Benjamin Schubert Movies
- 2005
One of the world's most beloved fairy tales gets a slightly twisted update in the off-the-wall comedy from Germany. An enchanted forest is home to seven dwarves who, contrary to popular belief, are not noticeably shorter than the average guy and whose special skills are not all that special. The dwarves are, however, all guys who have been burned in their relationships with women, so when they happen upon beautiful Schneewittchen (Cosma Shiva Hagen) in the woods, they're interested but hardly optimistic. However, it turns out she's looking for refuge, and they're more than happy to help. Schneewittchen is on the run from the Evil Queen (Nina Hagen), who with the help of her henchman Spliss (Hans-Werner Olm) is trying to eliminate her more virtuous rival once and for all. When the Evil Queen manages to poison Schneewittchen and seal her inside a large plastic container suitable for leftovers, its up to the dwarves to rescue her and find the man who can bring her back to life. Nina Hagen, the noted German punk rocker who plays the Evil Queen, is the mother of Cosma Shiva Hagen, who appears as Schneewittchen; Nina's mother Eva Maria Hagen also makes a cameo appearance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Otto Waalkes, Heinz Hoenig, (more)
- 2002
Folk Era presents this live concert performance by Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds, and George Grove, better known as the legendary folk group the Kingston Trio. Released in 2002 and recorded in Houston, TX, The Kingston Trio: Everybody's Talking features the band on such timeless tunes as "Hard, Ain't It Hard," "Three Jolly Coachmen," "Greenback Dollar," "Everybody's Talking," "Ah, Woe Ah, Me," "M.T.A.," "Everything," "Long Black Veil," "Hobo's Lullaby," "Tom Dooley," "A Worried Man," "Scotch and Soda," and "California." ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
The opening film of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival in 1999, Aimée & Jaguar drew attention not only for the lesbian love story that it narrates, but equally for the political position of the lovers -- Aimée, the wife of a Nazi officer, and Jaguar, a Jewish journalist. The story is based on the memoirs of Lilly Wust (the Aimée character), who is 85 and still living in Germany. In 1943, as Allied bombers leave Berlin in ruins, Lilly Wust Juliane Köhler earns a Cross of Motherhood for bringing up four children while husband Günther Detlev Buck is away fighting on the eastern front. She leads a bourgeois existence, with occasional love affairs on the side, and the bust of Hitler is a prominent decoration in their flat. When Lilly receives a love letter signed 'Jaguar,' she suspects a male admirer. But it is the self-confident Felice Schragenheim Maria Schrader who initiates this forbidden romance. A passionate love affair begins amidst the bombing raids and the threat of persecution. Madly in love, Lilly wants to divorce her husband, which causes a terrible storm, not just because her lover is a woman, but because she is Jewish and fighting for the Resistance. But nothing stops the love-blind Lilly. The two women make a pact of love and marriage and try to block out the reality of war and persecution; however, the Gestapo soon catches up with them. Aimée & Jaguar is based on Erica Fischer's best-selling book, published in 1994 and translated into eleven languages; the real life Lilly Wust was 80 years old when she told Erica Fischer her story. Maria Schrader and Juliane Köhler shared the Silver Bear for the Best Actress at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival, for their roles in Aimée & Jaguar, while the film received the Teddy Award, given to films dealing with gay and lesbian issues. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Schrader, Juliane Köhler, (more)
- 1993
By 1941, Adolf Hitler had taken personal command of the German military apparatus. His initial successes made this seem like a good idea at the time, but by 1944, after an unparalleled series of military defeats which Hitler refused even to acknowledge, a group of high-ranking military and political figures in Germany decided to assassinate him and take over the government. Unfortunately for them, their assassination attempt failed, and the knives were out to find all the people involved in the attempt. The most wanted person in the coup was Carl Goerdeler (Dieter Schaad), a respected figure in German public life for many decades. Twenty years earlier, a girl by the name of Helene Schwärzel (Katherina Thalbach") met Goerdeler. After the coup attempt, during the nationwide manhunt, Helene recognized him and notified the authorities. In addition to receiving a huge reward, she became the focus of a nationwide propaganda campaign, and was widely resented for her "success." When the Allies won the war, they prosecuted her under a "crimes against humanity" statute, and she spent six years in prison. A basically clueless, apolitical person, she seems to have been puzzled by the whole affair, and she never spent her reward money. This historical drama tells the about her involvement in this significant story. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katharina Thalbach, Dieter Schaad, (more)
