Documentary about Hollywood during the silent film era.
The silent cinema had already created colossal movies based on ancient civilizations, but it is in the 1950s when peplums reach their apogee in Hollywood. Then, peplums take root at Cinecittà studios, in Rome, where cheap cinema is produced with bodybuilders as heroes. The genre decays in the late 1960s, but rises again decades later, when a modern classic is released in 2000.
Gladiateur, glaive et fantasmes
2019
7
"No film may throw ridicule on any religious faith..." So began Article VIII of the Hollywood Production Code, a series of ethical guidelines that for forty years helped the motion picture industry produce many of the greatest and most family-friendly films in history. That was then, however, this is now. A revered "historical" movie quietly takes every opporturnity to lie and twist the facts in order to make Christians appear as backward, foolish hypocrites. An actress jumps at the chance to play a Christ-hating role, saying, "I'm an atheist, so it was a joy." One of Hollywood's most respected directors films a passion play written by a disciple of Friedrich Nietzsche, the father of the "God is dead" movement. Not surprisingly, the movie's Jesus helps crucify people and later confesses that satan is inside him. A media mogul states that "Christianity is a religion for losers."
Hollywood: Lights, Camera, Blasphemy!
1995
0
The dawn of the 21st Century has found much of modern society obsessed with occult mysteries, sadistic violence, and evil. Everything from cartoons and video games to recorded music and major theatrical films are being designed and promote to "satisfy" the public's insatiable lust for the macabre. Most disturbing is the rise in the practice of Satanism. Law enforcement agencies are unable to keep up with the increasing numbers of heinous, Satanically inspired crimes. Basically a remake of Devil Worship: The Rise of Satanism (1989) using the same footage.
Pagan Invasion, Vol. 13: Doorways To Satan
1991
10
A 60-minute salute to American International Pictures. Entertainment lawyer Samuel Z. Arkoff founded AIP (then called American Releasing Corporation) on a $3000 loan in 1954 with his partner, James H. Nicholson, a former West Coast exhibitor and distributor. The company made its mark by targeting teenagers with quickly produced films that exploited subjects mainstream films were reluctant to tackle.
It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures
2001
6
Der Weg des Ruhms
2011
0
In a rare interview, Katharine Hepburn shares her memories and memorabilia.
Katharine Hepburn: All About Me
1993
7
Ekchart Schmidt examines the machinery behind the dream factory; the Hollywood myth is unmasked. How does the studio industry work? What role does marketing and the hype surrounding the stars play?
Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs
1998
0
Documentary about Hollywood Boulevard and Hollywood itself.
Hollywood Boulevard - Die Hauptstraße der Traumfabrik
2000
0
A documentary chronicling the shared experiences of prominent former child stars and the personal and professional price of fame and failure on a child.
Showbiz Kids
2020
7
The life and career of legendary Hollywood glamour portrait photographer George Hurrell is profiled by his contemporaries including other photographers and actors he has shot.
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
1995
2
At the age of 91, Mel Brooks is unstoppable, with his musical "Young Frankenstein" opening to great critical acclaim in London in late 2017. Alan Yentob visits Mel at home in Hollywood, at work and at play.
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
2018
6
Freiheit in Hollywood
1997
0
This film discusses the effect on how major American films in Hollywood were influenced by the Eastern European Jewish culture that most of the major movie moguls who controlled the studios shared. Through clips of various films, the filmmakers illustrate the dominant themes like that of the outsider, the outspoken American patriotism, and rooting for the underdog in society.
Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream
1998
6
Black Hollywood
1997
0
A breathtaking investigation into blockbusters, a film genre that enjoys worldwide success yet keeps its secret weapon well hidden backstage in Hollywood. The blockbuster appeals to a very wide audience, from 7 to 77 years and from Paris to Beijing. These films, which have boosted the film industry, started out with "Jaws" and "Star Wars" and are still prospering with Avatar or Alice in Wonderland. To succeed, the films must meet a few precise criteria, one of them being their cost - at 100 million dollars minimum. But in Hollywood, the films' ingredients are a well-kept secret; perhaps for fear of discovering that the studios' house rules are not as rosy as in certain fruitful happy endings? The pressure and the stakes are colossal. This fascinating documentary reviews the numerous professions affiliated with the blockbuster, via interviews with producers of the major studios (Walt Disney Studio, 20th Century Fox...)...
Made in Hollywood
2011
5
An American low-budget action film celebrated an unexpected worldwide success in 1988: "Bloodsport". With its, the world of film fans and martial arts cinema discovered a new idol: Jean-Claude Van Damme. In the 1970s there was Bruce Lee, but at the end of the 1980s a Belgian won the day. Van Damme was a karate master and had unparalleled strength and flexibility. For ten years he was one of Hollywood's hottest action stars. But excessive overconfidence and drugs bring him down again. At home in Europe he becomes a laughing stock on talk shows. Only with "JCVD" does he manage to get back on his feet, playing his character with perspective and self-irony, but without ever giving up the reputation that his action films brought him and which has been a cult for several generations. The highs and lows of his eventful life are told through archive footage and contributions from people close to the popular Belgian actor.
Jean-Claude Van Damme, coup sur coup
2023
7
Documentary about the legendary American film director from his introduction to the film industry in its early years to his death in 1959.
Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic
2004
6
Larry Wessel presents darkest Hollywood and explores some of tinsel town's most grisly tragedies, including the murders of Sharon Tate and The Black Dahlia.
Sex, Death & The Hollywood Mystique
1999
0
Music is an integral part of most films, adding emotion and nuance while often remaining invisible to audiences. Matt Schrader shines a spotlight on the overlooked craft of film composing, gathering many of the art form’s most influential practitioners, from Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman to Quincy Jones and Randy Newman, to uncover their creative process. Tracing key developments in the evolution of music in film, and exploring some of cinema’s most iconic soundtracks, 'Score' is an aural valentine for film lovers.
Score: A Film Music Documentary
2017
7
Aspiring actors and actresses talk about making it in Hollywood and how they perceive this world. Casting directors and filmmakers also share their perspectives.
Hollywood Dreamers
1997
0