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3:50 PM HBO Signature
La Otra Familia (2011 MEX): Apparently they have crack babies in Mexico, too. In La Otra Familia (The Other Family), lil’ tyke Hendrix (Bruno Loza) has been dumped by druggie mama Nina (Nailea Norvind). Nina’s bestie Ivana (Ana Serradilla) steps up the plate, but when Houston beckons she passes the boy on to gay couple Jean Paul and Chema (Jorge Salinas and Luis R. "no, not that Luis" Guzman). Did you know gay marriage is legal in Mexico City? Neither did I, and apparently that doesn’t sit entirely well with the local Catholic church, who deny Hendrix a spot in their school when his new "parents" try to enroll him. This touching and effective drama makes its American television debut this afternoon.

Wednesday 9/5/12

5:40 AM Encore Dramatic Stories
In a Better World (2010 DEN): 2011’s Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, In a Better World is another impressive notch in the belt of director Susanne Bier (Brothers, After the Wedding). The film stars Mikael Persbrandt (Everlasting Moments) as Anton, a Danish doctor doing the Lord’s work in Africa, where he works assiduously to heal the wounds of war victims. Meanwhile, back at home, 10-year-old son Elias is being subjected to severe schoolhouse bullying, which only comes to an end when he befriends new student Christian, a bigger lad not at all reluctant to use violence to protect his pal. The film was misinterpreted by many critics as a simplistic morality play, but its original Danish title - simply, Revenge - suggests there’s much more going on in the film, which I found a worthy if surprising Oscar choice.

11:50 PM HBO
Perfect Creature (2006 NZ-GB): This being a film from New Zealand, you might think Perfect Creature is a sequel to Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures - but despite its vaguely nostalgic setting, it just ain’t so. Instead, it’s a pretty decent vampire flick starring Dougray (how do you pronounce that?) Scott as brother Silas, tipped for the top of the vampire hierarchy but threatened by his warped and wicked fellow bloodsucker Edgar, a runaway child running wild and supping on the blood of Aucklanders left and right. Oh, did I forget to mention Perfect Creature’s gimmick? In this iteration of the vampire mythos, the night owls live in harmony with humans, and are actually a repository of knowledge and wisdom. Anyhoo, Silas needs to stop Edgar before he ruins (or ensanguinates) everything, whilst human police officer Lilly (Saffron Burrows) lends a hand. Unsurprisingly, the two find themselves attracted to each other – with predictably problematic results. Also airs on 9/6 at 2:50 AM.

Thursday 9/6/12

5:00 PM Sundance
Control (2007 GB): Do you ever feel so close to the subject of a biopic that you can't bring yourself to actually watch the film? This happened to me at least twice in 2008: once with What We Do Is Secret, which retold the life of LA punk rock god Darby Crash, and again with this film about Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. When I was a callow youth, the music of Crash's group The Germs and of Joy Division was incredibly important to me, and the fact that both singers killed themselves (Curtis only a month before his group's performance at the Starwood in Hollywood, for which I already had tickets) left raw wounds on my adolescent psyche. The wounds have long since healed, but I'm still not sure I want to live through those times again - hence my initial aversion to Control during its theatrical run. However, there are certainly plenty of reasons to see the film: it was directed by photographer Anton Corbijn, who took some of Joy Division's most iconic publicity shots; features Sam Riley - who bears a startling resemblance to Curtis - in the lead role; and is in black and white, which is almost always a good thing in and of itself. And who knows: maybe this is that special biopic that actually gets everything right. Now wouldn't that be a novelty. This film previously screened in pan and scan on More Max; this screening represents its widescreen American television premiere.

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