The Iron Giant: Unexpected Friendship Brilliantly Portrayed

   The Iron Giant (1999) is an animated masterpiece and one of our top picks in this house. As Brad Bird's directorial debut, this film tells a tender yet frightening story utilizing both traditional animation techniques as well as digital animation means. The results are at once both beautifully nostalgic and impressively state-of-the-art.
   One of the aspects of this film that I really appreciate is the relieving omission of the "over-the-top" wacky character that seems to be a requirement in many animated movies. Instead, the funny moments are genuine and subtle, innocent and utterly lacking guile. The characters are real people, living in the late 1950's, voiced by a cast of talented actors who all seem to recognize the weighty issues tackled by this tale. Particularly, Vin Diesel, as the Giant, and Eli Marienthal, as his young friend, Hogarth, both naturally embody the shared wonder and terror their characters experience throughout this story.
   Though it did not get the attention it deserved from the beginning, The Iron Giant has received numerous awards and nominations and has even developed a bit of a cult following. This truly is a special film that does not disappoint.

The Iron Giant is on HBOFamily at 7.

  
  

The Big Lebowski: Mistaken Identity and Bowling Balls

   The Big Lebowski (1998) was the follow-up to Ethan and Joel Coen's smash hit Fargo. Though not well-received initially, this film has become a cult favorite. Jeff Bridges, as The Dude, has even been compared to a Zen Master by actual Buddhists. He does seem to speak in riddles.
   The cast is spectacular, including Julianne Moore, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Torturro, David Thewlis, Sam Elliott, Flea and my favorite actor of all time, Philip Seymour Hoffman. With a crazy mostly useless plot line and a script that offers far too many quotable moments, Lebowski is just a funny little ride. Hop on!
   Oh, did I mention the fantasy dream sequences? Busby Berkeley would have been touched.

The Big Lebowski is on Esquire at 7 and 9:30.

How Green Was My Valley: A Class Act

   How Green Was My Valley (1941) is an award-winning film that I have never seen. Set in a 19th-century coal-mining town in South Wales, this film is populated with some wonderful talent, including Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Donald Crisp, Barry Fitzgerald and Roddy McDowall.
   Based on a novel by Richard Llewellyn and directed by John Ford, this film follows the lives of the Morgans at a time when the family can still recall life before the scourge of industry. It will be interesting to hear what the characters have to say about the coal blight. It also looks like there are labor issues and more than likely a mining accident or two.
   Interestingly, in the 40's and 50's, there were several radio adaptations broadcast using many of the original cast members. David Niven and Donna Reed also made appearances.

How Green Was My Valley is on TCM at 8:30.

Sunday Night Best Movie on Tonight SciFi Deviation

    For obvious reasons, I have not seen this new documentary, so I cannot honestly say that I think this is the best movie on tonight. 50 Years of Star Trek, however, looks like it's going to offer some fun, celebratory TV stuff and is probably a "Must See".
  

   I, like so many, grew up with this show on in the living room several times a week; my stepdad was a trekkie. In the 1980's, we had the original series re-runs as well as the new The Next Generation series. Not to mention the several Star Trek films that were released every few years and then went to "movie heaven" (cable).

   I never cared for the movies. Most of the franchises' TV series, however, managed to hold my attention and imagination. I was enthralled by the idea of humans finally achieving some tremendous technological and spiritual landmarks. The costumes and sets were iconic and hokey but there was so much damn heart put into each space age story; not to be ignored.

   Though I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite captain, I would rather watch Deep Space Nine than Voyager re-runs, Next Generation over all of them. Spock is my favorite character of the entire series....today.

50 Years of Star Trek is on History at 8P.

Saturday Night Best Movie on Tonight 'Xtravaganza

   Apollo 13 (1995) depicts the aborted space mission of 1970 by telling a high-tech space story with a down-to-earth voice. Ron Howard's direction is supported by an excellent cast, including members of Howard's own  family and a technically savvy yet naturalistic screenplay.

Apollo 13 is on TNT at 11P.

   Mean Girls (2004) does not at first seem as smart as it actually is. And as subversive as it actually is. Funny too, truly funny. If you have been avoiding this one as I did for years, give it a shot. Written by Tina Fey, Mean Girls tells that age old tale of teen hierarchy and pecking orders. Lots of juicy twists and surprises in this one.

Mean Girls is on MTV at 10:30P.

   Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) got mixed reviews but who cares? With Christian Bale as Moses, I can forgive some overlong dialogues and one dimensional characters. The cast put in a genuine effort and the parting of the Red Sea is epic.

Exodus: Gods and Kings is on MOMAX at 9P.

The Royal Tenenbaums: Just Like Your Family

   The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) is a darkly delightful exploration into family dynamics and the numb disappointment of growing up. Directed by Wes Anderson, this film boasts a spectacular cast. Anjelica Houston and Gene Hackman are the estranged parents of Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson and Ben Stiller. With narration by Alec Baldwin, the cast also includes Danny Glover, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Anderson.
    Even though this movie is primarily quirky and often outlandish, there are moments in Tenenbaums when I realize just how much like anyone's family these people really are. Paltrow and Wilson in particular have some genuinely stunning moments together. 

	The soundtrack is purchase-worthy and includes an original score by Mark Mothersbaugh featuring his Mutato Muzika Orchestra. There are two versions of the soundtrack, the 2001 release and a kind of different one in 2002.
	The Royal Tenenbaums is on Flix at 8p.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Boop Boop Boop Boop Booooop

   Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) is my favorite "space brethren" film. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this story beautifully illustrates what it is like to be an "experiencer". Richard Dreyfuss perfectly portrays the various levels of the "loosening grip upon reality" that so many people, who have had their own encounters with cosmic beings, have described.
   Though the special effects are impressive, not to mention the grandeur of the closing sequence, what makes this film so timeless is the way in which Spielberg has depicted the regular lives of the main characters; messy houses, unkempt kids, nosy neighbors, the TV constantly on. It is this sharp contrast with the unreal quality of the UFO encounters that makes this movie so appealing.
   According to Spielberg, prior to releasing the movie, NASA sent him a 20 page letter which explained why there was danger in letting people see it. Rather than scaring him, the letter galvanized for the filmmaker the need to tell this story.

Close Encounter of the Third Kind is on Starz at 9p.