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7:30 PM Sundance
Involuntary (2008 SWE): I always think of Norway as The Land of the Midnight Sun, but I suppose that appellation could also apply to the northernmost reaches of Sweden as well. Involuntary is a downbeat, ever-so-slighty salacious ensemble drama about summer in Scandinavia, and the effect it has on all those sweet young blonde things (male and female). For those who consider I Am Curious (Yellow) a vital document of liberated Swedish sexuality, here's its 21st century equivalent. Also airs 2/2 at 12:35 AM.

Wednesday 2/03/10

5:00 PM IFC
Penny Dreadful (2006 USA): Rachel Miner stars as Penny, a young woman trying to overcome her terror of cars, in this surprisingly good little thriller. Working in concert with shrink Orianna (Mimi Rogers), Penny returns to the scene of the deadly automobile accident that claimed her parents' lives—only to encounter a creepy hitchhiker (not Rutger Hauer, I'll have you know) who has no intention of helping the young lady overcome her phobia. Though it's not as good as Head Trauma, the result is a reasonably effective shock show that relies as much on genuine suspense as it does on grue. Look for good old Michael Berryman as a gas jockey.

7:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Moonrise (1948 USA): Director Frank Borzage's reputation has been on the uptick for several years now, and the more I see of his work, the more I understand the fuss. Set somewhere in the Faulknerian backwoods south, Moonrise features Dane Clark as Danny, a tortured soul who's spent his life trying to escape the burdensome memories of Dad, a convicted murderer whose life ended years ago at the knotted end of a hangman's noose. The sins of the father are never far from Danny's mind, and after he snaps and accidentally kills romantic rival Jerry (Lloyd Bridges), he does a runner—only to discover that his brooding conscience won't allow him to escape the consequences. Co-starring Rex Ingram, Ethel Barrymore, and Harry Morgan, this atmospheric noir anticipated the swampy ambiance of Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter, and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Recording.

9:45 PM Sundance
Jar City (2006 ICE): A North Atlantic variant on the Fargo meme, this Baltasar Kormakur (White Night Wedding, 101 Reykjavik) joint follows the misadventures of an Icelandic police squad as they try to solve a particularly brutal murder. Worn-out chain-smoker Erlendur (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson) is in charge of the investigation, which dovetails with two other mysterious deaths, and he has a drug-addled teenage daughter to contend with, as well. The film is mordantly humorous—hence the Coen Brothers parallel—and though the audience learns who the killer is fairly quickly, offers enough surprises and plot twists to keep you engaged.

Thursday 2/04/10

3:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Green Goddess (1930 USA): I'm a big fan of actor George Arliss, and this is probably my favorite of his films. It's an over-the-top adventure yarn about a planeload of stiff-upper-lip Britishers (including H.B. Warner, seven years before his trip to Shangri-La in Lost Horizon) who crash-land in an obscure Eastern principality. Surprisingly, Arliss is NOT one of the passengers, but plays the local rajah, a canny trickster who manipulates and abuses his newfound subjects. Attractively shot by James Van Trees, this very odd but intriguing early talkie earned Arliss a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar nom.

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