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8:30 PM Sundance
Dream Home (2010 HK): Middle class aspirations of home ownership are the target of this wicked and gruesome satire from Hong Kong. Josie Ho plays yuppie Lai-Sheung, who’s finally ready to invest in some real estate - specifically, a lovely apartment with a stunning sea view. There’s only one problem: she can’t afford the monthly payments. Is she downhearted? No, not at all: instead she hatches a plan that will allow her to make those payments, albeit at the expense of her new neighbors. If you thought the slasher genre had completely lost its juice, check out Dream Home. Also airs 10/29 at 1:20 AM.

Saturday 10/29/11

8:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Zorro’s Fighting Legion (1939 USA): Zorro struggles to keep weapons out of the hands of untrustworthy redskins in the eighth and ninth chapters of this very politically incorrect serial.

9:00 AM Turner Classic Movies
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966 USA-SUI): Looks like this late period Tarzan flick is screening in pan and scan this morning, but it’s still a guilty pleasure worth a look. Pro football player Mike Henry takes over from the emaciated Jock Mahoney as the Lord of the Apes, this time searching for a young Mexican lad who happens to be in possession of a valuable treasure map. The T-Man gets an image upgrade this time out and even gets to wear a suit, but don’t worry - he’s as buff and bold as ever. Shot on location south of the border, the film has some nice footage of a sports arena equipped with a giant (and deadly) Coke bottle. David Opatoshu co-stars as the main baddy.

3:20 PM Sundance
Mutants (2009 FRA): Let’s be honest: the French haven’t done horror very well for quite a few years now. Case in point: Mutants, an okay but unexceptional 28 Days Later knockoff. It’s a perfectly fine zombie flick that tries to do things a wee bit differently, but lacks the sensual elegance of a Rollin or the tension-filled suspense of a Clouzot. Perhaps I’m holding it to too high a standard, or perhaps its underwhelming contemporaries (In Their Sleep, High Tension, et al) have simply spoiled Gallic horror for me.

Monday 10/31/11

9:00 AM Sundance
Join Us (2009 USA): If you’ve ever felt like joining a cult or have tried to persuade a family member to join one, here’s a film that may give you pause. Directed by Ondi Timoner, whose 2004 doc Dig! dug deep into the tortured relationship between indie rockers The Brian Jonestown Massacre and major label musos The Dandy Warhols, Join Us takes a look at folks trying to escape the clutches of Mountain Rock Church, an innocuously named South Carolina cult run by a pastor who enjoys giving kids a good ass-whuppin’. The film also more broadly examines the meaning of the word "cult": it’s estimated that up to 15,000,000 Americans belong to one, and that doesn’t include folks who subscribe to mainstream religion or either of the major political parties! Could your next door neighbor be amongst them? Watch Join Us and start casting furtive sideways glances their way!

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