Terez Bod Movies
Sylvia Kristel adds her sexual allure to the story of Mata Hari (Margaretha Geertruida Zelle), executed by the French in 1917 at the age of 41 for being a double agent. In reality, "Mata Hari" had been married, had children, and performed as a dancer around Europe -- not the normal background for a spy. And according to the man who requested her execution, Captain Ladoux, she was a lousy spy indeed. But Kristel and director Curtis Harrington capture one aspect of Mata Hari that made her most infamous -- her willingness to bed down with just about any military man she found attractive, and none were not. As Kristel jumps into bed with both Germans and French, and others in-between, something of the spirit of Mata Hari may live on in this ostensible biography. Viewers may definitely want to compare versions with Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, or Jeanne Moreau in the lead. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sylvia Kristel, Christopher Cazenove, (more)
- 1985
The best-known of the 12 filmed adaptations of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina include the 1936 Garbo vehicle and the 1947 Vivien Leigh vehicle. This made-for-TV version is every bit as elaborate and tasteful as those earlier efforts. Jacqueline Bisset makes her TV-movie debut as Anna, the wife of 19th century Russian nobleman Karenin (Paul Scofield). When she falls in love with the dashing Count Vronsky (Christopher Reeve), Anna runs afoul of the rigid social structure of the era-and of a husband whose anguish translates into revenge. The teleplay was by James Goldman, author of The Lion in Winter and screenwriter of another Russian-based period piece, Nicholas and Alexandria. Anna Karenina premiered March 26, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jacqueline Bisset, Christopher Reeve, (more)
- 1983
This 1983 TV adaptation of Gaston Leroux's 1908 novel Phantom of the Opera was the fourth film version of the vintage chiller--and the one with perhaps the highest rate of digression from the original novel. This version is set in Budapest (where it was filmed) rather than Paris, obliging scripter Sherman Yellen to change all the character names. Protagonist Maximillian Schell is an orchestra leader whose singer wife Jane Seymour commits suicide after receiving a devastatingly bad review. Assaulting the critic, Schell is burned with acid, and scurries away to the catacombs beneath the Budapest opera house. Years later, he has become the never-seen Phantom of the Opera, and from his shadowy "home" he is coaching an aspiring young singer--who is the living image of his late wife (Jane Seymour essays both roles). Not so much a remake as a revision, this 1983 Phantom of the Opera is perhaps the most obscure of all the versions, overshadowed by the 1990 two-part TV adaptation starring Michael Caine, as well as the smash Broadway musical. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maximilian Schell, Jane Seymour, (more)
- 1982
This film seems to be saying that even when you try hard, things may still not work out. Julia (Juli Basti) works in a factory but has taken it upon herself to check in with different people to make sure everything is going well for them. To that end, she comes up to a house where two older girls and a little boy are left alone for long periods of time because Arpad (Jan Nowicki) their father has to work late. When Juli talks to the father he agrees to let her move in because the children need a mother, and she still continues with her work in the factory. Soon Juli and Arpad have developed a romantic attachment, but he has an alcohol problem which is probably at the source of some troubles at work that land him in jail. When he gets out, he is arrested again for political reasons. Meanwhile, Juli has decided to move out, and she becomes seriously ill and ends up in the hospital. All told, the future seems to hold no good tidings for either Juli or Arpad, much less the hapless children. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Juli Basti, Jan Nowicki, (more)
- 1969
The Toth family resides in Northern Hungary. The couple has a daughter and a son, the latter a member of the armed forces. When his weary major is ordered to take a vacation, the son talks him into a visit to his family home. Comedy endues when the Toth's go overboard trying to make things pleasant for the visiting major in hopes of an easier life for their son the soldier. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Imre Sinkovits, Marta Fonay, (more)
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