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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 10/10/06

12:15am The Movie Channel
Premonition (2004 JAP): Is there no end to the apparently limitless supply of Asian horror films currently inundating premium channels? That's a rhetorical question, of course, and I certainly hope the answer is "no", because even at their worst, I'll take a lank-haired ghost story over a teenage slasher flick any day of the week. Which brings us to director Norio Tsuruta's Premonition, which definitely falls on the "not all that great" end of the spectrum. The film stars Parasite Eve's Hiroshi Mikami as Hideki, a teacher who finds his daily newspaper mysteriously capable of predicting the future. Even the New York Times can't do THAT. Paralyzed at first by fear, Hideki then tries to use his inside scoops for good, only to discover that the more he uses his powers, the weaker his predictive abilities become. Burdened with a rather sentimental script, Premonition is far from prime J-horror territory, but worth a look for fans of the genre. Also airs at 3:15am.

2am Sundance
The Mademoiselle and the Doctor (2004 AUS): The Mademoiselle is 79-year-old French expatriate Lisette Nigot, and the doctor is Australian specialist Philip Nitschke. Nigot is interested in exercising her "right to die" before reaching her 80th birthday, and the appropriately-named Dr. Nitschke (hey, it's close enough to Nietzsche for me) provides advice to terminally-ill patients looking to end it all on their own terms. Kismet! Here's the thing, though: Mademoiselle Nigot is perfectly healthy and is simply tired of life and ready to hang up her spurs. This documentary explores the troublesome question of whether or not any of us have the "right" to take our own life (and if so, when), and delivers it in powerful, emotional fashion. Not recommended for children or Republican legislators, who probably shouldn't be spending time together in the same room regardless.

8am Turner Classic Movies
Night Spot (1938 USA): Not-terribly-funny comedian Parkyakarkus (AKA Harry Parke) stars in this crime comedy about undercover cops Pete and Riley (Allan Lane and Gordon James) masquerading as musicians in an effort to get the goods on night-club owner and gangster Marty Davis (Bradley Page). Parkyakarkus plays Davis' henchman Gashouse, assigned to shadow singer Margy Dexter (Joan Woodbury), who's inadvertently witnessed some of Marty's shadier business dealings. Will Margy come to a sticky end, or will love-struck flatfoot Pete save the day? Directed matter-of-factly by journeyman Christy Cabanne, Night Spot makes its TCM debut this evening, and hasn't been seen elsewhere in a very long time.

11pm Turner Classic Movies
Dead of Winter (1987 USA): This enjoyable, if rather stodgy, Arthur Penn old dark house thriller makes its wide-screen television debut this evening. Annoying Mary Steenburgen stars as Katie McGovern, an unemployed thespian summoned to a remote mansion for a screen test. Well, didn't YOUR last screen test take place at a rambling pile in back of beyond? To complicate matters, our heroine must negotiate a screaming snowstorm for her art, and gamely undeterred by the suspicious and dangerous climatological circumstances arrives on the doorstep, where she is greeted by wheelchair-bound Dr. Lewis (Jan Rubes) and his malevolent assistant (Roddy McDowall). As the snowdrift mounts outside, it starts to dawn on Katie that all is not as it seems, and indeed her job opportunities seem to be worsening by the minute. It's all rather polite and restrained stuff, but if you enjoy films featuring hidden passageways and creaky staircases, you could do worse.

Wednesday 10/11/06

7:15pm Flix
Belle de Jour (1967 FRA): It's not my favorite Luis Buñuel film, but hey, IT IS Buñuel, so you should give it a look. Catherine Deneuve stars as Séverine, the sexually unsatisfied wife of a handsome doctor (Jean Sorel). She's a bit on the kinky side, you see, and she spends her copious free time moonlighting at a brothel, where she meets a foul-mouthed street urchin (Pierre Clementi) whose rough manner and boorish behavior win her over. True bliss, unsurprisingly, does not lie just around the corner for our lovebirds, however, and the film ends on an enigmatic note, as Séverine wearily acknowledges both her betrayal of her husband and the impetuous and obsessive behavior compelling her to bed down with other men. Though not, in my opinion, prime Buñuel, Belle de Jour still bears the unmistakable thematic and stylistic marks of the Spanish-born surrealist, who enjoyed prodding the sexual and religious hang-ups of the bourgeoisie so much that he later made a film called, wryly, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.

Thursday 10/12/06

4:30am HBO Signature
The Killers (1964 USA): Originally produced as a made-for-television feature and then released to cinemas when network poobahs deemed it too strong for the boob tube, The Killers serves as a historical footnote, thanks to its place both at the beginning of the TV-movie-of-the-week era and very end of Ronald Reagan's filmography. Reagan plays Jack Browning, a peripheral character in this tale of two hit men (Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager) on the trail of race-car driver-turned-schoolteacher (John Cassavetes), whose involvement in one of Browning's cockamamie criminal schemes has left him on someone's enemies list. A remake of a (frankly superior) 1946 noir, The Killers co-stars sexy Angie Dickinson as Cassavetes' moll, as well as familiar faces Claude Akins, Norman Fell and a very young Seymour Cassel.

9am Turner Classic Movies
Underground (1941 USA): A first-rate anti-Nazi polemic from the Brothers Warner, Underground stars Philip Dorn as Eric Franken, a heavy-hitter in a mysterious underground movement transmitting seditious messages to the German people. Eric's brother Kurt (Jeffrey Lynn) is a loyal party member and soldier who returns from the front lines missing an arm but with patriotism intact. Eric is determined to keep his operations a secret from his sibling, but when Kurt falls in love with Sylvia (Kings Rows' Kaaren Verne), an underground operative subjected to rough handling by the Gestapo, the resistance's activities are seriously compromised. Probably forgotten because of its complete lack of star power, Underground now benefits from the very absence of familiar faces, rendering it all the more realistic, and its roots as a B picture helmed by an A-list director (Vincent Sherman), along with Sid Hickox' proto-noir cinematography and Thomas Pratt's sharp editing bolster its authenticity. Hardcore film fans will appreciate the presence of Martin Kosleck, Hans Conried, and Paul Panzer amongst the supporting cast.

Friday 10/13/06

2:15pm Showtime
Silver Hawk (2004 HK): Michelle Yeoh plays a masked superhero in this fun action flick from delightfully named director Jingle Ma, previously responsible for lensing such memorable titles as God of Cookery and Iron Rooster vs. the Centipede. Yeoh plays Lulu Wong, whose penchant for souped-up motorcycles and kung-fu antics coincide with the needs of police detective Richman (Richie Ren), on the trail of villain Silver Hawk. When Silver Hawk gains an ally in the form of evil mastermind Alexander Wolfe (the appalling Luke Goss), our two heroes must redouble their efforts or risk exposing millions to Wolfe's devious cell-phone technology. Can you hear me now? Thoroughly predictable from start to finish, this comic book come to life is still quite a bit of fun, and Yeoh is always a pleasure to watch. Also airs at 5:15pm.

11pm Turner Classic Movies
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1956 USA): We're stretching the definition of "classic movies" quite a bit here, but let's be honest: Ed Wood's flying saucer epic wasn't even the worst film of 1956, never mind of all time, regardless of the calumnies spread by noxious film critic Michael Medved, whose Golden Turkeys book alerted millions to the existence of this admittedly outré feature. (To set the record straight, the worst film of 1956 was actually Dick Powell's The Conqueror, and the worst film of all time remains Forrest Gump.) Anyhoo, for those few of you unfamiliar with this camp classic, Plan 9 From Outer Space relates how aliens from another galaxy plan to conquer Earth by raising the dead from their graves and using them as zombie foot soldiers. Unfortunately, they don't count on having warriors such as slug-footed Inspector Dan Clay (Tor Johnson) in their ranks, and their plans aft gang aglay. If you've seen Tim Burton's Ed Wood, you get the idea, and if you haven't, well for heaven's sakes why not? Plan 9 is followed at 12:30am by Wood's equally inept thriller Bride of the Monster, a 1955 epic featuring Bela Lugosi and that giant octopus from Wake of the Red Witch.

Saturday 10/14/06

7pm Cinemax
A History of Violence (2005 CAN): Somehow or other I managed to miss David Cronenberg's highly-acclaimed morality play during its lengthy theatrical run last year. Not sure how that happened, as I'm an admirer of both Cronenberg's edgy offerings and of lead actor Viggo Mortensen, here cast as a small-town restaurateur thrust into the spotlight by an unexpected and violent day at the diner. A History of Violence netted two Academy Award nominations (including one for co-star William Hurt), and makes its premium channel debut this evening. Also airs at 10pm and throughout the month.

7pm Sundance
Calvaire (2004 FRA-BEL): A bleak existential thriller straight out of the pages of Sartre, Beckett, or George Romero, Calvaire stars Laurent Lucas as Marc, a traveling singer whose act is a big hit on the retirement home circuit throughout rural Belgium. After wowing senior citizens at another successful Christmas-season show, Marc hits the highway for his next gig, but breaks down in a remote forested region and finds himself needing assistance from local innkeeper Bartel (Jackie Berroyer), who offers to trade him food and shelter for a performance. Much to Marc's regret, however, his singing brings back tragic memories of Bartel's estranged wife, leading to some very nasty consequences indeed. Filled with loathsome characters, the darkest of black comedy, and a heaping helping of the old ultra-violence, Calvaire is not for everyone, but if you're in the mood for a flick that makes The Hills Have Eyes look like a stroll through the park, here ya go.

Sunday 10/15/06

4pm Sundance
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983 GB): It may not hit on all cylinders in the fashion of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and it lacks the brilliant acid touch of Monty Python's Life of Brian, but The Meaning of Life is still essential viewing for fans of the great comedy troupe, and generates plenty of laughs from its very-loosely-related series of sketches. I'm not sure the Pythons ever filmed a better sequence than the opening one, The Crimson Permanent Assurance, and the wafer-thin mint will forever remain lodged in my memory (and thankfully, not in my throat). The rugby match, Every Sperm is Sacred, and the recurrent appearances of Death - here seen slouching toward Bethlehem with a scythe in one hand and a tainted plate of mousse in the other - all contribute to super satisfaction for Python enthusiasts. If you don't qualify as one, however, your mileage will definitely vary.

6:45pm Flix
Doppelganger (1993 USA): Not sure why I'm including this Drew Barrymore thriller in this week's column, as I'm not a big admirer of the actress and, though the bar is set low, this is certainly not one of her better efforts. Barrymore plays a young woman who flees New York for the mellow confines of Southern California after the murder of her mother, only to find an evil twin dogging her footsteps. I can only attribute my weakness for this feature to the presence of ‘50s era scream queen Luana Anders, or perhaps I have some secret admiration for the cojones of screenwriter/director Avi Nesher, who brazenly recycles whole pages from the Brian De Palma playbook. Not really recommended, unless you are a huge Drew or Luana Anders fan.