Friday, March 2, 2012

Classic Movie Picks: March

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

This is just my personal theory, but it seems that after a month of Oscar nominees - films of prestige and quality - the TCM elves are feeling a bit mischievous. How else to explain some of this month's more..um..."eclectic" choices? However, there are times when we all crave a bit of cinematic cheese or just want to see a film that's completely unique. So, I welcome whatever delirium caused the programmers to schedule films starring Liberace, an otter named Mij, the band Sorcery, and two Edward G. Robinsons (unfortunately they don't all appear in one movie).

3/7: Musicians as Actors
12:15 PM - Sincerely Yours (1955)
6 PM - Having a Wild Weekend (1965)
In his major motion picture debut, "Mr. Showmanship" Liberace portrays a concert pianist whose career is brought to a halt when he loses his hearing. That doesn't stop Libbie - he learns to read lips by watching people in the park through binoculars! And because he's such a nice, generous young man he just has to help the people he watches and solve their problems. (This isn't creepy at all, right? Right?) Liberace had an undeniable flair for performance, on display during the film's musical numbers, but it's no surprise that his film career basically ended when it started.
The Dave Clark 5 are probably remembered by most as a British Invasion band who wasn't the Beatles; and their film was certainly designed to capitalize on the success of A Hard Day's Night. However, I must defend the DC5. They had some pretty great songs and their movie isn't half bad either! How can you dislike zany Brits on a romp set to peppy music? Fun fact: This was the first film directed by John Boorman, who would go on to direct such classics as Point Blank (1967), Deliverance (1972), and Hope and Glory (1988).
BONUS: 3/3, 5 AM - Girl Happy (1965)
A pick in honor of Joni Collins, the person that introduced me to that wonderful genre of film - The Elvis Movie. She would look after me sometimes when I was little and we watched A LOT of Elvis, but this one was always her favorite.

3/8, 10:15 PM - Pretty Poison (1968)
Anthony Perkins plays a troubled young man, fresh from a psychiatric hospital, who falls for a small town honor student played by Tuesday Weld. He tries to impress her with a harmless bit of sabotage at the local mill, but soon finds himself in over his head when Weld's true murderous nature becomes apparent. Perky, gorgeous Weld is like The Bad Seed's Rhoda, if she grew up to be a drum majorette, and Perkins is perfectly cast as her hapless mark.

Leslie Caron: Single Mom
3/12, 10 PM - The L-Shaped Room (1962)
3/24, 4 AM - Promise Her Anything (1966)
In the 50s, spritely dancer Leslie Caron starred in a string of delightful musicals - An American in Paris, Daddy Long Legs, Gigi. But in the 60s, she began taking on more mature roles such as in these two films in which she plays a single mother-to-be and a widow, respectively. My image of Caron is as a young ballerina, so it is hard to imagine her playing a grown-up lady. However, she received an Oscar nomination for her role in The L-Shaped Room, a British "kitchen sink" drama. Promise Her Anything is less well-regarded, but it is notable for being the film on which Leslie met co-star Warren Beatty. Life was soon imitating art when the newly-divorced mother of two and Beatty became a couple.

3/15, 10 PM - The Whole Town's Talking (1935)
This film reminds me of an old Ray Romano joke about twins - if they're even slightly ugly, it's magnified. Thank goodness Edward G. Robinson is a great actor because he is not going to win any beauty contests. He stars here in a dual role, effortlessly changing between ruthless criminal Mannion and a meek advertising clerk, a.k.a. "The Man Who Looks Like Mannion." Yes, that is the actual nickname given to the clerk in this film, a nickname which frankly seems to downplay the resemblance (considering the two characters are identical). You could be forgiven for mistaking this film for The Talk of the Town (playing 3/6, 8 PM), which also co-stars Jean Arthur and involves someone hiding out from the law. For extra fun while watching, take a drink each time someone says the name Mannion, or reads a newspaper headline about Mannion. I imagine that director John Ford was playing this same drinking game on set.

3/18, 10 PM - Ring of Bright Water (1969)
I'm a sucker for films about animals, but I don't think I've ever seen one about an otter before. This movie stars Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, the same actors from Born Free (scheduled tonight at 8 PM), as the owners of yet another exotic pet. By the end of the film we all learn that while otters may not make good housepets, they're certainly cute!
BONUS: 3/18, 8 AM - Good-bye, My Lady (1956)
If you prefer films about more traditional pets, try this one about a stray dog in the Georgia swamps. It also has a great human cast, including Walter Brennan, Brandon de Wilde, and Sidney Poitier.

3/30, 2 AM - Stunt Rock (1980)
Director Brian Trenchard-Smith has called this the worst film he ever made, which is saying something considering he also directed Leprechaun 3 and Leprechaun 4: In Space. Fair warning aside, sometimes a silly movie about stunts and rock music is what I'm in the mood for at 2 AM. The film stars Australian stuntman Grant Page as an Australian stunt man named Grant Page who comes to Hollywood to take the movie biz by storm. He soon hooks up with the band Sorcery and is able to apply his expertise to the band's elaborate rock shows. For a straight-faced example of what This is Spinal Tap (3/3, 2 AM) was spoofing, look no further than this footage of Sorcery.

TCM Imports
There were so many intriguing foreign films scheduled this month, I couldn't narrow it down to one. Some of these are part of the "TCM Imports" series, but there are also two silent films by director Abel Gance.
3/4, 2:15 AM - Sans Soleil (1983)
3/4, 4 AM - La Jetee (1962)
3/18, 12 AM - J'Accuse (1919)
3/25, 12 AM - La Roue (1922)
3/25, 4:30 AM - Closely Watched Trains (1967)