**** new release list no. 110

Howdy All Y’alls,

The word of the blog is Drama, as just about every new release and acquisition this week falls into that category. It comes in every flavor: Psycho, sexual, politico, religious, ecstatic, anxious, earnest, adolescent, comedic, etc. Mostly it just comes and comes. A few titles deal with imagined and real assassinations of government leaders (Bobby Kennedy in BOBBY, George W. in DEATH OF A PRESIDENT). Also we have an offering from Bobcat Goldthwait (SLEEPING DOGS LIE) that is almost a must-see just to see what he’s up to these days… For those of you baseball fans, we have recently acquired the Director’s Cut of THE NATURAL, guaranteed to create the perfect environment for you to watch Barry Bond (love him or hate him) and his inevitable march to the home-run record.

As some of you know, we have had an ownership change at Four Star. This is not a big sad goodbye to Jeremy and Jamie (not yet, that’s will arrive slowly over the coming weeks). No, this is more of a small hello, from us to you, and a request that you let us know what you want in the film department and how you think we can make Four Star Video remain the brilliant place that the J’s and David Ayoob have created over these past five years.


Dramatically,
Ken and Amy
Four Star



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


BOBBY.
Political Drama.
Emilio Estevez, Harry Belafonte, Anthony Hopkins, Heather Graham, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Hunt, Ashton Kutcher, William H. Macy, Lindsay Lohan, Nick Cannon, Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, Christian Slater.
Directed by Emilio Estevez.
* Where to start? That must be what Emilio Estevez asked himself as he embarked on this biopic about the death of political idealist Robert F. Kennedy. Instead of sticking to the facts, this story is a carefully set up experience of the events from the eyes of 22 imagined people at the Embassador Hotel on June 6th, 1968 — the day the young and handsome presidential candidate was killed. Although it was almost 40 years ago, many people will find the event still feels fresh in their minds as the hope and promise of another Kennedy in the White House was exchanged for the sorrow and desolation of another Kennedy shot down in his prime. The film may disappoint people looking for a JFK-esque conspiratorial investigation, but for anyone looking to contrast RFK against today’s political landscape, Estevez’s liberal outlook will certainly leave you wishing for impeachment hearings.
see also: THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON.



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


BOBBY.
see above: "release of the week

DEATH OF A PRESIDENT.
Crime/Drama/Thriller.
Hend Ayoub, Brian Boland, Becky Ann Baker, Robert Mangiardi.
Directed by Gabriel Range.
* A mock-doc, this film plays like an investigative documentary examining the as-yet-unsolved crime of the assassination of President George W. Bush in Chicago.
see also: Z, The Parallax View, The Bourne Identity.

DOWN THE PCH.
Drama.
Vincent Grashaw, Zack Bennett.
Directed by Sean Michael Beyer.
* This sort-of coming of age film surrounds the life of a politician's son as he tries to put his life together after serving a jail sentence for drug trafficking.

JONESTOWN: LIFE AND DEATH OF PEOPLE'S TEMPLE.
Documentary/History.
Directed by Marcia Smith.
* This thorough and disturbing documentary features never-before-seen footage of the People’s Temple, the cult-like church led by preacher Jim Jones, who eventually orchestrated a chilling mass suicide. On a more cheery note, the film features archive footage of our former mayor Willie Brown, who is certain to be dressed immaculately.

LE PETITE LIEUTENANT.
Crime/Drama.France.
Nathalie Baye, Jalil Lespert.
Directed by Xavier Beauvois.
* Le petite French murder mystery, centered around the personal interactions of two French lieutenants going in different directions in their respective careers. Nathalie Baye won the Best Actress Cesar (les Oscars de France), and the film was also nominated for Cesars for Best Director, Best Film, Best Writing and Best Supporting Actor.

SLEEPING DOGS LIE.
Comedy/Drama.
Melinda Page Hamilton, Bryce Johnson, Geoffrey Pierson, Colby French.
Directed by Bob Goldthwait.
* Is honesty the best policy? Perhaps the title reveals the answer… That question is at the heart of this quirky new film by the former comedian “Bobcat” Goldthwait. When a young woman is encouraged to open the floodgates of her sexual past to her new charming fiancé, all hell breaks loose! This film was also called “Stay” when it played on the festival circuit.
See also: CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER WOMEN.

SONS & LOVERS.
Drama/Romance.
Sarah Lancashire, Hugo Speer, James Murray.
Directed by Stephen Whittaker.
* Sexy adaptation of the D.H. Lawrence classic, made for British TV.

SWEENEY TODD.
Crime Drama/Horror.
Ray Winstone.
Directed by Dave Moore.
Another made for British TV special, featuring Ray Winstone (recently seen in THE DEPARTED) about the fantastic killer barber. (Try going to Tom’s on Cortland instead, we hear he’s gentle.)


TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS.
Drama.
Stephen Fry.
Directed by Dave Moore.
* Rounding out the bunch of British TV movie arrivals, this is a classic story of hooligan bullies at a breeding ground for hooligan bullies: A Rugby boarding school.


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


THE NATURAL.
Drama/Sport/Fairytale. 1984.
Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Kim Bassinger, Wilford Brimley.
Directed by Barry Levinson.
* It’s baseball season! What better way to celebrate the springing of spring than to watch a thirty-something baseball player with otherworldly skills (no one drops the steroid stigma on Bob) bring a losing team to the top of the baseball world? This 1984 film is a must-watch for any baseball fan, or anyone looking to re-live a boyhood dream.
see also: THE SANDLOT.


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