drama/Romance.
William Hurt/Kristen Stewart/Maria Bello.

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

CATFISH .
Documentary.
Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.
* This is yet another trippy doc that many people think is a fake (like I’M STILL HERE and EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP). Check it.

DOUBLE TAKE .
Documentary.
Directed by.
* Very cool looking take on Alfred Hitchcock…I think!

HOWL .
Documentary/Some Animation.
James Franco/Mary-Louise Parker/Jon Hamm/David Straitharn.
Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.
Edited by Jake Pushinsky.
* Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl was the subject of an obscenity trial in San Francisco in the 1950’s. This documentary looks at the poem, examines it through animation, restages the famous reading of it at a coffee house in SF, and also restages the trial where we are schooled on the concept of obscenity and even more importantly, the concept of free speech. Everyone in this wacky documentary gives terrific performances, from Hamm (MAD MEN) as the defense attorney to Franco as the young Ginsberg.

INTO THE UNIVERSE WITH STEPHEN HAWKING .
Documentary/Nature/Philosophy/Science.

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

BIG LOVE: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON.
Television/Americana.
Bill Paxton/Jeanne Tripplehorn/Chloe Sevigny/Amanda Seyfried/Ginnifer Goodwin.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SEASON 8: MOTION COMIC.****BR****
* !!!!

RICKY GERVAIS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.
* Dude is super funny.

ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE: THE COMPLETE SERIES.
* This 18-disc set has 3670 minutes of epic social commentary from Rocky and Bullwinkle.

............//FAMILY/............

COOL DOG.
* I just got to point out, for all you EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS fans, that Michael Pare is in this film.

THE GARFIELD SHOW: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE (AND PASTA).

SAMANTHA: AN AMERICAN GIRL HOLIDAY.

THOMAS & FRIENDS: WOBBLY WHEELS AND WHISTLES.

WOW WOW WUBBZY: WUBBZY BE MINE?

****

****new release list no.300

2010-12-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

I hear it was beautiful in SF this weekend – me, I just got feeling in my face again after doing two full face dives into a huge pile of snow in the middle of the road outside my father-in-law’s apartment in Brooklyn! Oh. My. God! It is the Great Blizzard of 2010! There are cars just stopped in the middle of roads and completely snowed in. Huck and Trudy sank into snow nearly up to their waists. It is a true Winter Wonderland here. Super fun!

We just missed all the snow cancellations, and we know many people who got stuck on their holiday travels all over the country (and the world). We got super lucky and eked our way in just before the storm came. We had many travel plans ourselves all around the East Coast, but as of now, because the roads are completely closed where we are, it is hot meals, Scrabble, books and more Scrabble – in between snowball fights for us Shelves. A truly epic vacation.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch – hey, thanks for all the responses from last week’s outpouring of honesty from me. I figure I owe you all for the therapy session, and I thank those of you who gave me all sorts of good advice and ideas. Interestingly, the blog got picked up by Bernalwood, a new blog about the BH, which I have enjoyed reading this week. Hey people, If you read my blog, or chat with me at the store (or anywhere else you encounter me) you know I’m committed to the store and to you, my friends and neighbors (and you know I probably should be committed). No matter what the future holds, I am gung-ho for life in 2011, and I look forward to whatever will be!

I was sad not to get to watch THE AMERICAN this weekend. Starring my good pal, Clooney, it is the tale of an assassin who kicks it in the Italian countryside for a wee bit after his last job has an unpredictable ending (I hear the opening scene is a doozy). While there, he gets another job building a weapon for someone, and meets a beautiful woman to pass the glorious time there with. And who can blame him? He’s Cloons!

Also out this Tuesday is RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE, the next in the Milla Jovovich series about evil corporations, robotic assassins and hot models kicking ass. I haven’t seen any of these films, but I love Milla.

Finally making it to the shop last week was EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP. Ostensibly a documentary about the art world by the secret artist Banksy, many suggest it is more like the Joaquin Phoenix doc I’M STILL HERE in that it is a hoax wrapped in a parable wrapped in a poignant message. I didn’t see it yet, so I can’t comment. I am also not sure if there is any truth to the rumor that Banksy is going to be the guest speaker at a Four Star Video event in early February (or late January) about street art and viral group art experiences. Be sure to keep checking in the space for a chance to attend this very special event.

TWELVE is an indie film starring millions of actors (Chase Crawford/Emma Roberts/50 Cent/Rory Culkin/Ellen Barkin/Kiefer Sutherland), about a young drug deal getting over his head with his dealer and a new substance just hitting the streets.

Did you dig the new television show THE UNITED STATES OF TARA about a woman with multiple personalities trying to make it work with her husband and kids? Season two is here this week, too.

I’m out, yo’s. In the NYC for a couple weeks. I’ll send another New Release list next week if I am near a computer. I’d keep writing now, but the snow drifts blowing by the window of the room I am in are boggling my mind with their beauty.

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 AMERICAN.****BD****
Thriller/Drama/Romance.
Cloons.
Directed by Anton Corbijn.
* Slow moving thriller about a hitman in the Italian countryside waiting for the heat to blow over and getting involved in a new mysterious job.

HANDSOME HARRY.
Action.
Aiden Quinn/Steve Buscemi/Scott Campbell.
Directed by Bette Gordon.
* An old Vietnam vet revisits a horrible crime he committed with some old comrades.

LEGENDARY ASSASSINS.
Action/Martial Arts/Foreign (Cantonese).

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE.
Action/Horror.
Milla Jovovich/Ali Larter/Wentworth Miller/Sienna Gillory.
Directed by Paul Anderson.
* I think this is number 4 in the tale of Alice Abernathy (Jovovich), freedom fighter against the evil Umbrella Corporation in this sci-fi, horror zombie film series.

TWELVE.
Drama.
Chase Crawford/Emma Roberts/50 Cent/Rory Culkin/Ellen Barkin/Kiefer Sutherland.
Directed by Oliver Stone.
* A young privileged weed dealer gets in heavy with his dealer when he starts selling a new powerful drug.

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

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP.
Documentary/Art.
Directed by Banksy.
* I’m really not sure what to say about this film, maybe just that is about someone making a film about art who then has the camera turned on him, to hilarious results. There has been a lot of talk about this film. Maybe, maybe too much talk. This film, is not a rebel film, this film is EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP.

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

THE UNTED STATES OF TARA: THE SECOND SEASON.
Television/Comedy/Drama.
Toni Collette/Brie Larson/John Corbett.
* Tara is dealing with multiple personalities while also trying to maintain a household with two kids and a husband. It seems to me having some multiple personalities might help with that management.

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

A CHARLIE BROWN VALENTINE.

BOB THE BUILDER: THE GOLDEN HAMMER MOVIE.

FIREMAN SAM: READY FOR ACTION.

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

GOING TO PIECES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SLASHER FILM.
* This is a 2006 documentary about the slasher films of the 80’s and 90’s.

SUCK.
* A comedy about a band struggling to make it who gets bit by a vampire who helps change their fortunes.

****

****new release list no.299

2010-12-21T21:38:00.001-08:00

People of the planet, it is winter. Our constructs are disintegrating. Our financial systems are degrading. It is becoming more and more obvious that we are insects clamoring on top of each other for food. It is possible that the jig is up. Like the fate of the honeybees, our hives are corrupt and the buzz of activity is falling silent. Yet we rise to the occasion with positivity again and again! I admire that about us so much! Yet, alas, I am a bit pessimistic about Four Star Video, as I know so many of you are.

I read that even though Blockbuster has the same 28 day wait for Warner Brothers titles that Netflix has, they are still closing 182 stores in 2011 with a full bankruptcy and emergence from bankruptcy plan. Strangely, I don’t feel elation or anything about this. Just a somewhat distant numbness. What will happen with this industry?

Who likes a video store? Raise your hands. I know Four Star Video rules. I know we get crazy cool movies from all over the planet that you probably wouldn’t know about unless you saw them on our shelves. I know we have the only no-late-fee service in San Francisco. I know we spend more on movies than we probably should b/c we want to have as many copies as possible for new release Tuesday every week. I know we have the biggest Blu-ray section in SF with probably 6 or 700 titles. I know we are the only video/plant store on planet earth. Yet…I don’t sense we are what people want.

I hear every day people discussing Netflix with each other at the counter. I know many of my good friends who use the service. I have great friends who only steal their movies online, with their own funny justifications – or no justification at all. And I don’t blame them. Who knows what I would be doing if I didn’t own a video store.

I put out that survey a few months ago, and I got 300ish results. They were fascinating! And almost exclusively positive. Yet, we are down 12% this year, after going down 8% the year before. So I think that though you love yourselves a video store, you also love free movies (bit torrent, the library), easy access movies, money be damned movies(on demand, cable), internet services (streaming) and the gentle tushy-growing ease of sitting on the couch.

Am I grousing, riffing? Just babbling in a semi-stoned haze after a long day at the store? Yeah, yeah and, actually no. I know this kind of talk isn’t great for the store, and I know that you don’t really want my negativity, but I have trouble censuring my honesty in this situation, and so I must discuss it with you every few months, to remind myself that we are in this together. I like to talk to you people.

You are out there in the interverse, at the end of a long kite string that I am holding on to. I love you, actually. I want you to know that.

Also, I want you to know that we got a bunch of new movies at Four Star this week, including some big titles that will be sure to warm your Christmas vacation. WALL STREET 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO is Oliver Stone’s attempt to catch lightning in a bottle. It’s been 20 years since Gordon Gekko got sent up the river for crimes against economy. Now, he’s out, and has the world changed? You betcha! We’ve had not one, but two awesome economical disasters, in this decade alone, and the entire world’s economy is teetering on the edge of disaster and now– cue the music – Gekko is ready to make a comeback. Problem is, he’s got no money…so what’s an ex-con trade-junky to do? Steal from his family? You betcha!

In SALT, Angelina Jolie is a CIA agent who is excused of being a Russian spy (really? In 2010?) and must go deeply uncover using all her crazy training to avoid being captured while she tries to exonerate herself.

DEVIL creates a claustrophobic and terrifying situation where a group of people are trapped in an elevator with a supernatural force that is killing them one by one. Chris Messina plays a detective outside the elevator trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

SOUL KITCHEN is a comedy from Fatih Akin (THE EDGE OF HEAVEN) about a restaurateur in Hamburg struggling to keep his dive afloat in the face of numerous personal catastrophes.

EASY A is American cheese food filled with great young actors about a high school girl who starts a bit of a business getting paid to confirm that she has had sex with other students at her school. With Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden Church and Malcolm McDowell.

There are also a couple really awesome looking foreign films out this week, ANGEL by Francois Ozon (SWIMMING POOL), LET IT RAIN by Agnes Jaoui, and MAP THE SOUNDS OF TOKYO by Isabel Coixet.

One last film related note: I am so sorry that EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP is still not here! It is supposed to be delivered by Friday. Aarrrgh! Rest assured, it is coming.

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//............

ANGEL.
Drama/Romance.
Romola Garai/Sam Neill/Charlotte Rampling.
Directed by Francois Ozon.
* This period piece, from the maker of SWIMMING POOL and 8 WOMEN, follows a young writer who lives in a bit of a self-created fantasyland while trying to be a professional writer.

DEVIL.****BD****
Action.
Chris Messina.
Directed by John Dowdle and Drew Dowdle.
Produced by M. Night Shyamalan.
* That nasty devil is always playing tricks…but according to this fable by the Shyamanamanator, the horned fellow follows a strict code of ethics. Hmm. The tale involves an elevator, and some supposedly random people stuck in it, who may or may not be ready for a trip straight to hell. Ah, but first there must be mystery, fear, terror, confusion, guilt, confession and perhaps even redemption. Messina (VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, HUMBOLDT COUNTY) plays an investigator who is trying to figure out what is happening to the people in the elevator and whether or not any earthly help can be had. In turns out yes, but not in the way you might imagine.

EASY A.
Comedy.
Emma Stone/Amanda Bynes/Lisa Kudrow/Thomas Haden Church/Stanley Tucci/Patricia Clarkson/Malcolm McDowell.
Directed by Will Gluck.
* This teen sex tale was on in the store about 12 times this weekend, so I kind of feel like I watched it. There actually isn‘t much sex that takes place. Emma Stone plays a young lady who basically takes cash from guys in exchange for saying that she had sex with them, but there is no actual contact, in fact she is a virgin! Somehow there is a bizarre parallel made in this film to Hester Prynne in "The Scarlet Letter”. Thus, the title. Getting an “easy A” had a different meaning when I was in school.

FAMILY GUY IT’S A TRAP.
Comedy/Family.
Seth MacFarlane/Alex Borstein/Mila Kunis/Seth Green.
Directed by Peter Shin.
* Supposedly the finale of their Star Wars related feature length spoofs! I was stunned this afternoon at the store, while I thought I was listening to this film, at just how much it was exactly like Star Wars, until I discovered that they weren’t watching this, they were actually watching Star Wars.

LET IT RAIN.
Comedy/Drama/Foreign (French).
Agnes Jaoui/Jean-Pierre Bacri.
Directed by Agnes Jaoui.
* An ambitious feminist politician returns to the family home in the French countryside and confronts all the familiar issues that you‘d expect her to find there. This movie is supposed to be relatively hilarious.

MAP THE SOUNDS OF TOKYO.
Thriller/Drama/Foreign (Japanese and English).
Rinko Kikuchi/Sergie Lopez .
Directed by Isabel Coixet.
* This Japanese thriller is about a fish-market employee who also works as a hit-man. This film won an award at Cannes last year, and was nominated for the Golden Palm as well.

RIVERS WASH OVER ME.
Drama/LGBT.
Derrick L. Middleton.
Directed by John G. Young.
* A young teenager, whose mother has just died, leaves his home in New York and moves in with family in Alabama where he becomes awakened to his sexuality and forms a crush on his new friends‘ younger brother.

SALT.****BD****
Action/Thriller.
Angelina Jolie/Chiwetel Ejiofor/Liev Schreiber.
Directed by Phillip Noyce.
* A CIA agent with big puffy lips (Jolie) must go undercover to avoid being captured after she is accused of being a Russian double-agent.

SOUL KITCHEN.
Comedy/Drama/Foreign (German).
Directed by Fatih Akin.
* Akin (THE EDGE OF HEAVEN, HEAD-ON) has been known for emotional and intense films involving Turkish immigrants in Germany. In this comedic departure from his normal style, a restaurant owner, Zinos, is struggling to keep his dive afloat and his personal life in order. His journalist girlfriend has split for China, and his new chef is driving away the old clientele with his new-fangled gourmet food. His brother is using him for fake employment for his work-release program at the jail that he is currently housed, and his back has a crick in it that is making it terribly painful for him to even stand. Luckily, he’s super duper into funk music, and people who are super duper into funk generally figure shit out.

STEP UP 3.
Drama/Dance.
Sharni Vinson.
Directed by Jon Chu.
* Super high octant dance off!

WALL STREET 2: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS .****
Drama.
Michael Douglas/Shia LaBeouf/Carey Mulligan/Charlie Sheen/Susan Sarandon/Josh Brolin/Frank Langella/Martin Sheen.
Directed by Oliver Stone.
* Gekko is out of jail and estranged from his daughter who has hooked up with an idealist who is saddened by corruption and trusting of Gekko. Big money gets tossed around, and eventually Gekko ends up with a lot of it. There is redemption involved. But no one gets there lost retirement money back.

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

SCREAMING MEN.
Documentary//Foreign (Finnish).
Directed by Mika Ronkainen.
* This very funny movie enlightens us all about the Finnish Screaming Male Choir.

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

HOARDERS: SEASON TWO PART ONE.
Television/Americana.
* They don’t share, they don’t recycle, they don’t consume; they hoard. And it’s funny! And not funny, too (don’t want to offend anyone!).(too much).

****

****new release list no.298

2010-12-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

Man, it totally smells like updog here. What that you say? What is updog?

Nothing much, dog – what is up with you?

Nothing much, ha! Actually, so much is always up, down here at Sector 402 (Cortland, that is). This week, I cannot believe how many movies were released that I bought 8 or more copies of – and a few that I might eventually wish I had bought that many of.

First the big titles, the action section:

THE TOWN is a bank robber tale of theft, love and betrayal. It takes place in Massachusetts, and features a robbery at Fenway – which as a Yankee fan, I’m familiar with. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck with Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm and Blake Lively.

THE A-TEAM is a remake of the 1980’s television show about a renegade team of mercenaries out to blow shit up for goodness sake. In this remake, the update has the group a bunch of American soldiers in Iraq, unfairly convicted of war crimes they didn’t commit and on a mission to set the record straight! Kaboom! Starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel and Patrick Wilson.

The big titles, the comedy section:

CYRUS is the jealous son of a woman who wants to meet someone who she can have a relationship with. She meets a divorcee who is nice and who is elated to have met her, and is dying to take their relationship to the next level, if it weren’t for her psychotic son who makes things as difficult as he possibly can. Starring Jonah Hill as Cyrus, and Marisa Tomei and John C. Reilly as his mom and her lover.

THE OTHER GUYS could be listed in both action and comedy. It is the story of two somewhat broken cops, played by Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, who get a break and have an opportunity to be heroes. Unfortunately, ineptitude is tough to overcome. Believe me. With Eva Mendes, The Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Craig Robinson and a Damon Wayans, Jr. sighting.

MICMACS is the newest movie by the director of AMELIE and DELICATESSEN. It is a fantastical comedy about a man and his new-found family (who live in a magic kingdom inside of what appears to be a dump) who go on a mission to destroy two arms manufacturers who have greatly affected his life. The family is filled with wild characters who make amazing stuff from salvaged goods. This film is a treat to the senses, as the landscape is rich, and the tone is playful. And, the main character is a video clerk at the beginning, so this film is a hopeful tome for us down here who sometimes wonder what we’ll do next.

The big titles, the kids/family section:

DESPICABLE ME is a laugh out loud animation about a dastardly villain out to steal the moon, who accidentally finds love enter his heart in the shape of three orphan girls who want him to become their father. This movie is extra funny!

LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS-OWLS OF GA'HOOLE is an adaptation from some popular kids novels about some owls who are fighting off some other owls in what appears to be a whole owl war! The animation looks gorgeous, and the stories were well-loved as books.

In the department of “lots of other great looking stuff” comes the new documentary JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK, which looks funny and sad and enlightening. Also A COMPLETE HISTORY OF MY SEXUAL FAILURES, which shows the director interviewing his exes asking them questions about his own shortcomings. Then there is VALHALLA RISING, a mystical and mythical Viking tale, and THE TROTSKY, about a high school kid who thinks he is Leon Trotsky reincarnated.

In the “awesome collections” binder we find the incredible AMERICA LOST AND FOUND: THE BBS STORY filled with incredible films from 1968 to 1972, some of which you’ve heard of and some you have not. You must see these films. And GUY MADDIN-QUINTESSENTIAL - 5 FILMS FROM THE HEART OF WINNIPEG featuring some of the craziest, wildest, most visually stimulating underground cinematic art that you’ve ever seen. And then we mustn’t forget FRANZ KAFKA’S A COUNTRY DOCTOR & OTHER FANTASTIC FILMS by Koji Yamamura. This is a collection of animated films by a masterful Japanese animator who uses clay, paintings and still photography to create lush and rich textured landscapes in which to set his whimsical stories. Another must-see.

There is more, NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS, FRENEMY, MOTHER AND CHILD and some television like the final season of 24 and DESPERATE ROMANTICS and THE IT CROWD: FOURTH SEASON.

Damn, its happening down here at Four Star Video!

In the local funding department, I am happy to say this is our third week in a row highlighting neighbors who are trying to fund their work. Are you working on a project that needs exposure? Let me know!

This week, it is Lisa Morehouse who we are focusing on. Lisa is an independent (the fancy way to say "freelance") public radio reporter and she’s doing a series for The California Report on the future of small town California. She’s looking at towns that grew up around certain industries (like logging, mining, agriculture) and how they adapt as those industries die or change. Two stories have run so far, one on Lindsay in the Central Valley, and one last Friday on Boonville and the Anderson Valley. More stories will follow. Her hope is to make a one-hour radio documentary eventually.

She is funding her project using a website called Spot, which is a community-supported journalism venture that is a nonprofit project for the Center for Media Change. Here is her funding page, which also has lots more info about her project.

Lastly: wow, last Thursday night (the so-called Bernal Shopping Night) was so awesome! So many people were wandering Bernal Heights, snacking, shopping, chatting… Nights like these are what a neighborhood is all about. I love it!

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//............

AMERICA LOST AND FOUND: THE BBS STORY.
Critierion/Drama/Comedy.
Everyone.
Directed by many.
* I couldn’t say it better than the product description:
Like the rest of America, Hollywood was ripe for revolution in the late sixties. Cinema attendance was down; what had once worked seemed broken. Enter Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner, who knew that what Hollywood needed was new audiences—namely, young people—and that meant cultivating new talent and new ideas. Fueled by money made from their invention of the superstar TV pop group the Monkees, they set off on a film-industry journey that would lead them to form BBS Productions, a company that was also a community.

The innovative films produced by this team between 1968 and 1972 are collected in this box set—works created within the studio system but lifted right out of the countercultural id, and that now range from the iconic (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show) to the acclaimed (The King of Marvin Gardens) to the obscure (Head; Drive, He Said; A Safe Place).

Head (1968)
Hey, hey, it’s the Monkees . . . being catapulted through one of American cinema’s most surreal '60s odysseys. In it, Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork become trapped in a kaleidoscopic satire that’s movie homage, media send-up, concert movie, and antiwar cry all at once. Head escaped commercial success on its release but has since been reclaimed as one of the great cult objects of its era.
(85 minutes, color, monaural/surround, 1.78:1 aspect ratio)

Easy Rider (1969)
This is the definitive counterculture blockbuster. The former clean-cut teen star Dennis Hopper’s down-and-dirty directorial debut, Easy Rider heralded the arrival of a new voice in film, one planted firmly, angrily against the mainstream. After Easy Rider’s cross-country journey—with its radical, New Wave-style editing, outsider-rock soundtrack, revelatory performance by a young Jack Nicholson, and explosive ending—the American road trip would never be the same.
(96 minutes, color, surround, 1.85:1 aspect ratio)

Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Jack Nicholson plays the now iconic cad Bobby Dupea, a shiftless thirtysomething oil rigger and former piano prodigy immune to any sense of romantic or familial responsibility, who returns to his childhood home to see his ailing estranged father, his blue-collar girlfriend (Karen Black, like Nicholson nominated for an Oscar) in tow. Moving in its simplicity and gritty in its textures, Bob Rafelson’s Five Easy Pieces is a lasting example of early 1970s American alienation.
(98 minutes, color, monaural, 1.85:1 aspect ratio)

Drive, He Said (1971)
Based on the best-selling novel by Jeremy Larner, Drive, He Said is free-spirited and sobering by turns, a sketch of the exploits of a disaffected college basketball player and his increasingly radical roommate, a feverishly shot and edited snapshot of the early '70s (some of it was filmed during an actual campus protest). Jack Nicholson’s audacious comedy (starring Bruce Dern and Karen Black) is a startling howl direct from the zeitgeist.
(90 minutes, color, monaural, 1.85:1 aspect ratio)

A Safe Place (1971)
In this delicate, introspective drama, laced with fantasy elements, Tuesday Weld stars as a fragile young woman in New York unable to reconcile her ambiguous past with her unmoored present; Orson Welles as an enchanting Central Park magician and Jack Nicholson as a mysterious ex-lover round out the cast. A Safe Place was directed by independent cinema icon Henry Jaglom.
(92 minutes, color, monaural, 1.85:1 aspect ratio)

The Last Picture Show (1971)
The Last Picture Show is one of the key films of the American cinema renaissance of the '70s. Set during the early '50s in the loneliest Texas nowheresville to ever dust up a movie screen, this aching portrait of a dying West, adapted from Larry McMurtry’s novel, focuses on the daily shuffles of three futureless teens—enigmatic Sonny (Timothy Bottoms), (Jeff Bridges), and desperate-to-be-adored rich girl Jacy (Cybil Shepherd)—and the aging lost souls who bump up against them in the night like drifting tumbleweeds. This hushed depiction of crumbling American values remains the pivotal film in the career of the invaluable director and film historian Peter Bogdanovich.
(126 minutes, black and white, monaural, 1.85:1 aspect ratio)

The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
For his electrifying follow-up to the smash success of Five Easy Pieces, Bob Rafelson dug even deeper into the crushed dreams of wayward America. Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern play estranged siblings David and Jason, the former a depressive late-night radio talk show host, the latter an extroverted con man; when Jason drags his younger brother to a dreary Atlantic City and into a real-estate scam, events spiral into tragedy.
(104 minutes, color, monaural, 1.85:1 aspect ratio)

THE A-TEAM.****BD****
Action.
Liam Neeson/Bradley Cooper/Jessica Biel/Patrick Wilson.
Directed by Joe Carnahan.
* In this updated version of the popular 80’s television show that helped turn Mr. T’s into a household name, the new setting is Iraq, where similarly to the original, four soldiers have been framed for a crime they didn’t commit, and now must create carnage and mayhem to clear their names.

CYRUS.****BD****
Comedy.
Jonah Hill/Marisa Tomei/John C. Reilly.
Directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass.
* The Duplass brothers (THE PUFFY CHAIR, BAGHEAD) go big-time in this bigger budget comedy about a divorcee who meets a woman that he thinks is the woman of his dreams until he meets her psychotic, jealous, psychically-breast feeding son, Cyrus, who will do anything to break them up. This is a dark comedy, with some good professional acting.

DESPICABLE ME.
Comedy/Family/Animation.
Steve Carell/Jason Segal/Kristen Wiig/Julie Andrews/Danny McBride/Russell Brand/Jermaine Clement.
Directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin.
* Ah, the villain who is completely unrepentant, a knave with only himself in his heart, the diabolical planner of evil who cares about NOTHING. That is Gru (Carell) who is planning the biggest theft of all time, one that will change the lullaby’s that are sung to babies, one that will affect the tides, one that will alter our evenings forever: he is going to steal the moon. However, a funny thing happens on the way to the bank, he meets three cute little orphan girls who decide to love him. Will he stay as unrepentant and evil as ever? Or will his cold little heart melt? Guess! This film was nominated for a Golden Globe and has been generally recognized as very funny and fun. Its been on in the store a bunch over the last couple days, and I gotta take it home and watch it!

FRANZ KAFKA’S A COUNTRY DOCTOR & OTHER FANTASTIC FILMS.
Animation/Foreign (Japanese).
Directed by Koji Yamamura.
* Yamamura’s wildly inventive animations are gorgeous and lush made with clays, still photography, paintings and more. He was nominated for an Oscar for his 2002 short Mt. Head. This is his first collection of films to come to the United States.

FRENEMY.
Comedy/Crime.
Zach Galifianakis/Matthew Modine/Adam Baldwin.
Directed by Gregory Dark.
* According to Wikipedia, a Frenum is a small fold of tissue that secures or restricts the motion of a mobile organ in the body…wait, what? It’s not about that? Oh, sorry! Frenemy is an amalgamation between friend and enemy, and a lesson that Mr. Jack (Modine) attempts to teach Sweet Stephen (Callum Blue) about the universe and its integral relationship between good and evil as played out daily in human existence.

GUY MADDIN-QUINTESSENTIAL-5 FILMS FROM THE HEART OF WINNIPEG.
Drama/Fanastia/Brilliance/Arthouse.
Directed by Guy Maddin.
* Guy Maddin is a crazy and brilliant Canadian director who makes collagist films that look they were made 50-80 years ago (THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD). Here are a group of his films that mostly we have not had yet at the store. This set includes:
Disc One: Careful (1992, 100 min, Remastered and Repressed Edition)
Disc Two: Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997, 90 min) + Archangel (1990, 83 min)
Disc Three: Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary (2003, 75 min)
Disc Four: Cowards Bend the Knee (2004, 64 min).

LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS-OWLS OF GA'HOOLE.
Family/Adventure/Fantasy/
Jim Sturgess/Hugo Weaving/Abbie Cornish.
Directed by Zack Snyder.
* Adapted from the popular Kathryn Lasky novels, this is the story of Soren, a young Barn Owl, who is abducted by a fake orphanage to become a child soldier in some great Owl war. However, he and his friends escape the evil clutches of this army and go off to the island of Ga'Hoole, where they join the rebellion and attempt to fight off the bad owls. The visual effects of this film are outstanding!

MICMACS.****BD****
Comedy/Crime/Foreign (French).
Dany Boon.
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
* Jeunet (AMELIE, DELICATESSEN, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN) has always created lush, wonderful landscapes in his movies that seem to belong in multiple time periods at once. MICMACS is no different in that way. It takes place in our world, but simultaneously in a phantasmagorical society where a somewhat “homeless” family lives in a magical fairyland where they create gorgeous things of out recycled garbage. When Bazil (Boon) is rendered homeless and unemployed after he is hit accidentally hit with a bullet, he joins this family and soon drags them along on his revenge scheme after the weapons makers that made both the bullet that hit him, and the mine that killed his father when he was a child. Mostly flighty and fantastical, this movie doesn’t have quite the punch of his earlier films, but it is sweet and funny and delightful and features many of the cinematic moments of beauty that brought Jeunet fame.

MOTHER AND CHILD.
Drama.
Annette Bening/Naomi Watts/Samuel L. Jackson/Kerry Washington.
Directed by Rodrigo Garcia.
* Focusing on three women, this film explores the bonds between mothers and their children, through adoption, loss and life. The main characters feature a woman who gave up a child when she was a pregnant 15-year-old; the child herself, who is now a 35-year-old woman; and another woman who is now contemplating adopting a child herself. It is a story about parenting, both from near and afar, and a story about loss, and the toll it takes on us far into the future.

MY NORMAL.
Drama/LGBT.
Nicole Laliberte/Ty Jones.
Directed by Irving Schwartz.
* Natalie is a young woman who is giving much attention to two careers, one as an aspiring filmmaker, and the other as a dominatrix. She has a hot new girlfriend and snags a job on a film set, but just as her dream is becoming a reality, things spin a bit out of control. Can she use her skills to dominate the situation?

NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS.
Action/Fantasy.
Emma Thompson/Maggie Gyllenhaal/Ralph Fiennes/Ewan McGregor.
Directed by Susanna White.
* I guess after you watch this movie, you’ll believe that pigs can fly, cuz guess what? It made 29 million dollars in sixty days in the theatres! What could we do with 29 million dollars? Fix that wart on Nanny’s face for one thing – I kid, of course. Actually, this movie is a continuation of the feel-good magic of the first one, with an all-star cast adding to the fun…When the chips are down, Nanny rolls in and teaches everyone a couple lessons about teamwork, and other important activities. Nanny McPhee; she split, and then she came back.

THE OTHER GUYS.****BD****
Comedy/Action.
Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg/Eva Mendes/The Rock/Samuel L. Jackson/Michael Keaton/Steve Coogan/Craig Robinson/Damon Wayans, Jr.
Directed by Adam McKay.
* Who are these guys? Are they the city’s top cops? Balls out, and fearless, who stop crime where it starts? Uh, no, that’s Highsmith and Danson (Jackson and The Rock – great band name!). No these, guys are the other guys, the kind of shmucky cops who have made mistakes in the past (that’s a character flaw here) and who are tentative and afraid to take action (they have a word for this in the macho world). Yes they are Hoitz and Gamble (Wahlberg and Ferrell), a mismatched crew if there ever was one, and now they have a big opportunity to be like the other other guys (you still with me) and solve the big crime and be heroes…Look, the main thing is Derek Jeter is in this film, and I think he might even get shot (joy for you haters out there), so that is why I’m seeing it.

THE TOWN .****
Action/Suspense/Crime.
Ben Affleck/Jeremy Renner/Rebecca Hall/Jon Hamm/Blake Lively.
Directed by Ben Affleck.
* Doug (Affleck) is born into a family of bank robbers, in a town full of bank robbers, and is unable to shake that reality…While there is a moment early in his life to get out and do something different, that is ultimately not what he chooses. Later, as he gets deep into his career, he gets caught up in a confusing love affair with someone who was a hostage in one of his robberies…This relationship causes him to have a renewed desire to get out, only at this point, it may be too late. Features a robbery in Fenway Park…much like the ones that Yankees have leveled on the Red Sox for the last 100 years. Wow, two baseball movies in a row!

THE TROTSKY.
Comedy.
Jay Baruchel/Domini Blythe.
Directed by Jacob Tierney.
* Leon Bronstein (Baruchel) is like many kids in that he thinks he is the reincarnation of Red Army hero Leon Trotsky. After he encourages his father’s employees to stage a hunger strike to get better conditions at the family factory, he gets shipped off to the most prison-like non-prison thing our free society has to offer: public high school. There he follows his communistic dreams as he attempts to unionize the student body.

VALHALLA RISING.
Action/Adventure/Historical Fiction (psyche, just kidding).
Mads Mikkelsen.
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.
* It’s an old-school story, nay, pre-school – it’s 1000 AD, yo! And there’s this dude, who has been imprisoned for hella long. Dude’s name is One-Eye, see, but we don’t know if it’s the right or the left eye, cuz that ain’t a part of his nickname, like it was for Lisa Lopes. Where was I? One-Eye, he’s crazy tough, right, but he’s imprisoned anyway! But then he busts loose with a young mute boy! Maybe he’s not mute; whatever. Anyway, eventually, these guys end up on a Viking ship that’s basically like a Mormon mission, but with swords and bloodshed, and, perhaps not unsurprisingly, things go bad bad bad. Eventually, Mr. Eye (which I’m not sure that’s his actually name, maybe it is Mr. One-Eye, or maybe he has an altogether different last name that isn’t referenced in the film) becomes like a bad-luck charm for everyone around him* and takes care of the situation. Did you see this movie? Am I right, here?

* Except the boy, mute or not.

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

A COMPLETE HISTORY OF MY SEXUAL FAILURES.
Documentary/Comedy/Biography.
Directed by Chris Waitt.
* In this very funny movie, Chris Waitt interviews his own ex-girlfriends to find out why they dumped him, and where he went wrong, in what appears to be many ways. This is a deeply personal film that sees its director go way out on a limb. Self-deprecating humor can be pretty hysterical.

JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK.
Documentary/Biography.
Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg.
* A year in the life with Joan Rivers turns out to be quite a ride…This poignant and funny film shows Joan to be a kind, thoughtful and heartfelt person, who has ridden the celebrity wagon for all it was worth, with some incredibly terrible costs, and some giant peaks. No subject is off limits in this honest movie; everything is touched on, including her insane use of plastic surgery and her husband’s suicide. This won the Documentary Editing award and was nominated for the Grand Jury award at Sundance this year.

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

DEPERATE ROMANTICS.
Television/BBC.
* They were desperate! And they were romantic! They were a brotherhood of painters in the 19th century, painting beautiful women and falling in love with them. It’s an un-costumed drama.

THE IT CROWD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON.
Television/Information Technology.
* More hysteria about the guys who plug your printer back in.

24: SEASON 8: THE COMPLETE FINAL SEASON.
Television/Action.
Kiefer Sutherland.

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

FRANKLIN: FRANKLIN THE FABULOUS.

THOMAS & FRIENDS: THE LION OF SODOR.

YOGI BEAR’S ALL STAR COMEDY CHRISTMAS CAPER.

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

TRUE GRIT (1969).
* Well, next week (on the 22nd) the remake of this film (by The Coen Brothers) comes out with Jeff Bridges in the John Wayne role (as Rooster Cogburn). In the remake, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin play supporting roles. In this, the original, it is Dennis Hopper, Glen Campbell and Robert Duvall as the co-stars. You like a hard western? This one won John Wayne the Best Oscar in 1970.

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

WHITE CHRISTMAS (ANNIVERSARY EDITION).
* Bing Cosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney? What more can you say? Thanks, Rachel.

****

Mid-week Secret Post! John Lennon Edition.

2010-12-08T09:58:00.001-08:00

People say I’m crazy…doing what I’m doing.

(A video store? In 2010?).

And get this! - They give me all kinds of warnings…to save me from ruin.

And, truthfully, the advice, and warnings and suggestions are usually good ones…Hey, I’m doing fine watching shadows on the wall (not really, but it sounds good!).

Can you believe John Lennon has been dead for 30 years today? Did you know the song I quoted and linked above was actually released posthumously in 1981? How many times have you just randomly heard one of his tunes and just been stopped in your thoughts, vacantly staring into nothingness while your heart was just filled with something thick and juicy and as of yet, still immeasurable? Watching the Wheels, Starting Over, Beautiful Boy, Jealous Guy, Mind Games, Instant Karma, the list of his solo hits goes on and on…plus an entire catalog of amazing Beatles songs that is almost too large to fully grasp.

Hey, there’s been a lot of rock stars, but not too many like John Lennon. I still remember the morning I found out he died, the strange adult tears been shed around me, the feeling of confusion and loss. 1980 was 30 years ago, but it may as well have been 300 years ago.

To memorialize Mr. Lennon, a new batch of docs, dramatizations and fictobiopics have been made. LENNON NAKED focuses on the later portion of his career with The Beatles, and his failed relationship with his father. In January (25th, 2011), NOWHERE BOY will come out on DVD, and that film focuses more on his early life, his relationship with his mother and aunt, and his formative years. The latter film has won many awards, and will probably be a big hit here at Four Star. I’ll tell you more about it when it arrives.

People tend to ask me at the store what I’ve seen and like recently. Usually, at that point, we stand in the New Release room and talk about the movies...I’ll take this mid-week opportunity to give you a little list of films I’ve enjoyed recently.

OSS 117: LOST IN RIO – This is a farcical spy movie about a French agent, double one seven, on a mission in Brazil. It is actually a sequel, but it doesn’t matter what order you see these films. They are quite funny, somewhat in the AUSTIN POWERS vein, but less American, whatever that means. Thumbs up!

YOUTH IN REVOLT – One of my favorite Michael Cera films, even though I think he needs to shift gears or his career will end soon (how long can he play a teenager?). Gave me a fond memory of the powerless high school years driven by hormones.

UNDECLARED: THE COMPLETE SERIES – This was the next show from the Judd Apatow production company after FREAKS & GEEKS. It follows some awkward freshmen at college and there stumbling attempts at acting like adults. I think it was the first television/movie experience that I ever saw that made me wish I had gone to college. Starring Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel, among others.

STOP MAKING SENSE - The Jonathan Demme Talking Heads movie from the 1980’s. Watched it with the kids – blew our minds! Could not stop ourselves from having multiple dance parties during the movie! Brilliant film, brilliant band.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT – Believe the hype, it is a great film about life in a family.

I’M STILL HERE – Joaquin plays Joaquin, to maximum delight. This pseudo documentary is really a feature film about a celebrity’s spiraling descent into irrelevance. Or is it a documentary, using dramatization about the nature of celebrity and its demands? Or is it just a funny movie about super stoner trying to be a rap star but actually being terrible? What is it? Who cares? I loved it.

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADEPHIA: THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL – I used to write very demented Christmas plays (HO HO HOLY SHIT!, the santavirus, SANTA IN LIGHTS, THE SATAN CLAUS), so I am somewhat used to irreverent comedy. This show ratcheted up the “demented” volume to 11. I loved it, but when it was over, I sat in stunned silence trying to reconcile what I had seen with the knowledge that millions of people watch this show. God bless America!

UNTITLED – This was an arty indie film about a brief love affair between a gallery owner that displays envelope pushing art (like PUSH PIN IN WHITE WALL), and a composer who writes grating experimental music. The movie wasn’t brilliant, but it really electrified my mind for some reason (maybe it was the pot), and got me thinking about the nature of art itself. For that, I give it a: thumbs up.

Here is another list of movies I haven’t seen, but I keep hearing I should.

HEARD, NOT SEEN:

I AM LOVE – Tilda Swinton in an Italian film that I have heard some people call their favorite of the year.

THE INFIDEL – Brilliant religious satire about a British Palestinian who discovers he is really Jewish.

THE RED RIDING TRILOGY – Heavy and heady three movie set about a killer in England and the press and police chasing him.

THE SECRET OF KELLS – Incredible looking animation.

AGORA and CENTURION – Roman historical battle films that I cannot distinguish between, but I really must sit down and watch.

WINTER’S BONE – expect Academy nominations from this one.

ANTICHRIST – Lars Von Trier, super freaky and gory film.

CHLOE – Sexy thriller.

THE EYES OF ME – Doc about blind teenagers.

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 release list no.297

2010-12-06T17:03:00.001-08:00

This Thursday night, Four Star Video and Succulence will be participating in the first Bernal Holiday Shopping night. Over 30 businesses throughout Bernal Heights (click the poster here to see a map with a list of the businesses) will be open a bit later than usual, offering discounts, holiday cheer and in some cases, snacks and drinks. There will also be some roving musical acts singing and playing around the neighborhood.

It should be a rocking fun night, rain or shine. At Four Star Video, we have 500+ titles of refurbished previously viewed DVD’s for sale. Usually they are $8/each plus tax, but for the Bernal Shopping night, we will have a 2 for the price of 1 sale on all titles. Come early, and grab all our extra UP IN THE AIR’s, they will make great stocking stuffers!

At Succulence (our life and garden sister store) we will have 10% off the entire inventory all day on Thursday! If you have been eyeing one of those amazing PlantsOnWalls Plant Habits, or a giant terrarium jar, or some of that gorgeous 3-D metallic art from Roma, this will be the perfect time to purchase.

As a retail store owner, I am grateful for your support. Come flex some of your consumer muscle on Thursday, I think it will be fun.

A couple big winter titles hit the store this week starting with INCEPTION starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard and many more. DiCaprio is the leader of a team of “extractors” who get hired to steal information from sleeping people. His latest job is a bit of a departure, though, as he is hired to implant an idea in someone’s head. His crack team of architects, anesthesiologists, and impersonators dive into their work, which is done while sleeping (its good work if you can get it!). The dream inside a dream inside a dream scene is simply terrific. It’s a Hollywood blockbuster, make no mistake, but it is everything you could wish for in this type of movie. Definitely the “Release of the Week”!

Also out this week is SHREK FOREVER. The fourth in the series, and supposedly the last, this one sees the big green fella banished to an alternative reality where the love of his life is nowhere to be found, and he is the object of hunters and other dangerous creatures.

RESTREPO was this year’s Grand Jury Prize winner at Sundance. It is a very powerful documentary about a platoon in Afghanistan, fighting on a daily basis for survival in a very unfriendly landscape.

Hey guess what? Beth Custer’s project was fully funded, and her band headed off to the far-off country of Georgia (not the American version) to perform this week! Way cool. Gail Mallimson is still fund-raising for her film, THE EDGE OF THE WILD about urban sprawl and its damage to endangered species. Check out her kickstarter page here!

Do you have a project you are fund-raising for? I can help spread the work if you’d like – drop me a line.

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

Love and Kisses,
Ken

p.s. Oh snap! I forgot to mention, we accept Bernal Gift Certificates! Read about them here. They are basically $20 bills, and when they are cashed in, 10% goes to benefit local schools, the neighborhood center and the library! How cool is that? You can get them at the neighborhood center, or from the PTA's at Fairmount Elementary School and Paul Revere School.

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

A DOG YEAR.
Comedy/Drama.
Jeff Bridges/Lauren Ambrose.
Directed by George LaVoo.
* A man (Bridges) and a dog, both who’ve seen better days, try to find a common ground. With Lauren Ambrose of SIX FEET UNDER fame.

BARRY MUNDAY.
Comedy.
Patrick Wilson/Mae Whitman/Colin Hanks.
Directed by Chris D’Arienzo.
* First dude (Wilson) gets attacked, badly beaten so much so that when he awakens in the hospital, it appears he has lost his balls, literally. To make matters worse, he is hit with a paternity suit by someone he has no recollection ever sleeping with. Barry....you dirty dog.

BOYS LIFE 7.
Short films/LGBT.
* The seventh in this series of short film releases about young gay men striving for love and affection.

INCEPTION.****BD****
Action/Sci-Fi.
Leonardo DiCaprio/Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Ellen Page/Tom Hardy/Cillian Murphy/Marion Cotillard/Michael Caine.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
* Cobb (Leo) is a thief at the core; but his specialty is quite unusual…he steals information from people’s minds by invading their dreams. He considers himself an extractor, and the best one on the planet. However, after a botched attempt at extraction, the subject of the attempt makes Cobb an offer he can’t refuse. Cobb and his now-deceased wife made many studies of the dream world, and one of their studies eventually resulted in her death and made him a fugitive not only from the law, but from his young children, who is in unable to ever visit. The new job offer is a major challenge, it is not an extraction but an “inception”, that is, the secret planting of an idea into someone’s mind, and the job’s main benefit is that his new employer promises him that he can fix his situation at home, and make it possible for Cobb to no longer be a fugitive from the law. Never mind the details, in a way those are unimportant. What is important is that the main action of the film takes place in a dream, and not just in a dream, but in a dream inside a dream inside yet another dream (and again, inside one more dream layer). The action is going on somewhat simultaneously, but time is moving slower in each deeper level of dream action. Meanwhile, though Cobb has told his “dream team” (the dream architect, the anesthesiologist, other skilled labor) most of the issues that they will face inside the dream, what he has not told them is that his wife, or at least his subconscious projection of his wife (based on his own unresolved feelings surrounding their research and her death) is haunting his dreams and before he is able to complete any job, he must face his own inner demons, as animated by her image. Yikes! Jeff (here at Four Star) said it best when he told me he thought this movie was exactly what all blockbusters should be. It is certainly a joy ride, full of action, both cerebral and locked&loaded.

PATRIK: AGE 1.5.
Comedy/Drama/Foreign (Swedish).
Gustaf Skarsgard/Torkel Petersson.
Directed by Ella Lemhagen.
* Thought provoking comedy about a gay couple, Goran and Sven, who think they are becoming the proud adoptive parents of a 15 month old baby boy, Patrik. Only, sorry guys, Patrik is not only 15 years old, but he is also a homophobic delinquent who want nothing to do with his new parents. Swedish movies have hit it big lately (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO), and although this one doesn’t feature the same kind of dramatic intensity of some of those other films, it is handled with delicate aplomb and a classiness that is not often found in Hollywood.

SHREK 4: FOREVER AFTER: THE FINAL CHAPTER.****BD****
Action/Fantasy.
Mike Myers/Cameron Diaz/Eddie Murphy/Antonio Banderas/Julie Andrews/Paul McCartney/Eric Idle/Justin Timberlake/Megan Fox/Jon Hamm/Maya Rudolph/Amy Sedaris.
Directed by Mike Mitchell.
* Poor Shrek, he just can’t find a happy medium…He just doesn’t feel like a true ogre, and that is why he decides to make a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, who promises that he can help. Yeah, help is right, but unfortunately for the big green guy, Rumpel is just wanting to help himself. So he banishes the jolly green giant to an alternative universe, where life is miserable for a large green fellow with a tender heart. Now, Shrek must use all his wits to make his way back to the life he used to live, back to Far Far Away, where his green bride awaits, where his gentle lifestyle sits and waits, silently for him.

THE SICILIAN GIRL.
Drama/Crime/Fictobiopic/Foreign (Italian).
Veronica D’Agostino.
Directed by Marco Amenta.
* This Italian film (based on true events) is about a 17-year-old girl, born into a mafia family, who betrays her family to give states evidence against organized crime after watching her father and brother get gunned down.

THE YEAR OF GETTING TO KNOW US.
Comedy/Drama.
Jimmy Fallon/Lucy Liu/Sharon Stone/Tom Arnold.
Directed by Patrick Sisam.
* Christopher Rocket is kind of a mess, afraid of commitment, estranged from his folks, and mostly muddling along. Then his dad has a stroke, and he heads home, to help out and to try to come to terms with his childhood.

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

RESTREPO. ****BD****
Documentary/War.
Directed by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger.
* This film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year. It is a doc about a year the director’s spent living with a platoon of American soldiers in a terribly deadly valley in Afghanistan. It is an emotional, claustrophobic and illuminating journey, that is less about judgment and more about transparency. And the heartbreaking sorrow of a country torn apart by war.

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

DETECTIVE MONTALBANO: SEASON 1-3.
Television/Mystery/Foreign (Italian).
* Our first Italian-language series is an adaptation of the phenomenal novels written by Andrea Camilleri. Dry and humorous, Commissario Salvo Montalbano is a very successful detective. The mysteries are sometimes quite grim, and generally topical, and at times, Montalbano is pensive and affected deeply by the situations. I haven’t seen the show yet, but I’ve read the books, which were awesome. Judging from the comments I have heard around the store in the week since we got this in, the show has maintained the high level of standards that the books achieved.

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

CURIOUS GEORGE: SWEET DREAMS.

THE DOLPHIN: THE STORY OF A DREAMER.

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: SEASON SIX VOL.2.

THOMAS & FRIENDS: THE LION OF SODOR.

YOGI BEAR’S ALL STAR COMEDY CHRISTMAS CAPER.

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

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE.
*. This indie film is about a man who goes home to revisit the terrible events of his early adulthood, 17 years ago, that left his great friend dead, and his father implicated. One of the producers on this film is Four Star customer, Sara Gorr!

****

****new release list no.296

2010-11-29T15:52:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-22T16:04:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-15T14:34:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-11T22:12:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-02T23:23:00.000-07:00

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.

****