As we begin our descent into the holiday season, we remind you that we'll be open 11am-9pm on Thanksgiving so you can get all the fixings for your cinematic feast. And now, here's a list of this week's New Releases (the * means it's also available on Blu-ray):
FUNNY PEOPLE* - Judd Apatow gathers Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, The RZA, Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza (BTW, you really should be watching Parks & Recreation this season) for his usual brand of hilarity.
ANGELS & DEMONS* - The Da Vinci Code gravy train chugs along with this prequel starring Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor.
GOMORRAH* - The true-crime stories of Naples' mafia underground, now on Criterion
KOBE DOIN' WORK (MVP LIMITED EDITION) - See Kobe Bryant on the court as shot by Spike Lee.
FOUR CHRISTMASES* - This Reese Witherspoon/Vince Vaughn vehicle arrives just in time for us to start planning our own family holiday rounds.
BRONSON - A favorite at this year's SIFF from director Pusher director Nicolas Winding Refn (who once spent a good half hour pouring through our Psychotronic room). This clip wins the award for Best Use of a Pet Shop Boys Song in a Movie Trailer.
WHOLPHIN NO. 9 - The latest issue of McSweeney's DVD division includes recent SNL host Joseph Gordon-Levitt's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard story 'Sparks,' starring Carla Gugino and Eric Stoltz, three new Spike Jonze shorts, and much more.
SHORTS* - Robert Rodriguez's latest family friendly film. The DVD includes signature Rodriguez extras such as '10 Minute Film School' and '10 Minute Cooking School,' in which their family shows you how to make Chocolate Chip Volcano Cookies.
BANLIEUE 13/BANLIEUE 13: ULTIMATUM - Two excellent examples of parkour, together in one DVD set.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION - The Criterion Collection presents eight highly acclaimed, star-studded teleplays from the 1950s: Marty (starring Rod Steiger), Patterns (written by Rod Serling, starring Everett Sloane), No Time For Sergeants (starring Andy Griffith in his first TV appearance), A Wind From The South (starring Julie Harris), Requiem for a Heavyweight (another Rod Serling story, starring Jack Palance), Bang The Drum Slowly (a baseball movie starring Paul Newman), The Comedian (directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Mickey Rooney), and Days of Wine and Roses (also directed by Frankenheimer, starring Piper Laurie and Cliff Robertson). We recommend you read this excellent essay by Ron Simon in the Criterion site about the collection and this particular era of television.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: SEASON 4 - Thirty-six suspenseful episodes with awesome guest stars such as Walter Matthau, Cloris Leachman, Roger Moore, Leslie Nielsen and many other recognizable faces.
NEW BLU-RAY: FORMAT OF THE FUTURE Angel Heart Blood: The Last Vampire (2000)
Cujo (25th Anniversary Edition)
Ghost in the Shell 2.0 Monster Squad (20th Anniversary Edition) My Bloody Valentine (1981)(Special Edition)
Sopranos: Season 1 NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE Call It A Day (1937) - Comedy based on the Dodie Smith play, starring Olivia de Havilland
Flight of Dragons (1982) - Animated adventure by Rankin & Bass, with voices of James Earl Jones & John Ritter
Man With Two Faces (1934) - Edward G. Robinson & Mary Astor star in this crime drama based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Alexander Woolcott.
Manpower (1941) Another crime drama with Edward G. Robinson, this one co-stars Marlene Dietrich and was directed by Raoul Walsh.
Out Of The Fog (1941) - John Garfield, Ida Lupino and Eddie Albert star in this adaptation of Irwin Shaw's play
Tiger Shark (1932) - This time, Edward G. Robinson's in a romantic drama, directed by Howard Hawks
Two Seconds (1932) - Yet another Edward G. Robinson crime drama.
Winter Kill (1974) - A made for TV thriller starring Andy Griffith
FAMILY NEW RELEASES: HOLIDAY EDITION - These can all be found in the happy orange island of shelves that is the Family New Release section. Look for our big Kids' Holiday special rental section coming soon.
Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales Christmas Dinosaur Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas Dora The Explorer: Dora's Christmas Carol AdventureFraggle Rock: A Merry Fraggle HolidayGeorge Shrinks: Snowman's Land Go, Diego, Go: Diego's Arctic Rescue Gotta Catch Santa Claus! Night Before Christmasand more Classic Holiday Tales - From the Scholastic Storybook Treasures series
Night Before Christmas: A Mouse TalePippi Longstocking: Pippi's Christmas Santa Apprentice Santa Buddies: Legend of Santa Paws - With George Wendt as Santa!
Timothy Goes To School: The Gift Twelve Days of Christmasand other Holiday Favorites--Also from ScholasticANIME NEW RELEASESBamboo Blade: Part 1 Ikki Tousen Vol. 1 Nabari: Complete Series Part 2 Nana(Uncut) Box Set 2 Naruto Shippuden Vol. 3 Sgt. Frog: Season 1 Part 2 Tears To Tiara: Collection 1 NEW TV ON DVDBeverly Hills 90120: Season 8 Coogan's Run (Steve Coogan Collection)
Craft In America: Season 2 Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible (Steve Coogan Collection)
I'm Alan Partridge: Series 2 (Steve Coogan Collection)
Law & Order: Criminal Intent - Season 4Lotus Lantern - A Chinese TV series based on the famous Chinese folk tale.
Melrose Place: Season 5 Vol. 2 Mondovino: The Series Paul and Pauline Calf's Cheese and Ham SandwichPaul and Pauline Calf's Video Diaries Tony Ferrino Phenomenon (Steve Coogan Collection)
Trial & Retribution: Set 3 Vol. 3 NEW FOREIGN FILMS & IMPORTS Betty Blue (Director's Cut) - Jean-Jacques Beineix's cult classic is finally back in print.
Cairo Station (1958) - From Egyptian director Yousef Chahine.
Delightful Forest (1972) - Shaw Brothers martial arts action from director Cheh Chang
Devilman (2004)(Special Edition) - Live action version of the manga series
Ghosts (2005) - Germany
Grotesque (2008) - The Unrated Director's Cut of this Korean horror film
Heroes Shed No Tears (1978) - More Shaw Brothers action from director Yuen Chor
Island Etude (2007) - Taiwan
Mad Dog Morgan (1976) - An Ozploitation classic starring Dennis Hopper, in an Uncut Special Edition DVD
Mighty Boosh: Future Sailors Tour (PAL Code 2) - The British comedy team takes their show on the road
Monocled Mutineer (1986)(PAL Code 2) - WWI drama from the UK
Moon Child (1989) - Spain
Rashevski's Tango (2003) - Belgium
The Rebirth (2007) - Japan
Sacred Heart (2005)(PAL Code 2) - Italy
Soul Power(1974)(PAL Code 2) The official product description: 'Presented in conjunction with the landmark 'Rumble in the Jungle' boxing match between Ali and Foreman, Zaire '74 was a three-day music festival in Kinshasa organised by South African musician Hugh Masekela and American record producer Stewart Levine, and featuring performances by such famed musicians as James Brown, Bill Withers, and B.B. King, among others. Many of the American musicians performing at Zaire '74 had been emboldened by the American Civil Rights movement, and saw their journey to Africa as a unique opportunity not just to perform for a new set of enthusiastic fans, but to explore their roots as well. Consequently, SOUL POWER is not simply a concert film featuring some of the most popular African and American musicians of the era, but also a pure intimate glimpse into a time when the musical crossover between the two nations was just beginning to emerge.'
Superstar (2009) - New from Iranian director Tahmineh MilaniThree Monkeys (2008) - Turkey
Toi & Moi (2005) - France
Tokyo 10 + 1 (2003) - Japanese film involving criminals in a high stakes competition
Tora-San Collection - Includes Our Lovable Tramp, Tora-San's Cherished Mother, Tora-San, His Tender Love and Tora-San's Grand Scheme We have it for sale here.Troubled Water (2009) - Norway
Turning Point (2009) - Hong Kong
Zatoichi 14: Zatoichi's Pilgrimage –Japan
Moon (2009)(PAL Code 2) - One of the best films of the year is already out on DVD in the UK and here on our shelves
NEW DOCUMENTARIES & MUSIC Day In The Lyfe: The Movie - 'It's non-stop illicit graff action like you've never seen before.'
Elementary My Dear Watson - Sherlock Holmes' sidekick gets his own documentary
Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail (1989) - An opera
Face is Familiar - A look at Hollywood's most talented and recognizable character actors
Hammer Films: Fanex Files - Explore the Hammer Film Studios through 20 years of fan convention archives
Holes In My Shoes - The moving life story of strongman Jack Beers
Lil Wayne: The Carter Getatchew Mekurya & The Ex - World music with the Ethiopian saxophone player & the Dutch punk band
Moonshot - History Channel documentary on the Apollo 11 mission
Mother Teresa (1986) - Narrated by Richard Attenborough
Pure F*cking Mayhem - It seems wrong to follow a documentary about Mother Teresa with heavy metal
Rosenkavalier (2009)(Fleming) - Another opera
Rush: Working Men Russia's War: Blood Upon The Snow - An in-depth look at life under Stalin
Woodstock Diary 1969 - Doc. by D.A. Pennebaker
AND MORE MOVIESAmerican Virgin (2009) - IMDb plot description: 'A night of debauchery threatens a sexually abstinent student's college standing.'
David & Layla - A Jewish man and a Muslim woman fall in love in New York City.
Far Cry - UWE BOLL alert!
The Indian (2007) - An old motorcycle brings a family together, starring Kyle XY's Matt Dallas
Last Run (2001) - Action/crime/thriller with Armand Assante
Maiden Heist (2009) - Caperiffic comedy with Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy, & Marcia Gay Harden.
Make The Yuletide Gay - A young man heads home and back into the closet for the holidays
Meat Weed America - What more is there, really?
Russ Meyer: Abudant Beginnings - Four films from the master of sexploitation: Immoral Mr. Teas, Europe In The Raw, Eve and the Handyman and Wild Gals of the Naked WestMoonlight & Mistletoe - Hallmark Channel movie starring Candace Cameron Bure and Tom Arnold.
New Year Parade - A family divorce drama
Reborn –A honeymooning couple meet a deranged serial killer in the Sonoran Desert
Silent Scream (1980) - A classic stalker tale involving co-ed roomies in a boarding house, starring Yvonne De Carlo and Barbara Steele.
Singing Nun (1966) - Whoo! The classic Debbie Reynolds musical is finally available! Also starring Greer Garson, Agenes Moorehead and Ricardo Montalban.
Snow/Snow 2: Brain Freeze - I thought these were holiday stalker films, but really they're nice family comedies starring Ed's Tom Cavanaugh.
Valley of the Heart's Delight - Pete Postlethwaite stars in this drama about a real-life kidnapping
Yule A Go-Go - Not sure what this is about, but it will be in our Strippers & Stripping section if that gives you an idea
Look for our big Holiday Staff Picks rental & sales sections coming soon!