August 2 - August 8, 2009

TV film fare -- week of August 2

The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Aug. 2. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, Aug. 2, 8-10:30 p.m. EDT (AMC) "Ghostbusters" (1984). Three parapsychologists (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis), bounced from Columbia University because of the dubious nature of their research, go into private practice as ghost exterminators and find that all hell is about to break loose, quite literally. There are some very funny moments, largely because of Murray, but director Ivan Reitman lets the spectacular special effects begin to dominate midway and the humor fades. Some adult ribald jokes. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Sunday, Aug. 2, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m. EDT (TCM) "North by Northwest" (1959). Stylish tongue-in-cheek thriller in which a suave advertising executive (Cary Grant), mistaken for a spy by foreign agents (James Mason and Martin Landau) and suspected of murder by the police, is chased from the United Nations to Mount Rushmore, with some time out along the way for romance with a double agent (Eva Marie Saint). Though the plot is only an excuse for some dandy suspense sequences (most memorable, the deadly crop-dusting plane in the middle of nowhere), director Alfred Hitchcock is at his most playful in manipulating the innocent hero and the viewer through an intricate maze of menace. Stylized violence and discreet sexual references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Thursday, Aug. 6, 6-8 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Summer Stock" (1950). Pleasant musical comedy in which a farm girl (Judy Garland) reluctantly lets a theatrical troupe (headed by Gene Kelly) use her barn to put on a musical revue, then winds up as the show's star. Directed by Charles Walters, there's not much plot but it's got plenty of music, notably Garland singing "Get Happy" and Kelly building a tap dance around a squeaky floor board and some newspaper pages, paced with intermittent comedy from the likes of Eddie Bracken, Phil Silvers and Marjorie Main. Enjoyable family fare. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Saturday, Aug. 8, 8-10 p.m. EDT (TCM) "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1941). Screen version of the Broadway comedy by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in which an acerbic network radio personality (Monty Woolley), forced by a broken hip to spend Christmas with a small-town Ohio family, contrives to keep his secretary (Bette Davis) from getting married while withering all around him with his insufferable sarcasm. Director William Keighley's stagey production gets surefire laughs from the fish-out-of-water situation, witty dialogue and zany characters (Jimmy Durante, Reginald Gardiner and Ann Sheridan), though some viewers may tire of Woolley's irascible egomania and the dated topical humor. Mild sexual innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Saturday, Aug. 8, 8-10:30 p.m. EDT (AMC) "Major League" (1989). Lighthearted comedy about misfit Cleveland Indians baseball players who rally for one last hurrah when they learn the team's new owner (Margaret Whitton) is trying to engineer a losing season in order to move the franchise to Miami. Although strapped with a feel-good plot as old as the hills, writer-director David Ward keeps his action fun and funny with a topnotch cast of losers (Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Wesley Snipes and James Gammon). Much locker room language and implied sexual trysts. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Saturday, Aug. 8, 9-10:45 p.m. EDT (Showtime) "Lars and the Real Girl" (2007). Poignant story of emotionally fragile, delusional man (a brilliant Ryan Gosling) who -- unable to make a human connection -- buys a life-size female doll whom he presents as his girlfriend, and how his brother and sister-in-law (Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer), his office mates, fellow churchgoers and townspeople accept "her" as human out of love and compassion for him. Though suspension of disbelief is essential, director Craig Gillespie, working from Nancy Oliver's delicate script, makes this improbable tale utterly believable, while the themes of family, community, religion, forgiveness, redemption and a strong affirmation of human decency override those very few elements that might preclude younger teens. Two nonexplicit images of a porn site, mild innuendo, discreet sexual references and brief profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Saturday, Aug. 8, 10 p.m.-midnight EDT (Cinemax) "Mirrors" (2008). Clunky, contrived horror tale in which an ex-policeman turned security guard (Kiefer Sutherland) finds himself, his estranged wife (Paula Patton) and their children (Cameron Boyce and Erica Gluck) endangered by the demons who inhabit the many mirrors of the burned-out New York department store where he works. Except for one over-the-top scene, director Alexandre Aja keeps the violence relatively subdued, but his film grows tedious quickly. Some graphic violence, brief rear and partial nudity, some rough and crude language, and occasional use of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

TV program notes -- week of Aug. 2

Here are some television program notes for the week of Aug. 2 with their TV Parental Guidelines ratings if available. They have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by the Office for Film & Broadcasting.

Sunday, Aug. 2, 8-9:30 p.m. EDT (check local listings) (PBS) "Handel's Messiah Rocks." A rock band, soloists, an adult choir and a children's choir join conductor Keith Lockhart and members of the Boston Pops in this contemporary adaptation of Handel's "Messiah" that blends classical music with classic rock (TV-G -- general audience).

Monday, Aug. 3, 7-9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) (PBS) "Julia Child Memories: Bon Appetit!" In advance of the theatrical release of the film comedy "Julie & Julia," starring Meryl Streep as public television icon Julia Child, this special presents a retrospective that includes some of the most memorable episodes from Child's classic cooking series, "The French Chef." In addition to testimonials from noted chefs, the program features commentary from Streep and author Julie Powell, who wrote the book on which the film is based (TV-G -- general audience).

Monday, Aug. 3, 10-11 p.m. EDT (History) "Zeus." Premiere of a new series, "Clash of the Gods," exploring the history behind mythology, from the birth of Zeus to the death of Beowulf, and the meaning in these symbols and stories that may hold clues to actual events. In this episode, ancient Greece's most powerful god wages an epic struggle against his father for control of the universe as the Olympians challenge the Titans in mythology's greatest showdown.

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