Sales, Birthday Parties, & New Releases...

Happy Thanksgiving from Waterfront Video!!

Starting the Friday after Thanksgiving and running through Wednesday, Nov. 30th, we're having a huge sale on all previously-viewed DVDs -- as low as $4!!


Then, on that Wednesday, we're going to culminate our 15th Anniversary with a Birthday Party! There will be special deals and discounts all day and, from 6:00 - 8:00pm, there will also be cake and goodies as well as a special performance by Allan Nicholls at 7, who will be playing music he wrote for some Robert Altman films and sharing movie-related stories.
Stop on by!!

New to our shelves this week:

Super 8
An exciting character-driven sci-fi concoction from J.J. Abrams that playfully evokes The Goonies, E.T., Red Dawn, Gremlins, and a host of other beloved 80s gems.

Page Eight
Bill Nighy and Rachel Weisz headline this spy thriller written and directed by David Hare (Wetherby; The Reader) that also features Michael Gambon, Judy Davis, Alice Krige, and Ralph Fiennes.

The Devil's Double
Dominic Cooper (An Education; Captain America) pulls double duty as both Saddam Hussein's psychotic son, Uday, and the Iraqi soldier chosen to act as his body double.

Conan the Barbarian
Robert E. Howard's iconic comic character gets another film adaptation, this time without Ah-nuld.

The Family Tree
Hope Davis plays a wife and mother who suffers memory loss after an accident and must come to terms anew with her dysfunctional family. Also stars Dermot Mulroney, Christina Hendricks, Selma Blair, Chi McBride, Jane Seymour, and Keith Carradine.

Sarah's Key
Kristen Scott Thomas plays a modern-day journalist who attempts to uncover the disappearance of a young girl in 1942 in this French drama.

Arranged
Two women - one an Orthodox Jew, the other Muslim, both of whom are slated for arranged marriages - develop a friendship while teaching in a Brooklyn school.

The Horseman
A brutal revenge flick from Australia.

Without a Home
Filmmaker Rachel Fleischer spent four years creating this documentary about the lives of several homeless individuals in L.A.

Dirty Pictures
Documentary profile of Alexander 'Sasha' Shulgin, the chemist who discovered more than 200 psychedelic compounds, including MDMA.

Making the Boys
An interesting, insightful look at the history of the landmark gay hit-play-turned-film, The Boys in the Band, that explores the social context which gave rise to its success as well as the shifting perspectives which then gave rise to its backlash.

Spy Kids 4
Robert Rodriguez's latest installment of his family-friendly action franchise stars Joel McHale, Jessica Alba, Jeremy Piven, & Danny Trejo.

Law & Order UK - 2nd Season
Taking the format of the long-running American show and transplanting it across the Atlantic turned out to be a successful gambit, especially given the strong British tradition of mystery shows.

The Legend of Billie Jean
Long unavailable on DVD (or VHS) because Pat Benatar (who provided the title track) hated it and refused to grant music rights, this 1985 cult fave finally gets an MOD release. Featuring Helen and Christian Slater, the story involves two siblings (who just want to go to Vermont!) forced into a desperate situation by a group of bullying teens.

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New Releases - Week of 11/15/11

New to our shelves this week:

Beginners
Christopher Plummer gives a lauded performance as a 75 year old who is prompted to open up about homosexuality when he receives a critical medical diagnosis. Ewan McGregor plays his son in this second feature by Mike Mills (Thumbsucker).

Larry Crowne
Tom Hanks directs and stars in this comic drama (which he co-wrote with Nia Vardalos) about a middle-age man who decides to return to college after losing his job.

Main Street
Colin Firth plays an outsider who arrives in a small North Carolina town with plans to help revitalize the community's ailing economy. The cast includes Ellen Burstyn, Amber Tamblyn, Patricia Clarkson, Andrew McCarthy, and Orland Bloom; the script is by Horton Foote.

Bellflower
An adrenalized, scrappy indie action film that was a hit at Sundance. Read Margot Harrison's review of it here.

Flypaper
This week's heist entry stars Patrick Dempsey, Ashley Judd, Jeffrey Tambor, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Mekhi Phifer, and Tim Blake Nelson.

Griff the Invisible
The latest ironic superhero flick stars True Blood's Ryan Kwanten.

The Drummond Will
Two estranged brothers find themselves on a dangerous quest to find out the secrets behind their recently deceased father's surprising wealth.

Making War Horse
Documentary following the process behind the National Theatre's acclaimed adaptation of the best-selling children's novel (soon to be brought to the screen by Steven Spielberg).

Whitechapel: The Ripper Returns
A mini-series from latest hit British mystery, featuring a serial killer emulating the notorious murderer.

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Deals & Events!

Birthday Deals!

Waterfront Video continues its 15th Anniversary celebration this month with special deals every week. Last Saturday, we had a drawing and gave away 10 free rentals - congratulations, Seth H.!


This week, it's all about Television. Through Saturday, you can rent the FIRST disc of the FIRST season of ANY series for free! (No other rental required. And this includes New Releases too, but we are limiting the number of freebies to two per visit.) Time to check out those shows you've been wondering about!

Next week, we'll be having daily Trivia challenges. Answer a question correctly when renting a movie and get it for free!

Then, from the Friday after Thanksgiving until the end of the month, we'll be having a huge blow-out sale on all previously-viewed sale movies. The more you buy, the cheaper they are!

And on Wednesday, November 30th, we'll be having a birthday party all day. Special one-day deals & offers, a guest appearance or two, and even birthday cake! Mark your calendars!!


Local Events...
So much going on!

Time, Memory and Identity: Readings by Burlington Writers
This Wednesday (tonight!), from 5:00 - 7:30, a quartet of great local writers including Nancy Stearns Bercaw, Selene Colburn, Erik Esckilsen and Lisa Kuse read new material addressing the themes of the evening's presentation. At Levity (on Center Street - near The Daily Planet).


The Pillowman
Burlington's Saints & Poets Productions presents the provocative and challenging play by Martin McDonagh (In Bruges; The Cripple of Inishmaan) about a writer in a totalitarian state who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a rash of child-killings in his town. Part Kafka, part Law & Order, part Tim Burton, part Brothers Grimm... plus puppets! Read the BFP feature here and review here. Read the Seven Days review here. Runs Nov. 10 - 13th at the Black Box Theater in Waterfront's Main Street Landing building. Matinees on Saturday & Sunday.


Hairspray
New England's largest community theater company presents the smash hit musical based on the great 1988 John Waters flick. Set in Baltimore in the early 60s, the story involves a teenager's dancing aspirations, a popular TV show, and a powerful racial awakening. The show runs between Nov. 10 - 13, with matinees on both Saturday & Sunday, at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. "Ma, it's changing out there! People who are different, their time is coming!"


Gogol Bordello
Everyone's favorite Gypsy Punk band appears this Thursday at Higher Ground with Burlington supergroup Blue Button. If you miss the show (or just can't get enough of the band or charismatic frontman Eugene Hutz), you can stop by the store and rent Gogol Bordello: Non-Stop, The Pied Piper of Hutzovina, Kill Your Idols, Madonna's Filth & Wisdom, Wristcutters: A Love Story, or Everything is Illuminated.

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New Releases - Weeks of 11/1 & 11/8

New to Our Shelves:

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part Two
The final installment of the phenomenally popular magical saga arrives on DVD & Blu-Ray.


Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Comes out Friday!) This incredibly enjoyable and affecting comedy boasts a great cast: Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon, & Marisa Tomei.

Water for ElephantsThe adaptation of the best-selling novel by Sara Gruen stars a de-fanged Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, and Christoph Waltz.

The Change-Up
The latest body-switching comedy stars Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds.

Cars 2
Pixar's first sequel.

Life in a Day
Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland; Touching the Void) and seven assistant directors assembled this experimental documentary/time-capsule that was compiled from over 800,000 short films made by people the world over (from 192 countries!) on July 24, 2010.

Trespass
A thriller from Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys; Batman and Robin), starring Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman, that didn't exactly make any critical or commercial waves. Read Margot Harrison's amusing review of it here.

Tabloid
Acclaimed documentarian Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line; The Fog of War; Standard Operating Procedure) takes a lighter diversion with this profile of Joyce McKinney, a former Miss Wyoming who came to fame (infamy?) in the scandal rags as the key player in the case of the "manacled Mormon," and then proceeded to pass in and out of the limelight. Just this week, it was announced that McKinney is suing Morris - an unsurprising turn considering the psychological instability on display in the film. Read more about the suit here.

Magic Trip
Alex Gibney (Gonzo; Client 9) and Alison Ellwood direct this documentary about Merry Prankster Ken Kesey and his adventures Further...

Wah Do Dem
Mumblecore goes to Jamaica, and the result is surprisingly entertaining.

13
Director Gela Babluani remakes his hit French thriller, 13 Tzameti, with a stellar cast that includes Sam Riley, Ray Winstone, Michael Shannon, Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Ben Gazzara, Emmanuelle Chriqui, 50 Cent, and Mickey Rourke.

Pearl Jam: Twenty
Cameron Crowe (Singles; Almost Famous) directs this doc about the band's 20th anniversary.

The Sleeping Beauty
Catherine Breillat (Fat Girl; The Last Mistress) follows up her Bluebeard with another re-imagined folk tale.

Atlas Shrugged, Part One
The first part of a planned trilogy adapting Ayn Rand's tome.

God on Trial
Jewish prisoners in Auschwitz decide to put God on trial in this PBS production starring Stellan Skarsgard, Stephen Dillane, Eddie Marsan, Rupert Graves, and Dominic Cooper.

An Invisible Sign
Jessica Alba plays a mathematician. No, really.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club; Smoke) directs this Chinese drama about the friendship between two girls in the 19th century.

The Human Resources Manager
The director of Lemon Tree and The Syrian Bride returns with this drama about the HR manager for Israel's largest industrial bakery.

A Better Tomorrow
John Woo produced this remake of his 1986 action thriller.

Boy Wonder
A traumatized boy from Brooklyn grows up to be a vigilante "superhero" in this independent drama.

Bunraku
A Manga-inspired action flick featuring Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Kevin McKidd, and Ron Perlman.

2010: Moby Dick
A decidedly un-literary take on Melville's classic sees the great whale going all Jaws on his hunters. Stars Barry Bostwick (of course) as Ahab and Burlington native Adam Grimes as Lt. Commander Starbuck.

Machete Maidens Unleashed!
A wildly entertaining look at the Phillipino exploitation film heyday of the 70s by the same director who brought you the equally crazy Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!

Californication - 4th Season

The Blob (1958) & The Blob (1988)
Gelatin on the loose!!

The Rapture
An erotic thriller mixing religion and mystery stars David Duchovny and Mimi Rogers.

The Deadly Tower
This 1975 dramatization of the notorious clock-tower sniper's attack in Austin, Texas, stars Kurt Russell as Charles Whitman.

The Night Holds Terror
The early home invasion thriller stars a young John Cassavetes as one of the ruffians.

The Tango Lesson
Sally Potter (Orlando) wrote, directs, and stars in this experimental film about a blocked filmmaker who finds inspiration in dance.

Lost Horizon (1973)
This long-unavailable curio re-adapts Jack Hilton's novel into a musical epic featuring songs by Burt Bacharach and starring Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Sally Kellerman, Olivia Hussey, and Michael York.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Criterion releases Nagisa Oshima's WWII prison drama starring David Bowie, Ryiuchi Sakamoto, Tom Conti, and Jack Thompson.

Kinski Paganini
The last film of the legendarily unhinged actor Klaus Kinski is the self-penned and directed biopic of the controversial 19th century violinist whose "life of extremities" resonated with Kinski's own.

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Happy Birthday to Us!!!

Waterfront Video turns 15 this month.
To celebrate, we'll be running special deals all through November.

Between today and Friday, every time you rent you can enter to win 10 free rentals.
Next week, you can rent the first disc of the first season of any series for free.
(Been curious about a show but haven't taken the plunge? Here's your chance!)

Stay tuned for the rest of our birthday deals...

New Releases - Week of 10/25/11

Costume Time!
Come get your Halloween on.
Friday through Monday (10/28 - 10/31),
Rent a movie in costume and get a second rental free!

New to Our Shelves This Week:

Captain America: The First Avenger
Marvel's origin story of the patriotic crusader is set primarily during WWII. The movie finishes setting the stage for the upcoming superhero ensemble flick, The Avengers.

Attack the Block
Edgar Wright produced this Joe Cornish directed alien invasion story set in the rough estates of South London. A group of young hoods find themselves on the frontlines in this clever, impressively handled blast of old-school fun. Read Margot Harrison's fun review of the flick here.

A Little Help
The Office's Jenna Fischer stars in this tale of a hard-drinking mother and her 12 year old son trying to get by.

Father of Invention
Kevin Spacey plays a smugly arrogant (surprise!) infomercial guru who winds up in prison, and afterwards wants to re-connect with his estranged daughter. Also stars Camilla Belle, Heather Graham, Johnny Knoxville, Virginia Madsen, & Craig Robinson.

Winnie the Pooh
The lovable (and hungry) Pooh bear stars in a new feature-length adventure, involving the missing tail of everyone's favorite misanthropic donkey.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
A holiday treat from Finland with surprises in store!

City of Life and Death
Chuan Lu's well-received film depicts the Nanking Massacre of 1937.

Shaolin
The monks of Shaolin stand strong against evil warlords (are there any other kind?) in this historical martial arts epic.

Exorcismus
The title may evoke images of some demon-possessed dinosaur, but this Spanish horror film plays it modern.

Faces in the Crowd
A woman suffers 'face-blindness' after being attacked by a serial killer in this horror thriller starring Milla Jovovich.

The Countess
Actress Julie Delpy (Before Sunrise; 2 Days in Paris) directs this historical horror piece about a 16th century Hungarian countess whose belief in the rejuvenating benefits of virgin's blood leads to some messy cosmetic practices. Also stars William Hurt and Daniel Bruhl.

Prayers for Bobby
Sigourney Weaver was nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a devout evangelical Christian trying to come to terms with her son's homosexuality.

Severe Clear
A first-person POV documentary shot by First Lieutenant Mike Scotti on his Mini-DV camera during the 21-day advance on Bagdad.

The People vs George Lucas
A doc pitting fans and fanatics against the tinker-prone filmmaker.

Nirvana: Live at the Paramount

Robot Chicken - 5th Season

Luther - 2nd Season
Idris Elba (The Wire; The Office) returns as a psychologically unstable detective in this BBC series.

Day One
A 1989 dramatization about the efforts (and regrets) involved in the development of the first atomic bomb. Stars Brian Dennehy, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, & Hume Cronyn.

Machuca
A political coup in Chile is observed from the perspective of two young boys.

Hamlet at Elsinore
Available for the first time, this 1964 production of Hamlet was staged and filmed in Elsinore, the original setting of the play. Christopher Plummer plays the dane; Michael Caine, Robert Shaw, Donald Sutherland, & June Tobin also star.

Island of Lost Souls
Criterion releases this pre-code horror classic based on H.G. Wells' novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. Great creature effects, deliciously lurid undertones, and a villainously queeney Charles Laughton make this one a must-see for horror fans.

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Holy Terror

God said 'Boo!'

Plenty of horror films have used religious and supernatural themes to propel their stories (from The Exorcist to The Rite), but here we focus on those tales that eschew the supernatural in favor of the fear and terror inspired by the fanaticism of disturbed believers. What happens when faith trumps reason, religious conviction usurps civil law, and biblical interpretation gets skewed through one or more unstable person's misguided and nefarious perspective? The results ain't pretty. So here's a handful of movies where evil is perpetuated and horror ensues because "God told them to"...



Red State
A Christian cult begins following the hell & brimstone rantings of their charismatic preacher to their wicked conclusions. Michael Parks gives a great performance as the Fred Phelps-type leader in Kevin Smith's first horror endeavor. John Goodman, Melissa Leo, and Stephen Root co-star. Read Margot Harrison's review of here.

Seven
David Fincher's exceptional serial killer thriller is a deeply unsettling affair that doesn't pull any punches. The psychopath committing the gruesome murders has been "chosen" to do so; his victims all exemplifying the seven deadly sins. [Warning: Best not to eat spaghetti while watching this one.]

Frailty
Bill Paxton stars in and directs this spooky tale of a father who begins receiving instructions from God to start eliminating the demons in his midst. When he recruits his two sons to his "mission," quality family time takes on a whole different definition.

Hell House
This excellent documentary chronicles the preparation and execution of an annual Christian Halloween attraction that purports to show the horrors of the secular world. Local teens audition and compete for coveted roles such as "Abortion Girl" and no amount of fake blood or disinformation is spared as they attempt to frighten kids towards the path of righteousness.

Jesus Camp
The indoctrination of children with fundamentalist dogma is on chilling display in this doc about a Christian summer camp that teaches its young charges to surrender to the will of their Lord. The controversy stirred up by this film led to the closure of the camp in question; though plenty of other similar ones still exist.

Eye of God
Writer, actor, & director Tim Blake Nelson (Animal Factory; The Grey Zone) helms this finely wrought tale of small town tragedy, propelled by a recently released convict's deeply held new-found faith. The top-notch cast includes Martha Plimpton, Kevin Anderson, Richard Jenkins, Hal Holbrook, Nick Stahl, and Margo Martindale.

Day of Wrath
Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1943 film is an austere, eerie tale of religious conviction tearing apart the tranquility of a small Danish village in the 17th century. Accusations of sin and witchcraft turn members of the community against one another... and even against themselves.

The Night of the Hunter
Actor Charles Laughton's only directorial effort was this 1955 classic chiller about a sinister preacher who weds widows before knocking them off and reaping their inheritances. When the children of his latest victim flee, he follows in menacing pursuit. Robert Mitchum is perfectly cast as the murderous preacher, sporting a tattoo of LOVE on one hand and HATE on the other.

Jonestown: The Life & Death of Peoples Temple
The story of the San Franciscan cult founded and led by Jim Jones who, after raising the suspicions of local politicians and police, decided to move his "church" down to Guyana, South America. More than 900 of his followers traveled with him, soon to find themselves participating in one of largest mass suicides in history. This riveting documentary features interviews with surviving members and relatives as well as archival footage and, most disturbingly, audio recordings of the final moments of the cult.

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