Jun06

Les quatre soeurs / Shoah: The Four Sisters (2018) 2 x Blu-Ray Eureka – Masters of Cinema, 2 x DVD9 Arte

by movieworld on June 6th, 2019 at 12:45
Posted In: .Other movies, Documentary, History

Shoah The Four Sisters 2018
If there was a Nobel Prize for conducting interviews, the late Claude Lanzmann would have surely been a laureate. Through recorded oral histories, he documented the Holocaust in directly personal terms. The ten-hour Shoah felt distinctly radical in 1985 and it remains the single most important cinematic exploration of the National Socialist genocide. Lanzmann continued to revisit the Holocaust in subsequent films, employing the same sensitive but persistent interview style. Essentially, this is a collection of outtakes from Shoah, but they are decidedly weighty and compelling outtakes. Four women tell how they witnessed and survived the horrific in Lanzmann's Shoah: Four Sisters.

Four Sisters consists of four short features taken from interviews he shot for “Shoah” in the 1970s, each showcasing the testimony of a different female Holocaust survivor. Their stories are as harrowing, complicated and rife with imponderables as any Lanzmann filmed. And together, collected in a form that is much less labyrinthine than “Shoah,” they represent an ideal introduction (and capstone) to Lanzmann’s project.

Director: Claude Lanzmann
Country: France
Genre: Documentary, History

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Jun06

The Prisoner (1955) Blu-Ray Arrow Academy

by movieworld on June 6th, 2019 at 11:34
Posted In: .Other movies, Drama, Thriller

The Prisoner 1955
Jack Hawkins and Alec Guinness are the dynamite duo driving this intellectually daring and morally complex thriller forward.

The story takes place in some unnamed country in Eastern Europe, with characters likewise unidentified in the credits (though some are named in the film). As the story opens, The Cardinal (Alec Guinness) is arrested for "treason against the state." Aware of his influence as a popular religious leader and war hero, and fearing martyrdom, government leaders decide instead to discredit him. They assign The Interrogator (Jack Hawkins) to get him to crack, to confess to crimes he never committed, to wear him down psychologically to the point where he'd willingly appear before the public courts and destroy his own name. This begins a battle of wits between the two men.

The overall significance of Peter Glenville’s The Prisoner, a two-hander interrogating the rights of religious freedom and political expression, falls squarely upon the perspective of the viewer. Upon its release in 1955, the film was banned in Italy for being anti-Catholic, and while it was rejected by the Venice Film Festival for being anti-communist, it was banned in Ireland for being pro-communist.

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Jun06

The Manitou (1978) Blu-Ray Shout Factory

by movieworld on June 6th, 2019 at 07:37
Posted In: .Other movies, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror

The Manitou 1978
Karen (Susan Strasberg) is frightened, newly aware of a small growth on her upper back that's expanding rapidly. Doctors are baffled, unable to identify what the problem is, with all evidence pointing to the development of a fetus under the woman's skin. Trying to find comfort, Karen goes to ex-boyfriend Harry (Tony Curtis) for help, reconnecting with the amateur psychic, who cares deeply about her well-being. When modern medicine can't remove the lump, which carries special powers capable of mind-control, Harry is left to figure out things on his own while Karen remains in the hospital. Reaching out to medium Amelia (Stella Stevens, painted brown for unknown reasons) and anthropologist Snow (Burgess Meredith), Harry finally makes his way to John Singing Rock (Michael Ansara), a Native American healer who identifies the lump as the coming rampage of Misquamacus, a Native spirit who's looking for revenge.

William Girdler Sr. remains one of Hollywood history's most prolific and unappreciated B-Movie directors, even long after his death in the late 70s. The Manitou became William Girdler’s last film and swan song. It has all the typical traits that defined him as a filmmaker; a simple and gimmicky plot, usually a recycled twist on a recent horror hit of the time (in this case The Exorcist), corny comedy, crazy camera work and campy acting.

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Jun04

A Face in the Crowd (1957) DVD9 and Blu-Ray Criterion Collection

by movieworld on June 4th, 2019 at 06:09
Posted In: .Other movies, Drama

A Face in the Crowd 1957
This is one of the greatest films of the 1950s, a prophetic film about the dangerous power of modern media. Like "Network" which followed two decades later, Elia Kazan's "A Face in the Crowd" is a vitriolic condemnation of the media and the monsters it creates that was ahead of its time.

In an astonishing screen debut, Andy Griffith portrays Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, a fast-talking drifter fortunate enough to find himself in the right Arkansas jailhouse at the right time. Local radio personality Marcia Jeffries (the always capable Patricia Neal) plans to feature his singing/songwriting talent on her radio show, but gets much more than she realized when Rhodes quickly displays his down-home talent for swaying public opinion, cleverly starting with housewives. Then he converts the local sheriff into a dogcatcher, later he offers up a private pool for use by all the town's children. Rhodes' uncanny talent for appealing to the masses soon lands him on television in Memphis, where his mass appeal soars to new heights, all while alienating program sponsorship and causing those closest to him to have doubts. Eventually his grass roots platform allows him to shape a major politician's campaign, whereby Rhodes envisions unrivaled political power for himself.

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May31

Wanda (1970) Blu-Ray Criterion Collection, DVD9

by movieworld on May 31st, 2019 at 18:45
Posted In: .Other movies, Crime, Drama

Wanda 1970
With her first and only feature film — a hard-luck drama she wrote, directed, and starred in — Barbara Loden turned in a groundbreaking work of American independent cinema, bringing to life a kind of character seldom seen on-screen.

Loden bravely subverts her own sexy (if little known) screen image to play poor Wanda, an aging little girl lost who at movie's start is sleeping on her parents' couch, having left (or been thrown out by) her husband. She shows up late in court to relinquish all rights to her children. She is fired from her factory job for being too slow on the line and is cheated out of the few meager overtime dollars due her. Having taken refuge in a movie theater and fallen asleep, she awakes to find her purse fleeced.

A bad day gets worse when she wanders into an empty bar and fails to realize that the "bartender" is actually a robber who has the real publican tied up on the floor out of view. The robber, played in a constant state of riveting paranoia by Michael Higgins, knows he can't let Wanda just walk out. And so begins their road trip through coal country and dingy motel rooms, culminating at a downtown Scranton bank.

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May31

The War Room (1993) Blu-Ray Criterion Collection

by movieworld on May 31st, 2019 at 17:31
Posted In: .Other movies, Documentary, History

The War Room 1993
One of the most interesting relationships that formed from Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992 was that of James "The Ragin' Cajun" Carville and George Stephanopoulos, campaign strategists, they were key coordinators to Clinton's successful run at the White House. The film "The War Room" from filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus takes viewers behind-the-scenes of a political campaign from the perspective of Carville and Stephanopoulos. Capturing their challenges, the strategies, the working relationship and their friendship.

The camera follows their day-to-day activities, watching them build morale, plan political ads, answer phone calls, and grab a quick bite to eat. "The War Room" of the title is the room where the campaign team meets to hash out the strategy.

"The War Room" while never delving too deeply into the "strategy", secrets of the campaign (mainly because they weren't allowed to film those meetings) and Clinton himself aren't spotlighted, yet it offers a rarely seen glimpse into the political world.
What's truly remarkable is that far from a stodgy or boring look at boardroom machinations, the viewer is granted access to an exhilarating, come-from-behind political action story.

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May31

Trollflojten / The Magic Flute (1975) Blu-Ray Criterion Collection

by movieworld on May 31st, 2019 at 16:39
Posted In: .Other movies, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Musical, Romance

The Magic Flute 1975
There’s a common misconception that Ingmar Bergman made only glum philosophical dramas, but his work is not without its life-affirming moments and he ventured into a variety of genres over his long career, including comedies. Perhaps the most surprising film in his career however is The Magic Flute, a filmed staging of Mozart’s famous opera for TV.

The Magic Flute is a winsome fairy tale concerning a young prince who is sent to rescue the recently abducted daughter of The Queen of the Night. With the aid of a comic sidekick and a magic flute the prince embarks on a journey of love and self-discovery. The Magic Flute is certainly one of Mozart's most cherished works and among the best-known operas of all time.

BD50 | 1080p AVC | 02:18:04 | 33 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Swedish
Subtitles: English

Director: Ingmar Bergman
Cast: Ulrik Cold, Josef Kostlinger, Irma Urrila
Country: Sweden
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Music, Romance
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May30

Stranger Than Paradise (1984), Permanent Vacation (1980) 2 x DVD9 (2007 edition) and Blu-Ray Criterion Collection

by movieworld on May 30th, 2019 at 14:45
Posted In: .Other movies, Comedy, Drama

Stranger Than Paradise 1984
"Stranger than Paradise" follows hipster Willie (John Lurie, who also provided the film's music) as he plays host to the unexpected arrival of his cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) from Hungary. Eva stays with Willie for 10 days before she can go to Cleveland to live with their Aunt Lotte (Cecillia Stark). A year later, bored and directionless Willie and his friend Eddie (Richard Edson) decide to go on vacation and visit Eva in Cleveland then out of the blue decide to take Eva and travel to Florida...

"Stranger Than Paradise" is the second feature made by Jarmusch. His first feature film is "Permanent Vacation" (1980), which follows the wanderings of a young drop out, Aloysius, over a time span of 2.5 days, representing a 77 minute preamble about drifting. Both films were photographed by the now renown independent director, Tom DiCillo.

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast: John Lurie, Eszter Balint, Richard Edson
Country: USA, West Germany
Genre: Comedy, Drama

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May30

Japon / Japan (2002) DVD9, 2xDVD9 and Blu-Ray Criterion Collection

by movieworld on May 30th, 2019 at 12:38
Posted In: .Other movies, Drama

Japon 2002
A man with no name (Alejandro Ferretis) limps through the Mexican high country in what he intends to be his last journey. It is clear that he hates himself and is tired of life, but in order to prepare for death he seeks first the solitude of the mountains and finds shelter with Ascen (Magdalene Flores), an elderly widow living on the outskirts of a mountain village.
She isn't without her own problems, either, as her nephew is in the process of cheating her out of her barn. Gradually, El Hombre and Ascen found a relationship, which grows with the passing days, as he wrestles with the urge to self-destruct and a compunction to cling on to his new-found life and to help her in her struggle.

Recruiting a cast of nonactors and filming in sublime 16 mm CinemaScope, Reygadas explores the harsh beauty of the Mexican country­side with earthy tactility, conjuring a psychic landscape where religion mingles with sex, life coexists with death, and the animal and spiritual sides of human experience become indistinguishable. A work of soaring ambition and startling visual poetry, Japon is an existential journey through uncharted cinematic territory that established the singular voice of its director.

Director: Carlos Reygadas
Cast: Alejandro Ferretis, Magdalena Flores, Yolanda Villa
Country: Mexico, Germany, Netherlands, Spain
Genre: Drama
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May29

House of Games (1987) DVD9 (2007 edition) and Blu-Ray Criterion Collection

by movieworld on May 29th, 2019 at 17:06
Posted In: .Other movies, Crime, Thriller

House of Games 1987
In his directorial debut, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet creates a stylish cinematic puzzle of games within games, as con men are joined by a psychologist in creating the perfect caper. Dr. Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse), the writer of psychological self-help books, meets Mike (Joe Mantegna) as she attempts to help a patient who owes heavy gambling debts. When she herself is the victim of a con, she becomes intrigued by the psychological drama of the con game and joins in a complicated scam involving a suitcase of cash. Mamet directs his extremely complicated plot with skill and complete control until it is impossible to tell who is the con and who is the victim. The suspense builds to an amazing surprise ending which is both reasonable and believable but completely unpredictable. Crouse and Mantegna are outstanding as are all the supporting performances. Mamet and his cinematographer Juan Ruiz-Anchia create a visually stunning, compelling film that does justice to Mamet's superbly written screenplay.

Director: David Mamet
Cast: Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Mike Nussbaum
Country: USA
Genre: Crime, Thriller

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