1971-1980

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Using interviews and other footage shot especially for this documentary, French director Claude Lanzmann investigates the state of Israel in 1972. This movie concentrates on Israelis going about their business of everyday living. One interview shows the reactions of a concentration camp survivor, now a police chief, to being called a “Nazi” by demonstrators. Another segment follows the experiences of a Russian Jewish immigrant, beginning with his first visit to the Wailing Wall and continuing to his disturbing perception that he is welcomed more by virtue of his being Russian than for the fact that he is Jewish.Read More »

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“If an established film director such as Monsieur Benazeraf tries his hands at pornography, one should expect a superior example of the genre. Sadly, this picture does not live up to this expectation. Apparently shot in two versions, the porn version is a complete mess, with dreadful continuity errors: quite clearly, someone did not give a toss. The cast of unknowns fails to capture the screen, especially the dull-as-dishwater males.”Read More »

Review from clydefro.com
I wasn’t sufficiently acquainted with Kon Ichikawa’s work (and, truthfully, I’m still not), but the entire tone of his relatively obscure I Am a Cat caught me somewhat by surprise. I’d loved Ichikawa’s Fires on the Plain, a deeply and darkly humorous look at the ridiculousness of war played against that looming seriousness that’s always prevalent in those kind of films. I was then ready for some kind of Japanese incarnation of Harry and Tonto. That’s really not what I got, though. I Am a Cat is definitely steeped in comic undertones, with Tatsuya Nakadai almost parodying himself, but it’s absolutely far removed from Harry and Tonto. Instead, we’re left with some odd tribute to Nakadai’s eternally grumpy protagonist and the stray cat who’s his only true confidante.Read More »

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The movie goes back to the beginning of the century. After the death of his unfaithful wife Heghnar, Master Mkrtich builds an unusual spring in her honour. Its water stops flowing as soon as a stranger approaches it. Only Mkrtich, her husband, can drink water from the spring.Read More »

In 1835, the San Cristobal Island located somewhere in the British West Indies is ruled by sadistic beauty, Lady Susan Walker, who forces the local men to join the black slaves on her sugar cane plantation and either work or die. She’s always dressed in black and never lets go of her whip, the black snake. Her latest husband has gone missing making her a real black widow. Her right hand man, impotent, racist and violent Joxer Tierney, is in command of the slaves and he makes sure that they hate him even more than they do her. Young slave Joshua plans a revolt, but his religious father Isaiah is terrified of what might happen if the revolt fails. Sir Charles Walker, the brother of Susan’s late husband, goes undercover as Ronald Sopwith to investigate what really happened to his brother. She hires him as the plantation accountant, gives him a black sex slave named Cleone and eventually tries to seduce him. Her sadistic gay assistant may no more about Charles’ brother’s fate.Read More »

Nazisploitation porn film (an interesting combo) about a Paris bordello where willing women pleasure high-ranking members of the SS for cash. High productions values make this a classier affair than it has any right to be. Sets and costumes are impressive and definitely add to the enjoyment of the film. There are even a few period vehicles on display. The hardcore scenes are in limited supply and of varying quality. The first FFM sex scene is the highlight of the bunch. Some lesbian scenes try to spice up the second half of the film but the action is strictly softcore and bland. Thankfully, the lovely Brigitte Lahaie is on hand to add significant eye candy throughout (here still a brunette, a few years before her trademark blonde look). Exploitive elements are kept to a minimum but include some sexual bondage and a scene where one of the prostitutes thoroughly washes her vagina after sex with a commander. There’s also a gunshot suicide and a scene where one of the women is accused of spying on the Nazis and is tortured with live wires after being stripped and bound. Definitely not a film for everyone, but those familiar with daring 70’s porn films should know what to expect.Read More »

An Italian adaptation of The Sea Gull by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.
A young writer is trapped between his awful actress mother (Laura Betti) and the knowledge that he has only a mediocre talent as a playwright and almost no force of character. After the young man in this story suffers the loss of his mistress to his self-satisfied novelist stepfather, his self-respect is so shattered that he commits suicide.Read More »

In 1958 Angelo, a rich and spoiled boy, enters a religious school, where students are tired of its vice-rector, and the strict rules and old-fashioned teaching methods of priests. Soon, Angelo exerts strong leadership among his peers and incites turmoil among them, helped by intellectual Franco and shy Camma. They expel the prefect from the school, organize a Grand Guignol show, and disappear the corpse of an old professor.Read More »

Various stories intertwine within the walls of a popular Parisian brothel on the eve of the First World War.Read More »