Geraldine Page

Love & dance in communist Russia.

Baron Charles Frankenstein (Sting), Dr. Zalhus (Quentin Crisp), and Frankenstein's assistant, Paulus (Timothy Spall), attempt to create a female mate, Eva (Jennifer Beals), for his creation (Clancy Brown). The team of scientists succeed in creating Eva, who is physically identical to a human and lacking the deformities of the monster. As such, she is disgusted by the monster and rejects him. A confrontation between the monster and Frankenstein regarding Eva lead the monster to become deadly angry and destroy the laboratory. Believing the monster has perished, Frankenstein escapes with Eva back to Castle Frankenstein. There he falls in love with her and, with the help of his friend Charles Clerval (Anthony Higgins) and housekeeper Mrs. Baumann (Geraldine Page), educates her with the goal of making her a perfect human mate. Having survived, the monster wanders into the countryside where he makes friends with a circus dwarf, Rinaldo (David Rappaport) after he stops children from physically abusing him. As they learn more about each other, Rinaldo eventually gives the monster more humanity by gracing him with a name: Viktor ("he will win"). The men travel by foot through Europe, eventually arriving in Budapest, where they became involved with a circus owner named Magar (Alexei Sayle), who hires them despite his dislike of Rinaldo. Meanwhile, as Eva acquires language and develops furtive cognizance, she begins to question her origin and, while visiting a weakened mausoleum with Baron Charles, tells him that she wishes to "go home". The Baron has Eva accompany him to a formal party held by the Countess (Veruschka von Lehndorff), where he introduces her. Eva is initially well-spoken and formal, impressing the Countess, Captain Josef Schoden (Cary Elwes), and other guests, but becomes agitated when a cat enters the room. Having no knowledge of the animal, Eva begins to scream at it, embarrassing the Baron. Several days later, while riding her horse near the castle, Eva is come near by Josef, who attempts to romance her. Josef informs Eva that the Baron was thrown out of the university while studying medicine. She eventually begins to question the Baron and his intentions. Meanwhile, during a trapeze performance with the circus, Rinaldo is injured in a deadly fall. Viktor is immediately heartbroken at the loss of his friend, a feeling that Eva apparently feels. Hinting the two share a type a psychic connection, as Viktor mourns, Eva suddenly feels a great sense of loss and cries in her room. Viktor learns the circus performer Bela (Phil Daniels) deliberately tampered with Rinaldo's harness, causing the fall, he becomes deadly angry, flipping Magar's caravan over before murdering Bela. The next morning, Viktor returns to the castle and finds Eva outside on the grounds. However, Eva mistakes him for a vagrant and does not recognize him. A mob from the circus later arrives in the village in search of Viktor, and shackle him to a wall. Meanwhile, Eva disappears from Castle Frankenstein. The Baron inquires of her whereabouts, and Mrs. Baumann reluctantly reveals that she has runaway with Josef. Soon after, the Baron locates the two lovers. Much to Eva's shock, Josef reveals he doesn't care much or ever about Eva and walks away from her not looking back. The Baron drags an extremely defiant Eva back to Castle Frankenstein. During an argument, the Baron finally reveals to Eva how he created her, using part of corpses, and bringing her to life via an electric charge. This information humiliates Eva. The Baron states he's glad the monster is dead because giving her to him would have been a waste. His possessive nature shows as he demands he will take Eva as his bride, whether she consents or not. Though Eva tries to keep him away from her, she's virtually trapped and feels powerless. Viktor eventually senses her extreme fear and desperation. He breaks free from his shackles and escapes by horse to Castle Frankenstein. Back at the castle the Baron fights Eva, a fight she loses. Before the Baron can force himself on Eva, Viktor confronts him. A fight ensues, and Viktor is chased to the top of the laboratory, where he throws the Baron to his death. In the castle, Viktor returns to a sleeping Eva, and when she awakens, he turns to leave. Eva asks him never to leave and he introduces himself to her with his name. She tells him the meaning of his name, which pleases him. She asks if he knows who made him and he reveals that it was the Baron. Reunited, they begin moving away to Venice to carry out Rinaldo's dream.

A true story about Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Gordon's Valium addiction and her desperate attempts to kick the habit.

After his aunt dies of a heart attack while fighting the IRS, Harry Johnson decides to take up the cause. Harry Johnson's aunt is a rich eccentric with an extensive collection of military memorabilia, who also happens to be in a fight with the IRS. When she dies of a heart attack, Harry blames her death on the IRS and takes up the fight himself. As Harry's cause gains attention and supporters, the 'war' soon escalates into a full-scale seige with Harry right in the center. —Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net>

Young artist Tod Hackett (William Atherton) looks over an apartment in the new Depression Era Hollywoodland as a place to set up residence as he makes his way into the film industry. Hackett is like many other young men of the time seeking a career at one of the studios that make silent films in the 30s. Across from his bungalow lives Faye Greener (Karen Black) a young blonde who works as a film extra and very attractive to Hackett whose attempts to initiate a romantic relationship with the woman is rebuffed. Hackett aspires to great art as a painter visualizing his major work "Burning of Hollywood" but working as a set designer for a second rate producer Claude Estee (Richard A. Dysart) who was a graduate from Yale College as Hackett was. As Hackett gets involved deeper into the world of Faye and her former Vaudeville performer father Harry Greener (Burgess Meredith) who makes money selling elixir door-to-door he becomes more disillusioned over the mythic value of Hollywood. When Harry collapses at the home of unassuming accountant Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland), Faye pulls Homer into the fringe world of film performers using him to live on while she pursues her career. As Hackett is exposed to more of the lifestyle in the film world of Los Angeles his vision of Mankind takes on bolder, grander imagery when an event at a film premier develops into mayhem.

During the Civil War Union Corporal John McBurney (Clint Eastwood) is wounded and is discovered in the woods by a young girl from a school for women in Louisiana. With a broken leg he is nursed back to health with the help of the school owner Martha Farnsworth (Geraldine Page) as the rest of the women tend to him, fascinated by the close proximity of a full-grown man. McBurney is aware he is behind enemy lines and manages to charm the women into allowing him to stay, even going so far as to pretend he is a visiting southern officer. One of the teachers at the school, Edwina (Elizabeth Hartman) through her tending to McBurney falls in love with the man and the soldier manipulates the woman's emotions convincing her that he loves her. McBurney also seduces Martha understanding that she misses her brother who helped her run the school and also held an unusual place as romantic partner. One of the older students Carol (Jo Ann Harris) approaches McBurney and openly shows her affections for him, and seeking new sensual experiences, convinces him to make love to her. When McBurney is discovered by the other women in Carol's room they make a concerted effort to insure that the wounded soldier will not be allowed to return to Union Troops now occupying the southern territories of Louisiana.

A plain, repressed spinster falls for a dashing young medical student who prefers the wilder life, until it's too late. Since childhood, spinster Alma Winemiller has loved handsome young Dr. John Buchanan, Jr.. But John has fallen hard for Rosa Zacharias, the town's sultry vamp, and descends into a seamy nightlife while ignoring Alma's dreams of romance and possible marriage. —alfiehitchie It's the early 1910s in the small town of Glorious Hill, Mississippi. Alma Winemiller, of an age when most women would be married, has an affected manner, which she attributes to assuming the role usually undertaken by a minister's wife after her mother long ago suffered a mental breakdown. Also being a minister's daughter has led to Alma having a repressed view of sex and sexuality. She has long harbored a secret love toward the Winemullers' next door neighbor, Dr. John Buchanan, Jr., he following in his father's footsteps. That occupation is the only thing connecting the two generations of Buchanan men, the younger known as the town's bad boy in his wild behavior, largely taking place when he is away, he usually only coming home in the summer. This summer, he pursues equally wild Rosa Zacharias, new to town as the daughter of the new owner of the Moon Lake Casino located on the outskirts of town. Regardless, John is aware of Alma's attraction to him, he, in return, intrigued in noticing in her something seething somewhere below the surface. The question then becomes if Alma and John will ever be able to come together both emotionally and sexually. —Huggo

At a remote ranch in the desert of New Mexico, homesteader Angie Lowe (Geraldine Page) and her six year-old son Johnny (Lee Aaker) come upon a stranger (John Wayne) drinking water from their river, carrying only a saddle and a rifle. The man tells them only his last name, Lane, and that he is part Apache and was exploring Indian Territory as a US Army Cavalry scout. His horse was stolen a few days earlier, and offers US Army scrip in exchange for one of her horses. Angie tells Lane that her ranch hand had quit recently and hadn't had a chance to break one of her two horses for riding, so Lane offers to break the horse himself. He also asks where her husband is, and she says he is hunting in the mountains and should be back soon. Johnny watches with fascination as Lane takes one of the horses, and saddles and rides the bucking and untamed animal with ease. Lane also offers to do a few chores around the ranch, including sharpening an axe blade and chopping firewood. Lane deduces by the neglected work around the ranch that her husband has not been at the ranch for some time, a fact she is forced to admit. When night falls and the weather grows inclement, Angie offers to put Lane up in her home on a floor bed in the corner. Angie discovers that the butt of his rifle is inscribed to "Hondo" Lane, a name she knows to belong to a criminal, and she pulls a pistol on him and fires, but there is no cartridge in the first chamber. She had left it empty so that Johnny wouldn't shoot it accidentally. Hondo returns to his Cavalry post, leaving Angie and Johnny alone at the ranch, where he meets up with his scout sidekick Buffalo Baker (Ward Bond) and reports to his commanding officer that the Chiricauhua Apache lodges in the area are banding together and attacking settlers. At the ranch, Angie and Johnny are surrounded by menacing Apaches led by Chief Vittorio (Michael Pate) and his sub-chief, Silva (Rodolfo Acosta). Angie is not nervous as she has always let them water their horses at her ranch and they had never hurt her. On this occasion, they threaten and grab Angie. Johnny emerges from the house with the loaded pistol and shoots at Silva, hitting and breaking his weapon. Vittorio is impressed by Johnny's bravery, and makes him an Apache blood brother by cutting Johhny's thumb with a knife and giving him an Apache name. Vittorio wonders where Angie's husband is, and she tells him that he will return soon. Vittorio tells her that the boy needs a father to guide him, and unless her husband returns soon, she must take an Apache husband. A night or two later in a saloon, Hondo calls a friend from his poker game, but one of the poker party objects. He and Hondo get into a fight, and Hondo beats the man up badly, driving him out the door. Buffalo Baker tells Hondo the man called himself "Ed Lowe" (Leo Gordon), and Hondo suspects he might be Angie's missing husband. Feeling guilty, he leaves the fort to return Angie's horse back to her. Seeking revenge for the bar beating, Lowe and an accomplice follow Hondo through the desert as he makes his way back to Angie's ranch. Hondo camps near a river but leaves it when he detects three Indians stalking him nearby. Lowe enters the camp and he and his friend are attacked by two Indians. The friend is killed, but Hondo shoots and kills an Apache about to kill Lowe. Lowe is briefly grateful but turns his gun on Hondo in retaliation for the bar beating. Hondo defends himself, killing Lowe. Hondo finds a photo of Johnny alongside Lowe's body, confirming that Lowe is Johnny's father and Angie's husband. Continuing towards Lowe's ranch, Hondo runs into an Apache party, who pursue Hondo through the desert. He kills several but they eventually capture him. They take Hondo to the top of a nearby mesa when Vittorio appears. They stake him out and begin to torture and prepare to kill him because he is an Army scout. An Indian shows Vittorio the picture of Johnny from Hondo's saddlebag, and Vittoria thinks Hondo is Angie's husband. He orders the Indians to untie him and declares that he must fight Silva for honor, as he is one of Angie's potential suitors. Hondo and Silva fight using knives. Silva wounds Hondo in the shoulder, but Hondo pins Silva to the ground. Hondo puts his knife to Silva's throat, but Vittoria steps forward and Hondo spares Silva's life, temporarily buying his own life in return. Vittorio takes Hondo to Angie's ranch, and when Vittoria asks if Hondo is her husband, she lies, saving Hondo. The Chief warns Hondo to raise Johnny in the Apache way and leaves them. While Hondo recuperates from his wounds, he shows her the picture of Johnny that he tells her he took from Lowe's body. She asks if he died well, and Hondo pauses before saying that he had. Over the next few weeks, Hondo and Angie grow closer. Hondo and Angie express their growing love for each other. Hondo attempts to reveal the truth of her husband's death, but is interrupted by Vittorio's sudden appearance. Vittorio tells them that the pony soldiers will soon return. He asks Hondo not to join them and to keep the Indian's location a secret. Hondo promises to do the first but not the latter, and Vittoria shows respect for Hondo's truthfulness. Angie tells him she loves him, and they cement their relationship with a kiss. The Army arrives at the ranch, commanded by an ambitious, inexperienced young Lt. McKay (Tom Irish) and accompanied by scouts Baker and Lennie (James Arness). McKay is determined to take all the settlers in the area back to the Army post to protect them and defend the territory against Apache attacks. Lennie reveals that he discovered Lowe's body and matched the horse tracks to Hondo's horse. He wants Hondo's Winchester rifle in exchange for keeping quiet about how Hondo bushwhacked Lowe. Angie overhears Lennie's demands. Hondo prepares to leave, but before he goes, he tells her the truth about her husband's death. Hondo is also intent on telling Johnny, but she persuades him not to, telling Hondo she didn't love her husband any longer and had grown tired of his womanizing and gambling. She says it would be an unkind thing to tell the boy about the true nature of his father's death and that the secret won't follow them to Hondo's ranch in California. Hondo responds to her emotional plea with an Indian word that seals a squaw-seeking ceremony, "Varlabania", which he tells her means "forever". The Army leaves to move further on into Apache territory and as promised Hondo refuses to go with them but tells them where Vittorio and his party are. The Army returns after being ambushed by the Apaches, suffering heavy casualties including wounds to Lt. McKay. Vittorio had been killed, causing the Apaches to retreat so they can regroup and select a new chief. Hondo leads the Cavalry and settlers back towards the fort, taking Angie and Johnny with them. The group is attacked by the Apaches, now led by Silva, but the group circles their wagons. They escape the encirclement twice but the Apaches continue their pursuit. Hondo loses his mount and is attacked by Silva, but Honda kills him, retrieving Lt. McKay's uniform shirt from his body. The Indians retreat again to choose a replacement chief. Lt. McKay says the General Crook will be arriving in the territory with a large force to pursue the Apache. Hondo sadly notes the end of the Apache "way of life."