TCM
TiVo ALERT
For
May
23–May 31
DAVID’S
BEST BETS:
THE
DIRTY DOZEN (May 24, 8:00 pm): This 1967 war film is
maligned by cinematic elitists who criticize it for its premise of a
band of misfits put together to kill Nazi military leaders just
before D-Day and its cast, lead by Lee Marvin and including Charles
Bronson, Jim Brown and Telly Savalas. I'm not going to defend the
acting prowess of most of those in The Dirty Dozen, but
Marvin is one of film's most underrated actors. And it's not like
this is Shakespeare. This is a pure action film and it delivers more
than nearly every action film ever made. Lots of stuff gets blown up,
including a few of the dozen, and is a lot of fun to watch.
METROPOLIS (May
30, 6:00 am): This 1926 silent film, directed by Fritz Lang, is one
of the most important and best ever made. The storyline is as current
today as it was 88 years ago, perhaps even more relevant now. This is
the restored 2010 version which includes still photos and additional
live film that was discovered in a museum in Argentina. Set in a
dystopian society in the future, the rich live in high-rises that
reach into the heavens and the workers, who supply the power through
grueling physical labor, are literally underground. The repressed
workers stage an uprising in scenes that feature thousands of extras.
That Lang is able to capture it on film is a testament to his
brilliance as a director. The film also features special effects that
are as good or better than any seen until about the mid-1970s. Others
have made remakes or films inspired by Metropolis, but
even with the advancements in technology, including something as
basic as sound so you can hear actors speak, none can touch the
original. If you've never seen it or have viewed earlier versions
without the restoration, I urge you to make sure you seen this film.
It is a cinematic masterpiece.
ED’S
BEST BETS:
DODSWORTH (May
23, 6:00 am): Walter Huston, recreating his Broadway role, shines in
this adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’s novel about an industrialist
who retires, travels to Europe, and discovers that he and his wife
are rapidly growing apart in what should be their golden years
together. Beautifully adapted by Sidney Howard and wonderfully
photographed by Rudolph Mate, it’s unusual for its time in the
mature treatment of its subject. William Wyler’s direction moves
everything along with no dead spots, and he is backed by strong
performances all around. Mary Astor, as the woman Huston discovers in
Europe, is enchanting in her role, but unfortunately was sandbagged
by her ex-husband during their divorce trial when he unearthed her
diary detailing her affair with George S. Kaufman, probably killing
her chances for any sort of awards. Unlike many other films with the
same subject matter, this one holds up well today.
CARNIVAL
IN FLANDERS (May 25, 2:00 am): This is director
Jacques Feyder’s wonderfully staged farce about a Spanish invasion
of a small Flemish town in the 17th century. While
the men all find excuses to leave town, the women remain behind and
conquer the invaders with a combination of romance and revelry, so
that instead of razing the town, the Spanish invaders leave it
standing and give it a year off from paying taxes. It is a razor
sharp satire of war and heroism and was quite popular on the “art
house” revival circuit. It’s also one not to miss.
WE
DISAGREE ON ... A GUY NAMED JOE (May 30, 9:15 am)
ED:
B. This is an
entertaining romantic fantasy set in World War II with a great
performance by Spencer Tracy playing the two types of characters he
was known for: the cynical tough guy and, later on, the fatherly
figure. Also worth applauding is the chemistry he cooks up with Irene
Dunne, who plays his ladylove in the flick. The film begins with
Tracy as a hotshot pilot fighting in Europe. His constant risk-taking
worries girlfriend Dunne, herself a pilot, and her worst fear is
realized when he is killed in action. Spence goes to heaven, but he’s
not ready to exchange his worldly body for a harp just yet, so he
becomes a guardian angel to a young pilot, played by Van Johnson.
It’s when Van meets Irene, still carrying the torch for Spence, and
begins to woo her that Tracy’s mettle is tested. And this is where
Tracy grows into the fatherly figure he would become in his Postwar
films. Though this may seem a rather simplistic film, note that
Spielberg remade it in 1989 as Always,
which came off as maudlin rather than romantic. I myself am not a big
fan of romantic fantasies, but this is the exception to the rule. A
well-made and plotted film can play anywhere.
DAVID:
D. How do I put
this nicely? This is a pretty bad movie. Spencer Tracy was a
wonderful actor and made many excellent and important films. This is
not one of them. I'm surprised Katharine Hepburn isn't in this movie
as nearly all of the lousy ones he made over an incredible career
co-starred her. If you're looking for a good Tracy film this week, I
strongly recommend Fury at
9:15 am May 30. But A
Guy Named Joe is
corny sentimental garbage. The love stories are contrived and the
acting is strained to put it politely. After crashing his plane,
Tracy is a ghost that no one but the audience can see or hear. The
concept of this film gets out of hand quickly and the dialogue comes
across as fake and insincere. To top it off, it's a film about pilots
in World War II and the flying scenes were staged on an MGM lot,
something that is almost immediately obvious. If the fake flying
scenes were this movie's only problem, I could look passed it. But
add on a bad script, some pretty bad acting and a ridiculous plot,
and you have a movie that is painful to watch. There's nothing
redeeming, interesting or entertaining here. Stay away, Joe –
and everyone else.
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