Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)
While looking through this month's TCM schedule, I was drawn to several films from the mid-70s and later. This got me wondering -- how old is "old enough" to be considered a classic? 10 years? 20 years? I know there are some purists who define the "classic era" as films made before 1970 (give or take a few years). I'm not so rigid about when a film was made; I prefer to focus on quality. However, I'll admit it's a bit jarring to see a movie from 2008 on the TCM schedule. It's a bit like when "oldies" radio stations started playing Madonna songs: depending on when you were born it might seem completely out of place or perfectly normal (or if you were born in the 80s, it might make you contemplate your mortality).
I've been writing these blogs for a few years now, and I try to keep it fresh by not picking the same films over and over again. So this month, I've decided to pick "new classics" which interest me, the oldest film being from 1976. If you're in the mood for something of a less recent vintage, you might enjoy Star of the Month Cary Grant on Monday nights. You really can't go wrong with The Awful Truth and My Favorite Wife, two slices of perfection with a side of Irene Dunne. Also, check the schedule for this month's Friday Night Spotlight which shines on Charles Walters, a choreographer and director whose name I didn't recognize, but whose films I've enjoyed for years. His speciality seems to be delightful musicals like Summer Stock, High Society, and The Belle of New York. And, of course, TCM will be showing holiday-themed films throughout the month.
12/17: Nastassja Kinski Double Feature
1:15 AM - Tess (1980)
Actress Nastassja Kinski had quite a good run in the late 70s and early 80s, working with several critically-acclaimed directors and making some very unique films such as Cat People, One From the Heart, and tonight's two films. Paris, Texas (a pick from guest programmer, actor Jason Lee), directed by Wim Wenders and written by Sam Shepard, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Harry Dean Stanton stars as a mysterious drifter who attempts to reconnect with the young son and wife (Kinski) he lost years before. The film is notable for Stanton's mostly mute performance and striking visuals of the American Southwest.
Tess is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles directed by Roman Polanski. I was moved by Hardy's book back when it was required reading in high school, and I even like the TV movie from 1998, so I'm interested in seeing how Polanski's version, which is still probably the most high-profile film version, compares. Kinski plays Tess, a naive farm girl in Victorian-era England who attempts to move up in the world and receives mistreatment at the hands of the men who control her fate. The film received Academy Awards for cinematography, art direction, and costumes.
12/25: Mel Brooks Film Parodies
8 PM - High Anxiety (1977)
10 PM - Silent Movie (1976)
This Christmas, TCM offers a prime time line up of Mel Brooks films. I've recommended Brook's films before, and while the humor can be hit-and-miss, I couldn't resist this pair of movie parodies. In High Anxiety, a spoof of suspense thrillers, Brooks plays a psychiatrist who takes over a mental institute after the mysterious death of its director. Fans of Hitchcock should recognize the story which combines plot elements from Spellbound and Vertigo, among other Hitchcock classics. For a slight change of pace from the high volume of High Anxiety, see Silent Movie, a parody of...well, take a guess. While technically a "sound" film, Silent Movie has only one line of dialogue; Brooks uses visual gags, music, and sound effects to get laughs in this story of three filmmakers (Brooks, Dom DeLuise, and Marty Feldman) attempting to make the first silent picture in 40 years.
12/30: Is it "classic" yet?
2:15 AM - Good Will Hunting (1997)
4:30 AM - Doubt (2008)
I was surprised to see Doubt and Good Will Hunting on the TCM schedule, not because they aren't good films, but because they are so recent. It's what got me thinking about how much we factor in the age of a film when declaring it a "classic." I think that in a few decades time, both of these films could easily wear the classic label; though, it feels a bit soon to be seeing them in regular rotation on TCM. However, tonight's programming is a special tribute to notable actors, actresses, and filmmakers we lost in 2014. Good Will Hunting features Robin Williams in his Oscar-winning role as the therapist who helps Matt Damon's Will reach his full potential. It was my favorite film of 1997 and, I think, one of Williams's best roles. Doubt features Philip Seymour Hoffman as a priest who is suspected of abusing a student at the Catholic school overseen by an imposing nun played by Meryl Streep. Writer/director John Patrick Shanley adapted the story from his own play and the strength of this film lies in the strength of the story (it's not as clear cut as you might think) and the performances of Hoffman and Streep, as well as Amy Adams and Viola Davis in smaller roles.
12/31, 5 AM - The Total Balalaika Show (1994)
This hour-long concert film by Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki caps off a New Year's Eve line-up of classic rock films (including one of my personal favorites of any genre, A Hard Day's Night featuring The Beatles). Kaurismaki is known as one of the most interesting filmmakers working today, so his name on the film got my attention. Plus, the film's description intrigues me: "The Leningrad Cowboys, the self-proclaimed World's Worst Rock n' Roll Band, perform with the Red Army Chorus before an audience of 70,000 in Helsinki's Senate Square." Could be a fun way to welcome the new year!
BONUS PICK: Treasures from the Disney Vault, 12/21
TCM and Disney have created a new partnership to show classics from the fabled Disney Vault including animated shorts and features, live action films, nature documentaries, and TV shows. Of course, I love the cartoons, but I also really enjoy the old TV shows like Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. The TCM website says that they'll be showing these several times a year, so I'm looking forward to the next installment in 2015.
8 PM - Santa's Workshop (1932)
On Ice (1935)
Chip An' Dale (1947)
8:30 PM - The Disneyland Story (1954)
9:30 PM - the Reluctant Dragon (1941)
11 PM - Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955)
12:45 AM - The Vanishing Prairie (1954)
2 AM - Third Man on the Mountain (1959)
4 AM - Perilous Assignment (1959)
