Saturday 31 October 2009

The Take (2004)

There is a now a new section in the genres list of "current affairs". This is to include the many recent public licence documentaries that have been made and are about analysing the past and present and proposals for the future. Already Zeitgeist and Home will be found under that category. This one, The Take, I have watched and recommend it to show how the capitalist system can be replaced.

In suburban Buenos Aires, thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats, and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. With The Take, director Avi Lewis, one of Canada's most outspoken journalists, and writer Naomi Klein, author of the international bestseller No Logo, champion a radical economic manifesto for the 21st century. But what shines through in the film is the simple drama of workers' lives and their struggle: the demand for dignity and the searing injustice of dignity denied. http://thetake.org/

IMDB page 7.4/10

Sunday 25 October 2009

Panorama Ephemera (2004)

This is something a bit different for you...
Panorama Ephemera is a collage of sequences drawn from a wide variety of ephemeral (industrial, advertising, educational and amateur) films, touring the conflicted landscapes of twentieth-century America. The films' often-skewed visions construct an American history filled with horror and hope, unreeling in familiar and unexpected ways.
It focuses on familiar and mythical activities and images in America (1626-1978). Many creatures and substances that we hardly notice because we feel so used to them take centre stage, including pigs, corn, water, telephones, fire, and rice. At first resembling a compilation, it soon reveals itself as a journey through the American landscape over time, and the story begins to emerge between the sequences.
The film consists of 64 self-contained film sequences ranging from 5 seconds to 4 minutes in length arranged into a narrative. Unlike many films made using archival footage, it's primarily a combination of sequences rather than a collage of individual shots. Rick Prelinger (film maker)

IMDB page 6.6/10

His Girl Friday (1940)

Hilarious romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Russell is rough and tumble reporter looking to get out of the news racket by marrying and becoming a house wife after her divorce from newspaper publisher Grant. Just when she is about to leave town with her husband-to-be the still lovesick Grant drafts her to cover one final breaking news sensation.
Nb: There is a slight audio sync problem in the first couple minutes of the film. It is present on the source medium and is very brief.

IMDB page 8.1/10

Happy Go Lovely (1951)

B.G. Bruno, a rich bachelor, the head of a successful greeting-card company in Scotland. An American troupe visiting Edinburgh wants to produce a musical in town but has trouble getting backers. Bruno meets several of the leading ladies of the show; through a misunderstanding he doesn't correct they think that he's a newspaper reporter. He falls in love with one of the women, who reciprocates; he grows more lively and friendly, to the surprise of his employees.
David Niven; Vera-Ellen; Cesar Romero

IMDB page 6.2/10

Dressed to Kill (1946)

A.k.a 'Sherlock Holmes in Dressed To Kill', this features Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. A set of cheap music boxes that people are willing to kill for puts Sherlock Holmes on the case.

IMDB page 6.9/10

Thursday 22 October 2009

The Vagabond (1916)

Charlie Chaplins 53rd Film Released July 10 1916

The Vagabond was a silent film by Charlie Chaplin and his third film with Mutual Films. Released in 1916, it co-starred Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Leo White and Lloyd Bacon. This film echoed Chaplin's work on The Tramp, with more drama mixed in with comedy. The story begins with Charlie, playing music to raise money, and instead finds the abused girl (played by Edna) living in a gypsy camp. As in The Tramp, he works on finding a way to help her.

IMDB page 7/10

The Goat (1921)

This is a highly rated short silent comedy by Buster Keaton.
Dumb luck sets some policemen on his trail -- after a series of innovative escapes, he gets mistaken for a murderer with a price on his head, which means the people that aren't chasing him are fleeing from him.

IMDB page 7.9/10

Saturday 17 October 2009

The Zeitgeist Movement: Orientation Presentation

This the Activist Orientation Presentation for The Zeitgeist Movement. This video can be download for free in full DVD format here

Never Weaken (1921)

Never Weaken is a 1921 silent comedy film starring Harold Lloyd and directed by Fred Newmeyer. It was Lloyd's last short film, running to three reels, before he moved permanently into feature-length production. It was also one of his trademark "thrill" comedies, featuring him dangling from a tall building. Lloyd and his crew honed and perfected their "thrill" filming techniques in this film, and put them to astonishing use in the 1923 classic feature Safety Last!

IMDB page 7.8/10

And Then There Were None (1945)

Rene Clair weaves the quintessential spider web with brilliant camera work including unusual but effective angles, snappy dialogue, and magnificent performances by ten impeccably cast artists. The viewer is drawn into the anxiety, claustrophobia, terror, and resignation felt one-by-one by each of the twelve weekend "guests" of Mr. Owen. Any mystery, suspense or thriller fan will be incomplete without seeing this work of absolute genius.
This may be the best mystery ever put to film.

IMDB page 7.8/10

Tuesday 13 October 2009

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

At the Opera of Paris, a mysterious phantom threatens a famous lyric singer, Carlotta and thus forces her to give up her role (Marguerite in Faust) for unknown Christine Daae.
Christine meets this phantom (a masked man) in the catacombs, where he lives.

IMDB page 7.8/10

The Little Shop Of Horrors (1960)

Roger Corman classic about a nerdy flowershop clerk who grows a giant, man-eating plant. Jack Nicholson makes his film debut as a dental patient who loves pain.

IMDB page 6.2/10

Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1920)

John Barrymore stars in the renowned silent adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic about a Victorian scientist who turns himself into a murderous abomination.

IMDB page 7/10

Monday 12 October 2009

The Junky's Christmas (1993)

This is a brilliant claymation short film of the William Burroughs' story of the same name. Made in 1993, it follows the story of Danny the Carwiper, a drug addict who is out looking for a way to get his fix. It's narrated by Burroughs himself and even though it only scores 7/10 on IMDB, I think it's excellent and certainly worth posting here.

Sunday 11 October 2009

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1923)

Clopin bought Esmeralda from the gypsies when she was young. Dancing in the square at the festival, Esmeralda is spotted by Jehan, the evil brother of the good archdeacon Claude Frollo. When he sets Quasimodo out to kidnap Esmeralda, Phoebus, Captain of the Guards, rescues her and captures Quasimodo. The courts sentence Quasimodo to be flogged, and the only one who will give him water while he is tied in the square is Esmeralda.

IMDB page 7.4/10

The Fast And The Furious (1955)

A man wrongly imprisoned for murder (John Ireland) breaks out of jail. He wants to clear his name, but with the police pursuing him, he's forced to take a beautiful young woman, driving a fast sports car, hostage and slip into a cross-border sports car race to try to make it to Mexico before the police get him.

IMDB page 5.2/10

White Zombie (1932)

A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiance, but instead turns her into a zombie slave.

IMDB page 6.5/10



PS - Thanks to the user LuckyStrike502 for a lot of these films he has uploaded.

Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)

Jack and the Beanstalk is a 1952 family comedy starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is a comic revision of the classic fairy tale.

IMDB page 5.8/10

More about this blog

I feel I need to expand a little on the info in the header box. Whereas you'll already know that it's about aggregating full streaming films from various sites, I want to point out the legality of this venture. Those films that I find on sites like YouTube and Google Video I assume to be public licence, that is - free to distribute to anyone. You will notice, as I add more, that most of the films are old.
It makes sense really as newer films aren't generally going to be available for free. But in the case of documentaries like Zeitgeist and Home, the whole intention is that they are freely available to watch.
I'll only post films that have at least a 5/10 rating on IMDB.com. I don't want to fill up this blog with rubbish!
From this, you can expect to see newer films/ documentaries (as long as they aren't just some cheap attempt to create a conspiracy, they have to have a decent rating overall), films from the 60s back to the 20s and maybe even earlier.
I've been notified of archive.org which also has lists of films that you can legally download for free. They are similar to the ones I'll link to here but I feel that, for one, "archive" is a cumbersome site which takes ages to get anywhere and two, this blog is so that you don't have to download the films. Just click on your choice and you're away.
I will also link to films in other languages and make a note of what language they are in. Unless there are already subtitles on the films, they won't be available. There's nothing I can do about that.
I'd like to be able to provide an enjoyable service in this way and as mentioned at the top, your help would also be appreciated to locate more films that are legally streamed. Just send me an email (the address under the counter) with the link and if there's no information, your synopsis of the film.
Otherwise, feel free to leave your comments about the films, suggestions for the blog and your appreciations for my efforts. ;)
Thanks and I hope you find this blog useful.

Saturday 10 October 2009

The Last Man on Earth (1968)

Based on the chilling Richard Matheson science fiction Classic "I am Legend" and later remade as "The Omega Man" starring Charlton Heston. This classic features Vincent Price as scientist Robert Morgan in a post apocalyptic nightmare world. The world has been consumed by a ravenous plague that has transformed humanity into a race of bloodthirsty vampires. Only Morgan proves immune, and becomes the solitary vampire slayer.

IMDB page 6.9/10

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This is the 1968 film directed by George Romero. It is an independent black-and-white horror film. Ben (Duane Jones) and Barbra (Judith O'Dea) are the protagonists of a story about the mysterious reanimation of the recently dead, and their efforts, along with five other people, to survive the night while trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse.

IMDB page 8/10

Super Size Me (2004)

A very interesting personal investigation into what would happen if you only ate food from McDonald's. It's especially interesting when you see what the doctors find out about its effects on the body.

IMDB page 7.6/10

Zeitgeist (2) - Addendum (2008)

This is the second in the series of these documentaries. I can't urge people enough to watch them all. An insight into the current state of religion, politics and banking.

IMDB page 8.7/10

D.O.A (1950)

This is a film noir classic, now public domain. In it, a guy is poisoned by radiation poisoning put in his drink, and he knows he is going to die, but in with his remaining time he dedicates himself to discovering who killed him, and why.

IMDB page 7.4/10

Nosferatu (1922)

The silent film based on the book by Bram Stoker.

IMDB page 8/10

Sunday 4 October 2009

Zeitgeist 1 - Updated version (2007/8)

An absolutely essential series of films to watch regarding why society is like it is and what to know if we are going to make things change for the better. This is the first film and the most recent version after editing.

Click to visit the official website (you can also view it with many subtitles via this)
IMDB page 8.7/10

Animal Farm (1954 animation)

This film is a cartoon adaptation of George Orwell's parable expressing the founding of the USSR and the reign of Stalin. The animals are tired of being under the cruel hand of Farmer Jones (Czar Nicholas II), so Old Major (V.I. Lenin), a pig, leads a meeting declaring that man is their enemy.

IMDB page 7.1/10

Click here to watch (Embedding unavailable)

Home (2008)

We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

HOME official website
IMDB page 8.5/10

Click to watch the film (Embedding unavailable)