Category: Black & White
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EMPEROR TOMATO KETCHUP
“Emperor Tomato Ketchup” is a 1971 experimental film directed by Shuji Terayama. It is known for its avant-garde style and surreal narrative, as well as being somewhat controversial for its depiction and actions played by children. The film is a social commentary that explores themes of power, authority, and rebellion in a dystopian society ruled…
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METROPOLIS
“Metropolis” is a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction film directed by Fritz Lang. It is set in a futuristic dystopian city where society is sharply divided between the wealthy elite who live in luxury above ground and the oppressed working class who toil away in the underground factories that power the city. The film stars Gustav…
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Q-BEC MY LOVE (NSFW)
“Q-Bec My Love” is a Canadian film that was released in 1970, directed by Jean Pierre Lefebvre. The movie is a satirical allegory that explores sexuality in the entertainment and advertising industry through a series of disconnected vignettes. Shot in black and white, the film has a direct lighting source that creates surreal vignettes, often…
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THROW AWAY YOUR BOOKS, RALLY IN THE STREETS
“Throw Away Your Books, Rally in The Streets” is a groundbreaking Japanese film directed by Shuji Terayama and released in 1971. The film is a surreal and anarchic exploration of youth rebellion, societal disillusionment, and the search for personal freedom. The story follows the protagonist, a young man named ‘Me’ (portrayed by Hideaki Sasaki), who…
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WHO ARE YOU, POLLY MAGGOO?
“Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?” is a 1966 satirical French film directed by William Klein that offers a critical and comedic exploration of the fashion industry and the nature of beauty. The film takes a mockumentary approach, blending surrealism, satire, and social commentary elements. The story revolves around Polly Maggoo (Dorothy McGowan), a young American…
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TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS
Trans-Europ-Express is a 1966 experimental film written and directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet and starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Marie-France Pisier. The title refers to the Trans Europ Express, an international rail network in Europe. The story shows a creative team devising a film plot during a train journey to Antwerp. It is intercut with a film-within-a-film about…
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PSYCHO
“Psycho,” directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1960, remains a seminal thriller. The film follows Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh), a secretary who embezzles money from her employer and decides to flee town. She ends up at the secluded Bates Motel, managed by the awkward yet seemingly harmless Norman Bates (played by Anthony…
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THE THIRD MAN
“The Third Man” is a classic noir film set in post-World War II Vienna. It was directed by Carol Reed and released in 1949. The story revolves around Holly Martins (played by Joseph Cotten), an American novelist who arrives in Vienna to meet his old friend Harry Lime (played by Orson Welles), only to discover…
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UN CHIEN ANDALOU
“Un Chien Andalou” is a surreal and groundbreaking silent short film co-created by director Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí in 1929. The film is an exploration of dreamlike sequences and irrational imagery, devoid of a linear narrative. In a series of disjointed and symbolic vignettes, the film opens with a shocking and iconic scene:…
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SEVEN SAMURAI
“Seven Samurai” is a classic Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, released in 1954. Set in 16th-century Japan, the story revolves around a small farming village under constant threat from bandits who pillage their crops after every harvest. Desperate to protect themselves, the villagers seek the help of seven masterless samurai, or ronin, to defend…
The Other Cinema 