TCMFF 2014: MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

 

 

Last year at the TCM Classic Film festival I had a filmgoing Friday for the ages—seven movies starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 2:00 a.m., consisting of The Swimmer, Voyage in Italy, I Am Suzanne!, It Always Rains on Sunday, Ruggles of Red Gap, Hondo (in 3D) and Plan Nine From Outer Space. When it was over (and after I recovered), I ended up thinking of it as maybe the single greatest day of my life ever spent entirely in front of the silver screen.
 

Well, last weekend at TCMFF 2014, I only saw six movies on Friday, but in terms of sheer quality it was a day that will stand proud in my memory right alongside last year’s glory—On Approval, Make Way for Tomorrow, A Matter of Life and Death, Double Indemnity, Blazing Saddles and, just when the delirium of the day was peaking, Eraserhead.
 

The rest of the fest? 5^th Avenue Girl, Johnny Guitar, Godzilla, How Green Was My Valley, Written on the Wind, Tokyo Story, On Approval (again!), Employees’ Entrance and, finally, Alan Ladd as The Great Gatsby. Not bad for a long weekend!

 

And I’m proud to report that my account on the festival is now up and running at The House Next Door.

 

It’s not one to match the length of the 20,000-word epics from past fests—it’s only 3,000—but I think it gets at what I found fascinating and thrilling about the festival—unexpected connections!—and raises a question or two about where the festival might be going and challenges it might be facing when it gets there.

Click on over for some good weekend bathroom reading! Hope you enjoy it!

 

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