TiVoPlex
By John Seal
February 11, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 2/12/13
9:15 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Fallen Sparrow (1943 USA): John Garfield stars in this excellent suspense flick, which (this being 31 Days of Oscar) earned an Academy Award nomination – in this case, for C. Bakaleinikoff and Roy Webb’s score. To be honest, I have absolutely no memory of the music in this film, but its certainly worth a look for other reasons - number one, of course, being the presence of Garfield. He plays John McKittrick, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War who finds himself investigating a mysterious New York death. To complicate matters, John is in turn being pursued by Nazi agents, who want a valuable item that’s been in his possession since the conclusion of the war in Spain. Co-starring Maureen O’Hara, Patricia Morison, John "Sergeant Schultz" Banner, John Miljan, and Hugh Beaumont, The Fallen Sparrow is exciting (if occasionally confusing) fun.
Thursday 2/14/13
2:05 AM Action Max
3:34 Earthquake in Chile (2011 CHI): Everyone enjoys the vicarious thrill of a good disaster movie – at least until they experience a major disaster themselves. Then a comedy looks pretty good. As for 3:34 Earthquake in Chile, it’s at the top of the heap of the shake and jiggle genre, noteworthy not only for its vivid onscreen recreation of the Great Quake of 2010 but also for the producers’ offscreen decision to donate all proceeds to rebuilding efforts.
5:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Americanization of Emily (1964 USA): Here’s a film I avoided for decades because of two simple words, best spoken in a high, flutey Peter Cook voice: "Julie Andrews!" Such is my antipathy for The Sound of Music that I’ve never really been able to enjoy anything else Ms. Andrews has appeared in over her by now very long career. Then I noticed another name associated with this picture: Paddy Chayevsky. My worries somewhat assuaged, I took the plunge a few years back and don’t regret it - this is one of the best and most subversive Hollywood comedy-dramas ever made, with co-star James Garner essaying the role of a naval officer tasked with the repulsive assignment of finding a dead hero for the military’s propaganda machine. So, yes – thematically, The Americanization of Emily is about a million miles from Climb Ev’ry Mountain. Philip Lathrop’s superb widescreen black and white cinematography earned the film an Oscar nom, and the film benefits from a fine supporting cast, including James Coburn, Keenan Wynn, Joyce Grenfell, and Melvyn Douglas. Look closely, and you might also espy Sharon Tate and Memphis mafioso Red West!
1:35 PM Cinemax
Child’s Play (1988 USA): I know I’ve recommended most of the other Chuckie films over the years, but I don’t think I’ve previously acknowledged the great grandaddy of Charles Lee Ray slasher flicks. The original Child’s Play, of course, is much less jokey than its many sequels, with screenwriter Don Mancini doing his best to keep a straight face whilst relating the misadventures of the possessed and foul-mouthed Good Guy doll (Brad Dourif) who likes nothing more than to kill. As for the human characters, both Andy (Alex Vincent) and his mom (Cathleen Hicks) are so annoying you’ll be praying for Chucky to do them in before the second reel is over. And what’s this I see at IMDb? A new Child’s Play flick is in development, with Dourif’s name attached to it? Can’t wait! Also airs at 4:35 PM.
Friday 2/15/13
12:45 PM Cinemax
The Dark Half (1993 USA): Stephen King alert! Seriously, how many novels/novellas/short stories has this guy churned out over the years, and how many of them haven’t been adapted for the big screen/small screen/dinner theater circuit? This one’s a bit above average on the King scale, benefiting from George Romero’s presence behind the camera and a decent performance from Timothy Hutton as an author we might describe in the 21st century as bipolar. There’s also solid support from Royal Dano, Julie Harris, and Michael Rooker. Also airs at 3:45 PM.
7:00 PM Starz Cinema
In Darkness (2011 POL): Poland’s official Academy Award entry at last year’s Oscars, In Darkness lives up to its title. Directed by Agniewska Holland, much of the film is set in the Lvov sewers during World War II, where a group of Jewish Poles are hiding from the Nazi occupiers hoping to herd them to Auschwitz. In need of help from above, they’re assisted by gentile businessman Socha (Robert Wieckiewicz), who’s willing to keep them fed and watered - for a price. When his clients’ money runs out, however, Socha is forced to make a decision: save them, or turn them over to the Nazi scum ruling his country? In Darkness has been compared unfavorably to Schindler’s List, but I think it stands up pretty well on its own.
Saturday 2/16/13
8:30 PM Encore Suspense
The Exorcist (1973 USA): Surprisingly, this is the first time William Friedkin’s scarefest has been on a premium channel since...well, I’m not entirely sure how long it’s been, but it has been quite a while. Now it’s confession time: I’m not a huge Exorcist fan. Though its TV ad campaign scared the bejesus out of me when I was a child, the film itself is a bit of a disappointment, especially for those of us who are neither specifically Catholic nor generally religiously-inclined. Despite good performances by all concerned – especially, of course, Ms. Pea Soup of 1973, Linda Blair – The Exorcist simply doesn’t provide scares unless you’re particularly susceptible to church dogma. In fact, I find it rather laughable. That said (and my status in the distinct minority confirmed), I’ll be checking it out again this evening to see whether or not Encore will be airing a pre- or post-spider walk print.
Sunday 2/17/13
Midnight Action Max
Tequila: Historia de una Pasion (2011 MEX): I haven’t seen this film yet, but I know two things about it: it really is about the highly potent alcoholic beverage, and it features beknighted American actor Edward Furlong in a supporting role, presumably drinking a lot of said beverage. Does he speak Spanish in the film? Does his character go into rehab? Tune in to find out.
6:00 AM Flix
The Innkeepers (2011 USA): Lotta horror films this week. Apologies to those of you less keen on the genre than I, but remember – I’m not the one in charge of premium channel scheduling. Believe me, if I were, the entire landscape of movies on television would look a lot different – and a lot more adventurous - than it currently does. Anyhoo, The Innkeepers takes place in an about-to-close New England hotel, where last days’ desk clerks Luke and Claire (Pat Healy and Sara Paxton) are intrigued by rumors of supernatural activity. Director Ti West takes the deliberative approach – always welcome in our age of quick cuts and underdeveloped plotting - whilst future Girls star Lena Dunham shows up as a local waitress.
4:00 PM Starz in Black
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property (2003 USA): Black History Month gets a lot of criticism from both ends of the political spectrum (for completely different reasons, of course), but we can be grateful that it provides Starz in Black an excuse to screen some worthwhile documentaries. This evening’s non-fiction double feature kicks off with this exemplary Charles Burnett flick about the legendary Nat Turner, leader of an abortive but historically important 1831 slave rebellion. At 57 minutes in length (apparently, a longer version exists somewhere), Burnett’s film offers a succinct but dense multi-interpretative examination of Turner’s impact on U.S. history. It’s followed at 5:00 PM by Banished (2006), an equally fine look at post-Civil War efforts to deny African-Americans residence in their own homes.
Monday 2/18/13
11:30 AM Showtime
The Woman in Black (2012 GB): Horror, horror, everywhere, and not a drop of blood to drink! Yep, it’s true...no vampires this week, only creepy old houses, ghosts, Satan, and that red-headed doll with the potty mouth. Here’s a genuinely pleasant surprise – a spooky feature from Britain’s revived Hammer Films that actually lives up to the studio’s reputation. Daniel Radliffe stars as Arthur Kipps, a lawyer in Victorian England who finds himself stuck in a remote and spooky northern village far from the madding crowd. Tasked to prepare paperwork concluding the sale of a tumbledown mansion, he finds his curiosity piqued by the house itself and by the villagers, who are behaving very oddly indeed. A weak ending prevents The Woman in Black from achieving modern horror classic status, but it’s still pretty darn good. Also airs at 2:30 PM.