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11:00 AM Showtime 3
El Norte (1983 USA): Director Gregory Nava’s magical realist tale of Guatemalan peasants fleeing their native land for the safer confines of California gets a rare television airing this morning. Zaide Silvia Gutierrez and David Villalpando star as Rosa and Enrique, Mayan siblings tired of living beneath the boot-heel of their Anglo masters, who in addition to paying them a pittance for their labors have also "disappeared" their parents. Inspired by an old issue of Good Housekeeping, they set their sights on El Norte (The North), but before reaching the Land of Milk and Honey (aka Los Angeles) must first negotiate their way through Mexico. Nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award, this is one of the finest American independent features ever made, and worthy of mention in the same breath as Salt of the Earth and Nothing But a Man. The program guide suggests this will be a letterboxed airing, but Showtime 3 usually lies; considering its original aspect ratio was 1.78:1, however, El Norte is worth watching regardless.

11:15 PM The Movie Channel
Border Radio (1987 USA): This punk rock-inflected drama had been scheduled to make an October 15th appearance on Turner Classic Movies but didn’t air (Adrian Lyne’s hugely enjoyable girl-power feature Foxes filled in for it, so I’m not complaining too vehemently). Now it pops up on The Movie Channel, and I’ll take the easy way out and repeat what I wrote about it last month: (Border Radio is) a low-budget indie from 1987 starring LA punk veteran Chris D. as a rocker on the run in Mexico with some ill-gotten gains. If you spent time in the clubs of LA circa 1980 you’ll appreciate the on-screen presence of Mr. D (The Flesheaters), John Doe (X), and Dave Alvin (The Blasters). Also airs 12/3 at 2:15 AM.

Friday 12/03/10

5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Fitzwilly (1967 USA): "Delightful" is perhaps the adjective best-suited to this Dick Van Dyke comedy, though "charming" is pretty appropriate, too. Van Dyke stars as the titular character, loyal butler of wealthy spinster Victoria Woodworth (Dame Edith Evans) and unofficial shop steward of her household staff. Life is good until Fitzwilly gets wind of Miss Vicki’s impending bankruptcy - news which, naturally, doesn’t sit well with her large entourage, who immediately cook up a scheme to keep their mistress’ bank account full and themselves gainfully employed. Now finally available as a print-on-demand DVD from MGM, this delightful (there’s that word again) widescreen laugher co-stars Cecil Kellaway, John Fiedler, Norman Fell, and the eternally lovely Barbara Feldon as Miss Vicki’s secretary (and Fitzwilly’s love interest).

11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Beyond (1981 ITA): It’s not often that I get to write the words "Lucio Fulci" and "Turner Classic Movies" in the same paragraph. The prolific Fulci got his start in the 1960s directing pepla, spaghetti westerns, and spy movies, but is best remembered for his horror films, which came a bit later in his career. Never shy about using gore and bloodshed to make his point (though still a piker in comparison to Ruggero Deodato or Joe D’Amato), Fulci churned out more than a dozen grue-fests from the late ‘70s through the early ‘90s, including this firm fan favorite. Set and partially shot in Louisiana, The Beyond stars Catriona (Katherine) MacColl as Liza Merril, a young woman who inherits an old New Orleans inn and almost immediately regrets getting involved in the hospitality trade. Not only does she need to hire "Joe the Plumber" (Giovanni de Nava, who doesn’t look a thing like Samuel Wurzelbacher) to get the place up to code, the hotel also sits smack atop one of the entrance-ways to Hell! Yes, that Hell - the one with the pitchforks and the sulfur and the screaming and the way - HEY. Oh, and the zombies: Satan’s got some of those, too. Though not quite as good as it sounds, The Beyond is as outrageous a piece of Eurotrash as you’re ever likely to see and co-stars genre faves David Warbeck and Al Cliver.

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