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.)
9/2, 1 AM: The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)
Alexandre Dumas's popular revenge tale, The Count of Monte Cristo, has been filmed many times and even inspired a sandwich (unconfirmed). I can remember watching a commercial for the lackluster 2002 fim adaptation, after which my father said, "I have the feeling that no one is excited about this movie." I cannot say the same of the 1934 version airing tonight and featuring Robert Donat as the title character. I'm looking forward to it because I recently read the book and was pleasantly surprised by its quick pace and intricate plotting, and leading man Donat has my undying affection due to Goodbye, Mr. Chips. The film is part of a month-long spotlight on revenge films. Tune in Thursdays for more films in the series.
9/6, 8 PM: Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
After Leo McCarey won the best director Oscar for 1937's classic screwball comedy The Awful Truth, he claimed that the Academy had rewarded him for the wrong film. The "correct" film, according to McCarey, was Make Way for Tomorrow, a drama dealing with the struggles of an older couple during the Depression. If you've seen previous classic pick Tokyo Story, you may recognize similarities between the two films. Due to the current economic climate, Make Way for Tomorrow is newly relevant...and newly out on DVD from Criterion. Make a prudent financial decision tonight by staying in and watching this film on TCM (if you like it, maybe then you can start saving up for the DVD).
9/8, 2 AM: Force of Evil (1949)
Fans of film noir should check out this gem about a mob lawyer, played by John Garfield, who tries to protect his numbers-running brother from a racketeering scheme. It's got all the classic noir characteristics - moral compromise, femme fatale vs. good girl, gritty underworld setting, and a not-so-happy ending.
9/29: Greer Garson Day
When Walter Pidgeon was highlighted during August's "Summer Under the Stars," several of the day's films co-starred his frequent leading lady, Greer Garson. Well, today Garson gets her own mini-marathon of seven of her films, in chronological order, featuring a variety of dashing leading men including Ronald Colman, Errol Flynn, Robert Mitchum, Clark Gable, and, of course, Walter Pidgeon. I usually enjoy Greer Garson's performances; she brings a stately, dignified presence to her roles, but always with a twinkle in her eye. (And she also has my undying affection for her role in Goodbye, Mr. Chips. I've come full circle!)
6:30 AM - Blossoms in the Dust (1941)
8:15 AM - Random Harvest (1942)
10:30 AM - The Youngest Profession (1943)
12 PM - Adventure (1945)
2:15 PM - Desire Me (1947)
4 PM - That Forsyte Woman (1949)
6 PM - The Singing Nun (1966)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
From the Vault, Orca: The Killer Whale
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:
My first viewing of Orca: The Killer Whale is inextricably linked with the memory of being sick with a stomach virus when I was about 8 years old, staying home from school, and eating jello. I don't know what spurred me to give it a second viewing, perhaps the recent release of Piranha 3D brought back my memory of another creature feature. I can't speak for Piranha 3D, and I hope I never will, however, Orca is bad enough to be a good bad movie (or "campy" if you prefer).
Richard Harris plays Nolan, a fisherman in Canada who, with his crew, is out shark hunting one day when a killer whale slams the hell out of a Great White Shark, just for hell of it. Nolan then decides to capture an orca and sell it to an aquarium so he can pay off the mortgage on his boat, but it all goes predictably wrong... I mean terribly wrong. Nolan and his crew end up killing the pregnant wife of a very vengeful orca. The orca wreaks havoc on the fishing town: first leaving his dead wife's carcass on the beach by the docks to remind Nolan of what he did, then sinking boats in the harbor to get Nolan to go out on the sea and fight him like a man, or whale. We know this because Charlotte Rampling, playing Rachel, a whale biologist, tells Nolan this information about the vengeful habits of killer whales. This information is confirmed by the stock character of the wise Indian (or Native American, actually he'd be a Canadian American) who literally just shows up at Nolan's house one day.
The highlight of the movie is when the whale rams into a seaside natural gas plant, then swims up the coast a bit and rams into a building on stilts where a kerosene lantern is on the edge of a table and a giant explosion results. And to top it off the orca takes a celebratory jump through the air. There's lots of badly used stock footage of sharks and killer whales and bad "day for night" (or as I like to call it, "American Night") shots. Not to mention people dangling their arms and entire bodies off the side of the boat as if they're tempting that vengeful man-killing orca to jump out of the water and bite them.
My first viewing of Orca: The Killer Whale is inextricably linked with the memory of being sick with a stomach virus when I was about 8 years old, staying home from school, and eating jello. I don't know what spurred me to give it a second viewing, perhaps the recent release of Piranha 3D brought back my memory of another creature feature. I can't speak for Piranha 3D, and I hope I never will, however, Orca is bad enough to be a good bad movie (or "campy" if you prefer). Richard Harris plays Nolan, a fisherman in Canada who, with his crew, is out shark hunting one day when a killer whale slams the hell out of a Great White Shark, just for hell of it. Nolan then decides to capture an orca and sell it to an aquarium so he can pay off the mortgage on his boat, but it all goes predictably wrong... I mean terribly wrong. Nolan and his crew end up killing the pregnant wife of a very vengeful orca. The orca wreaks havoc on the fishing town: first leaving his dead wife's carcass on the beach by the docks to remind Nolan of what he did, then sinking boats in the harbor to get Nolan to go out on the sea and fight him like a man, or whale. We know this because Charlotte Rampling, playing Rachel, a whale biologist, tells Nolan this information about the vengeful habits of killer whales. This information is confirmed by the stock character of the wise Indian (or Native American, actually he'd be a Canadian American) who literally just shows up at Nolan's house one day. When Nolan finally decides to go out to sea and fight the whale, Rachel, the whale biologist, admits that she doesn't know what she's been talking about and tries to convince him not to fight the whale. Once they're out at sea not much happens.
This movie was clearly thrown together to cash in on the success of Jaws; which is kind of funny since the boat they use to hunt the shark in Jaws is called the Orca, and in Orca the boat they use to hunt the whale is called The Shark from Jaws... just kidding.
The highlight of the movie is when the whale rams into a seaside natural gas plant, then swims up the coast a bit and rams into a building on stilts where a kerosene lantern is on the edge of a table and a giant explosion results. And to top it off the orca takes a celebratory jump through the air. There's lots of badly used stock footage of sharks and killer whales and bad "day for night" (or as I like to call it, "American Night") shots. Not to mention people dangling their arms and entire bodies off the side of the boat as if they're tempting that vengeful man-killing orca to jump out of the water and bite them. Orca: The Killer Whale is regrettably not available on Netflix Instant Play; which is a shame because this is the perfect movie for Instant Play, an obscure campy movie you wouldn't normally rent on DVD. If, however, you find yourself in the mood for something campy, or you're home sick, it's not a bad way to kill 90 minutes. You'll have a good time, mostly at the movie's expense. The trailer shows off just how awesomely bad this movie really is. I mean how could you not want to watch this:
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
You may know her from...
In a recent post I wrote about some of my favorite roles for Anthony Perkins, Sterling Hayden, and Walter Matthau, three actors whose most well-known roles defined their on-screen personas. Now, since I am an equal opportunity blogger, I've chosen some lesser-known, but memorable, performances by three actresses.
Julie Andrews is known to any movie fan as a lovely songbird/nanny/governess/nun, or for the younger generation, a secretly-wished-for grandmother. However, in the musical biography Star! (1968), she plays legendary stage actress Gertrude Lawrence, not a woman to whom you would entrust your children. Her acrobatic musical routine "Jenny," done in a jewel-encrusted jumpsuit (those can't be mere sequins!) on a circus-themed set, is a true highlight. This film is one of the last big-budget studio musical extravaganzas. Unfortunately, it was not a hit at the time of its release and is often cited as one of the expensive failures which bankrupted the Twentieth Century Fox studio. Nevertheless, Julie Andrews will blow you away with her tour de force performance! At nearly three hours, Star! isn't shown on television very often, but it is available on DVD and worth renting (or owning).
In recent years, Shirley MacLaine has specialized in acerbic grandmother roles (Rumor Has It, In Her Shoes). But as a young actress, MacLaine played women who were plucky, yet vulnerable, and often someone who had suffered her share of hard knocks (The Apartment, Some Came Running, Sweet Charity). Her role in the caper comedy Gambit (1966) wasn't really a departure from this type of character, but I'm mentioning it here because I think it's a film that's been largely forgotten. I discovered this film, which also stars Michael Caine, late one night on TCM. I love a good heist film, and this one has a great twist right at the beginning. According to IMDB.com, this film might get remade by the Coen Brothers; hopefully the remake will spur a DVD release of the original.
Sometimes fate is cruel and the role for which you remember an actress isn't exactly her best work. Therefore, I suspect the reason I've never warmed toward Faye Dunaway is that my first memory of her is as the wicked Selena in Supergirl (1984). She was a frightening sorceress who lured men to her lair inside a haunted house in order to have them do her bidding - it was all too scandalous for my young self! So, it is hard for me to be objective no matter what role Dunaway plays. The Thomas Crown Affair? Scary - possibly due to her bizarre late-60s hair and nails. Bonnie and Clyde? She got what she deserved. Network? No surprise, actually sort of evil. Despite a reputation as one of the worst entries in the Superman franchise, Supergirl does have some fans (if the IMDB.com message boards are to be believed) and a double disc DVD was released a few years ago.
Julie Andrews is known to any movie fan as a lovely songbird/nanny/governess/nun, or for the younger generation, a secretly-wished-for grandmother. However, in the musical biography Star! (1968), she plays legendary stage actress Gertrude Lawrence, not a woman to whom you would entrust your children. Her acrobatic musical routine "Jenny," done in a jewel-encrusted jumpsuit (those can't be mere sequins!) on a circus-themed set, is a true highlight. This film is one of the last big-budget studio musical extravaganzas. Unfortunately, it was not a hit at the time of its release and is often cited as one of the expensive failures which bankrupted the Twentieth Century Fox studio. Nevertheless, Julie Andrews will blow you away with her tour de force performance! At nearly three hours, Star! isn't shown on television very often, but it is available on DVD and worth renting (or owning).
In recent years, Shirley MacLaine has specialized in acerbic grandmother roles (Rumor Has It, In Her Shoes). But as a young actress, MacLaine played women who were plucky, yet vulnerable, and often someone who had suffered her share of hard knocks (The Apartment, Some Came Running, Sweet Charity). Her role in the caper comedy Gambit (1966) wasn't really a departure from this type of character, but I'm mentioning it here because I think it's a film that's been largely forgotten. I discovered this film, which also stars Michael Caine, late one night on TCM. I love a good heist film, and this one has a great twist right at the beginning. According to IMDB.com, this film might get remade by the Coen Brothers; hopefully the remake will spur a DVD release of the original.
Sometimes fate is cruel and the role for which you remember an actress isn't exactly her best work. Therefore, I suspect the reason I've never warmed toward Faye Dunaway is that my first memory of her is as the wicked Selena in Supergirl (1984). She was a frightening sorceress who lured men to her lair inside a haunted house in order to have them do her bidding - it was all too scandalous for my young self! So, it is hard for me to be objective no matter what role Dunaway plays. The Thomas Crown Affair? Scary - possibly due to her bizarre late-60s hair and nails. Bonnie and Clyde? She got what she deserved. Network? No surprise, actually sort of evil. Despite a reputation as one of the worst entries in the Superman franchise, Supergirl does have some fans (if the IMDB.com message boards are to be believed) and a double disc DVD was released a few years ago.Sunday, August 1, 2010
Classic Movie Picks: August
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.)
August is a special month on TCM, this is now the eighth year of the month-long "Summer Under the Stars" marathon in which each day's programming is devoted to a single actor or actress. In order not to avoid playing favorites with the featured stars, I've chosen one film for each day of the month!
8/1: Basil Rathbone
8 PM - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) - Sherlock Holmes is definitely Rathbone's most iconic role and he is wonderful as the great detective.
8/2: Julie Christie
12 AM - Petulia (1968)
8/3: Steve McQueen
10:15 AM - The Honeymoon Machine (1961) - This is early McQueen, before he earned a reputation as the "essence of cool," in a zany comedy with the always delightful Jim Hutton and Paula Prentiss - looks like alot of fun!
8/4: Ethel Barrymore
5:45 PM - The Story of Three Loves (1953)
This anthology film features a great cast, besides Ethel Barrymore who is no slouch herself, as passengers on an ocean liner recalling their great loves. It's a sweet, romantic film which I can't wait to watch again!
8/5: Woody Strode
8 PM - Sergeant Rutledge (1960)
Of all his films, this one was Strode's personal favorite.
8/6: Ingrid Bergman
10 AM - The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)
Another anthology film pick, this time the stories are linked by the titular car. The eclectic cast includes Bergman, Shirey MacLaine, Rex Harrison, Jeanne Moreau, Art Carney, and George C. Scott.
8/7: Errol Flynn
2:30 PM - The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
8/8: Bob Hope
2:30 AM - Critic's Choice (1963) - In this film, Hope is paired with Lucille Ball as a theater critic and actress who are also husband and wife. These two have great chemistry, so they are always a joy to watch together. In my mind Lucy is second only to Bing Crosby among Bob's co-stars.
8/9: Warren Beatty
4 AM - Ishtar (1987)
Why not? I promise it's not as bad as you've heard.
8/10: Kathryn Grayson
8 PM - Show Boat (1951) - This film exemplifies the glorious Technicolor musical!
4 AM - Lovely to Look At (1952) - And for a bonus, here's another musical pairing lovely Kathryn with her favorite on-screen partner, the handsome Howard Keel.
8/11: Walter Matthau
9:45 AM - Fail-Safe (1964) - After I wrote about Matthau recently, several people suggested I watch Fail-Safe to see the serious/sinister side of an actor known more for comedies.
6 PM - Casey's Shadow (1978) - And we're back to good old irascible Matthau, in this film about a family of horse trainers.
August is a special month on TCM, this is now the eighth year of the month-long "Summer Under the Stars" marathon in which each day's programming is devoted to a single actor or actress. In order not to avoid playing favorites with the featured stars, I've chosen one film for each day of the month!
8/1: Basil Rathbone
8 PM - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) - Sherlock Holmes is definitely Rathbone's most iconic role and he is wonderful as the great detective.
8/2: Julie Christie
12 AM - Petulia (1968)
8/3: Steve McQueen
10:15 AM - The Honeymoon Machine (1961) - This is early McQueen, before he earned a reputation as the "essence of cool," in a zany comedy with the always delightful Jim Hutton and Paula Prentiss - looks like alot of fun!
8/4: Ethel Barrymore
5:45 PM - The Story of Three Loves (1953)
This anthology film features a great cast, besides Ethel Barrymore who is no slouch herself, as passengers on an ocean liner recalling their great loves. It's a sweet, romantic film which I can't wait to watch again!
8/5: Woody Strode
8 PM - Sergeant Rutledge (1960)
Of all his films, this one was Strode's personal favorite.
8/6: Ingrid Bergman
10 AM - The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)
Another anthology film pick, this time the stories are linked by the titular car. The eclectic cast includes Bergman, Shirey MacLaine, Rex Harrison, Jeanne Moreau, Art Carney, and George C. Scott.
8/7: Errol Flynn
2:30 PM - The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
8/8: Bob Hope
2:30 AM - Critic's Choice (1963) - In this film, Hope is paired with Lucille Ball as a theater critic and actress who are also husband and wife. These two have great chemistry, so they are always a joy to watch together. In my mind Lucy is second only to Bing Crosby among Bob's co-stars.
8/9: Warren Beatty
4 AM - Ishtar (1987)
Why not? I promise it's not as bad as you've heard.
8/10: Kathryn Grayson
8 PM - Show Boat (1951) - This film exemplifies the glorious Technicolor musical!
4 AM - Lovely to Look At (1952) - And for a bonus, here's another musical pairing lovely Kathryn with her favorite on-screen partner, the handsome Howard Keel.
8/11: Walter Matthau
9:45 AM - Fail-Safe (1964) - After I wrote about Matthau recently, several people suggested I watch Fail-Safe to see the serious/sinister side of an actor known more for comedies.
6 PM - Casey's Shadow (1978) - And we're back to good old irascible Matthau, in this film about a family of horse trainers.
8/12: Norma Shearer
10 PM - Private Lives (1931) - I'll confess that I'm not a particular fan of a Norma Shearer, but she does seem well-cast in this film based on the play of the same name by Noel Coward. I suppose that in the 1930s even a story about a messy divorce could feel like escapism if it takes place on the French Riviera.
8/13: Robert Ryan
1:15 AM - The Wild Bunch (1969)
8/14: Gene Tierney
8 PM - Leave Her To Heaven (1945) - Tierney earned her only Oscar nomination for this film directed by John M. Stahl. It is the height of melodrama, on par with the best of Douglas Sirk, so check your cynicism at the door and enjoy the hysterics.
8/15: Margaret O'Brien
4 AM - Big City (1948) - The plot of this film makes it sound like the original Three Men and a Baby!
8/16: Robert Stack
9:45 PM - The Tarnished Angels (1957)
8/17: Maureen O'Hara
1:45 AM - Our Man in Havana (1960)
8/18: Ann Sheridan
6:15 PM - George Washington Slept Here (1942)
I realize I picked this one last month when it was shown in a series of films starring Terry the terrier. However, I fell asleep while watching it (not the fault of the movie!), so it is on the list again!
8/19: Walter Pidgeon
7:15 AM - The Hot Heiress (1931)
A glance at today's line-up of Walter Pidgeon films revealed several potentially risque film titles (Julia Misbehaves, Man Hunt, Design for Scandal), but The Hot Heiress was by far my favorite.
8/20: Katharine Hepburn
6:15 PM - Keeper of the Flame (1942)
8/21: Paul Newman
5:45 PM - Harper (1966) - Newman is so good here as the titular private eye, it might be my favorite of his performances!
12:30 AM - Rachel, Rachel (1968) - Newman directed this film starring his wife, Joanne Woodward, about the sexual awakening of a shy schoolteacher. Unfortunately for Seinfeld fans, this isn't Rochelle, Rochelle, the immortal tale of a young woman's erotic journey from Moscow to Minsk.
8/22: John Mills
12:15 AM - Hell, Heaven, or Hoboken (1958)
That title...how can I resist?
8/23: Elizabeth Taylor
6 AM - Lassie Come Home (1943)
8/24: John Gilbert
6:30 PM - Downstairs (1932) - "An evil chauffeur seduces and blackmails his way through high society" - why isn't this movie on everyday?
8 PM - The Big Parade (1925) - This film is heralded as one of the greatest films of the silent era, I am really looking forward to it.
8/25: Lauren Bacall
4:30 PM - Designing Woman - (1957)
8/26: Lee Remick
10 AM - Loot (1970)
6 PM - Telefon (1977)
I couldn't decide which one of these sounded stranger, so I picked them both.
8/27: Olivia deHavilland
2 PM - Princess O'Rourke (1943)
Beautiful Olivia as a princess? Perfection.
8/28: Peter O'Toole
10 AM - The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960)
8/29: Henry Fonda
1:45 AM - The Lady Eve (1941)
8/30: Thelma Todd
8 PM - Monkey Business (1931)
8/31: Clint Eastwood
2 AM - Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
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