It wasn't until the crushing end of the Soviet regime that Bauer's work was rediscovered and celebrated. Although he made 80 films before his untimely death in 1917 only 20 or so have survived and this tape showcases three. His masterful use of deep-focus photography is demonstrated in Twilight of Woman's Soul (1913). After Death (1915) is an adaptation of Turgenev and displays the psychological hold that the dead have over the living (apparently one of Bauer's favorite themes). The final instal find out more...

A seminal piece of movie-making, a montage of Moscow life in 1929, using all sorts of new techniques, dissolves, split screens, slow motion and split screens. Vertov's exploration of the relationship between camera, actuality and history opened up issues that have been explored ever since by the likes of Godard in particular. This tape includes two versions of the film, the first with music from the Alloy Orchestra and the second with a commentary by leading cinema historian Yuri Tsivan. A radic find out more...

A truly excellent documentary regarding the groundbreaking work of Georges Melies who (along with the Lumiere Brothers) provided early cinema with some of its most memorable images. Hollywood contempories like Spielberg and that arse George Lucas are on hand to throw in their two cents, but the film is really about the obsessive nature of a director who played the parts of writer, special effects creator, hand-tinter, backdrop artist, costumier and probably caterer too. A true visionary. The DVD find out more...

A genuine classic of cinema. One of the first sci-fi films ever made and still one of the most fascinating. Echoes of Lang's vision can be seen in almost every apocalyptic sci-fi film made since, especially the struggle of man to overcome the impersonality of machines. Superior to the colour remake, though the new soundtrack falls short of the mark. Turn the sound down and watch it like they did on its first release!

find out more...

Life is crazy. You're crazy, I'm crazy, we're all crazy. We're all a little bit Minnie, and a little bit Moskowitz. Sometimes it does seem best to be sensible...but then what might you be missing out on? You gotta be you. You don't have to park cars and semi-randomly yell at people, but you can't hide yourself behind a veil (or dark sunglasses) and pretend and act like ever find out more...

Seminal vampire film, the first to be based upon the Bram Stoker tale. An estate agent's clerk from Bremen embarks on a journey to Orlock's castle, where a client of his resides. On arrival, the full horror of the inhabitants confront him. Wonderful imagery and direction. Imitated but never equalled. find out more...

The Soviet Revolution in all its glory as the events of Red October unfold on an epic scale. The storming of the Winter Palace in Leningrad is one of the great set pieces of cinema history. Eisenstien practicaly invented the art of editing and this is the movie in which he did it! Brilliant. find out more...

A stunning portrayal of innocent and erotic obsession based on Wede-kind's 'Lulu' plays. Lulu's guilelessly provocative sexuality leads her from a gaggle of Berlin lovers and admirers, a lesbian countess, a newspaper editor, the latter's son, etc, to a squalid garret in London, where she finds her Thanatos in the shape of Jack the Ripper. Louise Brooks's legendary performance and Pabst's brilliantly acute direction both remain enthralling. Haunting and unforgettable, a superbly atmospheric film. find out more...

A huge influence on the New Wave and Italian Neorealist movements, ‘People on a Sunday' offers us a rare glimpse at what life was like for ordinary Berliners between the First and Second World Wars. The film tells the story of four young people enjoying a lazy Sunday by a lake in Berlin. Emotions such as love, flirtation, desire and jealousy are all played out in a milieu of youthful discovery.

find out more...

Shosho is a maid in a swanky night-spot when she's spotted dancing by the club's rakish proprietor, Valentine Wilbur. Soon Shosho has usurped Mabel as the star dancer and object of Valentine's affections, setting the scene for a dramatic denouement. A tenderly restored work, with a new musical score by Neil Brand, and a truly hypnotic early screen goddess in the form of Anna May Wong. find out more...