By John Seal
May 5 - May 11, 2003
From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or under-appreciated - they all have a home in the TiVoPlex! All times PDT.
Monday 05/03/03
2:15 AM Cinemax
Barfly (1987 USA): Barfly is a rarity in American cinema: a character study that doesn't worry about telling a story with a beginning, middle, and explosive end. Mickey Rourke is excellent as Henry Chinaski, a writer and habitué of skid row who isn't so much slumming as soaking in it. The real surprise here is Faye Dunaway as his love interest: it's easily her best performance since Chinatown and proves she still has it (or had it in 1987, at least). Also of note is Frank "Brother of Sly" Stallone as Eddie, the barman who keeps getting into one-sided fistfights with Henry. Barfly is a surprising success, especially considering it was produced by schlockmeisters Golan-Globus, and it's one of the best American films of the eighties. Also airs at 5:15 AM.
4:50 AM Black Starz
Otomo (1999 GER): Otomo plays a lot like a typical liberal Hollywood exposition on racism, until one realizes that it's based on the true-life case of an Ivoirian immigrant in Germany whose death came at the hands of overzealous police officers. The title role is brilliantly realized by Isaach De Bankole, also outstanding as the ice-cream seller in Jim Jarmusch's masterful Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai. De Bankole brings the perfect balance of empathy and mystery to his character, a man forced to try to survive by any means necessary. Also airs at 1:20 PM and 5/9 at 4:30 AM.
8:55 AM Showtime Extreme
Tai Chi II (1996 HK): I wouldn't expect a classic, but martial arts fans will be pleased to see this relatively obscure title show up on cable. Tai Chi II doesn't have much to declare in the originality department, but it does feature a young man fighting opium smugglers with his lengthy and apparently powerful braid. That's what it says here. Sounds like he uses a particularly good brand of pomade or Trent Lott's hairspray. There's also love interest in the shape of Canadian born beauty Christy Chung (Bride With White Hair II, which airs 5/7 at 10:15 PM on Encore Action). Also airs at 7:00 PM. And 5/11 at 7:00 AM and 3:40 PM.
5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Metropolis (1926 GER): This is the world premiere of the recently restored print of Fritz Lang's dystopian classic, accompanied for the first time in decades by the original score composed by Gottfried Huppertz. This is the clear pick of the week for film historians who haven't already shelled out for Kino International's superb new DVD. Still missing a considerable amount of footage, this is likely to be the definitive version for the foreseeable future.
6:00 PM The Movie Channel
After the Rain (1999 JAP): Adapted for the screen by Akira Kurosawa shortly before his death, After the Rain was also originally supposed to be directed by Kurosawa, but was ultimately helmed by his frequent assistant director Takashi Koizumi. Other Kurosawa alumni also worked on this film, which details the life of a samurai and his master. It's familiar territory for the great Japanese auteur, but with a lighter touch than usual. Also airs at 9:00 PM.
8:35 PM Starz
Italian For Beginners (2001 DEN): Saddled with the sort of lame title you'd expect from the latest Freddie Prinze Jr. romantic comedy, this is actually Number 12 in the Dogme film series from Lars Von Trier's Zentropa Films. Written and directed by Lone Scherfig, Italian For Beginners features a group of Scandinavian misfits attending adult school, including a baker, a priest, and a restaurateur. No word on whether they attend Italian class in the buff. Also airs at 11:35 PM and 5/8 at 9:15 AM and 12:15 PM.
Tuesday 05/06/03
1:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Fearmakers (1958 USA): This film was a late entry in the Red Scare cycle of the 1950s. By the late 1960s it would have looked like a bizarre and ancient relic. Now in the 21st century, the film looks almost prophetic - if you can overlook the fact that it's basically a pro-nuclear war film. What gives the film resonance for a contemporary audience is its accurate portrayal of the "public relations" industry, polling and advertising, and its ability to sway public opinion. In the 1950s this thesis no doubt took a back seat to the usual Commie-bashing, but now - in the era of push polls, straw polls, and exit polls - it looks frighteningly accurate. Dana Andrews is excellent as usual. Sadly he is paired up with Marilee Earle as his love interest, and Ms. Earle gives a wooden performance that would make the Sierra Club proud. This was the last film of her brief career. A fascinating and still relevant obscurity.
3:35 AM Encore Mystery
Murder by Contract (1958 USA): Vince Edwards plays a freelance hit man who gets into trouble with big time gangsters in this gritty little Columbia bill-filler. Directed efficiently by Irving Lerner and nicely shot by Lucien Ballard, Murder by Contract co-stars Herschel Bernardi as well as Darren McGavin's recently deceased wife, Kathie Browne.
12:10 PM Showtime Extreme
Master of the Flying Guillotine (1975 HK): I rather imagine if there's a guillotine flying around that one would like to be its master, or at least to have mastery over it. Here's a kung fu classic about the eponymous bad guy taking on a one-armed boxer. Doesn't sound fair, does it? Well, to complicate matters, the master of the flying guillotine is blind, so it's not quite the uneven match-up it seems at first blush. This is a heady and outrageous example of martial arts filmmaking and will have even the most jaded viewers on the edge of their seats. Also airs at 7:00 PM, 5/7 at 1:25 AM, and 5/10 at 8:55 AM and 8:40 PM.
Wednesday 05/07/03
Midnight More Max
The Idiots (1998 DEN): We're back in Dogme territory for Lars Von Trier's controversial tale of young people faking mental illness. This misunderstood and wildly under-appreciated film is up there with The Kingdom and Zentropa in the Von Trier canon, and in my opinion better than Breaking the Waves and Dancer In the Dark. Critics focused on the film's perceived cruel attitude towards the mentally handicapped (a common thread in Von Trier's work), but The Idiots is actually a very personal film about revolution, healing and Danish society's attitude towards the "retarded." It is an incredibly brave and moving film that will have you dabbing your eyes by the end. Caveat: Whoever decided that American filmgoers could not be exposed to the sight of penises - flaccid or otherwise - deserves to lose their job. The absurdity of being exposed to full frontal female nudity - whilst being protected by big black floating boxes whenever a John Thomas is on screen - is an outrage. Did someone REALLY think this film would break through at the box office if these appendages were obscured? Were they concerned that Joe Six Pack was going to take the wife and kids to that new movie by that famed Danish director that's such a big hit with the art house crowd? The mind boggles.
9:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
The Sicilian Clan (1969 FRA): This superior caper film stars the grand old man of French cinema, Jean Gabin, as a manipulative gangster and the handsome young heartthrob Alain Delon (don't we ALL wish we could have his hair?) as the target of Gabin's ire. Superbly directed by Henri Verneuil and featuring another excellent Ennio Morricone score, The Sicilian Clan is getting one of its infrequent widescreen airings on Fox, and is well worth watching. Also airs at 11:00 PM.
9:30 PM Turner Classic Movies
The Hill (1965 GB): One of Sean Connery's best performances is on view in this relatively unknown classic about a brutal prison for British Army miscreants during World War II. Evocatively written by playwright Ray Rigby, who based the story on his own wartime experiences, The Hill was starkly shot in black and white by Oswald Morris and features a superb supporting cast, including Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Ossie Davis, and Roy Kinnear in a memorable performance as a weaselly inmate.
Thursday 05/08/03
Slither (1972 USA): This long unseen and under-appreciated black comedy stars James Caan as an ex-con involved with some rather unconventional characters, played with joi de vivre by the likes of Peter Boyle, Louise Lasser, and TiVoPlex favorite Allen Garfield, as they attempt to find $3,000 in embezzled money. Genre fans, take note: the film was written by the reclusive W.D. Richter, the man responsible for directing films like The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai and scripting 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers and 1986's Big Trouble In Little China.
5:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Call Her Savage (1932 USA): Intended as a come back film for ingénue Clara Bow, Call Me Savage didn't do a lot for her career in 1932 but now serves as exhibit 'A' in the pre-Code naughty film evidence file. Bow plays a young Texan woman drinkin' and lovin' her way through life. Along the way she wears incredibly sheer outfits, engages in some S&M, and pays a visit to a gay bar. No wonder Will Hays had to crack down. Co-starring real life bad girl Thelma Todd, as well as '30s stalwarts such as Mischa Auer and Gilbert Roland, this is a bizarre but fascinating time capsule.
Friday 05/09/03
2:15 AM Turner Classic Movies
The Great Garrick (1937 USA): I haven't seen this Warners comedy, nor does it have the best reputation, but I'm compelled to include it because it was directed by the great James Whale and is even harder to see than his Showboat (1936 USA). Even if the film is terrible, you can enjoy the cast, which includes Brian Aherne, Olivia de Havilland, Edward Everett Horton, Albert Dekker, and Whale veteran Lionel Atwill. There's nary a Frankenstein's monster in sight, but with Anton Grot's art direction it should still look pretty good.
8:55 AM Showtime Extreme
The Duel (2000 HK): We're certainly getting our fill of martial arts films this week. Here's one of the more recent examples, a bit more reliant on CGI than older films in the genre, but still providing solid entertainment for those like a little flying fists style action in the morning. It's thoroughly silly stuff, with lots of flashing swords and flaming lightning bolts, and stars Hong Kong heartthrob Andy Lau. Also airs at 7:00 PM.
6:00 PM Sundance
Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth (1998 USA): If you're only familiar with Bruce because of the (admittedly excellent) 1973 Dustin Hoffman biopic Lenny, you're only getting part of the story. This is, quite simply, one of the best documentaries you'll ever see, a heartrending look at a comic targeted and ultimately killed by the powers that be. Essential viewing, and one of the very few films I consider a 10 out of 10 (or a 5 out of 5, depending on your ratings scale).
Saturday 05/10/03
1:00 AM Sundance
The Jaundiced Eye (1999 USA): This low-key documentary details the story of two men (a father and his gay son) accused of child sexual abuse in rural Michigan. Director-producer Nonny de la Pena doesn't try to dress the proceedings up with narration or camera tricks, allowing the shocking story to unfold at its own pace, and the final scene - where the two men go to the local courthouse to pick up the legal papers that exonerate them - doesn't provide any kind of emotional payoff, making the film all the more powerful and serving as a reminder that false accusations are not particularly unusual occurrences.
7:00 AM IFC
The White Balloon (1995 IRA): Written by Abbas Kiorastami, this gentle and sweet Iranian film is about a young girl who desperately wants to buy a goldfish for New Year's. Her mother gives her some money, but the child loses it, and what follows are her picaresque adventures through the backstreets of Tehran as she attempts to find the lost allowance and make it back to the little shop with the fat goldfish before closing time. The White Balloon is another delightful reminder of the riches and talents of Iranian cinema industry, no doubt about to be blown to hell by the Coalition of the Willing in the next front of the War on Terror. Hey, they couldn't protect the artistic and cultural treasures of the cradle of civilization, so I don't see them fretting over some moldy old film canisters, do you? Also airs at 12:45 PM.
5:00 PM American Movie Classics
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966 ITA): Mmm. Pardon me. (Drool.) Sorry, I'm just slobbering in anticipation of this newly restored version of Sergio Leone's western classic, featuring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach. You know the story, but AMC is airing a newly restored and, yes, LONGER version of the film than any seen since its initial Rome debut in 1966. Excuse me whilst I mop my brow. Not only that, but AMC is airing it uncut for one showing only, after which they revert to the annoying commercial breaks now de rigeur on this once fine channel. Caveat: there's no indication that this will be a letterboxed print. If it isn't, don't bother watching, and hope that the limited theatrical re-release comes to a city near you, pending a new DVD sometime in 2004.
Sunday 05/11/03
9:00 PM Turner Classic Movies
Daddy Long Legs (1919 USA): No, it's not the 1955 musical, but a Silent Sunday treat featuring Mary Pickford as an orphan who grows up and falls in her love with her benefactor. It's fairly typical Pick-fare, expertly directed by Marshall Neilan (who also makes a small onscreen appearance) and is a fine example of America's Sweetheart's work at the height of her popularity.
