Film Snail

History

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

May 16, 2004

A documentary on the Z Channel, one of the first pay cable stations in the US, and its programming chief, Jerry Harvey. Debuting in 1974, the LA-based channel's eclectic slate of movies became a prime example of the untapped power of cable television.

Hannibal: The Man Who Hated Rome

Hannibal: The Man Who Hated Rome

May 15, 2004

No shortlist of the greatest generals in history would be complete with out the name of Hannibal. This film shows why he was both feared and respected by his enemies. Hannibal's tactical genius is illustrated with the latest three-dimensional graphics technology and exciting dramatic reconstructions of his victories. This is the story of the General who took on the might of Rome.

Troy

Troy

May 13, 2004

In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.

La Commune de Paris 1871

La Commune de Paris 1871

May 8, 2004

Mehdi Lallaoui's documentary begins where it all ended, in New Caledonia, with images of the ruins of the penal colony where many Commune insurgents were deported, including Louise Michel. The director thus tracks down all the still visible traces of the insurrectional movement, in the South Pacific but especially in Paris, by following Alain Dalotel, author of numerous works on the Commune (and who died on May 29, 2020 in Bagnolet). He also tracks down all the archives, allowing us to understand, with the means of communication and information of the time (and with a voice-over by Bernard Langlois), what contemporaries experienced between March and May 1871: their hopes, their dreams, their fears, their anger.

L'eretico - Un gesto di coraggio

May 6, 2004

Cinco de Mayo

May 5, 2004

The riveting story of the day an ill-equipped Mexican Army, Zacapoaxtla Indians, and average Mexican citizens reclaimed their lives. Together they bravely defeated occupying French forces to reclaim their land and secure their independence.

The President's Barber

The President's Barber

May 5, 2004

A well-meaning but politically naive barber gets pulled into the inner circle of the South Korean dictator Park Chung-Hee, with rather baleful consequences for his hapless family. This sharp political satire covers roughly twenty years in South Korean political history, from the viewpoint of the barber's son.

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

May 3, 2004

This program tells the story of a hustler and self-promoter, a man who had never designed or overseen the building of a suspension bridge. Joseph Strauss spent thirteen years wrangling with politicians, arguing over designs and fighting lawsuits from opponents before he was able to break ground. By completion, Strauss, his designers and his construction crews had built what has since been called one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World."

RFK

RFK

May 1, 2004

David Grubin's probing and perceptive biography reassesses the remarkable and tragic life of Bobby Kennedy, whose early life was spent in the shadow of his elder brother John. After JFK's assassination, he discovered his own identity in the forefront of American politics before his career was also tragically curtailed by an assassin's bullet.

Dating Fossils and Rocks

May 1, 2004

In this DVD, Mr. Riddle shares the results of his much reading and research in the area of Carbon 14 dating, and explains the importance of Carbon 12 in conjunction with C-14. He explains in simple terms the molecular breakdown process. He also discusses other dating methods and the underlying assumptions the methods are based on, the correctness of which are brought into question. Mike is an interesting and dynamic speaker. His visual aids are excellent. Mike Riddle has degrees in mathematics and education. He's a former Marine, national decathlon champion, former technical specialist and manager for Microsoft, and teacher at ICR's graduate school.

Falsely Accused

Falsely Accused

April 23, 2004

An Original Video Animation (OVA) released in 2 Parts based on the PC game of the same name. The protagonist is Guys, a young boy from a poor family, who gets caught for stealing candy from a Paris store. However, after being railroaded by a city detective named Guildias, Guys finds himself accused, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a man he never met. From that point on, most Enzai takes place inside a dark, claustrophobic, dirty prison, in there, Guys experiences humiliation and torture of various kinds, much of it involving sexual acts such as rape and forcible sodomy.

The Rider Named Death

The Rider Named Death

April 22, 2004

In pre-Soviet Russia, Boris Savinkov leads a terrorist faction of Socialist-Revolutionary Party members responsible for the deaths of governors and ministers.

The King: The Story of King David

The King: The Story of King David

April 18, 2004

One of the greatest heroes of the Bible, King David of Israel has stood as a beacon of strength through the ages. Long before Jesus Christ was born, the ancient Kingdom of Israel was ruled by David. This wonderfully animated story depicts the hardships, battles (including the young David's legendary face-off with giant Goliath) and love lost and recaptured during the eventful life of Israel's most honored king.

Roma

Roma

April 15, 2004

Joaquín Góñez, a novelist in his sixties recalls his emotions, his wild years in Buenos Aires, the memories of old friends, the meaning of loyalty and the intimate relationship with his mother, Roma.

Emma Goldman: An Exceedingly Dangerous Woman

Emma Goldman: An Exceedingly Dangerous Woman

April 12, 2004

The remarkable life of the immigrant christened "the most dangerous woman in America" is explored in this documentary focusing on noted birth-control advocate and anti-military conscription activist Emma Goldman. A noted Russian-born woman who became the leader of the anarchist movement upon immigrating into the United States, Goldman subsequently earned such nicknames as "Red Emma" and "Queen of the Anarchists" for her outspoken vocal attacks on the government and her staunch opposition to World War I

Pilate: The Man Who Killed Christ

Pilate: The Man Who Killed Christ

April 10, 2004

Throughout history, Pontius Pilate has been portrayed as a weak ruler-the man who allowed Jesus Christ to be crucified at the demand of the Jews. But this documentary portrays a very different Pilate, one who had his own motives for allowing Jesus' fate.

Tatar Triptych

Tatar Triptych

April 9, 2004

Based on Mykhailo Kotsyubynsky's "Crimean Stories": "In the Shackles of Satan", "On the Stone" and "Under the Minarets".

Jesus

April 4, 2004

Ghosts of Rwanda

Ghosts of Rwanda

April 1, 2004

Ghosts of Rwanda marks the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide with a documentary chronicling one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. In addition to interviews with key government officials and diplomats, this documentary offers eyewitness accounts of the genocide from those who experienced it firsthand. FRONTLINE illustrates the failures that enabled the slaughter of 800,000 people to occur unchallenged by the global community.

The Alamo

The Alamo

April 7, 2004

Based on the 1836 standoff between a group of Texan and Tejano men, led by Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, and Mexican dictator Santa Anna's forces at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.