TiVoPlex
TiVoPlex
By John Seal
November 26, 2012
11:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
Times Square (1980 USA): Marketed by producer Robert Stigwood as a "punk" movie, Times Square is little more than a routine coming-of-age tale about two young women adjusting to ilfe in the Big, bad Apple. The women are Pamela (Trini Alvarado), a rich youngster rebelling against her city commissioner father, and boom-box enthusiast Nicky (Robin Johnson), a working-class Brooklynite, and together they’re the Sleaze Sisters, a "band" who get the attention of radio DJ Johnny LaGuardia (Tim Curry). You’d think that location photography would make the story more believable, but that’s not the case here, with things rarely progressing much beyond an After School Special level of discourse or reality. So why am I recommending it? Well, the film has a certain nostalgic appeal for me, as it was the cause of much mirth in my teenage punk rock circles - and I’m a sucker for New York movies, no matter how bad they are.
Saturday 12/1/12
5:30 AM Encore Action
Earthstorm (2006 USA-CAN): Did you enjoy Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia? If so, you’ll die laughing throughout Earthstorm, in which Stephen Baldwin (the Bible-thumping Tea Party Baldwin) plays a scientist rushing to prevent an asteroid-fueled disaster. Surprisingly, his plan doesn’t involve prayer or divine intervention.
Sunday 12/2/12
11:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Promise (1996 BEL-FRA-LUX-TUN): The Dardennes Brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc, deliver the goods again in this outstanding drama about a father and son making a living on the backs of illegal immigrants in the Belgian city of Liege. Dad Roger (Olivier Gourmet) and son Igor (Jeremie Renier) have a great thing going – they rent apartments to migrant workers, then hire their tenants out for various under the counter concerns. An unexpected visit from a building inspector, however, throws a monkey wrench into their scheme, and when an African immigrant named Amidou (Rasmane Ouedraogo) suffers a serious accident Igor suddenly develops a conscience. A huge hit on the festival circuit, this gritty slice of life drama is highly recommended.
Monday 12/3/12
3:30 AM Showtime Extreme
Paradise Alley (1978 USA): Sly Stallone wrote, directed and starred in this under-appreciated 1940s period piece about three Italian-American brothers getting by in Hell’s Kitchen. Sly is Cosmo Carboni, a big lug who manages his wrestling sibling Victor (Leo Canalito) with an assist from third brother and coroner’s assistant Lenny (Armand Assante). The film is not well regarded because Sly sings (over the opening credits no less) and because it’s so clearly an attempt to do for the squared circle what Rocky did for the boxing ring, but I’ve got a soft spot for it nonetheless. After all, any film co-starring Joe Spinell and Tom Waits (and real life wrestling legend Terry Funk!) can’t be all bad, right?
5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Baby Peggy, the Elephant in the Room (2012 USA): I haven’t had a chance to preview this brand new TCM documentary, but any film focused on a still living star of silent cinema is going to be a must-see in my book. Of course, Baby Peggy (born Peggy-Jean Montgomery) was extremely young at the time – her first screen appearance came in 1920, at the age of 2 – but who else can we turn to for such memories at this point? TCM’s tribute is followed at 6:00 PM by a rare screening of 1924’s Captain January (one of nine features Peggy appeared in) and at 7:15 PM by three short subjects featuring the winsome youngster.
Continued:
1
2
3
|
|
|
|
Print this column
