by Ben Redder

AALTO: ARCHITECT OF EMOTIONS (2016, DVD)

A documentary film journey into the life and work of one of the greatest modern architects, Alvar Aalto. The film shares for the first time the intimate love story of Alvar and his architect wife, Aino Aalto. It takes the viewer on a cinematic tour to their creative processes and iconic buildings all over the world. We visit their most beautiful buildings in Finland, a library in Russia, a student dormitory at MIT, an art collector´s private house near Paris – and many other unique places. We learn about the colourful history of modernism and meet along the way the Rockefellers, Le Corbusier, and László Moholy-Nagy.

ABIGAIL HARM (2012, DVD)

Abigail Harm is a woman living in a fictionalized New York City, who, after being granted a wish by a strange visitor, asks for love and learns of a creature who might provide it. Inspired by the Korean folktale “The Woodcutter and the Nymph.”

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR: THE FIRST (2021, DVD)

When Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor as the Supreme Court’s first female justice in 1981, the announcement dominated the news. Time Magazine’s cover proclaimed “Justice At Last,” and she received unanimous Senate approval. During her 25 years on the Supreme Court, O’Connor was the critical swing vote on cases involving some of the 20th century’s most controversial issues, including race, gender and reproductive rights — and she was the tiebreaker on Bush v. Gore. Forty years after her confirmation, this biography recounts the life of a pioneering woman who both reflected and shaped an era.

CHANGE OF HABIT (1969, Blu-ray)

Dr. John Carpenter takes the job of running a health center in a low-income district. He enlists three women to help out who, unbeknownst to him, are actually nuns in street clothes. The church wants to improve the neighborhood but fears that nuns in full habit would not be well received. Unaware of her unavailability, John falls for Sister Michelle, serenading her with his guitar – which, luckily for him, effectively wears away at her religious resolve.

CLARICE – SEASON 1 (2021, DVD)

A deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling as she returns to the field in 1993, one year after the events of “The Silence of the Lambs.” In this first season, Clarice joins the newly instituted VICAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) unit of the FBI, created by Attorney General Ruth Martin. VICAP leader Paul Krendler has doubts about Clarice’s mental fitness to serve as an agent and the usefulness of her behavioral sciences background to help them investigate murderers and madmen. Throughout the season, Clarice must convince her fellow agents that there is a larger, even more sinister explanation for a series of homicides that Krendler and Martin want to attribute to a serial killer. But for Clarice to find her voice as an investigator, she must confront both the horrors from her childhood and the monsters she encounters every day.

THE COLLINGSWOOD STORY (2002, Blu-ray)

When Rebecca went away to college, her boyfriend John thought video chatting would help them stay in touch. But idle curiosity leads to a dark secret when Rebecca and John video chat with Vera Madeline, an online psychic, who initiates a deadly reign of terror over their lives. The Collingswood Story is an innovative and acclaimed micro budget horror film by writer/director Mike Costanza. It’s the first found footage film to be viewed through webcams, which helped pave the way for future hits such as Host, Paranormal Activity, and Unfriended. Its macabre tale of murder, ritual, and mystery is told through an immersive interface where each character uses a cam for their own voyeuristic purposes – to communicate, to investigate, and to victimize – ultimately becoming witness to a shocking and disturbing finish!

COME SEPTEMBER (1961, Blu-ray)

American mogul Robert Talbot customarily spends the month of September in his lush Italian villa. But this year he arrives early and gets a surprise — his money-grubbing overseer has turned the villa into a hotel in his absence. Infuriated, Talbot is ready to kick his teenage guests out at first — until he unexpectedly takes on the role of chaperon. Meanwhile, the playboy fights to save his on-the-rocks relationship with feisty Italian Lisa Fellini.

CORRIDOR OF MIRRORS (1948, Blu-ray / DVD)

In this atmospheric drama, Paul Mangin is a wealthy British artist fixated on history, particularly the Renaissance period. When Paul falls for Mifanwy Conway, a pretty young woman, he begins to believe that he was her lover in an earlier life. While Paul’s preoccupation with the past initially seems harmless, it grows to become an all-consuming obsession that takes over his life and threatens others, most notably the lovely Mifanwy.

DEAD AGAIN (1991, Blu-ray)

When a mute woman suffering from amnesia arrives at the gates of an old orphanage, private investigator Mike Church is asked to find out who she is. With the help of a hypnotist, the woman regains her voice and recalls vivid past memories of a couple from the 1940s torn apart by murder. Church begins to develop feelings for the woman, who he calls Grace, and then discovers he has a connection to the tragic couple from the 40s.

DEAD PIGS (2018, DVD)

The fates of an unlucky pig farmer, a feisty home-owner defending her property, a lovestruck busboy, a disenchanted rich girl, and an American expat pursuing the Chinese Dream converge and collide as thousands of dead pigs are found floating down the Huangpu River, towards a modernizing Shanghai in Cathy Yan’s debut feature.

DEADLY FRIEND (1986, Blu-ray)

From director Wes Craven comes a terrifying tale of technology gone haywire! Lonely teenage genius Paul, a specialist in brain research, has two best friends: his remarkable robot … and the beautiful girl next door. When tragedy strikes both of his friends, he desperately tries to save them by pushing technology beyond its mortal limits into a terrifying new realm. Like a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein, Paul discovers too late that he has created a rampaging monster!

ELLIE AND ABBIE (& ELLIE’S DEAD AUNT) (2021, DVD)

School captain Ellie has a serious crush on her classmate Abbie, and is angsting over inviting her to the Year 12 formal. When Ellie accidentally spills the beans to her mum and outs herself in the process, things start to get complicated, and a little bit spooky. Enter her deceased aunt Tara, a lesbian activist from the ’80s who returns from the dead to act as a kind of fairy godmother to Ellie, guiding her through the trials and tribulations of her first love.

FINAL SET (2020, DVD)

Thomas was once renowned as a young tennis prodigy but never had that hoped-for career. At 37, despite his declining physical fitness, he decides to compete in the qualifying rounds of the French Open for one last attempt at glory.

HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961, Blu-ray)

When his beloved Princess Deianira goes mad, strong man Hercules turns to the oracle Medea for advice. Medea tells him to travel to the underworld and find the Stone of Forgetfulness, a mysterious crystal that will cure Deianira’s ills. Along with his friend Theseus, Hercules ventures into the dark and foggy depths of Hades to find the stone. Meanwhile, Deianira’s power-hungry uncle, Lico, plots to steal the throne that is her birthright.

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957, Blu-ray / DVD)

While on a boating trip, Scott Carey is exposed to a radioactive cloud. Nothing seems amiss at first, but several months later Scott realizes that he’s shrunk in height by several inches. He sees a doctor, who admits that he’s baffled. As Scott continues to shrink, decreasing to three feet tall, he becomes bitter, and lashes out at his wife, Louise. He begins to fear a cure will never be found — since even as he becomes a national sensation, he’s still shrinking.

INJUSTICE – GODS AMONG US (2021, Blu-ray)

On an alternate Earth, the Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane, which sends the hero on a path of destruction. Superman decides to take control of Earth and Batman and his allies must try to stop him.

JOE BELL (2021, DVD)

This is the true story of an Oregonian father who pays tribute to his gay teenage son, Jadin, embarking on a self-reflective walk across America to speak to heartland citizens about the real and terrifying costs of bullying. A confusing take on a real-life event, as the titular character is portrayed by real-life bully Mark Wahlberg.

LOUD HOUSE – THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON (2016, DVD)

Things are crowded in the Loud household, with 11 children — 10 girls and one boy — causing craziness in the house. As the only boy, 11-year-old Lincoln is in the middle of all of the chaos. Whether his sisters are giving him unwanted makeovers or he’s racing them to the couch to gain control of the TV, Lincoln is often getting involved in antics with his siblings. Lincoln’s best friend Clyde, who happens to be an only child, is jealous of Lincoln’s large family and is always willing to play his part in the schemes. Clyde has a crush on Lori, Lincoln’s oldest sister and self-proclaimed boss, who is dating Bobby, who holds many jobs — including lifeguard and mall security guard — even though he’s not very smart.

LUCKY LIFE (2010, DVD)

A group of friends travels to the beach to encourage Jason, recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. The journey is rooted in nostalgia and desire for a meaningful farewell, although the friends avoid the subject of Jason’s illness. Some time later, as Mark and Karen plan to have a child, the beach trip lingers as a haunting memory in their new phase of life.

MAD LOVE (1935, Blu-ray)

Grand Guignol theater actress Yvonne Orlac is married to concert pianist Stephen and plans to take a break from acting to tour with him. However, Dr. Gogol, her biggest fan, won’t let her go so easily. When Stephen’s hands are destroyed in an accident, Dr. Gogol’s obsession with Yvonne leads him to replace Stephen’s hands with those of a knife-wielding murderer who was sentenced to death. Soon, Stephen’s new hands develop a mind of their own.

MONSTER (ARRACHT) (2019, DVD)

Ireland, 1845 on the eve of The Great Hunger, Colmán Sharkey, a fisherman, a father, a husband, takes in a stranger at the behest of a local priest. Patsy, a former soldier in the Napoleonic wars arrives just ahead of ‘the blight’, a disease that eventually wipes out the country’s potato crop, contributing to the death and displacement of millions. As the crops rot in the fields, Colmán, his brother and Patsy travel to the English Landlord’s house to request a stay on rent increases.

NAKED SINGULARITY (2021, DVD)

Casi is a promising young New York City public defender whose idealism is beginning to crack under the daily injustices of the very justice system he’s trying to make right. Doubting all he has worked for and seeing signs of the universe collapsing all around him, he is pulled into a dangerous, high-stakes drug heist by an unpredictable former client in an effort to beat the broken system at its own game.

NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK (2021, DVD)

Nick and Janine live in bliss until her ex warps time to try to tear them apart by using Nick’s old girlfriend. As Nick’s memories and reality disappear, he must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to save — or let go of — everything he loves.

NEW ORDER (NUEVO ORDEN) (2020, DVD)

In this riveting, suspenseful dystopian drama, a lavish upper-class wedding goes awry in an unexpected uprising of class warfare that gives way to a violent coup d’etat. As seen through the eyes of the sympathetic young bride and the servants who work for- and against- her wealthy family, Nuevo Orden breathlessly traces the collapse of one political system as a more harrowing replacement springs up in its wake.

THE NIGHT HOUSE (2020, Blu-ray / DVD)

Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth is left alone in the lakeside home he built for her. She tries as best she can to keep together-but then the dreams come. Disturbing visions of a presence in the house call to her, beckoning with a ghostly allure. But the harsh light of day washes away any proof of a haunting. Against the advice of her friends, she begins digging into his belongings, yearning for answers.

1974: LA POSESION DE ALTAIR (2016, Blu-ray)

A set of 8mm film reels, discovered in an abandoned house, reveals the buried truth of a horror story that occurred in the 1970s. In the grainy found footage, a newlywed couple begin to experience disquieting events that may indicate supernatural possession. Their plunge into the grip of the demons writhing the human soul, and perhaps outside it, is both relentless and terrifying.

NO MAN OF GOD (2021, DVD)

In 1980, Ted Bundy was sentenced to death by electrocution. In the years that followed, he agreed to disclose the details of his crimes, but only to one man. During the early days of the agency’s criminal profiling unit, FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier met with the incarcerated Ted Bundy in the hopes of understanding the psychology of the serial killer and providing closure for the victim’s families. As Hagmaier delves into Bundy’s dark and twisted mind, a strange and complicated relationship develops that neither man expected. Based on actual transcripts of interviews between FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier and the incarcerated Ted Bundy.

ON BROADWAY (2019, DVD)

An all-star cast tells the inside story of the Broadway theater, and how it came back from the brink thanks to innovative work, a new attention to inclusion and a sometimes uneasy balance between art and commerce. Legends of the stage and screen, including Helen Mirren, Christine Baranski, August Wilson, James Corden, Alec Baldwin, John Lithgow, Viola Davis, Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen, take us behind the scenes of Broadway’s most groundbreaking and beloved shows, from “A Chorus Line” to “Hamilton.” Iconic performances by Lin Manuel Miranda, Patti Lupone, Bernadette Peters, James Earl Jones and Mandy Patinkin lead the way on a hurly burly ride through Times Square, once again the main street of American show business.

THE PROTEGE (2021, Blu-ray / DVD)

Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody, Anna is the world’s most skilled contract killer. However, when Moody is brutally killed, she vows revenge for the man who taught her everything she knows. As Anna becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer, their confrontation turns deadly, and the loose ends of a life spent killing weave themselves ever tighter.

RATCATCHER (1999, Blu-ray)

In her breathtaking and assured debut feature, Lynne Ramsay creates a haunting evocation of a troubled Glasgow childhood. Set during Scotland’s national garbage strike of the mid-1970s, Ratcatcher explores the experiences of a poor adolescent boy as he struggles to reconcile his dreams and his guilt with the abjection that surrounds him. Utilizing beautiful, elusive imagery, candid performances, and unexpected humor, Ramsay deftly contrasts urban decay with a rich interior landscape of hope and perseverance, resulting in a work at once raw and deeply poetic.

THE RIFLEMAN (2019, DVD)

The love story of the sixteen-year-old Arturs gets interrupted by the First World War. After losing his mother and his home, he finds some consolation in joining the army, because this is the first time the Russian Empire permits national battalions. This film also goes by the title BLIZZARD OF SOULS.

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991, 4K UHD / Blu-ray)

Set one year prior to the events of CLARICE – SEASON 1, Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI’s training academy. Her boss, Jack Crawford, wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT (2020, DVD)

Summer 1939. Influential families in Nazi Germany have sent their daughters to a finishing school in an English seaside town to learn the language and be ambassadors for a future looking National Socialist. A teacher there sees what is coming and is trying to raise the alarm. But the authorities believe he is the problem.

SNAKE EYES – G.I. JOE ORIGINS (2021, Blu-ray / DVD)

An ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage welcomes tenacious loner Snake Eyes after he saves the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach him the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing him something he’s been longing for: a home. However, when secrets from Snake Eyes’ past are revealed, his honor and allegiance get tested — even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him.

SUMMERTIME (2021, Blu-ray)

In filmmaker Carlos Lopez Estrada’s follow-up to BLINDSPOTTING, the lives of 25 young Angelinos intersect over the course of a hot summer day in Los Angeles. A skating guitarist, a tagger, two wannabe rappers, an exasperated fast-food worker, a limo driver—they all weave in and out of each other’s stories.

THE SURVIVALIST (2021, DVD)

A year and a half after the fall of civilization due to a viral outbreak, a former FBI agent is forced to protect a young woman immune to the disease from a dangerous gang leader hunting her. Based on a true story. Just kidding.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS (2018, DVD)

A popular artist in Portland, Ore., the only daughter of a Midwestern preacher, uses her talent for stage performance, writing and music to bring a revolution to the stage of a strip club.

TIGER (2021, DVD)

Tiger Woods’ dedication and obsession with the game of golf takes him not only to the heights of international fame and success, but down a spiraling road of darkness and finally redemption.

TRICK OR TREATS (1982, Blu-ray)

A babysitter is stuck watching over a young brat on Halloween night who keeps playing vicious pranks on her. To add to her trouble the boy’s deranged father has escaped from an asylum and is planning on making a visit.

WHAT LIES BENEATH (2000, Blu-ray)

It had been a year since Dr. Norman Spencer betrayed his beautiful wife Claire. But with Claire oblivious to the truth, Norman’s life and marriage seem so perfect that when Claire tells him of hearing mysterious voices and seeing a young woman’s image in their home, he dismisses her terror as delusion. Claire moves closer to the truth and it becomes clear that this apparition will not be dismissed, and has come back for Dr. Spencer and his beautiful wife. Director Robert Zemeckis made this film while waiting for Tom Hanks’ beard to grow out so they could finish filming CAST AWAY.