Vladimir Medar Movies
- 1975
In the Middle Ages, the conditions endured by peasants and serfs were in some ways worse than those endured by slaves, and periodically there were peasant uprisings. Very few of these were even slightly successful. This Yugoslav film chronicles such an uprising in Croatia and Slovenia in 1573, under the leadership of Matija Gubec. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Fabijan Sovagovic, Velimir "Bata" Zivojinovic, (more)
Norman Jewison's adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical is set in the Ukranian ghetto village of Anatevka (the film was actually lensed in Yugoslavia). Israeli actor Topol repeats his London stage role as Tevye the milkman, whose equilibrium is constantly being challenged by his poverty, the prejudicial attitudes of non-Jews, and the romantic entanglements of his five daughters. Whenever the weight of the world becomes too much for him, Tevye carries on lengthy conversations with God, who does not answer but is at least more willing to listen than the milkman's remonstrative wife Golde. After arranging a marriage between his oldest daughter Tzeitel and wealthy butcher Lazar Wolf, Tevye is forced to do some quick rearranging when the girl falls in love with poor tailor Motel Kamzoil. Fancying himself more broad-minded than his gentile oppressors, Tevye cannot accept the notion that his other daughter Chava would want to marry Fyedka, a non-Jew. And after shouting the praises of "tradition," Tevye must change his tune-and his entire life-when he and his neighbors are forced out of Anatevka by the Czar's minions. Topol's co-stars include Norma Crane as Golde, Yiddish theater legend Molly Picon as Yente the matchmaker, and Leonard Frey as Motel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Topol, Norma Crane, (more)
- 1968
Pohlmann (Udo Kier) is a young racketeer who falls for a stripper named Annabelle (Maria Paal). The two have a passionate affair before she is found murdered. The girl's father accepts his offer to track down the killer, and Pohlmann narrows his focus on two people. One is a homosexual actor who Annabelle had once made a move towards. The second suspect is Kowalski, the mob boss. Pohlmann tortures the actor, who refuses to admit guilt and is soon driven to suicide by hanging. After Pohlmann discovers it was the father who killed his own daughter, the father is killed in a bar bombing. Kowalski is livid over being suspected and proceeds to wipe out Pohlmann's gang of thugs. The body count continues to climb in this violent and sex-riddled crime drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
Just the thing for spooky Halloween-night viewing, this good-looking German film from director Harald Reinl tells the story of the horrible Count Regula (Christopher Lee), who murdered a dozen virgins and drained their blood. For these heinous crimes, he was sentenced to be drawn and quartered. Thirty-five years later, his undead servant resurrects him for revenge and a 13th victim (pretty Karin Dor), whose blood will give Regula eternal life. Lex Barker (a former movie Tarzan) plays the descendant of the man who sentenced Regula to death and has the task of stopping him, aided by Dor's maid and a highwayman disguised as a monk. Some chilling visuals (a haunted forest with corpses growing out of trees, swarms of vultures in the castle corridors, the obligatory pendulum) and assorted creepy crawlies (pits of snakes, spiders and scorpions) make this a real old-fashioned scare-fest, and it is not too bloody for horror-hungry children. Very loosely based on Edgar Allen Poe's Pit and the Pendulum, this film delivers on its promise to frighten, although the badly-dubbed U.S. version is to be avoided. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
