Tag: Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for August 2020

I am watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the rundown of this month’s movies (courtesy of my Instagram feed).

August Is TCM’s “Summer Under the Stars” Month

August 2020 on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) again means “Summer Under the Stars.” Every day during the month, a different Hollywood actor will be highlighted with 24 hours worth of films. So, get excited for some deep cuts, new discoveries, and old favorites from some great movie stars.

For a full schedule, visit the TCM “Summer Under the Stars” website. The day resets at 6:00 a.m. ET.

Here’s the full rundown for the month:

  • August 1 – Barbara Stanwyck
  • August 2 – Rock Hudson
  • August 3 – Rita Hayworth
  • August 4 – S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall
  • August 5 – Ann Miller
  • August 6 – Burt Lancaster
  • August 7 – Sylvia Sidney
  • August 8 – Charlie Chaplin
  • August 9 – Goldie Hawn
  • August 10 – Norma Shearer
  • August 11 – Sammy Davis Jr.
  • August 12 – Lana Turner
  • August 13 – John Barrymore
  • August 14 – Steve McQueen
  • August 15 – Nina Foch
  • August 16 – Cary Grant
  • August 17 – Maureen O’Hara
  • August 18 – Warren Beatty
  • August 19 – Delores del Rio
  • August 20 – William Powell
  • August 21 – Diana Dors
  • August 22 – Natalie Wood
  • August 23 – Olivia de Havilland
  • August 24 – George Raft
  • August 25 – Anne Shirley
  • August 26 – Laurence Olivier
  • August 27 – Claudette Colbert
  • August 28 – Paul Henreid
  • August 29 – Eva Marie Saint
  • August 30 – Charlton Heston
  • August 31 – Alain Delon

Image ©️ Turner Classic Movies

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for July 2020

The 2020 sci-fi movie project continues! I’m watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the rundown of this month’s movies (with two of the four sections courtesy of my Instagram feed).

Sleeper (1973)

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Pure torture.

©️ British Lion Films

Logan’s Run (1976)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” is LOGAN’S RUN (1976). A splashy, high-concept film set on Earth in the 23rd century where people live in a hedonistic pleasure dome but with a catch—you only can live to age 30, then you get killed in a bizarre public ritual. Those who avoid the ritual in order to live longer are called “runners.” Our hero, Logan (played by Michael York), is a “sandman,” whose job it is to kill anybody who tries to run. When he gets an assignment to find a place where many runners have been hiding, he and his love interest Jessica (played by Jenny Agutter) decide that perhaps that there might be more to life that what is presented to them in their dome of short-lived youthful pleasure. Also stars Roscoe Lee Browne, Farrah Fawcett, and Peter Ustinov. Author Sloan De Forest writes that “when gritty dramas like SERPICO (1973) and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUKOO’S NEST (1975) reveled in realism, LOGAN’S RUN offered pure escapism, recalling the grandeur of Hollywood’s golden age.” Directed by Michael Anderson. @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: MGM)

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Star Wars (1977)

One of my all time favorites (although I consider it more of a “space opera” than science fiction).

©️ Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for June 2020

My 2020 movie project continues of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

June’s films were as follows (content mostly from my Instagram feed).

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Barbarella (1968)

I thought that this weird sci-fi sex comedy was mostly just excessive and stupid. I can understand its cult status, but it did nothing for me.

©️ Paramount Pictures

THX 1138 (1971)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

This film is a difficult one. I know that’s the point, but I don’t think there was anything redeeming in it and I don’t believe I gained anything from submitting myself from the torture of watching it.

©️ Warner Bros. Pictures

Silent Running (1972)

And as an added bonus, I recently saw this cool poster for Silent Running created by artist Matt Ferguson.

©️ Universal Pictures, Matt Ferguson

Solaris (1972)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” pic is the artsy and cerebral film SOLARIS (1972). The film tells the story of a space station that is experiencing some seriously unusual phenomena (as in people from the astronauts’ past re-appearing on the ship). Author Sloan De Forest writes, “As much a heartrending drama, a fantasy, and a study in psychological horror as it is a science-fiction epic, [Russian director] Andrei Tartkovsky’s SOLARIS defies classification. It is a challenging film—plodding, ambivalent to the wonders of space, more concerned with atmosphere than action. But once experienced, its haunting world is not easily forgotten.” @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie [📷: Mosfilm (Russia)]

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TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for May 2020

The COVID-19 “social distancing” recommendations were still in place for most of month of May which led to some excellent movie watching at home. I’m still going strong with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Now that we’ve entered the 1960s, the films have been much more experimental and esoteric. Here’s the rundown of this month’s movies courtesy of my Instagram feed.

La Jetée (1962)

These Are the Damned (1962)

Alphaville (1965)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” movie is the avant-garde French New Wave film ALPHAVILLE (1965). The film tells the story of a secret agent who travels to a far-away planet to destroy a super computer that has taken over the minds of its inhabitants. Author Sloan De Forest calls it “[o]ne of the most unconventional science-fiction movies ever made…a retro 1940s film noir colliding into a dystopian technocracy.” Director Jean-Luc Godard “deconstructs the expected science-fiction tropes and scrambles them, creating a new style that has left an indelible mark on cinema.” Definitely worth checking out. 🇫🇷 @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie #scififridaynight #socialdistancing (📷: Pathé Contemporary Films)

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Fantastic Voyage (1966)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Film is PLANET OF THE APES (1968). Astronauts crash-land on a planet where simians are the dominant species and the humans are treated, well, like wild animals. The first of many “Apes” films, this one is still a stand out. Author Sloan De Forest writes “starting it all was the 1968 original, a case in which every element came together—acting, writing, direction, makeup, set design, and music—to exemplify…’the collaborative art of Hollywood at its best.’” Stars Charlton Heston as astronaut George Taylor, Kim Hunter as Zira, Roddy McDowall as Cornelius, and Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. 🙈🙉🙊 @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie #scififridaynight #getyourstinkingpawsoffmeyoudamndirtyape #alonetogether (📷: @20thcenturystudios)

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TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for April 2020

I am still having fun with and learning a lot with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the current rundown on the films I watched in April (courtesy of my Instagram feed; and sorry to be slow in posting this).

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

The Fly (1958)

The Blob (1958)

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Since we’re still social distancing from home, Friday evenings have now become Sci-Fi Friday Nights at my place. Next up in the TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” project is THE BLOB (1958). Author Sloan De Forest calls it “science fiction’s most celebrated slime of all time…A tour de force of 1950s low-budget filmmaking.” With its “campy concept, a surprisingly sensitive and optimistic script, and a young(ish) Steve McQueen in his first starring role—THE BLOB has slithered its way into the hearts of fans for generations.” Directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr. 😱📺 @turnerclassicmovies #letsmovie #tcmmustseescifi #scififridaynight #socialdistancing (🎨: @paramountmovies)

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The Time Machine (1960)

2020 TCM Classic Film Festival: Special Home Edition Recap

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the good folks at Turner Classic Movies (TCM) had to cancel this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival that was scheduled to take place in Hollywood, California on April 16-19, 2020. I was scheduled to attend this event and felt quite sad when it inevitably was called off.

However, TCM turned lemons into lemonade and they decided to turn this year’s festival into a “remote, stay the heck at home celebration” (to quote TCM host Ben Mankiewicz) by programming four days of great films along with a lot of special features that they played on the TCM network and on the TCM social media channels.

TCM host Ben Mankiewicz recorded this ad for this year’s festival.

As they do every year, TCM created passes for the festival. Here’s mine.

©️ TCM

Even though it was really a bum deal not to be able to travel this year to California (or anywhere for that matter), the festival weekend ending up being a total blast. I watched 16 films (14 features and two documentaries) over the four days and it was such a happy diversion during such an unsettling time.

Here’s a rundown of the films I watched, courtesy of my Instagram and Twitter feeds.

The Good Earth (1937)

Neptune’s Daughter (1949)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

North by Northwest (1959)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (2015)

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

They Live by Night (1949)

Safety Last! (1923)

Night Flight (1933)

Casablanca (1942)

Double Harness (1933)

Red-Headed Woman (1932)

Auntie Mame (1958)

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Floyd Norman An Animated Life (2016)

And one final sentimental tweet.

A huge thanks to all of the TCM team for giving this gift to classic movies fans everywhere. I hope to see you (and thank you) in person in Hollywood in 2021 at next year’s TCM Classic Film Festival.

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for March 2020

I am still carrying on with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the current rundown on the films I watched in March (courtesy of my Instagram feed; and sorry to be slow in posting this). Most of the March movies were alien invasion or monster movies (or both)…not necessarily comforting viewing during the COVID-19 pandemic currently happening, but these are still great sci-fi films.

The War of the Worlds (1953)

Them! (1954)

Godzilla (1954)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for February 2020

I am still having a blast with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the current rundown on the films I watched in February (courtesy of my Instagram feed).

Things to Come (1936)

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This week’s #tcmmustseescifi film is a “bold, sweeping vision of the future” called THINGS TO COME (1936). Made in Great Britain, the film is based on the H.G. Wells’ 1933 book THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (Wells also wrote the screenplay). The film tells a cautionary tale of the destruction of war and its toll on civilization. In the film, a multi-decade war and a sort of zombie apocalypse ultimately force the film’s characters underground where they build a new art-deco utopia (with fancy capes, too). Director William Cameron Menzies and screenwriter Wells created “a somewhat preachy but visually stunning work of art.” @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: London Films/United Artists) 🚀

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The Thing from Another World (1951)

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This week’s #tcmmustseescifi pic is THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951). This horror-tinged sci-fi movie tells the story of an American military crew in the Arctic that finds a crashed flying saucer and a body frozen in a block of ice (spoiler alert: it’s not Captain America). When the ice block thaws, bad stuff starts to happen… This film is definitely a product of its time. Many critics interpret the thawed-out alien monster as a representation of the threat of communism in America. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that the film was “seen at the time as [a fable] based on McCarthyism; communists, like victims of The Thing, looked, sounded, and acted like your best friend, but they were infected with a deadly secret.” #scawy @turnerclassicmovies #letsmovie (📷: RKO Pictures) 🛸❄️

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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

It Came from Outer Space (1953)

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for January 2020

Sorry I’m a little slow in posting this, but I’ve been having a blast with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the current rundown on the films I watched in January (courtesy of my Instagram feed).

A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Metropolis (1927)

Frankenstein (1931)

Island of Lost Souls (1932)

The Invisible Man (1933)