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Comedy

Tora-San

Image of Tora-San: Collector's Set 1
(1969)
Director: Yoji Yamada
Starring: Kiyoshi Atsumi
Rating: Unrated
Description: 
Beginning with its theatrical premiere in 1969, the 48-film Tora-san series (aka "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo," lit. "It's tough being a man") stands as a legendary symbol of Japan. Featuring Kiyoshi Atsumi as the beloved loser in the title role, each film has garnered tremendous critical praise worldwide, hailed by critics for its clever scripts, endearing protagonist, and thoughtful look into post-war Japanese culture. Includes: Tora-San, Our Lovable Tramp; Tora-San's Cherished Mother; Tora-San, His Tender Love; and Tora-San's Grand Scheme.
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160115AvailableDVD

The Double Life

Description: 
Touted as the first film about mental disorders in China, The Double Life is also the first comedy for actress Zhang Jingchu. However, that doesn't diminish the difficulty of Zhang's role, a glamorous model who finds herself suffering from depression. Attracting even more attention is the presence of infamous internet figure Sister Lotus - or Furong Jiejie - who makes her film acting debut here. Directed by Sixth Generation director Ning Ying, The Double Life is a mishmash of genres ranging from thriller to dark comedy, taking the viewers on an entertaining ride while also addressing mental health and other serious social issues in Chinese society today. Lei (Daniel Chan) runs a shop with his wife (Zhang Jingchu), who develops depression when she fears Lei will return to his ex-wife. After she is released from a stay in the mental hospital, she collaborates with her ex-husband to send Lei into the mental hospital as revenge. With everyone convinced that he's crazy, Lei meets a professor pretending to be a patient in the hospital and works to fight his way out. This Edition comes with trailers and stage event.
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120148AvailableDVD

Drugstore Girl

Description: 
Motoki Katsuhide’s “Drugstore Girl” is a light, cute, and often pathetic comedic story of a beautiful young pharmacology student who turns a group of middle-aged men into raving, lecherous gits whilst starting a new life in a new town. Obayashi Keiko (Tanaka Rena) finds her live-in boyfriend cheating on her and subsequently bolts her apartment in Shinjuku, boarding the JR and basically disembarking at a random station. She ends up in the town of Masao on the outskirts of Tokyo-to and there she begins a new life (except for the fact that she has her pharmacology classes back in the city). Whimsically letting things fall into place, she lands a job at “Hustle Drug”, a new Wal-Mart sort of super store which threatens to put the local mom & pop merchants out of business. A group of middle-aged men - consisting of three of the local merchants (druggist, baker and kombini owner), a monk and Keaton-esquire homeless man - initially plan to sabotage the grand opening of Hustle Drug, but one sight of the lovely Obayashi and the old boys quickly forget about their economic agenda. When their leader Nabeshima (Emoto Akira) discovers that Obayashi plays lacrosse, the old boys set out to learn this strange new sport, complete with fishing nets and protective gear made from cardboard boxes and bamboo.
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160125AvailableDVD

The Taste of Tea

Image of The Taste of Tea (Limited Edition)
(2003)
Director: n/a
Starring: The Taste of Tea
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Description: 
Meet the Harunos, a rather unconventional, but happy and loving family nonetheless. They live in a small town in the mountains just out of Tokyo where life is good and quiet - but that doesn't mean they don't have their own little problems. Eight-year old Sachiko is bothered at inopportune moments by her own giant-sized double, who hangs around sitting on buildings staring at her, while her older brother Hajime privately wrestles with raging hormones and a love-struck crush on a pretty new classmate. The grown-ups have their difficulties too: the mother struggles to come out of retirement as an animator, and the father is a professional hypnotist who occasionally plies his trade on his own family with often funny results. An uncle drops in for a visit, but he also has a hidden agenda as he comes to terms with a romance that ended years ago.
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160118AvailableDVD

72 Tenants of Prosperity

Image of 72 Tenants of Prosperity
(2010)
Director:
Starring: Eric Tsang
Rating: Unrated
Description: 
Kung (Eric Tsang) and Kin's (Jacky Cheung) rivalry goes way back to the seventies when they fought over the same girl, who eventually became Kung's wife (Anita Yuen). Now they run competing phone stores right across from each other on Mongkok's busiest street, and stretch their minds trying to outdo each other with crazy promotions. There's absolutely no mixing with the enemy in these parts - until Kung and Kin's kids fall for each other! Further chaos breaks out when the landlord triples the rent of all the shop owners to force them out for redevelopment.
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120140AvailableDVD

Just Another Pandora's Box

Image of Just Another Pandora's Box
(2010)
Director: Jeffrey Lau
Starring: Ronald Cheng
Rating: Unrated
Description: 
Qing Ye Se (Ronald Cheng) only knows how to be a thief, but he runs into major trouble when he accidentally steals the heart of Rose (Sun Li), an immortal fairy. During a chaotic chase, Qing gets ahold of the Pandora's Box, sending them both back in time to the Three Kingdoms era. Mistaken as a general, Qing is thrown right into the middle of the Battle of Red Cliff. Meanwhile, Rose continues to devise new ways to earn Qing's affection, even if it means having to be someone else.
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120137AvailableDVD

Go Lala Go

Description: 
Xu Jinglei plays the titular Du Lala, a woman in her late twenties who finally manages to land a job as a lowly secretary in the sales department of a prestigious international firm. Hard working, dedicated, and overflowing with ideas and energy, she quickly catches the eye of her superiors, in particular that of sales director Huang Wei (Taiwanese popstar Stanley Huang). Lala’s efforts pay off as she rises quickly up the corporate ladder, and even manages to win the notoriously tough and grumpy man’s heart in the process. Unfortunately, there are still a number of obstacles in her way, both on the job and off, as Huang Wei’s ex (Karen Mok, “Tempting Heart”), who just happens to be another company director, looks to make trouble for her new love rival.
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120127AvailableDVD

Shall We Dance?

Image of Shall We Dance?
(1997)
Director: Masayuki Suo
Starring: Yu Tokui, Eri Watanabe, Naoto Takenaka, Tamiyo Kusakari, Kôji Yakusho
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Description: 
Here's the irresistable comedy treat that had critics and audiences cheering all across America…and inspired the new Hollywood hit starring Richard Gere (Chicago), Jennifer Lopez (Maid In Manhattan) and Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking)! A middle-aged workaholic's incredibly dull life takes a funny turn when he signs up for a ballroom dance class - just to meet the sexy dance teacher. But when he finally muscles up the nerve for lessons, he winds up with a different instructor and her colorfully eccentric class of beginners! And now he'll have to step lightly - and do some fancy footwork - if he expects to keep his new secret passion from his family and friends! You'll love every moment of this crowd-pleasing motion picture!
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160103AvailableDVD

Traffic Jam (Jutai)

Description: 
On the New Year's Holiday, a classic modern "salaried man" decides to take his family to visit his parents on an island about 300 miles from Tokyo. To save on expenses, they travel by car. The normally eight hour trip goes awry when they become trapped in Japan's famous gridlock. The return to the island home becomes a modern day Odyssey, Japanese style. Through a series of misadventures, they finally arrive but with only hours to spare before having to head home and face the "Traffic Jam" once again.
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160060AvailableVHS

A Taxing Woman's Return

Image of A Taxing Woman's Return [VHS]
Manufacturer: New Yorker Video
Price: $29.95
Description: 
Juzo Itami's rousing follow-up to his 1987 hit "A Taxing Woman." Nobuko Miyamoto, who also happens to be the director's wife, again stars as the tenacious tax inspector investigating a corrupt fundamentalist religious order.
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160056AvailableVHS