What better way to bring in the new year than with The Films Of Michael Powell, a glorious two-disc DVD of films by the great Michael Powell? Powell, with Emeric Pressburger, were responsible for such memorable films as Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes and Tales Of Hoffman and directed one of my personal favorites, A Matter Of Life And Death (1946), which was released in America as Stairway To Heaven, and appears on the first disc. It’s about a World War II pilot (David Niven) who cheats death during a plane crash and falls in love with a young woman (Kim Hunter) causing a trial in heaven on his behalf. The heavenly scenes are in black and white and the earthbound scenes are stunning color. #8220;One is starved for Technicolor up there” an angel-like emissary says about heaven. It’s a delightful, romantic fantasy film. The other disc is Age Of Consent, Michael Powell’s last film made in 1969, starring James Mason as a famous painter who travels “down under” to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for inspiration and meets a lovely free-spirited girl (played by a very young, frequently nude Helen Mirren). It’s a curious film, beautifully shot, and Mirren is just stunning in it. Martin Scorsese, a big Powell fan, introduces both films.

1. The surviving members of the Grateful Dead have re-grouped for a 19-city tour that starts on April 12 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

2. Drugstore chain Duane Reade has a new logo that looks like that of Robbin's Entertainment, Radio Shack and several others that include the letter "R."

3. Massachusetts has decriminalized marijuana possession -- up to one ounce -- as of January 2. A referendum that passed in November now mandates a $100 fine and forfeiture of the pot.

4. Glasvegas are appearing tonight (January 5) for free at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square at 9 p.m.

5. The Kodak Zx1 high def camcorder is coming in April for $149.95. Check it out here.

6. There's a new party called Coldsweat on the first and last Wednesday of each month at Happy Ending (302 Broome Street) with DJs James Friedman, Dirty Jeenius and Dances With White Girls. (via Formatmag)

We asked a random handful of our favorite people to tell us about their best reads of 2008 and got a cool, eclectic and smart bunch of new and old book titles to both check out and rediscover.

Ryan Kwanten, Actor (HBO’s True Blood)
I read a lot, but hands down, my favorite book I read this year was To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. Most Americans read this book in their youth, but growing up in Australia we had our own iconic novels that were part of the school curriculum. For me, it was such a look into the America of yesteryear -- the racism, the sexism and what it meant to grow up in the South. It is the kind of book that creeps up on you and before you know it has surrounded you, and gives you no choice but to take it in. You can't help but be affected by it, it stays with you and that for me is the true beauty of any art form.

Aaron Rose, artist and filmmaker (Beautiful Losers)
The Spiritual Journey of Alejandro Jodorowsky by Alejandro Jodorowsky reminded me that without some sort of deep spiritual basis for everything I create, there is a huge risk of becoming nothing more than a clever aesthetician. Witty concepts and the ability to create pretty things is fine -- but the true joy and enrichment in being an artist lies in your ability to heal yourself through your work (and as a byproduct, healing other people). I read this book as I traveled through Europe for a month this summer and returned a changed man.

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Storefront on Grand Avenue

You know those friends whose bedrooms are chock full of cool clothes and quirky stuff you love to root through? Franny & Roey are those gals, and the new Williamsburg shop (bearing their nicknames, and a play on J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey) is that boudoir. Their 300-square-foot vintage store is styled like a bedroom straight outta 1968, with old dressers, shelves, and armoires packed with clothes that are not only fun to peruse but available to purchase.

Right now Franny & Roey has plenty of winter wear to rummage, with second-hand sweaters, hats, scarves, wovens and knits for both women and men. There’s an entire cabinet of coats, ranging from a trusty London Fog trench to a chic black velvet cropped blazer by Givenchy. There’s no shortage of accessories, either. Vintage shoes, bags, pillbox hats, and jewelry are mixed with a few up-and-coming labels like Mela hair products (very cool headbands, pictured above) and Doll & Dame apparel.

Not all of the wares are in perfect condition, but we’re not the precious type, so what does it matter? Franny & Roey have made shopping fun again. After you're done browsing the racks, grab Black Beauty from the nightstand and lounge on a retro twin bed or check out their selection of rare records. Everything from kitsch to couture is for sale here, making Franny & Roey a welcome newcomer to the Williamsburg vintage scene.

Franny & Roey
252 Grand Ave., Williamsburg
www.frannyandroey.com
No phone yet

Other South Williamsburg vintage suggestions:
The venerable Sweet Virginia and Horizons

YOU'RE WELCOME AMERICA: A FINAL NIGHT WITH GEORGE W. BUSH
In Will Ferrell’s one-man show, directed by Ferrell's long-time collaborator Adam McKay (Step-Brothers, Talladega Nights, Anchorman), Ferrell poses as the unrepentant, soon-to-be-ex prez. This, Ferrell's Broadway debut, promises to be a cleansing of the national palate, after eight years of bad taste. Word from the West Coast, where the show was recently performed in un-advertised run-throughs, is that Ferrell is brilliant, hilarious and unrestrained. Previews begin on the day Obama is inaugurated.
Cort Theatre, 138 W. 48th St., (212) 239-6200. Previews Jan. 20, opens Feb. 5 – March 15.

UNDER THE RADAR
This is the fifth year of the Mark-Russell-curated festival of new, alternative shows from around the world. Featuring plays, dance, cabaret and performance art pieces, Under the Radar celebrates the experimental and a hope for theater and performance of the future. First Love is an early novella by Samuel Beckett, that the Gare St. Lazare Players from Ireland turn into a play with a black humor brogue. Sight, the sense that dying people tend to lose first, is a monologue written and directed by Tim Etchells, that gives one an opportunity to spend an hour with downtown’s finest actor, Jim Fletcher.
The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., (212) 967-7555, Jan. 7-18. All shows at the Public are $15, and there are a number of other shows at partnering venues, like The Chelsea Art Museum, HERE and Webster Hall. Go to www.publictheater.org for a complete sked.

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It's no secret that newspapers are in trouble. This condition has been worsening and becoming critical now that the economic crisis has gone from bad to worse. In an earlier post, I suggested that we support businesses that share our values whether local or global. With money is short supply, we must spend our dollars wisely.

So why not buy a newspaper today! Take the New York Times, for example. Where else could you get such value for $1.50? Not to mention that it has been doing an amazing job covering the economy with daily stories explaining the arcane workings of the financial system and how integral it has become to our daily lives. If there's a war in the Middle East, the Times is there! One can always quibble about its coverage of this or that, but hands down it is delivering the goods on a daily basis about all sorts of things we would never know anything about if it weren't for them. Sure, you can read the online version and cobble together the news of what you need to know from the numerous sources available on the Internet, but the print version allows you to pop in and out of stories and to discover things you would otherwise know very little about.

But that's not the point. Even if you don't care about what's going on in Outer Mongolia and who ends up being the coach of the New York Jets football team, supporting your newspaper of choice has become a civic duty. We need the Times and the Times needs us to come through for them. Lets get on the bailout bandwagon. For years, the Times has been running a series where they call attention to worthy people in need of help called "Help the Neediest." Well, now it's our turn!