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Life Itself recounts the surprising and entertaining life of renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert. The film details his early days as a freewheeling bachelor and Pulitzer Prize winner, his famously contentious partnership with Gene Siskel, his life-altering marriage, and his brave and transcendent battle with cancer.
As a young New York couple goes from college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child, the unexpected twists of their journey create reverberations that echo over continents and through lifetimes.
What begins as a million-dollar reality show competition between seven beautiful women turns into a battle for life itself when one contestant uses magic to gain an edge over the competition. An ancient curse dating back to the Salem Witch Trials is unleashed and the competition becomes a pageant of death, destruction, and evil forces. Forget about who will win – who will survive?
The journey of the thousands of people from Central America and Mexico who leave their homes and families and suffer extraordinary brutality -or loss of life itself- in search of the American Dream.
Pickle is a night security guard at a bronze statue factory. His colleague, Belly Bottom, works as a recycling collector during the day, and Pickle’s biggest pleasure in life is flicking through the porn magazines Belly Bottom collects in the small hours in the security room. Having late night snacks and watching television are an integral part of their dull lives. One day when the television is broken, their lives are changed forever. The story involves gods, the middle-aged men’s sexual desire and the conversation between ghosts and humans. Maybe the audience will find it preposterous, but isn’t life itself a farce?
Leah, a successful but dissatisfied financial executive, discovers the missing passion from her life when she starts taking secret hula dance lessons from handsome local Ikaika, while on assignment in Hawaii. Along the way, Leah’s feelings for Ikaika begin grow, as well as her love for hula and the island itself.
For Brooke, life is good. She’s a successful Washington DC architect and happily married. After her father’s passing, she receives a substantial financial windfall. She suffers from mental exhaustion and seeks the help of a therapist. Soon, her inheritance begins to disappear. Her life becomes unstable as she becomes unsure if her husband and loved ones are plotting to steal her inheritance or if she’s losing her mind. The truth reveals itself in a climax of lies, deception and violence that will keep you guessing until the fatal end.
A young biologist, Mary Jane, who focuses on lepidoptery (the study of moths and butterflies), doesn’t have the perfect life; she does however have what she considers the perfect son. Tragedy strikes and Mary Jane’s world is disturbingly turned upside down. Fleeing the troubled “real world” she embarks upon a solitary bush project. In the isolated and surreal landscape Mary Jane starts experiencing strange phenomena. The opportunity to be a mother again presents itself, only it comes at a cost for Mary Jane and what’s left of her family.
Marketing whiz Lara Thompson is living a fast-paced life in the big city when she’s summoned to the sleepy town of Kissing Falls to settle the affairs of her late Aunt Vivienne who owned a tea shop. Lara originally plans to sell the shop quickly, but switches course to fulfill her aunt’s last wish – to have one of her teas awarded by the prestigious International Council of Tea Sommeliers. With the help of handsome local flower expert Matt, Lara sets out to recreate a long lost “love potion” tea. One problem – the tea’s secret ingredient is the extinct Kissing Falls rose. As Lara and Matt work together, she finds herself not only falling for Matt but for the town itself.
After 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown is sentenced to life in prison, questions about her past, physiology and the law itself call her guilt into question.
Two years after the terrifying events that occurred in Woodsboro, Sidney is now attending Windsor College in Cincinnati, and Gale Weathers’ best selling book on Sidney’s life has now been made into a major motion picture. When two college students are killed in a theatre while watching the new film ‘Stab’, Sidney knows deep down that history is repeating itself.
It’s death-by-fear (aka scared-to-death) in this deceptively psychological thriller. The hero, Mike brings his friends to his grandparents’ house for a Halloween party wherein they will all dress up as their innermost fears. Mike’s fear is that he’s inherited a homicidal legacy from his father. Mike’s father was a serial killer who murdered his mother right in front of him when Mike was five before committing suicide. Mike’s fear manifests itself in his inability to commit to his girlfriend of 4 1/2 years, Peg for fear that he will kill her too. Everything gets rolling when an ancient Indian totem wooden figure named Morty comes to life and starts killing off Mike’s friends by making their worst fears come true. The ultimate confrontation comes when Mike has to face his greatest fear – his own father.
Ella lives in a magical world in which each child, at the moment of their birth, is given a virtuous “gift” from a fairy godmother. Ella’s so-called gift, however, is obedience. This birthright proves itself to be quite the curse once Ella finds herself in the hands of several unscrupulous characters whom she quite literally cannot disobey. Determined to gain control of her life and decisions, Ella sets off on a journey to find her fairy godmother who she hopes will lift the curse. The path, however, isn’t easy — Ella must outwit a slew of unpleasant obstacles including ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, elves and Prince Charmont’s evil uncle, who wants to take over the crown and rule the kingdom.
Orthodox tells the story of Benjamin, an Orthodox Jewish man who alienated himself from his community by becoming a boxer. When his life took a wrong turn he ended up in prison, losing his wife and children in the process. Now he is out and desperate to reintegrate, he finds that acceptance harder than he ever imagined. He turns back to his old boxing coach thinking there he has an ally, but a truth about the past emerges which leaves him even more isolated than he once thought. Benjamin must make a choice which will effect not just his own future but the life of a young Jewish boy whose life he can relate to. He is determined not to allow history to repeat itself.
A modern retelling of Anna Sewell’s classic novel, Black Beauty explores the heartfelt story of 15 year-old Audry who makes the discovery of a lifetime whilst volunteering at a city animal shelter. Rescued from an abusive owner and recovering from a traumatic past, Black Beauty possesses a most unique quality of character, endearing itself to Audry and her Grandpa who adopt the horse in order to give it a second chance and perhaps even help revitalize their own family situation. Aided by dedicated trainer James and tested by the many challenges of equine life, Black Beauty has his work cut out for him as he embarks on a remarkable journey of discovery and friendship.
A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers. Avid movie-watcher and video store clerk Bazil has had his life all but ruined by weapons of war. His father was killed by a landmine in Morocco and one fateful night a stray bullet from a nearby shootout embeds itself in his skull, leaving him on the verge of instantaneous death. Losing his job and his home, Bazil wanders the streets until he meets Slammer, a pardoned convict who introduces him to a band of eccentric junkyard dealers including Calculator, a math expert and statistician, Buster, a record-holder in human cannonball feats, Tiny Pete, an artistic craftsman of automatons, and Elastic Girl, a sassy contortionist. When chance reveals to Bazil the two weapons manufacturers responsible for building the instruments of his destruction, he constructs a complex scheme for revenge that his newfound family is all too happy to help set in motion.
A multi-layered series that looks back to the formative years of Ryu and Ken as they live a traditional warrior’s life in secluded Japan. The boys are, unknowingly, the last practitioners of the ancient fighting style known as “Ansatsuken” (Assassin’s Fist). The series follows them as they learn about the mysterious past of their master, Goken, and the tragic, dark legacy of the Ansatsuken style. Can their destiny be changed, or will history repeat itself?
Silent film master D.W. Griffith’s first talkie works as a companion piece to his classic BIRTH OF A NATION, providing a detailed biographical sketch of the 16th president. We see his birth in a log cabin, the tragic death of his first love, Ann Rutledge (Una Merkel), his debates with Douglas, his accepting of the presidency, the terrible toll of the Civil War, and finally the tragic assassination at Ford’s Theater. Griffith shows his usual meticulous attention to period detail, and the framing of the various vignettes has the feel of historical photographs come to life. Walter Huston is excellent in the title role, with a portrayal that subtly evolves from laconic, wizened rascal to noble elder statesman. This is a fascinating, worthy film, and an interesting historical document in and of itself.
Hungry for adventure, Thor secretly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, joined by his loyal brother Loki, whose budding sorcery equips him with just enough magic to conjure up trouble, along with the Warriors Three – a band of boastful travelers reluctant to set sail on any adventure that might actually be dangerous. But what starts out as a harmless treasure hunt quickly turns deadly, and Thor must now prove himself worthy of the destiny he covets by saving Asgard itself.
Young Samantha Walker has been tortured by nightmarish visions for years. With the help of Dr. Hoffman, she faces her unknown past by taking his advice and traveling to Germany. Having been adopted in the U.S. as a baby she decides to seek out the true roots of her ancestral past. Her journey leads to “Wallenhausen”, a former German convent. Samantha’s break-in to the convent at night becomes a fight for life and death as a masked monk starts the merciless killings of her companions one after another. Finally the secret of her past reveals itself and she has to face – the Sin Reaper.
Damon Runyon’s fairytale, sweet and funny, is told by director Frank Capra. Boozy, brassy Apple Annie, a beggar with a basket of apples, is as much as part of downtown New York as old Broadway itself. Bootlegger Dave the Dude is a sucker for her apples — he thinks they bring him luck. But Dave and girlfriend Queenie Martin need a lot more than luck when it turns out that Annie is in a jam and only they can help: Annie’s daughter Louise, who has lived all her life in a Spanish convent, is coming to America with a Count and his son. The count’s son wants to marry Louise, who thinks her mother is part of New York society. It’s up to Dave and Queenie and their Runyonesque cronies to turn Annie into a lady and convince the Count and his son that they are hobnobbing with New York’s elite.
Admiral James T. Kirk is feeling old; the prospect of accompanying his old ship the Enterprise on a two week cadet cruise is not making him feel any younger. But the training cruise becomes a life or death struggle when Khan escapes from years of exile and captures the power of creation itself.
It’s San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads: the tumultuous life events that led a young Allen Ginsberg to find his true voice as an artist, society’s reaction (the obscenity trial), and mind-expanding animation that echoes the startling originality of the poem itself. All three coalesce in a genre-bending hybrid that brilliantly captures a pivotal moment-the birth of a counterculture.
A man’s life is derailed when an ominous pattern of events repeats itself in exactly the same manner every day, ending at precisely 2:22 p.m.
In Drew Xanthopoulos’ intimate and cinematic documentary, we meet Joe, a patriarch whose affliction is so all-encompassing that he’s indifferent to his long-suffering wife; and twin brothers Sam and Nathan, musicians who are no longer able to breathe outside of their real-life sterile “plastic bubble,” and whose mother, Karen, developed her illness when she was only 17. These characters all suffer from debilitating sensitivities to their environment. Whether from ambient chemicals, genetics, electricity, or even psychogenic reasons, the cause is not clear, but the reality of the effects on these individuals is undeniable. Fortunately, Susie Molloy, a quiet firebrand who is chemically sensitive herself, seeks to help. In her, those afflicted by this modern malady have found an advocate whose mission is to de-stigmatize this community, and in telling their stories, Xanthopoulos has crafted a film itself as deeply sensitive as its title suggests. Cara Cusumano
Grace is a beautiful young nurse who lives a life of pain and anguish. Her addiction to heroin has forced the authorities to take away her beloved daughter Jessica, and put her on the verge of losing her job at the hospital. Grace finds sickly solace at the end of a junkie’s needle as she burns the days away, lost in the darkness of despair. A near fatal overdose lands her in the very hospital that she works-but also into the hands of one of the hospital’s janitors, Clayton. He’s an odd survivalist who hunts rabbits on the weekends from an abandoned school deep in the desolate countryside. When Grace wakes up in the bowels of Clayton’s make-shift bunker, he tells her a bizarre story. One in which he has not only saved her from a life of drugs, but also from the horrors of the world itself.
Plagued by the abuse of her past and the turmoil of failed intimate encounters, Laura struggles to find a lover and a sense of normalcy. Her beacon of hope comes in sixteen year-old Eva, a talented pianist disillusioned by the life her mother imposes upon her. An unlikely relationship is formed between the two and Eva becomes an obsession to Laura. In light of Eva’s unhappiness, Laura convinces her to runaway to her house and they soon find themselves caught within an intense entanglement. Manipulation, denial and codependency fuel what ultimately becomes a fractured dynamic that can only sustain itself for so long.
Him and her. A husband and a wife staying in a cozy hotel where you can come for just a couple of days with a risk to get stuck forever. It is so easy to get trapped in the daily routine. Indeed, nothing is more permanent than the temporary. Their time is like a flat circle. He has his phone calls and business meetings. She is wrapped in her dreams and doubts. All reactions are predictable, all conversations are learnt by heart. An endless LP record of life keeps playing again and again repeating itself. But a few things can break this tune, like a scratch on the record, a crack on a wine glass, a sudden glance or a meeting with a stranger. And then you know: tomorrow will come soon. Any moment something can go wrong, throw you off course, and force you to make a choice.
Four exceptional astronomers celebrate 50 years of work and friendship on a return road trip in the southwestern United States, recapturing youthful adventures and recounting each other’s influences on the most exciting period in astronomy’s history. Roger the instrument-maker, Donald the theoretician, Nick the visionary, and Wal the observer. Together they represent the most productive period astronomy has ever had. They helped build the world’s biggest observatories and made revolutionary discoveries about the evolving universe, discoveries that have the power to change the way humanity sees itself. Alison Rose’s film is a funny, insightful, humbling and intimate portrait of friendship, as the men reflect on how their profound work on the universe has reflected back on the individual, affecting their sense of religious faith, how life may have purpose, and what is knowable and unknowable.
The 2013 film from Alastair Lee is an epic to end all mountain epics se t in the stunning mountains of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. The feature documentary follows top adventure climber Leo Houlding with his tried and tested team of Jason Pickles and Sean ‘Stanley’ Leary as they attempt to make the first ascent of the NE ridge of ‘the master piece of the range’; the majestic Ulvetanna Peak (2931m). One of the most technically demanding climbs in the world’s harshest environment. The film tells the story of a climber’s life long dream reach one of the world’s most remote and difficult summits, interweaved with the fascinating story of the mountain itself; which incredibly was only discovered in 1994. All set against the backdrop of the current age of mountaineering where few great lines remained unclimbed.
This 2006 documentary film chronicles the life of Daniel Johnston, a manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist, from childhood up to the present, with an emphasis on his mental illness, and how it manifested itself in demonic self-obsession.
Powerful short film, which explores human existence at the most fundamental, personal level – what it means to be a conscious individual. Set hundreds of years in the future, a derelict spacecraft, controlled and powered by a human brain, floats aimlessly in the outer reaches of space. Trapped in the cold, mechanical prison of the vessel, the brain, which has no recollection or concept of self, miraculously begins to experience disjointed images of its former life – images it cannot understand. Yearning for freedom and yet unable to move, the brain devises a plan to build itself a mechanical body from parts of the ship. Maybe then it will understand the images it is seeing – maybe then it will feel alive.
Michael has life pretty sweet. His girlfriend adores him, his best mate David is loyal to the end, plus David’s girlfriend doesn’t mind a quick hook-up either. But Michael’s self-regarding lifestyle comes crashing down when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Desperate not to let his life just fade away, Michael steals the $200,000 raised for his treatment, and catches a one-way flight to London. He isn’t there for long before his nerve and sense of humour earn him a vicious beating in a back alley. Waking up cold and bloodied, he finds himself being watched over by the ethereal Sylvie; a mysterious French drifter. They fall head over heels in love, and attempt to outrun death itself.
As Josh struggles with the death of his wife Sam, his grief begins to manifest itself in haunting and strange ways. When Josh comes face to face with his dead wife who is somehow alive and well, he slowly realizes that his world consists of two divergent realities. As he journeys between the two realms, hopeful of recreating the life he shared with Sam, tragedy ensues.
How far will you go to protect your family? Jorge is a peaceful hard-working man who seeks a simple, quiet life for himself and his family. One day, he is mugged and humiliated by a gang of thugs led by Kalule, a delinquent from his neighborhood. This event infuriates his son as much for Jorge’s meek acceptance as for the act itself. The son, looking for retribution, ends up getting himself shot. Kalule is sent to jail and when he gets out 18 months later, begins a campaign of terror against Jorge and his family. The authorities do nothing, so Jorge decides to take matters into his own hands.
When architect and Christmas amateur Steven finds himself hosting his family for Christmas, he recruits holiday coordinator Gretchen to bring holiday joy to his home. Gretchen’s expert Christmas spirit brings Steven’s family together, but neither expected it to bring them closer to each other. After a great opportunity presents itself to Gretchen, she and Steven must decide what’s really important in life.
In June of 1994, one of the most brutal mass slaughters in history occurred in the backwoods of northern New England. Four months later, history is about to repeat itself. The end of summer signals the brink of manhood for a group of lifelong friends who proudly call New Hampshire their home. But when they embark upon a local rite of passage – traveling north for one final weekend of debauchery together – it just might prove to be their final weekend PERIOD, as this rite is doomed to go frightfully wrong. When they find themselves ensnared in a struggle for survival amongst a sinister hunting party, a bloodthirsty tribe AND a mythical beast, what began as a comedy of errors devolves into an all-out Darwinian duel to the death, and less than 24 hours will pass before a slew of lives have been claimed and the last of the living remains.
Russell Carpenter reluctantly admits his wife Sadie into an experimental treatment facility for her life threatening disease. While locked in this prison like surrounding they, along with 6 others, are unknowingly subjected to a cure that might just be worse than the disease itself
With a tour in Afghanistan behind him, war-torn Chris Jensen struggles to assimilate back to life in California. Drifting and living out of his car, he soon discovers that few are willing to deal with the remnants of a damaged career military man. Chris is self medicating; desperate to silence the echoes from the front lines. When an opportunity finally presents itself, he makes the hard decision to employ his most coveted talents honed in special ops. A job is a job and Chris knows civilian life can be just as cut-throat as time on active duty. But just how close does he have to get to Andrew Warner to secure the kill?
