Happy New Year.
Well, we hope this isn't a sign of the year to come....
This week counts a grand total of two new releases: One is the exploitative thriller THE COVENANT, about a bunch of teen warlocks. Critics have called it "utterly stupid," "profoundly mediocre" and "dopey." The other is SNAKES ON A PLANE. This selection is the same the nation over; don't blame us.
Thankfully, we can add two late entries to the mix (British feel-gooder MRS. PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT and CEASEFIRE, the new romantic comedy from Iran's leading female director).
Plus, we've extended last week's year-end review to include this short list of some of the best "little movies" released on DVD last year.
13 of the Best "Little Movies" on DVD in 2006.
JUNEBUG. Released way back last January, JUNEBUG became one of the most consistent renters of the year, thanks in part to our ongoing campaign to remind customers about this film. It is a deflty wrought and delicate little drama, a happy-sad family reunion that Jamie has called "MEET THE PARENTS for grown-ups." Earned Amy Adams an Oscar nomination, and check for the cameo from Bonnie 'Prince' Billy!
THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU. A critical favorite ("a heartbreakingly powerful masterpiece," said the Christian Science Monitor), this film got mixed reviews from customers. Some were alienated by its bleak sense of humor and bizarre setting. The Romanian film follows a 60-ish widow who takes ill, calls an ambulance and must attempt to gain the help of a disinterested medical system. "Both sad and darkly funny," wrote the Chicago Reader.
DUCK SEASON. An overlooked charmer about Mexican adolescents. Boston Globe: "It's one of the small, pitch-perfect treasures of the movie year."
TOUCH THE SOUND. From the director of ANDY GOLDSWORTHY: RIVERS AND TIDES comes a portrait of percussionist Evelyn Gwynne, who happens to be profoundly deaf. Documentarian Thomas Riedelsheimer is carving a unique path for himself — working alongside the subject to create not a typical biography, but a poetic extention of the art.
BREAKFAST ON PLUTO. An androgynous glam rock boy looks for love amidst the unrest of 1970s Northern Ireland. This film feels like a big, sloppy kiss. As he has with past films like THE CRYING GAME, director Neil Jordan mixes sex with politics in a way that's not so much sensual and epic as gritty and urbane.
THREE TIMES. Taiwanese director Hsiao-hsien Hou uses the same two actors to tell love stories set in three different periods: A 1966 pool hall, a 1911 brothel and present day Taipei. Chicago Tribune: "THREE TIMES is great cinema — pop romance that carries a special charge."
THE PROPOSITION. An intense western in the tradition of Sergio Leone, set in the 1880s Australian outback. Roger Ebert: "A movie you cannot turn away from; it is so pitiless and uncompromising, so filled with pathos and disregarded innocence, that it is a record of those things we pray to be delivered from." Starring Guy Pearce, and written by musician Nick Cave. So, you know, intense.
FRIENDS WITH MONEY. Director Nicole Holofcener allows her characters to be bitter, stubborn, contradictory, lonely, dependent, funny and unique. She makes the best female-centric indie films around.
L'ENFANT. Belgian directorial team Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are masters of realism, making the camera seem to all but disappear as we are plunged into the grim street life of the poor and disenfranchised. Here, the plotline is cruel: A young father sells his newborn infant on the black market, then tries desperately to rectify his deed. Nearly silent, and stunning.
THE INTRUDER. (pictured) An extraordinarily difficult film: Slow, violent and cryptic, sweeping across snow-blanketed fields that feel like landscapes of anxiety and despair. Somewhere inside the gorgeous and brutal visuals, there is a story of a black market medical procedure and the search for a long lost son. Los Angeles Times: "Never has Denis demanded so much from audiences as with this shimmering enigma, at once intimate and epic, but it's worth the effort and then some."
THAT MAN: PETER BERLIN. If San Franscisco feels short on gay icons these days, be reminded that the magnificent Peter Berlin still lives here. In the '70s, he was a model, club persona and porn actor. He wasn't a dilettante: Berlin's series of elaborate self-portraits is prolific. This trip through his influence on gay aesthetics is a lot of fun, and in present-day interviews, Berlin remains heartbreaking and charming.
BIG ANIMAL. In what may be the most unlikeliest entry, this Polish black-and-white comedy about a camel has become a small-scale hit in our shops. THE NEW YORK POST: "Working from an unfinished script by the late, great Krzysztof Kieslowski, Jerzy Stuhr directs in a laid-back, deadpan style that, at times, recalls Fellini."
LADY VENGEANCE. The third in Chan-woo Park's trilogy, following OLDBOY and SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE. Customers absolutely love these movies! Well, those customers who tend to like their crime films incredibly brutal. Wonder whether an American remake is in the works...
Ok, now we'll get over 2006. We can't wait for some of the new year's new releases! We'll keep you posted.
love,
four star
............//NEW RELEASES//............
CEASEFIRE.
Romantic Comedy. Iran.
Mohammed Reza Golzar, Mahnaz Afshar.
Directed by Tahmineh Milani.
THE COVENANT.
Horror.
Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Toby Hemingway, Chace Crawford, Taylor Kitsch.
Directed by Renny Harlin.
MRS. PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT.
Comedy. England.
Joan Plowright, Rupert Friend, Anna Massey, Zoe Tapper.
Directed by Dan Ireland.
SNAKES ON A PLANE.
Action.
Samuel L. Jackson.
Directed by David R. Ellis.
****
****new release list no. 95
Hopefully you're pleasantly hungover from red wine and from clove and cinammon and nutmeg, from anise and eggnog and things pulled from the garden, from epic movies watched from the couch, to which you nodded off (even against the cacophony of your favorite loud aunt in the kitchen shouting happily). Hopefully you're full. Maybe you saw a friend you haven't for awhile, and he still makes you laugh like nobody else does. Maybe you were nicer to someone you have found yourself being less patient with in the past. Maybe you let yourself relax a little. And maybe became too unwound and let your defenses down and caught a cold. Maybe you induldged a DVD marathon of your favorite series. Maybe it was ROME or THE WIRE, or a British one: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, or PRIME SUSPECT? Maybe you went out of town to someplace where the winter smells different. Maybe you visited someone with an impressive train set or handmade wreath or other evidence of fine craftsmanship. Maybe you shared a movie rented from our shop, and told somebody from someplace else about us and about how much we all miss Dave. Hopefully your holidays have been letting a few little sparks fly.
And as we segue into 2007 — yikes! — here's a quick roundup of some notable DVD releases of the past year.
MOVIE YOU THOUGHT MIGHT BE SO-SO BUT WAS ACTUALLY AWESOME. INSIDE MAN. Through the opening sequences, you begin to wonder whether Spike Lee has become a director-for-hire, pulling off a slick bank robbery caper. Slowly, it unfolds into a Spike Lee movie: Here, a rumination on race relations in post-911 New York City. Starring the inimitable Clive Owen, it follows suit from politicized thrillers like THE CONSTANT GARDENER and DIRTY PRETTY THINGS.
BEST WICKED LITTLE FRENCH FILM. (TIE.) LEMMING. Unnerving and weirdly sexy, this sly number starring Charlottes Gainsbourg and Rampling is ultimately effective at doing what French thrillers do best: Confusing you. CACHE. Violently disrupting the bourgeoise, Michael Haneke's CACHE confounds viewers by costantly making you question who is the villain.
MOST UNDERRATED PERFORMANCES. DON'T COME KNOCKIN'. The film suffers slightly from director Wim Wenders' tendency to dwell on personal revelation in a cerebral manner that verges on pretentious. But it is good stuff still, and the performances — from Sam Shephard, Sarah Polley, an on-point Jessica Lange and the triumphant Eva Saint Marie — are quietly astonishing.
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY. (3-WAY TIE.) GRAM PARSONS: FALLEN ANGEL. TOWNES VAN ZANDT: BE HERE TO LOVE ME. THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON. Each of these three outsider musicians havve been burdened with addiction and neurosis; each have created songs resplendent with love and despair. And each documentary is a worthwhile introduction to the artist at hand.
BEST ROLE MODEL FOR "TWEEN" GIRLS. STICK IT. Neither coy and demure nor bratty and materialistic, the atheletes of STICK IT give the BRING IT ON cheerleaders a run for their money. These girls care more about floor routines than beauty routines, and the closest they come to shopping is a disrupive act of performing gymnastics in prom dresses at the local mall.
MOST POSTMODERN. TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY. A movie about the making of a movie of the 9-volume comic novel from the late 1700s. And a rather failed attempt it is, with ego warfare and costuming problems and of course behind-the-scenes quickies. Like most of director Michael Winterbottom's films, this ambitious and sloppy, what we call a delightful mess.
BEST SERIES: THE WIRE. Hands down. Again. So gritty and complex it makes THE SOPRANOS look simple-minded. Season 3, released on DVD this year, was a slow burn with a huge payoff: It unfolded into an epic soap opera sprawling across the whole city of Baltimore, with Shakespearean overtones. Amazing.
BEST GUILTY PLEASURE. PROJECT RUNWAY. It may be the best reality TV show since the very first season of THE REAL WORLD. The drama is high, but it is the design challenges that got us hooked. Best challenge? A tie between designing a garment out of $50 worth of groceries, in the very first episode of the first season, and season 2's challenge to design a party dress using materials scored from a flower shop.
CLOSEST IT GETS TO LISTLESSLY FLIPPING THE PAGES OF A FASHION MAGAZINE. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Well, if that award didn't go to PROJECT RUNWAY, what else? The movie is pretty formulaic, almost trite. But Meryl Streep's hilariously understated performance ups the ante, and in the end it's that rare 90 minutes of escapism that doesn't leave you feeling enraged at the world.
THE HAVE-TO-SEE-IT MOVIE. MATCH POINT. If only to prove whether: Woody Allen still has it. Scarlett Johansson can do a Woody Allen movie. A Woody Allen movie can work set in England. The plot twists are as unpredictable as they say. Well, the answer to all of the above is iffy. The movie is good, though, and totally rentable. So say our customers, who made it one of the most consistently snatched titles of the year.
MOST RENTABLE FILM OF THE YEAR. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. Ok, it might be overreaching to call it the Best Film of the Year. But for rentability? It's got great writing, a quick pace, a stellar cast, and a winning message. Not too odd to alienate the more mainstream of you — the little girl is not a mean-spirited brat like in WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE; the family, though dysfunctional, stays nuclear — this is the kind of film you wish you got to see more often. LITLLE MISS is already getting a backlash of folks who find themselves "underwhelmed" after all the hype. And it's true this little comedy subscribes quite faithfully to the little comedy formula. But it's a formula we like! Go on, rent it again.
The post-Christmas releases this week are a surprisingly dour selection. Heavy stuff! But maybe an appropriate way to revel in your after-holiday blues.
Keep on,
team four star.
............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............
FACTOTUM.
Drama.
Matt Dillon, Lili Taylor, Fisher Stevens, Marisa Tomei.
Directed by Brent Hamer.
* Bringing Bukowski to the big screen is always going to be a hard one, because in his books, the spitfire of the language is as important as plot. For Norweigan minimalist director Brent Hamer, the key could be to build cinematic scenes out of silence. But does that work? "None of it goes anywhere," complained The Village Voice. "It's just stylized alcoholism with a tired wink." Bukowki wrote about L.A.'s underbelly in the crude-but-elegant manner of John Fante, whose novel ASK THE DUST was brought to the screen last year with Colin Farrell. Here we get Matt Dillon (still so handsome, no?) as the gruff anti-hero, a disgruntled laborer. There's a solid supporting cast, including whispering Lili Taylor and brassy Marisa Tomei, and Variety called this "arguably one of the best adaptations of Bukowski's work." The Austin Chronicle adds, "FACTOTUM, for all its grim grind, is funny-serious, and smart-stupid. Just like you after four beers, and me after eight."
see also: BARFLY, ASK THE DUST.
............//NEW RELEASES//............
THE BLACK DAHLIA.
Drama/Mystery.
Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Mia Kirshner.
Directed by Brian DePalma.
* L.A., we've come to know, sees something other than sunshine: A tawdry amorality which birthed the film noir movement, and has continued on through provocative thrillers — think Robert Altman or Cassavettes — that use the city's vapid landscape as a backdrop for existentialist dilemma. Does this deliver that kind of substance, or even style? Not really. But if you're in the mood for an extended "true Hollywood scandal," so be it. It only costs $3.75 to rent.
see also: WHERE THE TRUTH LIES.
see instead: THE LONG GOODBYE, THE PLAYER, MULLHOLLAND DRIVE.
THE DESCENT.
Adventure/Horror. England.
Directed by Neil Marshall.
* A couple of our friends met us for dinner a few months back, and they had just seen THE DESCENT. They were still pale and quaking in their Vans. "The scariest movie we've ever seen," they claimed, elated by the rush. Since then, customers have told us that it's just as scary the second time around. Jeesh. This is rumoured to be "the scariest movie so far this century," a British thriller about a group of women spelunkers who get stuck down the wrong cave. Fueled by well-developed characters as much as by gore, this falls in a tradition of British horror movies that really give us the chills.
see also: 28 DAYS LATER.
GYPO.
Drama/Lesbian Interest. England.
Directed by Jan Dunn.
* GYPO is the first certified Dogme film with a lesbian theme. Dogme is the cinematic movement, co-founded by Lars von Trier, in which a strict set of guidelines is meant to enforce an aspect of genuineness, and avoid the pitfalls of slick special effects. For instance, the actors go uncredited, the lighting and sounds must be found on site rather than overdubbed later, and so on. The experiment has yielded mixed results, varying from Thomas Vinterberg's claustrophobic and affecting THE CELEBRATION through Harmony Korine's sloppy and detatched JULIEN DONKEY BOY. Here, we have received very positive feedback. One user on the imdb website wrote: "Gritty, gripping entertainment. As the film covers the same events from three differing points of view, the plot is gradually fleshed out and brought to a most surprising conclusion. Nothing is as it originally appears. Be prepared to be surprised and absorbed completely in the unfolding, many-layered story."
see also: SHOW ME LOVE, PRODUCING ADULTS, MY SUMMER OF LOVE.
JACKASS NUMBER TWO.
Documentary/Comedy.
Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Spike Jonze, John Waters, Luke Wilson.
Directed by Jeff Tremaine.
* "Number two?" Get it? As in poo? Oh, wait, you're not a toddler anymore, and you have better things to do with your time.
see also: JACKASS THE MOVIE.
THE LAST KISS.
Drama.
Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Casey Affleck, Rachel Bilson, Harold Ramis, Blythe Danner, Tom Wilkinson.
Directed by Tony Goldwyn.
* Zach Braff has quickly become a target for too-cool media types. He successfully dummied down indie movies to the lowest common denominator with GARDEN STATE, a cheap imitation of '70s classic THE GRADUATE. He has "championed" indie bands that already have a built-in audience, and basically just all around makes you want to punch that pouty face. Though this time around he isn't directing or writing, this remains a Zach Braff movie: His name is now a synonym for mediocrity.
see also: GARDEN STATE.
............//NEW TO DVD//............
THE CONFORMIST.
Drama/Thriller. Italy. 1970.
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.
* In the seminal 1992 documentary VISIONS OF LIGHT, clips from movies like THE GODFATHER, BADLANDS and MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER are used to illuminate the art of cinematography. An extended clip from Bertolucci's beautiful-looking early work THE CONFORMIST piqued film geeks' interest in seeing the film in its entirity, but until now, it has remained incredibly hard to come by. This is a true moment, then, for those film geeks: Will this sensual study of violence and romance amid Italian fascism deliver the goods? Here it is in all its glory, and then some. (The DVD boasts an "extended version" of the original cut.)
CREATIVITY EXPLORED ANIMATED.
Animation. 1999-2004.
Facilitated by Todd Herman.
CROSS YOUR EYES, KEEP THEM WIDE.
Documentary. 2006.
Directed by Ben Wu.
* Two short films from Creativity Explored, San Francisco's resource center for differently-abled artists. Their work is inspired, and the first disc of this 2-set rental sees select creations come to life through animation. The second short film is a documentary about the organization.
PANDORA'S BOX. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Vintage Drama/Horror. Germany. 1929.
Louise Brooks.
Directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst.
****
****new release list no. 94
Yes, 'tis the season to go shopping. Which can be such a bore! Here are a few of our suggestions...
Buy Used. Rather than perpetuate the mass production which threatens to weigh us all down and wreck the environment, take advantage of San Francisco's wealth of used goods shops. Our stylish staff members vote for THE PAINTED BIRD as best vintage clothing shop (www.paintedbird.org). There's a chic selection of reasonably priced clothes, plus jewelry and other things by local artisans. Cool! Next door is the amazing antique shop, GYPSY HONEYMOON. A lot of us buy our used books at one of Kate's three shops: PHOENIX in Noe Valley, RED HILL BOOKS in Bernal Heights, and DOG EARED BOOKS on Valencia (www.dogearedbooks.com). There's always a bunch of cheap finds on hand, plus unique specialty items for the antiquarian in your household. And we also love THE SOUND WELL (www.thesoundwell.com) in Berkeley for used stereo equipment.
Buy Experience. How about a gift certificate to one of the fine restaurants in Bernal or Potrero? Or a massage, yoga class, rock climbing session, et cetera? Of course, there's always a Four Star gift certificate. These are gifts that people will actually use — and won't sit around adding clutter to the house.
Buy Local. Check out Collage Gallery on 18th Street, or Heartfelt on Cortland Avenue. And we can't help but plug the now-iconic Four Star Video t-shirt, featuring a VHS tape drawn by artist Simon Evans. We always overhear boyfriends telling girlfriends, or kids telling their parents, how cool they think the shirt is. We do, too: You'll notice our staff members regularly sporting the shirt, and we're not even obliged! We sell the gamut of sizes in sweatshop-free American Apparel cotton.
Buy Nothing. Instead, make a donation in somebody's name to an awesome charity. Some of our favorites are... CREATIVITY EXPLORED (www.creativityexplored.org), with which you can support great art made by differently-abled persons. With FRIENDS OF THE URBAN FOREST (www.fuf.net), you can plant a tree in a friend's name for just $25! And, of course, the two charities selected by Dave's family, to which you can donate "In Memory of David Ayoob": THE AMERICAN HEART FOUNDATION (https://donate.americanheart.org) and HORIZONS FOUNDATION (www.horizonsfoundation.org).
But most of all, we hope you will be able this holiday season to take some quality time: A delectable meal, a long hike, a game of Scrabble... Be with the ones you love and cherish the moments. This challenging year has helped us get our priorities straight. Your time with each other is precious.
love
four star.
............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.
Comedy.
Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Toni Collette, Steve Carell.
Directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris.
* Oh, how we love a good dysfunctional family road trip. Here's the best one we've seen in years. Smart, a bit odd, and ultimately affirming, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE will make you laugh and maybe even cry. The writing is sweet and quirky ("Everyone: Pretend that you're normal!"), and the plot twists are unpredictable and comically dead-on. The cast is stellar: It's great to be in the presence of Alan Arkin again. Toni Collette melts your heart, as always. Steve Carell is understated and affecting. Little miss sunshine herself, Abigail Breslin, is naturalistic and adorable without being overly precious. And how perfect is that yellow VW bus? What a great little movie. The DVD comes with four alternate endings, which seems really strange for this sort of project.
see also: THE DAYTRIPPERS, THE SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS, FLIRTING WITH DISASTER.
............//NEW RELEASES//............
AGNES AND HIS BROTHERS.
Drama. Germany.
Directed by Oskar Roehler.
ALL THE KING'S MEN.
Drama.
Sean Penn, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini.
Directed by Steven Zaillian.
THE BEALS OF GREY GARDENS. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Documentary.
Directed by Albert Maysles & David Maysles.
* An entirely new film built on the unused footage from their 1975 classic, GREY GARDENS, this film works on the assumption that you have already seen the first film, thus diving headfirst into its complex character study without exposition. Here it is then: Mother and daughter "Big" and "Little" Edie Beale are high-society dropouts and reclusive cousins of Jackie O. The film captures them amid the decay and disorder of their ramshackle East Hampton mansion. GREY GARDENS has inspired a thousand knockoffs and drag queen acts. In a sense, this new version may be only for die-hard fans: It can be difficult enough to get through the crazed posturing in the first film. This will be considered a treasure, though, to those nutty neoterics who can't get enough of these bizarre and special women.
see also: GREY GARDENS.
THE BEAUTY ACADEMY OF KABUL.
Documentary.
Directed by Liz Mermin.
FEARLESS.
Action. China. (Japanese, English and Mandarin languages.)
Jet Li.
Directed by Ronny Yu.
GABRIELLE.
Drama. France.
Isabelle Huppert, Pascal Greggory.
Directed by Patrice Chereau.
INVINCIBLE.
Drama/Sports.
Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks.
Directed by Ericson Core.
LADY IN THE WATER.
Fantasy/Mystery.
Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND.
Comedy.
Uma Thurman, Luke Wilson, Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard.
Directed by Ivan Reitman.
THE PROMISE.
Action/Drama/Fantasy. China. (Mandarin language.)
Directed by Kaige Chen.
A SCANNER DARKLY.
Animation/Mystery/Sci-Fi.
Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Rory Cochrane.
Directed by Richard Linklater.
* The director Richard Linklater pioneered something interesting when he deposited computer animation over live action footage with his meandering and uplifting piece, WAKING LIFE. Now he seems to want to harness the technical innovation for a story that is both tighter and darker. Based on a Philip K. Dick novel, A SCANNER DARKLY succeeds at creating a compelling sense of paranoia, but it winds up feeling a little too predictable and even shallow. The plot — let's just say it involves rampant drug abuse in the near future — is intriguing enough, but it dawdles a bit and goes nowhere special. It must be said, the acting is pretty jofyul to behold. Richard Linklater is just so '90s: Look at that cast! It's like '90s rehab. And though this film reminds us of the sort of thing that video store geeks of the '90s would love: Think 12 MONKEYS, THE FIFTH ELEMENT or even THE MATRIX. this one will, though it will keep you interested, just doesn't quite stand up on its own.
see also: WAKING LIFE.
SIR! NO SIR!
Documentary/War.
Edward Asner, Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland.
Directed by David Zeiger.
STEP UP.
Drama/Musical.
Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, Damaine Radcliffe, Rachel Griffiths.
Directed by Anne Fletcher.
TIME TO LEAVE.
Drama. France.
Melvil Poupaud, Jeanne Moreau.
Directed by Francois Ozon.
* Director Francois Ozon keeps alive the 'postmodern melodrama,' in the manner of Rainer Werner Fassbinder. His evocative and mysterious films include SWIMMING POOL and UNDER THE SAND, both of which starred Charlotte Rampling. Here he uses another film icon, Jeanne Moreau, in a complicated story laced with tenderness. A successful fashion photographer with terminal cancer refuses chemotherapy, acts cruelly to his lover and nasty to his pregnant sister, and is uncommunicative to his loving and supportive parents. Heavy stuff, then, and not to everyone's holiday mood, to be sure. But those who like intense and stylish French films should check this one out.
see also: LEMMING, CACHE, UNDER THE SAND.
THE WEEPING MEADOW.
Drama. Greece.
Directed by Theo Angelopoulos.
THE WICKER MAN. (2006 REMAKE.)
Drama/Mystery.
Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Beahan, Leelee Sobieski.
Directed by Neil LaBute.
.............//SERIES//............
I'M ALAN PARTRIDGE, SERIES 1.
BBC Comedy.
* One of our very favorite sitcoms of all time, starring Steve Coogan of TRISTRAM SHANDY and 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE. This was previously only available as a British import, meaning you could only view it on an "all regions" DVD player. Now the rest of us with regular players get to partake in this hilarious treat! I'M ALAN PARTRIDGE picks up where Coogan's prior series, KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU, left off. On that show, Coogan played Alan Partridge, a unbelievably terrible talk show host. The format of the series was the talk show itself: Guests were offended, set pieces were destroyed, and so on. It ended with a disastrous Christmas special, and the grande finale was that the show was cancelled on air by the head of the BBC. Now the has-been host is forced to take a job as a middle-of-the-night radio DJ in the middle-of-nowhere (a town called Norwich). His ego prevents him from actually moving to Norwich, and so instead he sets himself up in a "travel lodge" off the freeway — mid-way between London and that town. The Ramada-type place is completely generic, and happens to be undergoing rennovations. This purgatory-like premise may be the most brilliant in all of sitcom history. Partrige proceeds to alienate the hotel staff, meet a bunch of Norwich weirdos, and try desperately to get back to London and the BBC. If you like your sitcom protagonists completely ridiculous (think Basil Fawlty, Larry David or David Brent), this is for you. Alan Partridge may be a bigger goon than all of those men combined!
see also: FAWLTY TOWERS, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE OFFICE.
THE SIMPSONS, SERIES 9.
FOX Animation/Satire.
WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE.
HBO Documentary Mini-Series.
Directed by Spike Lee.
* This four-part event, or "requiem," won 3 awards at the Venice Film Festival. Spike Lee takes on Hurricane Katrina with a deeply personal approach. The New Yorker: "The most magnificent and large-souled record of a great American tragedy ever put on film." Entertainment Weekly: "Extraordinary." The New York Times: "Powerful." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Will stand as a monumental document."
............//NEW TO DVD//............
SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM TAKE ONE. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Documentary. 1968.
Directed by William Greaves.
* From Criterion: "A one-of-a-kind fiction/documentary hybrid. Director William Greaves presides over a beleaguered film crew in New York's Central Park, leaving them to try to figure out what kind of movie they're making. A couple enacts a break-up scenario over and over, a documentary crew films a crew filming the crew, locals wander casually into the frame: The project defies easy description. Yet this wildly innovative '60s counterculture landmark remains one of the most tightly focused and insightful movies ever made about making movies." This rental also includes the sequel, SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM TAKE 2 1/2, which was made 35 years later with executive producers Steven Soderbergh and Steve Buscemi.
see also: TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY, MY DINNER WITH ANDRE, FLIRT.
****
****new release list no. 93
It's a testament to the reach of Dave's civic commitment that articles about his life have appeared in The Chronicle, The Examiner and in the front page editorial of The Guardian. He'd feel honored to leave behind a legacy so worthy of column inches. But there's a few places where we'd like to set the record straight: Dave did not, as both The Chronicle and The Examiner stated, wear a top hat. There's also no need for journalists to speak about Four Star in the past tense: Our steadfast crew has kept shop open dutifully, and with all the energy we can muster.
We have been laden with very heavy hearts these past weeks. But we're also working through it. And if you come into our shops and find us having a laugh, we hope you don't think we're doing any dishonor to Dave. He liked the shops best when they were at their most bustling and festive. We've been looking around the shop to see friends bumping into each other, greeting with gleeful hugs... It would make Dave happy, because it's exactly the kind of place we've always wanted to create.
xo
team four star.
P.S. You can catch a screening by our very own staff member, Davey Yun, who studies film at the San Francisco Art Institute when not behind the cash register. His work will appear on Thursday the 14th at the SFAI Film Graduate Student Extravagana, 5-7 pm at Swell Gallery's 3rd Street Studios (at 22nd).
.............**//NEW RELEASE LIST//**............
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA.
Comedy.
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Adrian Grenier, Stanley Tucci.
Directed by David Frankel.
* In recent years, Manhattan has become a sort of gleaming theme park version of itself, and it's filled with pretty young women in overly expensive clothes who probably have jobs like Andy in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Once a slightly dowdy Nortwestern graduate intending to be a serious journalist uncovering social injustices, Andy has landed a job for Miranda Priestly, the maniacal editor of a fashion magazine called RUNWAY. Andy works all night and is still on call early in the morning. She's underpaid and underappreciated, and ridiculed for being a size 6. She is given impossible tasks, like being ordered to find Miranda's daughters copies of the unpublished new Harry Potter manuscript. The story isn't especially nuanced (it ain't THE BELL JAR), but it succeeds as an entertainment and light expose. In a sense, the fashion industry is too easy of a target: It provided a foil to the late great Robert Altman, with one of his weakest releases, READY TO WEAR, in which he seemed intent on proving that the industry is shallow. Duh. But while this isn't really a better film, it's a tighter one. And it is enlivened by a great cast, with an understated Meryl Streep as the snaky editor at its center. Basically, this plays like a long episode of FELCITY, but with Meryl Streep. It's not bad, and it'll provide ample escapism for many of you. The depiction of New York City as cutthroat and icy will either make you want to book a ticket out for a glamorous New Year's party, or give you relief that you're out here in the West, where we spend more time composting than shopping for shoes.
see also: FUNNY FACE.
............//NEW RELEASES//............
ARCHITECT.
Drama.
Anthony LaPaglia, Viola Davis, Isabella Rossellini.
Directed by Matt Tauber.
4.
Drama. Russia.
Directed by Ilya Khrjanovsky.
THE HOUSE OF SAND.
Drama. Brazil.
Directed by Andrucha Waddington.
LOVING ANNABELLE.
Drama/Lesbian Interest.
Directed by Katherine Brooks.
MATERIAL GIRLS.
Comedy/Family.
Hilary Duff, Haylie Duff, Anjelica Huston, Lukas Haas.
Directed by Martha Coolidge.
* Well, we'd never want to alienate our "tweens," that goldmine demographic so dedicated to the newest of the new. But why is it all BRATZ and MEAN GIRLS these days? Whatever happened to Hayley Mills and cat detectives, to Scout from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and wild hearts that couldn't be broken? This newest, from director Martha Coolidge (who started fresh with VALLEY GIRL in 1983 and has dissolved into stuff like this and its predecessor, THE PRINCE AND ME) stars some famous apple dumpling starlet and — wow! — her little sister. This is like the junior version of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: Both satirizing and perpetuating glossy consumer culture.
see instead: DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, CLUELESS, JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS.
MOZART AND THE WHALE.
Romantic Comedy.
Josh Hartnett, Radha Mitchell.
Directed by Peter Naess.
TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY.
Comedy.
Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan.
Directed by Adam McKay.
............//FAMILY//............
THE BARNYARD.
THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2.
............//NEW TO DVD//............
THREE AMIGOS.
Comedy/Adventure. 1986.
Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Patrice Martinez.
Directed by John Landis.
* There's a young lady whose family has come to our shop since forever, and by now she wears make-up and studies algebra and might be a little embarrassed by this story. But we do remember a time, about five years ago when she was maybe ten years old, and she discovered a copy of THREE AMIGOS on VHS, and was so smitten with the movie that she wanted all her friends to see it. We talked a lot about the funny parts of the movie, like the singing cactus. We recalled what a great little comedy it is, with that stellar cast of classic funnies in sombreros. We instantly added it to our list of movies that "all family members can enjoy together." (Others include THE GOONIES, INNERSPACE, INDIANA JONES...) Now it's here on DVD. Good fun.
see also: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS.
****
****new release list no. 92
Dear friends,
Early in the morning of Sunday, November 26, we lost our partner in business and in friendship, David Ayoob, to a heart attack. There has been an immense outpouring of love and support from the Bernal Heights community, as well as intense grief. On the morning of December 2, we were informed that Dave's domestic partner, Leo Laxamana, also passed away. Leo was a fabulous friend to us. He had been long unwell and was preparing for his eventual passing. Dave's care and support got Leo through many hard times. Now it seems that together they have found rest.
Because of the shock of Dave's sudden death at 53 years old, it is difficult to think past our sadness and to treat this moment as a celebration of his life. But we owe it to Dave's positive personality to say a few things here.
Dave approached small business as not only a means for personal contentment, but as a way to build community. It seems impossible that one man could touch so many. As one of our friends put it, "With all of his commitments, I wondered, how did he find room in his heart for me?" He guided friends, family and colleagues through aspects of personal growth as well as through times of worry. He was a true people person. As a small business owner, philanthropist, volunteer and Co-President of the Cortland Merchant's Association, he set a shining example of what one individual can contribute to society. From planting trees and cleaning sidewalks to spearheading campaigns to raise money for local schools, Dave's generosity is as famous as his flamboyant sense of style. Dave leaves behind two lovely daughters, Kelly and Julie; his mother; and a humble but deeply meaningful legacy of local business. In honor of his civic commitment, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors plans to adjourn a meeting next week in his name.
Leo Laxamana leaves behind his mother, siblings and many great friends. Thanks to an arrangement with the Neptune Society of Northern California, Leo's ashes will be scattered on the San Francisco Bay. This final gesture is fitting for a man who's passionate life was so rooted in the Bay Area.
A memorial service will be held for David Ayoob at 2pm on Saturday, December 9, at St. Kevin's Church on Cortland Avenue. This will entail formal mass, but will also be a celebration of life. Everyone is encouraged to dress brightly in honor of Dave's exuberant style.
Both of our shops will be closed on that day, Saturday the 9th, so that our staff may take time to mourn for Dave and Leo.
Donations can be made "IN MEMORY OF DAVID AYOOB" to:
The American Heart Association.
7272 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75231-4596
https://donate.americanheart.org
Horizons Foundation.
870 Market Street, Suite 728
San Francisco CA 94102
http://www.horizonsfoundation.org
415.398.2333.
(Note: Please be careful not to get this organization mixed up with another group named "Horizon Foundation." Also, in both cases, be sure to make your contribution "IN MEMORY OF DAVID AYOOB.")
Again, we send huge thanks to all of you who have offered us support. We feel priviledged to be part of such a strong community.
Yours,
Jeremy and Jamie
Partners, Four Star Video.
The rest of this week's email is comprised of a list of new arrivals without reviews.
............//NEW RELEASES//............
BEEN RICH ALL MY LIFE.
Documentary.
Directed by Heather MacDonald.
BEERFEST.
Comedy.
Erik Stolhanske, Paul Soter, Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme, Kevin Heffernan, Cloris Leachman.
Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar.
IDLEWILD.
Drama/Musical.
Andre Benjamin, Antwan A. Patton, Terrence Howard, Ben Vereen, Cicely Tyson, Macy Gray.
Directed by Bryan Barber.
THE IMPRESSIONISTS.
Drama/Mini-Series. England.
Directed by Mary Downes & Tim Dunn.
LIES & ALIBIS.
Comedy.
Steve Coogan, Rebecca Romijn, Selma Blair, Henry Rollins, Sam Elliot, James Brolin.
Directed by Matt Checkoswki & Kurt Mattila.
LOOK BOTH WAYS.
Drama/Thriller/Independent.
Directed by Sarah Watt.
A LOVE TO HIDE.
Drama/Gay Interest. France.
Jeremie Renier, Louise Monot.
Directed by Christian Faure.
MIAMI VICE.
Action/Crime Drama.
Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Li Gong.
Directed by Michael Mann.
THE OH IN OHIO.
Parker Posey, Paul Rudd, Mischa Barton, Danny DeVito, Liza Minnelli.
Directed by Billy Kent.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST.
Adventure/Comedy.
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgard.
Directed by Gore Verbinski.
RISE ABOVE: THE TRIBE 8 DOCUMENTARY.
Music Documentary.
Directed by Tracy Flannigan.
A TOUT DE SUITE.
Drama. France.
Directed by Benoit Jacquot.
.............//SERIES//..............
24: SEASON 5.
FOX Action/Adventure Series.
There has been a delay in the shipment of this item from our distributor. Please be patient if it takes a few days to arrive into stock.
............//FAMILY//............
HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS.
Comedy/Family.
Directed by Bob Dolman.
TOOT & PUDDLE: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.
Animation.
............//NEW TO DVD//.............
1900.
Drama. France/Italy/West Germany. 1976.
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.
****
****new release list no. 91
The passing of director Robert Altman has prompted waiting lists for the ambitious and iconoclastic works of this American master. Like most of the greats, he was known less for his consistency than for blistering sparks of genius. So, where to begin? Here are a few of our recommendations:
M*A*S*H is perhaps Altman's most notorious work, a war satire that fuses comedy with melancholy in the best '70s fashion. NASHVILLE, filled with great music written by the cast members themselves, is an incisive and surprising look at the '70s country music scene. We love the challenging revisionist Western MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER, starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie (and with music by Leonard Cohen). THE LONG GOODBYE, a Los Angeles noir starring Elliot Gould, is one of Altman's best kept secrets. THE PLAYER, starring Tim Robbins, is a thriller that depicts the Hollywood system as both shallow and sisnister. 3 WOMEN, one of Altman's most abstract works, is a meandering and mysterious character study. As a celebration of the eccentricities of modern females, it fits nicely alongside the play-like COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN. The interwoven storylines of SHORT CUTS, based on stories by Raymond Carver, have set a new model for film narrative that can be felt, amongst other places, in the works of PT Anderson (BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA), as well as — perhaps with less elegance — in last year's Oscar winner CRASH. GOSFORD PARK, an upstairs-downstairs British murder mystery, is one of the director's most compelling recent works. His very last, A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION, is not one of his best, but makes for an appropriate swan song, if only for its subject matter — the end of a beloved old-fashioned radio show.
xo
four star.
............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............
SUPERMAN RETURNS.
Adventure/Comics.
Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Parker Posey.
Directed by Bryan Singer.
* Honestly, Superman has got to be the most boring comic book hero: He's a do-gooder with no dark secrets, little psychological complexity and a boring downfall (kryptonite). It doesn't help that the new Superman, though he fills out the suit impressively, is a wooden actor. And Lois Lane, played charmlessly by Kate Bosworth, is only interesting because she picked up cigarette smoking after Superman last left her. You may find yourselves rooting for the bad guys — because of the enticingly camp performances by film darlings Kevin Spacey and Parker Posey. Their casting was an inspired intervention that keeps the film on its toes. Other than that, this is more or less what you'd expect: A slick, sometimes fun, ultimately soul-less entertainment.
see instead: BATMAN BEGINS.
............//NEW RELEASES//............
ANDY WARHOL: A DOCUMENTARY FILM.
Documentary/PBS/Long Format.
Narrated by Laurie Anderson.
Directed by Ric Burns.
CLERKS II.
Comedy.
Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Rosario Dawson, Wanda Skykes.
Directed by Kevin Smith.
SUPERMAN RETURNS.
see above: "release of the week."
............//SERIES//.............
JOAN OF ARCADIA, SERIES 2.
CBS Family Drama.
.............//FAMILY//............
THE ANT BULLY.
Animation.
Voices by Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Bruce Campbell, Lily Tomlin.
Directed by John A. Davis.
ROBIN HOOD. (MOST WANTED EDITION.)
Classic Disney Animation.
.............//NEW TO DVD//.............
A STAR IS BORN.
Drama/Musical. 1976.
Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Busey.
Directed by Frank Pierson.
* The version of choice amongst our customers, far exceeding the 1934 original or Judy Garland remake because of its appealing context of '70s Americana rock and roll. Babs Streisand is, as always, shockingly talented and a little annoying. Kris Kristofferson, as usual: Shockingly handsome and a little vapid. Fun stuff, though.
see also: NASHVILLE, THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT.
****
****new release list no. 90
This Thanksgiving, how about a slice of humble pie? The big release this week, along with ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN, is the environmental cautionary tale AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. It may not make for sweet relief, but certainly will get conversation started. We've even caught wind of customers who plan on going over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house with DVDs of documentaries like IRAQ FOR SALE and WHY WE FIGHT in tow. Sounds like a food fight! For those who wish to stay on the safe side, we recommend all the great classics and old family favorites. Keep in mind that the day before Thanksgiving is $1 Wednesday. How convenient.
with love,
family four star.
.............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH.
Documentary.
Al Gore.
Directed by Davis Guggenheim.
* This film is mostly comprised of footage from Al Gore's compelling slide show on global warming, a presentation he has given a thousand times all over the world. Gore remains a political figure, but he seems bent on providing an oppoiste to the reigning campaign style: He comes across as earnest and intellectual; even the name of the film is quite bold considering what we typically think Americans want to hear. (How about "An Easy Reassurance?") Gore's images and statistical charts point to a bleak forecast for the catastrophic results of our planet's rising temperatures, and he makes an irrefutable case that we humans are responsible for this mess. Gore's science is accessible and his presentation laced with self-effacing humor. His predictions are very scary, but he also attempts to instill some optimism that we as a civilization are capable of the technological innovation and responsible decision-making that can help prevent the earth's rapid decline. Director David Guggenheim's documentary is briskly paced and dotted with anecdotes from Gore's personal and professional life. Though intimate and revelatory, these tableaus also veer unfortunately towards political image-building. That said, this remains a very important film. Roger Ebert wrote: "In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to."
see also: WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?, THE FUTURE OF FOOD.
.............//NEW RELEASES//............
ANOTHER GAY MOVIE.
Satire/Gay Interest.
Directed by Todd Stephens.
ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN.
Animation/Family.
Voices by Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Seann William Scott, Queen Latifah, Jay Leno.
Directed by Carlos Saldanha.
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH.
see above: "release of the week."
NOBELITY.
Documentary.
Directed by Turk Pipkin.
POSTER BOY.
Drama/Gay Interest.
Directed by Zak Tucker.
SCOOP.
Comedy/Mystery.
Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Ian McShane.
Directed by Woody Allen.
* It seems that magic is "in," as we've seen evidenced by the recent releases THE ILLUSIONIST and THE PRESTIGE. As a movie theme, magic is almost as "hot" as dance! Now here is a Woody Allen tale based around tricks of the trade, and it is set in London just like his hit from last year, MATCH POINT. While SCOOP was not nearly as adored by critics or audiences as its predecessor, it does boast an extremely "in" cast, including cinematic hotties Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson.
see also: MATCH POINT.
WAH-WAH.
Drama. England.
Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson, Nicholas Hoult, Emily Watson, Julie Waters.
Directed by Richard E. Grant.
WASSUP ROCKERS.
Drama/Independent.
Directed by Larry Clark.
THE WILD BLUE YONDER.
Documentary/Sci-Fi.
Directed by Werner Herzog.
YOU ME AND DUPREE.
Comedy.
Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon, Michael Douglas.
Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo.
.............//SERIES//............
ALIAS, SERIES 5.
ABC Adventure/Drama Series.
LITTLE BRITAIN, SERIES 3.
BBC Comedy Series.
SEINFELD, SERIES 7.
NBC Comedy Series.
............//FAMILY//............
CHARLOTTE'S WEB.
Vintage Animation.
LASSIE. (2005.)
Adventure/Family. England.
Peter O'Toole, Samantha Morton, John Lynch, Peter Dinklage.
Directed by Charles Sturridge.
............//NEW TO DVD//............
THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Drama/Fantasy. France/Poland. 1991.
Irene Jacob.
Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski.
****
****new release list no. 89
For a while now, we've been pushing TV series like THE WIRE, DEADWOOD, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Honestly, the 100 minute Hollywood movie is so rarely worth the time these days. Though we are still excited by independent and foreign cinema, we feel that some of the best mainstream American stuff now comes in the series format. It's flexible (you can watch one 40 minute episode or do a back-to-back marathon) and it gives you the chance to get to know characters over a long arc.
Well, now we've come to confess our newest favorite: It seems that at least half of our staff is seriously addicted to PROJECT RUNWAY! Granted, this reality competition about young clothing designers is totally cheesy. And, as Nick says on the 2nd season, "Campy with a capitol C," as well as "g-g-g-gay." But the design challenges — make an evening dress out of $50 worth of groceries, an iconic garment from 6 yards of muslin and $20, a figure skating outfit, a postal uniform — are really fascinating to watch. It's both frustrating and inspiring to watch creativity work within the constraints of commercial design. And of course there's lots of ego and backstabbing and so on.
There's also been a spate of TV shows turned into movies — such as SERENITY, based on the Joss Whedon series FIREFLY, and this week's "release of the week," STRANGERS WITH CANDY.
It seems like the rain and chill is now upon us. Our shops are getting crowded with customers. Ask us about our TV series recommendations: We'll be happy to point you to British comedies, nature programs, the range of hit HBO series... all sorts of stuff... Then you can stock up for a good hibernation.
yours
team four star.
............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............
STRANGERS WITH CANDY.
Comedy/Independent.
Amy Sedaris, Greg Hollimon, Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, Deborah Rush, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker.
Directed by Paul Dinello.
* It feels punk to choose this lewd and crude comedy as the "release of the week" over THE DA VINCI CODE. As anyone who's caught the TV show of the same name can attest, this is not for everyone. The humor of creator/star Amy Sedaris shares her brother David's affection for the messy and the absurd, but where his comic essays are literate and anecdotal, Amy's work is highly physical, often grotesque, deliberately adolescent and totally over-the-top. The premise of STRANGERS WITH CANDY revolves around Sedaris' Jerri Blank, a former prostitute and junkie who has cleaned up her act and, at 46, enlisted herself as a high school freshman. The format loosely emulates the moralistic "After School Special" dramas from the '80s, tweaking everything to convey a total irreverence towards adult authority and a reversal of sexual mores. The transition from Comedy Central series is a bit uneasy: The actors don't quite seem to fill the big screen like they do the television set, and there's a sort of effortfulness that never plagued the insouciant TV show. Still, along with Sarah Silverman and that Ali G./Borat guy, this ranks with contemporary comedy's most provocative stuff.
see also: STRANGERS WITH CANDY (SERIES).
...........//NEW RELEASES//............
49 UP.
Documentary.
Directed by Michael Apted.
* The lastest addition in one of the more ambitious documentary film projects ever, an ongoing record of the same group of regular British citizens, filmed every seven years. Both of our shops stock all previous installments, starting with SEVEN UP and 14UP. Both life affirming and melancholic, this intriguing and subtle project will long stand as an archive of the ages.
see also: THE UP SERIES.
ACCEPTED.
Comedy/Teen.
Directed by Steve Pink.
BROTHERS OF THE HEAD.
Drama. England.
Harry Treadaway, Luke Treadaway.
Directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe.
* From IFC Films: "The feverish, mind-bending odyssey of conjoined twins Tom and Barry Howe who were plucked from obscurity by a 1970s music promoter and groomed into a boy band."
see also: BREAKFAST ON PLUTO, TWIN FALLS, IDAHO.
THE DA VINCI CODE.
Drama/Mystery.
Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellan, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany.
Directed by Ron Howard.
DARSHAN: THE EMBRACE.
Documentary.
Directed by Jan Kounen.
EDEN'S CURVE.
Drama/Gay Interest.
Directed by Anna Misawa.
JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE.
Comedy/Teen.
Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, Ashanti, Jenny McCarthy.
Directed by Betty Thomas.
JOYEUX NOEL.
Drama/War. France.
Directed by Christian Carion.
* This is the Oscar-nomintated story about a World War I battlefield on Christmas Eve, and the soldiers from Germany, France and the UK who chose to lay down their weapons for a game of soccer. Sounds like way more fun. And this gentle try at pacifism met with nearly universal acclaim from film critics.
see also: NO MAN'S LAND, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT.
LEONARD COHEN: I'M YOUR MAN.
Music Documentary.
Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Antony, Bono, Linda Thompson, Beth Orton, Jarvis Cocker, Rufus Wainwright.
Directed by Lian Lunson.
* This documentary interestingly and somewhat awkwardly combines interviews with Cohen (who remains charming and elegant at 70 years old) with a live tribute concert featuring some of today's notable balladeers. Cohen speaks frankly about his approach to music and poetry; his hindsight accentuates the playfulness and love of beauty inherent in his often melancholic works. In interviews, his openness and lucidity put Bob Dylan to shame and will remind you why he's one of your favorite songwriters. The film is a rather reverent and unspeculative look at the artist, not the sort of depthful portrait we've seen recently in the films about Daniel Johnston or Townes Van Zandt. The concert footage is often moody and intriguing, although it sometimes feels that the acts are unable to rise to the challenge of the material, particularly in the case of shallow showman Rufus Wainwright and his similarly overwrought sister, Martha. It may just be a matter of taste, but their numbers really seem to poop on the party.
see also: TOWNES VAN ZANDT: BE HERE TO LOVE ME, GRAM PARSONS: FALLEN ANGEL, NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD.
SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE FINAL DAYS.
Drama/War. Germany.
Directed by Marc Rothemund.
STOLEN.
Documentary/Art.
Directed by Rebecca Dreyfuss.
UNTAMED ANTARCTICA.
Documentary/Nature.
Directed by Luc Jacquet.
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?
Documentary.
Directed by Chris Paine.
............//SERIES//............
ART: 21, SERIES 3.
PBS Documentary Series/Art.
C.S.I., SERIES 6.
CBS Crime Drama Series.
THE FAMILY GUY, VOLUME 4.
Animation/Satire Series.
THE GOLDEN GIRLS, SERIES 6.
Retro Comedy Series.
WEST WING, SERIES 7.
NBC Drama Series.
............//FAMILY//............
THE ADVENTURES OF THE GUMMI BEARS.
Children's Animation Program.
............//NEW TO DVD//............
THE FALLEN ANGEL. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Suspense/Farce. 1948.
Directed by Carol Reed.
FORBIDDEN PLANET.
Sci-Fi. 1956.
Directed by Fred M. Wilcox.
PRETTY POISON.
Thriller. 1968.
Anthony Perkins, Tuesday Weld.
Directed by Noel Black.
THREE CROWNS OF THE SAILOR.
Drama/Fantasy. France. 1983.
Directed by Raoul Ruiz.
****
****new release list no. 88
Our most alert readers will have noticed that last week's list never happened. The shipment entailed an especially tiny number of releases, and what with Halloween festivities and all, we opted to combine those titles with this week's arrivals.
Of course we missed you (dearly) and we love you, clearly, because here we are with another list — two week's worth — a little skimp on the reviews, but a list none the less. By the way, if you're wondering why the selection has been a little dry lately, don't forget that the studios save up the good stuff, or the big stuff anyway, the Academy nominees and the like, for the holiday season and winter. There's hope around the bend. In the meantime, we recommend renting old classics, TV series and documentaries. We've been feeling cozy lately, watching Yasujiro Ozu and Peter Bogdanovich movies, ABOUT A BOY, HAROLD AND MAUDE, E.T., episodes of THE GOLDEN GIRLS, David Attenborough's nature programs for BBC, and even the sweet British children's program CHARLIE AND LOLA. What makes you feel cozy?
love,
four star.
............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............
CARS.
Animation.
Voiced by Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, Jennifer Lewis, Katherine Helmnond, Michael Keaton.
Directed by John Lasseter and Joe Ranft.
* For the arrival of CARS, in which an all-star cast plays a bunch of anthropomorphized vehicles, we've devised a game for you to play with your friends: If you were to provide the voice for a car, which car would it be? A BMW 2002, a Benz, Bug, truck, muscle car, sedan, van, SAAB, Volvo wagon or Subaru?It's pretty fun. How does your self-image compare with your friends' image of you? Oh, and as for the movie: It's Pixar's seventh, with songs by Randy Newman and all. Quality credentials, although the slick and often impersonal look of CGI animation is dating fast.
see also: FINDING NEMO, THE INCREDIBLES, TOY STORY.
............//NEW RELEASES//............
THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER: A STORY OF DEATH IN IRAQ.
Documentary.
Directed by Andrew Berends.
BOLSE VITA.
Drama. Hungary.
Directed by Ibolya Fekete.
HUNGRY FOR MONSTERS.
Documentary.
George Paul Csicsery.
IMPRINT.
Horror. Japan.
Directed by Takashi Miike.
KEEPING UP WITH THE STEINS.
Comedy.
Jami Gertz, Daryl Hannah, Garry Marshall, Jeremy Piven, Larry Miller, Cheryl Hines.
Directed by Scott Marshall.
LITTLE MAN.
Comedy.
Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans.
Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans.
* Yes, this is a movie about a "pint-sized" jewel thief who dresses as a baby in order to hide from the authorities, and is able to find a nice couple to take him into their home and change his diapers without noticing that the short man is not a baby. No, we did not make this up. However, we should all collectively take responsibility for our culture hitting a new all-time low.
see instead: TOOTSIE.
MAXX.
Musical Comedy. Iran.
Directed by Saman Moghaddam.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III.
Action.
Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman,Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Simon Pegg, Keri Russell.
Directed by J.J. Abrams.
SHADOWBOXER.
Drama/Thriller.
Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding Jr, Stephen Dorff, Vanessa Ferlito, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Macy Gray.
Directed by Lee Daniels.
WORDPLAY.
Documentary.
Directed by Patrick Creadon.
............//SERIES//............
BAND OF GOLD.
British Mini-Series.
Samantha Morton.
Written by Kay Mellor.
HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS, COMPLETE SERIES 1 -7.
NBC Crime Drama.
* Now surpassing THE SOPRANOS and SIX FEET UNDER, the amazing show THE WIRE has become the favorite HBO series of our clientele and staff. A gritty drama with storylines that sprawl across the city of Baltimore, it is the work of David Simon, former Baltimore Sun journalist and author of the 1991 book HOMICIDE: A YEAR ON THE KILLING STREETS. The TV show that followed, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS, ran from 1993-1999, and is widely considered to be one of the most underrated television shows of recent years, and the key in revitalizing the genre of police dramas. Whether you are starting here, backpeddling from THE WIRE, or revisiting a series you already knew well, we are very pleased that every episode is now available to rent.
see also: THE WIRE.
JACQUES COUSTEAU: PACIFIC EXPLORATIONS.
Vintage Nature Documentary Series.
LIFE IN THE UNDERGROWTH.
BBC Nature Documentary Mini-Series.
Written and narrated by David Attenborough.
SOPRANOS, SERIES 6.
HBO Crime Drama.
............//NEW TO DVD//............
ANNA KARENINA.
Drama. Russia. 1967.
Directed by Aleksandr Zarkhi.
INDOCTRINATION.
Experimental/Documentary. 1987.
Directed by Harun Farocki.
THE INTERVIEW.
Experimental/Documentary. 1997.
Directed by Harun Farocki.
KOMEDIANT.
Drama. Czechoslovakia. 1984.
Directed by Otakar Vavra.
JACQUES FEYDER VINTAGE FRENCH CINEMA:
CRAINQUEBILLE. 1922.
FACES OF CHILDREN. 1925.
QUEEN OF ATLANTIS. 1920.
OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR!
Musical. 1969.
Directed by Richard Attenborough.
SUGAR CANE ALLEY.
Drama. Martinique. (French language.) 1983.
Directed by Euzhan Palcy.
UN COEUR EN HIVER.
Drama/Romance. France. 1992.
Directed by Claude Sautet.
WHOEVER SAYS THE TRUTH SHALL DIE.
Documentary. 1981. Netherlands.
Directed by Philo Bregstein.
* The provocative director Pier Paolo Pasolini was brutally run over by his own car in 1975 on a beach near Rome. While a young street hustler was arrested and confessed to the crime, he later retracted his statement, alluding to three strangers who may have killed Pasolini due to his political or sexual views. Revelations in 2005 suggest Pasolini may actually have been murdered by an exortionist. In 1981, this documentary treated the subject of Pasolini's death as well as his prolific career. Talking heads include Bernardo Bertolucci.
see also: Z CHANNEL:A MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION.
****
****new release list no. 87
Boo!
There are a lot of Halloween-themed arrivals this week. Honestly, the video industry has laid it on kind of thick with a bunch of so-so scary movies. Check 'em out, but don't forget that newer doesn't always mean better, in fact it seldom does, and we'll be happy to point you towards other spooky tales... Stuff like THE SHINING, THE CHANGELING, THE TENTANT, THE COLLECTOR, SUSPIRIA, George A. Romero's MARTIN, DONNIE DARKO, POLTERGEIST, LOST HIGHWAY, and of course John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN...
Ocassionally, we'll mention recent new releases that are generating good word-of-mouth, as a chance for us all to catch up. Here we go:
Believe it or not, STICK IT — the teen gymnastics movie — has amassed a following. Not as sardonic as BRING IT ON, the film really hangs off its impressive aerobic routines. But it also offers up surprisingly cool young female protagonists and, perhaps even more shockingly, boasts a really great visual design. Word is incredibly strong on THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON, a dark and moving documentary about the manic depressive musician. Something about the film feels transcendent. Meaning all types like it: You don't need to be a bedheaded hipster with a penchant for beer-stained '90s indie rock. But that always helps. Word is totally mixed on THE BREAK-UP. Critics found plenty to criticize, but amongst non-film-snobs, it is generally considered to be a potent look at two heterosexuals drifting apart. Not quite SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, but along those lines. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is renting consistently and earning good marks, if only because it's rare that an American comedy comes along with a dose of style and smarts. Same goes for FRIENDS WITH MONEY, the caustic tragicomedy from talented director Nicole Holofcener. For pure tragedy, we can't think of anything lower in the depths than the Dardenne brothers' exquisitely realistic and wrenchingly gritty L'ENFANT, a tale of two terribly unfit young parents. And INSIDE MAN, a riveting heist movie with a Spike Lee twist, has topped our top renting list for several weeks in a row. It's the one to beat.
Happy Halloween!
love four star.
............**//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//**............
THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO.
Drama. England. (English and Urdu languages.)
Riz Ahmed, Farhad Harun, Waqar Siddiqui, Afran Usman, Shahid Iqbal.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross.
* Combining documentary footage with dramatization, this is a terrifying first-hand account of three British citizens held for two years without charges in the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Ruthe Stein at the San Francisco Chronicle writes: "A film that must be seen to understand the sad truths of our times." But David Denby at the New Yorker worries: "The filmmakers’ habit of obfuscating key points makes us wonder whether somebody is lying." Jonathan Rosenbaum at the Chicago Reader pipes in: "The film is compelling to the extent that the subject is, but also unimaginative and unsurprising." That critic is at the extreme end, however, of a generally favorable gamut of reviews. And with this release, co-director Winterbottom continues to establish himself as a sloppy, capricious, exuberant and hugely ambitious director — frankly, one of the more interesting film artists working today.
see also: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, PUNISHMENT PARK.
...........//NEW RELEASES//...........
AN AMERICAN HAUNTING.
Suspense/Horror.
Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood, James D'Arcy.
Directed by Courtney Solomon.
THE BIG BUY: TOM DELAY'S STOLEN CONGRESS.
Documentary.
Directed by Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck.
COTE D'AZUR.
Romantic Comedy. France.
Directed by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau.
CUT SHORTS: A COLLECTION OF SHORT FILMS AND MUSIC VIDEOS BY DAVID MARKEY FROM 1974-2004.
Experimental/Music/Shorts.
Directed by David Markey.
CYNARA: POETRY IN MOTION.
Drama/Lesbian Interest/Short Format.
Johanna Nemeth, Melissa Hellman.
Directed by Nicole Conn.
FAMILIA RODANTE. (ROLLING FAMILY.)
Comedy. Argentina.
Directed by Pablo Trapero.
* Sort of like a Latino LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE: Funny family members accompany grandma in a cross-country journey in a 1956 Chevy Viking Camper. New York Post: "Low key and realistic." The New York Times: "Not a movie of ideas but an emotional and tactile experience of economy-class travel." Salon.com: "Thoroughly wonderful."
see also: BREAD AND TULIPS.
LOOKING FOR KITTY.
Drama/Independent.
David Krumholtz, Edward Burns, Rachel Dratch.
Directed by Edward Burns.
MONGOLIAN PING PONG.
Comedy. China. (Mongolian language.)
Directed by Hao Ning.
MONSTER HOUSE.
Animation/Mystery/Family.
Voices by Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Lee, Nick Cannon, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, Jon Heder, Kathleen Turner.
Directed by Gil Kenan.
NACHO LIBRE.
Comedy.
Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera.
Directed by Jared Hess.
SLITHER.
Comedy/Horror.
Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks.
Directed by James Gunn.
THAT'S MY BUSH.
Sketch Comedy.
Timothy Bottoms, Carrie Quinn Dolin.
Directed by Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
TWO DRIFTERS.
Drama/Gay Interest. Portugal.
Directed by Joao Pedro Rodrigues.
............//SERIES//............
CREATURE COMFORTS, SERIES 2.
Animated Series. England.
Directed by Richard Goleszowski and Nick Park.
THE L WORD, SERIES 3.
Showtime Drama Series. Lesbian Interest.
Jennifer Beals, Leigha Hailey, Mia Kirshner, Pam Grier.
Created by Ilene Chaiken.
NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES.
Drama/Horror Mini-Series.
William Hurt, William H. Macy, Eion Bailey, Ron Livingston, Claire Forlani, Jeremy Sisto, Henry Thomas, Samantha Mathis, Tom Berenger, Marsha Mason.
Based on stories by Stephen King.
............//FAMILY//............
FATHER CHRISTMAS.
Family Animation. England. 1991.
Directed by Dave Unwin.
SIGMOND AND THE SEA MONSTERS, SERIES 1.
Retro Kids' Series. 1973.
Produced by Syd and Marty Krofft.
THE TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER.
Family. England. 1971.
Directed by Reginald Mills.
............//NEW TO DVD//............
LA COMMUNE (PARIS, 1871).
Historical Drama/Long Format. France. 2000.
Directed by Peter Watkins.
* Posted by one user on imdb.com: "Absolutely the most effective film I have ever seen for promping the viewer to become involved in the film itself. The actors are not actors and they talk about real things; they are not even improvising. They address concerns of today and of the time in which they are play-acting (1871). They are not so different and go a long way to suggesting nothing has changed. Like watching CNN for a breaking news story, LA COMMUNE gives the viewer a real-time feel and a sense of the complexity of each moment (though I suppose CNN doesn't really do that). A thrilling experience."
see also: THE CINEMA OF PETER WATKINS.
THE FALLS.
Experimental/Long Format. England. 1978-1980.
Directed by Peter Greenaway.
HANDS OVER THE CITY. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Drama. Italy. 1963.
Directed by Francesco Rosi.
KELLY'S HEROES.
War/Comedy. 1970.
Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Carroll O'Connor, Donald Sutherland, Gavin MacLeod.
Directed by Brian G. Hutton.
MICHAEL PALIN'S HIMALAYA.
Documentary Mini-Series. England. 2004.
Hosted by Michael Palin.
Directed by John-Paul Davidson and Roger Mills.
MICHAEL PALIN'S SAHARA.
Dcoumentary Mini-Series. England. 2002.
Hosted by Michael Palin.
Directed by John-Paul Davidson and Roger Mills.
THEY ALL LAUGHED.
Comedy. 1981.
Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, John Ritter, Patti Hansen, Dorothy Stratten.
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich.
* What a treat! Bumbling detectives and madcap romance, all set within the New York City of 1981. Called "a masterpiece" by Quentin Tarantino and, at the time of its release, "Bogdanovich's best film... gorgeous fun!" by Variety. The new DVD edition includes an interview between Bogdanovich and director Wes Anderson. Like we said, what a treat! TRIVIA: The cinematographer Robby Muller would later lend his special perspective to important films including Wim Wenders' PARIS, TEXAS, Jim Jarmusch's DEAD MAN and Lars Von Trier's DANCER IN THE DARK.
see also: FOUL PLAY, A NEW LEAF, DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN.
SWEETIE. (Criterion Collection edition.)
Drama. Australia. 1989.
Genevieve Lemon, Karen Colston.
Directed by Jane Campion.
VOYAGE TO THE PLANETS AND BEYOND.
Documentary Mini-Series. England. 2004.
Directed by Joe Ahearne.
WALKING WITH PREHISTORIC BEASTS.
Documentary Mini-Series. England. 2001.
Directed by Nigel Paterson. Series Produced by Jasper James.
****
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