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6:00 PM The Movie Channel
I Sell the Dead (2008 USA): I’ve yet to see this horror comedy about grave robbers in 19th century Ireland, but it has a lot going for it. For starters, there’s Ron Perlman, Larry Fessenden, and Angus Scrimm in front of the camera and the assistant director (Gavin McQuaid) of Fessenden’s The Last Winter behind it. If that’s not enough, Richard Lopez’s cinematography was awarded the Vision Award at Slamdance 2009. Also airs at 9:00 PM.

Sunday 5/23/10

5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
A Kid for Two Farthings (1955 GB): A truly remarkable ensemble cast is the main attraction offered by this winsome fantasy feature from Carol Reed. Seven-year old Jonathan Ashmore made his one and only film appearance as Joe, a fatherless London lad with a vivid imagination. Joe is regaled with stories of wish-granting unicorns by his mother’s employer, Jewish tailor Kadinsky (David Kossoff), and determines to find a unicorn of his very own. He acquires a scruffy one-horned goat and immediately begins making wishes—and lo and behold, some of them come true. A lovely little tale of faith, hope, and charity, A Kid for Two Farthings also features Celia Johnson (as Joe’s Mum), Diana Dors, Barbara Windsor, Brenda de Banzie, Sid James, Irene Handl, Sam Kydd, Alfie Bass, wrestler Primo Carnera, and Lou Jacobi.

11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Story of Adele H. (1975 FRA): Victor Hugo’s daughter assumes a secret identity and flees to Britain in search of true love in this Francois Truffaut tale of love and obsession. Adele H(ugo)(Isabelle Adjani) renames herself Adele Lewly, and arrives in Halifax, Yorkshire in search of Pinson (Withnail and I’s Bruce Robinson), the army lieutenant who won her heart whilst she and dad were exiled on Guernsey. At the time, Pinson nonchalantly proposed marriage; Adele took him seriously and is determined to tie the knot with the foolish lad. Believe it or not, the film is based on the diary of the real Adele Hugo, who wrote it in code which remained unbroken until 1955. Gorgeous photography by Nestor Almendros and a riveting Adjani performance make this a must-see.

Monday 5/24/10

11:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Strange Affair (1944 USA): TCM keeps rolling out forgotten Columbia programmers, and here’s another one I’ve never seen before (and judging from the lack of reviews on IMDb, neither has anyone else, at least in the last ten years or so). TCM’s plot synopsis simply says ‘a mystery writer and his wife investigate a murder at a charity benefit’. Presumably the couple are played by Allyn Joslyn and Evelyn Keyes, a pretty good couple to headline a second feature, and the film also features appearances by Marguerite Chapman, Edgar Buchanan, Nina Foch, Shemp Howard, and Hugo Haas. That’s bound to pique anyone’s interest! It’s followed at 12:30 PM by the equally obscure There’s Something About a Soldier (1943), starring Keyes and Tom Neal.

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