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.)
3/9: Akira Kurosawa Tribute
To mark the 100th anniversary of Kurosawa's birth, TCM is showing the films of this legendary Japanese director during primetime every Tuesday in March (starting 3/9). On his birthday, 3/23, they'll up the ante with a 24-hour marathon which kicks off with his debut film, Sanshiro Sugata. Here's a list of all 26 films on the schedule, check out the Kurosawa feature on TCM.com for times and film descriptions:
3/9 - Ikiru (1952), Throne of Blood (1957), The Hidden Fortress (1958), Hakuchi (1951), The Lower Depths (1957)
3/16 - The Bad Sleep Well (1960), High and Low (1963), Red Beard (1965), I Live in Fear (1955), Scandal (1950)
3/23 - Sanshiro Sugata (1943), The Most Beautiful (1944), The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945), Sanshiro Sugata: Part Two (1945), No Regrets for Our Youth (1946), One Wonderful Sunday (1947), Drunken Angel (1948), Stray Dog (1949), Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961), Sanjuro (1962), Dodes'Ka-Den (1970)
3/30 - Dersu Uzala (1975), Kagemusha (1980), Ran (1985)
BONUS - 3/21: Films inspired by Kurosawa
Compare these two American remakes with the originals airing 3/23.
8 PM - The Outrage (1964) - a remake of Rashomon starring Paul Newman as a Mexican bandit whose crimes are interpreted by 4 different witnesses. Now you can see where they got the idea for the label on Newman's Own salsa.
10 PM - The Magnificent Seven (1960) - this remake of Seven Samurai also moves the action from feudal Japan to the Old West. Seven gunmen, led by Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen, join forces to protect a village from bandits.
3/11, 6:30 PM: It's a Dog's Life (1955)
This charming film tells the story of a bull terrier named Wildfire, from the dog's point of view, as he goes from rags to riches. Wildfire plays himself with Vic Morrow providing his voice in narration. CGI effects had yet to be invented, so thankfully you'll be spared the sight of the dog's lips contorting to "speak" a sassy one-liner. This is a great film for children, but unfortunately it isn't well-known or widely available.
3/29: Marx Brothers Marathon
8 PM - Monkey Business (1931)
9:30 PM - Horse Feathers (1932)
10:45 PM - Duck Soup (1933)
12 AM - A Night at the Opera (1935)
2 AM - A Day at the Races (1937)
4 AM - At the Circus (1939)
If you've never seen the Marx Brothers in action, or if you've only seen one or two of their films, tonight's marathon is your chance to catch up. The films on schedule tonight are definitely the cream of the Marx filmography, and I would certainly recommend them all. However, if you must choose one, Duck Soup is generally regarded as their best. Once you finish watching tonight's films, you can choose a side in the great Marx debate: extended musical sequences - highlight or hindrance?
Sayonara until next month!
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