Classic Couple

The Raleigh-Durham TCM Club had its pre- TCM Classic Film Festival ramp-up meeting on May 2. The main topic of discussion was what content club members plan to enjoy on TCM and HBO Max. Club member picks and plans are below.*

West Side Story (1961) Airing on TCM Thursday, May 6 at 8:00 pm ET. Jane referred to West Side Story as “the Hamilton of its day,” noting the risks taken with the musical score. Caroline concurred stating that the lyrics are heartbreaking and gorgeous. Most TCM Club members plan to tune in for the opening night film.

All the President’s Men (1976) Airing on HBO Max.
Dan noted he is looking forward to watching All the President’s Men, along with the Festival Extras: Ben Mankiewicz and Carl Bernstein discuss All the President’s Men and Redford/Hoffman: The Making of All the President’s Men. Caroline noted that she attended journalism school at NYU when the film was released, and it was a fascinating time to be in J-School.

Tex Avery: The King of Cartoons (1988) & Tex Avery at MGM Airing on TCM Saturday, May 8 at 6:00 a.m. ET.
Genine noted wanting to watch the combination of Tex Avery documentary and Saturday morning cartoons. Kami plans to watch as well while eating a bowl of her favorite childhood cereal, Lucky Charms.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). Airing on HBO Max.
Sharon shared that she originally saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in the theater when it came out, but she left the theater when it began to portray electroconvulsive therapy. Now that she is older, she feels she can take a different perspective in viewing the film. She plans to give it another look during the festival.

Diner (1982) Airing on TCM Saturday, May 8 at 12:45 am ET, meaning early Sunday morning hours.
Linda noted that Diner is on her must-see list for the festival as a truly fun film to watch. Chris concurred as Diner made his list, bringing back childhood memories from growing up in New York. Caroline and Sharon recalled their days getting dolled up to go meet boys at the Claremont Diner in New Jersey. They both agreed the Claremont Diner was social media in their day.

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Airing on HBO Max.
Liz, who works with Veterans overcoming PTSD, has added to her must-see list The Best Years of Our Lives and called our a keen interest in the Festival Extras: Ben Mankiewicz and Disability Rights Advocate Lawrence Carter-Long discuss The Best Years of Our Lives, and Ben Mankiewicz and Military Veteran Brian Delate discuss The Best Years of Our Lives.

Nichols and May: Take Two (1976) Airing on TCM Saturday, May 8 at 11:45 am ET.
Jane is huge Mike Nichols fan believing him to be a creative genius. Kim, an improv comedian herself, concurs wholeheartedly. Kim noted that improv is a uniquely American performance art, and Nichols and May are a comic masters. Sharon also shared her deep appreciation for Elaine May, highlighting A New Leaf (1971) as a favorite film. This programming will definitely get its due attention from TCM Club members.

And what about Gloria? Well, technical difficulties drove her to leave the meeting early, but she too is looking forward to TCMFF 2021. We’ll catch up with her in our next meeting later in May to discover her festival picks.

* Times listed according to TCM Classic Film Festival schedule presentation. Crossovers into the next early morning are noted.