George Moorse

Cinématon XVII

Reel 17 of Gérard Courant's on-going Cinematon series.

Desperado City

Skoda is the son of a wealthy, overbearing banker and rather than put up with his father to keep a privileged lifestyle, he has chosen to ditch the relationship and drive a taxi for a living. The film follows Skoda on his nightly rides through the city, and though different characters come and go, Skoda meets a kindred spirit in the form of a teenage woman who finds her own home life equally difficult to shoulder. The two young people are gradually attracted to each other, and they end up one night in Skoda's room together. At that moment, the older woman that Skoda had been involved with opens the door and discovers his infidelity. Skoda is living in her house and driving the taxi she gave him -- her commitment was abundantly clear from the beginning. Pushed over the edge, the older woman commits suicide -- and Skoda is blamed for her death by her ex-husband. He swears to avenge her, and the hunt for Skoda begins.

Neuer Deutscher Film Report

Interview film with the protagonists of the New German Cinema in 1966.

Zero in the Universe

ZERO IN THE UNIVERSE is a comedy, a cryptogram–a message in code to the viewer. Who is Zero? What universe? What is the opposition of Zero and his arch enemy, Steinmetz? What does it come from, and where, if anywhere, does it go. The film presents abundant clues, but the answers are never stated. –J. L.