Fantastic made-for-TV movies?

[megladon8]

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1734/charleyvarrick.jpg


I watched Charley Varrick last night and was blown away by the fact that this was a made for TV movie. Has the quality of made for TV fare decreased in quality over the years, or was this a fluke? I never see anything of this caliber on TV anymore.

I'll also take this opportunity to say that the DVD is criminally terrible. It's full frame (the film was shot in 1.85:1) and with no features or audio/subtitle options of any kind. The very definition of "barebones" - it doesn't even have a menu.

What other fantastic made for TV movies have MatchCutters seen and would recommend?

[Pop Trash]

Wasn't Duel originally made for TV?

There are a whole bunch of so-bad-they're-good style 70s/80s TV movies. Bad Ronald, The Burning Bed, Boy in the Plastic Bubble. Stuff like that. But I don't think that is what you are looking for.

[Raiders]

Charley Varrick was not made for TV.

[Llopin]

Alan Clarke, guys.

[Melville]

Peter Watkins' Edvard Munch was originally made for TV, and it's currently my favorite movie of any kind—a spectacular stream of consciousness, the movie equivalent of Faulkner or Joyce.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Peter Watkins' Edvard Munch was originally made for TV, and it's currently my favorite movie of any kind—a spectacular stream of consciousness, the movie equivalent of Faulkner or Joyce.

2001>EM

[Raiders]

In any case, to give an actual helpful reply:

Fortress (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091069/)

There isn't much pedigree here, but damn if it isn't a great little thriller with some well-shot and well-staged sequences and some truly effective moments, not to mention a memorably creepy final scene.

[megladon8]

Charley Varrick was not made for TV.


This is confusing me greatly.

I remember when you saw it not long ago I looked up info on it (your very positive review was what made me check it out).

I swear it said on both IMDb and Wikipedia that it was made for TV.

Don't tell me I'm experiencing daylight hallucinations now.

[Melville]

2001>EM
I dunno. It's editing v. cinematography. But Edvard Munch is more in tune with my interests (phenomenology, memory, love, intersubjectivity). And I'm swayed by the fact that I relate to Munch himself (as portrayed in the film) more than most any character in any story not written by Dostoevsky.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I actually haven't seen Edvard Munch, so perhaps you are onto something. Still, I find it hard to believe.

[megladon8]

So despite what seems to be a huge mix-up of information on my part with the starting of this thread, any more recommendations?

I'll check out Edvard Munch for sure.

Alan Clarke is someone I'm completely unfamiliar with. I've never even seen Scum, a theatrical release by him and probably his most known work.

[number8]

Alan Clarke is one of my favorite directors. I believe I've seen every single one of his films, including both versions of Scum. All of them fantastic.

[number8]

Oh, and yes, Charley Varrick is definitely not made for TV. Released in theaters by Universal.

[megladon8]

Oh, and yes, Charley Varrick is definitely not made for TV. Released in theaters by Universal.


Yeah, again, I'm really, really confused. I am absolutely, 100% certain I read in multiple places that it was a TV movie.

Oh well, regardless, it's awesome.

[Skitch]

In any case, to give an actual helpful reply:

Fortress (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091069/)

There isn't much pedigree here, but damn if it isn't a great little thriller with some well-shot and well-staged sequences and some truly effective moments, not to mention a memorably creepy final scene.
Aw, I got all excited for some Christopher Lambert love lol.

Was Bad Moon MFTV?

[Ezee E]

I forgot the title, but that 4-hour Italian movie (for America) was a miniseries in Italy and was pretty great.

Same deal as the Red Riding Trilogy.

[megladon8]

Fanny & Alexander would be my contender for all-time best.

[Mara]

Wit (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243664/) is really, really great. Phenomenal cast and sensitive direction. I think this is Emma Thompson's best role.

Cold Comfort Farm (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112701/) is a bit of a favorite. Light and airy, but genuinely funny and a great cast (Ian McKellon, Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Fry, etc.)

And we all know I'm a huge sucker for the BBC/Masterpiece Theater productions, especially the epics (Pride and Prejudice, Horatio Hornblower, etc.)

[Adam]

The Last Seduction is pretty great

[Grouchy]

Someone's Watching Me! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078295/)

[B-side]

I haven't seen them, but Fassbinder made a few films for TV that I'm sure are more than adequate.

[Spun Lepton]

Was Bad Moon MFTV?

The werewolf movie? No, it was in the theater for all of a week.

The first horror movie to ever scare the living bejesus out of me was a made-for-TV monster movie. I can't say it was a GOOD movie, but it sure scared me when I was 5 years old.

[Derek]

I think we should probably make a distinction between American made-for-tv movies and European ones. The latter are often heavily funded by national governments and given to established directors which makes the end product much different than what would typically be thought of as made-for-tv. Fortunately in the US, our liberty is not infringed upon in the name of film, so we get SyFy and Hallmark Originals. :)

[Rowland]

Kolchak!

[Ezee E]

I think we should probably make a distinction between American made-for-tv movies and European ones. The latter are often heavily funded by national governments and given to established directors which makes the end product much different than what would typically be thought of as made-for-tv. Fortunately in the US, our liberty is not infringed upon in the name of film, so we get SyFy and Hallmark Originals. :)
Yeah, the only made-for-TV movie that comes to mind in the USA are HBO movies, and those shouldn't even count.

I mean, Angels in America features more stars than most movies these days.

[megladon8]

The werewolf movie? No, it was in the theater for all of a week.

The first horror movie to ever scare the living bejesus out of me was a made-for-TV monster movie. I can't say it was a GOOD movie, but it sure scared me when I was 5 years old.


Funny, the first movie that really scared the crap out of me was an 80s TV production of The Canterville Ghost starring Richard Kiley as the titular spectre.

I have very fond memories of the kids' Halloween VHS tape we had, featuring that, followed by The Halloween That Almost Wasn't, and then The Bride of Boogedy.

Speaking of which, if anyone can track down a DVD copy of The Bride of Boogedy, I would pay good money for it.

[MadMan]

I liked Tuesday's With Morrie and What The Deaf Man Heard. But I saw those when I was a kid, so I doubt they would hold up if I rewatched either one.

[B-side]

I think we should probably make a distinction between American made-for-tv movies and European ones. The latter are often heavily funded by national governments and given to established directors which makes the end product much different than what would typically be thought of as made-for-tv. Fortunately in the US, our liberty is not infringed upon in the name of film, so we get SyFy and Hallmark Originals. :)

Jingoist.

[Bosco B Thug]

Someone's Watching Me! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078295/)
FYI everyone: John Carpenter's Elvis TV movie was released on DVD last week.

[Llopin]

I haven't seen them, but Fassbinder made a few films for TV that I'm sure are more than adequate.

I've seen Fear of Fear and The Stationmaster's Wife and while they're not some of his best, they sure are solid films. Not to mention Berlin-Alexanderplatz, which is a long movie divided in chapters.

[Skitch]

I guess we could put The Stand and It on here. They were MFTV.

[Yxklyx]

Dottie Gets Spanked

[Raiders]

Dottie Gets Spanked

YES.

Speaking of Haynes, HBO is producing his next project, a mini-series adaptation of Mildred Pierce starring Kate Winslet. W00t!

[Mara]

I think we should count HBO/cable productions and BBC/European productions, because they perhaps don't attract the attention on this board as major releases, but are often superior in quality.

They can also be longer, which is a real asset.

[megladon8]

I don't understand the logic behind discounting BBC/HBO stuff.

They're movies...that were made...for TV.

[number8]

Anyone ever seen Strip Search, the Lumet HBO movie with Glenn Close, Ken Leung and Maggie Gyllenhaal?

I saw it on first airing, before HBO decided to pull it from further broadcast and never release on DVD.

[Yxklyx]

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

my page has Siegel's The Killers as made for TV but imdb recently removed that tag. It has a 1.37 aspect ratio and if you look at his output at that time, it's all tv series and tv movies. Hmm...

[Yxklyx]

ah

"Originally a made-for-TV movie (it would have been the very first), but because of the intensity of the violence, it was released theatrically instead."

I liked it. Lee Marvin - John Cassavetes - Ronald Reagan...

[Ezee E]

Anyone ever seen Strip Search, the Lumet HBO movie with Glenn Close, Ken Leung and Maggie Gyllenhaal?

I saw it on first airing, before HBO decided to pull it from further broadcast and never release on DVD.
Never even heard about it, what's the big deal?

[Winston*]

Anyone see that TV-movie about the Wannsee Conference with Colin Firth, Kenneth Brannagh and Stanley Tucci, Conspiracy? That was good.

[Mara]

Something the Lord Made was a little unfocused, story-wise, but the interactions between Alan Rickman and Mos Def were wonderful.

[number8]

Never even heard about it, what's the big deal?

It made a direct comparison between the Bush administration's treatment of innocent Arab-Americans and the Chinese government.

It doesn't sound so controversial now, but apparently it was in 2004.

[amberlita]

Indictment: The McMartin Trial

[balmakboor]

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1734/charleyvarrick.jpg

I'll also take this opportunity to say that the DVD is criminally terrible. It's full frame (the film was shot in 1.85:1)...

Being made for television and being shot in 1.85:1 just doesn't jive. If it was made for television, it would've been shot in 1.33:1. So, as others have said, I doubt it was made for television.

Sort of related to this thread, in the Jan/Feb Film Comment, they had the top 20 of the decade lists and several people picked The Wire as one of the best films of the past ten years. I watch very little television. Did I really miss out on something there?

[balmakboor]

Oh, and another great television film (mini-series actually) is Altman's Tanner '88.

[megladon8]

Yeah, balmak, it seems it was theatrically released.

And while this has made me look like an incredible idiot, I still feel 100% certain that I read it was made for TV. I'm not just trying to cover my ass or something...I'm sure of it.

[balmakboor]

Yeah, balmak, it seems it was theatrically released.

And while this has made me look like an incredible idiot, I still feel 100% certain that I read it was made for TV. I'm not just trying to cover my ass or something...I'm sure of it.

Oh course, this all makes that DVD sound even more wretched.

[Ezee E]

Yeah dude, Charley Varrick was a fucking movie movie.

Idiot.

[Arthur Seaton]

The Last Seduction is pretty great
And Fiorentino may have won the Oscar that year had it been a theatrical release.

[Morris Schæffer]

I forgot the title, but that 4-hour Italian movie (for America) was a miniseries in Italy and was pretty great.


The Best of Youth? It's an unforgettable movie, all 6 hours of it.