Posts Tagged ‘1920s’

Death Defying Acts (2007)

Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Genres: Drama | Romance | Thriller
Countries: Australia | UK
Actors: Pearce, Guy | Spall, Timothy | Bailey, Jack | Brown, Aaron | Crawford, MacKay | Fiddy, James | Fisher, Martin | Frost, Tim | Graham, Campbell | Jupp, Miles | Phillips, Dodger | Warman, John | Wilson, Chris
Directors:
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During Harry Houdini’s tour of Britain in 1926, the master escapologist enters into a passionate affair with a Scottish psychic. The psychic and her daughter attempt to con Houdini during a highly publicized séance to contact his mother whose death has haunted him for many years. However all does not go to plan…

Cinderella Man (2005)

Thursday, May 29th, 2008
Genres: Biography | Drama | Sport
Countries: USA
Actors: Crowe, Russell | Zellweger, Renée | Giamatti, Paul | Bierko, Craig | Considine, Paddy | McGill, Bruce | Huband, David | Price, Connor | Waller, Ariel | Louis, Patrick | DeWitt, Rosemarie | Kash, Linda | Campbell, Nicholas | Pyrz, Gene | Shamata, Chuck
Directors: Howard, Ron
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During the Great Depression, a common-man hero, James J. Braddock—a.k.a. the Cinderella Man—was to become one of the most surprising sports legends in history. By the early 1930s, the impoverished ex-prizefighter was seemingly as broken-down, beaten-up and out-of-luck as much of the rest of the American populace who had hit rock bottom. His career appeared to be finished, he was unable to pay the bills, the only thing that mattered to him—his family—was in danger, and he was even forced to go on Public Relief. But deep inside, Jim Braddock never relinquished his determination. Driven by love, honor and an incredible dose of grit, he willed an impossible dream to come true. In a last-chance bid to help his family, Braddock returned to the ring. No one thought he had a shot. However Braddock, fueled by something beyond mere competition, kept winning. Suddenly, the ordinary working man became the mythic athlete. Carrying the hopes and dreams of the disenfranchised on his shoulders, Braddock rocketed through the ranks, until this underdog chose to do the unthinkable: take on the heavyweight champ of the world, the unstoppable Max Baer, renowned for having killed two men in the ring.

Seabiscuit (2003)

Sunday, May 4th, 2008
Genres: Drama | History | Sport
Countries: USA
Actors: McCullough, David | Bridges, Jeff | O'Connor, Paul Vincent | Cooper, Chris | Ensign, Michael | Keane, James | Mahaffey, Valerie | Doty, David | Craig, Carl M. | O'Neill, Michael | Corley, Annie | Angarano, Michael | Bowen, Cameron | Luke, Noah | Bess, Mariah
Directors: Ross, Gary
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In an era when Americans were in great need of heroic figures to help them forget their troubles, SEABISCUIT comes to the rescue. The picture relates a moving story of friendship and devotion in rehabilitating the main characters’fractured lives, as it interweaves the interactions between horse, jockey, trainer and owner and their adoring fans. The film accurately portrays the real people and events of those troubled times and how Seabiscuit “fixed us, every one of us.”

Godfather: Part II, The (1974)

Thursday, April 24th, 2008
Genres: Drama | Thriller
Countries: USA
Actors: Pacino, Al | Duvall, Robert | Keaton, Diane | De Niro, Robert | Cazale, John | Shire, Talia | Strasberg, Lee | Gazzo, Michael V. | Spradlin, G.D. | Bright, Richard | Moschin, Gastone | Rosqui, Tom | Kirby, Bruno | Sivero, Frank | De Sapio, Francesca
Directors: Coppola, Francis Ford
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The continuing saga of the Corleone crime family tells the story of a young Vito Corleone growing up in Sicily and in 1910s New York; and follows Michael Corleone in the 1950s as he attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.

Legionnaire (1998)

Monday, January 21st, 2008
Genres: Action | Adventure | Drama | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Van Damme, Jean-Claude | Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Adewale | Berkoff, Steven | Farrell, Nicholas | Carter, Jim | Sofrenovic, Ana | Caltagirone, Daniel | Long, Joseph | Kalli, Mario | Montana, Joe | Romer, Kim | Bro, Anders Peter | Kynman, Paul | Pickering, Vincent | Triggelis, Takis
Directors: MacDonald, Peter
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At the height of its glory, the French Foreign Legion was made up of men widely regarded as the scum of the earth. It was a mercenary army posted to colonies in Northern Africa and Southern Asia…but its soldiers swore no allegiance to France, only to the legion and to each other. The legion asked no questions about a man’s past…nor did it offer much hope for his future. It was a hard way to get a second chance in life…

Skeleton Key, The (2005)

Sunday, October 21st, 2007
Genres: Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Countries: USA
Actors: Hudson, Kate | Rowlands, Gena | Hurt, John | Sarsgaard, Peter | Bryant, Joy | Barnett, Maxine | Harris, Fahnlohnee R. | Zinser, Marion | Tyler, Deneen | Dalrymple, Ann | Marcus, Trula M. | Staten, Tonya | Uskali, Thomas | Apgar, Jen | Landis, Forrest
Directors: Softley, Iain
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A young woman helping care for an invalid in New Orleans finds herself caught in the middle of morbid going-ons centered around a group of Hoodoo (Not Voodoo, it’s different. Hoodoo is an old African American magic that only works if you believe in it.) practitioners.

Painted Veil, The (2006)

Thursday, October 18th, 2007
Genres: Drama | Romance
Countries: China | USA
Actors: Watts, Naomi | Norton, Edward | Schreiber, Liev | Jones, Toby | Rigg, Diana | Howland, Juliet | Wong Chau-Sang, Anthony | Steed, Maggie | Laurence, Lorraine | Lee, Johnny | Feng, Li | Meiduo, Gesang | David, Alan | Voller, Lucy | Rennick, Ian
Directors: Curran, John
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This love story has Kitty meeting young, intelligent, shy and somewhat dull Dr. Walter Fane, whose forte is the study of infectious diseases, and the convenient marriage that she finds herself committed too. It is in this web of intrigue that they head for China, only after Walter discover’s Kitty’s infidelity with one dashing and witty Diplomat Charlie Townsend. So much as to hide her from herself and to help thwart a cholera outbreak, this is a marriage more than on the rocks. This is a cold, indifferent and loveless partnership in a vast unknown and deadly environment that will test both these flightless lovebirds and with the hardships and tolerances more than any had ever anticipated. A visual delight amidst the pain and suffering of a dying people and failing marriage. Will a cure be found for both, before it’s too late?

Legend of Bagger Vance, The (2000)

Thursday, August 23rd, 2007
Genres: Drama | Romance | Sport
Countries: USA
Actors: Smith, Will | Damon, Matt | Theron, Charlize | McGill, Bruce | Gretsch, Joel | Moncrief, J. Michael | Smith, Lane | Gerety, Peter | O'Neill, Michael | Ryan, Thomas Jay | Hamilton, Trip | Crowley, Dermot | Presnell, Harve | Nelson, Danny | Penny, Bob
Directors: Redford, Robert
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Rannulph Junnah is the best golfer in Savannah. He’s living well and has a girl, Adele Invergordon, who’s the daughter of a wealthy landowner. The First World War starts, though, and Junnah goes to Europe to fight. The only survivor of a dangerous mission, Junnah doesn’t return to Savannah for 15 years. In 1930, he returns, and Adele’s father has already committed suicide during the Depression. Pressured by tax collectors to sell the golf course her father built to pay off debts, Adele, now older, vows to bring to Savannah the greatest match ever played on the greatest golf course, her late father’s. She’s able to round up the 2 greatest golfers of their time, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to play for $10,000. The townspeople insist on having “one of their own” compete also, and Rannulph Junnah is rounded up. Junnah now hangs out with bums and is an alcoholic, as he has lost his authentic swing from 15 years ago. At first he turns down the offer. He gets his old clubs and balls and starts practicing. He has lost his ability. Suddenly, Bagger Vance shows up. He offers to be Junnahs’s caddy and help him regain his “authentic swing”. He does, and Junnah agrees to play in the big match.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Sunday, May 6th, 2007
Genres: Action | Drama | Romance | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Affleck, Ben | Hartnett, Josh | Beckinsale, Kate | Gooding Jr., Cuba | Voight, Jon | Baldwin, Alec | Sizemore, Tom | Scott, William Lee | Zola, Greg | Bremner, Ewen | King, Jaime | Kellner, Catherine | Garner, Jennifer | Rue, Sara | Shannon, Michael
Directors: Bay, Michael
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The above summaries do a great job of describing the dynamics of the love triangle that develops between the two pilots that fall in love with the same nurse. The movie also does a credible job of displaying the war from the American side with FDR and our side. It also shows the strategy of Japan as they plan for and execute all facets of the attack on Pearl Harbor. While all details may not be historically correct, I believe that they do the job well - all things considered. Historic events that were altered were probably done so in an attempt to also make this movie the entertaining epic that it is.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Saturday, May 5th, 2007
Genres: Drama | History | Romance
Countries: USA
Actors: Ohgo, Suzuka | Igawa, Togo | Mako | Futerman, Samantha | Sung, Elizabeth | Ikeda, Thomas | Gong, Li | Chin, Tsai | Momoi, Kaori | Weizenbaum, Zoe | Okihiro, David | Tachibana, Miyako | Kawamura, Kotoko | Yune, Karl | Yuan, Eugenia
Directors: Marshall, Rob
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In 1929 an impoverished nine-year-old named Chiyo from a fishing village is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto’s Gion district and subjected to cruel treatment from the owners and the head geisha Hatsumomo. Her stunning beauty attracts the vindictive jealousy of Hatsumomo, until she is rescued by and taken under the wing of Hatsumomo’s bitter rival, Mameha. Under Mameha’s mentorship, Chiyo becomes the geisha named Sayuri, trained in all the artistic and social skills a geisha must master in order to survive in her society. As a renowned geisha she enters a society of wealth, privilege, and political intrigue. As World War II looms Japan and the geisha’s world are forever changed by the onslaught of history.