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Thursday 5/3/12

3:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
The Challenge (1970 USA): Here’s a pretty strange made-for-TV movie that hasn’t been seen for a while. Darren McGavin and Mako star as two soldiers sent to a remote Pacific island to fight a proxy war on behalf of their homelands (the United States, and, er, an unnamed ‘fifth rate People’s Republic’—wonder who that could be?). James Whitmore plays the wise President eager to avoid pushing the nuclear button, whilst Broderick Crawford portrays the Army general eager to bomb the enemy back to the stone age (if not further). Written by Marc ‘Shakespeare in Love’ Norman, this was also one of the first films to be credited to director Allen Smithee—which is rather strange, as The Challenge is pretty darn good.

12:40 PM HBO Signature
Hot Coffee (2011 USA): Mmm, torte reform. I would love to eat some torte right now, hot or cold. What’s that? This is an HBO original documentary about tort reform? Specifically about the infamous McDonald's coffee case, in which a woman named Stella Liebeck scalded herself with a hot drink and sued the bright yellow pants off Ronald McDonald? You’ll get a completely new perspective on class action lawsuits and fast food beverages from this outstanding feature.

3:30 PM Showtime
Womb (2010 GER-HUN-FRA): I haven’t seen this film yet, but the presence of handsome former Bond girl Eva Green and preternaturally geeky Matt ‘Dr. Who #12’ Smith makes it an attractive option. Apparently it’s got something to do with cloning and incest, an irresistible combination that surely contributed to the film’s inability to get a theatrical run in the US. Released in Britain as (wait for it) Clone, Womb airs again at 6:30 PM.

8:00 PM Showtime 3
Fire of Conscience (2010 HK): Hong Kong has long since seen its cinematic mojo snatched from it by other Asian countries, but every now and then it proves it can still deliver the goods. Case in point: Fire of Conscience, a slambang cop drama starring Leon Lai as a police sergeant whose off-kilter behavior attracts the attention of Internal Affairs. He’s Sgt. Manfred, who has an excuse for being a bit nuts: his wife has been murdered, and the crime never solved. Naturally, the chip on his shoulder leads to plenty of gun battles, beatdowns, and other examples of ultraviolence, all beautifully captured by director Dante Lam, who—somewhat surprisingly—doesn’t appear to be related to elder HK cinema statesman Ringo Lam.

Friday 5/4/12

12:15 PM HBO Signature
La Isla Interior (2009 ESP): A worthwhile Spanish drama about family and genetics, La Isla Interior provides a powerful and sobering look at the crippling effects of mental illness. Cristina Marks stars as Gracia, one of three siblings re-united by the imminent death of their father. Also on hand are brother Miguel (Alberto San Juan) and sister Coral (Candela Pena), as well as dear old mum (Geraldine Chaplin). Dad has long suffered from schizophrenia and the family have long avoided dealing with its legacy, but his passing forces them to come to terms with his—and perhaps their—illness. Though deadly serious in intent, there’s an underlying current of dark humor that works in the film’s favor, and San Juan delivers a particularly strong performance.

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