My Picks for the 10th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival

Today Turner Classic Movies came out with the schedule for the 10th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival. I won't be going this year, but I thought that I would share my picks for each day. I must point out that I did not pay attention to the venues, so I don't know that it would be possible for me to see all of my picks. I did take into account when the movies were scheduled, which means I would miss some films I would love to see simply because they are scheduled against other films I want to see. I did not take into account certain events I would love to attend, such as the esteemed Kevin Brownlow receiving the Robert Osborne Award.

Anyhow, here are my picks day by day.

April 11

I have to say that the evening of April 11 is one of those days in which I am a bit unhappy with the schedule. Quite simply, the way that the schedule is set up, I cannot possibly see every movie I would want to. I would love to see When Harry Met Sally (1989), which starts at 6:30 (of course, given how I react to romantic movies the past six and a half months, I would probably cry through the whole film...). I would also love to see Dark Passage (1947), which also starts at 6:30. At 6:45 there is Gentlemen Prefers Blondes (1953).  Obviously I could not see all of these movies as they are roughly at the same time. Amazingly enough, even though each one of these films numbers among my favourites, they are not among my picks for the TCM Classic Film Festival. My pick that evening is Ocean's 11 (1960), one of my all time favourite movies. It starts at 7:00, which puts it into conflict with all of the movies I just named. Of course, this means I could not see The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), which starts at 9:30. I have already given a name to the schedule for April 11: the Schedule form Hell.


April 12

Okay, I don't know if I would be awake at 9:00 AM, but I would have to see The Postman Rings Twice (1946), which numbers among my top five film noirs. At noon I would go see my all time favourite Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty (1959). At 2:00 PM I would  go watch Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). That night I would go see Do the Right Thing (1989) at 9:00. Amazingly enough, there are no conflicts for me on April 12. In fact, in the late afternoon there really isn't that much I would like to see on the big screen (to be frank, even in a theatre I think The Sound of Music would put me to sleep).


April 13

I would love to see From Here to Eternity (1953) at 9:00 AM, but that would mean I would not be able to see When Worlds Collide (1951) at 9:15 AM. At 11:45 AM my pick is Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). At 3:15 PM I would watch A Raisin in the Sun (1961). At 6:00 PM I would go see Wuthering Heights (1939). That night brings a bit of a conflict for me. I would like to see The Bad Seed (1956) at 8:00 PM or Escape from New York (1981) at 9:45 PM. The problem is that if I went to either of them I would not be able to see the movie I would absolutely have to see at the Festival.  That would be Star Wars (1977), which is not only one of my favourite movies of all time, but was the favourite movie of the most important person in my life. It is at 9:30 PM.

April 14

Sunday morning I would see Mad Love (1935) at 9:15. That afternoon I would see The Shawhank Redemption (1994) at 12:45  PM. My last film of the schedule would be Gone with the Wind (1939), which starts at 4:30 PM.

Over all I have to say that I am impressed by this year's TCM Classic Film Festival. My only complaint is that I wish they would have taken some of the movies they are showing on April 11 and moved them to some other time. The late afternoon of April 12 would have been a perfect time for Dark Passage, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, or The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Of course, given the fact that I would want to visit with my many friends, I might be thankful for a slow period during the festival!