TiVoPlex
By John Seal
July 17, 2007
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 07/17/07
Midnight IFC
C.S.A. :The Confederate States of America (2004 USA): What would the United States look like if the slave states had won the American Civil War? That's the question posed by this cheeky mockumentary from director and film professor Kevin Wilmott. Framed as a British television expose examining the state of the nation after 140 years of Confederate rule, C.S.A. slyly insinuates genuine examples of crude racism into the proceedings, including product placements for outrageous (but real) items like Sambo Axle Grease, and updates history to reflect what might have been had Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee triumphed. In this revisionist history, abolitionists fled to Canada, the 'Cotton Curtain' descended, Hitler visited the White House, and Ronald Reagan kicked off his 1980 Presidential campaign from Philadelphia, Mississippi, where civil rights workers were murdered in 1964. Oh wait, that last bit's true. Wickedly satirical and pointedly critical of the way things really did turn out, C.S.A. nevertheless puts the lie to the romantic notions of Old South apologists, whose flowery images of mint juleps, antebellum mansions, and happy slaves still remain in vogue today in certain circles.
3:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Flight (1929 USA): An early effort from Frank Capra, Flight is a bare knuckled drama about Marine Corps flyboys Panama and Lefty (Jack Holt and Ralph Graves) and their passive aggressive competition for the hand of beautiful nurse Elinor (Lila Lee). Sent to Nicaragua to assume the White Man's Burden and to quell a native rebellion, Panama and Lefty soon find themselves in the thick of the action, and by happy coincidence, Elinor is also assigned to tend to the wounded. When Lefty's plane is shot down, Panama finds himself torn between his loyalty to his old chum and his desire to claim victory in the battle for Elinor's heart. Will he help to rescue his old flying partner — or will he let him rot in the jungle? A far cry from the calcified and syrupy comedies for which Capra is best known today, Flight is an exciting if predictable adventure tale with some superb aerial photography.
11:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
Wings and the Woman (1942 GB): If you're in the mood for a flag-waving feature or a patriotic pick me up, here's one for your consideration. Shot in Britain during the darkest days of World War II, Wings and the Woman (originally entitled They Flew Alone) stars Anna Neagle as Amy Johnson, the real life British equivalent of Amelia Earhart. Johnson was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia and also set speed records for fastest flights from London to Moscow and from London to Cape Town, so her uplifting life story and spunky attitude were just what the doctor ordered as Rommel knocked on the door of Alexandria and Malta was bombed into near submission. Co-starring Robert Newton as Amy's husband, fellow flyer Jim Mollison, the film also served as an enlistment aid for other aspiring female pilots, who could serve in the Air Transport Auxiliary and free up male aviators for combat duty in the RAF. Co-starring William Hartnell (the first Doctor Who), Martita Hunt, and Miles Malleson, Wings and the Woman will have you hanging out your Union Jack bunting and planting a victory garden in no time.
Wednesday 07/18/07
9:00 AM Showtime
Home Front (2006 USA): This astonishing and powerful documentary features interviews with Iraq War veteran Jeremy Feldbusch — left blind and brain damaged from his experiences overseas — and his Pennsylvania family, desperately attempting to reintegrate him into 'normal' society. Still supportive of 'The War on Terror', Feldbusch is seen re-learning things he once took for granted, such as riding a bike and (yikes!) shooting a .44 magnum, which I've heard tell can blow your head clean off. He also spends time working with the Wounded Warrior Project, a support group for veterans such as himself. Though his opinions may seem to set him at odds with those of director Richard Hankin, the film never attempts to speak for or against Feldbusch, allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the value of the sacrifices make by this very loyal soldier.
9:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Dime With A Halo (1963 USA): Five street urchins steal money from the collection plate and bet it on the horses in this south of the border fable from TV director Boris Sagal. The boys use a gringo tourist (Invisible Invaders' Paul Langton) to place their bets, but when they finally and unexpectedly hit the jackpot, he's not around to claim the prize money on their behalf. After a frenzied search and a phone call to Los Angeles, Mr. Jones is located — but this being a fable (and a lesson in morality), things don't go quite as planned, and the lads are forced to confront the wickedness of their ways. Attractively shot on location in Tijuana, Dime With A Halo is a very enjoyable MGM second feature that originally played beneath Pat Boone's The Main Attraction. And no, until now I didn't know major studios were still sending out double bills in 1963, either.
Thursday 07/19/07
8:35 AM Encore Dramatic Stories
Babes In Toyland (1986 USA): Last week, we featured the unnecessary made-for-television remake of The Defiant Ones — this week, we offer you the even less necessary made-for-television remake of Babes In Toyland, an old Laurel and Hardy feature that wasn't all that great to start with. (And how exactly does it qualify as an, er, 'dramatic story'? Encore, you owe us an explanation.) This NBC movie of the week would be entirely forgotten today if not for its cast, which includes 11-year-old Drew Barrymore as Lisa, a put upon Cincinnati youngster with too many family responsibilities and no time to play. Late one foggy Christmas Eve, Lisa is thrown from a speeding SUV, bumps her head on a tree, and ends up traveling to magical, mystical Toyland, where teddy bears police the streets, toy soldiers battle evil trolls, and Mary Contrary (Jill Schoelen) suffers sexual harassment at the hands of the wicked Barnaby (scenery chomping Richard Mulligan). Luckily for Mary, handsome Jack Be Nimble (Keanu Reeves, dude!) is around to save her from Barnaby, and luckily for Lisa, she recovers consciousness just in time to enjoy the last fleeting moments of her childhood. Sadly, YOU may not recover from watching this remarkable example of inept filmmaking, which will send you into insulin shock almost instantaneously.
Saturday 07/21/07
12:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Zombies of Mora Tau (1957 USA): One thing you can say about Zombies of Mora Tau — it's almost always the last film listed in any reference book, unless said book also happens to include Zotz. It's another of director Edward L. Cahn's dreaded Columbia quickies, and features Gregg Palmer as Jeff, a contract diver hired by sleazy operator George Harrison (Joel Ashley) to recover some diamonds located in a sunken ship off the coast of Africa. Ah, but these diamonds are special — they're being guarded by the eponymous living dead creatures, who, draped in seaweed and barnacles, are not anxious to surrender their booty to the living! Also along for the adventure is love interest Mona (statuesque Allison Hayes from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), wise scientist Dr. Eggert (the ubiquitous Morris Ankrum), and a cast of 11 very damp looking zombie extras, including wrestler Karl 'Killer' Davis. This appropriately slow moving chiller is followed at 1:30 AM by the equally leaden The Man Who Turned to Stone (also 1957), a truly petrifying affair starring Victor Jory as a mad scientist.
5:15 PM Sundance
Travellers and Magicians (2003 BHU-AUS): This is the first feature film shot in the tiny land-locked Asian nation of Bhutan, and the second from Bhutanese filmmaker and Buddhist holy man Khyentse Norbu, whose 1999 effort The Cup — about the impact of the World Cup on a remote Tibetan monastery — delighted art-house mavens the world over. This time, Norbu examines the lives of two seemingly dissimilar characters: a westernized bureaucrat (Tschewang Dendup) looking to relocate to the United States, and an itinerant monk (Sonam Kinga) he meets along the way. It's The Odd Couple on the Roof of the World, and the culture clash comes thick and fast, as our aspiring Yankee quickly loses patience with the old world ways of his traveling companion. It's good, gentle fun that has a simple yet sweet message at its core: perhaps the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence, after all.
6:00 PM Starz
The Illusionist (2006 USA): Last year saw two films tackle the subject of Victorian magic shows: this small-scale effort from writer director Neil Burger, and The Prestige, a bigger budgeted affair from Memento-man Christopher Nolan. Both had their strong points, but on balance, I found The Illusionist the much more satisfying film, grounded as it is in some identifiable reality. The film stars Edward Norton as Eisenheim, a mysterious sort who may or may not have supernatural powers that allow him to perform amazing feats of prestidigitation. Hailed throughout his native Austria, Eisenheim's act soon attracts the attention of the aristocracy — including egotistical Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) and his trophy fiancée Sophie (Jessica Biel), whose childhood relationship with the working class magician soon causes the Prince to fly into fits of apoplexy. The film is buoyed further by another outstanding performance by the great everyman of cinema, Paul Giamatti, as Inspector Uhl, who must do the bidding of the Crown Prince and put a stop to the resurgent romance. The Illusionist went on to be a surprising box office hit — it grossed almost $40 million on a $16.5 million budget — and earned an Academy Award nomination for Dick Pope's evocative Viennese cinematography. It also airs at 9:00 PM and throughout the month, though sadly only in pan and scan.
Sunday 07/22/07
7:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Only Two Can Play (1962 GB): Peter Sellers plays bored librarian John Lewis in this barbed Sidney Gilliatt comedy about life in the Welsh town of Aberdarcy. Lewis is married to plain-jane Jean (Virginia Maskell), and when blonde bombshell Liz (Mai Zetterling) walks into the library one day, he resolves to spice up his life by engaging her in an adulterous affair. Sadly for them, however, obstacles keep getting in the way of the affair's consummation, including Liz's town councillor husband Vernon (Raymond Huntley), a herd of cows, and an aborted theatrical performance. Meanwhile, Jean has taken up with earthy poet Probert (Richard Attenborough), proving true once again the old adage of the goose and the gander. Accent aside, Sellers delivers a more subtle performance than usual, and while it's not one of the knockabout comedies we generally associate with the actor, Only Two Can Play is still worth watching.
11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Cruel Story of Youth (1960 JAP): Even if the narrative were not engaging, this would be required viewing for Takashi Kawamata's gorgeous, color-saturated cinematography alone. Happily, Cruel Story of Youth is fascinating on both levels, rendering it essential viewing for anyone interested in world cinema. Directed by sensualist Nagisa Oshima, this tale of teenage love and lust in post-World War II Japan was no doubt considered shocking in its day. Fresh-faced high schooler Makoto (18-year-old Miyuki Kuwano) is searching for excitement, and starts hopping into the cars of older men with ulterior motives. After suffering abuse at the hands of one such middle-aged gent, she's rescued by university student Kiyoshi (Yusuke Kawazu), who promptly takes advantage of her himself. The two then decide to run their own scam, wherein Makoto exposes herself to danger and Kiyoshi rescues her and demands retribution from her attackers. Tragedy soon strikes, however, in the form of an unwanted pregnancy. Cruel Story of Youth will burn itself into your brain — I haven't seen it in over 25 years, and I can still remember certain images from it — and it makes its widescreen television premiere this evening. It's not available on DVD, so SET YOUR TIMER!
Monday 07/23/07
1:00 PM Showtime
The Bedroom Window (1987 USA): This one has ‘straight to Skinemax erotic thriller' written all over it, but it's a bit better than that. Directed by Curtis Hansen (L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile), The Bedroom Window features Steve Guttenberg as Terry, an ambitious if slightly goofy businessman engaged in an affair with the boss's wife (Isabelle Huppert), Sylvia. After an evening of bumping uglies with Terry, Sylvia awakens in the middle of the night, hears suspicious noises outside, and witnesses an attack on a young woman (Elizabeth McGovern) by a creepy goon (Brad Greenquist). Should Sylvia tell Terry — and if she does, can he afford to reveal their relationship by going to the police? A lightweight amalgam of clichés from much better Hitchcock movies, The Bedroom Window is now primarily of interest to Hanson admirers or Huppert stalkers, who will be pleased to know she appears in the buff.