The First Purge

Composer and musician Neil Brand presents a series on the movie musical - from Hollywood to China and the USSR, and from Snow White and Gene Kelly to Grease and La La Land.

Fifty years after the end of World War II, historians now are coming to the consensus that Russia played the decisive role in the defeat of Hitler. At least 25 million Soviet soldiers and civilians perished at home and on the battlefield in the bloodiest struggle of our century.

One of the most intriguing periods in global history, The Crusades had a profound impact on the course of human civilisation with a lasting legacy that is still felt today. THE CRUSADES: CRESCENT & THE CROSS, an Emmy award-winning visual narrative presents the epic battle between two Middle Age superpowers: the Christian Crusaders and the Muslims. Fought over two centuries, the conflict decided the fate of the Holy Land of the Middle East. Only a tiny strip of land, just a few hundred miles long, it contained the ultimate prize, the city of Jerusalem.

American rapper David Hutto unveiled his killer scarecrow persona Boondox at the turn of the millennium, catching the eyes of Insane Clown Posse. He was the first Southern artist added to the clowns' growing roster at Psychopathic Records, marking the label's expansion of its deranged and murderous brand of rap-rock within the indie rap sphere. The divergence from Boondox's Detroit-based labelmates was apparent in his hillbilly getup – scarecrow hat, flannel shirt, and country boots – and the Southern twang of banjos and harmonicas mixed in with his rap beats.

This film, Leni Riefenstahl’s documentary of the 1933 Nazi Party rally was thought lost for almost 70 years. Digitally remastered and enhanced with English subtitles, this little known epic was as ground-breaking as her later Triumph of the Will. Extremely rare, limited pressing.

One of the most important filmmakers to emerge from Japan's cinematic golden age, Masaki Kobayashi is best remembered today for his 1959 epic The Human Condition, but that is just one of the blistering films he made in a career dedicated to criticizing his country's rigid social and political orders. He first found his voice-rebellious, angry, engaged-in the fifties, following his life-altering experiences as a soldier in World War II. Includes "The Thick-Walled Room," "I Will Buy You," "Black River" and "The Inheritance."

Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow brings to life the story of the people of the Soviet Union during World War II who struggle to survive the tyrannical reign of Joseph Stalin. A compelling story of dictatorship, bloody battles, and endless courage as the Soviet people combat not only Hitler and the Germany Army, but their own leader as well. Hosted by former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, this 10-hour program features never-before-seen Russian images, once-secret documents, and leading Russian historians to explore Russia from 1924 through 1953.