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Wednesday 05/27/09

1:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Strangers in the City (1962 USA): I've never seen this very obscure, independently produced drama about the Nuyorican experience, but it sounds fascinating. Filmed on location in New York City, Strangers in the City tells the story of a Puerto Rican family struggling to adjust to their new lives in the slums of Spanish Harlem. IMDb indicates this was shot in 2.35:1, but I'm skeptical, and TCM indicates a full frame print is being utilized. Regardless, this sounds like one you won't want to miss.

2:30 AM HBO
Alive Day Memories: Back from Iraq (2007 USA): Iraq is beginning to recede in the rear-view mirror of history, but the aftermath will be with us for decades to come. This spare but effective HBO original documentary features Iraq War II veterans suffering wounds both mental and physical (and sometimes both), relating their experiences to host James Gandolfini. Gandolfini wisely stays in the background (and is frequently offscreen), keeping the focus where it belongs. With the ongoing escalation in Afghanistan and more wars a-gleaming in the eyes of the Pentagon and the White House, we can be sure this won't be the last film to feature the scarred veterans of unnecessary foreign wars. Also airs at 5:30 AM.

11:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Call of the Jungle (1944 USA): Yowza! If there's one thing better than a Monogram murder mystery, it's a Monogram murder mystery set in a back-lot jungle! James Bush stars as Jim, the Great White Policeman enforcing the law on the tropical island of Tapu, where the thud-thud of war drums needs to be investigated. Chief Kahuna (Harry Burns) informs Jim that a pair of sacred black pearls have been stolen - and if Jim can't recover them pronto, all the white men and women on Tapu will be killed! It's up to him - and native girl Tana (June Corio), who has a secret crush on Jim - to calm the waters and recover the rocks before an hour elapses and/or the cardboard scenery tips over. This wonderfully outré second feature is followed by three entries in the less entertaining Jungle Jim series, featuring the world's worst actor, Johnny Weissmuller, as the titular explorer: Jungle Jim (1948) at 12:45 PM, Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land (1952) at 2:00 PM, and Jungle Manhunt (1951) at 3:15 PM.

Thursday 05/28/09

4:00 PM Sundance
Guest of Cindy Sherman (2008 USA): Along with Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, shutterbug Cindy Sherman is one of the most important "pop artists" of the late 20th century. Her photographs feature the artist herself posing as different personalities or pop culture archetypes. What's perhaps most interesting about Sherman's work is that we instantly recognize the subject matter, whilst we probably wouldn't recognize the artist on the street: her total immersion in these pieces render her invisible in the "real world". This documentary, then, is rather surprising: it deals less with Sherman's style than with her substance, and examines her long-term relationship with cable TV host and erstwhile fellow artist Paul H-O. Co-directed by H-O himself, it's a barbed and amusing look at the absurdities of both the art world and of modern celebrity, and features pithy commentary from the likes of John Waters, Danny DeVito, and Mr. Elton John, David Furnish.

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