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5:00 PM Sundance
Carlos (2010 FRA): Director Olivier Assayas’ magisterial three-part depiction of the life and times of the infamous Carlos the Jackal actually debuted on Sundance last week, but thanks to the inadequacies of the channel’s online schedule I overlooked it. Sorry about that, but better late than never! Edgar Ramirez (The Bourne Ultimatum, Steven Soderbergh’s Che) plays the man born Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, a Venezuelan "revolutionary" remembered best for leading an attack on an OPEC summit in 1975. Assayas portrays Carlos as an egotistical blowhard more interested in his own legend than in the liberation of oppressed peoples — and apparently Carlos himself, currently serving time in France for murder, isn’t too impressed with the way he’s depicted herein. Nonetheless, the film gets my heartiest recommendation — just be prepared for its butt-numbing five and a half hour running time.

Friday 1/21/11

5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
City Streets (1931 USA): Gary Cooper stars as a carny in this forgotten, unavailable on home video near-classic directed by the great Rouben Mamoulian. Based on a story by Dashiell Hammett, the film features Coop as The Kid, operator of a sideshow shooting gallery. Gal pal Nan (Sylvia Sidney) urges him to join the mob so he can earn some easy money, but The Kid isn’t interested — even though Nan’s father (Guy Kibbee, not playing to type for once) is a big-time hood who could make life easy for him. When Nan is arrested whilst trying to dispose of a murder weapon, however, The Kid has second thoughts: she’ll need a lot of money to pay for an expensive lawyer. What, Dad won’t pony up for his own child? As far-fetched as this sounds, the film is visually stunning and has been compared favorably to Josef von Sternberg’s silent classic Underworld (1927). Mamoulian’s next film was the since unsurpassed Fredric March version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

11:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
Bloody Birthday (1981 USA): It’s due for a deluxe DVD reissue later this year via Severin Films, but if you can’t wait, here’s an airing of this much loved chiller in tonight’s TCM Underground. Bloody Birthday relates the misadventures of three lovable children born under a bad sign — or more accurately, a solar eclipse that somehow plants evil thoughts in the tiny tykes’ noggins. Before you can say Bob the Builder, the trio are leaving behind a trail of victims, and its up to spunky heroine Joyce Russel (Lori Lethin) and brother Timmy (K.C. Martel) to end the reign of tot terror. The lovely, talented, and tragically no longer with us Susan Strasberg is Viola Davis, one of the play-group’s early victims, whilst Jose Ferrer depicts the doctor who brought them all into the world. Can you say ‘malpractice suit’, children?

Saturday 1/22/11

7:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Dig That Uranium (1955 USA): This mediocre Bowery Boys entry — chapter 40 of their seemingly endless series — premiered on Christmas Day 1955. Now, I can think of a few things I’d enjoy doing on Christmas Day, but paying to see Slip and Sach on the big screen probably isn’t one of them, especially at this palsied point in their misadventures. This time out the lads go west to buy a uranium mine and the usual assortment of bad guys and grifters try to pry the hot rocks away from them. At least Sach doesn’t acquire the ability to smell radioactivity.

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