TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex for Tuesday April 20 2010 through Monday April 26 2010
By John Seal
April 19, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 4/20/10
2:00 PM Fox Movie Channel
A Tattered Web (1971 USA): I definitely have a thing for made-for-TV movies, especially those produced during the 1970s, as I morphed from cartoon-obsessed kiddy into movie-obsessed teen. In retrospect, of course, they’re generally a pretty dire lot (and got worse towards the end of the decade), but a select few were actually pretty good and stand up well to repeated viewings. So where does A Tattered Web fall on the spectrum? Well, I haven’t seen it in well over thirty years, but I remember it fondly. Lloyd Bridges stars as Ed Stagg, a policeman who accidentally kills his son-in-law’s mistress, then tries to pin the crime on skid row bum Willard Edson (a perfectly cast Broderick Crawford). The film has (sadly unrealized) noir pretensions, but a decent script and solid supporting cast of familiar faces, including Ellen Corby, John Fiedler, Whit Bissell, and James Hong render it a solid if unspectacular crime drama.
6:30 PM HBO
Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country (2008): Normally, I list the country or countries responsible for a film next to the year of release. In the case of this documentary, however, I’m refraining, as a whopping eleven different nations contributed towards its funding—surely a TiVoPlex record! As for the film itself, it’s a revelatory look at a little known episode of recent history: the monks’ uprising that briefly threatened to topple Myanmar’s military government in 2007. Utilizing illegal footage shot by an outlawed journalism group, Democratic Voice of Burma, the film paints a much-needed picture of one of the world’s most repressive and secretive regimes, albeit one that draws little attention due to its lack of oil resources or nuclear ambitions. Nominated this year for a Best Feature Documentary Academy Award, Burma VJ airs again at 9:00 PM and throughout the month.
6:30 PM Sundance
Encounters at the End of the World (2009 USA): And purely by coincidence (I think), here’s another losing Best Feature Documentary nominee, albeit from a year earlier. A ‘nature’ film that only Werner Herzog could produce, Encounters at the End of the World is the director’s visually stunning salute to the continent of Antarctica. Herzog, of course, has never considered himself a ‘friend’ of nature (more admiring adversary), and the film reflects his awestruck ambivalence towards planet Earth. It’s a remarkable, not to be missed film, and also airs at 10:00 PM.
Wednesday 4/21/10
8:10 AM More Max
Colors (1988 USA): Or as I prefer to call it, Cu-Cu-Cu-Cu Colors. It mayn’t be anyone’s idea of a classic, but Colors is a thoroughly enjoyable cop drama cum gangsta rap movie starring [bp:1556_]Robert Duvall[/bp] as Bob Hodges, an old-fashioned peace officer who knows when to play by the rules and when not to. Bob’s new partner, Danny McGavin ([bp:22_]Sean Penn[/bp]), is a gung-ho youngster who wants to kick some ass, and it’s up to the wily vet to set the new man straight. Back in the day, this film was considered groundbreaking in its recognition of the basic humanity of its ‘bad guys’, but that freshness has long since worn off. Nonetheless, it’s a decent character study featuring a superior hip-hop soundtrack and an excellent supporting cast, including Maria Conchita Alonso, [bp:1476_]Don Cheadle[/bp], Seymour Cassel, Jack Nance, and Tony Todd. And remember, the gangs of L.A. will never die—just multiply!
7:00 PM Encore Dramatic Stories
Christine (1983 USA): Really, Encore? Christine is a ‘dramatic story’? Frankly, I’m puzzled, because Christine is not exactly an Ivory-Merchant production. Now that’s drama! Anyhoo, if you were excited by the Cinemax appearance of The Car a couple of weeks ago, you should be equally jazzed about Christine, another entry in the ‘possessed vehicle’ genre. Based on a Stephen King story, our film relates the strange goings-on surrounding a 1958 Plymouth acquired by nerdy gearhead Arnie ‘don’t call me Richie’ Cunningham (future director Keith Gordon). Arnie loves his ’58 Fury and spends hours restoring it—but when his personality begins to change in odd and unendearing ways, his friends and family begin to wonder if he should spend a little less time in the garage. Pretty soon his car gets jealous, people start dying, and Detective Rudolph Junkins (Harry Dean Stanton) gets suspicious. Though directed and scored by John Carpenter, Christine’s tale of evil lurking beneath the exterior of smalltown middle America is Stephen King material all the way. Assault on Precinct 13 it ain’t.
Thursday 4/22/10
2:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Sette donne per i MacGregor (1967 ITA): This one’s a real surprise. Though not a well-regarded example of the spaghetti western genre, Seven Women for the MacGregors is certainly entertaining. In this sequel to Seven Guns for the MacGregors, the evil Maldonado (Leo Anchoriz, channeling the spirit of Timothy Carey) steals the family gold, and it's up to the seven MacGregor brothers to reclaim it. The film consists of wall to wall action, all of it extremely well-staged, and Alejandro Ulloa's cinematography is outstanding. The incessant theme song returns from the first film but thankfully it isn't overused quite as much this time. Also of note is the return of actor Victor Israel as a traveling dentist--he played the morbid pianist in Seven Guns--and also that of beautiful Agata Flori, who reprises her role as Rosita, the wife/fiancée of brother Gregor (Another World's David Bailey, replacing Robert Woods). If you've only ever seen this in pan and scan or on a bootleg, splash out for a copy of the Ripley Home Video PAL disc--as with their release of Seven Guns, the transfer is near flawless. If you’re not yet region-free, check it out this morning on TCM—though I understand it will not be airing in widescreen, the film is too rare (and too much fun) to pass up in any format.
8:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Gun Runners (1958 USA): World War II hero turned actor Audie Murphy starred in dozens of westerns, but he occasionally branched out into other genres. Here’s one of those non-westerns, a rarely seen action-adventure helmed by the great Don Siegel. Murphy plays Key West sailor Sam Martin, who gets himself involved in arms smuggling during the Cuban Revolution in order to help pay off some debts. That’s about it plotwise, but with Siegel behind the camera and Murphy in front, it’s enough to earn the film a recommendation. Eddie Albert co-stars as villain Hanigan, and Richard Jaeckel, John Qualen, Jack Elam, and method acting pioneer Lee Strasberg (!) all put in appearances, too.
Friday 4/23/10
11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Hell’s Angels (1969 USA): There’s a bit of confusion and uncertainty here. The DirecTV program guide lists this as a broadcast of the 1930’s aerial classic of the same name, but the TCM online guide suggests otherwise, listing cast and crew for a biker flick entitled Hell’s Angels ‘69. However, it doesn’t list the film by its correct title, suggesting they could possibly be airing an Austrian film from 1969 also entitled, simply, Hell’s Angels. Considering that this is the TCM Underground, however, I’m inclined to believe that Hell’s Angels ’69 is the film we’re getting tonight, especially as it’s being followed at 12:45 AM by another motorcycle opus, 1970’s Rebel Rousers. Assuming that’s the case, our film is one of dozens of sickel sagas churned out during the late sixties and early seventies, and features Jeremy Slate and Tom Stern as brothers who pose as Angels in order to rob Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas! If that’s not enough to get you salivating (or urinating) on your leathers, the film also features Hell’s Angels president Sonny Barger in a supporting role—with the whole dang Oakland chapter behind him! If you’re a fan of the hog genre, you simply cannot miss this one—and do stay tuned for Rebel Rousers, which features Cameron Mitchell, [bp:154_]Jack Nicholson[/bp], and Harry Dean Stanton in various stages of filth.
Saturday 4/24/10
7:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Bowery Buckaroos (1947 USA): You’ve probably figured this out by now, but you can almost always divine the plot of a Bowery Boys film from its title. Yep, in this one the Boys head west for some cow-punching—and, naturally, get mixed up in trouble, this time of the homicidal variety. Along with the usual gang of idiots (the three Gorceys, Huntz Hall, et al), Bowery Buckaroos also co-stars Minerva Urecal and Iron Eyes Cody.
9:20 PM Sundance
Dorm (2006 THA): If you’re looking for an old-fashioned ghost story, may I suggest Dorm, a gentle tale of the supernatural from Thailand. Directed by Songyos Sugmakanan, the film tells the story of 13-year old schoolboy Ton (Charlie Trairat) who’s just starting a new school. Naturally, the new kid is the butt of considerable teasing, but soon befriends roommate Vichai (Siranath Jianthavorn). Who happens to be dead. A well-acted, low-key thriller that won’t set exactly set your pulse pounding, Dorm will appeal to admirers of subtle horrors such as The Others and The Innocents.
Sunday 4/25/10
11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Blue Angel (1930 GER): As it’s airing in the Sunday night import slot on TCM, I’m going to assume this is the original German-language version of The Blue Angel, and not the English version that was shot simultaneously. That’s good, of course, because though they’re both fine films, the Deutsch iteration is superior. Marlene Dietrich stars as night club entertainer Lola Lola, who fascinates teacher Immanuel Rath’s (Emil Jannings) students. Rath scolds them for attending her scandalous performances, but is immediately smitten when temptation gets the better of him and he witnesses her act for himself. Chucking in his comfortable career as an educator, Rath marries Lola—and soon becomes a bit player in both her life and her stage act. The film that made Dietrich a star, The Blue Angel was, somewhat surprisingly, the only German-language film directed by Josef von Sternberg.
Monday 4/26/10
8:45 PM Sundance
Sheitan (2006 FRA): French bad boy Vincent Cassel stars in this unsettling black comedy about a Christmas Eve party gone terribly wrong. He plays Joseph, a twisted caretaker who takes advantage of three Parisian idiots who stumble into his rundown rural hotel one December 24th. Sheitan bears marked similarities to the Belgian film Calvaire, which also suggests that urban-dwellers have a lot to fear from hicks in the sticks. If you're a fan of Deliverance or Straw Dogs, you'll probably also enjoy Sheitan.