Filmed study of Bunraku, the classical Japanese puppet art, which uses three-quarters life-sized figures, handled by black-clothed manipulators who remain in plain view of the audience, convention rendering them invisible. These scenes trace Bunraku from the making of the puppets and the way in which their limbs are articulated, to their costuming and reflections on their relationship to kabuki theater. It includes complete performances of traditional Bunraku plays. Commentary by the well-known authority on dance and Asian arts, Faubion Bowers.
Tag: USA
Gisela May, star of Bertolt Brecht’s East German theater, “The Berliner Ensemble” sings songs on texts by Brecht to music by Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler, and Paul Dessau. May introduces each song with an English explanation.
Judith Singer is a housewife, out of the journalism business for many years. When a dentist she has been seeing (who has a strong bedside manner even while female patients are still in the chair) is found murdered, she finds that a neighbor is a suspect. She begins to investigate. This places her in danger from the murderer, from the women who have had affairs with the dentist, and from the police who begin to wonder why she is always at the scenes where clues are discovered. Her husband becomes angry at what is happening, placing strains on her family as she finds herself more and more attracted to the police detective investigating the murder.
Paul Dietrich, at almost 30 years old, is a fading piano prodigy. Heidi Schoonover is a talented young pianist with a promising future. When Paul hears of an upcoming competition that could make his career, he dedicates himself to winning.
In this adaptation of the Robert Ludlum novel, the host of an investigative news program has been convinced by the C.I.A. that the friends and associates he’s invited to weekend with him in the country are actually engaged in a nefarious conspiracy which threatens national security.
Steve finds an old Indian Shaman who informs Steve that time is running out and that the evildoer, Natas, will soon return and must be stopped. Steve follows the map and uses the magical necklace the Shaman gave to him to seek out and stop Natas. After one visit to a ghost town with Zombies, Steve returns with four friends to prove the existence of this town and to help him find and defeat Natas.
Shopworn is a lively Columbia melodrama with Barbara Stanwyck as Kitty, a spirited waitress from the wrong side of the tracks who falls for a wealthy young man. Their romance ignites the wrath of his domineering mother, leading to scandal, sacrifice, and Kitty’s struggle to hold on to both her dignity and her chance at love.
It’s a city that’s larger than life. A city without limits. A glittering mecca of excess and forbidden desires. Discover the fascinating story of this fabled destination and the people who created it. From the mobsters who made Vegas into their version of American Dream to the tycoons of today’s family mega-resorts, this is the ultimate insider’s tour of America’s neon oasis. Illuminating interviews with luminaries like Alan King, Wayne Newton and Debbie Reynolds, writer Nick Pileggi, entrepreneur Steve Wynn and Howard Hughes frontman Robert Mayheu offer a unique, unvarnished look at the fabled city, while never-before-seen footage opens a window to its tumultuous past.