jik's - Rented List
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This is the film that catapulted Sylvester Stallone into the international spotlight and launched one of the most successful series of films in movie history, This is the story of a loser, a two bit boxer from Philadelphia, who gets a second chance in life by being offered an impossible shot at the heavyweight title. Stallone's performance is as powerful as his character's punches in the ring. This is one of the most exciting action movies you will ever see. Rocky is the simple story of a man whom fate chooses for a shot at glory in what has otherwise been an ordinary life. And while this subject matter is nothing new, it was unusual for Hollywood to release an old-fashioned 'feel-good' movie in the seventies, a decade whose films were mostly unconventional in attitude and anti-establishment in tone. Rocky is, of course, a fairy tale, but by grounding its characters in an everyday reality, the filmmakers were able to make them seem real and alive. And making the major contribution to that sense of reality was Sylvester Stallone, an out-of-work actor/writer whose faith in himself took him from utter obscurity to world-wide fame and fortune virtually overnight..... - Director:
- John G. Avildsen
- Cast:
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
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Soon after the huge success of 'Magnificent Obsession', Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson again teamed up with director Douglas Sirk for this heartwarming story of an attractive, wealthy New England widow who defies social constraints when she falls in love for a much younger man. When Cary Scott (Jane Wyman) falls in love with her sexy gardener, Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson), she becomes the target of small town gossip, while at the time incurring the wrath of her own children Kay (Gloria Talbott) and Ned (William Reynolds). The children and the town want Cary to lead a more conventional lifestyle than that offered by Ron. They would prefer that she spend the rest of her life in front of her new TV set, wed to Harvey (Conrad Nagel), a highly respected, wealthy - and boring - bachelor. Will she choose love or "respectability"? - Director:
- Douglas Sirk
- Cast:
- Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead
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American judge, Daniel Haywood (Spencer Tracy), presides over the trial of four German jurists accused of "legalising" Nazi atrocities. But as graphic accounts of sterilisation and murder unfold in the courtroom, mounting political pressure for leniency forces Haywood into making the most harrowing and difficult decision of his career. His actions - and those of the other trial participants - make for fascinating, poignant and continuously exciting entertainment! - Director:
- Stanley Kramer
- Cast:
- Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark
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An incisive exploration of the disintegration of a bourgeois marriage, 'Faces' traces the shifting character dynamics as Richard (John Marley) and Maria's (Lynn Carlin) fourteen-year marriage implodes. Maria joins her friends looking for romantic satisfaction elsewhere and has an unfulfilling fling with a young swinger (Seymour Cassel). Richard meanwhile secures the services of a prostitute (Gena Rowlands) for a night. Both find their liaisons to be no more satisfying than their dead-end marriage. - Director:
- John Cassavetes
- Cast:
- John Marley, Gena Rowlands, Lynn Carlin
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Seven Samurai (1954)Shichinin no Samurai
In 16th century Japan a poor village is raided every year by a group of bandits until, driven to the brink of starvation, the villagers decide to hire professional warriors to protect them. With only three meager meals a day to offer as payment, their request seems an impossible one. A simple plot, flawlessly executed - 'Seven Samurai' combines comedy, pathos, memorable characters, gripping tension and some of the finest action scenes ever filmed. - Director:
- Akira Kurosawa
- Cast:
- Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima
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The Lives of Others (2006)Das Leben Der Anderen
In this outstanding psychological and political thriller, we get a fascinating insight into the lengths and depths that the East European government went to in order to keep tabs on the lives of its population in 80's. When cold and brutal official Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is given the task of spying on acclaimed playwright Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his actress girlfriend, he relishes the task, knowing that if he uncovers subversive behaviour he will gain favor with his boss. But the longer he listens in on the couple, their friendships, passions and ideas, the more he realises that his own life and the harsh political regime are lacking in color and joy in many respects. Slowly he begins to doubt morality of is job and politics. As the lines between orders and compassion become blurred, Wiesler becomes more involved with his subject, walking a dangerous path between his duty and his new found reality. - Director:
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Cast:
- Ulrich Mühe, Klaus Münster, Martina Gedeck
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The Virgin Spring (1960)Jungfrukällan
Set in beautiful 14th century Sweden, the film tells a sombre, powerful fable of peasant parents (Max Von Sydow and Birgitta Valberg) whose daughter, a young virgin (Birgitta Petterson), is brutally raped and murdered by swineherds after her half sister (Gunnel Lindblom) has invoked a pagan curse. By a bizarre twist of fate, the murderers ask for food and shelter from the dead girl's parents, who, upon discovering the truth about their erstwhile lodgers, exact a chilling revenge. - Director:
- Ingmar Bergman
- Cast:
- Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom
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Fed up with being preyed upon at school by loudmouth bully George (Josh Peck), friends Sam (Rory Culkin), Clyde (Ryan Kelley) and Millie (Carly Schroeder) decide to teach their tormentor a lesson. Inviting him out on a boat trip to celebrate Sam's birthday and joined by Sam's older brother and his friend, the group plans a prank that will put George in his place. By the end of the day, however, this close-knit group of friends will have been tested and torn apart by a series of tricky moral decisions. - Director:
- Jacob Aaron Estes
- Cast:
- Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz
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Based on the horrifying real-life murder of a young California girl, this powerful portrait of deadly, disaffected teens stars Keanu Reeves, Crispin Glover, Ione Skye Leitch, Daniel Roebuck and Dennis Hopper in a tale that is chilling to witness. On the bank of a river lies the naked body of a brutally murdered young girl. At the nearby high school, Samson brags to Matt and his friends about how he killed her. Drunk and stoned, the doubting teens trudge to the river and discover that he isn't lying. And oddly, they decide to protect Samson behind a loyal wall of secrecy. Tormented with guilt, Matt questions their silence...and suddenly finds himself in a troubling position: should he do what he thinks is right, or should he keep quiet and live with this demon for the rest of his life. - Director:
- Tim Hunter
- Cast:
- Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye
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Tokyo Story / Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family (1953)Tôkyô monogatari / Todake no kyôdai
A constant fixture in critics' polls, Yasujiro Ozu's most enduring masterpiece, 'Tokyo Story', is a beautifully nuanced exploration of filial duty, expectation and regret. From the simple tale of an elderly husband and wife's visit to Tokyo to see their grown-up children, Ozu draws a compelling contrast between the measured dignity of age and the hurried insensitivity of a younger generation. - Director:
- Yasujirô Ozu
- Cast:
- Chishû Ryû, Chieko Higashiyama, Sô Yamamura
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Married doctors William and Dakota Block (Josh Brolin and Marley Shelton) find their graveyard shift inundated with townspeople ravaged by gangrenous sores and a suspiciously vacant look in their eyes. Among the wounded is Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan), a go-go dancer whose leg was ripped off during a roadside attack, and El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), a mysterious drifter with a past. Cherry may be down on her luck, but she hasn't danced her last number...As the virus turns the invalids into enraged aggressors. Cherry and El Wray lead a team of accidental warriors into the night, hurtling towards a destiny that will leave millions infected, countless dead and a lucky few heading for the last safe corner of Planet Terror. - Director:
- Robert Rodriguez
- Cast:
- Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin
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George (Warren Beatty) is one of L.A.'s most desirable men, a Beverly Hills hairdresser who makes all his female clients look, and feel, better than ever. Encouraged by his girlfriend Jill (Goldie Hawn) to open his own salon, George approaches conservative businessman Lester (Jack Warden) for financing. Unbeknownst to Lester, George is sleeping with his wife (Lee Grant), his mistress (Julie Christie) and his teenage daughter (Carrie Fisher). Can George resist temptation and settle down with Jill or will he get tangled up in even more scandalous affairs? - Director:
- Hal Ashby
- Cast:
- Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn
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Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) is a retiring horror-star bidding farewell to the limelight. Bobby Thompson (Tim O'Kelly) is an unassuming but disturbed Vietnam veteran who suddenly embarks on a murderous shooting rampage. As Byron makes one final public appearance, their worlds collide as Bobby brings carnage to a suburban Los Angeles drive-in cinema. - Director:
- Peter Bogdanovich
- Cast:
- Don Steele, Tim O'Kelly, Boris Karloff
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The Greatest Love Story Ever Told...in the most acclaimed musical of all time...! Experience every sensational song, dazzling dance number and magical movie moment of 'West Side Story' as never before, in sparkling high definition with pure digital sound. A triumph on every level, this electrifying musical sets the ageless tragedy of 'Romeo and Juliet' against a backdrop of gang warfare in 1950s New York. Featuring an unforgettable score, exuberant choreography and powerful performances by Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris, West Side Story will forever resonate as a true cinematic masterpiece. - Director:
- Jerome Robbins
- Cast:
- Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer
- Formats:
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Adrift in the Depression-era Southwest, Clyde Barrow(Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) embark on a life of crime. They mean no harm. They crave adventure - and each other. Soon we start to love them too. But nothing in film history has prepared us for the cascading violence to follow. Bonnie And Clyde turns brutal. We learn they can be hurt - and dread they can be killed. - Director:
- Arthur Penn
- Cast:
- Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard
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