Description
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Title: The Headless Rider (1973)
Alternate Title: Всадник без головы (Vsadnik bez golovy)
Genre: Adventure, Romance, Western
Plot Synopsis: Set in 1850s Texas, the film follows Louise, the daughter of wealthy plantation owner Woodley Poindexter. She falls in love with Maurice Gerald, a poor mustanger. After a secret meeting between the two, Louise’s brother, Henry, disappears. Maurice is found covered in blood with signs of a struggle and is accused of Henry’s murder. As tensions rise and Maurice faces imminent lynching, the mysterious Headless Horseman appears, altering the course of events.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Vladimir Vaynshtok
- Writers: Vladimir Vaynshtok, Pavel Finn, based on the novel by Thomas Mayne Reid
- Cast:
- Oleg Vidov as Maurice Gerald
- Ludmila Savelyeva as Louise Poindexter
- Eslinda Núñez as Isidora Kovarubio De Los-L’yanos
- Enrique Santisteban as El Coyote
- Alejandro Lugo as Woodley Poindexter
IMDb Link: The Headless Rider (1973)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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sakana1 – ★★★☆☆ “Often referred to as the first Soviet western, The Headless Rider is an intriguing artifact. Based on an American novel, it was shot primarily in the Crimea, co-produced by Cuba and the USSR, and directed by a man who hadn’t made a film in 35 years.”
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Fulton Collins “The premise sounds amazing (first Russian western that’s also a headless horseman adaptation) but it never seems to reach its potential. There’s a mystery that doesn’t start till about 50 mins in, out of an hour and 32 min runtime.”
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Victor S. K. P. – ★★★½ “The Russian take on the Western genre is surprisingly good. Adapting the famous tale of the Headless Horseman, the first half of the film efficiently sets up the plot, and more importantly, the characters; their motivations, and personalities.”
Meta Description: “The Headless Rider” (1973), directed by Vladimir Vaynshtok, is a Soviet-Cuban adventure-romance-western film set in 1850s Texas. It tells the story of Louise Poindexter, who falls in love with mustanger Maurice Gerald. After her brother’s mysterious disappearance, Maurice is accused of murder, but the sudden appearance of a Headless Horseman changes everything.
Title: Hentai byôtô: Hakui seme (1988)
Alternate Titles:
- Love Letter in the Sand
- Pervert Ward: Torturing the White Uniform
- 変態病棟 白衣責め
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Drama
Plot Synopsis: In this 1988 Japanese film directed by Hisayasu Satô, a nurse in a medical center cares for a patient suffering from amnesia, only to discover he is a serial killer roaming the city with a metal baseball bat. The narrative serves as a backdrop for exploring themes of memory, identity, and perverse desires, featuring numerous softcore scenes involving latex and rubber fetishes.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Hisayasu Satô
- Writer: Shirô Yumeno
- Producer: Daisuke Asakura
- Cinematography: Kōichi Saitō
- Editor: Shōji Sakai
- Composer: So Hayakawa
- Cast:
- Maya Shiraki
- Yoko Fujita
- Takeshi Itō
- Masahiko Itoh
IMDb Link: Hentai byôtô: Hakui seme (1988)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Dave Jackson – ★★★★ “Ignore the stupid title, Pervert Ward: Torturing the White Uniform (why?!) is top-notch Satô. Satô was on fire in ’88…”
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Dakota Noot – ★★★★ “Hisayasu Satô’s cold, wet version of the sun-soaked ‘Autopsy’ (1975), but with the memory loss of ‘Night of the Hunted’ (1980)…”
Meta Description: “Hentai byôtô: Hakui seme” (1988), directed by Hisayasu Satô, is a Japanese horror-mystery drama that follows a nurse who discovers her amnesiac patient is a serial killer. The film delves into themes of memory, identity, and perverse desires, set against a backdrop of latex and rubber fetishes.
