1980s

  • Mamoru Oshii – Tenshi no tamago AKA Angel’s Egg (1985)

    1981-1990AnimationFantasyJapanMamoru Oshii

    Synopsis:
    In the abandoned streets of a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a young girl protects a mysterious egg with her life. She meets a mysterious drifter who is interested in what may be inside the egg.
    A masterpiece of allegory and surrealism. Exploring art history and dream logic, Oshii’s early film is perhaps the most purely visual in his oeuvre.Read More »

  • Akio Jissôji – Aoi numa no onna AKA Blue Lake Woman (1986)

    1981-1990Akio JissojiAsianHorrorJapan

    Blue Lake Woman tells the story of Nagare, a painter who wanted to commit a lover’s suicide with Mizue, the wife of his friend and patron Takigawa. Growing afraid at the last moment, he doesn’t go through with it – but Mizue sinks to the bottom of Blue Lake. Some time later, Nagare follows an invitation by Takigawa, who claims to have forgiven everything. To Nagare’s shock, Takigawa’s new wife, Ameko, looks exactly like Mizue. While staying as Takigawa’s guest, Nagare becomes haunted by Mizue’s ghost, who wants to be reunited with him at the bottom of Blue Lake…Read More »

  • Ken McMullen – Ghost Dance [+Extras] (1983)

    1981-1990ExperimentalKen McMullenPhilosophyUnited Kingdom

    ” Cinema plus Psychoanalysis equals the Science of Ghosts” – Jacques Derrida

    “At first I thought that ghosts would be forgotten in this new electronic age. But as things turn out, they began to use electronic gadgets for their own purpose. Now they often fly down telephone lines, jump on radio waves, and take you by surprise when you are listening to music. There are many recorded cases of ghosts appearing in electrical shops…”
    GHOSTDANCERead More »

  • Andrzej Wajda – Kronika wypadków milosnych AKA Chronicle of Amorous Accidents (1986)

    1981-1990Andrzej WajdaDramaPoland

    Synopsis:
    Set in the summer months preceding the September 1939 outbreak of World War II in Polish part of Lithuania. A young highschool lad, Witek, is hoping to pass the entrance exams to the university. His love interest is Alina, his high-school colleague.Read More »

  • Girish Karnad – Utsav aka The Festival (1984)

    1981-1990ArthouseEroticaGirish KarnadIndia

    Synopsis:
    Based on the 6th century A.D. Sanskrit play “The Golden Toy Chariot” by the famous Indian playwright Bhasa, “Utsav” faithfully follows Bhasa’s story-line. Vasantasena, a courtesan who dances at the King Palaka’s court hides in Charudatta’s house while running away from the amorous attentions of the king’s brother-in-law. She falls in love with Charudatta, though he is married and penniless. They have an affair. Meanwhile, the rightful heir to the throne – King Palaka’s brother – escapes from prison. While he is being pursued by the king’s troops, Charudatta helps him. Read More »

  • Matthew Chapman – Heart of Midnight (1988)

    Drama1981-1990HorrorMatthew ChapmanUSA

    Quote:
    Carol Rivers receives the surprise news that she has inherited the Midnight nightclub in her Uncle Fletcher’s will. She decides to take it over, ignoring the advice of her mother who is concerned about Carol’s history of mental illness and wants her to sell it. Three guys break in and rape Carol but the complaint is dismissed by police because of her psychiatric history. Carol is charmed by a police detective, but he later appears to be an impostor. She soon starts to learn about the perverse secrets that the club once held.Read More »

  • Jørgen Leth – Step on Silence (1981)

    1981-1990DenmarkDocumentaryJørgen LethPerformance

    Step on Silence was made from raw material from Peter Martins – en danser but unlike the traditional way the Martins film communicates its material in this case we have a film that with its slightly dusty, scratchy appearance makes room for all the shots originally discarded for technical or narrative reasons. It fades to black and up again if visual material is lacking at any given moment, for example, while the continuity of the soundtrack is maintained. The establishing by the cameraman of a new frame or focus is not edited out for the sake of appearances. The painstaking repetitions from the rehearsal room are captured by showing several takes of the same detail from the dance one after the other. Read More »

  • Haruki Kadokawa – Aijou monogatari AKA Curtain Call (1984)

    1981-1990ArthouseHaruki KadokawaJapanMusical

    Miho Nakamichi, an orphan adopted by Haruko, dreams to star in a musical. One day, Haruko promised Miho that she could go on a journey to find her real father, “Daddy-Long-Legs”, who sends a bouquet of flowers every birthday, once she can wear a special pair of pointe shoes. The day finally arrives and Miho’s small adventure begins.Read More »

  • Aleksandr Petrov – Korova aka The Cow (1989)

    1981-1990Aleksandr PetrovAnimationShort FilmUSSR

    Synopsis:
    Animated in the paint-on-glass technique, Korova represents another testimony to the creative genius of award winning russian cartoonist Aleksandr Petrov (Old Man and The Sea). Like many of his other works, Korova is inspired from russian literature, in this case a short story by A. Platonov. The setting is the russian countryside, next to a railway track, where a young boy’s remembrance of things past becomes sweet and elegiac. For me personally paint-on-glass animation is the first thing that comes to mind when i think of “moving art”. Read More »

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