Following India’s independence, the period from the late 1940s to the 1960s are regarded by film historians as the ‘Golden Age’ of Indian cinema. Some of the most critically acclaimed Indian films of all time were produced during this period. In commercial Hindi cinema, examples of famous films at the time include the Guru Dutt films Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and the Raj Kapoor films Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955). These films expressed social themes mainly dealing with working-class urban life in India; Awaara presented the city as both a nightmare and a dream, while Pyaasa critiqued the unreality of city life. Some of the most famous epic films of Hindi cinema were also produced at the time, including Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam (1960). V. Shantaram’s Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957) is believed to have inspired the Hollywood film The Dirty Dozen (1967). Madhumati (1958), directed by Bimal Roy and written by Ritwik Ghatak, popularized the theme of reincarnation in Western popular culture. Other mainstream Hindi filmmakers at the time included Kamal Amrohi and Vijay Bhatt. While commercial Indian cinema was thriving, the period also saw the emergence of a new Parallel Cinema movement, mainly led by Bengali cinema. Early examples of films in this movement include Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar (1946), Ritwik Ghatak’s Nagarik (1952), and Bimal Roy’s …
Video Rating: 5 / 5
This is the RARE theatrical trailer for “The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek: Part II” (aka Boggy Creek II). Famed independent filmmaker, Charles B. Pierce, passed away on Friday, March 5th. Pierce directed numerous regional films throughout his sorted career, but is most famous for the 1972 faux-documentary, “THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK” (which is often sited as the inspiration for “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”). His other films include “BOOTLEGGERS” (1974), “THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN” (1977), “GRAYEAGLE” (1977), “THE NORSEMAN” (1978), “THE EVICTORS” (1979), and “BOGGY CREAK 2” (1985). Pierce was also a prominent screenwriter. In 1983, he wrote the first draft for the DIRTY HARRY film, “SUDDEN IMPACT”. I strongly urge cult film fans to seek out his films. They are truly a product of their time… and deserve a place in film history.
Video Rating: 5 / 5