Tag Archives: english

Ironweed (1987) Hector Babenco, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Carroll Baker, Drama

Ironweed (Hector Babenco, 1987)
Albany, New York, Halloween, 1938. Francis Phelan and Helen Archer are bums, back in their birth city. She was a singer on the radio, he a major league pitcher. Death surrounds them: she’s sick, a pal has cancer, he digs graves at the cemetery and visits the grave of his infant son whom he dropped; visions of his past haunt him, including ghosts of two men he killed. That night, out drinking, Helen tries to sing at a bar. Next day, Fran visits his wife and children and meets a grandson. He could stay, but decides it’s not for him. Helen gets their things out of storage and finds a hotel. Amidst their mistakes and dereliction, the film explores their code of fairness and loyalty.
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Black Moon (1934) Roy William Neill, Jack Holt, Fay Wray, Dorothy Burgess, Horror

Black Moon (1934)
A young girl who lives on a tropical island loses her parents to a voodoo sacrifice, but although she manages to escape the island, a curse is put on her. Years later, as an adult, she feels a strong compulsion to return to the island to confront her past. Her husband, her daughter and her nanny go with her, but once back on the island, the woman finds herself elevated by the locals to the stature of a voodoo goddess, and she begins her inevitable descent into madness, with disastrous results for her family.
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American Me (1992) Edward James Olmos, William Forsythe, Sal Lopez, Biography, Crime, Drama

American Me (1992)
This epic depiction of thirty years of Chicano gang life in Los Angeles focuses on a teen named Santana who, with his friends Mundo and the Caucasian-but-acting-Hispanic J.D., form their own gang and are soon arrested for a break-in. Santana gets into trouble again and goes straight from reform school to prison, spending eighteen years there, and becoming leader of a powerful gang, both inside and outside the prison, while there. When he is finally released, he tries to make sense of the violence in his life, in a world much changed from when last he was in it.
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The Story of Temple Drake (1933) Stephen Roberts, Miriam Hopkins, William Gargan, Jack La Rue, Drama

The Story of Temple Drake (1933)
Temple Drake is a Southern belle who leads men on with her sexuality but usually leaves them wanting. She’s loved by lawyer Stephen Benbow, whom she likes but doesn’t love. While out carousing with one of her beaux, she finds herself stranded with a gang of bootleggers, one of whom, Trigger, rapes her and makes her his sex slave. When another man is accused of a murder Trigger committed, Stephen defends him and sets out to find Trigger. But he isn’t prepared for whom he finds with Trigger, or what she’s become.
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Relentless (1948) George Sherman, Robert Young, Marguerite Chapman, Willard Parker, Western

Relentless (1948)
At the local saloon, prospectors Len Briggs and Bob Pliny brag about finding gold at their mine. Bad guys Tex Brandaw and Jim Rupple decide to follow the two prospectors and steal their mine. Drifter Nick Buckley who’s passing through town seeking shelter for his pregnant mare is offered a drink by the two old prospectors, on the account of their recent good fortune. They also offer him the use of their shack for the night. However, bad guy Tex Brandaw suggests to Nick the use of an empty stall in the town stable instead. The two old prospectors return to their cabin where bad guys Tex and Jim await in ambush and kill the prospectors and steal the map revealing the gold mine’s location. They divide the map in two sections, to prevent cheating, and split up agreeing to meet later. Tex has no intention of sharing the gold with Jim and bushwhacks him on the trail taking Jim’s other half of the map. Jim pursues Tex on foot and runs into drifter Nick Buckley who left town after spending …
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Attack! (1956) Robert Aldrich, Jack Palance, Lee Marvin, Eddie Albert, Drama, War, Action

Attack! (Robert Aldrich, 1956)
During the closing days of WWII, a National Guard Infantry Company is assigned the task of setting up artillery observation posts in a strategic area. Lieutenant Costa knows that Cooney is in command only because of ‘connections’ he had made state-side. Costa has serious doubts concerning Cooneys’ ability to lead the group. When Cooney sends Costa and his men out, and refuses to re-enforce them, Costa swears revenge.
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Shamus (1973) Buzz Kulik, Burt Reynolds, Dyan Cannon, John P. Ryan, Action, Comedy, Crime

Shamus (Buzz Kulik, 1973)
New York private eye Shamus McCoy likes girls, drink and gambling, but by the look of his flat business can’t be too hot. So an offer of $10,000 to finds some diamonds stolen in a daring raid with a flame-thrower is too good to miss. His investigations soon get pretty complicated and rather too dangerous. At least along the way he does get to meet Alexis.
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