Classic Movie Picks: March 2016

by Lani

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.)

3/7, 8 PM - The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
This biopic of Renaissance artist Michelangelo kicks-off TCM's month-long spotlight of Art and Artists on film. The film focuses on the painting of the Sistine Chapel and the frequent clashes between the artist (Charlton Heston) and his patron, Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison). An impressive replica of the Sistine Chapel was constructed at Cinecitta film studios in Rome. Large photographs of the real painting were attached to the ceiling, then painted over, to create the simulation of a freshly completed work. Ironically, Michelangelo was primarily a sculptor, a fact which inspired a short documentary "prologue" titled The Artist Who Did Not Want to Paint. Tune in at 7:47 PM to catch the short before the feature!

3/9: Selections from the Disney Vault
I've really enjoyed TCM's ongoing installments of "Treasures from the Disney Vault" hosted by Leonard Maltin. Martin is an enthusiastic fan and his host segments offer interesting insights into the animated shorts, features, and documentaries, many of which are TCM premieres and can't be seen anywhere else. This month's line-up has a watery theme, with many of the films taking place at sea or near the water. (Hmm, any coincidence that Finding Dory is coming to theaters soon?) 

8 PM - The Whalers (1938) / Sea Scouts (1939) 
Two cartoons featuring Donald Duck

8:30 PM - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Originally planned as an animated feature, this adaptation of Jules Verne's classic adventure novel was the first live-action film shot at Disney's Burbank studios. It stars James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre, and Kirk Douglas (as singing sailor Ned Land), as well as a giant squid. It was also the biggest budget film of the time; in fact, it was too expensive to turn a profit. However, Disney was able to parlay the film into a popular TV special (advertising for his new Disneyland theme park) and the movie lived on for decades as a Disneyland attraction. 

10:45 PM - Operation Undersea (1954)
The aforementioned popular TV special about the making of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

11:45 PM - Merbabies (1938)
Silly Symphonies short about baby mermaids (what else?)

12 AM - Secrets of Life (1956)
1:30 AM - Nikki, Wild Dog of the North (1961)
Nikki, "the Malamute Wonder Dog," is separated from his master when their canoe capsizes and must find his way home through the harsh Canadian wilderness.

3 AM - Return to Snowy River (1988)
This sequel to The Man from Snowy River is a romantic adventure set among ranchers in the Australian high country, with star-crossed lovers and plenty of wild horses. 

4:45 AM - Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966)
This updated version of Robinson Crusoe stars Dick Van Dyke as a Navy pilot stranded on a seemingly deserted Pacific island. Of course, he soon encounters an "astrochimp" and a comely Polynesian lady...and hijinks ensue (this will surely sound familiar to fans of Daniel Defoe's classic novel).


3/19, 11 PM - A Man Escaped (1956)
This suspenseful film by director Robert Bresson follows a WWII French Resistance fighter, imprisoned by the Gestapo and condemned to die, who devotes every moment to planning his escape. Bresson is known for his harsh realism (some might even call it punishing). His films are pared down to the very essentials; for example, in A Man Escaped we see and hear only what the prisoner can. For anyone who enjoys prison break stories and their combination of methodical procedure with nail-biting suspense, this film is an essential.


3/26: Classic Stunts
8 PM - The General (1927)
9:30 PM - The Driver (1978)
11:15 PM - Stagecoach (1939)
1 AM - Safety Last! (1923)
Tonight's line-up showcases classic movie stunts from the Silent era to the Seventies.
The General stars Buster Keaton as a confederate engineer racing to save his train from Union spies. One famous scene depicts the train on a collapsing burning bridge; a train was purchased just to destroy, bringing the cost of the stunt to $42,000 (almost $2 million today) and making it the most expensive shot in silent film history.
From trains we go to automobiles with The Driver, famous for its car chases. Ryan O'Neal stars as the title character, who steals cars and acts as a getaway driver for hire, and Bruce Dern is the detective obsessed with catching him. 
Stagecoach stars John Wayne in his breakout role as the Ringo Kid, one of a diverse group of passengers who must race through treacherous Apache country in the title stage. It's like Speed in the wild West! The film contains many impressive stunts by Yakima Canutt, including a scene in which he is dragged beneath galloping horses.
Last, but not least, is Safety Last! the classic silent which features Harold Lloyd's famous stunt in which he dangles from the hands of an enormous clock.

Classic Movie Picks: April 2014

by Lani

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 orTCM.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.)

Happy 20th Anniversary TCM! 
On April 14, 1994, the channel was launched with a ceremony in Times Square and it has been the saving grace of many a cable line-up ever since. It’s certainly the default channel in my house (no surprise there), in fact it’s on right now as I type!

4/7-11: Fan Takeover!

The daytime schedule this week features films requested by viewers. It’s a bit of a mixed bag; however, by virtue of their making it on the schedule, these films are considered worth a view by somebody out there in TV land. During primetime and late night we’ll get films handpicked by Fan Programmers. The Fans’ picks include some of my favorites like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Philadelphia Story (1940), as well as some I’ve never seen, such as Went the Day Well? (1942) and A Man Called Adam (1966) — it’s no coincidence that both of those are TCM premieres. Check out the full schedule here, and be sure to tune in on the dot to hear each fan introduce their film.

BONUS PICK: 4/14, 7 PM - TCM: Twenty Classic Moments (2014)

Take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the past twenty years.

4/10, 4:15 AM - Lola (1961)

This first feature by French director Jacques Demy stars Anouk Aimee as the title character, a cabaret entertainer in Nantes caught in a love triangle. Demy dedicated this film to director Max Ophuls, whose influence is apparent not only in the swirling camera work, but also in the title character who was surely named for Ophuls’ masterpiece Lola Montes (airing on 4/20, 2:00 AM). I really enjoy Demy’s bittersweet valentines to the Technicolor musical — The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort — so I’m interested to see what came before those films.

4/16: A Proper Butling

8 PM - The Remains of the Day (1993)

3:30 AM - English Without Tears (1944)

If you are experiencing Downtown Abbey withdrawal, here are two films featuring Brits with stiff upper lips to help you cope. Tonight’s schedule is devoted to butlers on screen, but I think these two in particular make a nice double feature because they are both about people adapting to societal changes in England following WWII, as well as love that crosses lines of duty and class.

4/20, 12 AM - Spione/Spies (1928)

This silent film from German director Fritz Lang is a pulpy thriller about super-spy Haghi, who oversees an international spy network from his headquarters beneath a bank. Like many imports of the era, including Lang’s Metropolis, Spione was edited severely for the U.S. market. The original cut was unavailable until 2004; I believe TCM is showing the restored version.

¿Quien es mas macho? Heston vs. Wayne

This month TCM spotlights two of Hollywood’s all-time macho men: Charlton Heston and John Wayne. It’s the Duke’s low drawl versus Heston’s clenched growl. Six guns versus frequent shirtlessness. April will be cloaked in a manly musk; breathe in at your own risk!

4/4, 9:30 PM - The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)

4/4, 4:45 PM - Skyjacked (1972)

Heston is being honored this month with his own U.S. stamp and in celebration TCM will show 5 of his films on April 4. His wide range as an actor is represented by my two picks from the primetime lineup; however, one constant through all his films is that he’s very entertaining when squaring off against an adversary. In the epic drama Agony, Heston is Michelangelo, locked in a tug of war with Rex Harrison’s Pope Julius II over the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In disaster-thriller Skyjacked, he’s the captain of an airliner terrorized by a hijacker bound for Moscow.

4/22, 8 PM - Stagecoach (1939)

4/23, 12:30 PM - The Quiet Man (1952)

Wayne is the official Star of the Month and his films will take over the schedule April 21-25. The mini-festival was programmed by Robert Osborne -- 58 movies in total. There is a lot to choose from here, but I’ve selected two films directed by Wayne’s great collaborator John Ford. Stagecoach is Wayne in classic cowboy mode aboard the eponymous coach on a perilous ride through Apache country. In The Quiet Man, Wayne tries to be more of a lover than a fighter as a former boxer with a hidden past, but when playing opposite the fiery Maureen O’Hara he finds it difficult to keep his cool. 

Roland Emmerich's grudge against Earth and other cinematic disasters

Roland Emmerich is intent on destroying Earth one way or another - be it global warming, alien invasion, or Mayan prophecy. The latest bit of evidence in my case against Emmerich is the trailer for his new film, 2012. In this trailer you can see that while Emmerich hates planet Earth in general, he reserves a particular hatred toward international landmarks.

The mid 1990s resurgence of the disaster film feels like it has never completely gone away, with Roland Emmerich carrying the torch. Of course, I can't really blame him - as CGI keeps getting better, the potential destruction keeps getting more awesome! Just witness the special effects test reel that is the 2012 trailer. However, even with John Cusack attempting to protect a couple of adorable moppets, the film seems pretty soulless and for that reason I'm not really inclined to go see 2012.

If you look back on the disaster film heyday of the 1970s, it is obvious that the evolution of special effects has fundamentally changed the genre. Without the non-stop explosions/tidal waves/disinegration of the Earth's crust, these older films could seem a bit boring to the modern viewer. Large casts of name actors, who each get their own story line, are what drive the films forward rather than visual effects. These films also tend to focus on one major "disaster" and its build-up and/or aftermath, such as the fire in The Towering Inferno (1974) or the capsized ship in The Poseidon Adventure (1972), instead of showing one catastrophe after another.

However, I would definitely recommend checking out some of the classics of the genre. Earthquake (1974) has a definite kitsch appeal, if not just for the chance to see Charlton Heston growl his way across Los Angeles (I believe "GODDAMMIT!" is the opening line of the film.). And, if you've ever been on the Universal Studios tram tour, you have experienced the 8.5 quake depicted in the film - a jolt of such magnitude, not even Heston's renegade cop could stop it!

The Cassandra Crossing (1976) is an interesting, though not completely successful, entry into the genre. The main problem is that the focus switches midway through the film from the threat of a deadly disease to the threat of a train accident. However, I would say it is worth seeing for its odd international cast, including Richard Harris, Sophia Loren, Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Martin Sheen, Alida Valli, and O.J. Simpson.

You can see the 2012 trailer here: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/

Slate.com did an entertaining slide show on disaster films throughout history and the preoccupation with destroying famous landmarks. It has some great video clips, including some impressive footage from the 1933 film Deluge.