Synopsis
The sights and sounds of industrial Nottingham resonate with a grimy thud as Arthur Seaton works his tedious factory job. Through ale, women and practical jokes, he vents his frustrations against the “establishments” of work and marriage… until his reckless ways lead him to a night that changes his life. Forced to reevaluate his convictions, Arthur must decide exactly what he stands for.Read More »
Drama
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Karel Reisz – Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)
1951-1960DramaKarel ReiszUnited Kingdom -
Serge Roullet – Le Mur aka The Wall (1967)
Drama1961-1970FranceSerge Roullet

A cult movie with the affluent lesson learned of the teacher Robert Bresson. Dialogues by Jean Paul Sartre. A masterpiece.Plot
Spain at the beginning of the civil war. Three men are stopped by the pro-Franco ones and put in cell, after being condemned to be shot at dawn. Begin their last night then…Read More » -
Allan Dwan – Man to Man (1930)
1921-1930Allan DwanDramaUSA
Plot: Man to Man refers to the relationship between father John Bolton (Grant Mitchell) and son Michael (Phillips Holmes) — or least, to the relationship as it should be. After serving a prison sentence for homicide (established by the screenwriters as justifiable), John starts life anew as a small-town barber. When Michael learns the truth about John’s past, it causes a rift in the relationship between the two men. But when Michael is accused of embezzlement, John gallantly shoulders the blame, even though he believes his son to be guilty — while Michael, convinced that his dad stole the money, refuses to recant his confession. Only after the true culprit is exposed are father and son tearfully reunited. Dwight Frye does his patented “Renfield” overacting in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideRead More »
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Stanley Kubrick – Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Drama1991-2000Stanley KubrickThrillerUSAAfter his wife, Alice, tells him about her sexual fantasies, William Harford sets out for a night of sexual adventure. After several less than successful encounters, he meets an old friend, Nick Nightingale – now a musician – who tells him of strange sex parties when he is required to play the piano blindfolded. All the men at the party are costumed and wear masks while the women are all young and beautiful. Harford manages to find an appropriate costume and heads out to the party. Once there, however, he is warned by someone who recognizes him, despite the mask, that he is in great danger. He manages to extricate himself but the threats prove to be quite real and sinister.Read More »
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Jorge Polaco – Kindergarten (1989)
1981-1990ArgentinaDramaJorge Polaco
Review:
Arturo’s (Arturo Puig) world is peopled by the living and the dead, as well as other figures who can only derive from his overheated imagination. Meanwhile, he is attempting to revive his flagging marriage to Graciela (Graciela Borges) while coping with the demands of his mistress who persistently applies weird colored dyes to her pubic hair. Throughout the movie, no matter what the scene, the action is interrupted by the mugging of a popcorn salesman (Alejandro Urdapilleta) who appears for no discernible reason. This movie was banned by Argentine authorities for its (relatively brief) nudity and depiction of sexual encounters. – Clarke Fountain, All Movie GuideRead More » -
Nacer Khemir – Bab’Aziz (2005)
Drama2001-2010African CinemaFantasyNacer KhemirTunisia

Bab’Aziz, AKA The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul, is the story of a blind dervish named Bab’Aziz and his spirited granddaughter, Ishtar. Together they wander the desert in search of a great reunion of dervishes that takes place just once every thirty years. With faith as their only guide, the two journey for days through the expansive, barren landscape. To keep Ishtar entertained, Bab’Aziz relays the ancient tale of a prince who relinquished his realm in order to remain next to a small pool in the desert, staring into its depths while contemplating his soul. As the tale of the prince unfolds, the two encounter other travelers with stories of their own, including Osman, who longs for the beautiful woman he met at the bottom of a well, and Zaid, who searches for the ravishing young woman who fled from him after being seduced by his songs. A fairytale-like story of longing and belonging, filmed in the enchanting and ever-shifting sandscapes of Tunisia and Iran.Read More »
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Daniele Luchetti – La nostra vita AKA Our Life (2010)
2001-2010Daniele LuchettiDramaItalyClaudio is a blue-collar builder, almost blissfully happy with his ordinary family life, with his wife and two children. Then, tragedy strikes and Claudio sets off on an obsessive quest to become rich and successful by taking on an almost impossible-to-complete contract to construct an apartment block in record time. Claudio uses all his own, his friend’s and his family’s resources to try and succeed, while in fact coming closer and closer to disaster and ruin. Anchored by an intense and very impressive performance by Elio Germano (Romanze Criminale, Quo Vadis Baby) as Claudio, Our Life is a gritty, yet warm and human story.Read More »
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Claude Chabrol – Les fantômes du chapelier AKA The Hatter’s Ghost (1982)
Drama1981-1990Claude ChabrolCrimeFrance
synopsis
In this murder mystery, a homicidal maniac goes on a killing spree beginning with his wife. He then kills six of her friends and is preparing to murder a seventh when the intended victim dies naturally. As a substitute, he murders his favorite hooker, leading the police right to him.Read More » -
Yasuzo Masumura – Ongaku aka The Music (1972)
1971-1980DramaJapanYasuzô MasumuraMasumura has been one of the most intersting directors for many of us Japanese cinema buffs. His “Blind Beasts” is a real classic and a disturbing film, almost an archetype of movies dealing with dark sexual passions, abductions and growing affection to an abuser.
Masumura’s much less known film “The Music” also deals with dark passions, but from a more pathological point of view. Our main character is Reiko, who has problems enjoying sex with her lover and who is also not able to hear music when it’s played on the radio. A psychiatrists tries to cure her and finds out a lot about her past. Reiko’s passions, fears and experiences are presented in drastic, exciting pictures and metaphors (a big, scary pair of scissors appears again and again ready to cut off legs and maybe other important part from the body titles), combined with a very haunting score. The characters act wild and breathless, you can almost smell their feelings.
Even more interesting: The film is based on a novel by the famous writer Mishima Yukio, who wrote a lot of exciting books but who is also well known for his ritual act of public suicide in 1970 – 40 years ago.———–
Totorochi<Read More »



