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Thursday 12/04/08

4:30 AM Showtime 3
Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade (2007 USA): Here's the perfect double bill partner for last year's other video game documentary, The King of Kong. Chasing Ghosts salutes those who were about to rock their quarters into the slot back in the early 1980s, including Pac Man wunderkind Bill Mitchell, Berzerker gods Ron Bailey and Joel West, and scorekeeper extraordinaire Walter Day. If you ever wasted away an afternoon down at the local arcade, Chasing Ghosts will send a nostalgic shiver down your spine.

11:45 AM Flix
Alambrista! (1978 USA): Also released as The Illegal, Alambrista! (which actually translates as tightrope walker) relates the story of a Mexican man who emigrates to the U.S. in order to make a better life for his family south of the border. Domingo Ambriz delivers a flawless performance as Roberto, who hopes that Yankee dollars will enable him to provide for his wife and new child but quickly learns that he's just a tool in the hands of coyotes (one of whom is played by Ned Beatty) and employers alike. He meets a friendly American waitress (winsome Linda Gillen), gets taken to an evangelical church service, and eats LOTS of ham and eggs before he decides life was better back home. Directed by Robert M. Young (not the actor, but the helmer of the equally excellent Short Eyes) and featuring stunning cinematography by Tom Hurwitz, Alambrista! won the Golden Camera at Cannes in 1977, but quickly sank into oblivion thereafter. That's understandable considering it's a sympathetic take on one of America's favorite whipping boys, but the film comes highly recommended for those willing to overlook the protagonist's disdain for federal immigration laws. One to avoid for the Tom Tancredo crowd.

11:35 PM HBO Signature
Pretendiendo (2006 CHL): This Chilean take on the Ugly Betty meme features professional lingerie model Barbara Mori as Amanda, an architect whose beauty and full figure mark her as a constant target for bird-dogging male chauvinist pigs. Tired of the relentless come-ons, Amanda ups sticks from Santiago in favor of backwoods Valparaiso, where she disguises herself as plain-jane Helena. Hired at a new firm on the basis of her skills alone, Helena befriends colleague Marcelo (Marcelo Mazzarello), who proceeds to pour his heart out to his ugly duckling platonic gal pal. Will true love blossom on the drafting tables — or will things take a turn for the awkward when Marcelo discovers boring Helena is actually glamorous Amanda? Pretendiendo ultimately can't break out of the strictures of the rom-com genre, but is worth watching for the two leads, who both deliver excellent performances.

Friday 12/05/08

6:20 AM The Movie Channel
Ghost Image (2007 USA): I haven't seen this indie horror flick, which doesn't seem to have had anything in the way of either a theatrical or home video release. I'm primarily intrigued by the fact that Ghost Image was shot (and is airing) in 2.35:1 widescreen, as well as by the single (possibly planted) rave review given it on IMDb. The fact that lovely Stacey Dash is one of the leads is further enticement to watch this film, the précis of which sounds a bit like 2005's from beyond the grave thriller White Noise. Also airs at 9:20 AM.

3:10 PM Flix
Tim (1979 AUS): Mel Gibson does NOT go full retard in this obscure effort from the early days of his career, filmed shortly after the completion of Mad Max and sometime before he became a huge box office draw around the world. Mel plays the titular lad, a none-too-bright laborer constantly being taken advantage of by his workmates. Enter older woman Mary (Piper Laurie), who takes a shine to Tim and, besides helping him stand on his own two feet, decides to seduce him. So, no yuck factor at work here, then. Granted only a short-lived American theatrical release, Tim makes his widescreen television premiere tonight.

11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
All Night Long (1962 GB): Patrick McGoohan scores as a troublemaking jazz musician in this engaging drama from director Basil Dearden. McGoohan plays Johnny Cousins, a drummer trying to ingratiate himself with jazz greats Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, and Tubby Hayes (who appear here as themselves) whilst throwing a spanner into the works of the fledgling marriage of black bandleader Aurelius (Paul Harris) and white singer Delia (Marti Stevens). The film takes place over the course of a single night and mostly in a single location, but the excellent Paul Jarrico/Nel King screenplay has enough twists and turns to compensate for the claustrophobic set-up, and there's satisfying retribution delivered during the final reel.

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