Self
Celebrating the splendor and grandeur of the great cinemas of the United States, built when movies were the acme of entertainment and the stories were larger than life, as were the venues designed to show them. The film also tracks the eventual decline of the palaces, through to today’s current preservation efforts. A tribute to America’s great art form and the great monuments created for audiences to enjoy them in.
In 1928, as the talkies threw the film industry and film language into turmoil, Chaplin decided that his Tramp character would not be heard. City Lights would not be a talking picture, but it would have a soundtrack. Chaplin personally composed a musical score and sound effects for the picture. With Peter Lord, the famous co-creator of Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit, we see how Chaplin became the king of slapstick comedy and the superstar of the movies.
A documentary incorporating footage of Montgomery Clift’s most memorable films; interviews with family and friends, and rare archival material stretching back to his childhood. What develops is the story of an intense young boy who yearned for stardom, achieved notable success in such classic films as From Here to Eternity and I Confess, only to be ruined by alcohol addiction and his inability to face his own fears and homosexual desires. Montgomery Clift, as this film portrays him, may not have been a happy man but he never compromised his acting talents for Hollywood.
Jonathan Ross delves into the world of James Bond and meets with new and former cast members who reveal humorous stories and anecdotes in a series of interviews. All the 5 Bonds at the time are featured, though only Lazenby (reflecting in the usual frank, self criticizing manner), Moore and Brosnan granted an interview. Connery and Dalton are featured through some unused footage from LWT's 30 years of James Bond program. The ever faithful Desmond Llewelyn turns up in character as well as some other less related peeps like Christopher Lee, Paul McCartney and the ultimate playboy: Hugh Hefner -- who all give an interesting perspective on the worlds most famous spy.
This short was released in connection with the 20th anniversary of Warner Brothers' first exhibition of the Vitaphone sound-on-film process on 6 August 1926. The film highlights Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell's efforts that contributed to sound movies and acknowledges the work of Lee De Forest. Brief excerpts from the August 1926 exhibition follow. Clips are then shown from a number of Warner Brothers features, four from the 1920s, the remainder from 1946/47.
Hokkaido, the North Island of Japan, is a powder-lover's paradise. If you’ve never been, it’s time to start planning your trip. And consider this new film from Director Jeremy Dubs to be your crash course in traveling to Japan. Follow Dubs and crew as they explore Hokkaido’s vast mountains, welcoming locals and exotic cuisine. Whether it’s wandering around abandoned resorts, carving snow caves with chainsaws or trying their best to woo women, there’s never a dull moment with this crew.
A documentary that uncovers the careers of a population of entertainers never heard from before: Black actors in Italian cinema. With modern day interviews and archival footage, the documentary discloses the personal struggles and triumphs that classic Afro-Italian, African-American and Afro-descendant actors faced in the Italian film industry, while mirroring their struggles with those of contemporary actors who are working diligently to find respectable, significant, and non-stereotypical roles, but are often unable to do so. Blaxploitalian is more than an unveiling of a troubled history; it is a call-to-action for increased diversity in international cinema through the stories of these artists in an effort to reflect the modern and racially diverse Italy.
