History movies

Marie Antoinette (2006)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Biography | Drama | History
Countries: France | Japan | USA
Actors: Dunst, Kirsten | Schwartzman, Jason | Davis, Judy | Torn, Rip | Byrne, Rose | Argento, Asia | Shannon, Molly | Henderson, Shirley | Huston, Danny | Faithfull, Marianne | Nighy, Mary | Armesto, Sebastian | Dornan, Jamie | Clément, Aurore | Gallienne, Guillaume
Directors: Coppola, Sofia
Download: DivX 

Based on Antonia Fraser’s book about the ill-fated Archduchess of Austria and later Queen of France, ‘Marie Antoinette’ tells the story of the most misunderstood and abused woman in history, from her birth in Imperial Austria to her later life in France.

Catch a Fire (2006)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Drama | History | Thriller
Countries: France | South Africa | UK | USA
Actors: Robbins, Tim | Luke, Derek | Mbuli, Bonnie | Shabangu, Mncedisi | Masha, Tumisho | Khumalo, Sithembiso | Pheto, Terry | Burgers, Michele | Lovinga, Mpho | Mxo | Anstey, Jessica | Savage, Charlotte | Nkyonyeni, Nomhlé | Mabizela, Michael | van Jaarsveldt, Eduan
Directors: Noyce, Phillip
Download: DivX iPod 

A political thriller: the real-life story of a South African hero’s journey to freedom. In the country’s turbulent and divided times in the 1980s, Patrick Chamusso is an oil refinery foreman and soccer coach who is apolitical - until he and his wife Precious are jailed. Patrick is stunned into action against the country’s oppressive reigning system, even as police Colonel Nic Vos further insinuates himself into the Chamussos’ lives.

Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman (2006)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Documentary | History
Countries: USA
Actors: Ackerman, Forrest J | Adler, Gilbert | Bender, Stephan | Brando, Marlon | Dean Cain | Carlin, Mike | Christopher, Gerard | Cooper, Jackie | Didio, Dan | Donner, Richard | Dougherty, Michael | Fishler, Stephen | Gough, Alfred | Grossman, Gary H. | Hamill, Mark
Directors: Burns, Kevin
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In 1938, two aspiring comic strip talents, Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster, published a character that would create a new genre of fantasy, Superman, the first superhero. This film explores the creation of the character and his subsequent evolution over the decades through various media. With various interviews of noted creative luminaries, the film shows how the character has adapted to the times and bounced back from times when he felt irrelevant to always regain his prominence as one of the great heroes of popular culture.

300 (2006)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Action | Drama | History | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Butler, Gerard | Headey, Lena | West, Dominic | Wenham, David | Regan, Vincent | Fassbender, Michael | Wisdom, Tom | Pleavin, Andrew | Tiernan, Andrew | Santoro, Rodrigo | Cimmino, Giovani | McHattie, Stephen | Kramer, Greg | Ivanovici, Alex | Kelly, Craig
Directors: Snyder, Zack
Download: DivX 

It is spring 480 BC, Persian King Xerxes, continuing his father Darius’ master plan to conquer the Hellenic city-states, arrives in Hellas. The previous Persian invasion and diplomatic attempts have already turned most northern Hellas tribes and states to the Persian side. But the people of Athens and Sparta, the largest Hellenic powers at the time, feel quite insulted by the Persian emissaries’ request to surrender to Xerxes, and so slay them. In Sparta, King Leonidas consults the local oracle, who gives two options: Either a spartan king will have to be sacrificed, or Sparta will be burned to the ground. A year earlier (481, BC) a Panhellenic consortium of all southern city-states had already recognized the superiority of the Spartan army (the best organized and trained army at the time) and had declared King Leonidas as supreme commander of the combined Hellenic army. It is then decided that a small force should block Xerxes’ way to southern Hellas in the Thermopylae passage. This passage was, at that time, 12 meters wide. The great historian Herodotus, possibly exaggerating, states that there were 1,700,000 Persians (their true number could have been anywhere from 100,000 to 1,000,000) against 7,000 Hellenic hoplites and slaves, including the 300 men of the Spartan King elite guard. King Xerxes waited four days for the Hellenes to be frightened and eventually surrender and was quite astonished by his opponents’ complete apathy. Xerxes tried to convince Leonidas to drop weapons, give up his position, kneel before him and live on as a local governor under Xerxes. King Leonidas replied “molon lave,” which means “Come and get them.” The three-day battle began, with the 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians (the other Hellenes where sent by Leonidas to protect passages to their flanks) slaying thousands of Persians with minimal losses. The whole Persian campaign would have failed if it hadn’t been for Efialtes, who showed Xerxes a secret passage to the Hellenic flanks. After a final battle led by King Xerxes himself, the Hellenic force was slain and their heroism and glory was written forever in history. From the beginning of the battle, the Hellenes buried their dead in the spot where they fell. Then battle signs where made for the dead of each Hellenic faction. For the Pelloponisians, (including the 300 Spartans) the sign generally read (free translation) “In this place 4,000 Pelloponisians fought 30 millions).” For the 300 Spartans (Lakaedaemonians), the sign reads (free translation) “Oh foreigner, tell the Lakaedaemonians that we are buried here obeying their laws,” meaning that they never hesitated and never retreated from the enemy. The impact of the battle was enormous for both sides. The Persians’ morale dropped to zero, and the Hellenes lost their fear for the Persian conqueror and organized their defense. After several successful battles, the Hellenes ultimately defeated the Persian army and repelled their invasion in the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC.

World Trade Center (2006)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Drama | History
Countries: USA
Actors: Cage, Nicolas | Bello, Maria | Paolo, Connor | Piccininni, Anthony | Gerasimovich, Alexa | Flynn, Morgan | Pena, Michael | Riesco, Armando | Hernandez, Jay | Starr, Joe | Bernthal, Jon | Jimeno, William | Damici, Nick | Ciccolella, Jude | Pfefferkorn, Martin
Directors: Stone, Oliver
Download: DivX iPod 

On September, 11th 2001, after the terrorist attack to the World Trade Center, the building collapses over the rescue team from the Port Authority Police Department. Will Jimeno and his sergeant John McLoughlin are found alive trapped under the wreckage while the rescue teams fight to save them.

Hollywoodland (2006)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Crime | Drama | History | Mystery | Thriller
Countries: USA
Actors: Brody, Adrien | Lane, Diane | Affleck, Ben | Hoskins, Bob | Tunney, Robin | Cedar, Larry | DeMunn, Jeffrey | Henke, Brad William | Mihok, Dash | Parker, Molly | Dhavernas, Caroline | Robertson, Kathleen | Spano, Joe | Williams, Gareth | Mills, Zach
Directors: Coulter, Allen
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An exploration of fame and identity, inspired by one of Hollywood’s most infamous real-life mysteries. June 16, 1959. The glamour of Tinseltown permanently fades for actor George Reeves, the heroic Man of Steel on TV’s Adventures of Superman, as the actor dies in his Hollywood Hills home. Felled by a single gunshot wound, Reeves leaves behind a fiancée - aspiring starlet Leonore Lemmon - and millions of fans who are shocked by his death. But it is his grieving mother, Helen Bessolo, who will not let the questionable circumstances surrounding his demise go unaddressed. Helen seeks justice, or at least answers. The Los Angeles Police Department closes the case, but Helen hires - for $50 a day - private detective Louis Simo. Simo soon ascertains that the torrid affair Reeves had with Toni Mannix, the wife of MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix, might hold the key to the truth. But truth and justice are not so easily found in Hollywood. Simo pursues dangerous and elusive leads in both high and low places and, in trying to turn up the heat, risks getting burned. The detective also uncovers unexpected connections to his own life as the case turns more personal and he learns more about Reeves himself. Behind the icon was a complex man who gave his life to Hollywood in more ways than one.

United 93 (2006)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Drama | History
Countries: France | UK | USA
Actors: Johnson, J.J. | Commock, Gary | Alladin, Opal | Benford, Starla | Gates, Trish | McDoniel, Nancy | Basche, David Alan | Bekins, Richard | Blommaert, Susan | Charleson, Ray | Adams, Polly | Clemenson, Christian | Colón-Zayas, Liza | Dallas, Lorna | Dillon, Denny
Directors: Greengrass, Paul
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September 11, 2001. The nation was under attack by suicide hijackers, who hit Three famous buildings. The fourth plane United 93 was a story of 40 passengers who were strangers. Who sat through terrifying event. But found courage, rebelled and become hero’s. And stood united.

Bloody Sunday (2002)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Drama | History
Countries: Ireland | UK
Actors: Nesbitt, James | Gildea, Allan | Crossan, Gerard | Moulds, Mary | McCallion, Carmel | Pigott-Smith, Tim | Farrell, Nicholas | Villiers, Christopher | Hewitt, James | Duddy, Declan | Frazer, Edel | Lohan, Lindsay | Edwards, Mike | Hammond, Gerry | Stammers, Jason
Directors: Greengrass, Paul
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Documentary-style drama showing the events that lead up to the tragic incident on January 30, 1972 in the Northern Ireland town of Derry when a protest march led by civil rights activist Ivan Cooper was fired upon by British troops, killing 13 protesters and wounding 14 more.

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Action | Drama | History | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Phillippe, Ryan | Bradford, Jesse | Beach, Adam | Hickey, John Benjamin | Slattery, John | Pepper, Barry | Bell, Jamie | Walker, Paul | Patrick, Robert | McDonough, Neal | Lynskey, Melanie | McCarthy, Thomas | Bauer, Chris | Ivey, Judith | Turley, Myra
Directors: Eastwood, Clint
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In February, 1945, one of the fiercest battles of the Pacific theater of World War II occurs on the tiny island of Iwo Jima. Thousands of Marines attack the stronghold maintained by thousands of Japanese, and the slaughter on both sides is horrific. Early in the battle, an American flag is raised atop the high point, Mount Suribachi, and a photograph of the raising becomes an American cause celebre. As a powerful inspiration to war-sick Americans, the photo becomes a symbol of the Allied cause. The three surviving flag raisers, Rene Gagnon, John Bradley, and Ira Hayes, are whisked back to civilization to help raise funds for the war effort. But the accolades for heroism heaped upon the three men are at odds with their own personal realizations that thousands of real heroes lie dead on Iwo Jima, and that their own contributions to the fight are only symbolic and not deserving of the singling out they are experiencing. Each of the three must come to terms with the honors, exploitation, and grief that they face simply for being in a photograph.

War and Peace (1956)

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Genres: Drama | History | Romance | War
Countries: Italy | USA
Actors: Hepburn, Audrey | Fonda, Henry | Ferrer, Mel | Gassman, Vittorio | Lom, Herbert | Homolka, Oskar | Ekberg, Anita | Dantine, Helmut | Carminati, Tullio | Jones, Barry | Vitale, Milly | Seidl, Lea | Ferrero, Anna-Maria | Lawson, Wilfrid | Britt, May
Directors: Vidor, King
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At the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleon’s forces controlled much of Europe. In Russia, one of the few countries still unconquered, the army prepares to face Napoleon’s troops in Austria. Among the soldiers are Nicholas Rostov (Jeremy Brett) and Prince Andrei Bolkonsky (Mel Ferrer). Pierre Bezukhov (Henry Fonda), a friend of Andrei’s and self-styled intellectual who “knows what’s right but still does wrong,” is not interested in fighting. Pierre’s life changes when his father dies, leaving him a vast inheritance. He is attracted to Natasha Rostov (Audrey Hepburn), Nicholas’s sister, but gives in to baser desires and marries the shallow, materialistic Princess Helene (Anita Ekberg). The marriage quickly ends when Pierre discovers his wife’s true nature. Andrei is captured and later released by the French, and returns home only to watch his wife die in childbirth. During a visit to the country months later, Pierre and Andrei meet again. Andrei sees Natasha and falls in love, but his father will only permit the marriage if they postpone it for one year. While Andrei is away in Poland on a military mission, Natasha is drawn to Anatole Kuragin (Vittorio Gassmann), a scoundrel and libertine. Pierre tells Natasha of Anatole’s past before she can elope with him. Napoleon (Herbert Lom) invades Russia. Pierre visits Andrei on the eve of the battle, and observes the battle that follows. Traumatized by the carnage, he vows to kill Napoleon himself.