By John Seal
March 1-9, 2003
From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or underappreciated - they all have a home in the TiVoPlex! All times PST. We've got an extended nine-day edition this week, so fire up your printer and break out the remote control.
Saturday 3/01/03
12:05 AM Encore Westerns
The Treasure of Silver Lake (1962 BRD): For pure unadulterated entertainment and silly fun, you can’t go wrong with The Treasure of Silver Lake. Establishing the template for every euro-western that followed, it features non-stop action, beautiful scenery (unfortunately compromised by the pan and scan version aired by Encore Westerns), and an amusing and watchable cast. Like most euro-westerns, the film is more sympathetic to Native Americans than a typical Hollywood movie, but the Indians aren't really the focal point of the story - though they do ride around a great deal and emit fearsome war whoops. The Good Guys, led by sometime Tarzan Lex Barker, have a treasure map that will lead them to, erm, some treasure. The Bad Guys, led by a re-dubbed Herbert Lom (and who seem to have an unlimited supply of men, horses, and ammo), want that map! Much gunplay ensues. Lom gets to whip some of his men into shape (literally), there's a trapper with a frightwig (literally), and another trapper who speaks in rhyme! Highest recommendation, as long as you know what you're getting: a silly movie with lots of action. Also airs at 11:40 AM.
5:00 AM IFC
Blind Swordsman’s Cane Sword (1967 JAP): This is a fairly sedate but still interesting entry in the series. Zatoichi discovers that his trusty blade is about to break, and he decides to settle down as a domestic servant rather than risk losing his life and his sword. Naturally a spanner is thrown in the works by another naughty warlord, and complications ensue. Like all films in the series, the widescreen cinematography is superb, and there’s a fine score by Ichiro Saito. Also airs at 11:00 AM.
8:30 AM Sundance
Ballad of A Soldier (1960 USSR): Soviet-era Russian filmmaking had many strengths: superb camera work, an unparalleled artistic vision (especially in the silent era), and the ability to create outstanding and otherworldly fantasies (Father Frost, The Vij). What it frequently lacked - at least in the films Western audiences were exposed to - was strong story-telling skills or characters that made an emotional connection with the audience. Ballad of A Soldier is one of the few films of the period to buck the odds, engaging viewers in a small story about the first love of a nineteen-year old soldier in the midst of the Great Patriotic War. Also airs 3/2 at 2:30 AM.
8:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Raging Bull (1980 USA): I’m a pretty big Scorsese fan, but for whatever reason I’ve never warmed up to his Jake LaMotta biopic. There’s probably something I’ve missed, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to revisit it. It’s also the best chance anyone else will get to see it on the small screen in its correct aspect ratio, as TCM is wheeling out a letterboxed print to lead off their annual salute to the Academy Awards. Raging Bull took home two gongs (one for De Niro, and one for editor Thelma Schoonmaker) and was nominated for six others. The film is ranked #50 on IMDb’s Top 250, and I’m pretty much alone in my lukewarm admiration for it. I’m hoping to see the light.
Sunday 3/02/03
8:30 AM Sundance
The Last Wave (1978 AUS): Peter Weir’s metaphysical fantasy about the end of the world doesn’t really hold together as a story, but it sure looks great, and manages to maintain a reasonable level of suspense until the last 15 minutes. Richard Chamberlain is fine as the befuddled David Burton, but the film is stolen by David Gulpilil (recently seen as the tracker in Philip Noyce’s superb Rabbit-Proof Fence) as Chris Lee, the aborigine who holds the key to solving the mystery of Burton’s visions.
5:00 PM IFC
Hudsucker Proxy (1994 USA): It shows up semi-regularly on other cable channels, but IFC will be showing the Coen Brothers’ fun-for-the-whole-family favorite in widescreen, so you may want to watch it again. Heck, even if you saw the film when it first came out, rented it on video a few times, and watched the DVD on your laptop just last week, you may want to watch it one more time. It’s an all-around joy, with Tim Robbins as the innocent savant who invents the hula-hoop, Jennifer Jason Leigh as the tough-as-nails Hepburn type who falls for him, and Paul Newman as the wicked industrialist out to ruin the Hudsucker Company. Add in a cameo by Bruce Campbell as a sarcastic newspaperman, superb set design and a stirring score by Carter Burwell, and you’ve got a winner. Also airs at 9:05 PM.
Monday 03/03/03
4:15 AM Encore Mystery
Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965 GB): Before descending to bad-taste trash classics like Skidoo and Rosebud, director Otto Preminger had one more decent (if still exploitative) film left in him, and this is it. Keir Dullea and Carol Lynley star opposite Laurence Olivier in this fairly suspenseful story about the search for a missing child. There’s a nice supporting cast, including Finlay Currie as an elderly doll-maker, and terrific black-and-white cinematography by Denys Coop. Great music by the Zombies, too.
5:50 AM Sundance
Le Million (1931 FRA): My 20-year-old memories of this film prompted a recommendation some weeks back. Now that I've seen it again, I can report that the film is every bit as charming and funny as it has ever been. The story of a misplaced lottery ticket, Le Million is a simple and cleanly told tale of greed, friendship, and loyalty. My eight-year-old loved it so much we frequently had to pause the film to read the subtitles in full. The songs are terrific, the print is in decent shape, and it's laugh-out-loud funny. If you see only one French language musical this year, let it be this one.
6:50 AM Black Starz
Adangamman(FRA-IVO-SUI-BRK-ITA): Now that’s what I call an international co-production! This West African film focuses on the slave trade in the late 17th century, and the complicity of many African tribes and tribal leaders with that trade. The story itself is not particularly riveting, but the cinematography is outstanding (though understandably dark during nighttime scenes) and the acting is fine. And I have to admit I've got a thing for the Amazon warriors who capture the slaves and march them to their fate. Like many of the foreign films shown on Black Starz!, the film is being shown widescreen. Also airs at 11:35 PM and 3/9 at 3:35 AM.
1:00 PM Fox Movies
Modesty Blaise (1966 GB): Admittedly a very minor pleasure indeed, this film is worth watching for three reasons: Dirk Bogarde’s blonde dye job, the “musical” duet at the end of the film by Monica Vitti and Terence Stamp, and the fact that Fox is finally getting around to showing it letterboxed. If you enjoy the James Coburn Flint movies or something a bit more tongue in cheek - say Dino as Matt Helm - you’ll get a kick out of Modesty Blaise. Also airs March 4th at 3:00 AM.
6:00 PM Sundance
The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002 USA-UK): Aw, my favorite war criminal now has his very own movie! Narrated by actor and former Hannibal Lecter, Brian Cox, this film doesn’t pretend to be even-handed and is relentlessly critical - as it should be. A searing indictment of the man who led Cambodia into the Vietnam War and paved the way for Pol Pot’s ascension to power, the film is based on Christopher Hitchens’ book of the same name, written before Mr. Hitchens decided he had a more lucrative future as a right wing pundit. Also airs 3/9 at 2:00 PM and 9:30 PM.
6:00 PM Trio
The Last Movie (1971 USA): It’s rare that I will recommend a film being broadcast on a channel that shows commercials. To be honest, I hadn’t even heard of Trio before I noticed this film in the broadcast schedule. Suddenly, though, they’re showing a bunch of interesting stuff, and all of it letterboxed, including this rarity, Dennis Hopper’s directorial follow-up to Easy Rider. The Last Movie is about a film crew in Peru who stop shooting when one of their actors is killed in a stunt, only to be confronted by the emulation of the local villagers, who can’t stop copying the stunt - and killing themselves in the process. Hopper stars, the beautiful Julie Adams (Creature from the Black Lagoon) co-stars, and there are cameos by Peter Fonda, Kris Kristofferson, and Dean Stockwell. It’s a counterculture classic for those who don’t mind non-linear storytelling.
11:30 PM Flix
Thieves Like Us (1974 USA): What a day for fans of widescreen cinema. This film hasn’t shown up for years on cable schedules, yet here it is, apparently in letterbox format. One of director Robert Altman’s overlooked classics, Thieves Like Us is frequently compared to Bonnie and Clyde, with Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall subbing for Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, but it’s a fine film in its own right. There’s a fun soundtrack provided by old radio shows and outstanding period detail, surprising considering this was made in the ‘70s.
Tuesday 03/04/03
3:20 AM Encore Action
Abandon Ship! (1957 GB): This shot-in-Britain disaster flick actually relies on an American cast (Tyrone Power, Stephen Boyd, and Lloyd Nolan) to tell its tale of survival in the lifeboat of a luxury liner lost at sea. There’s an excellent British supporting cast, including Mai Zetterling, Finlay Currie, and James Hayter, and good cinematography by Wilkie Cooper (Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Mysterious Island.
5:00 PM Sundance
Siddhartha (1972 USA): I haven’t seen it, I didn’t like the book, and it has a poor reputation, but it’s rare enough to warrant inclusion. Written, produced, and directed by Conrad Rooks, responsible for the drug classic Chappaqua(1966 USA) - which I HAVE had the pleasure of viewing - the film features an all-Indian cast, including Shashi Kapoor (Sammy and Rosie Get Laid). Also airs at 1:00 PM.
10:15 AM Encore Love Stories
Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice (1969 USA): This is one of the great overlooked films of the late ‘60s, a film that parodies the free love excesses of the time without utterly ridiculing them. The film’s strength lies in Larry Tucker and director Paul Mazursky’s screenplay, of course, which maintains this delicate balance. The film is full of surprises, not least the subversive casting of granite-jawed Robert Culp and innocent little Natalie Wood as the swinging couple and hairy wild man Elliott Gould and sexpot Dyan Cannon as the repressed couple Culp and Wood try to lure into bed. Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice concludes on a bittersweet note which gives the distinct impression that the four protagonists don’t have the faintest idea what they’re doing or where they’re heading. Cannon is the real surprise of the film, delivering an outstanding performance that earned her an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress.
Wednesday 03/05/03
7:00 AM The Movie Channel
Alice’s Restaurant (1969 USA): A charming and low-key tribute to late '60s counterculture, Alice's Restaurant stars Arlo Guthrie as a disarming young folk singer who travels the country emulating the rail-riding ways of his famous father, Woody, played here in deathbed scenes by Joseph Boley. Arlo settles down in the small town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where he dumps trash and gets arrested by Officer William Obanhein, played here by Officer William Obanhein of the Stockbridge Police Department. The film doesn't get much heavier or deeper than that, and its episodic nature eventually peters out with a wedding scene in an abandoned church, but it captures the era quite nicely. Also airs at 10:00 AM.
11:30 AM Encore Westerns
The Toll Gate (1920 USA): William S. Hart was a huge star in the early days of cinema, and The Toll Gate was one of his self-produced, self-written oaters. He plays a bad guy with a heart of gold who, whilst being pursued by the sheriff's posse, stumbles across a widow and her young son. Sure as shootin', he reforms! This is a no-nonsense rarity for fans of silent cinema and two-fisted action.
7:00 PM The Movie Channel
Ihaka: Blunt Instrument (2000 AUS-NZ): Don’t know what to expect from this oddity, an Antipodean police procedural starring Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones) as a hard nosed police officer in pursuit of a psycho “thrill killer.” It doesn’t sound particularly original, but Morrison was the best thing about that bloated Lucasfilm epic, so I’m very curious to see him in a bigger role. Also airs at 10:00 PM.
8:00 PM Sundance
Goddess of 1967 (2000 AUS): Here’s another obscurity from Down Under, though the film also utilizes a considerable number of Hong Kong talents, including director Clara Law. The premise - a Japanese man travels to Australia to buy a car and ends up on a road trip in the outback - sounds intriguing. The speculative pick of the week, it also airs March 9th at 11:00 PM.
Thursday 03/06/03
Midnight IFC
Man Bites Dog (1992 BEL): Definitely not for all tastes, Man Bites Dog is a bizarre and somewhat disturbing commentary on mass media, and seems even more relevant in our current age of reality TV than it did when it was initially released ten years ago. The film follows a film crew who in turn are following a serial killer and recording his exploits as well as his opinions and philosophies on a range of subjects. At some point the crew crosses the line and start abetting the criminal in his activities. At times violent and at other times extremely funny, Man Bites Dog addresses the culpability of journalists and audience members alike.
7:00 PM Showtime Extreme
Bangkok Dangerous (1999 THA): Another film I earlier recommended sight unseen, I can now report that Bangkok Dangerous is an above average Asian thriller that occasionally suffers from the overwrought emotional overload that seems prevalent in other genre films from the region. The film bears some similarities to Raymond Lee's The Other Side of the Sea (1992 HK), another film about a hit man (or woman) trying to find love and escape from their past. Bangkok Dangerous is much more violent than Lee's film, but the narrative arc is similar and the action doesn't detract from the outstanding performances by a cast of actors I'm totally unfamiliar with. There are times when director Oxide Pang Chun doesn't trust his own instincts and resorts to unnecessary tricks and flourishes, but overall this is an interesting and worthy little film.
Friday 03/07/03
2:20 AM More Max
Piranha! (1978 USA): This one’s for Dano. Directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, Matinee), this tongue-in-cheek tale of flesh eating piranhas who meet up with unsuspecting vacationers was co-written by John Sayles(!) and has a great cast: Dick Miller, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Steele, and Paul Bartel, amongst many others.
9:00 AM Fox Movies
Niagara (1953 USA): This is a surprisingly effective thriller, mostly because star Marilyn Monroe isn’t associated with the genre. She benefits from a solid performance by Joseph Cotton as her dull-as-dishwater husband, but Marilyn is fine in her own right in the film that really established her as a star. The film has all the gloss and glow we could hope for from a 1950s Technicolor spectacular, and the added benefit of location footage of the Falls is the frosting on this very tasty cake. Also airs at 11:00 PM.
10:35 AM Showtime 3
Avanti! (1972 USA): If it’s possible to have an overlooked Billy Wilder film, this is the one. Written by his longtime collaborator, I.A.L. Diamond, and based on a play by Samuel Taylor, Avanti! is a romantic comedy set in Italy and stars Jack Lemmon as a businessmen diverted to Europe in order to claim the body of his deceased father. Unfortunately Juliet Mills is also interested in staking a claim for Pop’s remains, and complications (and love) ensue. Clocking in at a lengthy 140 minutes, the film has great location photography by Luigi Kuveiller (Deep Red, Investigation of A Citizen Under Suspicion).
Saturday 03/08/03
1:00 AM Encore Love Stories
Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India(1999 IND): Americans may laugh at the concept of a four hour long film about cricket, but the game itself actually takes longer, and isn’t nearly as entertaining as this Bollywood spectacular. Basically a critique of the British Empire - and a defense of a secular and multicultural India, a concept continually threatened today by India’s ruling BJP government - the film is a true spectacular, breathtaking to look at, and featuring numerous songs, some of which are quite excellent. The story is straightforward enough for a child to follow - my eight-year-old sat through the last three hours of it, even with subtitles - but has enough rewards for older viewers to keep them on the edge of their seat. Watch it, you won’t be disappointed.
3:00 AM Black Starz
Last of the Mississippi Jukes (2003 USA): This is more than the serviceable if slight documentary I was expecting. Focusing on the Subway Lounge in Jackson, Mississippi, the film broadens its horizons to include the phenomenon of roadside jukes throughout the Deep South, as well as touching on the Civil Rights Movement, segregation and redlining. The music is better than I hoped and includes a sublime performance by Chris Thomas King (Tommy Johnson in O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and a tear the roof off the sucker appearance by Patrice Monsell. Essential viewing for fans of roots music and Southern culture in general.
9:00 AM Fox Movies
The Cape Town Affair (1967 RSA): I don’t imagine it’ll be all that good, but I can’t resist a swingin’ ‘60s spy caper. This one has the added benefit of providing us a glimpse of Apartheid-era South Africa, and stars Jacqueline Bisset, James Brolin, and Claire Trevor. The screenplay was co-written by the great Sam Fuller, so perhaps we can raise expectations a little.
Sunday 03/09/03
12:35 AM Flix
Rooftops (1989 USA): Between this, Thieves Like Us, and Avanti!, this is really a great week for obscure films by celebrated American directors. This time it’s Robert Wise who’s in the spotlight. Rooftops was the last of his films to get a theatrical release, and its reputation is poor (the typically ‘80s plot synopsis involves drug dealers challenging the local dancers to a throw-down), but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t mention it. And it DOES feature a cameo by the inimitable New York lounge lizard, the late Rockets Redglare.
2:00 PM Fox Movies
Kagemusha (1980 JAP): Akira Kurosawa’s epic of medieval Japan isn’t universally loved, but even those who find the storytelling lacking admire the bold vision and compelling look of the film, which includes amazing fantasy sequences and lengthy battle scenes. The film clocks in at 179 minutes, so you might want to take a break if you’ve just watched all 224 minutes of Lagaan. And, yes, it’s letterboxed.
5:00 PM Flix
Hair (1979 USA): What in the world is going on? I really can’t remember another week where so many rare and unusual films aired in widescreen, but here’s another, the film version of the wildly popular stage musical of the same name. Directed by Milos Forman, you’ll probably enjoy it in if you enjoyed the play. If you don’t have a yearning for the Age of Aquarius you might want to skip it. I guess that puts me somewhere in the middle.
11:20 PM Encore Westerns
The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926 USA): The story isn't much, but at a brisk 53 minutes you could do a lot worse than this silent sagebrush epic. Some of the photography is actually quite stunning and impressive, and there's some good stunt work too. Sad to say the comedy relief from Curtis McHenry is particularly offensive to modern viewers, which may go some way to explaining this film's obscurity. Nonetheless, in lieu of TCM’s Silent Sundays - on hiatus in March due to their Oscar programming - this will have to do.
