I watched C.R.A.Z.Y. last night. It is a French film on our new release wall from Jean-Marc Vallee and it is simply fantastic. It is the story of the Beaulieu family, and in particular the fourth son (of five), Zachary and his all-too-ordinary, yet so tremendously extraordinary struggles to fit into the world. Although the primary struggle of young Zac’s life is the acceptance of his potential homosexuality, to focus on this aspect of the story would be to pigeon-hole this tremendous tale of family and suburbia and modern culture. This movie takes place in France (in the 60’s and 70’s for the most part), however, the action could be happening almost anywhere in the Western world during that time. With David Bowie, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones rocking the characters lives and the soundtrack, this movie is an emotional wall of sex, drugs and rock and roll seen through the lens of the nuclear family. If you liked LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, ME YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, or any other films of that tweaky dysfunctional family film sub-genre, then I highly recommend C.R.A.Z.Y.
We've got a lot of new stuff coming in right now. Aside from our numerous new releases, we've got a bunch of new music docs featuring PAVEMENT, THE DECEMBERISTS, THE MINUTEMEN, CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN, and the festival COACHELLA. We also have a lot of new series such as ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, I SPY, CHEF!, and the crown jewel of the bunch, the DEFINITIVE TWILIGHT ZONE COLLECTION. That's 28 discs of Twilight Zone brilliance for all you counting at home. We are also focusing right now on obtaining DVD copies of some of our Four Star Favorites that to date we have only had on VHS.
Happy Viewing!
On to this weeks FOURPLAY!
****FOURPLAY****
With all the holiday hubbub this week, I was reminded of the wealth of friends we have, people who share their outstanding quirks with us -- and tolerate ours. But far be it from me to suggest any of the typical "buddy movie" fare. So in that spirit, your Fourplay recommendations are...
A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS
Something of a coming-of-age story, told in flashback, of an L.A. writer (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his four childhood friends growing up in Queens in the 80s. Violence, drugs and crime tear them apart, and years later the writer returns to face his estranged parents (Chazz Palminteri and Dianne Wiest). Written and directed by Dito Montiel (his first feature, supposedly another is in the works). (NOTE FROM KEN: This movie is also edited by the very talented Jake Pushinsky - his first big editing gig and on yet another note, he is soon to be my brother-in-law as he is set to be married to my lovely sister-in-law Amanda Denker in early 08).
PRIMER
Four enterprising your engineers struggle to get their invention to market. When two of them stumble upon an unexpected side effect, they realize it's possible to make a time machine. But can they play nice? A winner at 2004's Sundance, this tense drama was filmed on a super-low budget with stunning results. Written and directed by co-star Shane Carruth (his only feature film to date).
GOOD BYE LENIN!
A young East German gets arrested in a protest, giving his loyal communist mother a heart attack. She drifts into a coma, during which the Berlin Wall falls, and she awakens in a fragile state. Fearing the political upheaval will give her another heart attack, her son and his best friend set out to hide all evidence of the
changes, including filming their own funny version of the nightly news. Directed and co-written by Wolfgang Becker (who's directed a handful of German films I've never heard of).
DOWN BY LAW
Perhaps the quirkiest jailbreak film of all time. Three unlikely cell mates -- a narcissistic pimp (John Lurie), a deadbeat DJ (Tom Waits), and a misquoting Italian (Roberto Benini) -- break out of a New Orleans prison... only to get lost in the swamp. Directed by Jim Jarmusch (Dead Man, Ghost Dog, Broken Flowers...) and beautifully shot by Robby Müller.
So call up your quirkiest friend and invite him or her (or it) over for a little idiot box bonding!
****FOURPLAY****
See you at the shop,
Ken
............//NEW TITLES//............
AFTER THE WEDDING.
Drama/Foreign (Denmark).
Mads Mikkelsen/Rolf Laasgard.
Directed by Susanne Bier.
* A mysterious stranger from Denmark (Laasgard) offers to save the orphanage in India that Jacob (Mikkelsen) manages if he’ll head back to Denmark and take part in a family wedding. This film won numerous awards and was nominated for an Oscar.
See also: The Celebration
AMOR XTREMO.
Action/Adventure/Foreign (Mexico).
Aaron Diaz/Iran Castillo.
Directed by Chavas Cartas.
* This film follows a couple brothers from Mexico City as they travel to Las Vegas to attend the US Motocross Open.
THE ASTRONAUT FARMER.
Drama.
Billy Bob Thornton/Bruce Willis/Virginia Madsen/Bruce Dern.
Directed by Michael Polish.
* The Polish brothers (Michael and Mark) have specialized in quirky indie flicks up until this point. With THE ASTRONAUT FARMER, they have taken the leap into Hollywood film making. Thornton plays Charles Farmer, a once and future astronaut whose original taste of NASA amounted to not much more than a cup of coffee. After leaving the space team to go back to the family farm, he’s mortgaged his future on the hopes of flying the full-on rocket ship he’s built in the family halo (OK, maybe it’s not a halo, but it should have been). Even his astronaut buddy (Willis) agrees the ship is the bomb, but still suggests a seat on the shuttle might be a little more prudent. Never! With the support of his wife and kids, Billy Bob avoids the CIA, FBI, FAA (maybe even the FDA!) and blasts off.
THE CONTRACTOR.
Action.
Wesley Snipes.
Directed by Josef Rusnak.
* This is SHOOTER with Wesley Snipes, one of the brilliant actors of our time, in the Marky-Mark role.
FACE OF ANOTHER.
Drama/Foreign (Japanese).
Tatsuya Nakadai
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara.
* Incredible tale of a man whose face is melted off in a laboratory fire and who obtains a life-like mask from his doctor. This film swerves close to but never quite becomes science fiction.
THE LAST MIMZY.
Foreign/Horror.
Chris O’Neil/Rhiannan Leigh Wryn.
Directed by Robert Shaye.
* These kids find these toys that increase their intelligence and then things get seriously strange from there, including messages from the future. This movie should vie with BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA for best young-teen film of the year.
THE LAST TIME.
Drama/Comedy.
Michael Keaton/Brendan Fraser/Amber Valleta.
Directed by Jacque Peerson/Barbara Peters..
* I’m pretty sure that I am reading that an affair with a business associate’s (Fraser) fiancée (Valleta) renews the excitement for life for a big city salesman (Keaton). So, if you're in a rut…
THE PITFALL.
Drama/Foreign (Japanese).
Hisashi Igawa.
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara.
* The first movie from the acclaimed film team of Teshigahara, writer Kodo Abe, and composer Toru Takemitsu (who made all three of this weeks Tehigahara releases), THE PITFALL considers the plight of a town comprised of ghosts made so by corruption. Until recently, these films were not readily available to the Western world.
SWEET LAND.
Drama/Comedy.
Elizabeth Reaser/Tim Guinee.
Directed by Ali Selim.
* Reaser is a German mail order bride shipped to Minnesota to marry Olaf (Guinee) a quiet Norwegian immigrant. However, it is post WWI and the local clergy tries to force them not to marry under the pretense that she may be a German spy. Though the anti-German sentiment is strong, the community unites around the couple and eventually accepts her as one of their own.
WOMAN IN THE DUNES.
Drama/Foreign (Japanese).
Eiji Okada.
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara.
* An amateur entomologist is somehow trapped by local villagers into living with a woman who spends most of her life saving her home from being swallowed by sand dunes.
............//MUSIC//............
CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN.
Rock-Doc.
Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker/Monks of Doom/More.
* Rock footage of a family of awesome bands sired by Camper Van Beethoven.
COACHELLA.
Rock-Doc.
Spearhead/Radiohead/The Mars Volta/The White Stripes/Iggy and The Stooges/Fischerspooner and more.
Directed by Drew Thomas.
* Documentary on the seminal Southern California music festival.
THE DECEMBERISTS: A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK.
Rock-Doc.
The Decemberists.
* Awesome! Features videos, a full length concert and interviews with the band.
PAVEMENT: SLOW CENTURY.
Rock-Doc.
Pavement.
* Also awesome! Videos, doc, concert footage from one of the greatest bands of the 1990’s.
WE JAM ECONO: THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN.
Rock-Doc.
The Minutement.
* Features lots of stuff about this great band from Southern California.
............//TELEVISION//............
ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?
Television.
* Popular kids show about a group called the Midnight Society who tells ghost stories around a campfire. Scary!
CHEF! SERIES ONE.
Television.
Funny cooking show spoof from UK.
I SPY: SERIES ONE.
Television.
Robert Culp/Bill Cosby.
Created by Morton S. Fine. and David Friedkin.
* Culp and Cosby are post WWII spies in this awesome tv show from the mid-1060’s. One of the original “buddy” shows, and the first American dramatic series to feature a black actor in a leading role, I-Spy won many awards, and Bill Cosby won 3 Emmy’s for his portrayal of Alexander Scott. This show ran for three seasons.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION.
Television.
Created by Rod Serling.
* The complete 28 disc, 156 episode collection of one of the greatest and weirdest shows ever to be aired on television. From 1959-1964, the Twilight Zone explored that strange dimension, in its own words: "a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind"..."where any thought can become a reality." We are super proud to have this collection in the library.
............//RECENT ACQUISITIONS//............
GODS MUST BE CRAZY.
First DVD copy.
GODS MUST BE CRAZY 2.
First DVD copy.
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE.
First DVD copy.
ROOM WITH A VIEW.
First DVD copy.
GOOD WILL HUNTING.
Replacement copy.
PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE.
Replacement copy.
****
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