Dish of the Day (A Lost Weekend Edition)
Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Friday, October 18, 2024
In Palo Alto California, The Stanford Theatre continues with their extensive Film Noir Festival. This weekend’s double bill consists of Laura (1944, a 35mm print) showing at 4:05 pm and 7:30 pm, paired with Out of the Past (1947, a 35mm print) at 5:45 pm and 9:10 pm on Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th.
Laura
Out of the Past
Click on the theatre image below to see more of their Film Noir programming.
This weekend on TCM:
Crime Wave (1953), previously reviewed here, is one wave you'll want to catch Saturday, October 19 at 2:15 pm PDT.
Charles Buchinsky (a.k.a. Charles Bronson)
In the U.K. town of Midwich, strange children with mysterious origins are behaving badly. Find out just how bad when the chilling Village of the Damned (1960), previously reviewed here, airs Saturday, October 19 at 3:30 pm PDT.
This next recommendation is a highly distinctive crime film, overflowing with noir goodness, 1949’s Too Late for Tears. This film also utilises a famous city landmark, namely Los Angeles’ Echo Park lake which was also featured in the Neo-noir Chinatown. Too Late for Tears was previously reviewed here. It's never too late to indulge in actress Lizabeth Scott's classic femme fatale portrayal which TCM will oblige in presenting as part of Eddie Muller’s Noir Alley Saturday, October 19 at 9:30 pm PDT and again on Sunday, October 20 at 7 am PDT.
Next are 3 terrific Film Noirs from the ‘40s playing back-to-back:
MGM contract player Robert Taylor appeared in a startling number of excellent films. Johnny Eager (1941), a previous recommendation here, is one of them. If you haven’t seen this exciting film noir with its irresistible characters (like the one pictured below played by Lana Turner) and situations, don’t miss the opportunity Sunday, October 20 at 9 am PDT.
Lana Turner, Robert Taylor
Despite its ridiculously hard to follow plot, this next recommendation's wildly entertaining detective yarn is worth waking up for.
Previously reviewed here, The Big Sleep (1946) will awaken Sunday, October 20 at 11 am PDT.
A most talented friend on Facebook, Leilani Roundtree, has graciously allowed me to post her own very special modernised trailer for The Big Sleep. This amazing work both spoofs contemporary coming attractions while paying homage to the early classic in a most delightful way. Enjoy!
From the same director who brought us Citizen Kane comes another kind of cinematic hero (of sorts). Michael O'Hara, like the deeply flawed Kane, is flawlessly played by his creator Orson Welles. Unlike Citizen Kane however, this film fell under its producer Harry Cohn's butchery with considerable footage lost and destroyed forever. Nevertheless, what survives is vastly entertaining and not to be missed. The Lady from Shanghai (1947) was also previously recommended here and will reappear on TCM Sunday, October 20 at 1 pm PDT.
TCM's current monthly schedule can be confirmed by clicking on any of the above 6 images. To confirm the correct Pacific Daylight (West Coast) showtime information, subtract 3 hours from the Eastern Daylight (East Coast) showtime listed on TCM’s schedule.
All responses are not only welcomed but encouraged in the comments section below.
Hope to see you Monday, October 21st.
A.G.