New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

4:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Sherlock Holmes’ Fatal Hour (1931 GB): This rare British Holmes’ flick last appeared on TCM during their 2009 "Holmes For Christmas" celebration. If you’re a fan of the great detective, you’ll want to check it out, but be warned: this is no Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce funfest. Instead, we get Arthur Wontner as Holmes and Ian Fleming as Doctor Watson (and no, it’s not THAT Ian Fleming), here butting heads with Moriarty (Norman McKinnell) after the mysterious death of a card sharp (Leslie Perrins). Reflecting its early ‘30s origins, Sherlock Holmes’ Fatal Hour is pretty creaky stuff but should still appeal to the deerstalker and cape crowd.

Sunday 11/18/12

2:15 PM HBO
Crossfire Hurricane (2012 USA): I’m a Beatles man - always was, always will be. In high school we had endless debates about the relative merits of the Beatles and the Stones, and I defended the Fabs at every available opportunity. However, it must be admitted that the Brian Jones-era Stones are not entirely without value, and that’s where Crossfire Hurricane comes in. A rockumentary about the band’s early years (well, if you consider the years through 1977 early), the film provides a generous helping of rare archival footage from the Stones’ salad days as well as the usual present day interviews. It’s not exactly Anthology, mind you - The Beatles also have a better documentary than the Stones - but it’s pretty darn good nonetheless, especially if you consider the post-Some Girls years of minimal interest. Also airs at 5:15 PM and throughout the month.

9:15 PM Sundance
The Dancer Upstairs (2002 USA-ESP): One of only two films directed by actor John Malkovich, The Dancer Upstairs stars Javier Bardem as Agustin Rejas, an Ecuadoran police officer tasked with tracking down a revolutionary leader/terrorist named Ezequiel. Ezequiel is a bit of a Keyser Soze sort, his trademark being the ever popular dead dog left in the middle of the street as a totem of his power. Though not yet winning the war, he’s certainly winning some battles, and it’s up to Agustin to put a stop to the mayhem - at least until the army exacerbates the problem by getting involved. Part police procedural, part thriller, The Dancer Upstairs is worth a look, despite being shot entirely in English.

Monday11/19/12

1:45 AM Showtime Extreme
Man on the Train (2011 USA): An English-language remake of Patrice Leconte’s first-rate 2002 crime drama, this Man on the Train is inferior in every way to the original but remains of some interest thanks to the presence of Donald Sutherland and U2 rocker Larry Mullen, Jr. atop the cast list. Mullen is surprisingly good, but it’s Sutherland who deserves the most praise, and it’s great to see him get such a meaty role in his mid-70s.

3:15 AM Turner Classic Movies
Gang Busters (1955 USA): Here’s a genuine oddity: a feature length cops and robbers movie cobbled together from three episodes of a long forgotten television series. I’ve never seen the movie or the show, so can’t comment on the quality, but when the biggest name in the cast is Myron Healey (The Unearthly, Ma Barker’s Killer Brood) you know you’re in for something special. Or, if not special, something made on an extremely low budget.

Continued:       1       2       3