0 4Though the Turner Classic Movie (TCM) Film Festival usually offers a live in-person event component in Hollywood, it’s a full-on virtual affair again this year. Starting this Thursday and running thru Sunday, a bounty of big movie offerings await via the TCM network, its hub on HBO Max and both entities’ social media channels. Nobody celebrates classic cinema or curates this kind of content like TCM and this year’s line-up once again  affirms that.  Exclusive interviews with filmmakers and casts, plus behind the scenes archival content and extras like “Meet TCM” panels with network executives sharing programming insights, “Club TCM” Zoom meetings with network hosts and much more, round out the festivities. 

Our picks for fest highlights include the following:  the opening night event featuring a 60th anniversary screening of West Side Story and chat with stars Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn; exclusive interviews with directors Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam) and Barbara Kopple (Harlan County, USA); Debbie Allen introducing and discussing the performing arts school feature Fame (1980);  Michael Douglas introducing and musing on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; a tribute to comic actor Martin Short with screening of his films Clifford and Innerspace; and the Los Angeles Opera co-presented world premiere of Bill Morrison’s new short, Let me come in,  made from old reels via the lost German silent film Pawns of Passion. Other masterpiece airings not to miss: Judy Garland in the original A Star is Born, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in All the President’s Men, Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues, Kathy Bates in Misery, and Ed Woods’ Plan 9 From Outer Space (which will present a comedian-packed table read).

For line-up specifics go to filmfestival.tcm.com/schedule/.

 

 

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