A noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.
Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.
After a botched assassination attempt, the mismatched duo finds themselves in Paris, struggling to retrieve a precious list of names, as the murderous crime syndicate's henchmen try their best to stop them. Once more, Lee and Carter must fight their way through dangerous gangsters; however, this time, the past has come back to haunt Lee. Will the boys get the job done once and for all?
The Story Of X takes you to the earliest days of adult films when men peddled stag reels and projectors out of the trunks of their cars, then through the movie house years to the arrival of the home video business, and now the Internet. Meet the men behind the camera, such as "King of Sexploitation" Dave Friedman and the preeminent breast man Russ Meyer. Considered pariahs at the time, they're now hailed as pioneers in the fight against censorship. The Story of X visits the 60s when women's rights, not nudity, became the issue and recounts porn's arrival in Hollywood, led by director Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango In Paris. In the 70s, several groundbreaking films, including Behind The Green Door featuring Marilyn Chambers and Deep Throat featuring Linda Lovelace, took the genre to a new level.
Pietro is a successful businessman with a wife and a daughter. One day he helps his brother save two women from drowning at the beach. When he returns home he finds that his wife has died. Now Pietro has to take care of his daughter, Claudia. When he drives her to school soon after, he decides to wait for her all day in front of the school, and soon that's what he does every day.
In 1894, French Captain Alfred Dreyfus is wrongfully convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Devil’s Island penal colony.
Sir Guy Grand, the richest man in the world, adopts a homeless man, Youngman. Together, they set out to prove that anyone--and anything--can be bought.
A quiet and inconspicuous man rents an apartment in Paris where he finds himself drawn into a rabbit hole of dangerous paranoia.
On their way to an afternoon on the lake, husband and wife Andrzej and Krystyna nearly run over a young hitchhiker. Inviting the young man onto the boat with them, Andrzej begins to subtly torment him; the hitchhiker responds by making overtures toward Krystyna. When the hitchhiker is accidentally knocked overboard, the husband's panic results in unexpected consequences.
Peter Whitehead’s disjointed Swinging London documentary, subtitled “A Pop Concerto,” comprises a number of different “movements,” each depicting a different theme underscored by music: A early version of Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive” plays behind some arty nightclub scenes, while Chris Farlowe’s rendition of the Rolling Stones’ “Out of Time” accompanies a young woman’s description of London nightlife and the vacuousness of her own existence. In another segment, the Marquess of Kensington (Robert Wace) croons the nostalgic “Changing of the Guard” to shots of Buckingham Palace’s changing of the guard, and recording act Vashti are seen at work in the studio. Sandwiched between are clips of Mick Jagger (discussing revolution), Andrew Loog Oldham (discussing his future) – and Julie Christie, Michael Caine, Lee Marvin, and novelist Edna O’Brien (each discussing sex). The best part is footage of the riot that interrupted the Stones’ 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert.
Stach is a wayward teen living in squalor on the outskirts of Nazi-occupied Warsaw. Guided by an avuncular Communist organizer, he is introduced to the underground resistance—and to the beautiful Dorota. Soon he is engaged in dangerous efforts to fight oppression and indignity, maturing as he assumes responsibility for others’ lives. A coming-of-age story of survival and shattering loss, A Generation delivers a brutal portrait of the human cost of war.
More than 150 silent short films about singers, actors and directors captured during Press Conferences in Cannes, Venice and Berlin, between 1993 and 2002. Presented the first time in 2012 (ten years after the last shooting) in Napoli Film Festival and in 2013 at the Art Institute of California in Santa Ana. An anthropological experiment on the facial expressions of famous people showing the human being aspect. All original footage from Mel Gibson to Peter Jackson, from George Lucas to Catherine Deneuve, from Michael Douglas to Giancarlo Giannini and many others.
A young doctor is tired of being sought by women. One night he meets a young girl who all but forces herself into his room where they talk of morals and love. But he loses her when he goes out to see some friends and then rushes madly around the city after her.
Onoff is a famous writer, now a recluse. The Inspector is suspicious when Onoff is brought into the station one night, disoriented and suffering a kind of amnesia. In an isolated, rural police station, the Inspector tries to establish the events surrounding a killing, to reach a startling resolution.
A young American woman traveling through Italy finds herself in a strange Mediterranean villa where nothing seems quite right.
Two intertwined families who have made half a century of cinema. La Grande Bouffe, We won’t grow old together, Tchao Pantin, Apocalypse Now, Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis, The Artist. At the center of this family, an unknown to the general public: Paul Rassam. His brother and his brother-in-law are more famous: the sulphurous Jean-Pierre Rassam and Claude Berri. It is a story peppered with drama, and today, a new generation has taken over. Thomas Langmann – son of Claude Berri – and Dimitri Rassam, son of Carole Bouquet and Jean-Pierre Rassam.
Diver Antoni Barnat is falsely accused of causing an accident underwater that almost led to his fellow diver's death. Interestingly enough, they are both in love with the same girl, Teresa.
In waning winter light, a doll maker works in his shop, a kerosene lamp beside him, a jumble of dolls and doll parts, whole and broken, surrounding him. There are noises, too: a cuckoo clock chirps the workday's end. The artisan completes a repair and leaves, shuttering the shop from outside. Back inside, whispering begins. What else is in store for the shop's seemingly lifeless denizens?
Who is Alfred Lepetit? Unknown by the general public but glorified by all the movie industry, Alfred is about to receive a lifetime achievement award for his film career. A portrait of a living legend among stars.
The twenty-one-minute-film is set in a men's public rest room and recounts the day to day existence of an elderly woman who serves as an attendant in the lavatory. As an endless procession of men pass before her, relieving themselves in the urinals, the attendant escapes her reality by daydreaming about the past and the soldier she once loved and the child she bore him.
To convince the prison warden against releasing him, a middle-aged Polish man recounts his life, one he considers to have been characterized by exceptionally bad luck.
In the last few days of the Warsaw Uprising during World War II, a modest group of Resistance members remains. The band must take refuge in the sewers under the orders of leader Zadra, but it's only a matter of time before they will have to emerge. However, when they try, they are met only with intense hostility from the Nazis. Despite their attempts stay resolute through immense mental strain, it becomes increasingly apparent that they may be doomed.
The untold story of Charles Manson's obsession to become a rock star, his rise in the LA music scene, the celebrities who championed his music, his tragic friendship with The Beach Boys' Dennis Wilson and his descent into violence and chaos once his dreams fell apart.
Nikodem Dyzma is a poor dancer who comes to Warsaw to find a job. The problem is that nobody wants to hire him. One day he finds an invitation to the party with very important people and decides to attend. A small accident at the party makes him the hero of the night and becomes the beginning of his career.
Originally, Munk intended Eroica to be a triptych with Con bravura being the first part, but he ultimately gave up on this film, deeming it weaker artistically than the two counterparts. Con bravura is about conspiracy conflating the paths of a rather unconventional nun and an intrigued young man – each of them bears secrets and the encounter could incite a flaming romance, though one suffocated by war.Munk set the film in the mountain capital of Zakopane and its vicinity, allowing breathtaking views from a cable car and using his experiences of the Nazi occupation in the area to add gritty reality. The director plays a cameo as a priest with several of his industry friends also making appearances.
A small and thin barefoot slave (played by Polanski) plays a flute and beats a drum to entertain his large master who rocks in a rocking chair in front of his mansion. The slave jumps and leaps like a madman, wipes his master's brow, feeds him, washes his feet, shades him from the sun with an umbrella and holds a urinal for him.
Françoise Dorléac et Catherine Deneuve were nearly twins. Only 18 months separated these sisters who liked to say “Both of us could make the ideal woman”. Françoise Dorléac created her own style, unique even in France : a rare mix of elegance, humor, glamour. This is a touching portrait of an actress whose glory was cut short, seen through the eyes of her sister Catherine.
The story of the insane scandals related to the remake of “Island of Dr. Moreau” —originally a novel by H. G. Wells—, which was brought to the big screen in 1996. How director Richard Stanley spent four years developing the project just to find an abrupt end to his work while leading actor Marlon Brando pulled the strings in the shadows. Now for the first time, the living key players recount what really happened and why it all went so spectacularly wrong.
An interview with film director Roman Polanski conducted during his period of house arrest, discussing his life and work.
Examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary director Roman Polanski's sudden flight from the United States.
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.
Filmmaker Roman Polanski spends a weekend with world champion driver Jackie Stewart as he attempts to win the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix, offering an extraordinarily rare glimpse into the life of a gifted athlete at the height of his powers.
Based upon Vincenzoni's biography, "Pane e cinema", the documentary traces the story of the screen play writer who invented many stories that became blockbusters throughout the world.
Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans interweaves stunning newly discovered footage and voice recordings with original interviews. It is the true story of how a cinema legend would risk almost everything in pursuit of his dream.
The documentary profiled the final and last days of Sharon Tate Polanski, a beloved actress and model, who was killed in 1969 by a cult in Los Angeles, California. She was eight months pregnant with her son at the time of her murder.
Straight-forward production stories from the Hollywood players who made the movie happen.
Mia and Roman is a 1968 23-minute documentary film which was shot during the making of Rosemary's Baby.
A behind-the-scenes documentary about the filming of the Federico Fellini film, "Satyricon."
Andrzej Munk was one of the leading directors in Polish cinema. Friends and collaborators share their memories about this stunning artist and his premature tragic death.
A follow-up to the 2008 documentary "Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired", focusing on the filmmaker's successful battle to avoid extradition in to the U.S. in 2010.
Jacek is a handsome, charming young Pole who belongs to a drama company. One day, in the streets of Gdansk, he meets Marguerite, a beautiful, charming French girl. He falls for her but the young lady is whimsical...
Deathly ill Count Dracula and his slimy underling, Anton, travel to Italy in search of a virgin's blood. They're welcomed at the crumbling estate of indebted Marchese Di Fiore, who's desperate to marry off his daughters to rich suitors. But there, instead of pure women, the count encounters incestuous lesbians with vile blood and Marxist manservant Mario, who's suspicious of the aristocratic Dracula.
Filmmaker Roman Polanski spends a weekend with world champion driver Jackie Stewart as he attempts to win the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix, offering an extraordinarily rare glimpse into the life of a gifted athlete at the height of his powers. "Re-cut and restored" version of the original "Weekend Of A Champion (1972)", with a 2011 post-film discussion between Jackie Stewart and Roman Polanski (begins at approx 71:15 minutes).
Roman Polanski speaks frankly about his childhood in the Warsaw ghetto, his mothers death, his beginnings in filmmaking, his tragic marriage to Sharon Tate and eventually even his arrest for sexual assault.
Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the discussion into chaos.
A portray of French actress Françoise Dorléac
The film features two men who emerge from the sea carrying a large wardrobe, which they proceed to carry into a town.
Krzysztof Komeda was a jazz pianist and film composer. With compositions like the lullaby for Rosemary's Baby (1968) by Roman Polanski, Komeda succeeded in writing his own chapter in the history of soundtracks. This documentary follows the life story of the composer by the means of his melodic sounds. It is a reflection on his soundtracks, which changed the common film scores forever. It is a contemporary document about the attitude to life in a time of social, political and cultural change after war, about work and exodus of Polish artists in the 50s and 60s. A story about how film music is created and how it affects people. Directors who worked with Komeda and who are also friends talk about him: Roman Polanski, Jerzy Skolimowski, Henning Carlsen and Andrzej Wajda. His wife, Zofia Komeda, and his sister, Irena Orlowska, recollect him.
A vacationing American and a sultry Russian thief lead police and smugglers on a deadly chase through Moscow.
Sharon Tate is a rising young star before her life ends in a shocking murder.
A short documentary about the making of the 1966 film 'Cul-de-sac'.
Between the French La Nouvelle Vague and the Italian Neorealismo, Europe had been undergoing a continuous cinema transformation since the 1950s, while the ailing American studio system groaned under its own weight and inertia. New Hollywood had arrived with Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, and already by 1968 it was changing how Hollywood thought and acted. The student film scene was getting ready to explode, and it knew it.
Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.
A new documentary on the Criterion Collection edition of Roman Polanski's 1971 adaptation of Macbeth featuring interviews with the director, producer Andrew Braunsberg, assistant executive producer Victor Lownes, and actors Francesca Annis and Martin Shaw.
A 1971 documentary by Frank Simon featuring rare footage of the film’s cast and crew at work.
The history of film and video censorship in Great Britain.
Roman Polanski hasn't given an interview for many years. However, in the conversation from 2006 with the author Pierre-André Boutang, illustrated with numerous film clips and archives, the filmmaker provides insights into his life and work.
Set in the beginning of Wold War II, when the Polish cavalry still fought with lances against German troops. LOTNA is about a white thoroughbred horse that passed through various hands in a military outfit.
Documentary that describes and analyzes the characteristics, themes and central concerns of Roman Polanski's cinema.
Two vagabonds, Vladimir and Estragon, meet on stage in a non-place ("Country road with tree") at dusk to wait for "Godot". This man - who will never come - has promised them that he will come to the rendezvous; although it is not clear what he is supposed to bring them, he represents a hope for change. While waiting for him, the two friends try to find occupations, "distractions" to make the time go by.
Stressed and overworked, famous French movie star Michel Blanc is beginning to wear down, physically and mentally, from the pressure and demands of fame. Already in a fragile state of mind, strange events start to transpire all around him, and he gradually loses his grip. Taking the advice of a psychiatrist, Blanc retreats to the countryside with his friend Carole Bouquet, but Blanc still has not managed to escape all of his problems.
A winter day at a Polish castle, half owned by a fatalistic notary and half by a volcanic old soldier's niece. The old soldier, Cupbearer, and the notary are sworn enemies, which may doom the love between the niece, Klara, and the notary's son, Waclaw. On this day, the tongue-tied Cupbearer asks a braggart courtier, Papkin, to sue on his behalf for the hand of the widow Hanna. Papkin succeeds and
The short stories showing the troubles of youth serving in the "Służba Polsce" organisation.
An unfinished student short by Roman Polanski. Due to a mix-up in the laboratory, only part of the film was processed and returned to Polanski; the student director was devastated as he was very proud of what he'd shot. Based on a real incident in Polanski's life.
The last stage of the Cycling Race Dookoła Polski: Kielce - Warsaw. The fate of the race is at stake: the Polish team still has a chance to win, it is not far from the leading Hungarian national team, in which great cyclist Haranda rides in the yellow jersey. Only the best Pole - Popiel - can take it from him. But he is a competitor - individualist, unruly and undisciplined ...
A group of young Łódź hoodlums spends their time shoplifting, partying and drinking heavily, until they are faced with serious consequences of their reckless behaviour.
The hero of the story is the writer Vladimír Tůma, who is invited to spend a month studying in a neighbouring country. There, the foreign office assigns him a guide, Irena Stepowska. The two young people are attracted to each other, but there is a catch - Vladimír is married, Irena is married. But as they say, opportunity makes the thief, so it's no wonder that Tůma has his work cut out for him, and Irena, too, sometimes recovers only at the last minute. And she doesn't even know that her husband is coming to visit her...
Absurd gag comedy about a grotesque pursuit of a "snow man" allegedly imported to Poland. A box with a shipment from India, which was supposed to contain a yeti, turned out to be empty. The desperate professor tries to find it. He even gets into prison, from which, however, he escapes handcuffed with the thief. Meanwhile, the "snow man" begins to be considered the perpetrator of more and more crimes. Eventually, everything becomes clear. In the telegram notifying of the shipment, a word was twisted and hence the whole misunderstanding.
The hero is a Jewish youth. He, like his family, has always been silent and undemonstrative in the face of prejudice. Now he stands up for his right to survive, and in so doing represents the fighting spirit that culminated in the Warsaw Uprising.
Passionate about music, Julien nevertheless works with a sculptor. One day, he meets young Hermine at a religious bookseller.
Television documentary about the making of Roman Polanski's 1979 film, Tess.
Retrospective documentary on the making of 'Rosemary's Baby' (1968).
Carl-Gustaf Nykvist's documentary about his father, Sven Nykvist. The film is based on Sven's memoirs with Sven himself as narrator. A journey to the place of birth, Moheda, constitutes the hub of the film and during the journey friends and memories emerge. Written by Fredrik Klasson
The making of Jerzy Kosinski. The BBC documentary on the life and art of enigmatic novelist Jerzy Kosinski. Through interviews with his second wife Kiki von Fraunhofer-Kosinski, friends and fellow authors, and Polish villagers who knew Kosinski when he was a child hiding from the scourge of Nazism, this program attempts to assess the verity of Kosinski's "autobiographical" fiction, the need for him to maintain a nebulous mystique about his early life, and to understand his obsession with S&M sex clubs in Manhattan during the 1970s and 1980s.
Filmmaker Roman Polanski and photographer Ryszard Horowitz meet in Kraków, Poland, where, strolling the streets, they share memories of their childhood and youth, the hardest days of their lives, when, during World War II, they met in the ghetto established by the Nazi occupiers.
A documentary on the making of Roman Polanski's 1965 film "Repulsion," featuring interviews with Polanski, producer Gene Gutowski, and cinematographer Gil Taylor, among others.
An interview with film director Roman Polanski, recorded for BBC TV in 1967.
At the 60th anniversary of Cannes Film Festival, 34 famous directors are followed by camera.
The Irish novelist, Bram Stoker, gave the world Dracula in 1897. This documentary explores the historical figure behind the fictional figure of horror and examines medical explanations for the myths of vampires.
Mockumentary about a pornographic film starlet who commits suicide during the filming of a documentary about the adult film business, leading to the discovery of a snuff film.
Alexandre Desplat is one of the most famous film music composer of today. Innovative artist with a singular expression, he is the successor of french masters of film music: Georges Delerue, Antoine Duhamel, Maurice Jarre. Writing music for films gather his two passions: music and cinema. Between working sessions, confidences, films and personnal archives, Alexandre Desplat offers, through this documentary, a great record on the creative process and today’s cinema.
The maiden cruise of the ocean liner Italia travels from Italy to California for the premiere of the motion picture "Valley of the Dolls."
Documentary about Roman Polanski's film adaptation of the 1891 novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy.
Documentary about the making of Roman Polanski's 1979 film "Tess."
A documentary that interviews the cast and crew of Roman Polanski's 1979 film "Tess."
Having struggled to crack his brief, Dennis Hopper decides the only honourable act is to throw himself off a roof. Before this final act, Sir Peter Ustinov appears and bestows the Ten Commandments of Creativity upon the desperate advertising executive. The Ten Commandments become a template to navigate the state of creativity. Featuring Tarantino, Jeff Koons, Sean Penn, and Malcolm McClaren.
Three separate short stories about young athletes who lose their chances of success. Young swimmer - because of unhappy love. Boxer because of a fight with hooligans, for which the judges will disqualify him. But the cyclist must decide for himself what is more important for him: victory or friendship.
Roman Polanski lived in Cracow/Krakow during 1936-1955 - almost 20 years of his life. These years formed him to become one of the most popular film directors of the world. The title of the documentary refers to Roman Polanski's autobiography "Roman by Polanski". By the end of 1930's Cracow/Krakow 250 000 inhabitants, about 50 000 were Jews. It was one of the happiest time in young Roman's life. WWII made him leave the Cracow ghetto and he was hidden by a Polish family near the city. After the war till 1955, it was not only the hard Stalin's time but also the time when young Roman discovered his passion for art, especially the cinema. In these times he played in social realistic plays in Young Spectator Theatre and in puppet plays in Groteska Theatre, Cracow. Finally he left Cracow for Lodz in 1955 to study directing at the Film Academy.
Interview with the italian composer Claudio Gizzi about his lifetime and work as part or the extras of the Blu-Ray edition from What? (Che?) (1972) from Roman Polanski
Thirteen filmmakers share personal reflections on Henri Langlois—the visionary founder of the Cinémathèque Française—recounting his influence on their lives, his role in preserving film history, and his enduring impact on world cinema.
Roman Polanski looks back at the making of "Oliver Twist."
Short behind-the-scenes documentary on Roman Polanski's "Oliver Twist."
The wife of an American doctor suddenly vanishes in Paris. To find her, he navigates a puzzling web of language, locale, laissez-faire cops, triplicate-form filling bureaucrats and a defiant, mysterious waif who knows more than she tells.
Television documentary about the making of Roman Polanski's 1979 film "Tess."
Catherine Deneuve couldn’t care less about being a celebrity, but fame made her an icon long ago and she occupies a special place in our imagination. The star is not one to let others get too close, but when she gives you her confidence, she keeps her word. If Deneuve’s career covers a half-century of cinema, it also bears witness to the force of a generation that experienced the deepest transformation of mores. This portrait reflects her entirely. The story of a mystery and an adventure.
A feature-length documentary on the life and work of jazz musician and composer Krzysztof Komeda.
"Lionpower from MGM" (1967) is an exciting 60's promotional short subject, which showcases MGM's releases for the 1967-68 film season under a "five seasons" theme--fall, winter, spring, summer--plus a "fabulous fifth season". The main music is set to the rousing theme from "The Magnificent Yankee" composed by David Raksin in 1950. The promo is narrated by some of the best voice-over actors of the time, and is an excellent time capsule of a by-gone era.
A documentary of the incredible life of actress Valerie Perrine and her battle with Parkinson's.
short documentary about legendary filmmaker Roman Polanski
CNN revisits the vicious, horrific killings by Charles Manson's followers, 45 years later in their special documentary report - Face of Evil: The Charles Manson Murders.
The artistic career of American actress Mia Farrow has been that of a passionate and committed woman who became the embodiment of a special kind of femininity, halfway between innocence and madness.
A young woman is seduced by a wealthy diplomat, who leaves her his business card and arranges to meet her. She goes to a jeweler and, using the card, asks to finalize a jewelry sale at her supposed husband's home. The jeweler arrives while the diplomat is taking a bath and is greeted by the young woman, who offers him tea.