MAY MUST-SEES

This May TCM has selected a host of classic films for our Must-See Movies.  Fans of Charlton Heston can see the legendary actor in one of his most famous roles as Judah Ben-Hur in the Oscar-winning epic of the same name.  Steven Spielberg’s early genius can be spotted in horror classic Poltergeist and there’s a vintage hospital chiller from Michael Crichton with Coma.  Finally, Barry Levinson’s semi-autobiographical tale, Diner, gives a chance to see many of the 80s brat pack in some of their earliest roles.

With something to suit everyone’s taste you’ll understand why we think these films are unmissable.

BEN-HUR (1959) at 3pm on Thursday 1st May

An action-packed biblical epic, exploring themes of revenge, friendship, passion and loyalty.

Five reasons to watch:

1. Ben-Hur is a huge epic production and a tremendous amount of effort and skill was used in putting together the special effects – no CGI in those days!  So accurate was the attention to detail that thousands were spent resulting in it becoming the most expensive film of the 50s.
2. The chariot race stands out as an extraordinary sequence and the legendary stunt man, Yakima Canutt and his son provided the stunt crew although Heston and Boyd did much of their own stunt work.
3. An exceptional line up includes Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet and Hugh Griffith.  Both Heston and Stephen Boyd picked up Oscars for their acting categories.
4. The film made Oscar history winning eleven awards from twelve nominations, it has since been matched by Titanic and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
5. A rousing soundtrack from Miklos Rozsa, a multi-Oscar winning director William Wyler at the helm and a hand from Gore Vidal with the screenplay make this an unmissable classic.

POLTERGEIST (1982) at 9pm on Saturday 10th May

Steven Spielberg’s horror tale about a family plagued by an evil poltergeist.

Five reasons to watch:

1. Spielberg’s influence can undoubtedly be seen in the direction and although he was directing ET at the time he conceived the story and had a hand in the screenplay.
2. There’s everything horror fans will relish from a supernatural showdown: grotesque peeling face flesh; a crawling piece of steak; levitating objects and skeletons in the swimming pool to name but a few.
3. The high quality special effects earned Oscar nominations for Best Effects, Sound Effects and Best Effects, Visual Effects.  The film also received a nomination for Jerry Goldsmith’s outstanding score but failed to win in any of the categories.
4. Some might say that unusually for a horror film there are some excellent performances, particularly from the child actors. 
5. Poltergeist has its own deadly curse myth as two of the young actresses died in tragic circumstances: 23 year-old Dominique Dunne was strangled by her jilted boyfriend and Heather O’Rourke also died aged 12 soon after filming Poltergeist III from a mysterious undiagnosed illness.

COMA (1978) at 9pm on Wednesday 21st May

Danger lurks in a Boston hospital where patients start slipping into unexplained comas and a doctor fears for her life.

Five reasons to watch:

1. Michael Crichton, the author-turned-director responsible for Jurassic Park and the television series, ER, adapted the screenplay from Robin Cook’s novel and directed the action with excellent results.
2. This is a brilliantly worked thriller packed with tension and suspense and certainly not recommended for the faint-hearted or those with a medical phobia.
3. There’s a hefty dose of sci-fi woven into the complex plot adding further layers of danger and menace.
4. A fantastic cast is headed up by Michael Douglas and Genevieve Bujold, who are joined by veteran actors Rip Torn and Richard Widmark.  Look out for some interesting cameo appearances from a young Ed Harris and Tom Selleck.
5. Jerry ‘Poltergeist’ Goldsmith injects even more atmosphere into the proceedings with his eerie musical score.

DINER (1982) at 9pm on Sunday 25th May

A charming rites of passage story about a group of friends growing up in 50s America.

Five reasons to watch:

1. There’s a phenomenal cast including Mickey Rourke, Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, Paul Reiser and Ellen Barkin – all of whom were starting out on their careers.
2. Barry Levinson’s directorial debut established him as a major Hollywood talent and he went on to direct some of the most successful films of the 80s Good Morning Vietnam and Rain Man.
3. Levinson also wrote the semi-autobiographical story setting the action in his home town of Baltimore and earned an Oscar nomination for the screenplay.
4. It’s a simple story of everyday life told exceptionally well and with great authenticity, if you want a complex plot this isn’t for you.
5. Lots of improvised dialogue adds to the accurate characterisations of confused young men embarking on adulthood.