ITEMS Video Descriptions

Dr. Strangelove
PLS VT1053

Stanley Kubrick's (2001: A Space Odyssey) brilliant classic is perfect showcase for versatility of Peter Sellers, who takes on 3 roles in film. Funny & frightening this black comedy about a group of military men who plan a nuclear apocalypse seems as relevant today as every. Fueled by paranoia & a fanatical sense of patriotism, 2 psychotic generals trigger a scheme to attack Russia's strategic targets with nuclear bombs. Brains behind the scheme belong to Dr. Strangelove (Sellers) a wheelchair-bound nuclear scientist with bizarre ideas about mankind's future. Rendered helpless to stop bombers is President of the US (Sellers) & Ripper's executive officer, Captain Mandrake (Sellers) - the only man who can stop them. 93 min

Green Berets
PLS VT1057

They were crack troops an elite group of men skilled in techniques of unconventional warfare. Soldiers of Special Forces & focus of Hollywood's 1st film about Vietnam War. John Wayne stars in & co-directs this red-white-&-blue depiction of America's Vietnam War effort. 142 min

Memories Of Undervelopment
PLS VT1059

1968 video; first one from post-Revolutionary Cuba to be released in U.S. It had an impact on Third World cinema. Set in early 1960's it centered on an Europeanized Cuban intellectual, too idealistic (or lazy) to leave for Miami but too decadent to fit into new Cuban society. A demonstration that political commitment & entertainment are not incompatible; also a shrewd, passionate & sexy film from a world-class director Tomas Gutierrez Alea. Spanish with English subtitles. B&W. 97 min

I Am Cuba
PLS VT1062

Filmed by Russian director Mikhail Kalatozov, video is an epic poem to Communist kitsch - a whirling, feverish dance through the sensuous decadence of Batista's Havana & grinding poverty & oppression of Cuban people. There are 4 stories showing rise of the revolution. The first movie jointly presented by Francis Ford Coppola & Martin Scorsese. USSR/Cuba. 1964. Spanish & Russian/English subtitles. B&W. 141 min

Guantanamera!
PLS VT1064

Yoyita, a world famous diva returns to her hometown of Guantanamo for a reception in her honor & a reunion with her once beloved, Candido. Overjoyed with rekindled memories of her first love, Yoyita's elated heart fizzles while in Candido's doting embrace. Joining Yoyita's funeral procession back to Havana are her sexy niece Gina, a former professor blacklisted for political nonconformity & her husband Adolfo, a tasteless government official in charge of funeral proceedings. As the cortege wends westward across Cuba its path keeps crossing that of Mariano, a truck driver who once had a student crush on Gina & whose presence crystallizes her doubts about her marriage. Presents bold overview of Cuba. 104 min

Historical Political Commericals 1980
PLS VT0015

Clips from campaign commercials 1980. Includes Reagan, Bush, Baker, Anderson, T. Kennedy, Carter, etc. 1985. 40 min

Historical Political Commercials 1960-1980
PLS VT0016

Campaign commercials from 1960 to 1980 campaign with Reagan & Carter. Early commercials include John Kennedy, Nixon, Goldwater, Johnson, Wallace, Ford, etc. 1985. 50 min

Historical Political Commercials 1952-1980
PLS VT0017

Campaign commercials from Eisenhower, Stevenson, Carter, Reagan, Carter & Anderson in 1980. Includes J. Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, Goldwater, Humphrey, Wallace, McGovern & Ford. 1985 45 min

Historical Political Commercials 1984
PLS VT0018

Primary Campaign ads in 1984. Commercials include Cranston, McGovern, Glenn, Hart, Mondale, Reagan, National Conservative Political Action Comm., Republican Nat'l Committee. 1985. 50 min

Drugs: Workplace Testing
PLS VT0454

Pros, cons, of workplace drug testing, including discussion of one company's extensive program. 28 min

Senator Paul Simon: Curbing Violence on TV
PLS VT0472

Michel Retirement
PLS VT0515

WASHINGTON D.C. 9-20-94

New American Workforce
PLS VT0546

Distant Thunder
PLS VT0580

A young & pompous Brahmin settles into a Bengali Village & assumes role of priest, teacher, doctor, wise man & chief know-it-all. As Second World War drags on, food is diverted to military & starvation spreads across India. The young Brahmin, humiliated by his inability to feed his wife, becomes wiser & more compassionate. He finally humbles himself & emerges as genuine human being. 1973. 101 minutes

Sugar Cane Alley
PLS VT1067

On a lush sugar cane plantation in Martinique lies a dirt road called Sugar Cane Alley, lined with shacks of poor black families who work in cane fields. In one of these live Jose, a bright 11-year-old orphan & his wise grandmother; determined to save Jose from the hard life of plantation. When Jose wins a partial scholarship at a school in the city she is ready to sacrifice everything for his chance at an education & an escape from fields. Enhanced yellow subtitles. 1985 107 min

An Empire of Reason: The Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
PLS VT0594

Presents "living" record of Constitutional ratification debates as they occurred in NY State. Shows what people might have seen if TV were around in 1787 & 1788 to cover debates surrounding the ratification. 56 min

Daley: The Last Boss
PLS VT0677

Serving 5 terms as Mayor of Chicago (1955-1976) Richard J. Daley became 1 of America's most powerful urban politicians - the last of big city bosses. Raised in Irish neighborhood of Bridgeport, Daley built an indestructible power base from middle class, immigrant roots. Through a system of reward & intimidation, this leader revived Democratic machine, made Chicago "city that works" & became advisor to Presidents. In this study, archival footage & interviews with Daley foes & allies vividly portray Chicago's infamous past, from bootlegging to ballot stuffing, to 1960's race riots & antiwar demonstrations that ripped the city apart. 1995 154 min

Four Days In September
PLS VT1071

Based on true-life events - political terrorists kidnap an American Ambassador. The diplomat's life hangs in balance & his fear of captors themselves! 107 min

Run Lola Run
PLS VT1105

Film is internationally acclaimed sensation about two star-crossed lovers who have only minutes to change course of their lives. Time is running out for Lola. She's just received frantic phone call from her boyfriend Manni who's lost a small fortune belonging to his mobster boss. If Lola doesn't replace money in twenty minutes, Mannie will surely suffer severe consequences. 81 min

Crime and Punishment in America
PLS VT0794

Serious crime has escalated & public's fear of crime is at an all time high. What must be done to ensure safety? What is purpose of prison system? How should we treat increasingly violent juvenile offenders? Can violent criminals ever be rehabilitated? Video brings perspective to these questions by exploring evolution of crime & criminal penalties in American Society. 120 min

Spirit Of The Beehive
PLS VT1116A

Set in rural Spain in 1940, film is a portrait of isolation of an introverted child within her own family. A lonely little girl sees Frankenstein & is convinced monster exists. Encouraged by her sister she sets off into woods to find him. As her obsession intensifies barrier between reality & hallucination gradually dissolves & she becomes immersed in a mysterious & poetic imaginary world. A poignant exploration of the fragile innocence of childhood, or a thoughtful commentary of tragedy of Spain's Civil War, on whatever level one perceives. 1973. Spanish with English subtitles. 93 min

Burnt By The Sun
PLS VT0923

Colonel Serguei Kotov, a hero of the Revolution who is spending summer in the country with his young daughter & his wife & her eccentric family. His wife's childhood love suddenly appears & idyllic summer takes surprising turn. Film filled with beauty & warmth is also an account of a man dedicated to family & fatherland, cruelly destroyed by political paranoia. 134 min

Spirit Of The Beehive
PLS VT1116B

second copy under Political Science Set in rural Spain in 1940, film is a portrait of isolation of an introverted child within her own family. A lonely little girl sees Frankenstein & is convinced monster exists. Encouraged by her sister she sets off into woods to find him. As her obsession intensifies barrier between reality & hallucination gradually dissolves & she becomes immersed in a mysterious & poetic imaginary world. A poignant exploration of the fragile innocence of childhood, or a thoughtful commentary of tragedy of Spain's Civil War, on whatever level one perceives. 1973. Spanish with English subtitles. 93 min

Legacy Of Barbara Jordan
PLS VT1124

Video has Barbara Jordan's speech to House Judiciary Committee conducting President Nixon's Impeachment hearings & her speech 1976 keynote address to the Democratic national convention. Video has both speeches as well as two other Democratic convention speeches.

Four Days In September
PLS VT1071B

Based on true-life events - political terrorists kidnap an American Ambassador. The diplomat's life hangs in balance & his fear of captors themselves! 107 min

Marianne & Juliane
PLS VT0924

A moving combination of personal & political history, story of 2 sisters caught up in turmoil of 70's. Raised in 50's they rebel against their upbringing. 103 min

Z
PLS VT0925

Closely parallels real life assassination of Gregorios Lambrakis, a Greek doctor & humanist whose murder in 1963 led to an abortive public scandal. 127 min

Bitter Sugar
PLS VT0930

A look at contemporary Cuba, Bitter Sugar is a love story set against political & economic tensions of Havana. An idealistic young communist falls in love with a disenchanted dancer who longs to escape to Miami. Filled with an intoxicating Latin beat & rapid camera movements Bitter Sugar weaves a tale of romantic & political passions amid the ruins of the Cuban Revolution. Black and White/1996/102 min/ spanish with english subtitle

Mister Johnson
PLS VT1163

"Mister Johnson" tells story of a young African man in search of himself. While in process of building a road across Africa, local British magistrate, Harry Rudbeck (Pierce Brosnan) is plagued with misfortune. One his first concerns is his financial clerk, Mister Johnson; an educated black man who feels he no longer fits in with native nor British. Mister Johnson, who claims to be British although he has never been to Britain, dresses in fine suits, has knowledge of accounting & is always planning schemes to get ahead in life. After an unfortunate accident, Mister Johnson is forced to see himself for what he truly is. 1990. Color. 90 min

Blue Kite
PLS VT0931

Tielou's parents, a librarian & school teacher, both loyal communist party members soon learn that even most innocent criticisms can be interpreted by Party as imperialist propaganda. Over next 15 years, Tielou observes adverse effects of party policy on various members of his family. The only image of hope & freedom offered in film is a blue kite given to Tielou by his father which he later passes on to next generation. 138 min

Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie
PLS VT1177

Film is a priceless satire on the absurd lifestyle of the upper class. As six well to do Europeans attempt to have a civilized meal; their plans are continuously thwarted by unlikely, if not outrageous, circumstances. In a classic Bunuelian display, time & space gradually become meaningless, dreams & reality become indistinguishable, while the characters - remaining true to their nature & each other - continue along their chosen path. Academy Award winner. 1972. 101 min

To Live
PLS VT0932

Set against 4 decades of Chinese political turmoil film follows lives of one couple, Fugui & Jiazhen as they struggle to survive their own changing station within upheaval. When Fugui gambles away his family's fortune & loses their home he is left with nothing but a trunk full of puppets by which to make a living. His ability to entertain with puppets lands him in company of Nationalist army & then Red army! As years go by, Fugui & his family steel themselves to accept what future has in store for them by doing one thing they know how to do best: To Live. 2 hr 13 min

Burmese Harp
PLS VT1179

A poetic trek across a pain-filled landscape, this powerful antiwar film is a classic example of visual intensity & unyielding pacifism. Set at the close of WWII it focuses on the obsessions that drive one Japanese soldier to remain in Burma even as his unit tries desperately to steal into neutral territory. On a mission to convince renegade mountain fighters of Japan's official surrender the company's harp playing scout, Private Mizushima is wounded, then saved by a Buddhist priest. Ichikawa stunningly evokes Mizushima's spiritual conversion as the private, disguised in priest's robes, traverses an endless plain of corpses & begins the task of burying Japan's war dead. 1956. B&W 116 min

Primal Fear
PLS VT1546

Guilty? Innocent? Those questions aren't for high-powered Chicago attorney Martin Vail to decide. His job is to defend - especially if a case will put his name in the headlines and further his career. When Vail hears that a penniless altar boy is accused of murdering the local archbishop, he snaps up the case, eager for the media spotlight. Little does he know that it will uncover a viper's nest of corruption, pit him against a prosecutor who's his ex-lover, and test all his skill, judgment and even his win-at-any-cost attitude. Video/Rated R/Color/130 minutes

Official Story
PLS VT0934

Alicia, wife of a successful businessman, faces ultimate challenge when she begins to suspect that her adopted daughter may have been stolen from a family of "los desaparecidos" (the disappeared ones). Determined to find out truth, Alicia risks everything - even at cost of her own family. 110 min

Camp de Thiaroye
PLS VT1324

Following their honorable service in World War II, a group of black soldiers from all over West Africa report to a transit camp in Dakar. There, they are treated little better than prisoners and denied the back pay they were promised, leading to a mutiny in which they take their French commanding officer hostage. A devastating account of colonial injustice. "Sembene and Sow have made what is not only a humane, passionate film but an honest and vital memorial to those men who died, after the war, at Camp Thiaroye. In Wolof and French with english subtitles. 1987 152 min

Afrique Je Te Plumerai
PLS VT0937

Provides overview of 100 years of cultural imperialism in Africa. Cameroon, the only African country colonized by 3 European powers, is used for case study of devastation of traditional African societies by colonial cultures. Traces cause & effect between colonial violence of yesterday & an present; to understand how a country of well-structured societies could fail to succeed as a state & to look at language as a tool of liberation but also domination. Chronicles how French destroyed traditional culture to absorb Cameroon into their system. 30 years later Cameroon still buys most of its books in France. Now French have been re-placed by a dictatorial regime which still plunders land & silences authentic expression of its people. (French with English subtitles). 1992. 88 min

Kitchen Toto
PLS VT1489

In 1950 Kenya, as unrest against British Colonial rule is mounting, a Mau Mau youngster is sent to work as a servant in the household of the district police chief after his father is murdered. As the turmoil worsens, the boy must choose between the British who have shown him kindness and the Mau Mau terrorists who seek independence through bloodshed. VHS/96 MINUTES/COLOR/RATED PG-13

Few Good Men
PLS VT1548

Cruise stars as a brash Navy lawyer who teamed with a gung-ho litigator in a politically explosive murder case. Charged with defending two Marines accused of killing a fellow soldier, they are confronted with complex issues of loyalty and honor - including its most sacred code and its most formidable warrior. Video/Rated R/Color/138 minutes

Guimba The Tyrant
PLS VT0938

Offers allegory of present day African politics. Through story of downfall of Gumba, it foretells a similar fate for many dictators who still pillage continent. Shows Africa we haven't often seen before in films - of flourishing cities, proud courts & gorgeously costumed nobles. Guimba, the anti-hero, tyrannizes a once prosperous trading city through terror & misuse of occult powers, a recurrent theme in West African literature. When he demands that one of his nobles divorce his wife so his own son, Jangine, can marry her, community turns against him. Revealed to be monster he begins descent into madness & death reminiscent of Shakespeare's MacBeth or Richard III. Bambara & Peul/English subtitles. 1995 94 min

Mapantsula
PLS VT0939

First antiapartheid film by, for & about black South Africans. Thomas Mogotlane & Oliver Schmitz hoodwinked South African authorities into believing they were making a gangster film. Instead they made this drama. It was banned by South African censors & acclaimed at film festivals around world. The central character, Panic is a petty crook. Everyone around him is drawn into antiapartheid movement. Panic is caught in a police sweep & jailed with other activists. He is transformed from irresponsible person into someone who is finally compelled to take a stand against system. Mapantsula gets behind headlines so we can see through eyes of South Africans who are making history. (English, Zulu, Sotho & Afrikaana with English subtitles). 1988. 104 min

Ta Dona
PLS VT0940

Ta Dona is story of quest for secret knowledge by a young Bambara man. He is a modern agricultural expert in Ministry of Rivers & Forests. While working in a peasant village he is searching for seventh canari a secret Bambara herbal remedy used in childbirth. Faced with drought & a corrupt government Sidy manages to save village & rediscover seventh canari. In process he achieves a new identity reconciling Africa's present & its past. (Bambara with English subtitles). 1991. 100 min

Zan Boko
PLS VT0941

Zan Boko means "place where placenta is buried" & symbolizes continuity between past & present in African village societies. Tells story of a village swallowed up by one of Africa's sprawling cities. Through this commonplace event is revealed transformation of an agrarian society into an industrialized, commodity economy & of an oral culture into a mass media one. (More with English subtitles). 1988. 94 min

La Boca del Lobo
PLS VT0957

The Peruvian army takes control of Chuspi, a small village isolated in Andes by revolutionary group "Sendero Luminoso" commanded by a brutal lieutenant who declares entire village guilty of treason. In face of this crisis, Vitin must choose between blind obedience & his conscience. 111 min Spanish w/subtitles

Men With Guns
PLS VT0965

Dr. Fuentes in search of his legacy - seven medical students he trained to work in impoverished native villages. But early in his odyssey he begins to suspect that "men with guns" got there first & with every step he is confronted by bloody realities he had ignored. Now his is a desperate quest, but for a mythical village deep in the rain forest - one last refuge of hope called Cerca del Ciclo. Journey of heart & mind. 128 min

Spices
PLS VT0967

In 1940's while India was still a British colony, tax collectors called sudebars combed countryside with their soldiers & often spread terror by demanding more than taxes alone. Spices explores a community's reaction to an oppressed woman's plight, as an impoverished young beauty named Sonbai spurns sudebar's advances & takes refuge in pepper factory. Although she has expressed a shared sentiment of resistance, few of villagers have courage to defend her, least of all its men, who are blind to injustices against women. Sonbai's eventual victory is over tyranny itself & subservience that sustains it. 1986. 98 min

Front
PLS VT1047

Comedy with serious theme brings to life one of America's most disturbing memories - communist witch hunts of 50's. Howard Prince, a fulltime loser who is induced by a friend to "front" for submission of his TV scripts when he is blacklisted as an alleged subversive. Howard is soon "fronting" for other writers. He becomes a celebrity & is lionized as TV's most brilliant & prolific young author. When TV comic Hecky Brown is blacklisted he agrees to keep Howard under surveillance. 94 min

Lord of the Flies
PLS VT1048

Original film adaptation of Williams Golding's parable, film has been praised as one of those rare instances in which movie is better than book. Stranded on a remote island a group of British schoolboys try to organize themselves into a law-abiding society. Decent Ralph is picked to lead them but is soon rivaled by brash Jack whose appeals to boys primal urges of food & fear soon threaten Ralph's rule. As Jack's unruly band of hunters quickly grows in number boys society disintegrates & they plunge into anarchy & bloodshed. Brook's decision to shoot his tropical film in black & white is inspired: The resulting stark images add depth & weight to study of defects of society & man. 1963. 90 min

Third Man
PLS VT1049

A penniless Holly Martins arrives in a bombed out postwar Vienna as guest of his pal Harry Lime. Immediately his problems begin when learns that good old Harry is dead. Instead of going home Martins decides to investigate facts & a mysterious 'third man' who witnessed Harry's 'accidental death'. 1949. B&W. 104 min

Manchurian Candidate
PLS VT1050

Ask Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra)& he'll say that Sergeant Raymond Shaw(Laurence Harvey) is a hero worthy of Medal of Honor. Despite what he says, Marco suspects otherwise. A bizarre nightmare gives him feeling that Shaw is something far less heroic. Is it possible that Shaw is a traitor? Can Marco convince Army of his suspicions? How does Shaw's power mad mother (Angela Lansbury) figure into all this? So many questions. So little time. 1962. B&W. 2 hr 9 min

Missing
PLS VT1051

This political thriller has its origins in an actual event, disappearance of a young American writer & filmmaker, Charles Horman (John Shea), during a South American military coup. Jack Lemmon stars as his father, Ed Horman, a prominent NY businessman who comes to the aid of Charles' wife, Beth (Sissy Spacek), in her search for her missing husband. They are led in circles with lies & false hopes from both U.S. & foreign officials. They trudge on together overcoming their past differences until painful conclusion. 2 hr 3 min

Romero
PLS VT1052

A compelling & deeply moving look at life of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador who made ultimate sacrifice in a passionate stand against social injustice & oppression in his country. Chronicles transformation of Romero from an apolitical priest to a committed leader of Salvadoran people. 105 min