Banana Peel 1963 N/R, 97 min. Genre: Foreign / Comedy
Director: Marcel Ophuls Cast: Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Claude Brasseur, Jean-Pierre Marrielle, Gert Frobe, Paulette Dubost, Cathy Baieff, Bob Morel, Henri Poirier, Charles Regnier, Alain Cuny, Dominique Zardi
Con-artists Cathy (Jeanne Moreau) and Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) track down a millionaire and try to take off with his fortune while he is vacationing on the French Riviera. But, they soon discover that this millionaire is pretty crafty, and they may have met their match.
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Basileus Quartet 1982 N/R, 118 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Fabio Carpi Cast: Pierre Malet, Omero Antonutti, Hector Alterio, Michel Vitold, Francois Simon, Alain Cuny, Gabriele Ferzetti, Veronique Genest, Lisa Kreuzer, Mimsy Farmer
When the leader of a string quartet dies, the three aging members who remain must replace their cohort with a young man–a move that has a great impact on the psyches of the aging musicians.
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Christ Stopped at Eboli 1979 PG, 150 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama aka: Eboli
Director: Francesco Rosi Cast: Gian Maria Volonte, Paolo Bonacelli, Irene Papas, Alain Cuny, Lea Massari, Francois Simon, Luigi Infantino, Francesco Callari, Antonio Allocca, Enzo Vitale
Set in mid-1930s' fascist Italy, this film is based on real-life anti-fascist author/painter Carlo Levi (Gian Maria Volonte). Carlo is exiled to a remote region of Southern Italy, which was populated by peasants. The simple life–and wisdom–of the peasants had an impact on him and his thinking as he began to have a new appreciation of them and their way of life.
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Detective 1985 N/R, 95 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Jean-Luc Godard Cast: Nathalie Baye, Claude Brasseur, Johnny Hallyday, Stephane Ferrara, Laurent Terzieff, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Alain Cuny, Eugene Berthier, Cyril Autin, Julie Delpy
New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard sets this story in the elegant Hotel Concorde at St. Lazare, France, where a variety of characters seek love, money owed them, or even the solution to a murder mystery. The plot is confusing, but the feel is pure Godard.
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Fellini Satyricon 1969 R, 128 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Romance aka: Satyricon
Director: Federico Fellini Cast: Martin Potter, Hiram Keller, Max Born, Capucine, Salvo Randone, Mario Romagnoli, Magali Noel, Alain Cuny, Lucia Bose, Fanfulla, Danika La Loggia, Giuseppe Sanvitale
In first-century Rome, Encolpio (Martin Potter) and Ascilto (Hiram Keller) are both trying to seduce a young lad, Gitone (Max Born). Ascilto wins and takes Gitone with him. This leaves Encolpio on his own until later when he and Ascilto are reunited, and they continue encountering hedonistic adventures in and around Rome. This film is a must for Fellini fans. However, others may find it more than a little bit bizarre as the storyline follows surviving fragments of Petronius' original book.
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1956 N/R, 104 min. Genre: Foreign / Drama / Horror
Director: Jean Delannoy Cast: Gina Lollobrigida, Anthony Quinn, Jean Danet, Alain Cuny, Robert Hirsch, Danielle Dumont, Philippe Clay, Maurice Sarfati, Jean Tissier, Valentine Tessier, Jacques Hilling, Jacques Dufilho, Roland Bailly, Roger Blin, Marianne Oswald
Anthony Quinn does a fine job as hunchback Quasimodo, the bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, who tries to fetch gypsy Esmeralda (Gina Lollobrigida) for the Chief Justice Frollo (Alain Cuny). He does reach Esmeralda and falls in love with her, but his efforts to bring her to Frollo fail, and Quasimodo gets arrested. Now, Esmeralda runs to the arms of Phoebus (Jean Danet)–leaving Quasimodo heartbroken.
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The Master and Margaret 1972 N/R, 100 min. Genre: Foreign / Comedy
Director: Aleksandar Petrovic Cast: Mimsy Farmer, Ugo Tognazzi, Pavle Vujisic, Alain Cuny, Velimir "Bata" Zivojinovic, Ljuba Tadic, Tasko Nacic, Janez Vrhovec, Fabijan Sovagovic, Danilo Stojkovic
This whimsical satire takes place in Moscow during the 1920s. Playright Nikolaj (Ugo Tognazzi) attends the dress rehearsal for his play in which most cast members object to performing. His girlfriend, Margaret (Mimsy Farmer), and Professor Voland (Alain Cuny) both want the play to go on. When Nikolaj discovers that the Professor is, in reality, the Devil, his attempt to warn others results in him being placed in an asylum. Now the Devil is free to add his own special effects to the play, and audience chaos follows.
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| 1. Banana Peel (1963)
2. Basileus Quartet (1982)
3. Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979) aka: Eboli
4. Detective (1985)
5. Fellini Satyricon (1969) aka: Satyricon
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956)
7. La Dolce Vita (1960)
8. The Master and Margaret (1972)
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