TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex for Tuesday May 24 2011 through Monday May 30 2011
By John Seal
May 23, 2011
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 5/24/11
Midnight Turner Classic Movies
Red Light (1949 USA): The week commences with Red Light, an obscure crime drama/pseudo-noir independently produced and directed by Roy Del Ruth for United Artists. Figurative (and, later in life, literal) heavy Raymond Burr plays Nick Cherney, an embezzler doing time for ripping off his employer, shipping company boss Johnny Torno (George Raft). Nick’s understandably cheesed off about his conviction, and asks fellow con Rocky (Henry Morgan) - who’s being released before him - to serve Johnny a heaping helping of payback after he gets out of stir. The cooperative Rocky obliges by murdering Johnny’s priest brother Jess (Arthur Franz), but Johnny isn’t willing to take his sibling’s death lying down - until he reads some marginalia in Jess’s bible. Shot on location in beautiful Carmel, California, Red Light also features Virginia Mayo, Gene Lockhart, and William Frawley, as well as an original score by Dmitri Tiomkin.
10:00 AM Encore Action
No Escape (1994 USA): No escape from your heart, no escape from your lips, no escape from you baby, yeah you bring the tears...no, I’m afraid this isn’t the Sky Saxon and the Seeds biopic we’ve all been hoping someone would make. It’s actually a silly but enjoyable action flick starring Ray Liotta as J.T. Robbins, a soldier doing time on an "escape proof" island for the murder of his superior officer, who’d ordered him to kill innocent civilians. The year is 2022, and the penal system has been privatized (oh, like that could ever happen), meaning J.T. is at the mercy of a corrupt warden (Michael Lerner) whose primary interests are making as much money for his company as possible and using his most hardened inmates as a source of entertainment. Yup, it’s yet another variation on the old Most Dangerous Game meme! Shot in Australia, No Escape co-stars the great Lance Henriksen as fellow convict and island clan leader Father.
3:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Tickle Me (1965 USA): Remember last week, when I bemoaned the absence of Elvis’ Frankie and Johnny from TCM? Well, here’s another of the King’s features that hasn’t been seen on the World’s Best Television Station with much frequency. In the bizarrely titled Tickle Me, Elvis plays Lonnie, a singing cowboy known professionally as The Panhandle Kid. He’s hired by Vera Radford (yummy Julie Adams) to work at the stables of her all-girl dude ranch, where Lonnie soon gets mixed up with a sweet young thing (Jocelyn Lane) and a treasure map. Though not one of Presley’s worst efforts, Tickle Me is thoroughly routine and relies on the usual recipe of light comedy, (generally) bad songs, and beautiful women - all of whom are thankfully seen in glorious Panavision.
9:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Run Wild, Run Free (1969 GB): We’re still in the middle of Playing the Ponies month on TCM, and here’s one of the more intriguing features airing during the series. Fresh from his star turn as the title character in Carol Reed’s 1968 musical Oliver!, young Mark Lester stars as Philip Ransome, a mute ten-year-old who spends his copious free time roaming the moorlands of Yorkshire. Parents Gordon Jackson and Sylvia Syms are at a loss about what to do with their difficult child (perhaps he’s autistic?), but when the boy encounters an albino pony he develops a sense of purpose in life: break the pony or die trying! Ably assisted by a crusty retired colonel (John Mills) and fellow youngster Diana (Fiona Fullerton), Philip begins to come out of his shell - but setbacks and heartbreak loom in the background. This marvelous children’s film - blessed with superb location photography by Wilkie Cooper and a fine score by David Whitaker - used to air with some regularity on commercial television, but that was many years ago. Run Wild Run Free returns tonight, and in widescreen, no less.
Wednesday 5/25/11
5:00 PM HBO 2
Burma Soldier (2010 IRE-USA): I haven’t seen this HBO original documentary yet, but it definitely sounds interesting. (IMDb lists the film as being in "post-production." If that’s the case, directors Nic Dunlop and Ricki Stern need to hurry up and finish before their film makes its television debut tonight!) As with 2008’s Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country, Burma Soldier ostensibly provides rare insights into the military dictatorship that rules the remote south-east Asian republic of Myanmar. Narrated by Colin Farrell, the film airs again at 8:00 PM.
7:00 PM Sundance
Johnny Mad Dog (2008 FRA-LIB): This is still the only Liberian film to ever appear in the TiVoPlex - and as an extra added bonus, it’s pretty damn good, too. Directed by Frenchman Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, Johnny Mad-Dog takes place in an unnamed, war-torn African country where child soldiers are kidnapped, brainwashed, and sent to the front lines. The film relates the shocking and bloody experiences of one such "soldier" (Christophe Minie), and pulls absolutely no punches: there’s neither redemption nor a happy ending, only relentless, unforgiving horror. It’s extremely powerful stuff and not recommended for Grandma.
Friday 5/27/11
Midnight The Movie Channel
The Puppet Masters (1994 USA): Everyone loves giant slugs, right? Whether of terrestrial origin (1988’s Slugs, a.k.a. Muerte Viscosa) or extraterrestrial (1989’s classic Night of the Comet), a good slugfest is hard to beat. Here’s one of the few, the proud, the molluscs. Based on a Robert Heinlein novel, The Puppet Masters stars Donald Sutherland as Andrew Nivens, a top secret operative of the Office of Scientific Central Intelligence. When Nivens gets wind off an alien invasion, he heads to rural Ambrose, Iowa, and soon learns that strange alien creatures are latching onto the locals and taking control of their minds. Can Andrew and his fellow agents stop the invasion before it (shudder) reaches Des Moines? Tune in to find out! Also airs at 3:00 AM.
8:30 AM Flix
Business As Usual (1989 GB): Here’s a deeply obscure British drama that you may want to check out, especially if you’re interested in films directed by women: Business As Usual was written and helmed by Lezli-An Barrett, and remains her only film to date. It stars Glenda Jackson as Babs, a woman who manages a chain store branch in Liverpool with a helping hand from her recently laid-off factory worker hubby Kieran (John Thaw). When a slimy supervisor starts pawing the help, Babs gets her back up and ends up losing her job, too. What to do, what to do? This being Thatcher-era Britain, it’s definitely a job for the union, and a little working-class solidarity goes a long way when fighting workplace sexual harassment. Business As Usual won the Grand Prix at the Creteil International Women’s Film Festival and co-stars Mona Lisa’s Cathy Tyson. Think of it as distaff Ken Loach and proceed accordingly.
Monday 5/30/11
2:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
Screaming Eagles (1956 USA): There’s plenty of excitement in this brisk and action-filled Allied Artists war story starring future novelist Tom Tryon as a paratrooper. Tryon plays Mason, a surly and uncooperative soldier serving in the 101st Airborne Division during the D-Day invasion. The moody Mason is not at all popular with his fellow G.I.'s, including PFC Corliss (Martin Milner) and Sergeant Forrest (Pat Conway), but his knife-throwing skills come in handy when his company is stranded behind enemy lines. A chance encounter with a lovely French lass (Miss France 1954 Jacqueline Beer) - who conveniently speaks German - further aids our heroes in their escape back to Allied territory. The stellar supporting cast includes Robert Blake, Robert Dix, Mark Damon, and Edward G. Robinson, Jr., who tragically succumbed to a heart attack at 39, barely outliving his father by a year.
11:30 PM Starz
Animal Kingdom (2010 AUS): Did you remember Animal Kingdom earning an Academy Award nomination this year? Nope, neither did I, but it’s true - actress Jacki Weaver got the nod for her supporting performance as Janine Cody, the matriarch of an Aussie family who simply can’t stay out of trouble. There’s son Andrew, who’s an armed robber; son Darren, who’s apprenticing to become one; son Craig, who deals drugs; and daughter Julia, who’d rather take drugs than sell ‘em. Yup, just your typical Melbourne family - bet they like Foster’s Lager and ‘roo hunting, too. Look for Guy Pearce as one of the coppers trying to slap the cuffs on the Codys.