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Programming Alert: James Stewart Birthday Tribute on TCM (5/20)

bday cakeSet your DVRs! Wednesday’s programming will be dedicated to some of the best work of James Stewart. Here they are!

While I like most of his work, I have marked my personal favorite films with an asterisk (*).  Enjoy!

6:30am  Anatomy Of A Murder (1959)
A small-town lawyer gets the case of a lifetime when a military man avenges an attack on his wife.
Cast: James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O’Connell Dir: Otto Preminger

* 9:30am You Can’t Take It With You (1938)
A girl from a family of freethinkers falls for the son of a conservative banker.
Cast: Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart, Edward Arnold Dir: Frank Capra

11:45am  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
An idealistic Senate replacement takes on political corruption.
Cast: Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold Dir: Frank Capra

* 2:00pm  Rear Window (1954)
A photographer with a broken leg uncovers a murder while spying on the neighbors in a nearby apartment building.
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter Dir: Alfred Hitchcock

* 4:00pm  Vertigo (1958)
A detective falls for the mysterious woman he’s been hired to tail.
Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore Dir: Alfred Hitchcock

6:15pm  Bell, Book and Candle (1959)
A beautiful witch puts a love spell on an unknowing publisher.
Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs Dir: Richard Quine

For a complete James Stewart filmography, visit the Internet Movie Database.  One film not featured in the birthday tribute but worth noting in Call Northside 777 (1948).

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Summertime is here! Bring on The Blockbuster (and not so big) Pictures!

summer-2009Yes ladies and gents, it is that time of year again.  A time when movie studios unload their crowd pleasing big-budgeted movies. I really look forward to this time of year, especially when there are more than three (3) films I am willing to pay for.  Last year was pretty good and this year looks like it will be the same.

While this is a time for the larger movies to see the light of there are also those smaller films (“counter-programming”) which I must remember not to overlook.
I already have my Wolverine (May 1) ticket purchased and at the ready. The moment Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 15) tickets go on sale, I am there, in spite of the nearly nine months I endured after Warner Brothers held off the initial release date. It is almost unforgivable.

So, after doing some additional research on IMDB’s Summer 2009 Movie Guide, here is my personal list of other must see films:

May
8th: Star Trek – I am not a Trekkie but I am really forward to this re-imagining. They had me at the teaser.
8th: Rudo y Cursi – I am going to try to catch this at the Tribeca Film Festival. Could be a riot.
22nd: Terminator Salvation – Bale tirade aside I almost forgot that this movie was coming out. The trailer looks very good.

So far, there is nothing premiering in June that captured my interest; does not matter anyway – I am seeing Eric Clapton in concert. That should get me through. BUT If I do get the urge to enter the cinema, I will likely catch up on Whatever Works and Easy Virtue.

July
1st: Public Enemies – given my love of crime dramas from eras long gone their handling of similar subjects and characters, I am looking forward to seeing how the story is brought forward into the 21st century.

That is it folks! It looks like it will be the Summer of Bale, if both his movies are big. Granted my must see list is not an end all be all for summer movie going experience. I am sure over the course of the summer I will dragged invited to go to the movies with friends and family. At the end of the day, going to the movies really is a social enterprise; well that and a great way to save on home energy costs (free AC)!

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