In late-19th-century Shanghai, brothels are known as “flower houses.” A small and confined world unto themselves, the brothels offer an alternate universe for the well-to-do male clientele. But for the women who work within, the brothels are no fantasyland; they either succumb to this reality or fight against destiny.
A widowed Nevada rancher goes to Italy and marries the sister of his deceased wife and brings her back to the ranch, but his haunting memories of his lost love and her tendency to drift away to other men cause the two to have a tough time at keeping a marriage together.
Set during a recent European revolution, when the students have just begun to rise, the film focuses on the unusual relationship between Dr. Pavenic and his housekeeper, Ana. In the midst of a night alive with the rattle of gunfire and burning buildings, the doctor tells the story of his obsession for his enigmatic housekeeper, to a dinner table of his guests. His shocking honesty eventually prompts each guest in turn, to disclose some inner corner of his own life.
Ferdinand Rieche was a policeman, but found the legal constraints of that profession too stifling. He gets into the business of protecting manufacturing plants and outfits and trains his men like a private army expecting an invasion. After his excesses prove too much for his bosses, he is fired, and Ferdinand takes his strong opinions back into public life.
In this rare and virtually unseen film we follow the exploits of Leroy Mahoney as he settles in the country leaving behind a wayward life to work his land. With plot only provided as subtext, the simple story is a dramatization of a man and his resolve to live a quite honest life farming.
An ex-boxer meets a 9-year-old abandoned girl and together they hitchhike to California, where he must find a junkie who owes him money.
Hoping to make a fresh start, Léo, a jazz musician, takes up temporary residence with his friend Bony, a young writer who is struggling to get his work published. One evening, Léo strikes up an acquaintance with a woman taxi driver, Cora; in spite of her impulsive and moody temperament, he cannot help being attracted to her. When Bony meets Cora, he too finds her irresistible, but he lacks Léo’s self-confidence to make his move. Cora is not a woman that any man can possess readily. She is like a wild animal, a creature that revels in its freedom. Will either Léo or Bony be able to tame her…?
——UPGRADED——
Plain Jane Hartman hates her life. She’s goofy, boring and only has sex if she reads Iris Murdoch novels out loud to her loopy boyfriend. Her oldest friend Antonia McGill knows about everything. She orders the right food; she can complain and get results. She’s beautiful and has a brilliant career. Is it any wonder that they hate each other’s guts?
