Good Film Broadcasts, Week Of September 26th, 2010

Screening Of The Week:

The Sting

George Roy Hill, 1973, 129 Minutes

Friday, 2:00 AM, Turner Classic Movies

One of the challenges in writing these recommendations is finding new ways to state the obvious.  I mean, The Sting is an awesome movie.  Why do I need paragraph after paragraph to reiterate what’s so incredibly clear?  Well, perhaps some of my readers (perhaps, even, both of them) haven’t seen this yet, and perhaps they need some convincing that it’s worth 129 minutes of their time.  And, finally, perhaps “trust me, it’s awesome”, isn’t exactly insightful film criticism.

But it is awesome, for many, many reasons.  This second pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford (after 1969’s Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, also under the direction of George Roy Hill), has Newman playing experienced grifter Henry Gondorff, showing the ropes to small-time conman Johnny Hooker, played by Redford.  The two leads arguably have better chemistry in this film than in their earlier pairing, with Newman bringing a sense of weary experience and Redford as the naive but enthusiastic student.

Hooker is on the run from Doyle Lonnegan, a crime boss he recently scammed, portrayed with great Irish menace by Robert Shaw.  Gondorff takes Hooker under his wing, and together, they plot an elaborate scam on Lonnegan.  Fleshing out this great cast are Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Dana Elcar and Harold Gould.  Together, these great character actors come together in an elaborate chess game to determine who’ll have whose money when all is said and done.

All this is set against Depression-era Chicago, with costumes and sets that do a great job of setting the atmosphere.  Is it authentic?  I don’t know, but it feels real, and, more importantly, it’s just what the story needs.  I do know that the famed soundtrack is somewhat anachronistic, being more appropriate for the turn-of-the-century than for 1936, but it also fits the mood, and helps elevate this film to a classic.

Up above I noted that this movie would take 129 minutes of your time.  The first time I saw it, it took a bit more of mine, as after it was over, I just sat there for 10 minutes or so, in stunned amazement at what I had just seen.

Other Good Films Screening This Week:

Just missing the cut this week is Turner Classic Movies’ screening of 1972’s Daughters of Satan, starring Tom Selleck.

Pulp Fiction

• Saturday, 7:15 PM, IFC
• What do they call this film in France?

Body Of Lies

• Monday, 10:00 AM, HBO2

The Informant!

• Monday, 12:15 PM, HBO2
• Why is there an exclamation point in the title?  Find out this Monday.

Eagle Eye

• Monday, 6:00 PM, HBO

Thank You For Smoking

• Monday, 6:45 PM, IFC
• You’re welcome!

Gran Torino

• Tuesday, 9:30 AM, HBO2

(500) Days Of Summer

• Tuesday, 12:30 PM, HBO

The Searchers

• Tuesday, 1:30 PM, Turner Classic Movies

The Magnificent Seven

• Tuesday, 5:45 PM, Turner Classic Movies

Schindler’s List

• Wednesday, 2:45 AM, HBO

American Splendor

• Wednesday, 6:00 AM, IFC

Home Alone

• Wednesday, 6:35 AM, HBO2
• This may not be the most highly regarded comedy that I’ve ever recommended on my blog, but I laughed like crazy.

Annie Hall

• Wednesday, 7:45 AM, IFC
• This, on the other hand, just might be the most highly regarded comedy that I’ve ever recommended on my blog.

Spider-Man

• Wednesday, 9:30 AM, HBO2

Fatal Attraction

• Thursday, 2:00 PM, HBO2

Sling Blade

• Thursday, 7:45 PM, IFC

Leaving Las Vegas

• Thursday, 10:30 PM, IFC

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

• Thursday, 6:30 AM, HBO2

Layer Cake

• Thursday, 10:30 PM, IFC

Pan’s Labyrinth

• Friday, 1:50 AM, The Sundance Channel
• If writing these recommendations has taught me anything, it’s the correct spelling of “labyrinth”.

The Sting

• Friday, 2:00 AM, Turner Classic Movies

The Odd Couple

• Friday, 10:00 AM, Turner Classic Movies

Fail-Safe

• Friday, 2:15 PM, Turner Classic Movies

The Wrestler

• Saturday, 3:10 AM, HBO2

A Beautiful Mind

• Saturday, 11:30 AM, HBO2

Duplicity

• Saturday, 5:45 PM, HBO2

Swimming With Sharks

• Saturday, 5:55 PM, IFC

Bonnie & Clyde

• Saturday, 8:00 PM, Turner Classic Movies

Monster

• Saturday, 10:00 PM, The Sundance Channel

Boxcar Bertha

• Sunday, October 3rd, 3:15 AM, Turner Classic Movies
• Martin Scorsese’s first color movie, courtesy of (who else?) Roger Corman.

Edit, 9/30: Spelling correction.