In 1946, Irene Dunne starred in Anna and the King of Siam, the fact-based story of an Englishwoman who, in the 1860s, tutored the royal family of Siam, and got unusually close to the king. Rex Harrison played the King of Siam in that version, and when the story was turned into a Broadway musical, the 1956 film version of The King and I starred Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner. For this 1999 retelling of the story, Jodie Foster stars as Anna, with Chow Yun-Fat as King Mongkut.

2013

Aug

VENUS & SERENA By David Bianculli

This new Showtime documentary looks at the Williams sisters, the most dominant siblings in modern professional tennis, and both pioneers and objects of controversy in their chosen field. This study examines both sides of that coin.

2013

Aug

THE USUAL SUSPECTS By David Bianculli

This 1995 Bryan Singer film, written by Christopher McQuarrie, is the kind of movie you have to see twice – so if you’ve yet to see it even once, you may as well start now. Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Benicio del Toro and Stephen Baldwin star in this tricky tale about dishonor among thieves, and revenge served not only cold, but in dizzyingly complex fashion. Don’t multitask when watching this film – close attention is a must, and definitely will be rewarded.

2013

Aug

UP By David Bianculli

One of Pixar’s biggest gambles, and best movies. Ed Asner gives voice to a crusty old man who has been a recluse since the death of his beloved wife – until he goes up, up and away on an adventure, floating his house away with a massive collection of balloons, and with a young stowaway in tow. This 2009 film has introduced a one-word catch phrase to posterity, at least among many of the people I know. “Squirrel!”

2013

Aug

PRIDE & PREJUDICE By David Bianculli

The modern wave of Jane Austen mania, exemplified by the current Austenland film, probably can trace itself to the popularity of this 2005 adaptation, starring Keira Knightley of Pirates of the Caribbean as Elizabeth Bennet, Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and, this time around, Matthew Macfadyen as the dashing Mr. Darcy.

2013

Aug

GHOST SHARK By David Bianculli

Early in the first season of Saturday Night Live, the very same year that Jaws had spooked moviegoers all summer, Chevy Chase got lots of laughs by dressing up as a “land shark” and preying on victims by ringing their apartment doorbells and gaining access under false pretenses (“Candygram!”). Now Syfy, continuing its run of intentionally absurd creature-feature telemovies, presents Ghost Shark, about a killer shark that’s not only dead, but able to surface wherever

2013

Aug

BURN NOTICE By David Bianculli

There are only a few episodes left of this series, yet the core group keeps getting split up and distracted with other bits of business. In tonight’s show, Michael and Sonya go to Mexico – and it’s no pleasure trip.

2013

Aug

HOLLYWOOD GAME NIGHT By David Bianculli

The Office is over, but some of its employees have found other work: Ellie Kemper and Angela Kinsey (who played Kelly and Angela) are here to play fun and games with host Jane Lynch, as are Minnie Driver, Kal Penn, Max Greenfield, and SNL vet Kenan Thompson. Hey, look -- instead of Kenan & Kel, it's Kenan & Kal!

2013

Aug

CROSSFIRE HURRICANE By David Bianculli

What makes this 2012 documentary about the Rolling Stones so interesting has little to do with the newly recorded material – the Stones even demanded that only their voices be used, not their faces, as though they were in some sort of rock star witness protection program. But the vintage film, captured at their first gigs and showing the increasing sort of mania they produced at their concerts and club showings, is a riot. Often literally. And while Beatlemania generally stirred young pret

2013

Aug

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI By David Bianculli

William Holden is today’s featured star on TCM, and though the network has no Network in sight, it does have several other key Holden films. And in prime time, TCM presents this 1957 David Lean epic – another movie that proves when it comes to David Lean and epic, those terms are virtually redundant. The movie won an Oscar for Outstanding Film, and Alec Guinness won a Best Actor Oscar as the leader of British POWs forced, as are the other allied prisoners during WWII, to build a stra

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