TiVoPlex

By John Seal

December 23-28, 2003

Great, Denzel's on about King Kong again.

From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or underappreciated; they all have a home in the TiVoPlex! All times PDT.

Tuesday 12/23/03

1:45am Encore West
Lifeforce (1985 GB): I should have included this one in last week’s column, but perhaps the negative critical consensus regarding Tobe Hooper’s space vampire epic held me back. Am I the only person who likes it? Besides the fact that alien seductress Mathilde May spends the bulk of the film’s running time au natural, Lifeforce also features a terrific Dan O’Bannon screenplay (remember him? he wrote a little something called Alien) as well as some nice location footage of London. In fact, the film could be viewed as a precursor to Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, though it doesn’t feature the political or social commentary of Boyle’s zombiefest. Blood sucker May, discovered and brought back to Earth by a space mission, is soon wreaking havoc on the Greater London region, whose denizens seem incapable of withstanding the allure of the willowy blonde bombshell. The film also features Frank Finlay, Patrick Stewart, and - as “vampire #1” - brother of Sir Mick, Christopher Jagger. A throwback to British ‘60s sci-fi efforts like Five Million Miles to Earth and The Day the Earth Caught Fire, Lifeforce is an underappreciated little gem from the man who brought you The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

3am Turner Classic Movies
Let Us Be Gay (1930 USA): Call me childish (go on, you won’t be the first), but I couldn’t overlook this wonderfully-titled MGM comedy/drama about a homely housewife who, thanks to a miraculous makeover, turns into a fashion plate. It helps, of course, when the ugly duckling is played by the radiant Norma Shearer, an actress rarely in need of assistance in the glamour department. Add in the somewhat less-beauteous Marie Dressler as Shearer’s foil and Frances Marion’s pithy dialogue, and you’re in for a treat.

Wednesday 12/24/03

3:10am Encore Mystery
Freelance (1971 GB): Here’s an unheralded but pretty good gangster film starring the gregarious Ian McShane as Mitch, a wide boy who makes his living by showing blue movies and arranging shady land deals. He witnesses and stops an apparent mugging on the street, little knowing that he's stepping into the midst of a gangland dispute bigger than he is. Before long he's targeted by the local boss, and Mitch spends the rest of the film trying to elude capture whilst assuring himself of enough income to maintain himself in hiding. As always, McShane is outstanding, and the rest of the cast is fine, including Texan Gayle Hunnicutt, admirable as Mitch's love interest, and Keith Barron as his smarmy-but-reliable pal, Gary. There's a good (uncredited) folk-rock title tune and terrific West End location photography. Fans of Get Carter (1971 GB) will enjoy this minor little gem. Also airs 12/29 at 6:20am.

4am Sundance
Rififi (1955 FRA): In case you missed it last week, here’s another chance to catch Jules Dassin’s superb caper film. I hadn’t seen the film in years but I’m pleased to report that not only is the film as great as I remembered it, the print utilized by Sundance is absolutely gorgeous. Jean Servais stars as Tony, an unrepentant jewel thief out to score one last time before his chronic lung disease does him in. He hooks up with a group of fellow baddies (including director Dassin as a dapper safecracker) and plans an elaborate heist. Indeed, the job goes off without a hitch, but when Dassin’s character makes a tiny error of judgment, a competing gangster decides to muscle in on the action, leading to a litany of murder, revenge, and kidnapping. The 20-minute robbery sequence is the bit everyone remembers from this film, but the rest of the film is also terrific, most notably Servais’ performance as the doomed protagonist and Philippe Agostini’s stunning cinematography. If you’ve never seen Rififi, make some time for it this week. Also airs at 8pm and 12/28 at 6pm.

Thursday 12/25/03

7:20am Encore Action
Project A (1983 HK): It’s Christmas Day, which means TCM is airing a series of biblical epics you’ve all probably suffered through before, and Fox has Miracle on 34th Street on replay mode. There’s not much left to choose from, but if you just want to have some good fun, you may as well have it with Jackie Chan. This is one of his most enjoyable films, dealing with turn-of-the-20th century piracy in the waters just off the coast of Hong Kong. Jackie and Sammo Hung are both in top form, and there's a deliciously evil performance by Dick Wei as the chief baddie. Also airs at 5:20pm and 12/28 at 10:05am.

Friday 12/26/03

2:35am Encore Love Stories
Twentieth Century (1934 USA): The Love Stories channel seems to function as the Lifetime Channel for folks who dislike commercials, but for once they’re digging into the archives and presenting this terrific Columbia comedy about a struggling stage director (John Barrymore) trying to jumpstart his failing career by taking advantage of his relationship with a big Hollywood star (Carole Lombard). This is A material all the way, directed by Howard Hawks, scripted by the always-excellent Ben Hecht, and featuring a supporting cast of familiar faces like Roscoe Karns, Edgar Kennedy, and Herman Bing. Because TCM doesn’t have access to the Columbia catalogue (Encore has the exclusive rights at present), their older films don’t show up as often as they should, so take advantage of this opportunity to see this top-notch oldie.

9:25am Showtime Extreme
Mexico City (2000 USA-MEX): This week’s speculative pick stars Stacy Edwards as an American woman searching for her missing brother in the barrios and back streets of gritty Mexico City. The film’s biggest name is Robert Patrick, here cast as the American ambassador Edwards appeals to for help. Not sure how good this will be, but writer-director Richard Shepard’s previous film was the quite-excellent indie cop drama Oxygen (1999 USA) starring Maura Tierney and Adrien Brody, so my hopes are high.

11pm Turner Classic Movies
The Mirror (1975 USSR): Ponderous classic alert. Yes, it’s another of Andrei Tarkovsky’s impenetrable, vaguely fantastic meditations on The Meaning of Life in post-World War II Soviet Union. This one rarely shows up on TV, though, so Tarkovsky fans - and I know there’s more than one of you out there - will want to tune in. For the rest of us, the good news is that this one clocks in under two hours.

Saturday 12/27/03

5am IFC
The Hidden Fortress (1959 JAP): Now known primarily as The Story George Lucas Ripped Off When He Made Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress is a genuinely entertaining and humorous adventure tale about a snotty princess, a brave warrior, and two bumbling sidekicks. Yes, I'm afraid it really IS the film that Star Wars was based on, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying it on its own terms. One of the frothier items in Akira Kurosawa's filmography, this thrilling light entertainment also has room for Toshiro Mifune (who plays neither the princess nor one of the sidekicks). Also airs at 11:15am.

7pm Cinemax
Antwone Fisher (2002 USA): The feel-good movie of 2002, Antwone Fisher had me blubbering in my seat during the last two reels. But it was that happy sort of crying, the kind of crying that happens when your faith in mankind is miraculously reaffirmed by some flickering images on a screen. Starring Derek Luke (also quite fine in the current release, Pieces of April) as a sailor who goes in search of the mother who abandoned him, this remarkable story (making its American television debut this evening) was written by Antwone Fisher and based on the real-life story of some guy called Antwone Fisher (Hence the title, Antwone Fisher). Sold to the public as a Denzel Washington vehicle, this really is Luke’s film, and he brings a mixture of tenderness, pathos, and wide-eyed innocence to the role. Pack extra Kleenex and enjoy. Also airs at 10pm, 12/28 at 1am and 4am, and 12/29 at 6am, 9am, 5pm, and 8pm.

6pm Sundance
Soho Square (2000 GB): Apparently made for a mere $7,000, this British tribute to the conventions of film noir deals with a pyromaniac stalking London’s seedy Soho neighbourhood. Actually, what with the kitschy splendors of the world-famous Raymond Revue Bar, I think it’s rather a charming seediness, though I was propostioned there once by a prostitute. Now having told you much, much more than you ever wanted to know about my life, go and take a shower before you take a look at this low-budget gem that (for some strange reason) isn’t listed on IMDb.

Sunday 12/28/03

5:45am Encore Mystery
Johnny Angel (1945 USA): For a real dose of the gen-u-wine film noir article, take a gander at this RKO potboiler starring George Raft as the title character, out to get revenge against the men who bumped off his father whilst stealing a shipment of gold. The super supporting cast includes Claire Trevor, Signe Hasso, and Hoagy Carmichael, who as an extra treat gets to sing a song. This isn’t in the first rank of noir classics, but it’s a decent little effort, and Raft’s simmering intensity is always fun to watch.

9pm Turner Classic Movies
The Wind (1928 USA): Swedish director Victor Sjostrom (also known as Victor Seastrom) was one of the most artistically-inclined directors of the silent era, bringing an obsessive eye for composition and detail to his work. Hailed by Chaplin as the greatest director of his era, Sjostrom had already worked with Lon Chaney on 1924’s superb and heart-rending He Who Gets Slapped and produced what remains the finest film adaptation of The Scarlet Letter in 1926. That film featured Lillian Gish as Hester Prynne, and Gish also appears in The Wind, Sjostrom’s last silent film and one of the greatest of his career. Oddly reminiscent of Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Woman in the Dunes (1964 JAP), this film sticks Gish in remote East Texas, where an unhappy marriage and unpleasant surroundings lead to tragic consequences. Another brilliant scenario developed by Frances Marion, this is an example of silent cinema at its apex, only months away from being consigned to oblivion by the advent of talking pictures.

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