 The American Friend 1977  N/R, 127 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery / Thriller
aka: Der Amerikanische Freund
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Bruno Ganz, Dennis Hopper, Lisa Kreuzer, Gerard Blain, Nicholas Ray, Samuel Fuller, Jean Eustache, Peter Lilienthal, Daniel Schmid, Rudolf Schundler, Sandy Whitelaw, Lou Castel, Heinz Joachim Klein, David Blue, Rosemarie Heinikel
This psychological thriller stars Dennis Hopper as Tom Ripley who sells forged paintings. Jonathan Zimmerman (Bruno Ganz) suffers from a fatal illness, and Ripley persuades him to become the paid killer of a French Mafioso. Zimmerman plans to use the money to support his family after his death. But, one murder leads to another.
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Beware of a Holy Whore 1971  N/R, 117 min.
Genre: Foreign / Comedy
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Cast: Lou Castel, Eddie Constantine, Marquard Bohm, Hanna Schygulla, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Hannes Fuchs, Ulli Lommel, Marcella Michelangeli, Kurt Raab, Karl Scheydt
The cast and crew of a German film company are on location awaiting materials (due to lack of funds) and the director, Jeff (Lou Castel). While they wait, the time is spent drinking, fighting, and sleeping around. When Jeff arrives, the funding has still not shown, and so more of the same antics continue as insights are gained on the filmmakers' lives.
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A Bullet for the General 1967 N/R, 135 min.
Genre: Foreign / Western
Director: Damiano Damiani
Cast: Gian Maria Volonte, Klaus Kinski, Martine Beswick, Lou Castel, Andrea Checchi, Spartaco Conversi, Jaime Fernandez, Joaquin Parra, Jose Manuel Martin, Aldo Sambrell
This spaghetti Western begins with El Chuncho (Gian Maria Volonte) and his bandits robbing a train to get weapons for the Mexican revolutionary forces. American Bill Tate (Lou Castel) is on the train and helps the cause–wanting to get into the good graces of the revolutionaries–in order to assassinate the leaders.
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Irma Vep 1996 N/R, 98 min.
Genre: Drama / Fantasy
Director: Olivier Assayas
Cast: Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Nathalie Richard, Antoine Basler, Nathalie Boutefeu, Alex Descas, Dominique Faysse, Arsinee Khanjian, Bernard Nissile, Olivier Torres, Bulle Ogier, Lou Castel
A former New-Wave director Rene Vidal (Jean-Pierre Leaud) has seen better times, and now he wants to remake the French film "Les Vampire." Actress Maggie Cheung (played by herself) has been signed to star in the film; however, there is much chaos on the set (all but the director are against his choice of Cheung as star). When both director and star are replaced, they set out for revenge.
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Nada 1974  N/R, 128 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action
aka: The Nada Gang
Director: Claude Chabrol
Cast: Fabio Testi, Mariangela Melato, Maurice Garrel, Michel Duchaussoy, Michel Aumont, Didier Kaminka, Lou Castel, Katia Romanoff, Andre Falcon, Viviane Romance, Francois Perrot, Henri Attal
The Nada Gang, as the group of anarchist terrorists is called, kidnap an American ambassador, leaving death in their wake. They hole up, and as they begin to bicker, the government and police gain information about them and home in on their location. A good thriller by Chabrol.
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The Scarlet Letter 1972 N/R, 90 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Senta Berger, Lou Castel, Hans Christian Blech, Yella Rottlander, Yelena Samarina, William Layton, Rudiger Vogler, Tito Garcia, Jose Villasante, Alfredo Mayo
This is a good Wim Wenders rendition of the Nathaniel Hawthorne classic tale. Wenders' characterization of the early immigrants' biases and customs is interesting, and the acting is likewise good. It tells the story of Hester Prynne (Senta Berger) who is disgraced after having a sexual encounter and must wear the letter "A" on her blouse, and of the Reverend (Lou Castel) living with his indiscretion but sworn to secrecy by Hester.
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| 1. The American Friend (1977)
aka: Der Amerikanische Freund
2. Beware of a Holy Whore (1971)
3. A Bullet for the General (1967)
4. Irma Vep (1996)
5. Nada (1974)
aka: The Nada Gang
6. The Scarlet Letter (1972)
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