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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 04/21/09

1:30 AM Sundance
Ghosts of Cite Soleil (2006 DEN): Criticized by some (including The Guardian's estimable Peter Bradshaw) for glorifying the violent lifestyle of the Haitian chimere, this Danish documentary definitely belongs in the "takes no prisoners" category. Directed by Asger Leth, Ghosts of Cite Soleil records the exploits of a pair of street thugs named Bily and 2Pac (no, not that one) and the complicity of a French aid worker in their murderous activities. There's definitely more than a hint of Man Bites Dog Stockholm Syndrome here, as Leth seems interested in little more than getting the juiciest, bloodiest incidents on film. It's riveting stuff, but you might want to take a shower after watching it. Also airs 4/25 at 11:45 AM.

6:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Naked Street (1955 USA): A pseudo-noir obscurity directed by screenwriter Maxwell Shane, The Naked Street features Anthony Quinn as Phil Regal, a mobster out for revenge against ex-con Nicky Bradna (Farley Granger), who's knocked up Quinn's sister Rosalie (Anne Bancroft). Meanwhile, hungry young cub reporter Joe McFarland (Peter Graves) is working on a story that he hopes will bring down Regal's crime syndicate. If one can get over the bizarre concept of Quinn and Bancroft cast as siblings, The Naked Street is a worthwhile little feature, well shot by Floyd Crosby. TiVoPlex favorite Whit Bissell has a small role and there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-him early appearance by Lee Van Cleef.

7:00 PM Sundance
Flow: For Love of Water (2008 USA): Water seems to be the most ubiquitous substance on Earth, but it's becoming increasingly scarce and increasingly off-limits for those in the so-called "Developing World". This documentary takes a look at how water may be the next natural resource we'll be fighting over. It's pretty depressing stuff — the film even suggests California will be out of fresh water sometime in the next 20 years — but does offer a solution, albeit one that won't be very dear to the hearts of Michelle Bachmann and Glenn Beck.

Wednesday 04/22/09

5:00 AM Encore Love Stories
Saawariya (2007 IND): It's not often that Bollywood comes to the TiVoPlex, so you'll excuse me for hyping a film I haven't seen yet. Saawariya is a 142-minute romantic musical based on a story by Dostoevsky, which sounds like a thoroughly improbable and incongruous blend of elements. The first Bollywood film to be financed by a major studio (Sony), Saawariya makes its American television debut this morning.

Thursday 04/23/09

5:30 PM HBO
Trouble the Water (2008 USA): This remarkable, HBO-produced cinema verite look at the horrors of Hurricane Katrina had a brief theatrical run last year, was nominated for the Best Documentary Academy Award, and finally arrives on the small screen tonight. Shot on handheld video by New Orleans residents Kimberly and Scott Roberts and edited into film form by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, the film is an astonishing record of what happened over the course of a grim two-week period in and around the Crescent City. If Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke was Katrina's macro-masterpiece, here's its micro equivalent. Also airs at 8:30 PM and 4/24 on HBO2 at 10:30 AM.

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