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Bashu The Little Stranger - BASHU THE LITTLE STRANGER - DVD

This touching, thought-provoking Iranian children's drama, from 1989 has a simple story, but complex undertones as it is simultaneously a quiet plea for peace and tolerance, an entertaining story and a sly, metaphorical criticism of Moslem fundamentalist thinking. It also presents a view of Iranian rural life seldom seen by Westerners. NTSC/Region 0. Original Iranian dialogue with optional English & Chinese subtitles. 117 minutes. Panorama. 2003.




This touching, thought-provoking Iranian children's drama has a simple story, but complex undertones as it is simultaneously a quiet plea for peace and tolerance, an entertaining story and a sly, metaphorical criticism of Moslem fundamentalist thinking. It also presents a view of Iranian rural life seldom seen by Westerners. Though the Iranian government sponsored the film, they banned it for the above reasons. Bashu is a 10-year-old boy living in war-torn southern Iran. During an Iraqi attack on his village his mother ends up burning to death when her veil catches fire, and his father disappears through a hole that suddenly appears beneath his prayer rug at home. Bashu witnesses the deaths and is so terrified that he leaves his ravaged village and sneaks aboard a northbound truck. Exhausted, he falls asleep and doesn't wake until the truck stops briefly in a northern village. The boy is astounded by the cool green of the place. Suddenly an explosion from a nearby construction site rocks the ground. Thinking the place is being bombed, the lad heads for the forest as the truck rushes off. Bashu wanders about and ends up asleep in a lean-to beside a rice paddy that belongs to a young mother, Nai, who raises her two kids alone while her husband is off looking for employment. At first she tries to get him off her property but then changes her mind and quietly (northern Iranians speak a different language from their southern counterparts, but both share the same writing system) begins to help him. She thinks the help is only temporary and that his parents will soon arrive to get him. He thinks she is adopting him. Bashu proves to be a good, helpful boy. Unfortunately, the townsfolk dislike him because he looks and acts so differently. Good Nai tries to protect him from their prejudice, but it is difficult. Her husband compounds matters when, in a letter, he insists that Bashu leave. Meanwhile the boy is beaten up by the local children and at this point his future is uncertain. Fortunately, Nai's husband returns and decides that Bashu does indeed have a place in their little family.

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African Queen - DVD

NTSC/Region 0. Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn star in one of the greatest motion pictures of all-time, The African Queen directed by John Huston. Bogart won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Charlie Allnut, a hard drinking river trader who offers to take Rose (Hepburn), the sister of a murdered missionary, from the remains of her destroyed village back to civilization. They encounter an adventure together that leads to romance. The African Queen was nominated for five Oscars in 1951 (Bogart was the only winner) and won for Best Film at the British Academy Awards. It has also been called one of the greatest films of all time by critics throughout the decades. For over half a century, this film still deserves every accolade that has ever been thrown at it.




After years of wooing director John Huston via good reviews, film critic James Agee was given a chance to write the screenplay for a Huston picture. Adapted from a novel by C.S. Forester, The African Queen stars Humphrey Bogart in his Oscar-winning portrayal of Charlie Allnut, the slovenly, gin-swilling captain of a tramp steamer called the African Queen, which ships supplies to small East African villages during World War I. Katharine Hepburn plays Rose Sayer, the maiden-lady sister of a prim British missionary (Robert Morley). When invading Germans kill the missionary and level the village, Allnut offers to take Rose back to civilization. She can't tolerate his drinking or bad manners; he isn't crazy about her imperious, judgmental attitude. However it does not take long before their passionate dislike turns to love. Together the disparate duo work to ensure their survival on the treacherous waters and devise an ingenious way to destroy a German gunboat. The African Queen may well be the perfect adventure film, its roller-coaster storyline complemented by the chemistry between its stars. The profound difficulties inherent in filming on location in Africa have been superbly documented by several books, including one written by Katharine Hepburn. Screenwriter Peter Viertel (who worked, on an uncredited basis, on the script of this film - assisting with some of the dialogue) incorporated some of the African Queen anecdotes in his roman a clef about a Huston-like director/adventurer, White Hunter, Black Heart.

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Magical Mystery Tour - BEATLES - DVD

Australian DVD (NTSC/Region 0) of the notoriously weird Beatles vanity project that began as a feature film & ended up as a TV special, taken from the same master as the 1988 videocassette release. Features seven songs as well as some newsreel excerpts chronicling Beatles efforts, a brief production history, & trailer. Approx. 50 mins. RBC Entertainment. 2004.