Not on Netflix: March 2010

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Landlord (1970)

It's pretty crazy and rather sad that The Landlord isn't available on DVD. Just look at the film's behind-the-camera credits: produced by Norman Jewison, cinematography by Gordon Willis, camera operation by Michael Chapman (DP on Raging Bull, Taxi Driver), screenplay by Bill Gunn, music by Al Kooper, and, of course, direction by Hal Ashby, his first film at the helm. Sadly this VHS rip isn't the best showcase for the cinematography, but it's better than nothing.

The film is a fascinating, seriocomic exploration of racial and economic conflict, all embellished with absurdist and abstract touches. Beau Bridges, Pearl Bailey, Lee Grant, and Diana Sands all feature and are all impressive.

Director: Hal Ashby
Language: English
Length: 111 minutes
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065963/

Links:
http://rapidshare.com/files/366532224/The_Landlord__1970_.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/366534195/The_Landlord__1970_.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/366536187/The_Landlord__1970_.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/366538150/The_Landlord__1970_.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/366540312/The_Landlord__1970_.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/366541930/The_Landlord__1970_.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/366544882/The_Landlord__1970_.part7.rar

No password.
Thanks to the original uploader.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Panique (1947)

Based on the Georges Simenon novel Les Fiançailles de monsieur Hire, Panique is a dark crime drama, essentially a French film noir, about the relationship between a scheming couple hoping to avoid the law and the town's most unpopular resident. Michel Simon gives one of his greater performances as the iconoclastic resident, who still yearns for love despite the gloom and suspicion that surrounds him. The film's plot winds to an absorbing, powerful climax. The film's contempt of small community prejudice brings to mind Fritz Lang's Fury (1936). The same story was later adapted by Patrice Leconte as Monsieur Hire (1989).

The film gets 3 1/2 stars in Leonard Maltin's guide.

Director: Julien Duvivier
Language: French (with English subtitles)
Length: 91 minutes
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038824/

Links:
http://rapidshare.com/files/361434715/Panique.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361437615/Panique.part02.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361439515/Panique.part03.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361441990/Panique.part04.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361445846/Panique.part05.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361448242/Panique.part06.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361450075/Panique.part07.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361452367/Panique.part08.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361454300/Panique.part09.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361457285/Panique.part10.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/361458556/Panique.part11.rar

No password.
Thanks to the original uploader.

The Magic Box (1951) or (1952)

A star-studded British biography of the forgotten inventor of film, William Friese-Greene. Robert Donat gives a moving performance as Friese-Greene matched by sensitive portrayals of Friese-Greene's two wives by Margaret Johnston and Maria Schell. A panoply of classic British actors appear in bit parts including Michael Redgrave, Stanley Holloway, Peter Ustinov, Margaret Rutherford, Ernest Thesiger, Glynis Johns and, in a particularly memorable scene, Laurence Olivier as a cop brought off the street by Friese-Greene for a demonstration of his new invention. The film also had a star-studded behind the camera crew, with direction by John Boulting, production by Ronald Neame, a script by Eric Ambler, and with beautiful, rich color cinematography by Jack Cardiff.

Incidentally, some sources, like Leonard Maltin (who gives the film 4 stars), give 1951 as the film's release year while other sources, like IMDb, give it as 1952. According to Wikipedia, it was shown as a part of the Festival of Britain in 1951, but only got its general release in 1952.

Director: John Boulting
Language: English
Length: 103 minutes
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043769/

Links:
http://rapidshare.com/files/363008887/The_Magic_Box.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/363011167/The_Magic_Box.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/363013997/The_Magic_Box.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/363016517/The_Magic_Box.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/363019047/The_Magic_Box.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/363020975/The_Magic_Box.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/363021400/The_Magic_Box.part7.rar

No password
Thanks to the original uploader

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Note

Wild Rovers is streaming thru Starz Play on Netflix. Sadly its pan-and-scan, butchering two-time Oscar nominee Philip Lathrop's beautiful cinematography. For that reason, I'm going to keep my links up.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Wild Rovers (1971)

Here's an unjustly forgotten western, starring William Holden, Ryan O'Neal, and Karl Malden and coming from the mind of writer/director Blake Edwards. Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide gives the film 3 1/2 stars and praises Holden's performance and "incredibly lyrical scenes."

Director: Blake Edwards
Language: English
Length: 127 minutes
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067989/

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Un Carnet de Bal (1937) (No subtitles)

Here is one of Julien Duvivier's most acclaimed films and one of the classics of French cinema, Un Carnet de Bal. It's also extremely rare, even, as far as I can tell, in France. It stars some wonderful actors including Raimu, Fernandel, and Louis Jouvet. Sadly there are no English subtitles. If anybody is fluent in French and is willing to produce subtitles, it would be an incredible service to the film world. Please send me a message. The audio in this file only comes out of the right channel, but you can adjust it in your video player to play normally. Otherwise, I hope you Francophone cinephiles enjoy the movie.

Director: Julien Duvivier
Language: French (No English subtitles)
Length: 124 minutes
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029706/

Monday, March 1, 2010

Welcome

Welcome to the site. My mission here is simple. I want to share with other film buffs the classic movies they can't see because they aren't available for rent or sale in the US. Like myself, these buffs would be happy to pay a reasonable fee to see these films if they had the opportunity. If a movie that I've posted here comes out on DVD in region 1 or becomes available for streaming, I will take it down. Till then...