Portal Mortal

A man volunteers to take part in an experiment that attempts to analyse human behaviour under extreme conditions of terror. His mission is to remain seated inside a dark room for a length of time of 15 minutes. If he manages to hold on, he will receive in return a generous sum of money. Is it possible to terrify an individual who knows beforehand that everything is a farce?

A teen drops out of a gang when they mug his father for his pencil.

Bambi is nibbling the grass, unaware of the upcoming encounter with Godzilla. Who will win when they finally meet? Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2009.

After a dreadful incident coupled with an ungovernable paroxysm of violence, a butcher will fall into a downward spiral that will burn to the ground whatever dignity still remained in him.

A man awakes in an abandoned shed.Confused, he finds itself tied to a chair. Standing in front of him is an unknown man, who begins a weird speech about his unique professional ethics, until the conversation rovers to a new and tense situation.

Oscar nominated animated short film from Czechoslovakia, 1960. Two characters fight over their claim to a small sunny spot on a beach.

The photographer sends miss Ophelia a dozen photographs of her in different poses. Selecting the best one, she presents it to her favorite boarder, Billy, who does not think much of it and who gets very indignant when it is compared with the photo of his sweetheart. Miss Ophelia goes up to her room in tears and tells her faithful maid, Belinda, that her heart is broken. Belinda goes down and forcibly tells Billy what she thinks of him. Miss Ophelia resolves on suicide, because no one seems to love her. Belinda gets back in time to prevent this and, to divert her mistress, she suggests that they go together to a beauty specialist. Arriving there, both receive attention. Miss Ophelia gets a new complexion, while Belinda gets new teeth. Both invest in new gowns and dresses and the transformation is complete. At supper time, the boarders are all astounded.

In this sophisticated romantic comedy, healing waters are the cover for an extramarital affair that “cures” the infertility problems of a childless couple.

A couple’s fight over dinner leads to spiralling domestic abuse that spreads all over town. (MoMA)

Hell hath no fury like Léontine with a piece of string! Our favorite mutinous miscreant returns with her weapon of choice, “pulling the strings” as she baits greedy bystanders to snatch at the tempting objects that ever elude their grasps. Léontine is an evil puppet-master who preys on consumer capitalism’s vicious loop between wanting and having. Her angry victims form a vengeful mob and chase after her, but she trips them with string and then rides off into the woods. Real violence is averted by a clever substitution trick and Léontine celebrates with her iconic victory dance.

Adam works as a copying clerk. One day, he takes delivery of a copying machine that seems to promise an end to all his problems, but then leads him into a very complex situation.