New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Wednesday 11/3/10

4:00 AM HBO Signature
The Nine Lives of Marion Barry (2009 USA): This even-handed documentary may make you reconsider your opinion of Washington, DC, politician Marion Barry. Barry, a civil rights movement veteran with a healthy ego and an eye for the ladies, served four tumultuous terms as mayor of Washington and is now in his second term as council representative for the city's impoverished 8th Ward. His political career began in triumph as the white southerners who had traditionally controlled city patronage and purse-strings were swept into the dustbin of history; by the time of Barry's fourth mayoral term, however, the southerners regained control thanks to the GOP resurgence of the late 1990s - and to the mayor's taste for sex, drugs, and alcohol. There's no doubt that Barry did sterling work in the city prior to his first term in office, and no doubt that he was targeted and set-up by a zealous federal prosecutor who also happened to be a Republican. The film unfortunately skimps on the details of what he actually accomplished as mayor, but it's easy to understand why Barry became a neighborhood hero: he's the local lad who made good and overcame his own personal demons. Is that enough to warrant his continued presence on the city council? Barry's vigorous opposition to gay marriage (not discussed in this film) opens him up to charges of hypocrisy, and would certainly be the last straw for me. But it's also clear that, though now more of a follower than a leader, Barry remains a man of the people. Like him or not, he reflects the hopes and aspirations of his constituents.

8:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Nickelodeon (1976 USA): For some reason, I always get this film confused with Bugsy Malone when I should be getting it confused with Paper Moon. After all, both Nickelodeon and Paper Moon are set in the first half of the 20th century, were directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and star Ryan and Tatum O’Neal, but for some reason that other film - helmed by Alan Parker, headlined by Jodie Foster - always comes to mind. Anyhoo, Nickelodeon is nowhere near as good as Paper Moon, nowhere near as twee as Bugsy Malone, and a touch too goofy but still good fun and worth a look. Ryan O. plays Leo Harrigan, a lawyer who winds up becoming a filmmaker during Hollywood’s earliest days, whilst Burt Reynolds makes the most of his performance as manual worker turned leading man Buck Greenway.

Thursday 11/4/10

9:45 AM More Max
Silver (1999 JAP): Here’s something you don’t see every day on More Max: a straight-to-video Takashi Miike crime drama about wrestling, with (apparently) BDSM overtones. Yikes. I haven’t seen Silver yet, but you can be sure I’ll be checking it out this morning.

11:15 AM Encore Action
Superman (1978 USA-GB): Richard Donner’s classic comic book adaptation gets a rare widescreen airing today on Encore Action. For those who’ve been living without access to mass media for the last quarter century plus, it’s the tale of superhero Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve), exiled from Krypton and newly arrived on Earth, where his cover as a mild-mannered reporter allows him to do battle against (amongst others) villain Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). It’s followed at 2:40 PM by 1980’s Superman II, also in its original aspect ratio and focused on Kent’s desire to hang up the tights and marry fellow news-hound Lois Lane (Margot Kidder); and at 4:50 PM by 1983’s Superman III, oddly not listed as appearing in letterboxed format but co-starring Richard Pryor as a comic baddie.

Continued:       1       2       3       4