13 Nights of Shocktober: Possession (1981)

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 4: Psychological Horror Night
Beyond the Realm of Human Desire

Possession (1981)

The two times I’ve watched this movie were when it aired on TCM as part of TCM Underground, and it is a perfect movie for their late night weekend programming. Possession is some “weird, wild stuff.” If people know about this movie, it is most likely as the movie where Isabelle Adjani has sex with a squid monster. Nearly a full half hour was cut from Possession for its theatrical run in the U.S. in 1981, but the restored version runs at just over 2 hours and that is the version you’ll find on TCM. It is also available on DVD. Possession is most easily described as a horror movie though it is unlike most horror movies, even off the beaten path horror movies. If there is such a thing as Marital/Divorce Horror, David Cronenberg's The Brood and Andrzej Zulawski's Possession are perfect examples.

Possession begins as nothing more than a well-acted and well-shot marital drama. Sam Neil and Isabelle Adjani play Mark and Anna, an unhappy couple living near the Berlin wall. Mark has just returned home from a business trip (it’s never quite clear what his job is) to find that his marriage is at an end. Anna disappears soon after. Then Mark receives a cryptic phone call from her saying that she needs time “to think…about me.” Mark discovers that Anna has been having an affair and receives another mysterious phone call, this time from a man saying that Anna is with him and won’t be coming back. Mark finds out the name and address and of her lover, an older man named Heinrich. But when Mark goes to Heinrich’s apartment to get Anna back he finds out that Heinrich hasn’t seen Anna for a long time. Nothing remotely scary or supernatural happens for almost a full hour and then it turns into horror territory in a way that is somehow both slow and abrupt.

The horror elements begin when a private investigator hired by Mark to track down Anna finds her in a dilapidated and dimly lit apartment. What he finds there and what follows make this an incredibly unusually movie. There is a monster that is like a creature from an H.P. Lovecraft story. The monster is hidden mostly in shadow but what you can see is covered in blood, slime, and is gross, gross stuff. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to reveal that there is a monster in Possession (I know I wouldn’t have watched this movie without knowing about the monster) or any of the other strange scenes because nothing is as strange or horrifying as actually seeing these scenes.

More than the monster, the actions and behavior of Mark and Anna make Possession an uncomfortable, strange, and weird, wild movie. Though Anna leaves Mark for her new “lover” she still returns back to the apartment to visit their son. Anna and Mark’s interactions during these short visits are bizarre. They move from arguments that any strained married couple would have to fiercely beating each other. In one scene Isabelle Adjani runs out of their apartment after Mark has slapped her and she screams in the street with a mouthful of blood. A truck carrying wrecked cars swerves to miss them and crashes. Then Anna gets a wild eyed look and wanders off and Mark plays soccer with a group of nearby school kids. In another scene Isabelle Adjani is walking through a tunnel with a bag of groceries at night and then convulses wildly. She twirls around, flailing her arms, screaming and it goes on for a very long time. Anna’s former lover Heinrich, played by Heinz Bennent, is a strange, odd character. When he and Mark meet he is unusually calm and wants them to be friends and grabs Mark’s hands puts them on his bare chest. Later, when he visits Mark, Heinrich is wearing a white blazer over a black unbuttoned shirt and speaks in riddles and proverbs and moves around like he is performing a drunken ballet. He also knows martial arts and lives with his mother.

Isabelle Adjani won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in this movie. There is much more to her performance than just acting crazy and screaming. Anna is a complex character whose motivations are not spelled out. Adjani is great at portraying a woman that is under great stress and does not understand herself why these things are happening to her. She actually as a duel role and also playing, Helen, Mark and Anna’s son’s teacher, with whom Mark has an affair. Sometimes Mark is aware of how much Hellen and Anna look alike and other times he seems to put it out of his mind. Sam Neil also gives a great performance, maybe the best I’ve seen from him. When called for, Neil is excellent at being creepy, crazy, and menacing (see In the Mouth of Madness, Event Horizon). His performance has an intensity that matches the unhinged tone of the film. He gets as many odd and strange moments as Adjani and, to an extent, also has a duel role. The nature of his second role is difficult to describe.

Possession is an incredibly well made film and, tentacled squid monster aside, is visually interesting. It is filled with low and canted angles and tracking shots. Scenes are staged and framed in striking ways that give this film an usual atmosphere right from the beginning. Early on Mark and Anna meet in a restaurant to discuss getting a divorce and they sit at separate tables around the corner from each other like they are in a spy movie. He chases her through the restaurant and has to be tackled by waiters and chefs. It’s a great scene for the performances and filmmaking. This happens in the marital drama half of the movie and it is unlike scenes in other marital dramas of unhappy couples arguing about their emotions and problems which are usually dull and uninteresting. This scene is great and interesting because of its unconventional nature, the full throttle intense performances from Sam Neil and Isabelle Adjani, and the filmmaking style of director Andrzej Zulawski.

Possession moves slow but draws you in with interesting scenes of characters having dramatic moments. Then it is intriguing in its odd, bizarre nature and just gets stranger and stranger. There are plenty of scenes of Mark and Anna dealing with their dissolving marriage to make this feel like a John Cassevettees movie. There is also a squid monster, car crashes, a shootout with police, and an ending that is confounding and unnerving and haunting. I was reminded of The Brood, Hellraiser, Blue Valentine, and several David Lynch movies while watching Possession. There are themes and subtext buried under the weirdness that really give this film a lasting effect on the viewer. I’ll save deciphering those for another viewing. 

13 Nights of Shocktober: Black Roses (1988)

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 3: Spooky Fun Night

Heavy Metal Horror From Hell!

Black Roses (1988)

Black Roses is great campy horror movie fun. Wikipedia lists the genre as Metalsploitation, which it absolutely is, but I prefer calling it Heavy Metal Horror. The plot is right out of an out of touch, uptight parent’s nightmare. You might think that this movie was made to let parents of the 1980’s know that they were right along: heavy metal music is from Hell and turning your kids against you.

The Black Roses, a hair metal band popular with teens but feared by parents, is starting their first ever world tour in the sleepy town of Mill Basin. It’s not clear if this town is in the United States or Canada; a town meeting displays the flags of both nations. The Black Roses have never played outside of the studio so their shows in Mill Basin are a very big deal for the teens of the town that idolize the band. A brawl breaks out in the school parking lot when one teen takes another’s Black Roses record. He punches out one kid, then picks another up and throws him on the pavement like it’s a WWE match. Why begin the tour in such a quiet, nowhere town? The lead singer, Damien, explains in a surprisingly casual conversation with Mr. Moorhouse, the high school English teacher, that the band’s plan is to start small, work out the kinks in their show, and then play Madison Square Garden.

Parents are in an uproar because of the band’s antisocial lyrics and use of evil images (namely a drawing of a skull that you might find in the Halloween decorations at your grocery store). The adults in town attend the first show and the Black Roses play a soft new wave song that puts the parents at ease. After the parents leave, the real show begins. In a flash the band’s costumes change from suits to leather galore and the music gets heavy.

The special effects are low budget and cheesy but so is everything else. In the most memorable scene, Vincent Pastore is sucked into a stereo speaker by a gross insect like monster when he tries to turn off his son’s Black Roses record. As the band plays their shows over several nights, the teens of the town become more and more corrupted. When Mr. Moorhouse is driving through town there are teens making out in the streets, teens robbing an old woman, and a group of teens kicking someone on the ground just because. And all of these corrupt teens are wearing leather. Mr. Moorhouse buys dynamite from…someone to blow up the band and save the town. Some of the teens at the concert turn into monsters, others poof into skeletons, and others just seems to be having a good time. Nothing in this movie makes sense and that is what makes it enjoyable.

Yes, Black Roses is campy and ridiculous. Yes, Black Roses is so-bad-it’s-good. The dialogue is stock and performances range from mediocre to acceptable. Despite it all, this movie never stops being fun. Black Roses is a movie to put on and have a horror themed good time. This is technically a horror movie but there is nothing very scary about it. If you like Mystery Science Theater 3000, you’ll have a good time watching Black Roses (just pretend Crow and Tom Servo are with you). It’s hard to say how seriously the filmmakers took the material, but whatever their intention, the result is undeniably bad and undeniably entertaining. Since its release Black Roses has become a cult classic.

13 Nights of Shocktober: The Witch: A New England Folktale (2016)

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 2: Black Magic Night

“We will conquer this wilderness. It will not consume us.”

The Witch (2016)

Though witches are as much of a Halloween staple as vampires, werewolves, and pumpkins, they are not often the subject of horror movies. I can only think of handful of films about witches (Lords of Salem, The Craft, The Blair Witch Project) and fewer good ones (Suspiria, Hocus Pocus—yes, seriously). The Witch: A New England Folktale has the plot of a basic witch story: a family is menaced by an evil witch living nearby. But the time and place of the setting—colonial New England—along with its less is more approach to horror, turn The Witch into a chilling and haunting realization of campfire stories and legends.

The Witch finds a family of colonial era New England Puritans exiled from their village because of the father’s “heretical” view on faith. They now live in isolation on the edge of a deep, dark, portentous forest. The first eerie event to befall the family happens when the oldest daughter, Thomasin, played with a great performance by Anya Taylor-Joy, is playing peek-a-boo with her infant sibling. When she pokes her head from behind her hands the baby is gone. William, the family patriarch, says that a wolf took the baby though there are no tracks to be found. This event casts an ominous shadow over every other misfortune that occurs from dying crops to the goat giving blood instead of milk. The presence of a witch and black magic loom over their home though no one wants to accept that possibility.

The most striking and pronounced element of The Witch is the manner of speech of the characters. If you’ve read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, you’ll have some familiarity with the way the characters speak, which some may find surprisingly understandable. Their antiquated diction and phrasing, in addition to being period accurate, adds to the eerie tone of the story. This movie calls itself a folktale, a story that is immediately familiar with recognizable cues and characters, and just like that campfire story you’ve heard before, the scary parts hit effectively well and stay with you long after the story has ended.

I’ve heard some people say that The Witch shouldn’t be classified as a horror film. It’s more of a creepy drama, someone told me. I do not entirely disagree, however, I think what these viewers mean is that The Witch does not follow the template and tropes of a typical horror film. There is not a scare every ten minutes regardless of the context of the scene— no pop-up scares. It takes its time to get to the scary moments, which are small and unostentatious until the film’s frightening climax.

There are a few disturbing, bloody images but otherwise this a relatively gore free film. Instead of using pop-up scares and gross images, The Witch does things like hold a close up shot of a rabbit William and his son, Caleb, are hunting. Something goes wrong. When we see that rabbit again there is instant tension. When Caleb becomes lost in the woods he stumbles across one of the most eerie and beguiling scenes of the movie. The Witch, like many other effective low-key horror films plays with the characters’ and viewer’s perception of reality. The family is all alone and frightened of their situation and surroundings. Could the signs of the supernatural be all in their minds, or is there indeed an evil witch living in the woods? At a certain point the film makes a definite decision, or at least I did, and then the film becomes quite scary indeed.

I would definitely put The Witch in the horror section of the video store, but I understand the sentiments of people that say this shouldn’t be thought of as a horror movie. This is a largely quiet film. It is a slow burn to an incredible finale, but it doesn’t let you know its building to anything…then it hits you. For stretches of The Witch you might feel like you’re watching a movie just about early American settlers, but I highly recommend you keep watching. This is the kind of horror movie you could get away with showing to someone that doesn’t like horror movies. It may not seem like a traditional horror movie, but what else do you call a movie that chills you and tightens your skin?

13 Nights of Shocktober: Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922)

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 1: Silent Night,
“Does this word not sound like the midnight call of the Bird of Death?”

Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922)

It is not an exaggeration at all to state that German director F.W. Murnau’s silent film Nosferatu is one of the most influential horror films of all time. It is one of the first vampire films and one of the first film adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Murnau could not get permission from Bram Stoker’s widow to adapt the novel for the screen so he changed some plot points and the names of the characters. Count Dracula became Count Orlok and the setting became Wisborg instead of England. Despite the changes, the plot of the film will be instantly recognizable to anyone that’s read the novel or seen any movie version of Dracula. Nosferatu along with Murnau’s 1928 drama Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans cement his status as one of the early master filmmakers. 

Some of the most iconic images of horror cinema and the silent era are found in this film. If you’ve never seen Nosferatu, or even if you don’t watch horror films, you would recognize scenes or images of Max Schreck as the monstrous vampire, Count Orlok. This vampiric count is unlike any other portrayal of Dracula that has ever been put on screen. This vampire is not a seducer, lover, tragic figure, or antihero. Orlok is the vampire as Monster. He is hideous and frightening in appearance. There is no allure to this vampire. He is simply an unstoppable force of evil. Orlok is oddly thin, stiff, pale and ghostly white, with features only resembling those of a human. He wears an overcoat, not a cape, buttoned tight, and moves slowly. His fluid movements resemble those of a snake. There are too many memorable shots of Orlok to list but I’m sure you’d recognize the shot of his monstrous silhouette moving up a flight of stairs with his thin arm outstretched, knifelike fingers leading the way. In another shot Orlok rises stiff as a board out of his coffin. Every time we see him is eerie and chilling. Orlok is the most frightening vampire I’ve seen on film.

F.W. Murnau wanted Nosferatu shot outside of the studio in real, existing locations because he thought the film would be more frightening if it took place in the real, recognizable world. However, there are traces of German Expressionism, a visual style that rejected realism and sought to portray the world in a skewed and dreamlike way, in Nosferatu's eerie imagery and atmosphere. The night scenes are tinged in blue, which was a common way for silent movies to signify a night scene, but it also adds to the overall eerie tone of movie. The font of the intertitles is skewed slightly so even these add to the atmosphere of the film. The stop motion effects look dated but still effective. This movie uses atmosphere and eerie, unearthly imagery to engage and frighten the viewer. The scene of Orlok loading up his carriage with coffins, then getting in one of the coffins, followed by the lid moving on its own to seal him in, and then the carriage taking off on its own is genuinely eerie and creepy to watch. The film is sped up so that Orlok moves with an inhuman speed. There is no violence or gore in this movie, but there are plenty of spooky and creepy scenes. If you are skittish of horror movies but still want to watch something spooky this Shocktober, Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror is a great film to watch once the sun goes down. 

Classic Movie Picks: October 2016

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 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.)

10/3, 8 PM - Jinnah (1998)
TCM Star of the Month for October is British actor Christopher Lee, a fitting honor since Lee is well-known for his horror films. He played Dracula (10 times!), Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and a host of other weirdos; sometimes he was even the hero, but there was generally a lot of blood involved. During his long career, Lee's imposing physical presence and booming voice meant he was often cast as a the bad guy - in fact he played a villain in the Star Wars series, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and opposite James Bond! 
In tonight's film Lee takes center stage in a very different role portraying Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the modern nation of Pakistan. The casting of Lee was controversial; not, as you might think, because Lee was a white actor playing an Asian character, but because of his association with Count Dracula. However, audiences in Pakistan ultimately responded positively to Lee's portrayal and the film is broadcast every year on Pakistan's independence day. Unfortunately, it seems that the film never got a proper theatrical release anywhere, so audiences outside Pakistan haven't really had a chance to see it. Tonight's air date is the North American premiere. As a fan of Sir Christopher Lee, I look forward to seeing what he felt was his most important role.

BONUS: 10/24, 4:30 AM - Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
My official pick may be an art house biopic, but I can't deny my love for Lee's weird horror movies - especially the ones with frequent partner/foil Peter Cushing. The two actors first appeared opposite each other as Dracula and Van Helsing in 1958's Horror of Dracula. Though Lee would play Dracula several more times over the next 14 years (ruining his reputation as a serious actor in the eyes of the entire nation of Pakistan in the process), this was Cushing's first appearance as Van Helsing since the '58 film. This time around the setting is contemporary "swinging" London where the Count has been resurrected and is hunting the descendants of his old nemesis.
 

10/11, 8 PM - Hollywood Canteen (1944)
The Hollywood Canteen was a special nightclub for serviceman during WWII, where they could get a hot meal, dance with a pretty girl, and meet real film stars before shipping out. Actress Bette Davis was the driving force behind the Canteen, supervising its construction, recruiting fellow stars to volunteer there, and managing it with her agent Jules Stein. Two years after it opened, the Canteen got its own film - a romantic comedy about a young G.I. who falls for starlet Joan Leslie (playing herself). The story was really an excuse to pack the film with star cameos by Davis, Canteen co-founder John Garfield, Joan Crawford, and Jack Benny (and many more), and musical numbers from the Andrews Sisters and Roy Rogers. However, it's an interesting glimpse into how Hollywood contributed to the war effort. With its patriotic message and star power, the film was a big success at the box office and a portion of the profits went back to the Canteen. 
Davis was rightfully proud of the success of the Canteen and her contribution is recognized during tonight's programming theme of "Actresses Who Made a Difference," part of TCM's month-long spotlight series on Trailblazing Women. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the real Hollywood Canteen (good and bad), check out episode #27 of the You Must Remember This podcast, "Bette Davis and the Hollywood Canteen."

10/19: Presidents on Film
8 PM - Fail-Safe (1964)
10 PM - Advise & Consent (1962)
12:30 AM - Seven Days in May (1964)
2:45 AM - Gabriel Over the White House (1933)
With Election Day looming, you may be suffering from presidential fatigue; however, I think it's the perfect time to watch these political films...if only to remind you to vote on November 8th! Each of tonight's films depicts a President under pressure: trying to fend off World War III in Fail-Safe, pushing through a controversial Cabinet nominee in Advise & Consent, as the target of a military coup perpetrated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seven Days in May, and (following a visit from archangel Gabriel) crusading against government corruption and organized crime in Gabriel Over the White House. Depending on the day, any of these scenarios seems unfortunately all too plausible.

 
10/28: Universal Horror
8 PM - Dracula (1931)
9:30 PM - The Mummy (1932)
11 PM - The Invisible Man (1933)
12:15 AM - The Wolf Man (1941)
On Halloween night, TCM will feature several Hammer Studios horror films of the 50s and 60s starring Christopher Lee; however, tonight, you can see the Universal Studios horror films of the 30s which inspired those later films, even more so than any literary sources. The Universal films created the iconic looks of classic literary characters like Dracula, The Invisible Man, and Frankenstein's monster; while also adding new creatures to their rogues gallery like the Mummy and the Wolf Man. If you're in the mood for an atmospheric, spooky chiller - these films deliver. However, if you're in the mood for a laugh, there's plenty to giggle about here, too - from far-fetched plots to hammy acting.

BONUS: 1:30 AM - The Black Cat (1934)
This creepy, but stylish thriller was "inspired by" Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same title (and that's where the inspiration ended) and featured the first pairing of horror stars Karloff and Lugosi. The two actors are not playing supernatural monsters this time, but portray a sadistic cult leader and a man out for revenge. The film also features David Manners, the young hero who had previously faced off against both Lugosi in Dracula and Karloff in The Mummy. 
 

Classic Movie Picks: September 2016

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 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.)

Cary Grant Deep Cuts
9/4, 8 PM - People Will Talk (1951)
9/11, 10 AM - Mr. Lucky (1943)
Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors and I'm taking the opportunity this month to catch up with two of his lesser known films. In People Will Talk, Grant plays a doctor at a university medical school whose unconventional methods cause alarm among his more conservative colleagues. His problems at work come to a head when he falls in love with a patient, an unwed mother who attempts suicide (Jeanne Crain), while also facing charges of misconduct from his university's board. Because the film features topics like single motherhood, suicide, and abortion, it faced opposition from censors; however, the producers felt that Grant would give the film an air of moral uprightness which would override any disapproval of those taboo topics. Which is kind of ironic since many of Grant's early roles were cads and connivers (such as in Sylvia Scarlett and Topper), characters which he always seemed to relish more than the upstanding leading man types. In the wartime romance Mr. Lucky, Grant is far from morally upright as the scheming owner of a gambling ship. Though he is changed for the better when he falls for an altruistic heiress (Laraine Day) who is raising funds for war relief. So, I guess in the end he's not so bad after all.

Salute to Slapstick
9/7, 9:15 PM - A Dog's Life (1918)
9/14, 12:45 AM - The Inspector General (1949)
9/28, 1:15 AM - Strange Brew (1983)
TCM has scheduled a month-long salute to slapstick comedy throughout film history. You can get the full schedule here, but I've selected three films spanning from the silent era to the 1980s, proving that some gags never stop being funny. 
In A Dog's Life, Charlie Chaplin, as his Little Tramp character, takes in a stray after saving it from a pack of attacking dogs. As in many of the Little Tramp stories, he also meets a pretty girl who is down on her luck and uses comedy to depict the struggle of poverty. Chaplin is said to have auditioned a dachshund, Pomeranian, poodle, Boston terrier, and bulldog before deciding that a mutt would best fit the part. The dog co-star "Mutt" was adopted by Chaplin and spent the rest of his life at the star's studio; so, this dog's life was a sweet one.
Danny Kaye's vocal and physical dexterity are put through their paces in The Inspector General, in which Kaye stars as Georgi, an illiterate peasant mistakened for the titular agent of Emperor Napoleon sent to uncover corruption in a Hungarian village. The naive Georgi soon finds himself in over his head as villagers alternately beg for his help, offer bribes, and even plan his assassination. If you are a fan of Kaye, this is a must-see.
In Strange Brew, a uniquely Canadian riff on Hamlet, brothers Bob and Doug Mackenzie (Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis) help a young woman reclaim control of her family brewery. Along the way, they must face off against an army of hockey goons, space age super lasers, and a shady brewmeister played by Max von Sydow. At the time, the Mackenzie Brothers were popular characters from the SCTV sketch comedy show and Moranis and Thomas's comedy album, Great White North. It's considered a classic of the so-stupid-it's-funny brand of comedy, while also being a decent interpretation of Shakespeare's play.

Midnight in the Disney Vault
9/8, 4:15 AM - Midnight Madness (1980)
This month brings another trip into the Disney Vault hosted by film critic and Disney historian Leonard Maltin. The line-up contains 6 features and 2 shorts, including classic kid flick Treasure Island. You can see the full schedule here. I'm particularly interested in Midnight Madness, a live-action feature aimed at a slightly older audience than Disney's usual kiddie fare (rated PG!). The story follows teams of college students competing in an all-night scavenger hunt with Los Angeles as the game board. It's an "into the night" story meets wacky race in the tradition of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and The Great Race, and perhaps the first (and only) Disney film to include an extended sequence at the Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery. It was the first film for David Naughton (then famous for the "I'm a Pepper" Dr. Pepper ad campaign) as the Yellow Team Leader, as well as Michael J. Fox playing Naughton's younger brother. Also, look for Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-Wee Herman, in a small part. 

9/29, 8 AM - Adventure (1945)
Adventure was promoted relentlessly with the outstanding tagline: "Gable's back and Garson's got him!" The line was referring to the fact that former "King of Hollywood" Clark Gable was returning to the screen after several years away due to the untimely death of his wife, Carole Lombard, followed by two years of WWII service in the Army Air Corps and a vow not to act until the war in Europe ended. His comeback vehicle was this dramatic romance (not a straightforward adventure story as the title might lead you to believe) about a hard-living merchant marine who finds true love with a straitlaced librarian. Cast as the librarian was Greer Garson, the current Queen of Hollywood. She had made a name for herself in several hits while Gable was away, including the wartime drama Mrs. Miniver, for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. 
In an interesting bit of trivia, Garson's first film was 1939's Goodbye, Mr. Chips, opposite Robert Donat; he would notably go on to win that year's Best Actor Oscar, beating out Gable's iconic performance as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind. Donat gives a great performance as mild-mannered school teacher Mr. Chipping, which is elevated in large part by Garson's effervescent presence as his beloved Mrs. Chipping. 
The two stars of Adventure apparently did not get along - it was a classic clash of opposites, not unlike their characters in the film. However, they both agreed that they hated the tagline and ad campaign. According to one Gable biography, "Clark hated being called 'Gable,' hated being 'got' by Garson, and hated the repetition of the slogan." See for yourself if these opposites believably attract.

9/29: Gene Wilder Tribute
8 PM - Role Model: Gene Wilder (2008), with encore at 11:15 PM
9:15 PM - Young Frankenstein (1974)
12:30 AM - Start the Revolution Without Me (1970)
2:15 AM - The Frisco Kid (1979)
4:30 AM - Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
TCM will celebrate the career of the late Gene Wilder with a primetime lineup including his first feature film, an iconic Mel Brooks comedy, and two underseen gems. They will also re-air a TCM original production from 2008, Role Model: Gene Wilder, in which Alec Baldwin interviews Wilder about his life and career. 
Wilder was a versatile actor who, though known for broad comedy, approached each role very seriously and tried to inject his performance with the unexpected - think of his famous entrance as Willie Wonka. He was a wonderful physical comedian and one of the great shouters in cinema history, expertly moving from calm to hysteria in explosive shifts. But he could also convey multitudes through silence, understanding the effect of a well-timed pause and aided by his big expressive eyes. At turns impish and mischievous, gentle and kind, and sometimes a little bit sexy (I can't be the only one who sees it), Wilder's onscreen personas often echoed the sweetness and kindness which were, by all accounts, at the heart of his own personality.
In Wilder's first film, Bonnie and Clyde, he made an impression in a small role as a nervous undertaker. His star turn would come that same year in The Producers directed by Mel Brooks, a role which earned Wilder a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination. His collaboration with Brooks would continue over several films, including Young Frankenstein for which the two men would receive Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. The role of Frederick Frankenstein (it's pronounced Frohn-ken-steen) gives Wilder a chance to showcase not only his comic timing, but a bit of range as the young doctor goes from reluctant heir to full-on mad scientist. 
The historical farce Start the Revolution Without Me gives Wilder a chance to flex his acting muscles in a dual role. In this story inspired by Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, Wilder and Donald Sutherland play two pairs of mismatched twins - that's one Gene and one Donald per set - on opposite sides of the French Revolution. When the twins start getting mistaken for one another, well...hilarity ensues. Another of Wilder's underseen comedies is The Frisco Kid, a "Jewish Western" in which he plays a rabbi who befriends an outlaw (Harrison Ford, fresh off Star Wars) on their way to San Francisco. It's a great role for Wilder, and though the film got mixed reviews at the time his performance was singled out for praise.
And now please enjoy Gene Wilder demonstrating the art of the comedic pause in this clip from Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex...

Classic Movie Picks: August 2016

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 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.)

It is August, a.k.a. "Summer Under the Stars" time on TCM, and each day of the month is devoted to one actor or actress. For my movie picks this month, I'm feeling the girl-power and featuring four classic Hollywood era actresses whom I always enjoy watching.

8/2: Lucille Ball
8 PM - The Dark Corner (1946)
10 PM - Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968)
Lucille Ball had an interesting career which took on many personas, from glamor-puss ingenue to everyone's favorite wife & mother to worldwide comedy icon. For her line-up today, I've picked out two films, made before and after she achieved stardom as a TV comedienne. In Dark Corner, an atmospheric noir directed by Henry Hathaway, Ball is given top billing as a secretary who sets out to clear her private eye boss (Mark Stevens) when he's framed for murder. At the time, Ball was an MGM contract player and unhappy with the roles assigned to her. She reportedly hated her experience on this film and clashed with Hathaway (though it doesn't show on screen). No surprise then that soon after she would search out opportunities on other platforms and she found success on radio with My Favorite Husband (1947-51) and then on television in her groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy (1951-57). The show made her a hugely popular star, and it still endures today -- I recently stumbled upon an episode airing on a major network in primetime!

Yours, Mine, and Ours finds Ball at a very different point in her career, in between her second and third successful sitcoms, and one of the biggest stars in America who developed her own projects. This family comedy about a widow and mother of 8 (Ball) who marries a widower (Henry Fonda) with 10 children of his own was United Artists' top grossing film for the year. I always enjoy this film and can't help but get sucked in whenever it comes on. I especially love the scene in which Fonda's children trick Ball into getting drunk at their first dinner together; it goes from hilarious to really heartbreaking as Ball's character knows she's not in control of her behavior, but cannot figure out why, and shows the range and ability of Ball the actress.
BONUS: See Ball and Fonda in their first on screen pairing in 1942's The Big Street at 1 PM.

8/10: Hedy Lamarr
10 AM - H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941)
12:15 PM - Crossroads (1942)
Lamarr was one of the most beautiful, magnetic, and glamorous actresses ever to grace film screens, but she was often accused of having wooden acting style. She also had notoriously poor instincts for choosing projects, reportedly refusing roles inCasablanca, Gaslight, and Laura, and often ending up in less interesting pictures as an exotic "woman of mystery." These roles probably weren't well-written to begin with and typically only required her to, well, be glamorous...or in her words, "stand still and look stupid." However, the two films I've selected today earned Hedy some of her best notices and gave her more of an acting challenge than usual. In Crossroads, she shines as the resourceful young bride of William Powell's French diplomat afflicted with amnesia (or is he?) and blackmailed by criminals. And in H.M. Pulham, Esq., Lamarr is convincing as an independent and ambitious career-woman (though perhaps not quite as believable as a former Iowa farm girl), who reconnects in middle age with a former boyfriend (Robert Young). Both roles proved that Lamarr could deliver if given good material; and history has proved that she wasn't just a pretty face, as a frequency-hopping invention developed by Lamarr and composer George Antheil was a pre-cursor to the wireless technology we use today.

8/12: Janet Gaynor
2 PM - A Star is Born (1937)
4:15 PM - State Fair (1933)
8 PM - Lucky Star (1929)
10 PM - Street Angel (1928)
I've come to regard Janet Gaynor's presence in a film as a signal of quality. Her film career spanned only a little over a decade, but in that time she worked with some of the best directors of the silent and sound eras, was one half of an indelible screen couple, created an iconic role in a classic Hollywood story, and won the first Best Actress Academy Award. I'm sure that I would enjoy all the movies scheduled today, but here are four I don't want to miss. 
Lucky Star and Street Angel both star Gaynor and Charles Farrell and were directed by Frank Borzage. Gaynor and Farrell made 12 movies together, but I think the silent films made with Borzage are a step above the rest. In Street Angel, Gaynor is a poor girl hiding from the police with a traveling circus who falls for an artist (Farrell). This was among the performances for which she was awarded the Oscar, along with Sunrise and 7th Heaven (back then they didn't have to pick just one role). In Lucky Star, made the following year, Gaynor is the sweetheart of wounded WWI vet Farrell, but the two are kept a part by her controlling mother. The plots in which love conquers all are not groundbreaking, but the films have an ethereal, romantic beauty. Lucky Star was filmed as both a talkie and a silent, but only the silent version has survived; so ironically, what was Gaynor and Farrell's first talkie is now their final silent film.
Gaynor also found success when not teamed with Farrell. State Fair is a delightful story of a family -- father, mother, son, and daughter -- who each have their own adventure at the Iowa State Fair. The film was nominated for Best Picture and remade twice; however, this version is not available on DVD, so this is your rare chance to catch it! A Star is Born has also been remade twice (so far), but the 1937 original is my favorite version of this iconic Hollywood story of an up and coming actress (Gaynor) married to a director (Fredric March) whose career is in decline. Off screen, the two stars' situations were somewhat reversed. While March's greatest successes were yet to come, Gaynor would soon retire from acting.

8/19: Ruby Keeler
8 PM - 42nd Street (1933)
11:30 PM - Dames (1934)
4 AM - The Phynx (1970)
Ruby Keeler said of herself, "I was all personality and no talent." Now she wasn't the greatest actress or singer, or even dancer; however, her sincerity and spirit certainly struck a chord with 1930s audiences -- who flocked to the musical extravaganzas starring Keeler as a working class kid trying to catch a break. Her film debut was in 42nd Street, the definitive backstage musical featuring virtuosic production numbers designed by Busby Berkeley. Much like her character, a chorus girl who must replace the show's leading lady, Keeler went out there a youngster, and came back a star (to paraphrase the film's most famous line). She was teamed again with her 42nd Street co-star Dick Powell in the equally entertaining and eye-popping Dames, another story of some plucky hoofers putting on a Broadway show featuring more number by Berkeley.
The last movie of the night is a weird little film about a rock band of super secret agents sent to rescue numerous American celebrities kidnapped by the leader of communist Albania. Among the bizarre collection of of hostages are Keeler, Dorothy Lamour, Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, Xavier Cugat, James Brown, Louis Hayward, Patsy Kelly, Pat O'Brien, the Bowery Boys, Butterfly McQueen, and Colonel Sanders. The film was deemed too awful for a theatrical release, which may have been a blessing as it was the final picture for many of the Golden Age stars, including Keeler. However, classic film film fans may enjoy this oddity.