The movie opens with a shoe-shopping montage, circa 1964, set in the store of iconic French shoe designer Roger Vivier. (Catnip!) Sagnier’s Madeleine is a salesgirl there; one night, she steals a pair of Vivier spike heels and slips them on as she’s making her way home.
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Author Archives: rarefilm
Call Me Madam (1953) Walter Lang, Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor, Vera-Ellen, Comedy, Musical, Romance
Boisterous, fun-loving, and popular Washington D.C. hostess Sally Adams is appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Lichtenburg, Europe’s smallest country. In Lichtenburg, the Duke and Duchess are negotiating a political marriage for their niece, Princess Maria in exchange for a substantial dowry.
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The Crimson Rivers / Les rivières pourpres (2000) Mathieu Kassovitz, Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel, Nadia Farès, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Parisian murder detective commissioner Pierre Niemans is called to Gueron, a self-sufficient, prestigious university in a mountain valley, to investigate the murder on 32-year old professor and librarian Rémy Caillois, whose corpse was found 50 meters high on a steep mountain side, naked, horribly covered in bruises and bleeding wounds, the result of some five hours of bestial torture including quasi-surgical amputation of hands cauterized to prevent bleeding to death- and eyes.
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Run, Simon, Run (1970) George McCowan, Burt Reynolds, Inger Stevens, Royal Dano, Adventure, Thriller
Burt Reynolds stars in this TV-movie as a Papago Indian, who returns to his people after serving a long sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. To clear himself of the murder of his own brother, Reynolds begins a long and bloody search for the actual killer.
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Kuai huo lin / The Delightful Forest (1972) Cheh Chang, Hsueh Li Pao, Lung Ti, Mu Chu, Ching Tien, Action, Adventure
Wu Sung, a military swordmaster, is acused of murdering his adulterous sister-in-law and a thug, and sent to exile in Meng Chou. At the prison camp, Shih En, son of the camp commander, intercedes in his favour, to spare him the humiliating 100 bamboo lashes.
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Colors (1988) Dennis Hopper, Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, Maria Conchita Alonso, Action, Crime, Drama
A confident young cop is shown the ropes by a veteran partner in the dangerous gang-controlled barrios of L.A. about to explode in violence in this look at the gang culture enforced by the colors that members wear.
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Caravan (1946) Arthur Crabtree, Stewart Granger, Jean Kent, Anne Crawford, Adventure, Drama, Romance
During the last half of the 19th century writer Richard Darrell saves Don Carlos from two robbers, and is entrusted by Don Carlos to take a valuable necklace to Spain. Richard leaves his fiancé, Oriana, and starts the trip. He meets Wycroft, a henchman for Sir Francis Castteldow, an aristocrat out to steal Oriana from Richard. The latter is assaulted, robbed and nearly killed and, as a result, loses his memory. He marries a gypsy girl, Rosal, while Oriana, thinking him dead marries the dastardly Sir Francis. Everybody will meet again. Complications will arise.
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Birdy (1984) Alan Parker, Matthew Modine, Nicolas Cage, John Harkins, Drama, War
Philly boys Al and Birdy became friends in high school despite the extreme difference in their personalities, Al being the popular and athletic extrovert, Birdy the antisocial “weird” introvert. Al gave Birdy his nickname because of his fascination – obsession really – with birds, especially with flight. Al and Birdy have just completed their service of duty in the Vietnam War and have returned to the States. Al sustained some serious physical injuries, which required major reconstructive surgery to his face.
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Take a Chance (1933) Monte Brice, Laurence Schwab, James Dunn, June Knight, Lillian Roth, Comedy, Musical
Take a Chance was based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, though only one of the original songs, Eadie Was a Lady, has been retained. The thinnish plot involves the misadventures of a pair of pickpockets, played on Broadway by Jack Haley and Sid Silvers and on film by James Dunn and Cliff “Ukelele Ike” Edwards.
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Saturday Night (2010) Fred Armisen, Will Forte, James Franco, Documentary
With unprecedented access to the behind the scenes process of the writers, actors and producers, Franco and his crew document what it takes to create one full episode of Saturday Night Live.
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