Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall (July 7, 1949 – July 11, 2024) was an American actress known for her portrayal of distinctive, often eccentric characters. She was the recipient of several accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Peabody Award and nominations for a British Academy Film Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Born in Texas, Duvall began acting after being discovered by director Robert Altman, who was impressed with her upbeat presence and cast her in the black comedy film Brewster McCloud (1970). Despite her hesitance towards becoming an actress, she continued to work with Altman, appearing in McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and Thieves Like Us (1974). Her breakthrough came with Altman's cult film Nashville (1975), and she earned widespread acclaim with the drama 3 Women (1977), also directed by Altman, for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and earned a nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. That same year, she appeared in a supporting role (as a writer for Rolling Stone) in Woody Allen's satirical romantic comedy Annie Hall (1977) and hosted Saturday Night Live.
In the 1980s, Duvall became famous for her leading roles, which include Olive Oyl in Altman's live-action feature version of Popeye (1980) and Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's horror film The Shining (1980). She appeared in Terry Gilliam's fantasy film Time Bandits (1981), the short comedy horror film Frankenweenie (1984), and the comedy Roxanne (1987). She ventured into producing television programming aimed at children and youth in the latter half of the 1980s, notably creating and hosting the programs Faerie Tale Theatre (1982–1987), Tall Tales & Legends (1985–1987) (which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1988), and Nightmare Classics (1989).
Duvall sporadically worked in acting throughout the 1990s, notably playing supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh's thriller The Underneath (1995) and the Henry James adaptation The Portrait of a Lady (1996), directed by Jane Campion. Her last performance was in Manna from Heaven (2002), after which she retired from acting. Duvall for many years kept out of the public media, keeping her personal life generally private; however, her health issues earned significant media coverage. After a 21-year hiatus from acting, Duvall returned to acting in the horror film The Forest Hills.
| Known For | Acting |
|---|---|
| Most Rating | 1.8264 |
| Birthday | 1949-07-07 |
| Place of Birth | Fort Worth, Texas, USA |
| Also Known As | The Texas Twiggy, Manic Mouse, Shelley Alexis Duvall, |
1980
The Shining
8.2/18808
Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest...
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The Shining
1977
Annie Hall
7.733/4214
New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall.
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Annie Hall
1975
Nashville
7.246/458
The intersecting stories of twenty-four characters—from country star to wannabe to reporter to waitress—connect to the music business in Nashville, Te...
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Nashville
1998
Big Monster on Campus
5.167/27
A student receives a serial killer's brain in a transplant after being thrown into a pool with no water in it.
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Big Monster on Campus
1980
Popeye
5.556/697
Popeye is a super-strong, spinach-scarfing sailor man who's searching for his father. During a storm that wrecks his ship, Popeye washes ashore and wi...
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Popeye
1987
Roxanne
6.439/684
In this modern take on Edmond Rostand's classic play "Cyrano de Bergerac," C. D. Bales is the witty, intelligent, and brave fire chief of a small Paci...
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Roxanne
1991
Suburban Commando
4.7/195
Shep Ramsey is an interstellar hero, righting wrongs, etc. His ship is damaged after a fight with an interstellar nasty and he must hide out on Earth...
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Suburban Commando
1974
Thieves Like Us
6.5/87
Three criminals escape from prison and embark on a robbery spree across USA. Along the way, one of them falls in love while they plan a final heist be...
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Thieves Like Us
1998
Home Fries
5.1/107
Dorian and Angus chase down their womanizing stepfather with a helicopter, frightening him to death. In his effort to cover their tracks, Dorian begin...
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Home Fries
1971
Brewster McCloud
6.302/96
Brewster is an owlish, intellectual boy who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome. He has a dream: to take flight within the confines of...
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Brewster McCloud
1984
Frankenweenie
6.949/443
When young Victor's pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor's home-made monster movies) is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only...
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Frankenweenie
1995
The Underneath
5.7/86
A recovering gambling addict attempts to reconcile with his family and friends but finds trouble and temptation when caught between feelings for his e...
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The Underneath
1971
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
7.164/444
A gambler and a prostitute become thriving business partners in a remote Old West mining town until a large corporation arrives on the scene.
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McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1990
The Chipmunks Rockin' Through The Decades
3/2
Get ready to jam with The Chipmunks on some of the hottest tunes in rock! Join host Fresh Prince on a rockin' and rappin' funfest of music from the '5...
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The Chipmunks Rockin' Through The Decades
1977
3 Women
7.121/342
Two co-workers, one a vain woman and the other an awkward teenager, share an increasingly bizarre relationship after becoming roommates.
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3 Women
1981
Time Bandits
6.63/1137
Young history buff Kevin can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his closet one night. Former employees of the Supreme Being, they've purl...
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Time Bandits
1990
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
4.8/18
Set in the mythical world of Rhymeland, Gordon Goose returns home to discover that his mom has mysteriously vanished. Now the characters of Rhymeland...
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Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
1998
Tale of the Mummy
4.7/115
Centuries ago, under the sands of ancient Egypt, a Prince was buried and his tomb eternally cursed so that no man would ever again suffer from his evi...
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Tale of the Mummy
1998
Casper Meets Wendy
5.9/410
When a warlock threatens Wendy the Good Little Witch, she and her aunts hide out at a resort where Casper the Ghost is vacationing with his uncles. Al...
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Casper Meets Wendy
Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall
0/0
Documentary chronicling Shelley Duvall's 32-year career as an actress and producer.
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Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall
1980
Making 'The Shining'
7.1/114
Directed and edited by Stanley Kubrick's daughter Vivian Kubrick, this film offers a look behind the scenes during the making of The Shining.
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Making 'The Shining'
1999
The 4th Floor
5.7/129
A woman inherits a rent-controlled apartment and is terrorized by a neighbor.
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The 4th Floor
1984
Pinocchio
4.8/5
A lonely wood-carver named Geppetto wishes for a son one night before going to bed. The Blue Fairy comes while he sleeps and partially grants the wish...
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Pinocchio
1984
Thumbelina
6/2
Thumbelina is the answer to her mother's prayers but is all too soon stolen away by Mother Toad as a wife for her son. With the help of many different...
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Thumbelina
1976
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
5.428/104
Buffalo Bill plans to put on his own Wild West sideshow, and Chief Sitting Bull has agreed to appear in it. However, Sitting Bull has his own hidden a...
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Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
1986
Johnny Appleseed
0/0
Shelley Duvall acted as host for this 1980s television series about legendary characters and historical events. This volume chronicles Jonathan Chapma...
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Johnny Appleseed
1986
Ponce de Leon
0/0
Get to know the legendary European explorer with an impossible mission in this retelling of the myth of Ponce de Leon (Michael York). Executive produc...
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Ponce de Leon
1986
John Henry
0/0
The story follow legendary railroad worker John Henry during the late 19th century.
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John Henry
1986
Davy Crockett
10/1
Story of American raccoon-skin-wearing pioneer Davy Crocket on the wild frontier.
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Davy Crockett
1986
Pecos Bill
0/0
Steve Guttenberg portrays Pecos Bill, the "King of the Cowboys," in this rootin' tootin' epic. Raised by coyotes, Bill puts the "wild" in the Wild Wes...
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Pecos Bill
1997
Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
4.8/8
Thirteen-year-old Jesse is a typical teenager who hates his teacher, Mrs. Fink. While visiting a vintage clothing shop, Jesse sees a doll that looks e...
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Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
1987
Frog
4.2/5
Arlo Anderson loves his reptiles, and so when he decides to buy a rare breed of frog with his date money he winds up with more than he bargained for!...
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Frog
1997
Changing Habits
1.5/6
An aspiring artist runs from men as a result of an early life problem that has left her relationship with her father strained. She decides to move int...
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Changing Habits
1982
Twilight Theatre
0/0
Television parody. Sketches include: Women Who Have Made It With Me, No-Arms Bandits, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, & Funky High School. Features a performance...
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Twilight Theatre
1976
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
5.2/13
Bernice, a shy young woman, leaves her safe home to go visit her flapper cousin. When her cousin tries to teach Bernice how to be much more modern, Be...
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Bernice Bobs Her Hair
1985
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
7.5/2
The town of Hamelin pays the ultimate price after reneging on their promise to the pied piper. Based on the poem by Robert Browning.
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The Pied Piper of Hamelin
1985
Annie Oakley
0/0
Young Phoebe Mosey (Jamie Lee Curtis) defies expectations and proves herself to become "Little Miss Sure Shot" Annie Oakley, the legendary sharpshoote...
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Annie Oakley
1986
Darlin' Clementine
0/0
Clementine is the sole woman in her mining camp who cares for everyone around her until her selfish father learns a valuable lesson.
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Darlin' Clementine
1986
Casey at the Bat
0/0
Down-on-his-luck baseball player Casey Frank (Elliott Gould) follows his dreams to become the biggest star in the game.
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Casey at the Bat
1996
The Portrait of a Lady
6/252
Ms. Isabel Archer isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Impressed by her free spirit, her kindhearted cousin writes her into his fatally ill fathe...
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The Portrait of a Lady
1997
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs
5.7/21
Set in a blazing land where the sun ceaselessly shines, this dramatic fantasy examines love’s darker aspects.
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Twilight of the Ice Nymphs
1977
The Paul Simon Special
8/2
Paul Simon just wants to perform his songs although an arrogant director keeps on interrupting him with crazy ideas.
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The Paul Simon Special
1997
Alone
6.5/6
John Webb is recently widowed and living alone on the farm he and his brother used to share. He rarely sees his daughters, Jacqueline and Grace Ann, a...
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Alone
1991
Frogs!
2/3
Gus, a former frog prince turned lounge singer, shows up on his friend's doorstep just when Arlo has little time to help him. But when Gus tangles wit...
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Frogs!
2005
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
8.222/9
A collection of classic Saturday Night Live sketches featuring Dan Aykroyd.
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Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
1987
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
6/5
Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Washington Irving’s classic tale about Rip Van Winkle, a carefree villager who wanders into New York’s Catskill M...
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Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
2002
Manna from Heaven
0/0
Manna From Heaven is a comedic fable about what happens when you get a gift from God (a financial windfall), but many years later you find out it was...
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Manna from Heaven
1984
Booker
7/1
Booker tells the true story of Booker T. Washington, who, as a young slave, dreams of learning to read and write. After the Civil War frees him, Booke...
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Booker
1996
Robert Altman: Giggle And Give In
0/0
Paul Joyce’s documentary profile of Robert Altman, with contributions from Altman, Elliott Gould, Shelley Duvall, assistant director Alan Rudolph and...
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Robert Altman: Giggle And Give In
1997
RocketMan
5.188/140
An accident-prone and obnoxious geek joins a NASA space mission to Mars. During the flight, he manages to put himself and the entire crew in jeopardy,...
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RocketMan
1985
Cinderella
7/9
An oppressed young woman finds happiness when she secretly attends the royal ball.
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Cinderella
1985
The Emperor's New Clothes
3.3/3
Two con men take advantage of an emperor's vanity.
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The Emperor's New Clothes
1986
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
0/0
There was once a very serious kingdom. So serious, that the King demanded to be addressed as Your Seriousness...
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The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
1985
Puss in Boots
5/1
A young man (Gregory Hines) journeys from rags-to-riches thanks to his talented Puss in Boots (Ben Vereen). Starring Ben Vereen, Gregory Hines, Alfre...
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Puss in Boots
1986
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
5.8/4
Based on the story "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp", directed by Tim Burton and starring Robert Carradine.
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Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1987
The Little Mermaid
6.3/3
A mermaid princess is willing to sacrifice anything for love.
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The Little Mermaid
1987
The Dancing Princesses
6/1
A king with six daughters who is extremely over protective locks them in their room at night. But for some reason they order shoes from the cobbler pr...
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The Dancing Princesses
1983
The Fairest of Them All
0/0
A celebration of the art of animation as seen through the eyes of Walt Disney. Dick Van Patten hosts and introduces many of the artists who worked on...
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The Fairest of Them All
1982
Rumpelstiltskin
5.8/6
Desperate to save her own life, a miller's daughter makes a bargain with a strange elf-like character. When she cannot cover her debt she is faced wit...
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Rumpelstiltskin
1983
The Nightingale
3.7/3
A kitchen maid and a nightingale help save an emperor with the power of song and friendship.
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The Nightingale
1984
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
6/4
Snow White must flee from her evil stepmother. She's taken in by the lovable seven dwarves. Will the wicked queen be able to get rid of her rival?
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2001
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
7.4/197
With commentary from Hollywood stars, outtakes from his movies and footage from his youth, this documentary looks at Stanley Kubrick's life and films....
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Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
1986
Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures
2/1
Based on the "Saturday Night Live" shorts, Mr. Bill stars in his own show, but this time he's played by a human actor.
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Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures
1983
Jack and the Beanstalk
5/2
Imaginative and creative Jack seeks adventure while trying to provide for himself and his mother. Will he ever solve the mystery of how his father die...
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Jack and the Beanstalk
1985
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
5.3/3
Ichabod Crane becomes the headmaster at a schoolhouse. He falls for Katrina Van Tassel but she has a lover: Brom Bones. Brom scares him off acting as...
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1994
Aliens for Breakfast
3/1
Sinbad plays Ari, an alien who comes to Earth in a cereal box in order to warn a kid about an imminent alien invasion.
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Aliens for Breakfast
1983
Rapunzel
5.4/4
A sinister witch steals the baby of a simple candlemaker and his wife and names her Rapunzel. Determined to keep Rapunzel for herself, the witch locks...
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Rapunzel
1984
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
6.5/4
An intelligent, fearless boy living in a superstitious Transylvanian village goes out into the world to figure out what everyone else is afraid of, "t...
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The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
1997
Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilight
7.2/6
Interviews with Guy Maddin and his pals are included in this documentary about the Canadian film-maker's life and movies. Features clips from most of...
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Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilight
1988
Earthquake Survival
0/0
Documentary on earthquake preparedness.
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Earthquake Survival
1982
The Tale of the Frog Prince
6.1/7
A spoiled, selfish princess's fate becomes entwined with a zany and witty frog with a secret past.
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The Tale of the Frog Prince
1983
Sleeping Beauty
6.6/7
A prince chases his destiny to an ancient castle in search of a cursed princess, thanks to the help of an informative lumberjack.
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Sleeping Beauty
1983
Little Red Riding Hood
6.3/5
A sheltered but adventurous young woman finds trouble when she encounters a wolf.
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Little Red Riding Hood
1984
The Princess and the Pea
7.7/3
A bored prince realizes he would like a wife. His mother searches through all the kingdoms far and wide for a "suitable" princess. In the meantime, a...
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The Princess and the Pea
1983
Hansel and Gretel
6.9/4
Abandoned by their parents, a young brother and sister try to find their way home. On the way, they find themselves trapped in the plot of a nasty wit...
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Hansel and Gretel
1984
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
5/2
A spirited young girl disobeys her parents and runs off to the wood for the afternoon where she rudely invades the home of a family of bears, taking a...
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Goldilocks and the Three Bears
1984
Beauty and the Beast
6.4/7
The beautiful daughter of a merchant sacrifices her freedom to save her father from the punishment of a cursed beast.
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Beauty and the Beast
Howl: Inside the Forest Hills
0/0
The official behind the scenes look at the making of The Forest Hills.
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Howl: Inside the Forest Hills
1986
Lily
0/0
Lily Miniver is an eccentric, intrepid young woman whose job as associate curator at the prestigious Jeffersonian Museum in Washington, D.C. takes her...
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Lily
2025
Dreams in the Attic
0/0
Eccentric Aunt Nellie (Shelley Duvall) has a magical trunk in her attic at the costume shop that she owns. Costumes that are placed in the trunk posse...
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Dreams in the Attic
1985
The Snow Queen
0/0
Kay and Gerda are best friends. A wicked goblin who likes to cause trouble casts a spell on Kay to separate them. The Snow Queen snatches him away to...
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The Snow Queen
1994
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witch
0/0
Little Gloria is the worst witch-in-training ever to attend Madame Pestilence's Academy of Young Goblins and Witches. All the other students are busy...
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Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witch
2020
Kubrick by Kubrick
7.5/48
American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999), one of the greatest in history, but also one of the most reserved, gave few interviews throughout his...
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Kubrick by Kubrick
1984
The Secret World of the Very Young
0/0
The world of pre-school youngsters is explored through songs and skits.
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