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When her nutcracker toy comes to life, young Clara is transported by the magician Drosselmeyer to a magical world of excitement and delight. With sumptuous period designs, spellbinding stage effects and of course Tchaikovsky's iconic score, this continues to enchant audiences of all ages.
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Criterion collection volume 706
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A heartfelt story of a housewife who, with the help of a wily nanny, turns the tables on her tyrannical husband.
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Criterion collection volume 1033
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"Buster Keaton is at the peak of his slapstick powers in the first film that the silent-screen legend made after signing with MGM, and his last great masterpiece. The final work over which he maintained creative control, this clever farce is the culmination of an extraordinary, decade-long run that produced some of the most innovative and enduring comedies of all time. Keaton plays a hapless newsreel cameraman desperate to impress both his new employer...
5) Spione
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Having defined the espionage genre with Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler, Fritz Lang returned to the genre with this surprisingly fast-paced and remarkably grim thriller. Rudolf Klein-Rogge starts as Haghi, the head of an elaborate criminal empire, and Willy Fritsch is the undercover agent assigned to topple the diabolical king from his throne. Filled with the sexual intrigue and high-tech gadgetry that continue to define the genre, SPIES (Spione) remains...
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In the early decades of cinema, some of the most innovative and celebrated filmmakers in America were women. Alice Guy-Blaché helped establish the basics of cinematic language, while others boldly continued its development: slapstick queen Mabel Normand (who taught Charlie Chaplin the craft of directing), action star Grace Cunard, and LGBTQ icon Alla Nazimova. Unafraid of controversy, filmmakers such as Lois Weber and Dorothy Davenport Reid tackled...
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Criterion collection volume 33
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Presents a documentary on the life of an Eskimo family pitting their strength against a vast and inhospitable Arctic. Juxtaposes their struggle for survival against the elements with the warmth of the little family as they go about their daily affairs. Contains both documentary footage and staged scenes.
8) Safety last!
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Criterion collection volume 662
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The comic genius of silent star Harold Lloyd is eternal. He plays a small-town bumpkin trying to make it in the big city, who finds employment as a lowly department-store clerk. He comes up with a wild publicity stunt to draw attention to the store, resulting in an incredible feat of derring-do on his part that gets him started on the climb to success.
10) Flatliners
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An ambitious, charismatic medical student persuades two classmates to take part in an experiment to determine if there is life after death.
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Criterion collection volume 266
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Cecil B DeMille made movies for and of the masses, highlighting myths, mystery, and oversized stories. He excelled in the telling of the ultimate legends carved out of the Bible. The simple, straightforward saga of the last days of Christ's life is told in "The King of Kings." Told with DeMille's trademark opulent sets, incredible effects, and a cast of thousands, it is carefully crafted, flawless film making filled with as much meaning and message...
13) The kid brother
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When a traveling medicine show rolls into town, it brings with it excitement, the possibility of love, and a chance for Harold to prove his mettle. Deftly balancing Lloyd's brilliant sight gags and thrilling set pieces, which include an epic, knock-down, drag-out fight aboard an abandoned ship, the film is a hilarious and heartwarming high-water mark of early screen comedy.
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Criterion collection volume 680
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The most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle. The writer-director-star achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street and mistakes him for a millionaire. Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive...
15) Behind the door
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Oscar Krug is a working-class American who is persecuted for his German ancestry after war is declared. Driven by patriotism, Krug enlists and goes to sea. However, tragedy strikes when his wife sneaks aboard his ship and is captured following a German U-boat attack. Krug's single-minded quest for vengeance against the sadistic German submarine commander leads to the film's shocking and brutal climax.
16) Die Nibelungen
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In part one, Siegfried wins the hand of Kriemhilde by slaying the dragon and defeating Brunhilde. When Brunhilde learns that magic has been used to conquer her, she has Siegfried murdered. In part two, Kriemhilde seeks revenge for Siegfried's death and marries Attila, king of the Huns, in order to further her purpose.
18) The circus
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In the last film he made during the silent era, Charlie Chaplin shines as director, composer, and star. A gag-packed comedy full of audacious set pieces, it showcases silent cinema's most popular entertainer and ranks among Chaplin's finest.
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