13 Nights of Shocktober: Hocus Pocus

by A.J.

Happy Halloween! The countdown is over and Halloween is finally upon us. Tonight, hopefully, you'll be relaxing, eating some candy, and watching a scary, or not-so-scary, movie. There are a lot of options for tonight and I hope I've been of some help. Here is my final recommendation to help bring an end to Shocktober:

Night 13: Happy Happy Halloween

“It’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus.”

Hocus Pocus 

You never know which movies will stick around or why. Throughout the 2010's, I and the rest of the staff at Vulcan Video noticed that in October Hocus Pocus rented more and more each year. It is quite peculiar to actually notice as a film grows into a cult classic. There aren’t many horror or horror themed movies that families can watch together on Halloween, so from that perspective it is easy to see why Hocus Pocus has stuck around. Now, 29 years after it flopped at the box office and was panned by critics, this increased popularity led Disney to produce a sequel. I’m skeptical about the new sequel, but I rewatched the original for the first time in years and had a fun silly time. 

Omri Katz plays Max, a teenager whose family just moved to Salem, Massachusetts. He doesn’t like his new town, school, or Halloween. His little sister, Dani (Thora Birch), is very into Halloween and the legend of the Sanderson sisters, three witches who were executed for their crimes against children three hundred years ago. On Halloween night, in an attempt to impress Allison (Vinessa Shaw), who he has a crush on, Max takes Dani to the old Sanderson sisters’ house, which Allison’s parents now own. Wouldn’t you know it, Max accidentally summons the Sanderson sisters back from beyond and it’s up to the kids to stop the witch sisters from stealing the souls of the children of Salem. 

The highlight of the movie is of course the Sanderson sisters: Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy). They are over the top and hamming it up and it is great. Winifred is the leader and frustrated by her bumbling, clueless sisters, though she is not much more competent. The actresses have great chemistry together and of course you wish there were more scenes of them (I suppose this sentiment helps explain the sequel). The scene where they think they meet the devil (actually just Gary Marshall, in an uncredited cameo, in a Halloween costume) is very funny. Of course, there is a musical number where Bette Midler sings “I Put a Spell on You” as she puts a spell on the parents of the town to keep them dancing all night at the town hall. This scene is a great example of how the movie can be hokey and silly but still entertaining.

The Salem, Massachusetts presented here is a movie version of Salem, lacking the very real historical baggage of the infamous and tragic witch trials. Everything about this movie is very broad and not meant to be taken seriously, so the Salem setting does not feel as irresponsible as it could have been, but it also could have been set in a fictional town. 

Most of the special effects hold up well, the witches flying on their brooms, or Kathy Najimy flying on a vacuum cleaner look pretty good. There is a talking black cat named Binx, who is actually Thakery Binx, a teenage boy the Sanderson sisters cursed to live forever as a cat with the guilt of failing to save his sister from them. In certain shots the talking cat effects look better than in others. Doug Jones, who would go on to work with Guillermo Del Toro as Fauno/Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth and the amphibian man in The Shape of Water, plays Billy Butcherson, a reanimated corpse with his mouth sewn shut. For most of the movie the witches are chasing the kids and trying to get back their book of spells, which has a large blinking eye. It is not a big effect but it is a nice touch. 

Of course, nostalgia plays a factor in the enduring and still growing popularity of Hocus Pocus, but perhaps it has also stuck around because it is ridiculous Halloween fun. Parents can watch it with kids, kids can watch it on their own, you can have it playing in the background of a Halloween party, or you can grab some candy and unwind with a fun, stress free Halloween movie. Hocus Pocus was released in theaters during the summer, perhaps one of the reasons it flopped at the box office, but now it is where it belongs, as a part of Halloween. 

Classic Movie Picks: March 2017

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.)

3/2, 11 PM - What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
I'm sure that many classic movie fans are intrigued by the new TV mini series Feud: Bette and Joan, centered on the tumultuous relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford during the filming of Baby Jane. Feud, starring Susan Sarandon as Davis and Jessica Lange as Crawford, premieres March 5, so this is the perfect chance to see the film at the center of the series. 
Davis and Crawford play sisters, Jane and Blanche, who both went into acting and now live together in a decaying Hollywood mansion. While Jane achieved early success as a child star ("Baby Jane"), Blanche eventually surpassed her sister and achieved stardom and respect as an adult. After Blanche is paralyzed in a car accident, she is left in the care of the increasingly unhinged Jane. The two women engage in a psychological battle as Jane torments Blanche while also entertaining hopes of reviving her stardom. 
The success of Baby Jane created a brief sub-genre of "grande dame" horror films, in which a glamorous actress-of-a-certain-age is psychologically and physically terrorized or does the tormenting herself. Notable titles included Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte with Olivia de Havilland and Davis, Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? with Geraldine Page, What's the Matter with Helen? starring Shelley Winters and Debbie Reynolds, and Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? also starring Winters. The genre ran out of steam in the early 70s, or maybe just ran out of questions to use as titles. 
However, my favorite coda to the making of this film came at the Academy Awards in 1963, when Davis was nominated for Best Actress, but Crawford was not. Crawford had contacted all the other nominated women and offered to accept the award on their behalf, should they be unable to attend the ceremony. So, when the Best Actress award was announced for Anne Bancroft, who was in New York at the time, it was a glowing Crawford who ascended the stage to accept the Oscar.

The film will also air on 3/22 as part of the "March Malice" programming series spotlighting villains on film. There are a lot of great films in the line up, from noir to westerns to sci-fi.

3/16, 12 AM - The Incredible Journey (1963)
TCM is opening the Disney Vault this month and has programmed four shorts and six movies themed around the great outdoors. The gem of the group is The Incredible Journey, a live-action film starring animals based on a book by Irish author Sheila Burnford. The main characters are Bodger (an old bull terrier), Tao (a Siamese cat), and Luath (a yellow Labrador Retriever), treasured pets of a family living in the Canadian countryside. When the family must travel to England for the summer, the pets are left on a friend's farm in Ontario. Feeling confused and homesick in their new surroundings, the three animals set off to cross over 200 miles of Canadian wilderness to return to the home they know. Of course along the way they have many adventures including encounters with wild animals - including a lynx, a bear, and a porcupine - as well as humans. The two dogs and cat are not provided with voices (as they are in the 1993 remake Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey), but their journey is narrated by the frequent voice of Disney nature documentaries Rex Allen. Author Burnford found inspiration for the story from her own pets and adopted home in Canada. Pet lovers are sure to see their own furry friends in the three main characters and may find themselves tearing up by the end of this one.

3/17: Irish Heroines
1:45 AM - Ryan's Daughter (1970)
5:15 AM - Little Nellie Kelly (1940)
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, TCM has scheduled a day's worth of films which take place in Ireland or feature Irish characters. I'm interested in these two films which both feature an Irish heroine; however, that's about where the similarities between them end. 
Ryan's Daughter is an epic following in the footsteps of director David Lean's previous three films Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, and A Bridge on the River Kwai. The film is set in a small coastal Irish village during WWI and centers on three characters caught in a love triangle -- a schoolteacher and his wife, played by Robert Mitchum and Sarah Miles, and a young British officer, played by Christopher Jones -- and pulled apart by conflicting loyalties of Irish nationalism and British rule. The screenplay was written by 3-time Oscar winner Robert Bolt with his wife, Miles, in mind for the title role. Lean's knack for showcasing beautiful imagery while also creating intimate character portraits is on full display. Though a hit in the U.K., the Ryan's Daughter was not as popular in the U.S. as Lean's previous films (and Lean would not complete another film for 14 years!). However, it did receive Academy Awards for its cinematography and supporting actor John Mills, as well as nominations for Best Sound and Best Actress for Sarah Miles.

In Little Nellie Kelly Judy Garland plays dual roles as Irish immigrant Nellie Kelly and her daughter, Little Nellie. It's a light musical in which Garland must patch up differences between her father and grandfather, while also finding romance and becoming the toast of Broadway. Along the way she performs "It's a Great Day for the Irish" and a swinging version of "Singin' in the Rain." Though it was adapted from a George M. Cohan stage musical, the film contains only one Cohan song - "Nellie Kelly, I Love You" - sung by Garland's love interest Douglas McPhail. This was one of Garland's first adult roles and in addition to her impressive singing and dancing, she got a chance to show some dramatic chops with a death scene, a birth scene, and her first on-screen romantic kiss. 

3/19: Lesser-Known Lubitsch
8 PM - Cluny Brown (1946)
10 PM -  Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)
Ernst Lubitsch directed over 70 feature films in both his native Germany and, beginning in the 1920s, in Hollywood. In his heyday of the 30s and 40s, Lubitsch was considered one of the top comedy directors in Hollywood and he helmed such classics as Trouble in Paradise, Ninotchka, and The Shop Around the Corner. His ability to find moments of sophisticated grace and visual wit was nicknamed "the Lubitsch Touch."
Cluny Brown was the last completed film directed by Lubitsch. Jennifer Jones stars as the title character, a young woman of humble means with a knack for plumbing. Charles Boyer is her love interest, a poor Czech intellectual living off the hospitality of the British upper crust. The two characters create a commotion as they upend social norms at a country estate. The film satirizes the British aristocracy in the pre-WWII years and though it was a hit with American audiences, the Brits were not amused. (So much so, that English actor Sir C. Aubrey Smith felt the need to apologize to his homeland for appearing in the film.)

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife is not often listed among its director's greatest works, but with talents like Lubitsch, Claudette Colbert, Gary Cooper, David Niven, and Edward Everett Horton (and the list goes on) working together, I'd say even an imperfect film is worth watching. Colbert is one of my favorite actresses and here she is doing what Colbert did better than anyone - wearing fabulous clothes and wittily rejecting the advances of a millionaire. Said millionaire, played by Cooper, has been branded a modern-day "Bluebeard" after being married and divorced seven times, each with a hefty settlement for the ex-wife which is certainly better than what Bluebeard's wives got. Colbert sets out to get the best of this inveterate ladies man by agreeing to marry him, but intending to get a divorce and live comfortably on her own settlement. For those keeping score, I'd say the bit with the pajamas is an example of the Lubitsch touch.

Classic Movie Picks: September 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.)

Cary Grant Deep Cuts
9/4, 8 PM - People Will Talk (1951)
9/11, 10 AM - Mr. Lucky (1943)
Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors and I'm taking the opportunity this month to catch up with two of his lesser known films. In People Will Talk, Grant plays a doctor at a university medical school whose unconventional methods cause alarm among his more conservative colleagues. His problems at work come to a head when he falls in love with a patient, an unwed mother who attempts suicide (Jeanne Crain), while also facing charges of misconduct from his university's board. Because the film features topics like single motherhood, suicide, and abortion, it faced opposition from censors; however, the producers felt that Grant would give the film an air of moral uprightness which would override any disapproval of those taboo topics. Which is kind of ironic since many of Grant's early roles were cads and connivers (such as in Sylvia Scarlett and Topper), characters which he always seemed to relish more than the upstanding leading man types. In the wartime romance Mr. Lucky, Grant is far from morally upright as the scheming owner of a gambling ship. Though he is changed for the better when he falls for an altruistic heiress (Laraine Day) who is raising funds for war relief. So, I guess in the end he's not so bad after all.

Salute to Slapstick
9/7, 9:15 PM - A Dog's Life (1918)
9/14, 12:45 AM - The Inspector General (1949)
9/28, 1:15 AM - Strange Brew (1983)
TCM has scheduled a month-long salute to slapstick comedy throughout film history. You can get the full schedule here, but I've selected three films spanning from the silent era to the 1980s, proving that some gags never stop being funny. 
In A Dog's Life, Charlie Chaplin, as his Little Tramp character, takes in a stray after saving it from a pack of attacking dogs. As in many of the Little Tramp stories, he also meets a pretty girl who is down on her luck and uses comedy to depict the struggle of poverty. Chaplin is said to have auditioned a dachshund, Pomeranian, poodle, Boston terrier, and bulldog before deciding that a mutt would best fit the part. The dog co-star "Mutt" was adopted by Chaplin and spent the rest of his life at the star's studio; so, this dog's life was a sweet one.
Danny Kaye's vocal and physical dexterity are put through their paces in The Inspector General, in which Kaye stars as Georgi, an illiterate peasant mistakened for the titular agent of Emperor Napoleon sent to uncover corruption in a Hungarian village. The naive Georgi soon finds himself in over his head as villagers alternately beg for his help, offer bribes, and even plan his assassination. If you are a fan of Kaye, this is a must-see.
In Strange Brew, a uniquely Canadian riff on Hamlet, brothers Bob and Doug Mackenzie (Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis) help a young woman reclaim control of her family brewery. Along the way, they must face off against an army of hockey goons, space age super lasers, and a shady brewmeister played by Max von Sydow. At the time, the Mackenzie Brothers were popular characters from the SCTV sketch comedy show and Moranis and Thomas's comedy album, Great White North. It's considered a classic of the so-stupid-it's-funny brand of comedy, while also being a decent interpretation of Shakespeare's play.

Midnight in the Disney Vault
9/8, 4:15 AM - Midnight Madness (1980)
This month brings another trip into the Disney Vault hosted by film critic and Disney historian Leonard Maltin. The line-up contains 6 features and 2 shorts, including classic kid flick Treasure Island. You can see the full schedule here. I'm particularly interested in Midnight Madness, a live-action feature aimed at a slightly older audience than Disney's usual kiddie fare (rated PG!). The story follows teams of college students competing in an all-night scavenger hunt with Los Angeles as the game board. It's an "into the night" story meets wacky race in the tradition of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and The Great Race, and perhaps the first (and only) Disney film to include an extended sequence at the Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery. It was the first film for David Naughton (then famous for the "I'm a Pepper" Dr. Pepper ad campaign) as the Yellow Team Leader, as well as Michael J. Fox playing Naughton's younger brother. Also, look for Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-Wee Herman, in a small part. 

9/29, 8 AM - Adventure (1945)
Adventure was promoted relentlessly with the outstanding tagline: "Gable's back and Garson's got him!" The line was referring to the fact that former "King of Hollywood" Clark Gable was returning to the screen after several years away due to the untimely death of his wife, Carole Lombard, followed by two years of WWII service in the Army Air Corps and a vow not to act until the war in Europe ended. His comeback vehicle was this dramatic romance (not a straightforward adventure story as the title might lead you to believe) about a hard-living merchant marine who finds true love with a straitlaced librarian. Cast as the librarian was Greer Garson, the current Queen of Hollywood. She had made a name for herself in several hits while Gable was away, including the wartime drama Mrs. Miniver, for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. 
In an interesting bit of trivia, Garson's first film was 1939's Goodbye, Mr. Chips, opposite Robert Donat; he would notably go on to win that year's Best Actor Oscar, beating out Gable's iconic performance as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind. Donat gives a great performance as mild-mannered school teacher Mr. Chipping, which is elevated in large part by Garson's effervescent presence as his beloved Mrs. Chipping. 
The two stars of Adventure apparently did not get along - it was a classic clash of opposites, not unlike their characters in the film. However, they both agreed that they hated the tagline and ad campaign. According to one Gable biography, "Clark hated being called 'Gable,' hated being 'got' by Garson, and hated the repetition of the slogan." See for yourself if these opposites believably attract.

9/29: Gene Wilder Tribute
8 PM - Role Model: Gene Wilder (2008), with encore at 11:15 PM
9:15 PM - Young Frankenstein (1974)
12:30 AM - Start the Revolution Without Me (1970)
2:15 AM - The Frisco Kid (1979)
4:30 AM - Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
TCM will celebrate the career of the late Gene Wilder with a primetime lineup including his first feature film, an iconic Mel Brooks comedy, and two underseen gems. They will also re-air a TCM original production from 2008, Role Model: Gene Wilder, in which Alec Baldwin interviews Wilder about his life and career. 
Wilder was a versatile actor who, though known for broad comedy, approached each role very seriously and tried to inject his performance with the unexpected - think of his famous entrance as Willie Wonka. He was a wonderful physical comedian and one of the great shouters in cinema history, expertly moving from calm to hysteria in explosive shifts. But he could also convey multitudes through silence, understanding the effect of a well-timed pause and aided by his big expressive eyes. At turns impish and mischievous, gentle and kind, and sometimes a little bit sexy (I can't be the only one who sees it), Wilder's onscreen personas often echoed the sweetness and kindness which were, by all accounts, at the heart of his own personality.
In Wilder's first film, Bonnie and Clyde, he made an impression in a small role as a nervous undertaker. His star turn would come that same year in The Producers directed by Mel Brooks, a role which earned Wilder a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination. His collaboration with Brooks would continue over several films, including Young Frankenstein for which the two men would receive Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. The role of Frederick Frankenstein (it's pronounced Frohn-ken-steen) gives Wilder a chance to showcase not only his comic timing, but a bit of range as the young doctor goes from reluctant heir to full-on mad scientist. 
The historical farce Start the Revolution Without Me gives Wilder a chance to flex his acting muscles in a dual role. In this story inspired by Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, Wilder and Donald Sutherland play two pairs of mismatched twins - that's one Gene and one Donald per set - on opposite sides of the French Revolution. When the twins start getting mistaken for one another, well...hilarity ensues. Another of Wilder's underseen comedies is The Frisco Kid, a "Jewish Western" in which he plays a rabbi who befriends an outlaw (Harrison Ford, fresh off Star Wars) on their way to San Francisco. It's a great role for Wilder, and though the film got mixed reviews at the time his performance was singled out for praise.
And now please enjoy Gene Wilder demonstrating the art of the comedic pause in this clip from Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex...

Classic Film Picks: June 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.)

6/3: Early Billy Wilder
10 PM - Five Graves to Cairo (1943)
12 AM - Double Indemnity (1944)
On Fridays this month, TCM is spotlighting one of my favorite filmmakers: Billy Wilder. Wilder made his Hollywood directing debut with 1942's The Major and the Minor (showing this evening at 8 PM). I'm not a huge fan of this comedy because the plot is just a bit icky -- basically grown-up woman Ginger Rogers pretends to be a child and grown-up man Ray Milland falls in love with her. However, it's not a bad movie and Paramount Studios was impressed enough to let Wilder and his writing partner Charles Brackett produce their next film, which ended up being Five Graves to Cairo. Wilder's second Hollywood film was a departure from his first, Cairo is a WWII spy adventure set in North Africa. Though Franchot Tone was the nominal star of the film, as you can see by the poster, Erich von Stroheim as Field Marshall Rommel came to dominate the film; however, Tone and the rest of the cast, including Anne Baxter and Akim Tamiroff, are all first-rate and make this a fun, engaging adventure. Wilder would soon follow these successes with a definitive film noir, and one of the best movies ever made, Double Indemnity. The story, about an insurance salesman who plots with a femme fatale to bump off her husband, is based on a novel by James M. Cain, but Wilder and Raymond Chandler, author of many a classic crime novel himself, are credited with the superb screenplay. Beautiful black and white cinematography contrasts the sunny California setting with the shadowy realms the characters inhabit. The banter, the look, plus excellent performances by Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson, all combine to make this a classic noir thriller.


Best of '73 or the Importance of Casting
6/14, 4:15 AM - The Last Detail (1973)
6/25, 8 PM - The Sting (1973)
In researching my picks for the month, I read that Jack Nicholson turned down the Robert Redford role in The Sting in order to make The Last Detail. It got me thinking about the importance of casting the right actor in the right role and how changes in casting can change the entire film. In The Last Detail, two Navy lifers, Buddusky (Nicholson) and Mulhall (Otis Young), transport a young sailor (Randy Quaid) to a military prison in another state and along the way befriend their prisoner and try to show him a good time before he gets locked up. Nicholson had originally envisioned that his good friend Rupert Crosse would play Mulhall; however, Crosse became ill and had to back out of the film. Crosse was a higher profile actor than Young, having received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for 1969's The Reivers. While Young does a fine job, I wonder if Nicholson and Crosse's real-life friendship would have brought a different sort of chemistry to their characters'  relationship and given the film more of a buddy-picture vibe. As it is, Nicholson dominates the film and he received his second Best Actor Oscar nomination. The film's profanity-laden script also brought notice for writer Robert Towne, who would collaborate with Nicholson again on 1974's Chinatown, which is considered a career-high for almost everyone involved.
 

The Sting is notable for the chemistry between the two stars, Robert Redford and Paul Newman. It was a re-teaming of the two actors with their Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid director George Roy Hill; and though the story of Depression-era con men bears little similarity to the former film, The Sting feels like an unofficial sequel to Butch. If Nicholson had been cast as Johnny Hooker, we can be certain that Paul Newman would not have taken the role of Henry Gondorff -- originally a much smaller part which was beefed up to capitalize on the Redford/Newman pairing. Yes, the script is excellent...but without Redford and Newman, would The Sting have been so well-received by critics and audiences? The film was named Best Picture at the Academy Awards and it garnered Redford his first, and only, Best Actor nomination. (Which, by the way, is crazy because he was amazing in All is Lost.)

Going further down the rabbit hole...I have to wonder if the success of The Sting influenced Nicholson's decision to make 1975's The Fortune, a now-forgotten film in which Nicholson and Warren Beatty play Jazz-age con men. Despite Nicholson and Beatty's star-power, The Fortune was a million-dollar flop.

One last thought on casting...while watching The Last Detail for the first time, I could not stop thinking that Sam Rockwell would be perfect for the Nicholson role if the film were ever remade. Are you listening, Hollywood? You can have that one for free because I just really want to see a remake of The Last Detail starring Sam Rockwell.


6/18: Adapting Jane Austen
8 PM - Pride and Prejudice (1940)
10:15 PM - Persuasion (1995)
I recently saw Love & Friendship, the latest film by writer-director Whit Stillman, which is adapted from the Jane Austen short story Lady Susan. It's delightful and very funny -- a wonderful confluence of one of my favorite contemporary filmmakers and one of my favorite classic authors -- and it has put me in the mood for more Austen adaptations. The 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice isn't strictly faithful to the novel; however, Greer Garson is lovely and spirited as Lizzie Bennet and Laurence Olivier is appropriately smoldering as Mr. Darcy. Though the novel is set in Regency England (late 1700s-early 1800s), the time period in the film has been moved forward to the Victorian 1830s, possibly so that the women could wear big, flouncy gowns rather than the nightgown-like Regency dresses. (I read one article which claimed that MGM didn't want to spend a lot of money on this film, so they repurposed costumes from Gone with the Wind for the background players.) Even more anachronistic (and barely accurate) is the film's promotional tagline: Bachelors Beware! Five Gorgeous Beauties are on a Madcap Manhunt!
Persuasion has not been adapted as frequently as Pride, so while I have read the novel I have not seen a screen version. The story centers on Anne Elliot, played by Amanda Root, who in age and character may be Austen's most mature heroine. Resigned to a life as an old maid in her late twenties, Anne gets a second chance at love when an old flame re-enters her life. The love interest is played by Ciaran Hinds who audiences may recognize for his more recent roles in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Game of Thrones, and Rome.

6/28: Disney Vault Treasures
8 PM - The Parent Trap (1961)
11 PM - Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)
1:15 AM - An Adventure in Color/Donald in Mathmagic Land (1961)
This is the seventh installment of TCM's series "Treasures from the Disney Vault" including feature films, cartoons, and documentaries. I always enjoy these periodic dips into the extensive Disney library of films and TV shows, but this month feels especially like a trip back to my childhood. The Parent Trap was made twenty years before I was born, but it seemed ubiquitous when I was growing up and its continued popularity spawned two tv-movie sequels in the 80s. Of course I was surprised to learn that twins Sharon and Susan were both played by one actress (I was a kid, ok!). The trick camera work used to show both twins side by side holds up pretty well, and Hayley Mills does a great job of giving each girl a distinct personality. It's pretty hard not to be charmed by this film.
Waking Sleeping Beauty is a documentary about Disney's animation studio which went from the brink of shutting down in the early 80s to producing a string of hits over the decade between 1984 and 1994, now known as the "Disney Renaissance." I grew up on classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King, so it's fun for me to see the stories behind the scenes. If you are a fan of animation or like showbiz documentaries, this one is a must-see.
The real treasures of this bunch are the two cartoons Adventure in Color and Donald in Mathmagic Land, which were shown together on the first episode of the TV show Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. As the name of the show implies, these were the first Disney cartoons to be shown on television in color (of course you had to have a color television to appreciate it). New character Ludwig von Drake explains color then Donald Duck learns the ways that math affects everything from making music to playing pool. As the comments on its entry in the unofficial Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts reflect, this cartoon has been an essential educational tool for many a youngster. It should be required viewing in elementary school.

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: December 2015

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.)

Sinatra Sings!
12/2, 8 PM - Frank Sinatra -- A Man and His Music (1965)
12/9, 8 PM - Sinatra Sings (2011)
12/16, 8 PM - Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes is Back (1973)
12/23, 8 PM - Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank (1957)
12/30, 8 PM - Sinatra (1969)
Frank Sinatra is TCM's Star of the Month for December and they'll be showing his films each Wednesday - from the effervescent MGM Musicals like Anchors Aweigh and On the Town, to gritty dramas including The Man with the Golden Arm and The Detective, to his capers with the Rat Pack in Ocean's Eleven and Robin and the Seven Hoods, even his Oscar-winning turn as Maggio in From Here to Eternity. But the real treat, in my opinion, will be hearing Frank sing in the five TV specials they've included in the line-up. 

Whether you agree that he's the greatest singer of the 20th Century, or just in the top five, it's hard to deny the quality of his voice and his ability to interpret a song. That heavenly croon and charismatic presence, plus those twinkly blue eyes, made Sinatra the most popular singer in the country during WWII...with young women especially. (At the same time he was hated by American men, who saw him as a draft dodger hanging around the homefront stealing their women.) However, these specials show Frank after his teen idol phase, in full "Chairman of the Board" mode singing songs that have become standards. As a holiday treat, there's even Frank with his idol Bing Crosby singing Christmas songs! 

If you're interested in learning more about Sinatra's career, I highly recommend two episodes of the "You Must Remember This" podcast: episode 41 about Sinatra's rise to fame in the 1940s and episode 2 about his epic and weird triple album "Trilogy: Past, Present, and Future." 


12/17: Once More into the Disney Vault
Film critic Leonard Maltin hosts this evening of 5 movies and 4 shorts, many with a "winter" theme, dating from 1934 to 1983. I've really been enjoying these periodic peeks into the vault because the programming highlights the variety and depth of the Disney Studios output, particularly during the 50s and beyond when they were producing animated features and shorts, live-action films, documentaries, and television specials.

8 PM - So Dear to My Heart (1948)
Burl Ives, Beulah Bondi, and Bobby Driscoll star in this film about a farming family who adopts a black lamb. I haven't seen it, but I predict that Burl will break into song at some point.

9:30 PM - Rescue Dog (1947)
The Grasshopper and the Ants (1934)
Corn Chips (1951)
Three wintry animated shorts starring Pluto and a playful seal, some insects preparing (or not) for winter, and Donald Duck with Chip and Dale.

10 PM - Babes in Toyland (1961)
I enjoyed this film when I was a kid, and I think that it's really meant for an audience of children - adults may find it too cutesy. However, the costumes and score were nominated for Academy Awards, reflecting the high level of quality which was brought to all Disney productions. Former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello stars with Tommy Sands (who I always thought was Annette's Beach Party costar Frankie Avalon) as residents of Toyland and the plot revolves around whether they'll be able to marry as the evil Ray Bolger throws obstacles in their path to the altar.

12 AM - Never Cry Wolf (1983)
Far, far from Toyland, Charles Martin Smith stars as a biologist sent alone up to the Yukon to study wolves and their impact on the caribou population. Filmed in Alaska, this movie is praised for its beautiful visuals including scenes of the native wildlife. 

2 AM - White Wilderness (1958)
One of Disney's famous "true-life adventures," this film spotlights Arctic wildlife. It won the 1958  Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

3:30 AM - Polar Trappers (1938)
Back to cartoons with Donald and Goofy in their first short together without Mickey.

3:45 AM - The Island at the Top of the World (1974)
End the evening with this adventure tale about a Victorian Englishman who discovers a lost civilization of Vikings in the Arctic.


12/18 - Christmas with Criminals
8 PM - I'll Be Seeing You (1944) [also showing 12/25, 12:30 PM]
11:30 PM - Remember the Night (1940)
If you're looking for new movies to add to your usual Christmas line-up, consider the mini-genre of holiday love stories between a strait-laced guy and a wayward gal. Two films in this category (actually, the only two I'm aware of) are showing tonight! 

In I'll Be Seeing You, Joseph Cotten is a shell-shocked soldier on leave from WWII who meets Ginger Rogers on a train. She's also on leave, but from prison where she's serving a sentence for manslaughter (it was an accident though!). A few days spent celebrating the holiday with Ginger's family brings the two lost souls closer together.

Remember the Night casts Fred MacMurray as a District Attorney who feels sorry for accused shoplifter Barbara Stanwyck. Rather then letting her spend Christmas in jail, he bails her out and brings her home with him and the two are brought closer together...you know how it goes.


BONUS PICK: 12/5, 3:45 AM - Haxan (1922)
If you aren't into the warm and fuzzies going around during the holiday season, here is an antidote -- a bizarre silent film about witchcraft through the ages.

As my blogging partner put it in his recommendation of Haxan last Halloween:
"It’s one of those movies that you’ll want to watch with someone so there’s another witness to the crazy, bizarre, spooky, and oddly funny scenes that make up this silent movie. Haxan is a truly unique film: part documentary, part history lesson, part folklore study, part 'reenactment' of witchcraft confessions, and part social commentary."

This film has everything: medieval depictions of witches and demons, trial and torture of those accused of witchcraft, a Witches' Sabbath ritual, and, of course, Satan himself churning butter (what else?). The weird juxtaposition of the disturbing and ridiculous makes this an oddly funny film, despite the filmmaker's intentions to horrify. And it may horrify you, too; there's a lot of weird stuff here! Whether humorous or horrible, Haxan is the total opposite of the typical holiday film.

Classic Movie Picks: October 2015

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.)

Spotlight on Women Filmmakers
This month TCM kicks off a three-year initiative to shine a spotlight on women in film while raising awareness of the lack of gender equality in the industry. October's festival focuses on directors from the early days of cinema through to the current generation of trailblazing women. 47 women directors will be profiled over 9 nights. There is a lot to choose from, so check out the full schedule online. Here are some of the films I'm looking forward to from the series: 

10/6, 8 PM - Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) dir. Dorothy Arzner
10/13, 8 PM - Crossing Delancey (1988) dir. Joan Micklin Silver
10/13, 11:45 PM - A Dry White Season (1989) dir. Euzhan Palcy
10/15, 11:30 PM - The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter (1980) dir. Connie Field
10/22, 9:45 PM - Daughters of the Dust (1991) dir. Julie Dash
10/22, 1:30 AM - Middle of Nowhere (2012) dir. Ava Duvernay
10/27, 11:15 PM - Salaam Bombay! (1988) dir. Mira Nair
10/29, 10 PM - Walking and Talking (1996) dir. Nicole Holofcener


Decline of Western Civilization Parts I, II, and III
10/15, 2:45 AM - Part I (1981)
10/16, 2:30 AM - Part II, The Metal Years (1988)
10/24, 2:45 AM - Part III (1998)
This documentary trilogy directed by Penelope Spheeris chronicles music subcultures of Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s. Part I, which looks at L.A.'s thriving punk scene circa 1980, airs on October 15 as part of a night devoted to women documentarians. Part II takes up seven years later as the punk scene is being overshadowed by glam metal and Part III looks at a group of homeless young gutter-punks. This year, for the first time, all three films were released as a DVD set; however, you can see them for free this month on TCM - set your DVR!


10/9 - Roving Hands
8 PM - Mad Love (1935)
9:30 PM - The Beast with Five Fingers (1946)
11:15 PM - Hands of a Stranger (1967)
Mad Love and Hands of a Stranger were inspired by the same source material, the 1920 novel Les Mains d'Orlac. In fact, the novel has spawned at least five film adaptations including 1991's Body Parts which until now I knew only as a movie whose VHS cover I would try to avoid looking at when browsing my local video store. This category of VHS tapes included other 80s-90s horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street, Child's Play, and Monkey Shines -- and I haven't watched any of these films to this day. However, the films in tonight's line-up have just the level of horror that I can handle.
In Mad Love, Peter Lorre plays a mad doctor who gives a pianist a hand transplant. The hands happen to be from an executed murderer and they exert an evil influence over their new body. Hands of a Stranger, reverses the sympathies of the story, with the doctor having noble intentions and the pianist as the crazed maniac. Beast with Five Fingers has Lorre again, this time being stalked by the severed hands of his former employer, an ex-concert pianist. (Note: beware concert pianists who've undergone any type of hand surgery!) 

Bonus Pick: 10/31, 3 PM - The Tingler (1959)
This is one of my favorite low-budget horror films from a king of the genre, producer/director William Castle. The premise, which revolves around a lobster-esque monster which feeds on fear, is ridiculous enough to remove any terror. However, there are some moments of real tension and star Vincent Price is excellent, as usual. 

10/18: Silent Lost and Found
8 PM - The Grim Game (1919)
9:30 PM - Sherlock Holmes (1916)
11:45 PM - The Grim Game (1919)
1:15 AM - The Round-Up (1920)
2:30 AM - The Life of the Party (1920)
Tonight's line-up features four silent films once thought to be lost. The Grim Game stars escape artist and illusionist Harry Houdini as a wrongly imprisoned man who must escape (surprise!) in order to save his fiancee. The two showings tonight feature alternate scores; at 8 PM, you'll hear music by Brane Zivkovic and the later version will have music by Steve Sterner. The other films tonight include a Sherlock Holmes story and two features from 1920 starring Fatty Arbuckle. Should be a treat for silent film enthusiasts.


10/28: Semi-Spooky Selections from the Disney Vault
8 PM - The Three Little Pigs (1933)
8:15 PM - The Big Bad Wolf (1934)
8:30 PM - Three Little Wolves (1936)
Three Silly Symphonies shorts featuring the Three Little Pigs and their wolfish nemesis.

8:45 PM - The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
Animated adventures of characters from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Wind and the Willows, featuring the voices of Bing Crosby and Basil Rathbone. 

10 PM - The Old Mill (1937)
Oscar-winning animated short about a community of animals inhabiting an abandoned mill threatened by a severe storm.

10:15 PM - The Plausible Impossible (1956)
Episode of the Disneyland TV show in which Walt Disney explains how animation can make the impossible "real."

11:15 PM - Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)
5 AM - Return From Witch Mountain (1978)
Popular live-action film about supernatural siblings on the run from an unscrupulous millionaire (Ray Milland) and the sequel in which the kids must escape the clutches of  maniacs out to rule the world (Christopher Lee & Bette Davis).

1 AM - Lonesome Ghosts (1937)
Mickey Mouse short which proves that Mickey was ghost hunting before it was cool.

1:15 AM - Frankenweenie (1984)
An early short film by Tim Burton about a boy scientist who brings his dog back to life.

2 AM - Mr. Boogedy (1986)
3 AM - The Ghosts of Buxley Hall (1980)
Two made-for-TV movies about hauntings at a family home and military academy, respectively.