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Friday 9/30/11

Midnight HBO Signature
La Nana (2009 CHI-MEX): I haven’t seen this Chilean-Mexican co-production yet, but it looks promising. Catalina Saavedra stars as a maid trying to hold on to her long-time gig during hard times. The film was a huge hit on the festival circuit and even earned a Golden Globe ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ nomination in 2010.

7:30 AM The Movie Channel
The Romantic Englishwoman (1975 GB): Here’s a highbrow drama where you can really feel the quality. Based on a novel by Thomas Wiseman and adapted for the screen by Tom Stoppard, The Romantic Englishwoman stars Michael Caine as Lewis Fielding, a novelist hoping to overcome his writer’s block by penning a film script. Recently returned from abroad wife Elizabeth (Glenda Jackson) introduces him to holiday fling Thomas (Helmut Berger), and Lewis decides to work Thomas and Elizabeth’s infidelity into his screenplay. Perfect post-modern material for Stoppard, The Romantic Englishwoman co-stars Michael Lonsdale and Kate Nelligan, and is one of the best of director Joseph Losey’s "late period" features.

11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Switchboard Operator (1967 YUG): TCM offers a brief salute to absurdist Yugoslav filmmaker Dusan Makavejev this evening, commencing with this very odd story of a young phone company employee who falls in love with a rat-catcher. Much of the film is played straight, but Makavejev spices things up with anti-Soviet political commentary (remember, Tito’s Yugoslavia was aligned with the People’s Republic of China during the Cold War), old newsreels, songs and poetry about rodent extermination, and a lot more. It’s definitely not what you’d expect from a Communist director. The Switchboard Operator is followed at 12:15 AM by Man Is Not a Bird (1965), Makavejev’s comparatively doctrinaire dissection of life in a Serbian mining town.

Saturday 10/1/11

8:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Zorro Rides Again (1937 USA): Zorro Rides Again concludes this morning with its final chapter, followed at 8:30 by the first episode of its inferior but still enjoyable 1939 sequel, Zorro’s Fighting Legion.

9:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure (1959 USA): While I’m not sure I’d concur with this film being the T-man’s greatest adventure, I would suggest it’s definitely one of the highlights of the series. Gordon Scott returns as the Jungle Lord, this time out for revenge against some murderous British diamond miners, including Anthony Quayle, Niall McGinniss, and the young Sean Connery. The film benefits from an African location shoot - no, it’s not all stock footage this time - and Ted Scaife’s widescreen photography looks great. It’s definitely one to watch if you’re amongst the pickier of Tarzan fans.

9:30 PM Sundance
Enter the Void (2009 FRA): Well, what can I say about Gaspar Noe’s paean to drug abuse, free love, and urban alienation? The story is both boring and repulsive, as are the main characters, a western drug dealer living in Tokyo, and his assorted hangers-on and lovers. On the other hand, Enter the Void looks amazing: from its rapid-fire opening credits to several lengthy "trip" sequences, it’s one of the most visually impressive and daring films of recent vintage. If you grew up dropping acid to 2001: A Space Odyssey, you may get some similar vibes here - but be warned: this is definitely a very bad trip. There’s also a grueling abortion sequence that will test the stamina of all but the hardiest of viewers.

Sunday 10/2/11

7:00 AM Showtime
The Thin Blue Line (1988 USA): I’m not the biggest fan of Errol Morris’ "docudrama" style of filmmaking, but there’s no denying the power of The Thin Blue Line. Morris’ documentary recreates a Texas murder case and the shady circumstantial evidence that led to the conviction of a drifter who probably didn’t pull the trigger. The victim, however, was a police officer, so the Dallas P.D. and local prosecutors felt compelled to cobble together a case and get a swift conviction. The film features a Philip Glass score which viewers will either find mesmerizing or annoying as Hell. Also airs at 10:00 AM.

Monday 10/311

11:00 PM HBO Signature
Tropico de Sangre (2010 DOM): After nine years of writing this column I’m starting to lose track of things. Is this the first time I’ve written about a film from the Dominican Republic? I’m not sure, but even if it isn’t, Tropico de Sangre is worth a recommendation. It’s a historical drama about Minerva Mirabal, a political dissident who fought against the Republic’s Trujillo dictatorship during the 1940s and ‘50s. Mirabal is played with gusto by Texas-born Michelle Rodriguez, whilst the not-so-great dictator is portrayed to perfection by Abel Ferrara veteran Juan Fernandez. I don’t know enough about the period in question to comment on the historical accuracy of the film, but as entertainment, it’s first rate.

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