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From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or underappreciated; they all have a home in the TiVoPlex! All times Pacific.

Tuesday 07/07/09

9:00 PM Sundance
The Last Mistress (2007 FRA): REALLY, Governor Sanford? You're sure about that? You don't have one last, super-secret, do-not-break-glass-except-in-case-of-emergency mistress lurking somewhere in Central Asia, perhaps? No, this isn't a film about the amorous adventures of South Carolina's favorite son, but a sumptuous and erotic frock flick from bad girl director Catherine Breillat. I'm not usually keen on costume dramas, but this one features Asia Argento in the lead role of Vellini, a lovely but loose lass apparently sleeping with half the noblemen of Paris circa 1835. As in most Breillat films, the sex is the crux of the story and the meat of the matter, with Vellini getting her kit off with regularity for plenty of healthy humping with the likes of Ryno (Fu'ad Ait Aottou), a hunky party boy engaged to wed moneyed hottie Hermangarde (Sheitan's Roxane Mesquida). But don't worry — Argento draws the line at bonking septuagenarian co-star Michael Lonsdale, here essaying the role of the Viscount of Prony, who enjoys a good nosh more than a roll in the hay. If you're a fan of Breillat or Italian director Tinto Brass, you won't be disappointed by The Last Mistress.

Wednesday 07/08/09

10:50 AM Starz
The Wackness (2008 USA): Here's a film I would have overlooked if not for the goofy title. Drug abuse and ‘90s nostalgia aren't exactly my cup(s) of tea, so I have reservations about recommending The Wackness, which — if you haven't already guessed — I haven't seen yet. The cast, however, intrigues: this is surely the only film to feature onscreen appearances by Ben Kingsley, Method Man, Jane Adams, Famke Janssen, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Bob Dishy. Oh, and some guy named Josh Peck, who was once a star on Nickelodeon and now makes a living voice acting in those Ice Age movies. Also airs at 1:50 PM.

8:00 PM Sundance
Hotel Very Welcome (2007 GER): Its title may be grammatically awkward, but this episodic comedy-drama from Germany is still worth a look. Directed by Sonja Heiss, Hotel Very Welcome spotlights five westerners as they traipse across the vastnesses of Asia, stopping every now and then to befriend the locals, take snapshots, and get drunk. Ricky Champ and Gareth Llewellyn are particularly noteworthy as a pair of chavs who encounter difficulties after the money — and the women — run out. This is a low-key, low-budget charmer that won't change your life, but will entertain you without insulting your intelligence for an hour and a half. Also airs 7/9 at 12:45 AM.

9:00 PM IFC
From Hell (2001 USA): Johnny Depp notwithstanding, I'm not an admirer of this dull retelling of the Jack the Ripper story. From Hell's reliance on a palette of rust browns is stuffy and claustrophobic, whilst the facts of the case are frequently ignored in favor of some of the silliest and most overheated theories posited by Ripper fanboys. I know, I know...it's based on a comic book, but I still can't forgive the film its historical liberties. Nevertheless, From Hell makes its widescreen television debut this evening, and as it was shot in 2.35:1, I think it behooves me (and you) to give it another chance.

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