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From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or underappreciated; they all have a home in the TiVoPlex! All times Pacific.

Tuesday 3/15/11

5:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
So Big! (1932 USA): Who says two-fisted action specialist William Wellman couldn’t make women’s pictures? This adaptation of Edna Ferber’s novel, starring Barbara Stanwyck as an heiress fallen on bad times, proves otherwise. Babs is Selina Peake, a spoiled little rich girl whose father (Robert Warwick) has gambled away the family fortune. Upon his death, the now penniless Selina is sent to the countryside, where she becomes a schoolteacher, falls in love with a Dutch farmer named Purvis (Earle Fox), and makes a new life for herself growing asparagus. But produce can’t buy you love, and her fraught relationship with stockbroker son Dirk (Hardie Albright) threatens to break her heart. The film covers a vast amount of material in its brief 81-minute running time, but Stanwyck is up to the task and delivers a bravura performance. Watch out for Bette Davis in a small but significant role as a lady architect.

10:30 AM Showtime 3
Dead Air (2009 USA): An abrasive radio personality finds himself reporting on a zombie invasion in this Corbin Bernsen-helmed thriller, which sounds an awful lot like 2008’s Pontypool, but isn’t. Apparently the two films were shot simultaneously, with Pontypool crossing the finish line first by a nose, so I’ll reserve judgment about who ripped off whom. I haven’t seen Dead Air yet, but it’ll be fun to play compare and contrast with its Canadian cousin.

Wednesday 3/16/11

11:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
Harry and Tonto (1974 USA): Movies rarely get more charming than this one. Art Carney stars as Harry Coombes, a retired schoolteacher whose New York City apartment building is being torn down and replaced with a parking garage. Is Harry downhearted? Not at all, as he decides to take advantage of the moment and, with his beloved cat Tonto, go on an extended road trip and visit friends and family across the United States. Carney’s sublime performance earned him an Academy Award, whilst director Paul Mazursky’s screenplay was nominated but ultimately lost to Robert Towne’s Chinatown script. If you want a film the whole family can enjoy — including Junior and Grandma — Harry and Tonto will meet your needs.

4:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Italianamerican (1974 USA): Anyone who’s watched more than a few Martin Scorsese movies will be familiar with the director’s mother, Catherine, who made cameo appearances as authentic Italian mamas in such films as Goodfellas and Casino. This rarely seen 1974 documentary puts her and Scorsese’s father Charlie in the spotlight, and serves as the director’s loving tribute to his devoted parental units. Previously only available on VHS (paired with Scorsese’s brutal anti-Vietnam War parable The Big Shave), Italianamerican is one of the least violent and most delightful entries in the great man’s bloody, brooding filmography.

8:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Projectionist (1970 USA): I vaguely recall this obscure comedy mistakenly showing up on the IFC or Sundance schedule a few years ago, and being profoundly disappointed that it didn’t actually air. Now my disappointment is at an end, as the film is definitely appearing on TCM this evening — and in widescreen, no less! It’s a genuine oddity, and stars Chuck McCann as Chuck, a movie projectionist who loses himself in a fantasy world in which he imagines himself to be celluloid superhero Captain Flash. In real life, Chuck must contend with his unctuous boss, Rinaldi (Rodney Dangerfield), whilst Captain Flash must protect a beautiful girl (Ina Balin) from the villainous Bat (also Dangerfield). Though no classic, The Projectionist is a loving tribute to the B-movies of yesteryear, and will delight anyone who’s ever enjoyed a chapter play or second feature.

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