===================================================
030601 Jeni The Good Girl
031201 Stecks O Brother Where Art Thou
031201 Stecks The Thief
040105 Stecks The Straight Story
041128 Aless Human Nature
041128 Aless The Piano Teacher
041128 Aless Rashomon
041217 Sally Triplets of Belleville
041217 Sally Talk to Her
041217 Sally Boys Don't Cry
041217 Sally Metropolis (Japanese)
041217 Sally Spirited Away
041128 ??? Blue Velvet - who has this? Stecks? Ales? I?
031127 ??? The Fourth Man
To avoid duplication you may wish to contact my daughter Jennifer at 845.309.2309 (cell).
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want 09. amaz $22.48 on 041209
The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
Starring: Dominique Michel, Dorothee Berryman
Director: Denys Arcand
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Dogville (2003)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson
Director: Lars von Trier
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East Is East (1999)
Starring: Om Puri, Linda Bassett
Director: Damien O'Donnell
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Even Dwarfs Started Small (1971)
Starring: Helmut Doring, Gerd Gickel
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Girlfight (2000)
Starring: Michelle Rodriguez, Jaime Tirelli
Director: Karyn Kusama
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Hands on a Hard Body (1997) ***
Director: S. R. Bindler
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Jesus of Montreal (1989)
Starring: Lothaire Bluteau, Catherine Wilkening
Director: Denys Arcand
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Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) Reel001201 Not on DVD
Starring: Dennis Price, Alec Guinness
Director: Robert Hamer
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Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down (1990)
Starring: Victoria Abril, Antonio Banderas
Director: Pedro Almodovar
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Triumph of the Will (1934)
Starring: Adolf Hitler
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
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The Wicker Man (Limited Edition) (1975)
Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee
Director: Robin Hardy
In the Ballad of Narayama a loving, vital woman, in an extremely impoverished medieval Japanese village, acts with a matter of fact acceptance of the steps necessary to take for the survival of her family. Love and steel incarnate.
In Rashomon four witnesses to a rape and murder each give a self serving description of the events to a police investigator. Having only seen Hollywood movies up to that time (I was a teenager), I had no idea that movies could be complex, subtle, ambiguous, and powerful.
A woman is taught by a truck driver how to master the art of making noodles. But this is only the bare bones of a story on which are hung numerous side stories. I recall more individual scenes from Tampopo than from any other movie. I still hope one day to order a meal in a restaurant and have the waiter say, "Ah, an inspired choice, sir". The final scene shows the ultimate experience of food, sex, and love.
Was there a murder in the movie Blow-up? I say No; a very bright friend astonished me by saying Yes. I don't think the director intended ambiguity to persist beyond the end of the movie, so I have a strong feeling of unfinished business here.
Groundhog Day is just a giggle. What is wonderful is that the giggle is maintained consistently right up until the very end of the movie.
Psycho is a judo movie. It leads you comfortably in one direction and then uses your emotional momentum to throw you in directions you are helpless to deal with. I don't suppose I will spoil the movie for anyone at this late date by mentioning that the lead actress, Janet Leigh, dies early in the story, something that just never happened in a movie before 1960.
Shallow Grave is another judo movie. Three students at Edinburgh are sophisticated, amusing, and sadistic in interviewing potential roommates. Finally, they find someone they can agree on. Then something curious happens. And then something scary. And then something horrible. And it goes on and on and just does not stop.
In The Vanishing a person disappears. The world goes on. Everything is ordinary, humdrum, commonplace. You cannot bring yourself to accept that something horrible has happened until you are made to feel that it has happened to you.
For a long time I remembered An American Werewolf in London as being a great movie. When I was a kid, my mother made me sit through "The Lady and the Monster", a horror movie which took me years to get over; I swore I would never be so insensitive to my own kids, but damned if I didn't do just that with Jennifer and AAWIL. So I bought the movie and watched it with Jen. Don't know if she was detraumatized, but I know I was very disappointed. AAWIL was once on my Best Ever List; it is no longer.
I recently watched Shallow Grave a second time. It empatically stays on my Best Ever List.
========================================================
Adaptation (2002)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep
Director: Spike Jonze
Synopsis: Self-reflexive showbiz satire about the film's real-life screenwriter (played by Cage) and his frustrating, fruitless attempts to adapt a nonfiction book with the help of his twin brother — who doesn't exist. (SONY/ Columbia)
Runtime: 120 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for language, sexuality, some drug use and violent images -- Genres: Comedy, Cult, Drama
Adolf and Eva (2000)
Color, 50 minutes of home movies.
www.deltaentertainment.com
This is NOT the similar movie listed on IMDb.
Almost Famous (2000) -- ****
Starring: Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit
Director: Cameron Crowe
Synopsis: Crowe's semi-autobiographical drama follows a teenage writer
who lands a gig covering the up-and-coming rock band Stillwater for
Rolling Stone magazine.
Runtime: 122 minutes MPAA
Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Music
Review by A.O.Scott, NYT, p. E1. 000913
" the least cynical director working in Hollywood today."
American Pie (1999) -- 0*
Starring: Tara Reid, Jason Biggs
Directors: Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz
Synopsis: Raunchy comedy about four high school seniors
trying to lose their virginity. Loaded with vulgarity and
outrageous humor but ultimately sweet-natured, this should
delight teens, fans of lowbrow humor.
Runtime: 100 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R/UR --
Genre: Comedy
This is the unrated version, not shown in theaters. This is 'shocking tableau' comedy. It is hilarious when you see it in the theater,
and your reaction can feed off the reaction of others around you. It is simply puerile when viewed at home.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter
Director: John Landis
Synopsis: Cult horror film about tourist werewolf. Fans of offbeat comedy enjoy, though this is not strictly a spoof.
Much-revered, gory special effects still please fans of shockingly grisly fare.
Runtime: 97 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Cult, Horror, Mystery
Amos & Andrew (1993)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: E. Max Frye
Synopsis: In this broad farce that satirizes racial attitudes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning African-American playwright moves into a small New England town and is immediately mistaken for a thief.
Runtime: 96 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Action, Comedy
And Then There Were None (1945)
Starring: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston
Director: Rene Clair
Synopsis: Classic Agatha Christie whodunit features 10 strangers assembled in an eerie island mansion. With its colorful characters
and fine pacing, this tension-building nail-biter pleases fans of mayhem-filled, old-fashioned mysteries.
Runtime: 97 minutes -- MPAA Rating: NR -- Genres: Mystery, Suspense
Angels' Wild Women (1972)
Starring: Ross Hagen, Kent Taylor
Director: Al Adamson
Runtime: 85 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Action, Cult -- From Troma
The Anniversary Party (2001)
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming
Directors: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming
Synopsis: A newly reconciled couple gather their Hollywood friends together to celebrate their reunion and sixth anniversary with unintended
results in this sometimes touching, sometimes scabrous ensemble drama. Shot in digital video. (Fine Line)
Runtime: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Romance
Antitrust (2001)
Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Tim Robbins
Director: Peter Howitt
Synopsis: High-tech thriller about hotshot computer programmer (Phillippe) recruited by large, monolithic software corporation whose CEO (Robbins) uses various underhanded methods to evade monopoly laws and crush the competition.
Runtime: 103 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense, Thriller
Audition (1999)
Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina
Director: Takashi Miike
Synopsis: Almost unbearably suspenseful Japanese thriller about a widowed television producer who auditions women for a made-up show
in the hopes of finding a suitable mate. Everything turns nightmarish when the lovely woman he finds turns out to be psychotic.
Runtime: 115 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Drama, Foreign, Suspense
Country of Origin: Japan -- Language: Japanese
If you sit down and watch this in your living room, I guarantee that you will not stay seated and/or stay silent and/or keep
watching all the way through to the end of the movie. The NY Times said this was not a movie to go to with a first date.
Bad Behavior (1993)
Starring: Stephen Rea, Sinead Cusack
Director: Les Blair
Synopsis: Partially improvised "dramedy" about everyday life of average North London family. Touching, realistic, well-acted
film is a gem for fans of relationship dramas who don't mind slow pace, low-key style.
Runtime: 103 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Comedy
Bad Boys (1983)
Starring: Sean Penn, Reni Santoni
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Synopsis: Gritty, violent prison drama about showdown between juvenile delinquent and his victim's vengeful brother.
Pleases action fans, drama buffs with its strong character development, involving story.
Runtime: 104 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Drama
Bamboozled (2000) -- ***
Starring: Damon Wayans, Savion Glover
Writer and Director: Spike Lee
Synopsis: Showbiz satire about a embittered African-American television writer who deliberately pens a racist script for his sitcom as revenge,
but ends up sparking a bigoted fad across the country.
Runtime: 135 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Music
Barbarella (1968)
Starring: Jane Fonda, Milo O'Shea
Director: Roger Vadim
Synopsis: Sumptuously designed, innuendo-packed sci-fi spoof about a sultry 40th-century astronaut strutting her stuff in space.
This cult classic is loved by fans of campy trash and raunchy farces alike.
Runtime: 98 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG -- Genres: Classic, Cult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Bare Wench Project (2000)
Starring: Julie Strain, Nikki Fritz
Director: Jim Wynorski
Synopsis: Four busty babes — and one hunky guide — head to the woods in search of the legendary Bare Wench in this erotic/comedy
Blair Witch Project spoof.
MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Comedy, Erotica
Even I think this was awful. How can people try so hard, but fail so badly?
Basic Instinct (1992) -- 0*
Starring: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Synopsis: Controversial, film noirish cop thriller about detective falling for murder suspect. Oozing kinkiness from every pore,
it's more for those seeking an erotic charge than for suspense-packed whodunit junkies.
Runtime: 127 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R/UR
Genres: Action, Drama, Erotica, Gay/Lesbian, Mystery, Suspense
Bedazzled (2000)
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley
Director: Harold Ramis
Synopsis: Supernatural comedy about a depressed office worker who sells his soul to Satan in order to win over his dream girl, only to discover the Nameless One isn't exactly honorable about her promises.
Runtime: 93 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genre: Comedy
Being John Malkovich (1999) -- ****
Starring: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz
Director: Spike Jonze
Synopsis: Deliciously bizarre comedy about puppeteer who discovers a portal into the eponymous actor's mind. Mainstream audiences may be baffled,
but this quirky, wildly imaginative oddity is a must-see for adventurous laugh-seekers.
Runtime: 112 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Cult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Best in Show (2000) -- ****?
Starring: Christopher Guest, Catherine O'Hara
Director: Christopher Guest
Synopsis: Deadpan mockumentary follows five teams of pedigree-pup owners and their canine companions in
competition for the blue ribbon at a prestigious national dog show.
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genre: Comedy
Best Laid Plans (1999)
Starring: Alessandro Nivola, Josh Brolin
Director: Mike Barker
Synopsis: Uneven noir thriller about one-night stand gone horribly wrong. Some will find the story clever, many will think it overheated, but all should find Nivola's nuanced performance compelling viewing.
Runtime: 92 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Suspense, Thriller
Betty Boop
23 cartoons, 2 dvd set
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
Starring: Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh
Director: D.W. Griffith
Synopsis: First feature-length film is a sweeping Civil War drama. Placed in historical context, it's a must for cinema history buffs, though others may be offended by its racism, dated views.
Runtime: 175 minutes -- MPAA Rating: NR -- Genres: Classic, Drama
Birthday Girl (2002)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ben Chaplin
Director: Jez Butterworth
Synopsis: Offbeat romantic comedy-thriller about a nerdish English banker and the alluring Russian mail-order bride who is only too willing to fulfill his erotic fantasies, but whose secrets threaten his well-ordered life. (Miramax)
Runtime: 93 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
Birthday Girl (2001; R; 93 mins.) from Buried Treasures of 2002 By D. Scott Apel
Dull, dejected, and divorced, bank teller John Buckingham (Ben Chaplin) swallows his pride and sends away for a Russian mail-order bride. Nadia (Nicole Kidman) is drop-dead gorgeous all right, and despite the fact that she doesn't speak a word of English, she is fluent in the language of love ... or at least love-making. Against all odds, their relationship develops quite well, until her rowdy cousin and his obnoxious friend show up to celebrate her birthday — and promptly kidnap her. Or was this whole marriage simply a sinister set-up to rip him off? John must risk everything he has — his career, his reputation, even his life — to find out the ... and rescue his bride.
Essentially an elaborate cat-and-mouse game of both action and emotion, Birthday Girl twists and turns and corkscrews its way through a series of clever double- and triple-crosses, swinging from overtly violent captures to sneaky, breathtaking escapes. At its core, however, is the heart of a character forced to discover deep and untapped resources of bravery, cunning, and spontaneity, all in the service of his emotional hunch that Nadia really does love him and is herself in desperate danger. An altogether intriguing, sly, and adroit little thriller.
Blood of Ghastly Horror
Starring: John Carradine
Director: Al Adamson
Not listed by Reel.com -- From Troma
Blood Simple (1984)
Starring: John Getz, Frances McDormand
Director: Joel Coen
Reel Snapshot: Offbeat, suspenseful, acclaimed film-noir take-off about cuckolded bar
owner seeking revenge. A cult favorite with fans of eccentric crime tales, art-house
devotees seeking ominous atmospherics, whirlwind style, complicated plot twists.
Runtime: 97 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Indie, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
Blow-Up (1966)
Starring: David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Reel Snapshot: Episodic, surreal, voyeuristic slice-of-lifer about mod British fashion
photographer in 60s-era London who witnesses mysterious murder. Much-acclaimed
film still interests fans of New Wave cinema and those who appreciate existential
philosophizing.
Runtime: 102 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama
040229 I wanted to see this movie again for a long, long time. When I first saw it,
I was convinced that there had been no murder, that it had all been a plot by the mimes
to play with the photographer's head, and that this was made clear in the final scene
when he is manipulated into throwing back an imaginary, errant tennis ball. Now I do
not know what to think.
Blue Velvet (1986) -- ***
Starring: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan
Director: David Lynch
Reel Snapshot: Art-house favorite is a surreal, edgy, often perverse drama/mystery
investigating the seamy underbelly of small-town America. Controversial, disturbing,
eccentric film is a cult hit with fans of underground, offbeat movies.
Runtime: 120 minutes --
Rating: R
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama, Erotica, Horror, Indie, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Starring: Hilary Swank, Chloe Sevigny
Director: Kimberly Peirce
Synopsis: Stunning, absorbing drama based on true story
of Brandon Teena, a woman who lived his/her life
predominantly as a man, a decision which led to love and
murder. Groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind film is an acting and
directing tour-de-force.
Runtime: 114 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Drama
Breakdown (1997)
Starring: Kurt Russell, Kathleen Quinlan
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Synopsis: Taut, riveting action thriller about nightmarish
misadventures of yuppies stranded in the Southwest. With
its heart-pumping, tension-building action sequences and
evil atmospherics, this is compulsory for action, suspense,
scare lovers.
Runtime: 105 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Action, Drama, Suspense
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104, Jan 2000 Esquire
Breast Men (1997)
Starring: Chris Cooper, David Schwimmer
Director: Lawrence O'Neil
Synopsis: Comedy/drama about chest-specialist plastic surgeons' rise-and-fall during the swinging 70s. Straightlaced viewers might blanche at the lurid subject, but its painfully funny, oddly touching story will pleasantly surprise quirky film fans.
Runtime: 120 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Drama
Bubba Ho-Tep (2003)
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis
Director: Don Coscarelli
Synopsis: In the early 70s Elvis Presley switched identities with an Elvis impersonator to escape the harsh glare of fame but later missed the chance to switch back. He ends up in a Texas retirement home where he teams up with Jack, who thinks he's JFK. Together the two fellow nursing home residents fight a soul-sucking mummy who is using the long-term care facility as a feeding ground. (Silver Sphere)
Runtime: 92 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for language, some sexual content and brief violent images. -- Genres: Comedy, Horror, Indie
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)
Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt
Director: Robert Wiene
Reel Snapshot: Fantasy about mad doctor inducing somnambulist to do evil bidding.
Though very dated, this German Expressionist-style film is still considered a visual
masterpiece. Must-see for cinema history buffs.
Runtime: 69 minutes
--
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Foreign, Horror
Country of Origin: Germany
Language: German
Camp Nowhere (1994)
Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Jonathan Jackson
Director: Jonathan Prince
Synopsis: Children's adventure comedy about a group of misfit children who decide to start their own summer camp. Very popular with target teen audience. Good family entertainment.
Runtime: 96 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG -- Genres: Comedy, Family, Kids
Recommended by Teddy.
Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989) -- 0*
Starring: Shannon Tweed, Adrienne Barbeau, Bill Maher
Director: J.F. Lawton
Synopsis: Campy action-adventure spoof about feminist
anthropologist tracking lost clan of man-eating Amazons.
Amusing on a kitschy, no-brainer level for fans of
tongue-in-cheek humor, comic exploitation addicts, and
disillusioned grad-school dropouts.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Drama, Horror
Watched 001110. Allusions to Heart of Darkness.
Funny in some places; mostly just mildly amusing.
The interesting thing always with a B comedy is figuring out
what is missing, what prevents the film from being really good.
Chaos (2001)
Starring: Vincent Lindon, Catherine Frot
Director: Coline Serreau
Synopsis: Malika, a young prostitute is badly molested by her pimp in front of a couple who witness the beating by accident. Against the will of her husband, the woman steps up for Malika and takes her to the hospital where she makes a pledge to herself to help Malika to have a new life and take her out of her molesters claws.
Runtime: 109 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: France -- Language: French
Chaplin, Charlie
Five DVD's.
Disk 1 has two shorts and one long film. Not very funny.
Chicken Run (2000)
Starring: Mel Gibson, Miranda Richardson
Directors: Nick Park, Peter Lord
Synopsis: Feature-length animated film from Aardman
Animation, creators of Wallace & Gromit, follows the
chickens of Coop 17 making a great escape to freedom
under the leadership of a rugged American rooster (Mel
Gibson).
Runtime: 85 minutes --
MPAA Rating: G --
Genres: Animation, Family, Kids
Chopper (2001)
Starring: Eric Bana, Simon Lyndon
Director: Andrew Dominik
Synopsis: Alternately hilarious, harrowing drama profiles Mark "Chopper" Read, an appealing, ultraviolent criminal whose vicious exploits and charismatic self-promoting made him a celebrity in Australia during the '70s and '80s. (First Look)
Runtime: 94 minutes -- MPAA Rating: NR -- Genres: Comedy, Cult, Drama
Chuck & Buck (2000) -- ***
Starring: Mike White, Chris Weitz
Director: Miguel Arteta
Synopsis: Sly and perceptive comedy/drama about an odd,
immature man obsessively pursuing his best friend from
childhood, who is now a successful music business
executive in L.A.
Runtime: 96 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Gay/Lesbian
When Buck's mother dies, Buck's childhood friend, Chuck, comes to the
funeral. Buck attempts to resume the friendship, even moving to L.A.
in pursuit of Chuck. Buck is obsessive, sexually aggressive,
dim-witted, and pathetic. Nonetheless, the script (by Mike White,
who plays Buck) and the acting allow us to care about Buck. The movie
fails only at the end, where Buck, unbelievably, grows up.
Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)
Starring: Janelle Brady, Gilbert Brenton
Directors: Richard Hainaes, Lloyd Kaufman
Synopsis: Stomach-turning horror/comedy about New Jersey high school overrun by mutating nuclear waste. Critics panned it for its trashy bloodletting, but horror fans fond of campy gore, sadistic gags should enjoy.
Runtime: 84 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Cult, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy -- From Troma
Clerks (1994)
Starring: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson
Director: Kevin Smith
Synopsis: Offbeat, episodic, profanity-driven, low-budget satire about one strange day experienced by aimless, 20-something convenience store clerk. Rough-edged, slice-of-life film is a hit with fans of independent black comedies. In black and white.
Runtime: 92 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Cult, Indie
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Indie
Unfortunately, this is the R rated version, not the director's cut.
Clueless (1995) ***
Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash
Director: Amy Heckerling
Synopsis: Energetic, stylish, widely appealing romantic
comedy/satire about self-absorbed Southern California
teen's matchmaking misadventures. With its dead-right
dialogue, this is hugely popular with teens, and adults who
enjoy witty social satire.
Runtime: 97 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
A. O. Scott in the NY Times said this movie was superior
to anything produced by Merchant-Ivory. (Take that, all you
people who sneer at my taste in movies.)
The Confessions of Robert Crumb (1987)
Starring: Robert Crumb
Synopsis: Engrossing examination of sixties underground comicker R. Crumb presents interviews with the artist, as well as a series of scenes written by the controversial counterculture iconoclast.
Runtime: 60 minutes -- MPAA Rating: NR -- Genre: Documentary
The Contender (2000)
Starring: Gary Oldman, Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges
Director: Rod Lurie
Written by: Rod Lurie
Synopsis: Political drama about a headstrong senator who
becomes the target of an especially nasty smear campaign
after she is nominated for the vice presidency.
Runtime: 126 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Suspense
This played at the Upstate, so it has to be good. But then
it was sneered at in the NYT recently as one of the worst
movies ever. I hate it when the critics disagree and I have
to think for myself.
Cousin Bette (1998)
Starring: Jessica Lange, Elisabeth Shue
Director: Des McAnuff
Synopsis: Classic Balzac tale of 19th century French
spinster's thirst for revenge against her avaricious family.
Fans of social satire will be entertained by droll, witty script, story's modern, ironic feel.
Runtime: 112 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, drama
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Starring: Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Synopsis: Comedy hit about Bronx lawyer's courtroom antics in deep South. Critics were mixed, but colorful characterizations, impeccable comic timing, appealing performances make this a crowd-pleaser even for high-brow comedy fans.
Runtime: 119 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Comedy
Creature (1985)
Starring: Stan Ivar, Wendy Schaal
Director: William Malone
Synopsis: Low-budget Alien clone has astronauts encountering voracious monster. Won't satisfy fans of stunning effects or originality but decent suspense, violence, and Klaus Kinski's outrageous performance should please cult sci-fi buffs.
Runtime: 97 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Creepshow (1982)
Starring: Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau
Director: George A. Romero
Synopsis: Anthology of Stephen King stories based on popular EC comic books, takes on topics from the undead to killer cockroaches. Combination of humor and gore appeals to fans of cartoonish horror.
Runtime: 120 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Horror
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh
Director: Ang Lee
Synopsis: Combination sweeping romantic epic and blistering kung-fu adventure about a martial arts master whose magical sword is stolen. His no-less-mighty lady love sets out to recover it, befriending a feisty noble heiress on the way.
Runtime: 119 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Action, Foreign
Country of Origin: Taiwan -- Language: Mandarin
Croupier (1998)
Starring: Clive Owen, Alex Kingston
Director: Mike Hodges
Synopsis: Gritty UK psychological thriller movie profiles a
frustrated writer who takes a job as a casino dealer and
becomes involved with a glamorous-but-shady player.
Runtime: 91 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Cult, Drama, Noir, Suspense
Crumb (1995)
Starring: Robert Crumb, Charles Crumb
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Synopsis: Offbeat documentary about cult cartoonist.
Much-acclaimed for its strong character portraits, insightful
look into comic-book counterculture and dysfunctional
families. Art-house favorite pleases fans of non-mainstream,
disturbing, intense yet humorous drama.
Runtime: 119 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Documentary, Indie
The Dancer Upstairs (2003)
Starring: Javier Bardem, Laura Morante
Director: John Malkovich
Synopsis: Based on Nicholas Shakespeare's novel, John Malkovich's directorial debut follows an investigator who is hunting down a guerilla leader in an unnamed South American country. (Fox Searchlight)
Runtime: 133 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for strong violence, and for language. -- Genres: Drama, Suspense
See article on p. 13 of Arts and Leisure of Sunday, 010610.
Das Boot: The Director's Cut (1981)
Starring: Jurgen Prochnow, Herbert Gronemeyer
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Synopsis: Restored version of the German antiwar classic profiles a U-boat crew's terrifying tour of duty. Even more realistic, claustrophobic, and powerful than the original, this is a must-see for war-movie buffs, anyone seeking nail-biting suspense.
Runtime: 210 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Foreign, War
Country of Origin: Germany -- Language: German
Dead or Alive (1999)
Starring: Riki Takeuchi, Sho Aikawa
Director: Takashi Miike
Synopsis: This violent gangster epic revolves around an emotionally and financially bankrupt detective who plays referee in a gangland turf war pitting the Japanese Yakuza against a blood-thirsty band of Chinese immigrant gangsters.
Runtime: 98 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for strong violence, sexuality, language and drug use. -- Genres: Action, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan -- Language: Japanese
Deathtrap (1982)
Starring: Henry Jones, Michael Caine
Director: Sidney Lumet
Synopsis: Mystery/comedy about a has-been playwright
scheming to steal protege's play. Critics were mixed, but
clever, corkscrewing plot, cat-and-mouse interplay, star
talent make this entertaining for fans of intelligent, humorous
whodunits.
Runtime: 118 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Suspense
It was cheap.
The Deep End (2001)
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Jonathan Tucker
Directors: Scott McGehee, David Siegel
Synopsis: When a nightclub owner is found dead on a family's Lake Tahoe property, the mother hides the body to protect her gay son and ends up the target of blackmailers in this nicely shot film noir. (Fox)
Runtime: 99 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Gay/Lesbian, Noir, Suspense
Deliverance (1972)
Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds
Director: John Boorman
Reel Snapshot: Acclaimed, disquieting action/psychological horror film about fishing
trip that takes unexpected turn. Critics raved over powerful performances, ability to
evoke terror. Enjoyable for fans of offbeat nail-biters, disturbing character portraits.
Runtime: 109 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Action, Classic, drama
I never saw the original.
Dementia 13 (1963)
Starring: William Campbell, Luana Anders
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Synopsis: Talky, non-gory horror film about axe murderer. Traditional horror buffs are disappointed by its emphasis on dialogue over blood, but this may interest Coppola fans as his film debut.
Runtime: 75 minutes -- MPAA Rating: NR -- Genres: Cult, Horror
Meadow and her boyfriend at Columbia (on the Sopranos)
watched this movie on one of their dates.
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Starring: Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan Quinn
Director: Susan Seidelman
Reel Snapshot: Offbeat screwball comedy/romance involving mistaken identity was
set in Manhattan's hip 1980s downtown scene. Appealing to fans of energetic, stylish
farces and zany romances. A must for Madonna fans.
Runtime: 103 minutes --
Rating: PG-13 --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Drama, Romance
Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Jennifer Beals
Director: Carl Franklin
Synopsis: Atmospheric neo-noir about African-American
investigator hired to find missing woman in 1940s L.A.
Mystery fans who like their suspense spiked with social
insight enjoy this beautifully designed, well-acted
production.
Runtime: 101 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
--
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
Diner (1982)
Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern
Director: Barry Levinson
Reel Snapshot: Low-key, unsentimental, much-loved coming-of-age drama set in
1950s Baltimore. This ensemble piece was a sleeper hit. A must-see for drama fans
who enjoy rich characters, well-developed conflicts, real-life feel.
Runtime: 110 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Arts, Classic, Comedy, Drama
Diva (1982) -- *
Starring: Wilhelminia Wiggins Fernandez, Frederic Andrei
Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix
Synopsis: Fast-paced, visually stunning French thriller
about opera lover who gets mixed up with high-tech
gangsters. A much-loved art-house and critical hit, this
pleases fans of energetic, intelligent yet action-packed fare.
Runtime: 118 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Cult, Drama, Foreign, Mystery, Suspense
Country of Origin: France
I didn't understand the movie, so I bought the book when I saw it at the
Sierra Club Tag Sale. It was terribly written. Saw the movie again.
Still not totally clear. Why is this so important to me: the
sexy, east asian (as we say nowadays) young woman in the movie
was a blonde in the book.
Doc Hollywood
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Julie Warner, Woody Harrelson, Frances Sternhagen.
Director: Michael Caton-Jones.
Synopsis: Good-natured romantic comedy about a young
plastic surgeon who's stuck in a backwoods Southern town.
Upbeat, fish-out-of-water story pleases fans of light, sincere,
Hollywood-style humor and romance.
Runtime: 104 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
This got a borderline good review someplace. Haven't
watched it yet.
Dogma (1999) -- ***
Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason
Lee, Jason Mewes (the nonstop talker), Alan Rickman (English
accent), Chris Rock.
Written and directed by Kevin Smith
Synopsis: An abortion clinic worker must stop two fallen
angels from re-entering heaven in comic fantasia that is
equally superheroic action, spiritual exploration, and
scatalogical celebration. May ruffle feathers of some, tickle
funnybone of others.
Runtime: 125 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Religion
Kevin Smith (Silent Bob in the film) also did Clerks.
Irreverent to all; cruel to none. Will watch this again anytime.
Dolores Claiborne (1994)
Starring: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Director: Taylor Hackford
Synopsis: Brooding, unsentimental, angst-ridden film about a housekeeper accused of murdering her employer. Psychological drama lovers might enjoy its mother/daughter relationship, while its murder investigation sequences could interest suspense buffs.
Runtime: 131 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Suspense
Donnie Darko (2001)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore
Director: Richard Kelly
Synopsis: Unique, mind-bending suburban satire centers around an eccentric Reagan-era teen who's subject to hallucinatory visitations by a giant bunny who tells him the world will end in 28 days and who causes him to commit acts of vandalism, and worse. (Newmarket)
Runtime: 110 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for language, some drug use and violence.
Genres: Cult, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971)
Starring: J. Carrol Naish, Lon Chaney Jr.
Director: Al Adamson
Synopsis: Poorly received, unpopular but faintly nostalgic story of Dracula bargaining with Dr. Frankenstein for easy-access blood supply. Uninteresting story, sluggish script hinder name stars. Appeals to Universal monster die-hards only.
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- From Troma
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
The Dreamers (2003)
Starring: Michael Pitt, Louis Garrel
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Synopsis: An American student and cinephile living in Paris becomes friends with two decadent twins who share his love and passion for movies. Set against the backdrop of the 1968 student riots, the friendship turns into a bizarre love triangle. (Fox Searchlight)
Runtime: 130 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for strong sexual content and graphic nudity, language and some drug use.
Genres: Drama, Foreign, Romance -- Country of Origin: France, Italy, United Kingdom -- Language: English, French
Erotique (1994)
Starring: Priscilla Barnes, Camilla Soeberg
Directors: Clara Law, Monika Treut
Yasuko misplaced this DVD.
Synopsis: Omnibus film contains three erotic shorts by
women from different countries. Phone sex, lesbianism, and
the food/sex connection are explored. Fans of intelligent
erotica will enjoy female sensibility, sly humor.
Runtime: 120 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NC-17 --
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Erotica, Foreign, Gay/Lesbian, Romance
Country of Origin: Germany -- Language: German
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet
Director: Michel Gondry
Synopsis: Quirk-filled romance/comedy that traces the antics of a man who discovers that his girlfriend has had her memories of him erased via a new psychiatric process. But when he decides to have the same procedure done, he realizes in the middle of it that he doesn't want to forget her.
Runtime: 108 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for language, some drug use and sexual content. --Genres: Comedy, Romance
Fair Game (1995)
Starring: William Baldwin, Cindy Crawford
Director: Andrew Sipes
Synopsis: Mainstream action movie about a female lawyer
and Miami cop pursued by former KGB agents. Best
reserved for those in the mood for a fast-paced, stunt-filled,
explosives-happy Hollywood thriller.
Runtime: 91 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Action
Cheap. Jenny says this is the worst movie she has ever
seen, but at least you get to see Cindy's tits, so I bought it.
Far from Heaven (2002)
Starring: Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid
Director: Todd Haynes
Synopsis: 1950s-set drama looks at a Connecticut housewife who discovers the dark underside lurking beneath her idyllic suburban existence. Engrossing melodrama pays homage to Douglas Sirk while drawing parallels with modern life. (Focus Features)
Runtime: 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for mature thematic elements, sexual content, brief violence and language
Genre: Drama
021102 AOScott in NYTimes Magazine "may well, in the long run, be (one) of the best"
Fargo (1996) -- ***
Starring: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy
Director: Joel Coen
Synopsis: Offbeat, twisted, folksy-flavored black
comedy/whodunit involving botched kidnapping. Considered
a masterpiece by critics for its bravura casting and crafting,
mix of gore with biting irony. Thrills fans of non-mainstream fare.
Runtime: 98 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Indie, Noir, Suspense
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Director: Amy Heckerling
Synopsis: Southern California high school seniors come of age in this
wildly popular slice-of-life comedy. Still a hit with teenagers and
fans of frank yet funny tales about juvenile misadventures.
Runtime: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Drama
Fearless (1993)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Rosie Perez
Director: Peter Weir
Synopsis: Emotionally grueling, provocatively spiritual, and
immensely moving melodrama about post-traumatic
reactions of plane crash survivors. Full of human insight for
drama lovers who enjoy deliberately paced, intelligently
scripted, well-acted fare.
Runtime: 121 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Drama
Yasuko says we saw this. I don't remember.
Felicia's Journey (1999)
Starring: Bob Hoskins, Elaine Cassidy
Director: Atom Egoyan
Synopsis: Naive Irish teenager searching for her boyfriend
becomes prey for kindly psychopath in this offbeat thriller.
More creepy than suspenseful, but fans of Egoyan's arty,
cerebral style find much to enjoy.
Runtime: 116 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genre: drama
Country of Origin: Canada
Felix the Cat (2002)
This is a collection 10 cartoons, some of them with Felix, some not. They are talkies, not silents, I believe. Only $5.36 at Media Play, so I took a chance.
Runtime: 75 minutes
Fields, W. C.
Six shorts:
1. The Golf Specialist 4. The Pharmacist
2. The Dentist 5. The Barbershop
3. Fatal Glass of Beer 6. Pool Shark
The Fourth Man (1983)
Starring: Jeroen Krabbe, Renee Soutendijk
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Synopsis: Psychological Dutch thriller about bisexual writer who suspects sultry widow of murder. Highlighted by polymorphous eroticism, complex character interplay, and a reality-twisting storyline.
Runtime: 104 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Classic, Cult, Drama, Erotica, Foreign, Gay/Lesbian, Suspense
Country of Origin: Netherlands -- Language: Dutch
Fritz the Cat (1972)
(http://www.ralphbakshi.com)
Starring: John McCurry, Phil Seuling
Director: Ralph Bakshi
Synopsis: Psychedelic, irreverent, adults-only animated film
based on underground artist Robert Crumb's cartoon of
ultra-hip cat. Cult favorite for its cynical look at 60s
counterculture. Entertaining for those who lived through era.
Runtime: 77 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NC-17 --
Genres: Animation, Comedy, Cult, Erotica
Girl, Interrupted (1999) -- *
Starring: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie
Director: James Mangold
Synopsis: Semi-compelling drama about misdiagnosed
woman spending 18 months in '60s mental ward. Despite
some decent core performances, drama-seekers likely won't
find the trite observations on insanity very interesting.
Runtime: 127 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Drama
I expected "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest"; it is much
better, especially A.J. Y was disappointed: "too unrealistic".
Go (1999)
Starring: Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes
Director: Doug Liman
Synopsis: Fast-paced crime comedy follows amicable
young lowlifes through the zany underside of L.A.'s nightlife.
With plenty of wit, style, energy, this should prove a giddy,
techno-kissed romp for jaded twentysomethings.
Runtime: 103 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Suspense
The Good Girl (2002) -- ****
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal
Director: Miguel Arteta
Synopsis: Comic romantic drama profiles a discount-store clerk in a small Texas town who, out of disgust with her dead-end job and loveless marriage, begins a life-changing relationship with a younger co-worker. (Fox Searchlight)
Runtime: 94 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - sexuality, some language and drug content -- Genres: Comedy, Romance
Gosford Park (2001)
Starring: Clive Owen, Helen Mirren
Director: Robert Altman
Synopsis: Altman skewers the '30s-era British upper crust in this Upstairs, Downstairs/Mystery-style comic whodunit as he chronicles a weekend at a tony estate that begins with a fine soiree and ends with murder most foul. (USA Films)
Runtime: 137 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Suspense
Grand Canyon (1991)
Starring: Danny Glover, Kevin Kline
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Synopsis: Polished, star-studded drama about upper-middle class L.A. residents confronting aging angst and urban fears. Appreciated by fans of moderately paced, character-driven drama seeking a perceptive look at contemporary class/aging concerns.
Runtime: 134 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Drama
Groundhog Day (1993) -- ****
Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell
Director: Harold Ramis
Synopsis: Jaded, self-absorbed TV weatherman finds
himself endlessly reliving same day in this life-affirming,
semi-offbeat fantasy. With its star chemistry and high
comedy quotient, this should split romantic comedy fans'
sides.
Runtime: 103 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
On my list of best films ever. Will watch anytime.
Harvard Man (2002)
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Adrian Grenier
Director: James Toback
Synopsis: Combination crime and college drama about a cheerleader who pressures her basketball player boyfriend to throw games so her mob-boss father can win bets. (Lions Gate)
Runtime: 97 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - drug use, language and some strong sexuality -- Genres: Drama, Romance, Suspense
5.1/10.0 at IMDb, but reviewer says it is set in Cambridge and it was fun to see.
Heathers (1989)
Starring: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater
Director: Michael Lehmann
Synopsis: Pitch-black comedy about high school socialite
eliminating snotty classmates. With its wicked wit and
sharp send-up of popularity contests, this is a must-see for
anyone who's suffered from teen angst.
Runtime: 102 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Horror
Heavy Traffic (1973) ***
Starring: Beverly Hope Takinson, Frank De Kova
Director: Ralph Bakshi
Synopsis: Controversial animated film also employs some
live action in its story of NYC cartoonist, beaten down by
big-city noise and violence, who uses his drawings for
personal catharsis.
Runtime: 76 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Comedy, Erotica
Home Fries (1998)
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson
Director: Dean Parisot
Synopsis: Super-sized black comedy about a chopper pilot hired by his mother to spy on her cheating husband. When the flyboy grows concerned that a local drive-through overheard his radio messages on their headsets, he takes a job there flipping burgers, and at the same time flips for a coworker, who also happens to be the pregnant mistress of his mother's philandering husband.
Runtime: 93 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Suspense
The Horse Whisperer (1998) -- *
Starring: Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas
Director: Robert Redford
Synopsis: Montana wrangler heals emotional wounds of a
woman, her daughter, and their injured horse in this
high-country drama. Sentimentalists enjoy gorgeous
scenery, heartfelt tone; slowness, earnestly self-indulgent
tendencies irk others.
Runtime: 168 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Drama, Romance
The Hours (2002)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore
Director: Stephen Daldry
Synopsis: Interpersonal literary drama profiles the parallels between the lives of three women — a Manhattan book editor, a California housewife, and famed author Virginia Woolf — living in different places and eras. Based on the 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham.
Runtime: 114 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for mature thematic elements, some disturbing images and brief language -- Genre: Drama
The Ice Storm (1997)
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen
Director: Ang Lee
Synopsis: Quietly upsetting, occasionally comic melodrama explores mate-swapping and social unease in early '70s suburban Connecticut. With its just-right period details and affecting performances, this pleases fans of self-consciously understated sociological drama.
Runtime: 112 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Drama
An Ideal Husband (1999)
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Jeremy Northam
Director: Oliver Parker
Synopsis: Wickedly witty period comedy about decent politician being blackmailed by nasty divorcee. Fans of Oscar Wilde, 19th-century satire should find the story's impeccable drollery, subtle performances sublime amusement.
Runtime: 96 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Comedy, Drama
The Impostors (1998)
Starring: Stanley Tucci, Oliver Platt
Director: Stanley Tucci
Synopsis: Two unemployed actors stow away on cruise ship in affectionate, star-laden screwball comedy homage. Critics were mixed, but genial comedy offers plenty to stars' fans, farce-lovers seeking lighthearted romp.
Runtime: 102 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Comedy
Cast includes: Lily Taylor (Lisa on Six Feet Under); Tony Shalhoub (cab driver on Wings; Monk on TV); Steve Buscemi; Isabella Rossellini; Woody Allen; Alfred Molina (Diego Rivera in Frida).
This has all the exuberant, unsophisticated fun of a 1930's comedy.
In the Realm of the Senses (1976) -- ****
Starring: Tatsuya Fuji, Eiko Matsuda
Director: Nagisa Oshima
Synopsis: Acclaimed, explicit, controversial erotic
trailblazer paints a portrait of a sexually obsessive
relationship set in 30s Japan. With its stunning, sensual
photography, this cult favorite pleases art-house fans
looking for erotica.
Runtime: 105 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Classic, Cult, Drama, Erotica, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan
Language: Japanese
Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
Starring: Billy Crudup, Joaquin Phoenix
Director: Pat O'Connor
Synopsis: Lushly filmed, nostalgic romantic drama about two working-class brothers' complex relationships with three sisters in '50s-era Midwestern town.
Runtime: 100 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Drama
Irma Vep (1996)
Starring: Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Leaud
Director: Olivier Assayas
Synopsis: A Cantonese actress copes with demented
director and eccentric crew on a Parisian film shoot. Stylish
visuals, self-reflexive narrative gratify cinema buffs; Cheung's
low-key star power especially delights Hong Kong film fans.
Runtime: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
I Spit on Your Corpse
Starring: Georgina Spelvin
Director: Al Adamson
Not listed on Reel.com -- From Troma
Japanese Story (2003)
Starring: Toni Collette, Gotaro Tsunashima
Director: Sue Brooks
Synopsis: An Australian geologist and a Japanese businessman are stranded together in the Pilbara Desert. Problem is, both find each other annoying and arrogant.
Runtime: 110 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for some sexuality and language.
Genres: Drama, Foreign -- Country of Origin: Australia
Jesus' Son (1999)
Starring: Billy Crudup, Samantha Morton
Director: Alison Maclean
Synopsis: Unique tragicomedy (from Denis Johnson's
short-story collection) about the journey of a young
ne'er-do-well through drug addiction, rehab, and finally
redemption. Highly stylized and innovative direction.
Runtime: 109 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Drama
Joe's Apartment (1996)
Starring: Jerry O'Connell, Megan Ward
Director: John Payson
Synopsis: Offbeat, crudely humorous comedy about high-stepping, singing, dancing cockroaches befriending lonely New York newcomer. Technical wizardry wows effects fans. Cult fans and those who enjoy low-brow, high-spirited, bathroom-level humor enjoy.
Runtime: 80 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genre: Comedy
Kama Sutra (1997)
Starring: Sarita Choudhury, Indira Varma
Director: Mira Nair
Synopsis: Languid, opulent, sensual fantasy about two
court rivals in 16th century India. Though this may
disappoint fans of in-depth characterizations, this pleases
soap opera enthusiasts, art-house fans seeking exotic,
seductive diversion.
Runtime: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Erotica, Romance
Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)
Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Synopsis: The first part in the long awaited Tarantino venture follows a female assassin who is shot by her employer on her wedding day. After five years in a coma she wakes up and swears bloody revenge, tracking down each member of the assassin group, saving her ex-boss Bill for last. (Miramax)
Runtime: 110 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content.
Genres: Action, Cult, Martial Arts, Thriller -- Language: English, Japanese
Killer Condom (1996)
Starring: Udo Samel, Peter Lohmeyer
Director: Martin Walz
Synopsis: Gleefully gruesome comedy, based on a German comic book, about a gay policeman pursuing piranha-like prophylactics. Gory, campy mystery is definitely not for all but should please midnight movie fans.
Runtime: 107 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- From Troma
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Foreign, Gay/Lesbian, Horror, Mystery
Country of Origin: Germany -- Language: German
Made in Germany; set in NYC; a chance to see how others see us. Done with a straight face; the police search
for a flesh eating condom. There is also a love story which is not for everyone.
The King Is Alive (2000)
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Janet McTeer
Director: Kristian Levring
Synopsis: Intense drama about a busload of tourists who become stranded
in the African desert. As they await rescue, they work on a production
of King Lear.
Runtime: 106 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Country of Origin: Denmark
The Klutz (qqq)
Starring: Claude Michaud, Louise Portal, Guy Provost
Director: Pierre Rose
Runtime: 87 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Comedy
So it was only $5.88 at Walmarts.
L'Age d'or (1930)
Starring: Gaston Modot, Lya Lys
Director: Luis Bunuel
Synopsis: This early Bunuel film, about a bizarre romance in a seaside town, blends Sadean themes with surreal sets by Salvador Dali (who quit the project halfway into it). In a nutshell, a couple's attempts to make love are constantly sabotaged by a variety of bizarre characters and events.
Runtime: 63 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Spain -- Language: Spanish
Lantana (2001)
Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush
Director: Ray Lawrence
Synopsis: A missing-person case collides head-on with a police detective's erupting midlife crisis in this elegant and offbeat hybrid that combines a deft character study with the outlines of a suspense thriller. (Lions Gate)
Runtime: 121 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Suspense
Country of Origin: Australia
The subject is marital infidelity. When Yasuko and I saw this at the Upstate, the theater was completely quiet. I
thought that everyone was feeling, "This is too close to home. When will this movie end?"
Last Orders (2002)
Starring: Michael Caine, Helen Mirren
Director: Fred Schepisi
Synopsis: Bittersweet British drama about the drinking mates of a recently deceased
London butcher setting out to fulfill his final request to have his ashes dumped
into the sea. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Runtime: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Drama
The Last Seduction (1994)
Starring: Linda Fiorentino, Bill Pullman
Director: John Dahl
Synopsis: Sexy, edgy, tension-laden neo-noir/thriller about a con woman on the run after she steals her husband's fortune. Acclaimed art-house hit is an over-the-top, suspenseful, steamy ride for nail-biter fans who enjoy offbeat, provocative fare.
Runtime: 110 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Cult, Drama, Indie, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
Legend of Drunken Master (aka Drunken Master II) (1994)
Starring: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui
Directors: Lau Kar Leung, Jackie Chan
Synopsis: Popular Kung-fu epic continues misadventures of
mythical martial artist. Packed with witty humor,
breathtaking fight scenes. Compulsory for genre fans; the
perfect introduction for those curious about Hong Kong cinema.
Runtime: 102 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Action, Comedy, Cult, Foreign
Country of Origin: Hong Kong --
Language: Cantonese
Lemon Sky (----)
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick
Director: Jan Egleson
Synopsis: Special Jury Award, Sundance Film Festival; not listed by reel.com.
Runtime: 96 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Drama
The Limey (1999)
Starring: Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Synopsis: A cockney career criminal stalks L.A., seeking revenge for his daughter's death
in this offbeat thriller. Rich characterizations, gorgeous visuals, dark wit, and surreal
time-shifts in this '60s homage amply entertain adventurous crime-drama fans.
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Action, Drama, Suspense
The Little Mermaid (1989) -- ****
Starring: Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements
Synopsis: Acclaimed animated musical reworks Andersen's
fairy tale about a mermaid who longs to live in the human
world. Appealing characters and vibrant pop score thrill kids,
drown out purists' objections.
Runtime: 83 minutes --
MPAA Rating: G
Genres: Animation, Drama, Family, Kids, Music,
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
The best of the recent Disney films, so far as I am concerned.
Use this film as a medical diagnostic: If the feet don't tap
at the music and the lips don't smile at the lyrics of the song
"Under the Sea", then the listener has departed this cruel vale.
Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Starring: Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Jack Nicholson
Director: Roger Corman
Synopsis: Classic low-budget black comedy/fantasy about
a bloodthirsty man-eating plant. Considered by critics an
influential groundbreaker for its genre. Must for lovers of
B-movies and cinema history buffs.
Runtime: 70 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Horror
Living in Oblivion (1995)
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener
Director: Tom DiCillo
Synopsis: Offbeat episodic comedy about hilariously problem-plagued independent film shoot. Critics enjoyed clever humor, multi-layered plot. Wickedly funny romp for filmmaking buffs, fans of off-the-wall satire with surreal touches.
Runtime: 92 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Indie
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1999)
Starring: Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher
Director: Guy Ritchie
Synopsis: Rollicking crime comedy about four lads getting in over their heads in London's underworld. Full of outrageous violence and plot twists, this is bloody good fun for caper-lovers and fans of black humor.
Runtime: 108 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for strong violence, pervasive language, sexuality and drug content.
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Noir, Suspense
Lolita (1997)
Starring: Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain
Director: Adrian Lyne
Synopsis: Well-acted, beautifully filmed drama from classic novel depicts professor's lustful obsession with underage girl. Weighty, controversial subject matter portrayed with grace, eloquence. Will interest drama fans undeterred by film's theme.
Runtime: 137 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Romance
The Lover (1992)
Starring: Tony Leung Ka Fai, Jane March
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Synopsis: Sensual, meticulously paced coming-of-age drama about beautiful French teen's torrid affair with older Chinese man in 1929 Vietnam. Passionate, graphic love scenes and exotic locale appeal to fans of art-house erotica.
Runtime: 110 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Erotica, Foreign, Romance
Country of Origin: France
M (1931) -- ***
Starring: Peter Lorre, Otto Wernicke
Director: Fritz Lang
Reel Snapshot: Acclaimed classic follows the manhunt for a child-killer in 30s Berlin.
Its taut non-gore thrills will still engross suspense-seekers, while its groundbreaking
use of sound is compulsory for film history buffs.
Runtime: 99 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign, Suspense
Country of Origin: Germany -- Language: German
Also on the same disk: Spies
Make Mine Music (1946)
Starring: Benny Goodman, Jerry Colonna
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney
Synopsis: Mixed grab-bag of popular and orchestral favorites set
to typically deft Disney animation. Highlights include "Whale Who
Wanted to Sing at the Met" and "Peter & the Wolf." Spotty but
family-friendly entertainment.
Runtime: 75 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Genres: Classic, Kids
Willie the Whale still gets to me.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
Starring: Leslie Banks, Edna Best
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Synopsis: Though showing its age, film historians,
students, mystery fans shouldn't miss directorial
tour-de-force from master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock.
Landmark political adventure-thriller is template for
modern-day roller coaster ride films.
Runtime: 75 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Classic, Mystery, Suspense
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, James Gandolfini
Director: Joel Coen
Synopsis: Black-and-white neo-noir mystery, set after WWII, about a California barber who gets in over his head when he blackmails his wife's lover. The film earned Joel Coen a shared Best Director prize at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. (USA Films)
Runtime: 116 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Suspense
The Man with Two Brains (1983)
Starring: Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner
Director: Carl Reiner
Synopsis: Offbeat spoof of mad-scientist films features a surgeon falling in love with a brain in a jar. This Steve Martin vehicle pleases his fans and comedy lovers who appreciate silly shenanigans.
Runtime: 91 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Horror
Manhunter (1986)
Starring: William Petersen, Kim Greist
Director: Michael Mann
Synopsis: Intensely involving spine-tingler about tormented ex-FBI agent returning to the field to track depraved killer. Gripping suspense blended with stoic drama make this ideal fare for lovers of cerebral mysteries.
Runtime: 119 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Mystery, Noir, Suspense
This is the original Hannibal Lector movie.
One Night at McCool's (2001)
Starring: Matt Dillon, Liv Tyler
Director: Harald Zwart
Synopsis: Three different men — a hit man, a bartender, and a lawyer — tell very different stories about the same gorgeous woman who ruined their lives in this romantic crime comedy.
Runtime: 100 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Comedy
Meet the Feebles (1990)
Starring: Brian Sargent, Mark Wright
Director: Peter Jackson
Synopsis: Extremely bizarre gross-out/vicious satire about demented showbiz puppets rehearsing for TV special. Cult favorite is definitely not for kids, but pleases fans of excessively offbeat, graphically explicit, "tasteless" black comedy.
Runtime: 94 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Comedy, Cult, Horror
Mesmerized (1984)
Starring: Jodie Foster, John Lithgow
Director: Michael Laughlin
Synopsis: This film is based on the true story of a young orphan in New Zealand who marries an abusive, much-older man and eventually tries to kill him.
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: NR -- Genres: Drama, Mystery, Suspense
Metropolis (1926)
Starring: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel
Director: Fritz Lang
Synopsis: Silent masterpiece about oppressed workers
rebelling still wins acclaim for evocative set designs,
innovative special effects. Compulsory for students of
cinema. Appreciated by fantasy buffs in mood for
slower-paced classic.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Classic, Cult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
This silent film tells the story of a futuristic society where a mad scientist uses a beautiful robot
to incite a revolt amongst exploited workers. A young man of the upper class abandons his
luxurious life to aid the revolt.
Another required viewing in History of Movies 101. I hadn't
realized it, but I saw this as a child in 1940's Ohio (minus
the bare boobs, of course).
Metropolis (2002)
Director: Rintaro
Synopsis: Far-future animated suspense/drama about sprawling, socially stratified city populated by robots and humans. When order is disturbed by anti-robot terrorists, two cops try and get to the bottom of it. Based on the manga by Tezuka Osamu back in 1949 (!). (SONY)
Runtime: 104 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Animation, Anime, Cult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Note that this is the recent Japanese version of the classic German movie by Fritz Lang.
"The effect of almost two hours of exquisitely detailed and remarkably varied cityscapes,
rendered in a pallette of colors and light effects that would make a live-action cinematographer
or an Italian Renaissance painter weep, is exhausting and exhilarating." A.O.Scott, NYTimes, Jan 2002.
Monkeybone (2001)
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda
Director: Henry Selick
Synopsis: Combination live-action/animated comedy about cartoonist who finds himself inhabiting a wacky world of his own creation after he slips into a coma. Things get decidedly more dicey when his strip's loony star, a randy chimp named Monkeybone, takes over the cartoonist's body in the real world. (Fox)
Runtime: 87 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Animation, Comedy
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal
Directors: Peter Docter, David Silverman
Synopsis: Eye-popping computer-generated adventure about bumbling monsters from an alternate dimension scaring children in order to harness the energy from their screams. Chaos ensues when a child turns up at the monsters' headquarters, since they're deathly afraid of kids. (Pixar/Disney)
Runtime: 92 minutes -- MPAA Rating: G -- Genres: Animation, Comedy, Kids
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring
Director: David Lynch
Synopsis: Acclaimed, bizarre murder mystery chronicles an assortment of strange occurrences on and around the titular Los Angeles street, focusing on an abandoned amnesiac and the kind actress that helps uncover her true identity. (Universal Focus)
Runtime: 146 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - violence, language and some strong sexuality -- Genres: Cult, Drama, Suspense
Murder (1930) -- **
Starring: Herbert Marshall, Norah Barring.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock.
Synopsis: A lone juror in a murder trial believes in the
accused actresses' innocence, and tries to find the real
killer.
Runtime: 92 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Suspense
The best scene is early on when the police try to interview
actors during a performance. Dramatic climax. Plodding in
between.
Mystery Train (1989)
Starring: Masatoshi Nagase, Youki Kudoh
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Synopsis: Quirky, offbeat trio of vignettes about tourists'
misadventures in Memphis. Art-house devotees and
Jarmusch fanatics enjoy its slow, surreal quality, colorful
characters, ultra-hip sensibility, atmospheric Tom Waits
score.
1
Runtime: 110 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Indie, Music
The Navigator (1924)
(also The Boat, and The Love Nest)
Starring: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire
Directors: Buster Keaton, Donald Crisp
Synopsis: A pampered young gentleman becomes unwilling
captain of an ocean liner in this intricately structured silent
comedy. Imaginative scenario and timeless comic acting
give this appeal far beyond Keaton devotees.
Runtime: 60 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Action, Classic, Comedy, Romance
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea
Director: George A. Romero
Reel Snapshot: Low-budget classic about flesh-eating zombies overrunning a small
Midwestern town. Still required viewing for serious horror buffs, cult film fans seeking
creepy -- though not blatantly gory -- scares.
Runtime: 96 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Horror, Indie
A classic, low budget horror flick. Haven't seen it yet,
but looking forward to it.
Nosferatu (1922)
Starring: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach
Director: F.W. Murnau
Reel Snapshot: First filmed version of Dracula tale is considered a classic for its eerie
visuals, chilling performances. Still considered a must for classic horror fans, art-house
devotees looking for spooky atmospherics.
Runtime: 63 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Foreign, Horror
Country of Origin: Germany
Language: German
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro
Director: Joel Coen
Synopsis: Loosely based on Homer's Odyssey, this whimsical tale follows three escaped convicts in 1930s Mississippi. On a quest to reunite with their families, they have wild adventures and meet a bizarre cast of characters.
Runtime: 106 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genre: Comedy
One Eyed Jacks (1961)
Starring: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden
Director: Marlon Brando
Synopsis: Slow-moving yet visually stunning psychological
Western about outlaw's quest for revenge. Its powerhouse
performances wowed critics and audiences alike. Perfect for
patient Western fans, lovers of stark drama.
Runtime: 141 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Classic, Cult, Drama, Western
Orange County (2002)
Starring: Colin Hanks, Jack Black
Director: Jake Kasdan
Synopsis: Offbeat youth comedy about suburban Southern Californian high-school teenager whose well-laid plans to get into Stanford are suddenly derailed, giving him just 24 hours to figure out his future. (Paramount)
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genre: Comedy
Paths of Glory (1957)
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Reel Snapshot: Powerful anti-war drama about corrupt WWI French military
hierarchy's handling of failed mission. Critics raved over direction, acting, emotional
punch. A must for fans of penetrating, multi-layered drama.
Runtime: 86 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Action, Classic, Drama, Suspense, War
Peeping Tom (1960) -- ***
Starring: Carl Boehm, Moira Shearer
Director: Michael Powell
Reel Snapshot: Creepy character study of psychopath who photographs victims while
murdering them. Controversial cult favorite is a real find for fans of disturbing cinema;
not gory enough for slasher film purists.
Runtime: 101 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Suspense
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Horrifying in 1960; Powell was never allowed to direct
another film; tame stuff by today's standards. His sin was
to portray a serial killer as a sympathetic character.
Perfect Blue -- **
Dir Satoshi Kon.
An example of the cartoon format known as Manga in Japan.
I have repeatedly seen references to this movie as an
outstanding example of the genre.
A young woman leaves a successful singing group to become an
actress. There is a murder, and then there are dreams and
nightmares which provide the opportunity to present turgid-core
skin and violence, standard fare in this genre.
After the movie surf around and watch the three young women
sing the title song in a sound studio. It is totally real,
wholesome, and refreshing. Best thing on the disk.
Pi (1998)
Starring: Sean Gullette, Mark Margolis
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Synopsis: Micro-budgeted sci-fi thriller traces migraine-plagued math prodigy's paranoid, hallucinatory quest for universal order. Stylishly gritty B&W photography, emphasis on "ideas" over effects should intrigue indie-film fans with high pretension thresholds.
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - Rated R for language and some disturbing images.
Genres: Indie, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
The Piano Teacher (2001)
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot
Director: Michael Haneke
Synopsis: Harrowing drama about a masochistic piano teacher, forced to care for her controlling mother, who embarks on a disturbing sexual relationship with a young male student. (KINO)
Runtime: 130 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Drama, Erotica, Foreign
Country of Origin: France -- Language: French
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1956)
Starring: Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon
Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Synopsis: B-movie cult favorite about aliens seeking to control Earth. Though notoriously bad, this absolutely thrills fans of camp with its bargain-basement production values, sham acting, and ridiculous dialogue.
Runtime: 79 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Action, Comedy, Cult, Horror, Indie, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
The Player (1992)
Starring: Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi
Director: Robert Altman
Synopsis: Biting, fast-paced satire of Hollywood
establishment, concerning the consequences of blind
ambition. Critically acclaimed, cameo-filled tour de force is
widely appealing, enjoyed by fans of comedy, suspense,
drama.
Runtime: 123 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Suspense
The Portrait of a Lady (1996)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich
Director: Jane Campion
Synopsis: Artsy, measured period drama traces psychological transformation of independent-minded woman due to an oppressive marriage. Controversial interpretation is best appreciated by those who enjoy symbolically rich art-house films.
Runtime: 144 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genre: Drama
Presumed Innocent (1990)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Bonnie Bedelia
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Synopsis: Twisty thriller about a fiery prosecuting attorney who takes up with a beautiful blonde to escape his loveless marriage. But when she turns up murdered, and he becomes the prime suspect, he must turn to a rival lawyer to defend him. Based on the novel by Scott Turow.
Runtime: 127 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Action, Mystery, Suspense
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner
Director: John Huston
Synopsis: Acclaimed black comedy about a hitman who falls in love with a woman who, as luck would have it, also kills for a living. Distinguished by bravura performances, slick production, and a witty script, the film is a tour de force for director Huston.
Runtime: 129 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama, Suspense
Pumpkin (2002)
Starring: Christina Ricci, Marisa Coughlan
Directors: Tony Abrams, Adam Larson Broder
Synopsis: Offbeat romantic dramedy about a popular sorority sister who sees her perfectly shallow collegiate life turned upside-down when she falls in love with a handicapped athlete. (MGM)
Runtime: 117 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - language and a scene of sexuality -- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
I am strongly inclined to like a movie that stars Christina Ricci, that plays at the Upstate Theater in Rhinebeck, NY,
and that wins a Sundance Audience Award, but I did not like this movie. I did not think any of the characters were
fully realized human beings. Something must be wrong with me. I would like to hear others' opinions.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Starring: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Synopsis: Extremely odd comedy chronicles the bizarre romance that blossoms between the emotionally stunted owner of a small business and a mysterious woman whom he meets through one of his seven sisters. (SONY/Columbia Pictures)
Runtime: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: R - for strong language including a scene of sexual dialogue
Genres: Comedy, Romance
Quills (2000)
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet
Director: Philip Kaufman
Synopsis: Saucy-yet-somber profile of the notorious novelist and sexual deviant the Marquis de Sade during his stay in an early-19th-century lunatic asylum.
Runtime: 127 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Erotica
Rashomon (1950)
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Reel Snapshot: Character study retells brutal rape/murder from four perspectives is
considered a masterpiece by critics. Deliberately paced, intellectual investigation of
human nature is must-see for serious drama fans, cinema history buffs.
Runtime: 83 minutes -- Rating: NR -- Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan
Reefer Madness (1938)
Starring: Dave O'Brien, Dorothy Short
Director: Louis Gasnier
Synopsis: 1930s propaganda film depicts how "worse than
heroin" marijuana turns teens into homicidal maniacs.
Absurdly funny fare is modern cult classic. Particularly
hilarious for Cheech & Chong fans.
Runtime: 67 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG --
Genres: Comedy, Cult Classic.
Silly. Fun.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Synopsis: Visually stunning, utterly bleak, and unsettling portrait of addiction follows four Brighton Beach inhabitants' self-destructive descent via all manner of substance abuse. Sophomore film from the director of Pi, based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr.
Runtime: 102 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Cult, Drama
The Return of Martin Guerre (1982)
Starring: Gerard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye
Director: Daniel Vigne
Synopsis: Languidly paced French drama/romance about medieval soldier
returning home after mysterious long absence. With its meticulously
recreated period details, powerful chemistry between leads, this
thrills fans of historical drama, romances.
Runtime: 111 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Drama, Foreign, Romance
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Ripley's Game (2003)
Starring: John Malkovich, Ray Winstone
Director: Liliana Cavani
Synopsis: This segment of Ripley's life finds the murdering scoundrel living a comfortable, incognito existence in Italy but unable to resist putting his sociological theories to the test by involving a mild-mannered neighbor in murder. (Fine Line)
Runtime: 112 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for strong violence and language, some sexuality -- Genres: Drama, Suspense
The Road to Bali (1953)
Starring: Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour
Director: Hal Walker
Synopsis: In this sixth film in the famous Crosby/Hope "Road Picture" series, two men travel to Bali to save the woman they have both fallen in love with from cannibals and other jungle dangers.
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Classic, Comedy, Music
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon
Director: Jim Sharman
Reel Snapshot: Much-loved cult classic is a spoofy sci-fi musical about a square
young couple's encounter with eccentric transvestite aliens. Midnight movie favorite is
great fun for devotees of offbeat art-house films.
Runtime: 105 minutes -- Rating: R -- Genre: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Gay/Lesbian, Horror, Music, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rowdy Girls (1999)
Starring: Shannon Tweed, Julie Strain
Director: Steve Nevius
Synopsis: Two women on the run to San Francisco meet up with a trophy wife, get kidnapped, and do battle against a vicious, whip-wielding femme fatale in this racy Western comedy.
Runtime: 88 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R/UR -- Genres: Comedy, Erotica, Western -- From Troma
Running on Empty (1988)
Starring: Christine Lahti, Judd Hirsch
Director: Sidney Lumet
Synopsis: Former 60s radicals living underground confront
choice between sons' future and their own welfare. Critics
praised film's realistic performances, emotional power. Very
appealing for fans of "meaty" family dramas, character-driven fare.
Runtime: 115 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genres: Drama, Suspense
Rush (1991)
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jason Patric
Director: Lili Fini Zanuck
Synopsis: Bleak, gritty drama about undercover cops' downward spiral into addiction. Its unflinching realism and powerhouse performances will please lovers of hard-hitting stark character studies who don't mind occasional melodrama.
Runtime: 120 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Action, Drama
Secret Agent (1936).
Starring: Madeleine Carroll, John Gielgud, Robert Young,
Peter Lorre, Percy Marmont, Lilli Palmer
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Synopsis: Hitchcock's moody suspense-thriller of spies in
England features scenes of tension-filled, visual
bravura-though its slow pace may alienate mainstream
viewers. A must for fans of the director.
Runtime: 86 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Suspense
Haven't seen it yet. Cast looks good.
Satan's Sadists (1969)
Starring: Russ Tamblyn, Regina Carrol
Director: Al Adamson
Synopsis: A pack of bikers terrorizes a Vietnam vet, a retired cop, and three coeds in the California desert.
Runtime: 88 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Cult, Drama -- From Troma
Sex and the City. The Complete First Season.
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, et al.
Imagine four Alesandra's.
Sex and Lucía (2001)
Get unrated version.
Starring: Paz Vega, Tristan Ulloa
Director: Julio Medem
Synopsis: Surreal, erotic, and complex romantic drama about a Spanish writer whose relationship with a sexy waitress is harrowed when he re-establishes contact with a child born of an idyllic one-night stand he had six years prior. (Studio Canal)
Runtime: 128 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Erotica, Romance
Country of Origin: Spain -- Language: Spanish
sex, lies, and videotape (1989)
Starring: James Spader, Andie MacDowell
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Reel Snapshot: Deliberately paced, low-budget drama looks at four thirtysomething
adults' intertwining relationships. This art-house hit's incisive dialogue, edgy
atmosphere should engross fans of penetrating character portraits and multilayered,
dialogue-heavy dramas.
Runtime: 101 minutes --
Rating: R
--
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Indie, Romance
Sgt. Kabukiman, NYPD (1990)
Starring: Rick Gianasi, Susan Byun
Directors: Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman
Synopsis: Ridiculous slapstick action/comedy about cop with ability to transform into kabuki warrior during conflicts. Those seeking adolescent, campy humor mixed with super-cheap special effects will "turn Japanese" over this.
Runtime: 104 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- From Troma
Genres: Action, Comedy, Cult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Shallow Grave -- ****
Starring: Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, Ewan McGregor.
Director: Danny Boyle.
Three graduate student apartment-mates at Edinburgh interview
candidates for a spare room. They are polite, then
provocative, then cruel, and very funny. Their eventual choice
turns out to have a suitcase of cash. Things become extremely
cruel and extremely unfunny. I found it impossible to stop
watching this movie. It is in a category with Psycho for
trapping a viewer and not letting him/her look away even though
he/she really wants to.
Shanghai Noon (2000) -- ****
Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson
Director: Tom Dey
Synopsis: Combo kung-fu comedy/Western actioner follows
an acrobatic Chinese imperial guard (Chan) who rides off
into the Wild West in search of a lost princess (Liu).
Runtime: 105 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Action, Comedy, Martial Arts
This is laugh-until-you-lose-it funny. Maybe the best scene
is when Chan and Wilson take baths (separate tubs, of course)
and start playing a drinking game. Look very closely at the final shot.
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1999)
Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Ittoku Kishibe
Director: Katsuhito Ishii
Synopsis: A young woman accidentally interrupts a mob execution by crashing her car into a limo full of eccentric assassins.
Runtime: 108 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for violence, sexuality and brief language. -- Genres: Action, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan -- Language: Japanese
Showgirls (1995)
Starring: Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)
Starring: Julia Ormond, Gabriel Byrne
Director: Bille August
Synopsis: Offbeat, complex international thriller about conspiracy involving child's death. With its stunning cinematography, colorful characters, and Bond-ish sequences, this is appreciated by mystery/drama/sci-fi/action fans in mood for exotic, mind-bending fare.
Runtime: 121 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Suspense
Smoke Signals (1998) -- ***
Starring: Adam Beach, Evan Adams
Director: Chris Eyre
Synopsis: Wry, stylish comedy about two young Native
Americans' cross-country trip of self-discovery.
Much-appreciated by fans of films about identity and culture
shock, plus those seeking witty, deadpan humor, rich
characterizations.
Runtime: 89 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Indie
South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)
Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone
Directors: Trey Parker, Matt Stone
Synopsis: An R-rated movie inspires war with Canada in
raunchy big-screen debut of popular animated comedy
series. Pleases series fans, political junkies with sharp
satire aimed at American self-righteousness, though crude,
scatological humor will offend many.
Runtime: 88 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Animation, Comedy
Spies (1928)
Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Lupo Pick
Director: Fritz Lang
Synopsis: Influential silent film has secret agent battling
master criminal's spy ring. Regarded as a seminal
espionage thriller, this fast-paced, inventive yarn delights
film history buffs, thriller fans in adventurous mood.
Runtime: 88 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Action, Classic, Foreign, Mystery, Suspense
Country of Origin: Germany --
Language: German
On the same disk as M.
Spirited Away (2002)
Starring: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette
Directors: Hayao Miyazaki, Kirk Wise
Synopsis: Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland in this animated fantasy about a young Japanese girl who stumbles upon a magical fairground teeming with mysterious creatures both good and evil. The 2002 American release is dubbed in English. (Miramax)
Runtime: 124 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG - for some scary moments -- Genres: Animation, Kids
Country of Origin: Japan -- Language: Japanese
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Complete 1st Season (1999)
Starring: Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass
Directors: Sherm Cohen, Walt Dohrn
Synopsis: The first season of the offbeat Nickelodeon show about the porous freak a.k.a. SpongeBob and his friends includes all 40 episodes plus 90 minutes of bonus materials! Episodes: "Bubblestand / Ripped Pants," "Help Wanted / Reef Blowers / Tea at the Treedome," "Jellyfishing / Plankton!," "Naughty Nautical Neighbors / Boating School," "Pizza Delivery / Home Sweet Pineapple," "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy / Pickles," "Hall Monitor / Jellyfish Jam," "Sandy's Rocket / Squeaky Boots," "Nature Pants / Opposite Day," "Culture Shock / F.U.N.," "MuscleBob BuffPants / Squidward, the Unfriendly Ghost," "The Chaperone / Employee of the Month," "Scaredy Pants / I Was a Teen-age Gary," "SB-129 / Karate Choppers," "Sleepy Time / Suds," "Valentine's Day / The Paper," "Arrgh! / Rock Bottom," "Texas / Walking Small," "Fools in April / Neptune's Spatula," "Hooky / Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II"
Runtime: 474 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Animation, Cult, Family, Kids
State & Main (2000) --
Starring: Alec Baldwin, William H. Macy
Director: David Mamet
Synopsis: Showbiz satire chronicles the slow unraveling of
a large-scale Hollywood movie shoot in a small Northeastern
town.
Runtime: 106 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
wwc: Problems of making a movie: The male star (Baldwin)
likes 14 year old girls; the female star (Parker) wants
$800,000 more to bare her breasts; the local politico
wants to tax the movie company dry; the mayor wants all
the stars to come to dinner; etc., etc., etc. Great fun.
Watch the final credits: only 2 animals were harmed in
the making of the movie; to obtain a complete list of
associate producers please submit a request in writing
to the producers. The NYT said Macy was miscast.
Loose ends: how did the much abused stage manager know
the writer was present at the car accident? What was the
point of the high school not winning a trophy one year?
What was the point of the year when there was a string of
fires? And who was the guy shortly after the car accident
who threw the film cannister through the stained glass
window, and why did he do it?
The commentary is mostly a disappointment. Everyone says
terribly nice things about every one else. However there
some interesting things pointed out about bits of business
and lines of dialogue.
The Straight Story (1999) -- ****
Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek
Directed by David Lynch (!)
Synopsis: True story of elderly Iowan riding his lawnmower
cross-country to visit his ailing brother. Its refreshingly
non-manipulative sentimentality, truly heartwarming lead
performance should move anyone even vaguely interested in
subject matter.
Runtime: 111 minutes --
MPAA Rating: G --
Genre: Drama
Wonderful! Saw it with Jenny.
Subway (AKA Metro) (1985) -- 0*
Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Christopher Lambert
Director: Luc Besson
Synopsis: Slick French thriller about thief hiding in Paris
metro. Critics said it was more style than substance, but
this entertains connoisseurs of retro-80s style,
MTV-addicted fans of Christopher Lambert.
Runtime: 123 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Action, Cult, Drama
Second time I have seen it. It still does not make sense.
In French; dubbed in English. The dubbing is labially accurate,
but it is achieved at the expense of intelligence in the dialogue.
Suicide Kings (1998)
Starring: Christopher Walken, Denis Leary
Director: Peter O'fallon
Synopsis: Preppies abduct gangster to raise ransom for
kidnapped sister in teen comedy/mobster drama blend. Hip
black comedy offers thrills, plot twists galore to suspense
fans willing to overlook brain-dead plot.
Runtime: 107 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Summer of Sam (1999)
Starring: Adrien Brody, John Leguizamo
Director: Spike Lee
Synopsis: Critics were divided over this visceral, discursive film set in the Bronx during the summer David Berkowitz was murdering New Yorkers. Graphic, powerful fare for mature audiences who appreciate heavy dramas.
Runtime: 142 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Suspense
Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)
Starring: Gail Neely, Bobbie Bresee
Director: Peter George
Synopsis: Campy comedy about a grieving mother who takes up arms against the punks who murdered her son.
Runtime: 83 minutes -- Genres: Comedy, Cult -- From Troma
The Sweet Hereafter (1997) -- ****
Starring: Ian Holm, Maury Chaykin
Director: Atom Egoyan
Synopsis: Brooding, restrained, formally complex drama
details the emotional aftermath of a small-town school-bus
accident. Devastating evocation of loss and difficult
parent-child relationships should engross fans of emotionally
wrenching art-house drama.
Runtime: 110 minutes. --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Drama.
Tales of the Kama Sutra: The Perfumed Garden (2000)
Starring: Ivan Baccarat, Amy Lindsay
Director: Jag Mundhra
Synopsis: An American couple travel to India and get acquainted with their desires and fantasies through an introduction to the Kama Sutra.
Runtime: 104 minutes - MPAA Rating: Not Rated - Genre: Erotica
Talk to Her (2002)
Synopsis: Emotionally charged drama about the intense friendship between a struggling writer and a male nurse who is caring for said writer's coma-stricken bullfighter girlfriend. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Runtime: 116 minutes
MPAA Rating: R - for nudity, sexual content and some language
Genres: Drama, Foreign, Romance -- Country of Origin: Spain -- Language: Spanish
021102 AOScott in NYTimes Magazine "may well, in the long run, be some of the best"
Tampopo (1986) -- ****
Starring: Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki
Director: Juzo Itami
Reel Snapshot: This smash Japanese hit is an irreverent, episodic comedy about the
role of food in people's lives. A must-see for food connoisseurs and fans of quirky,
offbeat, life-affirming fare.
Runtime: 114 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan
A trucker teaches a young woman to make noodles. That is
the basic story, but the movie wanders away to eight or ten
unforgettable little side stories. The final sceen shows
the ultimate combination of food, sex, and love.
The Tenant (1976)
Starring: Roman Polanski, Isabelle Adjani
Director: Roman Polanski
Synopsis: Offbeat cult thriller about a man renting an apartment in a menacing Parisian building. Polanski fans and those
who enjoy tense psychological mysteries will relish this immaculate portrait of one man's descent into madness.
Runtime: 126 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Cult, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Suspense
7.6/10.0 on IMDb.
The Terrorist (1998)
Starring: Ayesha Dharkar, Bhanu Prakash
Director: Santosh Sivan
Synopsis: Suspenseful Indian drama about a young female revolutionary chosen to assassinate a powerful political figure by means of explosives strapped to her chest.
Runtime: 95 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Drama, Foreign, Suspense
Country of Origin: India --
Language: Bengali
Recommended by John Malkovitch in a NYT article about
a film festival in Cairo.
The Thief (1997)
Starring: Vladimir Mashkov, Yekaterina Rednikova
Director: Pavel Chukhrai
Synopsis: Debonair criminal in Stalinist Russia seduces a young widowed mother in this powerful drama. Compelling viewing for fans of intelligent drama with its indelible characterizations, richly symbolic and poignant story.
Runtime: 110 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Russia -- Language: Russian
36 Fillette (1988)
Starring: Delphine Zentout, Etienne Chicot
Director: Catherine Breillat
Synopsis: Troubled teen toys with sexuality as she lures older man into uncertain seduction. While too aimless for some viewers,
fans of slowly unfolding European dramas will find story psychologically compelling.
Runtime: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
The 39 Steps (1935) -- ****
Starring: Madeleine Carroll, Robert Donat
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Synopsis: Espionage thriller set in '30s London involving
spies and murder. Though not considered one of
Hitchcock's best, it's a great curiosity item for fans of
classic suspense.
Runtime: 81 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Action, Classic, Mystery, Suspense
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Classic. Still fun. How did that proper, handcuffed couple
ever deal with bathroom needs?
Lost in Translation (2003)
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray
Director: Sofia Coppola
Synopsis: Understated comedy/drama about a depressed American actor and the lonely young wife of a workaholic photographer who find each other amid the isolating strangeness of Tokyo. At first just killing time together in the hotel bar, they soon realize there's more to their relationship. (Focus Features)
Runtime: 105 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for some sexual content. -- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Indie
The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
Starring: Michele Caucheteux, Jean-Claude Donda
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Synopsis: French animation comedy about an old lady and her beloved pooch Bruno who team up with three eccentric female music-hall stars from the 1930s to rescue her kidnapped grandson from the French mafia. French with English subtitles. (SPC)
Runtime: 78 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for images involving sensuality, violence and crude humor. -- Genres: Animation, Comedy, Foreign
Country of Origin: France -- Language: French
Reel Review
Every so often, a film comes along that is so original, imaginative, and just plain flat-out wonderful that you can do little but marvel at the filmmaker's artistry. Such a film is The Triplets of Belleville, a delightful animated feature from Sylvain Chomet
True Stories (1986)
Starring: David Byrne, John Goodman
Director: David Byrne
Synopsis: Quirky, offbeat, episodic, slice-of-life musical
black comedy about residents of small Texas town. Critics
were mixed. Film's ultra-hip air, visually interesting
production numbers will please Talking Heads fans,
art-house devotees.
Runtime: 89 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG --
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Indie, Music, Romance
The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)
Starring: Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman
Director: Michael Lehmann
Synopsis: Warm-hearted, intelligent revision of Cyrano story concerns plain-Jane radio talk show host and her gorgeous best friend vying for suitor's attention. Very satisfying for fans of sunny, character-driven romantic comedies.
Runtime: 97 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG-13 -- Genres: Comedy, Romance
Tumbleweeds (1999) -- ***
Starring: Noah Emmerich, Janet McTeer, Kimberly J. Brown
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Synopsis: Oft-married mother and her pubescent daughter
start new life in California, but have trouble escaping old
patterns in nuanced comedy-drama. Fans of realistic family
stories find plenty in McTeer's vivid performance and quirky
humor amid the pathos.
Runtime: 104 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genre: Drama
Good flick. I would enjoy going back and watching the
director's commentary with someone.
2 Days in the Valley (1996)
Starring: Danny Aiello, Greg Cruttwell
Director: John Herzfeld
Synopsis: This movie examines 48 hours in the lives of a labyrinth of oddball inhabitants of and criminals in the San Fernando Valley, including a hit man who is afraid of dogs, a snobby art dealer who compliments his secretary by offering to pay for her liposuction, and the ex-wife of a mediocre Olympic skier.
Runtime: 107 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Noir, Suspense
Two Girls and a Guy (1998)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Heather Graham
Director: James Toback
Synopsis: Claustrophobic, confessional comedy-drama about two women's confrontation with their shared lover. Fans of talky, emotionally raw dramas should enjoy beleaguered Downey's all-too-authentic performance, though some will find female characters underdeveloped.
Runtime: 92 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Drama
VHS comes in R and NC17 versions. The DVD I got is rated R. Drat.
The Virgin Suicides (2000)
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, James Woods
Director: Sofia Coppola
Synopsis: Downbeat drama about group of upper-middle-class teens becoming infatuated with their neighbors, four alluring sisters wracked with depression after their youngest sibling's suicide.
Runtime: 97 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Drama
Under the Sand (2001)
Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Bruno Cremer
Director: Francois Ozon
Synopsis: Subtle drama about a woman who believes that her husband
is still living with her after he mysteriously disappears from a beach in France.
Runtime: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
U-Turn (1997)
Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez
Director: Oliver Stone
Synopsis: Psychoactive noir/thriller about desperate hustler
stranded in desolate Arizona town. Its hallucinatory visuals,
pitch-black humor should please jaded midnight-movie fans,
but the gore-splattered ending and vicious cynicism will
shock sensitive viewers.
Runtime: 125 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Noir, Suspense
You think you know Billie Bob Thornton? You don't until you have seen this movie.
The Vanishing (1988)
AKA Spoorloos
Starring: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets
Director: George Sluizer
Synopsis: Brilliantly crafted, quietly terrifying psychological
thriller about a young woman's disappearance and her
boyfriend's obsessive quest to learn what really happened.
Coolly disturbing plot wows fans of intellectual, Hitchcockian
suspense.
Runtime: 107 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Drama, Foreign, Horror, Mystery, Suspense,
Thriller
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Language: Dutch
Waking Life (2001)
Starring: Wiley Wiggins, Ethan Hawke
Director: Richard Linklater
Synopsis: Often-psychedelic, deeply philosophical animated drama follows a man's wanderings through a town full of eccentric do-nothings.
It may — or may not — be a dream. (Fox Searchlight)
Runtime: 97 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Animation, Comedy, Cult, Indie
Waking Life (2001; R; 97 mins.) from Buried Treasures of 2002 By D. Scott Apel
How do you describe a dream? And a dream is what this film most resembles, both in content and appearance. The plot of Waking Life
involves a character named Wiley Wiggins, who wanders through strange landscapes holding strange conversations with strangers.
Think of it as the flip-side of writer-director Richard Linklater's first film, Slacker — that movie was about the weirdness of the waking world,
while in Waking Life, life is but a dream.
And what a dream! Although it starts slowly, it's never dull. The conversations, for example, culminate in a compelling dialogue
about lucid dreaming — the conscious awareness that one is, in fact, awake within a dream. Linklater wisely chose to enhance
this philosophical discourse with an audacious experiment in visual style, ensuring that even when an episode becomes obscure,
the imagery still holds our attention. Essentially, Linklater shot live footage on digital video, then had more than two dozen animators
draw on and hand-color the original footage — a unique and entirely appropriate approach that enhances the dreamlike nature of the film.
Watch this film for its bold, boundary-breaking animation, or watch it for its intelligent exploration of the lucid-dreaming state.
Either way, it will keep you wide awake with fascination.
7.5/10 (4,492 votes) on IMDb. Read the viewer comments on IMDb; they are all over the place.
Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Synopsis: Mainstream, madcap farce about two young
corporate wannabes invited to boss's weekend retreat, only
to find him dead. Critics were generally positive. Fans of
silly, slapstick humor will enjoy.
Runtime: 101 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genre: Comedy
Wild Things (1998)
Starring: Matt Damon, Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell
Director: John McNaughton
Synopsis: Steamy, often-funny thriller about detective
investigating school counselor's relationship with two sultry
students. Its gleeful trashiness, plentiful sex will thrill
neo-noir fans, though the twisting plot may confuse
inattentive viewers.
Runtime: 108 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Erotica, Noir, Suspense, Thriller
Enough plot for five movies. Lots of surprises.
Fun, but don't look for anything edifying.
Wit (2001)
Starring: Emma Thompson
Director: Mike Nichols
Runtime: 99 minutes -- HBO Films
You Can Count on Me (2000) ****
Starring: Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick
Director: Ken Lonergan
Synopsis: Alternately funny, melancholy tale of two
orphaned siblings - a charismatic drifter and a uptight
single mother - reuniting in their small hometown in
upstate New York. Won two major awards - the Grand
Jury Prize and the Ensemble Acting Award - at the
Sundance Film Festival.
Runtime: 109 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Drama
Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, Mathew Broderick.
Reviewed by Stephen Holden, p. E13, NYT on 001110.
the perfectly pitched directorial debut of the playwright ...
melancholy little gem of a movie ... won two major awards at
Sundance ... qualifies as one of the two or three finest
American movies released this year ... steadfast integrity
that sharpens as the story goes along ... an exquisitely
observed slice of upstate New York life ... an unerring
sense of when it is best to leave things to the imagination.
The Young Master (1980)
Starring: Jackie Chan, Ben Levin
Director: Jackie Chan
Synopsis: Action heavy kung-fu flick, featuring somewhat
uneven plot centering on an unjustly maligned Jackie Chan.
Chan's second dip into kung fu directing fray pleases fans of
choreographed fight humor.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
MPAA Rating: Not Rated --
Genre: Action
A cheap, early work.
=============================================================
The line preceding a movie listing shows how much I want a
movie and the price for the movie at amazon.com or buy.com (as of
the last time I looked up prices). To find the movies I most
want, search on 'want 10' and 'want 09' or 'want 08'. Prices
are coming down, so do not spend over $20. Also, check for DVDs
at Best Buy and Circuit City; they sometimes have much lower
prices. OK, I saved you the trouble; here are the movies I
currently want most.
See also the short list of movies I want.
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Lovely and Amazing (2002)
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"... sublime, little seen ..." A.O. Scott, p. 18, Arts and Leisure, NY Times, 031228.
MPAA: Rated PG for thematic elements, violence and brief mild language.
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Not sure I want this. I remembered the 1947 version as being
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DVDs Wanted.
If you are looking for a birthday or xmas present for me,
please consider the following movies. Rather than thinking of
myself as being controlling, I like to think of myself as being
considerate in helping others choose gifts that they can be sure
that I will like.
About Adam (2001)
Starring: Stuart Townsend, Kate Hudson
About Schmidt (2003)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis
Director: Alexander Payne
Synopsis: Often-comic drama profiles sexagenarian Insurance salesman who suddenly realizes almost everything about his wholesome Midwestern life is a lie. In a panic, he tries to sabotage his daughter's upcoming marriage. (New Line)
MPAA Rating: R - Language and brief nudity -- Genres: Comedy, Drama
021102 AOScott in NYTimes Magazine "may well, in the long run, be some of the best"
030106 I saw it. Nicholson, Davis, and Bates are wonderful. The boyfriend's family is cartoonish. The more I think
about this film, the less I like it.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai
Across the Eighth Dimension (1984)
Starring: John Lithgow, Peter Weller
Director: W.D. Richter
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Ruy Guerra
Director: Werner Herzog
Alfred Hitchcock DVD Collection (1998)
Starring: Madeleine Carroll, Robert Donat
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Reel Snapshot: Set provides excellent introduction to early Hitchcock with these
classic mysteries, Sabotage, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Secret Agent, Murder,
and Number 17. Bonuses include five-part biography, complete filmography.
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Classic, Drama, Mystery, Suspense
Separately, I have Man who knew, Secret agent, and Murder.
I already have many of these separately.
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Starring: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim
Director: Lewis Milestone
Reel Snapshot: Anti-war drama about German boys volunteering for WWI service. Hugely
popular in its day, still retains its bite. Appealing both for fans of battle pictures and lovers of
strongly developed characters.
Allegro Non Troppo (1976)
Starring: Maurizio Nichetti, Heidi Komarek
Director: Bruno Bozzetto
Reel Snapshot: Italian spoof of Disney's Fantasia sets absurdist animated vignettes
to classical music. A fun romp for fans of imaginative, often satiric alternative
animation.
Runtime: 75 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Animation, Classic, Comedy, Foreign, Music, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
The American Friend (1977)
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz
Director: Wim Wenders
Reel Snapshot: Suspenseful, brooding German take on American gangster films
chronicles picture framer hired to assassinate a mobster. A critical hit, it's hailed by
genre fans and those who like strong performances.
Runtime: 127 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama, Foreign, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
Country of Origin: West Germany
Language: German
Angels and Insects (1995)
Starring: Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas
Director: Philip Haas
Synopsis: Sensuous, slow-paced romantic drama set in
Victorian era features insect scientist who marries into
wealthy family. Fans of intricately drawn relationship
studies, sumptuous photography enjoy this provocative,
heavy-on-motif art-house film.
Runtime: 118 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Romance
Animal Crackers (1930)
Starring: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx
Director: Victor Heerman
Reel Snapshot: Marx Brothers' second comedy has Groucho crashing a high-society
soiree with typical off-the-wall aplomb. Equal parts goofy farce, social satire, this is a
treat for classic comedy fans, devoted Marxists.
Runtime: 97 minutes --
Rating: Not Rated --
Genre: Classic, Comedy
Animal House (Collector's Edition) (Widescreen)(1978)
Starring: John Belushi, Tim Matheson
Director: John Landis
Synopsis: Lowbrow comedy about boisterous fraternity
wreaking havoc on early '60s college campus. Despite
mixed reviews, this became a cult classic. A must-see for
fans of campus comedies, lovers of sophomoric humor.
Runtime: 108 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Comedy
Ann And Eve (1968)
Synopsis: In Color, Starring European sex Goddess Marie Liljedahl
Arabian Nights (1974)
Starring: Ninetto Davoli, Ines Pellegrini
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Reel Snapshot: Colorful, sexy adaptation of "1001 Nights" stories. Filled with many
pleasant and sometimes disturbing surprises for devotees of art cinema and radical
political world views, aficionados of the exotic.
Runtime: 130 minutes --
Rating: NC-17 --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Erotica, Foreign, Gay/Lesbian
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1977)
Starring: David Miller, Sharon Taylor
Director: John DeBello
Synopsis: Infamous "so bad it's good" cult favorite features
thousands of ordinary tomatoes turning into savage
predators. Sci-fi/horror low-budget spoof is compulsory for
genre fans in the mood for a one-joke film.
Runtime: 100 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Action, Comedy, Cult, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Contender for the worst movie of all time.
Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987)
Starring: Gaspard Manesse, Raphael Fejto
Director: Louis Malle
Reel Snapshot: Emotionally powerful portrait of two schoolmates at Catholic boarding
school in Nazi-occupied France. Evocative coming-of-age film pleases historical drama
and foreign film lovers who appreciate intensely moving, deliberately paced narratives.
Runtime: 103 minutes --
Rating: PG --
Genre: Action, Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Bad Day at Black Rock (1954)
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan
Director: John Sturges
Reel Snapshot: Mysterious one-armed stranger probes small town's guilty
conscience in this deliberately paced showdown-themed Western. Though it's
somewhat dated, many drama fans still enjoy its crackling tension, powerful
characters.
Runtime: 82 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama
Ballad of Narayama
021203 Not on DVD.
Banana Monster (1973)
Starring: John Landis, Eliza Garrett
Director: John Landis
Synopsis: Goofy comedy-fantasy concerns prehistoric ape
who causes turmoil in California town after being thawed out
from a glacier. Lighthearted, low-budget spoof of B-horror
flicks will amuse the midnight movie crowd.
Runtime: 80 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG
Genres: Comedy, Cult
The Bank Dick (1940) ***
Starring: W.C. Fields, Cora Witherspoon
Director: Eddie Cline
Reel Snapshot: Madcap romp concerning dimwit who's made bank detective.
Considered best showcase of W.C. Field's talents. Classic comedy fans still
appreciate its shamelessly witty, non-stop hilarity.
Runtime: 73 minutes -- Rating: NR -- Genre: Classic, Comedy
The Barbarian Invasions (2003)
Starring: Remy Girard, Stephane Rousseau
Director: Denys Arcand
Synopsis: Sequel to 1986's The Decline of the American Empire, in which the main characters reunite around Remy's death bed, who is dying from cancer. (Miramax)
Runtime: 112 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for language, sexual dialogue and drug content.
Country of Origin: Canada -- Language: French
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Starring: Alexander Antonov, Vladimir Barsky
Director: Sergei Eisenstein
Reel Snapshot: One of the greatest films of the Soviet avant-garde dramatizes a 1905
mutiny and subsequent Odessa revolt. Dynamic, innovative montage makes this a
must-see for film history buffs.
Runtime: 65 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Action, Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Russia
Language: Russian
Betrayal (1983)
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Patricia Hodge
Director: David Jones
Synopsis: Serious, cerebral romantic drama, based on
Harold Pinter play, about a woman's extramarital affair with
husband's best friend, told from husband's point of view. A
satisfying tearjerker for genre fans.
Runtime: 95 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Drama, Romance
What a sickening, silly description from reel.com. Three acts
of three scenes each, told in reverse chronological order. "An
equilateral triangle, in which the roles of manipulator and
manipulated, of the wounder and the wounded, keep shifting."
p E3, NYT, 001115.
021203 Not on DVD at Amazon.
The Bicycle Thief (1949)
Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Lianella Carell
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Reel Snapshot: Much-loved, classic Italian drama about a poor man struggling to
provide for his family. This well-crafted, realistic film is essential viewing for foreign film
buffs, fans of heartfelt family dramas.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
The Big Sleep (1946)
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall
Director: Howard Hawks
Reel Snapshot: Classic mystery about private investigator hired to guard millionaire's
sharp-tongued daughter. A must for noir, classics, romance fans, plus drama buffs who
enjoy crackling dialogue, teasing suspense, charismatic performances.
Runtime: 114 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Mystery, Noir, Romance, Suspense
Billy Liar (1963) reel001201 not on DVD.
Starring: Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie
Director: John Schlesinger
Synopsis: Bittersweet comedy about young man creating
fantasy world to escape his cul-de-sac existence. Excellent
performances, juxtaposition of fantasy and realism make
this a favorite among lovers of British drama.
Runtime: 94 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genre: Drama
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)
Starring: Margit Carstensen, Hanna Schygulla
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Reel Snapshot: A fashion designer develops a possessive crush on a young model in
this elegantly lurid drama. Fassbinder fans enjoy the insightful performances, although
quasi-campy psychodrama leaves some mainstream viewers cold.
Runtime: 124 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign, Gay/Lesbian
Country of Origin: Germany
Language: German
Block-heads (1938)
Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy
Director: John Blystone
Reel Snapshot: Slapstick runs rampant in this classic, giddy pastiche of fast and
furious sight gags about a soldier who doesn't know WWI is over. A definite for fans of
old-fashioned comedy.
Runtime: 75 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy
The Blue Light (1932)
Starring: Leni Riefenstahl, Matthias Wieman
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
Plot Summary: A woman in a remote village is reviled because she alone can ascend
a treacherous mountain peak. A painter falls in love with her and uncovers her secret.
Runtime: 77 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Germany
Language: German
Brazil (1985)
Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro
Director: Terry Gilliam
Reel Snapshot: Super-offbeat glimpse of future from civil servant's perspective is a
nightmarish, fantastical roller coaster ride through outlandishly demented terrain.
Acclaimed ultra-black comedy/social satire is an art-house cult favorite.
Note: 3-disc Criterion DVD contains both the 142-minute theatrical version and the
94-minute truncated version on separate discs. Third disc contains supplementary
material.
Runtime: 131 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
There is a second Criterion DVD offered on reel.com
for $40.49.
Breathless (1959)
Starring: Jean Seberg, Jean-Paul Belmondo
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Reel Snapshot: Vastly influential revisionist noir/romance involves young French thief
on the lam hiding out with his American girlfriend. This "ultra-cool" classic is a
must-see for students of French New Wave, noir fans.
Runtime: 89 minutes --
Rating: PG
--
Genre: Action, Classic, Drama, Foreign, Noir, Romance, Suspense
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Broken Vessels (1998)
Starring: Todd Field
Snapshot: Young man moves from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles
and gets a job as an ambulance driver assisting an older man
(Field). The boss seems cool at first; gradually you see he
has become insane from the pressures of the job, and survives
only via the use of drugs and alcohol. Funny and scary.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Starring: Robert Redford, Paul Newman
Director: George Roy Hill
Reel Snapshot: Much-loved classic about charming outlaws running from the law as
the West is tamed. With its vivid characterizations, chemistry between stars, poignant
tragicomedy, this thrills Western, drama, and action fans.
Runtime: 112 minutes --
Rating: PG
--
Genre: Action, Classic, Comedy, Drama, Western
Butterfly Kiss (1995) Reel001201 Not on DVD.
Starring: Amanda Plummer, Saskia Reeves
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Synopsis: Harrowing, raw, violent English road movie about
lonely clerk's life-changing relationship with woman on killing
spree. Riveting, potent fare for art-house fans seeking
disturbing portrait of mental illness and loneliness.
Runtime: 85 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
--
Genres: Action, Cult, Drama, Gay/Lesbian, Suspense
Children of Paradise (1945)
Starring: Jean-Louis Barrault, Arletty
Director: Marcel Carne
Synopsis: Intricate, engaging period epic about a Parisian mime infatuated with an unattainable beauty. Critically adored, this enduring classic's riveting performances and lavish cinematography should engross all but the most impatient of viewers.
Runtime: 195 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Classic, Drama, Foreign, Romance
Country of Origin: France -- Language: French
Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979)
Starring: Gian Maria Volonte, Irene Papas
Director: Francesco Rosi
Plot Summary: This film tells the true story of a writer who opposed the fascist
takeover of Italy and was exiled to a primitive village to start a new life.
Runtime: 118 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
Citizen Kane (1941)
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten
Director: Orson Welles
Reel Snapshot: Fictional biography of larger-than-life newspaper tycoon, told in
flashback style. With its bravura direction and vivid performances, this is considered a
modern masterpiece. Must-see for drama lovers, cinema history buffs.
Runtime: 119 minutes --
Rating: Not Rated --
Genre: Classic, Drama
City Lights (1931)
Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Reel Snapshot: Charlie Chaplin masterpiece about "Little Tramp" falling for a blind
flower girl. Critically acclaimed for its blend of sentimental drama, pathos, melancholy
romance, slapstick, and comic pantomime. A classic lover's treat.
Runtime: 86 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Romance
The City of Lost Children (1995)
Starring: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork
Directors: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro
Claire's Knee (1970)
Starring: Jean-Claude Brialy, Aurora Cornu
Director: Eric Rohmer
Reel Snapshot: Critics loved this sensual, very talky tale of man's obsession with
girl's knee. Unusual French romance is a favorite with art-house crowd, drama and
comedy fans seeking literate relationship studies.
Runtime: 103 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Foreign, Romance
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Clockwatchers (1997)
Starring: Toni Collette, Parker Posey
Director: Jill Sprecher
Synopsis: Undervalued temps navigate dangerous waters of
a corporate office in this dark indie comedy. Occasionally
thin script notwithstanding, the lively performances,
embittered scenario should amply amuse "Dilbert" devotees.
Runtime: 105 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genre: Comedy
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Reel Snapshot: Controversial, cult-status dystopian sci-fi/drama about experiment to
brainwash teen hooligan against violence. Juxtaposes stunning camerawork, upbeat
score with graphic brutality. Appeals to fans of social commentary seeking disturbing,
thought-provoking viewing.
Runtime: 137 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The Conformist (1971)
Il Conformista (1970)
Starring: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Synopsis: Tense historical thriller about Italian who joins
Mussolini's secret police remains a critical favorite. Intricate
plot and strong character studies please drama/history buffs
who enjoy European cinema, disturbing fare.
Runtime: 115 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Classic, Drama, Foreign, Gay/Lesbian, Suspense
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
John Malkovich, speaking about making "The Dancer Upstairs", said,
"Everybody directing a film, I guess they'd like to make a great movie.
You're not going to. I mean that's 99.9 percent assured, if not higher,
over the history of film. You're not going to make 'The Conformist'".
the desire to make a great movie, "
041209 Not on DVD at Amazon.
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon
Director: Peter Greenaway
Synopsis: Over-the-top, eccentric, opulent exploration of
passion, revenge among restaurant regulars. Critics praised
expert mix of grotesque and sumptuous imagery. Must-see
for director's fans and strong-stomached, shock-proof
devotees of the offbeat.
Runtime: 123 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R/UR
Genres: Cult, Drama, Erotica, Suspense
Cries and Whispers (1972)
Starring: Liv Ullmann, Ingrid Thulin
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Reel Snapshot: Talky, hypnotic, lyrically photographed Swedish drama about woman
dying of cancer. Considered a Bergman masterpiece. Must-see for fans of director,
serious drama buffs in mood for complex, slow-paced, cerebral fare.
Runtime: 94 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Sweden
Language: Swedish
The Cruise (1998)
Starring: Timothy Levitch
Director: Bennett Miller
Synopsis: Eccentric guide Timothy "Speed" Levitch takes a
tour of Manhattan in this whimsical documentary. Character
study lovers and those interested in New York will find this
an enjoyable ride.
Runtime: 76 minutes --
MPAA Rating: Not Rated --
Genre: Documentary
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
The Damned (1969)
Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Ingrid Thulin
Director: Luchino Visconti
Synopsis: Bleak, hard-to-watch melodrama about wealthy German family's fall during Nazis' rise to power. With its grim, hard-hitting plot, this is best-reserved for art-house, melodrama fans searching for graphic, harrowing viewing.
Runtime: 146 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Cult, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Italy -- Language: Italian
040106 On the ride back from Cortland Yasuko said she wants this.
Dead Man (1995)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Synopsis: Slow-paced, genre-tweaking Western about
accountant-turned-accidental-outlaw's strange
transcontinental journey. With its plethora of bizarre
characters and surreal scenes, this pleases art-house
patrons and Western fans seeking unconventional,
challenging fare.
Runtime: 120 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Drama, Indie, Western
Folks, this is one weird movie. I kept waiting for something
rational to happen. I still am.
Dead Ringers (1988)
Starring: Jeremy Irons, Genevieve Bujold
Director: David Cronenberg
Synopsis: Twin gynecologists descend into madness in this
deliberately paced, stylistically impressive horror-drama.
Quietly disturbing film offers perverse pleasures to
Cronenberg devotees, and to strong-stomached viewers who
enjoy unsettling psychological portraits.
Runtime: 115 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Cult, Drama, Horror
The Decameron (1970)
Starring: Franco Citti, Ninetto Davoli
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Reel Snapshot: Eight separate tales from Boccaccio's medieval classic.
European-style, upbeat, energetic drama will appeal mainly to thoughtful fans of
medieval literature and foreign movie buffs. A treat for devotees of director.
Runtime: 111 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Erotica, Foreign
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
Starring: Dominique Michel, Dorothee Berryman
Director: Denys Arcand
Synopsis: Talky, rough-edged French-Canadian comedy/drama about group of intellectuals swapping philosophical ideas and sexual partners. A witty delight for fans of adult-themed, character-driven drama grappling with sexual politics, interpersonal relationships.
Runtime: 102 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Canada -- Language: French
The Deer Hunter (1978)
Starring: Robert De Niro, John Cazale
Director: Michael Cimino
Reel Snapshot: Emotionally compelling, lengthy drama about effects of Vietnam War
on buddies from Pennsylvania steel town. Critically acclaimed film is considered a
modern anti-war classic. For fans of powerful, character-driven drama.
Runtime: 183 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Suspense, War
Desperado/El Mariachi (1999)
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Carlos Gallardo
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Synopsis: Pair of blood-soaked actioners trace mariachi's
evolution from mild-mannered musician to lethal gunman.
Fast-paced blend of non-stop action, black comedy, and
romance offers plenty of adrenalin-pumping entertainment to
genre buffs.
Runtime: 184 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genre: Action
Diabolique (1955)
Starring: Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Reel Snapshot: Still-chilling, suspense-filled, eerie French thriller about plot to kill
sadistic schoolmaster by his wife and mistress. Critics say this nail-biter classic hasn't
aged a day. A treat for suspense/thriller fans.
Runtime: 116 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Foreign, Mystery, Suspense
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
Starring: Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig
Director: Luis Bunuel
Reel Snapshot: Surreal fable about frustrated guests attempting to hold a dinner
party. Considered a masterpiece of modern cinema. A must for Bunuel lovers and fans
of experimental film and social satire.
Runtime: 100 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Spain
Divorce, Italian Style (1962)
Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Daniela Rocca
Director: Pietro Germi
Reel Snapshot: Black comedy finds Mastroianni plotting to catch wife cheating so he
can legally murder her. Racy farce with ironic twist ending is sure-fire bet for fans of
sophisticated sex satires.
Runtime: 104 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Foreign
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
010304 reel 22.50 and 29.50. Why two prices?
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Starring: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis
Director: Spike Lee
Reel Snapshot: Slice-of-life urban drama about flaring racial tensions on a summer
day in Brooklyn. Powerful, vibrantly filmed modern classic was a critical and popular
hit. Thrills fans of hard-hitting, thought-provoking drama.
Runtime: 120 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Indie
Dogville (2003)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson
Director: Lars von Trier
Synopsis: Highly acclaimed suspense-drama about a female fugitive on the run from the mob who arrives in the small town of Dogville. The little community reluctantly agrees to hide her in exchange for her to work for them. But once the search sets in, the people of Dogville demand a better deal in exchange for the risk of harbouring her. (Lions Gate)
Runtime: 177 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for violence and sexual content. -- Genres: Cult, Drama, Foreign, Suspense
Country of Origin: Denmark
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1978)
Starring: Sonia Braga, Jose Wilker
Director: Bruno Barreto
Reel Snapshot: Popular, sexy Brazilian supernatural comedy about beautiful woman
torn between current dull husband and ghost of deceased party animal husband.
Fantastical, upbeat humor will please fans of good-natured foreign farces.
Runtime: 106 minutes --
Rating: NR
--
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Erotica, Foreign, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Country of Origin: Brazil
Donovan's Brain (1953)
want 08.. amaz $..... buy $.....
Double Whammy (2001)
Starring: Denis Leary, Elizabeth Hurley
Director: Tom DiCillo
Synopsis: Quirky comedy about an unsuccessful cop trying to regain his reputation.
Runtime: 101 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for language, violence, some sexuality and drug use -- Genre: Comedy
Double Whammy (2001; R; 93 mins.) from Buried Treasures of 2002 By D. Scott Apel
LOSER COP! That's what the tabloid headlines scream when Det. Ray Pluto (Denis Leary) throws his back out attempting to prevent an armed assault on a fast-food joint (which the media dubs the "burger bloodbath"). They might be right. Ray blames himself for the accidental death of his wife and child, for instance. Then he's upstairs making love with his frisky chiropractor (Elizabeth Hurley) while the super in his building is brutally assaulted. And he's tied to a chair helping a couple of hip-hop screenwriters block out a scene when assailants burst in to kill the witnesses. But maybe even a loser cop has a shot at redeeming his self-esteem and the public trust. It all comes down to the words of another movie police detective: "You've gotta ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well? Do ya, punk?"
Dirty Harry might have asked the question, but Ray's situation is captured even more accurately by that ol' blockhead Charlie Brown: "One day you're the hero, the next day you're the goat." So it is with Ray — and also, ironically, with writer-director Tom DiCillo. Despite a string of well-received indie films (including Box of Moonlight and The Real Blonde), he couldn't swing a theatrical release for Double Whammy, which went straight to video and DVD. Maybe it's because the flick is just unfocused enough that it confused its critics. Is it a gritty police procedural? A parable of redemption? A light romance? A satire on how the media acts as judge and jury to public figures? A lampoon of modern action movies, where ultraviolence is the essential element? The answer, of course, is all of the above, to which we'd add: It's also an intelligent and thought-provoking 90 minutes of solid, low-key entertainment.
Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922)
Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Aud Eged Nissen
Director: Fritz Lang
Reel Snapshot: Criminal mastermind attempts world domination beginning with Berlin.
Dizzying Fatherland allegory is sterling example of German Expressionism filmmaking.
This classic's a must-see for cinema and genre buffs.
Runtime: 171 minutes --
Rating: NR
--
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign, Mystery, Silent
Country of Origin: Germany
Language: German
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Synopsis: Classic Cold War satire about crazed general
sparking nuclear crisis. With scathing humor, timeless
performances that remain razor-sharp, this is considered
one of the greatest black comedies of all time.
Runtime: 95 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG
Genres: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
The Draughtsman's Contract (1983)
Starring: Anthony Higgins, Janet Suzman
Director: Peter Greenaway
Synopsis: A man is hired to make sketches of an estate,
and paid in more than just money in the owner's husband's
absence. Intrigue and murder ensue. 17th-century backdrop,
Baroque music, gorgeous visuals, and complex, original
script highly reward the art-house crowd and fans of
Greenaway.
Runtime: 103 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Drama
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The Dreamlife of Angels (1998)
Starring: Elodie Bouchez, Natacha Regnier
Director: Erick Zonca
Synopsis: Highly acclaimed drama chronicles friendship
between two young Frenchwomen. Emotionally compelling
character study, aided by stunning performances, is
essential for fans of French cinema, audiences seeking
powerfully raw art-house fare.
Runtime: 113 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Drowning by Numbers (1987)
Starring: Joan Plowright, Bernard Hill
Director: Peter Greenaway
Synopsis: Ostensibly about three like-named women whose
husbands drown, this film serves as a medium for
Greenaway to incorporate some familiar obsessions
(numbers, water, death). A cinematic puzzler for the
Greenaway-inclined.
Runtime: 118 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Cult, Drama, Suspense
Duck Soup (1933)
Starring: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx
Director: Leo McCarey
Reel Snapshot: Classic, much-loved Marx Brothers romp. Gag-studded, still-fresh
political satire/musical about the fictitious state of Freedonia is a must-see for Marx
Brothers devotees, curiosity seekers, and 30s-era comedy connoisseurs.
Runtime: 70 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Cult
East Is East (1999)
Starring: Om Puri, Linda Bassett
Director: Damien O'Donnell
Synopsis: In '70s-era Manchester, a Pakistani father tries to
impose Muslim values on his rebellious offspring. Lively
blend of gut-splitting hilarity and intense drama plus a fine
ensemble cast offer much to fans of finely-drawn character
portraits, intelligent family drama.
Runtime: 96 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Comedy, Drama
Recommended by Hannah Fox.
Eating Raoul (1982)
Starring: Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov
Director: Paul Bartel
Synopsis: Cult-hit black comedy about straitlaced L.A.
couple financing their restaurant by murdering and robbing
kinky swingers. This somewhat dated satire pleases fans of
non-mainstream fare looking for particularly offbeat
entertainment.
Runtime: 83 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Horror, Indie
Ed Wood: Look Back in Angora (1994) Reel001201 Not on DVD
Starring: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Synopsis: Biography of legendary "worst director of all
time." Home movie footage and interviews chronicle his
inept filmmaking style, eccentric lifestyle, warped vision.
Insightful, hilarious, compulsory viewing for Wood fans.
Runtime: 51 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Documentary
021203 Not on DVD at Amazon.
The Ed Wood Deluxe Angora Box Set (1999)
Director: Ed Wood
Election (1999)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon
Director: Alexander Payne
Synopsis: Sharp satire of high school life chronicles
corruption during student council election. Smarter, more
sophisticated than the average teen flick, this pleases fans
of gleefully funny black comedies.
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Comedy
I have this on tape, so my desire for the DVD is reduced.
Eraserhead (1978)
Starring: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart
Director: David Lynch
Synopsis: Surreal, nightmarish psychological horror film set
in neo-Gothic industrial wasteland. Art-house cult favorite is
compulsory for fans of non-mainstream fare in mood for
bizarre, disturbing film. Not for the squeamish.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Cult, Drama, Horror, Indie, Suspense
031203 Not yet released on DVD at Amazon.
Even Dwarfs Started Small (1971)
Starring: Helmut Doring, Gerd Gickel
Synopsis: Indescribable Herzog oddity features troupe of
midgets ranting at the camera, doing harm to animals, and
generally running amok. The film's subtext is meaty for
theoreticians but has extremely limited mainstream appeal.
Runtime: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Cult, Foreign
Eye of God (1996)
Starring: Martha Plimpton, Kevin Anderson
Director: Tim Blake Nelson
Synopsis: Unflinching drama about headstrong small-town
woman marrying born-again ex-convict. Perhaps too heavy
for mainstream audiences, but its innovative structure,
shattering performances should engross art-house
audiences prepared for downbeat, somber viewing.
Runtime: 84 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genre: Drama
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
Eyewitness (1981)
Starring: William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver
Director: Peter Yates
Synopsis: N.Y.C. janitor stumbles upon evidence in a
murder case. Critics praised this taut thriller for its intelligent
script, original characters. Will please genre fans looking for
a thoughtful, character-driven thriller.
Runtime: 102 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Action, Mystery, Suspense
Fantasia (1940)
Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Sarah Thomas
Director: Ben Sharpsteen
Synopsis: Legendary Disney cartoon fantasy animating
much-loved selections of classical music remains a
timeless audio/visual delight. Wonderful family
entertainment vehicle; entertaining for kids and adults of all ages.
Runtime: 117 minutes --
MPAA Rating: G
--
Genres: Animation, Classic, Cult, Family, Kids, Music, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Felix the Cat: Felix! (1993)
Starring: Otto Messmer
Director: Otto Messmer
Synopsis: Collection of early Felix the Cat cartoons ranging
from 1919-1930: Feline Follies, Felix Saves the Day, Felix in
Hollywood, Felix Dopes It Out, Futuritzy, Comicalamities,
and Felix Woos Whoopee. Also includes short of creator
Otto Messmer at work. Appreciated by animation buffs.
Runtime: 60 minutes --
Genres: Animation, Cult
There is one good disk out, and two or more bad ones, and I don't know which is which, so ignore this entry for now.
Female Trouble (1975)
Starring: Divine , David Lochary
Director: John Waters
Synopsis: Vulgar, shocking, yet often very sophisticated
black comedy about murderous woman's reign of terror.
Cultish fans of Waters' sensibility cherish this
ultra-low-budget film, which appalls many others.
Runtime: 95 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Drama, Indie
First Name: Carmen (1983)
Starring: Maruschka Detmers, Jacques Bonnaffe
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Synopsis: Irreverent, erotic update of Bizet's opera (though
using Beethoven's music!) finds Carmen planning a bank
robbery. Fairly accessible late-period comedy from Godard,
though may still be too offbeat for some.
Runtime: 85 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Comedy, Erotica, Foreign
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Fishing with John (1992)
Starring: John Lurie, Jim Jarmusch
Director: John Lurie
Flirting With Disaster (1996)
Starring: Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette
Director: David O. Russell
Synopsis: Wacky, screwball-esque ensemble comedy
about adopted entomologist's misadventures searching for
birth parents. With its zany characters, unpredictable plot,
incisive examination of family dynamics, this delights fans of
intelligent black comedies.
Runtime: 93 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Drama
A road movie that never ran out of poignantly funny
surprises.
Foolish Wives (1922)
Starring: Erich von Stroheim, Mae Busch
Director: Erich von Stroheim
Synopsis: Lavish, sophisticated melodrama of intrigue set
in Monte Carlo casino. Mixes pathos, seduction, and plot
twists. This Eric Von Stroheim vehicle is a pleasure for
classic and silent film buffs.
Runtime: 107 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Classic, Drama
Frankenstein (1931)
Starring: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive
Director: James Whale
Reel Snapshot: Timeless tragedy about mad scientist creating murderous yet
childlike creature. This founding example of the monster movie still fascinates horror
fans, film history buffs with its still-chilling suspense, sterling performances.
Runtime: 70 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Horror
Freaks (1932) Reel010711 Not on DVD
Starring: Wallace Ford, Olga Baclanova
Director: Tod Browning
Reel Snapshot: Cult classic about band of circus freaks exacting revenge on cruel
trapeze artist. Considered one of genre's masterpieces. Offbeat, controversial film is
still a must-see for today's underground cinema fans.
Runtime: 66 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama, Horror, Suspense
I have this on tape.
Frenzy (1972)
Starring: Jon Finch, Barry Foster
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Synopsis: Trademark Hitchcock black comedy/thriller about
spree of strangulations. Still gory and violent, even by
today's standards. Remains good entertainment for fans of
the director, classic suspense buffs.
Runtime: 116 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Suspense
Games Schoolgirls Play
Girlfight (2000)
Starring: Michelle Rodriguez, Jaime Tirelli
Director: Karyn Kusama
Synopsis: Independent sports drama about a feisty
Brooklyn teen taking up boxing against her father's wishes,
only to fall in love with one of her male opponents. Winner of
the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Film at the 2000
Sundance Film Festival.
Runtime: 110 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Drama, Indie, Sports
Gods and Monsters (1998)
Collector's Edition
Starring: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser
Director: Bill Condon
Synopsis: Hypothetical scenario about Frankenstein director James Whale's attachment to a hunky gardener features nuanced performances, sly script. Will appeal to fans of offbeat fare, viewers interested in Hollywood's Golden Age.
Runtime: 105 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Gay/Lesbian, Indie
Grand Illusion (1938)
Starring: Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay
Director: Jean Renoir
Reel Snapshot: Quintessential humanistic drama, set in WWI, about the common
dignity and unity of all people. Remains an all-time favorite with critics. Must-see for
fans of novelistic foreign films, those interested in viewing the "classics."
Runtime: 111 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign, War
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Hands on a Hard Body (1997) ***
Director: S. R. Bindler
Synopsis: Determined Texans compete to win pickup truck
by becoming the last person left touching it in this
low-budget documentary. Offbeat exploration of humanity
appeals to fans of quirky character studies.
Runtime: 97 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG --
Genres: Documentary, Indie
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
Happy Accidents (2001)
Starring: Marisa Tomei, Vincent D'Onofrio
Director: Brad Anderson
Synopsis: Offbeat romantic comedy profiles a young woman in modern-day New York City who falls in love with a handsome stranger ... who tells her he came back from the future for her after falling in love with her photo. (IFC)
Runtime: 110 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Indie, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Happy Accidents (2001; R; 97 minutes) from Buried Treasures of 2002 By D. Scott Apel
Ruby (Marisa Tomei), a New York singleton, is sick at heart over the string of losers she's been dating lately — so sick that she's sworn off men altogether. But then she meets Sam (Vincent D'Onofrio), a sweet, simple, blessedly normal guy who steals her heart ... and then announces he's actually a time-traveler from the year 2470. Is he delusional? Playing some innocent lover's game? Or is his game in fact some sort of sinister psych-out? And how can Ruby believe anything he says when his story grows more complicated and contradictory with each new revelation?
If Woody Allen remade 12 Monkeys (or, for you film students, La Jetée), he might have come up with this odd yet effective combination of romantic comedy and psychological thriller. First-rate performances serve to ground the odd plot, which neatly balances each twist with deeper emotional stakes in Sam and Ruby's relationship. Kate & Leopold might have been the high-profile time-travel romance of 2002, but this compelling entry is twice as smart with twice the heart.
High Art (1998)
Starring: Ally Sheedy, Radha Mitchell
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Synopsis: Stylish melodrama about editor ingenue pulled
into heroin-addicted photographer's decadent world.
Art-house fans with a taste for downbeat romance will love
its impeccable cinematography, well-rounded story, and
passionate love scenes.
Runtime: 102 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Drama, Erotica, Gay/Lesbian, Romance
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
021203 Not on DVD at Amazon.
Honeymoon Killers (1969)
Horse Feathers (1932)
Starring: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx
Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Reel Snapshot: Wacky, knockabout comedy skewers higher education and college
football. Belongs on the A-list for fans of the Marx Brothers' comic chaos, and for all
lovers of Vaudeville-bred slapstick.
Runtime: 67 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy
How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989)
Starring: Richard E. Grant, Rachel Ward
Director: Bruce Robinson
Howard the Duck (1986) Reel001201 Not on DVD.
Starring: Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones
Director: Willard Huyck
Synopsis: Unbelievably awful adaptation of the cult comic
book about a cigar-smoking duck from another dimension.
One of the biggest flops of the '80s, this is only for
extremely forgiving audiences.
Runtime: 110 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG --
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Human Nature (2002)
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Tim Robbins
Director: Michel Gondry
Written by: Charlie Kaufman
Synopsis: Scattered comedy about a man raised by apes who is given decorum lessons by a manners-obsessed scientist. Matters get complicated when the doctor's girlfriend falls in love with the more instinctually inclined research subject.
Runtime: 96 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - sexuality/nudity and language -- Genre: Comedy
Ikiru (1952)
Starring: Takashi Shimura, Nobuo Kaneko
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Synopsis: Slow, thought-provoking look at loneliness and the search for meaning in life is considered a Japanese masterpiece. Satisfying fare for art-house buffs seeking poignant story, intense character portrayals.
Runtime: 143 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Classic, Drama, Foreign -- Country of Origin: Japan
The Indian Runner (1991) Reel001201 Not on DVD.
Starring: David Morse, Viggo Mortensen
Director: Sean Penn
Synopsis: Engrossing, deliberately paced, often dark
character portrait of two brothers diametrically opposed in
temperament got critical raves. Fans of complex
psychological studies who enjoy demanding, emotionally
involving fare will enjoy.
Runtime: 125 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Drama
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
Starring: Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer
Director: John Frankenheimer
Synopsis: Talky, moody fantasy/action adventure about
genetic engineering gone amok. Despite boos from many
critics, this thrills sci-fi and action fans with a taste for the
darker side of human nature.
Runtime: 96 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genres: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
Japanese Story (2003)
Starring: Toni Collette, Gotaro Tsunashima
Director: Sue Brooks
Synopsis: An Australian geologist and a Japanese businessman are stranded together in the Pilbara Desert. Problem is, both find each other annoying and arrogant.
Runtime: 110 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for some sexuality and language. -- Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Australia
Recommended on Reel.com 040103
6.7/10 on IMDb: great Collette, dumb story.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Renee Zellweger
Director: Cameron Crowe
Synopsis: Sentimental, mainstream romantic
drama/comedy about sports agent who undergoes crisis of
faith. This Tom Cruise vehicle will please his followers, and
fans of mainstream, warm-hearted love stories and
redemptive tales.
Runtime: 138 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Romance
A.O.Scott NYT 000913 p.E5: by far the best romantic comedy
of the 1990's.
Jesus of Montreal (1989)
Starring: Lothaire Bluteau, Catherine Wilkening
Director: Denys Arcand
Synopsis: A down-and-out actor turns a theater production into a controversial religious satire. With its surreal combination of social insight, biting humor, this is an insightful, irreverent treat for art-house fans.
Runtime: 120 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Canada
John Waters Archives, The (4-Tape Collection) (1997)
Starring: Divine , Tab Hunter
Director: John Waters
Jules and Jim (1962)
Starring: Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner
Director: Francois Truffaut
Reel Snapshot: French art-house drama about love triangle is a critical favorite. With
its dark subtexts and striking cinematography, this is a must-see for cinema buffs,
fans of multi-layered dramas.
Runtime: 105 minutes --
Rating: NR
--
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign, Romance
Country of Origin: France
Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale (2000)
Starring: Tobias Schneebaum
Directors: David Shapiro, Laurie Shapiro
Synopsis: Humorous yet sensitive documentary profiling New York artist Tobias Schneebaum, a gay painter who lived with remote tribes in New Guinea and Peru, absorbing their cultures and eventually participating in cannibalism. The filmmakers take their subject on a return journey to these locations, where he revisits former friends, loves, and memories. (Next Wave)
Runtime: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R - "Cannibalism," which is only discussed and never seen.
Genres: Arts, Cult, Documentary
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) Reel001201 Not on DVD
Starring: Dennis Price, Alec Guinness
Director: Robert Hamer
Reel Snapshot: An aristocratic family is murdered one-by-one in this cleverly cynical,
pitch-black comedy/thriller. British humor fans will love this wickedly witty classic,
though MTV-weaned audiences may find it a bit slow-going.
Runtime: 101 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Suspense
Kingpin (1996)
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid
Directors: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Synopsis: Mainstream comedy about down-and-out ex-bowling star finding redemption. With its abundant slapstick and sight gags, this is a big hit with fans of vulgar humor, oddball dialogue.
Runtime: 114 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Comedy
Terrence Rafferty called it 'hilarious' in the NYTimes, p. 13, Arts Section, 030615.
The Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
Starring: William Hurt, Raul Julia
Director: Hector Babenco
Synopsis: Relationship drama about mismatched cell
mates in a South American prison. Pleases drama fans with
its multi-layered story, critically acclaimed acting, rich
character portraits. Cinema buffs laud complex camera
work.
Runtime: 119 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Gay/Lesbian, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Knife in the Water (1962)
Starring: Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka
Director: Roman Polanski
Reel Snapshot: Hypnotic, involving psychological drama about repercussions of
couple picking up hitchhiker before sailboat ride. Considered by many critics a
masterpiece. A must-see for fans of compelling, perceptive, masterfully crafted
storytelling.
Runtime: 94 minutes --
Rating: NR
--
Genre: Classic, Drama, Suspense
The Lady and the Monster (1944)
Starring: Vera Ralston, Richard Arlen, Erich von Stroheim
Director: George Sherman
IMDb Snapshot: A millionaire's brain is preserved after his death, and telepathically begins to take control of those around him.
Runtime: 86 min / USA:67 min (1949 re-release) -- Country: USA
Language: English -- Color: Black and White -- Sound Mix: Mono
Also Known As:
Green Monster, The (1944) (USA: working title)
Lady and the Doctor, The (1944) (UK) < br>
Monster & Tiger Man (1949) (USA: reissue title)
Tiger Man (1949) (USA: reissue title)
This is a B-movie I saw with Ruth at the Capitol Theater
in Sidney when I was about 9. It was terrifying.
041209 Not on DVD or VHS at Amazon.
The Last Detail (1973)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Otis Young
Director: Hal Ashby
Reel Snapshot: Critically acclaimed, character-driven comedy/drama about two Navy
men escorting a prisoner to the brig. This Jack Nicholson vehicle, with its intelligent,
off-color script and 70s feel, pleases fans of offbeat fare.
Runtime: 105 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama
The Last Movie (1971)
Synopsis: A stunt man stays behind in the Peruvian jungle
after the rest of the movie crew has left. He spends days
and nights smoking and drinking with the natives, as they
create a cult around him and begin to film their own movie,
using mock equipment and the stunt man as their star.
Runtime: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Cult, Drama
The Last Picture Show (1971)
Starring: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Reel Snapshot: Acclaimed, once-controversial drama about small-town Texas
teenagers' loss of innocence in the 1950s. Its subtle-yet-stark storyline, innovative
black-and-white cinematography made it popular among fans of multilayered dramas
and vivid character studies.
Runtime: 118 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Barbara Hershey
Director: Martin Scorsese
Reel Snapshot: Controversial, thought-provoking drama portraying Jesus Christ's final
year provides an unconventional interpretation of his personality. Notable for its
stunning cinematography, haunting score. Meaty fare for open-minded drama lovers,
history buffs.
Runtime: 163 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama
Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
Starring: Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi
Director: Alain Resnais
Reel Snapshot: One-of-a-kind puzzler about love affair at gothic spa grapples with
memory, reality, illusion. Demanding, difficult film elicits love/hate reactions. Of interest
to cinema students, art-house fanatics for imagery, editing, soundtrack.
Runtime: 93 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama, Foreign, Romance
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Laura (1944)
Starring: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews
Director: Otto Preminger
Reel Snapshot: Somber, stylish whodunit about a detective's growing obsession with
a murdered woman. Its fluid cinematography, memorable score, clever scenario make
this a must-see for noir, mystery, and classics fans.
Runtime: 88 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)
Starring: Jim Jarmusch, Matti Pellonpaa
Director: Aki Kaurismaki
Synopsis: Offbeat road trip/black comedy about a failed
Finnish band. Appeals to fans of non-mainstream fare and
art-house devotees with its odd farcical tone, portrait of
America as a modern wasteland.
Runtime: 78 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Foreign
Country of Origin: Finland --
Language: Finnish
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (1962)
Starring: Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave
Director: Tony Richardson
Synopsis: Poetic, unsentimental look at reform school adolescent
slowly becoming a star athlete. For fans of British "kitchen sink"
realism, coming-of-age dramas, and gritty sports stories.
Runtime: 103 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Genre: Drama
Lost in America (1985)
Starring: Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty
Director: Albert Brooks
Synopsis: Offbeat, satiric, often slow-paced comedy
chronicles naive yuppie couple's misadventures on the road
to discover America. Perfect for fans of non-mainstream fare
who enjoy dark humor and heavy irony.
Runtime: 91 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Cult
Starring: Catherine Keener, Brenda Blethyn
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Synopsis: This estro-centric comedy looks at a happily dysfunctional clan of women: an aspiring actress, a burnt-out ex-homecoming queen, an image-obsessed gradeschooler, and the mother who is being driven insane by all of them. (Lions Gate)
Runtime: 91 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - language and nudity -- Genre: Comedy
Mad Love (1935)
Starring: Peter Lorre, Colin Clive
Director: Karl Freund
Synopsis: Gothic-style classic about mad doctor who
performs surgery on his beloved's husband. This Lorre
vehicle's compelling plot, suspense, chills please classic
film lovers and fans of offbeat, stylized horror/drama.
Runtime: 83 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Classic, Cult, Drama, Horror
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor
Director: John Huston
Reel Snapshot: Much-loved noir mystery about hard-boiled private detective tracking
sought-after statue. Highly influential, steadily paced film, with its powerful
performances, witty dialogue, atmospheric style, is compulsory for noir and film buffs.
Runtime: 101 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
Marathon Man (1976)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier
Director: John Schlesinger
Reel Snapshot: Dark, twisted, maze-like thriller about athletic grad student stumbling
into an international smuggling ring. Somewhat dated, but this suspenseful and often
disturbingly violent film still pleases many spine-tingler fans.
Runtime: 125 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Mystery, Suspense
The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
Starring: Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Lowitsch
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Reel Snapshot: Languidly paced chronicle of woman's attempts to survive in
post-WWII Germany. Critically acclaimed acting, stunning cinematography, robust
character development make this a must-see for Fassbinder fans, foreign film drama
buffs.
Runtime: 120 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Germany
The Marx Brothers Collection (3-DVD Set) (1930)
Starring: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx
Reel Snapshot: Set of three outstanding features in the Marx's infamous, ingenious
slapstick set. Includes the favorites Animal Crackers, Horse Feathers, and Duck
Soup, pleasing fans of classics and old fashioned good fun.
Runtime: 234 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
Starring: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie
Director: Robert Altman
Reel Snapshot: Ambitious gambler opening bordello in grimy Western mining town.
Offbeat drama paints grittily realistic portrait of frontier life with moody visuals, haunting
soundtrack. Great for history buffs, character study enthusiasts.
Runtime: 121 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Action, Classic, Drama, Western
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight
Director: John Schlesinger
Reel Snapshot: Provocative, gritty portrait of naive Texan who becomes hustler in
N.Y.C. Once-controversial, but has aged well. Compulsory for fans of powerful
character studies unafraid of thought-provoking, dark fare.
Runtime: 113 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Drama
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney
Director: Joel Coen
Synopsis: Offbeat, polished, neo-noirish gangster
film/romance got critical raves for its sumptuous design,
intelligent dialogue. More pleasing for fans of art-house films
than for strict devotees of gangster films, crime dramas.
Runtime: 115 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Cult, Drama, Noir, Romance, Suspense
A Mighty Wind (2003)
Starring: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy
Director: Christopher Guest
Synopsis: This droll mockumentary looks at the human interaction behind the scenes of a folk-music festival. (Warner Bros.)
MPAA Rating: -- Genres: Comedy, Documentary
Millenium Actress (2001)
Animated; Original title Sennen joyu (2001)
Directed by Satoshi Kon
Writing credits: Satoshi Kon, Sadayuki Murai
A movie studio is being torn down. TV interviewer Genya Tachibana has tracked down its most famous star, Chiyoko Fujiwara,
who has been a recluse since she left acting some 30 years ago. Tachibana delivers a key to her, and it causes her to reflect on her career;
as she's telling the story, Tachibana and his long-suffering cameraman are drawn in. The key was given to her as a teenager by a painter
and revolutionary that she helped to escape the police. She becomes an actress because it will make it possible to track him down,
and she spends the next several decades acting out that search in various genres and eras. -- Summary from IMDb.
Runtime: 87 min -- Country: Japan -- Language: Japanese
Color: Color -- Certification: USA:PG
Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Martha Raye
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Synopsis: Black comedy about charming bank teller merrily
marrying and murdering rich women. Critics considered it far
ahead of its time. A darkly comic treat for classics buffs,
social satire fans.
Runtime: 123 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Suspense
Monty Python's Flying Circus Collection (2000)
Synopsis: This 14-DVD set contains the complete
collection of Monty Python Flying Circus.
MPAA Rating: NR
My Brilliant Career (1979)
Starring: Judy Davis, Sam Neill
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Reel Snapshot: Spirited coming-of-age drama about independent-minded,
turn-of-century Australian woman who bucks convention. Leisurely paced sleeper is
perfect entertainment for lovers of intelligent character studies, fans of dramas with
strong feminist subtexts.
Runtime: 100 minutes --
Rating: G --
Genre: Classic, Drama
My First Mister (2001)
Starring: Leelee Sobieski, Albert Brooks
Director: Christine Lahti
Synopsis: Actress Lahti's touching and nuanced directorial debut concerns the relationship between an alienated 17-year-old girl and a middle-aged clothing salesman.
Runtime: 109 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genres: Comedy, Drama
My First Mister (2001; R; 109 mins.) from Buried Treasures of 2002 By D. Scott Apel
Jennifer (Leelee Sobieski) is an alienated, lonely 17-year-old goth chick. Randall (Albert Brooks) is a prim, fussy, lonely 49-year-old clothing-store clerk. But they recognize and identify with something special in one another: their fierce autonomy, an individuality which separates them from the sheep, but which has also led to their isolation. When Randall takes a chance and hires Jennifer, they become tentative friends, attracted initially by curiosity about their obvious oppositeness, but bound ultimately by their inner similarities.
My First Mister is not a Lolita flick. It's not about sex. Director Christine Lahti's subtle dramedy is about trust, caring, sharing, reaching out, maturing, acceptance, trying new things, being open-minded, finding a connection of friendship in the most unlikely places — and many other important, understated topics. When the movie is funny, it's also sweet; when it's serious, it's sincerely poignant, never stooping to maudlin tearjerking. The first-rate performances (including supporting roles by actors we're always happy to see, like Michael McKean, Mary Kay Place, and John Goodman) flesh out the bittersweet script, which reminds us of the real meaning of life: Everything we love will be taken from us, but we should love anyway.
want .. amaz $..... buy $.....
The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser (1975)
Starring: Bruno S., Walter Ladengast
Director: Werner Herzog
Reel Snapshot: Visually compelling, slow-paced German biopic about mysterious,
unsocialized man in 1820s Nuremburg. Considered modern masterpiece. Appreciated
by fans of Herzog, foreign film buffs, art-house devotees seeking multi-layered critique
of Western civilization.
Runtime: 110 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Germany
Language: German
Naked Lunch (1991)
Starring: Peter Weller, Judy Davis
Director: David Cronenberg
Synopsis: Surreal, grotesque, difficult-to-watch drama about
dead-end life of junkie writer. Critics raved over riveting lead
performance. Downbeat film appeals to fans of
non-mainstream fare in mood for disturbing, nightmarish
extravaganza.
Runtime: 117 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Cult, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense
Narayama Bushi-Ko (1958) 010418 Not on DVD.
AKA Ballad of Narayama
Starring: Kinuyo Tanaka, teiji takahashi
Director: Keisuke Kinoshita
Reel Snapshot: Kabuki techniques dramatize the Narayama legend, in which the
elderly are ritualistically taken to die on a snowy mountaintop. Foreign cinema
aficionados love this harsh-but-beautiful metaphorical classic.
Runtime: 97 minutes --
Rating: Not Rated --
Genre: Classic, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan
Language: Japanese
021203 Not on DVD at Amazon.
Nashville (1975)
Starring: Henry Gibson, Karen Black
Director: Robert Altman
Reel Snapshot: Novelistic, offbeat, epic-length drama offers insightful panorama of
country music capitol and, by extension, America as a whole. Essential 70s classic
appeals to fans of social critique, Altman aficionados, film buffs.
Runtime: 159 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Music
Abbott & Costello: The Naughty Nineties (1945)
Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello
Director: Jean Yarbrough
Plot Summary: This Abbott and Costello comedy, where they play riverboat gamblers,
includes their famous "Who's on First" routine as well as many others.
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Starring: Drew Barrymore, David Arquette
Director: Raja Gosnell
Synopsis: Daffy comedy involves neophyte news
investigator returning to high-school for story, reconciling her
nerdy past. Will delight fans of broad humor and Barrymore,
whose performance makes fresh a predictable plot.
Runtime: 107 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genres: Comedy, Romance
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)
Starring: W.C. Fields, Gloria Jean
Director: Eddie Cline
Synopsis: W.C. Fields' last feature-length comedy has tons
of zany slapstick scenes and very little actual plot.
Runtime: 71 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Classic, Comedy, Cult
The New Age (1994)
Starring: Judy Davis, Peter Weller
Director: Michael Tolkin
Synopsis: Offbeat, talky social satire about bankrupt yuppie
couple launching ritzy boutique in L.A. Fans of
non-mainstream fare who appreciate eccentric characters,
high-brow black humor, ironic look at social mores
appreciate.
Runtime: 106 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Drama
A Night at the Opera (1935)
Starring: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx
Director: Sam Wood
Reel Snapshot: Non-stop, gag-laced comedy classic is considered by many critics the Marx
Brothers' finest film. Endless wisecracks, madcap humor withstands the ravages of time, still
provides laughs for classic comedy buffs.
The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974) 001212 Not on Reel.
Director: Robert Taylor
Synopsis: Horny, drug-smoking Fritz the Cat longs for the
days when he wasn't reliant on Welfare money to feed his
habit.
Runtime: 77 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Nurse Betty (2000)
Morgan Freeman, Renee Zeilweger, Chris Rock,
Greg Kinear
Dir: Neil LaBute
Synopsis: Dark comedy about a soap opera-obsessed
Kansas waitress (Zellweger) who, after her husband is
murdered by drug dealers (Rock, Freeman), travels to L.A.
convinced that she's about to unite with her favorite soap
character.
Runtime: 110 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genre: Comedy
That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)
Starring: Fernando Rey, Carole Bouquet
Director: Luis Bunuel
Reel Snapshot: Acclaimed, surreal drama about a wealthy man's obsession with a
beautiful maid (played by two different actresses!). Puzzling plot deters many, but
often-funny exploration of desire's vicissitudes pleases art-house buffs.
Runtime: 100 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Spain
Language: French
Of Human Bondage (1934)
Starring: Leslie Howard, Bette Davis
Director: John Cromwell
Reel Snapshot: Psychological melodrama about doctor enthralled by waitress.
Considered by many critics the best adaptation of Maugham's novel. Though dated,
this still appeals to fans of old Hollywood, particularly Davis connoisseurs.
Runtime: 84 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama
The Opposite of Sex (1998)
Starring: Christina Ricci, Martin Donovan
Director: Don Roos
Synopsis: Wicked black comedy about teenage hellion
seducing her gay brother's lover. Sparkling hard-boiled
dialogue, screwball humor, terrific performances appeal to
hip, edgy humor buffs, though gay barbs may offend some.
Runtime: 100 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Gay/Lesbian
Pecker (1998)
Starring: Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci
Director: John Waters
Synopsis: Smalltown photographer hits the bigtime in
amusing artworld satire, which isn't as outrageous as
Waters' earlier work, but odd characters and situations will
entertain his acolytes and offbeat comedy fans.
Runtime: 87 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Peppermint Soda (1977)
Starring: Eleanore Klarwein, Odile Michel
Director: Diane Kurys
Plot Summary: Two daughters of a divorced couple struggle with adolescence, strict
task masters at school, and their emotionally remote father.
Runtime: 97 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
The Perils of Pauline (1914, 1934, 1947
Pink Flamingos (1973)
Starring: Divine , Mink Stole
Director: John Waters
Synopsis: Cult classic about family attempting to retain title
of "filthiest people alive." This bad-taste-fest, featuring
300-pound transvestite Divine, is pure joy for John Waters
connoisseurs, fans of "unrefined" humor.
Runtime: 95 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Gay/Lesbian, Indie
Poison Ivy (1992)
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Sara Gilbert
Director: Katt Shea Ruben
Synopsis: Steamy, pulpish melodrama about a sexy
teenage drifter insinuating her way into a friend's family.
Low-budget feature received mixed reviews, but is appealing
to Drew Barrymore fans, B-movie fanatics.
Runtime: 92 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Drama, Erotica, Suspense
Polyester (1981)
Starring: Divine , Tab Hunter
Director: John Waters
Synopsis: Fabulously trashy comedy about a grotesque
housewife's torrid affair. Lovers of kitsch auteur John Waters
will enjoy its hyper-camp humor, though most others will
find it baffling or boring.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Gay/Lesbian
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Starring: Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Synopsis: Sweeping animated masterpiece chronicling
struggle between forest-dwellers and encroaching industrial
village. Its enthralling suspense, palpable voice-acting, and
awe-inspiring animation make this gem a must-see for
anime lovers, casual viewers alike.
Runtime: 135 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Animation, Anime, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Country of Origin: Japan
Language: Japanese
Private Parts (1972)
Starring: Ayn Ruyman, Lucille Benson
Director: Paul Bartel
Synopsis: Perversely offbeat black comedy/murder mystery
about hotel teeming with bizarre guests. Its deviant humor,
madcap pacing thrill cult film fetishists. Likely to shock less
jaded viewers.
Runtime: 87 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Horror, Indie
The Professional (1994)
Starring: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman
Director: Luc Besson
Synopsis: Hollywood thriller about a girl seeking revenge
against her brother's killers combines action-packed
violence with poignant emotion. Pleases suspense fans.
Strong-stomached drama buffs may enjoy for its rich
character development.
Runtime: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Action, Mystery, Suspense
Purple Noon (1960)
Starring: Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet
Director: Rene Clement
Reel Snapshot: Sun-drenched noir about an aimless, inscrutable American abroad
assuming his rich friend's identity. With its brilliant color cinematography and riveting,
slippery lead performance, this satisfies fans of stylish psychological thrillers.
Runtime: 119 minutes -- Rating: PG-13 -- Genre: Classic, Foreign, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
Country of Origin: France -- Language: French
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
Starring: Everlyn Sampi, Kenneth Branagh
Director: Phillip Noyce
Synopsis: Epic drama turns a dark chapter in early 20th-century Australian history — the forced separation of Aborginal children from their parents — into a personal quest. The story follows three such girls who escape and travel 1,500 miles across the desert to get back home. (Miramax)
Runtime: 95 minutes -- MPAA Rating: PG - for emotional thematic material -- Genre: Drama
Country of Origin: Australia
Radley Metzger (1999)
Starring: Sondra Currie, Essy Persson
Director: Radley Metzger
Raising Arizona (1987)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter
Director: Joel Coen
Repo Man (1983)
Starring: Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez
Director: Alex Cox
Repulsion (1965)
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry
Director: Roman Polanski
Rex the Runt (1998)
Starring: Andrew Franks, Colin Rote
Director: Richard Goleszowski
Synopsis: Loony, imaginative BBC-TV claymation series about a purple dog and his trio of wacky canine friends, who experience all manner of surreal, fantastic comedic adventures 'round and about England. From Aardman Animation, creators of Wallace and Gromit.
MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Animation, Cult, TV show -- Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Elvis Mitchell says first disk is better than the second disk.
Ride in the Whirlwind (1965).
NYT, 001201, p. E16. See VCI Home Video, 800.331.4077.
Rififi (1955) ***
Starring: Jean Servais, Carl Mohner
Director: Jules Dassin
Synopsis: Classic crime/heist movie about gang of thieves
robbing Parisian jewelry store. Though it's somewhat dated,
this is a must-see for burglary sequence fans, those
seeking spine-tingling caper antics.
Runtime: 110 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Action, Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
28 minute safe cracking sequence in near total silence.
The Road to Morocco (1942)
Starring: Bob Hope, Bing Crosby
Director: David Butler
Reel Snapshot: A pair of sometimes antagonistic buddies get embroiled in romantic
rivalry and white slavery in an entirely imaginary Morocco. Fans of goofy musical
comedy will appreciate the absurd hijinks.
Runtime: 83 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Music, Romance
Ruby in Paradise (1993)
Starring: Ashley Judd, Todd Field
Director: Victor Nunez
Synopsis: Low-key, intimate drama about young woman
starting over in off-season Florida resort town. Thrills
followers of independent movies seeking subtle, realistic
character portrait, and fans of female-focused identity
struggle drama.
Runtime: 115 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Drama, Indie
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
Sasayaki (2000)
AKA Gekko No Sasayaki
Written and directed by Akihiko Shiota.
Japanese with English subtitles.
Takuya wants to be Satsuki's dog. Satsuki likes to see Takuya cry. Love hurts.
Plot Outline: Two seemingly innocent school kids are obsessed in fetishistic s&m games.
May not be a bad date movie. See it with someone you
want to humiliate, but be sure to keep your socks on
afterward. A.O.Scott, p.E8, NYT, 001122.
Serial Mom (1994)
Starring: Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston
Director: John Waters
Seven Beauties (1976)
Starring: Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey
Director: Lina Wertmuller
Reel Snapshot: Gut-wrenching examination of price a man pays to avoid death during
WWII. Mixes bravura performances with black comedy, grotesque plot situations. Film
students, foreign cinema buffs appreciate this 70s art-house classic.
Runtime: 115 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Italy
Language: Italian
Seven Samurai (1954)
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Synopsis: Classic, highly influential tale of swordsmen
defending 16th century Japanese village against bandits. Its
stunning cinematography, emotionally powerful character
portraits, abundant action sequences appeal to cinema
buffs, classic adventure fans.
Runtime: 204 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Action, Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan
She's Gotta Have It (1986)
Starring: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Hicks
Director: Spike Lee
Reel Snapshot: Erotic, innovative, nuanced character portrait of independent woman
juggling several sexual relationships. Independently made, acclaimed art-house hit
pleases fans of slice-of-life dramas, those seeking provocative exploration of
contemporary sexual mores.
Runtime: 84 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Drama, Indie
Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
Starring: Charles Aznavour, Marie DuBois
Director: Francois Truffaut
Reel Snapshot: Classic French gangster melodrama about a concert pianist's
involvement with crime underworld. Well-crafted film won critical raves for
performances, atmospherics. Must-see for Truffaut lovers and fans of foreign art-house
films.
Runtime: 84 minutes --
Rating: NR
--
Genre: Action, Classic, Drama, Foreign, Suspense
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
The Shooting (1965)
NYT, 001201, p. E16. See VCI Home Video, 800.331.4077.
Silent Running (1971)
Starring: Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts
Director: Douglas Trumbull
Synopsis: Cult sci-fi drama about orbiting greenhouse threatened with shut-down. Intriguing story, sensitive tone, state-of-the-art special effects that hold up over time make this appealing for sci-fi buffs, adventurous drama lovers.
Runtime: 90 minutes -- MPAA Rating: G -- Genres: Action, Cult, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
This was the movie chosen by the intern on Six Feet Under.
Slackers (1991)
Director: Richard Linklater
The Sorrow and the Pity (1971)
Director: Marcel Ophuls
Synopsis: Genre-defining, epic-length documentary about
the French collaboration with the Nazis in WWII. Considered
a masterpiece of its genre by critics. Wrenching film is
compulsory viewing for history buffs, documentary fans.
Runtime: 265 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Action, Documentary, Drama
Spanking the Monkey (1994)
Starring: Jeremy Davies, Alberta Watson
Director: David O. Russell
Synopsis: Offbeat, coming-of-age black comedy/drama.
With its dry humor and acerbic look at suburban American
life, this independently made sleeper will appeal to art-house
fans, those who enjoy taboo-breaking themes.
Runtime: 98 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Comedy, Cult, Drama, Indie
Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
Starring: John Lurie, Eszter Balint
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Synopsis: Offbeat, languid drama/comedy about
mismatched Manhattan trio fleeing Ohio for Florida to avoid
cold winter. Remains a cult hit among independent film fans
for its deadpan humor, gritty black-and-white
cinematography.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Classic, Comedy, Cult, Indie
The Swimming Pool (2003) (unrated version)
Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier
Director: Francois Ozon
Synopsis: A British novelist is vacationing in her publisher's remote summer home in Southern France, when she gets a surprise visit from his mysterious and unrestrained daughter. (Focus)
Runtime: 102 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R - for strong sexual content, nudity, language, some violence and drug use.
Genres: Drama, Foreign, Thriller -- Country of Origin: France, United Kingdom -- Language: English, French
Taxi Driver (1976)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster
Director: Martin Scorsese
Reel Snapshot: Gritty, violent, visceral tale of cabbie lashing out against N.Y.C.
underbelly. Considered brilliant by some critics, too disturbing by others. Compulsory
for fans of ferociously acted, disquieting urban character portraits.
Runtime: 114 minutes --
Rating: R
--
Genre: Action, Classic, Cult, Drama, Mystery, Noir, Suspense
Terror Firmer (2000)
Available January 23 from Troma.
The Thief (1997)
Starring: Vladimir Mashkov, Yekaterina Rednikova
Director: Pavel Chukhrai
Synopsis: Debonair criminal in Stalinist Russia seduces a young widowed mother
in this powerful drama. Compelling viewing for fans of intelligent drama
with its indelible characterizations, richly symbolic and poignant story.
Runtime: 110 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Russia
Language: Russian
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down (1990)
Starring: Victoria Abril, Antonio Banderas
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Time Indefinite (1993)
Director: Ross McElwee
Synopsis: Quirky "visual diary" finds the filmmaker
examining his relationship with his family. Critics adored
this funny, profound meditation; highly recommended for
comedy, drama fans prepared for talky, extremely personal
exploration.
Runtime: 117 minutes --
MPAA Rating: NR --
Genres: Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Indie
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Acorn Media)
The Toxic Avenger (1986)
Starring: Andree Maranda, Mitchell Cohen
Directors: Michael Herz, Samuel Weil
The Toxic Avenger, Part II (1989)
Starring: Ron Fazio, Phoebe Legere
Directors: Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman
The Toxic Avenger, Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989)
Starring: Ron Fazio, Phoebe Legere
Directors: Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman
Triumph of the Will (1934)
Starring: Adolf Hitler
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
Reel Snapshot: Notorious Nazi documentary chronicling Hitler's 1934 Nuremberg
rallies is considered a powerful example of cinematic propaganda. Undeniably brilliant
and equally upsetting. Not to be missed by history buffs, film history fans.
Runtime: 112 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Documentary, War
Tromeo and Juliet (1997)
Starring: John Fiske, Jane Jenson
Director: Lloyd Kaufman
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
Starring: Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Reel Snapshot: Residents of small Vermont town have big problem - a dead body that
won't stay put. Breezy black comedy amply entertains genre fans with quirky story,
Natwick, MacLaine's delightful performances.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
Rating: PG --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Suspense
Tully (2000)
Starring: Anson Mount, Julianne Nicholson
Director: Hillary Birmingham
Synopsis: Emotional indie drama profiles two small-town Nebraska brothers struggling to come to terms with their mother's death: one womanizes recklessly, while the other is quietly contemplative.
Runtime: 102 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Drama, Indie
021203 Not on DVD at Amazon.
Un Chien Andalou (1928)
Starring: Pierre Batcheff, Simone Marevil
Director: Luis Bunuel, Salvador Dali
Reel Snapshot: Early surrealist montage of bizarre images with methodical pace,
symbolic plot. Considered revolutionary at its time of release. Still enjoyed by
art-house, cinema history buffs for its strange visuals.
Runtime: 20 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Cult, Drama, Foreign, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Used Cars (1980)
qqq see reel.com
Starring: Kurt Russell
Director: Robert Zemeckis
want .. amaz $..... buy $.....
Used Cars (1980)
Starring: Kurt Russell, Jack Warden
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Synopsis: Well-received black comedy sleeper about used car salesmen trying to out-con each other. This is a gem for fans of over-the-top, bad-taste humor who enjoy vibrant character portraits.
Runtime: 113 minutes -- MPAA Rating: R -- Genre: Comedy
"corrosively hilarious comedy of greed" Elvis Mitchell, p. 15, Arts and Leisure, NYTimes, 030817
"a neglected modern comedy that's like a more restless and visually high-spirited version
of the W.C. Fields pictures" Pauline Kael
want .. amaz $..... buy $.....
Waiting for Guffman (1996) 001208 Not on Reel
Starring: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy
Director: Christopher Guest
Synopsis: Satirical "mockumentary" about Midwestern town
preparing to celebrate its 150th anniversary. With its
mirthful, insightful look at small-town life and amateur
theater, this is fun for fans of quirky, ironic humor.
Runtime: 84 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Comedy, Music
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
041227
Walt Disney Treasures - On the Front Lines (1943)
32 short subjects on two disks; made for WWII effort.
4.4/5.0
Recommended by Patrick.
want 08 reel $..... amaz $..... buy $.....
Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2001)
Starring: Koji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu
Director: Shohei Imamura
Synopsis: Whimsical comic drama about an umeployed salary man who visits a fishing village in search of a rumored treasure and instead finds erotic adventure with a young woman battling a mysterious water-based affliction. (Cowboy Pictures)
Runtime: 119 minutes -- MPAA Rating: Not Rated -- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan -- Language: Japanese
From Dave Kehr's 10 Best of 2002 List in NY Times on 021229:
10. Back in Japan, with Shohei Imamura's unclassifiable comedy about a played-out businessman and
a provincial woman with a startling sexual talent. At 76, Mr. Imamura remains as gloriously and
inventively perverse as ever.
Wedding at Cana (2001)
See Honeymoon Killers. Both by Leonard Kastle.
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
Starring: Heather Matarazzo, Victoria Davis
Director: Todd Solondz
Synopsis: Offbeat, blistering black comedy detailing nerdish
misfit girl's miseries as she enters adolescence. Art-house
hit is enjoyed by fans of acerbic humor seeking a brutally
honest, non-sugarcoated teen angst drama.
Runtime: 87 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R --
Genres: Drama, Indie
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East (1989)
Starring: Yi Pan-yong, Sin Won-sop
Director: Bae Young-kyun
Synopsis: Nearly plotless portrait of Zen master and two
pupils searching for transcendent enlightenment in Korean
monastery. Appreciated by viewers seeking intense visual
experiences, movies that deal with Eastern philosophies.
Runtime: 135 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Foreign, Religion
Country of Origin: South Korea
Language: Korean
The Wicker Man (Limited Edition) (1975)
Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee
Director: Robin Hardy
Synopsis: Eerie tale of occult unfolds on Scottish island,
where police sergeant is examining mysterious
disappearance of young girl. Subtle, uneasy horror film is a
neglected classic, appeals to genre aficionados.
Runtime: 84 minutes --
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Cult, Horror
Wild Reeds (1995)
Starring: Gael Morel, Frederic Gorny
Director: Andre Techine
Reel Snapshot: Critically acclaimed French coming-of-age drama about rural teens
discovering their sexuality. Art-house devotees and foreign film buffs seeking evocative,
deliberately paced character portraits, flavored with historical events, will enjoy.
Runtime: 110 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign, Gay/Lesbian, Romance
Country of Origin: France
Language: French
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Starring: Victor Sjostrom, Ingrid Thulin
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Reel Snapshot: Aging professor looks back on his life in this emotional,
thought-provoking masterpiece, told mostly through innovative use of flashbacks. A
must-see for film school types, those curious about Bergman.
Runtime: 90 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Sweden
Language: Swedish
Without Limits (1998)
Starring: Billy Crudup, Donald Sutherland
Director: Robert Towne
Synopsis: Powerful biopic about life of doomed track legend
Steve Prefontaine. Engrossing, detail-rich story, rich
characterizations, and fine race sequences make this
compelling viewing for fans of character-driven drama, sports
buffs.
Runtime: 117 minutes --
MPAA Rating: PG-13 --
Genre: Drama
From Tbe Best 13 Movies of the 90's You Never Saw, p 104
Jan 2000 Esquire
Woman in the Dunes (1964)
Starring: Eiji Okada, Kyoko Kishida
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara
Synopsis: Man imprisoned in deep sand pit must shovel
sand in exchange for food in this slow-moving, exquisitely
photographed allegory about life. Fans of philosophical,
non-mainstream art films enjoy.
Runtime: 123 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Genres: Classic, Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Japan
Language: Japanese
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)
Starring: Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Reel Snapshot: Over-the-edge antics and a wacky set of characters mark this
fast-paced, stylish Spanish comedy about an actress jilted by her lover. Thrills
art-house devotees, adventurous fans of zany screwball.
Runtime: 88 minutes --
Rating: R --
Genre: Classic, Comedy, Foreign, Romance
Country of Origin: Spain
WR: Mysteries of the Organism (1971)
Starring: Milena Dravic, Jagoda Kaloper
Director: Dusan Makavejev
Reel Snapshot: Utterly offbeat, controversial, outrageously raunchy satire linking
sexual urges and politics. Strictly for art-house aficionados who appreciate surreal
style, risque plot and are seeking to be stupefied, amused, and aroused.
Runtime: 84 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Cult, Drama, Foreign, Indie
Country of Origin: Yugoslavia
Language: Serbian
021203 Not on DVD at Amazon.
The Wrong Guy (1997)
Starring: Dave Foley, Colm Feore
Director: David Steinberg
Synopsis: Silly comedy sprinkled with moments of genuine hilarity about a clueless yuppie's adventures on the road after he lams out when his boss is murdered, convinced the police will think he did it.
Runtime: 87 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for sex-related material, including brief nudity, comic violence, and some language.
Genre: Comedy -- Country of Origin: Canada
The Wrong Guy (1997; PG-13; 87 mins.) from Buried Treasures of 2002 By D. Scott Apel
Mild-mannered corporate clone Nelson (Dave Foley) storms angrily into his boss' office, only to find the man murdered. Assuming he'll be pegged as the prime suspect, panicked Nelson flees the scene and goes on the lam. The good news: Security cameras captured the entire crime and the real killer, so Nelson's off the hook. The bad news: Nelson doesn't know this. The worst news: While Nelson attempts to avoid the authorities by traveling the back-roads of America incognito (he's such a non-entity that no one even realizes he's missing), the real killer is on his trail.
If you're ever in the mood for something that's simply silly, this is your flick. Foley (familiar to viewers of Kids in the Hall and News Radio) shrieks like a little girl, invents crazy names to hide his identity, and encounters enough crackpot characters in his travels to populate a small town (including Jennifer Tilly as a narcoleptic farmer's daughter). While the premise is a comic take on The Fugitive, this goofy movie is a blood cousin of Mel Brooks' High Anxiety, full of clever riffs on famous Hitchcock scenes and situations; part of the fun is in trying to spot them all. The Wrong Guy is the right movie to provide 90 minutes of giggles and snorts.
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Starring: James Cagney, Joan Leslie
Director: Michael Curtiz
Reel Snapshot: Rousing musical tells story of legendary songwriter George M.
Cohan. Widely acclaimed biopic still charms fans of old-fashioned musicals with
Cagney's luminous performance, great songs, excellent choreography, and
heartwarming story.
Runtime: 126 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Classic, Drama, Music
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (1998)
Starring: Lu Lu, Lopsang
Director: Joan Chen
Synopsis: Melancholy drama about Chinese girl's harsh
experiences in remote Tibet during the Cultural Revolution.
Lush visuals, good detail will please foreign film fans in
mood for sad, moving experience.
Runtime: 99 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: China
Language: Chinese
A Zed and Two Noughts (1985)
Starring: Brian Deacon, Eric Deacon
Director: Peter Greenaway
Reel Snapshot: Offbeat, challenging, disturbing drama about fatal car crash's effect on
family. Critics raved about visually stunning, lavish style. Recommended for fans of
director, art-house devotees prepared for difficult-to-digest material.
Runtime: 115 minutes --
Rating: NR --
Genre: Comedy, Cult, Drama