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Saturday 09/13/08

7:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
Road House (1948 USA): You can't get a much better screen pairing than Ida Lupino and Richard Widmark, which of course is exactly what's on offer in this above average drama from director Jean Negelusco. Widmark plays Jefty Robbins, the manager of an upscale bowling joint in need of a new entertainer to keep the booze hounds happy, drinking, and, presumably, out of the gutter (ball). He hires husky-voiced chanteuse Lily Stevens (Lupino) against the advice of his boss (Cornel Wilde), but soon regrets the decision when a bizarre love triangle develops amongst the trio. Who will strike out — and who will split for Canada? Tune in to find out, and be sure to have your two-tone bowling shoes on.

7:00 AM Sundance
Flipping Out (2008 ISR): War causes stress. That stress can be treated if not cured, but in far too many cases soldiers end up self-medicating. That's the subject of this unusual Israeli documentary, which examines the substance abuse problems experienced by veterans of the all-conscription Israeli Defence Force. Each year, thousands of IDF vets head off for Goa and points east, where they let off steam and engage in all manner of debauchery before returning to the Jewish State in various stages of mental disrepair. Some might not consider the simmering Arab-Israeli conflict a war; this interesting little film implies that living in a state of heightened security year after year can do just as much damage as time spent on the frontlines.

4:00 PM Sundance
Colma: The Musical (2007 USA): Was this the worst film I paid to see in a cinema last year? Probably not, but it's pretty bad — even for an indie. However, the film has the distinction of spawning a new family joke, which gets retold every time we pass Colma Station when travelling on BART (that's Bay Area Rapid Transit for you outsiders). Colma is a suburb of San Francisco most famous for its cemetery; the film is the story of youths coming to terms with their existence in this greyest of towns deep in the heart of the fog belt. The acting ranges from completely terrible to barely tolerable, and the songs are generally wretched. Having said all that, this is a film you won't forget, even if it is for all the wrong reasons.

5:00 PM HBO
Michael Clayton (2007 USA): Was this the best film I paid to see in a cinema last year? Definitely not, but it's pretty good — even for a major studio production. A tale of corporate malfeasance and legal jiggery pokery, Michael Clayton needs little introduction, as the film got plenty of attention thanks to Tilda Swinton's Academy Award and George Clooney's star power. It's making its American television debut tonight — if you missed it during its lengthy cinema run, don't miss it again. Also airs at 8:00 PM and throughout the month.

Sunday 09/14/08

9:00 PM Sundance
The Red Shoes (2005 ROK): Not to be confused with Michael Powell's ballet tribute of the same name, these Red Shoes are an abandoned pair of pumps found by a woman on a railway platform. The shoes are gorgeous, and they're a perfect fit — but wouldn't you know it, they carry a curse, which brings all manner of sorrow to those in their presence. The unlucky lady is Sun-Jae (Hye-Su Kim from 3 Extremes), who soon finds her roommate Tae-Soo (newcomer Yeon-ah Park) lusting after the footwear — and willing to do almost anything to get them. Absurd as it sounds, it's a pleasant way to kick of Sundance's new Asia Extreme season — and a pleasant change from all those cursed electronic devices that seem to plague the Far East.

Monday 09/15/08

6:00 PM Sundance
Gumby Dharma (2006 USA): Gumby creator Art Clokey, still spry at 85, gets the documentary treatment in this pleasant if inconsequential documentary from the late Robina Marchesi. Clokey, whose religious beliefs lend him an aura of complete and utter contentedness, created the little green guy in 1955 for a once seen never forgotten series still popular on home video and in syndication. Gumby remains an iconic figure for baby boomers, who grew up watching him frolic with his pony pal Pokey through a series of highly imaginative, proto-psychedelic adventures. For anyone who's ever enjoyed the show, you'll enjoy this consciousness-raising trip down memory lane.

11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
2,000 Women (1944 GB): I've never seen this wartime drama about women in a Nazi internment camp, but it has a good reputation and an excellent pedigree. Produced by the Frank Launder-Sidney Gilliat team for Britain's Gainsborough Pictures, it stars (amongst others) Thora Hird, Flora Robson, and Phyllis Calvert as inmates struggling against their German masters and their own class prejudices. Walter Gotell co-stars, presumably as a baddie.

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