Being versatile, I played my mother's father. Yankee Doodle Dandy is directed by Michael Curtiz and collectively written by Robert Buckner, Edmund Joseph, Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf, Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary DeCamp and Jeanne Cagney. This is a biographical interpretation of the life of renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer George M. Cohan (Cagney). As usual it is advised to seek out facts about the person the biography is about - if one so wishes of course to see how true the bio is. A wonderful spirited picture that begs and demands to be viewed in today's context. Unwavering in its flag waving patriotism, this was unashamedly a moral booster that acted as a recruiting poster for the war effort - of which George Cohan was rightly lauded. Though his singing voice was never what you would call high quality, his dancing however certainly was, and it's an utter joy to see the multi faceted Cagney light up the screen in every scene he is in. Great blood pumping songs help off set the slightly over long run time, to which even a British guy like myself found myself saluting such a jingoistic joy come pic's finale. 8/10
Selma, a Czech immigrant on the verge of blindness, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her son, who has inherited the same genetic disorder and will suffer the same fate without an expensive operation. When life gets too difficult, Selma learns to cope through her love of musicals, escaping life's troubles – even if just for a moment – by dreaming up little numbers to the rhythmic beats of her surroundings.
The tangled affairs of George, Prince of Wales, leading to his illegal marriage to commoner Mrs. Fitzherbert. Also portrayed is the conflict between the future George IV and his father George III.
A look at the life of French designer Yves Saint Laurent from the beginning of his career in 1958 when he met his lover and business partner, Pierre Berge.
A reporter becomes the target of a vicious smear campaign that drives him to the point of suicide after he exposes the CIA's role in arming Contra rebels in Nicaragua and importing cocaine into California. Based on the true story of journalist Gary Webb.
The spotlight's on Parchís, a record company-created Spanish boy/girl band that had unprecedented success with Top 10 songs and hit films in the '80s.
Teacher Suman is adamant in not allowing his daughter Kamariah to follow in his footsteps as the field did not bring him blessings.
Gil Scott-Heron, one of rap's earliest (and unfortunately unknown) pioneers, gets his full due in Black Wax, the 1982 documentary recently reissued on video. Interspliced between performance footage of Scott-Heron and his Midnight Band are vignettes of him walking around Washington D.C., spouting his views on then-President Reagan (dubbed "Ray-Gun") and generally dropping knowledge. The live performance features many of Scott-Heron's best-known hits, including "Johannesburg," "Winter in America," and "Angel Dust," among others. Warm, intelligent, and insightful throughout, Scott-Heron is clearly enjoying himself and the opportunity to espouse his views. A must for any fan of Scott-Heron's, and definitely worth a look for fans of the funkier jazz music of the mid to late 1970's.
American chess champion Bobby Fischer prepares for a legendary match-up against Russian Boris Spassky.
This film is based on the life of Kawashima Yoshiko, originally Manchu princess who was the 14th daughter of Emperor Xu, later brought up as a Japanese and served as a spy in the service of the Japanese Kwantung Army and Manchukuo during the Second World War.
British stockbroker Nicholas Winton visits Czechoslovakia in the 1930s and forms plans to assist in the rescue of Jewish children before the onset of World War II, in an operation that came to be known as the Kindertransport.