Film Dictionary

July 7, 1985

How Poets Are Losing Their Illusions (1985) ***

Gritta von Rattenzuhausbeiuns (1985) ***

The Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1985) ***

Le Pouvoir du mal (1985) **

A married woman seduces a theology student. Directed by Krzysztof Zanussi.

Padre Nuestro (1985) *

A "bunuelesque" film about a Spanish cardinal who returns to his native village.

Seduction: The Cruel Woman (1985) *

A boring film about sadomasochism, directed Monika Treut.

Massacre In Dinosaur Valley (1985) ***

When Father Was Away On Business (1985) ***

June 6, 1985

Joshua Then And Now (1985) ***

A left-wing fairy-tale about a British Cinderella, who chooses a Soviet sailor as her Prince Charming and wants to live with him in the Soviet Union. This interesting, but hopelessly naive film desperately needs a sequel.

The Coca-Cola Kid (1985) ***

Bliss (1985) ***

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April 4, 1985

Varför ska vi bry oss om varandra? (1985) *****

Superb commercial for the Swedish Social Democratic Party, directed by Roy Andersson.

Le Livre de Marie (1985) *****

Take On Me (1985) ****

Five years before directing the first "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie, Steven Barron helmed this memorable music video from A-Ha. It received 9 MTV Video Music Awards nominations (including best video and best group video), winning in seven categories (concept, new artist, best direction, special effects, editing, experimental and viewers' choice). It was edited by David Yardley, while Michael Patterson and Candance Reckinger were in charge of special effects.

Lotto-Familjen (1985) ***

HSB-Spjalsangen (1985) ***

Don't Stop The Dance (1985) ***

Thrust In Me (1985) ***

The Right Side Of My Brain (1985) ***

I Hate You Now (1985) ***

Money For Nothing (1985) ***

Don't Come Around Here No More (1985) ***

Lemmings (1985) ***

Cry (1985) ***

Rainbow War (1985) ***

Campy short film made for the Vancouver Expo in 1986. Silly, but enjoyable. Inspired by Disney's short "Music Land" (1935), but not nearly as good.

The Wizard Of The Strings (1985) **

Conventional documentary about a famous musician.

Jac Mac And Rad Boy Go! (1985) ****

A wild ride. An imaginative cartoon. A wow!

Get A Job (1985) ****

A tremendously entertaining musical cartoon about finding a job, and a Genie winner for best short film. Clearly inspired by such Warner's classics as "Book Revue" (1946) and "Have You Got Any Castles?" (1938).

The Big Snit (1985) ****

Excellent cartoon about a married couple playing scrabble and screaming at one another. Meanwhile, a nuclear war is coming. The film received the First Prize (short subject) at the Montreal Film Festival, as well as an Academy Award nomination for best animated film.

Eldorado (1985) ***

Italian cartoon directed by Bruno Bozzetto.

78 Tours (1985) ***

Beautiful music, superb images. No plot.

Incubus (1985) ***

An eventful elevator ride, followed by a series of surrealistic nightmares.

Garbage In Garbage Out (1985) ***

A brief, one-joke cartoon about a green dragon emerging from a pile of garbage.

Anna & Bella (1985) ***

Drawing On My Mind (1985) ***

A series of amusing anecdotes presented as news headlines. Funniest bit: energetic seniors participating in "demolition walker".

Carnival (1985) ***

Semi-abstract cartoon about the Mardi Gras festival in South America. It won the First Prize at the L.A Animation Celebration.

Boom Town (1985) ***

A neat little diatribe against Reaganomics. Witty script by Jules Feiffer.

Love Addict (1985) **

Music by Offenbach. Animation by Pierre Hebert.

Toilet Bowl (1985) **

A pretty funny, one-joke toon about a rapacious toilet.

Living In A Mobile Home (1985) **

More a music video than a cartoon, it's an energetic, dynamic, but unimaginative film about life in a mobile home.

Break (1985) **

Directed by Garri Bardin. Clay animation film about boxing. It won the Second Prize at the L.A Animation Celebration.

Street Of Crocodiles (1985) *

Very ugly animated film.

The Wreck Of Julie Plante (1985) *

The subject of this film is a shipwreck.

Traveling Light (1985) *

Rays of sunshine are moving across a room.

Tony de Peltrie (1985) *

A pianist remembers his past glories. This computer-animated film has won the First Prize at the L.A Animation Celebration. It was co-directed by Philippe Bergeron, Pierre Lachapelle, Daniel Langlois and Pierre Robidoux.

Second Class Mail (1985) *

Weird film about an old woman ordering a package containing an inflatable doll.

Love In The Fast Lane (1985) *

A husband buys his wife a perfume that turns her into a nymphomaniac.

Moebius Play (1985) *

Very short film set in a tropical country. Its message is somewhat obscure.

March 3, 1985

Shauna: Every Man’s Fantasy (1985) ***

Seriously weird porn documentary allegedly paying an homage to Shauna Grant, a porn star who committed suicide, but actually insulting her repeatedly.