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Thursday 06/19/08

4:35 AM IFC
The Cars That Ate Paris (1972 AUS): My memories of seeing The Cars That Ate Paris were dark ones. The horrific pan-and-scan video print that we all grew up with seemed to be a succession of dank and dreary night scenes, and poorly-composed night scenes at that. Now that the film is fully restored on DVD, however, viewers can truly appreciate this masterpiece of the macabre. Filled with sunshine - brilliant shots of a beautiful Australian town and buoyed by Peter Weir's magnificent screenplay, this is an outsider classic about a bizarre cargo cult in the middle of an otherwise "civilized" country. Amongst a raft of fine performances, John Meillon stands out as the town mayor, and, as accident victim Arthur Waldo, Terry Camilleri effortlessly channels the spirit of Dudley Moore's down-in-the-dumps Stanley Moon in 1967's Bedazzled. There's also a magnificent score by Bruce Smeaton that deftly blends the romanticism of Nino Rota with the majestic sweep of Morricone's best work and adds a dash of electronic dissonance for good measure. Viewers anticipating a film about real man-eating cars are best advised to avoid Peter Weir's freshman feature. All others, you're in for a treat.

10:30 AM Sundance
Avenue Montaigne (2006 FRA): A multi-plotted tale of life in the big city, Avenue Montaigne is a gentle comedy set in a picture postcard Paris that doesn't exist, and probably never did. The film features Cecile de France (L'auberge Espanole) as Jessica, a waitress whose dining room encounters with artists, musicians, and wealthy patrons provide the film with what little narrative drive it has. It won't win any prizes for artistic ingenuity and isn't the sort of film I generally favor, but should appeal to fans of James Toback, Merchant-Ivory, or even Hal Hartley.

7:30 PM IFC
Dead Alive (1993 NZ): Now here's the sort of film I definitely DO favor! Directed by Peter Jackson shortly before he made the transition to big budget Hollywood features, Dead Alive is a New Zealand-set comedy about a meek young man (Timothy Balme) who finds himself battling the living dead --including his mother, who has succumbed to the bite of a Sumatran rat-monkey and been re-animated as a house proud, gut-munching zombie. The film features some amazing set pieces--without giving away too much, the lawnmower scene is a standout--and is essential viewing for anyone who enjoys horror comedies such as Return of the Living Dead or Shaun of the Dead.

Friday 06/20/08

4:00 PM Sundance
Privilege (1967 GB): Here's the TiVoPlex highlight of the week. Directed by cinema maverick Peter Watkins (The War Game, Punishment Park), Privilege is a take no prisoners examination of the cult of celebrity--specifically, that of 1960s pop star Steven Shorter, portrayed by real-life 1960s pop star Paul Jones (Manfred Mann). The massively popular Shorter's cross-generational appeal seems harmless at first, but after an apple marketing campaign sees him successfully extol the virtues of that estimable fruit his handlers harness him to an increasingly fascistic series of political projects. The malleable youngster goes along to get along, but after meeting attractive artist Vanessa (Jean Shrimpton) begins to suspect he's just a pawn in their game. Privilege features a prescient screenplay, outstanding cinematography by a young Peter Suschitzky, and an excellent soundtrack which including a fine Mike Leander score and some great psych-pop numbers from Jones. Shamefully unavailable on home video, this film hasn't been seen on television in a very long time, so don't miss it tonight.

9:00 PM IFC
The Devil's Rain (1975 USA): A ridiculous but hugely enjoyable horror effort from reliable director Robert Fuest, The Devil's Rain makes its widescreen television debut this evening. Ernest Borgnine stars as satanic cult leader Jonathan Corbis, who (almost literally) locks horns with good guys William Shatner and Tom Skerritt in a struggle for the eternal souls of a townful of desert dwellers. Every now and then the heavens open and people melt, ensuring The Devil's Rain a primo spot in the Psychotronic Hall of Fame. Co-starring Ida Lupino, Eddie Albert, Keenan Wynn, a pre-stardom John Travolta, and Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey, it's great fun for the whole family. Well, maybe the Addams' family.

11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Apple (1980 USA): CAMP ALERT. This is an obscure film from the geniuses at Cannon Films, the company that made Chuck Norris a household name and tried unsuccesfully to do the same with Michael Dudikoff. (I know what you're thinking--Michael who?) It's part of the short-lived "New Wave musical" genre that began with Times Square and died a few years later with Breaking Glass. The story takes place in the far-flung future of 1994, where two young Canadians are competing in the Worldvision Song Contest--take THAT, Eurovision! They cross paths with an unscrupulous music industry bigwig with the astonishingly apropos moniker Mr. Boogalew, played by all-purpose bad guy Vladek Sheybal, a Polish actor who had started his career in high-quality films such as Kanal (1957) and Return From the Ashes (1965). There are also embarrassing career lowlights for Joss Ackland, Miriam Margolyes, and '50s torch singer Yma Sumac, of all people. Mavens of bad cinema should definitely make time for The Apple--and happily, TCM will be airing it in its full widescreen glory.

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