Classic Movie Picks: April 2014

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule 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 orTCM.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.)

Happy 20th Anniversary TCM! 
On April 14, 1994, the channel was launched with a ceremony in Times Square and it has been the saving grace of many a cable line-up ever since. It’s certainly the default channel in my house (no surprise there), in fact it’s on right now as I type!

4/7-11: Fan Takeover!

The daytime schedule this week features films requested by viewers. It’s a bit of a mixed bag; however, by virtue of their making it on the schedule, these films are considered worth a view by somebody out there in TV land. During primetime and late night we’ll get films handpicked by Fan Programmers. The Fans’ picks include some of my favorites like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Philadelphia Story (1940), as well as some I’ve never seen, such as Went the Day Well? (1942) and A Man Called Adam (1966) — it’s no coincidence that both of those are TCM premieres. Check out the full schedule here, and be sure to tune in on the dot to hear each fan introduce their film.

BONUS PICK: 4/14, 7 PM - TCM: Twenty Classic Moments (2014)

Take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the past twenty years.

4/10, 4:15 AM - Lola (1961)

This first feature by French director Jacques Demy stars Anouk Aimee as the title character, a cabaret entertainer in Nantes caught in a love triangle. Demy dedicated this film to director Max Ophuls, whose influence is apparent not only in the swirling camera work, but also in the title character who was surely named for Ophuls’ masterpiece Lola Montes (airing on 4/20, 2:00 AM). I really enjoy Demy’s bittersweet valentines to the Technicolor musical — The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort — so I’m interested to see what came before those films.

4/16: A Proper Butling

8 PM - The Remains of the Day (1993)

3:30 AM - English Without Tears (1944)

If you are experiencing Downtown Abbey withdrawal, here are two films featuring Brits with stiff upper lips to help you cope. Tonight’s schedule is devoted to butlers on screen, but I think these two in particular make a nice double feature because they are both about people adapting to societal changes in England following WWII, as well as love that crosses lines of duty and class.

4/20, 12 AM - Spione/Spies (1928)

This silent film from German director Fritz Lang is a pulpy thriller about super-spy Haghi, who oversees an international spy network from his headquarters beneath a bank. Like many imports of the era, including Lang’s Metropolis, Spione was edited severely for the U.S. market. The original cut was unavailable until 2004; I believe TCM is showing the restored version.

¿Quien es mas macho? Heston vs. Wayne

This month TCM spotlights two of Hollywood’s all-time macho men: Charlton Heston and John Wayne. It’s the Duke’s low drawl versus Heston’s clenched growl. Six guns versus frequent shirtlessness. April will be cloaked in a manly musk; breathe in at your own risk!

4/4, 9:30 PM - The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)

4/4, 4:45 PM - Skyjacked (1972)

Heston is being honored this month with his own U.S. stamp and in celebration TCM will show 5 of his films on April 4. His wide range as an actor is represented by my two picks from the primetime lineup; however, one constant through all his films is that he’s very entertaining when squaring off against an adversary. In the epic drama Agony, Heston is Michelangelo, locked in a tug of war with Rex Harrison’s Pope Julius II over the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In disaster-thriller Skyjacked, he’s the captain of an airliner terrorized by a hijacker bound for Moscow.

4/22, 8 PM - Stagecoach (1939)

4/23, 12:30 PM - The Quiet Man (1952)

Wayne is the official Star of the Month and his films will take over the schedule April 21-25. The mini-festival was programmed by Robert Osborne -- 58 movies in total. There is a lot to choose from here, but I’ve selected two films directed by Wayne’s great collaborator John Ford. Stagecoach is Wayne in classic cowboy mode aboard the eponymous coach on a perilous ride through Apache country. In The Quiet Man, Wayne tries to be more of a lover than a fighter as a former boxer with a hidden past, but when playing opposite the fiery Maureen O’Hara he finds it difficult to keep his cool. 

Classic Movie Picks: May

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.)

5/2, 8 PM - Gates of Heaven (1978)
I think some people avoid documentaries because sometimes non-fiction films can make you feel like you are back in school getting a lecture on economics, environmental science, or foreign policy. However, documentarian Errol Morris is like that one cool teacher who can make any subject engaging. He uses inventive cinematic techniques and finds completely unique topics - such as the Gates of Heaven pet cemetary and the people whose pets are buried there. Roger Ebert has listed Gates of Heaven as one his top 10 films of all time and written about it for his Great Movies series, but I think the best endorsement for this movie is that it caused director Werner Herzog to eat his shoe.

Star of the Month: Esther Williams
5/5, 8 PM - Bathing Beauty (1944)
5/12, 8 PM - Neptune's Daughter (1949)
"Wet she's a star, dry she ain't." Though that Fanny Brice quote was originally said about Olympic swimmer Eleanor Holm (Holm had married Brice's ex), many people have applied it to "Metro's Golden Mermaid" Esther Williams. Her swimming-centric musicals were such big hits in the 40s and 50s (and still entertaining today), you can't deny her star-appeal. And Williams' water-ballets were so unique, no one else even tried to copy her - a true rarity in the film industry! I've singled out a couple of my favorite Williams films, but I really feel like any of her musicals are worth watching simply for the spectacular pool sequences. However, if you find they're not your style, check out some of Esther's non-swimming movies on May 26 - she's pretty good outside the pool, too.

5/18: Heist Movies
6:30 AM - The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960)
8 AM - Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
10 AM - The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
12 PM - Cairo (1942)
2 PM - Rififi (1955)
4 PM - High Sierra (1941)
6 PM - I Died a Thousand Times (1955)
TCM has really been hitting my sweet spots lately, last month they had a night of prison break movies, this month they're doing a day of heist films. The only film out of place here is the 1942 Jeannette MacDonald musical Cairo. It would make more sense to show 1963's Cairo which is a remake of The Asphalt Jungle in which thieves try to steal King Tut's jewels. However, the Now Playing guide and TCM website both say that the '42 film is the one playing today.

5/21, 2:30 AM - House of Pleasure (1954)
I've recommended the films of director Max Ophuls before, and as long as TCM keeps showing his films I'll keep picking them. This one contains three stories about the pain that pleasure can bring, and it features many wonderful French actors including Jean Gabin, Danielle Darrieux, and Simone Simon.

5/22, 8 PM - My Brilliant Career (1979)
This film about a headstrong girl who chooses independence over marriage was part of the Australian New Wave of the late 70s and early 80s, and started the career of director Gillian Armstrong (whom I always mistakenly call "Gillian Anderson," a habit I need to break - reason #1 for me to see this movie). The film also introduced the wider world to the great Judy Davis, who would later go on to star in A Passage to India (1984) and several Woody Allen films, as well as winning an Emmy for her portrayal of that other great Judy: Judy Garland. Though I've seen Davis in many films, I realized that I've never heard her speak with her natural Aussie accent (reason #2 for me to tune in tonight)!

Andrzej Wajda Trilogy
5/15, 2 AM - A Generation (1955)
5/22, 2 AM - Kanal (1957)
5/29, 2:15 AM - Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
These three films by legendary director Wajda form a trilogy about the Polish experience during World War II. A Generation is a coming-of-age story of young Polish soldiers during the German occupation. Kanal shows the harrowing experience of resistance fighters trapped in the sewers during the ill-fated Warsaw Uprising. Finally, Ashes and Diamonds takes place on the first day of peace after WWII as one totalitarian regime replaces another.

5/31: Fantasy-Adventure Movies
6:15 AM - The Three Worlds of Gulliver (1960)
8 AM - The Boy and the Pirates (1960)
9:30 AM - The Wonders of Aladdin (1961) [listed online as Thief of Bagdad (1940)]
11:30 AM - Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
1 PM - Atlantis, The Lost Continent (1961)
2:45 PM - The Pirates of Blood River (1962)
4:30 PM - Captain Sinbad (1963)
6 PM - Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969)
Stories of pirates, magic, and underwater cities - this just seems like a day of pure fun!

Classic Movie Picks: October

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.)

Hammer Horror
10/1: Horror of Dracula (1958), Brides for Dracula (1960), Dracula Prince of Darkness (1966), Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969)
10/8: The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Devil's Bride (1968), The Reptile (1966), The Gorgon (1964)
10/15: The Mummy (1959), The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964), The Mummy's Shroud (1967), Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)
10/22: X: The Unknown (1956), Five Million Years to Earth (1968), These Are the Damned (1963), The Stranglers of Bombay (1960)
10/29: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), Frankenstein Created Woman (1966), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
Every Friday this month TCM is showing films from the British studio Hammer Films Production, famous for their low-budget horror movies from the late 50s through the early 70s. The earlier films tend to take a slightly more "traditional" approach to well-known monster tales (Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein), while the later films are more campy with increased levels of sex and gore. You can decide for yourself which sounds like more fun. I'll be looking for anything that stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
Read more about Hammer and all the featured films on the TCM website.


10/3, 2:30 AM: Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
A Soviet soldier on leave during WWII makes the long journey home to visit his mother one more time before immediately returning to the front lines. Simple, lovely, and touching, this is a story of a very particular place and time, whose emotional impact is universal.


10/6: Two Films by Max Ophuls
2 AM - The Earrings of Madame de... (1954)
4 AM - Lola Montes (1955)
German-born Max Ophuls was a director of unfortunately limited output; however, the four films he made in France during the 1950s are considered masterpieces and tonight, TCM is showing two of these films. They share exciting camerawork, lavish sets and costumes, and stories of the dramatic consequences of love. The Earrings of Madame de... takes an interesting look at infidelity when a socialite commits an indiscretion which leads to a series of betrayals. In Lola Montes, a notorious courtesan has become the center of a circus attraction in which she recounts her colorful life. Anton Walbrook and Peter Ustinov are both exceptional as important men in the life of Lola.


10/17, 2 AM: Infernal Affairs (2002)
This intense drama from Hong Kong, about an undercover cop who must find a mole within the police department, stars the great Tony Leung and was the source material for 2008 Best Picture winner The Departed.


10/18: Starring Miriam Hopkins
6 AM - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)
7:45 AM - The Richest Girl in the World (1934)
9:15 AM - Wise Girl (1937)
10:30 AM - The Old Maid (1939)
12:15 PM - Lady with Red Hair (1940)
1:45 PM - Virginia City (1940)
4 PM - The Heiress (1949)
6 PM - The Children's Hour (1961)
10/19, 8 PM: Design for Living (1933)
Three-time co-star of official "Star of the Month" Frederic March, Miriam Hopkins was a popular leading lady during the 1930s, but she hasn't sustained the name-recognition or fanbase of her contemporaries like Bette Davis (Hopkins on- and off-screen foil). I've heard Hopkins described as a blonde terrier and, as the owner of a (canine) blonde terrier, I would consider that description a compliment. Her starring vehicles are not shown that often, so today's line-up is a real treat.
If you can't catch the mini-marathon, don't miss Design for Living the following evening. This film puts Miriam at the vertex of a love triangle with Frederic March and Gary Cooper. It's an unexpectedly "modern" take on an old set-up, directed with a characteristically deft hand by Ernst Lubitsch.
BONUS PICKS: More Miriam!
10/5, 11:45 PM - Old Acquaintance (1943)
8 PM - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)


10/22, 4:15 AM: Night of the Lepus (1972)
I am not a big fan of "scary movies" because, well, I don't like being scared. But, despite my fears, every Halloween I find myself in the mood for monster movies. The ones I like to watch are usually a little cheesy and not too terrifying. A perfect example is tonight's film in which the Lepus of the title is a gang of giant man-eating rabbits. If you enjoy watching bad films that are entertaining for all the wrong reasons, you'll like Night of the Lepus.


10/23, 10 PM: Captain's Paradise (1953)
Alec Guinness plays a ferryboat captain on the Strait of Gibraltar who has a wife on either side of the water. He thinks he has devised the perfect life with each wife fulfilling different sides of his personality; however, his wives each yearn to live outside the roles he has assigned to them. Guinness is very funny as the initially smug captain who grows increasingly frustrated with his "paradise."
BONUS PICKS: 5 More Rounds of Guinness!
8 PM - Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
11:45 PM - Last Holiday (1950)
1:30 AM - The Horse's Mouth (1958)
3:15 AM - The Lavender Hill Gang (1951)
5 AM - The Ladykillers (1955)