Drama

  • Carlo Lizzani – L’amante di Gramigna AKA The Bandit (1969)

    1961-1970Carlo LizzaniDramaItaly

    Sinopsis

    Gramigna and his father are robbed of their field by Baron Nardò. The Baron let the field to Assunta and Gemma that is secretly beloved of Gramigna. Gemma succeeded to escape with Gramigna the day of her marriage with Ramarro. Love, violence, murder, revenge will follow all the protagonists till the desperate end of their existences.
    – Written by 1felcoRead More »

  • Jack Conway – The Unholy Three (1930)

    1921-1930CrimeDramaJack ConwayUSA

    In his last film – and only Talkie – Lon Chaney recreates one of his famed Silent roles: the scheming ventriloquist Prof. Echo. Disguised as Grandma O’Grady, Echo heads a robbery ring that includes a feeble-minded strongman and a cigar-chomping little person, the latter masquerading as Grandma’s grandbaby. Known as the Man of a Thousand Faces, Chaney here displays a different kind of virtuosity as well, creating five different voices to portray Echo, Grandma, a parrot, a girl and Echo’s dummy. A big hit directed by Jack Conway, The Unholy Three promised to launch Chaney as a major Sound Era star. He was slated to play the title role in Tod Browning’s Dracula, but it was not to be. Chaney died only weeks after The Unholy Three premiered.Read More »

  • Tatsumi Kumashiro – Kurobara shôten AKA Black Rose Ascension (1975)

    1971-1980DramaEroticaJapanTatsumi Kumashiro

    Quote:
    This self-reflexive pinku eiga film may be to Nikkatsu softcore what Boogie Nights was to American hardcore. Shin Kishida stars as Juzo, a self-important pinku eiga director clearly modeled on Nagisa Oshima. Production is halted on his new film when lead actress Meiko is too obviously pregnant to film sex scenes. Looking for a replacement, he comes across the ubiquitous Naomi Tani, starring here in one of the rare roles which doesn’t require her to be bound with rope. Everything goes well until Tani starts a sex scene with Hajime Tanimoto, who got Meiko pregnant. Juzo realizes that he’s in love with his new starlet, so he cancels the film, marries Tani, and lives happily ever after.Read More »

  • W.S. Van Dyke & George Cukor – Manhattan Melodrama (1934)

    Drama1931-1940CrimeGeorge CukorUSAW.S. Van Dyke

    Orphans Edward “Blackie” Gallagher and Jim Wade are lifelong friends who take different paths in life. Blackie thrives on gambling and grows up to be a hard-nosed racketeer. Bookworm Wade becomes a D.A. vying for the Governorship. When Blackie’s girlfriend Eleanor leaves him and marries the more down to earth Wade, Blackie harbors no resentment. In fact, their friendship is so strong that Blackie murders an attorney threatening to derail Wade’s bid to become Governor. The morally straight Wade’s last job as D.A. is to convict his friend of the murder, and send him to the electric chair. After he becomes Governor, Wade has the authority to commute Blackie’s death sentence– a decision that pits his high moral ethics against a lifelong friendship.Read More »

  • David Hemmings – Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo AKA Just a Gigolo (1978)

    1971-1980CampDavid HemmingsDramaGermany

    Synopsis:
    ‘After the First World War a young shell-shocked Prussian officer returns to Berlin. He finds that the life he knew there has vanished for ever; he cannot adjust to the new times. He drifts along without direction until finally he becomes a gigolo employed by Baroness von Semering.’
    – BFIRead More »

  • Michèle Rosier – Embrasse-moi AKA Hug Me (1989)

    1981-1990ArthouseDramaFranceMichèle RosierThe Female Gaze

    Quote:
    This French drama explores the desolation felt by a young girl whose divorced concert pianist mother and businessman father are too self-absorbed to give her any attention. Louise (Sophie Rochut) stoically attempts to carry on, despite the disregard of those around her. Her stoicism is shattered by a few moments of incidental friendliness from a journalist. She runs away to find him, despite not even knowing his name or address. She returns home, unsuccessful, and throws herself in the river. This suicide attempt momentarily brings mother and daughter together, but we are left with little hope that things will really be better in the long run. Writer/director Michele Rosier tells this sad story with a minimum of melodramatics, which makes it even more effective.Read More »

  • Jeanne Leblanc – Les nôtres AKA Our Own (2020)

    2011-2020CanadaDramaJeanne Leblanc

    When faced with life’s challenges, Ste-Adeline’s community has always stuck together. But this time, a scandal sends shockwaves through the quiet little town’s very foundation, testing its inhabitants. At the center of the storm is Magalie, a teenager with a girlish pout; Manuel, the foster child of the beloved mayor; and Isabelle and Chantale, the powerless yet protective mothers. In Ste-Adeline, appearances are deceptive. And the town’s carefully maintained social veneer will come to crack, slowly revealing the true nature of its residents.Read More »

  • Ilya Khrzhanovskiy & Jekaterina Oertel – DAU. Katya Tanya (2020)

    2011-2020DramaIlya KhrzhanovskiyJekaterina OertelRussia

    Katya, a young librarian, believes in love, but her ideals are crushed by reality. After a string of disappointing affairs, Katya finally finds tenderness and understanding in the arms of her colleague, a journalist called Tanya. But then the First Department interferes: the state security services see this relationship as unacceptable for a Soviet woman.Read More »

  • Kiril Cenevski – Crno seme AKA Black Seed (1971)

    1971-1980DramaKiril CenevskiWarYugoslaviaYugoslavian Cinema under Tito

    This movie made from a wonderful book with the same name(Black Seed)give us a look of how were treated the Macedonian prisoners in the Greek Civil War after the World War 2.it is beautiful because it is so real,and the public could feel the exodus of those people.the director himself didn’t want to include a music in the film so the only sound that we could hear in all of in is rolling of the stones.the film won the Grand Prix at Pula Festival in Croatia and the director was named as one of the young directors who could give a great hope to the Macedonian and Europe Cinematography,but he only made four movies.For the end I would like to mention all the roles in the movies(especially the main one)are marvelous and some of them have been awarded at different Film Festivals.Read More »

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