Telephonomania

Desperately Seeking Signal

November 2015 •English

A 911 dispatcher helps a lost and surprisingly upbeat woman in a compromising situation and connects with more than just the call.

Good Morning

May 1959 •Japanese

A lighthearted take on director Yasujiro Ozu’s perennial theme of the challenges of inter­generational relationships, Good Morning tells the story of two young boys who stop speaking in protest after their parents refuse to buy a television set. Ozu weaves a wealth of subtle gags through a family portrait as rich as those of his dramatic films, mocking the foibles of the adult world through the eyes of his child protagonists. Shot in stunning color and set in a suburb of Tokyo where housewives gossip about the neighbors’ new washing machine and unemployed husbands look for work as door-to-door salesmen, this charming comedy refashions Ozu’s own silent classic I Was Born, But . . . to gently satirize consumerism in postwar Japan.

Granite Hotel

April 1940 •English

It's just another day at the Granite Hotel.

Moonlight Tariff

October 2001 •German

To call or not to call? For young Cora it's not a question. In fact, after the first date you may never call the guy, even if it was the best sex of your life! It's him who must beg for a meeting - and not later than 72 hours after. Otherwise - delete it from memory.

Mr. Kershaw's Dream System

January 1982 •English

A man grows insane when he hears the beeping of a Monarch telephone, and he seeks help of a psychiatrist.

The Women

September 2008 •English

The story centers on a group of gossipy, high-society women who spend their days at the beauty salon and haunting fashion shows. The sweet, happily-wedded Mary Haines finds her marriage in trouble when shop girl Crystal Allen gets her hooks into Mary's man.

A Good Woman

September 2004 •English

Fleeing 1930s New York and leaving behind a chequered past, the giltzy divorcee Mrs Stella Erlynne travels to Italy's sun-dappled Amalfi coast. Mrs Erlynne's appearance causes a stir amongst the visiting aristocracy. Based on the Oscar Wilde play "Lady Windemere's Fan."

New in Town

January 2009 •English

Lucy Hill is an ambitious up-and-coming executive living in Miami. She loves her shoes, her cars, and climbing the corporate ladder. When she is offered a temporary assignment — in the middle of nowhere — to restructure a manufacturing plant, she jumps at the opportunity, knowing that a big promotion is close at hand. What begins as a straightforward assignment becomes a life-changing experience as Lucy discovers greater meaning in her life and, most unexpectedly, the man of her dreams.

The Women

September 1939 •English

A happily married woman lets her catty friends talk her into divorce when her husband strays.

Phone

July 1974 •English

A primer on proper phone manners produced for the New Zealand Post Office.

Mean Girls

April 2004 •English

Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

Babovřesky 2

February 2014 •Czech

When a feisty village gossip ropes a visiting junior hockey team into her schemes, hoping one will notice her granddaughter, the resulting clash with the exasperated mayor and a hapless regional inspector sets off a chain of uproarious misunderstandings. All the while, an unconventional young priest with a mischievous name looks on in bemused bewilderment.

The Chill of Loneliness

February 2022 •English

Two people attempt to connect over a great distance.

Grease

June 1978 •English

Australian good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their eccentric friends?

The Unbelievable Truth

July 1990 •English

After serving time for murder, Josh Hutton returns to his home town where he meets Audry Hugo. No one can remember exactly what Josh did...

Disparate nacional

March 1990 •Spanish

Dear Phone

January 1976 •English

A narrator relates a variety of peculiar stories involving characters with the initials HC and their dealings with telephones. These are interspersed with artistic shots of telephone boxes in a variety of locations.

Denise Calls Up

May 1995 •English

A group of friends in New York, working away at their PCs and laptops, keep in touch exclusively by phone and fax. They are all too busy to meet face to face. Gale plays matchmaker, by phone, to Jerry and Barbara who, in turn, hit it off beautifully – via phone and fax. Martin gets a telephone call from someone he's never met. It's Denise, with some extraordinary news. Tapping away at his computer all the while, he develops a sort of friendship with Denise – via phone. And so it goes as the friends, tap, tap, tapping away, share news, hopes, and dreams – via phone and fax. Finally Gale has an unfortunate encounter with a phone, Denise has some more news for Martin, and Frank plans a gala New Year's Eve party, but will he answer the door?

De lengua, me como un plato

January 1990 •Spanish

Mexican Christian comedy about gossip and mundane situations.

Using the Telephone

May 1970 •English

A young David Jason tries and fails to master sales calls.