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5:00 PM HDNET Movies
Red Cliff (2008 HK): This John Woo epic should look great in HD, even should it prove to be the severely abridged version released in non-Asian territories. Set during the ‘Three Kingdoms' period of Chinese history (somewhere between 220 and 280 AD), Red Cliff features Tony Leung as Zhao Lu, a refined and well-educated military strategist defending the domain of warlord Sun Quan (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon's Chen Chang) from the forces of Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) and company. Students of Chinese history will find much to admire here, but for the rest of us, attention will be focused on the massive, non-CGI battle sequences - in which Woo choreographed up to 100,000 extras - that occasionally interrupt the pontificating and court machinations. Red Cliff is a film of stunning beauty, but will definitely play best for those who spent many idle hours playing Romance of the Three Kingdoms on their PC.

Thursday 11/19/09

7:00 PM Sundance
Room of Death (2007 FRA): Or La Chambre des Morts in the original, and much more poetic, French. The freshman effort of writer-director Alfred Lot, Room of Death is an above average thriller about two inebriated idiots (Gilles Lellouche and Jonathan Zaccai) who mistakenly kill a pedestrian whilst playing silly beggars in their BMW. After discovering their victim was carrying a large amount of cash, the pair purloin the coin before dumping his body in the nearest river and swearing each other to secrecy. Little do they know, however, that an unhinged kidnapper in a nearby building has witnessed their crime...and they've taken his hard-earned ransom money! Room of Death has been called ‘Europe's Silence of the Lambs', which is a rather lazy comparison, but is worth a look for anyone who enjoys a good Gallic thriller.

9:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Rockingham Tea Set (1950 USA): Is this the new frontier for TCM? I'd like to think so, but only time will tell. Tonight, the greatest television channel in the world airs two rare episodes of a long forgotten and long unseen television series, Studio One. Both episodes feature Grace Kelly, the first being the tale of a nurse (Kelly) haunted by a ghost, the second (1952's The Kill, at 10:00 PM) relating a tragedy at a rural aquifer. Both episodes were directed by Franklin Schaffner (Patton) and also feature performances from such familiar faces as Dick Foran, Nina Foch, and Louise Allbritton. More, please!

Friday 11/20/09

5:30 AM IFC
L'argent (1983 FRA): I can't remember the last time ANY film directed by Robert Bresson appeared on US television, so we'll overlook the fact that this isn't his best (though it's by no means bad, either). Based on a Tolstoy short story, L'argent is the episodic tale of a forged 500-franc note, which passes through half a dozen pairs of hands before resulting in tragedy for innocent fuel delivery man Yvon (Christian Patey). Money, as it turns out, really IS the root of all evil - even when it's not REAL money. The final film completed by the crotchety Catholic ethicist, L'argent earned Bresson Best Director honors at Cannes 1983. Also airs at 10:05 AM.

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