Cinema Then and Now

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Classic Movie Picks: April 2013

4/7, 10 PM - Diabolique (1955)
On this evening devoted to masters of suspense, my pick would be this classic French thriller from director Henri-Georges Clouzot. Two women conspire to murder a cruel, abusive school master in a meticulously plotted crime; however, once the deed is done they continue to feel his presence - is it a ghost or did he somehow survive?

BONUS: 4/7, 2 AM - The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1947)
Clouzot's first film is a bit lighter than the thrillers for which he's best known; however, murder is still at the heart of the story. Inspector Wens of the Paris police and his girlfriend Mila are like a French answer to Nick and Nora Charles as they track down a serial killer.

4/8, 8 PM - Roxie Hart (1942)
Ginger Rogers stars as the fame-hungry Roxie, who sees a murder trial as her ticket to stardom during the Roaring '20s, in this earlier version of the story made famous by the stage and screen musical Chicago.

4/9, 4:15 AM - The Verdict (1946)
This film bears little resemblence to the Paul Newman vehicle of the same name, starting with leading man Sydney Greenstreet. Warner Brothers supporting player Greenstreet and fellow character actor Peter Lorre are the stars for a change in this film about a "perfect crime." Of course, half the fun of a perfect crime is watching the perpetrators squirm as their plan inevitably unravels.

4/13, 10:15 PM - Unfaithfully Yours (1948)
In this screwball comedy from writer-director Preston Sturges, Rex Harrison played an egotistical symphony conductor who believes his wife has been unfaithful. During a concert he imagines three scenarios for dealing with her - including murder; however, his bumbling actions thwart his plans in the real world. Linda Darnell, "the girl with the perfect face," co-stars as the accused wife.

A Women's World: The Defining Era of Women in Film
TCM's Friday Night Spotlight this month features "woman's films" from the 1930s through 50s. The series is co-hosted by Robert Osborne and Cher, which would be incentive enough for me to tune in; however, the line-up of films showing life from a female perspective would be strong enough to draw me in without the promise of intros by Cher. I'm especially interested in the theme for week four, Women Taking Charge, featuring Ginger Rogers, Claudette Colbert, and (of course) Bette Davis.
4/26, 8 PM - The Great Lie (1941)
10 PM - Kitty Foyle (1940)
12 AM - The Palm Beach Story (1942)
1:45 AM - The Women (1939)

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Classic Movie Picks: March 2013

Robert Donat and Greer Garson, Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Though Robert Donat is the star, and won the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Mr. Chips, Greer Garson as Chips's wife Kathy is the lynchpin of this film. This was her first movie role, but I can't imagine any other actress in the part - she's just that perfect. Garson also earned an Oscar nomination, her first of seven, but she wouldn't win until 1942's Mrs. Miniver (showing 3/11 at 8 PM). However, it was the beginning of a great career as one of MGM's top leading ladies. Garson is TCM's Star of the Month for March and you can catch her films Monday nights all month long.

3/7: Musical Paris
8 PM - Can-Can (1960)
10:15 PM - Love Me Tonight (1932)
12 AM - Folies Bergere de Paris (1935)
1:30 AM - Roberta (1935)
3:30 AM - April in Paris (1952)
One of my favorite cities serves as the backdrop for five musicals tonight. Two of them (Love Me Tonight & Folies Bergere) star that quintessential Frenchman Maurice Chevalier. If you only remember the white-haired Chevalier crooning "Thank heaven, for little girls..." in Gigi, you may get a kick out of seeing him as a young casanova in the light musical comedies that made him a star in the 30s.

3/14: Double Agents
8 PM - 13 Rue Madeleine (1946)
9:45 PM - The House on 92nd Street (1945)
Tonight's line-up includes two documentary-style thrillers from director Henry Hathaway about uncovering Nazi double-agents. 13 Rue Madeleine stars James Cagney as an O.S.S. agent looking for a German missile site (and spies) in France. The House on 92nd Street concerns FBI agents in New York who must stop the Germans from obtaining the atom bomb formula.

BONUS PICK: 11:30 PM - Ice Station Zebra (1968) - A sub commander Rock Hudson must find the Soviet agent aboard his ship on a perilous mission to the North Pole.

3/17, 3:45 AM - Tomorrow, the World! (1944)
An interesting film from the WWII period which attempts to portray "everyday" Germans, not just Nazi stereotypes (or double agents as in the films on 3/14). A young teenager (played by Skippy Homeier, who had played the same role to much acclaim on Broadway) is sent from his German home to live with American relatives. They soon discover that the boy has has been indoctrinated into the Nazi youth and uncle Fredric March must teach him a lesson about tolerance.

3/20, 8PM - For All Mankind (1989)
This documentary about the Apollo program and the race to the moon was assembled from extensive footage from NASA's archives, much of it shot by the astronauts themselves.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Top 10 of 2012 (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. This is 40

This is 40 follows Pete and Debbie as they approach their 40^th birthday and deal with their careers, relatives, children, health, and each other. This could have been a heavy drama, but Judd Apatow’s movie is about happy, positive people doing their best to stay happy and positive. This is not a movie where people yell and scream and you wonder while they’re even married. This is 40 is light on plot, but the characters and set pieces are enough to carry the movie. The best description of This is 40 is as a hilarious drama.

9. Damsels in Distress

Whit Stillman's first movie in 14 years is not a disappointment. There aren't many movies like Damsels in Distress these days. This is a smart, witty, funny movie about a group of girls that are trying to raise the level of sophistication at their college. The jokes are clever, the female and male characters are well-written and likable, which is becoming a rare thing. This movie feels like a whimsical romantic comedy from the 1930's or 40's, when it was possible to make what we see so rarely today: an inoffensive comedy.

8. Bernie

Bernie tells the unbelievable true story of a mortician in a small East Texas town that became involved with a wealthy widow. Bernie was so well loved by the community that when he killed the widow no one blamed him. Director Richard Linklater has the real life townspeople tell the story in interviews and also act alongside Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey, and Jack Black as Bernie. Jack Black gives his best performance as the well-meaning mortician. He's able to portray a man so good natured and likable that a community accepted him and never rejected him. The townspeople are a big highlight of Bernie, telling the story through gossip and unexpected humor.

7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I never read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, despite everyone I knew telling me that I would love the novel. I feel like this film went overlooked last year, part of the reason being that the movie was made so long after the novel was first published, and it's set 20 years in the past. Would the youth culture of today still find it relevant? I don't know about high school and college kids, but I did. It's tough to make a movie about high schoolers that feels authentic. This movie's authenticity comes from the fine young actors who are able to ground the scenes of teen drama. There are scenes and storylines that feel cliched but that is only because there have been so many movies about teenagers, though not so many as good as this one.

6. Silver Linings Playbook

I wasn't too excited to see Silver Linings Playbook despite its credentials: stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and director David O. Russell. However, Silver Linings Playbook has received a lot of well-deserved attention for the performances from the cast. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence play people trying to overcome their respective psychological issues. The chemistry between them is good enough to let the age gap between the two actors slide. This is a comedy overall, but certain scenes fall into dramatic territory. The gear changes this movie makes are subtle. Like This is 40, Silver Linings Playbook is a movie about people trying to stay positive while facing serious issues. The "find your silver lining" mantra of Cooper's character is not an empty phrase. He genuinely believes that he can better himself and that other people can do the same. It's a tough, but achievable goal.

5. Django Unchained

Who didn't expect Quentin Tarantino's latest movie to be a hit with audiences and critics and even receive awards attention? But Tarantino deserves all of that praise because he consistently creates multi-faceted, interesting, and funny characters, creates an engaging story, finds just the right cast, and executes it all masterfully. All of this is true of Django Unchained. Christoph Waltz, Jaime Foxx, and Leonardo DiCaprio all give superb performances. Django Unchained is hyperbolically violent, unexpectedly funny, suspenseful, but, above all, it is incredibly entertaining. Tarantino is paying homage to blacksploitation movies and spaghetti westerns of the 1970's, but Django Unchained is on its own a sprawling and engaging western adventure.

4. Zero Dark Thirty

While watching Zero Dark Thirty I was reminded of Zodiac, David Fincher's 2007 film about the meticulous, decades-long, but futile search for a serial killer and the effect it had on those involved. Maya, a CIA agent played by Jessica Chastain, is our guide on the decade-long, seemingly futile, search for Osama Bin Laden. We follow Maya from interrogations at CIA blacksites, the streets of Pakistan, and the world of men in suits at CIA offices. This is more than just a procedural about the CIA and the war on terror. There are elements of a mystery present; puzzle pieces need to be found and assembled, and as the puzzle comes closer to being solved-- the closer Maya gets to the end of the trail-- the movie delves into thriller territory. Zero Dark Thirty is masterfully crafted by director Kathryn Bigelow, cinematographer Greig Fraser, and editors William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor. This is not a movie about revenge or retribution; it is about the cost of war, the damage it leaves in its wake, and what it does to everyone involved.

3. The Dark Knight Rises

Sequels tend to dwindle in quality, especially as the number of entries in a franchise increases; however, director Christopher Nolan, along with the rest of the crew and cast, deliver a worthy final chapter for the most recent incarnation of Batman. The stand out performance in this movie is Tom Hardy as Bane. Since we are unable to see most of his face because of the breathing mask Bane must wear, Hardy uses a peculiar and almost jolly accent for Bane's voice and also acts with his whole body, giving Bane a swagger and unusual charisma that makes him a truly interesting villain.

It’s curious to see how time has changed Batman’s villains. They used to be above average criminals, but The Joker in The Dark Knight and Bane in The Dark Knight Rises more closely resemble terrorists. The acts of terror carried out by Bane on Gotham City are intense to say the least. Batman did not defeat the villains of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight on his own, and The Dark Knight Rises is no exception. Every character plays an important part in the story and each is well-acted. I firmly believe that what makes these Christopher Nolan Batman movies work so well is not an outwardly dark nature, a complex tortured hero, or depictions of a cruel, unfair world, though that mistake is made more and more often by other movies being produced. What sets these Batman movies apart is that they successfully merge fantasy and realism to such a point that when a man dressed like bat appears in the night to protect you, you believe every moment.

2. Argo

What a combination of genres: spy thriller, geopolitical drama, comedy, period piece, and its based on a true story. Argo is also a movie about making a movie, albeit a fake one. That’s a lot of material to handle, but it is executed wonderfully and makes you wish there were more movies like this. Argo is Ben Affleck’s third film as a director and he is getting better and better behind the camera. Affleck plays Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who comes up with a plan to rescue a group of Americans that have escaped the storming of the American embassy in Iran in 1979. His plan, to fly into Iran and, along with the Americans, pose as a Canadian sci-fi film crew and fly out, seems outlandish, and it is, but there are no better ideas. Affleck may play the central character, but part of what makes this movie work is the strong and rich ensemble of well-acted characters. Every actor shines in Argo. Like Zero Dark Thirty, this is a very well-crafted and entertaining thriller, filled with suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat even if you know how it ends.

1. Moonrise Kingdom

I know, you saw this coming from a mile away. But what can I say, of all the movies I saw last year the best time I had was watching Moonrise Kingdom. I’ll admit that director Wes Anderson isn’t doing anything he hasn’t done before, technically or thematically, but he does it exceedingly well in what is probably his mostly widely seen movie yet. Moonrise Kingdom features the strongest ensemble cast Anderson has had since The Royal Tenenbaums. You’ll find all of the trademarks you expect to see in a film by Wes Anderson: pans from one room to another, inserts of book jackets, slow motion tracking shots, dry humor, and offbeat, melancholy characters. That wistful atmosphere that is also an Anderson trademark is lighter this time since this story of two youngsters in love who runaway to be together is an innocent and optimistic one. Moonrise Kingdom is a fable about misfits searching for their counterparts and a place in the world, and it is a joy watching them on their journey.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Classic Movie Picks: February 2013

I love making connections between contemporary and classic films that share similar characters, themes, and stories. So, in honor of TCM's "31 Days of Oscar" this month's picks have been inspired by the 9 films nominated for Best Picture of 2012.

Amour

2/10, 5:45 PM - Cocoon (1985) - In most respects, these two films couldn’t be more different. While Amour is a deliberate and realistic drama, Cocoon is a lightly comic, sci-fi story. However, both films deal with elderly people confronting their own mortality and feature veteran actors. Cocoon’s 77-year old break-out star, Don Ameche, won the Best Supporting actor award that year.

2/11, 8 PM - Little Women (1933) - If you feel that the subject matter of Amour is too bleak, you may appreciate the warmth of the March family in Little Women. Little Women shows a family facing tragedy with optimism and making sacrifices for love.

Argo

2/2, 8 PM - Casablanca (1942) - Whether you’re flying out of Tehran or Casablanca, you can’t beat a tense scene at the airport!

2/12,10:15 PM - Notorious (1946) - If there’s one classic star who Ben Affleck reminds me of, it’s Ingrid Bergman. Not really, but I’ve chosen another Bergman movie because this one, co-starring Cary Grant is spy story with a terrific sense of suspense.

Beasts of the Southern Wild
2/7,11:30 AM - My Life as a Dog (1985) - Transport Beasts’ Hushpuppy, her father, and their community of eccentric bayou-dwellers to rural Sweden (and switch the main characters’ genders) and you might get My Life as a Dog. Lasse Hallstrom earned his first Best Director nomination for this film about the adventures of a sweet and spirited boy who is sent away from home when his mother falls ill. Both films excel at portraying life from the point of view of a child and the way children try to make sense of a confusing world.

2/23,8 AM - The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953) - Dr. T takes the child’s point of view to an extreme creating a fantasy world in which a boy’s disagreeable piano teacher becomes a supervillian out for world-domination.

Django Unchained
2/4, 2:15 AM - The Wild Bunch (1969) - Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch took movie violence from simply serving the plot to a visual motif in and of itself, a concept that Quentin Tarantino has eagerly adopted and taken to new heights (or lows, depending on your point of view).

2/5,5:30 AM - Friendly Persuasion (1956) - In stark contrast, the Quaker family in Friendly Persuasion rejects violence. However, they find their values tested when their town is threatened by a band of Confederate raiders.

Les Misèrables
2/12, 6:15 AM - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) - If the persecution and despair in the streets of Paris depicted in Les Misèrables has you hungry for more, check out this other adaptation of a Victor Hugo novel.

2/18, 5 AM - Pennies From Heaven (1981) - Much of the Les Misèrables publicity has been about the director’s choice to film the actors singing live on set, rather than using vocals recorded in a studio. If you feel that this live-singing thing isn’t your bag, Pennies From Heaven may just be the musical for you. Like Les Miz, Pennies features prostitution, murder, and homelessness; however, it uses only pre-recorded tracks, with the actors lip-synching to popular recordings from the 1930s.

Life of Pi
3/2, 7 AM - The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954) - The most famous shipwreck survivor may still be Robinson Crusoe; however, I suspect that these days The Life of Pi is more widely read than the classic novel by Daniel Defoe. The two stories are somewhat different, but both are anchored by the trials of a man, alone, struggling to survive.

2/10, Flight of the Phoenix (1965) - Watch this film and play a game of “would you rather”...Would you rather be set adrift at sea or crash land in the desert?

Lincoln
2/8, 8PM - Wilson (1945) - President Woodrow Wilson may not be as present in popular culture as Abraham Lincoln, but he is just as pivotal a figure in history. This rally-round-the-flag biopic, made as the world was engaged in World War II, focuses on America’s reluctant, but necessary entrance into World War I and Wilson’s subsequent struggle to establish a lasting international peace through the League of Nations.

2/11, 10:15 PM - Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) - Before Daniel Day-Lewis donned a beard and wart and wrapped himself in a wool blanket, Raymond Massey was the definitive Lincoln, playing the president on stage, in films, and on TV and radio. Abe Lincoln in Illinois centers on Lincoln before his ascent to the White House: his early romance with Ann Rutledge, his eventual marriage to the ambitious Mary Todd, and his famous face-off against Stephen Douglas. 2012’s Lincoln serves as a fitting sequel, continuing the story of his life to it’s conclusion.

Silver Linings Playbook
3/3, 8 PM - Annie Hall (1977) - The neuroses of Annie and Alvy may not compare to the mental problems experienced by Pat and Tiffany in Silver Linings, but both films are offbeat romantic comedies about two people coming together despite themselves. Diane Keaton won an Oscar for her performance as the quirky and wholesome Annie and this year Jennifer Lawrence has a good chance to follow in Keaton’s footsteps for her role as the mercurial Tiffany.

2/12, 4:15 PM - The Enchanted Cottage (1945) - The Enchanted Cottage is a touching story about love’s power to transform. This film is completely earnest, with no trace of Silver Linings dark humor. But if you give it a chance, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Zero Dark Thirty
2/16, 2:30 AM - Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) - Zero Dark Thirty has come under much criticism for its depiction of torture tactics used by the CIA during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bad Day at Black Rock also deals with a controversial chapter in American history: the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

2/3, 12:15 PM - The Nun’s Story (1959) - I could say that Maya, the CIA analyst at the center of Zero Dark Thirty, was so consumed by her job that she was, in effect, living like a nun; but the real connection I see between these two films is their heroines. They are determined women frustrated by the restrictions imposed by male-dominated organizations. For Maya, it is the CIA; for Audrey Hepburn’s novice nun, it is the Catholic church. And each woman is unable to shake the inner feeling that she is right.

Monday, January 21, 2013

My Favorite Performances of 2012

by Lani

From where I sit, it hasn't been a great year for movies. There have been plenty that I liked, just read our Best of 2012, So Far post from July for proof. Unfortunately, I had a much harder time adding to the list in the second half of the year. None of the big fall releases brought me as much enjoyment as Bernie or 21 Jump Street (with great performances by Jack Black and Channing Tatum, respectively). However, I did admire individual performances by Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Denzel Washington, Joaquin Phoenix, Hugh Jackman, and Anne Hathaway, among others. I've compiled a list of some of my favorite performances of the year, but I won't be talking about the actors already mentioned. They have Oscar nominations and Golden Globes; they're doing fine. This time I've focused on the actors and performances who will not be getting much recognition this awards season.

Favorite Tom Hardy Performance: Tom Hardy, The Dark Knight Rises
I promise it only seems like I am the president of the Tom Hardy fan club. He's not even my favorite actor, but he manages to impress me year after year. In 2012, Hardy appeared in a few duds -- the unappealing romantic-comedy This Means War and dull moonshiner drama Lawless -- but his high-profile role as the villain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises was a winner. Hardy and director Christopher Nolan received criticism from audiences because Bane's face was covered by a mask and his voice slightly muffled. I had no trouble hearing his dialogue, delivered in a voice suggesting Sean Connery crossed with Yoda, and thought his voice work expressed enough personality to overcome the barrier of the mask. And because he wears that mask, Hardy also uses body language to convey the character; his menacing swagger isn't just because he has a bulked-up body. Compare the physicality of Bane to Hardy's character in last year's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy -- spy Ricki Tarr was softer, more fluid. Or, in Lawless, as a man "who can't be killed" Hardy becomes increasingly stiff and immobile as his character sustains more and more near-fatal injuries. Which reminds me that Hardy's biggest triumph this year may actually be how in Lawless he manages to look extremely tough despite a wardrobe filled with cardigans.

Favorite Suicidal Adultress: Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
This year brought two eerily similar stories of unhappy wives to the screen. Set among the opulent aristocracy of tsarist Russia, Anna Karenina was lovely to look at, but too chaotic to allow the stories to resonate -- which is a shame since Keira Knightley can wear the heck out of a fur hat. In the surely Karenina-inspired The Deep Blue Sea, the atmosphere is bleak, tweedy post-WWII England, but human nature hasn't changed. Rachel Weisz's performance garnered praise from critics when the film was released, but she's been overlooked for the major awards. Like Karenina, Weisz's Hester Collyer is driven mad by her passion for a young lover; however, Hester is still capable of some measure of British restraint. She is all plaintive neediness, quiet desperation, and blind love.

Favorite Ringer: Colm Wilkinson, Les Misérables
Les Misérables had many good performers (Eddie Redmayne, Anne Hathaway, Samantha Barks, and Aaron Tveidt among then), but they were let down by poor directing choices and a screenplay which left little room for context. Hugh Jackman was particularly well-cast as Jean Valjean, 19th century French superhero (he has the strength of 4 men, but no adamantium skeleton), finally breaking his streak of movies-I-don't-want-to-see. His Oscar-nominated performance is a worthy addition to the Valjean pantheon and was usually the best part of any given scene. However, in an early scene between Valjean and a kind bishop I found myself thinking, "This guy is killing it as the bishop! What a voice -- who is this guy?" Of course, it was Colm Wilkinson, the original Valjean on Broadway and the West End. Of course, he killed it. That's kind of his thing.

Supporting Performance Which Needs Its Own Movie: James Spader, Lincoln

As Lincoln continues to receive praise (it's looking like the front-runner for Best Picture at the Oscars), I've yet to hear any acknowledgement for the film's most interesting, most alive performance: James Spader as Mr. Bilbo, a "gentleman from Albany" called down to D.C. to broker some back-room deals. Would the film have been 10 times better if Bilbo had been the main character? No. It would have been 100 times better.
Drunkenly luxuriating behind a greasy mustache and rumpled clothes, Bilbo stands out among the stiff collars of Washington, yet effortlessly speaks the local language of bribery and extortion. Spader is the only actor here who seems to feel at ease in his own skin; the difference between Bilbo and his two fellow wheeler-dealers, played by the usually fine John Hawkes and Tim Blake Nelson, is striking. Hawkes and Nelson are achingly dull and often look unsure of why they are even in the movie. If I were to learn that Hawkes and Nelson were forced to perform at gunpoint (likely by Spader), I would not be at all surprised. I don't give a hoot about the new Hobbit trilogy, Spader is the only Bilbo I want to see more of.

More Please?
Kerry Washington proved to be a woman worth fighting for as Broomhilda in Django Unchained, too bad it was such a small part. Perhaps the next chapter of the Django series could show Django and Broomhilda on adventures together. I know Tarantino is capable of writing a strong female character, a la Jackie Brown or The Bride. Unfortunately, he says he's retiring from making movies...
Alicia Vikander was also shortchanged by Anna Karenina. The sweet, evolving love story between Kitty (played by Vikander) and Levin (Domhnall Gleeson) serves as a counterpoint to the intensely passionate affair of Anna and Vronsky -- at least it's meant to, if one bothers to put it in the screenplay. With a bit more screen time this could have been a star-making role for Vikander.

Rookie of the Year: Suraj Sharma, Life of Pi
It's not a spoiler to say that the majority of this film follows the teenaged Pi, played by Sharma, shipwrecked in the Pacific, alone, but for a Bengal tiger. Since the tiger was created through special effects, Sharma was truly alone on that boat acting opposite air - a difficult job for any actor. At least Tom Hanks had a real volleyball to talk to in Cast Away. So I was shocked to learn that this was Sharma's first movie role. Was he perfect? No, but it was a fine debut.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Classic Movie Picks: January 2013

by Lani

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

Tuesdays in January: Great Capers
A month of bank jobs, jewel heists, and art thefts! This is one of my favorite film genres; I just love watching the gang assemble and layout a plan, then seeing how it all plays out. The films range from clever comedies like The Pink Panther (1/1) and The Lavender Hill Mob (1/29) to gritty noirs like Rififi (1/1) and Bob le Flambeur (1/8). As a fan of the genre, I've seen quite a few caper movies; however, about half the titles in this series are films I'd never even heard of! These are a few of the ones I want to check out this month:
1/1, 2:15 AM - Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958)

1/8, 10:15 PM - Seven Thieves (1960)

1/15, 8 PM - The League of Gentleman (1960)

1/22, 4 AM - The Anderson Tapes (1971)

1/23, 6 AM - The Split (1968)

1/6: Starring Sessue Hayakawa
12 AM - The Cheat (1915)
1 AM - The Dragon Painter (1919)
Sessue Hayakawa rose to stardom during the silent era, the first Asian actor to reach that status in Hollywood. I'm having a hard time thinking of any Asian actor since Hayakawa who has risen to the same level of popularity and industry clout. Tonight you can see the film that made him a star (even though he plays the villain), The Cheat, and one of the films made by Hayakawa's own production company, The Dragon Painter.

1/7: Bill Paxton's Picks
8 PM - Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
10:30 PM - The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
12:30 AM - California Split (1974)
2:30 AM - The Last Detail (1973)
Oftentimes, the celebrity guest programmers select films which seem a tad safe and predictable, e.g. Lawrence of Arabia, Network, My Fair Lady. So, it is refreshing when someone picks films which are rarely shown on TCM, as Bill Paxton has done this month. Two European art house classics followed by two prime examples of 70s American cinema.

BONUS PICK: 1/7, 4:30 AM - A Soldier's Story (1984)
Catch an early performance by Denzel Washington in this drama, directed by Norman Jewison, about racism in the army during WWII. (By the way, Washington also gives a great performance in Flight, which may still be playing in a theatre near you.)

1/13, 10 AM - Les Miserables (1935)
A musical version of "Les Mis" is now on the big screen, the latest in a long line of film adaptations from Victor Hugo's classic novel. (Of course, the current film is really more of an adaptation of the stage musical; therefore, it's heavy on music, light on context.) This 1935 version is regarded as one of the best adaptations and features two of the top actors of the era, Fredric March and Charles Laughton, going head to head as Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert.

1/16, 2 PM - The Detective (1954)
Alec Guinness was surely one of the most versatile actors to grace stage and screen. He is best known today as Obi Wan Kenobi of Star Wars (the only performance from the Star Wars series to earn an Academy Award nomination), or for his Oscar-winning performance in the WWII drama Bridge on the River Kwai. However, I think my favorite Guinness performances are in comedies, like tonight's film. He plays Father Brown, a country priest who sets out to catch an art thief. The role seems to have made an impression on Guinness, too - he and his wife subsequently converted to Catholicism.

1/20: Danny Kaye's 100th
It is my personal opinion that Danny Kaye was one of the greatest American entertainers of the 20th century. Actor, singer, comedian, showman - he could even dance a little. The TCM programming elves must agree with me as today they devote all programming to Kaye. The featured films are all delightful, exuberant comedies - I would particularly recommend The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (6 PM), Hans Christian Andersen (8 PM), and A Song is Born (12 AM). Also in the mix is an episode of The Danny Kaye Show (6 AM), Kaye's variety show from the mid-60s, and his appearance on The Dick Cavett Show (10:30 AM) in 1971.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Classic Movie Picks: December 2012

by Lani

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

My monthly post is late this time due to technical difficulties. I’ve just moved into a new house and am currently making do without internet (how will I live?!) and cable (seriously, how will I live?!). Everything was supposed to be hooked up earlier this week, but I was subsequently told by Time Warner Cable that it couldn’t be done since the neighbor’s dogs happened to be outside when the technician arrived. So, I’m now forced to make another appointment based on the schedule of these dogs – capricious, free-living animals, who come and go as they please with no sense of obligation to their neighbors’ need for cable TV. So, I don’t know when I’ll be able to get TCM again, but here’s what I would watch if I could.

Lubitsch Fridays

12/7, 12 AM – The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
12/14, 9:30 PM - Design for Living (1933)
12/28, 1:30 AM – That Uncertain Feeling (1941)
TGIF becomes doubly true this month with films by master director Ernst Lubitsch in primetime. There seems to be a Lubitsch revival of late and I think some of the credit goes to Nora Ephron’s film You’ve Got Mail. Whether you like that film or not, before Ephron’s remake, how many people had really even seen Lubitsch’s The Shop Around the Corner? Now, it’s a Christmas mainstay on TCM (and deservedly so!). I’ve picked this film and two other Lubitsch comedies as my recommendations for the month, but if you tune in on any Friday night, you will surely be entertained. What makes his films great? People often point to the “Lubitsch Touch” – the director’s knack for using unexpected details to delight the audience. I think that Lubitsch films also feature some of the most interesting female characters of the era; independent women who often rebel against the expected.

12/21: Waiting for the End of the World

7 AM – The Lost Missile (1958)
8:30 AM – The Satan Bug (1965)
10:30 AM – The Last Man on Earth (1964)
12 PM – The Bed Sitting Room (1969)
2 PM – Five (1951)
4 PM – Panic in Year Zero (1962)
6 PM – The World, The Flesh and The Devil (1959)
Rogue missiles, deadly viruses, nuclear war – many films have made a guess at what could eventually bring an end to civilization as we know it. Lately zombies are a popular culprit, also calendars. December 21, 2012 marks the end of the Mayan calendar; therefore, the end of world as well. If you’re able to watch movies in your underground bunker or emergency ark, today’s TCM line-up may be instructive (if you survive).

Directed by Vincente Minelli

12/15, 4 AM – Two Weeks in Another Town (1962)
12/18, 10 PM &12/24, 4:30 PM – Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Since I read a biography of Vincente Minelli last year (A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minelli by Mark Griffin), I’ve been motivated to see all the films by this talented and diverse director. This month I’m looking forward to revisiting an old favorite – Meet Me in St. Louis – and discovering something new – Two Weeks in Another Town. Each film shows a different aspect of Minelli’s filmography. St. Louis is a buoyant Technicolor musical showcasing his frequent leading lady, and one-time wife, Judy Garland. On the other end of the spectrum, metaphorically speaking, Two Weeks features another key Minelli collaborator, Kirk Douglas, in a drama about the darker side of Hollywood.

12/16, 8 PM – Carol for Another Christmas (1964)

Usually the thought of another twist on A Christmas Carol wouldn’t excite me; however, this film sounds like a rarity worth checking out: a made-for-TV movie with an anti-war theme written by Rod Serling and directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, starring Sterling Hayden, Eva Marie Saint, Ben Gazzara, and Peter Sellers. Since it aired only once, in 1964, chances are you haven’t seen this one either.

12/24, 12 AM – Auntie Mame (1958)

Who can sleep on Christmas Eve anyway? Live life to the fullest! Ring in Christmas morning with Mame!
(And if you’re able to watch this, it means you have survived the Mayan apocalypse - even more reason to celebrate!)

BONUS: TCM has two evenings of special programming which I also wanted to give a mention:
12/3, 8 PM - Baby Peggy
1 movie, 1 documentary, and 3 shorts starring one of cinema’s first child stars, “Baby Peggy.”
12/10, 8 PM - Academy Conversations: The Art of Production Design
This special presentation of 4 artfully-designed films is co-hosted by two Oscar-nominated production designers, Guy Hendrix Dyas and Lilly Kilvert.