TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex for Tuesday, October 14, 2008 through Monday, October 20, 2008
By John Seal
October 13, 2008
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 10/14/08
12:45 AM Encore Action
Melvin Purvis G-Man (1974 USA): I absolutely loved this TV-Movie-of-the-Week when I was 12-years-old. Based on the true-life adventures of the titular FBI agent, it features Dale Robertson as Purvis, who pursued John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, and other less noteworthy gangsters throughout the 1930s. In this film, director Dan Curtis and writer John Milius have him chasing Machine Gun Kelly (Harris Yulin) - which is a little odd, considering Kelly was one criminal that the real-life Purvis never actually drew a bead on. It's been more than 30 years since I last saw Melvin Purvis G-Man, so perhaps my adolescent fascination with gats, fedoras, and vintage cars has left me with some overly charitable memories of it, but I'm certainly excited about the opportunity to see it again.
11:00 PM Fox Movie Channel
Trouble Man (1972 USA): It's primarily remembered today for its Marvin Gaye soundtrack, but Trouble Man is a decent little black action flick in its own right. Making its widescreen American television debut tonight, the film features Robert Hooks as Mr. T (!), a hyper-masculine L.A. gumshoe trying to keep the lid on a brewing South Central gang war. Directed by Hogan's Heroes' co-star Ivan Dixon, whose next film would be the superior The Spook Who Sat By the Door, Trouble Man is an action and sex-packed feature enlivened by the presence of Paul Winfield, Julius Harris, and Ralph Waite - Ralph Waite?!? - amongst its supporting cast, in addition to that killer score.
Wednesday 10/15/08
7:00 PM Sundance
It's A Free World (2007 GB): Coming hard on the heels of Ken Loach's acclaimed historical drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley, It's A Free World finds everyone's favorite Marxist director returning to his contemporary proletarian roots. The film tells the story of Angie (Kiersten Waring), an ambitious young East Ender who loses her job at a shady employment agency (their specialty being finding work for illegal Eastern European immigrants) and decides to open her own, similar, business with the help of chum Rose (Juliet Ellis). Written by regular Loach collaborator Paul Laverty, It's A Free World is a disturbing micro-level examination of the insidious effect of Thatcherism and Reaganism on the working classes in the era of greed-is-good exploitation, when society - and history - have both been declared things of the past. Also airs 10/16 at 2:00 AM.
Thursday 10/16/08
3:45 AM Sundance
The Sci-Fi Boys (2006 USA): This good-natured documentary takes a look at the evolution of the species scientia fabula fanatico. First discovered during the middle of the 20th century, this species includes such noted phyla as Ray Bradbury, Forry Ackerman, Ray Harryhausen, and Bob Burns, all of whom feature here in charming interview segments that serve as a tribute both to themselves and to the genre they love so much. Hard-hitting this ain't, but The Sci-Fi Boys is guaranteed to imbue a heart-warming, nostalgic glow in men of a certain age and girth.
2:40 PM Starz Edge
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006 USA): I haven't seen this mockumentary yet, but the précis sounds intriguing: a documentary crew making a film about aspiring serial killer Vernon (Nathan Baesel) are invited to bring their cameras along as he stalks his victims. Sounds reminiscent of the deeply unpleasant Belgian film Man Bites Dog, but with the added attractions of Robert Englund and Zelda Rubenstein (yes!!!) in the cast.
7:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Thief of Baghdad (1940 GB): An evening of Sabu commences with this remarkable, shot in color fantasy feature from the House of Korda, otherwise known as London Films. Produced by brothers Alexander and Zoltan, Hungarian refugees who breathed fresh life into the fusty British film industry of the 1930s, The Thief of Baghdad made a star of teenaged Indian actor Sabu, here cast as the cheeky Abu, the city's most talented cutpurse. Abu is befriended by outcast Prince Ahmad (John Justin), and the two partake in a series of amazing adventures brought to life by the stunning special effects work of art director William Cameron Menzies. It's the glorious blueprint for Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films, and still has the power to amaze and delight film fans of all ages. It's followed at 9:00 PM by Korda's 1942 Rudyard Kipling adaptation Jungle Book, in which Sabu portrays the animal-conversant Mowgli; at 11:00 PM by Song of India, a rarely seen 1949 Columbia programmer co-starring Gail Russell and Turhan Bey; and (on 10/17) at 12:45 AM by the even rarer Jacques Feyder-helmed feature Son of India (1931), which doesn't actually feature Sabu, but would have if he weren't only seven-years-old and living in Mysore at the time it was produced.
Friday 10/17/08
1:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
Together Brothers (1973 USA): I failed to mention this enjoyable (if far-fetched) drama when it re-appeared on Fox in widescreen last month, so it's time for me to do penance. Unfairly shoe-horned into the ghetto of so-called ‘blaxploitation' films, Together Brothers is more of a kiddie caper flick about a gang (in the nicest old-fashioned sense of the word) of teenagers who take it upon themselves to investigate the murder of beloved local police officer Mr. Kool (Ed Bernard). You may not believe a minute of it, but it's quality feel good entertainment, and co-stars the great Glynn Turman as a consciousness-raising doctor.
9:00 PM IFC
Razor: Sword of Justice (1972 JAP): The Hanzo (Razor) series came to domestic DVD a few years back, but it's taken a little longer for them to wend their way to the boob tube. First up is Sword of Justice, directed by Kenji Misumi (a veteran of both the Zatoichi and Lone Wolf series) and starring Zatoichi himself, Shintaro Katsu, as Hanzo the Razor, a samurai constable of considerable repute and impressive bloodletting skills. He patrols a precinct of Old Tokyo, where he kicks ass and takes names later in best Dirty Harry style, whilst his off hours are spent jumping between the sheets with any geisha who so much as gives him the eye. These are action films first, last and always: you might mistake a Hanzo film for a Kurosawa production at first blush, but they're basically very well-made exploitation flicks.
11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Wicked, Wicked (1973 USA): I'm delighted to report that TCM has the good sense to repeat this remarkable piece of cinematic flotsam tonight. Or is it jetsam? Regardless, it's a lovable and nonsensical ‘mystery' film shot almost entirely in split-screen format. You can read a bit more about it in my June 3, 2008 column (in which my assessment was, I fear, a bit too harsh), or - shameless plug time - in my extended analysis in the new Fall issue of The Phantom of the Movie's Videoscope - available in good bookstores everywhere!
Saturday 10/18/08
8:50 AM Flix
Harry & Son (1984 USA): Perhaps I'm just feeling a little verklempt in the wake of his death, but I've developed warm feelings for this poorly regarded family drama directed by and starring (*sniff*) Paul Newman. Newman plays hardhat Harry, who's had an unfortunate encounter with a wrecking ball and, as a result, is no longer able to work. Forced to spend time with his good-for-nothing son Howie (Robby Benson), Harry must come to terms with his change in fortune — and with his less than ambitious son, who'd rather surf than operate heavy machinery. Benson isn't much good and the story is fairly predictable, but goshdarn it, Newman's excellent, and any film with both Ossie Davis AND Morgan Freeman in it can't be all bad, can it? Added bonus: Harry & Son makes its widescreen television debut today.
6:00 PM Showtime
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007 USA): I didn't love this Sidney Lumet noir as much as a lot of folks did, but there's still enough good stuff here to warrant a recommendation. Amongst the highlights: the always good Philip Seymour Hoffman as a particularly unpleasant corporate executive with some bad habits and a particularly lamentable get rich quick scheme; the generally good and frequently underappreciated Ethan Hawke as his gullible brother; and Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris as the lads' unfortunate parents. Go in with your expectations tempered, and you'll come out reasonably satisfied. Also airs at 9:00 PM and throughout the month.
Sunday 10/19/08
9:00 PM Sundance
Zebraman (2004 JAP): Good Lord, does director Takeshi Miike EVER take a day off? Here's yet another feature from this tireless toiler, one of four films he completed in 2004. The film features Sho Aikawa (Pulse) as Shinichi, a Japanese Joe Sake Pack who adopts the personality of superhero Zebraman in an effort to make up for the disappointments of his ‘normal' life. When he finds his alter-ego thrust into conflict with alien invaders, Shinichi must decide whether to embrace his inner action figure - or shuck off his costume and ignore the threat from outer space. Needless to say, he makes the right choice, and this briskly paced (if overlong) genre spoof takes off in all sorts of wacky directions.
Monday 10/20/08
7:30 AM Fox Movie Channel
Spaceflight IC-1 (1965 GB): I know I should be excited about the appearance of this low-budget British sci-fi film...but I just can't work up much enthusiasm. Let's try anyway: it features a seven-year-old Mark Lester! It's only 68 minutes long! It was written by the same guy who wrote The Day Mars Invaded Earth! Did I mention Mark Lester is in it?
11:15 PM HBO Signature
Cumbia Callera (2007 MEX): This almost-a-musical tells its story through Cumbia, an energetic style of folk music which migrated north from Colombia and found a happy new home in Mexico during the 20th century. In fact, there's very little dialogue at all in this film, which focuses on the lives of three young people in the mountainous municipality of Monterrey. If you like the music, you'll probably enjoy Cumbia Callera...if you don't, probably not so much.
6:00 PM Sundance
Third Monday in October (2006 USA): No, it's not a film about the Supreme Court — it's a documentary about middle school student council elections! If you're still feeling bitter about that time you ran for treasurer in 7th grade and lost, here's something guaranteed to soothe your soul: a cinematic reminder that running for office is rarely a good idea, and definitely not one for faint-hearted adolescents.