• Jane Campion – An Angel at My Table (1990)

    1981-1990DramaJane CampionNew ZealandThe Female Gaze

    Synopsis
    Here is the story of a curly-haired little redhead who grew up to be one of New Zealand’s best authors, after enduring ordeals that would have put most people into a madhouse. The irony is that she was already in the madhouse, misdiagnosed as a schizophrenic, and subjected to more than 200 electroshock treatments even though there was nothing really wrong with her except for shyness and depression.Read More »

  • Otto Preminger – In Harm’s Way (1965)

    Drama1961-1970Otto PremingerUSAWar

    Synopsis:

    The attack on Pearl Harbor brings war to the U.S. Navy, and cues the varied destinies of an epic-full of colorful characters. Captain Rockwell Torrey (John Wayne) has the good fortune to be out of port when the raid begins. While Commander Kimmell (Franchot Tone) takes the fall for the loss of the fleet, Torrey hangs on, and with the help of Commander Egan Powell (Burgess Meredith), a screenwriter-turned intelligence man, and friendly nurse Lieutenant Maggie Hayes (Patricia Neal), he weathers the post-Pearl career storm to become one of the key fleet commanders in the South Pacific campaign under Admiral Nimitz (Henry Fonda). Further down the chain of command, Torrey’s trusted aide Commander Paul Eddington (Kirk Douglas) falls apart after the death of his faithless wife (Barbara Bouchet), and proceeds to display erratic behavior, especially his undesired attentions to young nurse Ensign Annalee Dorne (Jill Haworth).Read More »

  • Otto Preminger – The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)

    1951-1960ClassicsOtto PremingerUSAWar

    Synopsis:
    The true story of General Billy Mitchell, a pioneering crusader for the Army’s fledgling air corp. In spite of an impressive performance during the First World War, the commanders of America’s armed forces still think of the airplane as little more then a carnival attraction. Even after sinking an “unsinkable” captured German battleship from the air, Mitchell sees funds dry up and friends die due to poor equipment. He is court-martialed after questioning the loyalty of his superiors for allowing the air corp to deteriorate.Read More »

  • John G. Adolfi – A Successful Calamity (1932)

    1931-1940ClassicsComedyJohn G. AdolfiUSA

    Plot: Henry Wilton is an elderly millionaire saddled with his selfish young second wife Emmy ‘Sweetie’ Wilton and a pair of spoiled grown children (Peggy and Eddie). To test his family’s mettle, Henry pretends to have gone broke. Just as he suspected they would, his children rally to their father’s side and change their ways: Peggy forsakes the fortune hunter George Struthers for the nice young man she’s really in love with, the polo coach Larry Rivers; while Eddie applies for a demanding job and performs admirably. Only Sweetie seems to desert Henry. Written by RobertRead More »

  • Gary Hustwit – Rams [German Version] (2018)

    USA2011-2020DocumentaryGary Hustwit

    Synopsis
    RAMS is filmmaker Gary Hustwit’s new documentary about legendary designer Dieter Rams. For over fifty years, Rams has left an indelible mark on the field of product design with his iconic work at Braun and Vitsoe, and his influence on Apple. So at 86 years old, why does he now regret being a designer? RAMS is a design documentary, but it’s also a rumination on consumerism, materialism, and sustainability. Dieter’s philosophy is about more than just design, it’s about a way to live. The film also features an original score by pioneering musician Brian Eno.Read More »

  • Paul Vecchiali – C’est la vie! AKA That’s Life (1980)

    Drama1971-1980ArthouseFrancePaul Vecchiali

    The world and a life in four walls, and another portrait of a mother – selfish and generous, mercurial and unchanging. C’est la vie! (1980) takes Pagnol and Renoir’s experiments with open-air theatre to inspired and ecstatic conclusions, especially the latter’s love of depth-framing across windows and partitions, and lays the groundwork for Vecchiali’s later experiments with long-take space and time in Once More (1988). Also a pseudo-sequel to Marie-Claude Treilhou’s exquisite Simone Barbès ou la vertu (1980), reaffirming the Diagonale as not just a production model, but a kind of surrogate family, and a creative universe unto this forged community and itself. With Chantal Delsaux, Ingrid Bourgoin, Jean-Christophe Bouvet, and my beloved Hélène Surgère and Michel Delahaye.Read More »

  • Stephen Frears – Prick Up Your Ears (1987)

    Drama1981-1990ArthouseQueer Cinema(s)Stephen FrearsUnited Kingdom

    Quote:
    “Prick Up Your Ears” is the story of Orton and Halliwell and the murder. They say that most murderers are known to their victims. They don’t say that if you knew the victims as well as the murderer did, you might understand more about the murder, but doubtless that is sometimes the case. This movie opens with a brutal, senseless crime. By the time the movie is over, the crime is still brutal, but it is possible to comprehend.Read More »

  • Leo McCarey – Duck Soup [+commentary] (1933)

    1931-1940ClassicsComedyLeo McCareyUSA

    Quote:
    The small state of Freedonia is in a financial mess, borrowing a huge sum of cash from wealthy widow Mrs. Teasdale. She insists on replacing the current president with crazy Rufus T. Firefly and mayhem erupts. To make matters worse, the neighboring state sends inept spies Chicolini and Pinky to obtain top secret information, creating even more chaos.Read More »

  • Michael McCarthy – Mystery Junction (1951)

    1951-1960CrimeDramaMichael McCarthyUnited Kingdom

    Synopsis:
    Larry Gordon, well-known crime writer, is on a train journey when a scream is heard. Upon investigation, the guard had been mugged and a man murdered. Another man is arrested but the full story is yet to be discovered.Read More »

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