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10:30 PM IFC
Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures (1976 BRA): Coffin Joe returns with further hallucinogenic (and existential) horrors in this typically bizarre series entry, which makes its American television premiere tonight. It's as illogical and bizarre as the Coffin Joe films that preceded it, but remains resolutely unavailable on home video, so fans definitely don't want to miss it. Just for a laugh, though, tell your porn-addicted younger brother to check out Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures — and then watch his jaw drop!

11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Terror of Tiny Town (1938 USA): For those of us who can only record one program at a time, here's the ultimate brain-bender: when you must choose either Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures or The Terror of Tiny Town, but not both, how on earth do you make a decision? I'm not sure how I'm going to make up my mind, but in case you're not familiar with THIS film, here's the low-down: it was the first (and so far last) all-midget western, and features an all-star cast of little people, including Billy Curtis and a heaping helping of other future Munchkins. There's not much to the plot — a rustler starts a feud between two neighboring ranching families — but you're tuning in for the Shetland ponies and the singing penguin rather than the brilliant writing, right? I guess I'll just flip a coin come Friday night.

Saturday 01/17/09

5:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
Change of Heart (1934 USA): Screen team Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, who appeared together in 12 films beginning with Frank Borzage's Seventh Heaven in 1927, bookended their coupling with this minor but still enjoyable Fox production. They play Catherine and Chris, who — along with pals Mack and Madge (James Dunn and Ginger Rogers) take their brand spanking new West Coast college degrees to New York City in search of work. Naturally, their dreams soon run aground on the treacherous shoals of the Great Depression: Catherine's writing career becomes a job mending clothes, and future lawyer Chris becomes desperately ill. It's soapy stuff for sure, but all four leads — especially Rogers — are excellent. Look for little Shirley Temple in a tiny, tiny role aboard a plane, and an uncredited James Gleason, seen selling hot dogs on Coney Island.

7:00 PM HBO
Be Kind Rewind (2008 USA): I'm the only person I know who loves this movie, so take the following with a large grain of salt. One of my ten favorite films of 2008, Be Kind Rewind takes place in an alternate universe Hoboken: one where it's still possible to find a video rental shop that, y'know, rents videos. It's here that shop employee Mike (Mos Def) must contend with trouble-making pal Jerry (Jack Black), who — in the least credible manner imaginable — manages to demagnetize every single tape in the building. This all happens whilst owner Elroy (Danny Glover) is away, so in an effort to pull the wool over the eyes of their INCREDIBLY gullible customers' eyes (including those of Mia Farrow), Mike and Jerry decide to "re-create" the movies in what they dub "Sweded" versions. You have to completely suspend your disbelief to buy the premise, and a tolerance for whimsy is helpful. If you enjoyed director Michel Gondry's Science of Sleep, however, you'll probably get some mileage out of Be Kind Rewind, which also airs at 10:00 PM and throughout the month.

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