General & Miscellaneous Works
Early Film (Film to 1930)
Film Genres
Sex and Censorship in the Movies
The Hollywood Blacklist of the 1950s
Women in the Movies
The Movies, Race, and Ethnicity
Queer Cinema/Representation of Gays and Lesbians in Film
- National Cinemas
- Latin American Cinema
African Cinema
East Asian Cinema
South/Southeast Asian, Oceanea Cinema
Middle Eastern/North African Cinema
Western European Cinema
Eastern European Cinema
Works About Individual Filmakers/Actors:
Film Genres
- American Cinema. 13 part series. 1994. 55 min. each segment.
- An epic analysis of the American motion picture industry and the development of film genres that combines rare archival film, key scenes from immortal movies, interviews with leading filmmakers and commentary from noted film scholars and critics.
This series available for online viewing (Requires initial registration at site)[Requires Windows Media player]
The Studio System. DVD 371; Video/C 3710
The Star. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3711
The Western. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3712
Romantic Comedy. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3713
The Combat Film. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3714
Film Noir. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3715
Film in the Television Age. DVD 371 VHS Video/C 3716
The Film School Generation.DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3717
The Edge of Hollywood. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3718
Classical Hollywood Today. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3719
Film Language: the Director's Choice. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3719
Thinking and Writing About Film. DVD 371;
- Martin, James. "American Cinema." (television program reviews) America v172, n3 (Feb 4, 1995):19.
Gaydos, Steven. "American Cinema." (television program reviews) Variety v357, n12 (Jan 23, 1995):42 (2 pages).
Goldberg, Robert. "American Cinema." (television program reviews) Wall Street Journal (Mon, Jan 30, 1995):A18(W), A18(E), col 1, 21 col in.
- American Nightmare
- Knife-weilding murderers, buxom teens fleeing for theirlives, the undead limping across streets. These imagesare synonymous with horror movies. Gobehind-the-scenes with filmmaker greats as they revealtheir inspirations for some of the most disturbinglygruesome films that have emerged on screen. Includesexcerpts from classic horror films. Contents: Scene excerpts: Bride of Frankenstain (1935) -- Thebrood (1979) -- The crazies (1973) -- Dawn ofthe dead (1978) -- Dracula (1931) -- Frankenstein(1931) -- The fun house (1981) -- Halloween (1978) --Maniac (1980) -- It came from outter space (1953) --Last house on the left (1972) -- Night of the livingdead (1968) -- Rabid (1977) -- Scanners (1981) --Shivers (1975) -- The Texas chainsaw massacre (1974) --Videodrome (1983) -- White Zombie (1932) -- Thewolfman (1941). 2000. 71 min. DVD 2417
- The Animated Century
- In this first ever comprehensive history of animation worldwide, animated hosts Professor Elderberry and Horace introduce clips from 160 animated films from 26 countries as they discuss the most significant animated films of the past 100 years. They also demonstrate different animation techniques including pin screen, pixillation, rotoscope, and cutout and puppet animation. Filmakers: James Stuart Blackton, Vadislav Starevich, Willis O'Brien, Winsor McCay, Yuri Norstein, John Randolph Bray, Otto Messmer, Max Fleischer, Walter Ruttmann, Len Lye, Dziga Vertov, George Pal, Dave Fleischer, Walt Disney, Juan Padron, Paul Driessen, Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, Friz Feleng, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, Walter Lantz, Jan Svankmajer, Tex Avery, Hu Jinqing. Dist. Cinema Guild. 2003. 92 min. DVD 4697
- The Bible According to Hollywood
- Film excerpts. Vol. 1. Intolerance -- The wanderer --King of Kings (1927) -- Noah's ark -- Sign of the cross -- The crusades -- Susan and God -- Song ofBernadette -- Samson and Delilah -- Fabiola -- QuoVadis -- David and Bathsheba -- Miracle of Our Lady ofFatima. -- Vol. 2. The robe -- The Egyptian -- Theprodigal -- Ten Commandments -- Ben Hur -- Solomon and Sheba -- Story of Ruth -- Esther and the King-- Spartacus -- King of Kings (1961) -- Gospel according to St. Matthew -- The Bible.
In the beginning, there was Cecil B. DeMille -- thepioneer of epic film directors, and the man whos tarted Hollywood's long history of Biblical-themed extravaganzas. This documentary presents a complete look at the history of this motion picturegenre through the use of extensive film trailers andthe words of directors, producers and stars who comment on how the films were made, why they were sopopular, and how they launched the careers of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. c1994. 90 min. Video/C 9318
- Brave New Worlds: The Science Fiction Phenomenon
- Commentary: Robert Silverberg, Paul Verhoeven, Arthur Clarke, Mark Kermode, Geoff Ryman, John Clute, Brisn Aldiss, Dick Jude, J. G. Ballard, Kim Stanley Robinson, Karen Joy Fowler, Octavia Butler, Dan O'Bannon, Bob Burns, John Brosnan, Robert Wise, William Gibson, Neal Stephenson. This documentary looks at science fiction classic films and novels, pulp fiction, B movies, and the special-effects wizardry of science fiction adventure epics. Interviews with key writers and filmmakers of the genre map out the history of science fiction while clips from a selection of popular films visually demonstrate an "image of the future." Dist.: Films Media Group. 1992. 51 min. Video/C 7391
- Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
- A fascinating look at the film noir genre including clips from noir classics and little-known gems. Interviews with modern noir aficionados like directors Christopher Nolan and Frank Miller, writers James Ellroy and Brian Helgeland and others, shape this multifaceted exploration of the movie style that grew out of the hard realities of post-World War II life.Special features: 5 vintage "Crime does not pay" series shorts: Forbidden passage / director, Fred Zinnemann (1941, 21 min.) -- A gun in his hand / director, Joseph Losey (1945, 19 min.) -- The luckiest guy in the world / director, Joseph M. Newman (1947, 21 min.) -- Women in hiding / director, Joseph M. Newman (1940, 22 min.) -- You, the people / director, Roy Rowland (1940, 21 min.). 2006. 68 min. DVD 5833
- Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film
- Interviews with John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Rob Zombie, Tom Savini. Dissects the slasher film genre in this ultimate anthology that takes you on a horrifying journey through your favorite slasher films, including Halloween; Psycho; Friday the 13th; Prom Night; and many more. Guides you through a series of gruesome scenes from classic films and recent hits. Based on the book "Going to pieces: the rise and fall of the slasher film" by Adam Rockoff. 2006. 88 min. DVD 8056
- Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs
- This documentary traces the history of the B-Western from it's silent movie origins to its demise in the early 1950s, when television began to bring this genre into homes on a regular weekly basis. The film contains a large number of scenes from early silents and seldom seen films, as well as old photographs of the stars and one-sheet advertisements for lost films. Featuring: Rex Allen, Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, Gene Autry, Ward Bond, William Boyd, Walter Brennan, Johnny Mack Brown, Yakima Canutt, Harry Carey, Andy Devine, Dale Evans, John Ford, Clark Gable, Hoot Gibson, William S. Hart, Raymond Hatton, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Herb Jeffries, Ben Johnson, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Jane Russell, Randolph Scott, John Wayne. 2003. 94 min. DVD 8574
- Hanging Shadows: Perspectives on Italian Horror Cinema
- With its roots in the pulpy crime novels of the 1920s and 30s, Giallo cinema or Italian horror cinema, as it's more commonly known, first emerged in the late 1960s. Following the neo-realists, the giallo films represented a radical break with Italy's cinematic past. This documentary presents an informative historical overview of the giallo genre, exploring its genesis and chronicling the films, directors, and personalities that made up its golden age. Includes interviews with a fascinating group of filmmakers who redefined the horror genre and forever changed the way we think of horror films. Written, produced and directed by Paolo Fazzini. Dist.: Cinema Guild. c2006. 60 min. DVD 8604
- Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream
- Between 1970 and 1977, six low budget films shown at midnight transformed the way we make and watch movies: The allegorical freak-out "El topo," the graphic horror of "Night of the living dead," the outrageous filth fest "Pink flamingos," outlaw reggae's "The harder they come," the phenomenal "Rocky horror picture show," and the darkly disturbing "Eraserhead." In this acclaimed documentary, discover the surprising stories behind these movies that defied mainstream America to change the world of cinema forever. Features startling clips, rare archival footage and revealing interviews with the films' directors, distributors, exhibitors and supporters. 2007. 86 min. DVD 8825
- The Movies Go West
- Hal Angus, of the original Essanay Film Manufacturing Company western unit, revisits the studio and location sites and reminisces about the early days between 1909-1916 when Gilbert M. Anderson produced and starred in hundreds of westerns. He points out that in the role of Broncho Billy, Gilbert Anderson created the prototype of the movie cowboy hero and established the format of the classic American movie western. 14 min. Video/C MM892
- Musicals Great Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit at MGM
- Discusses the life and career of Arthur Freed, who produced many MGM musicals. Includes film clips from musicals and information on how certain scenes were filmed. 1996. 87 min. DVD 7266
- Pulp Cinema
- Seduction! Betrayal! Murder! A compilation of forty five original coming attractions from the golden age of film noir. Contents: Crossfire -- Big sleep -- Lady in the lake -- Brasher doubloon -- Maltese falcon -- Citizen Kane -- Big clock -- Witness for the prosecution -- Anatomy of a murder -- Woman's face -- Girl in 313 -- Accused -- Deception -- Strange triangle -- Postman always rings twice -- Private hell 36 -- Big knife -- Sunset boulevard -- Double indemnity -- Bribe -- Big heat -- Fury -- Ministry of fear -- Berlin express -- Gaslight -- Hangover square -- Fingers at the window -- Cobrastrikes -- Grand central murder -- Detective story -- Glass key -- Sealed lips -- Circumstantial evidence -- I am a fugitive from a chain gang -- Kiss the blood off my hands -- Act of violence -- This gun for hire -- Ride the pink horse -- City of chance -- Killing -- Night of the hunter -- Conflict -- Blackmail -- Key Largo -- Kiss me deadly. Performer: Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, Ida Lupino, Vincent Price, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum, Gloria Grahame, Barbara Stanwyck, Ray Milland, Jack Palance. 99 min. DVD 767
- Schlock!: The Secret History of American Movies
- The wild no-holds barred independent American filmmakers of the '50s and '60s tell their own story in this critically acclaimed survey of exploitation and sexploitation filmmaking. 2000. 89 min. DVD 2212
- The Sci-Fi Files
- For centuries, science fiction has predicted the future. This film series explores the history of this art form using clips from films and expert commentary. Parts 1-4, each preceded by 7 minutes of theatrical advertisements. 50 min. each.
Part 1. Children of Frankenstein. Part 1 traces one of the prevalent themes of science fiction, biological experimentation and its potentially dangerous repercussions. From Frankenstein to 2001, from The Outer Limits to The Fly, this segment highlights some of the dangers of society's relationship with science. Films reviewed: Frankenstein -- Outer limits -- Sleeper -- The Fly --Metropolis -- The Humanoids -- The Time Machine -- Futureworld -- Robocop -- Brazil -- Terminator 2 -- Blade runner -- Barbarella -- Dr. Who -- Time bandits -- Planet of the apes -- 2001: a space odyssey. Video/C 5987
Part 2. Spaceships and Aliens. Part 2 examines spaceships and aliens, some of the most enduring icons of science fiction. This episode describes space as the playground for both mystery and adventure. Clips from films such as Men in Black and Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the quintessential space program, Star Trek are presented to illustrate the role science fiction has played in our quest for and conquest of the universe. Films reviewed: Alien -- Trip to the moon -- Star Trek -- Destination moon -- Flash Gordon -- 2001: a space odyssey -- Forbidden planet -- War of the worlds -- Men in black -- Village of the damned -- Day the earth stood still -- Invasion of the body snatchers -- Woman in the moon -- First men in the moon -- Dark star -- Close encounters of the third kind -- It: the monster from outer space. Video/C 5988
Part 3. March of the Machines Part 3 looks at robots, one of the great figures in science fiction. Using clips from classic films and comic strips this episode examines science fiction's obsession with technology, from robotics to computers, from cyberspace to the technological development of weapons. Films reviewed: Robocop -- Metropolis -- Dr. Who -- Johnny Mnemonic -- Sleeper -- 2001: a space odyssey -- Godzilla -- Them -- War game -- Terminator 2 -- Dr. Strangelove -- War games -- Mad Max 2 -- Destination moon -- Moonraker -- Forbidden planet. Video/C 5989
Part 4. Living in the Future Part 4 examines science fiction movies that project into the future of mankind. By tracing the evolution of the city, attitudes towards women, sex and relationships and the continuing fascination with building ourselves a Utopia--perhaps on Mars, the film examines the dream of what the future may bring. Films reviewed: 1984 -- Forbidden planet -- Rocketship X-M -- Stepford wives -- Barbarella-- Robot monster -- Flash Gordon -- Devil girl from Mars -- Queen of outer space -- Metropolis -- Woman in the moon -- Terminator 2 -- Blade runner -- Soylent green -- Johnny Mnemonic -- Total recall. Video/C 5990
- The Spaghetti West
- Celebrates the history of the Spaghetti Western - the wildly popular but brutal cinema classics of the 1960s created by Italy's finest filmmakers. Featuring narrations by Spaghetti Western director Sergio Leone and actor Robert Forster, plus interviews with legendary composer Ennio Morricone, director Alex Cox, and a host of others who pioneered this vibrant film movement. 2007. 56 min. DVD 8318
Sex and Censorship in the Movies
- Annie Sprinkle's Herstory of Porn
- Using film clips and narration, Annie Sprinkle presents a 25 year retrospective of her career as a pornographic film star. Features rare '70s hippie porn, early fetish films, feminist porn, art porn, transsexual docu-porn, classic XXX and more. Linda Williams, film scholar at UC Berkeley, shares her wisdom on a separate track. This film includes over 75 other XXX stars. Directed by Annie Sprinkle and Scarlot Harlot. 69 min. DVD 8742
- Bad Girl
- Women filmmakes are directing and producing hard-corevideos to the female consumer. These women claim the right to pornography made by women for women and reject the censorship called for by feminists. Arethey simply business-women out for their share of oneof the most lucritive film markets, or avant-gardefeminists and advocates of new sexual relationships? This documentary features selected film clips and interviews with feminist authors, filmmakers,anthropologists, sexologists and porn producers,directors and activists. Dist. Cinema Guild. 2001. 58 min. Video/C 8928
- Censorship - The Unseen Cinema; Sex in the Movies.(Hollywood Chronicles)
- Contents: Censorship - The Unseen Cinema (25 min.): chronicles the struggle in Hollywood for artistic freedom. From sex to drugs to propaganda, Hollywood has always been under fire from those who wish to control the content of films. Sex in the Movies (25 min.): looks at the role of sex and sexual innuendo in film. Sex symbols Theda Bara, Clara Bow, Marilyn Monroe and others lured audiences to the theatre and continued the tradition of sex in the movies. 50 min. Video/C 8262
- Hollywood Censored: Movies, Morality & the Production Code (Culture Shock; 1)
- First of a four part series exploring why particular works of art became controversial. Part one addresses the mass appeal of movies, including their portrayals of sex and violence which have made them a target of censors since the early days. In the 1930s, Hollywood studios enforced the Production Code, a set of guidelines for movie content, to answer growing charges of immorality. The Code lasted 20 years and still influences moviemaking today. As feature films continue to cause controversy, the question remains: do movies reflect--or cause--social behavior? Dist.: PBS. c2000. 60 min. Video/C 6908
- Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy
- With nearly 25 years in the adult film industry and over 1,600 films to his name, Ron Jeremy is huge. He's made millions of dollars and slept with thousands of beautiful women and is undisputably the industry's biggest star. Classically unhandsome, big and harry, he is a pop icon to millions.
2001. 76 min. DVD 1662
- Sex and Buttered Popcorn
- Examines the exploitation film genre in the United States. Includes interviews with some of the producers and directors of these films (known as Roadshowmen), along with scenes from and trailers for some of these films. Includes scenes from: Forbidden daughters, The road to ruin, Hollywood script girl, Maniac, They wear no clothes!, and others. 1989. 70 min. DVD 2547
- Sex, Censorship and the Silver Screen.
- Dist.: Films Media Group. 2007.
The Early Decades. While the earliest motion pictures were admired simply for their novelty, viewers soon demanded more. This program describes the discovery of sex as a surefire cinematic attraction and the outrages it provoked among religious and civic authorities during Hollywood's formative years. Documenting the rise of William Hays as the arbiter of movie morality--and the studio system's answer, after the Fatty Arbuckle fiasco, to the threat of government censorship--the program explores the artistic and cultural shock waves created by Theda Bara, Rudolph Valentino, Erich Von Stroheim, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlow, Busby Berkeley, Mae West, Barbara Stanwyck, and many other early film luminaries. 50 min. DVD 8851
From the Depression to WWII. In what many see as Hollywood's Golden Age, the offices of William Hays and Joseph Breen worked overtime to combat sexuality and subversion in American movies. This program examines the products of that era--films that danced around the standards of the Production Code and paved the way for increasingly daring storytelling and images. From the modesty of It Happened One Night to the shocking and nearly prohibited use of "damn" in Gone with the Wind to the ambiguous morality of Double Indemnity, the program surveys the achievements of Clark Gable, Hedy Lamarr, Errol Flynn, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Jane Russell, Cecil B. DeMille, Frank Capra, Billy Wilder, Preston Sturges, and other screen artists. The forces that led to Hays' dismissal and the weakening of the Code are discussed in depth. 72 min. DVD 8852
The 1950s and '60s. After World War II, the wholesomeness of American movies faced a tidal wave of change--from outside, as a growing number of provocative foreign films made their way to the U.S., and from within, as car culture flowered and drive-in theaters sprang up across the country. This program documents the period, from the birth of art house cinema to the ascent of boundary-busting American actresses such as Ingrid Bergman, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe and directors like Marlon Brando and Stanley Kubrick. Studying the shifting moral standards that Hollywood, Italian cinema, and the French New Wave signaled--and which the Catholic Legion of Decency resisted tooth and nail. The 1952 Supreme Court decision granting First Amendment protection to motion pictures is also highlighted. 59 min. DVD 8853
The Late 1960s to the '90s In 1965, the Catholic Legion of Decency closed its doors; the following year, the Hays Code was scrapped. This program looks at the cinematic milestones which prompted these events and the age of freewheeling film artistry that ensued, despite attempts at censorship issuing from the highest political level. Shedding light on the release of The Pawnbroker and director Sidney Lumet's historic confrontation with the Legion, the program showcases the forging of the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and the eventual association of the "X" classification with pornography. The impact of AIDS, the struggle against child pornography, and the creation of the NC-17 rating are also illuminated. 62 min. DVD 8854
- Single Beds and Double Standards(Hollywood. 3)
- Contents: "Includes rare footage and excerpts from:" Coney Island (1917) -- The Ten Commandments (1923) -- A Woman of affairs (1928) -- Reformers (1913) -- Fatty and Mabel adrift (1916) -- Life of the party (1920) -- Isle of love (1918) -- Ella Cinders (1926) Hollywood had become a fairy-tale city of fabulous wealth and dizzying success, when a series of scandals shattered the dream. The Fatty Arbuckle case so shocked America that producers appointed Will Hays to clean up the industry before the public's moral outrage put them all out of work. Hays encouraged "human, heartwarming pictures" and issued a strictly enforced production code designed to keep films wholesome. Hollywood had found its savior. But his price was self-imposed censorship which would rule Hollywood for forty years. Video/C 6156
- Some Nudity Required
- A documentary about the inside workings of Hollywood's B-movie industry, featuring film clips and rare interviews with the industry's exploitation vets. Gets to the heart of a widely felt and complex attraction to an exploitive world of filmmaking that specializes in the erotic/slasher/action genre. Interviewees: Roger Corman, Jim Wynorski, Maria Ford, Julie Strain. Produced and directed by Odette Springer. c1999. 82 min. Video/C 8347
- The Subject is Sex
- Contents: Erotography (1970, 00:30) -- Love revolution (02:14) -- Nudism-a way of life? (1950s, 10:30) -- Jade East (1960s, 00:38) -- Dynamite (1972, 04:15) -- Ratman (1920s, 03:24) -- Hollywood blue (1970, 01:26) -- Love moods with Lili St. Cyr (1952, 05:28) -- Uncle Si and the sirens (1938, 08:00) -- Presidential physical fitness (1960s, 01:00) -- Toughie punches out big daddy (1950s, 03:00) -- Mondo erotica (1975, 05:20) -- Giving an enema (1944, 08:16) -- French tickler (1920s, 02:00) -- Women in revolt (1972, 01:48) -- 970-KATHY (1988, 00:30) -- Memories within Miss Aggie (1974, 03:00) -- Crossing the equator (1950s, 01:25) -- On the beach (1920s, 07:00) -- VD is for everybody (1960s, 01:00) -- Buried treasure (1930s, 06:00) -- Bubble dance with Sally Rand (1948, 02:40).
Presents an extraordinary romp through the seamy side of sex in cinema in this compendium ranging from the 1920s through the late 1980s. Includes "home movies, hillbilly porn, cartoon smut, commercials, trailers, educationals, hygiene films, burlesque bits, peepshow loops" and more. Special features: Beefcakes and cheesecakes (06:43), Cheap smut give-a-way!. DVD 3322
- This Film Not Yet Rated
- Kirby Dick's provocative film investigates the secretive and inconsistent process by which the Motion Picture Association of America rates films. Kirby looks at some of the controversial rating decisions of the past four decades, hires private eyes to find out who these anonymous raters are and puts his own film through the rating process. 2006. 98 min. DVD 6868
- Taboo: The Beginning of Erotic Cinema
- The great myth of erotic cinema is that its creation came about in the 1970s. As soon as movie cameras were invented, people began using them to make pornographic films -- the earliest of which can be traced back to the 1920s. Here is the definitive history of pornographic films -- from silent-era sex on the bumper of a Model T Ford to soft-core to hard-core and anything goes... Includes bonus shorts from the 1930s and 40s. 2004. 90 min. DVD 4296
The Hollywood Blacklist of the 1950s
- Hollywood Blacklist bibliography
1950s videography
Hollywood Ten page (UCB)
The Literature & Culture of the American 1950s (Professor Al Filreis, University of Pennsylvania)
- A Crime to Fit the Punishment
- In 1956, during the height of the Cold War and despitesevere pressure from McCarthy ravaged Hollywood andthe U.S. government, blacklisted filmmakers joinedtogether to create the controversial pro-union semi-documentary Salt of the earth. This filminvestigates the background and political atmospheresurrounding the film's production through interviews with the film producer Paul Jarrico andactors, newsreels from the '50s, and clips from thefilm. 1992. 46 min. Video/C 9289
- Film History.
- This program examines the history of film, from its beginnings in the late 19th century to the invention of VCRs. Filmmaking's roots as an entertainment and storytelling medium are examined, along with the emergence of Hollywood, the studio star system, and birth of the talkies. Film industry regulation, including censorship, is discussed along with the blacklist and competition from television. Contents: One reel stories -- Visual storytelling -- Attracting audiences -- Studio control -- Movie competition -- Video trailers. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1998. 29 min. Video/C 5680
- Hollywood on Trial
- Details the hysteria and paranoia of the blacklist era through presentation of key events leading up to the Cold War, actual extensive footage of the Hollywood Ten and the 1947 House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings on Communist infiltration into the movie industry, and present day interviews with formerly blacklisted actors, writers, producers, directors and members of the Un-American Activities Committee.
Featuring: Herbert Biberman, Alvah Bessie, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner, Jr., Albert Maltz, Dalton Trumbo, Adrian Scott, John Howard Lawson, Samuel Ornitz. Other appearances: J. Parnell Thomas, J. Edgar Hoover, Walter Bernstein, Howard Da Silva, Larry Parks, Millard Lampell, Ben Margolis, Zero Mostel, Otto Preminger, Ronald Reagan, Martin Ritt, Gale Sondergaard, Leo Townsend, William Wheeler, Gary Cooper, Robert Montgomery, Eric Johnston, Walt Disney, Robert Taylor, Jack Warner, Adolphe Menjou, Robert Stripling, Joseph McCarthy. 1989. 90 min. Video/C 5751
- Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist.
- Examines the long-term effects of the investigation of alleged communists activities in Hollywood by the HUAC. Also includes interviews with women whose husbands were blacklisted actors, writers, producers and directors. 60 min. Video/C 2149
- Ordinary Americans: The Red Scare
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- Examines the history of official and unofficial attempts to find and punish communists, both in and outside the U.S. government. Hear the personal accounts of key political figures leading the hunt for communists, as well as what it was like for ordinary citizens entangled in the early years of the Cold War. Includes newsreel footage of air raid drills in Times Square and of testimonies given before the House Un-American Activities Committee, the blacklisting of the "Hollywood Ten" and other authors and entertainers. 1999. 35 min. Video/C 6589
- Red Hollywood.
- Film fragments and interviews provide a survey of the filmwork created by the victims of the Hollywood Blacklist. Includes Alfred Levitt, Paul Jarrico, John Berry, Joseph Losey, Dalton Trumbo, Cy Endfield and Abraham Polonsky who were involved as directors and/or writers. An effort has been made to separate the authors' ideology from their contributions to Hollywood cinema. This is not a film about their politics or their martyrdom. In the film, excerpts that follow credits are limited to screenwriters and directors who were Communists, ex-Communists, and occasional sympathizers. Written and directed by Thom Andersen & Noel Burch. 1995. 118 min. Video/C MM431
Women in the Movies/Movie Industry
- Bad Girl
- Women filmmakes are directing and producing hard-corevideos to the female consumer. These women claim the right to pornography made by women for women and reject the censorship called for by feminists. Arethey simply business-women out for their share of oneof the most lucritive film markets, or avant-gardefeminists and advocates of new sexual relationships? This documentary features selected film clips and interviews with feminist authors, filmmakers,anthropologists, sexologists and porn producers,directors and activists. Dist. Cinema Guild. 2001. 58 min. Video/C 8928
- Calling the Shots.
- This documentary highlights the accomplishments of women in front of and behind the camera. Employing film clips, candid interviews with contemporary directors, producers, screenwriters and actresses, this film is an indepth look at contemporary women who are directing dramatic feature films throughout the world. A film by Holly Dale and Janis Cole. Dist.: Direct Cinema. c1989. 118 min. Video/C 2875
- HerStory
- Ally Acker presents an archival journey from 1896 to the present of the pioneering female filmmakers who transformed the movies and challenged the industry. Using rare clips and interviews she recounts a ground-breaking herstory of Hollywood directors, screenwriters, producers, editors and executives left out of the history books. Featuring: Lillian Gish, Sherry Lansing, Ida Lupino, Euzhan Palcy, June Mathis, Lenore Coffee, Grace Cunard, Mary Pickford, Alice Guy Blache, Lois Weber, Dorothy Arzner, Nell Shipman, Frances Marion, Anita Loos, Mae West, Virginia Van Upp, Maya Deren, Germaine Dulac, Elaine May, Claudia Weill, Susan Seidelman, Sherry Lansing, Dede Allen. Based on the book: Reel Women: Pioneers of the Cinema, 1896 to the Present by Ally Acker (Main Stack PN1998.2.A24 1991) 1993. 55 min. Video/C 9416
- The Role of Women in the Movies.
- A history of the treatment of women on the screen. Features sequence from the films of Lillian Gish, Theda Bara, Clara Bow, Gloria Swanson, Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, Pola Negri, Louis Brooks, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and Mae West. DVD 4219 (preservation copy); Video/C 835
- Sisters in Cinema
- A documentary tracing the careers of inspiring African American women filmmakers from the early part of the 20th century to the present. Realizing that she wasn't going to find her sisters in cinema in Hollywood, the producer traveled the independent path to uncover a wide range of films directed by African American women outside of the Hollywood studio system. Early filmmakers include Tressie Souders, Zora Neale Hurston, Madame C. J. Walker, Maya Angelou, Madeline Anderson, Kathleen Collins Prettyman, Darnell Martin, Kasi Lemmons, Julie Dash and Eloyce Gist. Produced and directed by Yvonne Welbon. 2003. 62 min. Video/C MM408
- Women of Vision: 18 Histories in Feminist Film and Video.
- Profiles a variety of women active in independent-feminist film and video, including production, distribution and education, whose work expresses a variety of political and esthetic viewpoints. The three part video begins by profiling 6 women whose careers began in the Fifties and Sixties, then six women whose work coincided with the emergence of the women's movement in the Seventies; and six women whose careers began in the Eighties and Nineties. Contents: Part 1. Creating an Infrastructure: Carolee Schneemann, Pearl Bowser, Julia Reichert, Margaret Caples, Kate Horsfield, Constance Penley -- Part 2. Lovers, Mothers and Mentors: Barbara Hammer, Michelle Citron, Susan Mogul, Juanita Mohammed, Vanalyne Green, Victoria Vesna -- Part 3. Reassembly Required: Carol Leigh, Frances Negron, Yvonne Welbon, Megan Cunningham, Eve Oishi, Valerie Soe. Dist. Cinema Guild. 1998. 83 min. Video/C 6994
- Women Producers in Hollywood
- In this program respected female producers demonstrate the stages of the motion picture production process and discuss obstacles they have overcome along the road to success. A variety of actors and industry personalities also offer their views on women in filmmaking to round out this illuminating documentary. Performer: Commentary: Gale Anne Hurd, Lynda Obst, Lauren Shuler-Donner, Lucy Fischer. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1998. 52 min. Video/C 7384
The Movies, Race, and Ethnicity
- Achievements in American Black History: Early Black Cinema.
- Documentary about the beginnings of American Black cinema which flourished between 1916 and the early 30's. Video/C 83
- African Americans in Cinema: The First Half Century
- Contains a rich body of primary and secondary source material, critical essays by prominent film scholars, biographies, film reviews and clips, tracing the history of African Americans in film and black films from 1894 to 1950. Includes an interactive searchable database that contains more than 3,300 movies emphasizing the contributions of African Americans to cinema. Compu/D 564
- Almonds and Raisins: A History of the Yiddish Cinema
- A documentary on the Yiddish cinema in America, primarily in New York City from 1927 to the 1940's. Features extensive excerpts from Yiddish films (most subtitled in English) including The cantor's son, Overture to glory with Moishe Oysher, Yidl mitn fidl with Molly Picon and Tevye with Maurice Schwartz. Has contemporary footage of New York City and Eastern European village life. Includes interviews with those who have participated in the Yiddish cinema. 90 min. Video/C 1881
- BaadAssss Cinema: A Bold Look at 70's Blaxploitation Films
- In this groundbreaking documentary from the Independent Film channel, filmmaker Isaac Julien takes us back tothe early 70s and the explosion of blaxploitation films, today one of American cinema's most belovedcult genres. Featuring a wealth of footage fromclassic films and interviews with key players the film thoroughly explores blaxploitation films from their breakout casting and unforgettable soundtracks to the outrageous fashions and over-the-top story lines. 2002. 56 min. DVD 1561
- bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation.
- Bell Hooks makes a compelling argument for the transformative powers of cultural criticism. She demonstrates how learning to think critically was central to her own self-transformation and how it can play a role in students' quest for a sense of agency and identity. Includes footage from many films and music videos, and news coverage. 61 min. Video/C 4970
- Black Hollywood: The Way It Was (Library of Black History)
- An extensive exploration of the "Hollywood treatment" given to blacks by the film moguls since the beginning of the film industry. Through interviews with film historians and generous film clips examines how and why stereotypes were created and used by the movie industry. It also explains the economics of the film business and probes the impact of racism, the Depression, and World War II on film production and distribution. Contents: Film excerpts: Birth of a nation -- Scar of shame -- By right of birth -- Black king -- Emperor Jones -- So red the rose -- Broken strings -- Blood of Jesus -- Sports cavalcade -- Cabin in the sky. Originally shown on the television program: Tony Brown's journal. c1986. 104 min. Video/C 8261
- Black Shadows on a Silver Screen.
- History of the motion picture made by Black film makers between 1900 and 1950, including scenes from these films. Emphasizes the attempt by Black film makers to provide alternatives to the lack of sensitivity and racism of Hollywood films by portraying Blacks realistically. 52 min. Video/C 1063
- The Bronze Screen
- This extensive documentary honors the past and looks at the future of Latinos in motion pictures. From silent movies to urban gang films, stereotypes of the Greaser, the Lazy Mexican, the Latin lover and the Dark lady are examined. Rare and extensive footage traces the progression of this distorted screen image to the increased prominence of today's Latino actors, writers and directors. Special features: Film trailers as tributes to three of the most influential and legendary Latino forces in Hollywood history: Anthony Quinn, Rita Hayworth, Rita Moreno. 1975. 120 min. DVD 1526
- Casting Calls
- Does Hollywood's portrayal of villains reinforce racial stereotypes or does the industry give the public what it wants? This program explores the history of film's ethnic "bad guy," looking at sociopolitical and economic forces that create, perpetuate and rehabilitate these characters. Special attention is paid to current depictions of Muslims onscreen. Originally produced in 2001 by Discovery Communications, Inc. "Discovery Channel University". Dist.: Films Media Group. c2004. 47 min. DVD 3746
- Changing Voices
- Host, Mina Shum; filmmakers, Marjorie Beaucage, PaulWong, Troy Suzuki, Yasmin Jiwani, David Odhiambo, Maria Campbell, Barb Cranmer, Karin Lee. Moving through film history from early images of ethnography to the present day, this documentary examines the issues of cultural identity,interpretation and the changes of images seen since minority voices have reclaimed the screen. Director, writer, narrator, Loretta Todd. 58 min. 1996. Video/C 8706
- Classified X.
- A film by Melvin Van Peebles. Examines the treatment of black characters throughout the history of American cinema, using examples from classic films beginning with footage by Thomas Edison in 1903 to the present, tracing how Hollywood has aided and abetted the public perception of the African-American. From its earliest days, Hollywood reflected society's fear of blacks and countered with wish-fulfilling images of African-Americans as servile, ignorant, superstitious, or untrustworthy. 1997. 50 min. Video/C 5588
- Gregory Nava & Allison Anders.
- Features film critic and journalist, Michael Fox in conversation with Mexican-American filmmaker Gregory Nava, who's films focus on cross-cultural issues and themes of struggles within immigrant life in the United States as portrayed in "Confessions of Amans, El Norte, Mi Familia, Selena, and American tapestry." In part two director and screenwriter Allison Anders chats about her commitment to telling women's stories in her films "Mi vida loca, Four rooms, Sugar town, Gas food lodging, Border radio." Video/C MM102
- Hollywood Harems.
- This documentary examines Hollywood stereotypes of the East, with particular attention paid to the Middle East and the depiction of women of the East. Juxtaposing film clips from the 20s through the 80s, the filmmaker argues these fantasies have worked both to shape and reinforce often derogative assumptions about the peoples of the East while at the same time reinscribing the moral, spiritual, and cultural supremacy of the Anglo-European West. A videotape by Tania Kamal-Eldin. 1999. 25 min. Video/C 7079
- Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust
- This documentary examines how American filmmakers reacted to German scapegoating of Jews before, during, and after the war, ranging from the boldness of Confessions of a Nazi Spy and The Mortal Storm (both of which were produced before America entered the war) to more oblique statements during the war itself, and then finally leading to an honest portrayal of the full consequences of the Holocaust beginning in the '50s. This film interweaves clips from Holocaust movies and interviews with film producers and directors and survivors who work in the film industry. Directed by Daniel Anker. 2004. 90 min. DVD 5041
- In Black & White
- Using archival newsreels, feature film footage and interviews with Afro-American actors and directors, this film explores the inception, struggle, suppression, and survival of the Black Cinema from the 1920s through the 1950s. This detailed documentary, a stinging indictment of racism in the arts and in American culture, examines the lives and influence of Paul Robeson, Josephine Baker, Oscar Micheaux, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Marcus Garvey and many others on Afro-American cinema. Dist.: Films Media Group.1992. 92 min. Video/C 5501
- Jeni LeGon: Living in a Great Big Way
- Explores the fascinating life of the tap dancer, Jeni LeGon who overcame barriers to become the first Black woman to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio. She subsequently appeared in over a dozen films, yet despite her talent, there were many hard lessons to be learned in a segregated Hollywood. This film showcases the path that Jeni forged for herself and the gift of inspiration that she gave a generation of dance students. The film includes interviews with the tap dancer Fayard Nicholas and archival footage of the Nicholas Brothers, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Fats Waller, Paul Robeson and Cab Calloway. Director, Grant Greschuk. 1999. 49 min. Video/C 7464
- Jews, Movies, Hollywoodism and the American Dream
- Using archival footage this film examines the lasting influence on the American motion picture industry of the Eastern European Jewish immigrants who founded and ran the major motion picture companies and studios that gave Hollywood its worldwide fame and produced many of the all-time motion picture classics of this century. Profiles in particular the work of Adolph Zukor, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, the Warner brothers, Harry Cohn, and Irving Thalberg. 1998. 100 min. Video/C 5609
- Gabler, Neal. An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood. 1st ed. New York: Crown Publishers, c1988.
(Main Stack PN1993.5.U65.G28 1988; Moffitt PN1993.5.U65.G28 1988; Bancroft PN1993.5.U65.G28 1988)
- Latino Hollywood. Part I
- Latinos have contributed to the American film industry since its earliest days. During the silent and early talkie era, Latinos were almost always stereotyped as tempestuous lovers, bandidos, or cantina girls. This program remembers many of the early Latino actors and actresses and examines some of the stereotypical roles they portrayed. Mexican American Studies and Research Center, University of Arizona, 1994. 31 min. Video/C 4628
- Latino Hollywood. Part II
- 1940's-1950s: All American stereotype and social realism -- 1960's-1970's: Criminality or invisibility -- 1980's: Chicano films, updated stereotyping and tokenism -- 1990's: Cross over dreams, new Latino filmmakers. Program looks at the history and image of the Latino and Latina in Hollywoood films from the 1940s through the mid-1990s. Also reviews the roles Latino actors and actresses were given to play in popular films during this period and examines the few social realist films of the period. It then charts the gradual shift in the 70's and 80's from the Latino stereotypical image to the growth of independent Latino filmmaking and the "crossover" films of the 80's and 90's. 1996. 18 min. Video/C 5109
- Lip
- It is Hollywood's favorite role for black women: the maid. Sassy or sweet, snickeringly attentive or flippantly dismissive, the performers who play them steal every scene they are in, and this entertaining video collage reveals the narrow margin Hollywood has allowed black actresses to shine in. But shine they do. Giving lip is proven an art form in these scenes from 1930's cinema to present-day movies featuring a remarkable roster of undervalued actresses and their more celebrated white costars. A video collaboration between Tracey Moffat and Gary Hillberg. 1999. 11 min. DVD 4791
- Mamadrama: the Jewish Mother in Cinema
- A unique exploration of the maligned mother figure in Jewish twentieth century culture. In movies, television and books, she has been either revered or caricatured, often being the butte of humor and variously identified as emasculating, overbearing, oversexed, undersexed, long-suffering or overly materialist. Film excerpts: Mirele Efros (1939) -- Mothers of today (1939) -- Come blow your horn (1963) -- Where's Poppa? (1970) -- Portnoy's complaint (1972) -- My favorite year (1982) -- Jazz singer (1927) -- Noa at 17 (1981) -- Summer of Aviya (1988). 52 min. Video/C 9255
- Midnight Ramble: Oscar Micheaux and the Story of Race Movies.
- Recounts the story of race movies produced for Afro-Americans from the 1920s through 1950 and the role played by Oscar Micheaux, the leading Afro-American producer and director. These movies were designed for Afro-Americans and were frequently shown at midnight. They presented Afro-Americans in a positive light. Featuring interviews with Afro-American actors and actresses, and historians. 58 min. Video/C 3614
- Race Movies: The Popular Art of the Black Renaissance
- Explores the involvement of black filmmakers in filmmaking, from its earliest days through the 1920s with particular emphasis on the work of James Weldon Johnson, Oscar Micheaux, and Richard D. Maurice. Focus is on the movies that were made and the production companies that produced them. Writer, Thomas Cripps. 1985. 20 min. Video/C 8293
- Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People
- Throughout its history Hollywood has portrayed Arabs as buffoons or bandits. This documentary seeks to rectify this sterotyping by comparing it to other forms of racist imagery in motion pictures and mass media by suggesting alternative narratives that treat the Arabs as human beings, not demons. Based on the book of the same title by Jack Shaheen (MAIN: PN1995.9.A68 S54 2001; PFA : PN1995.9.A68 S54 2001). Directed by Sut Jhally. 2006. 50 min. DVD 6553
- Renee Tajima Reads Asian Images in American Film.
- Discussion of the stereotyping of Asians and Asian-Americans in American films, particularly the passive Asian woman and the monolithic Asian masses who do not seem to have individual identity. Dist.: Paper Tiger TV. 1984. Video/C 2579
- The Slanted Screen
- From silent film star Sessue Hayakawa to Harold & Kumar Go to Whitecastle, The slanted screen explores the portrayals of Asian men in American cinema, chronicling the experiences of actors who have had to struggle against ethnic stereotyping and limiting roles. The film presents a critical examination of Hollywood's image-making machine, through a fascinating parade of 50 film clips spanning a century. Special features: A tribute to Mako (8 min.) ; "Influencing the image makers" : Oct. 5, 2006 panel discussion at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (45 min.) 2006. 61 min. DVD 6998
- Small Steps, Big Strides
- This tribute celebrates African American silver screen legends. Included are interviews and rare footage documenting the kinds of roles black actors were first given, the challenges these performers met, and the real behind-the-scenes story of their acceptance and triumphs in Hollywood. Includes special mention of Darryl Zanuck who was the first to open major roles to African American actors. Performers: Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Nicholas Brothers, Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, James Earl Jones, Gregory Hines, Hatti McDaniel, Duke Ellington, Ink Spots, Sidney Poitier, Stepin' Fetchit, Harry Belafonte, Ethel Waters, Darryl Zanuck. c1997. 60 min. Video/C 8208
- Stereotypes and Minorities; Familiar Faces, Unknown Names.
- Stereotypes & minorities: an overview of the treatment of black actors in Hollywood. Actors Della Reese and Nick Stewart offer their insights and reflect on the changing roles of blacks in films. Familiar faces, unknown names: features the character actors -- those supporting players that we recognize but never know who they are. c1991. 45 min. Video/C 8304
- Trailers Schmailers (1997)
- Curated by Jenni Olson. From the Marx Brothers to Schindler's list and everything in between, this film offers a compact glimpse of the history of Jews in mainstream American cinema. Original coming attraction trailers provide unique insight into the relationship between the marketing departments of Hollywood studios and the growing visibility of Jews in American life. With spotlights on Woody Allen and Barbra Streisand, an overview of films about New York Jewish life, a look at the evolution of films about the holocaust, and much, much more, Trailers schmailers mixes humor and powerful drama with acute social commentary. 82 min. DVD 7253
- When East Meets East
- When an aspiring Chinese actress is told in an audition "You should be more Chinese," she is confused. What exactly does it mean to be "more Chinese" for people of Asian descent who have relocated to or were born in North America? This genre-breaking documentary explores the issues of ethnic and cultural identity through interviews with some of today's most prominent Asian and Chinese American filmmakers, actors and actresses in the United States, Canada, Taiwan and China: Wayne Wang, Clara Law, William Ging Wee Dere, Yan Cui, Sandra Oh, Ning Ying, Peggy Chiao, Chen Kuo-Fu, Ho Ping, Teddy Robin, Keith Lock, Janet Yang. Excerpts from films: Double happiness -- Joy Luck Club -- Chinese chocolate -- Temptation of a monk -- Moving the mountain -- Dim Sum -- Small pleasures -- For fun -- Treasure Island -- "18". (199-?). Dist.: Films Media Group. 53 min. Video/C 6924
- The Yiddish Cinema.
- Beginning with a brief history of Yiddish language and culture, the history of Yiddish cinema is recounted, using excerpts from Yiddish films: A Letter to Mother (1939), Tevye (1939, Jewish luck (1925), The Dybbuk (1937), Yiddle with his fiddle (1936), The Jester (1937), The Light ahead (1939), Uncle Moses (1932), Greenfields (1937), American matchmaker (1940). 60 min. Video/C 3198
Queer Cinema/Representation of Gays and Lesbians in Film
- Gay, Lesbian, and Transgendered People in Film and TV bibliography
Queer Cinema/Representation of Gays and Lesbians in Film and TV videography
- The Celluloid Closet.
- Footage from over 120 films shows the changing face of homosexuality (both male and female) in the movies from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s. Many noted actors, writers and commentators provide funny and insightful anecdotes regarding the history of the role of gay men and lesbians in the movies. Based on: Celluloid closet / Vito Russo (UCB Main PN1995.9.H55 R8 1987; UCB Moffitt PN1995.9.H55 R8 1987) 102 min. DVD 706; Video/C 4717
- Links to full-text reviews (via Movie Review Query Engine)
- Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
- An overview of the history of gay and lesbian cinema, from Kenneth Anger's pioneering Fireworks (1947) to Ang Lee's Brokeback mountain (2005). Packed with interviews and an array of film clips from the genre, this documentary celebrates more than half a century of queer independent filmmaking. Special features: bonus interviews (Say your name and who you are, First gay film memories, Sex, Christine Vachon, Coming out). Produced and directed by Lisa Ades, Lesli Klainberg. c2005. 82 min. DVD 6633
- Lavender Limelight: Lesbians in Film.
- Featuring: Cheryl Dunye, Rose Troche, Jennie Livingston, Monika Treut, Maria Maggenti, Su Friedrich, Heather MacDonald. Intimate conversations with lesbian film directors, including clips from their works, in which they explore their sexual identity, growing up gay, inspirations and techniques of filmaking, Hollywood vs. Indie and love and sex, on screen and off. 57 min. Video/C 5431
- The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
- An exploration of the way Hollywood dealt with or ignored issues of homosexuality during its so-called Golden Age, when the studio system reigned supreme. This funny and occasionally rude re-examination of the subterfuges by which Hollywood has alluded to and at the same time avoided an issue that it could not even name, much less identify, it is at the same time a serious survey of gender issues and how they were perceived and perpetuated by the Hollywood dream factory from the 1930s up to the 1960s. 101 min. Video/C 6071
National Cinemas
Latin American Cinema
- Chircales: Mas Alla de la Tragedia del Silencio.
- A documentary made in commemoration of 50 years of filmmaking in Colombia presenting the work of two film pioneers, Hermanos Acevedo and Carlos Schroeder who produced feature films, documentaries and newsreels. 1987. 25 min. Video/C 9332
- Film Caribbean. (Caribbean Eye)
- Until recently, there has been very limited film production in the Caribbean except in Cuba. This program looks at some of the factors which influence regional production, reviews some of the best of what has been done, and what the future holds for Caribbean filmmaking. Includes excerpts from films. 1991. 26 min. Video/C 9817
- El Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano = New Cinema of Latin America.
- Contents: I. Cine humilde = Cinema of the humble -- II. El largo camino = The long road. Credits: Written, produced, and directed by Michael Chanan ; photography by Peter Chappell. Part I traces the origins and development of the new cinema movement in the countries of Latin American from the early 1950s to the present and examines its political and social themes. In part II the political and cultural dimensions of the new cinema since the 1960s are explored in greater detail. Examines the new cinema's political concerns, its desire to give expression to the traditional cultures, national identities, and everyday experiences of Latin Americans, and the growing prominence of feminist cinema. Both parts include commentary by directors and others active in the new cinema movement and excerpts from numerous films. Spanish with English subtitles. Narration in English. Video/C 4231 Pt. 1-2
- Panorama do Cinema Brasileiro
- An anthology and overview of the history of Brazilian cinema from its inception to recent releases. Includes filmclips from early films, documentaries and Brazil's most films successful and influential films. 1968. 134 min. Video/C 5176
African Cinema
- Camera Afrique; Camera Arabe.
- Two documentary films by the Tunisian director and critic Ferid Boughedir which constitute an indispensable introduction to film making in Africa and the Arab world. Camera Afrique (Tunisia, 1983, 95 min.), a documentary celebrating 20 years of African film production, presents early film pioneers with film clips and production histories. Camera Arabe (Tunisia, 1987, 62 min.) looks at the new Arab cinema of the post-colonial era. It includes interviews with filmmakers from North Africa and the wider Arab worlds and clips from a wide range of key Arab films. PAL format. Video/C 6326; also included as DVD special feature on DVD 3555 (Halfaouine).
- The Carriers of Electric Shadows (Porteurs d'Ombres Electriques)
- In the heart of the Chinese province of Sichuan, a team of itinerant projectionists - a woman and two men - travel through the countryside showing films to peasants. This documentary accompanies these missionaries of popular cinema from village to village as it explores their devotion to a profession threatened by the arrival of television and Chinese economic reforms. 27 min. Video/C 6777
- The Cinema of Senegal
- Performer: Paulin Soumanou Vieyra, Ousmane Sembene. Interviewer: Larry Kardish. Following a five week program at the Museum of Modern Art on film makers in Senegal, Larry Kardish interviews Senegalese film directors Paulin Soumanou Vieyra and Ousmane Sembene on the growth of the number of films from Senegal, the production of these films, and cultural influences. Includes clips from their films to illustrate points. Produced in 1978 for broadcast on the television program Camera Three. 27 min. Video/C 4610
- Matamata and Pilipili
- In the 1950s a Belgian missionary and a film fanatic in the Congo, Albert Van Haelst, made twenty films featuring the African Laurel and Hardy -- Matamata and Pilipili. This documentary presents several of these first colonial films to come from the Congo, reclaiming an important episode in the history of Congolese popular culture while exploring the complex terrain of colonial relationships and media representations. 55 min. Video/C 9292
- [Sembene, Ousmane]
- See individual filmmakers
- Sisters in Cinema
- A documentary tracing the careers of inspiring African American women filmmakers from the early part of the 20th century to the present. Realizing that she wasn't going to find her sisters in cinema in Hollywood, the producer traveled the independent path to uncover a wide range of films directed by African American women outside of the Hollywood studio system. Early filmmakers include Tressie Souders, Zora Neale Hurston, Madame C. J. Walker, Maya Angelou, Madeline Anderson, Kathleen Collins Prettyman, Darnell Martin, Kasi Lemmons, Julie Dash and Eloyce Gist. Produced and directed by Yvonne Welbon. 2003. 62 min. Video/C MM408
- Welcome to Nollywood
- After the U.S. and India, the world's third largest producer of feature films is Nigeria. Barely a decade old and already generating over $286 million for the Nigerian economy, this documentary explores this burgeoning industry, from its unique challenges to its diverse array of films that both mirror and comment upon the social issues of the continent. Directed by Jaimie Meltzer. Dist.: Cinema Guild. 2007. 57 min. DVD 8681
East Asian Cinema
- The Carriers of Electric Shadows (Porteurs d'Ombres Electriques)
- In the heart of the Chinese province of Sichuan, a team of itinerant projectionists - a woman and two men - travel through the countryside showing films to peasants. This documentary accompanies these missionaries of popular cinema from village to village as it explores their devotion to a profession threatened by the arrival of television and Chinese economic reforms. 27 min. Video/C 6777
- Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong
- Offers an in-depth look at Hong Kong's wu xia film legacy and its influence on global cinema, from its roots in Beijing Opera to Quentin Tarantino's tribute to Hong Kong martial arts action in Kill Bill, Vol. 2. All of the bases are covered, from Hong Kong cinema's first martial-arts hero, Wong Fei Hung, to the balletic choreography of Chang Che, including the "one-punch" impact of Bruce Lee and the evolution of kung-fu comedy as epitomized by Jackie Chan. The Hong Kong technique of editing-in-camera is demonstrated in a multi-screen sequence. Film clips provide samples of the genre's classic films. Interviews with: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Jet Li, Ng Ho, John Woo, Lau Ka Fai, Cheng Pei Pei, Chor Yeuen, Sir Run Run Shaw, Tong Kay-Ming, David Chiang, Lau Ka Leung, Tsu Sung Hok, Sek Kin, Siu Sung, Wai Ying Hung. Written & directed by Ian Taylor. 2003. 55 min. DVD 3776
- Cinema on the Road
- Focuses chiefly on the little known recently emerging South Korean film industry. (Special feature on disc Nagisa Oshima's 100 years of Japanese cinema) 1997. 52 min. Video/C MM440
- Devotion: A Story About Ogawa Productions
- This documentary deals with the historical investigation of a post-war Japanese documentary filmmaking collective led by Ogawa Shinsuke, that made significant films of social struggle and village life. This documentary situates the revolutionary lifestyle and films of Ogawa Productions within the framework of the global student movement of the New Left in the mid 60s and the emerging documentary movement in Japan. Features interviews with members of the collective as well as directors Oshima Nagisa, Hara Kazuo, and Haneda Sumiko. In Japanese with English subtitles. Producer and director, Barbara Hammer.c2000. 82 min. Video/C 7724
- Grilled Rice (Gao Rang)
- A study on the North Vietnamese combat cameramen who filmed the Indo-Chinese and Vietnam Wars and founded Vietnamese cinema. Mai Loc and Khoung Me, two veterans from the French war, tell of acquiring their first cameras and instruction manuals. Mr. Xuong, a traveling projectionist during both wars, recalls projecting films along the 17th Parallel and public reaction to the films. Tran Van Thuy and Le Man Thich screen some of the material that they shot and describe the hardship and fear they faced in combat and during American bombings. For all of them, "to make propaganda was obvious." But they also discuss their regrets. Thuy says "If we had had a more critical historical awareness, we could have left much better images." They didn't film enough of the hard daily life, and regret the many "heroic deaths that were not filmed, "but it would have been "useless," as the footage would not have been used. 2001. 52 min. Video/C 8806
- [Hou, Hsiao-Hsien] HHH: Portrait de Hou Hsiao-Hsien
- Taiwanese film director Hou Hsiao-Hsein examines questions of identity and "native land," as he returns to the places of his youth to talk to childhood friends and discuss his films. His work is inseparably linked with the recent history of Taiwan and the emergence of the Taiwanese "Nouvelle Vague," an intellectual movement that united Taiwanese writers, journalists and filmmakers at the end of the 1970s; a movement that only became possible with the end of censorship and the advent of free discussions, through film and literature, about Taiwan's society. 1998. 90 min. Video/C 9081
- Nagisa Oshima's 100 Years of Japanese Cinema
- The forces and themes that have shaped Japan's motion pictures are presented entirely through film clips and stills with narration. 1997. 52 min. Video/C MM440
- [Kurosawa, Akira]
- See Individual filmmakers
- The Taiwan New Cinema
- A documentary focusing on the two stages of motion pictures produced in Taiwan: beginnings and foundation building of the 1980s and the pluralistic creativity of the 1990s. Includes interviews with directors and film critics, extensive clips from films and commentary on the relationship between Taiwanese cinema and social development of the society. Commentary: Hou Hsiao-hsien, Tsai Ming-liang, Stan Lai, Ang Lee, Wang Toon, Peggy Chiao, Edmond K. Y. Wong, Lee Tain-dow, Hsu Hsiao-ming, Ho Ping , Wu Nien-Jen, Chen Yun-hou, Edward Yang, Chang Yi, Ko T-cheng. Written and directed by Deyung Zhou. 1998. 71 min. Video/C 9597
South/Southeast Asia and Oceanea
- 40,000 Years of Dreaming, A Century of Australian Cinema
- George Miller's vivid study of Australian cinema forges a link between the high-tech narratives of filmmaking and the ancient Aboriginal creation myth of "The dreaming." The film explores an extraordinary national cinema, born at the outset of the century, but barely noticed internationally until the 1970s. 1997. Video/C MM443
- Bollywood Bound: Finding Fame and Identity in India's Filmmaking Capital
- For some children of Canadian East-Indian immigrants, the land of milk and honey that their parents sought is not North America, it is Bombay, home to the Hindi film and television industry known as Bollywood. This fascinating program follows four aspiring stars as they return to their parents' country to encounter not only the challenges of casting calls and rehearsals but the feeling of being an outsider in their own native culture. Questions of religious, linguistic, and moral identity are frankly addressed, providing a compelling study of what it means to feel like a foreigner in two countries. Dist: Films Media Group. 2002. 57 min. Video/C 9432
- Cinema of Unease
- A personal journey by Sam Neill to the landscape of his native New Zealand where he examines the emerging national film culture and pays tribute to film pioneers Rudall Hayward and John O'Shea, while focusing on the extraordinary growth of New Zealand cinema in the last two decades. 1997. Video/C MM443
- Larger Than Life: India's Bollywood film Culture
- This program travels through the landscape of Indian cinema, providing contrasts and comparisons with its counterpart in the West. Interviews with Shahrukh Kahn and Manisha Koirala examine the pressures of Indian film acting. Shot in Bombay, Andhra Pradesh, and other locations in India, winter 2000-winter 2002. Dist: Films Media Group. 57 min. DVD 3745
- Pelikula: A Video Documentary on Philippine Film.
- Traces the history of movie making in the Philippines. Features film clips from movies produced since the 1930's that are representative of the major film genres. c1989. 40 min. Video/C 8061
- Pelikula: A Video Documentary on Philippine Film.
- Identifies and analyzes outstanding classic cinemas produced by the Filipino film industry in the past century. Includes commentary on the notable direction, story, screenplay, editing, musical scoring, cinematography and performances of these films. It also discusses the challenges and difficulties encountered in the development of cinema in the Philippine movie industry. Accompanied by a book entitled: Pelikula: an essay on Philippine film: touchstones of excellence. c1989. 60 min. Video/C 8048
- Pelikula: A Video Documentary on Philippine Film.
- Traces the history of movie making in the Philippines from 1961 to 1992. The film explores the independent producers who rose after the decline of the studio system, the movie personalities and the various film genres -- action, melodrama, the "bomba," musical comedy and horror movies of the era. Accompanied by a book entitled: Pelikula, an essay on the Philippine film, 1961-1992 / by Bienvenido L. Lumbera. c1989. 38 min. Video/C 8049
- Reel Paradise
- The extraordinary story of one American family's unique adventure running a cinema in an isolated village in the Fiji Islands. John's Meridian Cinema becomes the island's focal point of entertainment after he makes admission to the movies free. Meanwhile, his wife and their two kids immerse themselves in Fijian culture, discovering in very personal ways what it is like to be the outsider. Directed by Steve James. 2005. 110 min. DVD 5432
- Satyajit Ray: Introspections.
- An interview with the renowned Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. He discusses his childhood, the influence of Bengal renaissance, his interest in design and typography, his approach to political films and violence in cinema, his interest in period films and children's films, his response to Western films and critics and thoughts on life and death. 1983. 55 min. Video/C 5874
- Taking Pictures.
- Australian documentary filmmakers explore the issues and pitfalls of filming across cultural boundaries through interviews and samples of their films of Papua New Guinea including Trobriand Cricket, First Contact, The Shark Callers of Kontu, Joe Leah's Neighbors, Black Harvest, Cannibal tours, and others. It also covers the work of indigenous Papua New Guinea filmmakers and their own experience making sense of film and culture. Featuring: Gary Kildea, Dennis O'Rourke, Chris Owen, Bob Connolly, Robin Anderson, Steve McMillan, Martin Maden, Ian Dunlop, Kuman Kolain. A Video by Les McLaren and Annie Stiven. 1996. 56 min. Video/C 4933
- The Year of Living Vicariously
- This split-screen documentary chronicles the shooting of the Indonesian film Gie (2005) in the middle of 2004, which is also when the country is undergoing its first direct presidential elections. Opinions from the cast, crew and extras of the film are sought on politics, filmmaking and the national myths of the past and present. They also speak about their memories of the Suharto years, their feelings about upcoming elections and their hopes for the future of Indonesia. Producer, director, Amir Muhammad. 2005. 63 min. DVD 7204
Middle Eastern/North African Cinema
- Camera Arabe; Camera Afrique.
- Two documentary films by the Tunisian director and critic Ferid Boughedir which constitute an indispensable introduction to film making in Africa and the Arab world. Camera Afrique (Tunisia, 1983, 95 min.), a documentary celebrating 20 years of African film production, presents early film pioneers with film clips and production histories. Camera Arabe (Tunisia, 1987, 62 min.) looks at the new Arab cinema of the post-colonial era. It includes interviews with filmmakers from North Africa and the wider Arab worlds and clips from a wide range of key Arab films. PAL format. Video/C 6326; also included as DVD special feature on DVD 3555 (Halfaouine).
- Hollywood in Tehran.
- This segment of Nightline looks at how Tehran's spirited filmmakers express themselves and create world-class cinema despite restrictions imposed by Iran's Islamic regime. Segment of the ABC News program Nightline originally broadcast May 26, 1997. 23 min. Video/C MM415
- Iran, a Cinematographic Revolution (Iran, une revolution cinematographique)
- Traces the development of the Iranian film industry, which has always been closely intertwined with the country's tumultuous political history, chronicling how Iranian films reflected contemporaneous society and often presaged social change. It shows how mainstream commercial cinema served as a propaganda tool for both the monarchy and the fundamentalist religious regime, recounts the sporadic efforts of some filmmakers to reveal grimmer social realties, and the struggles against censorship and traditional cinematic formulas by such pioneers as Bahram Beyzai and Sohrab Shahid Saless and pre- and post-Islamic revolutionary 'new wave' filmmakers. A film by Nader T. Homayoun. 2006. 98 min. DVD 7189
- Panorama du cinema tunisien, 1966-2006
- This panorama of Tunisian cinema is the first of its kind from Tunisia. It recalls 50 years of Tunisian cinema, with film clips from all genres, highlighting its history by careful selection of principal film sequences constitutive of its history and its genesis. A film by Hedi Khelil. In French without subtitles. 2007. 120 min. DVD 7799
- Stardust Stricken, Mohsen Makhmalbaf: A Portrait
- A documentary on the life of the controversial Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. In this portrait, the filmmaker speaks about his life, childhood, political and cultural activities, his filmmaking style, and his beliefs about art, cinema, violence, religion and death. 1996. 70 min. Video/C 7973
Western European Cinema
- 2 x 50 Years of French Cinema.
- Directed by Anne-Marie Mieville and Jean-Luc Goddard. Rather than exulting the achievements of the last hundred years this entry laments the ways that cinema has been forgotten. It is a work of sadness, but also of mischievous and quirky humour. 1998. Video/C MM444
- Blood Cinema.
- (CD-ROM/Mac). CD-ROM reviews the breadth of Spanish films and culture over the last 60 years. Includes excerpts from 15 films, with detailed analytical commentaries and hundreds of illustrations--including movie stills, publicity photos, paintings, drawings, and maps. COMPU/D 316
- The Brothers Skladanowsky (Die Gebruder Skladanowsky) (2002)
- Directed by Wim Wenders. Cast: Udo Kier, Otto Kuhnle, Christoph Merg, Nadine Buttner, Lucie Hurtgen-Skladanowsky.
A rare gem of cinematic storytelling that weaves docudrama, fictional reenactment, and experimental photography into a powerful, reflective work on the early days of German cinema. The film tells the story of the Skladanowsky Brothers, the German-born duo who invented the "bioskop", an early version of the film projector at the same time as the Lumieres and Edison were working on their inventions. The footage is shot with a 1920s handcranking camera, in the style of silent films. 76 min. DVD 6951
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database - Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood
- Dist. Cinema Guild. 59 min. each installment. 1995.Where It All Began. The first of a six part series presenting the early days of the movie industry in Europe and the contributions of European filmmakers from the 1890's to the introduction of sound in the 1930's. Pt. 1, focuses on the earliest beginnings of film in France, Denmark, Italy, Great Britain and Germany and how the advent of World War I changed the direction of the burgeoning film industry. DVD 603; Video/C 5590 Art's Promised Land. Examines Swedish cinema's "Golden Age" which spanned nearly a decade. Swedish films were distinct in their ability to relate their heroes' struggle to the harshness and beauty of the landscape. The "Golden Age" ended in the mid 1920's with the exodus of filmmakers and stars to Hollywood. DVD 603; Video/C 5590 The Unchained Camera. Examines the German filmmaking technique which flourished after World War I, providing an escape from the harsh conditions suffered by the German people directly after the war. DVD 603; Video/C 5591 The Music of Light. Focuses on the French film industry in the 1920's as they worked to develop a European cinema which would surpass Hollywood and in the process developed the first miniseries and docu-drama genre films. DVD 603; Video/C 5592 Opportunity Lost. Examines the British film industry which lagged behind Germany and France for lack of funds. American directors came over to train apprentices and technicians, but soon gave up and withdrew even as Alfred Hitchcock was embarking on his stellar career. DVD 603; Video/C 5592The Other Hollywood. End of an Era. Examines the impact of the advent of sound in motion pictures on the silent film industries of Britain, France and Germany and the first sound motion pictures produced in these countries. It concludes with the new Nazi regime of Germany in 1933 and the mass exodus of Jews from Germany which enriched the film industries of France, the U.S. and England. DVD 603; Video/C 5592
- Film Montage: The Projection of Modernity
- In this program, art historian Briony Fer analyzes the techniques and applications of film montage as they developed in the 1920s in the Soviet Union and Germany. By comparing and contrasting clips from October and Strike; Man with a Movie Camera; and Berlin - Symphony of a Great City, she illustrates how Sergei Eisenstein, Dziga Vertov, and Walter Ruttmann employed montage to address the concept of the crowd as a heroic protagonist, the collective experience of going to the cinema, and other topics. Dr. Fer also juxtaposes the ideologies of Soviet Moscow and Weimar Berlin as presented in these films. Dist.: Films Media Group. c2005. 24 min. DVD 4486
- Hanging Shadows: Perspectives on Italian Horror Cinema
- With its roots in the pulpy crime novels of the 1920s and 30s, Giallo cinema or Italian horror cinema, as it's more commonly known, first emerged in the late 1960s. Following the neo-realists, the giallo films represented a radical break with Italy's cinematic past. This documentary presents an informative historical overview of the giallo genre, exploring its genesis and chronicling the films, directors, and personalities that made up its golden age. Includes interviews with a fascinating group of filmmakers who redefined the horror genre and forever changed the way we think of horror films. Written, produced and directed by Paolo Fazzini. Dist.: Cinema Guild. c2006. 60 min. DVD 8604
- The Haunted Screen: German Film After World War One
- Film critic Peter Buchka explores the German cinema of the 1920s through film clips from these mostly silent films with commentary grouped by film themes such as "Evil and how it entered the world; Dream figures from the real world; Toying with fate" and "Power leads to doom." Film excerpts from: Destiny (1921) -- The Golem: how he came into the world (1920) -- Castle Vogeloed (1921) --Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) -- Faust (1925/26) -- Metropolis (1926) -- Nosferatu: a symphony of horror (1922) -- Hands of Orlac (1924) -- Secrets of a soul (1926) -- Eyes of the Mummy Ma (1918) -- Dr. Mabuse, the gambler (1921/22) -- Madame Dubarry (1919) -- Danton (1921) -- A way to the night (1920) -- Variety (1925) -- Tartuffe (1925) -- Spies (1928) -- Last laugh (1924) -- Nibelungen (1922/24). Dist: Films Media Group. 1998. 60 min. Video/C 6904
- Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinemathèque
- For forty years, Langlois presided over the Cinemath`eque Francaise with absolute commitment and unwavering passion. He preserved the priceless treasures of an art form by any means necessary. Includes rare footage and interviews to capture Langlois' life, triumphs and tragedies with candor and enduring affection. Special features: "Langlois monumental" (1991, 10 min., French w/English subtitles) A film of the dedication ceremony for the Langlois Monument. Featuring Sam Fuller and Marcel Carne. "Le Musee du Cinema Henri Langlouis" (1997, 3 min., French w/English subtitles) Featurette about the Henri Langlois Museum of Cinema. Narrated by Alain Delon. Stills gallery. Claude Berri, Claude Chabrol, Lotte Eisner, Philippe Garrel, Jean-Luc Godard, Alfred Hitchcock, Mary Meerson, Eric Rohmer, Jean Rouch, Francois Truffaut, Jack Valenti. 128 min. 2005. DVD 5986
- Irish Cinema: Ourselves alone?
- Produced and directed by Donald Taylor Black; editor, Maurice Healy. Donald Taylor Black presents a history of the Irish film industry, complete with film clips and interviews with directors, writers and producers. Video/C MM442
- Neorealismo
- Director Carlo Lizzani discusses the origin and development of the Neorealism movement in Italian cinema between 1943 and 1945, with particular reference to the films Ossessione, Roma Citta Aperta, Paisa, and Sciuscia. 1989. 55 min. Video/C 5878
- Neorealismo fino al 1950
- Carlo Lizzani explores the development of Italian Neorealism in post-World War II cinema, when films such as La Terra Trema and Ladri di Biciclette brought prestige to the industry even as it struggled with financial problems.1989. 60 min. Video/C 5879
- Neorealismo fino al 1954
- Carlo Lizzani discusses the crisis and decadence of Neorealism in Italian cinema. In the fifties Rossellini seeks new ways to depict social change taking place in Italy, while upcoming talents such as Fellini, Antonioni and Lizzani use neorealism as a starting point for their personal probings. Meanwhile Neorealism spreads, giving rise to new schools of filmmaking in England, South America and France. 1989. 60 min. Video/C 5880
- New Wave By Itself. (La Nouvelle Vague par elle-meme)
- Eight notable French film directors discuss how the post-war film movement in France revitalized cinema. With clips from many of their most important films, they discuss how they made their first films, as well as the motivations behind their filmmaking. Varda talks about wanting to make films that were not pleasant, but were thought provoking, and Godard talks of wanting to destroy the cliches of commercial French cinema. By 1964 the movement was struggling and Truffaut, Rivette and Godard all discuss the "failure" of the New Wave. Originally produced in 1964. 58 min. Video/C 9304
- Night of the Filmmakers
- A stellar assembly of filmmakers are brought together to discuss German cinema, including Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog, Volker Schlondorff and Leni Riefenstahl, with film clips to illustrate their points. Directed by Edgar Reitz. 1998. Video/C MM444
- Surrealist Film: The Stuff of Dreams.
- Surrealist cinema sought to break with the conventional linear narrative style in favor of chance events and a world of the subconscious. This program analyzes the origin, evolution and legacy of this cinematic movement whose stylistic artifacts can still be found in today's mass culture. Key figures of Dadaism and Surrealism are highlighted including Germaine Dulac, Luis Bunuel and Man Ray with excerpts from their works and other films of the genre. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2005. 39 min. DVD 4145
- Typically British
- Directed by Mike Dibb and Stephen Frears. Stephen Frears leads a discussion with other British filmmakers, and explores the wealth of images created by the British film industry over the last century. Video/C MM442
- Weinfilm, 1896-1976 (Austria)
- An anthology of film clips from Austrian directors and producers from the invention of film until the mid 1970s, illustrating how Vienese filmmaking advanced with the most important works produced in the mid-1960s. Commentary: Ernst Schmidt, Jr., Kurt Kren, Peter Kubelka, Friedrich Achleitner, Moucle Blackout, Valie Export, Friedrike Mayrocker, Otto Muehl, Peter Weibel. In German without subtitles. 117 min. DVD 7737
Eastern European Cinema
- [Eisenstein, Sergei]
- See individual filmmakers
- 100 Years of Polish Cinema
- Pawel Lozinski's film focuses not on the filmmakers, but on those for whom movies are made -- the audience. Through interviews with children and the elderly, Lozinski attempts to evoke the magic and power of Polish cinema through collective memory. 61 min. Video/C MM445
- Film Montage: The Projection of Modernity
- In this program, art historian Briony Fer analyzes the techniques and applications of film montage as they developed in the 1920s in the Soviet Union and Germany. By comparing and contrasting clips from October and Strike; Man with a Movie Camera; and Berlin - Symphony of a Great City, she illustrates how Sergei Eisenstein, Dziga Vertov, and Walter Ruttmann employed montage to address the concept of the crowd as a heroic protagonist, the collective experience of going to the cinema, and other topics. Dr. Fer also juxtaposes the ideologies of Soviet Moscow and Weimar Berlin as presented in these films. Dist.: Films Media Group. c2005. 24 min. DVD 4486
- Russian Idea.
- The term "The Russian Idea" is used to describe a desire for revolution, to create a utopia. In this film director Sergei Selyanov attempts to prove that 'our national films' that have become part of the world culture are connected with 'The Russian Idea' in one way or the other, using clips from the films of Eisenstein, Pudovkin and Vertov. Directed by Sergei Selyanov. 53 min. 1999. Video/C MM445
- [Tarkovsky, Andrei]
- See individual filmmakers
- Velvet Hangover: The End of the Czech Film Miracle
- Various Czech producers, directors, film editors and writers discuss the struggles they faced as they tried to realize their artistic visions in a constantly shifting political landscape from the heady days of the mid-Sixties, through the repressive period of "Normalization," and up to the present-day, ten years after the Velvet Revolution. Dist. Cinema Guild. 2000. 144 min. Video/C 9799
Scandinavia Cinema
- [Bergman, Ingmar]
- See individual filmmakers
- Carl Theodor Dreyer - My Metier
- This exhaustive documentary surveys the career of one of the great motion picture directors, following Dreyer's life through interviews with the director and his colleagues, film clips and archival materials. 2001. 94 min. DVD 830
- I Am Curious
- Film actress Lena Nyman is Bjorkman's guide on a journey through Nordic cinema history, attempting to discover the special elements of Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish and Icelandic cinema. Includes film clips and conversations with filmmakers such as Lars von Trier, Stefan Jarl, Liv Ullman and Aki Kaurismaki. 1998. Video/C MM444
- [Von Trier, Lars]
- See individual filmmakers
General & Miscellaneous
- Acting: Michael Caine on Acting in Film
- Academy Award winning actor Michael Caine shares his personal insights into the art and science of film acting. Witty and entertaining, he takes the nuts and bolts of film acting to pieces and gives away many trade secrets in the process in this serious but entertaining insight into the mechanics of acting. 1991. 60 min. Video/C 6857
- Alias Nick & Nora
- Presents two documentary tributes saluting William Powell and Myrna Loy, who featured together in the "Thin Man," radio and television series. William Powell was originally a silent film star and cast as a loveable villian. Myrna Loy's career is traced from her passage as a screen exotic to a delightful sleuth-socialite to the reigning queen of Hollywood. Myrna Loy: originally released in 1990, William Powell in 2005. 77 min. DVD 4153
- American Cinema. 13 part series. 1994. 55 min. each segment.
- An epic analysis of the American motion picture industry and the development of film genres that combines rare archival film, key scenes from immortal movies, interviews with leading filmmakers and commentary from noted film scholars and critics.This series available for online viewing (Requires initial registration at site)[Requires Windows Media player]
The Studio System. DVD 371; Video/C 3710
The Star. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3711
The Western. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3712
Romantic Comedy. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3713
The Combat Film. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3714
Film Noir. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3715
Film in the Television Age. DVD 371 VHS Video/C 3716
The Film School Generation.DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3717
The Edge of Hollywood. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3718
Classical Hollywood Today. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3719
Film Language: the Director's Choice. DVD 371; VHS Video/C 3719
Thinking and Writing About Film. DVD 371;
- Martin, James. "American Cinema." (television program reviews) America v172, n3 (Feb 4, 1995):19.
Gaydos, Steven. "American Cinema." (television program reviews) Variety v357, n12 (Jan 23, 1995):42 (2 pages).
Goldberg, Robert. "American Cinema." (television program reviews) Wall Street Journal
- And Nothing But the Truth
- Discussion of document and fiction in filmmaking. How does fiction affect our perception of reality and understanding of truth? And how much of a so-called documentary is really document? These blurry lines are explored in a variety of documentary, fiction and hybrid films while filmmakers are questioned about their chosen tactics. Directed by Fumiko Kiyooka & Gretchen Jordan Bastow. 1996. 52 min. Video/C MM403
- Artist
- A fast-paced journey through Hollywood's depiction of the artist. Using a wealth of clips from classic cinema bio pics and popular television sitcoms, the voyage spans centuries of art and art-making to reveal how five decades of mainstream media have perceived the creative process and creators themselves. A video collaboration between Tracey Moffatt and Gary Hillberg. 1999. 10 min. Video/C MM978
- Behind the Screens: Hollywood Goes Hypercommercial
- This program examines the invasion of mainstream big-budget movies by advertising and marketing. Five leading scholars and a screenwriter discuss the consequences of an ever-accelerated concentration of media ownership and suggest that this continues to have profound effects on contemporary American cultural life. c2000. 37 min. Video/C 7535
- bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation.
- Bell Hooks makes a compelling argument for the transformative powers of cultural criticism. She demonstrates how learning to think critically was central to her own self-transformation and how it can play a role in students' quest for a sense of agency and identity. Includes footage from many films and music videos, and news coverage. 61 min. Video/C 4970
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
- This documentary juxtaposes newsreel footage, film clips and period music in an eye-opening look at the Great Depression. Many of the movies created in the 1930s featured strong social commentary, while others offered pure escapism and fed a fascination with a dazzling world out of reach to the everyday American. Through a contrast between the fantasy of film and the reality of everyday life, a fascinating perspective on the Great Depression and Hollywood's golden age is presented. Also includes political speeches by Franklin D. Roosevelt and others. 1975. 112 min. DVD 450
- Burden of Dreams
- Goes behind the scenes in the making of Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo, the story of one man's attempt to build an opera house deep in the Amazon jungle. Filmmaker Les Blank captured the production, made perilous by Herzog's determination not to use models or special effects. Dist.: Flower Films. 1982. 95 min. DVD 3803
- Chambre 666
- In 1982 Wim Wenders asks a number of film directors from around the world to, in a room alone with camera and sound recorder, answer a simple question: "What is the future of cinema?" Featuring Chantal Akerman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Maroun Bagdadi, Ana Carolina, Mike De Leon, Jonathan Demme, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Jean-Luc Godard, Romain Goupil, Yilmaz Guney, Monte Hellman, Werner Herzog, Robert Kramer, Paul Morrissey, Susan Seidelman, Noel Simsolo, Steven Spielberg, Wim Wenders. 2006. 46 min. DVD 6938
- Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment
- The cinema verite (or direct cinema) movement of the 1950's and 60's was driven by a group of rebel filmmakers tired of stilted documentaries. They wanted to show life as it really is: raw, gritty, dramatic. Rich in excerpts from verite classics with commentary by filmmakers, this is the first film to capture all the excitement of a revolution that changed movie-making forever, with its influences on everything from TV news to music videos to Webcams. Contents: Free cine