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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 10/16/07

5:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Tudor Rose(1936 GB): A Michael Balcon-produced frock flick, Tudor Rose relates the tragic tale of Lady Jane Grey, the Queen of England for a mere nine days in 1553. Lady Jane ascended to the throne upon the death of Edward VI with the assistance of her father-in-law, the Duke of Northumberland, an influential noble hoping to keep the Catholic Princess Mary as far away from the corridors of power as possible. Unfortunately, Mary retained considerable support in the provinces, and nine days after her accession Lady Jane found herself removed from the throne and imprisoned in the Tower, from whence she was tried, sentenced, and executed for treason in February 1554. As for the film, it's a reasonably accurate depiction of events, with Nova Pilbeam (still with us today at 88) portraying the nine-day Queen and John Mills as John Dudley, First Duke of Northumberland. Directed by future Disney auteur Robert Stevenson, Tudor Rose also features Cedric Hardwicke, Miles Malleson, and Martita Hunt in supporting roles.

12:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Genghis Khan(1965 GB-BRD-YUG): A biopic with, arguably, somewhat less historical veracity than Tudor Rose, this big budget epic features Omar Sharif as the titular Khan, a Mongolian warlord who (depending on your historical bent) either brought bloodshed and terror or orderly civilization to a wide swath of the Asian continent during the twelfth century. Henry Levin's film opts for "good Genghis", and he's seen here facing down the villainous Jamuga (Stephen Boyd) who, in real life, was one of the Khan's best buds. The spectacle is impressive (especially in widescreen) and the cast equally so (James Mason, Telly Savalas, Woody Strode, Francoise Dorleac, Eli Wallach, Robert Morley, Michael Hordern, and a host of Yugoslavians), so if you can overlook the historical inaccuracies, you may find the "Emperor of All Emperors" to your liking.

1:30 Encore Dramatic Stories
Charlie Bubbles(1968 GB): It's been quite some time since this Albert Finney comedy-drama appeared on American television, and despite its copious flaws it deserves a mention. The first film directed by Finney, Charlie Bubbles features the actor as the titular character, a successful writer hoping for more from life than just good sales figures. Predictably, he thinks the answer lies in the form of the Other Woman, embodied, conveniently enough, in the shape of his secretary, Eliza (Liza Minnelli), at the expense of estranged wife Lottie (Hot Fuzz's Billie Whitelaw). Finney's work behind the camera is both unexceptional and burdened with late '60s stylistic tics, whilst Shelagh Delaney's screenplay is underdone and unfocussed. If, however, you're a fan of Finney or Whitelaw (who won a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA for her performance here), you might want to take a look.

Wednesday 10/17/07

10:30 PM Showtime 3
Xiu Xiu The Sent Down Girl(1998 HK-USA): Set during the waning days of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution, Xiu Xiu features actress Lu Lu as a teenager sent to the remotes of Sichuan to shed her bourgeois trappings and learn the wonderful and ideologically pure ways of the manual laborer. Sichuan is merely a way station, however, and Xiu Xiu soon finds herself shipped off to even remoter Tibet, where, in addition to learning how to tend horses, she finds herself taken advantage of by a procession of men masquerading as saviours who can help her return to her home in Chengdu. Beautifully shot and well directed by actress Joan Chen (currently lighting up screens in Ang Lee's NC-17 rated Lust, Caution), Xiu Xiu is a deeply affecting tragedy that offers little in the way of redemption for its primary character and resolutely avoids a happy ending.

Thursday 10/18/07

Midnight HBO Signature
Perfecto Amor Equivocado(2004 CUB): I haven't seen this Cuban family drama, but when was the last time a Cuban film aired on American television? Ever? I'm frankly surprised to see this airing today, considering that the United States and Cuba are closing in on the 50th Anniversary of intractable hatred for one another and that, well, isn't there an economic boycott going on? On the other hand, we get to see Iranian films with some regularity, so perhaps there's a cultural loophole of which I'm unaware. Regardless, I'll be tuning in - and Viva Fidel!

12:05 AM Cinemax
Derecho de Familia (2004 ARG): Ah, THAT'S more like it - an Argentinian family drama! Derecho de Familia stars Daniel Hendler as Ariel Perelman, the son of successful lawyer Bernardo (Arturo Goetz), who dreams that his offspring will one day follow him into the family firm. Typically ungrateful son Ariel has other plans for his future, including starting his own family and carving out his own niche as a law professor. Selected to represent Argentina at the 2007 Academy Awards, Derecho de Familia treads familiar territory, but does it deftly, quietly, and wittily. And completely off topic, Viva Maradona! Also airs at 3:05 AM.

9:45 AM Showtime
A Very Serious Person (2006 USA): Drag artist extraordinaire Charles Busch branches out into dramatic territory in A Very Serious Person, in which he depicts Jan, a Danish (male) nurse who helps 13-year-old Gil (P. J. Verhoest) come to terms with his sexuality whilst caring for the lad's ailing grandma (Polly Bergen). Gil loves his show tunes and doesn't care if the world knows it, but cautious Jan convinces him to keep certain aspects of his life in the closet, as once Granny passes he'll be adopted by some less open-minded relatives in Florida. The film is surprisingly staid and lacks the flamboyant joi de vivre of Busch's Die, Mommie, Die! but Busch is always a pleasure to watch, even when attired in men's clothing. Also airs at 12:45 PM.

5:00 PM Showtime Extreme
Sucker Free City (2004 USA): I know, you've seen it all before: the one about the gang banger trying to escape the ghetto confines of his youth, the good kid who lives with his grandma but projects the aura of macho invincibility deemed necessary to survive in the 'hood. You've also seen the one about the white wannabe who sells cocaine to his co-workers at his downtown office, and the one about the Chinatown punk trying to ingratiate himself with the local godfather. But you probably haven't seen them all in the same film, until now. Directed by Spike Lee, Sucker Free City is set in San Francisco (which, less than coincidentally, shares its initials with the film's title) and was designed as the pilot for a Showtime series. Though the three story arcs are, separately, familiar journeys along well-trodden narrative paths, Lee and San Francisco-born screenwriter Alex Tse do a superb job of blending them and keeping us interested in the proceedings. The cast is also uniformly fine, most notably Anthony Mackie as Keith, the street hustler with a heart of burnished gold and Ben Crowley as angry young white man Nick. Veteran character actors John Savage and James Hong also score points as, respectively, Nick's left-wing father and the Chinatown kingpin whose young charge Lincoln (Ken Leung) keeps screwing up. The proposed series was ultimately nixed by the network, and it's a shame we won't get to see more of these characters, but the pilot stands up well on its own. Also airs 10/21 at 5:00 PM.

Friday 10/19/07

4:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Soul Of A Monster (1944 USA): A very rarely seen Columbia chiller, Soul Of A Monster makes its belated TCM premiere this evening. The film stars George Macready (then early in his career, but already well into middle-age) as Doctor George Winson, a beloved surgeon who contracts a fatal infection whilst in the course of duty. Desperate to save his life, wife Ann (Jeanne Bates) issues an appeal to the forces of darkness to intercede on behalf of her husband. Succor arrives in the supernatural form of Lilyan (scream queen Rose Hobart), but a price must be paid: upon his recovery, George is a changed person with an aversion to crucifixes and a hankering for ice picks. A wonderful little oddity sadly spoiled by a cheat ending, Soul Of A Monster also features appearances by B movie regulars Milton Kibbee and Clarence Muse.

Saturday 10/20/07

9:15 PM Sundance
Walker (1987 GB): This film was absolutely slaughtered by the critics when it came out - Ebert famously gave it no stars, and others were not much kinder - and it was a disaster at the box office, too, but I reckon Walker has aged quite well. In 1987 it was a timely critique of American interventionism in Central America, and it remains so in 2005, but as a bonus it now offers some prescient commentary on a more recent money-grab dolled up in the garish drag of democracy-building. For the 99% of you who haven't seen Walker, it's the eponymous story of an American adventurer (Ed Harris, in an impressive pursed-lip performance) hired by robber baron Cornelius Vanderbilt (Peter Boyle) to bring "freedom" to the savages of Nicaragua and an economic windfall for American businessmen. Walker's ragtag mercenary army soon establishes control of the country, and he names himself President, with full authority to do whatever he damn well pleases. Initially a man of conviction, Walker is soon justifying some rather brutal ends with some equally unpleasant means, and the one-time abolitionist legalizes slavery in his new fiefdom, which doesn't take too kindly to the news. Walker is an astonishingly violent film, with countless deaths occurring in vivid slow motion, and though Joe Strummer's jazz-inflected score doesn't always work to best effect, there are moments of great power - and of great, extremely bleak humor - in it. Richly in need of critical reassessment, not to mention a digital upgrade (Sundance is airing a pan-and-scan print), Walker will eventually be acknowledged as a near-classic black comedy.

Sunday 10/21/07

7:45 AM HBO
Run Granny Run (2006 USA): Doris Haddock is "Granny D", a nonagenarian peace activist who ran for a United States Senate seat in 2004 at the age of 94. This wonderful film follows her on the campaign trail as she attempts to unseat New Hampshire Republican incumbent Judd Gregg. Alas, she ran two years too soon, and Gregg handily won re-election, but Haddock's dedication to the causes of electoral reform and nuclear disarmament won her plaudits across the nation, and across the political spectrum (even John McCain had kind words for her at one point). If you've ever wondered what a real grassroots campaign might look like, check out Run Granny Run - and keep your fingers crossed that Granny runs against Gregg in 2010, her centenary year! Also airs at 10:45 AM.

9:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Battleship Potemkin (1926 USSR): Chances are most of you are at least passing familiar with Battleship Potemkin, Sergei Eisenstein's tribute to the rebellious sailors of the eponymous Russian warship, who rebelled against their Czarist masters in 1905 after the quality of their food became intolerable. These sailors truly were the Russian Empire's canaries in the coalmine, their uprising presaging the Revolution that would follow in the next decade - but in 1905 they (and their civilian supporters in the port city of Odessa) were brutally put down by Cossacks. What makes this evening's airing of Battleship Potemkin of special interest, however, is the print being utilized: newly restored for DVD by Kino On Video, it now features a new arrangement of the film's original score composed by Edmund Meisel, as well as considerable restoration work by archivist Enno Patalas. It's doubtful this film will ever appear better than it will tonight, so give it a look before you invest in the 2 disc special edition, which hits the street this week.

9:00 PM Sundance
Time (2006 ROK): Reality, identity, and appearance are explored in this frank Korean drama from director Kim Ki-Duk (The Isle, Coast Guard). Time features Park Ji-Yeon and Ha Jeong-Woo as Se-Heui and Ji-Woo, young lovers obsessed with their looks. When Ji-Woo struggles to make love with Se-Heui, he admits he can only climax when thinking of "another" woman. Driven to acquire "the perfect face", Se-Heui drops from sight whilst undergoing cosmetic surgery, and Ji-Woo moves on in the relationship stakes. Six months later, Se-Heui reappears with a new face and a new alias - and the fallout is unexpected and quite disturbing. A film festival favorite, Time will give you second thoughts about that nose job or boob bob you've been contemplating.

Monday 10/22/07

3:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
Blood Money (1933 USA): A terrific pre-Code drama, Blood Money stars George Bancroft as the appropriately named Bill Bailey, a bent bondsman who falls for wealthy young socialite Elaine Talbart (Frances Dee), a woman with a five-finger discount problem. The pair get into all sorts of trouble with Bailey's underworld clientele, who set up our anti-hero for a final reel execution via pool cue! Featuring scenes in what appears to be a lesbian bar, as well as incidents of sexual masochism and violence, Blood Money remains pretty hot stuff by any standard.

6:00 PM Sundance
Does Your Soul Have A Cold?(2007 USA): Deriving its title from a Japanese ad campaign for anti-depressants, this documentary takes a look at big pharma's successful effort to open up that nation to their products. Long unrecognized as a medical problem, depression ("utsu") finally sprang to prominence during the 1990s, and American drug companies were eager and willing to step in and help - and make themselves a few bucks, too. The film follows five Japanese who have had mixed (at best) results from their drug regimen, and concludes that a "cure" for their problems remains as elusive as ever. I guess there's always alcohol.