Featured Section - James Bond

This week’s featured section is our James Bond section, in Action. There’s something about summer that calls for mindless movies with lots of eye candy, and the James Bond movies have been delivering that, for better or worse, since 1962. There are so many of these movies that our Bond section covers three shelves.  There are different actors who played Bond, different eras and “feels”, and of course different Bond girls.  Rolling Stone created a list here of the best and worst of the genre, but of course most people have their own picks. You can also consult the Rotten Tomatoes James Bond Countdown, although newer movies tend to be rated more often than the older ones, so their ranking may be somewhat skewed by that.

You can find all these films in VisArt’s Bond section, in the bigger Action section (look for a white “Action” sign hanging from the ceiling). Just ask a staff member if you need help finding them, or if you want recommendations.

New to this section? Try:

Goldfinger – (PG, 1964).  Although dated, in a lot of ways this is the classic Bond movie

with Sean Connery.  Just the third movie in the series, it introduced the Aston Martin DB5 with gadgets including a passenger ejector seat. There’s a fairly believable villain in the bullion dealer Auric Goldfinger, with his servant Oddjob wielding a bowler hat as a weapon, and classic “Bond girl” Pussy Galore as a judo expert and his personal pilot. The documentaries about the making of this movie have a lot of interesting parts too.

The Spy Who Loved Me – (PG, 1977) The opening ski scene and chase, the theme song “Nobody Does It Better” by Carly Simon, steel-toothed Jaws played by Richard Kiel, Roger Moore in sweeping robes on a camel (complete with musical cue from Lawrence of Arabia at one point), scenes both in Egyptian ruins and an underwater lair, this one’s got it all.  Sure, the scenes shot above-water of tankers and submarines may go on too long, but a plot about capturing nuclear submarines has to have some of that.  Barbara Bach as Russian agent Anya Amasova is beautiful and a little less useless than most "Bond girls" although you could start a drinking game counting how many times she says "James!!" in that one particular tone of voice. And then there's that transforming white Lotus sports car...

Casino Royale – (PG-13, 2006). The most recent reboot of the series, and third film with this title, this movie starred Daniel Craig as a consistent-with-the-icon Bond who is still very modern. It features a very long jaw-dropping Parkour chase scene, lots of card-play in glamorous locales, Judi Dench (as a female! M) and sleek and smart Bond girl Vesper Lynd played by Eva Green.

Already a fan? Try:

Casino Royale– (1954) This was an hour-long black-and-white TV special starring the first man to play Bond, American actor Barry Nelson, and included Peter Lorre in the cast.  Nelson later showed up in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Twilight Zone before appearing in Airport and The Shining, but never again played Bond.

Casino Royale (1967, “TV14”) Yes, a third Casino Royale exists. This one’s a spoof very loosely based on the first novel, starring David Niven as the “original” Bond, but six other agents pretend to be Bond to confuse “SMERSH”.  It has Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress, and Burt Bacharach’s score earned him an Academy Award nomination for the song “The Look of Love.”  

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – (1969) This movie featured George Lazenby in his one

appearance as Bond. The plot is fairly thin, but Diana Rigg is wonderful as the woman who Bond marries.  It also features Telly Savalas playing villain Blofeld (various actors played the character in different movies) doing allergy research (yes, that’s right) as a means to conquering the world.  The scenery in Portugal and the skiing scenes in Switzerland are also memorable, even if badly blue-screened.

Tell us what your favorite Bond movie is, who played your favorite Bond Girl, or which ones you’d  recommend to a person who’d never seen a Bond movie, if   such a person even exists!

Actor Robin Williams

Featured Actor of the Week:  Robin Williams (1951 - 2014)

Robin Williams, from IMDb

It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Robin Williams.  His work spanned movies that appealed to children, such as Happy Feet and Aladdin, through mostly serious works for adults such as Good Will Hunting which won him a well-deserved Oscar as supporting actor.  His IMDb entry lists an incredible 89 feature films and many more acting credits besides.  Here are a few of his many offerings at our store:

New to (or rediscovering) this actor? Try:

Mork and Mindy.   This TV series that launched in 1978 as a spin-off from season 5 of Happy Days was the perfect vehicle for Williams’ comic genius and launched his career.  Season 1 was generally considered the high point, and shows the manic stream-of-conscious humor that was Williams’ early trademark.

 Hook – (PG, 1991).  Williams plays a middle-aged Peter Pan who has forgotten Neverland, both the good and the bad.  His joy at rediscovering play and imagination make this movie one that lingers in memory. IMDb page

 

Good Will Hunting – (R, 1997). As a psychologist, Williams helps an M.I.T. janitor with a genius for mathematics (played by Matt Damon) figure out what he wants of life, while battling his own challenges with the loss of his wife.  There is much less of the madcap comedy in this film, but Williams' wit shines through.    IMDb page

 Already a fan? Try:

Good Morning Vietnam - (R, 1997) “An unorthodox and irreverent DJ begins to shake up things when he is assigned to the US Armed Services Radio station in Vietnam.” – from IMDb.

Mrs.Doubtfire – (PG-13, 1993) After his marriage dissolves, a father dresses himself as a woman in order to spend time as a nanny to his own children.  Williams is both funny and warm, and Sally Field is wonderful as his ex-wife. IMDb page

Aladdin – (G, 1992) An animated Disney film, Aladdin tells a tried-and-true “princess” story with mostly stereotyped characters, but Williams steals the show as the big blue Genie. According to The Huffington Post’s  “5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Robin Williams,” Williams improvised much of the role.  He also voices the peddler who introduces the story. IMDb page

Jumani – (PG, 1995)  This live-action children’s adventure/fantasy follows two children who face the disasters released as they play a  magical board game.  Williams joins them in the real world after years spent in a jungle and has to learn to be a adult.  Also features Kirsten Dunst as one of the kids. IMDb page

There are many more of Robin Williams’ movies available in the store.  Search our inventory; tell us your favorites.

Director Miyazaki

Featured Director of the Week: Hayao Miyazaki (1941 - )

This week we’re featuring Japanese  director/writer Hayao Miyazaki. If you think watching an animé film means you’re just going to see simply-drawn kids fighting off fantastic monsters, you’re in for an eye-opener and a treat with his films.  While most of them are appropriate for children (check the ratings!), his films have a level of visual detail and deep subjects that are entertaining for adults.  Although the story lines are sometimes simple, his films often feature subtle commentary on man’s negative effects on nature, and many are unusual in featuring strong female characters.  Miyazaki is a co-founder of Studio Ghibli, and the Walt Disney Company has rights to non-Japan distribution of many of Miyazaki’s films.

New to this director? Try:

Spirited Away – (PG, 2001).  This movie won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002. The film was dubbed into English by Walt Disney Pictures, under the supervision of Pixar's John Lasseter, who raves about Miyazaki in his introduction.   From IMDb: “In the middle of her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and monsters; where humans are changed into animals; and a bathhouse for these creatures.” See IMDb: Spirited Away

My Neighbor Totoro – (G, 1988). Two young girls move with their father to a new house in the countryside to be closer to their hospitalized mother. While exploring, they discover a mysterious forest spirit, Totoro, who can be seen only by children.  Miyazaki’s love of nature comes though in this gentle film that is perfect for children but has wonderful visual delights for adults. See IMDb: My Neighbor Totoro

Trivia: “Reknowned Japanese director Akira Kurosawa included TOTORO in a list of 100 films he considered the best. It was one of the few Japanese films on the list.” From ForMovies.com

Princess Mononoke – (PG-13, 1997).  A young warrior, Ashitaka, is struck by a deadly curse while protecting his village.  On his journey to find a cure, he finds himself drawn into the middle of a war between a mining colony and the forest gods.   (If you have children in your home, note that this is rated PG-13, mainly for violent fights.)  See IMDb: Princess Mononoke.

Already a fan? Try:

Ponyo – (G, 2008) An animated adventure about a five-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become a human - from IMDb 

Howl’s Moving Castle (PG, 2004) When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking home - from IMDb 

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind – (PG, 1984)Warrior/pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet - from IMDb

You can find all these films in VisArt’s Animé section, in the inside section of the cage that has TV shows and Family films on the outside.  Just ask a staff member if you need help finding them, or if you want recommendations for other great movies.

VisArt Video Categories

VisArt Video is a locally owned, independent video store.  We have around 30,000 titles (but who’s counting?) which means that there’s a lot to look at when you come in the store.  To make it easier to find stuff you like, you may find it helps to know more about some of the sections in our store.  Periodically we’ll post information about some gems in a particular section of the store that you might not know about.  Meanwhile, here’s a partial list of some of the sections you’ll find when you come in:

New Releases (We get them around 28 days before they are available to watch on Netflix or Redbox), TV (Including full seasons for lots of popular series), Blu-ray, Criterion, Family and used movies for sale.

There are directors, writers and filmmakers who get their own sections scattered around the store:  Woody Allen, Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee, Coen Brothers, Mel Brooks, Cronenberg, Andy Warhol and Jim Jarmusch, Peter Jackson, Wes Anderson, Les Blank, John Sayles, John Waters, Ed Wood, David Lynch, Hal Hartley, John Cassavetes

And of course, beyond Drama, and Comedy, there are lots of specialized sections:

Film Noir, Suspense, Agatha Christie, Silent Films, Musicals, Cult Rock & Roll, Performance Art, Classics, Abbott & Costello, Three Stooges, Kerry & Dean, Chaplin, Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy

Horror, Classic Horror, Masters of Horror, Tim Burton, Stephen King, Sci-Fi, Mystery Science Theater (MST3K), Stanley Kubrick, Dario Argento, Trona

Shakespeare, Drama, Historical Drama, British & Aussie Drama, British TV, Sherlock Holmes, Hitchcock, Charlie Chan, Polanski, Peter Greenaway, Derek Jarman, Ang Lee, Wim Wenders

Action, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, John Woo, Van Damme, Martial Arts, Super Heroes, Swashbucklers, Westerns, War, James Bond, Sports, Asian, Action, Blaxploitation, Fantasy

Foreign Sections:

Almodovar, Portuguese, Spanish, African, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Polish, Fassbinder, Herzog, Ingmar Bergman, German, Fellini, Italian, French, Truffaut, Malle, Godard, Rohmer, Renoir, Russian, Hungarian, Slavic, Japanese, Miike, Kurosawa, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Misc Foreign, India, Kurdish, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian

Gay/Lesbian, Indie, Cult, Independent Films, Roger Corman, Russ Meyer, Exploitation, Comedy, British & Aussie Comedy, Stand-up, Saturday Night Live

Music, Jazz & blues, Country & folk, Elvis, Beatles, Classic & Alternative Rock

Shirley Temple, Little Rascals, Animation, Anime, Indie Doc, Historical & Political Doc, Travel, Art, Spiritual Documentary, Exercise, Erotica, Documentary, Short Films, The Tube

If you’re in the store and not sure where a certain movie might be, just ask! If you are looking for a particular movie, you can also call the store to see if we have it and ask for it to be held for you.