What to Catch on TCM This Week - December 30, 2018 - January 5, 2019

This is a new year for TCM and it seems like they are still trying to get their footing after the loss of Robert Osborne, who was the heart of TCM. I think Ben Mankiewicz tries but he just doesn't seem to have the same heart or flare for TCM and what Osborne did for film. We'll have wait and see if it will be a lot of repeats and no new content strategy again this year, I'm hoping that perhaps some new life will get brought in soon. I really miss the Friday night Pulp and B-Movie nights that they used to have, and Foreign Film Sunday nights. It's sad that they stopped doing a lot of that and rely only on the main stream films more often these days, with that said, I'll keep digging around in TCM's schedule and hopefully pull up something that you've always wanted to catch or something new to you that you wouldn't have thought to watch otherwise. I do love TCM with all it has to offer, I just think it has so much broader horizons to achieve and could be one of the best channels out there and could compete with Netflix and Amazon for content if they went full throttle. 

Doctor Zhivago -A love story set during Pre-World War I and the Russian Civil War and into the reign of Stalin. Stunning Cinematography, storytelling and acting come together to make this a classic movie that shouldn't be missed. Omar Sharif gives one of his best performances as Dr.Yuri Zhivago. As the book was banned in Russia the film had to be made mostly in Spain, unfortunately the crew experienced one of the warmest winters in 50 years. Sunday, 2:30 PM MST December 30th

The Maltese Falcon - Probably one of the greatest film noirs ever made and John Huston's directorial debut, The Maltese Falcon centers on Dashiell Hammett's detective Sam Spade. Sam finds himself being used as a pawn when a client drags him into her web of deceit. Sunday, 6:00 PM MST December 30th 

The Silence -Hailed as Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece ending to his cinematic trilogy of dealing with spirituality and human suffering, The Silence is about two very different sisters, one that is dying and one dying to live a free life. Monday, 1:30 AM MST December 31st 

I Love You Again -A con man regains his memory and starts to try to con the con man that was swindling his well behaved alter ego and falls in love with his soon to be ex wife. Monday, 5:00 PM MST December 31st 

Bringing up Baby- A professor of paleontology is awaiting the arrival of a missing bone for his Brontosaurus skeleton that he has been waiting on for four years, when it is stolen by a small dog that belongs to the Aunt of a very free-spirited young woman right before his wedding day. It's a funny, screwball romance that sets the stage for a lot of future romantic comedies and Katherine Hepburn is showcased wonderfully. Tuesday, 8:30 AM MST January 1st

The Awful Truth - Another romantic comedy this time with a twist of a couple divorcing after the husband finds that his wife has been unfaithful. While seperated the wife finds herself engaged to another man but still in love with her soon to be ex-husband.Tuesday, 2:30 PM MST January 1st

It happened in Flatbush- A disgraced baseball player is able to secure a job as a team manager. The team resents him and wants him gone and uses his romance with the team's owner to try to oust him, fortunately it doesn't work and they win the pennant.Tuesday, 6:00 PM MST January 1st

Vanessa: Her Love Story- Vanessa's home burns down and her beau saves her but cannot save her father, she blames him for her father's death and they part ways. When she realizes her mistake, he has already married someone else and she marries Ellis. Unfortunately for Vanessa, there is something not quite right with Ellis. Wednesday, 9:15 AM MST January 2nd 

Old Acquaintance - Lifelong friends Kit and Millie live a life time together as writers and frenemies. Bette Davis plays the sweet and understanding of the pair in this lifelong friendship, but Miriam Hopkins gives her a run for her money as the self involved bitchy friend. Wednesday, 4:00 PM MST January 2nd

Katharine Hepburn : All About Me - Katharine Hepburn is both subject and narrator in this biography on her life and films. Thursday. 2:45 AM MST January 3rd

Ben -Hur - Judah is made a slave for his unwavering faith and wanting freedom for his people by not throwing them to the Romans.Some of the cinematography techniques developed during the filming to deal with the large 70mm lenses and widescreen format are still used today. Thursday, 6:00 PM MST January 3rd

The Train Robbers- Wanting to clear her husband's name for her son, a widow decides to tell the railroad where to find the half a million dollars that her husband stole during a train robbery. She hires a gun for hire to retrieve it but the the original train robbers have gathered and have other ideas for the money. Friday, 2:15 PM MST January 4th

Cyrano De Bergerac - A swordsman and poet helps a friend to woo a woman that he too is in love with but believes that she will refuse him because of his looks. Friday, 8:15 PM MST January 4th

Stranger Than Paradise -Hustler Willie's cousin Eva comes to stay with him in New York while their Aunt is in the hospital. At first a little disgruntled by her presence,Willie and his friend Eddie become quite taken by her and become her friends and protectors. Jim Jarmusch started the film as a short in hopes of getting financing for a feature. Saturday, 2:00 AM MST January 5th 

The Blue Gardenia -A leecherious photographer is found dead in his apartment and an innocent girl thinks she may have done it. Raymond Burr plays the dead leech and Anne Baxter is unwitting victim. Saturday, 11:30 AM MST January 5th

His Kind of Woman -Dan Milner has run out of luck on everything and decides to take a job that will take him out of the country but pays him $50,000 for half a year of work, but unknown to him a gangster wants to use his face to get back into the United States. Saturday, 10:00 PM MST January 5th 

I'm late on getting back to regular writing of this content, I've been sick, the kid's been sick and work just plain burnt me out the past few weeks, but this is becoming my main discipline. Please check back in the coming days for a few more articles. In the next few weeks everything may transfer to Patreon.