TiVoPlex
By John Seal
April 15, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Tuesday 4/16/13
11:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
A King in New York (1957 GB): I can’t improve upon IMDb’s plot summary for this film: "A recently-deposed European monarch seeks shelter in New York City, where he becomes an accidental television celebrity and is later wrongly accused of being a Communist." That says it all about this late period Charles Chaplin film, which in many ways is as autobiographical a feature as the Little Tramp ever made. Chaplin, of course was the King of silent comedy in Hollywood’s early days - and a left-wing firebrand who spent the second half of his life exiled in Switzerland after the United States refused him re-entry in 1952. So how is the film, Mrs. Lincoln? Though not on a par with such Chaplin masterworks as The Great Dictator and Modern Times, A King in New York is far better than its reputation - long colored by anti-red hysteria – would suggest. That means it’s still well worth checking out. Though the film does include some very funny moments, on balance it’s definitely the bittersweet, contemplative Chaplin of Limelight rather than the absurdist Chaplin of The Gold Rush. Shot out of necessity in Britain, the film includes such familiar faces as Sid James and Dawn Addams, as well as a very rare big screen appearance by legendary British jazz musician Tubby Hayes.
5:00 PM Sundance
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2009 SWE): Okay, Sundance. You and I have a difficult relationship, but you’ve got my attention with the premium cable debut of the third and final chapter in the Stieg Larsson trilogy. Your annoying "intermission" (known to most sentient beings as a "commercial break") will completely ruin the film – and as it's almost two and a half hours long, I can’t help but wonder if you’ll stick in a second "intermission" for good measure. I hate you, Sundance. Stop tempting me with the occasional good movie. Airs again at 8:15 PM.
5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Yoyo (1965 FRA): Here’s an evening’s worth of films that really has me excited. Pierre Etaix is a French comedian who’s worked with Robert Bresson (Pickpocket), Jacques Tati (Mon Oncle), Jerry Lewis (on his legendary "lost" feature The Day the Clown Cried), Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Micmacs), and Aki Kaurismaki (Le Havre). Etaix, however, is also an accomplished director, and his feature-length films are about to be get their first stateside home video release courtesy The Criterion Collection. That’s what’s on offer tonight, commencing with Yoyo, a wonderful Chaplinesque tale concerning the unhappy life of a millionaire (Etaix) and his circus clown wife (Claudine Auger). It’s followed at 7:00 PM by Le Grand Amour (1969), in which Etaix plays an industrialist wishcasting an affair with his secretary; at 9:00 PM by As Long As You’re Healthy (1966), a Tatiesque tribute to modern life; and at 10:30 PM by The Suitor (1962), in which Etaix tips his hat to Buster Keaton. These are charming, amusing films that have been all but impossible for American audiences to see; whether you catch them tonight on TCM or save your pennies for Criterion’s boxed set, you’ll be richly rewarded and hugely entertained.
Wednesday 4/17/13
12:05 AM Starz
Delicacy (2011 FRA): If you’re still in the mood for some Francophone whimsy, consider Delicacy, a romantic comedy starring Audrey Tautou as a young widow trying to recover from her loss. Tautou is Nathalie, whose husband has been gone now for three years, but who still feels a sense of obligation and loyalty to his memory. Barely on the rebound, she finds herself engaged in an awkward courtship with co-worker Markus (Francois Damiens) – but can she finally lay hubby to rest, and can Markus overcome his inferiority complex? As long as you don’t consider Tautou excessively pixie-ish (and aren’t completely disgusted by rom-coms), you’ll find Delicacy reasonably tasty. Also airs at 3:05 AM.
10:20 PM HBO Signature
The Pelayos(2012 ESP): I haven’t seen this Spanish drama yet, but it sounds interesting. Apparently, it’s the true (or at least based on fact) story of a family that develops a surefire (and legal) way of consistently winning at the roulette wheel. Shot in and around the casinos of the Balaeric Islands, The Pelayos stars Daniel Bruhl (The Educators, Joyeux Noel).
Thursday 4/18/13
8:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
Great Day (1945 GB): Life in a small English village will never be the same after an American bigwig drops by for a visit in this decent if not particularly memorable British drama. Directed by Lance Comfort, Great Day stars Flora Robson as Elizabeth Ellis, the woman tasked with preparing little Denley for a visit by none other than Eleanor Roosevelt. It all needs to come together overnight, and naturally there are complications – not least the sudden announcement by Elizabeth’s daughter Margaret (Sheila Sim) that she intends to wed the 20-years-her-senior farmer Bob Tyndale (Walter Fitzgerald). This is cinematic comfort food that promised war weary Britons easier days ahead; look for familiar faces John Laurie, Irene Handl, and Kathleen Harrison amongst the supporting cast.
12:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
High Tide at Noon (1957 GB): Looks like it’s Flora Robson day on TCM, as two more of the actress’s obscure features are popping up this afternoon. First up is High Tide at Noon, a middling effort in which Robson portrays the matriarch of a Canadian family of fisherfolk. Yep, this is another of those ‘50s British films set (and this time shot!) in Canada, headlined by American "stars" Betta St. John and William Sylvester. It’s followed at 2:00 PM by Innocent Sinners (1958), a superior effort helmed by Philip Leacock and featuring Flora as a woman who helps a teenage girl with a rather unique garden project. Doesn’t sound like much, I admit, but this is a really good film, bolstered considerably by Larry Adler’s trademark harmonica playing, which goes shamefully unmentioned in his IMDb entry.
5:00 PM HBO
Which Way Is the Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington (2013 USA): Photojournalist Tim Hetherington gets his due in this excellent new HBO documentary directed by his friend (and Restrepo director) Sebastian Junger. The film examines the life of the reckless and courageous Hetherington, who put himself in danger every time he went to work recording the horrors of war in such places as Liberia, Afghanistan, and Libya. Hetherington was killed by mortar fire during the 2011 Libyan Revolution, and Junger’s admiration for his close friend is evident throughout. Keep your hanky handy. Also airs at 8:00 PM.
Friday 4/19/13
1:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
The Laughing Policeman (1973 USA): This terrific police procedural stars Walter Matthau in best rumpled form as Jake Martin, a San Francisco cop on the trail of a killer responsible for the shooting deaths of a busload of Muni passengers. Isn't having to ride Muni punishment enough? Based on the popular cerebral police novels of Swedes Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, this gritty little film co-stars Bruce Dern, Louis Gossett Jr., and Anthony Zerbe as Matthau's colleagues, and, erm, Cathy Lee Crosby.
Saturday 4/20/13
6:50 PM Encore
Ghostbusters (1986 USA): Here’s another example of the recent premium channel trend of airing "series" films back-to-back. Will the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man be appearing in widescreen this evening? Tune in to find out. Followed at 8:30 PM by Ghostbusters II (1989), Ghostbusters also airs at 9:50 PM. How much longer will we have to wait for Ghostbusters III?
Sunday 4/21/13
1:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Devil’s Own (1966 GB): It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this Nigel Kneale-penned Hammer horror flick – so long, in fact, that I’d forgotten Joan Fontaine was the film’s lead, not Joan Crawford (speaking of whom, when are we going to get a widescreen airing of Trog on TCM? C’mon, guys). Originally released as The Witches, the film stars Fontaine (who’ll turn 96 this October) as Gwen Mayfield, a school teacher who relocates from Africa to England only to discover that the supernatural curse she hoped to escape has followed her home. The film is not terribly scary (apparently, Fontaine has always considered it a mystery, not a thriller), but if you’re a Hammer completist, here it is in its original aspect ratio.
7:00 PM Encore Action
Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1988 USA): Chuck Bronson fans will be drooling at the opportunity to scope this ultraviolent action pic in which ol’ stoneface plays an L.A. cop trying to break up a teen prostitution ring. A staple on cable channels back in the day, Kinjite (which supposedly takes its title from a Japanese word used to describe touchy subjects) hasn’t been seen on TV in quite some time. Former Elvis Presley and Quincy Jones paramour Peggy Lipton co-stars as Bronson’s wife. I guess Jill Ireland was otherwise engaged.
8:45 PM Encore Suspense
Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (1990 USA): Here’s another one time cable staple returning to the airwaves after an extended absence. An anthology based on the popular television series of the same name, Tales From the Darkside collects three short shriek shows within an over-arching fourth story. None of the stories are particularly clever – this is a film that favors splatter over suspense – but you can’t complain about the cast, which includes Deborah Harry, Rae Dawn Chong, Christian Slater, James Remar, Julianne Moore, and TiVoPlex favorite William Hickey.
Monday 4/22/13
6:40 AM Fox Movie Channel
Sea Wife (1957 GB): This florid World War II melodrama stars Joan Collins as a woman with a secret – she’s actually a nun. To make matters worse, Joan’s character is stranded on a lifeboat with three men after the merchant ship they’ve been aboard is sunk by a Japanese torpedo. To make matters worse worse, one of the men (Afro-Caribbean actor Cy Grant) is aware of her secret, whilst the other two – including racist bigot Basil Sydney and RAF officer Richard Burton – remain blissfully unaware of her marriage to Christ. Despite some ridiculous plot developments, Sea Wife is worth a look for Ted Scaife’s outstanding widescreen color cinematography.