TiVoPlex
By John Seal
July 10, 2007
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 07/10/07
6:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Last Flight (1931 USA): Four shell-shocked World War I vets (Richard Barthelmess, David Manners, John Mack Brown, and Elliott Nugent) try to drown their sorrows in the watering holes of not so gay Paree in this excellent William Dieterle drama from First National. The quartet of soused ex-flyers hook up with an equally at sea American woman (Helen Chandler), who they adopt as a platonic mascot and try to protect from the predacious Frink (Walter Byron), a priapic reporter with less than noble intentions. Barring an introductory plane wreck, The Last Flight doesn't have much in the way of aerial footage, but I guess TCM considered the title alone sufficient qualification for this month's aviation theme - and regardless, it's a pretty good film that underscores the not inconsiderable talents of director Dieterle, who had just moved to the United States, and for whom this represented his first English language feature.
9:00 PM Showtime 3
Werewolf Hunter: The Legend of Romasanta (2004 ESP-GB): A Spanish werewolf movie WITHOUT the presence of El Hombre Lobo himself, Paul Naschy? It's true, and even more surprisingly, Romasanta isn't too bad by the contemporary standards of the genre. Julian Sands stars as the title character, a 19th century travelling salesman who drops by a remote Spanish village for a sojourn with his beloved, Maria, and her sisters, one of whom secretly lusts after the finely chiselled dandy. All is not well, however, as a series of gruesome murders is cutting a bloody swath across the land, and when the killer strikes close to home, young Romasanta becomes a primary suspect. Reminiscent of Hammer's Curse of the Werewolf, The Legend of Romasanta is an ambitious attempt to regenerate the gothic horror genre from director Paco Plaza and expatriate American ‘creative producer' Brian Yuzna - and it certainly gives a new spin to the one about the travelling salesman and the farmer's daughter.
Wednesday 07/11/07
4:45 AM Encore Love Stories
Bitter Harvest (1963 GB): Unheralded Lancashire lass Janet Munro plays a Welsh waif who relocates to the Big Smoke in this cautionary tale from future Avengers producer Albert Fennell. Munro plays Jennie Jones, who in best Hollywood fashion sells her soul for a mess of theatrical potage and reaps the appropriately bitter harvest of the title. Brilliantly lensed in Eastmancolor by DoP Ernest Steward - who also worked on The Avengers with Fennell and composer Laurie Johnson - this is an impressive and colorful snapshot of London nightlife during the early 1960s, and co-stars Alan Badel, Thora Hird, and Allen Cuthbertson.
11:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Golden Arrow (1964 ITA): Here's a terrific rarity from The Golden Age of Peplum, airing as part of a TCM tribute to actor Tab Hunter. Tab plays Hassan, a rough mannered Arab bandit (please suspend your disbelief) who discovers to his surprise that he is actually the son of the assassinated Sultan of Damascus. The late Sultan owned the titular arrow, which possesses magical qualities and can only be shot by someone of royal lineage - and when Hassan is put to the test and shockingly passes, the city is thrown into mayhem. Tab gets to flex his pecs, co-star Rosanna Podesta bats her fake eyelashes, and flying carpets are utilized as death dealing weapons of mass destruction. Directed by the well regarded Antonio Margheriti and scored by Mario Nascimbene, The Golden Arrow is ninety minutes of well made if utterly brainless fantasy fun - and thankfully, TCM is utilizing a widescreen print tonight, which has not always been the case with their all too rare forays into the sword and sandal genre.
11:50 AM Starz In Black
Shakespeare Behind Bars (2005 USA): Can the transformative power of art work its healing magic behind bars? That's the question posed by this fascinating and VERY moving documentary about a troupe of inmates who have their own Shakespearean company and put on an annual production at the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, Kentucky. You've never seen The Tempest quite like this before.
8:30 PM The Movie Channel
Brothers of the Head (2006 GB): One of the more unusual musical comedies of recent years, Brothers of the Head had a super limited American theatrical release last summer during which virtually no one saw it. Now it gets a shot at a much wider audience, and I encourage you to take a look. Set during the 1970s, the film tells the tale of a pair of conjoined rockers (real life separate twins Harry and Luke Treadway) plucked from obscurity by an ambitious impresario (Howard Attfield) on the lookout for a new gimmick to sell British pop pickers. Picking up where 1951's Chained For Life left off, the film vividly - some might say, TOO vividly - depicts the seedy rock ‘n' roll lifestyle as seen from the unique perspective of Siamese twins. Penned for the screen by frequent Terry Gilliam collaborator Tony Grisoni, Brothers of the Head was directed by Lost In La Mancha helmers Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, and airs again at 11:30 PM.
Thursday 07/12/07
10:10 PM HBO Signature
Parentesis (2005 CHI): No Argentinian films this week, I'm afraid, but we do get the American television premiere of this gentle romantic comedy from Chile instead. Sigrid Alegria and Francisco Perez-Bannen star as Pola and Camilo, a twenty something couple taking a brief, weeklong timeout from their relationship. Pola is concerned that Camilo, a wannabe slacker punching the clock at the local video store, isn't taking her seriously enough, and when he takes up with air-headed Mikela (Carolina Castro), her worst fears seem confirmed. Shot entirely with mini-DV cameras, Parantesis is an impressive first feature from youngsters Francisca Schweitzer and Pablo Solis.
Friday 07/13/07
3:00 AM Sundance
Independent America: The Two Lane Search For Mom and Pop (2005 USA): Remember when Main Street U.S.A. was dominated by local businesses? The bookstore, the hardware store, the corner pharmacy - they were all once owned and operated by your next door neighbors, until evil mega-corporations started muscling in and forcing them out of business during the 1970s. The trend accelerated rapidly throughout the final two decades of the 20th century, and now when you take that California trip down Route 66 you'll see the same damn thing at one end that you saw at the other. This road trip documentary tries to find and celebrate the few hardy survivors, who now constitute an underground opposition to the dark forces of Wal-Mart, Target, and Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich. Vive la resistance!
Saturday 07/14/07
4:15 AM Encore Mystery
Cul-de-Sac (1966 GB): Roman Polanski's bizarre, existential black comedy is definitely not for all tastes, and isn't even amongst my favorite of the Polish bad boy's features. Nonetheless, mediocre Polanski is better than 90% of everything else, and Cul-de-Sac is worth a look for adventurous cineastes interested in exploring the roots of Roman. Co-written with regular collaborator Gerard Brach, the film stars Donald Pleasence and Francoise Dorleac as the occupants of a remote seaside castle somewhere on the Northeast coast of England. Donald plays a retired businessman, Francoise his bored French wife, and they're thoroughly sick of each other - until their complacency is shattered by the arrival of a plug ugly criminal (Lionel Stander) and his deceased accomplice, the latter of whom is buried on the castle grounds, and the former of whom is temporarily taken on as household help. It all plays like a weird cross between Jean Paul Sartre's No Exit and Beckett's Waiting For Godot, and only works in fits and starts, but is worth watching for Pleasence's pop-eyed performance alone.
4:30 PM Sundance
The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2004 FRA): I haven't seen this French drama about an aspiring musician with an unfortunate background, but it received excellent reviews, and I quite enjoyed director Jacques Audiard's previous offering, the odd romantic thriller Read My Lips. A remake of sorts of James Toback's grim 1977 drama Fingers, in which Harvey Keitel played a piano prodigy with a mobster father and a borderline psychotic mother, The Beat That My Heart Skipped replaces scowling Harv with glowering Romain Duris (Gadjo Dilo, CQ), and cleaned up at festivals and awards ceremonies worldwide, including at the 2005 Cesars, where it netted an impressive eight prizes.
Sunday 07/15/07
3:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Clambake (1967 USA): It's been a while since this Elvis feature has graced the airwaves, especially in its correct aspect ratio. In all honesty, though, it's probably one of the King's very worst films, which, of course, is saying quite a bit. In this effort, Elvis plays spoiled rich kid Scott Heyward, who, in an attempt to get a little dirt under his fingernails and learn how the common folk live, swaps places with penniless but happy ski instructor Tom Wilson (also Elvis). In his new working class persona, Scott falls for debutante Dianne Carter (Shelley Fabares), who's declared her intentions to marry for money. Will Dianne see through his disguise - or will she fall in love with the content of Scott's character? The songs stink, the comedy is lame, and the romantic sparks sputter, but you do get to enjoy 13-year-old Corbin Bernson's film debut!
Monday 07/16/07
4:10 AM Encore Action
The Defiant Ones(1986 USA): Did you enjoy the original Tony Curtis/Sidney Poitier version of this groundbreaking racial drama about two escaped convicts - one black, one white - handcuffed together as they flee the chain gang? If so, chances are you'll be appalled by this entirely inadequate Made For TV remake. Curtis and Poitier are replaced by Robert Urich and Carl Weathers, and believe me, these guys didn't win any Emmys for their efforts here. Consolation comes in the form of Ed Lauter, excellent as usual as the sheriff on their trail, and the great Thalmus Rasulala in a bit part.
2:30 PM Fox Movie Channel
The Manhattan Project(1986 USA): Here's one high school science project guaranteed to get the judges' attention! Christopher Collet plays Paul, a student whose project, a new and improved atomic bomb, may earn him an A-plus - unless it detonates, in which case he'll probably flunk the final. He's filched his raw materials from scientist John Lithgow, who apparently left some plutonium on the bedside table whilst pleasuring sexy single mother Jill Eikenberry. The Manhattan Project tries hard, but ultimately fails as either straight-faced nuclear nightmare parable or War Games style kid thriller. It's making its widescreen television debut this afternoon.