Angel Face (1952)

“How stupid do you think I am? You hate that woman, and someday you’re gonna hate her enough to kill her. It’s been in the back of your mind all along.”

Synopsis:
The manipulative daughter (Jean Simmons) of a writer (Herbert Marshall) tries to enlist the help of her new chauffeur (Robert Mitchum) in killing her wealthy [...]

Female Jungle / Hangover (1955)

“There were at least a dozen people at that party who Monica Madison hurt on the way out; each one of them had a good reason to kill her.”

Synopsis:
An off-duty cop (Lawrence Tierney) who has spent the night drinking heavily and can’t remember his actions tries to clear his name by investigating the mysterious murder [...]

Great Day in the Morning (1956)

“Sure, I’m loyal. I’ve got an undying loyalty to myself and no one else, nothing else.”

Synopsis:
Near the start of the Civil War, an apolitical Southern profiteer (Robert Stack) in Colorado becomes embroiled in a heated stand-off between Unionists and Confederates; meanwhile, he finds himself caught in a love triangle between a feisty saloon hostess [...]

400 Blows, The (1959)

“I can’t live with my parents now after what’s happened… I have to disappear.”

Synopsis:
A mischievous teen (Jean-Pierre Leaud) in 1950s Paris repeatedly gets in trouble with his strict teacher (Guy Decomble) and his clueless parents (Claire Maurier and Albert Rémy), and tries to run away; eventually, he’s sent to an institution for juvenile delinquents.

Genres:

Coming of [...]

Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)

“Your life is really full of crap, isn’t it?”

Synopsis:
A housewife (Carrie Snodgress) married to a demeaning and demanding husband (Richard Benjamin) rebels by having an affair with a self-absorbed writer (Frank Langella).

Genres:

Feminism and Women’s Issues

Housewives
Infidelity
Literature Adaptation
Marital Problems

Review:
Frank and Eleanor Perry’s adaptation of Sue Kaufman’s novel is a delightfully acerbic glimpse at gender roles in [...]

Chang (1927)

“Such is the Law of the Jungle: Death to the weaker, food to the stronger.”

Synopsis:
In the Siamese jungle, Kru and his family struggle to survive while protecting their home from wild animals. When a baby elephant (a “chang”) is caught in a trap, an entirely new challenge arises…

Genres:

Hunting
Native Peoples
Silent Films
Survival
Wilderness

Review:
Several years before making their [...]

Thundercrack! (1975)

“My name is Mrs. Gert Hammond… Welcome to Prairie Blossom!”

Synopsis:
On a dark and stormy night, various strangers gather at the house of a disturbed widow (Marion Eaton), who has decidedly kinky ideas about sex…

Genres:

Black Comedy
Peeping Toms
Sexuality

Review:
This ultra-bizarre, ultra-low-budget campy porno flick (written by underground maverick George Kuchar) is most definitely not for all tastes. [...]

UFOria (1981/1985)

“It spoke to me — in my dream… There’s a space ship coming, and it’s gonna be like Noah’s ark, and I’m gonna be Noah!”

Synopsis:
A drifter and small-time con (Fred Ward) hooks up with a quirky, religious check-out girl (Cindy Williams), who believes aliens are coming to earth in a UFO.

Genres:

Aliens
Con-Artists
Missionaries and Revivalists
Religious Faith
Romantic [...]

Master of the World (1961)

“I am a man unto myself, Mr. Prudent, who has declared war against war — that is my purpose, sir, the purpose for which this ship was built!”

Synopsis:
In the mid-1800s, a government official (Charles Bronson), two scientists (Henry Hull and David Frankheim), and Hull’s daughter (Mary Webster) are held captive in the airship of a [...]

Bridge, The (1959)

“He can’t be a soldier… He’s just a kid!”

Synopsis:
Near the end of WWII, a group of German teens are ordered to defend a useless bridge, not realizing it’s about to be blown up.

Genres:

German Films
Soldiers
Teenagers
WWII

Review:
This Oscar nominated German film — Austrian director Bernhard Wicki’s feature debut — is a powerful, depressing look at the meaningless [...]