New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Thursday 10/09/08

11:40 AM Flix
On the Yard (1979 USA): This forgotten prison drama from director Raphael Silver (Hester Street) features underappreciated John Heard as Juleson, a convicted wife murderer spending quality time behind bars with other equally upstanding citizens. His buddies include Red (Mike Kellin from The Incident), who's spent more life in prison than out; Chilly (Thomas G. Waites), the prison's BMOC; and Morris (Joe Grifasi), a suck-up who runs errands in exchange for protection. Adapted by Malcolm Braley from his own novel, On the Yard is solid, straightforward storytelling supported by an excellent cast and aided by location footage shot at Rockview State Correctional Facility in central Pennsylvania, which kindly provided a goodly supply of extras at little cost to the producers.

5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Jour de Fete (1948 FRA): An evening of Jacques Tati whimsy kicks off with Jour de Fete, the French funnyman's salute to postal workers. An expansion of his earlier short subject, School For Postmen, Jour de Fete stars the taciturn Tati as Francois, a delivery man who's been egged into adjusting his work routine by a documentary extolling the virtues of American postal techniques. Naturally, the speedy ways of America are distinctly at odds with the bucolic ways of France, and Francois finds himself — and his customers — flummoxed by the innovations. Jour de Fete paved the way for Tati's later masterpieces, three of which also air tonight: at 6:45 PM, the near silent Mr. Hulot's Holiday, which features the actor as a bumbling merrymaker disrupting the residents of a sleepy seaside resort; at 8:15 PM, 1958's Mon Oncle, wherein M. Hulot is rudely introduced to the trappings of modern suburban life; and at 10:15 PM, Playtime, in which he has similar adventures in the mod, mod world of Paris circa 1967.

Friday 10/10/08

4:00 AM Sundance
For the Bible Tells Me So (2007 USA): Christian fundamentalists and their right-wing enablers love to fixate on certain biblical passages that they interpret as condemnatory of homosexuality. Director Daniel Karslake takes them to task in this informative and enjoyable documentary, which features extensive re-examination of scripture as well as interview segments with gay churchgoers and their families. Also featuring segments with Bishops Robinson and Tutu, For the Bible Tells Me maintains its composure and never descends to the level of hyperbolic polemic.

10:00 PM Cinemax
The Funhouse (1981 USA): Director Tobe Hooper became a cult hero in the wake of 1974's Texas Chainsaw Massacre and parlayed that fame into box office success with 1982's Poltergeist. In between those films (and in the wake of 1979 TV movie Salem's Lot), he made this obscure horror flick about a carnival concealing a dark secret. The story revolves around four teenagers enjoying a wild night at the fairgrounds, where they plan to hide out in the funhouse and spend the wee hours smoking wacky tobacky and engaging in unprotected, pre-marital sex. Their plans go awry after they witness a murder — and find themselves being stalked by a killer wearing a Frankenstein's Monster mask. As in most slasher films, the protagonists are so annoying and clueless that you end up rooting for the killer, but The Funhouse benefits from impressive set design and an all too brief appearance by William Finley (Phantom of the Paradise) as magician Margo the Magnificent. At Also airs 10/11 at 1:00 AM.

Continued:       1       2       3       4