Blu-ray Reviews: Foreign Correspondent (1940), The Lady from Shanghai (1948) and Tess (1979)

by Tony Dayoub

A solid trio of classics (or at least two classics and one that deserves to be) arrived on Blu-ray last month, two from Criterion and one exclusive to the TCM Vault.

TCM's 31 Days of Oscar: Best Month of the Year

by Tony Dayoub

If you love cinema, this is the best month of the year. The Oscars are broadcast on the third Sunday in February (used to be March). But the dark cloud of the writer's strike looms over the Academy Awards this year. So you owe it to yourself to celebrate your love of film by catching even a few of the wealth of good films that encompass the 31 Days of Oscar on TCM.

I admit that I don't watch it as much as I should, but Turner Classic Movies is my favorite channel. Maybe it's because some of the catchier, more addictive TV can be found on some of the other channels. TCM is more of the classy bottle of champagne to the "tastes great, less filling" beer that is the norm on TV. But if you ever want an education on film, and can't afford the tuition to film school, just watch TCM.

And there is no better time to watch than February. Every year, as the Oscars approach, they broadcast only Oscar-nominated or Oscar-winning movies for 31 days, starting February 1st. Today!

Schedule of films

French Cannes-Cannes

by Tony Dayoub

Just checked out Richard Schickel's wonderful new documentary Bienvenue a Cannes on TCM. It is highly recommended. This film is a wonderful primer to the behind-the-scenes work, tensions, and camaraderie that occur every year at the Cannes Film Festival.

But best of all, it is a wonderful launching point for the neophyte interested in foreign film. It has anecdotes about such films as The Cranes Are Flying, Roma, Citta Aperta, and Farewell My Concubine.

And guess what... be proud that you are an American because you have been well represented in Cannes by such films as Pulp Fiction, M*A*S*H, and The Brown Bunny (just kidding about that last one... sorry Chloe).

With a wonderful breadth of interview subjects, from noted film critic Richard Corliss, to director Wim Wenders, to Clint Eastwood, and even down to the concierge of the Hotel Majestic... this documentary proves to be a fascinating look into the machinations at the most famous film festival in the world.