TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex
By John Seal
August 1, 2011
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 8/2/11
2:15 AM HBO
Koran by Heart (2011 USA): Nothing gets the blood flowing (sometimes quite literally) like a good old-fashioned competition. In the United States, school kiddies reach for the brass ring via spelling bees, team sports, debate tournaments, and a whole host of other academic tilts (Model U.N, anyone?). Overseas, the competitive spirit is also hale and hearty, but channeled in different directions: in the Muslim world, for example, children learn to recite the Islamic holy book by heart and have the opportunity to show off their skills at a Qu’ran reciting joust held annually in Cairo. This excellent new HBO original documentary follows the exploits of three gifted ten-year olds (one each from the Maldives, Senegal, and Tajikistan) who have their eyes on the big Cairo prize: an all expenses paid trip to Disneyland! No, I’m kidding - they actually just get a plaque. It’s probably only a matter of time until an uber-competitive American Muslim gets the fever for Qu’ran recitation and brings the prize home to the good ol’ U.S. of A., at which point we’ll probably start seeing the contest broadcast on ESPN 3 in between Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments and the X Games. Airs again at 5:15 AM and throughout the month.
3:00 AM Sundance
The Matador (2008 GB): Not to be confused with the Pierce Brosnan thriller of the same name, this is a documentary about Spaniard David Fandila, a man on a rather bloody mission. Following Fandila on his three-year quest to become Spain’s top-ranked bullfighter - a quest that can involve up to a hundred "matches" per season - The Matador offers fascinating insights into this traditional blood sport. It’s definitely not a film for the PETA-inclined, but is a riveting look at dedication and obsession - in one segment, Fandila defeats six bulls in one day, then heads to the hospital to have his gored abdomen repaired!
12:00 PM Fox Movie Channel
Raiders From Beneath the Sea (1965 USA): Fox Movie Channel understandably relies on a lot of reruns, but every now and then they pull something extra special out of the vault. Case in point: Raiders From Beneath the Sea, which I suspect hasn’t aired on television in a good 20 or 30 years. To call it "special," of course, is not to imply that it’s a quality picture - it’s pretty dreadful, actually - but fans of the esoteric and rare (like me!) will go ga-ga over the opportunity to scope it out. Directed by Maury Dexter (Maryjane, The Day Mars Invaded Earth), the film stars Ken Scott as a building super who gets the bright idea to rob a bank on Catalina Island and then swim across the Channel back to the mainland. Needless to say, things don’t go quite as planned. Merry Anders (Women of the Prehistoric Planet) co-headlines as Ken’s helpful spouse and the film was shot by Academy Award winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby, so at least there’s something nice to look at.
Wednesday 8/3/11
5:00 PM HDNM
Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search (2011 USA): I don’t usually recommend stuff on these HD channels because, well, I’m an old-fashioned guy and haven’t taken the HD leap yet. However, I’ll make an exception in the case of Magic Trip, which is premiering on HDNM concurrent with its limited theatrical release. For those of you under 40, Ken Kesey was the puckish Merry Prankster of the 1960s, a free spirit who (when he wasn’t writing books like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Sometimes a Great Notion) lived on LSD and drove around the United States in a psychedelic bus. That’s all here and much, much more, so if you’re in the mood for a long (well, hour and a half long) strange trip, look no further than this Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) joint. Pun intended, of course. Acid flashbacks occur at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
Thursday 8/4/11
3:00 AM HBO Signature
The Sicilian Clan (1969 FRA): This superior caper film stars the grand old man of French cinema, Jean Gabin (who, by the way is getting his own "Summer Under the Stars" day on TCM later this month), as a manipulative gangster and handsome young heartthrob Alain Delon (don't we ALL wish we could have his hair?) as the target of Gabin's ire. The two are working together on the same jewelry heist, but each is convinced he can get the better of his co-conspirator whilst also pulling the wool over the eyes of Inspector Le Goff (Lino Ventura). Superbly directed by Henri Verneuil and featuring yet another excellent Ennio Morricone score, The Sicilian Clan is still unavailable on home video. It used to air in widescreen on Fox with some regularity, and I’m hoping the usually reliable HBO Signature will also be showing it in its correct aspect ratio.
8:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Kiki (1926 USA): Speaking of Summer Under the Stars, today turns out to be Ronald Colman day! Until Kino recently released it on DVD, Kiki was a very hard film to see and now gets what is, I suspect, its TCM premiere. Colman plays Victor Renal, a Paris dance-hall manager who finds himself targeted by the titular lass (Norma Talmadge), who’ll go to almost any lengths to get her man. Independently produced by Ms. Talmadge, Kiki is a delightful piece of romantic fluff helmed by Clarence Brown.
Friday 8/5/11
Midnight Sundance
The Girl on the Train (2009 FRA): The shadows of Tawana Brawley and Ashley Todd loom large over this controversial drama. Emilie Duquenne plays the lass on the choo-choo, a young woman named Jeanne who seems not to have a care in the world. Mum (Catherine Deneuve) has arranged a job interview for her daughter with a Jewish businessman named Bleistein (Michel Blanc), but Jeanne blows it, and then takes things to the next level by telling her would-be employer that a gang of North Africans assaulted her on the train and carved a swastika into her stomach. Only problems: there’s no evidence of the attackers and the swastika is backwards. Is Jeanne making a statement about the prevalence of anti-Semitism in modern France, or is she both exacerbating and belittling a serious problem? Directed by Andre Techine, The Girl on the Train is an intriguing think piece occasionally undone by soapy sub-plots, but still well worth a look.
7:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Breaking Point (1950 USA): John Garfield plays a fisherman who charters his boat to some shady characters in this very good Michael Curtiz feature. Garfield plays Harry Morgan, a salty seadog whose boat is far more shipshape than his bank account. When the opportunity to make some easy money by smuggling Chinese immigrants pops up, Harry jumps at the chance, only to find himself sucked into a whirlpool of criminal activity that threatens to destroy his family and his livelihood. Based on a story by Ernest Hemingway, this top-rate actioner co-stars Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter, Victor Sen Yung, and the great African-American actor Juano Hernandez.
Sunday 8/7/11
6:00 AM Flix
The Adventures of Hercules (1985 ITA): Everyone loves a Hercules movie, right? Well, this is the one that will test your endurance and dedication. The Incredible Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno, stars this time as our amiable hero, and whilst Lou was never an actor of much subtlety, the fact that a voice actor dubbed his lines is a bridge too far for this writer. The story, penned by director Luigi Cozzi (also responsible for Starcrash, perhaps the worst Star Wars rip-off of them all), sends Herc on a mission to reclaim the Seven Thunderbolts of Zeus, which have been nicked from the Main Man by some of the lesser gods. The film’s primary saving grace is William Berger (Superfly TNT) as King Minos, but even that’s a pretty thin straw to grasp. If the mighty mythical movie muscleman floats your boat regardless of quality, however, by all means check out The Adventures of Hercules.
8:55 AM Showtime Extreme
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006 GB): Ken Loach's superb tale of Irish brothers torn apart by war returns to the small screen this evening. Penned by perennial Loach collaborator Paul Laverty, the film is much more than a simple-minded paean to Irish Republicanism, with emphasis placed squarely on the fratricidal struggles between aspiring doctor Damian (Cillian Murphy) and dedicated IRA soldier Teddy (Padraic Delaney), who find themselves on opposite sides after the Irish Free State comes into being. Sticking closely to his humanist guns, Loach is unafraid to criticize the abject cruelties of either side, with depictions of Black and Tan sadism ably balanced by scenes of Republican torture, whilst reserving his harshest assessment for the Free State's new masters, who disdained the radical socialism of the IRA rank and file in favor of reactionary religious fundamentalism. Though not Loach's best film, The Wind That Shakes the Barley is an insightful and beautifully made picture that has important and timeless things to say about the lessons learned by the occupied from those who occupy them.
Monday 8/8/11
1:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
Trent’s Last Case (1952 GB): Here’s a bit of an oddity: a British "B" picture "starring" Orson Welles! His Rotundity is cast as the delightfully named Sigsbee Manderson, a wealthy American whose suspicious death is being investigated by Police Inspector Trent (Michael Wilding). Perhaps "suspicious" is an understatement: Sigsbee has been shot between the eyes, and Trent must locate and charge the party responsible for the heinous deed. Perhaps it’s mistreated wife Margaret Manderson (Margaret Lockwood)...or perhaps the butler did it! Based on a novel by E. C. Bentley - already filmed twice in the silent era - Trent’s Last Case isn’t particularly good, but it’s fun to see Orson cash a pay check by playing a corpse. Look for Miles Malleson’s amazing disappearing chin in a supporting role.
6:00 PM HBO
Superheroes (2011 USA): I haven’t pre-screened this new HBO doc yet, but who could resist a film about real-life folks who dress up as super heroes and stalk big city streets in an effort to protect truth, justice, and the American way? Apparently there are hundreds of people who actually do this. How long before a real bad guy decides to go the tight and capes route? Also airs at 9:00 PM and throughout the month.
A note to regular readers: I will be taking a brief refueling break over the next few weeks. See you again at the end of August!