The Works of Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, and Michel Gondry

Essential viewing for any aspiring music video maker. This box set contains promos and short films by three of the most inspirational pop directors around today. From the amazing, child-like imagination of French director Michel Gondry (Daft Punk, Bjork, Massive Attack) to the nightmarish weirdness of visionary Chris Cunningham (Aphex Twin, Portishead, Bjork) to the pulsating vibes of Spike Jonze (Weezer, Fatboy Slim, Bjork), who also directed "Being John Malkovich". Michel Gondry (who also directed "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") is a firm favourite of Looking-Glass and his style is clearly influenced by early cinematic visionaries such as George Melies. Therefore, this set will go perfectly with the "Landmarks of Early Film" collection also found on this page.

This boxed set comes with many extras. Highly recomended.

Note: The Three direcor complete set is only available on Region 1 DVD

The Works of Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, and Michel Gondry
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Sarah Polley

The remarkable Canadian actress and director Sarah Polley has always chosen wisely throughout her career, often taking on roles that portray conflicted and emotionally challenged young women. Ms Polley (also lesser known for her stunning singing voice) has generally steered clear of mainstream blockbuster offerings and has instead chosen less commercial routes via independent productions. This allows her to extend her acting potentials, giving more room to choose films of intellectual substance. From Atom Egoyan's haunting "The Sweet Hereafter" in 1997 to the acclaimed "My Life Without Me", the talents of Sarah Polley are consistently proving how an attractive (and politically charged) actress can lead a successful career without dilluting her artistic integrity and selling herself out to Hollywood.

Films featuring Sarah Polley
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Christopher Ecclestone

Christopher Ecclestone has become a continually busy and highly sought-after British acting phenomenon. Even before his acclaimed starring role as the BBC's new Doctor Who (for just one series), Ecclestone has never been short on film and TV offers. With numerous parts and starring roles stretching back to 1990, the 2000's are proving to be his most crowning decade to date. Notable performances by Ecclestone include his 1996 role as "Jude" in an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel. In 2002 he one acclaim as Steve Baxter in Russel T. Davies' "The Second Coming". To his fans, the hardworking Ecclestone exudes a balanced blend of modesty, ruggedness and fine acting to turn women from 16 to 60 weak at the knees. In fact, throughout recent decades of British TV hunks, it's hard to figure how long it's actually been since a male actor inspired so much female interest ... (perhaps Roger Moore as The Saint was the last?) Expect to see a lot more of the lovable-yet-formidable Ecclestone.

Films featuring Christopher Ecclestone
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Cate Blanchett

A critically acclaimed Australian actress with chameleon like qualities, Cate Blanchett steps into character so transparently, and able to radiate a totally natural and unassuming demure, whereby one forgets the actress and absorbs the character, as if for real. After making her feature film debut in "Paradise Road" in 1997 she went on to play "Elizabeth" in 1998 and thereafter more major roles in movies like "Charlotte Gray", "Lord of The Rings" and "The Aviator", in which her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn won her an Oscar. One of her most memorable roles was as Annie Wilson in "The Gift" - a movie particularly recommended by Looking-Glass.

Films featuring Cate Blanchett
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Audrey Tautou

Although having played quality roles in many French productions since 1996, it was Audrey Tautou's mesmerizing performances in "Amelie" (Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain) and then "A Very Long Engagement" (Un long Dimanche de Fiançailles) that has since made her the darling of world cinema. Audrey Tautou plays her life on and off set to her own unique rhythm. This intelligent and humorous individual radiates cool originality, but with modesty. A strong will and composed sensibility means that Ms Tatou has everything it takes to steer her career as it suits her - teasing Hollywood with such quotes as "I wouldn't mind being in an American film for a laugh, but I certainly don't want to be in Thingy Blah Blah 3, if you know what I mean."

Films featuring Audrey Tautou
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Landmarks of Early Film Volumes One and Two

Volume One archives nearly every important film from the beginning of early cinematography. This includes Edison Kinestoscope films (1894-96), films by the brothers Lumière (1895-97) and the magical movies of French special effects pioneer Georges Méliès.

Volume Two covers George Melies in more detail. Melies was the pioneer of film special effects many years before the term was coined. Audiences of the new medium of cinema were witnessing spectacular film illusions that seemed like pure magic to them but what we now realise as simple film and theatrical trickery.
Apart from 15 of his films included in Vol Two, there is also a documentary "Georges Melies: Cinema Magician". His most famous film "A Trip to The Moon" can be found on Volume One of this collection.

The two volumes together make up almost four hours, providing a fascinating study of the pioneering days of cinema.

Note: Only Available through Amazon USA & Canada (Region 1 DVD)

USA
Landmarks of Early Film Vol. One
Landmarks of Early Film Vol.Two

CANADA
Landmarks of Early Film Vol. One
Landmarks of Early Film Vol.Two

Edgar Reitz's Heimat

There is no doubt that writer and director Edgar Reitz's combined series of "Heimat" surmounts to the most important contribution ever to world film and television drama.
Since production started around 1980, Heimat has been twenty five years in the making. The three parts combined sum up to fifty four hours, creating the compelling story of five generations of the Simon family, based in the fictitious German village of Schabbach.
The story begins in 1919 at the end of World War One, and continues through the rise and fall of the Third Reich, the political and social issues of the 1960's, the fall of the Berlin Wall and finally concludes with the millennium.
Heimat was finally completed in 2004, and is hailed as the finest television drama / arthouse epic ever made. From both inside Germany and throughout the world, this series has changed peoples lives; who reflect on the emotions of love, loss, and humanity so wonderfully portrayed in this carefully paced, beautifully photographed and highly absorbing drama.
The three Heimat DVD sets are impeccably presented in book-style bindings - and collectively offer a superb library addition for any connoisseur of long-standing, quality drama.

Heimat 1
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Heimat 2
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Heimat 3
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Television Adaptations of Alice ... Jan Svankmajer and Jonathan Miller

Lightly brushing the genre of 60's psychedelia, the 1966 BBC production by Jonathan Miller still remains one of two of the most original, mind-stretching adaptations of Lewis Carroll's book ... The other being Jan Svankmajer’s ‘Alice’ (Neco z Alenky) from 1988 - an outstanding, if not slightly gruesome part-animated version of the logical versus the illogical.
If you are more comfortable with the Disney's reworking of Carroll's surreal masterpiece, then Miller's or Swankmajer's eerie / dreamlike visions of wonderland may not be for you.
Both these DVD's are highly recommended by Looking-Glass Cult Digital.

Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland
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Jan Svankmajer’s Alice
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Wolfgang Peterson's
Das Boot ...

Directed by Wolfgang Peterson in 1982, "The Boat" is hailed as the best (if not most controvertial) anti-war movie / TV series ever made.
"The Directors Cut" is 209 minute widesvreen version with Digital 5.1 surround and many extras.
"The Directors Cut Superbit" version is a 209 minute high definition version with DTS surround sound for an optimal audio/visual experience.
"The TV Version" is 293 minutes long, in widescreen and digital surround, plus extra features.

Read the Amazon reviews for each version and then choose for yourself which option is preferable for your taste and technical requirements.

Das Boot (Directors Cut)
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Das Boot (Directors Cut Superbit)
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Das Boot (TV Series Version)
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Double Five Star Recommendations
(Region 1 + 2)

Turned off by subtitles on great foreign films?

Then why not learn the language?

Linguaphone
Languages Made Easy

Richard Linklater
As a diverse and prolific movie-maker, Richard Linklater has a knack of making films in a style that seem to forever stand the test of time. From intelligent, touching, thought-provoking gems like "Waking Life" and "Before Sunrise" / "Before Sunset", to fun and feel-good romps like "School of Rock" and "Dazed and Confused". Linklater also writes and screenplay's many of his projects - most of which are repeatedly watchable and therefore worth every penny as an addition to your DVD collection.

Films directed by Richard Linklater
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Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Cult Digital Top Choice

Mostly recognized for his recent outstanding movies "Amelie" (Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain) and a "A Very Long Engagement" (Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles) the meticulous Jean Pierre Jeunet has been making films since 1978. It was the rather grotesque "Delicatessen" in 1991 that brought Jeunet wider recognition, which led him to direct the fourth in the "Alien" series in 1997. Jeunet is a perfectionist in every detail - costumes and sets (even on location) are painstakingly manicured and enhanced to emit the exact hues of colour and light needed to create the required mood or visual dynamic. No DVD collection would be complete without Jeunet's most recent masterworks.

Films directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
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Robert Zemeckis

From the Speilberg camp of movie-making, Robert Zemeckis simply directs and produces great films ... and lots of them too. He draws together the best actors, crew and music composers for the project, adds his unique potion of excellent effects and humour (when needed), churns it all together and out pops a visual delight every time. Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the thought-provoking "Contact" the enigmatic "Cast Away" and of course all the "Back To The Future" series are just some of the fine examples of the work of Robert Zemickis. Over Christmas 2004 "The Polar Express" was released and and has already become a children's seasonal favourite.

Films directed by Robert Zemeckis
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Nora Ephron

Sadly, there are few female directors amongst the brutal, male dominated mainstream of movie making. But when given the chance, films made by women prove to be not just on par with male directors, but which present a heightened intuitiveness through their creative approach. This means that regardless of whether it's a feel-good film like Nora Ephron's "Sleepless in Seattle" and the excellent "Michael", or Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" the result is a reality check on genuine emotions from both a male and female perspective. An uncontrived treatment of a plot, which never feels over-stretched, over-sentimental or over-angst. In fact, just right.

Nora Ephron's films are an indespensable addition to a DVD feel-good collection.

Films directed by Nora Ephron
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Woody Allen

The genius of the highly prolific Woody Allen speaks for itself through almost 50 years of film making and writing... releasing movies at the rate of around two a year.
Allen claims that his movies never pan out in the way he originally conceived in his mind. But the end results are often what an audience feels perfectly attuned to - his conveyance of human observation, genius wit and philosophy merge into each film frame at just the right mix.
From "Take The Money and Run" to Annie Hall and more recently "Melinda and Melinda", Woody Allen, as film-maker, comedian and writer will always be remembered as one of the most important cultural / cinematic luminaries to span across two centuries.

Films by Woody Allen
Go to Cult Digital's Complete List of Woody Allen Films

Samira Makhmalbaf

Tehran born Samira Makhmalbaf entered the stage of World Cinema in 1998 when at the age of seventeen made the highly acclaimed "Sib" ("The Apple") a story about twin Iranian girls kept inside their home for 12 years. She followed this up with her second film "Takhté Siah" ("Blackboards"), which won a prize at Cannes. Her segment in the multi-directed "11'09''01 - September" was hailed as a work which projected an intellectually inspiring sensitivity in such volatile times.
Samira comes from a family of equally talented and acclaimed movie makers. Her father Mohsen Makhmalbaf is a major Iranian film director and her younger sister Hana, is the youngest person (when she was just 8 years old) to compete at a major film festival (Locarno) with her first film.
Expect to see more truly outstanding cinematic works from the Makhmalbaf family.

Films directed by Samira Makhmalbaf
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Samira Makhmalbaf
The Apple (Sib) (1998)
USA
UK
Canada

Lyndsay Anderson
If ... (1968)
USA
UK
Canada
(not available on DVD)

Jacques Tati
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953)
USA
UK
Canada

See Comedy for more Jacques Tati

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