John Milius

John Milius

John Frederick Milius is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures. He was one of the writers for the first two Dirty Harry films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. He wrote a number of iconic film lines such as "Charlie don't surf" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," from Apocalypse Now, and the famous Dirty Harry one-liners delivered by Clint Eastwood, including "Go ahead, make my day" and "Ask yourself one question, 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?". Milius also wrote the USS Indianapolis monologue in the film Jaws; the sequence performed by Robert Shaw. After his work on Rough Riders (1997), Milius became an instrumental force in lobbying Congress to award President Theodore Roosevelt the Medal of Honor (posthumously), for acts of conspicuous gallantry while in combat on San Juan Hill. Milius made two films featuring Roosevelt: The Wind and the Lion (where he was played by Brian Keith) and the made-for-TV film Rough Riders (where Tom Berenger took the role). The character of John Milner from the 1973 George Lucas film American Graffiti was inspired by Milius, who was a good friend of Lucas while they were at USC film school. Likewise, the character Walter Sobchak in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, made by his friends the Coen Brothers, was partly based on Milius. The novella "Blind Jozef Pronek and Dead Souls" by Aleksandar Hemon features an episode with Milius, who is described as "sitting at a desk sucking on a cigar as long as a walking stick." In 2013 a documentary about his life, titled Milius, was released. Writer Nat Segaloff called Milius: "The best writer of the so-called USC Mafia, a tight-knit group that resuscitated—some say homogenised American cinema in the 1970s... Raised on Ford, Hawks, Lean and Kurosawa, shaped by filmmakers as disparate as Fellini and Delmer Daves, Milius favours history books over comic books, character over special effects, and heroes with roots in reality, time, place and customs. Milius' stories reflect his own deeply held ethic, which embraces the values of tradition, adventure, spiritualism, honour and an intense loyalty to friends... Although he privately chafes at his public image as a gun-toting, liberal baiting provocateur, he allows himself to be painted as such, at times even holding the brush. He plays the Hollywood game like a pro, yet sticks to his own rules; he is a romantic filmmaker who avoids love scenes; his movies contain violence, yet no death in them is without meaning." Milius himself once said: "Never compromise excellence. To write for someone else is the biggest mistake that any writer makes. You should be your biggest competitor, your biggest critic, your biggest fan, because you don’t know what anybody else thinks. How arrogant it is to assume that you know the market, that you know what’s popular today [...] Write what you want to see. Because if you don’t, you’re not going to have any true passion in it, and it’s not going to be done with any true artistry."

  • Popularity : 3.685
  • Known For : Writing
  • Birthday : 1944-04-11
  • Place of Birth : St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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John Milius Movies

  • 2006
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    The Searchers: An Appreciation

    The Searchers: An Appreciation

    1 2006 HD

    Three directors (Curtis Hanson, Martin Scorsese and John Milius) discuss the movie "The Searchers."

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  • 1998
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    A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and 'The Searchers'

    A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and 'The Searchers'

    1 1998 HD

    Documentary on the making of "The Searchers" (1956), starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford, with outtakes, behind-the-scenes footage and...

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  • 1991
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    Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

    Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

    7.9 1991 HD

    A chronicle of the production problems — including bad weather, actors' health, war near the filming locations, and more — which plagued...

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  • 2008
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    Hollywood Gangster

    Hollywood Gangster

    1 2008 HD

    Documentary about American gangster movies.

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  • 2017
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    Made in Hollywood: Die Welt des Raoul Walsh

    Made in Hollywood: Die Welt des Raoul Walsh

    1 2017 HD

    Documentary about Raoul Walsh

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  • 2003
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    Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood

    Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood

    7.1 2003 HD

    The chronicle of the mind-blowing journey that was Hollywood during the seventies; the true and gripping story of the last golden age of American...

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  • 2003
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    Frazetta: Painting with Fire

    Frazetta: Painting with Fire

    6.4 2003 HD

    A documentary on the life of painter Frank Frazetta, who revolutionized science fiction, fantasy and comic art with breathtaking realistic paintings...

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  • 2002
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    Iron and Beyond

    Iron and Beyond

    5.3 2002 HD

    This short documentary explores just how the film Pumping Iron revolutionized the fitness industry and created an international icon in Arnold...

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  • 2004
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    Riding Giants

    Riding Giants

    7.6 2004 HD

    Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.

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  • 1999
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    Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales

    Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales

    7 1999 HD

    John Milius narrates this featurette on the Clint Eastwood classic.

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  • 2003
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    An Opera of Violence

    An Opera of Violence

    6 2003 HD

    First part of a three-part documentary series on the making of Once Upon a Time in the West, Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone's masterpiece, released...

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  • 2000
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    Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'

    Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'

    6.6 2000 HD

    Nearly all the cast and crew are on hand to give stories and memories about the making of the film. Plenty of detail on every aspect of the film from...

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  • 1996
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    The Making of '1941'

    The Making of '1941'

    6.2 1996 HD

    A non-narrated documentary, told mainly in interviews with the filmmakers, on the making of the cult comedy classic, featuring outtakes, rare...

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  • 2013
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    Milius

    Milius

    7 2013 HD

    The life story of ‘Zen Anarchist’ filmmaker John Milius, one of the most influential storytellers of his generation.

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  • 1997
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    In the Teeth of Jaws

    In the Teeth of Jaws

    8 1997 HD

    BBC documentary about the making of Steven Spielberg's Jaws.

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  • 2004
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    A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope

    A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope

    7.5 2004 HD

    A fascinating chronicle of the birth and rise of the radically different independent studio founded by director Francis Ford Coppola.

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  • 2010
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    Jaws: The Inside Story

    Jaws: The Inside Story

    7.3 2010 HD

    Steven Spielberg takes us behind the cameras for the making of a classic movie.

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  • 2001
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    Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul

    Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul

    6 2001 HD

    Documentary about legendary Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis who's credits range from Fellini's La Strada to today's Hannibal franchise. This...

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  • 2000
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    The Bridge on the River Kwai: An Appreciation by Filmmaker John Milius

    The Bridge on the River Kwai: An Appreciation by Filmmaker John Milius

    1 2000 HD

    Filmmaker John Milius discusses David Lean's classic Academy Award winner "The Bridge on the River Kwai."

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  • 1982
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    Conan the Barbarian

    Conan the Barbarian

    6.8 1982 HD

    A horde of rampaging warriors massacre the parents of young Conan and enslave the young child for years on The Wheel of Pain. As the sole survivor of...

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  • 1986
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    Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away

    Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away

    1 1986 HD

    This 1986 documentary features interviews with director Alexander Mackendrick, actor Burt Lancaster, producer James Hill, and others.

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  • 2003
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    Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'

    Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'

    6.5 2003 HD

    An overview of the making of John Huston's 1948 classic "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre."

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  • 1989
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    First Works

    First Works

    1 1989 HD

    It's a mixed bag in the age of illuminating DVD supplements, but First Works effectively demonstrates the early promise of 13 successful filmmakers....

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  • 2019
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    Sword-and-Sandal

    Sword-and-Sandal

    7 2019 HD

    The silent cinema had already created colossal movies based on ancient civilizations, but it is in the 1950s when peplums reach their apogee in...

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  • 2019
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    A Riddle of Steel: The Definitive History of Conan the Barbarian

    A Riddle of Steel: The Definitive History of Conan the Barbarian

    8.5 2019 HD

    The story of Conan the Cimmerian, from Robert E. Howard's pulp fiction anti-hero to pop culture icon.

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  • 1972
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    Deadhead Miles

    Deadhead Miles

    5.4 1972 HD

    A long-distance trucker, dressed like a sea captain, aimlessly sails the American highways in his 18 wheeler mumbling manic, southern accented non...

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  • 2008
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    A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry

    A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry

    4.5 2008 HD

    Filmmakers, social scientists and authors take a provocative look at the moral, political and ethical themes of the Dirty Harry films.

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  • 2001
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    Dirty Harry: The Original

    Dirty Harry: The Original

    7.375 2001 HD

    A retrospective look at the five Dirty Harry films (1971-88), starring Clint Eastwood.

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  • 2008
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    The Business End: Violence in Cinema

    The Business End: Violence in Cinema

    8 2008 HD

    An unflinching look at the ongoing debate on violence in movies and its effect on the audience.

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  • 2003
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    The Wages of Sin

    The Wages of Sin

    7.4 2003 HD

    Second part of a three-part documentary series on the making of Once Upon a Time in the West, Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone's masterpiece, released...

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  • 1995
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    Shotgun Freeway

    Shotgun Freeway

    1 1995 HD

    Before "L.A. Confidential", there was "Shotgun Freeway" -- the groundbreaking 1995 documentary about Los Angeles coming to grips with it's own...

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  • 2008
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    The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry

    The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry

    5.8 2008 HD

    An in-depth look at Dirty Harry (1971), featuring interviews with such film artists as Michael Madsen, 'Hal Holbrook', John Milius, 'Shane Black' and...

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  • 1975
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    The Lion Roars Again

    The Lion Roars Again

    1 1975 HD

    A chronicle of the 1975 International Press Conclave hosted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer over two days in May 1975.

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  • 2008
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    The Craft of Dirty Harry

    The Craft of Dirty Harry

    6 2008 HD

    A look at the cinematographers, editors, musicians, production designers and other talent of the Dirty Harry series.

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  • 2008
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    The Evolution of Clint Eastwood

    The Evolution of Clint Eastwood

    7 2008 HD

    Follow Eastwood's career from television star to matinee idol to Oscar-winning director in this wide-ranging documentary.

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  • 2003
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    Something to Do with Death

    Something to Do with Death

    6 2003 HD

    Third part of a three-part documentary series on the making of Once Upon a Time in the West, Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone's masterpiece, released...

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  • 1975
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    Crazy Mama

    Crazy Mama

    5.7 1975 HD

    Melba Stokes, her mother Sheba and daughter Cheryl embark on a crime spree after their California beauty parlor is repossessed. Their destination is...

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  • 1984
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    Red Dawn

    Red Dawn

    6.282 1984 HD

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  • 1984
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    Red Dawn

    Red Dawn

    6.282 1984 HD

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  • 1973
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    Magnum Force

    Magnum Force

    7.115 1973 HD

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  • 1989
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    Farewell to the King

    Farewell to the King

    5.955 1989 HD

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  • 1989
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    Farewell to the King

    Farewell to the King

    5.955 1989 HD

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  • 1972
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    Jeremiah Johnson

    Jeremiah Johnson

    7.3 1972 HD

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  • 1994
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    Clear and Present Danger

    Clear and Present Danger

    6.6 1994 HD

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  • 1982
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    Conan the Barbarian

    Conan the Barbarian

    6.8 1982 HD

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  • 1982
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    Conan the Barbarian

    Conan the Barbarian

    6.8 1982 HD

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  • 1972
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    The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean

    The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean

    6.5 1972 HD

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  • 1973
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    Dillinger

    Dillinger

    6.5 1973 HD

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  • 1973
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    Dillinger

    Dillinger

    6.5 1973 HD

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  • 1983
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    Uncommon Valor

    Uncommon Valor

    6.227 1983 HD

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  • 1975
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    The Wind and the Lion

    The Wind and the Lion

    6.533 1975 HD

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  • 1975
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    The Wind and the Lion

    The Wind and the Lion

    6.533 1975 HD

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  • 1973
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    Marcello, I'm Bored

    Marcello, I'm Bored

    1 1973 HD

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  • 1978
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    Big Wednesday

    Big Wednesday

    6.9 1978 HD

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  • 1991
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    Flight of the Intruder

    Flight of the Intruder

    5.6 1991 HD

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  • 1971
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    Evel Knievel

    Evel Knievel

    4.9 1971 HD

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  • 1994
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    Motorcycle Gang

    Motorcycle Gang

    5 1994 HD

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  • 1987
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    Extreme Prejudice

    Extreme Prejudice

    6.2 1987 HD

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  • 1993
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    Geronimo: An American Legend

    Geronimo: An American Legend

    6.3 1993 HD

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  • 1993
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    Geronimo: An American Legend

    Geronimo: An American Legend

    6.3 1993 HD

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  • 1975
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    Melvin Purvis G-Man

    Melvin Purvis G-Man

    6.7 1975 HD

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  • 1975
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    Melvin Purvis G-Man

    Melvin Purvis G-Man

    6.7 1975 HD

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  • 1980
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    Used Cars

    Used Cars

    6.361 1980 HD

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  • 2015
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    The Lotus Gun

    The Lotus Gun

    1 2015 HD

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  • 1978
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    Big Wednesday

    Big Wednesday

    6.9 1978 HD

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  • 1970
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    The Conquest of Mexico

    The Conquest of Mexico

    1 1970 HD

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  • 1979
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    1941

    1941

    5.794 1979 HD

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  • 1969
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    The Devil's Eight

    The Devil's Eight

    5.1 1969 HD

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  • 1979
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    Hardcore

    Hardcore

    6.8 1979 HD

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  • 1979
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    Apocalypse Now

    Apocalypse Now

    8.3 1979 HD

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  • 1979
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    1941

    1941

    5.794 1979 HD

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  • 1967
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    The Emperor

    The Emperor

    6.6 1967 HD

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  • 1970
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    8.257 1970 HD

    A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.

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  • 1970
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    8.257 1970 HD

    A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.

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  • 1970
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    7.7 1970 HD

    This 1980s revival of the classic sci-fi series features a similar style to the original anthology series. Each episode tells a tale (sometimes two...

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  • 1970
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    6.1 1970 HD

    Explores the journey of the cavalry group led by Theodore Roosevelt in a charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

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  • 1970
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    6.1 1970 HD

    Explores the journey of the cavalry group led by Theodore Roosevelt in a charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

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  • 1970
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    10 1970 HD

    Rebel Highway was a short-lived revival of American International Pictures created and produced by Lou Arkoff, the son of Samuel Z. Arkoff and Debra...

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  • 1970
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    8.257 1970 HD

    A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.

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  • 1970
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    6.1 1970 HD

    Explores the journey of the cavalry group led by Theodore Roosevelt in a charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

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