Prepared by
The University of Delaware Library
Film and Video Collection Department
All titles listed are in the University of Delaware Library collection.
* Holdings Updated July 2011
400 Blows -- VHS 418, VDISC 50, DVD 132
Classic New Wave feature of the coming-of-age story of a boy left to his own devices in an indifferent adult world. Winner of numerous awards. French with English subtitles.
Francois Truffaut, France, 1959, 97 mins.
8 1/2 -- VHS 495, VHS 4732, DVD 493
Fellini's autobiographical masterpiece, the unique portrayal of a film director who finds himself trapped by fears and insecurities during the creative process. With Marcello Mastroianni. Italian with English subtitles.
Federico Fellini, Italy, 1963, 138 mins.
Aguirre: The Wrath of God -- VHS 666, DVD 835
"One of the great, mad, passionate, foolhardy masterpieces -- as reckless and as brilliant as Greed or Apocalypse Now" (Roger Ebert). Shot on location in the Amazon, Klaus Kinski is Aguirre searching for El Dorado -- the mythical City of Gold. German with English subtitles.
Werner Herzog, Germany, 1972, 94 mins.
American Graffiti -- VHS 334, DVD 95
George Lucas' lighthearted film about the coming-of-age of a group of high school students in northern California. Great rock'n'roll score.
George Lucas, USA, 1973, 110 mins.
An American in Paris -- VHS 363, VDISC 97, DVD 138, HDDVD 2
One of Gene Kelly's classic musicals. An expatriate American
painter falls in love with the French city and a beautiful, young
woman. Features the music of George Gershwin.
Vincente Minnelli, USA, 1951, 115 mins.
Annie Hall -- VHS 4643, VDISC 77, DVD 13
Woody Allen's romantic comedy won the Oscar for best picture
in 1977. Woody plays the neurotic Alvy Singer who falls in love
with Diane Keaton.
Woody Allen, USA, 1977, 94 mins.
Apocalypse Now -- VHS 54, VDISC 113, DVD 4116 (Complete Dossier), HDDVD 51 (Full Disclosure)
Perhaps the most ambitious war film ever. A surreal look at
the Viet Nam experience through the eyes of an American officer
sent out on a mission to meet with a renegade warrior named Kurtz.
Loosely based on Joseph Conrad's, Heart of Darkness.
Francis Ford Coppola, USA, 1979, 153 mins.
Battleship Potemkin -- VHS 673, DVD 103, DVD 4066
Sergei Eisenstein's depiction of the mutiny of the crew of the
Potemkin during the insurrection of 1905. The bold imagery, stylized
composition and powerful, rhythmic editing combine to make it
a film consistently voted one of the top ten of all time. **Digitally
remastered.
Sergei Eisenstein, USSR, 1925, 65 mins.
Beauty and the Beast -- VHS 18, DVD 15
Jean Cocteau's superb adaption of Marie Leprince de Beaumont's
dark fairy tale is an inventive and stylized depiction of erotic
obsession, about a young woman's discovery of a ravaged soul beneath
a monstrous beast.
Jean Cocteau, France, 1946, 93 mins.
Bicycle Thief -- VHS 451, DVD 814
A deceptively simple story of an unemployed man and his son finding
work pasting up signs. The work requires a bicycle, which is
then stolen. A landmark of Italian Neo-Realism. Italian with
English subtitles.
Vittorio de Sica, Italy, 1948, 90 mins.
The Birth of a Nation -- VHS 825, DVD 135, DVD 687
D.W. Griffith's epic story assessed the political, social, racial
and personal consequences of the Civil War on American life, from
the perspective of two families, the southern Stonemans and the
northern Camerons.
D.W. Griffith, USA, 1914, 187 mins.
The Blue Angel -- VHS 407, DVD 496
The English-language version of von Sternberg's classic, which
differs not only in language, but also in some plot variations
from the original German version. Marlene Dietrich stars as the
cabaret singer Lola Lola who brings men to their knees. English
dialog.
J. von Sternberg, Germany, USA, 1930, 90 mins.
Blue Velvet -- VHS 164, DVD 419
David Lynch's demystification of American normalcy. Pitched
between '40s camp and the '80s post-modernism, Kyle Mclachlan
stars as a college student who discovers a severed ear, leading
to a strange and perverse odyssey.
David Lynch, USA, 1986, 120 mins.
Bonnie and Clyde -- VHS 312, DVD 10
Depression era bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are
immortalized on the screen by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty in
the controversial and influential film by Arthur Penn.
Arthur Penn, USA, 1967, 111 mins.
Breathless -- VHS 397, VHS 876, DVD 829
A beautiful new video master of one of the key films of the French
New Wave, in which a happy-go-lucky Parisian crook (Jean Paul
Belmondo) falls in love with an American girl (Jean Seberg) with
disasterous results. French with English subtitles.
Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1959.
Cabaret -- VHS 84, DVD 12
Classic musical drama takes place in Germany in 1931 during the
rise of the Nazi party. Great performance by Joel Grey as the
night club host. Liza Minelli and Michael York star.
Bob Fosse, USA, 1972, 128 mins.
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari -- VHS 493, VHS 2975, DVD 247, DVD 910
The often imitated Expressionist classic where a hypnotist and the somnabulist under his power wreak havoc in
a highly stylized world. Silent with an orchestral score.
Robert Wiene, Germany, 1919, 52 mins.
Casablanca -- VHS 171, VHS 1984, VHS 2321, VDISC 7, DVD 727, HDDVD 26
The high-water mark of classic American studio film-making, this
special 50th century anniversary edition has been digitally remastered
and includes the original theatrical trailer, a documentary on
the making of the film, and a companion booklet. With Humphrey
Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt,
Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre.
Michael Curtiz, USA, 1942, 102 min.
Children of Paradise -- VHS 2297, VDISC 9, DVD 2529
Marcel Carne's delicate yet elaborate portrait of the actors
and thieves who made the Boulevard du Crime their home. Includes
interview with Carne, treatment and photos.
Marcel Carne, France, 1943-45, 188 mins.
Citizen Kane -- VHS 626, VHS 2323, VDISC 8, DVD 430, HDDVD 76
One of the greatest films ever made, in a version painstakingly
restored to its original brilliance. With Orson Welles, Everett
Sloane and Joseph Cotten. Cinematography by Gregg Toland, script
by Welles and Herman Mankiewicz.
Orson Welles, USA, 1941, 119 mins.
City Lights -- VHS 624, VDISC 19, DVD 853
Bittersweet story has the Little Tramp falling in love with a
beautiful, blind flower girl and raising money for an operation
to cure her. Silent.
Charles Chaplin, USA, 1931, 86 mins.
Day for Night -- VHS 487, DVD 1097
One of the best film-within-a-film movies ever made. Francois
Truffaut captures the energy and artistry of the filmmaking process.
Francois Truffaut, France, 1973, 120 mins.
Deer Hunter -- VHS 182, DVD 9
Five friends from a dingy steel mill town in Pennsylvania confront
the realities of the Viet Nam war and the meaning of heroism and
friendship.
Michael Cimino, USA, 1978, 183 mins.
Double Indemnity -- VHS 104, DVD 2853
Barbara Stanwyck is the platinum blonde, Fred MacMurray the insurance
salesman she ensnares in a plot to kill her businessman-husband
and collect on the double-indemnity clause in his policy. Classic
American film noir.
Billy Wilder, USA, 1944, 107 mins.
Dracula -- VHS 708, DVD 1566
Bela Lugosi stars as the debonair Count in this classic version
of Bram Stoker's tale of the bloodsucking fiend.
Tod Browning, USA, 1931, 75 mins.
Duck Soup -- VHS 316, DVD 57, DVD 1573
One of the funniest films by the Marx Brothers! The small nation
of Fredonia has given Groucho complete power to restore order.
Political satire and madness both. With Margaret Dumont and
Louis Calhern.
Leo McCarey, USA, 1933, 70 mins.
East of Eden -- VHS 1330, DVD 2131
From John Steinbeck's novel of conflict and alienation between
a father and his son. James Dean gives a haunting and powerful
performance in his first starring role.
Elia Kazan, USA, 1955, 115 mins.
Easy Rider -- VHS 277, DVD 162, HDDVD 35
Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper play two drifters who motorcycle
their way across America only to be confronted with violence and
bigotry.
Dennis Hopper, USA, 1969, 94 mins.
Fellini Satyricon -- VHS 423, DVD 805
Federico Fellini's surreal odyssey through pagan Rome. A bizarre,
hallucinatory journey that is a feast for the eyes.
Federico Fellini, Italy, 1969, 129 mins.
The General -- VHS 642, DVD 193
Considered by many to be the last great comedy of the silent
era. A Confederate Army reject, Keaton, commandeers a locomotive
engine and sets off in hot pursuit of Union soldiers in one of
the truly greatest chase scenes ever. With a new musical score.
B. Keaton/Clyde Bruckman, USA, 1927, 76 mins.
The Godfather I and II -- VHS 53 (Pt. I), VHS 966 (Pt. II), DVD 425 (Pt. I), DVD 2843 (Pt. II), HDDVD 83
Epic work based on the novel by Mario Puzo concerning the lives
of a New York-based crime syndicate family featuring a fabulous
cast, including Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Robert
Duvall. Godfather Part II won seven Academy Awards.
Francis Ford Coppola, USA, 1972-74, 371 mins.
Gone With the Wind -- VHS 2974, DVD 190, HDDVD 36
A film beyond criticism, a work that welds together Hollywood
classicism and literary adaption with grace. With Clark Gable,
Vivian Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel.
Victor Fleming, USA, 1939, 222 mins.
Grand Illusion -- VHS 833, VHS 2151, DVD 542
A beautifully mastered version of Jean Renoir's great masterpiece,
a classic comment on war's fading glory. With Jean Gabin, Pierre
Fresnay and Erich von Stroheim. French with English subtitles.
Jean Renoir, France, 1937, 111 mins.
High Noon -- VHS 303, VDISC 66, DVD 33
Gary Cooper won an Oscar for his portrayal of a sheriff who is
abandoned by the town he has sworn to protect. Grace Kelly is
his young bride. One of the most suspenseful Westerns ever made.
Fred Zinneman, USA, 1952, 84 mins.
Hiroshima Mon Amour -- VHS 23, VHS 6947, DVD 839
From the beginning, in which the love-making of a French actress
(Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) is intercut
with newsreel footage of Hiroshima's atomic holocaust and its
aftermath, to the couple's painful walk through the reconstructed
city, Resnais' film captures both the pain and the richness of
war. French with English subtitles.
Alain Resnais, France, 1959, 91 mins.
His Girl Friday -- VHS 812, DVD 1274
One of the wittiest Hollywood comedies: Rosalind Russell is
the ace reporter ready to quit for marraige; Cary Grant, her editor,
trying to convince her to stay. Sophisticated comedy from Howard
Hawks.
Howard Hawks, USA, 1940, 95 mins.
Intolerance -- VHS 832, DVD 686
The fall of Babylon, death of Christ, massacre of the Huguenots,
and a modern drama--all cross-cut and building with enormous energy
to a thrilling chase and finale. Far ahead of its time, this
film by D.W. Griffith presents a powerful viewing experience.
The sets for the Babylonian sequence were the largest ever built
for a film.
D.W. Griffith, USA, 1916, 190 mins.
King Kong -- VHS 287, VDISC 71, DVD 2218
The story of the great ape, his capture, escape and doomed attempt
to run away with the woman he loves. Early, spectacular special
effects.
Merian C. Cooper, USA, 1933, 100 mins.
La Dolce Vita -- VHS 290, DVD 1315
Considered a landmark achievement even by Fellini's standards,
this film explores the surface realities in the life of a society
journalist. Stars Marcello Mastroianni.
Federico Fellini, Italy, 1960, 175 mins.
L'Avventura -- VHS 628, DVD 2535
A film about the fragility of human relationships, which established
Antonioni as a major talent. A party of rich Italians land on
an uninhabited island, and one young woman disappears. Italian
with English subtitles.
Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy, 1960, 145 mins.
Lancelot of the Lake -- VHS 3710, DVD 1081
Robert Bresson's haunting, mystical masterpiece is set in the
last days of the age of chivalry, depicting the doomed quest of
the Knights of the Round Table for the Holy Grail. This is a
film as audacious as it is mesmerizing. French with English subtitles.
Robert Bresson, France, 1975, 80 mins.
The Last Laugh -- VHS 1367, VHS 2598, DVD 733
One of the major works of German silent cinema, Friedrich W.
Murnau's class drama depicts the fall of a respected, aging, hotel
doorman (Emil Jannings), who is cruelly stripped of his position
and reduced to bathroom attendant. Cinematography by Karl Freund.
Friedrich W. Murnau, Germany, 1923, 91 min.
Last Year at Marienbad -- VHS 19, DVD 144
The strange geometry of a romantic triangle marks the beginning
of this elegant, labyrinthine puzzle. Highly stylized, this surreal
film is the subject of myrian interpretations. French with English
subtitles.
Alan Resnais, France, 1961, 90 mins.
Lawrence of Arabia -- VHS 283, VHS 2090, VDISC 67, DVD 1301
Expansive, romantic screen version of the biography of T.E. Lawrence,
the English leader of the Arab revolt against Turkey in WW I.
Starring Peter O'Toole as Lawrence.
David Lean, England, 1962, 222 mins.
M -- VHS 313, DVD 335
Police and criminals alike track down a psychopathic child killer
in this masterpiece by Fritz Lang. Peter Lorre as the murderer
delivers an unforgettable performance. German with English subtitles.
Fritz Lang, Germany, 1931, 95 mins.
Magnificent Ambersons -- VHS 668, VDISC 4, DVD 10400
Orson Welles' classic film about the decline of a wealthy midwestern
family. The camera work is especially noteworthy. Starring Joseph
Cotten and Agnes Moorehead.
Orson Welles, USA, 1942, 88 mins.
Malcolm X -- VHS 2875, DVD 2515
What may turn out to be Spike Lee's greatest film is the
story of the life of the 1960's black activist. A superb performance
by Denzel Washington in the title role.
Spike Lee, USA, 1992, 193 mins.
Maltese Falcon -- VHS 831, DVD 807
Outstanding detective drama which improves with each viewing
and never ceases to amaze. Great actors Humphrey Bogart, Mary
Astor, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, based on Dashiell Hammet's
thriller, directed by John Huston.
John Huston, USA, 1941, 101 mins.
Marriage of Maria Braun -- VHS 499, VHS 3521, DVD 4257
Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film about a German woman who marries
a Wehrmacht officer whom she loses to the war. One of Fassbinder's
most straighforward narratives, it has his odd mix of social commentary,
offbeat humor and perverse eroticism. German with English subtitles.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Germany, 1979, 120 mins.
Mean Streets -- VHS 322, DVD 830
Set in New York's Little Italy, Mean Streets follows Harvey Keitel
as he slowly climbs into the hierarchy of a local Mafia family.
Keenly observed, gritty and violent, this early film by Scorsese
clearly foreshadowed his later work, and established him as a
major American talent. With Robert DeNiro, Cesare Danova and
Amy Robinson.
Martin Scorsese, USA, 1973, 112 mins.
Mephisto -- VHS 399, DVD 9843
An actor in pre-war Germany, whose quest for success leads him
to subordinate everything, is ultimately drawn into a poisonous
circle of evil from which he can no longer escape. English dubbed.
Istvan Szabo, Hungary, 1981, 132 mins.
Metropolis -- VHS 398, DVD 191, DVD 1387, DVD 8393 (The Complete Metropolis)
The first classic of the science fiction genre. Visually stunning
depiction of a giant city controlled by an authoritarian industrialist
who lives in a paradise-like garden while the workers live and
struggle in subterranean sections of the city. Silent.
Fritz Lang, Germany, 1926, 90 mins.
Modern Times -- VHS 172, DVD 808, DVD 8460
Charlie Chaplin's satire of life in an industrial society as
Charlie confronts all the dehumanizing inventions of a futuristic
manufacturing plant.
Charles Chaplin, USA, 1936, 89 mins.
Mother (Okasan) -- VHS 1938
Mikio Naruse's portrait of silent sacrifice and secret strength,
the moving story of the Fukuhara family, whose business is in
ruins, and whose lives are filled with tragedy. Japanese with
English subtitles.
Mikio Naruse, Japan, 1952, 98 mins.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington -- VHS 13, DVD 1113, DVD 6494
James Stewart stars in this classic American film as the naive
Jeff Smith; it is a moving vision of honor amid political squalor.
Frank Capra, USA, 1939, 125 mins.
Nanook of the North -- VHS 1352, VHS 6039, DVD 249
Early documentary study of the daily life and hardships of an
Eskimo family, still considered superb filmmaking and a landmark.
This print has an organ music sound track. Silent.
Robert Flaherty, USA, 1922, 55 mins.
Nashville -- VHS 999, DVD 1804
An explosive drama and human comedy that interweaves the lives
of 24 major characters during a five-day period in the country
music capital. A penetrating and multilevel portrait of America.
Robert Altman, USA, 1975, 159 mins.
The Night of the Hunter -- VHS 1700, DVD 820, DVD 8419
Atmospheric, frightening story of a psychotic, self-styled preacher
(Robert Mitchum) who searches for the hidden, stolen money of
a hanged man. Charles Laughton makes the most of his only screen
credit as a director.
Charles Laughton, USA, 1955, 93 mins.
North by Northwest -- VHS 1004, VDISC 53, DVD 538, HDDVD 41
A classic thriller by the master of suspense. Cary Grant stars
as the victim of mistaken identity who becomes the target of an
international espionage ring. With Eva Marie Saint.
Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1959, 136 mins.
Nosferatu -- VHS 811, VHS 3105, DVD 410, DVD 630
Eerie telling of the Dracula story is richly infused with the
subtle tones of nature: both pure and fresh, as well as twisted
and sinister. Newly restored, this version was remastered from
a 35mm negative and includes recently discovered scenes and inter-titles
freshly translated from the original German script.
Friedrich W. Murnau, Germany, 1922, 84 mins.
Notorious -- VHS 567, DVD 540
Classy, complex thriller set in Rio de Janeiro at the height
of World War II. Ingrid Bergman is involved in an espionage scheme
to marry a Nazi spy (Claude Rains) in the hope of helping American
spy agent Cary Grant.
Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1946, 102 mins.
Official Story -- VHS 636, DVD 1831
Winner of the Oscar for best foreign-language film unforgettably
details the destruction of a middle-class Argentinian family.
Spanish with English subtitles.
Luis Puenzo, Argentina, 1985, 110 mins.
On the Waterfront -- VHS 368, DVD 468
A tough uncompromising look at corruption on the New York waterfront.
Marlon Brando plays Terry Malloy a one-time prize fighter who
is now a longshoreman. A classic American film.
Elia Kazan, USA, 1954, 108 mins.
Open City -- VHS 373, DVD 842
This key film of Italian Neo-Realism, shot largely during the
Nazi occupation of Rome, tells of two resistance leaders, one
a Communist, the other a priest, who work toward weakening the
German occupation. With a great performance by Anna Magnani,
Italian with English subtitles.
Roberto Rossellini, Italy, 1945, 103 mins.
Passion of Joan of Arc -- VHS 390, DVD 678
One of the most poignant, terrifying and unrelentingly emotional
historical documents ever filmed. Called an austere masterpiece
in reference to the stark sets and extreme close-up photography,
Joan of Arc is beautifully portrayed by Renee Falconetti. Silent.
Carl Theodor Dreyer, France, 1928, 114 mins.
Persona -- VHS 1347, DVD 1844
Ingmar Bergman's greatest achievement, a study of madness, breakdown
and transference of identity, the story concerns an accomplished
actress who unaccountably loses her will to speak, and her shifting,
intricate and elaborate relationship with the nurse assigned to
her rehabilitation. Swedish with English subtitles.
Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1967, 81 mins.
Philadelphia Story -- VHS 318, DVD 65
One of the most charming romantic comedies ever to grace the
screen, with a splendid cast, including Katherine Hepburn, Cary
Grant, and James Stewart.
George Cukor, USA, 1940, 118 mins.
The Producers -- VHS 2514, DVD 831
Mel Brooks' hilarious hit about the plot to produce a Broadway
bomb titled "Springtime for Hitler." Unfortunately,
the play is a smash. With Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder.
Mel Brooks, USA, 1968, 88 mins.
Psycho -- VHS 569, VDISC 61, DVD 3
A masterpiece of madness and terror, this film singlehandedly
changed the Hollywood horror film forever.
Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1960, 109 mins.
Public Enemy -- VHS 2022, DVD 1562
James Cagney explodes on the screen in one of his most famous
roles as a notorius criminal. This is the film with the infamous
"grapefruit scene!"
William Wellman, USA, 1931, 83 mins.
Raging Bull -- VHS 105, VHS 2605, DVD 72
Scorcese's magnificent take on the decay of the American Dream.
Robert DeNiro gives an incredible performance as Jake LaMotta,
the controversial middleweight fighter of the 1940's. Breathtaking
cinematography.
Martin Scorsese, USA, 1980, 127 mins.
Rashomon -- VHS 369, DVD 816
The brilliant study of truth by Japan's Akira Kurosawa. Four
people are witness to a rape, but each retells the event differently.
Best Foreign Film of 1951. Japanese with English subtitles.
Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1951, 89 mins.
Red River -- VHS 2232, DVD 432
Two-fisted, Western cattle-drive classic features John Wayne
as Thomas Dunson, a tyrant of the trail who alienates his foster
son (Montgomery Clift) and causes a sagebrush mutiny.
Howard Hawks, USA, 1948, 133 mins.
Repulsion -- VHS 416, DVD 4482
A study of sexual dementia by director Roman Polanski, starring
Catherine Deneuve in the part of a young girl tormented by the
thought of sex to the point of madness. English dialog.
Roman Polanski, England, 1965, 105 mins.
Rosemary's Baby -- VHS 1826, DVD 836
A young woman is forced to mate with the devil in order to bring
forth his son. Ruth Gordon is wonderful as the seemingly normal
neighbor who is part of a group of devil worshippers. Mia Farrow
and John Cassavetes star.
Roman Polanski, USA, 1968, 136 mins.
Rules of the Game -- VHS 404, DVD 818, HDDVD 91
A satirical anatomy of polite society, with a mixture of farce
and bitterness. Set at a weekend party at the chateau of the
rich Marquis de la Chayniest, the story concerns complicated love
intrigues. French with English subtitles.
Jean Renoir, France, 1939, 90 mins.
Schindler's List -- VHS 3207, VDISC 104, DVD 901
The true story of the enigmatic Oskar Schindler, a member of
the Nazi party, womanizer and war profiteer, who saved the lives
of more than 1,100 Jews during the holocaust. Winner Oscar for
Best Picture, 1993.
Stephen Spielberg, USA, 1993, 197 mins.
Searchers -- VHS 648, DVD 20, HDDVD 68
John Ford Western starring John Wayne as Ethan Edwards, a Civil
War veteran intent on finding the daughters of his murdered brother,
who have been captured by the Comanches. With Jeffrey Hunter,
Ward Bond and Natalie Wood.
John Ford, USA, 1956, 119 mins.
Seven Samurai -- VHS 564, VDISC 6, DVD 662
A groundbreaking film set in medieval Japan, Kurosawa's epic
centers on a group of impoverished peasants who enlist the protection
of seven unemployed samurai to defend their property and harvest
from the brutal bandits who terrorize their village. Japanese
with English subtitles.
Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1954, 208 mins.
Seventh Seal -- VHS 400, VHS 5246, DVD 809, DVD 6378
Bergman's powerful allegory of man's search for meaning in life
is stunningly visualized. A knight, upon return from the Crusades,
plays chess with Death while the Plague ravages medieval Europe.
Swedish with English subtitles.
Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1956, 96 mins.
Singin' in the Rain -- VHS 998, DVD 180
An exhilirating and fast-moving musical comedy starring Gene
Kelly and Debbie Reynolds which spoofs the troubles brought on
by the onset of sound to motion pictures.
Gene Kelly/Stanley Donen, USA, 1951, 103 mins.
Some Like it Hot -- VHS 111, DVD 407
Perhaps the funniest American Film of the 1950's, Tony Curtis
and Jack Lemmon play two second rate musicians on the run from
the Chicago mob. The fun begins when they dress up in drag.
Marilyn Monroe plays Sugar, the singer in an all-female band,
and Joe E. Brown is an eccentric millionaire in love with Lemmon
in drag.
Billy Wilder, USA, 1959, 122 mins.
Stagecoach -- VHS 1193, DVD 390, HDDVD 65
John Ford at his greatest in a story of nine passengers on a
Cheyenne-bound stagecoach, each with a singular reason for the
journey, determined to live through the dangerous trip. With
John Wayne, Claire Trevor, John Carradine, Andy Devine.
John Ford, USA, 1939, 96 mins.
Strangers on a Train -- VHS 996, DVD 56
A complexly plotted, diabolically humorous suspense thriller
about two murders planned by strangers after an accidental meeting.
Hitchcock's mise-en-scene is rich in detail and subtle in its
insinuations.
Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1951, 101 mins.
Sunset Boulevard -- VHS 14, VDISC 63, DVD 838
Gloria Swanson is the aging silent film queen, William Holden
the struggling writer, in this bizarre, dark and desperate portrait
of Hollywood.
Billy Wilder, USA, 1950, 110 mins.
The Third Man -- VHS 834, VHS 5278, VHS 8973, DVD 1317
Expressive, nightmarish masterpiece about an American pulp fiction
writer's search for the mysterious and enigmatic war profiteer
Harry Lime (a wonderful Orson Welles) in post-war Vienna. The
film welds German expressionism, British classicism and American
b-movie energy and motion.
Carol Reed, Britain, 1949, 104 mins.
Touch of Evil -- VHS 415, DVD 382
Welles plays a sleazy,
corrupt police official in a squalid town on the Mexican border,
matching wits with Charlton Heston. With Janet Leigh, Marlene
Dietrich and Zsa Zsa Gabor.
Orson Welles, USA, 1958, 108 mins.
Treasure of Sierra Madre -- VHS 86, DVD 1157
Pauline Kael calls this "one of the strongest of all American
movies." Three Americans strike it rich and greed takes over.
With Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Robert Blake.
John Huston, USA, 1948, 120 mins.
Triumph of the Will -- VHS 457, VHS 7659, DVD 336
Enormously controversial film record of a Nazi solidarity rally
at Nuremberg in 1934, crafted by Riefenstahl in her second directorial
assignment. A fascinating lesson in the methods used by the Nazis
to inspire national support. German with English subtitles.
Leni Riefenstahl, Germany, 1936, 80 mins.
Ugetsu -- VHS 667, DVD 2161
Kenji Mizoguchi's poetic, elliptical and ghost-like work set
in feudal, war-ravaged, 16th century Japan about the opposite
fortunes of two peasants who abandon their families to accumulate
wealth and prestige and find emptiness and despair. Japanese
with English subtitles. Newly remastered, translated and subtitled
print.
Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan, 1953, 96 mins.
Umberto D -- VHS 332, DVD 1101
Poignant film about a retired civil servant trying to maintain
some sort of dignity and life for himself and his dog on his meager
government pension. Italian with English subtitles.
Vittorio De Seca, Italy, 1955, 89 mins.
Un Chien Andalou/Land Without Bread -- VHS 2770 (Un Chien Andalou: VHS 1415, VHS 8962, DVD 1475)
Two great early films by Luis Bunuel. The surreal Un Chien Andalou
continues to shock audiences today as it did in 1928. A horrific
account of one of Spain's most desolate regions, Un Chien Andalou
is a documentary made all the more harrowing for its travelogue
style.
Luis Bunnuel, Spain, 1928/32, 42 mins.
Vampyr -- VHS 716, VHS 3607, DVD 697
Vampyr tells with extraordinary images the harrowing story of
a young man who unwittingly becomes involved with two sisters
and their father, all victims of a vampire. Brilliant use of
shadow, light, camera movement and settings. German with English
subtitles.
Carl Theodor Dreyer, Denmark, 1931, 75 mins.
Viridiana -- VHS 715, DVD 4375
Bunuel's outrageous and devastating attack on religion and society.
Full of Freudian symbolism, the film ends in a famous orgy of
destruction, containing Bunuel's blasphemous scene of The Last
Supper. The film that got Bunuel kicked out of Spain. Spanish
with English subtitles.
Luis Bunuel, Spain, 1961, 90 mins.
Way Down East -- VHS 1361, DVD 4536
One of the landmarks of the American silent screen; it is the
powerful story of a young and beautiful girl who is seduced in
the wicked city. Features the famous scene of Lillian Gish adrift
on the ice floes.
D. W. Griffith, USA, 1920, 192 mins.
The Wild Bunch -- VHS 4089, DVD 19
About a group of aging outlaws on their final rampage, this film
broke new ground in the realistic depiction of violence on the
screen.
Sam Peckinpah, USA, 1969, 127 mins.
Wild Strawberries -- VHS 492, DVD 1726
An aged Stockholm professor recollects his past experiences and
becomes aware, for the first time, of his failings and shortcomings.
With Bibi Anderson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Bjornstrand. Swedish
with English subtitles.
Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1957, 95 mins.
Wizard of Oz -- VHS 566, VDISC 238, DVD 55, DVD 2115, DVD 7397, HDDVD 7
Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan,
Margaret Hamilton, Billie Burke, and Toto in the land of Oz, in
MGM's great, Technicolor fantasy where Judy follows the yellow
brick road.
Victor Fleming, USA, 1939, 101 mins.
Woman in the Dunes -- VHS 385, VHS 5131, DVD 813
A beautiful new video master of Teshigahara's symbolic and sensual
tale about the enigmatic relationship between a man and a woman
living at the bottom of a sandpit. Japanese with English subtitles.
Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japan, 1964, 123 mins.
The World of Apu -- VHS 647, DVD 9286
The final part of Satyajit Ray's stunning Apu trilogy is a lyrical,
contemplative and poignant summing up of the earlier films' themes
and stylistic preoccupations. Its story traces Apu's leap into
adulthood, the consequences of his marriage and birth of his first
child. Bengali with English subtitles.
Satyajit Ray, India, 1959, 105 mins.
Yojimbo -- VHS 1917, DVD 199, DVD 661
Kurosawa's first full-length comedy. Toshiro Mifune is the unemployed
samurai warrior who comes to a small village torn apart by two
warring factions, where he is hired first by one side, then by
the other. Japanese with English subtitles.
Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1961, 110 mins.
