TiVoPlex
By John Seal
July 5, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 7/06/10
11:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
Letter to Three Wives (1985 USA): What could be better than the original Joseph L. Mankiewicz version of this timeless tale of three women at loose ends aboard a passenger liner? Why, the same story of course, but updated to the 1980s, made for television, and starring Loni Anderson as one of the wives! And Ben Gazzara as her husband! In addition to Stephanie Zimbalist and Michelle Lee as the other two women, there’s a cameo appearance by Ann Sothern, star of the 1948 classic, in the role originally played by Connie Gilchrist (whilst Sothern’s role has been assumed herein by Lee). I have to admit I’ve never seen this remake, but the ingredients are in place for a camp classic, and there’s no way I’m going to miss it. Though I’ll probably regret it later.
7:00 PM Sundance
Sweet Mud (2006 ISR): Life on the kibbutz is the subject of this incisive, episodic Israeli coming-of-age drama. Tomer Steinhof stars as 12-year old Dvir, who lives on a collective farm with unstable mother Miri (Ronit Yudkevitch). It’s the summer of Dvir’s bar mitzvah, and like all kibbutznik children, the boy lives apart from Mom, with all the other kids. When she suffers a breakdown triggered by cranky neighbor Avner (Shai Avivi), however, he’s forced to grow up in a hurry. The film does a fine job of conveying the dark underbelly of the socialist-utopian kibbutz movement, and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2007. Also airs 7/7 at 12:15 AM.
Wednesday 7/07/10
6:10 AM Encore Action
Adrenaline Drive (1999 JAP): A thoroughly entertaining blend of comedy and thrills, Adrenaline Drive tells the implausible story of a rental car clerk (Masanobu Ando) who happens upon a bag full of yakuza money thanks to a propitious gas main explosion. The rest of the film is a dizzy collection of chase scenes, as the clerk and his girlfriend - a meek nurse (Hikari Ishida) who transforms into a tough cookie - try to evade the mob and keep the loot. This absurd, fast-paced action-comedy hasn’t been seen on American screens in almost eight years, so be sure not to miss it this morning.
7:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Bank Holiday (1938 GB): Released in the US with the somewhat anodyne title Three on a Weekend, Bank Holiday is a breezy British comedy-drama about the experiences of a group of vacationers on a long weekend. (For those unfamiliar with the term, a bank holiday is the British equivalent of an American three-day weekend, and happens eight to ten times a year depending on which part of the UK you live in. The next one on the calendar is this coming Monday, July 12th, when Northern Ireland "celebrates" the highly contentious Orangeman’s Day.) Directed by relative newcomer Carol Reed, this Bank Holiday features a stellar ensemble cast, including lovely Margaret Lockwood as Catherine Lawrence, a nurse spending seaside time with married man Geoffrey (Hugh Williams) whilst fretting about the patient she left behind. Also on hand: future Republican Congressman John Lodge, the ubiquitous Wally Patch, Kathleen Harrison, and a young Michael Rennie.
Thursday 7/08/10
10:30 AM Starz
The Damned United (2009 GB): Michael Sheen is terrific as football manager Brian Clough (pronounced cluff in this biopic about a man 100% of Americans had never heard of before now. Clough was the outside-the-box soccer man who led Nottingham Forest to two consecutive European Cups in 1979 and 1980, and a British folk hero of the first order with statues and streets dedicated to his memory (he died in 2004). As for the film, it exudes working-class authenticity, and is as close to a Ken Loach film as a non-Ken Loach film can be, if you get my meaning. Also known as Ee Bah Gum, There’s Nowt as Queer as Lager Louts, The Damned United also airs at 1:30 PM.
Friday 7/09/10
9:00 PM IFC
Maximum Overdrive (1986 USA): The IFC Grindhouse continues to deliver the goodies - or, if you prefer, the '80s schlock - with yet another of the approximately 500 Stephen King adaptations produced during the Reagan Era. Based on King’s story Trucks (and actually directed by the man himself), Maximum Overdrive stars Emilio Estevez as ex-con Bill Robinson, who finds himself battling killer HGV’s after planet Earth passes through the tail of a comet. Because whenever you pass through the tail of a comet, machines come to life. You didn’t know? It’s a well-established phenomenon. Along for the fun are Pat Hingle as a convenience store manager and Lisa Simpson herself, Yeardley Smith, as a newlywed who screams a lot. The AC/DC songtrack is the final icing on this goofy but very fun thriller.
Saturday 7/10/10
5:05 AM Sundance
Le Doulos (1961 FRA): An absolutely terrific policier from director Jean-Pierre Melville, Le Doulos stars Serge Reggiani as Maurice, a recently released burglar who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. When Maurice discovers that old pal Gilbert (Rene Lefevre) has the proceeds of a robbery hanging around the house, he decides he needs the money more than his chum does, and murders him in order to get it. Then it’s off to the races with Silien (Jean-Paul Belmondo), who has the tools Maurice needs to pull off a big job…and also happens to be a finger man for the Paris gendarmes. Filled with great cinematography, a super score, and atmosphere to spare, Le Doulos is essential viewing for anyone who enjoys a good noir or police procedural. Also airs at 12:00 PM.
7:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Lucky Losers (1950 USA): Bowery Boys feature number 18, Lucky Losers follows Slip and Sach’s adventures in the sleazy underworld of games of chance. After broker pal David Thurston (Selmer Jackson) is murdered, the boys find a clue connecting him to a gambling joint known as The High Hat Club, and learn to play cards in order to help solve the crime. Hillary Brooke, now on the downside of her brief ‘A’ list career, co-stars as one of the Club’s owners.
3:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Five Million Years to Earth (1967 GB): This is one of the most intriguing and intelligent science fiction films ever made, and it’s a great shame it’s ultimately undone by its low budget. Directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by the greatly respected Nigel Kneale, Five Million Years to Earth features Andrew Keir as super-brain Professor Quatermass, called in by the authorities to investigate the strange rocket unearthed during a London Underground tunneling project. At first, it’s assumed to be a leftover from World War II, but Quatermass knows better: this is something of extraterrestrial origin, and not only that - it seems to still be in service! The first hour of the film is excellent, but when the film reaches its pyrotechnic denouement things do, indeed, fall apart somewhat beneath a barrage of inadequate special effects. That said, this is still very worthwhile viewing - even for those less favorably inclined towards sci-fi - and co-stars Barbara Shelley, James Donald, and Julian Glover.
5:00 PM HBO
Public Enemies (2009 USA): It’s no classic, but there’s enough good stuff in Public Enemies to make it a mild buy. Making its American television debut this evening on HBO, the film stars Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, and as usual he’s very good (we’re going to overlook his recent wretched turn as the Mad Hatter). Unfortunately, Christian Bale fairs less well as G-Man Melvin Purvis, and like most Michael Mann features, Public Enemies is a bit too long for its own good. Nevertheless, you’ll get all choked up at the end, when Dillinger meets his maker outside Chicago’s Biograph Theatre. Also airs at 8:00 PM and throughout the month.
Sunday 7/11/10
7:00 PM Sundance
Little Children (2006 USA): This exemplary drama got a little bit of attention in 2006 - including great reviews and three Oscar nominations - but very few actually saw Little Children in theatres. Now that the film is well into its ancillary afterlife, we can only hope that many more people discover it - and can cope with the troubling subject matter. Kate Winslet stars as Sarah Pierce, an unhappy wife looking for more. She thinks she’s found it in the form of equally estranged househubby Brad (Patrick Wilson), but difficulties arise when a newly released sex offender (Jackie Earle Haley) moves into the neighborhood, setting off alarm bells for neighbor and ex-cop Larry (Noah Emmerich). Haley and Winslet both received well-deserved Academy Award nominations for their performances, whilst Todd Field and Tom Perotta’s sensitive yet pointed screenplay was also acknowledged. Also airs 7/12 at 12:30 AM.
Monday 7/12/10
7:00 AM IFC
Paperhouse (1988 GB): This low-key, rather gentle British fantasy will appeal to fans of 2006’s uneven but worthwhile Neil Gaiman adaptation MirrorMask. Charlotte Burke plays Anna, a bedridden youngster whose intricate artwork inextricably becomes entwined with her fever dreams. As her fever ebbs and flows, her dreams begin to collide with reality, with dangerous implications for herself and her family. This psychological fantasy is short on visceral thrills, but will pull you in with its fascinating story and eerie, off-kilter atmosphere.Also airs at 12:05 PM.
10:45 AM Showtime 2
Cabaret Balkan (1998 YUG): Produced towards the end of the civil war that destroyed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Cabaret Balkan is a brutal, honest, and brutally honest assessment of the country’s disintegration. Directed by Goran Paskaljavic, the film is a collection of stories, many of them focusing on the bloodshed and rapine then prevalent throughout the Balkans. It’s a surprising programming choice for Showtime 2, but comes highly recommended, unless you have a low tolerance for man’s inhumanity to man.