Film Reviews

The Story of Qiu Ju is a 1992 Chinese comedy-drama film. The film was directed by Zhang Yimou and, as in many of his films, stars Gong Li in the title role. The screenplay is an adaption of Chen Yuanbin's novella The Wan Family's Lawsuit. The film tells the story of a peasant woman, Qiu Ju, who lives in a rural area of China. When her husband is kicked in the groin by the village head, Qiu Ju, despite her pregnancy, travels to a nearby town, and later a big city to deal with its bureaucrats and find justice.

Ashokan (Mohanlal) goes on a trip to Nepal to meet his uncle (MS Thripunithura) who is settled there. To his surprise, his rival from his village Appukuttan (Jagathy) is already there impersonating him. He is unable to convince his uncle about the truth and gets kicked out of the house. While trying to find shelter he meets a young Nepalese boy (Sidharth Lama). Though they don't understand each others' language, they quickly form a bond. Meanwhile Ashokan is able to convince his cousin Aswathy (Madhubala) that Appukuttan is an imposter. Aswathy who is a student researching ancient Nepalese traditions realises that the young Nepalese boy is actually a Rimpoche, the spiritual leader of his tribe and is on the run from evil forces who want to banish him. Ashokan gets sucked in to the scenario unknowingly and ends up being the Rimpoche's protector.

Professor Griggs, teaching at the college, doesn't get paid a living wage; his next door neighbor, successful shoemaker Olsen, has money and plentiful food, while the Griggses have hardly any. When the professor's rich student Phil West falls for beautiful Griggs daughter Amelia and also befriends the poor Reverend Gates (a young man who is also in love with Amelia), he observes the difference in his life and theirs and tries to help make a difference.

The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual.

The film begins on a train journey with Gustav Mahler (Robert Powell) and his wife Alma (Georgina Hale) confronting their failing marriage. The story is then recounted in a series of flashbacks (some of which are surrealistic and nightmarish), taking one through Mahler's childhood, his brother's suicide, his experience with anti-semitism, his conversion from Judaism to Catholicism, his marital problems, and the death of his young daughter. The film also contains a surreal fantasy sequence involving the anti-Semitic Cosima Wagner (Antonia Ellis), widow of Richard Wagner, whose objections to his taking control of the Court Opera were supposedly removed by his conversion to Catholicism. In the process, the film explores Mahler's music and its relationship to his life.

Zack (Haas) is a young, divorced father who starts to develop romantic feelings towards his friend Rebecca (Zima), whom he refers to as "Crazy Eyes". He spends a lot of time at a bar run by his best friend Dan Drake (Busey) and hanging out with Autumn (Raymonde). As he pursues a sexual relationship with Rebecca, Zack grows increasingly aware of the importance of his son's role in his life amidst the failing health of his own father.

Homer Flagg (Lewis) is a railroad worker in the small town of Desert Hole, New Mexico. One day he finds an abandoned automobile at an old atomic proving ground. His doctor and best friend, Steve Harris (Martin), diagnoses him with radiation poisoning and gives Homer three weeks to live. A reporter for a New York newspaper, hears of Homer's plight and convinces her editor, to provide an all-expenses paid trip to New York.

A withdrawn young girl joins an unpopular sorority in college. It turns out she has psychic and telekinetic powers, and she uses them against a rival sorority.

The Jews of Poland (invaded by Germany in 1939) are depicted as filthy, evil, corrupt, and intent on world domination. Street scenes are shown prejudicially, along with clips from Jewish cinema of the day and photos of Jewish celebrities, while the narrator "explains" the Jewish problem. The climax and resolution of the film is Hitler's 1939 announcement that the Jewish race will meet its "annihilation" (Vernichtung).

The village of mayor Peppone and Don Camillo, after much dispute, gets assigned a sister village in Russia. When Peppone and his comrades decide to attend the ceremony on the other side of the iron curtain, Don Camillo wants to join. Peppone is strictly against this but after Don Camillo threatens him to disclose information about an earlier side step the mayor agrees. Don Camillo arranges for false papers: He is now comrade Tarocci. Only Peppone and the other villagers know who he really is. In Russia the agenda includes various cultural events: Ballet, Opera, a fishing competition and various parties...

After suffering humiliation by the crew Invincible, street dancer Ash looks to gather the best dancers from around the world for a rematch.

A beautiful, self-centered young woman's life turns upside down when she suddenly "loses her clitoris" (i.e. her ability to have an orgasm).

Fando and his partially paralyzed lover Lis search for the mythical city of Tar. Based on Jodorowsky's memories of a play by surrealist Fernando Arrabal.

Though she only knows his first name and that he ‘works in coal’, Molly, a young Irish woman, travels to a small Polish town to find the man with whom she had a memorable one-night stand several months before. Armed with nothing more than a postcard and her own tenacity, she sets about finding her past lover, despite her landlord’s admonishments that all the coal mines closed years ago.

When a train carrying atomic warheads mysteriously crashes in the former Soviet Union, a nuclear specialist discovers the accident is really part of a plot to cover up the theft of the weapons. Assigned to help her recover the missing bombs is a crack Special Forces Colonel.