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.)
Thursdays in January - Peter Sellers!
1/6, 5:30 AM - The Wrong Box (1966)
1/13, 3:30 AM - After the Fox (1966)
5:15 AM - The Bobo (1967)
1/27, 8 PM - The Man in the Cocked Hat (1959)
9:45 PM - Being There (1979)
I am so pleased that January's Star of the Month is also one of my favorite stars, Peter Sellers. He is best remembered for his comedic films, whether it be the silliness of the Pink Panther series or the dark comedy of Dr. Strangelove...; but he was equally brilliant in dramatic roles, such as Clare Quilty in Lolita. I could easily recommend any Sellers film, just to see Peter Sellers, so check out the full schedule of his films. However, these five films are the ones I'll be sure to watch - The Wrong Box, After the Fox, and Being There are all hilarious (the latter film combining satire and serenity); and I am excited to see The Bobo and The Man in the Cocked Hat in their TCM premieres.
1/11, 8 PM: Laurel and Hardy Shorts & Features (1929-1935)
As part of a month-long slaute to Hal Roach Studios, TCM will dedicate 24 hours to the iconic comedy team launched by Roach, Laurel and Hardy.
(Read more about Hal Roach Studios here.)
1/12: Luise Rainer's 101st Birthday
8 PM & 11 PM - Luise Rainer: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2010)
8:30 PM - The Good Earth (1937)
11:30 PM - The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
German-born Luise Rainer was the first person to win two Best Actress Academy Awards, and she earned them in consecutive years! This month TCM is celebrating her 101st birthday (yes, she is still alive and kicking!) with the premiere of an interview special filmed at the 2010 TCM Classic Film Festival and 4 of her films, including her two Oscar-winning vehicles. If you are not familiar with her work, I urge you to watch The Good Earth - Rainer is lovely and heart-breaking.
1/15: Palme d'Or Winners
8 PM - Black Orpheus (1959)
10 PM - Missing (1982)
Tonight's lineup features films which received top honors at the Cannes Film Festival. I'm interested in Black Orpheus, an adaptation of the mythological tale of Orpheus and Eurydice set in Brazil during Carnivale, and Missing, a politically-charged drama directed by Costa-Gavras (of the Oscar-winning Z) and starring acting geniuses Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek.
1/18, 8 PM - 1 AM: Screen Directors Playhouse (1955-56)
The Hal Roach Studios tribute continues with 10 episodes of the NBC-TV series Screen Directors Playhouse not seen since they originally aired. Hollywood's A-List stars and directors are featured in these 30 minute dramas and comedies. I'm especially looking forward to "Number Five Checked Out" (10 PM) starring Teresa Wright as a young deaf woman who must confront a gang of crooks, and "Claire" (12 AM) with Angela Lansbury in the story of a woman haunted by her husband's first wife.
1/30, 12 AM - Pandora's Box (1929)
This silent film by German director G.W. Pabst was condemned at the time of its release for its "immoral" sexual contect. It was heavily censored for distribution and little-seen in America. When restored prints surfaced in the 1950s, Pandora's Box was hailed as a masterpiece and since then it has garnered a cult following. The film is notable for its unorthodox presentation of the classic vamp character, the expressionistic use of shadows and light, and the performance of American actress Louise Brooks in her iconic role as Lulu.
1/31: Jean Simmons Day
6:45 AM - Hungry Hill (1947)
8:30 AM - Adam & Evelyne (1949)
10:15 AM - Trio (1950)
12 PM - So Long at the Fair (1950)
1:30 PM - She Couldn't Say No (1954)
3 PM - A Bullet is Waiting (1954)
4:30 PM - Footsteps in the Fog (1955)
6 PM - Life at the Top (1965)
To close out the month we get a day of films starring lovely British actress Jean Simmons (not to be confused with Gene Simmons, the lead singer of KISS who is neither British, nor lovely). The lineup includes many of her lesser-known films and my top pick is So Long at the Fair, a unique psychological thriller/mystery set during the 1889 Paris World's Fair co-starring young Dirk Bogarde.
Next month: 30 Days of Oscar!
Happy New Year everyone!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
That Way Madness Lies... Black Swan
"True! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them... I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?"
That opening passage from Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart would also be an apt prologue for Darren Aronofsky's fifth film, Black Swan. It tells the tale of Nina, the new and unproven prima ballerina of a New York CIty Ballet company and her pursuit for perfection.
When Thomas, the Ballet's director, played with a stern fierceness by Vincent Cassel, says of his choice for their next production, Swan Lake, that it's been done to death, he could be talking about the plot of Black Swan. It's a story we all know: a young rising star tries to deal with the pressure her new role puts on her, a demanding director, and rivals within the company. But, Thomas goes on to say, we haven't seen it like this: stripped down, visceral. That also applies to Black Swan particularly in its visual style which resembles Aronofsky's 2008 film, The Wrestler. The similarities don't end there. Aside from the stripped down visual style, both Black Swan and The Wrestler take a visceral, hard edged look at the backstage world of stage performers. Both movies are also character pieces about people so devoted to their chosen profession that it borders on obsession.
The centerpiece of the film is Natalie Portman's performance as Nina, the young ballerina recently made the star of her company. "I just want to be perfect," Nina says early in the film. Her technique, her innocence, make her perfect for the part of the White Swan, but her director thinks she lacks the passion to tackle the more difficult role of the Black Swan. Nina is a young woman seemingly kept in girlhood by her domineering mother. Lily, played quite well by Mila Kunis, is the new dancer in the company and may be Nina's new friend and, possibly, her rival. She embodies the confidence and sexuality Nina lacks.
An entire decade ago there was a film called Center Stage that made itself up to be the behind the curtain drama of what really goes on in the lives of young dancers but don't be fooled, it's all glossed over pettiness. I don't doubt there is some pettiness in the world of ballet but that film fails on any substantial level. With Black Swan we get to see the physical punishment these girls put their bodies through for their art and we see at least Nina's psychological punishment. She slips into paranoid fantasy and we, the audience, are just as unsure about what's happening as she is.
This movie isn't about seeing Nina break down because of stress and anxiety. She descends into madness because down that path lies what she most desires: perfection. She doesn't "lose it" because of her role, she "loses it" for her role; to achieve the ultimate performance of her career. 
That opening passage from Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart would also be an apt prologue for Darren Aronofsky's fifth film, Black Swan. It tells the tale of Nina, the new and unproven prima ballerina of a New York CIty Ballet company and her pursuit for perfection.
When Thomas, the Ballet's director, played with a stern fierceness by Vincent Cassel, says of his choice for their next production, Swan Lake, that it's been done to death, he could be talking about the plot of Black Swan. It's a story we all know: a young rising star tries to deal with the pressure her new role puts on her, a demanding director, and rivals within the company. But, Thomas goes on to say, we haven't seen it like this: stripped down, visceral. That also applies to Black Swan particularly in its visual style which resembles Aronofsky's 2008 film, The Wrestler. The similarities don't end there. Aside from the stripped down visual style, both Black Swan and The Wrestler take a visceral, hard edged look at the backstage world of stage performers. Both movies are also character pieces about people so devoted to their chosen profession that it borders on obsession.
The centerpiece of the film is Natalie Portman's performance as Nina, the young ballerina recently made the star of her company. "I just want to be perfect," Nina says early in the film. Her technique, her innocence, make her perfect for the part of the White Swan, but her director thinks she lacks the passion to tackle the more difficult role of the Black Swan. Nina is a young woman seemingly kept in girlhood by her domineering mother. Lily, played quite well by Mila Kunis, is the new dancer in the company and may be Nina's new friend and, possibly, her rival. She embodies the confidence and sexuality Nina lacks.An entire decade ago there was a film called Center Stage that made itself up to be the behind the curtain drama of what really goes on in the lives of young dancers but don't be fooled, it's all glossed over pettiness. I don't doubt there is some pettiness in the world of ballet but that film fails on any substantial level. With Black Swan we get to see the physical punishment these girls put their bodies through for their art and we see at least Nina's psychological punishment. She slips into paranoid fantasy and we, the audience, are just as unsure about what's happening as she is.
This movie isn't about seeing Nina break down because of stress and anxiety. She descends into madness because down that path lies what she most desires: perfection. She doesn't "lose it" because of her role, she "loses it" for her role; to achieve the ultimate performance of her career. I've pointed out some of the similarities this film has with The Wrestler, but it's also like Aronofsky's The Fountain in its objective showcase of a metaphysical, cerebral journey and obsession of a character that has no singular explanation. There is no scene in either movie where things are spelled out for us. Though Black Swan is not nearly as open-ended.
Whatever accolades Portman has earned, or will earn, have come very deservedly. She gives an incredible performance; little of which has to do with the actual ballet training she did. She captures the naive, fragile side of Nina; the terror, fear, and paranoia of a ballet star; and the budding rebellion and passion of the Black Swan.
I was fortunate enough to see Black Swan at the Austin Film Festival where it was well received by thunderous applause and a standing ovation. I didn't stand but I did applaud thunderously. I really enjoyed it, but I wasn't sure how this movie would hold up on a second viewing. I saw it again a couple of weeks ago and I can't wait to see it again. Black Swan is filled with surreal, haunting imagery. It's beautiful in an almost disturbing way. It's definitely not for everyone but you should be able to tell that from the poster and the trailers. But I'm telling everyone I know to watch it for the almost gritty backstage look at a ballet production, the wonderful dancing, and for Natalie Portman's stellar, "all-in" performance.
Whatever accolades Portman has earned, or will earn, have come very deservedly. She gives an incredible performance; little of which has to do with the actual ballet training she did. She captures the naive, fragile side of Nina; the terror, fear, and paranoia of a ballet star; and the budding rebellion and passion of the Black Swan.
I was fortunate enough to see Black Swan at the Austin Film Festival where it was well received by thunderous applause and a standing ovation. I didn't stand but I did applaud thunderously. I really enjoyed it, but I wasn't sure how this movie would hold up on a second viewing. I saw it again a couple of weeks ago and I can't wait to see it again. Black Swan is filled with surreal, haunting imagery. It's beautiful in an almost disturbing way. It's definitely not for everyone but you should be able to tell that from the poster and the trailers. But I'm telling everyone I know to watch it for the almost gritty backstage look at a ballet production, the wonderful dancing, and for Natalie Portman's stellar, "all-in" performance. Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Not-So-Fresh New Releases #4
It is officially movie awards-season, when all the high-profile Oscar bait is released into theaters. Last year, I could barely keep up with all the new releases; however, this past weekend I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the selection at my local multiplex (aside from the films that I have already seen and enjoyed, such as the latest Harry Potter installment). I've decided to highlight two of new releases I find to be most egregiously unnecessary, which coincidentally have two of the worst ratings on RottenTomatoes.com, and suggest some classic viewing alternatives.
The Tourist - 20% freshness rating
The Tourist - 20% freshness rating
- Angelina Jolie is a glamorous woman of mystery, equally as adept at eluding the authorities as wearing designer frocks; Johnny Depp is a math teacher from Wisconsin drawn into her web in a whirlwind romp through Venice. The romantic escapism promised by The Tourist, when done well, gives one the exhilarated feeling that movies were invented solely to tell such stories. Unfortunately, The Tourist has exhilarated no one. If you want to see a movie about a sexy mystery woman teamed with an out-of-his-depth academic, I humbly suggest Arabesque (1966) directed by Stanley Donen and starring Sophia Loren as a beautiful spy and Gregory Peck as a university professor. This film takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to international intrigue revolving around Arab hieroglyphics, an assassination plot, and lots of costume changes for Sophia.
- Three years earlier, Stanley Donen directed another great romantic thriller, Charade (1963), in which Audrey Hepburn is pursued through Paris by several shady characters seeking her late husband's fortune. She must decide whether she can trust Cary Grant to keep her one step ahead. To paraphrase one of Hepburn's great lines: You know what's wrong with this film? Nothing.
- North by Northwest (1959) also stars Cary Grant, only this time he is the one pursued. Eva Marie Saint comes along for the ride as a cool, blonde secret agent. This film is one of director Alfred Hitchcock's best, combining his signature thrills with humor and sophistication.
The Nutcracker in 3D - 0% freshness rating
- This film adaptation of the well-known Christmas tale sets the action entirely in 1920s Vienna. It has received universally negative reviews, citing such misguided elements as a holocaust subtext, poorly executed 3D effects, and Albert Einstein. If you want to see a production of The Nutcracker during the holidays, please find a local performance of Tchaikovsky's ballet by a professional ballet company, a children's ballet school, or any other performing arts group. The live theater experience (in 3D!) will surely be more pleasant, cheerful, and memorable than this ill-conceived film.
But if you still want to venture out to the movies this week, luckily there are some well-made, interesting, and worthwhile films still in theaters including 127 Hours, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Black Swan, Made in Dagenham, and The Social Network.
Happy holidays and happy film-going!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Classic Movie Picks: December
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.)
After selecting my picks this month, I realized that they were unintentionally dominated by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland! Their seeming omnipresence on the film schedule is due to Mickey being the December Star of the Month and Judy being his frequent and celebrated co-star and the mother of Liza Minnelli, who has her own Private Screenings special debuting this month. (I actually could have included even more of Rooney's films, but this blog entry is too long already. If you're interested, read about more of his films here.) So if you aren't in the mood for Mickey or Judy, do not despair - I've also thrown in a few picks that don't feature either one.
"Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood"
12/6, 8 PM - Episode 6: The Attack of the Small Screens
12/13, 8 PM - Episode 7: Fade Out, Fade In
The final two episodes of this entertaining and educational documentary series tackle the rise of television and the end of the studio era.
12/3, 3:30 AM: Night of the Living Dead (1968)
5:15 AM: Good Eating Habits (1951)
The TCM programmers were feeling cheeky this month! Tonight, George Romero's classic horror film about flesh-eating zombies is followed by an educational short about proper nutrition. I wonder if it has anything to say about munching on brains...
12/9: Mickey, Judy, and Buzz
9:30 AM - Babes in Arms (1939)
11:15 AM - Strike Up the Band (1940)
1:30 AM - Babes on Broadway (1941)
Classic musical team Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland bring boundless energy and charm to these iconic "backyard musicals" directed by Busby Berkeley. Rooney has all his talents on display here singing, dancing, playing instruments, and even doing impressions (watch for his takes on Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, and Carmen Miranda, among others). In fact, he received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role in Babes in Arms. Though these films aren't sequels, the stories are similar - young performers must rally together to "put on a show!". Babes in Arms was the first production of Arthur Freed's now-legendary musical unit at MGM, and a major box-office success. Look for Donna Reed, Ava Gardner, and Margaret O'Brien to show up in very small roles, as well as Mickey Rooney's father, Joe Yule.
12/11 & 12/14: Liza and Family
12/11, 10 PM & 2:30 PM - Private Screenings: Liza Minnelli
12/14, 8 PM & 3 AM - Private Screenings: Liza Minnelli (encore)
Another installment of TCM's excellent interview series debuts this month, featuring the triple-threat, showbiz-scion, and "E.G.O.T." winner, Liza Minnelli. And to celebrate, TCM has scheduled two nights of films featuring Liza and her talented parents. On 12/11, between 8 PM and 5:30 AM, you can watch films directed by Liza's father, Vincente Minnelli, several of which star her mother, Judy Garland. On 12/14, following an encore presentation of Private Screenings, check out three films starring Liza, including her Oscar-winning turn in Cabaret (1972) and A Matter of Time (1976), which was directed by Vincente.
BONUS: 12/12, 7:30 AM - Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente (1987)
Stay up all night and catch this great documentary by film historian Richard Schickel which focuses on the films of Minnelli the director.
12/16: The Hardy Family
6 AM - Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958)
7:30 AM - Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946)
9:15 AM - Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)
11:15 AM - The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942)
1 PM - Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942)
2:45 PM - Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941)
4:30 PM - Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941)
6:15 PM - Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940)*
8 PM - Judge Hardy and Son (1939)
9:45 PM - Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever (1939)
11:30 PM - The Hardy's Ride High (1939)*
1 AM - Out West with the Hardy's (1938)
2:30 AM - Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)*
4:15 AM - Judge Hardy's Children (1938)
5:45 AM - You're Only Young Once (1938)
7:15 AM - A Family Affair (1936)
* indicates my must-see picks for the day
All day Thursday and into Friday morning, TCM is showing all 16 of the Hardy Family films, in reverse order of release date. These charming films about a wholesome family living in the small town of Carvel, USA were big hits in the late 30s and early 40s. Mickey Rooney, as teenage son Andy, became the breakout star of the series and the majority of the Hardy films focus on his misadventures, romantic and otherwise. You'll notice that the first film, A Family Affair, starred several different actors than the rest of the series with only Rooney and Cecilia Parker, as the Hardy children, and Sara Haden, as Aunt Milly, reprising their roles. Many of MGM's starlets made stops in Carvel throughout the series, including Donna Reed, Lana Turner, Marsha Hunt, Esther Williams, and Kathryn Grayson. Ann Rutherford, as Andy's on-again-off-again girlfriend Polly Benedict, and Judy Garland, as younger gal-pal Betsy Booth, also make frequent appearances.
12/21, 8 PM: Sunny Side Up (1929)
Tonight's programming honoring classic screen couples starts out with one of Hollywood's first popular screen teams- Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. This film was the first "all-talking" picture for the duo, and it goes all-out with plenty of musical numbers peppered through the story of a shopgirl who wins the heart of a society man.
12/26: Disney Live-Action Classics
6:30 AM - Old Yeller (1958)
8 AM - Pollyanna (1960)
10:15 AM - The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)
12 PM - Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
2:15 PM - The Love Bug (1968)
4:15 PM - The Parent Trap (1961)
6:30 PM - The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008)
8 PM - Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)
10 PM - Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
Don't miss the documentary, The Age of Believing, about the history of live-action films from Disney Studios. It includes lots of film clips from the Disney heyday of the 60s and 70s, and interviews with many of the films' stars. And throughout the day, TCM has scheduled a marathon of fun Disney films. The line-up doesn't include some of my childhood favorites like Mary Poppins, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, and Pete's Dragon; but I think that just speaks to the high quality of the Disney catalog. My must-see picks today would be Swiss Family Robinson, for the awesome tree house, which can still be explored at Walt Disney World; The Love Bug, for Disney live-action staple Dean Jones; The Parent Trap, for the double shot of Hayley Mills; and Escape to Witch Mountain, to see if it is still as creepy as it seemed when I was a kid.
12/26, 1:15 AM: The Red Balloon (1956)
This whimsical French film was a childhood classic for many of the baby boom generation and hopefully today's kids will enjoy it, too. It was also the winner of several international awards, including the Academy Award for best original screenplay. The Oscar nod is especially surprising since the story, of a boy who discovers a balloon with a mind of its own, is told without dialogue.
12/30, 1 AM: The Comic (1969)
I love Dick Van Dyke in light comedies and musicals (you can catch him in Fitzwilly on 12/3), so I was surprised and intrigued when I heard about this serious film in which he plays a famous comedian of the silent era whose alcoholism, womanizing, and rampant ego ruin his life. Van Dyke is a well-known admirer of Stan Laurel and other comedians of early Hollywood; however, he and director/co-writer Carl Reiner do not shy away from the darker side of the comedy business. This month's MVP Mickey Rooney and Michele Lee co-star.
BONUS: 3 AM - Pulp (1972)
Michael Caine stars as a pulp novelist hired to ghostwrite the memoirs of a shady ex-actor (played by, who else, Mickey Rooney), and finds himself pulled into a murder plot.
Happy Holidays, everybody!
After selecting my picks this month, I realized that they were unintentionally dominated by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland! Their seeming omnipresence on the film schedule is due to Mickey being the December Star of the Month and Judy being his frequent and celebrated co-star and the mother of Liza Minnelli, who has her own Private Screenings special debuting this month. (I actually could have included even more of Rooney's films, but this blog entry is too long already. If you're interested, read about more of his films here.) So if you aren't in the mood for Mickey or Judy, do not despair - I've also thrown in a few picks that don't feature either one.
"Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood"
12/6, 8 PM - Episode 6: The Attack of the Small Screens
12/13, 8 PM - Episode 7: Fade Out, Fade In
The final two episodes of this entertaining and educational documentary series tackle the rise of television and the end of the studio era.
12/3, 3:30 AM: Night of the Living Dead (1968)
5:15 AM: Good Eating Habits (1951)
The TCM programmers were feeling cheeky this month! Tonight, George Romero's classic horror film about flesh-eating zombies is followed by an educational short about proper nutrition. I wonder if it has anything to say about munching on brains...
12/9: Mickey, Judy, and Buzz
9:30 AM - Babes in Arms (1939)
11:15 AM - Strike Up the Band (1940)
1:30 AM - Babes on Broadway (1941)
Classic musical team Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland bring boundless energy and charm to these iconic "backyard musicals" directed by Busby Berkeley. Rooney has all his talents on display here singing, dancing, playing instruments, and even doing impressions (watch for his takes on Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, and Carmen Miranda, among others). In fact, he received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role in Babes in Arms. Though these films aren't sequels, the stories are similar - young performers must rally together to "put on a show!". Babes in Arms was the first production of Arthur Freed's now-legendary musical unit at MGM, and a major box-office success. Look for Donna Reed, Ava Gardner, and Margaret O'Brien to show up in very small roles, as well as Mickey Rooney's father, Joe Yule.
12/11 & 12/14: Liza and Family
12/11, 10 PM & 2:30 PM - Private Screenings: Liza Minnelli
12/14, 8 PM & 3 AM - Private Screenings: Liza Minnelli (encore)
Another installment of TCM's excellent interview series debuts this month, featuring the triple-threat, showbiz-scion, and "E.G.O.T." winner, Liza Minnelli. And to celebrate, TCM has scheduled two nights of films featuring Liza and her talented parents. On 12/11, between 8 PM and 5:30 AM, you can watch films directed by Liza's father, Vincente Minnelli, several of which star her mother, Judy Garland. On 12/14, following an encore presentation of Private Screenings, check out three films starring Liza, including her Oscar-winning turn in Cabaret (1972) and A Matter of Time (1976), which was directed by Vincente.
BONUS: 12/12, 7:30 AM - Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente (1987)
Stay up all night and catch this great documentary by film historian Richard Schickel which focuses on the films of Minnelli the director.
12/16: The Hardy Family
6 AM - Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958)
7:30 AM - Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946)
9:15 AM - Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)
11:15 AM - The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942)
1 PM - Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942)
2:45 PM - Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941)
4:30 PM - Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941)
6:15 PM - Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940)*
8 PM - Judge Hardy and Son (1939)
9:45 PM - Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever (1939)
11:30 PM - The Hardy's Ride High (1939)*
1 AM - Out West with the Hardy's (1938)
2:30 AM - Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)*
4:15 AM - Judge Hardy's Children (1938)
5:45 AM - You're Only Young Once (1938)
7:15 AM - A Family Affair (1936)
* indicates my must-see picks for the day
All day Thursday and into Friday morning, TCM is showing all 16 of the Hardy Family films, in reverse order of release date. These charming films about a wholesome family living in the small town of Carvel, USA were big hits in the late 30s and early 40s. Mickey Rooney, as teenage son Andy, became the breakout star of the series and the majority of the Hardy films focus on his misadventures, romantic and otherwise. You'll notice that the first film, A Family Affair, starred several different actors than the rest of the series with only Rooney and Cecilia Parker, as the Hardy children, and Sara Haden, as Aunt Milly, reprising their roles. Many of MGM's starlets made stops in Carvel throughout the series, including Donna Reed, Lana Turner, Marsha Hunt, Esther Williams, and Kathryn Grayson. Ann Rutherford, as Andy's on-again-off-again girlfriend Polly Benedict, and Judy Garland, as younger gal-pal Betsy Booth, also make frequent appearances.
12/21, 8 PM: Sunny Side Up (1929)
Tonight's programming honoring classic screen couples starts out with one of Hollywood's first popular screen teams- Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. This film was the first "all-talking" picture for the duo, and it goes all-out with plenty of musical numbers peppered through the story of a shopgirl who wins the heart of a society man.
12/26: Disney Live-Action Classics
6:30 AM - Old Yeller (1958)
8 AM - Pollyanna (1960)
10:15 AM - The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)
12 PM - Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
2:15 PM - The Love Bug (1968)
4:15 PM - The Parent Trap (1961)
6:30 PM - The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008)
8 PM - Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)
10 PM - Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
Don't miss the documentary, The Age of Believing, about the history of live-action films from Disney Studios. It includes lots of film clips from the Disney heyday of the 60s and 70s, and interviews with many of the films' stars. And throughout the day, TCM has scheduled a marathon of fun Disney films. The line-up doesn't include some of my childhood favorites like Mary Poppins, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, and Pete's Dragon; but I think that just speaks to the high quality of the Disney catalog. My must-see picks today would be Swiss Family Robinson, for the awesome tree house, which can still be explored at Walt Disney World; The Love Bug, for Disney live-action staple Dean Jones; The Parent Trap, for the double shot of Hayley Mills; and Escape to Witch Mountain, to see if it is still as creepy as it seemed when I was a kid.
12/26, 1:15 AM: The Red Balloon (1956)
This whimsical French film was a childhood classic for many of the baby boom generation and hopefully today's kids will enjoy it, too. It was also the winner of several international awards, including the Academy Award for best original screenplay. The Oscar nod is especially surprising since the story, of a boy who discovers a balloon with a mind of its own, is told without dialogue.
12/30, 1 AM: The Comic (1969)
I love Dick Van Dyke in light comedies and musicals (you can catch him in Fitzwilly on 12/3), so I was surprised and intrigued when I heard about this serious film in which he plays a famous comedian of the silent era whose alcoholism, womanizing, and rampant ego ruin his life. Van Dyke is a well-known admirer of Stan Laurel and other comedians of early Hollywood; however, he and director/co-writer Carl Reiner do not shy away from the darker side of the comedy business. This month's MVP Mickey Rooney and Michele Lee co-star.
BONUS: 3 AM - Pulp (1972)
Michael Caine stars as a pulp novelist hired to ghostwrite the memoirs of a shady ex-actor (played by, who else, Mickey Rooney), and finds himself pulled into a murder plot.
Happy Holidays, everybody!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
On other websites...
Happy Thanksgiving! This is one of my favorite times of the year because it means fun parties, delicious food, and, of course, lots of new movies! Here's a gathering of some interesting articles, interviews, and other links inspired by films in theaters this week...
According to this article from the L.A. Times, Disney plans to say “the end” to animated fairy tales after the release of Tangled this week. I will admit to being disappointed, but as an adult, I am also no longer the target audience for these films. Who am I to judge today’s youth for their apparent dislike of classic stories and desire for cartoons about video games?
Now that At the Movies has permanently closed the balcony, it seems that A.O. Scott has more time to…go to the movies...and to write a reflective essay for the New York Times about Megamind, Unstoppable, and the very nature of movie-going.
And with the release of Made in Dagenham, IFC has provided a handy chart to help you decide if this is the “feel-good British film” for you, or if you should just re-watch The Full Monty.
From Fresh Air, a nice interview with Tom Hooper, director of John Adams, The Damned United, and the new film The King’s Speech.
The latest Tron: Legacy trailer, which I saw before a screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, heavily features a disturbing, computer-generated “young” Jeff Bridges which creeped me out even more than Voldemort's nose-slits. See, the problem with digital Jeff is that I already know what young Jeff Bridges looks like, and it’s not “old Jeff Bridges with the wrinkles removed.” If you, too, have been scarred by the wrongness of Tron: Legacy, watch this True Grit trailer to see Bridges looking suitably grizzled as one-eyed bounty hunter Rooster Cogburn.
According to this article from the L.A. Times, Disney plans to say “the end” to animated fairy tales after the release of Tangled this week. I will admit to being disappointed, but as an adult, I am also no longer the target audience for these films. Who am I to judge today’s youth for their apparent dislike of classic stories and desire for cartoons about video games?
Now that At the Movies has permanently closed the balcony, it seems that A.O. Scott has more time to…go to the movies...and to write a reflective essay for the New York Times about Megamind, Unstoppable, and the very nature of movie-going.
And with the release of Made in Dagenham, IFC has provided a handy chart to help you decide if this is the “feel-good British film” for you, or if you should just re-watch The Full Monty.
From Fresh Air, a nice interview with Tom Hooper, director of John Adams, The Damned United, and the new film The King’s Speech.
The latest Tron: Legacy trailer, which I saw before a screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, heavily features a disturbing, computer-generated “young” Jeff Bridges which creeped me out even more than Voldemort's nose-slits. See, the problem with digital Jeff is that I already know what young Jeff Bridges looks like, and it’s not “old Jeff Bridges with the wrinkles removed.” If you, too, have been scarred by the wrongness of Tron: Legacy, watch this True Grit trailer to see Bridges looking suitably grizzled as one-eyed bounty hunter Rooster Cogburn.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Notes from the Austin Film Festival
Last month I attended the Austin Film Festival & Conference and got an early look at some of the films now playing (or soon to be) in theaters. Lately I've become accustomed to avoiding new releases, so I am happy to be able to recommend three new films which I saw at the festival. Because it is based around a screenplay competition, AFF has branded itself as a "writer's festival," so it is ironic that what impressed me most about these films weren't the screenplays, but the strong performances that anchor each one.
Conviction tells the story of Betty Anne Waters, a working mother and high school dropout, who spent nearly two decades trying to clear the name of her brother Kenny, sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit. Since the film is based on a true story, the eventual outcome is never in question; however, the film is compelling because we want to know how they got there, what obstacles they faced and what sacrifices were made. Because it comes to define her life, Betty Anne's single-minded quest to free her brother is repeatedly questioned. But she simply cannot conceive of giving up. Ultimately the film challenges the audience to ask themselves, "what would I have done?" Hilary Swank as Betty Anne is the standout among a talented cast which includes Sam Rockwell as Kenny and Minnie Driver as Betty Anne's classmate. While I don't think that this role will earn her another Best Actress Oscar, her performance here reminds us why she deserved the first two.
Conviction tells the story of Betty Anne Waters, a working mother and high school dropout, who spent nearly two decades trying to clear the name of her brother Kenny, sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit. Since the film is based on a true story, the eventual outcome is never in question; however, the film is compelling because we want to know how they got there, what obstacles they faced and what sacrifices were made. Because it comes to define her life, Betty Anne's single-minded quest to free her brother is repeatedly questioned. But she simply cannot conceive of giving up. Ultimately the film challenges the audience to ask themselves, "what would I have done?" Hilary Swank as Betty Anne is the standout among a talented cast which includes Sam Rockwell as Kenny and Minnie Driver as Betty Anne's classmate. While I don't think that this role will earn her another Best Actress Oscar, her performance here reminds us why she deserved the first two.
Another real-life tale of endurance is 127 Hours, starring James Franco as Aron Ralston, an outdoor adventurer who is forced to amputate his own arm after being pinned under a boulder in a remote canyon. TV shows like Survivorman or Man vs. Wild explain how someone might survive alone in extreme conditions. What is hardly mentioned, except in the fine print disclaimer, is that these are situations you would never, ever, encounter except in the most disastrous of circumstances. As we learn more about him, it is clear that Ralston approached his excursions into the canyons, and life in general, with a misguided hubris. Watching him learn humility and the folly of shunning meaningful human connections makes us aware of our own fragility and how our relationships with other people help to keep us safe. Rather than making you wonder if you could survive such an ordeal, this film might make you realize that, thankfully, you will never be in that situation because _____. (Fill in the blank for yourself: you live with someone who loves you, you call your mom every Sunday, you always go hiking with your buddy from REI...) Since most of the film takes place in the canyon, it is basically a one-man show for Franco, and he is riveting as he deftly shifts between comic affability and tragic desperation.
My favorite movie of the festival was Blue Valentine. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling play Cindy and Dean, a working-class couple with a young daughter, whose marriage is becoming increasingly strained. They are two basically decent people who just aren't meant to be together. But they are together, for better or worse, and through flashbacks we see the progression of their relationship from first meeting to the present day. The concept and presentation are not new, but the filmmakers prevent the story from becoming overly predictable by continually taking a scene that feels familiar and using it to reveal something new about these characters. Characters, by the way, who are portrayed brilliantly by Gosling and Williams. It is the strength of their performances that keeps you interested in this doomed romance. The MPAA has rated Blue Valentine NC-17, presumably due to several sex scenes (the MPAA does not have to give a reason for their ratings). So, most movie-goers may have to wait for the DVD; however, the film is set for a limited release on December 31 to qualify for Oscar consideration. It would be very unfortunate if people were discouraged from seeing this film because of a misguided rating.Sunday, October 31, 2010
Classic Movie Picks: November
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.)
"Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood"
11/1, 8 PM - Episode 1: Peepshow Pioneers
11/8, 8 PM - Episode 2: The Birth of Hollywood
11/15, 8 PM - Episode 3: The Dream Merchants
11/22, 8 PM - Episode 4: Brother, Can You Spare a Dream?
The big news this month is the premiere of this seven-part documentary series produced by TCM and airing Mondays and Wednesdays through Dec. 15. Moguls & Movie Stars chronicles the birth of American movies in the late 1880s to major industry shifts of the 1960s, including Thomas Edison's kinetoscope, the studio system heyday, and the rise of television. Each episode is followed by related film programming which was either from or about the featured time period. Check the spotlight article on TCM.com for a full schedule of related films and encore presentations of each episode.
11/6, 9 AM: Remember? (1939)
Fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) may feel a sense of deja vu when they hear the plot of Remember? Robert Taylor and Greer Garson play a bickering couple who each take an amnesia potion so that they can forget they ever met. However, unlike the couple in Eternal Sunshine, Garson and Taylor want to rediscover each other and fall in love again.
11/7, 8 PM: Metropolis (1927)
11 PM: Metropolis Refound (2010)
One of the most anticipated screenings at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival was the North American premiere of a new version of director Fritz Lang's Metropolis which included newly found and restored footage. Metropolis is a must-see film for anyone who enjoys studying film history because the imagery and themes pop-up again and again in later films. Metropolis Refound is a documentary about the discovery of a print of Lang's film in Argentina, which contained several minutes of footage that was thought to be lost.
BONUS: More films by Fritz Lang
12 AM - Spies (1928)
2 AM - M (1931)
4 AM - The Woman in the Window (1944)
11/9, 10 PM: Local Hero (1983)
Some films you watch for academic curiosity and some you watch for pure enjoyment. I would put tonight's selection by Guest Programmer Michael J. Fox in the latter category. It stars the underrated, but always welcome, Peter Riegert as an American executive who falls under the spell of an idyllic Scottich village. Peter Capaldi, so hilarious in last year's In the Loop, and classic film icon Burt Lancaster play supporting roles.
11/13: Starring Teresa Wright
8 PM - The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
11 PM - Mrs. Miniver (1942)
1:30 AM - The Little Foxes (1941)
3:30 AM - Enchantment (1948)
5:15 AM - Casanova Brown (1944)
Someone in the TCM Programming Department must be reading my blog (please don't suggest otherwise; it will ruin my illusions of grandeur) because this month they've devoted an evening to one of my favorite actresses (and my avatar), Teresa Wright. Wright began her film career at age 23 with an Oscar-nominated role in The Little Foxes and during the next decade followed up with an impressive string of films, two more Oscar nominations, and one award for Best Supporting Actress. She was pretty and petite with a girl-next-door charm, often playing characters who were spunky and resilient, yet sensitive. However, she lacked the glamour of the era's top stars and by the 1950s she was playing character parts. Tonight's line-up begins with my favorite Wright performance in one of my favorite movies, The Best Years of Our Lives. That is followed by her Oscar-winning turn in Mrs. Miniver; her film debut, The Little Foxes; and Enchantment, an odd film which benefits from the enjoyable performances of Wright and David Niven. The final film of the night is the only one I haven't seen before, Casanova Brown co-starring Gary Cooper. I'm looking forward to this one since Cooper and Wright had great chemistry as husband and wife in The Pride of the Yankees (1943), a film which isn't showing tonight, but is scheduled for January 1, 2011.
11/14, 3:45 AM: Hearts and Minds (1975)
5:45 AM: Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976)
Two superb, Oscar-winning documentaries from the 1970s. Their subjects are the effects of war and economic hardship on Americans in the 70s, topics which are still quite relevant today.
11/19: Directed by Peter Weir
8 PM - The Last Wave (1977)
10 PM - Gallipoli (1981)
12 AM - Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
During the late 70s, the Australian film industry experienced a surge as many talented directors began creating unique work which gained the attention of a worldwide audience. Peter Weir made such an impression with the haunting, atmospheric Picnic at Hanging Rock, which tells the story of a mysterious disappearance during a picnic in the Australian bush. The two other films showing tonight also deal with stories of "Oz" - the trial of five Aborigines in The Last Wave and Australian soldiers fighting in WWII in Gallipoli.
11/21: Mr. and Mrs. Cary Grant
8 PM - Room for One More (1952)
10 PM - Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)
These two curious little films with a decidedly retro, domestic bent star then-husband-and-wife Cary Grant and Betsy Drake. I was surprised to find out that Betsy was only 25 when she made Every Girl, since she looks older, probably due to a hairstyles and clothing which look matronly to my modern eyes. According to that film's credits, the story was inspired by an idea submitted by a home economics class. Makes you wonder what exactly the curriculum was in that school...man-hunting?
And since I'm posting this on October 31...Happy Halloween, everybody!
"Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood"
11/1, 8 PM - Episode 1: Peepshow Pioneers
11/8, 8 PM - Episode 2: The Birth of Hollywood
11/15, 8 PM - Episode 3: The Dream Merchants
11/22, 8 PM - Episode 4: Brother, Can You Spare a Dream?
The big news this month is the premiere of this seven-part documentary series produced by TCM and airing Mondays and Wednesdays through Dec. 15. Moguls & Movie Stars chronicles the birth of American movies in the late 1880s to major industry shifts of the 1960s, including Thomas Edison's kinetoscope, the studio system heyday, and the rise of television. Each episode is followed by related film programming which was either from or about the featured time period. Check the spotlight article on TCM.com for a full schedule of related films and encore presentations of each episode.
11/6, 9 AM: Remember? (1939)
Fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) may feel a sense of deja vu when they hear the plot of Remember? Robert Taylor and Greer Garson play a bickering couple who each take an amnesia potion so that they can forget they ever met. However, unlike the couple in Eternal Sunshine, Garson and Taylor want to rediscover each other and fall in love again.
11/7, 8 PM: Metropolis (1927)
11 PM: Metropolis Refound (2010)
One of the most anticipated screenings at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival was the North American premiere of a new version of director Fritz Lang's Metropolis which included newly found and restored footage. Metropolis is a must-see film for anyone who enjoys studying film history because the imagery and themes pop-up again and again in later films. Metropolis Refound is a documentary about the discovery of a print of Lang's film in Argentina, which contained several minutes of footage that was thought to be lost.
BONUS: More films by Fritz Lang
12 AM - Spies (1928)
2 AM - M (1931)
4 AM - The Woman in the Window (1944)
11/9, 10 PM: Local Hero (1983)
Some films you watch for academic curiosity and some you watch for pure enjoyment. I would put tonight's selection by Guest Programmer Michael J. Fox in the latter category. It stars the underrated, but always welcome, Peter Riegert as an American executive who falls under the spell of an idyllic Scottich village. Peter Capaldi, so hilarious in last year's In the Loop, and classic film icon Burt Lancaster play supporting roles.
11/13: Starring Teresa Wright
8 PM - The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
11 PM - Mrs. Miniver (1942)
1:30 AM - The Little Foxes (1941)
3:30 AM - Enchantment (1948)
5:15 AM - Casanova Brown (1944)
Someone in the TCM Programming Department must be reading my blog (please don't suggest otherwise; it will ruin my illusions of grandeur) because this month they've devoted an evening to one of my favorite actresses (and my avatar), Teresa Wright. Wright began her film career at age 23 with an Oscar-nominated role in The Little Foxes and during the next decade followed up with an impressive string of films, two more Oscar nominations, and one award for Best Supporting Actress. She was pretty and petite with a girl-next-door charm, often playing characters who were spunky and resilient, yet sensitive. However, she lacked the glamour of the era's top stars and by the 1950s she was playing character parts. Tonight's line-up begins with my favorite Wright performance in one of my favorite movies, The Best Years of Our Lives. That is followed by her Oscar-winning turn in Mrs. Miniver; her film debut, The Little Foxes; and Enchantment, an odd film which benefits from the enjoyable performances of Wright and David Niven. The final film of the night is the only one I haven't seen before, Casanova Brown co-starring Gary Cooper. I'm looking forward to this one since Cooper and Wright had great chemistry as husband and wife in The Pride of the Yankees (1943), a film which isn't showing tonight, but is scheduled for January 1, 2011.
11/14, 3:45 AM: Hearts and Minds (1975)
5:45 AM: Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976)
Two superb, Oscar-winning documentaries from the 1970s. Their subjects are the effects of war and economic hardship on Americans in the 70s, topics which are still quite relevant today.
11/19: Directed by Peter Weir
8 PM - The Last Wave (1977)
10 PM - Gallipoli (1981)
12 AM - Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
During the late 70s, the Australian film industry experienced a surge as many talented directors began creating unique work which gained the attention of a worldwide audience. Peter Weir made such an impression with the haunting, atmospheric Picnic at Hanging Rock, which tells the story of a mysterious disappearance during a picnic in the Australian bush. The two other films showing tonight also deal with stories of "Oz" - the trial of five Aborigines in The Last Wave and Australian soldiers fighting in WWII in Gallipoli.
11/21: Mr. and Mrs. Cary Grant
8 PM - Room for One More (1952)
10 PM - Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)
These two curious little films with a decidedly retro, domestic bent star then-husband-and-wife Cary Grant and Betsy Drake. I was surprised to find out that Betsy was only 25 when she made Every Girl, since she looks older, probably due to a hairstyles and clothing which look matronly to my modern eyes. According to that film's credits, the story was inspired by an idea submitted by a home economics class. Makes you wonder what exactly the curriculum was in that school...man-hunting?
And since I'm posting this on October 31...Happy Halloween, everybody!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Horror Movies As of Late...
The latest trend in horror cinema is movies presented as video footage shot by a character in the movie. I've been calling this sub-genre "reality horror" because these movies are less like documentaries and more like an extended reality TV show episode. The movies are shot on handheld cameras that shake way more than any untrained person with an unsteady hand would shake the camera and they are edited as though it's uncut raw footage. 
I have recently seen Paranormal Activity. I was skeptical when the film became a phenomenon and everyone that saw the movie said how scary it was, how they haven't been that scared by a movie, and so on. If this film was as scary as everyone said it was, then it wouldn't be scary only at midnight screenings with an audience that's agreed to be scared. A good scary movie is scary no matter when you see it, so I watched it in the middle of the day. There were some scary scenes, all of which involved the night vision bedroom camera, but as movie it's sub par. As far as I can tell Paranormal Activity is about a demon trying to get Katie to break up with her a-hole, tool of a boyfriend Micah (in which case, is it really a demon?). The main problem with this movie is that the scary and creepy scenes of, well, paranormal activity are buffered by day time footage of the couple arguing and Micah doing things he's been specifically told by his girlfriend not to do and making things worse. They bicker and fight; at one point they argue to the point that Katie runs upstairs, falls to the floor, and cries. Micah apologizes to her, while still filming the entire thing. There is no question about what is happening, Katie is being harassed by some supernatural force. There is tangible evidence of this, and her boyfriend seems to believe and accept this but just doesn't care. How serious can a demon that's been following your girlfriend since she was 8 be? There's a lot more I can say about the movie but most of it wouldn't be positive. I'd recommend this movie for the creepy night vision scenes but then you'd have sit through awful scenes of a couple on the verge of breaking up. As for if it's legitimately scary, I'll admit, yeah those bedroom scenes and the ending scared me, just like I'm always startled and scared by sudden loud noises, and screaming things popping up in front of me.
The last horror movie I really enjoyed in theaters was 1408, starring John Cusack. It's a pretty good adaptation of a Stephen King short story. The film naturally expands on the story but it doesn't feel stretched out and no scenes feel like just filler moments. There's a good mixture of surprise scares, effects scares, creepy image scares, and "is this all in my mind?" scares. It's essentially a one man show and Cusack gives good performance. I haven't seen 1408 in a while but I remember it not missing any notes it aimed for and being an effective horror movie.
People always do a double take and ask "really?" when I say I've enjoyed the films of Rob Zombie. He draws a lot from horror films from the 1970's like Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left and Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The first part of his 2007 Halloween feels like it takes place in the 70's but we know it doesn't since when the film jumps to 15 years later it's in present time. While I can't say I like the ending, it goes down the well traveled killer chasing after the girl path, I do enjoy the rest of the film very much. The movie is structured like a novel (or a series of short films) since it's broken up into different chapters, each telling it's own story and having it's own lead characters. Michael Myers is the central character, the movie follows him more than any of the other previous films, and though he's given human motivations for his evil actions we're never asked to sympathize with Michael Myers. He kills every person he comes in contact with indiscriminately. Laurie and her friends in the present day segment titled "Trick or Treat" are very convincing as modern teenage girls.
The movie goes on a bit too long at the end and I feel like Rob Zombie missed the perfect moment to end his movie on in favor of more scares. Zombie's Halloween II is severely lacking however. It tries to be it's own movie with a tone and style different from the first movie and I admire it for that but it misses the marks it sets to hit. After a while you get flat out tired of Michael Myers killing everyone he sees and the sequel is a lot more violent and gory than the first. There is, however, a lot of great imagery that is haunting and creepy and fitting of a movie titled Halloween.
I think I'll spend this Halloween weekend with some classic and not-so-recent movies. I've really enjoyed the Hammer horror films that aired on TCM and Peter Cushing is now tied with Anthony Hopkins as my favorite Dr. Van Helsing. I've got the Hammer Frankenstein movie cycle queued up on the DVR and I'm excited to see how Peter Cushing is as Dr. Frankenstein. Whether you end up watching newer horror movies or classic ones, scary ones or silly ones, have a happy Halloween!
I have recently seen Paranormal Activity. I was skeptical when the film became a phenomenon and everyone that saw the movie said how scary it was, how they haven't been that scared by a movie, and so on. If this film was as scary as everyone said it was, then it wouldn't be scary only at midnight screenings with an audience that's agreed to be scared. A good scary movie is scary no matter when you see it, so I watched it in the middle of the day. There were some scary scenes, all of which involved the night vision bedroom camera, but as movie it's sub par. As far as I can tell Paranormal Activity is about a demon trying to get Katie to break up with her a-hole, tool of a boyfriend Micah (in which case, is it really a demon?). The main problem with this movie is that the scary and creepy scenes of, well, paranormal activity are buffered by day time footage of the couple arguing and Micah doing things he's been specifically told by his girlfriend not to do and making things worse. They bicker and fight; at one point they argue to the point that Katie runs upstairs, falls to the floor, and cries. Micah apologizes to her, while still filming the entire thing. There is no question about what is happening, Katie is being harassed by some supernatural force. There is tangible evidence of this, and her boyfriend seems to believe and accept this but just doesn't care. How serious can a demon that's been following your girlfriend since she was 8 be? There's a lot more I can say about the movie but most of it wouldn't be positive. I'd recommend this movie for the creepy night vision scenes but then you'd have sit through awful scenes of a couple on the verge of breaking up. As for if it's legitimately scary, I'll admit, yeah those bedroom scenes and the ending scared me, just like I'm always startled and scared by sudden loud noises, and screaming things popping up in front of me.
Of the reality horror movies I've seen Quarantine has been the one I enjoyed the most and was least frustrated with. A news crew accompanies a crew of firemen on a call to an apartment building and get quarantined inside with the tenants and people infected with a highly contagious rabies-like disease. The filming of everything happening in the building makes sense (that's what news crews do). It's a monster movie and you can tell where it's going, who's going to make it to the end, and how it's going to end, but I had good time watching it.
Out in theaters now for Halloween are Let Me In, which left most theaters in Austin rather quickly so I don't think I'll get the chance to see it; Wes Craven's My Soul to Take which is, thank God, an original work, but it's in 3D; and SAW 3D. It's supposed to be the last of the series, but I think we're all skeptical. Even if it is the last SAW movie, it won't be the last one like it since it seems the other trend in horror movies today is to be as gory and graphically violent as possible.
The last horror movie I really enjoyed in theaters was 1408, starring John Cusack. It's a pretty good adaptation of a Stephen King short story. The film naturally expands on the story but it doesn't feel stretched out and no scenes feel like just filler moments. There's a good mixture of surprise scares, effects scares, creepy image scares, and "is this all in my mind?" scares. It's essentially a one man show and Cusack gives good performance. I haven't seen 1408 in a while but I remember it not missing any notes it aimed for and being an effective horror movie. People always do a double take and ask "really?" when I say I've enjoyed the films of Rob Zombie. He draws a lot from horror films from the 1970's like Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left and Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The first part of his 2007 Halloween feels like it takes place in the 70's but we know it doesn't since when the film jumps to 15 years later it's in present time. While I can't say I like the ending, it goes down the well traveled killer chasing after the girl path, I do enjoy the rest of the film very much. The movie is structured like a novel (or a series of short films) since it's broken up into different chapters, each telling it's own story and having it's own lead characters. Michael Myers is the central character, the movie follows him more than any of the other previous films, and though he's given human motivations for his evil actions we're never asked to sympathize with Michael Myers. He kills every person he comes in contact with indiscriminately. Laurie and her friends in the present day segment titled "Trick or Treat" are very convincing as modern teenage girls. The movie goes on a bit too long at the end and I feel like Rob Zombie missed the perfect moment to end his movie on in favor of more scares. Zombie's Halloween II is severely lacking however. It tries to be it's own movie with a tone and style different from the first movie and I admire it for that but it misses the marks it sets to hit. After a while you get flat out tired of Michael Myers killing everyone he sees and the sequel is a lot more violent and gory than the first. There is, however, a lot of great imagery that is haunting and creepy and fitting of a movie titled Halloween. I think I'll spend this Halloween weekend with some classic and not-so-recent movies. I've really enjoyed the Hammer horror films that aired on TCM and Peter Cushing is now tied with Anthony Hopkins as my favorite Dr. Van Helsing. I've got the Hammer Frankenstein movie cycle queued up on the DVR and I'm excited to see how Peter Cushing is as Dr. Frankenstein. Whether you end up watching newer horror movies or classic ones, scary ones or silly ones, have a happy Halloween!Friday, October 15, 2010
From the Vault: Hellraiser
There are certain movies that, good or bad, make their foothold in our cinematic consciousness. On the other hand certain movies, good or bad, can slip to the back of our consciousness. Each month I'll be taking a look back at a movie that since it was released has fallen through the cracks, been completely forgotten about, or just hasn't been watched in a while. This month, for Halloween:
John Carpenter's Halloween, The Exorcist, and The Shining are examples of good horror movies that are also good cinematic works. Friday the 13th (1980), Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the movie I saw for the first time this month, Hellraiser, are notable horror movies that, as cinematic works, are just good, not great. But these movies have hung around throughout the years because of how they scared audiences, the memorable villains/monsters they had, and they, like better cinematic works, leave an impression on people when they are watched for the first time. Clive Barker adapted and directed Hellraiser from his novella The Helbound Heart. It was his first time directing and it's a very decent debut movie.
Hellraiser certainly has memorable villains. I remember every Halloween the "Pinhead" mask was in stores and in catalogues and it scared me a lot more than any of the other masks of deformed monsters. I still find the image unsettling. It's not the face of a hideous monster; he looks like a regular person, albeit with albino skin, but the grid pattern impressed on his head and the nails, or pins, at each corner has unsettling implications about body mutilation that stayed with me long after the images of the other monsters faded from my mind. The movie is like that too.
As I got older and watched more horror movies I learned that the scariest thing about most of the movies down the horror aisle is the picture on the box. That's not true for Hellraiser. With monster movies there's always a chance that when we finally see the monster it will be unimpressive or laughable. That is not true for Hellraiser. A lot of monster movies tend to follow the trend set by JAWS and hold off on showing the monster for as long as possible. In the first 3 minutes of Hellraiser we see a man torn to pieces by hooks and chains. We also see the otherworldly Cenobites. When we see the Cenobites we see them bathed in light. We see every detail of their forms and S&M inspired costumes. You get the impression that these are not the kind of monsters that hide around corners or stay in the shadows. 
But the Cenobites and the puzzlebox that summons them are the background of this movie. The plot concerns and unhappy couple, Larry and his wife, Julia, who move into a house where Frank, the man torn to pieces in the movie's opening, lies under the floorboards of a room upstairs. Larry cuts himself and bleeds on the floor and his spilled blood, later on, regenerates Frank into a skeletal shell of a man. Frank used to be Julia's lover and he convinces her to lure men back to the room and kill them so he can use their blood to further regenerate himself. Julia is still very much attracted to Frank. It's a sick love story. Larry is clueless to all of this because the plot requires him to be, but his character is supposed to be the passive husband. Caught in the middle of all of this is Kirsty, Larry's daughter. She's in her late teens or early 20s presumably, and though she seems like a marginal character at first she turns out to be the film's protagonist. Despite the attention Pinhead and the Cenobites receive, the real villain of the movie is Frank. He gets his ex-lover/sister-in-law to murder for him, wants to kill his brother, and kill and have sex with his niece. Pinhead may be a demon, but Frank is a real monster.
I really like character of Kirsty, played by Ashley Laurence. She's the only innocent character in the movie and, unlike many female characters in horror movies, she's not just a screaming girl. She gets pissed off and fights back. She's smart enough to run away when the monsters show up; she runs downstairs when the monster is upstairs, she only runs upstairs when she's chased up the stairs. At the climax of the movie, her boyfriend shows up while she's being chased all over the house by monsters, and she deals with them herself. At one point she even pushes him out of the way when he tries to help her close the puzzle box. The first time she encounters the Cenobites she's even able to negotiate a deal with Pinhead to let her go. Now that's a heroine. 
There's certainly a cult around this movie. A Google Image search of Ashley Laurence returned a lot of photos of her at conventions and signing autographs. Clive Barker receives fan mail from women wanting to bear Pinhead's children (now that's a social fringe) and in a featurette on the 20th anniversary DVD he begins by saying that this is the last time he'll talk "about that son-of-a-bitch movie." There's a performance art group called Puncture that draws on Hellraiser for inspiration for their shows (they puncture and hang themselves by their skin and do other forms of body mutilation). People say there's an S&M element to this movie, but I think it is more implied than shown; if anything it just makes you think about it. But you don't have to be a freak to watch or even like this movie. It's the kind of horror movie I prefer; one that relies on mood, atmosphere, and ideas more than gore and pop-up scares. There are just a few surprise scares but the movie hardly relies on them. There are impressive visual effects and makeup; and while I can't quite say that it doesn't rely on effects (the main villain, Frank, is a skinless body for most of the movie), that's not where the movie draws it's thrills. The big special effects scene is when Frank regenerates from tiny pieces. It's really impressive and gross and it reminds me of the transformation scene in An American Werewolf in London. Some of the optical effects however, such as the lights the accompany the appearance and disappearance of the Cenobites, seem dated and even cheesy.
I spent a lot of time thinking about what the appeal is of a movie that makes the words repulsive, sick, twisted, dark, unsettling, and disturbing all come to mind. Hellraiser isn't really a movie about hell and monsters and pain and pleasure. It's a type of haunted house movie. It's about people misusing each other and misguided desires and curiosities. Ashley Laurence has her own idea about the appeal of the movie, and I think she puts it quite well, "People, I think, like the intimacy and the danger and the rawness and the ugliness. It's so grotesque that I think it's really beautiful, if that makes any sense. It's so human and so flawed that it, I think, makes it more easy to relate to because it's damaged and it's wounded and it's open."
John Carpenter's Halloween, The Exorcist, and The Shining are examples of good horror movies that are also good cinematic works. Friday the 13th (1980), Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the movie I saw for the first time this month, Hellraiser, are notable horror movies that, as cinematic works, are just good, not great. But these movies have hung around throughout the years because of how they scared audiences, the memorable villains/monsters they had, and they, like better cinematic works, leave an impression on people when they are watched for the first time. Clive Barker adapted and directed Hellraiser from his novella The Helbound Heart. It was his first time directing and it's a very decent debut movie. Hellraiser certainly has memorable villains. I remember every Halloween the "Pinhead" mask was in stores and in catalogues and it scared me a lot more than any of the other masks of deformed monsters. I still find the image unsettling. It's not the face of a hideous monster; he looks like a regular person, albeit with albino skin, but the grid pattern impressed on his head and the nails, or pins, at each corner has unsettling implications about body mutilation that stayed with me long after the images of the other monsters faded from my mind. The movie is like that too. As I got older and watched more horror movies I learned that the scariest thing about most of the movies down the horror aisle is the picture on the box. That's not true for Hellraiser. With monster movies there's always a chance that when we finally see the monster it will be unimpressive or laughable. That is not true for Hellraiser. A lot of monster movies tend to follow the trend set by JAWS and hold off on showing the monster for as long as possible. In the first 3 minutes of Hellraiser we see a man torn to pieces by hooks and chains. We also see the otherworldly Cenobites. When we see the Cenobites we see them bathed in light. We see every detail of their forms and S&M inspired costumes. You get the impression that these are not the kind of monsters that hide around corners or stay in the shadows. But the Cenobites and the puzzlebox that summons them are the background of this movie. The plot concerns and unhappy couple, Larry and his wife, Julia, who move into a house where Frank, the man torn to pieces in the movie's opening, lies under the floorboards of a room upstairs. Larry cuts himself and bleeds on the floor and his spilled blood, later on, regenerates Frank into a skeletal shell of a man. Frank used to be Julia's lover and he convinces her to lure men back to the room and kill them so he can use their blood to further regenerate himself. Julia is still very much attracted to Frank. It's a sick love story. Larry is clueless to all of this because the plot requires him to be, but his character is supposed to be the passive husband. Caught in the middle of all of this is Kirsty, Larry's daughter. She's in her late teens or early 20s presumably, and though she seems like a marginal character at first she turns out to be the film's protagonist. Despite the attention Pinhead and the Cenobites receive, the real villain of the movie is Frank. He gets his ex-lover/sister-in-law to murder for him, wants to kill his brother, and kill and have sex with his niece. Pinhead may be a demon, but Frank is a real monster.I really like character of Kirsty, played by Ashley Laurence. She's the only innocent character in the movie and, unlike many female characters in horror movies, she's not just a screaming girl. She gets pissed off and fights back. She's smart enough to run away when the monsters show up; she runs downstairs when the monster is upstairs, she only runs upstairs when she's chased up the stairs. At the climax of the movie, her boyfriend shows up while she's being chased all over the house by monsters, and she deals with them herself. At one point she even pushes him out of the way when he tries to help her close the puzzle box. The first time she encounters the Cenobites she's even able to negotiate a deal with Pinhead to let her go. Now that's a heroine. You could interpret Hellraiser as having a moralist, conservative stance against sex, like so many teen slasher movies are accused of having. But the subject matter and images are so messed up that it really never occurs to you while you're watching it. If you think about it you'll realize that the movie has a "you reap what you sow" message and not a "sex will destroy you" message. All of the characters lay their own paths of destruction except for Kirsty whose only mistake is thinking that the puzzle box is just a puzzle box. You'll also realize that the Cenobites are indifferent. They don't care who you are or what you've done. You opened the box and now they're here to do what they do and tear your soul apart.
I wouldn't recommend watching Hellraiser unless you're a horror movie fan or want to see something crazy and twisted. It's not nearly as graphic and gory as today's Saw and Final Destination movies. There are gross, repulsive images but the movie's not a geek show; there's a story and reason for what you're seeing. Hellraiser is the kind of movie that probably won't scare you the way you expect horror movies to scare you, but the images and the ideas that go along with them stay with you and make you think about all kinds of things you'd rather not think about. Most of the acting isn't stellar, it's as good as it needs to be, but this isn't the kind of movie you watch for the acting anyway.
There's certainly a cult around this movie. A Google Image search of Ashley Laurence returned a lot of photos of her at conventions and signing autographs. Clive Barker receives fan mail from women wanting to bear Pinhead's children (now that's a social fringe) and in a featurette on the 20th anniversary DVD he begins by saying that this is the last time he'll talk "about that son-of-a-bitch movie." There's a performance art group called Puncture that draws on Hellraiser for inspiration for their shows (they puncture and hang themselves by their skin and do other forms of body mutilation). People say there's an S&M element to this movie, but I think it is more implied than shown; if anything it just makes you think about it. But you don't have to be a freak to watch or even like this movie. It's the kind of horror movie I prefer; one that relies on mood, atmosphere, and ideas more than gore and pop-up scares. There are just a few surprise scares but the movie hardly relies on them. There are impressive visual effects and makeup; and while I can't quite say that it doesn't rely on effects (the main villain, Frank, is a skinless body for most of the movie), that's not where the movie draws it's thrills. The big special effects scene is when Frank regenerates from tiny pieces. It's really impressive and gross and it reminds me of the transformation scene in An American Werewolf in London. Some of the optical effects however, such as the lights the accompany the appearance and disappearance of the Cenobites, seem dated and even cheesy. I spent a lot of time thinking about what the appeal is of a movie that makes the words repulsive, sick, twisted, dark, unsettling, and disturbing all come to mind. Hellraiser isn't really a movie about hell and monsters and pain and pleasure. It's a type of haunted house movie. It's about people misusing each other and misguided desires and curiosities. Ashley Laurence has her own idea about the appeal of the movie, and I think she puts it quite well, "People, I think, like the intimacy and the danger and the rawness and the ugliness. It's so grotesque that I think it's really beautiful, if that makes any sense. It's so human and so flawed that it, I think, makes it more easy to relate to because it's damaged and it's wounded and it's open."
Friday, October 8, 2010
Vampires Used to be Scary
It's Halloween season and one of my favorite times of year. The weather finally cools down and it's time to watch scary movies. That means I won't be watching any movies (or TV shows) with vampires because vampires aren't scary anymore. What's happened to the vampire is rather undignified for a creature that has haunted and terrified but also intrigued every civilization for hundreds if not thousands of years. They've gone from demons of the night to PG-13 leading men and heartthrobs. I've never really been a big vampire fan but that just seems wrong. It's a well known fact that anything 12 year-old girls fawn over can't be scary.I remember not wanting to watch movies like From Dusk Til Dawn, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and even The Lost Boys because they had vampires and vampires were the stuff of horror movies. I recently watched The Lost Boys and while it's not scary like you typically think of a horror movie being scary, it is an entertaining movie about vampires. The third act where the vampires attack the house the main characters are holed up in is like a demented version of Home Alone. The teenage vampires act how teenagers would act if they were immortal, had superpowers, and pretty much no consequences for their actions. They enjoy being vampires and don't act like moody emo kids.
The gang of vampires in The Lost Boys has the allure and intrigue that makes teenagers turn goth, sells Anne Rice books, and was first put on the screen by Bela Lugosi. Lugosi is the ultimate Dracula; dangerous, but appealing in spite of, or because of, that fact. But even before Tod Browning's 1931 version of Dracula, the vampire appeared as a monster, not a lover, in F.W. Murnau's silent film Nosferatu. If you haven't seen Nosferatu, I highly recommend giving it a watch. It's not only one of the first and best of the horror genre, but also one of the great movies of the silent era. It's creepy and haunting and perfect for watching late at night.
The gang of vampires in The Lost Boys has the allure and intrigue that makes teenagers turn goth, sells Anne Rice books, and was first put on the screen by Bela Lugosi. Lugosi is the ultimate Dracula; dangerous, but appealing in spite of, or because of, that fact. But even before Tod Browning's 1931 version of Dracula, the vampire appeared as a monster, not a lover, in F.W. Murnau's silent film Nosferatu. If you haven't seen Nosferatu, I highly recommend giving it a watch. It's not only one of the first and best of the horror genre, but also one of the great movies of the silent era. It's creepy and haunting and perfect for watching late at night. 
Despite the German poster shown above giving it a 4 fedora rating, I think Bram Stoker's Dracula (Francis Coppola's 1990 version) is largely underrated and overlooked. Of course it won't hold up when compared to Tod Browning's 1931 classic version, but it does just fine as its own version of Bram Stoker's novel. In this version especially, we see the vampire as both a monster and alluring lover. I don't find the presence of Keanu Reeves or Winona Ryder distracting and I think Anthony Hopkins' performance as Dr. Van Helsing is so over the top it's great; it makes Van Helsing an eccentric jerk which is a great spin on the character. Coppola's Dracula uses a lot of in-camera effects and old fashioned, low-tech special effects and it gives the movie the creepy, spooky feel of older horror movies that had to rely on mood and atmosphere to effect the audience. It also has one of the spookiest and craziest movie scores I've ever heard.
Interview with the Vampire is where the vampire becomes less of a monster and more sentimental - which is the point of the movie: how do you deal with going from life as a human to life as a vampire? It's an effective movie that again relies on mood and atmosphere, which is helped by the period setting. It lets us in on the "realities" of life as a vampire that other movies don't touch on. The vampires are still fearsome, though the emphasis is on the allure of the undead creature. 
I don't view 2008's Let the Right One In so much as a vampire movie as a movie about two lonely people, one of whom just happens to be a vampire. I thought it was one of the best movies of 2008 and was disappointed to hear that an American version was being made. The TV spots make the remake look better than I was expecting it to be and I'll probably check it out before Halloween, if only to see how it was adapted for American audiences.
For my money, the last good vampire-as-monster movie was 2000's Shadow of the Vampire. It tells the fictional story of the making of F.W Murnau's Nosferatu, in which Murnau (played by John Malkovich) hires a real vampire, Max Shrek (played by Willem Dafoe) to give his film a truly authentic feel. Dafoe gives an incredible and chilling performance as the monstrous vampire and even received an Oscar nomination. Shrek begins to feed off of the crew and cast and Murnau struggles to gain control of the undead beast and finish his movie. It's a great vampire movie, but it's also a movie about making movies, a favorite genre of mine. Shrek can't help being a vampire which is jeopardizing the movie production. Murnau keeps the production going even though he's risking the lives of his cast and crew because he can't help what he is either, a filmmaker.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
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)
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)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
From the Vault: Total Recall
There are certain movies that, good or bad, make their foothold in our cinematic consciousness. On the other hand certain movies, good or bad, can slip to the back of our consciousness. Each month I'll be taking a look back at a movie that since it was released has fallen through the cracks, been completely forgotten about, or just hasn't been watched in a while. This month:
Science fiction is a genre that cannot avoid becoming dated sometimes after a decade or two or sometimes after just a couple years. Total Recall was made 20 years ago and it holds up very well. The special effects do not look dated and the overall depiction of the future doesn't feel dated or cheesy. It's fun to go back and watch movies that are set in the future and see what predictions about the future have and haven't come true and which are laughable. Twenty years later several science fiction elements from Total Recall have actually come true, or sort of come true, including: GPS, video phones, and video monitors on heavy machinery.
There's a scene where Sharon Stone is practicing her tennis stroke by mimicking an instructional hologram. When she gets it's right the hologram lights up. There's no holograms involved with Nintendo Wii, yet, but the similarities are striking.
Science fiction is a genre that cannot avoid becoming dated sometimes after a decade or two or sometimes after just a couple years. Total Recall was made 20 years ago and it holds up very well. The special effects do not look dated and the overall depiction of the future doesn't feel dated or cheesy. It's fun to go back and watch movies that are set in the future and see what predictions about the future have and haven't come true and which are laughable. Twenty years later several science fiction elements from Total Recall have actually come true, or sort of come true, including: GPS, video phones, and video monitors on heavy machinery. Early on in the movie Quaid (Schwarzenegger) and his wife Lori (Sharon Stone) sit down to have breakfast and turn on the flat screen TV in their wall to watch the morning news. We have flat screen HD TV's that can be mounted on walls and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to imagine them being built into walls.
Quaid keeps having dreams about being on Mars, dreams he thinks might be memories, so he goes to a company called Rekall that can implant in your mind the manufactured memory of a vacation so you don't have to go through the trouble of an actual vacation. He hopes that having a memory of a vacation to Mars will quell his dreams. Now, of course this doesn't exist, yet. But there is a company called Zero G that will fly you in a jet that flys in parabolic arcs so you can experience true weightlessness. Tickets have already been sold for the first commercial flight into space, though the shuttle for that hasn't even been yet. So vacations in space have sort of come true.
When Quaid walks into a train station he passes through an X-Ray security check point and gets onto a train with TV's playing ads. Later on in the movie when he's being chased he passes through the system and the gun he's carrying sets off alarm. Now I know there's not X-Ray security checkpoints at train stations or even at airports but a type of X-Ray security scanner does exist though it's not in use because instead of showing a skeleton, it only peels back a couple layers of clothing and the image seen is more along the lines of a nude person, and not everyone is okay with that.
There's a scene where Sharon Stone is practicing her tennis stroke by mimicking an instructional hologram. When she gets it's right the hologram lights up. There's no holograms involved with Nintendo Wii, yet, but the similarities are striking. I haven't even talked about about the movie itself. It's a good, solid, and entertaining movie and it holds up very well. The sci-fi elements that have actually come true now only make this movie more impressive. It's a good action movie but it also deals with perceptions of reality and dreams and memories. If you haven't seen this movie in a while I highly recommend watching it again and if you're in the mood to be overwhelmed with accents then check out the DVD commentary with Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger. As for the Total Recall remake, let's not and say we did.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Not-So-Fresh New Releases #3
As we head towards the fall movie season, historically the time of the year when the most interesting and high-quality films are released, I'm looking forward to going out to the movies again. The films currently in theaters just haven't captured my interest, and according to the Rotten Tomatoes ratings, they haven't impressed the critics either. So I've picked out a few of these not-so-fresh new releases and devised some alternate viewing choices. All the recommended films are available on video, so you can save yourself the price of a movie ticket and support your local video store instead.
The American - 62% freshness rating
- Many aspects of this film starring George Clooney as a solitary assassin, from the poster art to the deliberate pacing, have inspired comparisons to politically-themed thrillers from the 1970s. I know I immediately thought of The Day of the Jackal (1973). Not to be confused with its inferior 1997 remake The Jackal, this methodical thriller follows the man hired to assassinate French president Charles DeGaulle, as well as the policeman on the killer's trail.
- Another obvious point of comparison for The American is the French film Le Samourai (1967), directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. An even-more-handsome-than-Clooney Alain Delon stars in this character portrait of a hit man who may have made a fatal mistake. This film is slowly-paced and unafraid of silence, but it is not boring. It elegantly captures the isolation of a lone gunman.
- Finally, the faux-documentary version of American Pie that we've all been asking for! What, you didn't ask for that? Yeah, me neither. The Virginity Hit follows a teenage boy in his increasingly adventurous attempts to lose his virginity; this topic seems especially stale since some guy desperately trying to have sex has been a plot point in nearly every teen comedy since the '80s. So, let's look back to that decade and watch Rob Reiner's film The Sure Thing (1985), a teen comedy that is ostensibly about sex, but is actually a love story in the tradition of It Happened One Night.
- For a more cautionary take on the subject, go back even further to 1961's Splendor in the Grass. Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty star as teens whose lives are ruined by his desire for pre-marital sex - and some seriously questionable fatherly advice.
Going The Distance - 51% freshness rating
- In Going the Distance, Drew Barrymore and Justin Long employ various means of communication to conduct a long-distance relationship. If you want to see a relationship with serious distance issues, just watch the romantic musical
Commercials for Going the Distance have featured scenes of Barrymore and Long attempting some awkward phone-sex. 1959's Pillow Talk makes witty use of double entendre and a split-screen to create sexual tension during Doris Day and Rock Hudson's phone conversations.
- I love a good heist movie, but, sheesh, even the title of this film is idiotic. It seems like this film wants to be Ocean's Eleven for a slightly younger generation. Steven Soderbergh's 2001 film, starring George Clooney as suave thief Danny Ocean, is stylish, sophisticated, and clever. Takers has Hayden Christensen in a porkpie hat. Which would you rather watch?
- I'd also like to recommend another Melville film starring Alain Delon, Le Cercle Rouge (1970). Look no further for a truly cool, suspenseful heist picture.
For more rental recommendations, check out my previous posts: Not-So-Fresh New Releases and Not-So-Fresh New Releases #2.
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