Not Coming to a Theater Near You

It feels odd to have one’s primary emotion toward a film festival be respect, and yet that’s exactly what TCM Fest most inspires. Respect, not only because they’re doing the good work of putting perennial classics back where they belong on the big screen, but because they offer the same treatment to under-appreciated fare as well. Not content to simply screen the likes of Casablanca and Citizen Kane for the umpteenth time, each installment of the festival has also featured a number of restorations and special presentations. Where other, more normal festivals can sometimes be not only exhilarating but stressful (picking the “right” movies, staying on top of buzz, filing as quickly as possible), TCM’s egalitarian approach lends itself well to a leisurely screening schedule and relaxed atmosphere. Since only a few of the movies are “new” in any real way, even members of the press are invited to treat the long weekend as an occasion to re-experience old favorites (Rosemary’s Baby at the Chinese? Yes, please) and watch the likes of Kim Novak and Robert Evans speak about their work.

There are a number of pleasant surprises as well: when The Godfather screened last year, it was to a surprisingly small crowd in Grauman’s Chinese Theater; Went the Day Well? easily sold out. By and large the people who converge on Hollywood each April for three years running now – a great many of whom travel very far to do so – are here for the movies they wouldn’t be able to see anywhere else. It is in keeping with this spirit that we present our coverage of the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival, which we intend to be a blend of unheralded curios and vaunted classics.

By Michael Nordine, Josh Bell, and Veronika Ferdman   ©2012 NotComing.com