Author Archives: rarefilm

The Guns of Navarone (1961) J. Lee Thompson, David Niven, Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, Action, Adventure, Drama

The Guns of Navarone (1961)
Two powerful German guns control the seas past the Greek island of Navarone making the evacuation of endangered British troops on a neighboring island impossible. Air attack is useless so a team of six Allied and Greek soldiers is put ashore to meet up with partisans to try and dynamite the guns. The mission is perilous enough anyway but are the Germans on the island getting further help too?
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Bad Influence (1990) Curtis Hanson, Rob Lowe, James Spader, Lisa Zane, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Bad Influence (1990)
Michael, a wimpy young executive, is about to get pulverized by a jealous boyfriend in a bar when a handsome, mysterious stranger steps in–and then disappears. Later that night, while jogging, Michael runs into the stranger on a pier. He introduces himself as Alex, and the two go out to an under- ground club. Within a matter of days, Alex wheedles his way into Michael’s life and turns it upside down, and Michael doesn’t realize that Alex is a dangerous sociopath until it’s too late.
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The Manchurian Candidate (1962) John Frankenheimer, Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Thriller, Drama

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Major Ben Marco is an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. He served valiantly as a captain in the Korean war and his Sergeant, Raymond Shaw, even won the Medal of Honor. Marco has a major problem however: he has a recurring nightmare, one where two members of his squad are killed by Shaw. He’s put on indefinite sick leave and visits Shaw in New York. Shaw for his part has established himself well, despite the misgivings of his domineering mother, Mrs. Eleanor Shaw Iselin. She is a red-baiter, accusing anyone who disagrees with her right-wing reactionary views of being a Communist. Raymond hates her, not only for how she’s treated him but equally because of his step-father, the ineffectual U.S. Senator John Iselin, who is intent on seeking higher office. When Marco learns that others in his Korean War unit have nightmares similar to his own, he realizes that something happened to all of them in Korea and that Raymond Shaw is the focal point.
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Ferry to Hong Kong (1959) Lewis Gilbert, Curd Jürgens, Orson Welles, Sylvia Syms, Action, Adventure, Drama

Ferry to Hong Kong (1959)
Mark Conrad, a habitual drunk and troublemaker with a shady past, is expelled by Hong Kong police after one too many bar fights. He’s sent to Macao on the Fa Tsan, a ferry owned by Captain Hart. Conrad’s papers are out of order and Macao refuses him entry. Unable to go ashore, Conrad is a permanent passenger on the ferry with Hart, who detests him. It’s all one long, lazy voyage for Conrad until one fateful trip when an encounter with a typhoon and pirates forces Conrad to choose between an aimless drifter’s life and becoming a man again.
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The Other Side of Midnight (1977) Charles Jarrott, Marie-France Pisier, John Beck, Susan Sarandon, Drama, Romance, Thriller

The Other Side of Midnight (1977)
Beautiful Noelle Page meets dashing WWII American pilot Larry Douglas in France and falls in love. She expects him to marry her, but instead Larry abandons her. In the United States, successful Catherine Alexander meets Larry Douglas and they marry. But Noelle hasn’t forgotten Larry even as she’s become a successful actress. She maneuvers to have Larry hired as the private pilot of her wealthy and powerful lover Constantin Demiris so she can seek revenge on him, but instead she and Larry rekindled their passion. Desperate to be together, Larry and Noelle make deadly plans. But soon the lovers face a terrible fate determined by the jealous Demiris using Catherine as his pawn.
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Along Came Polly (2004) John Hamburg, Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Debra Messing, Comedy, Romance

Along Came Polly (2004)
Reuben Feffer thinks he’s found the love of his life but on his honeymoon he discovers her cheating on him with a scuba instructor. Reuben travels back home to get his life on track. On a night out with best pal, Sandy Lyle, Reuben discovers an old school friend, Polly Prince. Reuben feels a connection straight away, and tries constantly to get her to like him. But it’s not going to be easy for Reuben, especially when he spends his days calculating risks, and when someone unexpected turns up.
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Strip Nude for You Killer / Nude per l’assassino (1975) Andrea Bianchi, Edwige Fenech, Nino Castelnuovo, Femi Benussi, Mystery, Thriller, Giallo

Strip Nude for You Killer (1975)
When a fashion model dies during an abortion, a series of murders begins, starting with her doctor. The next victims are connected to the modeling agency where she worked, Albatross, run by a hard edged and jealous bi-sexual, Gisella, married to a Farouk-like dissolute. One suspect is Carlo, a playboy photographer who has a hot temper and refuses to share information with the police. He becomes the lover of Magda, another photographer at the agency, who’s probably in danger. The murderer wears a black motorcycle outfit and helmet. Will anyone discover the murderer’s identity before the entire agency dies?
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Emanuelle e gli ultimi cannibali / Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977) Joe D’Amato, Laura Gemser, Gabriele Tinti, Nieves Navarro, Erotic, Adventure, Horror

Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977)
While doing undercover work in a mental hospital, Emanuelle discovers a girl who seems to have been raised by a tribe of amazonian cannibals. Intrigued, Emanuelle and friends travel deep into the Amazon jungle, where they find that the supposedly extinct tribe of cannibals is still very much alive, and Emanuelle and her party are not welcome visitors.
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