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Saturday 9/24/11

8:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Zorro Rides Again (1937 USA): The climax of this excellent serial approaches as chapters 10 and 11 unspool this morning.

9:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Tarzan’s Fight for Life (1959 USA): Producer Sol Lesser finally hung up his spurs upon completion of Tarzan’s Fight for Life - the 107th film of his storied career, and the 17th of his Tarzan efforts. Gordon Scott returns as the Ape Man, this time trying to convince the natives that modern medicine, as personified by Doc Sturdy (Carl Benton Reid), is their friend. Witchdoctor Futa (James Edwards, the poor guy who served Bogie the strawberries in The Caine Mutiny) begs to differ, and troubles a-brewin’ in Jungleland. Woody Strode puts in his two cents worth as Futa’s tribal ally Ramo.

7:00 PM Cinemax
Hatchet II (2010 USA): I haven’t seen this slasher flick yet, but here are some reasons to tune in:

1.This probably won’t apply to anyone but me, but Hatchet II was the subject of endless and overwhelming promotion by producer Dark Sky Films over the last year or so. As a regular customer of Dark Sky’s DVD product, the "in your face" nature of their Hatchet II advertising campaign really sank in. Quite frankly, the film’s logo is permanently etched into my brain.
2.The film stars Tony Todd. Candyman...Candyman...Candyman...not to mention, he’s playing a character named Reverend Zombie.

3.The film also stars Kane ‘Jason Voorhees’ Hodder - in a double role, no less.
Troma bigwig Lloyd Kaufman makes a cameo appearance as a hunter.
4.Writer-director Adam Green previously played a character named Toothy McHomeless in the immortal 2008 feature Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust.

I rest my case.

Monday 9/26/11

11:00 PM Sundance
The Trial Begins (2007 ITA): Back in the 1970s political corruption was one of Italian cinema’s most popular themes. When the industry collapsed in the ‘80s, however, the theme disappeared with it - but thanks to 2007’s The Trial Begins is now on the comeback trail. Written and directed by Vincenzo Marra, the film stars Michele Lastella as Filippo, an eager beaver young cop looking to make his mark by cracking down on corrupt businessmen and bent politicians. When he meets vivacious (and rich) older woman Caterina (Fanny Ardant), however, he finds himself being pulled into her world of back-scratching and under-the-table deal-making. Marra’s film provides brilliant and searing commentary on the state of Italian governance, and in a country ruled by a profligate oligarch whose hands are in every pot, couldn’t be more timely.

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