United States
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My guess is that you probably don't recognize Chuck Workman's name. You most certainly have seen his work, though, if you are a fan of the Oscars. Workman's breathtaking montages of classic film clips are, more often than not, the highlight of each broadcast. His new documentary, The Story of X, covers cinematic territory not normally associated with coveted statuettes. In fact, the film tells the story of x-rated cinema-porn, smut, nudies, adult films, stag films- from the first, flickering silent images up to, and including, the video revolution.
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Meet Alex, the "every artist". We know the type-doesn't quite fit in. Alex finds his calling by moving to Venice Beach and enrolling in art school. While his friends have a cause or talent (Gnome wants to be president, Patrick and Lizzie are destined to be the next big thing in music, and Maggie is already a video producer), Alex "wants to do it all" but doesn't have a clue how. The answer is soon obvious. Make a movie. A black and white, of course, about Gnome's crazy political aspirations e.g., Gnome would love to see Hawaii liberated from U.S. oppression. Next step?
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Everybody has a story, even the ordinary people we see every day all around us, despite the public's preoccupation with the "newsmakers" of society. But there aren't many films made about simple, unsophisticated people such as Of Mice and Men, or Paddy Chayevsky's Marty, whose themes bear some resemblance to this story. The charm of Shoemaker lies in its depiction of the life of a humble mentally challenged shoemaker. His only friend and advisor is his cynical partner, Paul, and his main interests are cooking and his pet fish.
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A tall, dark, and handsome stranger drives into a sleepy country town, and the lives of its inhabitants will never be the same. It is an old story, but Road Ends adds new life to this seemingly worn-out genre. Part crime drama, part mystery, and with heavy doses of action and humor, the film weaves a complex plot, with strong performances from Chris Sarandon (Dog Day Afternoon, Fright Night), Dennis Hopper (Blue Velvet, True Romance), Peter Coyote (E.T., Bitter Moon), and Mariel Hemingway (Manhattan, Deconstructing Harry).
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If there's one thing you must do this year at Cinequest, it's Return to Oz. Return to the land where the adventure began. Nominated for Visual Effects in 1985, Walter Murch's new vision of the land of Oz does just that--takes its audience on the adventure of a lifetime back to Oz as Dorothy, with the help of some new friends, must stop the evil Nome King. Upon its original release, Murch's film was lambasted (by many who did not even see the film) not based on quality, but rather because audiences were not met with the colorfully happy land they remembered from the MGM classic. It's true.
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H.I. McDonnough specializes in two things: robbing convenience stores and going to prison. After meeting his police officer wife, however, H.I. must try to master fatherhood. Of course, there's always a hitch, and this time it's the fact that he and his wife have kidnapped a baby (one of a quintuplet set) from the local furniture czar, Nathan Arizona. Director Joel Coen and producer/brother Ethan (of Fargo fame) have taken comedy to its heights in this masterpiece from the '80s.
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The post-1980s world has left American mankind in an altered state. Society is recovering from the world dictator wealth-driven culture. What else could explain the connection between nationally syndicated talk show host Larry King , singer/songwriter Colin Hay (Men at Work), and a rape victim from a night club. Filmmaker Nicholas Hondrogen searches for the essence that captures the new vision, the new quest for Americans N- living for the moment.
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Darin yearns for Matt's one-night stand lifestyle and ability to leave a date because she reads John Grisham novels. Matt moves from woman to woman and thinks Darin's marriage and stability are a precious commodity. And then there's Kevin. Poor Kevin. A unique case altogether: someone who would pay $20,000 no, make that $50,000 to sleep with the jeans ad model from the bus stop poster. Each is at an impasse in life. But Darin thinks he's found the answer to his ''problem'' from a job offer in Berlin.
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Poor Charlie's inner gay self has ''escaped.'' Problem? He has mere hours to decide whether or not to stay in the closet and must choose in front of his landlord and the 911 operator.
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Cinequest proudly presents Neptune's Rocking Horse as our Out Fest at Cinequest event. Five strangers are united when a drag queen is arrested one morning in New York City. Each walks away with a singular perspective. The arrest, which most might quickly forget, haunts these tragic figures and profoundly changes their lives. As the day progresses, they invite the drag queen into their psyche and take a cold hard look at who they are.