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Saturday 9/04/10

7:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Ghost Chasers (1951 USA): They’re back! After a Summer Under the Stars-enforced hiatus last month, it looks like the Bowery Boys are picking up where they left off. Here’s series entry number 22, another of the lads periodic adventures with things supernatural. It’s a particularly amusing effort and consistently ranks as a fan favorite, so if you’ve otherwise been unimpressed by the Boys, this might be the film that changes your mind.

9:00 PM Sundance
The Wig (2005 ROK): A creepy hairpiece is front and center in this wildly silly but enjoyable Korean horror effort. The directorial debut of Shin-yeon Won, The Wig tells the story of Su-Hyeon (Min-seo Chae), a leukemia patient who, upon completion of her chemo course, is gifted with a wig by her mute sister Ji-hyun (Seon Yu). But the toupee has a tortured history, and is infused with an evil spirit that will stop at nothing to spread its maleficence far and wide. As with most Korean horror films, the story is told completely straight, but it was still hard for me to get worked up about a killer coif. Recommended, nonetheless, because you’ve never seen anything quite like it before!

10:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
Love and Pain (and the Whole Damn Thing) (1972 USA): This one is definitely TiVoPlex title of the week! Produced by Columbia, this drama sank into obscurity almost immediately, but is well worth your time. It’s a character study starring That’s My Bush star Timothy Bottoms as Walter Elbertson, a college-age lad touring his way across Spain. En route he meets older woman Lila Fisher (Maggie Smith), and the two recognize each other as kindred spirits despite their difference in age. Intelligently written by Alvin Sargent and well-directed by Alan Pakula, LPWDT is a typical, and typically excellent, example of character-driven seventies cinema. The fine location footage, shot by Geoffrey Unsworth, is an added bonus.

Sunday 9/05/10

9:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Pagan (1929 USA): The Pagan features Mexican-born actor Ramon Novarro as Henry, a half-breed island shop-keeper whose love for a native girl (Dorothy Janis) is stymied by the objections of Slater, her lustful guardian (Donald Crisp). When the sleazy Slater decides it's his Christian duty to marry the heathen wench, it's up to Henry to save her from a life of dutiful drudgery. Directed by W. S. Van Dyke, this very old-fashioned but most enjoyable MGM silent was shot on location in Tahiti, lending the otherwise predictable tale of star-crossed lovers a crepuscular sheen. The film co-stars Renée Adorée as the stereotypical whore with a heart of gold, and the synchronized musical score also features the singing voice of Novarro himself!

11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
La Cucaracha (1958 MEX): Not quite had your fill of Pancho Villa yet? Well, he doesn’t actually appear in this film…but it was entitled Soldiers of Pancho Villa for Stateside release. Also directed by Ismael Rodriguez, the film stars Dolores del Rio (whose Hollywood fame no doubt contributed to the film’s US distribution) as the title character, a patriotic Mexican who stirs the blood of all who come in contact with her, including Colonel Zeta (writer-director-real life revolutionary Emilio Fernandez), commander of the local garrison. Though ultimately spurned by Zeta, La Cucaracha takes to the hills to fight the good fight - and just in case you were missing him, Pedro Armendariz plays one of Zeta’s fellow officers (and fellow competitor for La Cucaracha’s hand).

Monday 9/06/10

3:35 PM Showtime Extreme
The Big Bus (1976 USA): This ensemble comedy was a big hit back in the day and will provide a particularly redolent blast of nostalgia for those of a certain age. The titular nuclear-powered omnibus is named Cyclops, and was created to honor America’s bicentennial by the Baxters (Harold Gould and Stockard Channing), a father-daughter science team. It’s en route from New York City to Denver (why Cyclops isn’t continuing on to the West Coast isn’t made clear), but madmen Jose Ferrer and Stuart Margolin are determined to put a halt to the vehicle’s progress. Will they succeed - or will driver John Beck pull into Denver’s Greyhound station on schedule? Featuring a dizzying array of talent, including Ruth Gordon, Lynn Redgrave, Richard Mulligan, Larry Hagman, Sally Kellerman, Ned Beatty, and Howard Hesseman, The Big Bus makes its widescreen television debut this afternoon.

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