TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex for May 4 2010 through May 10 2010
By John Seal
May 3, 2010
Sunday 5/09/10
10:15 PM Sundance
Dog Eat Dog (2008 COL): Set in Cali, Colombia, Dog Eat Dog is, in part, a routine crime drama—but it also pays a bit more attention to character development than most gangster pics. The film focuses on the misadventures of drug lord El Orejon (the late Blas Jaramillo) and his lieutenants Eusebio (Oscar Borda) and Victor (Marlon Moreno). Eusebio and Victor display a distinct lack of loyalty by stealing some of El Orejon’s hard-earned cash and killing his godson, so the reclusive pusher does what you or I would do in the same circumstances: hires a witch (Paulina Rivas) to put a curse on them. There’s lots of violence, an upbeat soundtrack, and, as mentioned, characters who occasionally transcend the gangster movie cookie-cutter.
Monday 5/10/10
6:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Son-Daughter (1932 USA): A whole bunch of white actors don yellowface in this understandably obscure, but nonetheless interesting, MGM drama. Directed by the estimable Clarence Brown, The Son-Daughter stars Helen Hayes as Star Blossom, daughter of San Francisco Chinatown doctor Dong Tong (Lewis Stone). Father and child live a comfortable, happy life, but when she falls in love with humble student Tom Lee (Ramon Novarro), the family inadvertently become involved with gun runner Fen Sha (Warner Oland), who’s raising money and weaponry to send back to the old country. Racial issues aside, The Son-Daughter is a handsome, well-made feature with excellent cinematography by Oliver Marsh and a particularly fine performance by Stone.
1:15 PM Showtime 2
Diary of a Tired Black Man (2009 USA): I must confess to not having seen, nor even having heard of, this film before now. The title caught my eye, however, and when I learned that David Walker—the man behind much-missed fanzine turned well-worthy website BadAzz MoFo—liked it, any doubts were over: Diary of a Tired Black Man belongs in the TiVoPlex. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this film is the astonishing seventeen credits for writer-director-tea lady Tim Alexander, for whom this film was apparently a near-solo labor of love. The guy even worked make-up and wardrobe!!
5:00 PM Sundance
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (2008 GB): For those still not in the know, Scott Walker was a huge pop star in Britain during the 1960s and ‘70s. Walker (born Scott Engel) was originally a member of Yank instrumental combo The Routers, but when their career flatlined he made common cause with two other Americans, John Maus and Gary Leeds, and relocated to Britain, where the trio recorded numerous hits as The Walker Brothers. When the group broke up (the first time) in 1967, Scott went off on a solo career highlighted by four classic LPs reflecting the influence of songwriter Jacques Brel. Though his career slowly went into decline after the early ‘70s, Brits still love Scott Walker, and this film does a marvelous job of summarizing his career and bringing viewers up to date on the man’s current activities, including his recent experimental recordings. There’s never been another singer quite like Walker, and 30 Century Man is a worthy tribute to his unique talents.
7:40 PM More Max
Lust at First Bite (???? USA): Hmm. Well, I’ve heard of 1981's Love at First Bite, but Lust at First Bite seems to be an alternate title attached to schlockmeister Fred Olen Ray’s recent straight-to-video cheapie Twilight Vamps. Not sure what we’re getting this evening on MoreMax, but one thing’s for sure: it won’t be mistaken for Citizen Kane.
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