TCMFF Day #3

Apologies for the late write up on the last two days of TCMFF! But here we go.

Day three for me started with my first visit to the Egyptian Theatre. It hadn’t been a venue the last few years because it was undergoing a massive refurbishment. But it was worth the wait! The first film on my agenda was Night Has A Thousand Eyes. As the president of the unofficial Edward G. Robinson fan club, this was a screening I was really excited about. I had been trying to track it down for years with no luck. So my first screening at the Egyptian was a hidden gem and was a rare nitrate print. Robinson plays a man who claims to be a psychic and attempts by the police and others to debunk his abilities. Definitely would recommend.

The newly renovated Egyptian was worth the wait!

After making a new noir discovery it was on to an old favorite: The Big Heat. It was a treat having it introduced by Czar of Noir Eddie Muller and Gloria Grahame super fan Dana Delany. Another great noir screening.

Dana Delany (left) and Eddie Muller (right) introducing The Big Heat.

Next up was some Hitchcock. I missed Rear Window on day two because it was playing opposite Close Encounters being introduced by Steven Spielberg. So I had to go to the screening of North By Northwest. There’s nothing like seeing a classic Hitchcock thriller in the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre with an audience that fully appreciates every second of it.

After that I got back in line for the next movie in the same theatre: The Shawshank Redemption. Shawshank was my late father’s favorite movie and it quickly became a favorite of mine too. As a special treat, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman were on hand to introduce it with Dave Karger. Shawshank is a great reminder that the best movies don’t always have to have loud explosions and fancy effects. What matters are characters and relationships. It’s a moving story of friendship and survival that is just as great 30 years later.

From there it was a power walk back to the Egyptian. I’m a big fan of director Sidney Lumet. So I had to at least see most of Dog Day Afternoon before booking it back to the Chinese multiplex for the midnight movie.

The final midnight movie of the festival was Heavenly Bodies. I’ll say a few things for it. The movie was shot in focus, in color, and had a dope 80s soundtrack. It was delightfully cheesy and vapid. A perfect midnight cult film.

Stay tuned for my recap of the final day!

TCMFF Day #2

After getting maybe five hours of sleep after the first night of the festival, I was up and running for the first full day of the event.

A few years ago when I attended for the first time, I missed Floyd Norman as the screening of The Jungle Book conflicted with other plans on my agenda. This year I made it a point to attend his introduction for 101Dalmatians. His anecdotes about Walt Disney Studios were enlightening and entertaining. Just one of the most wonderful festival guests to listen to.

Floyd Norman (left) and Mario Cantone (right) introducing 101 Dalmatians.

I ducked out of 101 Dalmatians a tad early to get in line for Them!. As a huge fan of B-movies, especially creature features from the 50s, this was a must. What made it extra special was the presenters: visual effects artist Craig Barron and sound designer Ben Burtt. A very fun and insightful look at the film’s production and insights into the nuts and bolts of sound design and visual effects. A great one to see in a packed theatre.

Ben Burtt (left) and Craig Barron (right) introducing Them!.

Next was a stop at Club TCM for A Conversation With Billy Dee Williams. It was a great presentation led by Professor Stewart. I look forward to seeing one of Williams’ films on Sunday.

Professor Stewart (left) and Billy Dee Williams (right) speaking at Club TCM.

I took a break after that for an early dinner. Then it was over to the IMAX Theatre for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I was really torn between seeing that and Rear Window. But Steven Spielberg introducing one of his masterpieces? Couldn’t pass that up. And what a great discussion. My favorite part was learning about why Spielberg takes a more optimistic view of what making contact with extraterrestrial life might be like. And we were treated to the director’s cut in the best possible venue. Thrilling!

Steven Spielberg (left) and Ben Mankiewicz (right) presenting Close Encounters.

My last film of the day was the complete opposite of the one I started with: Se7en. Fittingly Czar of Noir Eddie Muller was on hand to introduce it with director David Fincher. I was surprised how many in attendance were seeing it for the first time. It’s dark, gritty, twisted, and blends very well the genres of noir and horror. It’s not for the faint of heart. But it is an undeniably powerful film. The IMAX restoration was the cherry on top.

David Fincher (left) and Eddie Muller (right) introducing Se7en.

That’s it for the first full day! Stay tuned for my day 3 recap.

TCMFF Day #1

Well, it’s that time of the year again. It’s time to live and breathe movies for four glorious days in Hollywood. Today was day 1 of the TCM Classic Film Festival. Here’s my recap.

First on the agenda was So You Want To Plan A Classic Film Festival. It was a great insight into all the hard work the festival organizers put in. It’s not just planning the films themselves. It’s the logistics of the venues and coordinating the talent. It was a fun tour down memory lane. And we got some great stories from past festivals.

After that I went to the bleachers to watch the red carpet arrivals. Always fun to get on some people watching.

I was originally going to pass on Pulp Fiction because I have seen it on the big screen. But I decided to at least go for the cast reunion. And it did not disappoint.

Dave Karger and Lesley Ann Warren introducing Clue.

My first full film of the festival was Clue. The poolside screenings are a completely different vibe from the others. I try to do one a festival. Clue was a movie I rented at the video store all the time as a kid. That’s how I got introduced to the great Tim Curry. Dave Karger and. Lesley Ann Warren introduced it. There were also fun photo ops, my favorite being one where you could take your own mugshot. The screening was a hoot!

Once Clue was over, I booked it over to the TCL Multiplex for The Small Back Room. It was completely new to me. What a treat! Another great film from the dynamic duo of Powell and Pressburger. This one follows the adventures of a troubled research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert who is tasked by the government to devise a plan to deal with a new German weapon. The last 15 minutes are packed with excruciating suspense! Alfred Hitchcock eat your heart out.

Ken Jennings introducing The Small Back Room.

Well, that’s it for day one. It was quite a start to the festivities.