Drama
Anthology of Surreal Cinema: Vol. 1
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Anthology of Surreal Cinema: Vol. 1

1924
Some of the most famous names in the French surrealist movement, such as Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp (founder of dadaism), contributed to this rare collection of four short, silent black-and-white films made in the early 1920s. Included is "Entr'acte" from director René Clair, Germain Dulac's "La Coquille et le Clergyman," "Ballet Mecanique," directed by Fernand Leger, and Duchamp's "Anemic Cinema."

Directed by:

  • Rene Clair
  • Germaine Dulac
  • Fernand Leger
  • Dudley Murphy
  • Marcel Duchamp
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    American Wake
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    American Wake

    2004
    Director Maureen Foley's moving drama follows parallel stories of a fireman and a musician who both struggle with the gap between family expectations and their own self-discovery. Having fulfilled his late father's dream by becoming a firefighter, Jack (Billy Smith) now labors to make sense of his life. Meanwhile, talented young fiddler Niall (Sam Amidon) is torn between pursuing his father's goals for him and following his own musical dreams.

    Directed by:

  • Maureen Foley
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    Smooth Talk
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    Smooth Talk

    1985
    Joyce Carol Oates' classic short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" serves as the inspiration for this disturbing drama, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1986 Sundance Film Festival. When sultry teen Connie (Laura Dern) discovers her sexuality, the object of her affection isn't someone her age but rather the much older, mysterious Arnold Friend (Treat Williams) -- who may not have the purest intentions.

    Directed by:

  • Joyce Chopra
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    Chicago Boricua
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    Chicago Boricua

    2004
    First-time writer-director Marisol Torres helms this edgy character study set in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, where group of young Puerto Ricans grapple with issues of identity: Beauty queen Tata (Christina De Leon) may need to fake her ethnicity to compete; college student Lola (Aimee Garcia) falls for bad boy Willy (Ramses Jimenez); and a real estate agent, German (Eric Aviles), resists exploiting his roots.

    Directed by:

  • Marisol Torres
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    Pestonjee
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    Pestonjee

    1988
    Extrovert Pesi (A. Kher) and shy Piroj (Shah) are both in love with Jeroo (Azmi). Pesi marries her and also draws close to the widowed lawyer Soona (K. Kher). Piroj is transferred away from Bombay and returns later to find that Jeroo had a miscarriage and that Pesi now prefers Soona's company. When Pesi dies, Soona, who has borne him a son, pays for his funeral. Based on a short story by Karanjia written in the early 1950s.

    Directed by:

  • Vijaya Mehta
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    Hellcab
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    Hellcab

    1998
    In this slice-of-life indie, a cab driver (Paul Dillon) is about to encounter what may be the toughest -- and oddest -- day of his life. With every fare he picks up, including a rape victim and a combustible couple, he experiences an incremental personality shift. Each small change helps shape him into a profoundly changed man by the end of the day. Cameos include Julianne Moore, John Cusack and Gillian Anderson.

    Directed by:

  • Mary Cybulski
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    Beautiful Kate
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    Beautiful Kate

    2009
    Invited back home to make peace with his dying father, an Aussie writer must finally face the truth about his twin sister's death decades earlier. But as father and son struggle to reconcile, long-hidden secrets threaten to engulf the whole family.

    Directed by:

  • Rachel Ward
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    C't'a Ton Tour, Laura Cadieux
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    C't'a Ton Tour, Laura Cadieux

    1998
    Denise Filatrault's charming comedy, inspired by Michel Tremblay's novel, stars Ginette Reno as Laura Cadieux, a woman desperate to shed some excess weight. Her solution? To go to a famous doctor for a weekly injection that she hopes will melt away the fat. But she gains more than she loses when she's introduced to a community she so desperately needs, a group of other female patients who understand the roller-coaster she's on.

    Directed by:

  • Denise Filiatrault
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    Motherland
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    Motherland

    2009
    When Asian American Raffi Tang (Françoise Yip) returns to the home of her birth following the murder of her estranged mother, she quickly finds that she's estranged from far more than just her family in a country that's no longer familiar. Dealing with inept police and her own mounting grief, Raffi isn't sure who to turn to in this crime drama that also offers tart commentary on the immigrant experience and the American Dream.

    Directed by:

  • Doris Yeung
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    I Can't Sleep
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    I Can't Sleep

    1995
    Based on a real-life crime spree that held all of France in a state of shock, I Can't Sleep follows the lives of Theo (Alex Descas), an immigrant from Martinique; his brother (Richard Courat), who's exploring his identity as a drag queen; and Daiga (Katerina Golubeva), a Lithuanian woman. One of these characters could be behind the serial killings of elderly Parisian women ... but who?

    Directed by:

  • Claire Denis
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    Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy
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    Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy

    1998
    While the educated Rich Hobson (Chad Willett) and his gal, debutante Gloria (Sarah Chalke), run a ranch between Vancouver and the Yukon with a few rookie hands and Panhandle Phillips (Ted Atherton), World War II breaks out -- and their dream is jeopardized.

    Directed by:

  • Kari Skogland
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    Everything Relative
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    Everything Relative

    1996
    Reunited for a special occasion, a group of women friends -- both gay and straight -- relive their memories of their college days during the 1970s, rekindle faded friendships and ignite new romances. During their weekend in the country the friends trace the changes they've undergone in the last 20 years -- a journey that's bound to open old wounds and perhaps heal them. Monica Bell stars.

    Directed by:

  • Sharon Pollack
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    Face of Evil
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    Face of Evil

    1996
    Aspiring artist Darcy Palmer (Tracey Gold) may look sweet, but when she wants something, she goes after it -- even if that means killing to get it. To guarantee entry into an elite art school, Darcy murders a student, assumes the girl's identity and then sets her sights on her roommate's well-fixed widower father (Perry King) in this made-for-TV thriller directed by Mary Lambert. The supporting cast includes Shawnee Smith and Don Harvey.

    Directed by:

  • Mary Lambert
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    Little Soldier
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    Little Soldier

    2008
    A soldier scarred by war, Lotte (Trine Dyrholm) returns to Denmark and reunites with her estranged father (Finn Nielsen), a brothel owner who hires her to chauffeur his call girls. As the nights pass, Lotte forms an uneasy bond with Lily (Lorna Brown), her father's mistress. Lotte wants to liberate the woman from servitude, but for Lily, it's not that simple -- selling herself to Danes buys her daughter a better life in Nigeria.

    Directed by:

  • Annette K. Olesen
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    Clear Blue Tuesday
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    Clear Blue Tuesday

    2009
    Set on a series of Tuesdays over the course of seven years, this uncommon, indie rock movie-musical from director Elizabeth Lucas tells the stories of 11 people living and working in post-9/11 New York City with a cast of real-life performers. The ensemble of working singer-actor-songwriters (who, incidentally, wrote all of the film's music) includes Erin Hill, Vedant Gokhale, Asa Somers, Jan O'Dell and Greg Naughton.

    Directed by:

  • Elizabeth Lucas
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    3 Américas
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    3 Américas

    2007
    After an unexpected catastrophe, troubled teen América (Kristen Gonzalez) must move from Boston to Argentina, where she butts heads with her domineering grandmother (Ana María Colombo), forms a close connection with an older man (Nicolás Meradi) and struggles to understand the Spanish-speaking population. Directed by Cristina Aurora Kotz Cornejo, this unflinching drama co-stars Gy Mirano, Gilberto Arribas and Martin Campero.

    Directed by:

  • Cristina Aurora Kotz Cornejo
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    Now and Then
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    Now and Then

    1995
    Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends -- Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta -- recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. Lesli Linka Glatter directs; Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Cloris Leachman, Thora Birch and Christina Ricci co-star.

    Directed by:

  • Lesli Linka Glatter
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Now and Then (1995)
    A heartwarming movie about four childhood girlfriends who, in adulthood reunion, relive their experience of the life-changing summer of 1970, including a mystery death, divorce, standing up to the boys, first kiss, and the meaning of true friendship. Each explores her unique identity amidst family and friends. Beautifully directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
    - Frances   
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