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7:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
The Neptune Factor (1973 CAN): My memory insisted this was a made-for-TV movie, but a quick trip to IMDb soon set me right. It's an understandable error, though: The Neptune Factor is a sedate, somewhat lumpen affair that could just as easily have debuted on the Tuesday Night Movie of the Week as on the big screen. Directed by Daniel Petrie, the film relates the efforts of an expedition sent to rescue the inhabitants of a deep sea underwater laboratory, which has been damaged by a massive earthquake. Only the submersible Neptune is capable of plumbing the necessary depths, so it's up to skipper Adrian Blake (Ben Gazzara), diver Don McKay (Ernest Borgnine—in a diving suit?!?), and beautiful but brilliant scientist Leah Jansen (Yvette Mimieux, who certainly appeared in her share of TV movies) to bring the sunken to the surface. It's not great, it's not terrible, and it certainly ain't Cassavetes—but the film has enough suspense to make it a mild buy, and co-stars avuncular Walter Pidgeon as a Very Important Scientist.

5:15 PM HD NET
The Warlords (2007 CHI): Well, here's something a little out of the ordinary. The Warlords is a Jet Li epic concerning internecine warfare in ancient China, and makes its television debut this afternoon. The out of the ordinary bit: it also opens in cinemas this coming Friday! If a concurrent theatrical/HD release has happened in the past, I'm not aware of it--but this is probably a precursor of things to come. As for the film itself, it's an above average action feature, and co-stars Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro as soldiers allied with Jet in a struggle against iniquitous General Ho and the armies of Nanking. The Warlords is a film best appreciated on the big screen, so if it's playing at a theatre near you, I suggest you avail yourself of that option. If, however, it's not—and you have an HD hookup—you won't regret checking it at out at home.

Thursday 4/01/10

5:00 PM IFC
Southern Comfort (1981 USA): Not to be confused with the transgender documentary of the same name, Southern Comfort is a first-rate action movie set in the Deep South, and features enough slack-jawed hillbillies (well, Cajuns, to be precise) to satisfy even the most rabid Deliverance fan. No, it's not the most ethnically-sensitive film ever made, but it is pretty exciting. Directed by Walter Hill in between his box office action hits The Warriors (1979) and 48 Hrs. (1982), this story of National Guardsmen lost in the bayous of Louisiana is extremely well-cast, with Keith Carradine, Fred Ward, and the underappreciated Powers Boothe as part-time soldiers and cinema heavy Brion James as one of the loony locals. There's an outstanding score by Ry Cooder, too. Also airs 4/2 at midnight.

Friday 4/02/10

9:00 PM IFC
Beyond Re-Animator (2003 USA): Stuart Gordon's 1985 feature Re-Animator became an instant word of mouth hit on the midnight movie circuit and quickly established itself as a horror classic. Brian Yuzna assumed the reins for both 1990's sequel, Bride of Re-Animator, and this third chapter in the saga, in which anti-hero Herbert West (still Jeffrey Combs, as good as ever twenty years on) finds himself serving time for crimes against science. Prison isn't much fun, of course—until Dr. Howard Phillips (MirrorMask's Jason Barry) assumes control of the jailhouse infirmary and decides to apply Herbert's knowledge to some of his own questionable experiments. Needless to say, BAD IDEA, but GOOD IDEA if you're a gore fan. Though shot in Spain (and featuring some woeful dubbing), this is still tons of fun, and apparently there's more on the way: IMDb indicates that House of Re-Animator is due for release sometime this year. Indications are this could be a real treat, with original director Gordon returning alongside Combs and Bruce Abbott, who portrayed easily manipulated straight arrow Dean Cain in the original film.

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