Paramount Pictures (USA): 203

Don Siegel directed and co-produced the epic prison action thriller film, Escape from Alcatraz (1979). The story follows Frank Morris, a seasoned criminal who is transferred to the infamous maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island in the early 1960s. Known for its strict security measures, no inmate has ever successfully escaped from this facility. On the day of his arrival, Morris swipes a nail clipper from the Warden’s desk. As time passes, he befriends other prisoners such as Litmus, who has a sweet tooth; English, a black man serving two life sentences for killing in self-defense; and Doc, an elderly inmate ...

The BBC’s seven-part spy drama, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979), is an adaptation of John le Carré’s novel of the same name. Directed by John Irvin and produced by Jonathan Powell, the series follows George Smiley, a retired deputy from the British Secret Intelligence Service. Smiley was forced into retirement after a failed mission in Czechoslovakia known as Operation Testify. The operation, orchestrated by the head of the Circus (the British Secret Intelligence Service), resulted in the capture and torture of ...

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) is a science fiction movie based on the popular TV series of the same name. Directed by Robert Wise and produced by Gene Roddenberry, it follows the story of a monitoring station called Epsilon Nine in the 23rd century that discovers a powerful alien entity making its way towards Earth. The entity easily destroys three Klingon warships and Epsilon Nine before continuing on its course. Meanwhile, the starship Enterprise, commanded by former captain James T. Kirk who has been promoted to Admiral, is undergoing a major refit on Earth. As ...

Days of Heaven (1978) is a romantic period drama film directed and written by Terrence Malick. Set in 1916, the story follows Bill, a laborer from Chicago who accidentally kills his boss at a steel mill and flees with his girlfriend Abby and sister Linda to the Texas Panhandle. In order to avoid gossip, Bill and Abby pretend to be siblings when they are hired by a shy wealthy farmer as seasonal workers. The farmer’s doctor reveals he only has one year left to live but doesn’t specify the illness. As the farmer falls for Abby, Bill convinces her to marry him so they can inherit his wealth. However, their ...

Saturday Night Fever (1977) is an American dance drama that follows the life of Tony Manero, a 19-year-old Italian-American from Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood. He lives with his family and works at a small paint store. Seeking an escape from his mundane routine, Tony heads to 2001 Odyssey, a popular discotheque where he reigns supreme on the dance floor and receives the admiration and respect he craves. His circle of friends includes Joey, Double J, Gus, and Bobby C, with Annette, a local girl who has a crush on Tony, on the fringe of their group. However, Tony does not reciprocate her feelings. On occasion, Tony and his friends play around on the ...

The Duellists (1977), a British drama directed by Ridley Scott and produced by David Puttnam, is set in France during the Napoleonic Wars. It follows the intense rivalry of two officers, Bonapartist Gabriel Feraud and aristocratic Armand d’Hubert, as they engage in a series of duels over nearly two decades. The film, based on Joseph Conrad’s short story The Duel, delves into the political turmoil of early 19th-century France. Garnering critical acclaim at its debut, it won the award for Best Debut Film ...

The Great Gatsby (1974) is an American film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same name, directed by Jack Clayton. Writer Nick Carraway visits his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom at their East Egg mansion, where he discovers their troubled marriage and Tom’s affair with a woman in New York. Nick resides in a modest cottage in West Egg, next to an enigmatic tycoon named Gatsby, who throws lavish parties at his estate. During one of these gatherings, Tom introduces Nick to his mistress Myrtle, who is married to an auto mechanic named George ...

The American epic crime film, The Godfather Part II (1974), was produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Loosely based on the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola, it serves as both a sequel and a prequel to the 1972 film of the same name. In parallel storylines, one follows Michael Corleone in 1958 as he takes on his role as Don of the Corleone family after surviving an assassination attempt. The other delves into his father Vito’s journey from his childhood ...

Chinatown (1974), an American mystery film, was directed by Roman Polanski and written by Robert Towne. In the story, a woman named Evelyn Mulwray hires private detective Jake Gittes to follow her husband Hollis, who she suspects of being unfaithful. As chief engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Hollis refuses to build a new dam due to safety concerns. Gittes captures photos of Hollis with another woman, which are then published in the Los Angeles Times. The real Evelyn Mulwray confronts Gittes and threatens legal action against him for aiding in the ...

The Godfather (1972) is an American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo’s best-selling 1969 novel of the same name. Set in 1945, it tells the story of Vito Corleone, the powerful don of the New York City Corleone family. During his daughter Connie’s wedding to Carlo, Vito receives requests from various guests. At the reception, his son Michael introduces his girlfriend Kay Adams to the family. Johnny Fontane, a popular singer and ...

Play It Again, Sam (1972) is a comedic film written and starring Woody Allen. The movie, based on Allen’s play of the same name, takes place in San Francisco and opens with the final scenes of Casablanca featuring legends Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Our main character, Allan Felix, is at the theater watching with his mouth agape as he longs to be like Rick. He is haunted by visions of Bogart and memories of his ex-wife Nancy, who constantly belittled him for his sexual inadequacy during their turbulent divorce. Trying to lift his spirits, Allan’s ...

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) is an epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, who co-wrote it with Sergio Donati based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci and Leone. A train pulls into the Old West town of ‘Flagstone’, and a man wearing a harmonica around his neck disembarks. He swiftly dispatches three gunfighters who were waiting for him. The leader of the outlaws, Frank, is in ...

The American Western mystery film, 5 Card Stud (1968), directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Dean Martin and Robert Mitchum, tells the story of a gambler in Rincon, a small town located 100 miles from Denver, Colorado. The gambler is caught cheating at a game of five-card stud poker and is later lynched by the other players, led by the volatile Nick Evers. One of the players, Van Morgan, attempts to prevent the act of frontier justice, but is unsuccessful. He ultimately leaves town but returns after learning that several ...

The film noir, The Desperate Hours (1955), stars Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March and was both produced and directed by William Wyler. It is based on Joseph Hayes’ novel and play of the same name, released in 1954 and 1955 respectively. In the movie, Glenn Griffin leads a trio of escaped convicts who invade a suburban home in Indianapolis at random. They hold the Hilliard family, who reside in the house, hostage while waiting for a package from Griffin’s ...

The War of the Worlds (1953) is an American science fiction thriller film directed by Byron Haskin. It is the first of several feature film adaptations of H. G. Wells’ 1898 novel with the same title. A large object crashes near the small town of Linda Rosa, California, where Dr. Clayton Forrester, an atomic scientist, investigates and meets Sylvia Van Buren and her uncle, Pastor Collins. The three then attend an evening square dance but soon return to the crash site where they witness a hatch unscrewing and falling off of the object. As three men try to make contact ...

Double Indemnity (1944) is a classic American crime thriller film noir helmed by the talented duo of director Billy Wilder and co-writer Raymond Chandler. Injured from a gunshot wound, insurance agent Walter Neff makes his way back to his office in Los Angeles. There, he leaves a recorded confession for claims manager Barton Keyes about an incident that occurred a year prior. During a routine house call regarding her husband’s car insurance, Neff flirts with Phyllis Dietrichson. She then reveals her desire to take out a secret policy on her husband’s life ...

Starring John Wayne, Betty Field, and Harry Carey, The Shepherd of the Hills (1941) is an American drama film. Matt Masters, a moonshiner in the Ozark Mountains, harbors great resentment towards his absent father who abandoned his mother. This resentment fuels the widespread hatred in the mountains. When Daniel Howitt, a stranger, arrives in the community, he starts to make a positive impact on the people. His gentle influence helps them let go of their hatred. Despite this change, Matt remains suspicious of Howitt.

Spawn of the North (1938) is an American adventure film featuring George Raft, Henry Fonda, and Dorothy Lamour as rival fishermen in Alaska. Directed by Henry Hathaway, the story follows Jim Kimmerlee, owner of a salmon cannery, who reunites with his old friend Tyler Dawson after his hunting trip for seals. Nicky Duval, Jim’s sweetheart and proprietor of the local hotel, is also happy to see Tyler back in town. However, their cheerful reunion is dampened by the ongoing ...

Souls at Sea (1937) is an American historical adventure film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Gary Cooper and George Raft. Based on a story by Ted Lesser, the film follows the journey of a first mate on a slave ship who leads a mutiny to overthrow the captain and free the enslaved passengers. Abolitionist Michael ‘Nuggin’ Taylor takes on an undercover mission to disrupt illegal slave trading, despite both the United States and Great Britain having laws ...

Based on the 1908 novel of the same name, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936) is an American adventure romance western film. In the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield, an ongoing feud between the Tolliver and Falin clans has persisted for generations. With the arrival of engineer Jack Hale and his coal and railroad interests, tensions rise. After saving Dave Tolliver’s life and treating his gangrene injury, Hale gains favor with Dave’s cousin June, who was supposed to marry him. Hale also takes an interest in June’s brother Buddie, educating him and becoming a mentor figure. However, members of both families remain wary of this outsider.