TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex for Tuesday, September 9, 2008 through Monday, September 15, 2008
By John Seal
September 8, 2008
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 09/09/08
3:00 PM Flix
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974 USA): I was 12-years-old when this TV movie first aired, and was utterly convinced that it was a true story. Years later, when I learned Miss Pittman's tale was actually based on a novel by Ernest Gaines, I felt betrayed, but I've since made my peace and can once again recommend this artfully made and beautifully acted film. Cicely Tyson stars as the title character, an aged African-American woman retelling her life story in episodic fashion from slavery days through the civil rights movement. As a 12-year-old, I found it profoundly moving stuff, and as an adult I can strongly recommend it for the whole family.
11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Cops and Robbers (1973 USA): Joseph Bologna and Cliff Gorman star as a pair of bent coppers trying to supplement their modest pension plan in this fine comedy-drama from director Aram Avakian and novelist Donald Westlake. They play Joe and Tom, two Now York City policemen with a whiff of corruption about them. Joe has been moonlighting as an armed robber, but Tom convinces him that strong-arming liquor stores is for chumps, and our heroes promptly hook up with mob goon O'Neil (John P. Ryan), who will pay them big bucks if they can get their hands on some untraceable bearer bonds. Easier said than done, of course, and Joe and Tom soon learn that handing off the loot in Central Park isn't as simple a transaction as it sounds. Mainly shot far from the glamor of mid-town Manhattan, Cops and Robbers is a surprisingly gritty little picture that defies simple categorization, and makes its widescreen television debut this evening.
Wednesday 09/10/08
7:00 AM Sundance
Requiem for Billy the Kid (2006 FRA): Folks can never seem to get enough of Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid, and here's another cinematic examination of his apparently limitless allure. Narrated by gravel-voiced Kris Kristofferson and shot in New Mexico, the film draws comparisons between young William Bonney and rebellious French poet Arthur Rimbaud, who would later be cited as an influence on rockers such as Jim Morrison, Patti Smith, and Tom Verlaine. It's a gorgeous looking film bolstered by clips from Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, but its attempt to link violent outlawry with decadent poetry is a bit of a stretch — personally, I consider Bonney a bigger influence on J-K Huysmans than on Rimbaud.
4:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Hollywood My Home Town (1965 USA): A fascinating if all too brief reminiscence of Hollywood's Golden Age, Hollywood My Home Town examines the legacy of one Ken Murray, a minor actor who turned his hobby — shooting 16mm home movies — into an obsession that captured Tinsel Town royalty at work and play. Consisting entirely of excerpts from Murray's voluminous library, the film includes glimpses of Eddie Cantor, Boris Karloff, Jayne Mansfield, and literally dozens of other stars. Before there was That's Entertainment, there was this nostalgia-soaked encomium to the brightest stars in the universe. No Hollywood Babylon here — just lots of silent footage of the best and the brightest living it up with gay abandon.
10:50 PM Starz In Black
Neo Ned (2005 USA): On paper, this sounds like an unlikely, if not outright terrible, idea: neo-Nazi falls in love with deranged African-American girl who thinks she's Adolf Hitler. Sounds like the latest episode of South Park, right? In reality, however (and much to my surprise), it ain't half bad. Jeremy Renner plays skinhead Ned, who's been sent to a mental hospital as punishment for his involvement in a hate crime. Here he encounters Rachael (Gabrielle Union), a sexually abused young woman who periodically issues orders in guttural German to anyone who'll listen, and the two immediately find themselves strangely attracted to one other. Union and Renner are both excellent, rendering what could have been a ham-fisted folly into a surprisingly delicate tale of a most unlikely friendship.
Thursday 09/11/08
6:00 PM IFC
Rush (1991 USA): The conundrums of our now almost 30-year-old "War on Drugs" are exposed in this excellent period drama from erstwhile director Lili Fini Zanuck. Underappreciated thesp Jason Patric stars as Jim Raynor, an undercover cop trying to bust a drug smuggling ring with the help of fellow peace officer Kristen Cates (Jennifer Jason Leigh). To do so, however, they must both partake in some thoroughly illegal activities — including the frequent abuse of heroin and cocaine. The film avoids hyperbole and only indirectly criticizes our losing effort to wean Americans off the teat of addictive substances, but it says everything it needs to say through the narrative arc of Patric and Leigh's torn and tormented characters. Also airs at 11:00 PM.
Friday 09/12/08
3:00 AM Sundance
Escape from Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream (2007 USA): Like most city dwellers, I'm guilty of looking down my nose at those who dwell in the suburbs. Filmmakers generally share my elitist perspective, but this documentary takes a slightly different slant on the topic, examining three families trying to live a sustainable life away from the hue and cry of the big city. Whether living on a farm or in a Canadian "eco-village", these folks are working to accrue the benefits of a suburban lifestyle whilst decreasing their carbon footprint. Sounds like an Amish Paradise to me.
2:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Union Station (1950 USA): A little known crime drama directed by Rudolph Mate (fresh off the box-office success of 1949's D.O.A.), Union Station stars William Holden as transit authority cop Bill Calhoun, who's been alerted to some suspicious behaviour by passenger Joyce Willecombe (Nancy Kelly). When Joyce spies two armed men boarding her train, she notifies Calhoun, whose initial scepticism turns to suspicion when poor little blind girl Lorna Murcheson (Allene Roberts) is reported missing. When a ransom demand for $100,000 is received by Lorna's father (Herbert Heyes), the chase is on, climaxing in some impressive scenes shot in the tunnels beneath the titular Los Angeles' rail terminus. Featuring a characteristically solid Sydney Boehm screenplay, this is an above average suspenser from Paramount.
9:00 PM IFC
Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987 USA): With rumors of a rebooted Elm Street franchise bubbling through the tubes of the internets, the original series returns to IFC tonight — and, for the first time on American television, in widescreen. This time out, the surviving Elm Street teens are sequestered in a hospital, where modern medicine is protecting them from their deadly nightmares. But no amount of psychotropic drugs or rationalist thought can fully defend the kids from the dastardly tricks of the be-sweatered one, and soon enough those long dirty fingernails are scraping their way down otherwise sterile hospital corridors. The other Elm Street films are scheduled to air on IFC throughout the month, so this won't be the last you'll hear of Freddy, who will also return in a new story come 2010.
11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush (1968 GB): Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush starts out looking like another cheap cash in on the swinging '60s, but the further into the film you get, the more you appreciate its subtleties. Barry Evans plays Jamie McGregor, a 17-year-old virgin out to get laid before he starts university, and the film deftly handles the issues of the Sexual Revolution without pandering or preaching. Judy Geeson is the object of his affection, and though she has a lengthy topless scene she is much more than just a dolly bird. There are some wonderful cameos by Moyra Fraser and Michael Bates (the police inspector in Bedazzled) as Barry's parents, some fascinating footage of Stevenage (one of the idyllic New Towns of the '60s), and overall a marvelous story that mixes elements of Alfie and Billy Liar. This film comes strongly recommended, especially for fans of '60s art and music (The Spencer Davis Group provides the soundtrack).
Saturday 09/13/08
7:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
Road House (1948 USA): You can't get a much better screen pairing than Ida Lupino and Richard Widmark, which of course is exactly what's on offer in this above average drama from director Jean Negelusco. Widmark plays Jefty Robbins, the manager of an upscale bowling joint in need of a new entertainer to keep the booze hounds happy, drinking, and, presumably, out of the gutter (ball). He hires husky-voiced chanteuse Lily Stevens (Lupino) against the advice of his boss (Cornel Wilde), but soon regrets the decision when a bizarre love triangle develops amongst the trio. Who will strike out — and who will split for Canada? Tune in to find out, and be sure to have your two-tone bowling shoes on.
7:00 AM Sundance
Flipping Out (2008 ISR): War causes stress. That stress can be treated if not cured, but in far too many cases soldiers end up self-medicating. That's the subject of this unusual Israeli documentary, which examines the substance abuse problems experienced by veterans of the all-conscription Israeli Defence Force. Each year, thousands of IDF vets head off for Goa and points east, where they let off steam and engage in all manner of debauchery before returning to the Jewish State in various stages of mental disrepair. Some might not consider the simmering Arab-Israeli conflict a war; this interesting little film implies that living in a state of heightened security year after year can do just as much damage as time spent on the frontlines.
4:00 PM Sundance
Colma: The Musical (2007 USA): Was this the worst film I paid to see in a cinema last year? Probably not, but it's pretty bad — even for an indie. However, the film has the distinction of spawning a new family joke, which gets retold every time we pass Colma Station when travelling on BART (that's Bay Area Rapid Transit for you outsiders). Colma is a suburb of San Francisco most famous for its cemetery; the film is the story of youths coming to terms with their existence in this greyest of towns deep in the heart of the fog belt. The acting ranges from completely terrible to barely tolerable, and the songs are generally wretched. Having said all that, this is a film you won't forget, even if it is for all the wrong reasons.
5:00 PM HBO
Michael Clayton (2007 USA): Was this the best film I paid to see in a cinema last year? Definitely not, but it's pretty good — even for a major studio production. A tale of corporate malfeasance and legal jiggery pokery, Michael Clayton needs little introduction, as the film got plenty of attention thanks to Tilda Swinton's Academy Award and George Clooney's star power. It's making its American television debut tonight — if you missed it during its lengthy cinema run, don't miss it again. Also airs at 8:00 PM and throughout the month.
Sunday 09/14/08
9:00 PM Sundance
The Red Shoes (2005 ROK): Not to be confused with Michael Powell's ballet tribute of the same name, these Red Shoes are an abandoned pair of pumps found by a woman on a railway platform. The shoes are gorgeous, and they're a perfect fit — but wouldn't you know it, they carry a curse, which brings all manner of sorrow to those in their presence. The unlucky lady is Sun-Jae (Hye-Su Kim from 3 Extremes), who soon finds her roommate Tae-Soo (newcomer Yeon-ah Park) lusting after the footwear — and willing to do almost anything to get them. Absurd as it sounds, it's a pleasant way to kick of Sundance's new Asia Extreme season — and a pleasant change from all those cursed electronic devices that seem to plague the Far East.
Monday 09/15/08
6:00 PM Sundance
Gumby Dharma (2006 USA): Gumby creator Art Clokey, still spry at 85, gets the documentary treatment in this pleasant if inconsequential documentary from the late Robina Marchesi. Clokey, whose religious beliefs lend him an aura of complete and utter contentedness, created the little green guy in 1955 for a once seen never forgotten series still popular on home video and in syndication. Gumby remains an iconic figure for baby boomers, who grew up watching him frolic with his pony pal Pokey through a series of highly imaginative, proto-psychedelic adventures. For anyone who's ever enjoyed the show, you'll enjoy this consciousness-raising trip down memory lane.
11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
2,000 Women (1944 GB): I've never seen this wartime drama about women in a Nazi internment camp, but it has a good reputation and an excellent pedigree. Produced by the Frank Launder-Sidney Gilliat team for Britain's Gainsborough Pictures, it stars (amongst others) Thora Hird, Flora Robson, and Phyllis Calvert as inmates struggling against their German masters and their own class prejudices. Walter Gotell co-stars, presumably as a baddie.