Classic Movie Picks: December

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

12/6, 8 PM & 11 PM - A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas (2011)
This new TCM documentary is all about iconic holiday films. The Night at the Movies series offers the standard fare of film clips mixed with interviews, but there are always interesting bits of trivia that make these hour-long docs worth a look.
BONUS: TCM has scheduled 30 holiday-themed films this month and you probably haven't seen them all, so why not tune in on December 6, 13, 16, 20, 24, and 25 for a little Christmas spirit!

12/10: Directed by Edward Dmytryk
8 PM - The Caine Mutiny (1954)
10:15 PM - Obsession (1949)
12 AM - Back to Bataan (1945)
1:45 AM - The End of the Affair (1955)
3:45 AM - Till the End of Time (1946)

Edward Dmytryk worked his way up through the studio system from messenger boy to editor at Paramount, and eventually directed films for Monogram, Columbia, and RKO. As one of the Hollywood Ten, Dmytryk was blacklisted for his connections to the Communist Party and imprisoned for 6 months on the charge of contempt of Congress. After a brief exile in England, he went before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1951, and agreed to name names. His testimony made him a controversial figure, but he continued to work directing studio films for 20 more years. Tonight's line-up features two pre-HUAC war films (Back to Bataan, Till the End of Time), one psycho-noir made in England (Obsession), and two of his high-profile post-blacklist efforts (The Caine Mutiny, The End of the Affair).

Till the End of Time has particular significance for Dmytryk since it was on this film that he met his second wife, actress Jean Porter. Though they were married until Dmytryk's death in 1999, the union had an unfortunate effect on her career - because their romance began while Dmytryk was still legally married to his first wife, MGM punished Porter by refusing to hire her again. Despite the controversy that surrounded him, Dmytryk was a skilled director whose films are worth watching.

12/13, 11:45 PM - The Great Rupert (1950)
Jimmy Durante and Terry Moore star in this film about a poor family who receives a little help from above - in the form of a squirrel named Rupert. It is a cute, holiday film which young children (and, of course, the young-at-heart) will especially enjoy.

The 12/13 showing is part of TCM's Christmas programming, but this film is also playing on 12/3 at 9 AM.

12/22, 8 PM - On the Case with Nick and Nora!
I'm especially looking forward to the early Christmas gift of all six films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as amateur detectives Nick and Nora Charles. The first, The Thin Man, is probably the best, but all these films are worth watching for the great interplay between Loy and Powell.
BONUS: Star of the Month William Powell is featured every Thursday in December. I always enjoy his mix of wit and style, with a generous dollop of broad comedy, but never more than when he's paired with the delightful Myrna Loy. Including the Thin Man films, Powell and Loy appeared onscreen together 14 times - and you can see seven of their collaborations starting at 8 PM on 12/29 and extending into the next morning!

12/27, 1:15 AM - Daleks -- Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1967)

Attention Whovians! Fans of Dr. Who may enjoy this film which is loosely based on the British TV series, if only to spot the changes made to the characters during the translation from small screen to big screen. Peter Cushing plays a human doctor named Who, not an alien Time Lord as on TV, traveling through time with his granddaughter, niece, and a London policeman to thwart an invasion by the dastardly Daleks.

Happy Holidays!

A Filmable Feast

by Lani

It's ironic that most films about Thanksgiving, a holiday built around a meal, don't really highlight the food. If the meal is featured at all, it's usually because something went wrong in the kitchen. So in order to properly whet your appetite for Thanksgiving dinner, I will not be suggesting films which take place during the holidays. Instead I've assembled a "filmable feast" of movies in which food and drink are the stars.

But first, to put you in a thankful mood, watch The Good Earth (1937). Even an overcooked turkey will taste better than the dirt soup eaten by Wang and O-Lan as they battle drought, famine, and locusts in rural China.

Okay, at this point you may need a cocktail. I suggest a festive martini with society sleuths Nick and Nora Charles of The Thin Man (1934) or perhaps a White Russian alongside The Dude in The Big Lebowski (1998).

A good meal needs a good wine. If you need proof, just take a trip through Napa Valley with Sideways (2004). In fact, the characters in this film feel that wine is so essential, they often skip the part about the good meal. Pinot noir, the preferred wine of Paul Giamatti's Miles, is actually said to pair well with turkey. And after hearing Miles extol the virtues of pinot for nearly two hours, you'll want to taste what all the fuss is about.

Alright, now that the drinks have been served let's get to the main course. It is impossible to watch Big Night (1996) without wanting to taste the food on screen; this film exists solely to make mouths water. Brothers Primo and Secondo, played by Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci, prepare the feast of a lifetime in anticipation of an appearance by musician Louis Prima at their struggling New Jersey restaurant. The centerpiece of the meal is the timpano, a daunting construction of meat, pasta, cheese, and sauce inside a pastry crust. (In the movie, it takes Primo an entire day to prepare the timpano; however, this Mario Batali recipe lists a much shorter prep time of 1 hour and 5 minutes, so perhaps it is feasible in the real world.) The meal is so heavenly, it inspires a compliment to the chef you may want to use at your Thanksgiving dinner: "This is so f*cking good, I should kill you!"

If the Italian food of Big Night doesn't make you hungry, I don't believe you; however, here are some honorable mentions featuring delicious-looking food spanning many cuisines: Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) - Taiwanese, Tampopo (1985) - Japanese, Babette's Feast (1987) - French, Ratatouille (2007) - cartoon.

And for something sweet to finish the meal, why not Chocolat (2000)? Sure, pumpkin pie may be traditional, but as this film demonstrates, chocolate has the power to unite estranged families--perfect for the holidays! Especially if you've been drinking a lot of pinot noir! You might even feel like swapping your after-dinner coffee for hot cocoa with a pinch of chile.

While thinking about films that showcase food, I struggled to come up with any that featured truly American cuisine, which seemed a shame since Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. But then I was reminded of a scene in Spanglish (2004) in which Adam Sandler makes the most delectable sandwich ever captured on film. Let this scene be your inspiration for the day after Thanksgiving. Yesterday's turkey is today's turkey sandwich!

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the feast!