TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex for April 6 2010 through April 12 2010
By John Seal
April 5, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 4/06/10
4:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Ruling Voice (1931 USA): The magisterial tones of Walter Huston echo throughout The Ruling Voice, a rarely seen drama from Warners' subsidiary First National. Directed by Rowland V. Lee, the film features Huston as Jack Bannister, a gangland boss with a couple of problems: his child, and the father (Willard Robertson) of one of his victims. Bannister is the tough as nails, take no nonsense type, but his love for daughter Gloria (Loretta Young) proves to be an Achilles' Heel: Gloria's been living her life in blissful ignorance of Daddy's true profession, but when she discovers he's a hoodlum, Jack is forced to face up to the consequences of his life of crime. The Ruling Voice is an excellent, gritty pre-Code feature, and co-stars TiVoPlex fave David Manners as a lothario named Dick Cheney!
5:30 PM Showtime
Dad's In Heaven With Nixon (2010 USA): Definitely the title of the week—and though I haven't seen Dad's In Heaven With Nixon yet, the film's website suggests it has little, if anything, to do with the GOP. It's a documentary about Chris Murray, a developmentally challenged youngster recommended for institutionalization at the age of four. Mom Murray had other ideas, however, and ignored the professional advice, choosing instead to keep Chris at home. The film was directed and produced by elder brother Tom Murray and features original artwork by Chris, who now lives a happy life thanks to his mother's extraordinary efforts. Also airs at 8:30 PM and throughout the month.
Wednesday 4/07/10
4:00 AM Cinemax
The Car (1977 USA): Released in Canada with the far superior title Deathmobile, The Car is an utterly ridiculous, yet outrageously fun, thriller about a possessed 1971 Lincoln. James Brolin stars as Sheriff Wade Parent, the desert lawman responsible for investigating a series of mysterious auto-related deaths. At first, it looks like a case (or cases) of hit and run—but The Car's driver turns out to be Satan himself, and believe you me, Satan wants more than just the blood of his victims on his bumper! Honk, honk—and watch out for the French horn (this will all make sense when you watch the film)! Also airs at 7:00 PM.
7:00 PM Fox Movie Channel
The Fly (1986 USA): David Cronenberg's gruesome remake of The Fly is no rarity on television, but it's been a while since it's had a letterboxed airing on Fox—and I actually don't think I've ever previously recommended it. Jeff Goldblum stars as Seth Brundle, the brilliant but unfortunate scientist who gets his human DNA mixed up with that of a common insect. At first, the effects seem minimal—but as the diptora DNA begins to assert itself, Seth begins to develop a really outrageous sweet tooth, and it becomes clear that these are not two great tastes that go great together. Sadly, even the love of a good woman (Geena Davis) cannot save Brundlefly from a fate worse than flying into a bug zapper (hey, at least the zapper is fast). Chris Walas' ‘creature effects' rightfully won him an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
Thursday 4/08/10
5:15 AM Turner Classic Movies
Secrets (1933 USA): This is the film that rang down the curtain on Mary Pickford's screen career, but it should be remembered as more than just an historical footnote. Directed by Frank Borzage, Secrets tells the Cavalcade-esque tale of a couple's (Pickford and Leslie Howard) enduring relationship over the course of their decades-long marriage. Featuring what many consider to be Pickford's best talkie performance, Secrets was actually a remake of an earlier Borzage film in which Norma Talmadge assumed the lead role, but that silent feature now exists only in incomplete condition. 1933's version was a film close to Pickford's heart, but its release at the height of the Great Depression's banking crisis spelled box-office disaster, and the critics didn't offer much in the way of solace. Happily, the film has aged well, and the renewed interest in all things Borzage means Secrets is no longer the secret it once was.
11:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
Dangerously They Live (1941 USA): Released within weeks of the attack on Pearl Harbor, this prescient Warners second feature stars a pre-stardom John Garfield as a doctor trying to warn Uncle Sam of a U-boat fleet lurking off the Eastern Seaboard. Garfield is Mike Lewis, a sawbones who finds himself aiding mysterious Jane Graystone (Nancy Coleman), who claims she's a British spy with secret information about Nazi subs. Will anyone believe Mike and Jane's ridiculous tale of a pending Axis surprise attack? And is friendly Dr. Ingersoll (Raymond Massey) really working for the other side? It's a pretty routine programmer, but the cast—which also includes Moroni Olsen and Frank Reicher—is better than the material deserves.
Friday 4/09/10
3:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Secret Fury (1950 USA): A little known drama directed by actor Mel Ferrer, The Secret Fury is one of the better pictures produced during the waning days of RKO. Claudette Colbert and Robert Ryan star as Ellen and David, an engaged couple whose wedding ceremony is interrupted by someone who responds affirmatively to the rote plea to ‘speak now or forever hold your peace'. Big mouth is a stranger to all concerned, but he claims to have evidence proving that Ellen is already married--which comes as a surprise to Ellen—but the evidence begins to mount and the mystery continues to deepen. If the plot sounds a bit gimmicky, it is, but Colbert and Ryan render the proceedings reasonably believable, and Paul Kelly and Vivian Vance offer additional value on the thesping front.
7:00 PM Showtime
Religulous (2008 USA): Bill Maher's snide documentary isn't consistently effective, but it at least makes an effort to equate the absurdities and evils of fundamentalist Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The film's most pointed and effective moments are aimed at Christianity (particularly the Catholic Church), but Religulous falters a little when it confronts the other Abrahamic religions: Judaism gets off a little too easily, whilst Islam gets (predictably if briefly) slammed hard. It's a laff riot for non-believers, but the faithful will not be amused. Also airs at 10:00 PM.
Saturday 4/10/10
7:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Hard Boiled Mahoney (1947 USA): Chapter six, in which the Bowery Boys get roped into searching for missing beauty Eleanor Williams (Teala Loring). When Sach (Huntz Hall) and Slip (Leo Gorcey) go to collect some overdue wages from a detective agency, they're mistaken for private investigators by Eleanor's sister Selena (Betty Compson), and are soon sniffing the East Side for clues. Could murder and a phony psychic figure into the proceedings? As Slip might say, indutibably!
1:00 PM Fox Movie Channel
Staircase (1969 GB): A pair of mincing, bitchy, terribly stereotypical London hairdressers are the focus of this Stanley Donen-helmed gay-themed drama. The two are played by a limp-wristed Richard Burton, who is good but over-the-top, and a more restrained Rex Harrison, who was possibly more comfortable in his role than was the hyper-masculine Welshman. It's by no means perfect, but was the first film from a major studio to attempt a realistic portrayal of gay relationships, beating William Friedkin's The Boys in the Band into cinemas by a year. If you can overlook its not-so-flattering gay stereotypes, you'll ultimately find Staircase a warm-hearted and moving film that must be acknowledged as ahead of its time.
Sunday 4/11/10
3:30 PM IFC
Breaker! Breaker! (1977 USA): Do I like CB radio movies? That's a big ten-four, good buddy. CB radios were all the rage during my childhood and briefly spawned their own cinematic sub-genre, including this adventure vehicle for up and coming Chuck Norris. Everyone's favorite Teabagger stars as J. D. Dawes, a trucker who enjoys karate, Zen meditation, arm-wrestling, and coining cool new ham radio handles. When younger brother Billy (Michael Augenstein) disappears after visiting Texas City (located, naturally, in California), J. D. hits the road in search of him—and soon finds he's going to have to kick a little ass to rescue his sibling. Consider it done! For anyone who enjoys that special brand of Norris action, Breaker! Breaker! is a must—and it's making its widescreen television debut this afternoon!
11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Tout les Matins du Monde (1991 FRA): I'm a glutton for punishment: every time a Gerard Depardieu movie airs on TV, I give it a mention. Here's another one, which prompts me to ask myself: do I have some sort of man-crush on the potato-nosed Frenchman? I think the hint of vomit in my mouth suggests otherwise. Perhaps it's just the fact that his films—good, bad, or otherwise—just don't appear on the small screen with any frequency—or perhaps I'm simply a Francophile (Jess Franco, yes, France the country...not so sure). At any rate, here's Tout les Matins du Monde, in which our man Gerard plays Marin Marais, a 17th century musician reminiscing about the sexy derring-do he got up to back in the day. Thankfully, most of the sexiness is performed and personified by Gerard's less ugly son Guillaume, here playing the young Marin. I'm not all that keen on period pieces, but if you like the odd frock flick and can stand looking at Gerard, go nuts.
Monday 4/12/10
1:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Dangerous Moonlight (1941 GB): Not to confused with David Bowie's Serious Moonlight, the dangerous variety features Anton Walbrook as Stefan, a Polish war refugee aching to get back into the fight against the Third Reich. Stefan is an airman, but also a brilliant pianist, and his new wife (Sally Gray) isn't too keen on seeing her man return to the danger zone. The film is pretty talky—most of the wartime action is limited to the final reel—but good production values (courtesy scripter Terence Young and director Brian Desmond-Hurst) and a fine performance from Walbrook more than compensate.
2:00 PM Fox Movie Channel
Terror on the Beach (1973 USA): Another reactionary seventies TV movie that warns America: there's a Manson family in your neighbourhood! And they want to terrify you with their dune buggies and long hair! This Manson family, however, doesn't seem to do much more than drive around being mean to people like Dennis Weaver. No sex, no drugs, and not much rock n roll are in evidence, and they also shave. Note to society's dropouts: when trying to terrify the straights, DO NOT SHAVE. In other words, Terror on the Beach is typical movie of the week fare, but quite entertaining nonetheless.