Subgenre Sampler

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I Am Alfred Hitchcock (2021): A seminal figure in the world of cinema, Alfred Hitchcock produced some of the most famous films ever made. I Am Alfred Hitchcock delves deep into…
My Name is Gulpilil (2021): Dir. Molly Reynolds
Feat. David Gulpilil; A documentary memoir of the late great actor and dancer David Gulpilil, an Aboriginal Australian of the Yolngu people who starred in movies such as…
Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019): Dir. Alexandre O. Philippe; Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the theatrical release of ALIEN, this documentary reveals the untold origins of the cinematic masterpiece –…
Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project (2019): Dir. Matt Wolf; Extraordinary documentary about the TV producer and historian Marion Stokes and her vast collection of home recorded American news clips, which form…
Scream, Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street (Scream Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street) (2019): Dir. Tyler Jensen, Roman Chimienti
Feat. Mark Patton; Insightful documentary exploring the homo–erotic subtext in the controversial second installment of the NIGHT ON ELM STREET horror franchise,…
Varda By Agnes (2019): Dir. Agnes Varda
Feat. Agnes Varda; Belgian–born film–maker/photographer/artist Agnès Varda takes a seat on a theatre stage to present photos and film excerpts that provide…
You Don't Nomi (2019): Dir. Jeffrey McHale; Initially derided by critics and audience alike, Paul Verhoeven’s notoriously trashy sexploitation SHOWGIRLS has developed a devoted fan following…
Eyes of Orson Welles, The (2018): Dir. Mark Cousins; Mark Cousins (THE STORY OF FILM – AN ODYSSEY) examines the visual world of Orson Welles through his non–cinematic work, uncovering new…
Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema (2018): Dir. Mark Cousins; Mark Cousin's follows up his ground–breaking THE STORY OF FILM series with this equally–lauded celebration of women in film, with…
78/52 (78 Shots & 52 Cuts) (2017): Dir. Alexandre O. Philippe; An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), the "man behind the curtain", and the screen murder that…
Becoming Bond (2017): Dir. Josh Greenbaum; A unique documentary/narrative hybrid chronicling the stranger–than–fiction true story of George Lazenby, a poor Australian car mechanic…
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017): Dir. Alexandra Dean; A revelatory and entertaining portrait of enigmatic Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr, whose ravishing beauty consistently belied her brilliant mind,…
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life & Stories of Australian Cinema (2017): Dir. Sally Aitken; Beloved Australian film critic, director and presenter David Stratton is the subject of the documentary A CINEMATIC LIFE, and the presenter of the…
I Am Heath Ledger (2017): Dir. Adrian Buitenhuis, Derik Murray; A loving documentary about the life of renowned actor Heath Ledger. Deliberately eschewing his death at age 28 from a prescription drug overdose, the…
Cameraperson (2016): Dir. Kirsten Johnson; Extraordinary autobiographical documentary by acclaimed cinematographer Kirsten Johnson, who has collected film clips spanning the past 10 years of…
David Lynch: The Art Life (2016): Dir. Jon Nguyen; An essential portrait of film–making iconoclast David Lynch, who takes us on an intimate journey from his childhood in idyllic small town…
Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016): Dir. Bill Morrison; Staggering documentary about the miraculous excavation in 1978 of 533 silent film reels, buried in 1929 under a swimming pool or hockey rink in…
My Journey Through French Cinema (Voyage a Travers le Cinema Francais) (2016): Dir. Bertrand Tavernier; Bertrand Tavernier's personal journey through French cinema, from films he enjoyed as a boy to his own early career, told through portraits of key…
Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach (2016): Dir. Louise Osmond; A revealing tribute to the life and career of one of Britain's most eminent film–makers and socially–conscious artists, whose prolific…
A Flickering Truth (2015): Dir. Pietra Brettkelly; In documenting one man’s precarious quest to restore thousands of hours of film heritage in the post–Taliban Kabul, New Zealand filmmaker…
De Palma (2015): Dir. Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow
Feat. Brian De Palma; A comprehensive overview of the career of prolific and sometimes controversial film–maker Brian De Palma, an avid disciple of Alfred Hitchcock…
Dreams Rewired (2015): Dir. Manu Luksch, Martin Reinhart
Feat. Tilda Swinton; Enchanting and baffling, this experiment in retro–futurist re–appropriation matches a vast amount of fascinating silent–era film…
Elstree 1976 (2015): Dir. Jon Spira; STAR WARS fans will enjoy this good–natured doco that looks at the lives of the film's bit–part actors and extras as they reminisce about…
Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015): Dir. Kent Jones
Feat. Francois Truffaut, Alfred Hitchcock; A lovingly crafted portrait of Hitchcock and his profound impact on cinema history, this adaptation from the 1966 book by Francois Truffaut is based…
Listen to Me Marlon (2015): Dir. Stevan Riley; A deeply revealing – and at times discomforting – look at the life of Hollywood icon and enigma Marlon Brando, utilizing hundreds of…
Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (2015): Dir. Gabriel Clarke, John McKenna; Retrospective account of the making of Steve McQueen's cinematic passion project LE MANS, a flop at the time, but one whose verisimilitude has earned…
Adjust Your Tracking (2014): An informal companion piece to REWIND THIS!, this documentary even shares a few of its commentators but narrows the focus down to a range of…
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014): Dir. Mark Hartley; A wildly entertaining trip through the heady rise and fall of The Cannon Group – a prolific film production company responsible for countless…
Jodorowsky's Dune (2014): Dir. Frank Pavich
Feat. Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger…; Billed as the greatest sci–fi movie never made, Alejandro Jodorowsky's attempt to adapt Frank Herbert's groundbreaking novel DUNE makes for a…
Life Itself (2014): Dir. Steve James
Feat. Roger Ebert; Profoundly significant film–critic Roger Ebert is the subject of this unique cinematic portrait. Originally an adaptation of his memoir, the…
What Now? Remind Me (2014): Dir. Joaquim Pinto; Extraordinary documentary portrait written, directed by and staring the acclaimed Portuguese director, producer and sound designer Joaquim Pinto. At…
A Story of Children and Film (2013): Dir. Mark Cousins; Film essayist Mark Cousins offers this edifying "mosaic" of films about childhood and their representation of children across various states of being…
Pervert's Guide to Ideology, The (2013): Dir. Sophie Fiennes; Director Sophie Fiennes' wacky and endlessly insightful follow–up to THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA, once again written and presented by the…
Rewind This! (2013): Dir. Josh Johnson; An Aro Favourite carried by our shameless bias, this essential documentary pays timely and passionate tribute to the humble video cassette and its…
Search for Weng Weng (2013): Dir. Andrew Leavold; A bizarre history of Filipino B–films, as told through director Andrew Leavold's personal quest to find the truth behind its midget James Bond…
Room 237 (2012): Dir. Rodney Ascher; Though straining credulity from the outset, this wildly entertaining round table of film obsessives and conspiracy theorists tackles the apparent…
Side By Side (2012): Dir. Christopher Kenneally; An earnest Keanu Reeves fronts this broad but insightful overview of the rapidly changing landscape of movie production and exhibition from both an…
Woody Allen - A Documentary (2012): Dir. Robert. B. Weide
Feat. Woody Allen; Candid look at the life and times of Woody Allen covers his career from fledgling comic writer to iconic director with a series of revealing…
Cinema Asia (2011): Excellent five–part overview of the key creative and industrial movements within the exciting, often groundbreaking Asian filmmaking…
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011): Dir. Alex Stapleton; A passionate portrait of prolific B–movie director and producer Roger Corman, exploring his extraordinary career in which he successfully…
Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Movie (2011): Dir. Ric Meyers; Overview of the history of the martial arts film by genre enthusiast Ric Meyers, who peppers an impressive assemblage of film excerpts with trivia,…
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2011): Dir. Gilles Penso
Feat. Ray Harryhausen; The definitive documentary on late special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen. Includes interviews and tributes from Peter Jackson, Nick Park, Terry…
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir (2011): Dir. Laurent Bouzereau; Intimate, fascinating and completely one–sided documentary made by Roman Polanski's friend of four decades that details his extraordinary life,…
Story of Film - An Odyssey, The (2011): Dir. Mark Cousins; An invigorating alternate film history from critic Mark Cousins, here adapting his own book into a 15–chapter exploration of cinema from its…
In From The Cold? The World Of Richard Burton (2010): Dir. Tony Palmer
Feat. Richard Burton; Tony Palmer’s portrait of actor Richard Burton, featuring interviews with his family members and fellow acting legends Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren…
Kim Newman's Guide to the Flipside of British Cinema (2010): Dir. Jake West; Cult film critic Kim Newman hosts this entertaining doco that looks at some British cinema's more esoteric films. Includes three short films:…
Machete Maidens Unleashed (2010): Dir. Mark Hartley; Eye–opening look at the exploitation film–making industry that thrived in the Philippines during the seventies as American producers took…
Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010): Dir. Jake West; Fascinating documentary about the moral hysteria in 80's UK that led to the mass ban of 72 video tapes deemed too obscene by political and religious…
Barry Barclay - The Camera on the Shore (2009): Dir. Graeme Tuckett
Feat. Barry Barclay; Film critic Graeme Tuckett directs this sensitive tribute to the late Kiwi filmmaker Barry Barclay, who passed away during the production of the…
Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno (2009): Dir. Serge Bromberg, Ruxandra Medrea; More than just a film about the making of a film, this glorious reconstruction of Clouzot's unfinished 'masterpiece' rescues incredible footage from…
Magnificent Tati, The (2009): Dir. Michael House
Feat. Jacques Tati; A fine, fun–filled tribute to the irrepressible French comic and filmmaker that is at once serious in its appraisal of Tati's artistry and…
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue (2009): Dir. Andrew Monument; An exploration of the appeal of horror films from an American angle, with interviews of many legendary directors in the genre (John Carpenter, George…
Once Upon a Time - French Cinema (2009): Dedicated SBS documentary series offering a retrospective look back on some of cinema's greatest films and directors. French Cinema episodes:…
Two in the Wave (2009): Dir. Emmanuel Laurent
Feat. Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, Jean-Pierre Leaud; Taking us back to the inception of the French New Wave and the emergence of its two heavyweights, Jean–Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut, this…
Back To Normandy (2008): Dir. Nicolas Philibert; Thirty years after working on a film in Normandy, about a 19th century triple murder committed in the area, Nicolas Philibert returns to find the…
Barefoot Cinema (The Art and Life of Cinematographer Alun Bollinger) (2008): Dir. Gerard Smyth; The camera work of veteran Kiwi cinematographer Alun Bollinger is appraised in this documentary which includes tributes from Peter Jackson, Vincent…
Beaches of Agnes, The (2008): Dir. Agnes Varda; A wonderfully light–footed collection of memories and monologues in documentary essay form from the queen of the French New Wave, Agnes…
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History (2008): Toe–tapping documentary, presented by actress Shirley Jones, exploring the timeless genre of Hollywood Musical from Busby Berkeley's…
Ladies or Gentlemen (2008): This brief exploratory retrospective of Hollywood's fascination with cross–dressing includes comment from the likes of Tony Curtis and Tim…
Once Upon a Time - American Cinema (2008): Dedicated SBS documentary series offering a retrospective look back on some of cinema's greatest films and directors. American Cinema episodes:…
Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies (2008): Dir. Arne Glimcher; Stately exploration of the influence of cinema's earliest pioneers, such as Georges Méliès, on Cubist painters Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.…
Tube Tales - TV's Real Stories (TV Series) (2008): Edifying series investigating the people, places and events behind a number of hit TV series including THE WEST WING, SEINFELD, SIX FEET UNDER, SEX…
Fog City Mavericks - The Filmmakers of San Francisco (2007): Dir. Gary Leva
Feat. George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood…; Unevenly pitched, if nonetheless fascinating account of San Francisco’s filmmaking legacy, from Francis Ford Coppola to Pixar maestro John…
Indie Sex (2007): Dir. Lesli Klainberg; Proudly explicit, this racy review of sex in independent cinema compiles a hot and heavy survey of clips, qualified by insightful, sometimes…
Not Quite Hollywood (2007): Dir. Mark Hartley; Informative and bloody amusing exploration of the dubious ocker 'Ozploitation' films of the 1970's and 80's, celebrating the joyously cheap and nasty…
Trumbo (2007): Dir. Peter Askin
Feat. Joan Allen, Michael Douglas, Donald Sutherland…; Prominent blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo – the most famed of the alleged Communist sympathising ‘Hollywood 10’ – is the honoree of…
Bergman Island (2006): Dir. Marie Nyreröd
Feat. Ingmar Bergman; Just four years before his death, legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman sits down at his home on Fårö Island to discuss his work, his fears, his…
Cinematographer Style (2006): Dir. Jon Fauer; 110 of the world's most celebrated cinematographers give in–depth interviews about their craft, painting a fascinating portrait of the process…
Edge of Outside (2006): Dir. Shannon Davis; A succinct overview of the history of independent cinema, this overlaps ground covered in the likes of EASY RIDERS, RAGING BULLS and DECADE UNDER THE…
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006): Dir. Lisa Ades, Lesli Klainberg; Scintillating sequel to the dirs. 1995 CELLULOID CLOSET, here discussing the history of 'out' gay cinema in the twentieth century from Kenneth…
Pervert's Guide to the Cinema, The (2006): Dir. Sophie Fiennes; Mad philosopher Slavoj Žižek delivers a swirling introduction to psychoanalytic theory via the history of popular cinema, inserting himself into…
Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection (2006): Splendid swag of early short films from special f/x pioneer Ray Harryhausen, many using the mature stop–motion style of his work in features…
Sci-Fi Boys, The (2006): Dir. Paul Davids
Feat. Peter Jackson; Charming doco that charts the evolution of science fiction films from stop motion B movies to blockbusters, and the influence that the pioneers of…
Silent Britain (2006): An intriguing journey into the 'Lost Atlantis' of the British silent film industry, which prior to 1929 generated thousands of films, as much through…
This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006): Dir. Kirby Dick; A film that is close to our hearts, this is a good–humoured yet scathing attack on the American Film Industry and the hush of its censorship…
This Filthy World (2006): Dir. Jeff Garlin
Feat. John Waters; Scholar of bad taste, John Waters, extols the virtues of filth in this stand–up routine–meets–film lecture dedicated largely to his…
Garbo (2005): Dir. Kevin Brownlow, Christopher Bird
Feat. Greta Garbo; A portrait of the luminous, reclusive and mystifying star Greta Garbo, co–directed by filmmaker and historian Kevin Brownlow (BUSTER KEATON…
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) (2005): Dir. Joe Angio
Feat. Melvin Van Peebles; Blaxploitation pioneer Melvin Van Peebles’ SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG is honoured in this high appreciation of the filmmaker and…
Last Mogul, The (The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman) (2005): Dir. Barry Avrich, Nat Brecia, Jeff Sackman; Fairly thorough look at the life of behind–the–scenes Hollywood legend Lew Wasserman, who built the MCA talent agency into a force to be…
Midnight Movies - From The Margin To The Mainstream (Incl. Night of the Living Dead and Reefer Madness) (2005): Dir. Stuart Samuels; Entrenched in the counter–cultural fertility of the seventies, this documentary profiles six seminal underground flicks that transformed the…
Adventures of Errol Flynn, The (2004): Dir. David Heeley
Feat. Errol Flynn; The derring–do, glamour and controversy of Australian–born actor Errol Flynn's phenomenal Hollywood career is covered in considered…
Jazz Memories - The Incomparable Lena Horne (2004): Feat. Lena Horne; Comprehensive documentary detailing the life and work of singer, actress and cultural icon Lena Horne, who began as a dancer in 'The Cotton Club' in…
Looking for Sophia (2004): Dir. Roberto Olla, Danila Satta; The fairytale story of iconic Italian actress Sophia Loren, who escaped her impoverished origins in the Fascist era to become a truly global star, is…
Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon, The (2004): The recent discovery of 800 rolls of early nitrate film on a building site proved a rare cinematic find – turning out to be documentary footage…
Tell Them Who You Are (2004): Dir. Mark Wexler; An intimate, prickly, and ultimately moving portrait of famed American cinematographer Haskell Wexler, who lensed seminal films such as ONE FLEW OVER…
Trekkies 2 (2004): Dir. Roger Nygard; A surprisingly compelling followup to the documentary TREKKIES, which peered into the strange world of American STAR TREK fandom. A tad upset by…
Z Channel - A Magnificent Obsession (2004): Dir. Xan Cassavetes; Relevant to any movie buff, this documentary charts the 1970s rise of one of America's first cable TV stations – Channel Z – and its…
A Decade Under the Influence (2003): Dir. Ted Demme, Richard LaGravenese; Tantalizing doco for film–buffs examining the decade of the 1970s, a turning point in American cinema that saw the director given unprecedented…
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls (2003): Dir. Kenneth Bowser; Based on the infamous 'tell–all' book by Peter Biskind, this in–depth documentary that details Hollywood's fertile creative period of the…
Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003): Dir. Thom Andersen; Thom Andersen's sprawling cinematic essay about Los Angeles draws upon clips from movies filmed within the city to create a masterpiece of quotation…
Real Middle Earth, The (2003): Jim Hickey embarks on a journey into the making the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, touring the NZ countryside and talking with Peter Jackson (and many…
Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003): Presented by Playboy magazine, this documentary treads interestingly through the history of sex in Hollywood movies. Featuring excerpts of dozens…
BaadAsssss Cinema (2002): Dir. Isaac Julien
Feat. Pam Grier, Richard Roundtree, Quentin Tarantino…; A fan's–eye–view of 1970s Blaxploitation cinema, featuring juicy interviews with players, directors, critics and aficionados. Although…
Fellini's Magic (2002): Dir. Carmen Piccini; Essential viewing for Fellini fans, this vivid if humble homage to the Italian ringmaster–cum–filmmaker brings together a useful mixture…
I Don't Know Jack (2002): Dir. Chris Leavens
Feat. Jack Nance; Concerning the life, work and death of Jack Nance, star of ERASERHEAD and eccentric of other David Lynch films, whose self–destructive…
Kid Stays in the Picture, The (2002): Dir. Brett Morgen, Nanette Burstein
Feat. Robert Evans; Unique auto–documentary about Hollywood 'super–producer' Robert Evans who put together pictures like THE GODFATHER and…
Lord of the Rings - Beyond the Movie (2002): Dir. Kathleen Phelan; Made for the National Geographic TV–channel, this documentary explores the background to Peter Jackson’s monumental adaptation, as well as J…
Lost in La Mancha (2002): Dir. Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe
Feat. Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jean Rochefort; A cautionary fable of filmmaking in the mould of HEARTS OF DARKNESS, concerning director Terry Gilliam’s (BRAZIL) attempt to film a version of…
Prisoner of Paradise (2002): Dir. Malcolm Clarke, Stuart Sender; Justly acclaimed examination of an unusual chapter in the Holocaust, in which the Dutch–Jewish comic actor Kurt Gerron was forced to make a…
Real Mary Poppins, The (The Shadow of Mary Poppins) (2002): Dir. Lisa Matthews; A documentary on the life and times of P.L. Travers, creator of Mary Poppins, whose working relationship with Walk Disney was the stuff of legend,…
Magical World of J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) (2001): The creator of the kidult ‘Harry Potter’ books is documented in this made–for–TV study.
My Voyage to Italy (Il Mio Viaggio in Italia) (2001): Dir. Martin Scorsese; Martin Scorsese’s personal journey through Italian cinema is an epic appreciation, less an overview than a guide to the films and filmmakers who've…
Schlock! - The Secret History of American Movies (2001): Dir. Ray Greene; A suitably low–rent survey of 50s and 60s B–grade movies, with insights courtesy of Roger Corman, Peter Bogdanovich, David F. Friedman,…
Searching for Debra Winger (2001): Dir. Rosanna Arquette; Hollywood actress Roseanna Arquette analyzes the pressures and rewards of her profession in this loosely–formed patchwork of interviews with…
Stanley Kubrick - A Life in Pictures (2001): Dir. Jan Harlan
Feat. Malcolm McDowell, Woody Allen, Jack Nicholson…; Authorised by his family, a 'biography' of the great, reclusive, obsessive film–maker, whose genius is attested by the likes of…
Walt - The Man Behind the Myth (2001): Dir. Jean-Pierre Isbouts
Feat. Walt Disney, Dick Van Dyke; A television documentary on the life of the extraordinary Walt Disney, whose animated characters and overall vision conquered the public imagination…
A Constant Forge (2000): Dir. Charles Kiselyak; A lengthy examination of the life and work of renowned American filmmaker John Cassavetes, who pioneered the use of improvisation in film…
American Nightmare, The (2000): Dir. Adam Simon
Feat. Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, John Carpenter…; A searching examination of the American horror films of the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the paranoia of the times was reflected in some intense…
History Lessons (2000): Dir. Barbara Hammer; A "revisionist" archival doco from militant experimentalist, Barbara Hammer, that montages (and modifies) esoteric lesbiana as a clarion call for…
Kurosawa (2000): Dir. Adam Low
Feat. James Coburn, Clint Eastwood, Kon Ichikawa; Solid, though roughly tailored journey through the life of the Japanese film director of THE SEVEN SAMURAI and YOJIMBO. Composed mostly of interview…
Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000): Dir. Kevin Brownlow
Feat. Lon Chaney; A comprehensive overview of the life and career of "Man of a Thousand Faces" Lon Chaney, one of the greatest actors of the silent era. Narrated by…
Mario Bava - Maestro of the Macabre (2000): Dir. Garry S Grant; Find out where Dario Argento (and others) stole their licks from in this rare glimpse into the life and work of the Godfather of modern horror, whose…
Phandom Menace, The (2000): Dir. Craig E Tonkin, Warwick Holt; A vivid look into the 'realities' of various obsessive STAR WARS fans in Australia, on the eve of THE PHANTOM MENACE being released in 1999. The…
Universal Horror (2000): Dir. Kevin Brownlow; Reeling back to the horror films produced by Universal Studios in the 1930s, this Kevin Brownlow documentary is a lovingly–made reminder of the…
Brakhage (1999): Dir. Jim Shedden; Conventional, though enlightening portrait of experimental film maverick Stan Brakhage, whose work consistently pushed the boundaries of the medium…
Cinema Europe - The Other Hollywood (1999): Dir. Various.; Kevin Brownlow and David Gill continue their extended homage to all things cinema with an in–depth series on early cinema in Europe leading up…
Cinema Verite - Defining the Moment (1999): Dir. Peter Wintonick; Unique "documentary of documentaries" from the dir. of MANUFACTURING CONSENT that chronicles "Cinema Verite", a film–making movement bound by a…
My Best Fiend (Mein Liebster Feind) (1999): Dir. Werner Herzog
Feat. Klaus Kinski, Werner Herzog; Werner Herzog’s personal portrait of his friend and famous ‘alter ego’, the late Klaus Kinski, threads together just some of the bizarre…
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1999): Dir. St. Clair Bourne; Documentary exploring the life and career of Paul Robeson, the singer, actor and political activist whose distinctive bass baritone is heard on some…
Divine Trash (1998): Dir. Steve Yeager; A divine treat for fans of the film–maker John Waters’, this supplements contemporary and archival interviews with rare footage of the…
Full Tilt Boogie (1998): Dir. Sarah Kelly; Little more than a 'making of' FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, edited to feature–length to cash in on Tarantino–mania. Without dramatic meat or…
Mouth Wide Open (1998): Dir. Jonathan Dennis; A portrait of pioneering NZ camera person and inventor Ted Coubray, who was one of the first people in Australasia to use a sound camera. Offers a…
Century of Cinema - Australia / NZ / UK (1997): Dir. George Miller, Sam Neill, Stephen Frears; Director George Miller (MAD MAX) construes his own personal perspective on the history of Australian cinema and its wider cultural meanings. Perhaps…
Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember (1997): Dir. Anna Maria Tato; Documentary about iconic Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni, providing a full–career portrait across an indulgent 3+ hours. Based on…
Méliès the Magician (The Magic of Méliès, Méliès Magic Show) (1997): Dir. Georges Melies, Jacques Meny; George Méliès was a unique pioneer of cinema, who virtually invented the 'trick shot' and created an astonishing 1000 short films using special…
Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars Von Trier (1997): Dir. Stig Bjorkman; Insight into the methods and career of celebrated Danish director Lars Von Trier, covering up to his breakout hit, BREAKING THE WAVES.
American Cinema (Box Set) (1996): In–depth series explores most dimensions of the American feature film (mainly post–1930s). Ten 50 minute episodes include classic clips…
Century of Cinema - A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese (1996): Dir. Martin Scorsese, Michael H. Wilson; Martin Scorsese details a history of American film from his own perspective, with particular focus on the mavericks and unsung heroes of…
Century of Cinema - China (Yang±Yin - Gender in Chinese Cinema) (1996): Dir. Stanley Kwan; One of the more outstanding (and idiosyncratic) episodes in the CENTURY OF CINEMA series, dir. Kwan (ROUGE) analyzing depictions of sexuality and…
Cinema of Unease (1996): Dir. Sam Neill & Judith Rymer; Sam Neill essays a personal history of Kiwi film as a reflection of our national identity. From his big break in the landmark SLEEPING DOGS to the…
East Side Story (1996): Dir. Dana Ranga; Enchanting curiosity draws back the Iron Curtain to detail the history of the Communist musical! Focus on the Russian, East German, and…
Jackie Chan - My Story (1996): Feat. Jackie Chan; An authorised biography of the incomparable one–man movie–machine from Hong Kong. Banal presentation is compensated by clips from all his…
Battle Over Citizen Kane (1995): Dir. Michael Epstein, Thomas Lennon; As this useful overview makes clear, the story behind the making of the classic CITIZEN KANE was as fraught with drama and clashing egos as the film…
Celluloid Heroes, The (TV Series) (1995): A celebration of Australian filmmaking, this fascinating four–part series details the evolution of Australian cinema from the early silent…
Century of Cinema (UK / Ireland) - Typically British (1995): Dir. Mike Dibb, Stephen Frears, Donald Taylor Black; The British contribution to the series celebrating 100 years of the moving image. Film–maker Stephen Frears chats to industry heavyweights Alex…
Directors, The (1995-1999): Dir. Robert J Emery; Seven episodes on individual DVDs from the American Film Institute series covering film directing greats. Each episode comprises one hour of…
Krzysztof Kieslowski: I'm So So (1995): Dir. Krzysztof Wierzbicki; A brilliant portrait of the great and famously modest Polish director, which by virtue of being made by a longtime confederate, imparts an intimacy…
Lumiere and Company (1995): Dir. Various; Fitting homage to those pioneers of filmmaking, the Lumiere Brothers, made on Cinema’s Centennial celebrations in 1995. Forty directors were asked…
Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business (1994): Dir. Helena Solberg; Catch fever Brazilia (followed by a dose of true story reality) in this all–you–need–to–know expose of the exuberant Samba…
Ed Wood: Look Back in Angora (1994): Doco on the B–movie director, that reveals the man beneath the pink cardy. Covering the time of Tim Burton's biopic and beyond, through to the…
Flesh and Blood - The Hammer Heritage of Horror (1994): Dir. Ted Newsom; A tour through the history of horror film specialists Hammer Studios, whose rise in the 1950s ushered in a new era for the genre. Narrated by Peter…
Last Bolshevik, The (1993): Dir. Chris Marker; Chris Marker's video essay celebrates the life and work of little known film pioneer Aleksandr Medvedkin to reflect on the legacy of Soviet…
Luck, Trust and Ketchup (1993): Dir. Mike Kaplan, John Dorr; Director Robert Altman is observed while at work on 'Short Cuts'. Includes many interviews with cast and crew, including Tess Gallagher (the late…
Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl, The (1993): Dir. Ray Muller; Regarded both as great filmmaker and Nazi Party propagandist, Leni Reifenstahl, the maker of TRIUMPH OF THE WILL and OLYMPIAD, will always be a…
MGM - When the Lion Roars (1992): The story of "super–studio" Metro–Goldwyn–Meyer from its origins in 1924 to become one of the largest production companies in…
Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992): Dir. Mark Rappaport; An irreverent deconstruction of the films of Rock Hudson with an amusing conceit; that Rock never concealed his homosexuality, it was all up there on…
Silent Feminists, The (1992): Dir. Anthony Slide, Jeffrey Goodman; A factual study of the silent movie era that tributes the pioneering women behind Hollywood's cameras. Features rare film clips,…
Visions of Light (1992): Dir. Arnold Glassman; Illuminating film about the unsung heroes of the film industry – the humble cinematographer – that person responsible for the 'look' of a…
Oscar's Greatest Moments (1991): Highlights from twenty years of Academy Award ceremonies
Republic Pictures Story, The (1991): In its heyday one of the most important of the 'small' Hollywood studios, Republic Pictures is here documented from its beginnings in 1935 to its…
Creative Process - Norman McLaren (1990): Dir. Donald McWilliams
Feat. Norman McLaren; The ideas and intriguing techniques of Canadian animator Norman McLaren are dissected in this detailed documentary. Draws upon uncompleted works and…
Hearts of Darkness - A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (Coda - Thirty Years Later) (1990): Dir. Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper, Eleanor Coppola; Astonishing illustration of the nightmare that was the making of APOCALYPSE NOW, a production that endured huge personal and commercial crises,…
Jodorowsky Constellation, The (1990): Dir. Louis Mouchet; The creator of latterday surrealist films such as EL TOPO, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN and SANTE SANGRE, Alejandro Jodorowsky, gets due homage in this detailed…
Martin Scorsese Directs (1990): Dir. Joel Sucher, Steven Fischler; Summarises the life and film–making of the American director of 'Taxi–Driver' & 'Raging Bull'. Shot during the making of 'Goodfellas',…
For Adults Only (Sex and Buttered Popcorn) (1989): Dir. Sam Harrison; A must–see for schlock film fans, this investigates the origins of exploitation film–making in the 1930s and 1940s, mixing rarely seen…
Preston Sturges - Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer (1989): Dir. Kenneth Bowser; Celebration of the unique comic vision of Preston Sturges, who shot to success with 40s films like Sullivan's Travels and The Miracle of Morgan's…
Forever James Dean (1988): Dir. Ara Chekmayan; Revealing portrait of the quintessential lost–boy–turned– Hollywood legend, tragically killed at age 24 with just 3 films to his…
Histoire(s) Du Cinema (1988-1998): Dir. Jean-Luc Godard; Grizzly bastion of art cinema and all things French, Jean–Luc Godard, delivers a personal visual essay on the state of the medium. His…
Faded Dreams (1987): Dir. James Forsher; In true Hollywood tradition this film explores alternative theories over the controversial deaths of such Hollywood legends as James Dean, Marilyn,…
Secret Life of Sergei Eisenstein (1987): Dir. Gian Carlo Bertelli; Thorough look at the legendary Soviet director of 'Battleship Potemkin' and 'Alexander Nevsky', acknowledged pioneer of the montage approach to…
Dario Argento's World of Horror (1985): Dir. Dario Argento
Feat. James Franciscus, Karl Malden, Jessica Harper…; A compendium of scenes and images from the work of Italian horror maestro Dario Argento, including an indepth interview with the maestro. Covering…
Filmmaker's Journey, A (1985): Dir. George Stevens Jr.; Remarkable bio of the life and career of George Stevens, director of GIANT and SHANE, in context of the political events of the time. Directed by his…
Tokyo-Ga (1985): Dir. Wim Wenders; Wim Wenders travels to Tokyo to deliver a love letter to Yasujiro Ozu and the surviving bastion of his films, actor Ryu Chishu, though ends up…
Marlene (1984): Dir. Maximilian Schell
Feat. Marlene Dietrich; Maximilian Schell presents his own personal vision of Germany's greatest screen legend, Marlene Dietrich. Witness the woman in person and her career…
Making Utu (1983): Dir. Gaylene Preston; Exemplary behind the scenes documentary observes the making of Geoff Murphy's groundbreaking 'puha western' UTU, revealing both the insistence on…
Unknown Chaplin (1983): Feat. Charles Chaplin; Previously unseen footage raided from Chaplin's private collection forms the backbone of this splendid documentary series, delving into the great…
Burden of Dreams (1982): Dir. Les Blank
Feat. Werner Herzog; Les Blank's most famous film sticks with Werner Herzog through the thick and thin of the Amazon jungle during the notoriously troubled shooting of…
Wim Wenders Documentaries (Room 666, Tokyo-Ga, Notebook on Cities and Clothes) (1982-1989): Dir. Wim Wenders; Three documentaries from the hand of Wim Wenders, concerned with his chief obsessions in Japanese culture and the state of cinema.
Pasolini - Whoever Says the Truth Shall Die (1981): Dir. Philo Bregstein; A fascinating scan of the multi–faceted life of Pier Paolo Pasolini, as poet, theorist and film–director. Gives a lucid account of his…
Lightning Over Water (Nick's Movie) (1980): Dir. Wim Wenders
Feat. Nicholas Ray; A disturbing portrait of Hollywood film director Nicholas Ray's final days, shot by fan and friend Wim Wenders. Although he made some of the most…
Ciao, Federico! (1970): Dir. Gideon Bachmann; This portrait of director Federico Fellini was shot during the making of Satyricon. Revealing, while managing to capture his many contrasting sides.
History of Australian Cinema (1967-1979): A three part television special that charts the early decades of the Australian film industry and its many pioneers. Part 1: The Pictures That…
James Dean Story (1957): Dir. Robert Altman
Feat. Martin Gabel; Martin Gabel narrates this portrait of James Dean created shortly after his death, which assembles the material available at this time, including…
Norman McLaren: The Collector's Edition (1948-1968): Dir. Norman McLaren, Donald McWilliams; A collection of 14 films from Norman McLaren, the visionary Canadian filmmaker who pioneered innovative techniques to blend animation and…
Time to Remember, A - New Zealand Edition (Movietone Edition) (1930-1975): Comprehensive archive of New Zealand Cinesound and Movietone newsreels, from 1930–1975. Surveying five decades of Kiwi history and heritage,…
Oskar Fischinger: Ten Films (1921-1947): Dir. Oskar Fischinger; A collection of ten films from German–American filmmaker and visual artist Oskar Fischinger, whose brilliant abstract animated films paved the…
Time to Remember, A - British Empire Edition (Movietone Edition) (1920-1980): Widespread collection of British Empire Movietone newsreels, from 1920–1980. Providing an unbeatable insight into major events in British…
Time to Remember, A - World Edition (Pathe Edition ) (1900-1980): World edition of this invaulable newsreel series, compiling segments from the Pathe archives on two World Wars, totalitarianism, the Holocaust,…
50 Worst Movies Ever Made: An appropriately schlocky, American–centered countdown of the 'worst movies ever made', ranging from classic cult items like "Glen or Glenda"…
Adventures in Maoriland: An insight into the making of 'Hei Tiki', a romantic drama by American Alexander Markey, circa 1930. From the Education and Resource Series.
Alfred Hitchcock - Legend: The Master of Suspense discusses his film–making techniques and career, as well as interviews with those that worked with him and many excerpts…
Dalekmania: Feat. Peter Cushing; Cast members and cultists take a nostalgic peek at the making of the Dr. Who feature films.
Horror of Hammer, The: Brilliant collection of movie trailers from Hammer Studios horror heyday in the 1950s and 60s. Includes all the classics, plus two featurettes…
Ingmar Bergman - Distinction Series: Useful collection of several documentaries and articles relating to the singular Swedish filmmaker. Also contains a short doco on the great…
Making Movies: This complete movie–making serial collates footage from the golden age to give insight into the role of the director, the actors,…
This Is Horror I & II: Feat. George Romero, Clive Barker, Dario Argento…; Two informative and entertaining documentaries that celebrate the best of modern horror. Contains many excerpts from films (some unavailable) with…

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