TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex for Tuesday, August 14, 2007 through Monday, August 20, 2007
By John Seal
August 14, 2007
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 08/14/07
4:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Man On a String (1960 USA): This rather obscure Ernest Borgnine feature stars the world's homeliest actor as Boris Mitrov, a double agent engaged in dirty business in the divided city of Berlin. He's playing both sides against each other (though we suspect at heart he's really in the American camp) and has some hot information he wants to share with the fictional Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI). Borgnine (who surely would be cast as Chief Wiggum should a live action Simpsons movie ever transpire) is perfect as everyman Mitrov, who manages to blend into the scenery whilst conducting his cloak and dagger activities, and the film assumes a patina of realism thanks to the presence of long time L.A. news anchor Clete Roberts as narrator. Remarkably, producer Louis de Rochemont got permission from the Soviet government to film on location in Moscow, and John Kafka and Virginia Shaler's screenplay actually questions some of the common political assumptions of the Cold War era. A fascinating artifact of its time, when Khrushchev's Kremlin ascension provided the first glints of glasnost, Man On A String was grippingly directed by Andre de Toth and co-stars the recently deceased Kerwin Mathews as one of Mitrov's fellow CBI operatives.
11:45 PM HBO
Ali G Indahouse (2002 GB): Before Borat, there was Ali G, the first creation of British comic Sacha Baron Cohen. A British television staple in the late '90s and early noughties, Ali G made the transition to the big screen in 2002, immediately scoring a box office triumph in the UK, though success in the United States was initially not in the cards. As long as you aren't offended by the idea of an Orthodox Jew portraying a dim-witted Muslim in a less than flattering light, you'll probably get some chuckles out of the film, which finds Ali G responsible for the fate of a fictional Tory Prime Minister (Michael Gambon), whilst becoming the spokesperson of British youth. Well, at least he ain't a chav. Also airs 8/15 at 2:45 PM.
Wednesday 08/15/07
1:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Rabbit Trap (1959 USA): If you're an Ernest Borgnine fan - and for the love of Marty, who isn't? - you'll also want to make time for this even more obscure drama about an architect trying to save the life of a rabbit. Really. Borgnine plays Eddie Colt, a construction draftsman who puts his foot down and demands that his fire-breathing boss Spellman (David Brian) finally allow him to take a vacation. The delighted Eddie celebrates by acquiescing to his son's request for a pet bunny, but when he's called back to work on short notice, the families new found animal companion is left behind in the eponymous container. Will Eddie cave in yet again - or will he shrug aside his adult responsibilities in favor of embarking upon an animal rescue mission? The outcome is actually not what you might anticipate, leaving this one firmly in the ‘suburban nightmare' sub-genre populated by such films as Martin Ritt's No Down Payment (1957).
4:15 PM Sundance
Ushpizin (2004 ISR): A Hasidic couple - neither of whom are portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen - get the surprise of their lives in this warm-hearted Israeli drama from director Gidi Dar. Written by orthodox Jew Shuli Rand and the first film to be produced with the approval and cooperation of the Hasidic community, Ushpizin stars Rand and his wife, Michal, as Moshe and Malli, a childless, poverty-stricken couple celebrating another cash-strapped Succoth. Enter stage right old friend Eliyahu and his buddy Yossef, who bring with them a substantial cash windfall - as well as some unpleasant memories of Moshe's criminal past. Ushpizin will warm the cockles of your heart - even if, like me, you're an unbeliever with a one way ticket to Hell. Also airs 8/16 at 4:45 AM.
Thursday 08/16/07
3:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Stay Away Joe (1968 USA): Few would argue that this is one of Elvis Presley's better films, but Stay Away Joe - making a very rare widescreen television appearance this morning - is nothing if not fascinating. For one thing, it marked the beginning of Elvis' attempted transition away from light-hearted musical comedy back to serious drama - a transition that would ultimately fail with the release of the disastrous Change of Habit in 1969. For another, the film actually features some outstanding performances by its supporting cast, including the great Katy Jurado and Thomas Gomez. Alas, the good cast comes a cropper thanks to an inept Michael Hoey screenplay, which tries to shoehorn the king into the moccasins of a Native American named Joe Lightcloud, who returns to the reservation to bring heap good government assistance from the Great White Father to his little brown brothers. Burgess Meredith is, however, excellent as Joe's crafty dad Charlie, and it's always a pleasure to watch Jurado in anything.
6:00 PM Starz Edge
The Covenant (2006 USA): It's a very, VERY thin week here in the TiVoPlex, so I'm afraid we're reduced here to recommending this paint by numbers horror flick simply because it's making its widescreen television debut tonight. I can't even begin to honestly give this one a clean bill of health - jeebus, it was directed by Renny Harlin, the worst director this side of Uwe Boll - but it's a relatively harmless addition to the dreaded teen horror genre, with a gaggle of perfect physical specimens (including Steven Strait and Laura Ramsey) coping with the inherited curse of the Salem Witch Trials. As critic Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle put it, The Covenant "wouldn't be so bad it you didn't have to pay good money to see it"—and now you don't.
Friday 08/17/07
9:00 PM IFC
An American Werewolf in London (1981 GB): Ah, that's more like it! For anyone in the mood for a genuinely good young adult oriented horror flick, here's one of the best. Directed by John Landis, An American Werewolf in London stars David Naughton and Griffin Dunne as backpackers David and Jack, an unlucky pair of American tourists on a spooky countryside walkabout. Taking a break in a remote English pub, the lads are warned by the grumpy locals to stay on the road whilst avoiding the full moon, but the typically gung ho Yanks ignore the sage advice - only to find themselves savaged by a mysterious and very hairy beast that kills Jack and severely injures David, who then finds himself receiving a terrifying sepulchral visitor at his hospital bedside. Can the love of Nurse Alex (Jenny Agutter) save David from a life of impossibly usurious depilatory bills - or will he soon be laying waste to the comfy environs of Hampstead Heath? Featuring superlative and groundbreaking makeup effects from Rick Baker, An American Werewolf in London deftly mixes horror and comedy, with the bloodshed and grue appropriately taking center stage in the final reels.
11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Fire Over Africa (1954 GB): It's not terribly good, but spy enthusiasts should probably take a look at this British intriguer, set and shot in the exotic Moroccan city of Tangiers. Maureen O'Hara stars as Joanna Dane, a former OSS agent sent to Tangiers to break up a smuggling ring bringing illegal contraband into Spain and Italy. She meets Van Logan (MacDonald Carey), a government agent posing as a baddie in cahoots with devious Arab trader Mustapha (screen villain Ferdy Mayne), and soon falls for the big galoot, even though they don't know they're both on the same side. Originally released in Britain as Malaga, this is a pretty stodgy affair, but brightened considerably by location footage shot by the estimable Christopher Challis.
Saturday 08/18/07
7:00 PM Cinemax
Pan's Labyrinth (2006 ESP): Little introduction is necessary for Guillermo del Toro's terrific Spanish Civil War fable Pan's Labyrinth, so I won't overburden you with unnecessary plot details. Needless to say, this is one of the most remarkable fantasy films of recent vintage, featuring superb performances by wistful Ivana Baquero as a lonely 12-year-old trying to find her place in an unfriendly world, the great Sergi Lopez as her rotten to the core fascist stepfather, and genre vet Doug Jones (Hellboy's Abe Sapien) as a variety of extremely odd imaginary (?) creatures. Offering far more food for thought than your average run of the mill chiller, Pan's Labyrinth will, nonetheless, be a heavy slog for some, as del Toro is not afraid to lay on plenty of blood when necessary. An almost perfect blend of horror and fine art, Pan's Labyrinth makes its American television premiere this evening, and also airs at 10:00 PM and 8/19 on More Max at 4:00 PM.
Monday 08/20/07
10:00 AM More Max
Daisy Kenyon (1947 USA): If you enjoyed last week's Joan Crawford offering Harriet Craig or her much admired Mildred Pierce, you'll definitely be interested in watching Daisy Kenyon, another of Mommie Dearest's best weepies, this one helmed by beastly Otto Preminger. Daisy is a successful commercial artist carrying on with married man Dan O'Mara (Dana Andrews), who she hopes will divorce wife Lucille in favor of herself. Her dream comes true - but only after Daisy has herself become involved with all-American veteran Peter (Henry Fonda), who desperately wants to make an honest woman of her and settle down. What to do, what to do? One thing's guaranteed - before this film is over, a bucket load of tears will have been shed onscreen, not to mention a few in your own living room. Look for cameos by Walter Winchell, John Garfield, and Damon Runyon as themselves.
8:30 PM Sundance
The Mother's House (2005 USA): For those desiring a gritty documentary, The Mother's House should satisfy your needs. Shot over the course of four years, the film examines the life of Miche, a teenage girl in Cape Town, South Africa, where she lives with her HIV-positive mother, her extremely unhappy grandmother, and her three sisters. Miche wants to live the life of a ‘normal' teen, going out dancing with boys and getting up to the usual adolescent nonsense—but life at home is far from easy, with poverty, AIDS, sexism, and rampant drug abuse never far from the doorstep. A deeply personal film about a very likeable but very vulnerable central character, The Mother's House won the Best Documentary Prize at the 2006 Zimbabwe Film Festival.
11:30 PM Encore Dramatic Stories
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices (2005 USA): Another of director Robert Greenwald's cheery left-wing polemics, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices preaches to the choir, but does it effectively enough. Documenting the negative impact on local businesses when the retailing goliath brings their three-ring circus to town, Greenwald pulls no punches, outlining the rapacious nature of the Walton family business, whose employees are overworked, underpaid, and, of course, lacking in any meaningful benefits whatsoever. Think globally, act locally, and buy from your neighbourhood mom ‘n' pop store!
11:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
Mrs. Pollifax, Spy (1971 USA): Based on a popular series of novels by Dorothy Gilman, Mrs. Pollifax (the character) is a little old lady, bored with her everyday existence, who weasels her way into the espionage business on behalf of the CIA. In this screen adaptation of the first book in the series, our heroine (Rosalind Russell, in her last film) finds herself shipped off to Maoist Albania, where she must outfox the minions of Enver Hoxha, amongst them a comic operative portrayed by Nehemiah Persoff. Does anyone else things it's a little creepy that the only other country besides China to adopt Maoism is now the country that loves George Bush the most? What's up with that? Also featuring Darren McGavin, Mrs. Pollifax, Spy is light Hollywood entertainment at its frothy best.