• Preston Sturges – The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944)

    1941-1950ClassicsComedyPreston SturgesScrewball ComedyUSA

    Plot:
    One of Paramount’s funniest films of the forties is this Preston Sturges screwball classic staring Betty Hutton (The Greatest Show on Earth) and Eddie Bracken (Hail the Conquering Hero.) Hutton is Trudy Kockenlocker, a small-town gal who feels it is her patriotic duty to dance the night away with soldiers who are headed oversees.Read More »

  • Malgorzata Szumowska – Twarz (2018)

    2011-2020ComedyDramaMalgorzata SzumowskaPoland

    Jacek loves heavy metal, his girlfriend and his dog. His family, his small hometown, his fellow parishioners all see him as an amusing freak. Jacek works at the construction site of what it is supposed to become the tallest statue of Jesus in the world. When a severe accident disfigures him completely, all eyes turn to him as he undergoes the first facial transplant in the country.Read More »

  • Various – Lian hua jiao xiang qu AKA Symphony of Lianhua (1937)

    1931-1940AsianChinaVarious

    “The Lianhua Film Company became the leading progressive studio of the 1930s. Symphony of Lianhua 1937 is a rarely seen showcase of short films by eight directors, many of whom later worked in Hong Kong. Cai Chusheng’s Five Little Brothers is an early cinematic exploration of children’s lives and Zhu Shilin’s contribution is one of the first Chinese horror films. Other films range from comedy to social realism.Read More »

  • Kaizo Hayashi – Wana AKA The Trap [+Extras] (1996)

    Drama1991-2000Film NoirJapanKaizo Hayashi

    Quote:
    The 3 Part of the Maiku Hama Triology is the best and probably darkest of all the films. In fact, this episode is more of a horror-like thriller reminiscent of a Takashi Miike film. “The Trap,” which is the final film of the trilogy was preceded by the more semi-comical episodes of “The Most Terrible Time In My Life,” and then followed by “Stairway To The Distant Past,” and finally concluding with this film, “The Trap.” In the previous episodes of the trilogy, Maiku Hama (Masatoshi Nagase) is not the aloof private detective he was originally portrayed as; but a much more intelligent and calm detective.Read More »

  • Akira Kurosawa – Nora inu AKA Stray Dog (1949)

    1941-1950Akira KurosawaAsianFilm NoirJapan

    Quote:
    Stray Dog is an intense criminal story that examines the psychology of the characters as in compares the similarities between criminals and detectives. These similarities are balanced on a thin line based on choice, which Kurosawa dissects studiously through the camera lens. Kurosawa’s investigation of the character’s psychology creates a spiraling suspense that is enhanced through subtle surprises and brilliant cinematography. The camera use often displays shots through thin cloths, close ups, and new camera angles, which also makes the film aesthetically appealing. When Kurosawa brings together camera work and cast performance, among other cinematic aspects, he leaves the audience with a brilliantly suspenseful criminal drama, which leaves much room for introspection and retrospection.Read More »

  • Henri Verneuil – Un singe en hiver AKA A Monkey in Winter (1962)

    Drama1961-1970ComedyFranceHenri Verneuil

    Synopsis:
    A young man, Gabriel Fouquet, arrives in a coastal town in Normandy to visit his daughter, who is staying in a boarding school. He ends up lodging in a guesthouse run by the aged Albert Quentin and his wife Suzanne. To forget his troubles, Gabriel hits the bottle, not realising that the teetotal Albert was once a heavy drinker. Twenty years ago, the latter pledged never to touch alcohol again if he and his wife survived the war. Through his friendship with Gabriel, Albert becomes nostalgic about his past, recalling his time as a sailor on an expedition to China. To drown their sorrows, the two men embark on a drinking binge which quickly gets out of hand…
    — James Travers.Read More »

  • Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda – Juju Factory (2007)

    2001-2010African CinemaArthouseBalufu Bakupa-KanyindaCongo - Kinshasa (Zaire)Drama

    Kongo is writing a book on the subject of immigrants but while his editor wants a kind of traveler’s book in which ethnic exotic ingredients are offered to a European audience, Kongo has more ambitious ideas – he conceives of the idea of writing a book that follows the paths of Congolese history and its many ghosts. A brave and powerful film, made with single-mind integrity. Filmed mainly in the Congo, the film also provides a slice of life of the contemporary Congolese community in Brussels.Read More »

  • Adrian Brunel, Alfred Hitchcock – Elstree Calling (1930)

    Comedy1921-1930Adrian BrunelAlfred HitchcockMusicalUnited Kingdom

    Quote:
    A series of 19 musical and comedy “vaudeville” sketches presented in the form of a live broadcast hosted by Tommy Handley (as himself). There are two “running gags” which connect the sketches. In one, an actor wants to perform Shakespeare, but he is continually denied air-time. The other gag has an inventor trying to view the broadcast on television. Four of the sketches are in color (in shades of yellow and brown only).Read More »

  • Gok Kim & Sun Kim – Bangdokpi AKA Anti Gas Skin (2010)

    2001-2010Gok KimHorrorSouth KoreaSun KimThriller

    2009 – election day in the capital city of Seoul. Four people roam the city looking for a gas mask wearing serial killer for different reasons. Young werewolf Mi-Joo wants to be killed by the serial killer to overcome her trauma. Sang-Jun Joo is the leading mayoral candidate, but has been threatened that he will be killed if he wins. Traffic cop Bo-Sik wants to catch the serial killer, because he thinks of himself as a superhero. Lastly, American marine Patrick is after the serial killer, because he believes the serial killer killed his girlfriend. These four people meet on election day.Read More »

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