BEETHOVEN'S GREAT LOVE. This one is on my want-to-see list because Maltin gave it 3.5 stars. I assume it is French because Abel Gance -- director of NAPOLEON -- helmed. It's an oldie too; from '36.
BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA. I kid you not. The name of a real movie and the name of a movie I want to see. I don't know much, if anything, about it. It was of those films mentioned on this calendar I had that made a movie recommendation for each day of the year. I hope this one has camp value.
BELL'ANTONIO. I don't know much about this Italian film from 1960. The actor Peter Weller wrote a journal in one of those PROJECTIONS books edited by John Boorman and Weller recommended the film in his journal. Maltin gave the film 2.5 stars and it appears it made it to tape, but as far as I know is not on DVD. The lovely Claudia Cardinale stars.
BENJI. Don't know much about this one other than it is from '74 and received 3.5 stars from Maltin. It is about the dog and probably a kids' movie. I don't know if it is animated or live acton. I don't think it has been released on DVD.
BLACK AND WHITE LIKE NIGHT AND DAY. I learned about this one because the formidable John Simon gave it a good review. It was directed by Wolfgang Petersen who gave us DAS BOOT and IN THE LINE OF FIRE among other films. It is about a chess match. I had never heard of this one until I read Simon's review.
BOAT PEOPLE from '83 directed by Ann Hui. I am surprised this one didn't make it to tape nor so far DVD. It played at the New York Film Festival and Ms. Hui has had at least one film that was commercially distributed in the U.S. since but so far this one has remained an obscurity. Maltin gave it 3.5 stars -- that is why it is on my "want to see" list -- so it must have received a theatrical run in the U.S.
A BORROWED LIFE/DUO SANG. I don't know much about this Taiwanese film, but added it to my "want to see" list after Martin Scorsese, in some magazine article, listed his top 10 films from the 1990s and this one was listed as his number 3. The film is from '94 and Neen-Jen Wu, who I have never heard of, directed.
BORSALINO. It is a surprise that this one has yet to pop up on DVD since its mediocre sequel is on DVD and the original, while not considered a great film, does feature two French icons then at the top of their game: Jean-Paul Belmondo & Alain Delon. In fact, I thought I rented BORSALINO once and it turned out the video store had stocked the sequel and mismarked it BORSALINO. This is a gangster yarn from 1970 and I added it to my "want to see" list because of a review by Stanley Kauffman, film critic of "The New Republic."
THE BOYS. This is an Aussie/British film from '98 that hasn't made it to DVD yet. I can't remember why I missed it on its original theatrical run (assuming it had a theatrical run) and I don't even know why I want to see it. It was directed by Rowan Woods, who I am not familiar with. I don't even know what the film is about.
The Ballad of Narayama, only an abysmal video available. Imamura's other films are available from Criterion (The Pornographers!!!), and other labels, yet this is not. C'mon!
Originally posted by d.zeleniouk: The Ballad of Narayama, only an abysmal video available. Imamura's other films are available from Criterion (The Pornographers!!!), and other labels, yet this is not. C'mon!
Well, if you live near Brooklyn you can see this on the big screen. The Brooklyn Academy of Music is mounting a comprehensive, if not complete, Imamura retrospective.
Meanwhile, my next choice is:
BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER. Surprisingly this one remains obscure despite the fact that it was directed by David Lean and receives 3.5 stars in Maltin. It never made it to VHS, hasn't made it to DVD and never plays on TV. Because it is David Lean -- and good David Lean at least according to Maltin -- it remains high on my want to see list.
THE BRIDAL PATH. This is I presume a British film from 1959 since it was directed by Frank Laudner. I want to see it because Maltin gives it 3.5 stars. Other than that, I don't know anything else about it.
BRIEF MOMENT: I don't know much about this one other than the fact that it was made in the early 1930s at the Columbia studio. It was a film that played in a series of Columbia films released "before the [production] code" was instituted in 1934.
BRIGHT ANGEL. I am kind of surprised to find that this one has not been released on DVD since it had its theatrical run back in '91. I don't remember it being released, but heard about it in an article Kent Jones wrote in the publicaton "Film Comment." Dermot Mulroney stars. I don't know anything else about it.
BUSTING. This was a film from '74 that Elvis Mitchell mentioned in his "Times" review of STARSKY & HUTCH. It came out on videotape, but has yet to see the light of day on DVD. I know Elliott Gould is in it.
CALCUTTA. This is a film noir directed by John Farrow and it starred Alan Ladd. It is from '47. Paramount was the studio. It remains obscure and never made it to VHS, let alone DVD, and never pops up on TV or in revival houses.
CAMOUFLAGE. This is a 1977 Polish film directed by Krystoff Zanussi. I want to see it because it received 3.5 stars in the "Maltin Film Guide." I don't know much about Zanussi, but have seen two of this other films, THE CONSTANT FACTOR & YEAR OF THE CONSTANT SUN, though I can remember anything about either of them.
CAREER. I learned about this film when I read Nick Tosches' terrific biography of Dean Martin. It came out in '59 and starred Dean, but hasn't made it to DVD, though it did come out on tape. It never plays on TV either.
