From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or under-appreciated, they all have a home in the TiVoPlex! All times PST.
Monday 03/31/03
3am Sundance McLuhan's Wake (2002 CAN): Marshall McLuhan was a brilliant Canadian media analyst who coined the phrases "the medium is the message" and "global village." This film, a production of the National Film Board of Canada, is a timely reminder of this visionary's great impact on the late 20th century, and his continuing relevance in a world where war and reality television disturbingly blend together. Also airs at 1:40pm.
8:30am Turner Classic Movies The Elephant Man (1980 GB/USA): When filmmaker David Lynch isn't too busy making overrated claptrap like Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and Blue Velvet, he finds himself making outstanding traditional cinema in films like The Straight Story(the title of which telegraphed that film's narrative arc and lack of Lynchian window-dressing) and this, the renowned story of John Merrick, the freak show exhibit who became a Victorian celebrity thanks to the intervention of Dr. Frederick Treves, a prominent English surgeon and Boer War veteran. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including one for John Hurt's remarkable performance as the title character, the film has terrific black-and-white cinematography by Freddie Francis, who also shot Dune and Straight Story for Lynch after having spent years working for the Hammer Studios monster factory.
10:25am Sundance If I Should Fall From Grace (2001 GB): A week or two ago I had a whole mouthful to say about this film without actually having seen it. It's an excellent documentary about the troubled life of Shane MacGowan, an Anglo-Irish poet and musician who started out singing in the Nipple Erectors (later the Nips, who recorded the excellent Gabrielle in 1979) before rediscovering his Irish roots in The Pogues. There are tons of lengthy musical performances (including the sublime Fairytale of New York), as well as lots of interviews with MacGowan's parents, his oh-so-forgiving wife, former Radiator From Space Philip Chevron, and the man himself, whose oral fixation on speed, alcohol, and heaven knows what other substances have left him a shell of his former self. The man has no regrets, but his deterioration is obvious when you watch the film, and even those who take a live-and-let-live attitude -including myself - must feel a tinge of regret for the wasted days and nights of this talented and intelligent man.
Tuesday 04/01/03
4:30am Turner Classic Movies MGM's Big Parade of Comedy (1964 USA): This compilation of comedy highlights from the early days of MGM was once a television staple but hasn't been seen for many years. Its mission - to remember the funnymen of the '20s and '30s - has long since been usurped by the DVD, but as an introduction to the works of The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, and others, it's second to none. The family entertainment highlight of the week, at least until Sunday night's Harold Lloyd festival.
11:05am Sundance West Beirut (1998 LEB): An outstanding drama of friendship amidst the apparently insoluble Lebanese civil war of the 1970s, West Beirut investigates the sectarian lines that divided the country between Christians and Moslems. The cast of amateur youngsters is excellent, particularly Rami Doueiri (son of director Ziad Dhoueiri) as Tarek, a young Muslim boy who plays among the rubble hanging with his buddies, including a Christian girl, whilst filming the results of the war on his Super 8 camera and trying to avoid getting shot by Falangists.
11:50am Encore Mystery Freelance (1971 GB): I'm hoping this is the film it's supposed to be, and not some other film with a similar title, because this is a super rarity starring one of my favorite actors, Ian McShane, currently appearing in the wearisome Agent Cody Banks as the bad guy. Thirty years earlier, McShane was already playing amoral characters; in this film, he's a con man who witnesses a gangland hit and must take extraordinary measures to save his own life. Shot on location in London, the film also stars Texas-born Gayle Hunnicutt.
8:50pm Encore Action Dragon Inn (1992 HK) : This outrageous martial arts epic stars TiVoPlex favorites Maggie Cheung and Brigitte Lin, as well as Donnie Yen and Tony Leung, in a story of a power-mad eunuch out to conquer China. So what else is new? With a climax that takes place in the titular pub, an abject spot in the middle of the desert, the film may have influenced Robert Rodriguez's terrific From Dusk Till Dawn. You don't think Rodriguez' screenwriter, a certain Mr. Quentin Tarantino, would have cribbed his script from another film, do you? Also airs 4/4 at 5:15pm.
Wednesday 04/02/03
3:45am Flix The Apple (1980 USA): CAMP ALERT. This is an incredibly obscure film from the geniuses at Cannon Films, the company that made Chuck Norris a household name and tried to do the same with Michael Dudikoff. It's one of the short-lived "New Wave musical" genre that began with Times Square and died with Breaking Glass. The story takes place in the far-flung future...er, 1994, where two young Canadians are competing in the Worldvision Song Contest. Take THAT, Eurovision! They cross paths with an unscrupulous music industry bigwig, a man with the astonishingly clever moniker Mr. Boogalew, played by all-purpose bad guy Vladek Sheybal, a Polish actor who had started his career in high-quality films like Kanal (1957 POL) and Return From the Ashes (1965 GB). There are also embarrassing career moments for Joss Ackland, Miriam Margolyes, and '50s torch singer Yma Sumac(!). Sadly, it looks like this will be a pan-and-scanned print, as the film was shot in anamorphic Panavision. Mavens of bad cinema should definitely make time for this one.
8am Turner Classic Movies Attack (1956 USA): Another gritty, quality film from director Robert Aldrich, Attack stars Jack Palance, still, in my opinion, looking pretty good, as Joe Costa, an Army lieutenant sent on a reckless mission by a feckless commander, played surprisingly well by the usually mild-mannered Eddie Albert. Not too late to make a sequel, fellas. The supporting cast is equally excellent, including Lee Marvin, Richard Jaeckel, Strother Martin, and Buddy Ebsen. Aldrich has long been an under-appreciated director, with terrific films like The Longest Yard, Kiss Me Deadly and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? to his credit. It's followed at 10am by a stiff-upper-lip British war epic, The Malta Story(1953 GB), which stars Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins as RAF officers defending the vitally important island of Malta in the Mediterranean. Surprisingly, this wasn't aired during TCM's Ealing month earlier this year, but better late than never. A solid supporting cast includes Flora Robson, Anthony Steel, and Peter Bull, and benefits from location photography on and around the island itself, still a British colony and naval base during the 1950s.
Thursday 04/03/03
1:15am Turner Classic Movies Big Leaguer (1953 USA): Want more proof that Robert Aldrich was a fine, all-around director? Edward G. Robinson buoys this fairly routine but thoroughly enjoyable baseball tale, Aldrich's first feature work. The story follows a handful of youngsters as they try out for the New York Giants, including a Pennsylvania third basemen who was supposed to be going to college, the son of a former major leaguer, and a hot-shot pitcher. There's also one of those exotic Cubans to represent the multicultural appeal of baseball; all the other players are white! Real-life players Carl Hubbell and Al Campanis appear in cameos. We all know who's going to make it and who's going to get the girl from the get-go, but never mind; this is one of those movies that fits like a comfortable old shoe. If you like baseball, try to catch Big Leaguer!
3am Cinemax The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965 GB): The success of 1963's Tom Jones led to a number of generally bad Georgian sex comedies. This is the least objectionable of that brief genre, and stars Kim Novak as Moll, a young woman of no virtue who tries to sleep her way to the top. The script is inadequate, frequently relying on the arch humor that sank so many other film comedies of the period, but the cast is undeniably top-notch, including George Sanders, Leo McKern, Anthony Dawson, and Angela Lansbury, who, sadly, does not bed the divine Miss Flanders. Look for James Bond regulars Bernard Lee and Derek Llewellyn in two small (uncredited) roles as, respectively, a landlord and gaoler. Also airs at 6am.
3:45am Flix Thieves Like Us (1974 USA): Unsurprisingly, Robert Altman's take on the Bonnie and Clyde mythos is a generally sedate affair that concentrates on its characters amidst the backdrop of Depression-era rural America. Keith Carradine is outstanding as Bowie, a handsome young man who robs banks for a living with his ragtag gang. He falls in love with Shelley Duvall, whose thin-as-a-rake Olive Oyl look suits the period perfectly. With a great score, based entirely on old radio shows, the wide-screen print of this film isn't to be missed. Also airs at 10:35am and 1:35pm.
9am The Movie Channel Novocaine (2000 USA): I saw the first half-hour of this Steve Martin black comedy on a flight to England last year. I missed the rest, either due to a plane crash, terrorist attack, or trouble with my backseat screen; I can't remember which. At any rate, the first half-hour of this very odd film seemed really good, bringing back memories of Martin's earlier dental work in Little Shop of Horrors. Perhaps the rest of the film is terrible, but I'm excited to get the opportunity to find out. Also airs at noon, 6pm, and 9pm.
10pm Turner Classic Movies The Boob (1926 USA): Released in Britain with the slightly less provocative title The Yokel, this is a rare William Wellman MGM comedy starring a very young Joan Crawford. It has something to do with that ever-popular Roaring '20s subject Prohibition, but you'll have to watch the film to learn more. I haven't seen it, but this should be a real treat for silent film fans.
Friday 04/04/03
12:30pm Sundance Driver 23 (1998 USA): For those who appreciated American Movie, here's the heavy metal equivalent. The true story of Dan Cleveland, delivery man and guitarist in aspiring poodle-rock band Dark Horse, Driver 23 is a non-judgmental and sympathetic look at one man's relentless pursuit of his dream. It's inspiring stuff that shouldn't be sneered at; we could all learn a simple life lesson from Cleveland's boundless enthusiasm and optimism.
5pm Encore True Stories Waco: The Rules of Engagement(1997 USA): I'm no fan of cults in general, or David Koresh's Branch Davidians in particular, but this powerful documentary will make you question the decision-making promise that led to the Waco inferno in 1993. Koresh's group were certainly paranoid millennialists, but their wacky religious beliefs were by no means dangerous enough to warrant the over-the-top reaction of FBI and ATF agents. Initially a standoff about illegal weapons possession, the rhetoric overheated when Attorney General Janet Reno posited that child abuse was going on behind the sect's closed doors. Once that emotional subject was broached - and little proof was offered to support the allegations - the government's patience ran out, and 80 people died as a result. A caveat: the director went on to make a less-than-skeptical film called Crop Circles: Quest for Truth. That doesn't compromise the disturbing evidence presented in this film, but it does raise some questions about the filmmaker's credulity.
6pm Showtime Focus (2000 USA): The presence of Laura Dern aside, Focus was one of the unheralded triumphs of 2000 and my personal pick for best film that year. William H. Macy is in typical passive-aggressive form as Lawrence Newman, a don't-make-waves Brooklynite whose anti-Semitic neighbors become convinced that he and his wife (Dern) are Jewish (they're not). Taking place in the early days of World War II and based on an Arthur Miller novel, Focus is a reminder of some unpleasant truths of American history. Meat Loaf is excellent as the man next door who serves as the nascent Nazi movement's ringleader and David Paymer is fine as the local Jewish merchant victimized by neighborhood thugs. Also airs at 9pm.
Saturday 04/05/03
2:15am Flix Consuming Passions (1985 GB): This fairly amusing black comedy is here for two reasons: it's a slow day in the 'Plex, and the film's exteriors were shot at an abandoned factory about ten minutes from my parents' home in bucolic Oxfordshire. I may not be doing the film full justice, as I haven't seen it since its initial release, but be forewarned: It's about a chocolate company that adds a rather special forbidden ingredient to its blend. Based on a play by former Pythons Terry Jones and Michael Palin, Consuming Passions has a top-notch cast, including a slumming Vanessa Redgrave, Freddie Jones (who also lives not far from my family), Jonathan Pryce, Prunella "BASSIILLLL" Scales, and the recently-deceased Dame Thora Hird. If you like the more abrasive Python stuff and aren't disturbed at the prospect of cannibalism, you'll enjoy this film.
1pm Sundance The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002 GB): Perhaps the grinding and unpleasant realities of wartime are taking a small toll on me - small indeed compared to the tribulations of the average Iraqi citizen - but I'm feeling particularly cranky this week about the men (and sometimes women) who lead our countries in increasingly unfortunate and dangerous directions. The Trials of Henry Kissinger is a disturbing recital of the charges against one of those men, a policy wonk whose warped world vision turned him briefly into a sex symbol. It's fortunate that director Eugene Jarecki chose not to rely on the now-discredited Christopher Hitchens, whose book of the same name served as inspiration, when he made this film. Whilst Hitchens does appear briefly, the evidence of Kissinger's crimes against humanity doesn't rely on any person's rhetoric or opinion, and is here laid out concisely and clinically for all to see. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that Kissinger is personally responsible for the destruction of Cambodia, which would explain his reluctance to travel to certain countries with tough extradition treaties as well as his decision to step down from the 9-11 Commission. Interviews with an obfuscating and blustering Alexander Haig, journalist William Shawcross (whose book Sideshow initially alerted the public to the secrets behind the Cambodian bombing campaign) as well as numerous retired CIA and State Department employees, cement a solid case against Herr Kissinger that completely avoids convoluted conspiracy theories.
Sunday 04/06/03
5pm Turner Classic Movies The Freshman (1925 USA): And now for something completely different, and much less depressing. TCM launches its Harold Lloyd Month with one of his best, a hilarious romantic comedy with a well-worn plot: Lloyd is a nerdy freshman at college trying to fit in and ingratiate himself with the popular crowd. Luckily, The Freshman has aged better than virtually every college comedy made since, and TCM apparently is premiering a newly restored (and longer) version than ever seen before. It's followed at 6:15pm by For Heaven's Sake(1926 USA), a comedy that Lloyd apparently disliked, and one I've never seen. The Kid Brother(1927 USA) follows at 7:30pm, and is another Lloyd masterpiece, this time about a backwoods family that includes the overly-sensitive Lloyd, who falls in love with a girl from a traveling medicine show. There's a terrific chase sequence and plenty of laughs. Following at 9pm is 1928's Speedy, Lloyd's final silent film, and it's a particularly marvelous time capsule of late '20s New York, taking in everything from horse-drawn Fifth Avenue trolleys to Coney Island to the newly constructed Yankee Stadium, as well as featuring a cameo appearance by Babe Ruth himself. None of these features are currently available on video or DVD - particularly galling considering the terrific assortment of Keaton and Chaplin films available - so this may be your only chance to see some of these films for some time. TCM concludes the night at 10:30pm with Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy(1962 USA), a compilation of clips and shorts from the bespectacled genius. Like MGM's Big Parade of Comedy, this was once a television staple, but hasn't been seen in many years.
