Top 10 of 2013 (A.J.'s Picks)

by A.J. 

January and February are the time of year when I get to catch up on the prestige pictures released over the holidays and also watch any major award nominees that I've missed. A few dozen movies later, I've seen enough to make my picks for the best of movies of the past year. 

10. All is Lost

I was skeptical when I heard about a movie about a lone, nameless man lost at sea. Robert Redford plays “Our Man,” the film’s only character. The hull of his yacht has been punctured by a stray shipping container. We watch as his situation becomes bleaker and the sea does everything it can to kill him. We never learn why he is at sea; there are no flashbacks, he gives no monologues. But despite what numerous screenwriting books have told us about backstory, all you need to know about “Our Man” is that he lost and alone but alive and struggling to survive in a place that is as harsh and inhospitable to human life as the surface of the moon. There are intense thrills and heartbreaking moments. While watching this movie, you prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best, just like “Our Man.” 

9. American Hustle

For the past few years director David O. Russell has turned out well-made, well-acted entertaining movies. While I think that Russell is overpraised for his “style” I must admit that when I see his name on a movie now, I know it is one I’m going to watch. I enjoyed American Hustle from start to finish. What makes this movie so good, more than any stylistic flare, is the excellent performances from its two leads: Christian Bale and Amy Adams. They play a team of low level con artists in 1970s New York that get caught up in an FBI sting operation loosely based on the real life sting operation called Ab-scam. Their situation becomes unstable and dangerous as the FBI agent leading the sting, played by Bradley Cooper, proves to be a loose cannon. Though details of the scam do not become any clearer as the film progresses, it never stops being fun and exciting. This film introduces you to low-life, adulterous con artists and by the end of the movie you’re rooting for them. 

8. The World’s End

I was on the fence about watching this movie. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright have done self-aware send ups of genre pictures that are also good genre pictures successfully twice (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), but could they do it again? Yes, they did. The World’s End is about reasonably average friends whose reluctant reunion is interrupted when they find themselves in an end-of-the-world-alien-invasion. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the leads, just like in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but they are not playing the same character types as in those previous films which keeps their performances fresh and interesting. I got so caught up in the lives of these characters that I was disappointed, for a moment, when I thought that the "estranged friends reunite" movie would end once the alien invasion plot began. This was not the case; neither storyline gave way to other. This movie pulls off both stories incredibly well, all while being insanely hilarious. 

7. Frozen 

The best animated film of this year was not from Pixar, but from the Disney Animation Studios. That’s not a big surprise, but it has taken the computer animated Disney movies a while to catch up to the level of quality that has become synonymous with their sister studio Pixar. Adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen story The Snow Queen, Frozen contains all the familiar elements of Disney movies: princesses, magic, a handsome woodsman, and a lovable sidekick. But the makers of this movie have told this story in such a wonderful and different way that it makes all of these things feel new again. The queen-to-be, Elsa, can create snow and ice, a power which she cannot control. She shuts herself away in an ice palace in the wilderness after inadvertently freezing the entire kingdom at her coronation. Her younger sister, Princess Anna, sets out after her. There are villains in this movie, but the story is not about good vs. evil. It is about love vs. fear. One character has to be saved by an act of “true love” and the act that saves her says so much about the creativity that went into this movie. The main characters of this movie are two sisters and while other studios would’ve worried about what that meant for the movie’s “appeal,” Disney knows that if you tell a good story people will watch. 

6. The Heat

Sandra Bullock has unfortunately been in more than few bad comedies, but she’s only as good as the material she has to work with and fortunately The Heat is hilarious material. She plays a straight laced FBI agent working with an eccentric Boston cop played by Melissa McCarthy. It’s a tried and true formula but all the important elements (script, story, characters, jokes, direction) are in place and top notch. There have been a lot of good buddy cop movies, but not so many female buddy cop movies. That the leads are women is the obvious thing separating The Heat from other buddy comedies, but what truly sets this movie apart is its confidence to not care that its leads are women and just let them be funny. 

5. 12 Years a Slave

It is rare for a good film to also be good history. There are many aspects of American slavery and the American slave experience, and to try and cover all of those aspects in a single movie could lead to a lot of scenes and characters shoehorned into the plot and a movie that is more concerned with teaching than with telling a story. 12 Years a Slave is based on the slave narrative of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped into slavery in the 1840’s. Every aspect of slavery and the antebellum south in this movie feels authentic, from the master slave relationships to the way people speak. Steve McQueen directs every scene with thought and care. There are great performances from the whole cast, especially Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon, who despite of all of the suffering and injustice committed against him, keeps alive his hope and his freedom. 

4.  The Place Beyond the Pines

We often hear complaints from critics about the lack of well-written, character-based movies; however, each year a few films step up to the challenge and The Place Beyond the Pines was one of the most deserving of notice. This movie was released early in the year and, though it is quite remarkable, it was left off most “best of” lists and was not given any awards recognition. Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper deliver solid performances, as you might expect. The movie spans 15 years giving us an intimate story of fathers and sons with a grand feeling.

3. Gravity                                   

There is no other movie quite like Gravity. It is a one person survival thriller, not unlike All is Lost or Cast Away. The key difference between Gravity and those movies is not the setting but the casting; Gravity chose to rest its weight (no pun intended) not on a single actor, but a single actress: Sandra Bullock. She plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a NASA mission specialist, which means she is a scientist, not a pilot. After debris destroys the space shuttle she is lost and drifting alone in the vacuum of space. George Clooney plays astronaut Kowalski, attempting to guide Dr. Stone, but for the most part she is alone. The special effects are exquisite, but do not call attention to themselves. The score by Steven Price is unlike any other film score; it seems to rise up from the sounds of space. There are small scientific inaccuracies that only make the story more compelling and tense. I rarely encounter a movie that is so engrossing it is truly an experience to watch. 2013 was a very good year for Sandra Bullock.

 

1. I couldn't bring myself to pick a single best movie of the year for 2013. There were two films I enjoyed so thoroughly and completely that I could've picked at random which was number one and which was number two and that would've worked, but it would not have felt right. Fortunately there are no rules to making top 10 lists. My two top movies of last year, in no particular order, are:

The Wolf of Wall Street 

"Epic" is a word usually only applied to big budget adventure movies, but that is the perfect word to describe Martin Scorsese’s 3-hour biopic of Jordan Belfort, the drug-addicted, lascivious, misogynistic, greedy, criminal stock broker who, yes, cheated a lot of people out of a lot of money in the late 1980s and 90s. That epic feel comes largely from Leonardo DiCaprio’s grandiose but never over-the-top performance as Belfort. He is easily my pick for best actor for this year’s Academy Awards. The film’s editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, deserves high praise for her effective work taking the movie into montages and extended sequences with invisible ease. The Wolf of Wall Street has drawn criticism for not bluntly judging the actions of its characters; however, the movie doesn’t need to wag its finger. The judgment lies in simply letting the scenes of debauchery and white collar crimes play out; any audience member who needs the movie to tell them that it is wrong for rich executives to hire a little person to be thrown like a lawn dart while referring to him as “it” is probably lost beyond hope. 

Unlike American Hustle, which turns con artists into heroes, The Wolf of Wall Street’s criminals remain contemptible and essentially unpunished. The blame for that is not on the movie, but on our culture and laws that reward such behavior and allow for such loopholes. The Wolf of Wall Street is not a cautionary tale, not an expose or indictment, it is a portrait of how unlimited wealth and greed with practically no consequences leads to glorious destruction and ruin of anything decent and moral, especially if you’re a sociopath.

and  

About Time 

You should know what you’re in for when you know that Richard Curtis, the writer/director of Love Actually, made About Time. It is filled with sentiment from start to finish, as well and romance and wit, and I’m not ashamed to say it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling while watching and afterwards, too. About Time uses a science fiction/fantasy plot device to give unconventional, amusing spin to what would otherwise be a straightforward coming of age and romance story. We follow Tim, who finds out that the men in his family can travel back in time but only to events in their own lives. He uses this ability to fix embarrassing moments and tries to get things just right, but it doesn't always work. The scenes of Tim approaching the same situation multiple times will remind anyone of Groundhog Day and have the same comic effectiveness. He meets the girl of his dreams, Mary, played by Rachel McAdams, then changes something accidentally and un-meets her, and then meets her again.

About Time is about Tim's life, his life with Mary, and so much more. At the heart of the movie is Tim's relationship with his wise, content, and witty father, played wonderfully by Bill Nighy. There are certain things, Tim learns, that cannot be changed without major consequences. There are other rules to his time travel and fixing, but the movie isn't too concerned with time technicalities or paradoxes. It wants to tell a story about life and love and consequences and acceptance. If I am honest with myself, I know that I would use time travel the same way Tim did. I could go back and change major events, who I met, what I did, but then I wouldn't have the life I do today. All those mistakes and unfulfilled plans led to something very good. No, I'd make the same life, just with fewer embarrassing moments.

Classic Movie Picks: February 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 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.)

Once again, in honor of the Academy Awards, the TCM elves have programmed 31 days of Oscar nominated films. This is always one of my favorite months on TCM because, despite the numerous commentators who say that awards don't mean anything, I find it fascinating to look back at which films captured the attention of critics and audiences in a given year. This year, the primetime line-ups feature all the nominated films in a particular category in a single year -- such as today's schedule of Best Picture nominees from 1939 -- allowing those of us at home to decide if we agree with the Academy's decision.
For my picks this month, I've chosen films which remind me of the current crop of Oscar nominees. It proved a bit of a challenge since classic-era filmmakers failed to tackle such topics as Gravity's female astronaut lost in space (without a male hero along to rescue her) or a man who falls in love with his cell phone as in Her. And Hollywood films even today struggle to portray slavery in America with the same honesty as 12 Years a Slave. However, greed, injustice, and danger at sea have proved to be fertile ground for movie makers throughout the decades. So let's dive in!

2/10, 4 PM - Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
Gary Cooper plays Longfellow Deeds, a humble, small-town eccentric who unexpectedly inherits $20 million and is immediately beset upon by predators looking for their piece of his fortune. Nebraska's prize winner, Woody Grant (portrayed by Bruce Dern), may not be as altruistic as Deeds, but when he believes he's won $1 million all he really wants is a new truck and an air compressor. Family and friends back in Woody's hometown are angling for their cut, despite the fact that Woody has yet to collect, and Woody generously offers the few bucks he has in his pockets. Deeds was nominated for Best Picture, Actor, Screenplay, and Sound, but its only win was for director Frank Capra. Out of Nebraska's six nominations, including ones for director Alexander Payne and actor Dern, I think its best chances for a win could be for either Bob Nelson's Original Screenplay or cinematographer Phedon Papamichael.

2/11, 8:30 AM - The Lady Eve (1941)
In this much-praised Preston Sturges comedy, Charles Coburn and Barbara Stanwyck play con artists "Colonel" Harry Harrington and his daughter, Jean, who bilk a small fortune from a mild-mannered beer scion played by Henry Fonda. These card sharps preying upon wealthy travelers aboard luxury liners are not much different from the shady operators of American Hustle. Of course, one could argue that at least the Harringtons' marks can afford to lose some of their cash, unlike the desperate people who come to Christian Bale and Amy Adams (aka "Lady Edith Greensly") for dubious loans in Hustle. Moreover, both films prove that with the right dress and a phony English accent a clever woman can convince a man of almost anything; and the better the dress, the worse your accent can be. The Lady Eve received only one nomination, for Original Screenplay; in contrast, American Hustle is at the front of this year's pack, in a tie with Gravity, with 10 nominations.

2/23, 4:45 PM - Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
3/2, 8 PM - Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
The true story of the HMS Bounty, which set sail from England in 1787 bound for Tahiti and upon its return experienced an infamous mutiny, has been adapted for the screen many times. Both the 1935 and 1962 versions received 7 Oscar nominations; however, the earlier version had bigger box office success and has retained a better critical reputation in the ensuing years. The film also won Best Picture in 1935, its only award. Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, and Franchot Tone all received Best Actor nominations for their respective roles, which may helped split the vote in favor of the eventual winner, Victor MacLaglen for The Informer. Since TCM is playing both films this month, you can decide which version of the story you prefer. In both films Captain Bligh, as played by Laughton and later Trevor Howard, is portrayed as a cruel tyrant who grossly mistreated his crew. In contrast, historical accounts paint a picture of an accomplished captain and humane disciplinarian resented by only a few malcontents among the crew (but that doesn't make quite as juicy a role or exciting a movie plot). In this sense, I was reminded of Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips. He runs a tight ship and has little tolerance for breaches of discipline. Phillips' security precautions prove justified when the ship is attacked by pirates; however, the crew ultimately couldn't hold off the intruders. Captain Phillips is nominated for 6 Oscars, but I wouldn't be surprised if, like 62's Mutiny, the filmmakers go home empty-handed.

BONUS PICK: 3/3, 2 AM - The Last Voyage (1960)
Not since Jaws terrorized the beaches of Amity has the sea been so dangerous -- at least that's the impression one gets from the numerous recent films which showed that no ocean is safe. Kon-Tiki had a memorable shark attack of its own, while the 21st century waters of Captain Phillips were infested with Somali pirates. All is Lost proved that even trusty vessels can fail you when faced with nature's fury, as demonstrated again when the Wolf of Wall Street's yacht contended with some "chop" out on the Mediterranean. In honor of 2013's peril-at-sea theme, I'm picking The Last Voyage which follows passengers Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone struggling to survive aboard a slowly sinking ship. 10 years before The Poseidon Adventure and almost 40 years before Titanic, this film offered a thrillingly realistic shipwreck adventure. The filmmakers did not use miniatures or rear screen projection, instead, a real ship was flooded and flipped over. The film's special effects received an Oscar nomination, but lost out to The Time Machine.

2/26, 1:30 PM - Elmer Gantry (1960)
This film about a charismatic evangelist who inspires fervor among his acolytes, and easily parts trusting folk with their money, earned Burt Lancaster the Oscar for Best Actor as well as awards for supporting actress Shirley Jones and the screenplay by Richard Brooks. Leonardo DiCaprio's corrupt stocktrader Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street proves to have a similarly seductive way with words as an evangelist for greed. He shamelessly peddles worthless stocks, effortlessly attracts accomplices and followers, and, perhaps most importantly, he is able to convince himself that his depraved behavior is somehow acceptable. Unlike Elmer Gantry, however, DiCaprio's Belfort displays no remorse for his misdeeds. Therefore, I don't think DiCaprio will follow Lancaster as a Best Actor winner; despite a performance of physical and verbal virtuosity, his character is just too repellant. Wolf received 5 Oscar nominations and its best chance may be Terence Winter's Original Screenplay.

2/28, 5:45 PM - Philadelphia (1993)
Though AIDS first became part of the collective consciousness in the early 80s, 1993's Philadelphia was the first mainstream Hollywood film to deal with HIV/AIDS, casting a honest look at the homophobia which hindered efforts to deal with this major health crisis. Though the title references a place -- the "City of Brotherly Love," here notably lacking in compassion -- the story is about one person's struggle. Tom Hanks won his first Best Actor award for this portrayal of Andrew Beckett, a young gay lawyer who is ostracized and eventually fired from his law firm after it becomes clear that he is suffering from AIDS. Beyond the obvious connection of subject matter, Philadelphia and 2013's Dallas Buyers Club are linked by their strong lead performances. For his role as a homophobe dying of AIDS, Matthew McConaughey has a very good chance of winning Best Actor; ironically, his win could come in a year in which Hanks' solid performance in Captain Phillips was overlooked for a nomination. Because films like Philadelphia have covered this ground first -- and, in the case of the Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague, more comprehensively -- Dallas Buyers Club doesn't feel like a revelation. However, both McConaughey and supporting actor Jared Leto are deserving of the accolades they've received.

And the Oscar Goes To... (2014)
This original TCM documentary goes behind-the-scenes at the Academy Awards. Utilizing the expertise of official Oscar historian Robert Osborne, as well as numerous Oscar winners, this doc should offer a lot of fun trivia for movie lovers.
It is showing on 2/1, 2/2, 2/7, 2/10, and 2/15 -- check the full schedule for times.

Classic Movie Picks: January 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 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.)

Happy New Year! January on TCM is dominated by Star of the Month Joan Crawford. Pickings were scarce if you're not a big fan of la Joan, but I've collected a few picks with some unintentional connecting threads: Private Screenings...Academy Awards...and Murder, She Wrote?

1/6, 8 PM and 11:30 PM - Private Screenings: Robert Osborne
In this special episode of TCM's series, Alec Baldwin steps into the role of host to interview Robert Osborne about his life and career -- including his nearly 30 years as the host of Turner Classic Movies. We'll get to see clips of Osborne's most memorable Private Screenings interviews with classic film stars, as well as clips from his early appearances as an actor on TV shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Osborne when I appeared as a fan programmer on TCM a few years ago and last September I saw him give a special presentation about Gone with the Wind. He is truly a class act with a treasure trove of knowledge about classic film. I look forward to learning more about his career before TCM and how he got his start in Hollywood.

Bob and me - as seen on TV!

1/15: Birthday Tribute to Margaret O'Brien
8:30 AM - Private Screenings: Child Stars (2006)
6 PM - Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945)
Margaret O'Brien, who turns 76 today, was one of classic Hollywood's great child stars. During the day, TCM is showing 6 of her films, as well as a Private Screenings episode featuring interviews with O'Brien as well as other child stars of the era Jane Withers, Darryl Hickman, and Dickie Moore. Our Vines Have Tender Grapes is a warm and fuzzy story of a Norwegian immigrants making a life in rural Wisconsin. The ever versatile Edward G. Robinson plays Margaret's father in the film and the little girl was more than up to the task of acting opposite the great actor. The year she made this film, at age 8, O'Brien was awarded a special Juvenile Academy Award for her performance in the previous year's Meet Me in St. Louis.

1/25, 12:15 AM - Rollercoaster (1977)
This entry in tonight's lineup of 1970s thrillers (Jaws at 8 PM, Alien at 10:15 PM) follows that decade's trend of disaster movies starring a sprawling cast featuring a mix Hollywood veterans and newcomers. However, Rollercoaster is more of suspense story than others in the disaster genre, centered on a cat-and-mouse game between a young terrorist threatening sabotage in several amusement parks and the detective trying to stop him. It features a very 70s cast headed by George Segal, Timothy Bottoms, and Richard Widmark. Also look for a young Steve Guttenberg, 13-year-old Helen Hunt (in her film debut), and a cameo by Henry Fonda. In researching this film, I discovered that the writers, Richard Levinson and William Link, wrote many episodes of my favorite mystery TV shows -- Columbo, Ellery Queen, and Murder, She Wrote. Before I knew about the writers, I wasn't sure about this film; the disaster genre often has weak characters and plot, in addition to relying on overblown spectacle; however, knowing that this film favors plot more than explosions makes me optimistic that I'll enjoy it.

1/29: Academy Governor's Award Winners
8 PM - The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
10:15 PM - The Harvey Girls (1946)
12:15 AM - Pennies From Heaven (1981)
2:15 AM - Father of the Bride (1991)
4:15 AM - I Compagni (1963)
6:30 AM - Le Notti Bianche (1961)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out these honorary Oscars in a special ceremony last November, along with the Jean Herscholt Humanitarian Award to Angelina Jolie. As an appetizer for "31 Days of Oscar" in February, tonight TCM features the work of the three Governor's Award honorees: Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, and Piero Tosi. 
Lansbury will always live in my heart as my honorary grandma for her work as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote. But she has also received three Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her film work, including for what is probably her most celebrated movie role -- "Raymond's mother" in The Manchurian Candidate, the first film in tonight's line up. Though she was a trained singer (and subsequently won 4 of her 5 Tony awards for musicals), Lansbury's singing voice was dubbed in The Harvey Girls. In a Private Screenings interview, Lansbury admitted that it was the right choice. The full-throated alto of Virginia Rees which you hear in the film was better suited to the character of scheming saloon girl Em than Lansbury's natural high soprano.
Tonight's selections honoring Steve Martin show his dramatic and comedic sides. Father of the Bride shows the Martin most recognizable to today's moviegoers; playing the befuddled father of a bride-to-be in a light, family comedy. On the other hand, Pennies From Heaven might be Martin's strangest movie, a serious story about a traveling salesman during the Great Depression, which also features musical numbers in which the actors all lip-synch to recordings from the era.
The final honoree tonight, Tosi, is a 5-time Oscar nominated costume designer, known especially for his work with Italian new wave directors such as Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini. The two films showing tonight are both stories about working-class Italian life starring Marcello Mastroianni. However, it was Tosi's more lavish designs for films like The Leopard, Death in Venice, and La Cage Aux Folles which attracted the notice of the Academy.

Angela Lansbury, George Murphy, and Margaret O'Brien from Tenth Avenue Angel

Classic Movie Picks: December 2013

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.)

12/10: Patton's Picks
11:45 PM - The Wind Journeys (2009)
2 AM - Aaltra (2004)
This month's TCM Guest Programmer, comedian Patton Oswalt, has chosen two foreign "road movies" which, although they were made within the last decade, I had never heard of until now; both sound intriguing. The Wind Journeys is a celebration of the "vallenato" music of northern Colombia. It follows the journey of a widowed musician and his teenage traveling companion, as they return a precious (and perhaps magical?) accordion to the master craftsman who made it. In Aaltra, a Belgian/French production, feuding neighbors join forces after they are both paralyzed in a farming accident. The two men set out across Europe to confront the Finnish manufacturer of the defective farm equipment, slowed down only by their own lack of legal savvy, money, and common sense.
BONUS: Patton's picks earlier in the evening are worth a watch,too - Kind Hearts and Coronets at 8 PM and 3:10 to Yuma at 10 PM.

12/14, 9:45 PM - Tomorrow is Forever (1946)
Another film that's new to me is this melodrama starring some of my favorite classic movie actors; it's scheduled as part of an evening tribute to Claudette Colbert between the excellent screwball comedies The Palm Beach Story at 8 PM and Midnight at 11:45 PM. A WWI veteran (Orson Welles), disfigured in the war, chooses to be reported dead rather than return to his wife (Colbert) and son. Years later, he re-enters her life, accompanied by a war orphan (Natalie Wood), and though she has remarried, old feelings arise. 

12/18, 2 AM - A Damsel in Distress (1937)

Fred Astaire is the TCM Star of the Month which means that each Wednesday in primetime, including Christmas Day, you're guaranteed a line-up of delightful musical comedies with amazing dancing by Astaire and an array of talented partners. I'm singling out Damsel because it's one of the few Astaire films that I haven't seen. At this point, Fred and Ginger Rogers had made seven musicals together and decided to take a break, which left him free to star opposite a 19-year-old Joan Fontaine in one of her earliest film roles. Fontaine was no dancer, but she certainly fits the part of a sheltered English "damsel" who is "rescued" by an American musical star played by Astaire (not much of a stretch for him either). While this film didn't mark the debut of the next great dance team, it does feature 8 hummable Gershwin tunes, including "A Foggy Day" and "Nice Work if You Can Get It." Gracie Allen and George Burns provide comic relief and some fancy footwork of their own. Astaire's later films often feature complicated numbers devised by Astaire and his collaborator, Hermes Pan, which pair the dancer with unlikely objects, such as a hat rack in Royal Wedding or a shop full of toys in Easter Parade. However, "Put Me to the Test" in Damsel, in which Astaire, Allen, and Burns all dance with whisk brooms, was designed by Burns.

12/21, 10:30 PM - Christmas Eve (1947)
I always enjoy discovering a new holiday movie, especially when it has more to its story than a Hallmark-style romance. To save her fortune from a scheming nephew, an eccentric philanthropist (Ann Harding) has until Christmas Eve to reunite her three adopted sons who have dispersed around the world. The sons are played by George Raft, George Brent, and Randolph Scott and each one is dealing with complications of his own - fiancee troubles, illegal baby adoption, and hidden Nazi loot, for example - that could prevent them from coming to mom's rescue. Will goodness prevail over greed?

12/30: In Memoriam
8 PM - It Started with Eve (1941)
Deanna Durbin
9:45 PM - Bikini Beach (1964)
Annette Funicello
11:30 PM - The Cheap Detective (1978)
Eileen Brennan
1:15 AM - The Loved One (1965)
Jonathan Winters
3:30 AM - Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Karen Black
5:15 AM - East of Eden (1955)
Julie Harris
12/31, 7:15 AM - Tea and Sympathy (1956)
John Kerr
Movie-lovers mourned the passing of many beloved performers this year and tonight TCM pays tribute to six actors and actresses who were not honored with special programming earlier in the year. I'm especially looking forward to the first three films in the line-up featuring three fabulous singing ladies.
- It Started with Eve stars Deanna Durbin at the peak of her career as a singing ingenue, alongside two of her favorite co-stars, Charles Laughton and Robert Cummings. 
- I love the "Frankie and Annette" beach movies, but the plots tend to run together in my memory. Bikini Beach is the one in which the teens must deal with the British Invasion, in the form of pop star Potato Bug (also played by Frankie Avalon), and outsmart a tycoon's pet chimp.
- A spoof of the detective genre, The Cheap Detective, combines the plots of several of Humphrey Bogart's best films with Peter Falk as a Bogey-esque gumshoe. Tonight's honoree, Eileen Brennan portrays a torch singer at "Nix Place" (sound familiar?).

Happy Holidays!

Classic Film Picks: November 2013

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.)

11/4: Selected Shorts
9:44 PM - The Lion Roars Again (1975)
10:04 PM - The Amazing Miss Cummings: An Actress at Work and Play (1975)
These two shorts, selected to complement this week's installment of The Story of Film: An Odyssey focusing on films from the 1970s, put the spotlight on MGM and it's mid-seventies resurgence. I've seen The Lion Roars on TCM before and it's kind of fun to see which films the studio was trying to get audiences excited about in 1975; one tactic - a Logan's Run fashion show. The second short follows child actress Quinn Cummings on the set of The Goodbye Girl, the film for which young Miss Cummings earned an Academy Award nomination. If you're interested in seeing the full film, it's showing on 11/17 at 6 PM.

11/8, 4:15 PM - Patterns (1956)
This feature film has a script by The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling based on his 1956 Kraft Television Theatre production of the same name. I recently saw the television version and was incredibly impressed by how compelling this story of every-day white collar workers could be. Part of the credit is due to the great performances by Everett Sloane as a cutthroat CEO and Ed Begley as a worn-down veteran employee; both actors appear in the film version as well. The film's lead role of a new executive on the rise is played by the capable Van Heflin.

11/12: Guest Programmer Simon Helberg
8 PM - The Party (1968)
9:45 PM - Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying a Love the Bomb (1964)
11:30 PM - Brief Encounter (1945)
1:15 AM - Modern Romance (1981)
This month's guest programmer, Simon Helberg, is best known for his role as the nerdy, would-be lothario Howard Wolowitz on the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. As might be expected, his picks reveal a taste for comedy with two selections featuring Peter Sellers and one written, directed, and starring Albert Brooks. Sellers and Brooks are two of my favorite comedians because not only do they a wonderful feel for comedic timing and tone, but they are also both fine actors irrespective of material. In The Party, Sellers portrays an aspiring actor from India who finds himself quite out of his element at an exclusive L.A. party. In the past it was fairly standard for white actors to play characters of other races, with varying degrees of success (or offensiveness); however, today this isn't done as frequently. If anyone feels wary about Sellers playing an Asian character, I would urge you to give this film a chance before making a judgement. His performance is far from a broad caricature, and hopefully the humor and sweetness of the film will win you over. Helberg's 4th pick, Brief Encounter, is a poignant romance starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson. I recommend settling in with a bowl of popcorn, and perhaps a snuggly blanket, for a night of delightful films.

11/18, 10 PM - The Elephant Man (1980)
The Elephant Man is a moving story about finding humanity in someone whom society deems inhuman. Directed by David Lynch and featuring a strong cast led by Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt, this film is an American production that feels British due to its carefully constructed setting of London in 1884. Fans of Mel Brooks' comedies may be surprised to learn that his production company, Brooksfilm, is responsible for such a serious period drama; however, with this film and other ambitious projects, Brooks proved to be a daring and canny producer. This film is programmed to complement an installment of The Story of Film: An Odyssey focusing on the 1980s.

11/22: 50th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination
8 PM - Primary (1960)
9:15 PM - Adventures on the New Frontier (1961)
10:30 PM - Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963)
11:45 PM - Faces of November (1964)
12 AM - Four Days in November (1964)
2:15 AM - PT 109 (1963)
TCM honors President John F. Kennedy on the 50th anniversary of his death with six films about his life. The first four of the evening are by documentarian Robert Drew (1 feature-length, 3 shorts) offering glimpses into Kennedy's political career, from the Wisconsin primary in which JFK faced off against Hubert Humphrey, to the national crisis of segregation, to his shocking assassination. Director Mel Stuart's Four Days is a feature-length documentary which also deals with the aftermath of JFK's death. PT 109 is a fictionalized account of the sinking of a ship under Kennedy's command during WWII. Cliff Robertson portrays Kennedy as a young naval officer. As someone who did not live through this time, I greatly appreciate that these films exist to teach us about an important and turbulent period in American history, but told from a contemporary perspective, without the advantage of hindsight or pitfalls of nostalgia.

11/26, 8 PM & 11 PM - A Night at the Movies: Cops & Robbers and Crime Writers (2013)
Another installment of TCM's original documentary series, A Night at the Movies, this time highlighting the crime film genre through film clips and interviews. I find these hour-long docs to be fairly light, but usually enjoyable. Anyone who is a devoted fan of classic film will probably already be familiar with most of the titles discussed; however, there's usually some fun bits of trivia and insight from historians and industry insiders.

Friday Night Spotlight: Screwball Comedies

This month's spotlight features one of my favorite classic film genres, and one which barely exists today: the screwball comedy. Each Friday in November will feature several of the most notable entries from this genre of the 30s and 40s introduced by actor Matthew Broderick. Just look at a list of some of the stars included in this series and you'll know you're in for a good time: Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Carole Lombard, William Powell, Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Barbara Stanwyck, Rosalind Russell, Clark Gable, Myrna Loy. I'm especially looking forward to the line-ups on 11/8 - The Awful Truth, My Favorite Wife, and Love Crazy - and 11/15 - Theodora Goes Wild, Twentieth Century, and Easy Living. Once again, I recommend popcorn and a snuggly blanket (and maybe a martini or two?) for optimum enjoyment.