FILM • STAGE • MUSIC • COMMUNITY
FILM • STAGE • MUSIC • COMMUNITY
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FREE FILMS YOU CAN WATCH AT HOME • CURATED BY THE PARK THEATRE
- NEW FILMS WEEKLY -
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1948)
FROM June 24
A film noir classic from Orson Welles.
A seaman becomes involved in a complex murder plot when he is hired to work on a yacht. He soon finds himself implicated in the murder, despite his innocence. The film is best remembered for its climax "hall of mirrors" scene with a shoot-out amidst shards of shattering glass. (RottenTomatoes.com)
Starring Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane
Director/Producer/Writer: Orson Welles
Release Date: Jun 9, 1948
Runtime: 1h 27m
OUT OF THE CLOSET, OFF THE SCREEN (2001)
FROM June 5
IN HONOR OF LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines. This documentary chronicles the life of openly gay 1930s film actor William Haines, who sacrificed his Hollywood fame when he refused to end his relationship with another man. Directors
Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato
THE BICYCLE THIEF (1948)
FROM MAY 14
Vittorio De Sica's masterpiece. Unemployed Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) is elated when he finally finds work hanging posters around war-torn Rome. His wife, Maria (Lianella Carell), sells the family's bed linens to retrieve Antonio's bicycle from the pawnshop so he can take the job. However, disaster strikes when Antonio's bicycle is stolen, and his new job is doomed unless he can find the thief. With the help of his lively son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola), Antonio combs the city, growing increasingly desperate for justice. Director: Vittorio De Sica. Runtime: 1h 30m
EARTH DAY SHORT FILMS With an Oscar® Winner
FROM APRIL 16
IN HONOR OF EARTH DAY JAFFREY
A collection of environmental short films.
Beaver Valley 31:44 Disney True-life series classic 1950; 1951 Oscar® for best short subject.
Home 7:58 memoir about Greenland; best environmental short, Scandinavian Film Fest 2019.
How To Save Our Planet 8:27 Sir David Attenborough explains how humans can take charge of our future and save our planet.
A Nature Now message from Greta Thunberg 3:39
Earth Day Begins 4:45 A history of Earth Day 1970 from EarthDay.org
WOMEN PIONEERS IN CINEMA MONTH - Ida Lupino
WEEK FOUR - FROM MARCH 26
IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Ida Lupino (1918-1995)
Lupino was the first credited female director since the retirement of Dorothy Arzner and second admitted to the Directors’ Guild. She also acted and produced and started her own independent studio. Like female directors before her, she tackled controversial subjects. She went on to a career in tv directing, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Fugitive, Gilligan’s Island and the Twilight Zone.
Bio and critique of 8 key works
Short bio documentary 6:10
Longer bio documentary 15:12
Never Fear AKA The Young Lovers 1949 1hr:20 --
first full movie she directed-- absorbing, moving drama of a young dancer battling polio.
The story had personal meaning for Lupino, who had had polio herself.
The Hitch-Hiker 1953 1hr:10 -- first film noir
directed by a woman, selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
also available: The Bigamist 1953 1hr:19
WOMEN PIONEERS IN CINEMA MONTH
- Lotte Reiniger
WEEK TWO - FROM MARCH 12
IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Lotte Reiniger (1899-1981)
The unsung heroine of early animation, Lotte Reineger pioneered the multi-plane glass plate animation technique, later used by Disney in his early Mickey Mouse cartoons.
Biography
Bio documentary 16:54
Shows technique of her animation
Animated bio documentary 2:51
Reiniger’s first films were short silhouette animations of stories from the Brothers Grimm, such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (1922, Germany). She went on to produce the first feature-length animation, the Arabian Nights’ tale of The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926, Germany). The oldest surviving animated feature film, it was restored in the late 1990’s and released on DVD. Fragments may be found on youtube and are worth watching, for example: (4:52).
Ornament of a Loving Heart 1919 4:48
Her first animation – a balletic silhouette courtship to Grieg’s Morning Mood
Papageno 1935 10:41
Silhouette animation to music from Mozart’s Magic Flute
Cinderella 1922 – 1:43
One of several Grimm’ fairy tales she set to animation
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS
(1979)
FROM FEB 18
IN HONOR OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH This film adaptation of Maya Angelou's autobiography focuses on the author's extremely difficult youth. Young Maya (Constance Good) lives at her grandmother's in Arkansas. Life is hard for the little girl, but a truly dark turning point comes when she is raped by her mother's boyfriend (Paul Benjamin). After she identifies her rapist, her uncles murder him. Overwhelmed with guilt and confusion, Maya becomes mute for years, struggling all the while to come to terms with her trauma. Dir. Fielder Cook - 1h 35m - NR
"Forceful telling of Angelou's coming-of-age book." Common Sense Media
BEHAVE YOURSELF (1951)
FROM JAN 28
Hapless young Bill Denny (Farley Granger) and his bride, Kate (Shelley Winters), stumble into big trouble when Bill takes in a cute little dog. The stray happens to be a courier for the mob, and the canine's presence in the Denny home brings underworld violence to the couple's front door. While Bill tries to figure out why dead mobsters are suddenly everywhere, the police are also investigating. Will the pooch's presence lead the police to think that Bill and Kate are criminals? (from RottenTomatoes.com) 81mins. USA. NR.
MODERN TIMES (1936)
FROM JAN 14
This comedic masterpiece finds the iconic Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) employed at a state-of-the-art factory where the inescapable machinery completely overwhelms him, and where various mishaps keep getting him sent to prison. In between his various jail stints, he meets and befriends an orphan girl (Paulette Goddard). Both together and apart, they try to contend with the difficulties of modern life, with the Tramp working as a waiter and eventually a performer.. 89 mins. NR.
ANIMAL FARM (1954)
FROM June 17
In this animated film based on George Orwell's satirical allegorical novella, animals on drunken Mr. Jones' (Maurice Denham) farm, led by prize hog Old Major (also Denham), gather to discuss their abuse. Old Major exhorts the animals to rebel. Boxer the horse, donkey Benjamin, pigs Snowball and Napoleon and the others agree, and when Old Major dies, they turn against Jones. But Napoleon secretly raises a group of puppies to do his bidding, and over time the efficiently-run farm falters as Napoleon schemes to take over. According to Orwell, the fable reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. (RottenTomatoes.com)Runtime: 2 hrs.
12 O'CLOCK HIGH (1949)
FROM MAY 28
In 1942, an American Air Force unit stationed in England is plagued with morale problems until no-nonsense Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) assumes command. His tough leadership is initially resented by not only his pilots but his second-in-command (Hugh Marlowe), a West Point graduate and son of a general. But, with the help of a hotshot flying ace (Robert Patten) and a sympathetic administrator (Dean Jagger), the unit pulls together into a gung-ho fighting crew.(RottenTomatoes.com) Director: Henry King.
Runtime: 2h 12m
ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S FRENZY (1972)
FROM MAY 7
London is held in the grip of a serial killer whose modus operandi is to murder his victims by strangling them with a necktie. When short-tempered ex-Royal Air Force officer Richard Blaney (Jon Finch) discovers his ex-wife (Barbara Leigh-Hunt) murdered, Blaney becomes a suspect. Forced to go on the run, Blaney attempts to take refuge with his best friend, fruit merchant Bob Rusk (Barry Foster), however, Rusk may, in fact, be the necktie murderer himself. Rated R. Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Writer: Anthony Shaffer. Runtime: 1h 56m
FOREIGN CORESSPONDENT (1940) Best Picture Nominee 1941
FROM APRIL 9
IN HONOR OF THE 93RD OSCARS®
Crime reporter John Jones (Joel McCrea) is turning in nothing but dull copy. His editor, unhappy with his work, hopes a change of scenery will be the thing Jones needs to get back on track. Re-assigned to Europe as a foreign correspondent, Jones is very much out of his element. When he stumbles on a spy ring, he feels ill-equipped to unravel the truth alone and he seeks help from a beautiful politician's daughter (Laraine Day) and an urbane English journalist (George Sanders).
Director: Alfred Hitchcock Release Date: Aug 16, 1940 Runtime: 2hr
WOMEN PIONEERS IN CINEMA MONTH - Dorothy Arzner
WEEK THREE - FROM MARCH 19
IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Dorothy Arzner (1897-1979)
Called the only successful female director 20’s to early ’40s, Arzner was the first and for a long time, the only woman admitted to the Screen Directors Guild. She directed Paramount’s first talkie; created a forerunner to the boom mic by stringing a microphone at the end of a fishing rod; and is credited with launching the careers of Katherine Hepburn and Lucille Ball among other prominent actors.
Biography
Trailer for film fest 3:35
Bio Documentary 15:51
Craig’s Wife 1936 1 hr:14 - drama starring Rosalind
Russell (in 3rd yr of almost 40 of acting) based on Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play of the same name by George Kelly (uncle of Grace Kelly).
Merrily We Go To Hell 1932 1 hr:23 - Fredric March,
Sylvia Sidney, Cary Grant
WOMEN PIONEERS IN CINEMA MONTH
- Lois Weber
WEEK ONE - FROM MARCH 5
IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Lois Weber (1879-1939)
A leading director-screenwriter, Lois Weber wrote, directed and acted for Universal Studios and was routinely mentioned alongside D. W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille as the top talents. Her movies often addressed controversial issues like capital punishment, drug abuse, contraception, and she used innovative techniques such as shooting on location, using unique angles, and the split-screen. She opened her own studio and for a time was the highest-paid director in Hollywood.
Biography
Biography documentary 16:10
"Suspense" short film from 1913 10:10
LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON
(1957)
FROM FEB 12
French private investigator Claude Chavasse (Maurice Chevalier) discovers his client's wife has been having an affair with an American playboy, Frank Flannagan (Gary Cooper). When the client decides to kill Frank, Claude's sheltered daughter, Ariane (Audrey Hepburn), throws off the plan and saves his life. The two are instantly attracted to one another, but Ariane doesn't reveal her name. Frank then hires Claude to locate Ariane, unaware he has sent him on a mission to find his own daughter. Director: Billy Wilder - 1957 - Runtime: 2h 10m - NR
THE WILD ONE (1954)
FROM JAN 21
Johnny (Marlon Brando) and his motorcycle gang roll into Carbonville for a biker competition and raise enough hell to get kicked out of town. They repair to nearby Wrightsville and continue their reign of terror. The local sheriff (Robert Keith) is helpless to stop them, but when a rival gang arrives, he manages to arrest their leader, Chino (Lee Marvin). Meanwhile, Johnny finds himself attracted to the sheriff's daughter, Kathie (Mary Murphy), and decides to stick around. 74% by RottenTomatoes.com. Dir. Stanley Kramer.
79 mins. USA. NR.
HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1936)
FROM JAN 7
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) is intrigued by a centuries-old legend in which every generation of the wealthy Baskerville family is eventually killed by a monstrous hound. Suspecting there is more to the story than meets the eye, he sends Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) to the estate to investigate. Sir Henry (Richard Greene), the only Baskerville left, is grateful for his help.80 mins. NR.
PRIDE OF THE YANKEES (1942)
FROM June 10
This moving biographical drama follows the life of revered baseball player Lou Gehrig (Gary Cooper). Championed by sportswriter Sam Blake (Walter Brennan), Gehrig eventually gets recruited by the New York Yankees, joining a team of heavy hitters that includes the legendary Babe Ruth. When Gehrig marries his spirited sweetheart, Eleanor (Teresa Wright), things look up for him, but he is soon sidelined by a terrible illness that he bravely tries to battle. Rated 94% on RottenTomatoes.com
Director: Sam Wood Writers:
Jo Swerling, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Damon Runyon. Release Date: Mar 5, 1943
Runtime: 2h 7m
BEAT THE DEVIL (1953)
FROM MAY 21
In this John Huston film -- which features an unusual mix of adventure, comedy and crime elements -- Billy (Humphrey Bogart) and Maria Dannreuther (Gina Lollobrigida) are among a number of travelers stranded in Italy en route to Africa. While the Dannreuthers seem like an average couple, they have the same goal as Mrs. Gwendolen Chelm (Jennifer Jones) and some of their other shifty companions -- to lay claim to property that is supposedly rich with uranium. (RottenTomatoes.com) Director: John Huston. Writers: James Helvick, Truman Capote, John Huston
Runtime: 1h 32m
ONE NIGHT OF LOVE (1934)
FROM APRIL 23
WINNER OF 2 OSCARS® Best Musical Score and Best Sound
After relocating from New York City to Milan, Italy, to study opera, Mary (Grace Moore) meets her mentor, Giulio (Tullio Carminati). Under his guidance, Mary learns the intricacies of opera and becomes a more confident songstress. Years later, Mary meets Lally (Mona Barrie), a previous student of Giulio's who brings her feelings of jealousy to the surface. Unable to come to terms with her true feelings toward Giulio, Mary rebels, jeopardizing her budding career and a potential happy ending. 1hr 20 mins Directed by Victor Schertzinger
REBECCA
1941 Oscar® Best Picture
FROM APRIL 2
IN HONOR OF THE 93RD OSCARS®
REBECCA (1940)
Story of a young woman (Joan Fontaine) who marries a fascinating widower only to find out that she must live in the shadow of his former wife, Rebecca, who died mysteriously several years earlier. The young wife must come to grips with the terrible secret of her handsome, cold husband, Max De Winter (Laurence Olivier). She must also deal with the jealous, obsessed Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), the housekeeper, who will not accept her as the mistress of the house. Director:
Alfred Hitchcock Release Date: Apr 12, 1940 Runtime: 2h 10m
THE VAN
(1996)
FROM MARCH 17
IN HONOR OF THE JAFFREY ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE
From Ireland: Given his experience working with food, it's hardly surprising that after losing his job at a bakery, Brendan "Bimbo" Reeves (Donal O'Kelly) becomes successful selling fried morsels from a van. He hires Larry (Colm Meaney), his best friend, to help, but having Bimbo for a boss doesn't improve their relationship. The van is eventually closed down by a health inspector -- which Bimbo thinks is because Larry ratted him out over questionable food prep techniques -- and their friendship is severed. Director: Stephen Frears Writer: Roddy Doyle Runtime: 1h 45m - Rated R
YOUNG MR. LINCOLN
(1939)
FROM FEB 25
IN HONOR OF PRESIDENTS' WEEK
In this dramatized account of his early law career in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) is born into a modest log cabin, where he is encouraged by his first love, Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore), to pursue law. Following her tragic death, Lincoln establishes a law practice in Springfield, where he meets a young Mary Todd (Marjorie Weaver). Lincoln's law skills are put to the test when he takes on the difficult task of defending two brothers who have been accused of murder. (from RottenTomatoes with a 100% FRESH score). Directed by John Ford. Released: Jun 9, 1939 - 1h 40m. - NR
TIGER BAY
(1959)
FROM FEB 4
Rough-and-tumble street urchin Gillie (Hayley Mills) witnesses the brutal killing of a young woman at the hands of visiting Polish sailor Korchinsky (Horst Buchholz). Instead of reporting the crime to the authorities, Gillie merely pockets a prize for herself -- Korchinsky's shiny black revolver -- and flees the scene. When Welsh Detective Graham (John Mills) discovers that Gillie has the murder weapon, the fiery young girl weaves a web of lies to throw him off course. (from RottenTomatoes.com) 106 mins. UK. NR.
THE MARVA COLLINS STORY (1981)
IN HONOR OF
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY
FROM JAN 18.
Marva Collins (Cicely Tyson) is a Chicago schoolteacher who strives to do her best to educate her students. Using her own funds, she creates the prep school for inner-city students that she feels they deserve. This moving biopic is based on a true story. Certified FRESH 100% by RottenTomatoes.com
100 mins. USA. NR.
BABES IN TOYLAND (1934)
November 26, 2020
MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS
AKA BABES IN TOYLAND
Directed by Gus Meins, Charley Rogers
Starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy
1934 - Fantasy - USA - 73 mins - NR
Rated 100% FRESH on RottenTomatoes!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING... our first free Holiday movie for the season!
Stannie Dum (Stan Laurel) and Ollie Dee (Oliver Hardy) rent rooms in Mother Peep's shoe in Toyland. When Mother Peep can't make her mortgage payment to evil Silas Barnaby (Harry Kleinbach), he attempts to blackmail her into having Little Bo-Peep (Charlotte Henry) marry him, despite the girl's attachment to Tom-Tom Piper. Stannie and Ollie offer their assistance to Mother Peep, Bo-Peep and Piper, and later enlist an army of wooden soldiers to battle Barnaby's cave-dwelling bogeymen.
NO WAY OUT (1950)
November 19, 2020
NO WAY OUT
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell
1950 - Drama - USA - 106 mins - NR
Robbers Ray Biddle (Richard Widmark) and his brother are shot and taken to the local hospital. There, the two are treated by Dr. Brooks (Sidney Poitier), the hospital's only black doctor. The brothers assault Brooks with racist slurs. And, when his brother ends up dying on the operating table, Ray accuses the doctor of murdering him. Blind with rage, Ray works to turn the white community of the city against Brooks, who finds an unlikely ally in the dead man's widow, Edie (Linda Darnell).
(From Rotten Tomatoes) Note: A powerful & disturbing film about racial discrimination.
Receives a 90% FRESH rating on RottenTomatoes.
STALAG 17 (1953)
November 11, 2020
★★IN HONOR OF VETERANS DAY★★
STALAG 17 (1953) 120 mins.
A classic. Billy Wilder (Some Like It Hot ) directed this award-winning take on the complicated life inside a German POW camp during WWII. Stars William Holden (won the Oscar® for best actor), Otto Preminger, Peter Graves, and a who's who of Hollywood's best character actors. Based on the Broadway stage play.
WHEN TRUMPETS FADE (1998)
November 11, 2020
★★IN HONOR OF VETERANS DAY★★
WHEN TRUMPETS FADE (1998) 92 mins.
Private David Manning (Ron Eldard) is a soldier in the 28th Infantry Division, and as a result of the horrendous fighting in World War II's Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, he is the sole survivor of his platoon. Based on a true story of heroism, passion, and perseverance. Also stars Frank Whaley, Martin Donovan, and Bobby Cannavale.
MIRAGE (1965)
November 05, 2020
MIRAGE
1965 - Thriller - USA - 109 mins - NR
Starring Gregory Peck, Diane Bakker, Walter Matthau, George Kennedy
After a blackout in his office building, accountant David Stillwell (Gregory Peck) finds he can't remember the past two years of his life. Discovering that a rich humanitarian died after falling from the same building and that there are shady gunmen out to get him, Stillwell must piece together the missing memories of his life. Enlisting the help of a rookie private eye (Walter Matthau) and a reluctant old flame (Diane Baker), Stillwell uncovers the mystery detail by unexpected detail.
Copy Of -MIRAGE (1965)
November 05, 2020
MIRAGE
1965 - Thriller - USA - 109 mins - NR
Starring Gregory Peck, Diane Bakker, Walter Matthau, George Kennedy
After a blackout in his office building, accountant David Stillwell (Gregory Peck) finds he can't remember the past two years of his life. Discovering that a rich humanitarian died after falling from the same building and that there are shady gunmen out to get him, Stillwell must piece together the missing memories of his life. Enlisting the help of a rookie private eye (Walter Matthau) and a reluctant old flame (Diane Baker), Stillwell uncovers the mystery detail by unexpected detail.
SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK (1991)
October 22, 2020
SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK
Directed by Tim McLoughlin
Starring Tim Matheson, Brooke Adams, William Sanderson
Horror - USA - 97 mins - Rated R
Sometimes They Come Back is a 1991 horror film based on the short story of the same title by Stephen King. High school teacher Jim Norman (Tim Matheson) reluctantly returns to his hometown with his wife (Brooke Adams) to pursue a job. Jim is haunted by the childhood memory of his brother being murdered by a group of teenagers. Now, the teenagers have returned to town as they appeared before they died.
"...follows the King formula, entertaining with thrills, murders, facing-up-to-fear philosophizing and snappy lines.." -Chicago Tribune
SCARECROWS (1988)
October 22, 2020
SCARECROWS
Directed by William Wesley
Starring Ted Vernon, Kristina Sanborn, B.J. Turner
1988 - Horror/Action - USA - Rated R
Criminals hijack a plane and force the pilot and his daughter to fly them to Mexico. However, an unexpected landing finds them in a cemetery inhabited by killer scarecrows. Nominated for the International Fantasy Film Award. Remastered for HD.
THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES (1971)
October 15, 2020
THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES
Directed by Robert Fuest
Starring Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Terry-Thomas, Susan Travers
1971 - Comedy/Horror - Great Britain - 93mins - NR
In a desperate attempt to reach his ill wife, organist Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) is horrifically disfigured in a car accident and presumed dead. When he learns that his wife died during an operation, Phibes blames her surgeons and plots an elaborate revenge to punish them for their incompetence. With the help of a mute assistant (Virginia North), Phibes creates a mask resembling his own face and murders the surgeons one by one using bizarre methods inspired by the biblical plagues.
(Rotten Tomatoes)
Receives an 85% FRESH rating on RottenTomatoes.
Carnival of Souls (1962)
October 08, 2020
CARNIVAL OF SOULS
1962- Horror - USA - 77mins - NR
Director: Herk Harvey
Writer: John Clifford (written)
Stars: Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sidney Berger
Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) ends up the sole survivor of a fatal car accident through mysterious circumstances. Trying to put the incident behind her, she moves to Utah and takes a job as a church organist. But her fresh start is interrupted by visions of a fiendish man (Herk Harvey). As the visions begin to occur more frequently, Mary finds herself drawn to the deserted carnival on the outskirts of town. The strangely alluring carnival may hold the secret to her tragic past. (Rotten Tomatoes)
Receives an 86% FRESH rating on RottenTomatoes.
PUNK: attitude (2005)
October 01, 2020
PUNK: attitude
2005 - Documentary - USA - 89 mins
Note: Contains mature language. Viewer discretion advised.
Directed by Don Lettes
Filmmaker Don Letts examines the history of punk rock and its impact on the music industry. The film covers the evolution of punk from MC5 and the Velvet Underground through to the Ramones, the Sex Pistols,The Dolls, The Clash and many more. Includes interviews with Henry Rollins, David Johansen, Jim Jarmusch, Mick Jones, Chrissie Hynde, and Captain Sensible.
ROCK-A-BYE BABY (1958)
September 17, 2020
ROCK-A-BYE BABY
1958 - Comedy - USA - 103 mins - NR
Directed by Frank Tashlin
Starring: Jerry Lewis, Connie Stevens, Hans Conreid
Clayton Poole (Jerry Lewis) is a TV repairman who still has feelings for his old high school girlfriend, Carla Naples (Marilyn Maxwell). Trouble is, Carla is now a glamorous movie star and the wife of a Mexican bullfighter. When her husband is tragically killed and she needs to keep the baby a secret, the star turns to Clayton for help. He is thrilled at the prospect of acting as a babysitter. But Carla neglects to tell him she actually had triplets.
THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (1969)
September 03, 2020
THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE
1969 - Drama/Comedy/Romance - Great Britain - 116mins
Directed by Ronald Neame
Starring: Maggie Smith, Gordon Jackson, Pamela Franklin, Robert Stephens
It is the thirties and Jean Brodie, a teacher in her prime, takes in her new class at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh, Scotland. She gathers her girls around, clearly picks her favorites and lets them know that they are the "crème de la crème." While she is ostensibly their teacher, tasked with teaching them history and literature, she instead teaches them of life, or so she thinks.
Maggie Smith won the 1970 Oscar® for Best Actress.
"Maggie Smith's tour-de-force performance as a school-teacher slipping into spinsterhood is one of several notable achievements in this sentimental and macabre personal tragedy." -Variety
THIS SPORTING LIFE (1963)
August 20, 2020
THIS SPORTING LIFE
1963 - 134 mins - Drama- UK
Directed by Lindsey Anderson
Starring Richard Harris, Alan Badel, Rachel Roberts, Colin Blakley
Adapted by David Storey from his own novel, this drama stars Richard Harris as an athletic coal miner who aspires to the greener pastures of professional rugby. Soon establishing himself as one of the most brutal and arrogant players in the business, Harris begins amassing a fortune.
Best Picture 1963 Intl Film Critics
Best Actor 1963 Cannes Film Festival
JACK AND SARAH (1995)
August 13, 2020
JACK AND SARAH
1995 - 110 mins - Comedy/Drama- UK
Directed by Tim Sullivan
Starring Richard E. Grant, Samantha Mathis, Judi Dench, Ian McKellan
In this quirky British comedy, nervous yuppie widower Jack finds himself saddled with the responsibility of raising his infant daughter. To keep his mother-in-law at bay, Jack hires a clumsy but vivacious American waitress as a baby-sitter. Mayhem ensues as she adjusts to the job, and Jack adjusts to fatherhood.
CUL-DE-SAC (1966)
August 06, 2020
CUL-DE-SAC
1966 - 111 mins - Comedy/Drama/Mystery - UK
Directed by Roman Polanski
Starring Lionel Stander, Jack MacGowran, Donald Pleasance, Jacqueline Bisset
Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach wrote this memorable black comedy about an uptight recluse and his nymphomaniacal young wife, whose stormy existence in an isolated British castle is turned upside down when two wounded gangsters break into their home and take over their lives.
"BEST FILM" 1966 Berlin International Movie Fest
"CRITICS AWARD" 1966 Venice Film Festival
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS (1971)
July 30, 2020
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
1971 - 87 mins - Comedy/Drama - UK
Starring Geroge C. Scott, Joanne Woodward, Jack Gilford
This whimsical comedy-drama centers on a retired judge, who comes to believe that he is Sherlock Holmes. When he is sent to a psychiatrist, he manages to charm the doctor, a woman by the name of Dr. Watson, who soon finds herself playing along with his fantasies.
THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN (1969)
July 23, 2020
THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN
1969 - 101 mins - Comedy - UK
This zany British comedy finds a homeless hobo (Ringo Starr) being adopted by the world's richest man, Sir Guy Grand (Peter Sellers). Setting sail on the luxury liner The Magic Christian, Sir Grand tests the limit of human avarice. With money to motivate the greedy, Laurence Harvey combines his Hamlet soliloquy with a striptease. A vile cesspool of excrement is seeded with cash and the money-hungry dive right in. Wilfred Hyde-White is the drunken captain, Yul Brynner is uncredited in his performance as a chanteuse transvestite, and John Cleese is the director of Sotheby's auction house. Roman Polanski, Richard Attenborough, and Raquel Welch also appear in this offbeat comedy. Paul McCartney wrote and produced "Come and Get It," the first international hit from the power-pop group Badfinger. John "Speedy" Keene wrote "Something In The Air" and performed the track with his group Thunderclap Newman. Sellers, Cleese, Graham Chapman, and Terry Southern co-authored the screenplay taken from Southern's novel. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
SHOUT AT THE DEVIL (1976)
June 20, 2020
SHOUT AT THE DEVIL
1976 - 147 mins - Action adventure Drama - UK
Based on the novel by Wilbur Smith, this film follow the scheme of a proper English gentleman, Sebastian (Roger Moore), and a wild Irish-American, Flynn (Lee Marvin), as they set out to destroy a German battleship docked in East Africa before the outbreak of World War I.
THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR (1967)
June 19, 2020
THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR (1967)
81 minutes - United Kingdom
A British horror cult classic...
Set during the Victorian era, the film stars Peter Cushing as a Holmes-like detective on the trail of a serial killer. The mystery angle is minimal since we know virtually from the beginning that the killer is a gigantic....moth! It seems that Wanda Ventham, daughter of addled scientist Robert Flemyng, has spent too much time in her dad's lab, and can turn herself into a malevolent moth at will. Flemyng tries to mollify Ventham by creating a playmate for her-and the result is two murderous moths. Blood Beast Terror was also released as The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood.
ARIA (1988)
June 13, 2020
ARIA
Directed By:
Nicolas Roeg, Jean-Luc Godard, Robert Altman, Ken Russell, Bruce Beresford, Julien Temple, Bill Bryden, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Charles Sturridge
Starring:
John Hurt , Theresa Russell, Jack Kyle, Buck Henry, Bridget Fonda, Beverly D'Angelo, Marion Peterson
as Les Jeunes Filles
90 minutes - Multi country - Rated R
An international collection of well-known directors contributed to this compilation film, each fashioning a short film inspired by an aria from a famous opera. The approaches vary broadly, from the playful abstraction of Jean-Luc Godard's segment, which illustrates Armide with exercising body-builders, to the more literal approach of Franc Roddam, who transports Tristan und Isolde's story to modern-day Las Vegas. A particular stand-out is Julian Temple's take on Rigoletto, which recasts Verdi as the accompaniment to a contemporary Southern California sex farce.
LA STRADA (1954)
June 06, 2020
Acclaimed Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini drew on his own circus background for this classic film. Set in a seedy travelling carnival, this symbolism-laden drama revolves around brutish strongman Zampano, his simple and servile girlfriend Gelsomina, and clown/aerialist Matto.
Genre: Art House & International, Classics, Drama
Directed By: Federico Fellini
Written By: Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano
Runtime: 115 minutes - English subtitles via YouTube player
"Signor Fellini has used his small cast, and, equally important, his camera, with the unmistakable touch of an artist. His vignettes fill his movie with beauty, sadness, humor and understanding." -NY Times
THE FIREMAN'S BALL (1967)
June 05, 2020
Director: Milos Forman
Actors: Jan Vostrcil, Josef Šebánek, Josef Valnoha
The fire department in a small town is having a big party when the ex-boss of the department celebrates his 86th birthday. The whole town is invited but things don't go as planned. Someone is stealing the prizes to the lottery and the candidates for the Miss Fire-Department beauty contest are neither willing nor particularly beautiful. 73 mins Czech with English subtitles.
"A delicious parody-fable of Slavic bureaucracy." -Time Magazine
ABSOLUTON (1978)
May 24, 2020
Two Catholic boarding school students (Dominic Guard and Dai Bradley) embark upon a carefully calculated campaign to drive their hated headmaster (Richard Burton) insane. The boys launch their scheme by cooking up the most bizarre and depraved of imaginary sins, then recite these infractions in the Confessional. This sadistic little game gets wildly out of hand, resulting in murder. It's a toss-up as to who is the most repulsive character; the headmaster or his two charges. One of a long line of 1970s stinkers barely redeemed by the presence of Richard Burton, Absolution was not released until 1988, long after Burton's death. 98 mins.
COLLEGE SWING (1938)
May 17, 2020
It's hard to go wrong with such stars as Bob Hope, Burns & Allen, Martha Raye and Edward Everett Horton, and College Swing doesn't-go wrong, that is. The film begins in 1738, when a pact is drawn up between the Alden family and a highly respected Colonial college: If any female member of the family can pass her college exams within a 200-year period, ownership of the institution will be turned over to her. Comes 1938, and the last of the Alden girls, giddy Gracie Alden (Gracie Allen, of course) hires glib-tongued tutor Bud Brady (Bob Hope) to help her pass her exams. She also tries to win over no-nonsense professor Hubert Dash (Edward Everett Horton), who has no intention of handing his college over to a blithering idiot like Gracie. Once she has inherited the place, however, Gracie turns it into a jumpin'-jivin' joint, complete with jitterbugging students, swing bands and remote radio broadcasts. Though George Burns' role is nearly nonexistent, he does get to indulge in his patented cross-talk with Allen. Others contributing to the fun are Ben Blue, Jerry Colonna, Betty Grable, and Grable's then-husband Jackie Coogan. Highlights include Allen's spirited Irish jig and her endearing song duet with Edward Everett Horton. College Swing is the sort of high-powered, all-star entertainment that is virtually impossible to reproduce today. 83 mins.
THE TAMARIND SEED (1974)
May 16, 2020
Blake Edwards's stylish direction bolsters this Cold War romance starring Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif. Andrews plays Judith Farrow, a British civil service functionary who meets dashing Russian agent Feodor Sverdlov (Omar Sharif) under the romantic skies of the Caribbean. The Caribbean breezes work their magic and soon Judith is head-over-heels in love with Feodor. Feodor then tries to enlist Judith to become an agent for the Soviet Union. But after Judith is warned by the British government to stay away from him, Feodor decides that he'd rather have her than the Soviet Union. However, a kink is thrown into their love affair when an undercover Russian secret agent, posing as a British agent, decides to eradicate the two lovers.en, including 17-year-old Billy Macfarlane who's enlisted in order to be with his older brother, Eddie. But Eddie's sent home after being wounded, leaving his innocent brother behind to face the slow, inevitable countdown to the bloodiest massacre in British military history. 130 mins
THE TRENCH (1999)
May 15, 2020
Starring Daniel Craig (James Bond) & Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders)
This dramatization of the 48 hours leading up to the Battle of the Somme in 1916 underscores the bitter loss of innocence of a group of idealistic young men, including 17-year-old Billy Macfarlane who's enlisted in order to be with his older brother, Eddie. But Eddie's sent home after being wounded, leaving his innocent brother behind to face the slow, inevitable countdown to the bloodiest massacre in British military history. 98mins
POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES (1961)
May 02, 2020
A Frank Capra classic.
In this film, Apple Annie is a besotted, rag-clad street vendor. Annie's daughter Louise is under the impression that Annie is a high-society dowager. When Louise proposes a visit, Annie enlists the help of her gangster friend to pass as a woman of means.
136 mins. NR
THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT (1953)
May 01, 2020
A classic western. Director John Ford, notoriously difficult to please, regarded The Sun Shines Bright as his favorite film. Laurence Stalllings' screenplay is based on several short stories by Kentucky humorist Irvin S. Cobb, some of which had previously been cinematized in Ford's 1934 Will Rogers vehicle Judge Priest. 92 mins.
Alfred Hitchcock Festival Weekend THE LODGER (1928)
April 25, 2020
While the silent The Lodger was not director Alfred Hitchcock's first film, it was the first to truly deserve the designation "A Hitchcock Picture". British matinee idol Ivor Novello plays Jonathan Drew, a quiet, secretive young man who rents a room in a London boarding house. Drew's arrival coincides with the reign of Terror orchestrated by Jack the Ripper. As the film progresses, circumstantial evidence begins to mount, pointing to Drew as the selfsame Ripper. In addition to Novello's 1932 remake, The Lodger was remade in 1944 with Laird Cregar, then again in 1953 as Man in the Attic, with Jack Palance as Jonathan Drew. (~ Hal Erickson, Rovi)
"Hitchcock's most underrated movie." -The London Times
"Hitchcock at his most 'innovative." -Chicago Reader
91 mins. Not rated.
Alfred Hitchcock Festival Weekend FAMILY PLOT (1976)
April 24, 2020
Alfred Hitchcock's final film was adapted from Victor Canning's novel The Rainbird Pattern by Ernest Lehman, who previously wrote the screenplay for Hitchcock's North by Northwest. Barbara Harris plays Blanche, a phony psychic, hired by wealthy Julia Rainbird (Cathleen Nesbitt) to trace the whereabouts of her nephew, who'd been given up for adoption years earlier and who is now heir to a fortune. Blanche's cohort is "investigator" Lumley (Bruce Dern), who is fully prepared to milk the last dollar out of Julia before locating the long-lost nephew. Meanwhile, we are introduced to elegant kidnappers Adamson and Fran (William Devane and Karen Black). The fates of the two couples are inextricably intertwined by the search for the missing heir. 121 mins. Rated PG.
SHERLOCK JR. (1924)
April 23, 2020
If you don't know Buster Keaton's work... you should.
Here is a silent gem from 1924 (with score), starring & directed by Keaton. Keaton was 29 years old when the film was made.
A film projectionist longs to be a detective and puts his meager skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch. 45 mins.
★★★★★ "Magical" -Empire Magazine
"...groundbreaking and profound. And it's a laugh riot, too." -Chicago Reader
FELLINI'S AMARCORD (1973)
April 19, 2020
Federico Fellini's warmly nostalgic memory piece examines daily life in the Italian village of Rimini during the reign of Mussolini, and won the 1974 Academy Award as Best Foreign Film. The film's greatest asset is its ability to be sweet without being cloying, due in great part to Danilo Donati's surrealistic art direction and to the frequently bawdy injections of sex and politics by screenwriters Fellini and Tonino Guerra. Fellini clearly has deep affection for the people of this seaside village, warts and all, and communicates it through episodic visual anecdotes which are seen as if through the mists of a favorite dream, playfully scored by Nino Rota and lovingly photographed by Giuseppe Rotunno. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
125 mins. Rated R. In Italian with English subtitles.
KING OF JAZZ (1930)
April 13, 2020
A big band, singing, dancing and animation extravaganza! An early talkie that they even tinted. Includes some of the biggest tunes of the past century... Gershwin and more
Intended as Universal Pictures' entry in the "all-star musical" cycle of the early talkie era, King of Jazz is certainly the most elaborate of the bunch, though far from the most successful financially. Staged by Broadway impresario John Murray Anderson, the film is held together by the charismatic personality of rotund bandleader Paul Whiteman. The show begins with a Walter Lantz cartoon wherein it is recalled how Whiteman earned the title of the King of Jazz (Lantz's animated star Oswald Rabbit makes a brief appearance). Then Whiteman appears in the flesh (and plenty of it), coaxing his miniaturized orchestra out of a small box.
93 mins.
5 HOUR MR. BEAN MARATHON! (1990s)
April 12, 2020
Park Pix Flix presents...A Mr. Bean 5+ hour marathon for Easter Sunday afternoon...
The classic bumbling British TV comedy character created and played by the incomparable Rowan Atkinson.
We need some good laughs right now. Mr. Bean provides them. And all of the episodes are FREE!
5 hrs 50mins.
BEST OF SUPERMAN CARTOONS (1940s)
April 10, 2020
"Look! Up in the air... it's a bird, it's a plane..."
Incredible animation!
This is the biggest Superman compilation running over 2 hours from the critically-acclaimed Superman series produced by Mac & Dave Fleischer and Paramount's Famous Studios of the early-1940s. All episodes have been digitally remastered & restored.
Fun for all ages!
2 hrs 26 mins.
NIGHT AND THE CITY (1950)
April 07, 2020
Film very noir.
Jules Dassin's Night and the City opens with cheap grifter Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) running for his life through the streets of London. Harry wants to be big-time, and he does not care how he raises cash for his schemes. Like a junkie, he uses and steals from his girlfriend Mary (Gene Tierney), a singer at the Silver Fox, a seedy nightclub owned by the physically grotesque Phil Nosseross Francis L. Sullivan. Harry, who also works for Phil steering unsuspecting customers to the club, comes up with a plan to wrest control of professional wrestling from promoter and underworld kingpin Kristo (Herbert Lom) by manipulating Kristo through his father, retired wrestling great Gregorius (Stanislaus Zbyszko). For financial backing, Harry turns to Phil and Phil's wife Helen Googie Withers, both of whom give him the money, but only to further their own ends. When Gregorius is accidentally killed by his protege's upcoming opponent, Strangler (Mike Mazurki), and Phil realizes that Helen is leaving him for Harry, the scheme quickly unravels. Truly a glimpse of hell, Night and the City's distorted visuals and dark symbolism depicts an underworld from which there is no escape and in which redemption comes at a very high price.
95 mins.
THE QUILLER MEORANDUM (1966)
April 05, 2020
The Cold War was never colder...
A 1966 British-American neo-noir euro spy film filmed in Deluxe Color and Panavision, adapted from the 1965 spy novel The Berlin Memorandum, by Elleston Trevor under the name "Adam Hall", screenplay by Harold Pinter, directed by Michael Anderson, featuring George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow, and Senta Berger. The film was shot on location in West Berlin and in Pinewood Studios, England. It was nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards,[2] while Pinter was nominated for an Edgar Award for the script.
1 hr. 45 mins.
SXSW 2020 SHORTS
March 27, 2020
SXSW has long been a champion of independent filmmakers, and premiering a short film at the festival is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for creators to share their vision with the world. When the City of Austin had to cancel this year’s festival, hundreds of filmmakers lost the opportunity for their work to be seen. Together, Mailchimp and Oscilloscope Laboratories have created a digital home for this incredible slate of short films, so you can watch them from wherever you are. While we can’t replace the camaraderie of the SXSW festival, watching these films is a way to support the artists you love and connect to the world around you, during a time when we could all use a little more connection.
Please enjoy the SXSW 2020 Official Short Film Selections.
THE CIRCUS (1928)
March 25, 2020
Wrongfully accused of criminal acts, a tramp (Charlie Chaplin) unwittingly ducks into a big top, where his bumbling attempts to avoid pursuing police officers earn the laughter and applause of the circus-goers. Impressed, the ringmaster (Allan Garcia) decides to employ the tramp as an entertainer. In between getting trapped in a lion's cage and partaking in clumsy high wire escapades, he falls for a beautiful show rider (Merna Kennedy), who unfortunately has eyes for a daring tightrope acrobat.
1 hour 21 minutes.
LOONEY TUNES CARTOONS COMPILATION
March 26, 2020
LOONEY TUNES CARTOONS COMPILATION
11 of the best classic Looney Tunes Cartoons, some never before seen on YouTube, which streams up to ULTRA HD 4K (2160p) running over 1 and half hours. This features some of the best-known characters from the golden era of the Looney Tunes Collection. All episodes have been digitally remastered & restored in ULTRA HD 4K.
1 hour 32 minutes.
THE 39 STEPS (1935)
March 22, 2020
The 39 Steps is a 1935 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. It is very loosely based on the 1915 adventure novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan.
RottenTomatoes 96% Certified Fresh
Running Time: 1hour 26 minutes
ROYAL WEDDING (1951)
March 16, 2020
Royal Wedding is a 1951 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. ... Astaire and Powell play siblings in a song and dance duo, echoing the real-life theatrical relationship of Fred and Adele Astaire.
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS (1939)
November 11, 2019
Gulliver's Travels is a 1939 American cel-animated Technicolor feature film, directed by Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer for Fleischer Studios. The film was released on December 22, 1939, by Paramount Pictures, who had the feature produced as an answer to the success of Walt Disney's box-office hit Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The sequences for the film were directed by Seymour Kneitel, Willard Bowsky, Tom Palmer, Grim Natwick, William Henning, Roland Crandall, Thomas Johnson, Robert Leffingwell, Frank Kelling, Winfield Hoskins, and Orestes Calpine. This is Paramount's first feature-length animated film. Gulliver was the second cel-animated feature film ever released and the first produced by an American studio other than Walt Disney Productions. The story is based very loosely upon the Lilliputian adventures of Gulliver depicted in Jonathan Swift's 18th-century novel Gulliver's Travels.