i-done-watched-these's - Rented List

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As the Black Death continues to wipe out the population of Europe, knight Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) returns from the Crusades, disillusioned and worn. When suddenly Death (Bengt Ekerot) appears before him, he asks for the chance to live, proposing a game of chess to decide his fate.

The knight takes his squire, a troupe of traveling players and a deaf and dumb girl under his protection as the game is played out. One by one Death exacts his toll, and it is up to Block to stall his opponent for as long as possible if he is to help save the lives of those he is trying to protect. All the while, the villages and towns about them fall further into ruin and religion takes a stranglehold on those desperate for a means of survival.

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Holly Martins a naive writer of pulp westerns, arrives in Vienna to meet his old friend Harry Line but finds that Lime has apparently been killed in a suspicious accident.

Martins, too, curious for his own good, hears contradictory stories about the circumstances of Limes' death and as witnesses disappear he finds himself chased by unknown assailants. Complicating matters are the sardonic Major Calloway, head of the British forces, and Limes' stage actress mistress, Anna. Will Martin's curiosity lead him to discover things about his old friend that he'd rather not know?

This spectacular adventure pits Godzilla, the world's most famous monster, against malevolent creatures that, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.

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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.

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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.

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When college nostalgia inspires a group of middle-aged businessmen to match-make for the widow - played with measured dignity by Setsuko Hara (Tokyo Story) - of one of their friends and her daughter, they have no idea of the strife their careless interference will cause.

Late Autumn's examination of familial upheaval moves effortlessly from comedy to pathos and is amongst the finest of legendary director Yasujiro Ozu's post-war films.

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Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story) honed his craft in the early 1930s, a time when young Japanese directors were experimenting with cinematic conventions. This two-disc set features three gangster-genre films in which Ozu mixes a Hollywood-infused dynamism with elements of his later style.

Walk Cheerfully (aka 'Hogaraka Ni Ayume') 1930
Kenji 'the Knife' Koyama, leader of a gang of hooligans, falls for the virtuous Yasue. Will he go straight to win her heart or carry on his life of petty crime? Reminiscent of Sternberg's Underworld with its expressionist lighting, 'Walk Cheerfully' combines international cinematic influences with Ozu's own comic touches.
That Night's Wife (aka 'Sono Yo No Tsuma') 1930
Young father Shuji turns to crime to pay his daughter's medical bills. Enter Detective Kagawa for a tense night-time stand-off with Shuji's wife, Mayumi. 'That Night's Wife' demonstrates Ozu's dramatic mastery as the film reaches its emotional climax.
Dragnet Girl (aka 'Hijosen No Onna') 1933
Typist by day, gangster's moll at night, sweet-faced Tokiko (Kinuyo Tanaka) is forced to reassess her life when her boyfriend strays. Hugely popular when it was released, 'Dragnet Girl' remains one of Ozu's most enduring silent films.

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Take a trip and break out of your shell with Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) . From the gals who brought you 'Bridesmaids' (co-stars and co-writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo) comes to 'Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar'.

Lifelong friends Barb and Star embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they decide to leave their small Midwestern town for the first time…ever. Romance, friendship, and a villain's evil plot…Hold onto your culottes!

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Liverpool 1978: What starts as a vibrant affair between a legendary femme fatale, the eccentric Academy Award-winning actress Gloria Grahame (Annette Bening), and her young lover, British actor Peter Turner (Jamie Bell), quickly grows into a deeper relationship, with Turner being the person Gloria

turns to for comfort. Their passion and lust for life is tested to the limits by events beyond their control.

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Marina Vidal's life is thrown into turmoil following the sudden death of her partner, Orlando. Met with suspicion from the police and contempt from her lover's relatives. As tensions rise between her and Orland's family, she is evicted from their shared home and banned from attending his funeral.

But faced with the threat of losing everything, Marina finds the strength to fight back. Sebastián Lelio returns with a groundbreaking, deeply humane and Oscar-winning story about a trans woman's fight for acceptance. Anchored by a powerhouse performance from rising star Daniela Vega, 'A Fantastic Woman' is an urgent call for compassion.

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Rudolf Klein-Rogge plays Dr. Mabuse, the criminal mastermind whose nefarious machinations provide the cover for - or describe the result of - the economic upheaval and social bacchanalia at the heart of Weimar-era Berlin.

Initiated with the arch-villain's diabolical manipulation of the stock-market, and passing through a series of dramatic events based around hypnotism, charlatanism, hallucinations, Chinese incantations, cold-blooded murder, opiate narcosis and cocaine anxiety, Lang's film maintains an unrelenting power all the way to the final act... which culminates in the terrifying question: "Where is Mabuse?!"

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"One Cut of the Dead" opens in a run-down, abandoned warehouse where a film crew are making a zombie film. Yet this is no ordinary warehouse. It's been said that it's the site of military experiments on humans.

From nowhere, real zombies arrive and terrorize the crew! This may sound like a the plot of a cliched zombie film, but 'One Cut of the Dead' is something completely different! Starting off with a non-stop one-take 37 minute shot, the film then completely switches direction and turns the zombie genre completely upside-down into a charming, audience-friendly comedy with an ending you won't see coming!

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Texas, Christmas 1985 - Adrian (Cory Michael Smith) is home for the first time in three years having moved on from the repressed life he left behind.

Between his mother's warm affection, his father's begrudging, stilted conversation and his younger brother Andrew's (Aidan Langford) cold shoulder, Adrian is all too aware of the impact his absence has had on them. Time to make up for lost time. A mutual love of Madonna's music helps the brothers to reconnect. Their relationship starts to rebuild through the joy of "ungodly" music and movies as Adrian secretly helps him rebuild his cassette tape collection recently destroyed by local pastor. With his life in New York City falling apart Adrian is determined to make this home visit count - 1985 will be a Christmas to remember.

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In this new take on the tragic love story, Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is a seasoned musician who discovers - and falls in love with - struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer...until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight.

But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

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Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm and Chris Hemsworth lead an all-star cast in this powerful thriller filled with gripping suspense and startling revelations. Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past.

Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption...before everything goes to hell.