New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Friday 05/04/07

11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Born Losers (1967 USA): Tom Laughlin created everyone's favorite chip-on-his-shoulder Native American vengeance seeker, Billy Jack, in this reactionary proto-Dirty Harry crime drama from AIP. Vietnam vet Billy is minding his own business in a small California beachside burg when a gang of hairy dirtbags (The Born Losers) ride into town looking for beer, chicks, and kicks. Led by the loathsome Danny (Jeremy Slate), the gang takes an immediate disliking to Billy, who also isn't all that popular with the town's Anglo ruling elite. Set upon by both sides, Billy finds himself in cahoots with go-go cutie Vicky (Elizabeth James), a feisty young woman who rides her own hog whilst wearing little more than a bikini but has little but disdain for the Neanderthal leather-bound clods in the Losers. That makes her all the more attractive to Danny, who is determined to win her over — but not via the hearts and flowers route. Maddeningly overlong at a robust 113 minutes, Born Losers is still a very entertaining picture, and even the most liberal (or libertarian) of viewers will get a kick out of Billy's passive-aggressive approach to vigilantism. This marks the film's widescreen television premiere — and as the film is still only available on DVD in pan and scan, is essential viewing.

Saturday 05/05/07

5:00 AM IFC
Hara-Kiri (1963 JAP): Samurai Saturday breaks out of repeat mode with this little known Masaki Kobayashi (Samurai Rebellion) epic about unemployed ronin in 17th century Japan. Out of work thanks to an inconvenient outbreak of peace, love, and understanding, warrior for hire Hanshiro (Tetsuya Nakadai) is determined to do the only honorable thing — commit ritual suicide (Seppuku, the original Japanese title for the film). Before he can disembowel himself, however, Hanshiro learns some important facts about the death of his son-in-law — and the thirst for revenge soon trumps the desire to stick a sword in his gut and slice upwards. Featuring another of composer Toru Takemitsu's amazing minimalist scores, Hara-Kiri went on to win the Special Jury Prize at Cannes 1963.

Monday 05/07/07

12:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Return of A Man Called Horse (1976 USA): A Man Called Horse was a surprising counterculture hit in 1970, its tale of a British aristocrat dropping out of high society in favor of living in harmony with his little brown Native American brothers clearly resonating with the hippy multitudes. It's surprising that it took the producers six years to pony up for a sequel, but perhaps they were waiting to make sure star Richard Harris would be available to saddle up for another turn as Lord John Morgan, the great white saviour of the Yellow Hand tribe. Partly shot in Mexico, The Return of A Man Called Horse benefits from the presence of the great Claudio Brook as the nefarious Chemin de Fer, but takes a nosedive when dear old Gale Sondergaard pops up as sage soothsayer Elk Woman — and for those so inclined (paging Alberto Gonzalez, John Yoo, and Alan Dershowitz), director Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back) works in another squirm-inducing physical torture ritual. Pass the nipple hooks, please.

5:30 AM Starz Edge
The Child (2005 BEL-FRA): It's Low Countries Week on Starz Edge! Written and directed by Belgium's Dardennes brothers, The Child (L'Enfant) is a bittersweet social realist drama about a good-for-nothing couple of sponging petty thieves who find themselves pregnant and penniless. After popping her bun out of the oven, mother Sonia (Deborah Francois) takes a shine to the little nipper, but father Bruno (Brotherhood of the Wolf's Jeremie Renier) is less enthused, and ends up selling his first born for cigarette money. Needless to say, Sonia reacts poorly to his canny deal-making, setting in motion the film's central question: can Bruno redeem himself, or is he really the most selfish little prick on the planet? If you thought the thematically similar Tsotsi took a far too wholesome approach to child-raising, you'll find plenty to like in this razor sharp tragedy, which also explores such weighty topics as free will and predetermination.

6:00 PM Sundance
Sir! No Sir! (2005 USA): Vietnam War protestors weren't all hippies, druggies, and far left no-goodnicks — many of them were troops on active duty who had figured out the war was a lie they were no longer prepared to die for. That's the message of this decidedly impartial documentary, which examines the anti-war movement within the Army — a movement that compelled the Joint Chiefs of Staff to rely more and more on aerial power and less and less on unreliable grunts in the field who had taken up opium and fragging as hobbies. Featuring interviews with more than a dozen Vietnam vets, Sir! No Sir! is a reminder that the courage of one's convictions can be as powerful a force as courage on the field of battle.

Continued:       1       2