archive no. 76-67

****new release list no. 76


The current exhibition at the De Young Museum — visionary quilts made by four generations of black women in the rural South — makes for a moving art experience. We predict that their story will become a major motion picture — we're imagining Halle Barry as a young quilter, and maybe John Goodman as the Sears representative who commissioned the ladies to mass produce corduroy shams in the '70s. In the meantime, we've got the short documentary THE QUILTS OF GEE'S BEND, featuring a bit of historical context and testimonies from the surviving quilters, to rent out to y'all.

Our own next art exhibition (in The Attic at our 18th St. shop) is shaping up... Artists (including Andre Razo from New York, Amy Jo Diaz from L.A., Simon Evans from London and local heroes Rebecca Miller and Mat O'Brien) will each be addressing the theme of Dylan — as in Bob Dylan, Dylan Thomas and/or Dylan's Pub. Our opening night event on Thursday August 10 will feature music, readings and, of course, Anchor Steam beer brewed in Potrero Hill.

Summer reading suggestion: John McPhee, whose investigative reports on farming and wilderness yield compelling personal prose (the Los Angeles Times referred to McPhee's writing as being as clear and hard as a diamond). McPhee won the Pulitzer for his epic tome on geology, ANNALS OF THE FORMER WORLD. Newcomers may wish to engage something less ambitious, such as his classic essay on fruit pickers, ORANGES. (Supplemental viewing could include documentaries like Werner Herzog's GRIZZLY MAN, THE FUTURE OF FOOD, or local director Kelly Duane's portrait of environmental preservationist David Brower, MONUMENTAL.)

And now on to the new stuff...

yours,
four star.


............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............


V FOR VENDETTA.
Sci-Fi/Thriller.
Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt.
Directed by James McTeigue. Written by The Wachowski Brothers.
* Generally, we like our comic book movies easy to digest. As embodied by that intellectual lightweight SUPERMAN, audiences want their protagonists to represent pure good in a fight against pure evil. You have to give the filmmakers here some credit for attempting to find a grey area, even when the risk is that it can dissolve into murkiness. As a reaction to the contemporary political climate, this is a pretty radical premise: The setting is a totalitarian dystopia formed in the wake of a dishonest war on terror. Rather than the "safe liberalism" of revisiting past injustices (slavery, McCarthyism), the bold move here is to address current human rights issues (namely anti-Muslim and anti-gay sentiments) by fast-forwarding to a pessimistic vision of the future, and thus projecting a luxury of hindsight. It's a classic conceit of science fiction (think of BRAVE NEW WORLD or THE HANDMAID'S TALE), but one that isn't so readily used in today's popular entertainments. Credibility is bolstered by uniformly fine performances from a totally committed cast, including several A-list British thespians. In the role of V, Hugo Weaving employs precise body language and vocal intonation to convey startling complexity and charisma from behind a cape and mask. Take that, Darth Vader. V FOR VENDETTA really angered a lot of critics, who found it to be incoherent, heavy-handed and even "flat-out stupid" (LA Weekly). And it certainly has its faults: It is overlong and overwrought, and the gestures of a PHANTOM OF THE OPERA-type romance are just silly. That said, this remains an intriguing picture. Critics are often harshest towards those films that start out with lofty ideas and then fall short. They much prefer a nicely done nothing-at-all (like the new SUPERMAN movie). Salon.com called V FOR VENDETTA "a tracing-paper exercise masquerading as a masterpiece." But we reckon there will be those willing to indulge this sketchy attempt at reconciling entertainment with ideas. Oh, and there's a cool soundtrack (Cat Power, Spiritualized, Antony and the Johnsons), too.
see also: METROPOLIS.


............//NEW TITLES//............


ARISTIDE AND THE ENDLESS REVOLUTION.
Documentary.
Directed by Nicolas Rossier.

THE JOY OF LIFE.
Documentary/Experimental/Gay Interest.
Narrated by Harriet "Harry" Dodge; featuring Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Directed by Jenni Olson.
* With THE JOY OF LIFE, Bernal Heights-based filmmaker Jenni Olson has produced an experimental narrative of great beauty and poignancy, now released on DVD by the Frameline group. A narration of highly personal experiences is juxtaposed with architectural shots of San Francisco cityscapes. (You'll be sure to recognize Bernal hill and the Potrero water tower, filmed before its demolition.) As a portrait of a place, this pyscho-geographical approach may remind viewers of the work of architect-turned-filmmaker Patrick Keiller (LONDON). But Olson's narrative is even more subjective, emotional and sexually frank. What begins as the melancholic confessions of a chronic dater on the lesbian scene deftly evolves into a brief history on the Frank Capra film MEET JOHN DOE, and finally concentrates on the tragic statistics surrounding the "world's leading suicide landmark," the Golden Gate Bridge. Through an organic stream-of-consciousness, many aspects of the film's diary entries, historical research and landscape photography wind up intersecting and coming full circle. The film feels kind of like a lovingly hand-made zine — something you'd pick up at Dog Eared Books, and then eagerly read all the way through on a warm afternoon in Dolores Park.
see also: LONDON.

MRS. HARRIS.
Drama/Thriller.
Annette Benning, Ben Kingsley.
Directed by Phyllis Nagy.

THE QUILTS OF GEE'S BEND.
Art Documentary/Short.
Directed by Vanessa Vadim.

V FOR VENDETTA.
see above: "release of the week."


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


THE SHAGGY DOG.
Comedy/Family.
Tim Allen, Kristin Davis, Zena Gray, Spencer Breslin, Danny Glover, Robert Downey, Jr.
Directed by Brian Robbins.


............//NEW TO DVD//............


OLIVIER'S SHAKESPEARE:
HAMLET. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Classic Drama. 1948.
Directed by Laurence Olivier.
HENRY V. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Classic Drama. 1944.
Directed by Laurence Olivier.
RICHARD III. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Classic Drama. 1955.
Directed by Laurence Olivier.

PUTNEY SWOPE.
Comedy. 1969.
Directed by Robert Downey Sr.

RICHARD PRYOR LIVE IN CONCERT.
Stand-Up. 1979.
Directed by Jeff Margolis.

****


****new release list no. 75


Hey you guys,

Let's face it. Those PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies are not that good. The New Yorker recently wrote that both the first two movies "bear the signs of creaking corporate enterprise — they are pure Disney products." And isn't it kind of weird that pirates — earring-wearers, interceptors of global trade economy and ruthless killers (um, terrorists?) — are now so widely accepted that McDonald's locations are putting signs on their roofs that read: PIRATES BE HERE?

Be a true pirate. Intercept the Hollywood economy and rent something wildly different. Listen, our staff is never snotty about our customers' film selections. There's a time and a place for all sorts of stuff. But we also never give in to the marketing ploy that "you gotta see it." You don't. And if they're all talking about some film you don't care about at the water cooler, just change the subject. Try sex, or Condoleezza Rice. Not together.

Thank you to everyone who has been asking us about our CINEMA SCOUTS summer program for youth. It's going great! We get a big kick out of little boys renting Buster Keaton and teenage girls who are entranced by AMELIE and Audrey Hepburn. Lots of parents are watching together with their kids — revisiting old Preston Sturges and Stanley Donen films — and the whole thing just warms the hearts of us jaded video store proprietors.

Hope you're having a groovy summer,
four star.


............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............


ASK THE DUST.
Drama.
Colin Farrell, Salma Hayek, Donald Sutherland.
Directed by Robert Towne. Based on the novel by John Fante.
* Writing in 1930s L.A. with a shocking bluntness and off-the-cuff vitrol, the novelist John Fante would become a major influence on Charles Bukowski and the Beat writers. Here, his semi-autobiographical novel of hot tempered lust and youthful anomie gets a film treatment from Robert Towne, who wrote the screenplay for the classic dustbowl thriller CHINATOWN. The casting decisions seem right, too: Colin Farrell for his anger and brutish sex appeal, Salma Hayek for her vulnerable yet strong-willed sensuality. As might have been predicted, however, this film winds up feeling like something less than the sum of its parts. The Baltimore Sun raved, "strongly bitter, strongly sweet poem in prose and motion." But Entertainment Weekly scowled, "The movie lacks even the misplaced fervor of obsession. It's lifeless kitsch." The San Francisco Chronicle's diplomatic Ruth Steine offered, "The film is a particular disappointment considering its pedigree."
see also: CHINATOWN, THE DAY OF THE LOCUST, BOUND FOR GLORY.


............//NEW TITLES//............


ASK THE DUST.
see above: "release of the week."

AWESOME; I ... SHOT THAT!
Music/Concert.
The Beastie Boys.
Directed by Adam Yauch.
* How could the Beastie Boys not foresee that putting the word F***in' in the title of their movie would lead to a complicated gramatical cover-up like AWESOME; I ... SHOT THAT upon DVD release? Then again, what were they thinking giving 50 fans handheld cameras and having them film a live concert as a "cool" concept Then again, this is a band called the Beastie Boys, and they're like in their 40s with gray hair. Obviously for fans only, this is predictably chaotic and inconsistent. Then again, that has always been the appeal of these guys.
see also: PUT THE CAMERA ON ME.

THE BENCHWARMERS.
Comedy.
Rob Schneider, David Spade, Jon Heder, Jon Lovitz, Craig Kilborn, Molly Sims.
Directed by Dennis Dugan.

CLEAN.
Drama. Canada/France/UK. (English language.)
Maggie Cheung, Mary Moulds, Nick Nolte, Béatrice Dalle.
Directed by Olivier Assayas.
* It's easy to think of Maggie Cheung as merely a pretty doll. She has played a mannequin-like object of forbidden desire (in Wong Kar Wai's sumptuous period piece IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE), and some sort of ethereal, ass-kicking water sprite in various martial arts epics. The French director Assayas (Cheung's ex-husband) prefers to challenge her acting chops, not just her perfect geometries and karate kicks. In his film IRMA VEP, she played herself, an actress making a crossover from Hong Kong action flicks to a French art film. Here, Cheung is cast as a drug-addicted widow attempting to get herself together for the sake of her young son and father-in-law, played by Nick Nolte. She went on to win the Best Actress award at Cannes for her unhinged performance.
see also: IRMA VEP.

COLD SHOWERS.
Drama/Gay Interest. France.
Johan Libereau, Salome Stevenin, Pierre Perrier.
Directed by Antony Cordier.

COLLECTION OF 2005 ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS.
Shorts/Animated Shorts.
Various Directors.

ELECTRIC SHADOWS.
Drama. China.
Directed by Jiang Xiao.

FEED.
Thriller. Australia.
Directed by Brett Leonard.

FINAL DESTINATION 3.
Horror.
Directed by James Wong.

LA MUJER DE MI HERMANO.
Drama. Argentina.
Directed by Ricardo de Montreuil.

RED DUST.
Drama. UK/South Africa.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hilary Swank.
Directed by Tom Hooper.

SOMERSAULT.
Drama. Australia.
Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington.
Directed by Cate Shortland.
* An erotic coming-of-age film from a first-time Australian director. New York Post: "Showcases a brilliantly realistic performance by Abbie Cornish as Heidi. She's a provocative mix of naivete and ripe, unbridled sexuality." The Hollywood Reporter: "Told many times before, but in this well-realized mounting, one that sparkles with fresh awareness." LA Weekly: "Remarkable... Moves to the lyrical rhythms and unhurried pace of a 1970s road movie."
see also: MORVERN CALLAR.


.............//SERIES//............


CHAPELLE'S SHOW: THE LOST EPISODES.


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


THE BFG.



...........//NEW TO DVD//............


A CANTERBURY TALE. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Classic Drama. 1944.
Directed by Powell & Pressburger.

EARTH.
Drama. India. 1998.
Directed by Deepa Mehta.

THE FIFTH HORSEMEN IS FEAR.
Drama. 1964.
Directed by Zbynek Brynych.

FIRE.
Drama/Lesbian Interest. 1996.
Directed by Deepa Mehta.

GIA.
Drama/Lesbian Interest. Made-for-TV. 1998.
Angelina Jolie.
Directed by Michael Cristofer.
* Despite our continued attempts to turn customers on to Ingmar Bergman and Yasujiro Ozu, the fact must be faced: A single worn copy of GIA — on VHS, transferred back and forth between our two stores — seems to rent more steadily than the filmographies of both those artistic directors combined. This tragic biography of a late '70s fashion model is filled with drug abuse, blood, breasts, Studio 54 and a lesbian kiss. Star-making performance from Angelina Jolie, but who would've thought it would ever be remembered for anything other than that? But, no, this is irresistably trashy movie that can't be stopped. We've finally stocked up on DVD copies for both stores. Indulge yourself.
see also: SHOWGIRLS.

HER THIRD.
Drama. East Germany. 1972.
Directed by Egon Guenther.

JUST A QUESTION OF LOVE.
Drama/Gay Interest. France/Belgium. 2000.
Directed by Christian Faure.

LAN YU.
Drama/Gay Interest. China. 2001.
Directed by Stanley Kwan.
PAUL BOWLES: HALFMOON.
Drama. Germany. (Arabic and English languages.) 1995.
Directed by Frieder Schlaich and Irene von Alberti.

THE WAR GAME/CULLODEN.
(CULLODEN:)
Documentary/Drama/War. Made-for-TV. England. 1964.
Directed by Peter Watkins.
(THE WAR GAME:)
Drama/Sci-Fi/War. England. 1965.
Directed by Peter Watkins.

****


****new release list no. 74


When the summer fog rolls in, we get to feeling kind of British.

We'll start off with an R.I.P. to one of our favorite Brit rockers, Syd Barrett — founding member of Pink Floyd, madcap solo artist and eventual recluse — who died last week. Your crazy, glimmering legacy will live on.

As for Anglophile video news, Brit TV arrivals include TOUCHING EVIL starring Robson Green, plus more episodes of MIDSOMER MURDERS. This week also sees the release of Patrick Keiller's experimental documentary, LONDON (pictured).

While we're at it, here's a few recommended British documentary mini-series that you might have missed...

THE LONG WAY ROUND is the closest reality TV gets to National Geographic. The actor Ewan McGregor and his best friend, Charlie Boorman, embark upon a 3-month motorcycle journey from London to New York, the long way round. Meaning they pass through Siberia, Mongolia, Russia and a bunch of places with polysyllabic names we can't spell. This is great for armchair travelers: Lots of adventure, sketchy situations with dubious new acquaintaces and some pretty intense challenges involving motorcyle skills and equipment. Ewan proves as charming out of character as in the movies, and the whole thing will make you want to hit the road.

If you're more of a homebody, we'd suggest JAMIE'S KITCHEN, which follows the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver as he attempts to train a motley crew of disadvantaged youth to staff his trendy new restaurant. While this concept could smack of exploitation, Oliver is setting out to do something altruistic, and his passion, along with the blunders of the rather loveable kids, make for a fun series without the claws-out aggression of American reality shows.

And finally, there's the nature series LIFE OF BIRDS, narrated by the elegant David Attenborough. It's a beautifully photographed production which has proved wildly popular among those customers who previously got hooked in by stuff like WINGED MIGRATION and MARCH OF THE PENGUINS.

Recent interviews with our current Attic gallery artist, Colter Jacobsen, can be read here and here. Our next exhibition will be a casual summer group show... on the theme of Bob Dylan/Dylan Thomas. Contributions are being sent in from as far as London and New York. The opening night party will include Bob Dylan covers by local musicians and readings of Dylan Thomas works.

Keep on,
four star.


............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............


TSOTSI.
Crime Drama. South Africa.
Presley Chweneyagae, Mothusi Magano, Israel Makoe.
Directed by Gavin Hood.
* This took home the Best Foreign Film award at the Oscars, and a lot of reviewers really loved it. Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "It grabs you from a symbolic opening scene of gang members rolling the dice — the odds, it soon becomes clear, are stacked against them getting lucky — and never lets go." But this tale of a killer's redemption, set against the bustling backdrop of Johannesburg, was found to be a little facile by some critics. Entertainment Weekly: "More calculated than a Starbucks sampler CD." Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "A confused and improbable redemption song." New York Post: "A cascade of sentimentality straight out of Hollywood." Which is why, perhaps, Hollywood voters took so strongly to this up-from-under picture. Nonetheless, nice acting from lead Chweneyagae, evocatively dark cinematography from Lance Gewer, and a rare chance to glimpse some aspects of urban life in modern South Africa.
see also: CITY OF GOD.



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


ATL.
Drama/Hip-Hop.
* Like ROLL BOUNCE with more grit, this movie was co-written by the real Antwone Fisher, and centers around a group of inner-city youth who hang out at a roller rink in Atlanta, Georgia. New York Daily News: "Fresh and unexpected. It feels like a real window on the lives of disenfranchised youths as they make their way in a society that doesn't cut them any breaks." New York Post: "The film mostly avoids easy laughs or simplistic characters, reminding you how few black movies claim the huge middle ground between chardonnay-sipping buppies and hardened criminals."
see also: ANTWONE FISHER.

DON'T MOVE.
Drama. Italy.
Penelope Cruz, Sergio Castellitto, Claudia Gerini.
Directed by Sergio Castellitto.

INTIMATE STORIES.
Drama. Argentina.
Directed by Carlos Sorin.
* A gently satirical road movie set in the otherworldly expanses of Southern Patagonia. Variety: "Endowed with captivating simplicity, gentle humor, rich humanity and infectious generosity of spirit." Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Genuinely funny and sweet, the film's 'everybody wins' philosophy resonates beyond the feel-good surfaces." Village Voice: "It's a perfectly realized grace note whose lack of any obvious message only reinforces the movie's abundant wisdom and patient humanism."
see also: THE STRAIGHT STORY, ENLIGHTENMENT GUARANTEED.

MIRAGE.
Drama. Macedonia.
Directed by Svetozar Ristovski.

THE MUDGE BOY.
Drama/Independent/Gay Interest.
Emile Hirsch, Tom Guiry, Richard Jenkins, Pablo Schreiber
Directed by Michael Burke.
* An especially difficult coming-of-age story regarding the death of a mother and the hold of an abusive father. The New York Post describes its compelling style: "Offers an idyllic, comforting surface of tree-shaded lanes and sunshine-dappled fields — but a disturbing tale throbs beneath." Critics have hailed the young actor Emile Hirsch (he was previously seen in THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS) as giving a breakthrough performance. LA Weekly's Chuck Wilson called him "a miraculous young actor."
see also: UNDERTOW, MEAN CREEK, MYSTERIOUS SKIN.

QUEER DUCK: THE MOVIE.
Animation.
Voices by JM J Bullock, Tim Curry, David Duchovny, Conan O'Brien.
Directed by Xeth Feinberg.
* Written by SIMPSONS collaborator Mike Reiss, this may well be the first gay-oriented feature-length animation movie. To do the voice of the title character, the producers pulled JM J Bullock down off his perch on the HOLLYWOOD SQUARES for the first time in, like, decades. Is this overly stereotypical? Annoyingly trite? Maybe, but it probably won't really offend many besides a few religious fundamentalists. The pop culture references are a little dated. (Judy Garland? Come on! Hadn't anyone on the crew heard of Goldfrapp yet?) Still, this'll give its target demographic a little giggle.
see also: hmmmmm?

SEX WITH LOVE.
Comedy. Chile.
Directed by Boris Quercia.

SHE'S THE MAN.
Romantic Comedy/Teen.
Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Robert Hoffman, Jonathan Sadowski, Alex Breckenridge.
Directed by Andy Fickman.

TSOTSI.
see above: "release of the week."


............//SERIES//............


CARNIVALE, Series 2.
HBO Drama Series.

MIDSOMER MURDERS, Series 5 & 6.
British Detective Series.

TOUCHING EVIL, Series 1, 2 & 3.
British Crime Drama Series.


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


A PUP NAMED SCOOBY DOO, Volumes 1 & 2.


............//NEW TO DVD//............


DR. MABUSE THE GAMBLER.
Classic Thriller. Germany. Silent. 1922.
Directed by Fritz Lang.

LONDON.
Documentary/Experimental. 1994.
Narrated by Paul Scofield.
Directed by Patrick Keiller.
* Like its companion piece, ROBINSON IN SPACE, this film is hard to qualify, as it playfully skirts around straightforward documentary with bits of fanciful embellishment. On the one hand, it is a sociological essay about English history (Guy Fawkes, the Royal Horseguards) as well as newer developments in the city of London (from IRA bomb scares to underground gay culture). But facts and figures are strung together by a fictional narrative full of mystery and romance. Keiller, a former architect, owes a debt to the French filmmaker Chris Marker, who (along with the director Agnes Varda) developed an intriguing, subjective new style of 'essay films,' most notably with his imaginative rumination on shifting cultural trends in Africa and Japan, SANS SOLEIL. At once informative and disorienting, LONDON approaches the city much as an abtract painter might: Not just as a place of set structures, but as an open continuum of impressions, moods and experiences.
see also: ROBINSON IN SPACE, SANS SOLEIL, FINISTERRE, THE GLEANERS AND I.

SYBIL.
Drama. 1976.
Joanne Woodward, Sally Field, Charles Lane.
Directed by Daniel Petrie.

****


****new release list no. 73


Professional skateboarders sometimes refer to UPS delivery personnel as Brown Santa, because of all the corporate gifts they bring in their brown uniforms.

Well, thank you, Brown Santa, because this week we finally got a delivery to talk about! After a lot of pretty mediocre midsummer releases, hocked off while we watched 4th of July fireworks and the World Cup games, here's a new release list with some umph. There's the postmodern satire TRISTRAM SHANDY, lots of great '60s slapstick, a couple more British TV series, and the Criterion re-release of Edward Yang's family drama YI YI (pictured).

Other good news: The San Francisco Chronicle recently referred to Four Star as "one of the best video stores in the city." Our current art exhibit at the 18th Street shop was listed in "The Mix" in the San Francisco Bay Guardian; watch for their full article on the artist, Colter Jacobsen, to appear in this week's issue. And the Potrero Hill View has asked us to contribute a regular movie review column to their paper... look out for it!

.............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**.............


TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY.
Comedy.
Steeve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Gillian Anderson, Kelly Macdonald.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom.
* The concept is that the novel TRISTRAM SHANDY, a circuitous narrative from the 1760s, is so loopy that it's "unfilmable." Thus, the only solution is to make a film about the attempt to make a film of TRISTRAM SHANDY. And the director to do it is Michael Winterbottom, whose previous work (the documentary-style music biography 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, the sci-fi romance CODE 46, the concert film-slash-porno experiment 9 SONGS) tend to be ambitious, wonderfully entertaining and somehow not-quite-right. In terms of a movie about making a movie, this project is heavy in precident and eclipsed by masterpieces like Truffaut's DAY FOR NIGHT. Still, it makes for a rollicking good time. Those familiar with the actor Steve Coogan (from 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE or British comedy series like KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU) will be pleased that he's still playing up his hilariously difficult persona. Fans will also be surprised to find that Coogan is nearly upstaged by fellow British comic actor Roby Brydon. Slightly disorienting at first, and intent on tickling the brain in the manner of BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, this film is just shy of a classic, but is indeed full of some very great moments.
see also: DAY FOR NIGHT, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH.


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


BASIC INSTINCT 2.
Drama/Thriller.
Sharon Stone, David Morrissey, Charlotte Rampling, David Thewlis.
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones.

BLOODLINES.
Crime Drama. Made-for-TV/England.
Emma Pierson, Kevin McNally, Robert Pugh, Kieran O'Brien, Max Beesley.
Directed by Phillip Martin.

ON A CLEAR DAY.
Drama. England.
Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn.
Directed by Gaby Dellal.

PROTOCOLS OF ZION.
Documentary.
Directed by Marc Levin.
* A disturbing study of the far-fetched conspiracy theories that have given rise to anti-semitism in the wake of 911.
see also: WHY WE FIGHT.

SOUNDLESS.
Thriller. Germany.
Directed by Mennan Yapo.

THE TALENT GIVEN US.
Comedy/Independent.
Directed by Andrew Wagner.
* In his disarming spin on cinema verite, writer/director Andew Wagner cast his real life family in the roles of the Wagner family — who are traveling from New York City to L.A. to visit their screenwriter son, Andy. An upfront, neurotic and (for obvious reasons) uncomfortable film.
see also: THE DAYTRIPPERS.

TIRESIA.
Drama. France.
Directed by Bertrand Bonello.

TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY.
see above: "release of the week."



............//SERIES//............


CAMBRIDGE SPIES.
British Espionage Drama Mini-Series.

FOYLE'S WAR, SET 3.
British War Drama Mini-Series.

GREY'S ANATOMY, SERIES 1.
Drama Series.

MCCALLUM.
British Crime Drama Mini-Series.

OH, BROTHER!, 8 CLASSIC EPISODES.
British Comedy Series.

RENO 911!, SERIES 3.
Comedy Series.

WEEDS.
Comedy Series.
* The great Mary-Louise Parker beat out every single Desperate Housewife for the Best Actress Golden Globe for her performance as a pot-dealing suburban mom on WEEDS. One imdb user wrote: "WEEDS has it all: Provocative and witty dialog, deeply conflicted characters, lust, blatant sexuality (straight and otherwise), drugs and, above all, it's got a lethal ace in the hole — its star, the supremely delightful Mary Louise Parker." Like HOUSEWIVES, this show combines satire with the intrigue of a soap opera. Sure to be a new favorite amongst our customers.
see also: SAVING GRACE, ANGELS IN AMERICA, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.


............//MUSIC//............


BRIAN ENO: 14 VIDEO PAINTINGS.
Music/Experimental.

JOHNNY CASH: LIVE FROM AUSTIN, TX.
Music/Concert Video.

TELL ME DO YOU MISS ME: A FILM ABOUT LUNA.
Music/Documentary.
Directed by Matthew Buzzell.
* With their bittersweet melancholia layered over poppy guitar hooks, LUNA could have been a better-known band, along the lines of Beck or Wilco. But just as their quintessentially '90s indie sound required an evolution, the band began to fall apart internally. This acclaimed film documents the band's final world tour. More low-key than, say METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER or THIS IS SPINAL TAP, this is ruminative and smart, like the band's songs.
see also: I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART.


............//NEW TO DVD//............


ANIMAL TREASURE ISLAND.
Animation. Japan. 1971.
Directed by Hiroshi Ikeda. Lead Animation by Hayao Miyazaki.

BEYOND THE ROCKS.
Vintage Drama. Silent. 1922.
Gloria Swanson, Rudoloph Valentino.
Directed by Sam Wood.

THE BIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA.
Adventure. Japan. 1998.
Directed by Takashi Miike.

ELECTRIC EDWARDIANS: THE LOST FILMS OF MITCHELL & KENYON.
Vintage Short Films. 1900-1913.
Directed by Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon.

A FINE MADNESS.
Comedy. 1966.
Sean Connery, Joanne Woodward, Jean Seberg.
Directed by Irvin Kershner.
* The sort of madcap comedy that filmmakers excelled at 40 years ago. Samson Shillitoe is a genius poet trapped in the body of a working class brute. His temper, prediliction for booze and irresistable charm over women are keeping him from finishing his great epic poem. What starts as a sharp spoof on modern psychology, class issues and infidelity lapses into an obvious farce based around Samson's lobotomy at the hands of a scorned psychiatrist. Still, it remains largely enjoyable throughout, based on fun camerawork and a fine performance from Joanne Woodward as Samson's beleagured wife. Word of warning: The gender dynamics now feel hopelessly dated. (One recurring joke has Samson continually coming within a literal inch of beating his wife).
see also: ALFIE, ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER.

GRASS: A NATION'S BATTLE FOR LIFE.
Documentary. 1925.
Directed by Richard Carver and Terry Ramsaye.

I LOVE YOU, ALICE B. TOKLAS!
Comedy. 1968.
Peter Sellers, Jo Van Fleet, Leigh Taylor-Young.
Directed by Hy Averback.

THE LOST WEEKEND.
Drama. 1945.
Ray Milland, Jane Wyman.
Directed by Billy Wilder.

THE LOVED ONE.
Comedy. 1965.
Robert Morse, Anjanette Comer, Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger, Dana Andrews, Milton Berle, James Coburn, Ayllene Gibbons, John Gielgud, Tab Hunter, Liberace, Roddy McDowall.
Directed by Tony Richardson.
* Like this week's new release TRISTRAM SHANDY, this adaptation of a satirical novel turns out to be a delightful shambles. Based on Evelyn Waugh's spoof on the British in Hollywood and Californian funeral practices, the film is a just a bit too much, but it has sustained a longstanding fan base. Featuring a huge and riotous cast, including notable performances by Ayllene Gibbons and Liberace as a casket salesman. Directed by Tony Richardson (TOM JONES, A TASTE OF HONEY). Scripted by two literary dazzlers, Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood. And the inimitable Hal Ashby served as one of the film's editors.
see also: DAY OF THE LOCUST.

KOKO: A TALKING GORILLA. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Documentary. France.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder.

PETULIA.
Drama. 1968.
Julie Christie, George C. Scott, Richard Chamberlin.
Directed by Richard Lester.
* Wow! Gorgeous and slightly surreal romantic drama starring the heavenly Julie Christie and photographed on location in psychedelic-era San Francisco by cinematographer Nicholas Roeg. They. Don't. Make. Em. Like. This. Anymore.
see also: TWO FOR THE ROAD, DON'T LOOK NOW.

ROLLOVER.
Drama. 1981.
Jane Fonda, Kris Kristofferson, Hume Cronyn.
Directed by Alan J. Pakula.

YI YI. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Drama. Taiwan. 2000.
Directed by Edward Yang.
* Jeremy won't hesitate to boast that his father was best friends with director Edward Yang when they studied electrical engineering together in Florida. Yang's subsequent resistance to career stability (he went on to become a touchstone of the experimental New Taiwanese Cinema movement) is one of the through-themes of YI YI, which spans one year in the life of a middle class family in Taipei. Yang treats all of his characters with the utmost respect. A father is reconsidering his professional choices, as well as the rekindling of a youthful romance. His young son is showing a prodigal talent for photography, and his teenage daughter is drawn towards a dangerous hooligan. Their stories, and the stories of those around them, are told through prosaic details and uncomfortable scenarios, all framed within a graceful film architecture. Upon its release, YI YI was listed as one of the top films of the year by over one hundred critics. And yet it remains seen only by a select few. This is just the kind of movie that should be made: Both delicate and powerful, populated by old people, the very young, and the woeful in-between — a family story filled with hope and sadness. It harkens to Antonioni in its architectural precision and to Yasujiro Ozu in its subtlety. In turn, it has no doubt served as a quiet influence on filmmakers such as Sofia Coppola (with her study of urban malaise, LOST IN TRANSLATION). The length (long) and pace (slow) require patience from viewers, but they will be rewarded. This reissue from Criterion — a company that heralds the film as "one of the undisputed masterpieces of the new century" — features a new transfer and a commentary from Yang.
see also: TOKYO STORY, THE WEDDING BANQUET.

****


****new release list no. 72



Would you pay 10 bucks for a sunny 4th of July?

We'll be closing shop at 7pm on Tuesday, because we have a life too, and friends who want us to show up for the crumbs of their afternoon BBQ. We deserve it.

Seems like the video distribution industry gave itself a break too, as this week's roll call is a pretty slight. Anyway, have a good one....

your friends at four star.


...........**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............


THE MATADOR.
Comedy/Suspense.
Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Philip Baker Hall.
Directed by Richard Shepard.
* Pierce Brosnan always played 007 too straight, lacking the mischieviousness of Connery and the satire of Roger Moore. Perhaps he's just been waiting to play an all-out doofus. About his performance in THE MATADOR, Premiere magazine wrote, "It's a role that essentially demystifies Brosnan's star persona, and in it he is simply sensational, funnier and more persuasively neurotic than even a devoted fan might expect." USA Today chimes, "Pierce Brosnan is the anti-Bond in THE MATADOR. And though he's anything but suave, sophisticated or debonair, he's a joy to behold." This is yet another 'offbeat comedy/crime thriller' — a mildly successful one and a reasonably good time.
see also: KISS KISS BANG BANG.


..............//NEW TITLES//............


THE FIRE NEXT TIME.
Documentary.
Directed by Patrice O'Neill and The Working Group.

FIRECRACKER.
Mystery/Independent.
Mike Patton, Karen Black, Susan Traylor.
Directed by Steve Balderson.
* This little noir film tells the story of a small-town boy who encounters Karen Black at a traveling sideshow carnival. He is being abused at home; she's one of the main attractions of the show... And, being Karen Black, she successfully lures little David into the realm of the totally psychotic! FIRECRACKER may be stilted by the constraints of a new director on a small budget, but its rich color palette and chilling tone really seemed to work on people: Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars, and Film Threat called it "no less than a masterpiece."
see also: DONNIE DARKO, WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP, BUDDY BOY.

THE LIBERTINE.
Drama. England.
Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich.
Directed by Laurence Dunmore.

MARILYN HOTCHKISS BALLROOM DANCING & CHARM SCHOOL.
Romantic Comedy/Musical.
Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, John Goodman, Mary Steenburgen, Sean Astin, Danny DeVito, Donny Wahlberg.
Directed by Randall Miller.

THE MATADOR.
see above: "release of the week."

MY NAME WAS SABINA SPRIELREIU.
Documentary/Denmark.
Directed by Elisabeth Marton.
* MY NAME WAS SABINA SPRIELBREIU... but nobody could pronounce it! Sorry, we couldn't resist. Here's a much more mature take on the film, from noted film critic and Four Star customer Ruby Rich: "The history of psychoanalysis is littered with the discarded psyches of the women whose diagnoses were key to the fame of the great masters. One such woman was Sabina Spielrein. Unlike the rest, she didn't vanish forever from history. Elisabeth Márton's film relates, restages and remembers the tragic story of Spielrein's life as gleaned from a box of her papers discovered in 1977 in the cellar of Geneva's former Institute of Psychology. Spielrein was a young Russian-Jewish woman of 18 when she arrived in August 1904 at the Burghölzli clinic in Zurich where Carl Gustav Jung had set up shop. She was his first patient. He was 29 and married. Her cathexis was rapid and she formed an intense attachment to her young doctor, who seems to have reciprocated. But after Sigmund Freud's note on the nefarious nature of females, the doctors hatched the theory of counter-transference to explain their feelings. Luckily, this wouldn't be Sabina's final contribution to psychoanalysis. Pronounced cured, she became a psychoanalyst herself and, within eight years, was practising alongside the founding fathers. The correspondence between Spielrein, Freud and Jung discovered that day in the Geneva basement has become essential to understanding the evolution of psychoanalysis — and the virtually insurmountable challenges facing women who sought to contribute in any role other than that of patient. Márton's deft re-enactments and the actors' dramatic readings of Spielrein's own words tell a chilling story, bringing to light both the work of this pioneer and the dark side of psychoanalysis."
see also: THE BEST OF YOUTH.

STONED.
Drama/Music Biography. England.
Leo Gregory, Monet Mazur, Paddy Considine, David Morrissey, Tuva Novotny, Ben Whishaw, Luke de Woolfson.
Directed by Stephen Woolley.
* A biopic on Brian Jones, founding member of the Rolling Stones, who was discovered dead in his swimming pool weeks after being let go from the band. The film looks kind of like a pimply Tommy Hilfiger ad; it's unlikely to impress true fans of the '60s scene. One user on imdb.com wrote, "Disappointed and a half." The directorial debut of Stephen Woolley, long time producer for Neil Jordan.
see instead: FALLEN ANGEL: GRAM PARSONS.


............//SERIES//............


DOCTOR WHO, SERIES 1.
British Adventure Series/Remake.
* It's the end of the world again, as the classic British series gets a remake. The stagey feel of the original teleplay has been replaced with the slickness and fast pace characteristic of new Brit TV shows like MI-5. In an unusual casting manuever, the actor Christopher Eccleston (he was the evil army guy in 28 DAYS LATER) brings a rogue sex appeal to The Doctor's trademark eccentricity. The blue police box remains basically the same. The effects are kind of hokey, the plot twists facile, and (in these early episodes anyway) the show lacks the postmodern wit of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Still, the series has its charms — which can't often be said for new sci-fi projects. And so for a few of you geeks out there, this will be hard to resist.
see also: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.

THE LIFE OF BIRDS.
British Documentary Mini-Series.
Narrated by David Attenborough.
Directed by Joanna Sarsby.


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


POPULAR MECHANICS FOR KIDS.
Documentary Series/Family.



............//NEW TO DVD//............


DEVARIM.
Drama. Israel/France. (Hebrew language.) 1995.
Directed by Amos Gitai.

POINT OF ORDER!
Documentary. 1964.
Directed by Emile de Antonio.

VIDAS SECAS.
Drama. Brazil. (Portugese language.) 1963.
Directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos.

****


****new release list no. 71


Happy belated Gay Pride. The week always makes us feel civic and blessed to be here. Those Dykes on Bikes returning noisily, raunchily home to Cortland Avenue on Saturday night served as a gentle reminder that this city hasn't lost all its edges.

Sadly, there will be one less afro mohawk on Cortland Avenue, as our little Mateo is returning home to Chicago after a brief but devoted stint at our Bernal shop. We'll miss his agility and work ethic, and perhaps most of all his sarcasm. Come back soon, Matty.

Please welcome our new guy, Ryan. He's been a customer at the shop since before some of you were born. So far, he's proven himself to be just as charming and polite on the other side of the counter — although now he's ringing up renewal charges instead of paying them.

Lately, it seems like all we're renting out is MIDSOMER MURDERS, the popular British mystery series of which there are like a million episodes — all so very similar, but with enough wicked twists to keep customers coming sheepishly up to the counter (with two or three discs in hand) again and again. Well, take heart, you're probably not quite as obsessed as the guy who runs this site. But you may enjoy his episode guide, trivia and location information, and so on.

This week's list is humongous, including tons of Eastern European titles and political documentaries, some vintage gay films and, yes, a couple new romantic comedies. So let's get to it...

love, four star.


............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............


CACHÉ.
Drama/Suspense. France.
Daniel Auteuil, Juliette Binoche.
Directed by Michael Haneke.
* A stunningly quiet thriller from the provocateur Michael Haneke, director of THE PIANO TEACHER. An ultra-bourgeoise couple is being terrorized by the most subtle of methods — they are sent "harmless" videotapes of their house (filmed anonymously from across the street) and bloody children's drawings in the mail. While there appears to be no attempt at blackmail nor any violent confrontation, these silent tactics prove tremendously invasive, and chillingly effective. Childhood secrets are dregged up, along with new white lies, undermining the couple's trust of each other. Unsurprisingly, this intellectual game of divide-and-conquer is highly discomforting, and the story is told in the slow burning manner typical of French thrillers. Also like other French films, this one prefers to offer viewers unsettling ambiguities rather than sharp plot twists, especially as the roles of victim and aggressor begin to become unclear. Haneke's style is icy precision. He won the directing award for this at Cannes, and is rightfully being hailed as a new master of suspense.
see also: WITH A FRIEND LIKE HARRY, SWIMMING POOL, LA CEREMONIE, OLIVIER OLIVIER.


............//NEW TITLES//............


AGING OUT.
Documentary.
Directed by Roger Weisberg and Vanessa Roth.

DEAD MAN'S BLUFF.
Comedy/Thriller. Russia.
Directed by Aleksei Balabanov.

EIGHTEEN.
Drama/Gay Interest.
Brendan Fletcher, Carly Pope, Mark Hildreth, Thea Gill, Ian McKellan, Alan Cumming.
Directed by Richard Bell.

EVIL.
Drama. Sweden.
Andreas Wilson.
Directed by Mikael Håfström.
* Academy Award-nominated Swedish drama about fascism and violence within elite boarding school cliques. We've seen this FIGHT CLUB-in-school-blazers set-up before, but critics and audiences have found this production particularly gripping. In the main role, pretty boy Andreas Wilson provides fresh eye candy for fans of foreign movie cuties like Gael and Cillian.
see also: YOUNG TORLESS, THE CHOCOLATE WAR, GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS.

FAILURE TO LAUNCH.
Romantic Comedy.
Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew McConaughey, Zooey Deschanel, Kathy Bates.
Directed by Tom Dey.
* As Carrie on the wildly popular SEX AND THE CITY, Sarah Jessica perfected that hapless skinny girl stereotype (similarly embodied by Rachel on FRIENDS and Susan on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES). Even their hair is winsome, even their shoes are passive aggressive. Meanwhile, Matt McConaughey has been establishing an American male counterpart — the confident ignoramous, all cocky smirk and anti-intellect. How well you respond to these moden day archetypes will no doubt inform whether this is the romantic comedy for you.
see also: RUMOR HAS IT, THE FAMILY STONE.

FIND ME GUILTY.
Comedy.
Vin Diesel.
Directed by Sidney Lumet.
* Action star Vin Diesel grew a head of hair and put a suit on over his tank top for this performance, which surprised audiences and was called "sensational" by Stephen Holden of the New York Times. Directed by '70s luminary Sidney Lumet, who has traded in the gritty intensity of his early dramas for a madcap mob comedy along the lines of MY COUSIN VINNY.
see also: MY COUSIN VINNY, MARRIED TO THE MOB.

FULL FRAME DOCUMENTARY SHORTS, VOLUME 4.

IMAGINE ME AND YOU.
Romantic Comedy/Lesbian Interest. England.
Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, Matthew Goode, Anthony Head.
Directed by Ol Parker.
* It's a lesbian movie for straight people, or FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL for lesbians. Point is: Harmless, charming, with a light infusion of British wit. A bit of trivia from imdb.com: "During the scene in the video store, Rachel's mother notices a stand-up cut-out of Ewan McGregor and remarks on his attractiveness. McGregor's wife, Eve Mavrakis, was the production designer for this movie." Aw, shucks. You know what you're getting here. Heck, with that title, you won't even have to guess which oldie-but-goodie tune is going to be employed to make you feel all warm fuzzy despite yourself.
see also: DEAR FRANKIE, GIRL IN THE CAFE.

MADEA'S FAMILY REUNION.
Comedy.
Tyler Perry, Blair Underwood, Lynn Whitfield.
Directed by Tyler Perry.

MONSTER IN THE FOREST: THE STORY OF THE CYCLOP.
Documentary. France.
Directed by Louise Faure and Anne Julien.
* From the Facets catalog: "In 1969, sculptor Jean Tinguely began an amazing artistic adventure with his wife, artist Niki de Saint Phalle. With help from a group of their artist friends, the pair started construction on the Cyclop in a park on the outskirts of Paris. The Cyclop is a monumental sculpture made of twisted metal, mirrors, stairways, footbridges, fountains, and a gigantic eye in the middle of the 'forehead.' Inside, an installation of noisy gears, unique gadgets, and riotous machines delights visitors. Nearly forgotten until filmmakers Louise Faure and Anne Julien rediscovered it for this sterling documentary, Tinguely's Cyclop remains a shining example of Nouveau Realisme. 'This documentary makes the Cyclops come alive' (Paris Voice)."
see also: THE GLEANERS AND I.

OMAR & PETE.
Documentary.
Directed by Tod Lending.
* From imdb.com: "OMAR & PETE is a compelling and highly personal film that examines the social, economic and personal barriers two ex-offenders face as they try to reintegrate into their communities and families. In and out of prison for more than 30 years, Omar and Pete are determined to change their lives. This intimate and penetrating film follows the two long-time friends for several years after what they hope will be their final prison release. In that time, their lives take divergent paths as one wrestles with addiction and fear while the other finds success and freedom through helping others. Written, produced and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Tod Lending, OMAR & PETE provides an honest and unflinching portrait of how challenging life on the outside can be for men who have lived much of their lives behind bars."
see also: THE BOYS OF BARAKA.

THE PORCELAIN DOLL.
Drama/Fantasy. Hungary.
Directed by Péter Gárdos.

SISTER ROSE'S PASSION.
Documentary.
Directed by Oren Jacoby.

THAT DAY.
Mystery. France.
Directed by Raoul Ruiz.

THAT MAN: PETER BERLIN.
Documentary.
Peter Berlin, Armistead Maupin, John Waters, Rick Castro, Jack Wrangler.
Directed by Jim Tushinski.
* Paris Hilton may have gained celebrity by doing nothing, but Peter Berlin made doing nothing into an art form. From the dazzling era of gay liberation and self-invention, Berlin emerged as an underground icon. His dutch boy haircut and shockingly tight pants made him instantly recognizable as he cruised the streets of Berlin, Manhattan and eventually San Francisco, where he still lives today. And the truth is, despite the fact that most consider him a persona rather than a producer, Berlin actually was a hard working artist who crafted a prolific series of elaborately staged self-portraits. He also comes across as a very sweet and loving man. Anyone ill-at-ease with pornography, flamboyancy and, um, humongous crotch bulges: Shy away from this one. If you've got a curious itch, however, you may find yourself unexpectedly moved and charmed, regardless of your generation or sexual orientation.
see also: GAY SEX IN THE '70S.

ULTRAVIOLET.
Action/Sci-Fi.
Milla Jovovich, Cameron Bright, Nick Chinlund, Sebastien Andrieu.
Directed by Kurt Wimmer.

UNVEILED.
Drama/Lesbian Interest. Germany. (German and Farsi languages.)
Directed by Angelina Maccarone.

VERA.
Fantasy/Experimental. Mexico.
Directed by Francisco Athié.

WHY WE FIGHT.
Documentary.
Directed by Eugene Jarecki.
* Michael Moore's FARHENHEIT 911 dealt largely with an emotional response to the violence of war. CONTROL ROOM called out the media on its alliances and lack of objectivity. This new documentary tackles the current war with its eye on the bottom line. "Follow the money" is the disturbing — and captivating — thrust of this film. Director Jarecki willingly re-opens discussion on the military-industrial complex. It's unbelievable to think that Eisenhower once used the term in a cautionary speech. These days, it wouldn't be mumbled by the most brazen of journalists (for fear of being tagged a conspiracist), let alone the President. An important film considering the billions we are spending on war and weapons, WHY WE FIGHT has been praised for its tough-mindedness and dissmissed by other critics as mere propoganda.
see also: FAHRENHEIT 911, CONTROL ROOM.


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


LEROY AND STITCH.
Animation.


............//NEW TO DVD//.............


100% ARABICA.
Drama/Music. France. 1997.
Direced by Mahmoud Zemmouri.

THE BOAT IS FULL.
Drama. Germany. 1981.
Directed by Markus Imhoof.

BROKEN RAINBOW.
Documentary. 1985.
Narrated by Martin Sheen. Featuring Burgess Meredith, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Semu Huaute.
Directed by Maria Florio and Victoria Mudd.

JACK THE BEAR.
Drama. 1993.
Danny DeVito, Gary Sinise, Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Directed by Marshall Herkovitz.

JOHNNY AQUARIUS.
Drama. Poland. 1993.
Directed by Jan Jakub Kolski.

LEGACY.
Documentary. 1999.
Directed by Tod Lending.

THE POLICE TAPES.
Documentary. 1976.
Directed by Alan Raymond and Susan Raymond.

SUGAR COOKIES.
Cult/Horror/Lesbian Interest. 1973.
Mary Woronov, Lynn Lowry, Monique Van Vooren, Ondine.
Directed by Theodore Gershuny.

VEGAS IN SPACE.
Cult/Sci-Fi/Gay Interest. 1991.
Doris Fish, Miss X, Ginger Quest.
Directed by Philip R. Ford.

WINTER SOLDIER.
Documentary. 1972.
Directed by The Winterfilm Collective.
* From the Harvard Film Archive: "WINTER SOLDIER is a compelling oral history based on the testimony that more than two hundred soldiers, sailors and marines gave at the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation in Detroit about atrocities committed by U.S. forces in Vietnam. Made by a collective of more than a dozen independent documentary makers, the film combines this often harrowing testimony with newsreel footage and still photographs. What emerges is a wrenching portrait of what critic Vincent Canby aptly described as 'men trying to make some sense of an experience that to them clearly makes no sense."
see also: IN THE YEAR OF THE PIG.

THE WOOBLIES.
Documentary. 1979.
Directed by Stewart Bird and Deborah Shaffer.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Drama/Gay Interest. Denmark. 1978.
Directed by Ernst Johansen and Lasse Nielsen.


****


****new release list no. 70


A big thank you to CINEMA SCOUTS co-sponsor, the world famous Castro Theatre. The first batch of kids to sign up for CINEMA SCOUTS will be given a free pass to this historic venue. What better way to exprience the movies than within the Castro Theatre's gilded interior, including a live organ performance before the show?

Remember, CINEMA SCOUTS runs through September 15. A one-time $15 due allows young members to rent from the regular or advanced list all summer long... That means an affordable way for kids to see THE LADY EVE, ALL ABOUT EVE and EAST OF EDEN... Or even GHOSTBUSTERS, GROUNDHOG DAY and THE GOONIES. Seeing as San Francisco summers are famously beseiged by blankets of fog, you may be finding yourself at home with the kids... Why not add a classic film to the mix? Our staff will be happy to assist in choosing appropriate titles from the lists.

When the fog is at bay, and you're looking for a perfectly fitting t-shirt with a nice graphic design, don't forget the famous Four Star tees... The latest selection has begun to deplete, so snatch up your favorite color while it's still in stock.

This week's list has an international bent that reads kind of like a World Cup scorecard. From the global oil business thriller SYRIANA to dramas from Portugal and Tunisia to documentaries about Mexico and Brazil...

Speaking of World Cup, did you see Andriy Shevchenko bounce back for the Ukraine? Don't forget about two underdog soccer movies beloved by Four Star Customers: THE CUP, about an unlikely team from Tibet, and SHAOLIN SOCCER, a comic favorite from Stephen Chow (director and star of KUNG FU HUSTLE). Both films are kid-friendly and way better than that Will Ferrell movie KICKING AND SCREAMING.

And for those of you who prefer political headlines to diving headers, check out this week's batch of heady world cinema...

your team four star.



............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............


SYRIANA.
Drama/Thriller.
George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet, Jeffrey Wright, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Plummer, Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Mazhar Munir.
Directed by Stephen Gaghan.
* One of the final arrivals to ride into the shop on Academy Awards hype, this is the one everyone's been asking about lately. Be forewarned: You may be still asking about it after a viewing. A.O. Scott at the New York Times called SYRIANA "a complex, intriguing narrative about oil, terrorism, money and power." Translation: Complex and intriguing means this is pretty dense storytelling, and several of our overeducated staff members admitted they had trouble wrapping their heads around what exactly was going on. The producers sum it up as "a political thriller that unfolds against the intrigues and corruption of the global oil industry. From the players brokering back-room deals in Washington to the men toiling in the oil fields of the Persian Gulf, the film's multiple storylines weave together to illuminate the human consequences of the fierce pursuit of wealth and power." And A.O. Scott concluded that SYRIANA "succeeds in being one of the best geopolitical thrillers in a very long time." It's just one that takes a little bit of work. George Clooney — continuing in his quest to help revive the iconoclastic spirit of '70s American filmmaking — won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role.
see also: TRAFFIC, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, MUNICH.



............//NEW TITLES//............


BLOSSOMS OF FIRE.
Documentary. USA/Mexico.
Directed by Maureen Gosling and Ellen Osborne.

DAUGHTER OF KELTOUM.
Drama. France/Tunisia.
Directed by Mehdi Charef.

EIGHT BELOW.
Adventure/Family.
Paul Walker.
Directed by Frank Marshall.

EN ROUTE TO BAGHDAD. (SERGIO VIEIRA DE MELLO.)
Documentary. USA/Brazil.
Directed by Simone Duarte.

THE HILLS HAVE EYES.
Horror (Remake).
Directed by Alexandre Aja.

HOLLOW CITY.
Drama/Portugal.
Directed by Maria João Ganga.

NIGHT WATCH.
Fantasy/Action. Russia.
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov.

SYRIANA.
see above: "release of the week."


............//MUSIC//............


CREAM: DISRAELI GEARS. (CLASSIC ALBUMS SERIES.)
Music/Documentary.

GRAM PARSONS: FALLEN ANGEL.
Documentary.
Directed by Gandulf Hennig.
* The story of Gram Parsons is the stuff of rock and roll legend: Born into a Southern family of wealth and destruction, he spent his trust fund on cool hippie clothes and dangerous drugs in L.A., flew briefly with The Byrds and completely changed their sound, dropped out with Keith Richards, got it together with Emmylou Harris, and died in the desert at the age of 26. The first half of this movie deals a lot with his family heritage — a drama akin to Edie Sedgewick's lineage, or GREY GARDENS, or something out of a Tennessee Williams play. The latter part of the film dives into the controversy surrounding his death, the kidnapping of his corpse and its amateur cremation in Joshua Tree National Park. The cast of characters is fit for a Christopher Guest spoof: Bitter relatives, a tragic widow, washed-up former rockers, and tattletale groupie Pamela Des Barres. Not surprisingly, the most elegant interviewee is the lovely Emmylou Harris, whose professionalism and perfect pitch quietly ensured that Parsons would release any records at all. Their harmonic duets are the highlight of Parsons' career, and the music reminds us why anyone paid attention to this privileged junkie in the first place. Parsons is often credited with creating the "country rock" genre, or "cosmic American music," as he preferred to call it. Devotees of his music will find enough rare footage of live performances to more than compensate for the documentary's more tabloid moments.
see also: TOWNES VAN ZANDT: BE HERE TO LOVE ME.
Note: There will be a slight delay in the arrival of this title to our shops. It should be available within a couple of days.

JONI MITCHELL: PAINTING WITH WORDS AND MUSIC.
Live Concert Performance.

JONI MITCHELL: WOMAN OF HEART AND MIND.
Music/Documentary.



............//NEW TO DVD//............



BORN IN FLAMES.
Experimental. 1983.
Directed by Lizzie Borden.

AN EMPTY BED.
Drama/Gay Interest. 1990.
Directed by Mark Gasper.

EQUINOX. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Horror. 1970.
Directed by Jack Woods and Dennis Muren.
* Who knew that co-director Dennis Muren would go on to win 9 Special Effects Oscars for stuff like STAR WARS and JURASSIC PARK? This 1970 movie reads more like something you'd chance upon late one night, introduced by Elvira. From Criterion: "Deep within the woods and canyons of California, four teenagers happen upon an ancient book containing the secrets of a strange, malevolent world that coexists with that of mankind. This $6,500-budget wonder (originally called THE EQUINOX... A JOURNEY INTO THE SUPERNATURAL) was picked up for distribution by producer Jack H. Harris (THE BLOB), who shot new footage for the film with writer-director Jack Woods and released it in 1970 as EQUINOX. Since then, the film has gained a passionate cult following and inspired succeeding generations of horror/fantasy filmmakers." Maybe, but this remains a campy B-level creature feature for a niche audience. For connoseuirs of the Criterion Collection — the champagne of video distribution companies — watching this film is like slumming it with a pink can of Sofia bubbly.
see also: BAD TASTE.

SAN FRANCISCO.
Drama. 1936.
Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy.
Directed by W.S. Van Dyke.

****


****new release list no. 69


We're overdue an R.I.P. to the Japanese director Shohei Imamura, who died recently at the age of 80. Throughout his prolific career, Imamura tempered the aggressive and the bizarre with a delicate touch gleaned from his more genteel mentor, Yasujiro Ozu. The result was an unusual cinematic grace — twice earning him the coveted Palme D'Or at Cannes. For starters, we recommend THE EEL, an uneasy tale of a murderer's quest for redemption. Then there's the whimsical WARM WATER UNDER A RED BRIDGE. Ready to dig a little deeper? Try the surrealistic '60s romp THE PORNOGRAPHERS, the chilling serial killer story VENGENANCE IS MINE, or the cruel epic THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA. Imamura's legacy will stand in the margins of film history, an esoteric influence on the most artful of filmmakers, such as Jim Jarmusch and Claire Denis.

You probably are not ready to introduce your kids to VENGENANCE IS MINE... But maybe the little ones are ready to check out Buster Keaton and Alfred Hitchcock, Katherine and Audrey Hepburn, films from Africa and the Middle East, and growing-up greats like MY BODYGUARD and BREAKING AWAY.

Well, this summer could be the time to start... Remember, this Thursday marks the launch of CINEMA SCOUTS!

Just a reminder of how it works: 8-to-18-year-old members pay a one-time $15 due, which enables them to rent all summer long from a list of 200+ classic and quality titles selected by our staff. The program runs June 15 - September 15. We think this is a wonderful opportunity for kids (and their guardians) to learn a little more about film history. We've been very pleased to see families expressing interest in doing CINEMA SCOUTS as a shared activity.

By the way, do you have World Cup fever? Heated games between the colonizers and the colonized. Little Bravo sneaking it in for Mexico. Can Beckham still bend it? And that sexy exchange of sweaty jerseys. When you're not tuning in to ESPN, here's a batch of new videos for ya... There's even a soccer-related movie (GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS), about what happens when football fandom goes over the edge.

Play safe,
team four star.



............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**.............

DAVE CHAPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY.
Comedy/Music/Documentary.
Dave Chappelle, Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, The Fugees, The Roots.
Directed by Michel Gondry.
* The concept is a giddy one: Throw the world's greatest block party — in Flatbush, for free, with The Fugees. Not to mention a roll call of some of the world's other most esteemed hip hop acts. And then document the way it all came together, with director Michel Gondry filming the fervor. One might expect a little more stylization from the director of ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, and a little more hilarity from the popular comedian Chappelle. Instead, BLOCK PARTY is loose and straightforward. It's got its charms: Watching the celebrity guests interacting with local kids is heartwarming, seeing Erykah's wig blow off is cool, and the audience is understandably ecstatic to witness the climactic surprise reunion of Lauryn Hill with The Fugees. But in the end, it may feel a bit like "you had to be there."
see also: WATTSTAX, CHAPPELLE'S SHOW.



............**//NEW TITLES//**............



16 BLOCKS.
Action/Thriller.
Bruce Willis, Mos Def.
Directed by Richard Donner.

AGAINST THE WALL. (QUALITY OF LIFE.)
Drama.
Lane Garrison, Brian Burnam.
Directed by Benjamin Morgan.
* Grafitti drama set in the Mission District, made by local dude Benjamin Morgan. Released in theaters as QUALITY OF LIFE, the film has met with some positive reviews. The San Francisco Chronicle: "A small rough gem of a film." New York Post: "Gritty camerawork and a soundtrack mixing hip-hop, punk and electronica add to the ambience." LA Weekly: "It's Garrison and Burnam who hold the film's center, however, with a natural magnetism. Newcomers both, they take the same clean approach to their roles that their characters bring to their tags. "
see also: BOMB THE SYSTEM, THE GRAFITTI ARTIST, PIECE BY PIECE: SAN FRANCISCO GRAFFITI DOCUMENTED.

BEFORE THE FALL.
War Drama/Gay Interest. Germany.
Directed by Dennis Gansel.

DAVE CHAPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY.
see above: "release of the week."

FORTY SHADES OF BLUE.
Drama.
Rip Torn, Dina Korzun, Darren E. Burrows, Paprika Steen.
Directed by Ira Sachs.
* Along with KISS KISS BANG BANG, this is the little underdog of the week to watch. It tells the story of a young Russian woman who lives in Memphis with a much older husband, who happens to be a rock and roll legend. And also happens to have a temptingly attractive son... The scenario is ripe for drama, and has successfully lured many viewers in. Salon.com wrote, "A compelling family melodrama somewhat in the manner of late John Cassavetes or early Robert Altman…the film combines high production values, terrific acting and a distinctively American lyricism in a combination you hardly ever see these days."
see also: LAUREL CANYON.

A GOOD WOMAN.
Drama/Comedy.
Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson.
Directed by MIke Barker. Based on the play by Oscar Wilde.

GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS.
Crime Drama.
Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Claire Forlani.
Directed by Lexi Alexander.

KISS KISS BANG BANG.
Comedy/Thriller.
Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan.
Directed by Shane Black.
* The directorial debut from the writer of THE LAST BOY SCOUT and the LETHAL WEAPON movies has proved to be a small-scale hit, a critical favorite and word-of-mouth wonder. It's been called a "deliriously enjoyable noir comedy-thriller" by Entertainment Weekly. Rolling Stone: "All action, gags and pathos, and every bit as good as the classic noirs." And Val Kilmer plays a gay cop.
see also: WONDERLAND.

NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD.
Music/Documentary.
Neil Young, Pegi Young, Emmylou Harris.
Directed by Jonathan Demme.
* Straightforward live performance at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, in which Neil Young debuts his recent album PRAIRIE WIND. Of course the highlight is the evening's final set, a selection of Young's enduring '70s tunes. Emmylou Harris is always a welcome presence. And Demme is known as the master of the concert film genre — all perfect sound and vision, no insipid tinkering. The Chicago Sun-Times called this "an instant classic.
see also: THE LAST WALTZ.

THE PINK PANTHER.
Comedy.
Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyonce Knowles, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer.
Directed by Shawn Levy.

THE SISTERS.
Drama.
Elizabeth Banks , Maria Bello Erika Christensen, Steven Culp, Tony Goldwyn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Eric McCormack, Alessandro Nivola, Chris O'Donnell, Rip Torn.
Directed by Arthur Allen Seidelman.

SUNDAY DRIVER.
Documentary.
Directed by Carol Strong.
* A short chronicle of the Majestics, California's oldest black lowrider car club.
see also: HANDS ON A HARD BODY.

THINKING XXX.
Art Documentary.
Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
* The photographer Greenfield-Sanders is known for elegant celebrity portaiture. Think VANITY FAIR. So when he turned his well-heeled lens on 30 porn stars, he got the art world talking. This short documentary chronicles the making of his provocative book XXX. Whether it's just a promotional tie-in is arguable, but it does feature some ruminations on sexuality by John Waters, Karen Finley, Salman Rushdie and Lou Reed.
see also: NAKED STATES, NAKED WORLD, PORNOGAPHY: THE SECRET HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION.

THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN.
Drama.
Anthony Hopkins, Diane Ladd, Paul Rodriguez.
Directed by Roger Donaldson.
* Lots of people are drawn to a good beat-the-odds adventure, especially that based-on-a-true-story type. And this would be the latest one: The story of Burt Munro — who, after a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle, travelled from New Zealand to clock his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Called "a heck of a ride" by the LA Times, this is a feel-good movie, "one of the year's most loveable" according to Roger Ebert; an all-out crowd-pleaser.
see also: THE STRAIGHT STORY.


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


AQUAMARINE.
Comedy/Fantasy/Family.
Emma Roberts, JoJo, Sara Paxton.
Directed by Elizabeth Allen.

THIS IS AMERICA, CHARLIE BROWN.
Animation.


............//SERIES//............


FALL OF EAGLES.
British Historical Drama Mini-Series.
Patrick Stewart, John Rhys-Davies, Gemma Jones, Michael Kitchen.

SPLIT SECOND.
British Crime Drama.
Clive Owen.
Directed by David Blair.

STATE OF MIND.
British Crime Drama.
Directed by Christopher Menaul.

****


****new release list no. 68


Very shortly, a comprehensive archive of past NEW RELEASE LISTS will be available to peruse at both stores. Customers tell us that they always think they'll go back and consult previous lists before making a trip to the shop — but they never get around to it. We hear that! Who's so organized? The print archives should be a convenient way to browse through the lists in the shops.

This summer, we're introducing a program for 8 to 18-year-olds called CINEMA SCOUTS. Each membership costs $15, and it entitles kids to rent all summer long from a long list of classics, musicals, documentaries, animation and interntaional films. The goal is to get young people to graduate from the 'family' section and begin exploring the great offerings throughout the rest of the store. We'd love to get kids into the Marx Brothers, Hitchcock, even Jacques Tati. Older teenagers can get parental permission to rent from a list of more mature titles, such as THE GODFATHER or THE 400 BLOWS. The program will run from June 15 through September 15. Enrollment forms should be available early next week. Just ask your favorite clerk and we'll provide you with information. And, yes, there will be a badge.

Yours,
team four star.


............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............


SARAH SILVERMAN: JESUS IS MAGIC.
Stand-Up Comedy.
Sarah Silverman.
Directed by Liam Lynch.
* Howard Stern or Lenny Bruce? In other words... Is this just shock schlock, or is Sarah Silverman deserving of all that critical praise and the FRESH AIR WITH TERRY GROSS interview? It seems like she shot out of a cannon: Right after a standout appearance in THE ARISTOCRATS, this film — a document of Silverman's live show interwoven with backstage sketches and musical numbers — became a major talking point, especially amongst the Onion/South Park set. Young, hip, pretty ("for a comedian") and aggressively provocative, she certainly fills a void. But is it funny? Rolling Stone's Peter Travers calls her "the most outrageously funny woman alive." LA Weekly wrote, "For all its shock-driven, laugh-out-loud moments, what makes JESUS so entertaining is that it puts you in the presence of a dementedly sharp mind — one that understands that leftist subversion doesn't have to coddle or breast-feed the choir."
see also: THE ARISTOCRATS, TEAM AMERICA, WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING.


............//NEW TITLES//............


THE BIG WHITE.
Comedy/Crime Drama.
Robin Williams, Holly Hunter, Giovanni Ribisi, Woody Harrelson, Alison Lohman, Tim Blake Nelson.
Directed by Mark Mylod.
* A snowy landscape, a scam, a couple of mistakes, a couple of gangsters... So tired of movies that are trying to be like FARGO.
see instead: FARGO.

THE BOYS OF BARAKA.
Documentary.
Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady.
* The streets of Baltimore are said to be the most violent in America. Probably not a good place to be young, poor and black. In 2002, twenty of these "at risk" 12-year-olds were invited to spend their junior high years at Baraka — an experimental boarding school in Kenya, East Africa. The academics are strict and the discipline is rigorous, but the experience also comes with a lot of freedom. How will the kids adapt to this new world? Ewing and Grady's highly praised film follows their stories. TV Guide called it, "warmly funny and very moving." The Washington Post chimes, "rich, sweet, densely layered and deeply satisfying."
see also: I AM A PROMISE, THE DEVIL'S MINER.

FIREWALL.
Action/Crime Drama.
Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, Virginia Madsen.
Directed by Richard Loncraine.

FOR THE CHILDREN.
Drama. China. (Mandarin language.)
Directed by Yazhou Yang.

GAY SEX IN THE 70S.
Documentary/Gay Interest.
Directed by Joseph F. Lovett.

GLORY ROAD.
Drama/Sports/Family.
Josh Lucas, Derek Luke, Austin Nichols, Mehcad Brooks, Emily Deschanel, Jon Voight.
Directed by James Gartner.

HARD PILL.
Drama/Gay Interest.
Directed by John Baumgartner.

THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS.
Drama/Independent.
Asia Argento, Jimmy Bennett, Peter Fonda, Ben Foster, Marilyn Manson, Ornella Muti, Kip Pardue, Michael Pitt.
Directed by Asia Argento. Based on the collection of short stories by JT Leroy.
* Right, so the identity of JT Leroy — literary prodigy, abuse survivor, former prosititute, notorious recluse/hipster sycophant — recently became outed as the ruse played by a 40-year-old San Francisco woman. And now this trashy movie — directed by horror master Dario Argento's hipster sycophant daughter Asia — is being touted like, "See the untrue horrific abuse stories that made the fake JT Leroy famous!" It's kind of embarassing. Still, it'll probably pique the curiosity of the Courtney Love set. We much prefer Gregg Araki's tender and gently surrealistic tale of abuse, MYSTERIOUS SKIN, which was one of the more underviewed films of last year.
see instead: MYSTERIOUS SKIN.

LESBIANS OF BUENOS AIRES.
Documentary/Lesbian Interest.
Directed by Santiago García.

ONE MORE KISS.
Drama/Romance.
Gerard Butler, James Cosmo, Valerie Edmond, Valerie Gogan.
Directed by Vadim Jean.

RUNNING SCARED.
Action/Crime Drama.
Paul Walker, Cameron Bright, Vera Farmiga, Chazz Palminteri.
Directed by Wayne Kramer.

SARAH SILVERMAN: JESUS IS MAGIC.
see above: "release of the week."

THE SYRIAN BRIDE.
Comedy/Drama. Israel. (Arabic, Hebrew and English languages.)
Directed by Eran Riklis.

THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA.
Western.
Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, Julio Cedillo, Dwight Yoakam.
Directed by Tommy Lee Jones.
* A cowboy, a revenge motive, a dusty Mexican border town, and a lot of prestigious "best of the year" lists. So how come this didn't have a higher profile in the awards ceremonies and at the box office? How about that crazy long name, for starters. We imagine that it'll have a strong run on video, though. Premiere magazine: "THREE BURIALS is beautiful, authentic and brutally observant of human nature. With real Tex-Mex backdrops instead of the usual Monument Valley vistas and characters too complex to withstand simple white-hat/black-hat reductionism, THREE BURIALS is a visionary portrait of the New West. This is the terrain of Eastwood and Peckinpah, saddled with the concerns of 21st-century life."
see also: EL MARIACHI, THE UNFORGIVEN.

TOUCH THE SOUND.
Documentary. Germany. (English language.)
Directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer.
* His film RIVERS AND TIDES was a quiet sensation in our shop, probably selling more new copies than any other title ever. The beautiful study of the renowned land artist Andy Goldsworthy emphasized time — the slow process and eventual dissolution of the art works. Here, documentarian Riedelsheimer contemplates time again, as well as sound, rhythm and the body. His subject is the nearly deaf Scottish percusionist Evelyn Glennie, and together their international travels and correspondence conjure a special cinematic treat. Nearly universal critical acclaim for this intriguing little movie.
see also: RIVERS AND TIDES: ANDY GOLDSWORTHY WORKING WITH TIME.

UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION.
Action/Fantasy.
Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen, Derek Jacobi, Tony Curran.
Directed by Len Wiseman.


............//SERIES//............


ENTOURAGE, SERIES 2.
HBO Drama/Comedy.

THE LOST BOYS.
Retro British Biography.
Ian Holm.
Directed by Rodney Bennett.

THE MAGICIAN.
British Crime Drama.
Jay Acovone, Clive Owen.
Directed by Terry Winsor.


............//NEW TO DVD//...........


DAZED AND CONFUSED. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Comedy. 1993.
Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Milla Jovovich, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg.
Directed by Richard Linklater.
* So many times, drug-centered movies are just stupid. It's hard to like a movie about getting high and not being able to find your car, unless you're 15. Linklater's stoner comedy employs his usual hazy, haphazard style, and it works. This 1993 follow-up to his seminal movie SLACKER is robust and often charming. Linklater's bongwater intellectualism may put off the jaded, but others will indulge the film's nostalgia for 1976, and its ability to capture something of the smelly, worried freedom of youth. Often imitated, usually with mediocre results, but to great success with the TV series FREAKS AND GEEKS.
see also: SLACKER, FREAKS AND GEEKS.

HOUSE OF STRANGERS.
Noir. 1949.
Edward G. Robinson, Susan Hayward, Richard Conte.
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

I WAKE UP SCREAMING.
Noir. 1941.
Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carol Landis.
Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone.

MOMMIE DEAREST.
Drama. 1981.
Faye Dunaway.
Directed by Frank Perry.

A NOS AMOURS. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Drama. France. 1983.
Direced by Maurice Pialat.
* From Criterion: "With his raw style of filmmaking, Maurice Pialat has been called the John Cassavetes of French cinema, and the scorching À NOS AMOURS is one of his greatest achievements. In a revelatory film debut, the dynamic, fresh-faced Sandrine Bonnaire plays Suzanne, a 15-year-old Parisian who embarks on a sexual rampage in an effort to separate herself from her overbearing, beloved father (played with astonishing magnetism by Pialat himself), ineffectual mother, and brutish brother. A tender character study that can erupt in startling violence, À NOS AMOURS is one of the high-water marks of eighties French cinema."
see also: ROSETTA, BAD TIMING, A REAL YOUNG GIRL.

****


****new release list no. 67


Hello friends,

Considering this rather lackluster new release week, we've decided to provide a quick review of some recent releases you may have overlooked or forgotten about...


MATCH POINT.
* Staffers are split on this one: Predictable and misogynistic? Or Woody Allen's return-to-form — building psychological suspense with a hint of Hitchcock? Despite the diverse responses, this keeps renting off the hook, making it the highbrow thriller to beat.

SHOPGIRL.
* "Sometimes you're just in the mood for a movie about a pretty girl being courted by two charming men." Her name is Mirabelle, she works in a department store, she's played by Claire Danes and she has a cat named Sylvia. Sounds like a fairy tale, or at least a chick flick... Who woulda thought it was written by Steve Martin? Kind of like LOST IN TRANSLATION, but not so artsy and Japanese.

JUNEBUG.
* One of the most consistent renters through its 19 weeks on our charts, this quiet tale of a quasi-functional family is the more subtle alternative to stuff like RUMOR HAS IT or THE FAMILY STONE. Beautifully photographed and wonderfully observed, its comic timing and dramatic twists feel like real life. Amy Adams was deservedly nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

DERAILED.
* Perhaps because the net is cast so wide — from Clive Owen's rugged English charm to Jennifer Anniston's girl-next-door appeal to RZA's hip hop following — this well-cast action flick remains one of our top-renting titles.

HUSTLE AND FLOW.
* Feeling more like a moody drama from the '70s, this film evokes the sultry-yet-stifling feel of the sticky Deep South. It also features unexpectedly sympathetic characters — especially considering that it's a movie about, you know, pimps and prostitutes. Highly entertaining but never easy to swallow, this is that rare gem that merits repeat viewings.

LORD OF WAR.
* An action movie condoned by Amnesy International? Sounds like ripe escapism for our San Francisco clientele. Salon.com wrote: "Skims along like a dance routine. Political morality doesn't usually get such fleet choreography in the movies."

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, SERIES 1.
* After the critical acclaim for Felcity Huffman's performance in TRANSAMERICA, a lot of folks are confessing to or discovering an affinity for this TV series, in which Felicity plays a harried mom. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES reads a bit like Tim Burton — darkly satirizing American suburban life as if it hasn't changed since the '50s, and setting it to a Danny Elfman soundtrack. Despite the stylization, you can't help but feel for the main characters, and a Hitchcock-inspired mystery keeps up the show's momentum. Good light faire for recovering SIX FEET UNDER addicts.


Clip'n'save! And now onto the new list...

your team four star.


...........**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............


QUEER AS FOLK, SERIES 5.
Showtime. Drama/Gay Interest.
* Purists balked at the mere *idea* of the intelligent, lively and beloved British mini-series being remade in America. Others got over it — and settled in to five years of solid soap opera. This week, the final season arrives on DVD.


............//NEW TITLES//............


APRIL'S SHOWER.
Comedy/Lesbian.
Directed by Trish Doolan.

THE BOOTH.
Horror/Japan.
Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura.

DATE MOVIE.
Comedy.
Alyson Hannigan, Adam Campbell, Jennifer Coolidge, Eddie Griffin.
Directed by Aaron Seltzer.

FREEDOMLAND.
Thriller.
Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore.
Directed by Joe Roth.

JULIE JOHNSON.
Drama/Lesbian Interest.
Lili Taylor, Courtney Love, Mischa Barton.
Directed by Bob Gosse.

ONE LAST THING...
Comedy/Drama.
Cynthia Nixon, Michael Angarano.
Directed by Alex Steyermark.


............//SERIES//............


DARK SHADOWS, COMPLETE SERIES.
Retro Fantasy Series.

KIDS IN THE HALL, SERIES 4.
Sketch Comedy.

QUEER AS FOLK, SERIES 5.
see above: "release of the week."


............//NEW TO DVD//............


AUSTIN CITY LIMITS: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON LIVE FROM AUSTIN, TX.
Music. 1981.

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS: WILLIE NELSON LIVE FROM AUSTIN, TX.
Music. 1990.

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER.
Comedy. 1942.
Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley.
Directed by William Keighley.

PLATOON.
War. 1986.
Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen.
Directed by Oliver Stone.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PUSS 'N BOOTS.
Animation. Japan. 1969.
Directed by Kimio Yabuki/Fred Ladd. Key Animation by Hayao Miyazaki.

WHY DOES HERR R. RUN AMOK?
Satire. Germany. 1970.
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbiner.

MARILYN MONROE MOVIES:
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES. 1953. Directed by Howard Hawks.
NIAGRA. 1953. Directed by Henry Hathaway.
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH. 1955. Directed by Billy WIlder.
RIVER OF NO RETURN. 1954. Directed by Otto Preminger.
LET'S MAKE LOVE. 1960. Directed by George Cukor.
MARILYN MONROE: THE FINAL DAYS. Documentary. 2001. Directed by Patty Irving.

****