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Friday 08/29/08

7:30 AM Fox Movie Channel
Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950 USA): Dana Andrews stars as a policeman struggling with his temper in this underappreciated Otto Preminger noir. Andrews plays Mark Dixon, whose hot-headed ways have earned him a departmental demotion and a lecture from his boss. Unfortunately, things only get worse for Dixon, who accidentally kills a murder suspect and decides to pin the rap on small time hustler Tommy Scalise (Mr. Bette Davis, Gary Merrill). Unlike many police procedurals shoehorned into the noir genre, Where the Sidewalk Ends is a true member of the fraternity, with its protagonist stuck in a seemingly inescapable trap of his own making. It's one of Preminger's best films and a fine showcase for Andrews, an actor often unfairly considered a poor substitute for Glenn Ford or Robert Ryan.

9:00 PM Sundance
Adam's Apples (2006 DEN): This remarkable Danish film starts as black comedy, veers into the bleakest of bleak Scandinavian territory (and yes, I know Denmark is technically not part of Scandinavia), and then briefly detours into slapstick before concluding on notes both elegiac and hopeful. It's hilarious, brutal, and touching in equal measure, with Ulrich Thomsen delivering a remarkable performance as skinhead Adam, who (Hitler fixation notwithstanding) is the sanest tenant of a halfway house run by nutty priest Ivan (Mads Mikkelsen). Ivan can turn the other cheek to beat the band, but seems deeply disconnected from the world around him — for good reason, as we learn during the film's second act. (Interestingly, he has a character tic echoed by Mikkelsen's later role as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.) Adam's Apples also features stunning cinematography by Sebastian Blenkov, who uses over-saturated colours to lend the film a touch of the fantastic. This is not a film for all tastes, but if you are a fan of Danish cinema in general or enjoy the films of Lars Von Trier, Terry Gilliam, or Tim Burton, you will appreciate Adam's Apples.

Saturday 08/30/08

1:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Formula (1980 USA): This overstuffed star vehicle features George C. Scott as an LA cop working on a murder case involving synthetic fuels. And Nazis. And Marlon Brando, who phones in his performance as a wicked big-oil CEO in bed with Der Fuhrer's allies and eager to stifle a new fuel that will adversely impact his bank account. I think. Director John Avildsen wanted his name removed from the final product (too bad Alan Smithee wasn't available that day) due to behind the scenes arguments with producer-writer Steve Shagan. The Formula makes its widescreen television debut this morning, and though it's pretty bad, you can have fun playing spot the supporting actor with such familiar faces as Craig T. Nelson, Ferdy Mayne, and Wolfgang Preiss.

Sunday 08/31/08

6:00 PM The Movie Channel
Gangs of the Dead (2006 USA): I haven't seen this straight to video horror flick, but I can't resist a title like Gangs of the Dead. (Apparently, it was originally shot as Last Rites, but someone got sensible before they designed the credit sequence.) Apparently, a meteorite carrying zombie spores infects a number of Angelenos, and local gangs must put aside their differences in order to survive — in an abandoned warehouse, of course. The producers somehow coaxed Reggie Bannister (Phantasm) into appearing, so it can't be a total loss.

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