TCM
TiVo ALERT
For
May
15–May 22
DAVID’S
BEST BETS:
NIGHT
OF THE HUNTER (May 15, 6:00 pm): Robert Mitchum is at
his terrifying best in this 1955 film, the only movie Charles
Laughton directed. Mitchum is Rev. Harry Powell, a psychopath who
kills women and steals their money, believing he's doing God's work.
He is completely convincing as not only a cold-blooded murderer, but
also a preacher who quotes Scripture with ease to make his point. He
has love tattooed on the knuckles of his right hand and hate on the
knuckles of his left hand. When he gives the explanation for the tattoos it sends chills down my spine every
time. Most of
the film has Powell pitted against a young boy, who doesn't trust
him, and with good reason. Powell is after money stolen and hidden by
the boy's father, who was executed for killing two people in the
robbery. Powell seduces and marries the boy's mother and later kills
her as he searches for the cash. The film was a failure when it was
released, which resulted in Laughton never directing again. But over
the years, it has come to be appreciated for what it is: a brilliant,
menacing, dark film noir
HANNAH
AND HER SISTERS (May 15, 9:15 pm): Like me, Woody
Allen loves Ingmar Bergman films. Unlike me, he gets to make films
that steal, um, borrow from Bergman. You have to give Allen credit,
he does great adaptations. For example, this film is very similar in
structure to Bergman's excellent Fanny and Alexander. In
this 1986 film, Mia Farrow is Hannah, whose husband (played by
Michael Caine), falls in love with one of her sisters, a free-spirit
(Barbara Hershey). Woody, as Hannah's ex-husband, steals every scene
as a hypochondriac convinced he's going to die. He ends up with
Hannah's other sister (Dianne Wiest). The acting is spectacular, with
Caine winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and Wiest for Best
Supporting Actress, and an all-star cast.
ED’S
BEST BETS:
84
CHARING CROSS ROAD (May 19, 10:00 pm): A lovely,
little movie from Brooksfilms about the friendship of writer Helene
Hanff and the owner of a used book shop in London and how it unfolded
over the years. Anne Bancroft is superb as Hanff and Anthony Hopkins
likewise as Frank Dole, the owner of the bookshop. The story is based
on Hanff’s 1970 autobiographical book of the same name and brings
to life the 20-year correspondence between Hanff and Dole. As the
film unfolds we see their relation grow from one of strict formality
into a warm friendship, which makes the ending a very touching one.
This is the sort of film that is not usually made these days. There
are no murders, car crashes, aliens, cool special effects, or sex
scenes: Just plain good dialogue and acting. Also look for Judi Dench
in a lovely turn as Hopkins’ wife.
THE
CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (May 19, 1:45 am): This was
Hammer studios’ first attempt at the reimaging of the classic
Universal horror films of the ‘30s. And to an audience that was
starved of good horror films, it was a box office hit. Much of the
credit for the success of the film must go to Peter Cushing for his
portrayal of Dr. Frankenstein. Cushing hits all the right notes,
brilliantly conveying the underlying decadence beneath the
aristocratic façade. Christopher Lee, as the Monster, has a
thankless role, with little to do but act scary. However, he does
manage to get the point across, looking murderous rather than just
plain silly. The success of the film begat a series of Frankenstein
films with Cushing in the center of the action. And, with the success
of Frankenstein, a remake of Dracula was just around the corner.
WE
DISAGREE ON ... FATSO (May 19, 8:00 pm)
ED:
A-. The late
Anne Bancroft directed this funny tale about a large man (Dom
DeLuise) and his struggle to lose weight. We’re lucky she helmed
this film and not her husband, Mel Brooks. Otherwise, we might be
treated to Blazing
Fatso. Bancroft also
co-stars as DeLuise’s shrewish sister who is always nagging him
about his weight, and who blows a gasket whenever she catches him
going off his diet. Ron Carey is great as his younger brother, who is
only too eager to help his sister control their brother’s eating.
DeLuise, for his part, gives a memorable portrayal of a man
struggling with problems of weight, self-esteem, and shyness is
courting a young woman (Candice Azzara) who opens an antique shop in
his neighborhood. Also of note is the scene with the support group
DeLuise joins, the Chubby Checkers. Bancroft has managed to combine a
comedy about America’s obsession with food with a heartwarming
story of growing up Italian-American in the Bronx and giving us the
moral that we should learn to accept ourselves as we are. It’s a
beautiful motion picture.
DAVID:
C-. I saw this movie in the theater in 1980, and
didn't care for it. I was 13 at the time so I saw it again a few
years ago to give it a second chance. I should have trusted my first
instincts. It wasn't any better the second time. There's a reason Dom
DeLuise was always in supporting roles in films. As a second banana,
he had the ability to deliver a few funny lines in a limited
capacity. As the center of the film, he didn't have the talent to
keep an audience interested in his character. If it wasn't for Mel
Brooks, husband of Anne Bancroft, who directed and wrote this film,
and Burt Reynolds, DeLuise's cinematic career would have been
minimal. This film is supposed to be a comedy, but it's rather
depressing and not in a way that makes the viewer say, "Oh, it
was worth it." In between all the self-loathing and depression
is a lesson about accepting yourself for who you are and what you
look like. I just wish the point was made with a better script, a
better director and definitely a better cast. Think of it as the poor
man's Marty, and I'm not much of a fan of that movie.
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