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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 04/19/11

3:00 AM Showtime 3
Prophecy (1979 USA): Oh, how the mighty sometimes fall. Helmed by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Seconds), Prophecy shows a precipitous decline in the director’s mojo, even in comparison to his mediocre previous effort, the absurd but enjoyable Black Sunday (1977). Prophecy continues the absurd theme, but is not particularly enjoyable: it’s a stodgy, preachy tale of eco-horror starring Talia Shire as the wife of a scientist (Robert Foxworth) investigating reports of monstrous mutations lurking in the woodlands of Maine. Turns out an evil industrialist (Richard Dysart) has been polluting the environs to ill effect, including the genesis of a bear-monster with a taste for human flesh. Prophecy makes William Girdler’s Grizzly look like prize-winning material in comparison, but is (supposedly) airing in widescreen format this morning, rendering it a mild buy in this week’s TiVoPlex market.

10:00 AM Showtime Extreme
Fragile (2005 GB-ESP): A Calista Flockhart horror flick that’s actually pretty good? Believe it or not, such a beast exists and its name is Fragile. The actress who launched a thousand anorexia jokes headlines as Amy Nicholls, a temp nurse in an Isle of Wight children’s ward who suddenly finds herself very busy one night following a train accident. (There’s a rail line on the Isle of Wight? I did not know that.) Our heroine has replaced Susan (Susie Trayling), an RN scared off by a relentless series of bumps in the night, and sure enough weird things start happening on Amy’s shift, too — the result of a ghost stalking the second floor hallways and scaring the kiddies. Directed by Jaume Balaguero (Darkness, [Rec]), Fragile may not offer much in the way of originality, but has atmosphere to spare, and as long as you don’t mind looking at a stick insect is a perfectly reasonable distraction.

6:35 PM Flix
Mayor of the Sunset Strip (2005 USA): One of my favorite films of 2004, Mayor of the Sunset Strip is a bittersweet documentary tribute to Rodney Bingenheimer, one of America’s most influential and important disc jockeys. That may sound like hyperbole to those who have never listened to his show, but his longevity and continued commitment to new music elevate him towards Alan Freed territory. The diminutive Bingenheimer moved from Northern California to Hollywood in the late 1960s, where he doubled for Monkee Davy Jones, opened a seminal glam rock dance club called Rodney’s English Disco, and found on-air notoriety courtesy progressive FM station KROQ. Rodney’s show helped spur Los Angeles’ punk and new wave scenes, and was required listening on Southland weekends, when you’d hear up and coming local bands like X, The Screamers, and The Germs, out-of-towners such as The Damned and The Sex Pistols, and, oddly, starlet Brooke Shields, who was frequently seen about town on Rodney’s arm. Bingenheimer comes across as a very shy, somewhat morose individual on camera, perhaps unsurprising considering the paltry recognition he has received for his contributions to rock ‘n’ roll radio. He’s as important an on-air figure as Britain’s late, beloved John Peel, and this wonderful film gives him the recognition he so richly deserves. You can help Rodney regain his prime time radio spot by signing the petition at www.rodney.panopia.com.

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