Tag Archives: 1980s

Bodas de sangre / Blood Wedding (1981) Carlos Saura, Antonio Gades, Cristina Hoyos, Juan Antonio Jiménez, Mystery, Musical

bodas-de-sangre-aka-blood-wedding-1981
In a sense, Carlos Saura’s first foray into filming classical dance, Blood Wedding, may be seen, not as a stark departure from the immediacy of his narrative films, but rather, as an oblique return to form towards the social interrogations implicit in his earlier work on the fundamental question of Spanish identity – a particularly timely and relevant re-assessment in the aftermath of a contemporary history marked by institutional repression, creative censorship, and historical revisionism. It is within this framework that the selected adaptation of the seminal “rural trilogy” play by Spanish playwright, Federico García Lorca – a writer who was executed by Falangists in the early days of the Civil War and whose work was generally banned throughout Franco’s regime – seems particularly suited to this post Franco-era cultural introspection in its dark and tragic tale of passion, betrayal, and revenge.
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Der Himmel über Berlin / Wings of Desire (1987) Wim Wenders, Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Otto Sander, Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Der Himmel uber Berlin AKA Wings of Desire (1987)
Visible only to those like them and to human children, Damiel and Cassiel are two angels, who have existed even before humankind. Along with several other angels, they currently wander around West Berlin, generally on their own, observing and preserving life, sometimes trying to provide comfort to the troubled, although those efforts are not always successful. Among those they are currently observing are: the cast and crew of a movie – a detective story set in WWII Nazi Germany – which include a sensitive and perceptive Peter Falk; an elderly man named Homer looking for eternal peace; and the troupe of a financially failing circus, which has closed early for the season because of those financial problems. One day, Damiel tells Cassiel that he wants to become human, to feel not only the sensory aspects of physical beings, but also emotional aspects. He embarks on this thought with the full realization that there is no turning back if he decides to do so. His thoughts are largely …
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The Crazy Family / Gyakufunsha kazoku (1984) Gakuryû Ishii, Katsuya Kobayashi, Mitsuko Baishô, Yoshiki Arizono, Comedy, Drama

Gyakufunsha kazoku AKA The Crazy Family (1984)
The Kobayashi family finally get the chance to move out of their tiny, cramped Tokyo apartment in favour of the suburban house of their dreams. But all is not well: the house is infested by termites and the family starts cracking up: Son Masaki is studying so obsessively for his exams that he’s losing his mind; daughter Erika is oblivious of all but her forthcoming record company audition, grandfather Yasukuni starts getting World War II flashbacks and father Katsuhiko is so worried about his family’s “sickness” that he thinks can only be cured by group suicide…
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Monkey Shines (1988) George A. Romero, Jason Beghe, John Pankow, Kate McNeil, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

Monkey Shines (1988)
When Allan becomes a quadriplegic he loses all hope for living until he meets Ella – a monkey trained to fetch and carry for him around the house, obeying him in all things. But Ella is part of another experiment, and when she starts responding to Allan’s underlying rage and frustration she has the ability to carry out her master’s darkest wishes.
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Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours / My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days (1989) Andrzej Zulawski, Sophie Marceau, Jacques Dutronc, Valérie Lagrange, Drama, Romance, Erotic

Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours (1989)
Lucas has invented a new computer language but at the same time he has been informed about his strange terminal illness during which he has been gradually losing his memory. Shortly after that he meets Blanche who acts as a medium in a bizarre traveling show. Dying Lucas follows her to the sea resort where they spend together several days and nights.
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The Adventures of Hercules II / Le avventure dell’incredibile Ercole (1985) Luigi Cozzi, Lou Ferrigno, Milly Carlucci, Sonia Viviani, Adventure, Fantasy

The Adventures of Hercules II (1985)
Once, Zeus created seven mighty thunderbolts that kept peace, but some other, rebellious Gods steal them, rendering Zeus powerless, creating chaos on Earth, and sending the Moon on a collision course with our planet. Two sisters named Urania and Glaucia speaks to the Little People and learns that only Hercules can save them, so, after hesitation, Zeus sends Hercules back from the stars to Earth to aid the humans, but the vengeful gods resurrect their own warrior, Hercules’ old foe King Minos. Hercules sets out to find the thunderbolts, which are hidden inside monsters….
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