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    1. Black Cat White Cat
    2. The Cup
    3. Babette's Feast/Subtitled
    4. The Motorcycle Diaries
    $18.95
    5. Flamenco
    6. Stalingrad (Ws Sub)
    7. Kika
    8. Red Sorghum
    9. Women on the Verge of a Nervous
    10. Les Miserables
    11. High Heels
    12. Raise the Red Lantern
    13. The Color of Paradise
    $23.70
    14. Un Chien Andalou / Land Without
    15. Antonio Gaudí
    16. Indochine
    17. Belle Epoque
    18. "Ay, Carmela!"
    $28.45
    19. West Beirut
    20. The Double Life of Veronique

    1. Black Cat White Cat
    by Polygram USA Video
    VHS Tape (18 July, 2000)
    list price: $14.95
    Asin: B00003UC5N
    Sales Rank: 4113
    Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Features

    • Color
    • NTSC

    Reviews (31)

    5-0 out of 5 stars "This is chaos!"
    The fastest 129 minutes you will ever spend reading subtitles.I've seen BLACK CAT, WHITE CAT around 10 times now and every time I don't want it to end cause I'm having too much fun.
    5-0 out of 5 stars The Marx Brothers take Gypsy culture! - Put this on DVD!!
    There is no way to summarize the plot of this film, except to say it's what you'd get if you dropped the Marx Brothers into Gypsy culture and stirred it all up. It's wild, crazy, and filled with music and dancing and unforgettable characters (played by real actors and actresses, not Hollywood ken-and-barbie dolls). You either like this kind of thing, or you don't. Astoundingly, some don't. Go figure! For me, it's a joy to watch.
    5-0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Movies Ever
    This is without a doubt one of the funniest movies I have ever seen.It is so intricate, human, and lovingly bizarre that I don't see how anyone could not absolutely love this movie.You have to bear with it for a bit in the beginning because there are so many characters and the plot is so complex that it takes a few scenes for you to get your bearings.Even during this time, though, the movie is absolutely hilarious.It's even more funny, though, once you realize what's going on.After that, just sit back and enjoy.Without equal. ... Read more

    Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Foreign Film - Other    3. Movie   


    2. The Cup
    by New Line Home Video
    VHS Tape (30 January, 2001)
    list price: $19.98
    Asin: B00004XPQN
    Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Editorial Review

    This sweet and genuine Tibetan comedy was promoted as a feel-good foreign flick--but anyone looking for guffaws and big feel-good moments will miss out on all the small, quiet pleasures Read more

    Features

    • Closed-captioned
    • Color
    • NTSC

    Reviews (14)

    5-0 out of 5 stars They are Still Serving Rice in Tibet
    Khyentse Norbu's Phorpa or The Cup is going to be difficult to sell in the US because it deal with two subjects that a US audience is not particularly interested in - Tibet and Soccer. In short, (on the surface) the story is about two young boys who escape from Tibet, land in a Bhutanese monastery, join up with other more established monks in waiting who are crazy about soccer, have an adventure and live happily ever after. Sure it is all this - but it is much more. Phorpa calls us to question some very fundamental issues that continue to haunt us - a nation's and a people's right to free expression in the guise of a bunch of everyday kids who just want to watch Soccer.
    5-0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Tibet, Innocent Story, and Entertaining Content
    Any time I watch this film I feel peaceful. Those innocent monks, the beautiful view of tibet, sound of chanting, beautiful ancient religious designs, and humble yet happy life all make me feel happy. This is a happy movie. No violence, no death, or anything sad in the film is seen. I find it releaving because of its innocence. It is hard to find a movie without bad conent, but this one doesn't have anything bad. Though they are all monks, there is no religious persuasion or hidden message there. I don't think the movie was made for religious purpose. It seems to me that the innocent passion to soccer (yes, the sports where a ball is kicked around) in the community where civilization is lacking is the main thing here.

    4-0 out of 5 stars Delightful on many levels
    This is a charming film, filled with humor and enticing glimpses into the way of life in a modern Buddhist monastery, and how the old and new schools are melding.Read more

    Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film-comedy    3. Movie   


    3. Babette's Feast/Subtitled
    by Orion Home Video
    VHS Tape
    list price: $19.99
    Asin: 6301216156
    Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Editorial Review

    Some movies can only be described as delicious. In Read more

    Features

    • NTSC

    Reviews (108)

    5-0 out of 5 stars transcends time and place
    I first saw this film about 10 years ago, and, no matter how many times I watch it, I am still amazed.It handles art, religion, love, lust, ambition, and yes, food.It skewers it's own characters as well as small town life for frequent giggles, but then stumbles unexpectedly into moments of extremely lonely, soul-searching seriousness.It is both harsh and tender.It is about religion and art, but never preaches either.It simply tries to answer the question all of its characters ask themselves at one point or another: Why am I here?What is my purpose in life?
    5-0 out of 5 stars I wish all films were this good!
    What a wonderful movie!
    5-0 out of 5 stars Babette's Feast - a feast for the senses
    Quite simply, this is the best movie I have ever seen.I have watched it at least a dozen times, and it never fails to move me.I finally purchased the DVD, but alas, my DVD player broke!Now to purchase a new DVD player so that I can begin the second dozen viewings. ... Read more


    4. The Motorcycle Diaries
    by Universal Studios
    VHS Tape (15 February, 2005)
    list price: $9.98
    Asin: B0006Z2LOW
    Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Editorial Review

    The beauty of the South American landscape and of Gael Garcia Bernal (Read more

    Features

    • Color
    • Full Screen
    • Subtitled
    • NTSC

    Reviews (215)

    5-0 out of 5 stars Enchanting & memorable
    I grew up during the Cold War when the USSR was the personfication of Evil and anybody left of Reagan was suspect.Listening to the nightly news, history books, and political pundits, one would think that Che Guevara was the Hammer of Evil; however, as I have learned since then, life is much more complicated than what was painted for me then.
    5-0 out of 5 stars A quiet and above all...."nice" film
    I got a confession to make: like a previous reviewer said about his friend, I too didn't connect the main character of the film with the controversial communist revolutionary Che Guevara. While his last name is mentioned a couple times and Che, not once did it occur to me that it meaning him. In reflecting on the film, it had a different resonance. Instead of being a road trip movie about things that change your life, it ended up becoming a look into a life who had enough with things and wanted change. Sure we can disagree with the methods but it's quite a look into a famous leader's backstory.
    1-0 out of 5 stars Boring
    Easy Rider without the sex and drugs and rock n' roll! In Spanish to boot! ... Read more

    Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure    2. Foreign    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. Movie   


    5. Flamenco
    by New Yorker Video
    VHS Tape (16 March, 1999)
    list price: $19.95 -- our price: $18.95
    (price subject to change: see help)
    Asin: 1567301606
    Sales Rank: 6930
    Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Features

    • Color
    • Letterboxed
    • Subtitled
    • Widescreen
    • NTSC

    Reviews (30)

    4-0 out of 5 stars Spanish vacation
    Having spent my recent vacation in Spain, and having attended a flamengo dance performance in Sevilla (without bringing a recorder)I was glad finding this DVD. The music is of course highly authentic and I much enjoyed it. After a while though it becomes "all of the same thing" and starts to bore you. I ejected this DVD after 45 minutes or so. Nevertheless I do recommend purchasing it especially if you want to have an immediately accessable " souvenir" of your visit to Spain.

    5-0 out of 5 stars Rare opportunity to see the greats!
    While this performance is choreographed, hence not 100% authentic Canté Gitano, this is a very rare opportunity to see many of the great people of flamenco in one place. Carlos Saura has brought together people of the likes of Moraito Chico, Fernanda de Utrera, Manolo Sanlúcar, Manuel Agujetas, Paco del Gastor, Chocolate, Farruco, Farruquito, Tomasa la Macanita, Tomatito, etc, etc!
    4-0 out of 5 stars For flamenco lovers!
    Saura is always very good at stories about the world of dance and this one is a real must for those who admire flamenco. ... Read more

    Subjects:  1. Foreign    2. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   


    6. Stalingrad (Ws Sub)
    by Fox Lorber
    VHS Tape (11 November, 1997)
    list price: $29.98
    Asin: 6304287313
    Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Editorial Review

    It's tempting to call this harrowing picture a World War II version of Read more

    Features

    • Color
    • Letterboxed
    • Subtitled
    • Widescreen
    • NTSC

    Reviews (164)

    5-0 out of 5 stars Up there with Das Boot
    Compelling story from a "small cadre of individuals" perspective. 3-0 out of 5 stars Stalingrad
    The movie was true. It was to the point. People nowdays may not what is really true.One of best.Outstanding.

    5-0 out of 5 stars Classic World War 2 Film
    This film is a must for anyone interested in creating a 'collectors' library on World War 2 films. The film is an unbiased view into the sufferings and agony of both German and Russian soldiers during Hitler's famous assault on Stalingrad.
    Read more

    Subjects:  1. Foreign    2. Foreign Film - German    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. Movie   


    7. Kika
    by Vidmark / Trimark
    VHS Tape (01 January, 1998)
    list price: $9.99
    Asin: 6304178883
    Sales Rank: 6937
    Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Features

    • Color
    • Dolby
    • NTSC

    Reviews (29)

    5-0 out of 5 stars Funny, Erotic, & Endlessly Enjoyable
    I've learned to accept Almodovar as he has (ahem) matured & gotten serious. He is my favorite director so I support all his progressions. However! I'm deeply & irrevocably in love with the movie Kika, its colors, its actors, its characters, its music, its dialogue, its spell. Having watched it as much as I have, I've analyzed scenes & themes that otherwise would have escaped a one time viewing only.For example, notice how Ramon kneels in front of three women, for different purposes. First the model in the opening credits as he photographs her in bed. Next, he kneels in front of his dead mother as he opens her blouse to reveal her wound. Finally, in front of Kika as he makes love to her. The posters throughout the film hint at the action to take place in the future scenes. The dialogue is hilarious beyond belief & is not all translated or not translated acurately in the subtitles. If you are an Almodovar fan, you owe it to yourself to study Spanish & brush up on Castillian regionalisms to get the fully, mordant sinuousness of the dialogue. Kika is a black comedy & must be enjoyed as such, otherwise one would not laugh at the bizarre costumes, the multiple deaths, the rape as much-needed outlet for the retarded ex-porn star, the fickleness of love, the unfaitfulness throughout. Finally, I suspect that public taste or America's increasing discomfort with black comedy when its applied to rape, is delaying or preventing the rerelease of Kika on dvd. Its available in Brazil, but, of course not with English subtitles.

    5-0 out of 5 stars "In my own dirty and silent way, I loved you."
    "Kika" (Veronique Forque) is a bubbly beautician who has a poor history with men ("I always get the weirdos"). She lives with photographer Ramon who has a few kinky habits. Ramon has never forgotten his mother's suicide, and he has mixed feelings about his sinister step-father (Peter Coyote). Ramon's ex-girlfriend, Andrea Scarface (Victoria Abril) is the bizarre former psychologist-turned-tabloid-crime-TV-host who continues to show a morbid interest in Ramon's life. 5-0 out of 5 stars Very funny movie [5]
    This is a very funny movie.The characters are very rich.The actors and actresses does a great job.This is one fascinating movie appropriate for all ages.The interaction between all the characters are fantastic and very interesting.I highly recommended it. ... Read more

    Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   


    8. Red Sorghum
    by New Yorker Video
    VHS Tape (11 November, 1998)
    list price: $29.95
    Asin: 6302263948
    Sales Rank: 4933
    Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Features

    • Color
    • Subtitled
    • NTSC

    Reviews (12)

    5-0 out of 5 stars Good Wine
    I have been a fan of Zhang Yimou's films since 1999 when I first watched his 1991 film Raise The Red Lantern for my East Asian Novel class, and since then I have watched several other of his films such as Not One Less, To Live, The Road Home, Happy Times, and Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. Each one of his films brings something new to the table and delves into such issues as urban/rural conflicts, political corruption, and Japan-China relations. Red Sorghum is Zhang Yimou's first film as a director and while it may be a bit simpler than many of his later films it contains elements that almost every fan of his films will be familiar with: beautiful settings, very fleshed out characters, and moments of conflict where those who possess little power are overwhelmed by larger forces. Also, Red Sorghum is Gong Li first film, and it is nice to see that even at such a young age, 21, that she already possessed on screen charisma that can really grip the viewer's heart. While not as masterful as her performances in To Live or Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine, her tears and iron core are still quite moving.
    5-0 out of 5 stars A pastoral epic!
    The bold portrait of the humble village wine makers against the interloping Japanese forces. An enigmatic and brave film that marks the ascending and meteoric career of Yimou Zang. Winner of the Silver Bear 1988, and one of my Fifty top choices of that Decade.
    5-0 out of 5 stars A very good movie!
    Watching this movie makes you feel the blood in your whole body are burning! It's very hard to produce a movie with such a strong force of passion. ... Read more

    Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Chinese    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   


    9. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
    by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
    VHS Tape (13 November, 2001)
    list price: $14.95
    Asin: B00000IQCG
    Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Editorial Review

    Pedro Almodovar broke into the art-house mainstream with this wild,manic comedy about a gaggle of women and their various problems with men, be they married lovers, cheating husbands, fiancés, or terrorists. Almodovar's long-time leading lady, Carmen Maura, stars as an actress (famed for her laundry detergent commercial as the mother of a sloppy serial killer) who's just been dumped by her married lover. In the midst of trying to track him down for a face-to-face confrontation, she crosses paths with her lover's son (Antonio Banderas), his unbalanced wife (Julieta Serrano), and his new girlfriend (Kiti Manver). Adding more fuel to the fire is the hapless friend(Maria Barranco) who got involved with a Shiite terrorist and is now being hunted by the police. Almodovar, a master of farcical screwball comedy, manages to keep all these balls in the air in dizzy, hilarious style without once losing his momentum. Chock full of the director's over-the-top stylization, in terms of both story and sets, the film is a hilarious yet heartfelt marriage of kitsch and drama, verging on parody but never going entirely over the top. Maura is absolutely breathtaking as the unhinged lover, dispensing wise advice to others while trying to keep a semblance of sanity, and the supporting cast is quintessential Almodovar, including a brief but memorable turn by Banderas in what could have been a bland, go-nowhere role. Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 1989. Read more

    Features

    • Color
    • Original recording reissued
    • NTSC

    Reviews (35)

    4-0 out of 5 stars Thanks to Angelika for showing this Almodovar Movie!
    I liked it and I miss this type of comedy.
    5-0 out of 5 stars What's up with Almodovar's DVD releases???
    This is a great movie....Why isn't it available on DVD in the US? There's a festival of Pedro's movies in the theaters around the country right now....but can you buy his DVDs...for most of them, NO! So, what's the story? Is there a re-release in the works? A boxed set for Chirstmas? Deluxe versions with commentary? Let us fans in on the secret! Thanks!~Tom Burkert

    4-0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Comedy. Not quite up to Hepburn and Grant!
    `Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'written and directed by Spaniard Pedro Almodovar has been described by some other reviewers as a `screwball comedy'. I generally agree with this assessment, except that compared to the greatest of this genre, for example, `Bringing Up Baby' with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant, this effort is just a bit weak, primarily in the weaknesses of the male protagonists, who generally make short appearances, largely as a means to introduce the various stressed out women of the story, of which there are four or five, depending on how you count them.
    Read more

    Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa   


    10. Les Miserables
    by Warner Home Video
    VHS Tape (01 September, 1998)
    list price: $29.98
    Asin: 6304032595
    Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Editorial Review

    This brilliant film manages to reinterpret the story of Victor Hugo'sclassic novel, critique it, and investigate the nature of art and life on top ofthat--all in three hours that zip past, fueled by the dynamic performance ofFrench icon Jean-Paul Belmondo (Read more

    Features

    • Closed-captioned
    • Color
    • Subtitled
    • NTSC

    Reviews (30)

    5-0 out of 5 stars One of the best movies I've seen - needs DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I can't understand why it is still not available on DVD.

    5-0 out of 5 stars One of my all-time favorites
    This re-telling of the well-known "Les Miserables" story is set in the bloody, painful first half of the 20th century in Europe. It opens with a scene of a gorgeous, turn-of-the-century ball, a robbery afterwards, and wrongful imprisonment. Quickly fast forward to WWII France, the Resistance and the awful plight of the Jews. Jean-Paul Belmondo is a truck driver whose decent heart leads him to hide some Jews, and his quiet courage and strength as the Nazis try to find out his secrets are amazing. As he is driving one of the Jewish escapees to freedom, the man regales him with the story of the Hugo novel, which he has never heard. The twists and turns of the story are truly bizarre and horrifying, but amazingly Claude Lelouche has made a movie of hope. The film ends with a reprise of the gorgeous ball in a very different setting. One can only sigh with satisfaction.
    4-0 out of 5 stars Light Shining in the Darkness
    I really loved this film.Only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because I kept comparing it to what I think is the best english-language version (best period!) of the original tale.That would be the 1978 w/ Perkins, Jordan, Gielgud, Holm, etc.If you get that you have to get the full-length VHS version.
    Read more

    Subjects:  1. Foreign    2. Foreign Film - French    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   


    11. High Heels
    by Paramount
    VHS Tape (03 April, 2001)
    list price: $7.99
    Asin: 6302530148
    Sales Rank: 9130
    Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Features

    • Closed-captioned
    • Color
    • NTSC

    Reviews (8)

    4-0 out of 5 stars Almodrama
    Like all great Almodovar movies, traditional gender roles are subverted in 'High Heels'. In fact for WASP suburbanite America, much of this plot would seem like an episode of Jerry Springer. Mother abandons daughter for singing career, daughter marries mother's former lover, mother continues to have affair with son-in-law while daughter becomes pregnant through a night of passion with a drag queen. How ironic it is then that Almodovar takes much of his influence for this movie from Douglas Sirk. A director noted for his melodramas about late 50's/early 60's family life amongst WASP suburanites in America. In fact this meshing of a traditional film genre with more modern edgy characters has even been given a name - an Almodrama -.5-0 out of 5 stars "I'm whatever you call me."
    The Spanish comedy film, "High Heels" directed by Pedro Almodovar is the story of a daughter, Rebecca (Victoria Abril) who reunites with her mother, the famous actress/singer Becky del Paramo (Marisa Paredes) after years of estrangement. The mother-daughter relationship is already severely strained due to Becky's single-minded devotion to her career--and a string of unfortunate relationships with men, but Rebecca's marriage to the shady and rather unpleasant Manuel, her former step-father, makes the difficult reunion almost intolerable.
    3-0 out of 5 stars BECKY DEL PARAMO E HIJA
    Although it�s not a materpiece, a bit slow in some parts, every Almodovar film is always a gift for the senses, and Tacones Lejanos "High Heels" is not the exception. Exceptional acting performances by Victoria Abril and Marisa Paredes, amazing cinematography, marvelous songs by Luz Casal ("Un a�o de Amor" and the heartbreaking "Piensa En Mi"), funny impersonators secenes (Miguel Bose aka Letal), and a must-seen for all the fans of the House Of Chanel with big exposure of clothes, jewelry, bags, glasses (eraly 90s collections). At last, i recommend this film for just having a big time with this funny Almodovar. ... Read more

    Subjects:  1. Comedy Video    2. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. Movie   


    12. Raise the Red Lantern
    by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
    VHS Tape (11 July, 1995)
    list price: $19.99
    Asin: 6302645891
    Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Editorial Review

    Zhang Yimou (Read more

    Features

    • Color
    • NTSC

    Reviews (144)

    5-0 out of 5 stars This is the one to watch
    Red Lantern is a carefully crafted story centered around a young woman named Songlian, played by the ever-brilliant Gong Li. Songlian's hopes and dreams of college and a better life are cruelly cut short by the sudden and unexpected death of her father. With no money for school and at the insistence of her mother, Songlian is forced to marry Chen, a wealthy landowner who already has three wives of his own. Each of the wives reside in separate wings of his centuries-old castle estate. The living quarters are extremely upscale and come complete with a personal servant and maid. But, like the storied bird in the gilded cage, their lives are sad, empty and lonely.
    1-0 out of 5 stars The Quality to DVD is Appalling!
    Raise the Red Lantern is a wonderful movie with a great story.When I had heard that this movie was going to be transfered to DVD format, I was thrilled. And then I bought the DVD, and to my dismay, within the first couple of minutes into the movie, there were white lines and distortion. Since I loved the movie so much, I thought I would make an exception for the first few minutes, but as the movie continued, so did the white lines.I could not believe what I was seeing.The DVD copy of this movie, reminded me of the old movies I use to see years ago, when there were only 7 channels on TV.
    1-0 out of 5 stars Terrible transfer quality!
    UGH!Yet another disaster!I REALLY hoped this would be a bettter transfer than Ju Dou, but alas I am not satisfied!I am already 2 minutes into the dialogue and thinking "oh my gosh, do I really have to sit through this cr*p again??"Terrible subtitles also...erghhhhh...and I LOVE Gong Li.What a shame.I guess one can watch it KNOWING it's going to be bad quality ahead of time...I just really wasn't expecting it.I'm going to go watch it as I'm sure it's going to be great acting. ... Read more

    Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Chinese   


    13. The Color of Paradise
    by Sony Pictures
    VHS Tape (13 March, 2001)
    list price: $21.96
    Asin: B00004VVO8
    Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Editorial Review

    Majid Majidi, whose delightful Read more

    Features

    • Color
    • NTSC

    Reviews (68)

    5-0 out of 5 stars Gentle and powerful . . .
    This is another fine film by Iranian director Magid Magidi. In its manner, it seems to reflect issues in Iran's culture (its faith-based adherence to patriarchy, for one), while treating them in what seems to be a gently elusive way, at least on the surface, while appealing at the same time to more universal and deeply felt values that cross national boundaries everywhere. The elusiveness may well result from the heavy-handed control of artistic expression in the Islamic Republic (see Shirin Ebadi, "Iran Awakening") but patience rewards the viewer with what is a thoughtful meditation on the struggle for dignity, personal safety, and a harmonious community life.
    4-0 out of 5 stars Crying out for love
    As a genera, foreign films are much more beautiful than anything produced by Hollywood. The Color of Paradise was no exception. Right from the start the audience was immersed in a heart wrenching family drama transcending both time and culture. The beauty of this film is, whether you grew up in Iran or any place else on the planet, you can't help but empathize with the plight of Mohammad and Hashem. Although filmed in a foreign land the plot is definitely not a foreign concept. The characters speak Farsi but once you turn on the subtitles even the language barrier goes away.
    5-0 out of 5 stars Captivating
    After I watched this movie, for a while, I became more enthusiasic for life and this world thanks to Mohammed. I watch parts of this movie over and over again, the part in which he discovers the crops growing in the fields in his village, the part in which he is discovering sand , water and the call of sea birds by a beach and the time, he is happy to come into his village and shouts out to his grandmother over and over again.
    Read more

    Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Foreign Film - Other    3. Movie   


    14. Un Chien Andalou / Land Without Bread
    by Kino Video
    VHS Tape (09 January, 2001)
    list price: $24.95 -- our price: $23.70
    (price subject to change: see help)
    Asin: B0000560QI
    Sales Rank: 11134
    Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    Features

    • Black & White
    • Subtitled
    • NTSC

    Reviews (22)

    5-0 out of 5 stars Las Hurdes is absolutely shocking
    I just watched Land Without Bread, or Las Hurdes, the only documentary directed by Luis Bunuel. The film is short, only 27 minutes, but it is long enough to portray enough human suffering to disgust. Images include a girl who lies in a road for two days and then dies. No one helps. The local schoolteacher instructs rows upon rows of malnourished children to respect the property of others. The schoolteacher feeds them bread, and makes them eat it immediately to keep their starving parents from taking it from them. They dip it into the only nearby source of water, a trickle running through a ditch where the pigs wallow. Bunuel illustrates with these sorts of images how these people are unbelievably pathetic, yet he clearly goes beyond this when he shows images of the developmentally challenged somehow teetering on the edge of life in a world where even the fittest can rarely overcome. "Morons and dwarves are plentiful..." says the narrator, but in some degree or other, all the people of the community are tragically moronic at every turn. They drink water from the ditch, yet somewhere within a reasonable distance is a river. They try to plant a crop, but the crop is washed away because they plant too near that river. They cook over an open fire indoors, but they don't make windows for themselves to let smoke out of their homes. They have no food for two months of the year, and yet mothers carry babies around in almost every shot. The viewer is left with the distinct impression that these people can't survive much longer, and there is certainly no optimism in sight when the film ends. How in the world can these people not plan a little better? The answer, I think, must lie in the intellectually suffocating nature of their hopelessness, the horrendous condition they feel swept away again and again along with every one of even the slightest currents of misfortune. Perhaps they've simply quit trying, it would seem.

    3-0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking, but no masterpiece
    Recently, I purchased and viewed my first Luis Bunuel film, Los Olvidados (The Young and the Damned). The film is very good, including some incredibly poignant and unforgettable images. I then decided to purchase and view one of his earlier works, likewise considered a masterpiece of film, Un Chien Andalou/Land Without Bread. This is awful. A mish-mash of mush! Its only redeeming quality is its brevity. Once again, here we have a film that is given much more credit than it deserves, and I'm starting to think that the reason this often happens is that: a) the movies are old and therefore deserve respect for being "groundbreaking" b) they are "enigmatic," which is the critically vogue term for "confusing," which is often the polite term for "stupid," which when inserted into the VCRs of sheltered and myopic film critics can be enigmatically transformed into "intellectual." What's more appalling than this film is the praise that is heaped upon it. So the eyeball scene is groundbreaking. So what? It's not all that! I suppose lifting up the blanket--twice--to view the dead baby was likewise groundbreaking. Try disgraceful. Un Chien Andalou/Land Without Bread is a mongrelization of meaningless movie-making that belongs on some dusty shelf in some vault catalogued for historical reference only. You've been warned.
    5-0 out of 5 stars 'Land Without Bread' might be Bunuel's masterpiece
    'Un chien andalou' (1928) is the best-known film on this video and is a fascinating work in its own right, but the real masterpiece here is undoubtedly 'Land Without Bread' ('Las Hurdes'). As great as most of Bunuel's subsequent films would be, this 27-minute 1932 work arguably towers above them all. Calling it a documentary would not do justice to its unrivaled breadth: among other things, this film asks the questions 'what is a documentary?' and 'what is the role of the documentarist?', and this prevents us from using definitive, short-circuiting labels. In fact, no label could conceivably express this film's power. The controversy surrounding this work has three main sources: 1) some of the sequences have apparently been staged by Bunuel; 2) the impersonal narration seems in direct contrast to the pain and tragedy that unfolds on the screen; 3) so is Bunuel's choice of using Brahms's Fourth symphony as background music. For these reasons, cinephiles have been disagreeing for over 70 years about Bunuel's treatment of human and animal misery in this film. For me, his audacious technique creates a space - a window - between the viewer and the plight of the Hurdanos; it is this space that somehow transfigures their misery, rather than merely exploit it (as some have suggested). The film becomes a true initiation for the viewer: it provides a difficult, troubling but potentially life-changing experience. In the end, Bunuel's intentions do not matter as much as the impact his film can have on those who see it; and for this viewer, he has carved a moving, mysterious and ineffable work. ... Read more

    Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)    2. Foreign    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   


    15. Antonio Gaudí
    by New Yorker Films
    VHS Tape (30 November, 1999)
    list price: $29.95
    Asin: B00000G3MS
    Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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    Editorial Review

    Creator of one of the most bizarre and organic styles in the history of architecture, Antonio Gaudi Cornet, Spain's national treasure, was blessed with not onlythe vision, but the patronage that allowed him to build his elaborate and surreal designs. With Read more

    Features

    • Color
    • NTSC

    Reviews (6)

    4-0 out of 5 stars Sound and image
    For those used to the more linear approach to documentaries seen in American and European docs, this 1984 film will come as either a revelation or a bore (see one of the below reviews). But the director, Hiroshi Teshigahara--who had previously made several films with the composer Toru Takemitsu (all based on the writing of Kobo Abe)--here takes an unusual approach to the documentary, almost completely eschewing voiceover or any linear narrative perspective to instead immerse the viewer in the brilliance that was Antonio Gaudi.
    4-0 out of 5 stars Beautifully captured images of Gaudi's work.
    When I first saw this film, I did not know what to expect. One thing is there is no dialogue, just footage of the glorious city of Barcelona and the effect Gaudi's work had on the place. It's beautiful, surreal and an extremely awe inspiring experience to view it all on film. There is a depth to this film which words cannot convey, only seeing this film can one appreciate Gaudi and the city of Barcelona. A city imbued with enormous beauty and creative genius. One can feel great pride for the Catalan people by just his (Gaudi's) example alone. Well worth your time to see!

    2-0 out of 5 stars A boring bore and even more of the same!
    Oh, boy! T