1970s

Synopsis:
John Schlesinger directs the war romance Yanks, based on the story by Colin Welland. Set in England at the end of WWII, the story concerns three American GIs and their affairs with British women of varying social status. The central romance concerns Sgt. Matt Dyson (Richard Gere) and Jean Moreton (Lisa Eichhorn making her film debut), who is the daughter of shopkeepers (Rachel Roberts and Tony Melody). He falls in love with her but she is still infatuated with her boyfriend Ken (Derek Thompson). Higher up on the class scale, the officer John (William Devane) has a brief extramarital affair with socialite Helen (Vanessa Redgrave). The third pairing involves Sgt. Danny Ruffelo (Chick Vennera) in a fling with Mollie (Wendy Morgan).Read More »

Synopsis:
When the legendary blind swordsman attempts to make up for his role in the death of an elderly woman by rescuing her daughter from a life of prostitution, he soon finds himself beset by deadly foes on all sides in this entry in the long-running swordplay series directed by Zatoichi himself, Shintaro Katsu. Upon arriving in a small town in search of the old woman’s daughter, Nishikigi, Zatoichi discovers that the beautiful young woman is the most popular prostitute in the brothel. In a desperate bid to collect the money needed to steer the sinful Nishikigi from a life between the sheets, Zatoichi hustles a local Yakuza gang who don’t take kindly to his profitable ruse. Now facing the wrath of the local Yakuza boss, a deadly swordsman, and Nishikigi’s jealous lover, Zatoichi faces the fight of his life.Read More »

Policeman Jean Letellier is under pressure because the infamous gangster Marcucci escaped him publicly. Moreover during the pursuit an innocent bystander was killed by a stray bullet. Letellier is investigated for having fired the deadly bullet.
Before Letellier is cleared, a serial killer begins to murder young women, each time leaving a weird message at the site of crime. He calls himself “Minos”, referring to the Divine Comedy. The murderer always declares he had punished his victims for what he considers their impure life style.Read More »

Quote:
“A group of demented senior citizens threatened with eviction via urban renewal take desperate steps… An excellent low budget oddity film in Cincinnati, where there’s desperation to spare.” – The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of FilmRead More »

Nora Sayre, New York Times wrote:
Building apprehension in an audience requires a particular skill; quite often, we need to be nervous about the combination of personalities and their sudden responses to one another, their capacity for violence of craziness, in order to give a hoot about who gets chased or shot.

Edouard Molinaro’s “The Hostages,” playing today and tomorrow at the First Avenue Screening Room, is an unusually intelligent action picture, partly because it stresses how dangerous a self-destructive persons can be.The movie is based on a recent case in France. A drifter with a fearfully short fuse falls in and out of prison; between assaults and armed robberies, he marries a call girl and the hold-ups continue until they’re arrested.Read More »

Synopsis:
Master thief Corey (Alain Delon) is fresh out of prison. But instead of toeing the line of law-abiding freedom, he finds his steps leading back to the shadowy world of crime, crossing those of a notorious escapee (Gian Maria Volonté) and alcoholic ex-cop (Yves Montand). As the unlikely trio plots a heist against impossible odds, their trail is pursued by a relentless inspector (Bourvil), and fate seals their destinies. Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le cercle rouge combines honorable anti-heroes, coolly atmospheric cinematography, and breathtaking set pieces to create a masterpiece of crime cinema.Read More »

Synopsis:
Akemi and the man of her clan confront their opponents; Akemi delivers a sword thrust to kill the opponents’ leader, and Aiko, his daughter, tries to interpose herself, suffering a glancing blow to her eyes, thus cutting her badly, and blinding her. Amid the ensuing fight, no one notices that a black cat laps the young woman’s wound. Years later, revenge between the two clans continue, plus added dissension amongst Akemi’s people, leading to more deaths. A new member comes to help them, but she is a strange woman – and blind. The curse of the blind woman is about to fell on the dragon-lady.Read More »

Synopsis:
Shizuka (pink film starlet, Naomi Tani) is the aristocratic wife of Senzo Toyama, the president of a large company. Repulsed by her husband, she enlists her lifelong maid to act as a surrogate to appease his sexual desires. When the maid does not satisfy, Senzo often advances on Shizuka. After threatening to divorce him, Senzo orders his employee, Yoshi, to abduct his wife and train her in the ways of sexual submissiveness. Yoshi, who has been rendered impotent due to a childhood trauma, uses the opportunity to rid himself of his affliction. Read More »

The soldier Hansli Gyr returns 1523 to the “Zürcher Oberland”. The he reencounters the love of his youth Ursula, who is now part of a world renouncing sect, the Anabaptists…

Quote:
Das TV-Historiendrama nach Gottfried Kellers Novelle galt 1978 als SkandalfilmRead More »