A Skeleton Key: Using VLC to Unlock Foreign Region Coded Discs

So you come into Videotheque regularly; or, perhaps you simply stumbled in through the door one evening and found yourself, to your not quite muted surprise, amongst the fine and wonderfully eclectic, though thoughtfully selected, film catalogue of our little establishment. However you became acquainted with us, if you have spent any time in Videotheque then you have probably noticed or picked up a box like this: and perhaps, upon seeing such a box you were overcome with a modicum of excitement and exclaimed to yourself or out loud, “My God! I've always wanted to view Czech Maestro Frantisek Vlacil's masterpiece Marketa Lazarova but was never aware that it was available on a home video format here upon our region 1 coded shores!”. Before, upon further inspection, eyeing a label like this: and upon glancing such a label, you deflated like a timid flan and replaced the box upon the wall, kicked a scuff upon the floor and exclaimed, because you are in that exclaiming-sorta-mood, “Ahhh, well, maybe it will be released sometime in the next 15 years or 20...”. If you have ever had an experience like this or have been keen on delving into the deep end of European cinema then mourn no more for we have the tool to stoke the flame of your melancholic heart. And it's incredibly simple. There is a program afloat on the high-web you can download by the name of VLC Media Player. There are many of you out there who have probably used the player before and if you are at all like us, have been amazed by the sheer variety and vast quantity of media files it can play. But, did you know that it doesn't give one flip about region coding? VLC can actually read through region locking, allowing you to play any DVD from any country you'd like on your computer. That's great news for those of us who haven't a multi-region DVD player. A further benefit for those with a PC Laptop is that many of the newer models come with an HDMI hookup which allows you to view the films on your HDTV! Sure, its a hoop or two to jump through but its at the bottom of the scale as far as pain intensive tech solutions are concerned. Here is the link for VLC (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html), it is available for both PC and Mac and best of all its completely free! However, if you are feeling generous you can donate a couple of dollars to keep the wonderful people at VideoLAN working on solving any and all media bumps we may come across in our travels. Here also is a video demonstration by a lovely man demonstrating the program on a Mac (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1SrwcHOMcA). So, grab the program, Stop by the store, And grab an import. Happy Viewings! * Don't forget to pop by the store and check out the recommended section we have devoted to Region 1 unfriendly titles!

Plenty of phantoms and films this month at Videotheque!

It's that time of year again! Light your jack-o-lanterns, dust off that old sweater and come in to Videotheque for your favorite old scary films and/or discover new ones! Be sure to check out our chillingly fun recommended sections hand picked by our enthusiastic staff. Trust me, we ALL love putting together our favorite scary movies for you. Also, if you are attending the Artcrawl in South Pasadena this coming Saturday night (Oct. 27th) we will be screening "The Phantom of the Opera" (yes, the 1925 classic starring Lon Chaney - see attached photo) on the pumpkin-patch wall on the corner of Fremont and Mission Street at 6:30pm! Also, stop in the the store to say goodbye to our employee Ronald who's last night at Videotheque is that night! In addition to all that fun stuff, we have tons of new releases for you to enjoy as well! Just this last Tuesday we got in the highly anticipated "Mad Men: Season 5", the fun-for-the-entire-family "Madagascar 3", AND, not yet available on NetFlicks (!), the creepy "Sound Of My Voice", Ridley Scott's prequel to "Alien" "Prometheus", the hair-metal musical "Rock Of Ages", AND, last but not least, the incredibly touching coming-of-age masterpiece by Wes Anderson "Moonrise Kingdom"! Coming out this Tuesday (Oct. 23): Witness the truth revealed about the 16th president of our fine country in "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", and take home a delightful love story about the end of days "Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World" (starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightly). AND, right before Halloween, we will be getting in "Metalocalypse Season 4", "Ruby Sparks" (starring Paul Dano and Antonio Banderas), "The Campaign" (starring Will Farrell and Zach Galifinakis), AND, the highly anticipated CRITERION release of the Roman Polanski masterpiece........ "Rosemary's Baby". We look forward to seeing you in here amongst the ghosts, goolies, and film enthusiasts all month long... Happy October!

SEPTEMBER HEAT!

Summer is coming to a close and what better way to survive September's heat than to sink into your recliner with a film or television series rented from our fine establishment. Just out today (9/4) we have an abundance of popular television programs newly available on DVD and Blu-Ray including: Season 3 of the hilariously insightful "Bored To Death", Season 3 of "Hung", Season 4 of "The Good Wife", "Fringe" Season 4, everyone's favorite awkward staff in Season 8 of "The Office", AND "Parks and Recreation" Season 4! Lots of TV! If TV ain't your thing there are plenty of good films to choose from. We have "Pina" from acclaimed director Wim Wender (see attached image), as well as the newest documentary installment in the "Paradise Lost" series, part 3 "Purgatory", from renowned directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, has been flying off the shelf. For those of you looking for action and laughs we have the intense shoot-em-up thrill-ride "Safe" starring Jason Statham, and, on the lighter side, the quirky relationship comedy "The Five-Year Engagement". If you are looking for heavier subject matter look no further than the Australian film "The Snowtown Murders" based on the horrific story of one of the worst series of crimes in their recent history. And, from France, (and we have an advance copy - I might add!) the hard-hitting "Polisse" which focuses on the trials and tribulations of Paris' Juvenile Protection Squad as they crack down on child abuse. If you are romantically inclined, may we suggest the critically acclaimed "The Well-Digger's Daughter" based on the work of Marcel Pagnol. AND there is much more to come... On September 18th keep an eye out for the genre-expanding "Cabin In The Woods" AND on September 25th "The Avengers"! See you soon...

Summer comes to Videotheque!

Summer has begun at Videotheque as we continue to receive more and more new films for you to take home and enjoy under the cool breeze of your air-conditioning. Just out this week we have a real chiller "The Woman In Black" starring Daniel Radcliffe (you know, from those Harry Potter movies), we also have the apocalyptic love story "Perfect Sense" starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green, we have Season 2 of the always engaging "Sherlock" series, and last but not least we have "The Secret World of Arrietty" new from Studio Ghibli who brought us other magical films such as "Ponyo" and "Howl's Moving Castle"! Last week's new releases included "Albert Nobbs" featuring amazing performances by Glenn Close and Mia Wasikowska (see the attached photo), as well as "Being John Malkovich" finally re-released on Criterion (!), the action thriller "Rampart" featuring Woody Harrelson in an all-star cast, the refreshing indie twist on kids with super-powers "Chronicle", and, perfect for a hot summer night, the unbeatable Liam Neeson fights off wolves and blizzards in "The Grey"! Other notable new releases that are still flying off of our shelves are "Into The Abyss" by Werner Herzog, the extremely touching "Being Elmo", the edgy "Shame", the intense films "The Yellow Sea" and "Miss Bala", and the bold/gutsy artistic gem, a bio-pic about the poet Hart Crane called "Broken Tower" directed by and starring James Franco. We will be here, as always, waiting for you in our comfortably air-conditioned cinema-lover's heaven!

January New Releases!

2012 is off to a great start at Videotheque! Come by and pick up the newest additions to our vast film library. Last week's new releases included the extremely popular "Boardwalk Empire: Season 1" on both DVD and Blu-Ray, the re-release of the cult-favorite insect documentary "The Hellstrom Chronicle", "The Killer Elite" with Robert DeNiro and Jason Statham, Bela Tarr's remarkable "Man From London", Brad Pitt in "Moneyball", and the hilarious "An Idiot Abroad" with Ricky Gervais!

This week we welcomed the Criterion release of "Belle De Jour", the Ryan Gosling and George Clooney political thriller "Ides of March", Isabelle Huppert in "Special Treatment", season 1 of the strangely funny Adult Swim series "Delocated", Audrey Tautou in "Beautiful Lies", the South African road-trip comedy "White Wedding", and the amazing chimpanzee documentary "Project Nim" (see attached photo)!

Next week (1/24) we will be getting two Criterion re-releases "Godzilla" and "The Moment of Truth", two engaging documentaries "The Last Lions" and "Shut Up Little Man!", the newest installment of the horror phenomenon "Paranormal Activity 3", Lawrence Fishburne in HBO's "Thurgood", "No Reservations: Collection 6", the robot boxing movie "Real Steel", AND (inspiring us all to shave our heads) Seth Rogan and Joseph Gordan-Levitt in "50/50"!

See you soon... KEEP WATCHING

New Releases and Holiday Gems

This week we've got some new titles that are already flying off our shelves! From Criterion we have two re-released classics by renowned director Seijun Suzuki "Branded to Kill" and "Tokyo Drifter". Also, if you are into animal rights, come rent "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" starring James Franco and, of course, "Kung Fu Panda 2" with Jack Black. We also have the indie sensation "Daddy Longlegs" and the remake of the 1980s classic "Fright Night". And, if you are in the mood for some brain food you should take home Werner Herzog's "Cave of Forgotten Dreams", the highly anticipated "Black Power Mixtape (1967-1975)" and "These Amazing Shadows: The Movies that make America".
Coming out this Tuesday (Dec. 20) is a new one from director John Landis and starring Simon Pegg "Burke & Hare", the remake of the Sam Peckinpaw masterpiece "Straw Dogs", "The Tempest" starring Helen Mirren, "Midnight in Paris" by Woody Allen, and from the Netherlands, just in time for the holiday, "Saint Nick" (he's coming after you whether you are naughty OR nice).
And... Don't forget we have all your holiday favorites from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" (see the attached image)!
See you soon!

Late November NEW RELEASES

We have many thanks to give for our late November new releases just waiting for you to take home!

Come by and pick up "Rare Exports", a soon-to-be cult classic about the real Santa Claus, from Finland, which came in just in time for the holiday (see the attached image)! Also, brand new to the store we have "The Future" by Miranda July, "Beginners" by Mike Mills, the indy sensation "Bellflower", "Conan the Barbarian" starring Ron Perlman, something surprisingly different from Kevin Smith called "Red State", "Friends With Benefits" starring Mila Kunis and "JT", and, last but not least, "The Smurfs" with the always charming Jonathan Winters voicing Papa Smurf.
Our featured, must-see, Criterion re-release this week is the Sabu box set featuring such classics as "Jungle Book" (1942), "The Drum", and "Elephant Boy"!
Several documentaries have also come in that are causing quite a stir...
We have the long awaited "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" by Werner Herzog (on DVD, Blu-Ray AND 3D Blu-Ray), the fans speak up in "The People vs. George Lucas", also, new from Patricia Guzman "Nostalgia for the Light"!

If that's not enough to keep you entertained through December, you should also stop by our recommended "Seasons Screenings" section to stock up on your holiday rentals! See you soon...

November New Releases

Last week (11/1/11) we had some great new films come in! "Winnie the Pooh" a throwback to the golden age of Disney, as well as the film version of the novel that took the world by storm "Water for Elephants", "Crazy Stupid Love" with Steve Carell and Julianne Moore, "The Trip" with Steve Coogan, "Mr. Nice" starring the charismatic Crispin Glover and David Thewlis, "The Princess of Montpensier", "Tabloid" by the amazing Errol Morris, "The Shock Doctrine" by Michael Winterbottom, and, last but not least, "Page One: Inside the N.Y. Times"!

This week we have "The Change Up" with Jason Bateman, "Hot Coffee" an arresting documentary on the trial between a woman and McDonald's over spilled coffee, "Ex Drummer", the fascinating "Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls", the beautiful "Sleeping Beauty" by Catherine Breillat (see the attached picture), and "Dr. Who, Season 6, Part 2".

ALSO, don;t forget, this FRIDAY we will have "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"!!!

October New Releases

Fall is upon us, so settle in and get cozy with one of our new releases! Just in, Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz wield the jolly roger in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", get into the Halloween spirit with "Scream 4", laugh it up with Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz in "Bad Teacher", AND indulge the instant cult classic from Alex De La Iglesia "The Last Circus" (see the attached picture)!

ALSO, be ahead of the game and stop in for these exclusive gems (they won't be available on Netflix for a month)! "Fast Five" with Vin Diesel, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Ferrel in "Horrible Bosses", the highly anticipated "Tree of Life" by legendary filmmaker Terrence Malick, "Terri" with John C. Reilly, and "Monte Carlo" starring Selena Gomez.

Exclusive new arrivals and more!

We have some new films for you to "ooh and ah" over, some of which can be found exclusively (for the moment) at Videotheque! Three of these new arrivals are documentaries. Take home the highly anticipated "YSL: Yves Saint Laurent L'Amour Fou", as well as the fascinating "Bobby Fischer Against The World", and "Certifiably Jonathan" a hilarious mockumentary about Jonathan Winters losing his sense of humor. In our international new release section we've added advance copies of "Ne Chance Rien" by Pedro Costa, "Certified Copy" starring Juliette Binoche, and "Essential Killing" starring Vincent Gallo. Also newly added to our collection is the action packed martial arts spectacle "True Legend", Chris Marker's "One Day In The Life Of Andrei Arsenevich", Agnes Varda's "Daguerreotypes", and the mysterious "Le Quattro Volte". PLUS new to DVD is Orson Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons", on BLU-RAY we have "Citizen Kane" as well as the entire Star Wars saga! See you soon...

It's remake fever at Videotheque! Hollywood's in heavy recycling mode as well, come by and check out the original versions of these upcoming & recent 2011 reboots: "Straw Dogs", "Conan The Barbarian", "Don't be Afraid of the Dark", "Footloose", "Planet of the Apes", and "The Thing". Also, we've got a cache of New Releases here waiting just for you: "Win Win" (Paul Giamatti tries to keep up his struggling law practice while coaching high school wrestling), "Skateland" (early 80's small-town Texas roller-skating rink slice of Americana), the unique drama "The Beaver" (with Mel Gibson & Jodie Foster), and the highly anticipated "Troll Hunter" (from Norway). A few t.v. shows have finally arrived, such as "Sons of Anarchy: Season 3", Dexter Season 5", "Entourage: Season 7" and "House: Season 7".
In addition we have two films here that are currently unavailable anywhere except through Videotheque: Jean-Luc Godard's "Film Socialisme" and the controversial "A Serbian Film"!

Merry Christmas plus some New Releases for December 22nd, 2010

Our good Yeti friend visited Videotheque and plastered his image all over our windows (courtesy of our bearded companion, RV Parks). The majestic Yeti uses the cold weather as an excuse to lay around in his bathrobe watching 'Alone in the Wilderness' (everyone at work recommends it, an amazing documentary about a man who builds a log cabin entirely on his own. Find it on the New Release Documentary wall!).



Now the Yeti is gone. His tempera-painted glory annihilated by the hard rain slashing against the bay windows. When the rain moves on & the Southern California sunshine & unhealthy air kick back in, give our friend RV Parks a call at (626)497-2777. He will put a Yeti or a Yak or a anything for you on your window (if you pay a modest sum, that is).

NEW RELEASES:

Despicable Me: We should all listen to others' mothers. They are wise, well-worn women who expel nothing but good advice. My mother loved this film a lot and talked to me for a while about how cute it was. I would trust her too. She is always right about everything so you should rent this as it has Steve Carell as a mad genius trying to reform and hanging around a lot of little girls. Cute! <3

Exit Through the Gift Shop: I don't care for graffiti art at all. If you ask curmudgeonly me, Banksy is just as bad as Shepard Fairey. This one lends itself a half-arsed political ethos & lacks much creativity or understanding of the basic tenets of art, while drenching in sick amounts of irony. But whatever, I'm no art critic and everybody smarter than me seems to love the guy. If you are smart and love irony (the title pretty much expresses how much you'll be getting) or dislike the art world and appreciate people like Banksy sticking it to 'em, this documentary is worth a look.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work: I don't know much about Joan Rivers except that she used to host The Tonight Show in the Carson days and that she's the robot in Spaceballs. I'm told she's very Jewish, a gay icon and that she's had lots of surgery too. I think I should watch this doc and study up on my Joan Rivers.

The Other Guys: Really upset about what Bernie Madoff has done to your country? Think capitalism is running amok? Hate Reagan free-market? This film rages for you all in the guise of a pretty good comedy with Marky Mark and Will Ferrel as two bumbling cops (I know it's a cliche) arresting white collar crooks. Some pretty fantastic moments with Will Ferrel as an angry pimp named Gator.

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps: So two films come out about the post-2008 stock crash.

BYE BYE!:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!: Although we are a non-denominational business, we also love all you folk who celebrate those other equally stressful holidays like Kwanzaa and Hannukah! Take care for the holidays and make sure you don't drink and drive. And if you don't heed my advice, at least do your best to avoid police checkpoints!

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New Releases for December 1st, or Blogging in the 21st Century

NEW RELEASES:

Going the Distance: I've known people who have had long-distance relationships and abstinence, loneliness and long-telephone conversations don't sound like the material for a romantic comedy. This film does it though. Laugh at the romantic fumblings of Drew Barrymore and heartthrob Justin Long through their difficult journey.

Knight and Day: Don't let this box office failure scare you aware! This film is going to be great: the back cover has Tom Cruise shirtless. *swoon* Cameron Diaz is in there somewhere too as a spy or something, but who needs her, right?

Valhalla Rising: My Nordic blood boils with excitement over the prospect of viking movies. If you like shirtless, tattooed, sweaty men gutting shirtless, tattooed, sweaty men, then you will love this!

RECOMMENDED SECTIONS:

Listen, I'll go into detail about our X-Mas sections next week (I personally don't want to as I'm an offended Atheist), but let me discuss my heartbreak of the week:

Leslie Nielsen: I thought it would never happen, but it happened. America's grandpa has died due to complications from pneumonia. In honor and memory, we've bundled up his extensive catalog of early career oddities and Zucker Bros. collaborations. Remember this great American with some of his great moments.

BLOG:

You all know I love blogging! I can't stop myself sometimes! I'm narcissistic, so I love writing about my life while getting paid.

But tonight my dear readers brings me out for a different reason. I might love a comfortable pair of shoes, spicy Mexican food and cute girls in glasses, but there is one thing I love more than all of those: nice fixtures and furniture. I blog here to share with you are nice new cases. Let's take a look.


What a nice case! Clear 'n clean glass with a nice lock to stop you shoplifters!


Nice new slick black cases with CD's and music DVD's. Nothing tells someone you love them and appreciate them as a human being more than by getting them remastered Buzzcocks albums and a Bauhaus DVD.


This is my The Third Man influenced shot of the case. Notice the dutch angle.

THIS IS THE END:

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 The end of the blog. I promise to write again. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

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BIGFOOT SIGHTING!

Love letters straight from my heart

Drop in for new goodies!
Import dvds by Maurice Pialat (his entire filmography bar 1), Jacques Rivette's 'Céline & Julie Go Boating', Hirokazu Kore-Eda's two most recent films- 'Still Walking' & 'Air Doll', Van Williams/Bruce Lee's late 60s series (& 70s films), 'Green Hornet' (see the original before next year's Michel Gondry/Seth Rogan Hollywood revision), Dozens of new Warner Archive & MGM Vault titles (e.g. Truffaut's 'The Green Room', Hal Ashby's 'The Landlord'), plus new Japanese Chirashi posters-- (Vincent Gallo, Cassavetes, Truffaut, Godard up the yin yang), plus much much more!

New & Recent..

Shutter Island (Scorsese/Dicaprio/Neeson/Ruffalo)
Alice in Wonderland (Burton)
Wolfman (Del Toro/Hopkins/E. Blunt)
The Road (Mortensen)
The Messenger (Harrelson/S. Morton)
Curb Your Enthusiasm/Season 7
Foyle's War/Season 6
Daria/Complete Series

International..

The Girl on the Train (France, A. Techine)
The Italian Straw Hat (France, R. Clair)
North Face (Germany)
The Owl & the Sparrow (Vietnam)
Tony Manero (Chile)
Nagisa Oshima Outlaw Sixties Collection
Walkabout (N. Roeg, Criterion re-issue)
Yugoslavian 'Black Wave' 60's/70's Short Films

Documentary..

Art & Copy
Boogie Man/The Lee Atwater Story
Dirt! The Movie
The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt
Life (makers of Planet Earth)
William Kunstler/Disturbing the Universe
Meredith Monk/Inner Voice
Milton Glaser/To Inform & Delight
Raymundo/The Revolutionary Filmmaker's Struggle (Argentina)
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
Waiting for Armageddon
Orson Welles/The Paris Interview
Who Killed Pixote?

*We've also highlighted the 50 Best Films of the Decade (2000-2009), according to critics, filmmakers, programmers, et al. as polled by Film Comment last fall. Does 'Mulholland Drive' deserve the #1 spot, or perhaps 'In the Mood for Love'? How do the brothers Coen match up against les freres Dardennes? Debate your friends & neighbors!

RIP Dennis Hopper :( We've collected his films atop our recommended wall. I suggest 1962's noiry mermaid rendez-vous at Santa Monica pier, 'Night Tide' (with a nice commentary from Dennis, too). Whatever you do, keep him fondly in your thoughts with a Pabst Blue Ribbon & not a Heineken, eh?




In Dreams,

your intrepid Pierrot

New Releases for April 6rd, or The Burden of the Outside World

I like to think I don't spend all my time sitting in the basement on a chair made of discarded pizza boxes discriminating against films I haven't seen. I go out every once in a while and experience actual human contact. But the other night I was reminded of my hesitation.

My cohort & I were driving down the 110 freeway carefree and happy, when on one side rattled a tremendous tour bus on the part of the road that specifically warns against large vehicles, while on the other, a pick-up truck with ridiculously huge tires and Metallica sticker in the rear window barreled down. We had to break fast before the two cars flattened us like roadside pancakes. At that moment, my fear of the outside world took hold & I vowed to seek safety in the womb-like security of my basement. I encounter less quotidien stress here, free of the burdens of the real world, and may continue to blog the day away.

NEW RELEASES:

Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans: I should start by saying I hated the original one. It had all the elements of a classic: Harvey Keitel at his prime, excessive drug use, lewd sexual acts, tons of swearing, but something about it didn't work for me. This is more my cup of tea. Not as graphic as the first one, but about a dozen times more fun. Nicholas Cage does a great job at being Klaus Kinski and everyone in the film seems to be missing a chromosome (which is a good thing). Not Herzog's best, but any Herzog is better than a couple of dozen films.

The Blind Side: This film touched me on more levels than you can imagine and I wept like a little girl at the end. If you think Sandra Bullock deserved the Oscar and you like weeping like a little girl, then this will be your bread and butter.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Now not only can you convert your friends to the cult of Wes Anderson, you can convert your children too. Fantastic Mr. Fox is pretty much a WA film without real people: several animals are emotionally insecure, there's a Rolling Stones song somewhere and all the characters are immaculatly dressed. So basically, if you like the guy, I recommend it. If the precious, clever-cleverness of his work gets on your last nerve, then I don't.

Mad Men S.3: If you're like me, your idea of a great show involves scads of cigarettes, martinis, Barbet Schroeder and top-heavy red heads! This show has all of that, but what's keeping it from the pinnacle of perfect TV is the absence of extreme violence à la massive shoot-outs. If you're okay with that, then come for the lusty lives of cutthroat ad men & busty bombshells, and stay for the story.

Taxidermia: Not since "In the Realm of the Senses" or "The Brown Bunny" has there been an art film that gets its point across with more graphic and extreme unsimulated acts. If you love this movie, it means you're a little bit unbalanced and perverse. This means I like you and we should hang out.

OTHER NEW RELEASES:

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Blu-Ray) (To prepare for the doom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvY6DU-uEiw)
The African Queen (On DVD for the first time)
Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Behind Convent Walls
Brothers (Dir. Jim Sheridan with Tobey MacGuire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal)
Days of Heaven (Blu-Ray)
An Education (DVD & Blu-Ray)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (DVD & Blu-Ray)
Foolish Wives
Girly
Krod Mandood and the Flaming Sword of Fire (Comedy Central)
The Men Who Stare at Goats (George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Eqan McGregor, John Cusack and Goat) (DVD & Blu-Ray)
Remember the Night (Barabara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray and written by Preston Sturges)
Sanjuro & Yojimbo (Blu-Ray)
Sherlock Holmes (DVD & Blu-Ray)
The Sister of Ursula
South Park S.13
Story of Fashion
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (DVD & Blu-Ray)
Vivienne Westwood
We Won't Grow Old Together (Dir. Maurice Pialat)

BLOG PICK OF THE WEEK:

Bigger Than Life: From the great American subversive, Nicholas Ray, comes a film that's a complete indictment of the idea of the perfect fifties life in suburbia and the mask of the family unit. A bomb when initially released, it was quickly re-evaluated as one of the greatest post-war American films by the pack of New Wavers from Cahiers du Cinema. James Mason headlines this production as a father who is taking an experimental new drug that saves his life, but when he increases his dosage, starts to make him lose touch with reality and revolt against his family and act physically and emotionally erratic. The new Criterion edition brings the film for the first time to the U.S. in both Blu-Ray and DVD editions that have very informative special features including a commentary by critic Geoff Andrew, a conversation with Susan Ray (Nicholas' widow), a seventies archival interview with Ray plus more. Essential cinema in an excellent disc! Highly recommended!

END OF BLOGGING:
For today at least
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This is our cabinet. Can you tell I'm running low on photo inspiration?

MORAL OF THE WEEK:
Driving a bus perilously on the 110 is illegal and dangerous. Don't do it!

New Releases for March 16th, 2010, or Spring Time!

It's almost Spring! How do I know? When I stepped outside this morning, it looked like the "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" scene from Song of the South. The breeze was gentle, the sun not too harsh, the birds chirping, and Uncle Remus was serenading happily down my street. Feels good. Good film renting weather. Let's see what films spring has to offer us!

NEW RELEASES:

2012: We all know the world is going to end in environmental holocaust, but who knew that dreamboat John Cusack would be the one to save the day?! I hope this apocalypse comes soon so I can finally meet him, but in the meantime I can always rent the DVD or Blu-Ray, lay quietly, and dream...

Black Dynamite: After seeing this funky masterpiece, I began practicing my Ebonics non-stop, just like every jive turkey in this film speaks it: funkified, sanctified & certified. I then proceeded to have my, um, face broken in, as they told me it was a hate crime. I didn't mean to stereotype. I did it completely out of love. I guess I need to study this fly film a bit closer so that I may strut my street lingo in a more culturally sensitive manner. Why don't we watch it together?

Broken Embraces: Almodovar is in self-reflective mood in his latest about a director of kitschy comedies who goes physically and emotionally blind after, well, I can't say, otherwise I would be ruining the intrigue. Featuring muse Penelope Cruz, looking spectacular as always. The last five minutes of the film are a hilarious doozy, don't shut it off early!

Capitalism: A Love Story: My bank foreclosed my home on me, I have four kids to support and my only source of income is via blogging. In these hectic times, I'm too stressed to read a book about how every global corporation is feeding me to the sharks. That's why I like Michael Moore. He teaches with a salve of laughter, as our capitalist society runs amok!

Coco Before Chanel: My brother's girlfriend has a cat named Coco so when I see this film, I get visions of the cat hissing at me above their refrigerator. I don't care how adorable Audrey Tautou is or how adored this Coco Chanel guy is, I refuse to watch this because I'm afraid of getting flashbacks of that cat.

Hachi: A Dog's Tale: I love Akita dogs. Look at these dogs and try to deny that they're adorable (http://www.best-dog-photos.com/images/Akita-Puppies.jpg). Based on the true story of Hachiko, the world's most faithful dog, except it's been Americanized. I would say this is the most adorable film of all time, but Richard Gere has to muck it up. I'm sure if you rent it for your family your kids won't mind, they'll just focus on the cute pooch.

The Informant!: Steven Soderbergh, cinema's great workaholic, comes with his third DVD release in the span of five months. This time he brings you a comedy about whistle-blower Mark Whitacre and how he took down "the man" for his price-fixing. Matt Damon is the star and it looks as though he's added a few pounds just to entertain us. Do him the favor by renting this film.

Law Abiding Citizen: My probation officer, Officer Krazinsky, told me to watch this film as an example of how I should act. After viewing, I was shocked. I got an awesome action thriller with people getting glocked right & left by "In Living Color" alum Jamie Foxx. What's Officer K doing to me? The budget cuts must be getting to him...

Ponyo: I've seen some pretty adorable things in my life: kittens, small turtles, Akita puppies, Audrey Tautou, Richard Gere, but Ponyo is the most adorable film I have ever seen. On top of being the most adorable film I've ever seen (Sorry, Hachi), I submit it's also catnip for kiddies. Nothing pleases nor sedates children more than Miyazaki's oeuvre. I know my kids certainly love stories about fish turning into children, I'm sure yours will too.

Where the Wild Things Are: Maybe the inner child in me has passed on due to excessive blogging, but this film wasn't what I was looking for. Granted, I never bothered reading all twelve pages of the original, but the pictures of it I've seen show the creatures and the kid having a real blast! Spike Jonze, rather, gives us a film of over-sensitive beasts who can't face the reality of their existence who waste time with meaningless activities. Did I mention every character mopes the entire time and if not intoning in obnoxious voices, they speak in half-whispers? My main man Mark Ruffalo comes out for a minute and that made up for the entire film, so if you like Mark Ruffalo, I'd recommend this film!


OTHER NEW RELEASES:

$9.99 (Claymation, Aussie)
The Alcove (Erotic action!)
Alexander the Last (Joe Swanberg mumblecore indie)
Astro Boy
The Black Godfather
Breaking Bad S.2 (DVD & Blu-Ray)
Broken Embraces (DVD & Blu-Ray)
Buddenbrooks
A Call Girl
Contempt (Blu-Ray)
Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Dillinger is Dead (dir. Marco Ferreri, w/Michel Piccoli, 1969)
Doctor Faustus
Ecstasy of the Angels (Dir. Koji Wakamatsu)
Eleven Minutes (doc with Project Runway former champ, Jay McCarroll)
Examined Life (Slavoj Zizek, Cornel West and more!)
Falling
A Fool There Was
The Fourth Kind
The Fury (Dir. Brian De Palma and featuring this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njSrP-B4VN0)
Good Hair (Chris Rock doc)
Hannah Takes the Stairs (An other Joe Swanberg)
Hunger (Blu-Ray)
Heirloom (Taiwanese horror)
The Ladykillers (Blu-Ray)
Living with Tigers
Major Barbara
Motherhood (Uma Thurman)
My Little Pony: The Movie
New Urban Cowboy (doc)
Ninja Assassin (DVD & Blu-Ray)
Nurse Jackie S.1
Outbreak (Dustin Hoffman)
Plaza Suite
Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by the poet Sapphire (DVD & Blu)
Power Play (Peter O'Toole and David Hemmings)
Ran (Blu-Ray)
Robin Hood S.3
Rocky Road to Dublin (doc)
Stone (Oz-ploitation biker film)
Torso (Italian giallo)
Unchained Memories (Slavery doc)
Up in the Air (DVD & Blu)
Vicious Kind
Wesley Willis's Joy Rides (Doc on the infamous musician)
The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights (DVD & Blu-Ray)
Women in Trouble
Wonderful World

More Warner Archive:

Dance, Fools, Dance
The Flight of Dragons
Love Among Thieves
Made in Heaven
Rich, Young and Pretty
See You in the Morning
The Story of Three Loves
Sweet November
Ten Thousand Bedrooms

RECOMMENDATION FOR THE WEEK:

Revanche: Why this film didn't win best foreign film is beyond me. Comprised of two incredibly emotionally devastating stories, one about a crook and his illegal Ukrainian prostitute, the other, a cop who deals with the problems of middle class life, Revanche is handled excellently under the direction of Austrian, Gotz Spielmann. Borderline noir, but with much soft sunlight cinematography and humanistic elements, free it of any genre pigeonhole. A few flaws aside, this is one of the best and most underrated features of 2009.

NO MORE:
We're done this week
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Can you believe that Windows 98 is twelve years old now?

MORAL OF THE WEEK:
Just because someone doesn't like you doesn't mean you're a bad person. It means s/he is.

New Releases for Feb. 9th, or Happy Presidents Day!

It's the year 2010 and people still haven't realized that all the major corporations have got you by the cajones over Valentine's Day. Life really is a bad sitcom sometimes. It's a day that forces you to materialize your love though crappy stuffed animals made from cheaply paid Chinese children or buy a box of mediocre chocolates. I always prefer to express my love physically (hugging and kissing of course, you perverts!) rather than via commercial means. I would like to express how this day makes me feel, but any swearing or slurs will probably be removed, so I'll just say that you should rent "The Time Travler's Wife" as it expresses love like no other film I've ever seen before!

NEW RELEASES:

Bronson: This film draws the comparison that a greased-up naked man with a nice moustache getting beaten to all hell with batons can be comparable to other facets of performance art. I think performance art is a crock to begin with, but you do get to see a greased-up naked man with a nice moustache getting beaten to all hell. You make the call if you can chew through this.

A Serious Man: Ever thought, "Man! I just can't get enough of these Jewish stereotypes! I need more! More! MORE!"? Then this film is going to be that bright ray of semetic sunshine on your cloudy day. I'm happy, actually too happy, as I need films that are this dark and grim in order to balace my personality out. Somewhere in this film is a comedy, but I can't seem to find it.

Schoolgirl Report #6: Does anyone have a connection to get a job writing the synopsises on the back of DVD cases? For this, I would write "This annual's Schoolgirl Report, the teacher gave these girls an F for being "Fine Ladies" and an "0" for conduct 'cause they're baaaaad girls." I'm a marketing genius, huh?

OTHER NEW RELEASES AND NEW INVENTORY:

7 Lucky Ninja Kids (Children performing all their own very dangerous stunts! Call child services!)
Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai (Samurai are always good)
Bus Stop (Marilyn Monroe)
The Charley Chase Collection
Hanover Street (Harrison Ford)
Killer Drag Queens on Dope (Best title ever for a film. Will it live to up its promise?)
King Lear (Dir. Peter Brook and starring Orson Welles)
Onimasa: The Japanese Godfather (Dir. Hideo Gosha and starring Tatsuya Nakadai)
Robin and Marian (Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn star in a Robin Hood film)
Stairway to Heaven (Weepy K-Drama)
Stars in My Crown (Dir. Jacques Tournear and starring Joel McCrea and Dean Stockwell)
The Stepfather (the new one)
The Time Travler's Wife

THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATION:

Gremlins 2: The New Batch: Why am I recommending this? Because it's Gremlins 2 and I don't need a better reason!

THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK:

Just checking up on you guys and stuff!
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MORAL OF THE WEEK:
Don't let little things snowball and get to you. You're too good of a person for that.

Submitted by Sven Hofbauer, editing by Pierrot le Faux

New Releases for Feb. 02, 2010 or Here I Am.

This week, I was offered a job blogging for a major corporation. Basically, I would've been doing what I've been doing here for the last year (waxing about new films with an occasional snide aside) except the salary was about five times what I make now. Sure, I could've done it, but I love Videotheque and you too, too much.

NEW RELEASES:

Amelia:Feel bad that you didn't see Amelia in the theater and help to contribute to it's major box office loss? Come and rent it and atone for your sins! It's The Aviator on estrogen!

Bright Star: Do you ever think, "Hey! My life isn't miserable enough! I need to be more depressed than ever!", then Bright Star is for you! Based on the very bleak like of John Keats and directed by New Zealand auteur Jane Campion, it deals with Mr. Keats' troubles in the world of romance and in the art of poetry.

Love Happens: I refuse to watch films whose titles tell complete lies.

New York, I Love You: Now they're pushing it. Okay, I understood "Paris Je T'aime". You know, Paris being synonymous with with love and what not, but I never could put love together with New York. When I think New York, I think of pushy jerks on the streets and neurotic, stuttering, over-intellectualized Jewish men. This film seems to have none of that. MILLION DOLLAR IDEA! Make a "Los Angeles, I Love You"!

Outrage: It should be common knowledge now, but there are closeted homosexuals everywhere. Yes. Even among the alpha-males of Capitol Hill. Kirby Dick forces the metaphorical closet open and exposes secret lives, & media double standards.

This Is It: Sony needs to capitalize on the death of Michael Jackson, right? What better way than to compile footage that was probably going to be the extra feature on a DVD and put it in theaters! See Wacko Jacko act as lively as he will ever get. This movie is going to be off the hook as it's rated PG for "suggestive choreography". Yeeeeeaaahhh!

Whip It: Physics would dictate that Ellen Page's petite frame and height of 5' 1'' would preclude her from causing physical damage to an other being, but through the magic of cinema and Drew Barrymore, science is ignored as Ellen Page is hot stuff in the world of roller derby. A hobo in Hollywood once related to my female cohort a sexist comment in describing a girl on roller blades as "a meal on wheels", so if you relish skimpily clad versions of same, then I suggest it. Also! Would make a good double feature with Robert Aldrich's female wrestling pic, "...All the Marbles" (find it on our recommended Warner Archive shelf!).

OTHER NEW RELEASES AND NEW INVENTORY:

As It is in Heaven (Sweden)
Cafe Setareh (Iran)
China Doll
Cold Souls (Paul Giamatti)
Country's Greatest Stars Volumes I & II (Dolly P, Crystal G, Glen C, Tammy W & more!)
Cowboy (Jack Lemmon in a western!)
Fela Kuti/Music is the Weapon
The FBI Story (James Stewart)
Gamer
Ghulam (Bollywood)
Hellboy 2 (Blu-Ray)
The House of the Devil (Indie horror film)
Kings of the Ring (Boxing documentary)
Like Stars on Earth
Little Ashes
My Fuhrer (Comedy that laughs at Hitler! Makes a great double feature with Downfall!)
Ong Bak 2: The Beginning
Sarfarosh
Saviour of the Soul
Saw VI (Never ending torture-porn series!)
Soul Power (Zaire '74 documentary)
Spin & Marty (Disney Classic TV)
The Stepfather (The '87 original!)
St. Trinians (Russell Brand..)
Surrogates (Blu-Ray)
The United States of Tara S.1 (Created by Queen of Quirk, Diablo Cody)
The Vanished Empire (Russia)
Welcome to Collinwood
Whip It (Blu-Ray)
Wholphin N.10
The Yellow Rolls-Royce
Zombieland
Zombieland (Blu-Ray)

BLOG PICK O' DA WEEK: Roberto Rossellini's War Trilogy: When Inglourious Basterds came out, people were confused about my ambivalence toward the film. My big problem was that it makes a mockery of a war that caused the death of about 60,000,000 people. Maybe I'm a stick in the mud, I just don't find much funny about it. Guess I'm just a prude happy enough with my pre-60's black & white talkies. Take these three: Rome Open City, Paisan, & Germany Year Zero-- essential viewing for those who dare don the cinephile cap. Not only did this group of films create the neo-realist movement that would set the mark for new cinema for the next seventy years, they remain powerful representations of a how a war-torn world affects everyone. All three are available for the first time in almost perfect transfers with a ton of special features and fully uncut.

NOW GO!:

The blog is finished!
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Ever notice our ceiling? Me neither.

MORAL OF THE WEEK:
War isn't fun. Try not to start one.

Submitted by Harold Carpi & Pierrot le Faux

New Releases for Jan 19th 2010, or I should really get on the ball about updating these blogs...

It's the year 2010, and if Hollywood has taught me anything it's that we only have two years left on this shiny blue marble. I think we should use this bit of knowledge and live it up before our planet is as expired as the King Island Emu. My suggestion is to come by and rent everything we've got. Live your life! Go out there and live it! By coming in and taking movies home.

Happy New Year!

NEW RELEASES:

(500) Days of Summer: This new pseudo-indie comedy starring pseudo-indie goddess, Zooey Deschanel, is too cute for it's own good. I've never really fallen in love before, but I'd like to think that falling in love is like this movie. If you want to know what love is, this movie will show you.

District 9: This movie had some pretty intense marketing before it hit the streets. I remember seeing those bus ads with a toll free number. I was actually one of the losers who called the number on the ads only to be dissapointed with a lame pre-recorded message. The ad rubbed me in the wrong way and I passed on watching this. Now I regret it after hearing from everyone how awesome it is. It was filmed in South Africa and apparently features some pretty out there special effects, too.

The Hurt Locker: This movie was nearly too intense. In fact, it put so much stress on me, I developed an ulcer in the middle of the film. But it is only the sixth film to do this to me this year, so it gets my seal of approval. Besides, it makes you fortunate that we're stuck in Los Angeles where our biggest problem is heavy traffic in the 110 freeway.

It Might Get Loud: Jimmy Page, the AARP's greatest guitar player, The Edge, still playing the same guitar riff of the last twenty years, and Jack White, looking paler than ever, get together for an hour and a half jam session. Is it good? Yes. Yes it is.

Jennifer's Body: Megan Fox stars as a cheer leader who's eating her fellow students. Plus, it's written by Diablo Cody so expect everyone in this film to speak like Diablo Cody. Also, interesting fact, the Wikipedia article for this film is longer than the Wikipedia article for cannibalism.

Moon: An amalgamation of sci-fi cinematic history and directed by David Bowie's son Duncan Jones (a.k.a. Zowie Bowie), was pretty neat. I can't really say much about this without ruining it, but you must see it for yourself. One of my favorite things is the lack of CGI effects and a return to classic sci-fi days with models.

OTHER NEW RELEASES AND NEW INVENTORY FOR THIS WEEK:

Big Fan (Patton Oswalt)
The Burning Plain
Death in the Garden (Dir. Luis Bunuel)
Departures (Academy Award 2009 for Best Foreign Language Picture)
Downloading Nancy (Indie)
Fame (09)
Halloween II (09)
The Invention of Lyin (Ricky Gervais)
I Can Do Bad All By My Self
In the Loop
Yo Gabba Gabba! New Friends
No Impact Man
Post Grad
Smoking Aces 2: Assassin's Bay
The United States of Tara S.1
Weeds S.5

Region One Imports:
27 Missing Kisses
About the Looking and Finding for Love
The Accompanist (Dir. Claude Miller)
Bebo's Girls
Before the Revolution (Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci)
Caught (Dir. Max Ophuls)
Cul-de-sac (Dir. Roman Polanski)
Hotel Du Nord
Journey to Italy (Dir. Roberto Rossellini
The Lady of Musashino (Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi)
L'air de Paris
Le Silence de la Mer
Letters from and Unknown Woman (Dir. Max Ophuls)
Madame Claude
Mariage of Romeo & Juliet
Marianne of My Youth
Miracle in Milan (Dir. Vittorio De Sica)
My New Partner
Red Sun (Charles Bronson, Alain Delon and Toshiro Mifune)
The Tarnished Angeles (Dir. Douglas Sirk)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Dir. Elia Kazan)
Viva Zapata (Dir. Eliza Kazan and starring Marlon Brando)

More Warner Archive:
Bright Leaf
Deep Valley
Every Girl Should Be Married
The Hard Way
A Lady of Chance
The Little Drummer Girl
One Sunday Afternoon
One Trick Pony (Paul Simon)
Operator 13
Saratoga Trunk
Task Force
Then Came Bronson
Today We Live
Untamed Youth
Wild Orchids

RECOMMENDED SECTIONS:

Eric Rohmer 1920-2010: Grand old man of cinema, Eric Rohmer, has passed on at the age of 89. We can't say he didn't live a full life as he was fortunate to keep up an active working career til the end. With almost thirty films under his name and several shorts, Eric Rohmer left behind a substantial body of work. In dedication, we have a small section dedicated to his contributions to cinema such as his splendid Six Moral Tales ("The Bakery Girl of Monceau", "Suzanne's Career", "La Collectionneuse", "My Night at Maud's", "Claire's Knee", & "Chloe in the Afternoon"), "Pauline at the Beach", and "Rendez-vous in Paris".

Import and Rarity Corner: We've tracked down some great titles unavailable on these shores. Don't miss classics like Marcle Carne's "Hotel du Nord", Elia Kazan's "Viva Zapata", and Robert Rossellini's "Voyage to Italy" for starters, plus a stash of amazing work from Polanski, Melville, Ophuls, Mizoguchi, Bertolucci and more! Help yourself to some long lost cult titles like "Rolling Thunder ('77)", "The Legend of Billie Jean", and "Rad", too.

Sherlock Holmes: Did Guy Ritchie's re-imagining of the Sherlock Holmes tales in the form of a buddy cop movie (with a thin Watson) offend you? With our new section, you can remember who Sherlock Holmes was via the 80s BBC Jeremy Brett version, the serious Basil Rathbone serials, and even a fun parody with Gene Wilder, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother".

BLOG PIC OF THE WEEK:

Forty Guns: This cried out for my attention the moment I saw it was directed by Samuel Fuller and starring the beautiful and enduring Barbara Stanwyck. What you get is another great Fuller film filled with subversive dark humor (a lot of overtly sexual ones I was surprised made it past the censors), gritty action and a tough female that puts all the men in their place. One of the best Hollywood westerns and worth it just to see Barbara Stanwyck in cute outfits, surviving a tornado, and Barry Sullivan as an asexual cowboy. Not my favorite Samuel Fuller, but it's still amazing to think a film like this could've been made in the studio system.

Ciao:

I'm done for the week
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Look at poor RV. He has to do actually physical labor while I stand here like a slob updating a website...

MORAL OF THE WEEK:
Don't ignore your blog for a few weeks.

Back From Hiatus, or New Releases for December 15th

This marks my mighty and triumphant return to the world of internet blogging. I wish I could say something amazing has happened since the last time I blogged. Nuthin' spectacular! I can't say I got arrested while crossing the border for smuggling or that I was in a Cambodian prison for defacing public property.

The fact is I just been plain ol' busy. Work tends to do that to you. In fact, I've been working too much. My kids are probably wondering "where's poppa?". Oh! I should hurry up and finish this fast! When I left home a week ago, I told them I was just going to go get a Pepsi at the market down the street.

NEW RELEASES:

G-Force: Wait, Guinea Pigs with guns AND Zach Galifanakis!? Movie of the year. I'm sold.

The Hangover: When I saw the preview for this months ago I though "Jeez! That movie looks horrible". Then all of a sudden it comes out, & everyone tells me it's the greatest thing since bendy straws. I'm just tired of comedies with balding, grown men who still act like they're sixteen. I guess I'm just jaded & fail to see the humor. You should watch it out of spite for this writer. I know I would if I were you.

Inglourious Basterds: Tarantino's misspelled masterpiece of blood, guns, revenge and "nat-sees" comes to DVD right before the madness of Christmas. Nothing says "I love you" or "I respect you as a human being" than by renting this flick for your sweetie. It's very telling that everyone from the spoiled cineaste to my friend who only watches things like "He's Just Not That Into You" all think it's the cat's meow! Plus there's some pretty gnarly decapitations.

Taking Woodstock: Ang Lee is a pretty diverse guy. I'm not too crazy about his movies, but the guy hops on a pretty wide variety of projects. You have to give it to the guy. This one is a comedy about a kid helping bringing the Woodstock Music Festival into... well... Woodstock so all the hippies can pay for rooms at his parents' motel. Here's the error in his idea: hippies don't pay for things. All they do is bum off everyone and say it's in the name of love. Also, this movie has Eugene Levy playing a character not unlike the character he plays in every other movie he is in.

OTHER NEW RELEASES AND NEW INVENTORY OF THE WEEK:

Braveheart (Blu-Ray)
City of Joy
Crossing Over
The Escapist
Fringe S.1
The Hangover (Blu-Ray)
Inglourious Basterds (Blu-Ray)
The Jerry Lewis Show Collection
Last House on the Beach
Mickey's Christmas Carol
Scorpio
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
The Tudors S.3
Warner Christmas set including All Mine to Give, It Happened on 5th Avenue, Blossoms in the Dusy, and the Holiday Affair
The Wizard of Oz (Blu-Ray)
The Wizards of Waverly Place

PIC O' DA WEEK:

3 Godfathers: Let me just start by saying this isn't John Ford's best, but it's a good one to watch this holiday season, especially if you're tired of the drudgery of Santa Buddies, Elf and It's a Wonderful Life. The story is a straight parallel of the three wisemen's tale: the Duke, some red head, and a gentle Mexican bandito and criminal buddies who go across the West robbing banks. Stuck in the desert and in search of water, they end up finding an ill woman who's about to give birth. The mother dies after childbirth so these three kindhearted crooks are left to care for the little one. The cinematography is beautiful and it's the first Christmas film I've seen in a while without a single mention of Santa Claus or gifts. The three men have more important things on their mind. It's worth a viewing to get your mind off the deep financial debt the holidays put you in.

BYE:

See you next time. Well, that is IF there is a next time...
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MORAL OF THE WEEK:
Don't write "Merry Christmas" on cards this year. Right "Happy Holidays". That's more P.C.