TCM Movie Recommendations

Tonight on Turner Classic Movies they are showing DW Griffith's masterpiece THE BIRTH OF A NATION-- this silent film was the first film in history to attempt to tell a single long narrative on film-- and tell it does-- this controversial film gives us a close look at the division between the North and South which led to America's civil war.

If you have been wary of silent films give this one a chance, I find once you get into them you forget they're silent.
Tonight 8PM/EST TCM

And also recommended this week, Tomorrow night Ray Milland attempts to have his wife murdered in Alfred Hitchcock's great filmed stage play, DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) with Gracy Kelly and Robert Cummings.

On Thursday night at 8pm is 1942's THE GLASS KEY with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.  Akira Kurosawa cites this film of murder and intrigue as written by Dashiell Hammet as being a big influence on him-- and we learn best by studying what influenced the masters.

Rounding out the week on Saturday is 1936's TARZAN ESCAPES-- starring THE Tarzan actor, Johnny Weissmueller.  If you haven't checked out this early version of Tarzan you will be amazed at both the high quality and the level of violence for its time.  Yes, it isn't faithful to the Burroughs novels because it depicts Tarzan as less than an intellectual, but like Frankenstein's Monster you just get past it and appreciate the adaption.