TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex
By John Seal
May 18, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 05/19/09
3:30 PM Showtime 3
Vegas Vampires (2003 USA): Reasons to watch Vegas Vampires: it's a vampire movie! About vampires stalking innocent victims in Sin City! Starring the legendary Bernie Casey! And Tiny Lister as a police officer! Directed by The Hammer, Fred Williamson! And there's a Baldwin brother in it (Daniel)! Not to mention John Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree! Oops, I just mentioned him! Reason not to watch Vegas Vampires: It's terrible!
5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Lawless (1950 USA): MacDonald Carey stars as a crusading newsman in this fine Paramount drama. Carey plays Larry Wilder, editor of the Santa Marta Union, a Central Valley fish-wrapper. Larry's made a name for himself exposing big city corruption, and proves just as eager to go after baddies in the heartland: in this case, farmers who abuse the Mexican field hands doing the hardest work for the littlest reward. Naturally, his crusade doesn't sit too well with the local power brokers, and Larry soon finds himself united in common purpose with a Latina reporter (Gail Russell) fighting on behalf of the braceros. The Lawless was exhibit ‘B' in the black-listing case against director Joseph Losey (exhibit ‘A' was 1948's The Boy With Green Hair), and within two years the great director had relocated permanently to Europe.
Wednesday 05/20/09
11:00 AM HBO2
The Fever (2004 GB): I've got the fever for the flavor of The Fever! A bolshy critique of western consumer culture based on a play by Wallace Shawn, this film stars Vanessa Redgrave - a bit of a bolshy herself - as an unnamed woman who slowly begins to appreciate the fact that her unsustainable lifestyle has been made possible by the blood, toil, sweat, and tears of countless third world peons. Your patience for this film will probably depend on your response to its message, so if you just finished reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead or are a card-carrying member of the Cato Institute, go ahead and give it a miss. Others will appreciate Redgrave's subtle performance and marvel at the sight of Michael Moore portraying a fictional character called War Correspondent. Also airs at 2:00 PM.
5:00 PM HBO2
Loot (2008 USA): Completely unrelated to the Joe Orton play of the same name, this Loot is actually a fascinating documentary about a semi-pro treasure hunter named Lance Larson. The film follows Larson's adventures with a pair of elderly World War II vets, one of whom stashed some stolen jewelry in a house in Germany, whilst the other buried a cache of gold somewhere in the Philippines. The treasure, however, is only the jumping off point in Loot, and director Darius Marder captures some remarkable revelations about each man's war experiences and the emotional baggage they still carry. Even if you don't normally enjoy documentaries, you may find this one to your liking. Also airs at 8:00 PM.
9:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1968 USA): Back in the mists of time, when I was a mere lad with nary a hint of peachfuzz on my face, I always associated the word "horse" with heroin. That may sound odd, especially to those who knew me then, but here's the story: one of the most enduring memories of my childhood is the initial broadcast of the 1973 telefilm Go Ask Alice, specifically the grocery scene wherein teen A tells teen B to "get off her high horse" about something or other, only to have snotty teen C advise her to instead "get off her horse high." Smack, skag, junk, even good old-fashioned dope...but horse? Does anyone call it that anymore? Did anyone really call it that in 1973? Yes, it may be one of the colloquialisms for the opiate of choice for fading rock stars and angst-ridden jazz musicians, but it's hardly one of the most common ones. All of which may not have much bearing on the subject at hand, Jane Fonda's They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, but when the film first popped up on television in the mid-'70s I assumed it was a hardhitting crime drama entitled They Shoot Horse, Don't They? Yes, I was a strange child, and no, the film has nothing to do with drug abuse - well, other than perhaps a little bit of coffee and maybe some uppers - and everything to do with the Depression-era pastime known as marathon dancing. Couples could win big money in those days just by staying on their feet longer than the other hoofers, and this film - based on Horace McCoy's novel - is a unique cinema tribute to this short-lived cultural phenomenon. They Shoot Horses features a marvelous cast, including (in addition to Hanoi Jane) Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Al "Grandpa" Lewis, Bruce Dern, Bonnie Bedelia, Severn Darden, and - in his greatest role - Gig Young, as the down-at-heel master of ceremonies whose enthusiastic jawing keeps his charges tripping and stumbling the light fantastic. Directed by Sydney Pollack and featuring a terrific score comprising plenty of jaunty ‘30s tunes, this is a grim and at times disturbing examination of these bizarre contests that rewarded winners with anything from thousands of dollars in cash to simple food and shelter (according to www.badfads.com, the longevity record stands at 5,148 hours and 28.5 minutes). Perhaps best of all, the film makes its widescreen television debut tonight after many previous pan and scan airings on Encore.
11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Pursuit of Happiness (1971 USA): An obscure but worthy example of the best of ‘70s cinema, The Pursuit of Happiness makes a very rare small screen appearance this evening on TCM. Michael Sarrazin stars as William, a brainy college student who finds himself in hot water when he accidently hits a pedestrian with his car. Sent to jail for vehicular manslaughter (aggravated by the fact he was driving uninsured and had two dozen parking tickets), William escapes and hits the road with gal pal Jane (Barbara Hershey), and the two flee for Canada, which apparently offered sanctuary for draft dodgers and escaped felons alike. The Pursuit of Happiness is a bit reminiscent of Sam Peckinpah's The Getaway, only minus the ultraviolence and plus a whole lotta navel-gazing. It's good stuff nonetheless, and co-stars Ralph Waite, E.G. Marshall, and Rue McClanahan.
Thursday 05/21/09
11:30 AM Sundance
Day Night Day Night (2007 USA): I know what you're wondering: is this film Good Bad Good Bad? I'm happy to report that it is. Erm, good, that is. The previously unheralded Luisa Williams (who could pass for the love child of Sarah Palin and Sandra Bernhard) stars as a nameless young woman travelling to the Big Apple's Times Square intending to blow it up (apparently she hadn't heard that Rudy Giuliani already did that). Though occasionally beset by doubts, our young anti-heroine is determined to carry out her mission, the purpose of which remains shrouded in mystery but presumably has nothing to do with urban renewal. The film's apolitical message can be construed as both weakness and strength, as it compels the viewer to pay attention to the effect and disregard the cause - which, frankly, is what the United States has done ever since 9/11. A big hit on the festival circuit, Day Night Day Night is double-plus good.
7:00 PM Sundance
Lynch (2007 DEN): Director David Lynch is the subject of this documentary, which is almost as enigmatic as the subject it celebrates. Shot over the two-year period during which Lynch was working on Inland Empire, the film is far from being your typical "making of" DVD extra, and includes plenty of footage of the filmmaker extolling the virtues of TM, issuing "weather reports", and purposefully misdirecting the men and women filming him. It's all quite interesting and thoroughly maddening - much like the man's own films.
9:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
La Bamba (1987 USA): Lou Diamond Philips does a decent job portraying Mexican-American rocker Ritchie Valens in this ever so slightly above average biopic. Born Richard Stanley Valenzuela in the San Fernando Valley town of Pacoima, Valens grew up listening to mariachi music and was playing guitar by the time he was six. Signed out of high school to the local Del-Fi label, Ritchie rocketed to fame before dying in the same plane crash that took Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. As for the film, it's typical biopic stuff, but the music is wonderful and Philips delivers the best performance of his career. La Bamba co-stars Stray Cat Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochran and Marshall Crenshaw as Buddy Holly, and makes its widescreen television premiere this evening.
Friday 05/22/09
1:15 AM Turner Classic Movies
Cuba (1979 USA): What's with the one word titles this week? Lawless Loot Fever Lynch Cuba - it sounds like a New York Post headline. Cuba features Sean Connery as Major Robert Dapes, a British mercenary hired by the Batista regime to help its troops fend off Fidel Castro's approaching revolutionary army. Dapes runs into old flame Alexandra (Brooke Adams), with whom he was hot and heavy during a South African sojourn, but she's now married to the spoiled rotten son of a cigar magnate. Directed by Richard Lester, Cuba defies the standard conventions of both romantic melodrama and action genres, and has never been a favorite of Connery's - apparently, he hasn't talked to Lester since! It was also not a favorite with critics, but I rather like it, and David Watkin's cinematography is frequently stunning. A fine supporting cast, including Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, and Water Gotell offers substantial added value.
11:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
Blast of Silence (1961 USA): Once a legendary "near lost" picture, Blast of Silence recently earned admission into The Criterion Collection. I remember when the only way to see this film was via blurry, smeary, washed out bootleg videotapes, so its appearance on DVD was cause for much celebration in my household. Now it makes its television premiere tonight, and the circle of movie life is complete. Directed and written by one Allen Baron (who would later go on to direct episodes of The Love Boat and Barnaby Jones, amongst others), Blast of Silence features Allen Baron as hired killer Frank Bono, who's travelled from Cleveland to the Big Apple to fulfil the requirements of a contract. Bono must knock off wealthy Troiano (Peter Clune) - but it's Christmas time in the city, and to make matters worse, he meets an old flame (Molly McCarthy) and gets a bit distracted. Will he be able to pull off the job - or will his Yule log once again burn bright with the fires of love? A very late example of the first wave of noir, this independently produced feature is terrific all around and features some amazing NYC location footage. It's the perfect double bill partner for Taxi Driver.
Saturday 05/23/09
5:00 PM HBO
Kung Fu Panda (2008 USA): Every once in a while I like to throw you guys a curveball. I'm a sucker for Pandas and really enjoyed this kiddie flick, which I actually saw on a plane. It's a bit better known than Blast of Silence, and airs again at 8:00 PM and throughout the century.
9:00 PM IFC
PianoTuner of EarthQuakes (2005 GB-GER): The Quay Brothers returned to feature-length filmmaking with this typically bizarre offering about a mad doctor who murders an opera singer with the intention of turning her into a mechanical automaton. Gottfried John plays insane genius Droz, who kills beautiful songbird Malvina (Amira Cesar), snatches her corpse, and hightails it to his mountain villa, where he intends to re-animate it with an assist from the titular specialist (Cesar Sarachu). It's wilfully obscurantist and frequently incoherent, but utterly gorgeous to watch. I'm a huge admirer of the brother's earlier Institute Benjamenta, so if you enjoyed that one you'll probably also enjoy PianoTuner (yes, it's one word), and fans of body fetishist David Cronenberg may also come away impressed.
Monday 05/25/09
11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Big Parade (1925 USA): One of the greatest American silent films, The Big Parade is King Vidor's anti-war masterpiece, and a film long, LONG overdue on DVD. Starring John Gilbert as the idle rich son of an industrialist, the film follows him to France where he falls in love with a local woman (Renee Adoree) and becomes friends with his working class comrades-in-arms, including the always great Karl Dane and Tom O'Brien. Clocking in at an epic length 126 minutes (though the original version was 15 minutes longer), The Big Parade was a huge hit for MGM and is essential viewing for any serious student (or admirer) of silent film.