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5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Gladiator (2000 USA): Was it really the Best Picture of 2000? The Academy answered in the affirmative, but I had my doubts (and, yes, prejudices) and declined to see Gladiator. Now that it's appearing in widescreen on TCM, however, I'm willing to swallow my pride and perhaps eat a little (Russell) Crow(e) on the side. Speaking of our Russ, star Crowe also took home Best Actor honors for his performance as Maximus, a Roman general who falls out of favor with the Emperor and into slavery and the gladiatorial arena. There's also a pre-retirement Joaquin Phoenix, a pre-drinking himself to death Oliver Reed, a pre-Dumbledore Richard Harris, and Derek Jacobi, too.

Sunday 2/14/10

2:00 AM HBO2
Letters to the President (2009 CAN-FRA): Judging from its title, you might think this was a warm and fuzzy kids say the darnedest things type of movie. Dear President Bush, why did God choose you to lead the New Crusade? Dear President Obama, how do you quantify your changiness? Ah, but these aren't letters to an American president—they're correspondence sent to this year's Hitler, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. And what do folks write him about? Pretty mundane stuff, as it happens: no, the good folks of Iran aren't hankering for the atomic bomb, they're hankering for good jobs and social services. If we didn't know better, we might think they're not all that different from us.

11:00 PM Cinemax
Silver Bullet (1986 USA): If you shot Stephen King with a silver bullet, would he stop writing books? Somehow I think it would take more than that. As for Silver Bullet, it's King's take on the werewolf genre, and is pretty average fare film-wise, at least as far as King adaptations go. The title actually refers to the wheelchair belonging to paralyzed youngster Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim), a souped up contraption given to him by crotchety but lovable Uncle Red (Gary Busey). When a series of full moon murders take place in their tiny little town, Marty becomes convinced that they're being committed by a lycanthrope, and with the aid of his trusty vehicle determines to solve the crimes and bring the killer to justice. It's not the best werewolf movie you'll ever see, and sadly airs in pan and scan this evening, but with Busey and The Stepfather's Terry O'Quinn on hand as a sheriff, is still worth a look. Also airs 2/15 at 2:00 AM.

Monday 2/15/10

6:15 AM Turner Classic Movies
Smart Money (1931 USA): Hard-boiled eggs Jimmy Cagney and Edward G. Robinson only appeared together once on the big screen, and this is the result. Robinson plays Nick Venizelos, a small town rube who gets suckered out of his money by big city gambler Sleepy Sam (Ralf Harolde). Determined to get his revenge, Nick cooks up a scheme with more worldy-wise pal Jack (Cagney), turns the tables on the grifters, and then sets up his own gambling dens, which draw the attention of D.A. Black (Morgan Wallace) who proceeds to try and shut ‘em down. As predictable as a worn but comfy shoe, this enjoyable Warners pic earned a Best Writing Oscar nom for co-scribes Lucien Hubbard and Joseph Jackson, and features an uncredited Boris Karloff as fellow gambler Sport Williams.

3:30 PM Sundance
Hotel Gramercy Park (2008 USA): Not to be confused with fellow Manhattan hotel documentary Sunshine Hotel, Hotel Gramercy Park tells the story of the titular inn, once a grand rest stop for the well to do, then a popular hangout for rock ‘n' rollers, and now the subject of a renovation by hotelier Ian Schrager. This nostalgic film gives plenty of screen time to the Weissberg family, who originally owned the joint, and to some of the musos who flopped there, including Debbie Harry and Leee Black Childers. If you're a New Yorker past or present or have an abiding love for The Big Apple, you'll enjoy this film—if not, give it a wide berth.

7:00 PM Showtime Extreme
Sukiyaki Western Django (2007 JAP): Sushi western alert! I wrote about this film when Showtime Extreme aired it a few months back, noting my hope that it wouldn't appear in pan and scan. Well, it did—but now the Extreme schedule is indicating a widescreen airing is in the offing this evening. I've got my doubts, but I'll be checking it out again just in case.

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