Abraham 1994  TV, 178 min.
Genre: Adventure / Drama
Director: Joseph Sargent
Cast: Richard Harris, Maximilian Schell, Barbara Hershey, Vittorio Gassman, Carolina Rosi, Andrea Prodan, Gottfried John, Kevin McNally, Evelina Meghangi, John McEnery
Simple shepherd Abraham (Richard Harris) leads his family and other believers in God on a long and dangerous trek to the Promised Land (Canaan) in this made-for-TV epic.
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Barabbas 1962 N/R, 144 min.
Genre: Adventure / Drama
Director: Richard Fleischer
Cast: Anthony Quinn, Arthur Kennedy, Ernest Borgnine, Silvana Mangano, Jack Palance, Katy Jurado, Harry Andrews, Vittorio Gassman, Valentina Cortese, Douglas Fowley, Norman Wooland, Michael Gwynn, Roy Magnano
This is the story of Barabbas (Anthony Quinn), the thief who Pontius Pilate (Arthur Kennedy) tried along with Jesus and allowed to escape crucifixion. After being released, the guilt-ridden Barabbas goes through many ordeals searching for meaning in his life and, finally, becomes a follower of Christ. The script and cast are good in this religious epic.
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Big Deal 1958  N/R, 91 min.
Genre: Foreign / Comedy
aka: Big Deal on Madonna Street
Director: Mario Monicelli
Cast: Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Memmo Carotenuto, Rosanna Rory, Carla Gravina, Claudia Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni, Carlo Pisacane, Tiberio Murgia, Gina Rovere, Renato Terra
This film makes use of the neorealistic style and provides good satire of the "bank heist" genre. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, the plot involves amateur crooks who try to rob a pawnshop. A 1987 sequel, "Big Deal After 20 Years," picks up the story 20 years later.
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Big Deal After 20 Years 1987  N/R, 101 min.
Genre: Foreign / Comedy
aka: Big Deal on Madonna Street: 20 Years Later
Director: Amanzio Todini
Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio Gassman, Tiberio Murgia, Francesco De Rosa, Giorgio Gobbi, Clelia Rondinella, Gina Rovere, Alessandra Panelli, Alessandro Gassman, Giovanni Lombardo Radice
In this sequel to the 1958 film, Tiberio (Marcello Mastroianni) is now released from prison but is unable to find work, so he reluctantly teams up again with Peppe (Vittorio Gassman) and aids him in a smuggling job.
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The Desert of the Tartars 1976 N/R, 140 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Valerio Zurlini
Cast: Vittorio Gassman, Giuliano Gemma, Helmut Griem, Philippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin, Francisco Rabal, Fernando Rey, Laurent Terzieff, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Max von Sydow
French army recruit Lt. Drogo (Jacques Perrin) is serving at an isolated fort where many are training to repel an attack by the Tartars. As days turn into months, the soldiers experience boredom, loneliness, and even paranoia as they wait for the enemy who some doubt will appear.
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Life Is a Bed of Roses 1983  PG, 111 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama / Comedy / Musical / Fantasy
Director: Alain Resnais
Cast: Vittorio Gassman, Ruggero Raimondi, Geraldine Chaplin, Fanny Ardant, Pierre Arditi, Sabine Azema, Andre Dussollier, Jean-Louis Richard, Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Robert Manuel, Martine Kelly, Samson Fainsilber
The possibility of a perfect world is examined in this fable, which uses a World War II "Temple of Happiness" from that era and compares its purpose with a present-day conference on education. The findings are that utopia does not seem to be the answer to society's problems.
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Mambo 1954 N/R, 94 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Rossen
Cast: Silvana Mangano, Michael Rennie, Vittorio Gassman, Shelley Winters, Katherine Dunham, Mary Clare, Eduardo Ciannelli, Julie Robinson, Walter Zappolini, Franco Caruso
A young dancer, in her struggles for success and recognition, becomes involved with both a prince and an avaricious gambler.
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The Nude Bomb 1980 PG, 94 min.
Genre: Comedy
aka: The Return of Maxwell Smart
Maxwell Smart and the Nude Bomb
Director: Clive Donner
Cast: Don Adams, Sylvia Kristel, Rhonda Fleming, Pamela Hensley, Bill Dana, Gary Imhoff, Robert Karvelas, Vittorio Gassman, Walter Brooke, Norman Lloyd, Dana Elcar, Andrea Howard, Sarah Rush, Joey Forman, Thomas Hill
A villain, Nino Salvatore Sebastiani (Vittorio Gassman), plots the launching of missiles that will destroy clothing, and everyone will go naked. Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) trips into action, and the fun begins.
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Quintet 1979  R, 110 min.
Genre: Sci-Fi / Mystery
Director: Robert Altman
Cast: Paul Newman, Vittorio Gassman, Fernando Rey, Bibi Andersson, Nina Van Pallandt, Brigitte Fossey, David Langton, Thomas Hill, Craig Richard Nelson, Monique Murcure, Anne Gerety, Maruska Stankova, Michel Maillot, Max Fleck, Francoise Berd
The world is in the midst of another Ice Age when seal hunter Essex (Paul Newman) and his pregnant wife, Vivia (Brigitte Fossey), search for Essex's brother Francha (Thomas Hill). They find Francha in a remote city where survivors are playing the game, "Quintet," in which losing players are murdered. They join in the game, and, after Francha and Vivia are killed, Essex tries to stay alive but becomes obsessed with the game.
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Rhapsody 1954 N/R, 115 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Charles Vidor
Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Vittorio Gassman, John Ericson, Louis Calhern, Barbara Bates, Stuart Whitman, Michael Chekhov, Celia Lovsky, Richard Hageman, Madge Blake
Beautiful Louise Durant (Elizabeth Taylor) leaves her violinist lover for a young pianist but still cannot find happiness.
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 Scent of a Woman 1974 R, 103 min.
Genre: Foreign / Comedy / Drama
Director: Dino Risi
Cast: Vittorio Gassman, Alessandro Momo, Agostina Belli, Moira Orfei, Lorenzo Piani, Franco Ricci, Elena Veronese, Stefania Spugnini, Torindo Bernardi, Marisa Volonnino, Carla Mancini, Alvaro Vitali, Sergio Di Pinto
Vittorio Gassman plays an army captain who was blinded due to an explosion. Now, with an aide in tow, the arrogant and proud captain tours Italy with the intent of seducing beautiful women, and, due to heightened senses, he can smell whether or not they ARE beautiful. At the end of his journey, he intends to commit suicide with a cadet "Cucchio" (Alessandro Momo) who was also blinded. Gassman won the Cannes Best Actor award, and the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign film.
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 Sharky's Machine 1981 R, 119 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Burt Reynolds
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Rachel Ward, Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Henry Silva, Darryl Hickman, Hari Rhodes, John Fiedler
In the police/action genre, this film fare well. As a member of the vice squad, Sharky (Burt Reynolds) investigates and falls in love with a call girl (Rachel Ward). She is murdered, and to avenge her death Sharky trains his co-workers into the precision tool of a "Machine."
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Sleepers 1996  R, 149 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Barry Levinson
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Minnie Driver, Vittorio Gassman, Billy Crudup, Ron Eldard, Terry Kinney, Jonathan Tucker, Geoffrey Wigdor, Brad Renfro, Joseph Perrino
Four boys–Tommy (Jonathan Tucker), John (Geoffrey Wigdor), Michael (Brad Renfro), and Shakes (Joseph Perrino)–from New York's Hell's Kitchen spend time in reform school where they are sexually assaulted by prison guard Nokes (Kevin Bacon). The boys grow up, and Tommy (now played by Billy Crudup) and John (now played by Ron Eldard) kill Nokes in an act of revenge. The other two, newspaperman Shakes (now played by Jason Patric) and Assistant District Attorney Michael (now played by Brad Pitt), come to their aid along with Father Bobby (Robert De Niro). 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | Truly a 'Sleeper' | rnjen63 09/14/2009 | | Cannot say enough about this film. Well acted, and truly could not have been cast better. Right and wrong; the age old battle,comes to age in this wonderfully plotted movie. Must see if you like layered stories. Resonated with struggles of a sense of justice achieved. Watch this!!! |
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Tempest 1982 PG, 145 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Paul Mazursky
Cast: John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Susan Sarandon, Vittorio Gassman, Raul Julia, Molly Ringwald, Sam Robards, Paul Stewart, Anthony Holland, Jackie Gayle, Jerry Hardin, Lucianne Buchanan, Vassilis Glezakos, Sergio Nicolai, Luigi Laezza
This update of Shakespeare's play features John Cassavetes as New York architect Phillip Dimitrius who leaves his wife, Antonia (Gena Rowlands), and travels to Greece with their daughter Miranda (Molly Ringwald). Phillip meets Greek singer Aretha (Susan Sarandon), and she becomes his lover. Phillip, Aretha, and Miranda fly to a Greek island where all goes well–until Antonia and her friends are shipwrecked and end up marooned on the same island.
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 War and Peace 1956 N/R, 208 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: King Vidor
Cast: Henry Fonda, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Ferrer, Herbert Lom, John Mills, Barry Jones, Vittorio Gassman, Anita Ekberg, Oskar Homolka, May Britt, Wilfrid Lawson, Helmut Dantine, Tullio Carminati, Milly Vitale, Anna-Maria Ferrero
Napoleon's invasion of Russia is the backdrop for this epic tale in which the Russian aristocracy, with its reverence for the church, is clearly brought out amidst the glamorous lifestyle. While Napoleon plans to invade Russia, Russian intellectual Pierre Bezukhov (Henry Fonda) falls in love with Natasha (Audrey Hepburn). But, after his father dies and he gains a large inheritance, Pierre marries Helene (Anita Ekberg). This proves to be a loveless marriage that ends quickly. Meanwhile, Napoleon has invaded Russia, and Pierre's friend Andrei (Mel Ferrer) is fighting in the war. Andrei returns home and falls in love with Natasha but returns to the battlefield and is critically wounded. Pierre witnesses the carnage and vows to kill Napoleon. The French are finally beaten, and, by story's end, Pierre is reunited with Natasha. King Vidor received an Oscar nomination for his directing.
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A Wedding 1978 PG, 125 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Robert Altman
Cast: Lillian Gish, Ruth Nelson, Desi Arnaz Jr., Vittorio Gassman, Nina Van Pallandt, Dina Merrill, Carol Burnett, Paul Dooley, Amy Stryker, Mia Farrow
This is a good story about an upper-middle-class wedding in which religion and values are satirized.
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Woman Times Seven 1967 N/R, 96 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Peter Sellers, Elspeth March, Rossano Brazzi, Vittorio Gassman, Robert Morley, Elsa Martinelli, Alan Arkin, Michael Caine, Lex Barker, Laurence Badie, Judith Magre, Catherine Samie, Zanie Campan, Robert Duranton
Shirley MacLaine takes on the diverse roles of Paulette, Maria Teresa, Linda, Edith, Eve Minou, Marie, and Jeanne in this series of seven short stories about adultery. In "Funeral Possession," a widow finds a romantic interest (Peter Sellers) at her husband's funeral. "Amateur Night" tells about an unhappy wife turning to streetwalking for revenge against her husband (Rossano Brazzi). "Two Against One" features a prudish wife who turns out to be anything but. In "Super Simone" a wife uses unique methods to get the attention of her husband (Lex Barker). "At the Opera" features a Parisian woman who will stop at nothing to own a particular designer gown. In "Suicide Pacts," a woman and her lover (Alan Arkin) make a suicide pact. Finally, in "Snow," a woman's husband hires a private detective (Michael Caine) to spy on her.
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| 1. Abraham (1994)
2. Barabbas (1962)
3. Big Deal (1958)
aka: Big Deal on Madonna Street
4. Big Deal After 20 Years (1987)
aka: Big Deal on Madonna Street: 20 Years Later
5. The Desert of the Tartars (1976)
6. The Dirty Game (1965)
7. Life Is a Bed of Roses (1983)
8. Mambo (1954)
9. The Nude Bomb (1980)
aka: The Return of Maxwell Smart
aka: Maxwell Smart and the Nude Bomb
10. Quintet (1979)
11. Rhapsody (1954)
12. Scent of a Woman (1974)
13. Sharky's Machine (1981)
14. Sleepers (1996)
15. Tempest (1982)
16. War and Peace (1956)
17. A Wedding (1978)
18. Woman Times Seven (1967)
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