Stars of Cabaret

His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th

April 2010 •English

A retrospective documentary about the groundbreaking horror series, Friday the 13th, featuring interviews with cast and crew from the twelve films spanning 3 decades.

Brand Bollywood Downunder

November 2023 •English

When most people think about Australia, they picture massive sandy beaches, singlet-clad locals drinking beer, and kangaroos bounding through the dusty red outback. Saris, musical numbers, and masala are the furthest from anyone's mind - unless of course, you're one of the millions of Bollywood fans from around the world.

It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures

May 2001 •English

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.

The Galaxy Britain Built: The British Force Behind Star Wars

December 2017 •English

Superfan David Whiteley celebrates the unsung British heroes behind the first film in the Star Wars’ franchise, 1977’s eponymously titled Star Wars. The Star Wars saga ends with the release of The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019. This documentary celebrates where it all began. It includes previously unheard stories from the people who made one of the most successful movies of all time, with additional interviews and previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage. The presenter, Star Wars superfan David Whiteley, who has his own connection to the original film (he was born on May the 4th), tracks down the often modest British talent who brought the galaxy to life. David explores the contribution of the London Symphony Orchestra and meets Ann Skinner, who was in charge of continuity. As well as seeing her original stills from the set, Ann reveals how she helped Sir Alec Guinness with one of the most famous speeches in Star Wars.

Morris Dancing at Berkhamstead

February 1950 •English

A noble English dance tradition is preserved in Hertfordshire.

Portobello Road Market

April 1964 •English

Find bric-a-brac and trinkets galore in this vividly colourful snapshot of Portobello Road Market.

100 Years of the UFA

August 2017 •German

The intricate history of UFA, a film production company founded in 1917 that has survived the Weimar Republic, the Nazi regime, the Adenauer era and the many and tumultuous events of contemporary Germany, and has always been the epicenter of the German film industry.

Wandering Tigers in North India

May 1935 •English

Tigers in the Himalayan foothills, filmed by famous hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett.

The Inspiration for 'Cars'

November 2006 •English

Short featurette about the inspiration behind Pixar's "Cars".

Hilton Hotel Construction

September 1959 •English

The Hilton Hotel rises from the ashes, surrounded by derelict houses and bomb damaged streets.

Aka and Daffla Dances

June 1934 •English

A stunning display by Nyishi tribesmen from the hills of Arunachal Pradesh, north-eastern India.

La Antorcha de los Éxitos: Cifesa (1932-1961)

October 2022 •Spanish

The amazing story of Cifesa, a mythical film production company founded in Valencia by the Casanova family that managed to dominate the box office during the turbulent times of the Second Spanish Republic, the carnage of the Civil War and the hardships of the long post-war period and Franco's dictatorship — and survive until the sixties, when Spain was timidly beginning to change.

Delhi to the North West Frontier

March 1935 •English

Amateur film featuring government buildings in Delhi, a shooting party in Malakand and winter in Abbottabad.

Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath

May 1946 •English

Kathakali performance featuring the great Indian dancer Guru Gopinath.

Capturar (Las 1001 novias)

March 2017 •Spanish

The Fearless Freaks

May 2005 •English

Equal parts punk and psychedelia, the Flaming Lips emerged from Oklahoma City as one of the most bracing bands of the late 1980s. The Fearless Freaks documents their rise from Butthole Surfers-imitating noisemakers to grand poobahs of orchestral pop masterpieces. Filmmaker Bradley Beesely had the good fortune of living in the same neighborhood as lead Lip Wayne Coyne, who quickly enlisted his buddy to document his band's many concerts and assorted exploits. The early footage is a riot, with tragic hair styles on proud display as the boys attempt to cover up their lack of natural talent with sheer volume. During one show, they even have a friend bring a motorcycle on stage, which is then miked for sound and revved throughout the performance, clearing the club with toxic levels of carbon monoxide. Great punk rock stuff. Interspersed among the live bits are interviews with the band's family and friends, revealing the often tragic circumstances of their childhoods and early career.

An Evening of Troma-tainment with Lloyd Kaufman

August 2012 •English

Lloyd Kaufman from Troma sits down for a Q&A at The Prince Charles Cinema in London on the evening of a Troma Triple-bill.

Visions of Light

September 1992 •English

Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.

Mystery Train: Hitchcock and The Lady Vanishes

November 2007 •English

This video essay, featuring film scholar Leonard Leff, addresses the 1938 Alfred Hitchcock film The Lady Vanishes' British context and political underpinnings and the details and techniques that undeniably make it a 'Hitchcock picture.'

American Grindhouse

February 2011 •English

This documentary explores the hidden history of the American Exploitation Film. The movie digs deep into this often overlooked category of U.S. cinema and unearths the shameless and occasionally shocking origins of this popular entertainment.