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Wednesday 05/06/09

12:20 AM MGM HD
The Neanderthal Man (1953 USA): Somehow, I can't imagine a better film for the HD format. Erm, NOT, as the kids used to say. The Neanderthal Man is a grotty low budget programmer that delighted me as a child with its tale of a mad scientist (Robert Shayne) who has mastered the dark art of "reverse evolution" and turned himself into the titular hairy hominid. A sabre tooth tiger also gets into the act. Helmed by renowned German director E. A. Dupont, the film co-stars scream queen Beverly Garland as a waitress who falls victim to the marauding evolutionary throwback.

7:00 PM Sundance
Climates (2006 TUR): No, this isn't one of Sundance Channel's ubiquitous ecological documentaries - it's actually a pretty decent if predictably plotted Turkish drama. Writer-director Nuri Bilge Ceylan stars as Isa, a University prof in an unhappy marriage with Bahar (Nuri Ceylan's real-life wife Ebru). Bahar abandons Isa mid-summer vacation due to irreconcilable differences, and Isa beats feet for gal pal Serap (Nazan Kesal), who, you'll be surprised to learn, is the source of the differences. Could a winter reconciliation be in the cards for Isa and Bahar? If you're in the mood for a tight-lipped relationship drama with subtitles, you could do a lot worse than Climates.

Thursday 05/07/09

8:30 AM Encore Love Stories
After the Wedding (2006 DAN): The eternal Battle of the Sexes gets a distinctly different look-in via this excellent picture from Danish director Susanne Bier. Rising star Mads Mikkelsen headlines as Jacob, the director of a Mumbai orphanage constantly confronted with budget crises. When a possible fiscal saviour appears in the form of businessman Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard), Jacob ups sticks for Copenhagen - only to learn that his benefactor's wealth comes with strings attached that involve participation in his daughter's wedding ceremony. A Best Foreign Language Film nominee at the 2007 Academy Awards, After the Wedding is another impressive feather in Bier's cap, and was written by frequent collaborator Anders Thomas Jensen (Brothers, The Duchess).

9:20 AM Encore Mystery
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1987 USA): No, you're reading that date right - 1987. I didn't know there'd been a made-for-TV remake of Nicolas Roeg's science-fiction landmark, either, but here's the proof. Lewis Smith (who he?) takes on the Bowie role of the space alien far from home, and the supporting cast ain't half awful, Mum, including as it does Annie Potts, Wil Wheaton, and Robert Picardo. I'll certainly be tuning in to discover just how wretched this is - and I'm already living in fear of the forthcoming big screen "re-imagining" mooted on IMDb. Also airs 5/8 at 2:30 AM.

7:00 PM Sundance
Inland Empire (2006 USA): I've been off the David Lynch bandwagon for some time and found 2001's Mulholland Drive to be completely incomprehensible. Things don't improve much if at all with his most recent effort, Inland Empire, which makes its television debut this evening. Lynch muse Laura Dern stars as actress Nikki Grace, hired by Brit filmmaker Kingsley Stewart (Jeremy Irons) to appear in his new project, a remake of a (literally) cursed Polish picture. Things spiral out of control from here, as Nikki discovers she has an alter ego in a parallel world, folks start spouting Polish, and some giant anthropomorphic rabbits pop up. There are some wonderful sequences, and some of the cameos are worthwhile (William H. Macy, Diane Ladd), but does it actually mean anything, or is it just a big joke on the audience? Hmmm.

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