Brad Bird Joins The Essentials on TCM

In the last season of TCM's programme The Essentials acclaimed director Ava Duvernay co-hosted with Ben Mankiewicz. This season another esteemed director will co-host with Ben. Brad Bird is well known for his work in animation and as the director of such films as The Iron Giant (1999), The Incredibles (2004), and Ratatouille (2007). The Essentials returns to Turner Classic Movies on May 2 2020.

Here I have to say that I am a big fan of Brad Bird. The Iron Giant is possibly my favourite animated film of all time, while The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Incredibles 2 number among my favourites. What is more, it is fairly clear that Brad Bird is a classic movie buff. His films are filled with references to the classics, from a scene involving a tank in The Iron Giant that was clearly inspired by a scene in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) to a visual tribute in The Incredibles to the shot of the Consolidated Life of New York office in The Apartment to  Brief Encounter (1945) playing on a television set in Ratatouille. Indeed, I have always thought that The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Incredibles 2 feel more like movies made in the late Fifties to early Sixties than they do the Nineties, Naughts, and Teens.

As to Brad Bird's selections for The Essentials, I think the vast majority of TCM fans will be very happy with them. There are such classics as Singin' in the Rain (1952), The General (1926), Gunga Din (1939), A Hard Day's Night (1964), The Music Man (1962), Dr. Strangelove (1964), North by Northwest (1959), Out of the Past (1947), and many more. In fact, I love every single movie that is being shown on The Essentials with the exception of one (The Searchers, as someone of Cherokee blood I simply cannot stomach the movie).

Of course, the fact that I love every single movie being shown on this coming season of The Essentials presents bit of a problem for me. Since I love all of these movies but one, then it is obvious that I have seen every one of these movies. What is more, I think any classic film buff worth their salt would have seen the vast majority of these movies. For me it's not enough for The Essentials to show old favourites. The Essentials should also introduce me to films I have never seen before. One of the reasons I enjoyed Ava Duvernay's stint as host of The Essentials is that she showed movies I had heard of, but had not yet had the chance to see, movies like Claudine (1974),  Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976), and Daughters of the Dust (1992). Not only have I seen every single movie airing on The Essentials, but in most cases I have seen them so many times I lost count long ago (Singin' in the Rain, Casablanca, A Hard Day's Night, The Music Man, Dr. Strangelove, The Maltese Falcon, North by Northwest...).

Anyway, while I do wish that Brad Bird had chosen some more obscure classics for The Essentials, I am sure the vast majority of TCM fans will enjoy this coming season. While most classic film buffs have probably seen these films multiple times, there is no arguing that they aren't essential.