New Releases for Tuesday May 30, 2006

Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys
A feature-film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist's bestselling book about understanding male behavior. Featuring cameos by Monty Python's John Cleese, football player Dan Marino, and sportscaster Dick Vitale, as well as narration by Barry himself, the film unfolds in hilariously goofy vignettes that explore the masculine psyche and Afrocentric topics like sports, women, and urinal etiquette.


Freedomland
Richard Price’s novel FREEDOMLAND is brought to life in this 2006 adaptation. A carjacking-turned-kidnapping provides the set-up for a complex story of racial and class divide, as black detective Lorenzo Council (Samuel L. Jackson) attempts to uncover the truth in victim Brenda Martin’s story. Bleeding and dazed in an inner city ER, Brenda (Julianne Moore) explains that on her way home from work in the projects of fictional Dempsey, New Jersey, a black man assaulted her and stole her car. Matters are intensified when it’s revealed that her 4-year-old son was asleep in the backseat.


Miracle At Sage Creek
Set in 1888 Wyoming, this western explores the dynamics between several families burdened by one tragedy after another. Will their faith and the togetherness of the Christmas season help save a small boy's life?


London
When Syd (Chris Evans) learns that his ex-girlfriend London (Jessica Biel) is leaving New York without telling him, he responds by impulsively crashing her going away party. Once there fear catches up to him, rather than confront her, he holes up in the bathroom with a pile of cocaine and Bateman (Jason Statham), an enigmatic Englishman he just met. As the two engage in a drug-fueled conversation that runs the gamut from entropy to S&M to the meaning of life, Syd struggles to work up the nerve to talk to London before it's too late.


One Last Thing
ONE LAST THING… is a bittersweet drama starring Cynthia Nixon, as well as Michael Angarano , Sunny Mabrey , Wyclef Jean, Gina Gershon, and Gia Carides . This is the story of Dylan and his mother, Carol, as they struggle with the boy's terminal illness. Invited onto national television by an organization that grants last wishes to dying children, Dylan surprises everyone by making an eyebrow-raising request: to spend a steamy weekend with a supermodel. As Dylan gleefully prepares to have his final wish fulfilled, Carol struggles with the idea of losing the most precious thing in her life.


Date Movie
The twisted minds of two of the six writers of Scary Movie – Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg – skewer the romantic comedy genre in DATE MOVIE, a film for people who love date movies and people who hate them.
The filmmakers' goal, in their own words: "We wanted to create a romance that women will respond to and a balls-out comedy for the men in the audience."
Seltzer and Friedberg tell the story of hopeless romantic Julia Jones, who has finally met the man of her dreams, the very British Grant Funkyerdoder. But before they can have their Big Fat Greek Wedding, they'll have to Meet the Parents; hook-up with The Wedding Planner, and contend with Grant's friend Andy – a spectacularly beautiful woman who wants to put an end to her Best Friend's Wedding.


Dan Aykroyd Unplugged on UFOs
This film explores past and present sightings from around the world with shocking real footage, much of it never before seen, that will leave even the most skeptical viewers scratching their heads. Along with the fascinating collection of stunning eyewitness videos, Dan Akroyd reveals his own vast knowledge of the strange and paranormal as he explores in detail his views on conspiracy theories, military secrets, and how UFO technology is currently part of our everyday lives! I knew it, Dan Akroyd really is an alien, not just Canadian..This proves that there is more reality to the Cone Heads than just a comedy sketch.


Head On
You all have been waiting for this one, Head On follows two young Turkish-Germans who are forced into a marriage of convenience which ultimately blossoms into a bond of mutual admiration. Erotically charged and darkly funny, head-on is a journey you won’t forget. Well…… You might not want to forget but some of us have no choice.


Familia: Film Movement Year 4, Film 5 [Canadian]
Michele, a divorced aerobics instructor with a gambling addiction, looses her job and seeks refuge with a childhood friend, Janine, who lives in a seemingly comfortable middle-class suburban neighborhood. Michele’s rebellious teenage daughter and Janine’s shy and reserved daughter become friends leading to unforeseen tensions that force both generations to reassess their values. Familia explores the question of how value systems are passed on from mother to daughter and asks: Is it possible to avoid passing on to our children those traits that we despise in our parents?

Movies in the Film Movement series are accompanied by a short film, which on this disc is Recycle.
Recycle is a portrait of a day in the life of Miguel Diaz in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park. The homeless poet is recovering from substance abuse through his philosophy of recycling life. Diaz uses all the thrown away items he collects to make a community garden in the median of his street, while offering his insights on survival and nature.

Down to the change in your couch?

The 50 cent theme this week is “Music, Sweet Music”.


Musicals, music videos, documentaries on musicians, anything that focuses on “music” that is not a new release will apply [50 cents for three days, due by 8pm, limit two please].


Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
A hothouse full of laughs starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Vincent Gardenia. With special appearances by James Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest and Bill Murray will bring a smile well worth 50 cents. Based on the Roger Corman cult classic, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS slams together twisted humor, a singing plant, a sadistic dentist, and sweet and oblivious love between two skid-row denizens into a rollicking musical well worth watching again and again. Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene portray perfectly clumsy Seymour and bubbly but easily dominated Audrey as they search for a way off skid row. A strange and unusual plant Seymour found after an eclipse might be their ticket out, but the plant Seymour calls Audrey II also desires a strange and unusual food: blood. Audrey’s abusive boyfriend, Orin, a dentist who enjoys inflicting pain (played to the hilt by Steve Martin), is the first to go, but who will be next? And will Audrey It's hunger ever end?

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954)
In the Oregon Territory, mountain man Adam Pontipee (Howard Keel, acting and singing with gusto) comes to town to sell his crops and woo a woman to be his wife, succeeding with spirited Milly (Jane Powell), who is tired of feeding and waiting on so many men at the local inn. Her dreams of keeping house for just one man are shattered when she discovers that Adam shares his pigsty cabin with six brawling brothers. Milly’s good cooking and stubborn nature whip the young men into shape and inspire them to seek women of their own. But after a disastrous barn raising during which the brothers snare the attention of the town girls only to be taunted into fighting with the town men, Adam suggests his brothers forget gentle methods of love and follow the actions of the Roman with the Sabine ("Sobbin'") women. The kidnapping of their six sweethearts spurs Milly to throw the men out of the house, but enforced proximity caused by winter and the brothers’ good intentions just might help love bloom again.
[It hit a 79 on the tomatometer so at least you know that someone liked it]


Thelonious Monk Straight No Chaser (1989)
A great documentary including extensive footage modern jazz pianist/composer Thelonious Monk, including off stage footage is a must see for any jazz fan. Much of the film is centered around the six months of footage cinematographer Christian Blackwood shot of Monk in 1967-68. The footage reveals a lot about Monk's personality, including his dramatic mood swings, his eccentric behavior, as well as his sense of humor. The footage also shows Monk "behind the scenes" in the studio and on tour in Europe. Interviews, photos and many of Monk's songs round out this biography.

The Essential Clash (2003)
This collection gathers together all the promotional videos from The Clash, as well as interview footage and rare archival material. A short film (HELL W10) directed by the late Joe Strummer is also included; Filmed in 1983 this silent flick has been lost for almost 20 years, and is only included here due to it turning up at a flea market! Meanwhile, see why The Clash were one of the most influential bands to come out of the English punk rock movement, with videos that include "White Riot," "Rock The Casbah," "London Calling," and many more..

Rigoletto (2005)
Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece Rigoletto is brilliantly brought to life in this unique production of the beloved opera, performed under the stars of Siena, Italy, by Roberto Servile, Inva Mula, Marcelo Alverez, and the Toscanini Foundation Orchestra.

So feel free to watch one or our picks or look around and find something that fits the theme. Remember, it’s only 50 cents so don’t be afraid to take chances. After all, that’s what makes life interesting.

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It’s Memorial Day Weekend again and we all want to go out and play so we will be open regular hours Friday [5-26-06] and Saturday [5-27-06] but will be closed Sunday [5-28-06] and Monday [5-29-06]. We will reopen on Tuesday [5-30-06]. All movies rented on Friday and Saturday will be due on Tuesday.

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" Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read."
Frank Zappa, quoted in Linda Botts, "Loose Talk" (1980)
US musician, singer, & songwriter (1940 - 1993)
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********************************
Crystal Video is located at 614 s Higgins ave. in Missoula Mt. 59801
We are open from Noon to 11 pm 7 days a week and will do our best to find the film you are looking for.
New Releases : $3.00 for one day, Regular Titles: $2.00 due three days later. ALL MOVIES (VHS & DVD) ARE DUE BACK BY 8:00pm. Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions (406) 543-FILM (3456).
Late fees apply to all movies (VHS & DVD) returned late. New Releases:$2.00 per day, all Regular Titles:75 cents per day regardless of original rental price.
We'll see you at Crystal Video.
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New Releases for Tuesday May 23 2006

New Releases for Tuesday May 23 2006


Game 6
As a New York playwright, Nicky Rogan (Michael Keaton) made his name in boulevard comedy, and now has ventured closer to home and written something he really cares about. If his "cursed" Red Sox can finally win the World Series, maybe Nicky can break his own downward spiral

Transamerica
Felicity Huffman leaves the glamor of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES behind and makes a surprising diversion with this offbeat film. Playing an uptight male-to-female transsexual named Sabrina "Bree" Osbourne (née Stanley), Huffman gives a remarkable performance. Readying herself for the final snip that will make her womanly transformation complete, Bree's life takes a sudden turn when she receives a phone call from New York. Her son, Toby (Kevin Zegers), has been jailed, and Bree needs to post bail for him. The only problem is, Bree didn't know she had a son, but her therapist refuses to give her written permission to have the final part of her sex-change operation if she doesn't go, so Bree heads east from her California home. Thinking Bree is a Christian missionary, gay hustler Toby informs her of his intention to becom a porn star on the west coast, which brings out plenty of motherly instincts in the worried cross-gender father. So the two take a road trip back west, with Bree flailing in her attempts to tell Toby the truths about who she is and what she once was.


Deadwood Season 2
The long waited release of the rough, tough HBO Western series with all the blood, dust, and cussing that we all have grown to love.

High School Musical
Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens star in this Disney Channel Original Movie as popular basketball team captain Troy and smart, stunning academic Gabriella. Both shock the members of the social cliques to which they belong when they each decide to audition for the high school's musical. By proving themselves to be brilliant performers, can these two teens lead their peers towards more open-minded thinking and acceptance of one another? HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is a family-appropriate feature filled with hip music, popular dance moves, and tons of school spirit.


Cheaper By The Dozen 2
Steve Martin returns as the proud patriarch of the Baker family in this sequel to the original CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, based on a book by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth. This time, all twelve Baker kids and their parents, Tom (Martin) and Kate (Bonnie Hunt), are going on vacation, returning to their summer cabin in Wisconsin for one last hurrah before the kids grow up and go their separate ways. Lorraine (Hilary Duff) is on her way to New York to begin an internship with VOGUE, Nora (Piper Perabo) is hugely pregnant, and the Bakers want to spend some quality time all together for a change.

Bloodrayne
This action-horror film is set in ancient Romania and stars Kristianna Loken (TERMINATOR 3) as Rayne, a half-human/half-vampire sworn to kill her evil tyrant vampire father (Ben Kingsley). Michael Madsen, Michelle Rodriguez, and Matthew Davis play a trio of vampire hunters who ally themselves with Rayne. Based on a video game, this film earns its R-rating by offering a lot more blood, gore, and nudity--and less CGI effects--than most of its modern vamp contemporaries. With all its swords, chained breasts, gushing arteries, and severed heads, BLOODRAYNE seems more like a welcome throwback to those great early 1980s drive-in sword and sorcery flicks.


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Tori’s favorites

Harold and Maude:
Stars Ruth Gordon and Bud court, directed by Hal Ashby with an incredible soundtrack provided solely by Cat Stevens. It is a classic cult film which once seen, is an immediate favorite of everyone, regardless of age.
After I first watched this film, it wouldn’t leave my mind. Every time I re-watch it, the feeling of hope and love comes flooding back to me. It is a film about the two most unlikely people who come together to form a life-changing bond full of brightness and warmth. Harold is a twenty year old man bored with his families wealth and high society but extremely interested in death and darkness until he meets Maude who is seventy-nine and only interested in the things in life that make you happy – smells, sights, flowers, singing, dancing, and so many more things that Harold never even knew existed. Together, they set a city plant free because it was dying in the harsh concrete and needed desperately to be in a forest. They play music together, have picnics together, and do so many other things that just make them happy. This film is amazing – everyone should be required to see it for prosperity sake!

High Fidelity:
Stars John Cusack, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Iben Hjejle, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Lisa Bonet and many more. It is directed by Stephen Frears who also directed The Grifters and My Beautiful Laundrette.
This is a film about a semi-failing record store owner who tries to evaluate the reason he is doomed to be left, doomed to be rejected. With the help of his two wacky employees, Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso), Rob Gordon (John Cusack) tries to make sense of his relationships past that went wrong and what he may be able to do to save his recently doomed one to a girl that actually was worth something to him. It is really funny, quirky, and the music throughout just brings the whole thing together.

Say Anything:
Stars John Cusack, Ione Skye and John Mahoney, directed by Cameron Crowe who was the writer of Fast Times at Ridgemont High as well as the writer and director of the semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous.
This film is individual, charming, truthful and full of fun. To me, this is one of John Cusack’s most handsome performances and it is the one that made me fall in love with him. For most of my life I have been looking for a Lloyd Dobler – as all of the characters say, to know Lloyd is to love him.

The Thing Called Love:
Stars Samantha Mathis, River Phoenix, Dermot Mulroney and Sandra Bullock, directed by Peter Bogdanovich.
The film begins with the main character Miranda Presley (Samantha Mathis) taking a greyhound down to Nashville, TN to try to make her singer-songwriter career become a reality. Fresh from New York City, Miranda befriends three fellow hopefuls in the shy Connecticut cowboy Kyle Davidson (Dermot Mulroney), the Southern Belle Linda Lue Linden (Sandra Bullock), and most importantly, in James Wright (River Phoenix) who is the cocky Texan with brooding good looks and a honeyed voice. The film is about love, friendship and being truthful, not only by what you say and do, but by the music you sing.

The Outsiders:
Has an all-star cast with C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise and Diane Lane. It is directed by the genius of Francis Ford Coppola back in 1983 and it is based off of the stirring young adult novel by S. E. Hinton.
The movie takes place on the streets of Tulsa, OK in 1966 where all of the teenagers are split up into 2 categories: the “socs” who are rich and successful have it all, but the “greasers” are from the other side of the tracks who are the outsiders with only their true friends by their side. As Francis Coppola says in his own words “The Outsiders takes place in an enchanted moment of time in the lives of all those boys. I wanted to catch that moment: I wanted to take those young street rats and give them heroic proportions.”



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Replaced and Replenished


VHS
Bride of the Monster [Ed Wood]
Glen or Glenda [Ed Wood]
Cop [thriller]
Back to Bataan [Classic]
Empire Two Worlds Collide [thriller]
My Chauffeur [comedy]
Star Wars Special Edition [Sci-Fi]
Return of the Jedi Special Edition [Sci-Fi]
Empire Strikes Back Special Edition [Sci-Fi]

DVD
Corsican Brothers [comedy]
Unbearable Lightness of Being [drama]
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie [drama]
Othello: Placido Domingo [Italian]
The Name of the Rose [thriller]
City Slickers [comedy]
Navy Seals [action]
Space Balls [Mel Brooks]


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"Only love is in mind when the Massy is signed"
Miles Massey [George Clooney]
Intolerable Cruelty
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50 cents & More

Got 50 cents?

"Showing Some Skin" Is the theme of the week.
Inspired by the hot weather, movies featuring lightly clothed people (or the lack of clothing) are on special for 50 cents[3 day rental] starting Thursday (5-18-06) through Wednesday (5-24-06) Limit 2 please.

Here are a few examples but any movie which is not a new release and fits the theme on either DVD or VHS will be suitable for the 50 cent special of the week. Feel free to be adventurous, after all it's only 50 cents.


Wet Hot American Summer [comedy]
Set on the last day of camp, in the hot summer of 1981, "Wet Hot American Summer" follows a group of counselors who are each trying to complete their unfinished business before the day ends. The entire summer of pent-up sexual frustrations, unresolved post-traumatic stress, pending separations and of course, the talent show, all weigh heavily on the minds and groins of counselors and campers alike.

Romance [French]
When Marie's maudlin boyfriend Paul refuses to engage in sexual relations, she is forced to search for intimacy beyond the bounds of traditional sexual limitations--a journey that proves to be both fulfilling and empowering.

Faster Pussycat Kill Kill [Killer B's]
Varla (Tura Satana), Billie (Lori Williams), and Rosie (Haji) are three fed-up go-go dancers who drive out into the California desert to let off some steam. When they encounter squeaky clean couple Tommy (Ray Barlow) and Linda (Sue Bernard), also out for a desert joyride, the girls’ invitation to drag race turns ugly. After a fistfight, Varla leaves Tommy for dead and kidnaps Linda. The three dangerous beauties then catch word of a feeble old man (Stuart Lancaster) out in the desert who is reportedly sitting on a large amount of money, and they set out to beat it out of him and his two sons.



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"I want you to know my dear that even though we're sitting down, we're giving you a standing ovation"
Max Bialystock [Nathan Lane]
The Producers (2005)
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Here are some Videos that we have either replaced, were requested, or we just couldn't live without.

Boondock Saints [Action] on DVD
Gattaca [Sci-Fi] on DVD
The Ballad of Cable Hogue [Western] on DVD
Election [Comedy] on DVD
Ride the High Country {Western} on DVD
Fun With Dick and Jane (1976) [Comedy} on DVD
Harry’s War [Comedy] on VHS
Savage Messia [Canadian] on VHS
Future World [Sci-Fi] on VHS
Paint Your Wagon [Western] on VHS
Murder on the Orient Express [Classics] on VHS
Once Upon a Time in America [Drama] on VHS
Philadelphia Experiment [Sci-Fi] on VHS




********************************
Crystal Video is located at 614 s Higgins ave. in Missoula Mt. 59801
We are open from Noon to 11 pm 7 days a week and will do our best to find the film you are looking for.
New Releases : $3.00 for one day, Regular Titles: $2.00 due three days later. ALL MOVIES (VHS & DVD) ARE DUE BACK BY 8:00pm. Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions (406) 543-FILM (3456).
Late fees apply to all movies (VHS $ DVD) returned late. New Releases:$2.00 per day, all Regular Titles:75 cents per day regardless of original rental price.
We'll see you at Crystal Video.
*********************************

What's New @ Crystal Video in May

The New Releases for Tuesday May 16 are:

THE PRODUCERS
This remake of Mel Brooks’ 1968 film features Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the roles that they originated in the smash Broadway adaptation of the original film. Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Lane) is famous for his spectacular opening night flops. Leopold Bloom (Broderick) is an uptight accountant who virtually discovers gold while reviewing Max’s books. When Leo realizes that you can actually make more money with a flop than with a hit, the two team up and begin a search for both the worst script and the worst director they can find to ensure failure. The script selection seems easy when the duo stumble upon SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER, an homage to the Fuhrer penned by Franz Liebkind (Will Ferrell), a German sympathetic to the Nazi cause. Convinced that the script will incite outrage, the duo needs a bad director to seal the deal. Campy director Roger DeBris (Gary Beach) and his assistant (Roger Bart) fit the bill perfectly.

But when their scheme fails, Max and Leo find themselves with the worst possible outcome: a hit. To make matters worse, Franz is just a little peeved that Hitler was depicted disrespectfully--and he has a gun. Will Max and Leo survive the playwright’s wrath? Will they go to jail for cooking the books? And will Leo ever submit to the advances of sexy Swedish receptionist/actress Ulla (Uma Thurman)? Directed by stage director Susan Stroman, making her feature film directorial debut, this riotous romp features lots of laughs from the major players, as well as brief appearances by Jon Lovitz, Michael McKean, and Richard Kind. Lane and Broderick make it easy to understand why the show was an unprecedented hit on Broadway, and Ferrell is a scene-stealer as Liebkind.


DANIEL DERONDA
The title character of this Masterpiece Theater presentation is the illegitimate son of a wealthy British aristocrat. With a secretive past and an unlimited supply of cash, he turns to gambling where he meets Gwendolyn, a beautiful woman in desperate need of money. From their meeting at a roulette table, a romance blossoms. Daniel, however, is already involved in a passionate relationship with a Jewish singer. Based on George Eliot's novel, this adaptation depicts a heartbreaking love triangle while examining class and wealth in British society.


DOOGAL
The origins of the characters in DOOGAL stretch back to 1964 and a TV program called THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT (or "Le Manège Enchanté" as its French creator Serge Danot called it). The show became a popular staple on British television, and this full-length movie is the first attempt to acquaint American audiences with Danot’s magical world.

Zeebad (voiced by THE DAILY Show’s Jon Stewart) is a recently escaped convict whose powers as a sorcerer are known throughout the land. While fleeing from prison, the embittered Zeebad decides to capture some mystical diamonds with the power to freeze the sun. Zeebad’s devious dream is to freeze the entire globe as an act of revenge on those who imprisoned him. But he doesn’t bank on the resilient forces of heroic canine Doogal (Daniel Tay) and his friends, a snail named Brian (William H. Macy), a hippie-ish rabbit called Dylan (Jimmy Fallon), and a loveable pink cow by the name of Ermintrude (Whoopi Goldberg). Together, they venture across the world in a desperate bid to find the ancient stones before the dastardly Zeebad gets his hands on them. Doogal and his friends scatter a few amusing references to popular culture into the plot as the story unfolds, and the animation is rendered in a style instantly familiar to fans of movies such as FINDING NEMO and HOODWINKED. Fans of the original television show who are looking for a fond, nostalgic experience won’t find much to remind them of Danot’s creation in DOOGAL, which is a fast-paced action romp aimed at a young audience. But for a new generation of fans this is a great way to get acquainted with a bunch of loveable characters who passed their 40th birthday on completion of the film.

DUMA
Set in the exotic country of South Africa, Duma tells the powerful adventure tale of an unbreakable bond of friendship between a cheetah named Duma and an intrepid young boy named Xan (Alexander Michaletos), who faces the true test of love when he must cross the whole of Southern Africa to return his best friend to his rightful home in the wilds. On his journey, Xan learns that everything always changes, but not love.


THE RINGER
The latest fearless comedy from producers The Farrelly Brothers (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, DUMB & DUMBER, SHALLOW HAL) asks the question: can a comedy be outlandishly off-the-wall, irreverently indelicate and yet . . . inspirational? THE RINGER spikes the uproarious with the uplifting in a story about an ordinary man who discovers what it truly means to be special when he attempts to "fix" Special Olympics.

WHEN A STRANGER CALLS
A slick remake of the 1979 original, Simon West’s WHEN A STRANGER CALLS is a contemporary update of a well-known suburban legend. When 16-year-old Jill (newcomer Camilla Belle in the part originally played by Carol Kane) runs over her cell phone minutes, her parents force her to spend the night babysitting instead of attending a huge bonfire bash. As Jill’s father drives her to Dr. Mandrakis’s house for the evening, we are given the sense from the long drive, spooky music, and winding roads, that the home is literally at the ends of the Earth. Perched over the edge of a steamy lake, the mansion-like structure is made entirely of dark wood and glass. With an arboretum built into its center, the palatial home feels both Zen-like and forbidding. With the children already asleep, Jill spends the first hour indulging in secret babysitter pleasures like snooping about and trying on Mrs. Mandrakis’s jewelry. Without a cell phone or car, and all her friends' phones out of range, Jill is particularly isolated--the perfect victim for a psychopath on the loose. As she begins to get calls from a heavy-breathing stranger, what at first seems like a prank slowly becomes a real threat, creating a panic-filled evening that's any babysitter's nightmare. Using modern-day luxuries like caller ID, security alarm systems, and motion-sensor lights to its advantage, the film plays with themes of technology and wealth, pondering how much protection they actually provide. Clearly targeted at a teenage audience, the PG-13-rated film contains relatively little violence (lacking some of the graphic scenes that most people remember the original by), and instead uses unfamiliar spaces and a sense of the unknown to keep audiences scared.

WHITE COUNTESS
Set in Shanghai in the late 1930s, this is the story of the relationship between a disillusioned former US diplomat and a refugee White Russian countess reduced to a sordid life in the city's bars.
Todd Jackson (mid-40s), once an American diplomat filled with idealism, has lost his sight several years earlier, and is now languishing in Shanghai's grand hotels and elite gentlemen's clubs, a burnt-out case, He has become bitterly disillusioned by real politic and the seemingly unavoidable nature of war and conflict. He is, moreover, deeply bereaved by the deaths of his wife and children - victims of violent events in the political turmoil of 1930s China that also robbed him of his sight.

AND WHAT DO WE THINK?

Rather than just a list of titles for the coming month or so, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce a couple of new sections at Crystal Video. First, fresh on the bare and saffron-scented heels of the 1st Annual Films of Compassion Buddhist Film Festival, we have a shelf showcasing selections from this kindest of all fests. Your rental of these films, and others like them, ensures that Films of Compassion will always have a home at Crystal Video.

Second, I’d like to invite you into the strange world of Ed Wood. Our man Marko is a big fan of the King of the B’s and has spent hours sorting through dusty boxes of videotapes and DVDs to compile this collection. Is it comprehensive? You’ll have to come in and debate that with Mark.

Another new development is the fact that we’ll be opening an hour later than we used to. Summer mornings are too good to rush, so we’ll see you at noon.

New films of special note:
“Tarnation” Wow! Imagine your life if you were abandoned by your crazy-ass mother, and were raised by your crazy-ass grandparents instead. Gravelly voiced Grandma: “I’ve got TB! That’s tobacco and beer! HAHAHAHA” What if when you were a 12-year-old boy you started posing as a petite Goth chick and going to all night raves? Now, what if you filmed the ENTIRE thing and edited it down to one psychedelic hour and a half? Well, you’d be Jonathan Caouette, of course. It took us a while to get a copy of this, so enjoy.
“Paradise Now” A fascinating and horrifying look at the road to martyrdom. Wasn’t it Wilhelm Reich who wrote about the sexual energies of young men being subverted for evil purpose? Maybe it was Walt Disney.
“Townes Van Zandt: Be Here to Love Me” Every Townes fan has probably already seen this, but if you’re like me, you’re a fan and didn’t even know it. This screened at this year’s Documentary Film Festival to cheering houses.

I’ll tell you, there’s a heck of a lot of other good stuff coming in as well, but for now you’ll have to come in and see for yourself.

Thanks for showing up, Tim.


Terri’s Faves:

The Price of Milk
Little shoes, cows, mystical old ladies and one of those hot men from Lord of the Rings, this is a love story that cannot be considered a chick flick by any means. It is fun and heart stirring in a very familiar way because almost all of us have been ridiculously in love. The story is fundamentally predictable from a human nature perspective but the bizarre Aussie humor makes you instinctively yell “what?” more frequently as the movie progresses. I learned a lot about life from this film, mostly from the unbelievable amount of shame experienced for having never bathed with my dirty dishes before.

Snatch
Okay, I know everyone has seen this movie but I would feel bad if I didn’t list it as one of my favorites. I am convinced that Guy Ritchie had divine inspiration in order to put this cast together and the layers upon layers of mishaps that make this wacky caper so freaking entertaining. The best piece of advice I can give anyone in Crystal World is turn on the subtitles when viewing Snatch. You will understand everything Mickey (Brad Pitt) has to say. And I am so glad that those sadistic Brits didn’t kill the cute, squeaky little dog.

East is East
Oh my god; this movie has it all when it comes to family dysfunction and turmoil.


MarkO’s Picks for May.

Eulogy:
A dark comedy that brings together three generations for a funeral, and the fun starts there! Staring Hank Azaria, Zodey Deschanel, Famke Janssen, Kelly Preston, Ray Romano, Rip Torn, and Debra Winger proves to be hilarious look at a dysfunctional family. Available on both DVD and VHS.

Dead Men Don’t Ware Plaid:
This is one of my favorite movies of all time even though it didn’t get very good reviews when released. Done in black and white staring Steve Martin as Rigby Reardon, a tough, rough private detective who is out to solve a murder. One thing that makes this film a favorite of mine is the use of scenes from movies such as The Killers, The Bribe, Double Indemnity, and more to give it a real 1940’s feeling. Also starring Rachel Ward, Reni Santoni, Carl Reiner, with help from Humphrey Bogart, Charles Laughton, Burt Lancaster, and Barbara Stanwyck this has proven to be a must see on my list. It is also the last movie that Edith Head worked on, she was a costume designer who worked on many movies form the 1930’s through the 1980’s. Available only on VHS.


Out Foxed:
A must see documentary dealing with the issue of accurate and non-bias news. Out Foxed focuses on Fox news, the marketing of Fox News, Bill O’ Reilley, and Rupert Murdock’s war on journalism. It analyzes the differences between accurate news reporting and propaganda (or outright lying). A must see for anyone who gets their news from Fox news or any of their affiliates. Available on both DVD and VHS.

In the Heat of the Night:
Winner of 5 academy awards including best picture, In the Heat of the Night is not only a great film but very important for it’s day and age. Set in the Deep South in the early sixties it deals with racial tensions of the day. Sidney Poitier plays a homicide detective caught up in the wrong Mississippi town waiting for a train the night one of the towns most influential people is murdered. Rod Steiger plays a small town sheriff who is stuck trying to solve the murder. With Warren Oates, Lee Grant, and music by Ray Charles has stood the test of time. Available only on VHS.


GOT 50 CENTS?
The 50 cent special this week is GERMAN FILMS. We have many including Nowhere in Africa, Enlightenment Guaranteed, and of coarse Sugar Baby. [Our 50 cent special starts on Thursday and runs through Wednesday, limit 2 please]


Open Noon to 11pm 7 days a week we will be here to help you find an alternative film or even something good