Best History Movies of 1996

The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.

A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials.

A Mississippi district attorney and the widow of Medgar Evers struggle to bring a white supremacist to justice for the 1963 murder of the civil rights leader.

Heading through Colorado Territory in search of gold and women, Alferd Packer and his group of bemused companions find themselves lost, starving and musically inspired by the obstacles they confront along the way, including a die-hard Confederate cyclops, a trio of surly trappers, a tribe of Japanese-speaking "Indians," and ultimately, each other.

The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-movie Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president and dictator Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.

A housemaid falls in love with Dr. Jekyll and his darkly mysterious counterpart, Mr. Hyde.

Tara and Maya are two inseparable friends in India. Their tastes, habits, and hobbies are the same. Years later, the two have matured, but have maintained their friendship. Tara gets married to the local prince, Raj Singh, who soon succeeds the throne as the sole heir. After the marriage, Raj gets bored of Tara and starts seeking another female to satisfy his sexual needs. He notices Maya and is instantly attracted to her. He has her included as one of his courtesans, and is intimate with her. Watch what happens when Tara finds out and the extent she will go to keep her marriage intact.

Sharpe, with his new commanding officer, is sent to capture a castle when news comes of locals who will rise against Bonaparte. However, he is somewhat distracted by thoughts of his wife whom he was forced to leave while stricken with fever.

This documentary highlights the historical contexts that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have occupied in cinema history, and shows the evolution of the entertainment industry's role in shaping perceptions of LGBT figures. The issues addressed include secrecy – which initially defined homosexuality – as well as the demonization of the homosexual community with the advent of AIDS, and finally the shift toward acceptance and positivity in the modern era.

Told his battalion is to be split up due to lack of recruits at home, Sharpe and Harper return to England to investigate. What should have been a simple query turns politically explosive as they come nearer to exposing profiteering on the home front that could jeopardize the Wellington's war.

Sharpe is teamed with a Colonel he helped promote and they are tasked to destroy a powder magazine, but an alliance with the French may threaten their success. Meanwhile, Jane is wearying of the army life and Harper and Ramona are at odds.

This lengthy docudrama records the harrowing conditions at the Confederacy's most notorious prisoner-of-war camp. The drama unfolds through the eyes of a company of Union soldiers captured at the Battle of Cold Harbor, VA, in June 1864, and shipped to the camp in southern Georgia. A private, Josiah Day, and his sergeant try to hold their company together in the face of squalid living conditions, inhumane punishments, and a gang of predatory fellow prisoners called the Raiders.

An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.

Based on the true story of the 1981 hunger strike in a British prison, in which IRA prisoner Bobby Sands led a protest against the treatment of IRA prisoners as criminals rather than as prisoners of war. The film focuses on the mothers of two of the strikers, and their struggle to save the lives of their sons.

Into an era seething with war and revolution, a man comes with an incredible power to heal a nation...or destroy it. Based on the true story of one of the most powerful and mysterious figures in Russian history.

Every September Sydney's inner-suburban Leichhardt Council re-elects it mayor. Incumbent Larry Hand was popular with the citizenry but they don't vote for mayor - the 12 councillors do - and after three years of Larry, at least four councillors were after his job. When film-makers Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson settled in at Leichhardt Council in early 1994 the knives were already being sharpened. A battle royal was in the making, and so it came to pass. By the end of September Larry had fought the fight of his life, with Connolly and Anderson documenting every bit of it on film. Ambition, courage, envy, hatred, loyalty, betrayal, disaster, triumph... in other words, a classic study in politics.

Trapped in a loveless arranged marriage to the immature future Czar, a young German Princess proves a skillful political infighter and rises to become Catherine the Great.

Relive the glory moments of John F. Kennedy's life as A&E's award-winning "Biography" series presents the compelling story of this unforgettable leader and the rich dynasty he left behind. John F. Kennedy will always be remembered as the youthful president who inspired America, a charismatic leader who gave the nation a sense of pride and confidence. His sharp mind, quick wit, and boundless determination won him friends, confidantes, and devoted followers. A World War II hero, respected senator, and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Profiles in Courage," Kennedy regarded life as a race against boredom. Through archival footage and interviews with friends, famous journalists, Hollywood actors, and former staffers- including ex-cabinet member John Kenneth Galbraith- "JFK: A Personal Story" revisits pivotel moments of Kennedy's life and presidency with clarity and insight.

A documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules our nation and the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money.

This film follows Norma Jean from her simple, ambitious youth to her sex star pinnacle and back down. She moves from lover to lover in order to further her career. She finds fame but never happiness, only knowing seduction but not love.

Mara and Manoa are both upstanding and religious Israelites living under the harsh and unjust rule of the Philistines. One day, a mysterious stranger appears to Mara and promises her that she will bear a son whom she is to call Samson.

More than half a million native Hawaiians were living in the islands at the time of European contact in 1778. Within 50 years, that population was cut in half as Western diseases claimed thousands of lives. A litany of events followed: American missionaries preached unfamiliar ideas and customs; sugarcane and pineapple plantations absorbed individual farmlands; waves of immigrant workers arrived, making Hawaiians a minority in their own land; and WWII brought a lasting military presence. University of Hawai'i sociologists estimate that the extinction of full-blooded Hawaiians could come within the next 45 years. This compelling story of a race displaced and now on the verge of extinction is brilliantly told in this award-winning documentary created by the great-granddaughter of Hawaiian high chiefs and English seafarers.

Coproduced by the U.S.Holocaust Memorial Museum Research Institute,this Academy Award-winning documentary relates the harrowing story of Gerda Weissmann Klein and her journey of survival and remembering both before and after the war.

Using government documents, archive footage and direct interviews with activists and former FBI/CIA officers, All Power to the People documents the history of race relations and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1960s and 70s. Covering the history of slavery, civil-rights activists, political assassinations and exploring the methods used to divide and destroy key figures of movements by government forces, the film then contrasts into Reagan-Era events, privacy threats from new technologies and the failure of the “War on Drugs”, forming a comprehensive view of the goals, aspirations and ultimate demise of the Civil Rights Movement…

A biography of the English mathematician Alan Turing, who was one of the inventors of the digital computer and one of the key figures in the breaking of the Enigma code, used by the Germans to send secret orders to their U-boats in World War II. Turing was also a homosexual in Britain at a time when this was illegal, besides being a security risk.

A documentary that examines the films made by the victims of the Hollywood Blacklist and offers a radically different perspective on a key period in the history of American cinema.

Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson are the greatest players in the Colored leagues, and everyone expects that one of them will make the leap to the Major Leagues, now that there is talk of integration. But, unexpectedly, it's the rookie with the army record, Jackie Robinson, that gets tapped to be the first.

A documentary that chronicles the life of South African leader Nelson Mandela. Mandela is probably best known for his 27 years of imprisonment, and for bringing an end to apartheid. But this film also sheds light on the little-known early period of Mandela's life.

Gina is a modern business woman in her late forties, she has a lover named Adrian, who she sees once in a while just to have sex; they are both atracted to the historic figure of Pancho Villa, while he admires his power, she admires his virility. As Gina helps Adrian (who is a journalist) to write a book about Pancho Villa, she discovers the similarity between Villa's relation to women to that of Adrian and hers. She gets sick of only having sex, and when she decides to get married with him and have a baby, he escapes to buy cigarrettes and gets lost for three months. Gina forgets about him and gets a new boyfriend (half the age she is), and when Adrian tries to get her back and she refuses him and humiliates him, the one and only Pancho Villa appears as his machista conscience ready to do anything to get Gina back.

Set in 1960, the story follows the efforts of the Mossad, the Israeli Secret Service, to find former SS Colonel Adolf Eichmann, who ran from Germany to Argentina and took the name Ricardo Clement. He was wanted for the murders of both Europeans and Jews during the Holocaust. Learning of Eichmann's living in Argentina, the Mossad sends a team to capture him, led by agent Peter Malkin. The standing order: bring Eichmann back alive to Israel for trial.

The real story behind the hunt for Theodore J. Kaczynski, later known as the Unabomber, a terrorist who sent several bombs through the mail, alarming authorities and society. The movie follows a postal inspector who tracks down the suspect; a obstinate detective; and Kaczynski's brother, who suspected of Ted after the publishing of his manifesto explaining the reasons for the bombings.

Robert the Bruce unites the Scots in a rebellion against the hated English, led by Edward I. He is supported by various loyal followers, notably the bishop who agrees to recognize his claim and crown him as King of the Scots.

Through the daily life of a Japanese family living in the Hiroshima of the nineties, this documentary uses valuable testimonies to reflect on how these people continue to overcome the atomic bombing of 1945.

The history of lighter than air transportation culminating in the Hindenburg explosion which gets thoroughly covered and analyzed.

Back in the stone aged we all went to San Fransisco to escape our parents and the Vietnam war. To laugh, dance and love each other. To make love not war. Music bt Country Joe & The Fish, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Steve Miller Band and Mother Earth.

Based on the true story of the notorious Marquis de Sade. In 18th century Paris, an innocent beauty's search for her missing sister leads her into the deadly sensuous realm of the infamous Marquis de Sade. Imprisoned for his sordid crimes, the Marquis likewise has the beauty morally trapped... for she must help him complete his banned book of lust, or never learn the fate of her sister. It becomes a test of wills and wit, as the Marquis attempts to convert her to his deviously sexual philosophy. When the Marquis escapes his prison, she must follow him to his remote chateau of sin to finally discover her sister's fate, and to face her own.

On August 8, 1908, at a racetrack outside Paris, Wilbur Wright executed what was, for him, a routine flight: a smooth take-off banking into a couple of tight circles, ending in a perfect landing. The flight took less than two minutes, but it left spectators awestruck. While the combined talents of Wilbur and Orville Wright had produced the first plane capable of controlled flight , their distrust of others had almost cost them the credit for their invention. Now, having proved to the public that they had mastered the sky, the reserved brothers from the small town of Dayton, Ohio, became world celebrities.

Maria Ewing, as Dido, heads an outstanding cast of young British singers in a film adaptation of Henry Purcell’s much-loved tragic opera. With spectacular sets, this intense tale of heroism, passion, betrayal and ultimate tragedy is played out against a backdrop of fiery rituals, evil spells and pageantry.

Evocation of the ruthless war which opposed from 1890 to 1894 the French colonial army to the young Ahydjere Behanzin, king and living god of Dahomey, who ended in his surrender and his exile.

A documentary reflecting on women in film and the entertainment industry through the ages led and hosted by some of its most beloved female icons.

Documentary feature exploring the rise of African-Americans to positions of greatness in American sports. Stories are told of boxers, tennis players, runners, and basketball players, athletes who either suffered the indignities of racism, helped break down its walls, or enjoyed the opportunities afforded by past struggles.

Since 1926 the Philadelphia Toboggan Company #36, (PTC 36) has occupied a place in the hearts and minds of children of all ages who visit Seabreeze Amusement Park. In March of 1994, a tragic fire took the beloved carousel from this Rochester, NY community. This is the story of the aftermath and the determination of the owners of Seabreeze Amusement Park to build a new carousel in the grand tradition of PTC 36

Look at the CSS & SB in 1975-1978 as filmed in color with original sound. You'll see passenger operations from Chicago, Illinois to South Bend, Indiana and experience freight action with "Little Joe's" and ex-Chessie Geep 7's. These films were taken during one of the South Shore's darkest hours. A period when parent railroad, Chessie, was petitioning the ICC to abandon passenger service. But the South Shore survives today with an all new passenger fleet. This DVD covers operations from Randolf Street to South Bend. You'll see fall colors, as well as summer and winter scenes! The South Shore line truly is "The Little Train That Did."

"The Five Suns" tells how Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca create heaven and earth, journey to the underworld to create humans and find sustenance for them, and finally create the sun and the moon. Like all creation stories, this one provides mythic answers to life's most perplexing questions and offers an ethical vision of how we should live.

Featuring some of the most dramatic combat footage ever recorded and interviews with highly decorated soldiers, this is a definitive history of the U.S. Marine Corps in battle.

This video is quite unique since the journey was aboard Amtrak's Cardinal after a very heavy snowfall. The journey picks up at first light east of Maysville, Kentucky, and concludes with the stop in Clifton Forge, West Virginia, after traveling along the Ohio River, and later the famous New River Gorge. It's a rare treat to be onboard during the winter and on a crystal clear day. The music by Michael Lynch is exceptional for this video as well. Since it was winter we did not have the opportunity to do off train locations, but we have an added bonus of including some steam locomotive excursions that formerly traveled this same route east of Huntington and through the New River region.

This award winning drama/doc tells the story of Paul Bogle, leader of the Morant Bay Rebellion 1865. This rebellion had a major impact on attitudes to race and empire in Victorian Britain, still present today.

This video shows how the Bible can have a powerful influence in your life.