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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 07/21/09

4:20 AM More Max
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954 USA): By happy coincidence, I happened to scope out a big screen, 3-D revival of this beloved creature feature just a few weeks ago, and whilst I enjoyed the pic as much as ever, it's quite remarkable how much the 3-D process has improved since the 1950s! Anyhow, 3-D probably won't be an issue on More Max tonight. The story - of scientists exploring a remote portion of the Amazon basin in search of clues proving the existence of a strange creature from the Devonian period - is simplicity itself, but the execution is what makes Creature From the Black Lagoon a worthwhile venture. Well shot by William Snyder and more than competently directed by Jack Arnold, the film also benefits immensely from its uncredited score, apparently a collaborative effort by Henry Mancini and Hans Salter. The underwater photography is exemplary, as is the performance of Ricou Browning, who donned the Creature's outfit for the sub-aquatic sequences - but let's not overlook the film's biggest attraction: lovely Julie Adams, perhaps the first woman I ever had a crush on (at the age of ten, I believe). Will there be room in the forthcoming remake for cameo appearances by Julie and Ricou? Probably not, but we can hope...in the meantime, here's an excellent opportunity to reacquaint yourself with an old, if rather damp, friend.

6:45 PM Turner Classic Movies
Secret Partner (1961 GB): This somewhat disappointing Basil Dearden thriller is still worth a look, especially if you're a Stewart Granger fan. Granger plays John Brent, a shipping company employee being blackmailed for earlier sins by - his dentist (Norman Bird)! To complicate matters, when 135,000 pounds sterling go missing from the company vaults, Brent is immediately suspected of the crime, and it's up to redoubtable Detective Inspector Hanbury (Bernard Lee) to track him down and slap on the cuffs - presuming, of course, he's guilty. Dearden's reputation rests on socially conscious pictures such as Sapphire, Victim, and All Night Long, and what's perhaps most disappointing about Secret Partner is its inability to engage an issue. If you can temper your expectations and settle for a rather rote thriller, however, you'll enjoy it.

7:00 PM Sundance
Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home (2008 USA): How much trash can one All-American family generate over the course of three months? That's the uncomfortable question posed by this amiable if pointed documentary from filmmaker Andrew Nisker. Nisker focuses on the MacDonalds, a family of five who gamely start to gather their increasingly gamey garbage in the garage. The film also takes some side journeys with other folks' rubbish to see what happens to it after it leaves the driveway. It ain't pretty.

Wednesday 07/22/09

3:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951 USA): I really shouldn't be encouraging anyone to watch a subpar horror film like Son of Dr. Jekyll, but sometimes I'm like The Troggs and can't control myself. Louis Heyward stars as the titular offspring, unaware of Dad's unsavory reputation until he inherits his estate, which comes complete with some rather outré chemical recipe books. Jekyll fils is determined to prove Jekyll pere wasn't insane and was actually on to something good and useful, and, well, you can pretty much fill in the blanks from there. It's about as good as you can expect a 1951 horror movie to be, which is saying very, very little indeed.

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