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Although only Dreyer’s third film, The Parson’s Widow is an astonishingly mature achievement. Many of the director’s chief characteristics can be recognised, appearing not as blueprints but in their already fully-realised form. To people who only know his more celebrated later works, the most surprising feature of The Parson’s Widow is its humour. Its comedy is in the tradition – as becomes a Swedish production of the time – not only of Mauritz Stiller’s well-known frequentation of the genre, but also of some of Victor Sjöström’s less widely seen or underappreciated masterpieces, such as Hans nåds testamente (His Honor’s Testament, 1919) and Mästerman (1920). All of these films are quiet, poignant comedies of love and ageing, strangely foreshadowing some of Leo McCarey’s 1930s films.Read More »

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Peter High: Your war films seem to fall into two categories – those large, epic productions you did for Toho like Gekido no Showa-shi Okinawa kesen (The Battle of Okinawa, 1971) and the low-budget, personal ones financed by yourself, like Nikudan (The Human Bullet, 1968) and Tokkan (Batle Cry, 1975).Read More »

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A witty and inventive gross-out comedy suggesting a synthesis of John Waters and Terry Gilliam, Martin Walz’s German film adapts Ralf Konig’s graphic comic about killer contraceptives unleashed in a diabolical plot to wipe out New York’s gay population. (Actually the condoms, which eviscerate or castrate their victims, make no distinctions when it comes to sexual orientation.) Luigi Mackeroni (Udo Samel), a gay Sicilian police detective, sets out to track down the source; in the movie’s longest running gag he’s one of the first victims, losing one of his testicles during a hotel tryst. Walz introduces some nice noir shadings (Luigi delivers the ironic voice-overs) and his camera placement is generally smart and revealing–especially in the thoroughly weird shots from the point of view of the condoms. Unfortunately, though, he can’t sustain the wonderful energy throughout the film. Killer Condom certainly isn’t for all tastes–at times it wasn’t for mine–but it’s impossible to walk away indifferent.Read More »

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Army of Lovers or Revolt of the Perverts (German: Armee der Liebenden oder Aufstand der Perversen) is a 1979 German documentary film directed by Rosa von Praunheim. The film, mainly shot in San Francisco, chronicles the rise of gay activism in the United States between 1972 and 1978 in the aftermath of the Stonewall riots and before the arrival of the AIDS epidemic. It explores, among other themes, the initial unity formed post-Stonewall era, splintered into numerous factions. The American gay liberation movement, strengthened by the assault of the Anita Bryant-led anti-gay initiatives, appears foundering into polarization and self-interest groups in an increasingly fractured leadership. The film discusses whether overt sexual expression and promiscuity were helping or hurting the cause of gay rights.Read More »

The film is about a project from Christopher Kirkleys called “Sahel Sounds”. He owns an independent label and travels through the Sahel area in Africa, to find musician with an unique sound. The music he uses for his vinyl publication is often in low audio quality but authentic. The plot shows the whole process, from negotiating a fair deal with musician to producing the vinyl. He also organizes European tours, in the movie he is on a trip with Mamman Sani and Mdou Moctar, two musician who were found by Kirkleys in Niger.Read More »

Scripted (but not directed) by Ingmar Bergman, Best Intentions is a multilayered backwards glance at the courtship of Bergman’s own parents. Henrik Bergman (Samuel Froler) is a struggling theology student in the year 1909. His intended, Anna Aakerbloom (Pernilla August, who married director Bille August while the film was in progress) is from a well-to-do family. Despite the expected class differences and personality clashes, love-or at least mutual understanding-prevails. But after a harsh, spare few years as the wife of a clergyman, Anna yearns for the more bountiful pleasures of her family home. Bergman writes himself into the proceedings as a mewling infant. The current three-hour theatrical version of Best Intentions (original title: Den Goda Viljan) was simultaneously prepared as a six-hour TV miniseries, which ran in Europe, Scandanavia, and Japan.Read More »

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In a murder trial, the defendant says he suffered temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife. What is the truth, and will he win his case?Read More »

Veteran director Juzo Itami who — shot to fame with his sharply satirical Ososhiki and Tampopo — turns to decidedly sweeter fare in this melodrama about the life of a mentally handicapped young man and his devoted sister after their famous novelist father and housewife mother go to Australia on a business trip. Adapted from the novel by Nobel Laureate and brother-in-law to Itami, Kenzaburo Oe, the film centers on Iyo (Atsuro Watabe) — a brain damaged lad who is a gifted musician — and his artist sister Ma-chan (Hinako Saeki), who slowly learn about the darker, more complicated life outside their idyllic home. One catalyst in this transition is Arai-kun (Masayuki Imai) who at first seems like not only the perfect swim instructor for Iyo — he’s kind and patient — but also the perfect boyfriend for Ma-chan. Unfortunately, Arai-kun has a darker side, which comes out in unfortunate ways. Itami’s wife, Nobuko Miyamoto, also appears. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie GuideRead More »

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Like fellow Dutchmen Paul Verhoeven and Jan De Bont, Rene Daalder was drafted by Hollywood to make genre films, though his inclinations ran a little artier. Daalder achieved some cult success with the 1976 drive-in classic Massacre At Central High; then Russ Meyer asked him to work on the star-crossed Sex Pistols movie Who Killed Bambi? Newly infatuated with punk rock, Daalder struck up a friendship with Tomata Du Plenty, leader of the theatrical L.A. synth-punk act The Screamers. Throughout the first half of the ’80s, Daalder and Du Plenty tried and failed to get multiple music-video projects off the ground, until in 1986, they finally released Population: 1, a quasi-science-fiction art-punk musical cobbled together from pieces of footage Daalder shot with Du Plenty over the years, cleverly layered with the help of state-of-the-art image-manipulation effects.Read More »