Film Reviews
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My Friends Need Killing |
A traumatized Vietnam veteran goes on a killing spree, targeting the men with whom he served in the army. |
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Beautiful Days |
Masaki Kobayashi directs this romantic drama concerning a family of florists. |
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Cradle 2 the Grave |
Gang leader Tony pulls off a major diamond heist with his crew, but cop-turned-criminal Ling knows who has the loot and responds by kidnapping Tony's daughter and holding her for ransom. Unfortunately, Tony's lost the diamonds as well. As he frantically searches for his daughter and the jewels, Tony pairs with a high-kicking government agent who once worked with Ling and seeks revenge on him. |
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Villa Rides |
Pulled into the Mexican Revolution by his own greed, Texas gunrunner & pilot Lee Arnold joins bandit-turned-patriot Pancho Villa & his band of dedicated men in a march across Mexico battling the Colorados & stealing women's hearts as they go. But each has a nemesis among his friends: Arnold is tormented by Fierro, Villa's right-hand-man; and Villa must face possible betrayal by his own president's naiveté |
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All Around Us |
Lily Franky plays the role of a courtroom sketch artist named Kanao, and actress Tae Kimura plays the role of his wife Shoko. The story takes place in the 1990s, involving real-life events from that time. |
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Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father |
In 2001, Andrew Bagby, a medical resident, is murdered not long after breaking up with his girlfriend. Soon after, when she announces she's pregnant, one of Andrew's many close friends, Kurt Kuenne, begins this film, a gift to the child. |
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OT: Our Town |
Against all odds, the first theatrical production in over 20 years at Dominguez High School is going to be Thorton Wilder's American classic Our Town. The kids at this Compton school are about to experience more than a culture clash, as they embark on a rich journey and discover the educational and social value of theater. OT: Our Town tells the story of human spirit and its strength against the stereotypes holding them down. Where Thorton Wilder wrote about about little Grover's Corners, this documentary exemplifies how Our Town is every town. Our Town is Compton. |
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Shaolin Kung-Fu Mystagogue |
An old Shaolin student -- turned evil -- wants to return to his old school to obtain the secrets of the final deadly style of Shaolin Kung Fu. The only thing he doesn't know is that his old teacher, now blind, has taught two other pupils in the hope that they can stop his fiendish plans. See the Bleeding Birds fly through the air, cutting down trees, and people, as the evil man uses his weapons to aid his war on the Shaolin Temple. The fights feature more exaggerated stunts and special effects than normal for a mid-70s Kung Fu film. There is also more high leaping than usual for the time, both recalling the "wuxia" swordplay films of the 1960s and foreshadowing the "wire fu" trend of the early 1990s. The fights are generally well-staged and shot and are skillfully worked into the complex intrigue of a plotline focused on Ming patriots seeking to protect their leader from Ching guards and spies in 1640s China. |
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Blue Skies |
Jed Potter looks back on a love triangle conducted over the course of years and between musical numbers. Dancer Jed loves showgirl Mary, who loves compulsive nightclub-opener Johnny, who can't stay committed to anything in life for very long. |
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The End Of America |
Based on her book of the same name, Naomi Wolf presents controversial evidence that America has begun a frightening descent into dictatorship and fascism. American democracy, as we know it, is under attack. By examining the chilling parallels between the current state of our nation and the ascent of dictators and fascism in other once-free societies, Wolf urges viewers to open their eyes to the horrors that lie ahead. From the increased use of paramilitary groups to the construction of secret prisons and the targeted suspension of the rule of law, the warning signs are all there for people to wake up and finally take notice. |
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Serena |
An intimate portrait of four-time Olympic gold medalist and international sports icon Serena Williams, focusing on the external pressures and vulnerabilities Williams faces in her quest to achieve four Grand Slams in a row. |
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The Lost Continent |
An eclectic group of characters set sail on Captain Lansen’s leaky cargo ship in an attempt to escape their various troubles. When a violent storm strikes, the ship is swept into the Sargasso Sea and the passengers find themselves trapped on an island populated by man-eating seaweed, giant crabs and Spanish conquistadors who believe it’s still the 16th century. |
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Tiny Furniture |
After graduating from film school, Aura returns to New York to live with her photographer mother, Siri, and her sister, Nadine, who has just finished high school. Aura is directionless and wonders where to go next in her career and her life. She takes a job in a restaurant and tries unsuccessfully to develop relationships with men, including Keith, a chef where she works, and cult Internet star Jed. |
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Animated Motion: Part 5 |
In this fifth part, Norman McLaren deals not with motion (if motion is defined as a change of location in two- or three-dimensional space) but with change--change in the amount and color of light within an otherwise static screen. Normally, the animator combines such change with motion, but here it is studied in isolation. |
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8 ½ Women |
After the death of his wife, wealthy businessman Philip Emmenthal and his son Storey open their own private harem in their family residence in Geneva (they get the idea while watching Federico Fellini's 8½ and after Storey is "given" a woman, Simato (Inoh), to waive her pachinko debts). They sign one-year contracts with eight (and a half) women to this effect. The women each have a gimmick (one is a nun, another a kabuki performer, etc.). Philip soon becomes dominated by his favourite of the concubines, Palmira, who has no interest in Storey as a lover, despite what their contract might stipulate. Philip dies, the concubines' contracts expire, and Storey is left alone with Giulietta (the titular "½", played by Fujiwara) and of course the money and the houses. |