Author Archives: rarefilm

Montana Belle (1952) Allan Dwan, Jane Russell, George Brent, Scott Brady, Western

Montana Belle (1952)
In a fictionalized biography, Oklahoma outlaw Belle Starr meets the Dalton gang when rescued from lynching by Bob Dalton, who falls for her. So do gang member Mac and wealthy saloon owner Tom Bradfield, who’s enlisted in a bankers’ scheme to trap the Daltons. Dissension among the gang and Bradfield’s ambivalence complicate the plot, as Belle demonstrates her prowess with shootin’ irons, horses, and as a surprisingly racy saloon entertainer.
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The Awakening (1980) Mike Newell, Charlton Heston, Susannah York, Jill Townsend, Horror

The Awakening (1980)
An American archaeologist is in Egypt with his pregnant wife, searching for the tomb of a long-lost Egyptian queen. At the same moment he discovers the tomb and opens it’s accursed seal, his wife gives birth to his daughter. Years later it transpires that the malevolent spirit of the Egyptian queen left the tomb just as he was entering, and possessed his baby girl. As the truth becomes clear, the archaeologist realizes that he must destroy his daughter in a ceremonial ritual, before she uses her awesome powers to threaten the safety of mankind.
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Yatsuhaka-mura / Village of the Eight Tombs (1996) Kon Ichikawa, Etsushi Toyokawa, Yûko Asano, Yu Ji Chin Ye, Mystery

Yatsuhaka-mura AKA Village of the Eight Tombs (1996)
400 hundred years ago the inhabitants of the village of Yatsuhaka murdered 8 samurai rebels, whom they were actually helping to hide away, afraid of what the Shogunate would do to them. Before dying one the samurai puts a curse on the village. Strange things start to happen so the villagers decided to erect 8 graves for the murdered samurai to appease their anger. Then four hundred years later the head of Tajimi family and head of the village goes mad and starts killing almost everyone in the village. 25 years later his eldest son is poisoned. Kindaichi Yousuke detective is hired by the family’s lawyer as everyone in the village believes is the curse of the samurai again.
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O Fascínio / The Fascination (2003) José Fonseca e Costa, Vítor Norte, Sylvie Rocha, José Fidalgo, Drama

O Fascinio AKA The Fascination (2003)
A businessman on the verge of bankruptcy receives an unexpected inheritance: a large farm in Portugal’s southern province of Alentejo. But what seems to be his salvation turns out to be his doom. Fascinated by the story of violence committed by his ancestors, the previous owners of the estate, he becomes wrapped up in a hurricane of situations and sensations previously unknown to him.
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Dasso yugi / Jail Breakers (1976) Kôsaku Yamashita, Shin’ichi Chiba, Haruko Wanibuchi, Eitarô Ozawa, Action, Crime

Dasso yugi AKA Jail Breakers (1976)
The film is packed with nice stunts throughout, but the screenplay could be better. After escaping the prison Chiba teams up with a bunch of thugs, who design prison escapes for money. Unfortunately trust and loyalty are unknown concepts to these men who take turns deceiving each other. The endless “who’s-cheating-who” game has been done better in other films, and sometimes the writing is downright sloppy: when a carefully planned escape operation fails, Chiba simply steals a fire engine and drives away without anyone noticing! It also feels that director Kosaku Yamashita, who made his name with yakuza films, was a bit out of his element here. However, even with these weaknesses it’s an entertaining action comedy which compares favourably against some of the later, similar Yasaku Matsuda films like Execution Game (1978) and No Grave for Us (1979). The focus is on stunts and comedy.
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Sister Emanuelle (1977) Giuseppe Vari, Laura Gemser, Mónica Zanchi, Gabriele Tinti, Drama, Erotic

sister_emanuelle
Renouncing her “sinful” past, Emanuelle has entered a convent and has dedicated herself to a life of service. Enter Monika, the free-spirited, free-loving daughter of a wealthy Baron. Emanuelle is charged with keeping Monika in line, but when the young girl’s wild ways bring back memories of her own sensual past, Emanuelle begins questioning her own religious and sexual identity. Advances from an escaped killer who is hiding in the convent serve to complicate matters further.
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Doto no taiketsu / Showdown at the Great Tone River (1959) Yasushi Sasaki, Utaemon Ichikawa, Chiezô Kataoka, Action, Drama

Doto no taiketsu AKA Showdown at the Great Tone River (1959)
One of the great stories from Japan’s rich history comes to life in this true tale of the bloody showdown between two rival yakuza gangs in the 1840’s. The battle between Boss Sukegoro of Iioka and Boss Shigezo of Sasagawa has been portrayed many times, most notably in the first Zatoichi film, where the blind man befriends the tubercular ronin Hirate Miki, before cutting him down in one of the great duels in cinema history. This all-star extravaganza pulls out all the stops, with appearances by virtually all of the great actors and actresses from Toei’s studio at the time. Ichikawa Utaemon’s portrayal of the kind-hearted, noble yakuza boss Shigezo of Sasagawa contrasts sharply with the devious Sukegoro of Iioka. Corrupt as he may have been, his men were all willing to give up their lives for him.
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