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10:30 PM The Movie Channel
Wilderness (2006 GB): Sean Pertwee stars as a prison officer in charge of a group of not-quite-as-tough-as-they-think-they-are Borstal Boys in this obscure made-in-Scotland thriller. Pertwee plays warder Jed, who's taken six of his lads out for some tough love on a remote Scottish island - but he hasn't reckoned on the presence of a crossbow-wielding loony who's keen to give his visitors a welcome wagon surprise they'll never forget. It's all very similar to Pertwee's 2002 vehicle Dog Soldiers (in which an army patrol is stalked by a werewolf), so if you enjoyed that pic, you'll probably also enjoy Wilderness. Also airs 9/3 at 1:30 AM.

Friday 09/04/09

1:15 AM Fox Movie Channel
The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974 USA): I've been waiting quite some time for this one to show up in its original aspect ratio on Fox. Sadly, the wait continues, but that doesn't mean you should ignore this minor pleasure from director Arthur Hiller. Timothy Bottoms, quite the box office draw back in the day, stars as the titular character, a Vietnam vet who's retreated from reality and now lives beneath a freeway overpass. His hidey hole is discovered by the telephone company (Vrooder has been tapping into their equipment in order to make free calls), but not to worry - Julius has plans to run away with nurse Zanni (Barbara Hershey) and raise a family in the Canadian woods. There's not much middle ground here - most folks consider the film either delightfully loopy or hopelessly twee - but Bottoms is good, and it's fun to see famed director George Marshall showing off his acting chops as an elderly fellow vet.

9:00 PM IFC
Cabin Fever (2002 USA): The film that (for better or worse) introduced director Eli Roth to cinemagoers, Cabin Fever makes its widescreen television debut this evening. The film relates the sad tale of a handful of college chums vacationing in the woods - never, ever a good idea - and their unfortunate encounters with some contaminated water. Compared to most modern horror and slasher films, Cabin Fever is not bad at all, and at least exhibits a sense of humor sadly missing from Roth's repulsive Hostel films.

11:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
I Saw What You Did (1965 USA): And I know who you are! Speaking of slasher films, I Saw What You Did could be considered the film that inadvertently started that particular genre ball rolling. Directed by William Castle, the film features Andi Garret and Virginian star Sara Lane as babysitting teens making prank calls for shits and giggles. Unfortunately, one of their victims is loopy Steve Marek (John Ireland), a wife-killer who thinks he's been seen on the job, so to speak. The girls aren't very good at covering their tracks, and Marek soon tracks them down, whilst neighbor Amy (an oddly subdued Joan Crawford) looks on from a distance. The last decent film Castle directed, I Saw What You Did was once a staple of late-night TV, but hasn't been seen in many moons. Check it out, especially if you're in the house alone!

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