Turner Classics Movies (TCM) Classic Film Festival kicks off Thursday in Hollywood. And even without an expensive pass there are events you can attend.
TCM Classic Film Festival is one of my all-time favorite events because meticulous care goes into not just curating the titles but also into making sure each film looks its absolute best. I remember seeing nitrate prints as well as the 1939 "Hunchback of Notre Dame" that were so breathtakingly gorgeous I almost cried.
I have been attending the festival for almost 10 years and love it because I know every film is a classic. It's so fun either revisiting a favorite or that I somehow had missed. Even discovering a film that was thought lost ("Cock of the Air" was one of those delightful pre-code discoveries). And there is true pleasure is getting to see an old film from pre-code Hollywood or the silent era, for the first time on a big screen with a passionate audience.
Plus, the midnight movies always serve up something more quirky and defiant. I loved seeing the shocked expressions of attendees as "Boom" and "Zardoz" unspooled into the wee hours of the morning. Not everyone defines a classic in the same way and that is part of the fun.
Festival passes are expensive. The cheapest is $399 (Friday through Sunday at the TCL Chinese and Hollywood Legion Theaters) while the top pass is more than $2,500. But you can buy individual tickets and gamble that a screening will not sell out.
Your best bet for buying individual tickets are for films at the huge TCL Chinese where you can find "King Kong" celebrating his 90th birthday or see the spectacular and athletic musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" with actor Russ Tamblyn in attendance.
Or you can attend the midnight screening of the Mexican cult classic "The Batwoman" in a new 4K restoration. That is just insane and a treat! TCM Film Festival attendees generally do not have the interest or the stamina to attend the midnights and I have never been to one that was full. So if a delightful cult oddity like this, that doesn't screen often appeals to you then seek it out. Since I adore the midnights I usually bring swag I create for the films to give away, sometimes even themed cookies if I have time to bake.
I can also recommend the large venue at the Hollywood Legion Theater where Ben Model will provide live music accompaniment to the silent film "The Clash of the Wolves" to close the festival on Sunday night.
"So the music is there to help the audience get into the mood of each particular scene, clue them into an emotional state that may be happening, or help them with the rhythms of maybe a comedy gag or something like that," Model explained. "But the idea is to enhance and optimize what's happening on screen. I'm watching the screen, that's like my sheet music."
Watching a film with live music is a special treat especially in a beautiful vintage venue like the Hollywood Legion Theatre.
"As soon as you walk in, you're in a state of awe," Model said. "And knowing that there's a living human being in the room creating the score for you. My score is worked out ahead of time but a lot of it's also improvised. We film accompanists are aware of the vibe in the room and the closing night of the TCM Classic Film Festival, the energy and excitement, I can sort of lean into that and make the score itself part of the experience. And then as soon as the lights are up, it's gone."
"The Clash of the Wolves" features the famous Warner Brothers star Rin Tin Tin.
"He's a German Shepherd and a big star of the silent era and the reason they're showing a Rin Tin Tin picture is this being the centennial of Warner Brothers," Model explained. "This particular film was actually lost for decades and turned up in an archive in South Africa and got repatriated to the Library of Congress where it's been preserved. The 35mm print of this will be shown at the festival."
Model is himself something of a film preservationist. He may not be restoring lost films but through his Undercrank Productions he works with both archives and private collectors to make sure undiscovered classics of silent cinema find an audience. Model works full-time presenting and accompanying silent films in a wide variety of venues both nationally and internationally, carrying on a tradition he learned from silent film organist Lee Erwin.
Watching a film with live music is magical. One of my all-time best film experiences was at the TCM Classic Film Festival screening of the silent French film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" with a live orchestra and choir. It was transcendent and I got goosebumps watching from the balcony at The Egyptian Theatre.
And going to the TCM Classic Film Festival is like going to a cinema church. It is joyous but reverent. People are not on their cell phones in the theater and if anyone misbehaves, the whole audiences tends to reprimand them. And that's because it is all about the movie flickering up on the big screen.
I will leave you with one final recommendation (although this one may sell out): Ben Burtt and Craig Barron presenting "When Worlds Collide" These special effects masters provide the liveliest, informative and delightful presentations every year. If you can manage to see only one thing at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, go early, wait in any length line, and see them present "When Worlds Collide."
The TCM Film Festival is for people who worship movies and enjoy the transcendent experience of seeing them in person on the big screen with fellow passionate fans. The festival runs this Thursday through Sunday in Hollywood. You can also find some of the films on the TCM Channel, and there is a companion program of "Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Warner Brothers Studios."
