May 17 – May 23

TV film fare -- week of May 17

The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of May 17. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, May 17, 6-8 p.m. EDT (TCM) "In the Heat of the Night" (1967). When an industrialist is murdered in Sparta, Miss., the local police chief (Rod Steiger) has to rely on the scientific experience of a black homicide expert (Sidney Poitier) who is passing through town. The superior acting of the two principals and the sure hand of director Norman Jewison turn a rather muddled mystery plot into a balanced expression of the complex racial, legal and intellectual prejudice permeating many areas of American life. Some stylized violence and sexual situations. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Wednesday, May 20, 8-11 p.m. EDT (ABC) "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006). Cockeyed pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) batten down the hatches for another round of high-seas high jinks -- involving a villainous British bureaucrat (Tom Hollander), sea monsters, comical cannibals, a ghost ship and a quest to find the locker of fabled Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) -- in this highly entertaining, if slightly darker, sequel to the 2003 sleeper hit based on the Disney theme-park ride. Director Gore Verbinski delivers more of the same rip-roaring fun as in the original, the film's skeletal plot kept afloat by the deftly executed swashbuckling slapstick, imaginative visuals and Depp's show-stealing performance. Recurring action-adventure violence and peril, including a nongraphic throat-cutting and off-screen executions, a fleeting gruesome image, some intense sequences and frightening supernatural effects, voodoo hokum, lightly suggestive humor and innuendo, and a mildly rude expression. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Thursday, May 21, 8-9:30 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Greenwich Village" (1944). While visiting 1922 New York, a music teacher from Wichita (Don Ameche) falls for a nightclub singer (Vivian Blaine) whose boss (William Bendix) wants to use his concerto in a Broadway revue. Directed by Walter Lang, the colorful musical is thin on plot but has plenty of zestful numbers from a talented cast headed by vivacious Carmen Miranda. Romantic complications. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Friday, May 22, 5:15-8 p.m. EDT (TCM) "The Shoes of the Fisherman" (1968). Uneven screen version of the Morris L. West novel about a Russian bishop (Anthony Quinn) who becomes pope and decides that the Vatican's wealth be given to the world's poor. Directed by Michael Anderson, the point of the story gets lost in a series of murky subplots involving international intrigue. The religious pageantry is eye-catching but conveyed largely on a superficial level. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Saturday, May 23, 8-9:45 p.m. EDT (HBO) "Kung Fu Panda" (2008). Winning animated fable about an out-of-shape, awkward bear (voice of Jack Black), the son of a humble noodle maker (James Hong) in ancient China, whose martial arts dreams come true when he is identified by the inventor of kung fu (Randall Duk Kim) as the prophesied "Dragon Warrior" but who must then transform himself under the direction of a skeptical master (Dustin Hoffman) to combat a villainous snow leopard (Ian McShane) only he can defeat. Co-directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne's wholesome film, by turns amusing and spectacular, features impressive computer-generated special effects and promotes determination and self-confidence. Mild fantasy violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, May 23, 10 p.m.-midnight EDT (Cinemax) "Fool's Gold" (2008). Sparring treasure hunter (Matthew McConaughey) and ex-spouse (Kate Hudson) join forces with a billionaire (Donald Sutherland) and his pampered daughter (Alexis Dziena) to seek ancient treasure in the waters off a Caribbean island before a gangster (Kevin Hart) and the hunter's former mentor (Ray Winstone) get to it first. The amiable stars, eye-filling location shooting and moral wrap-up are pluses, but the routine script co-authored by director Andy Tennant is generally witless and is bogged down by exposition, while the action sequences are lively but unexciting. Some uses of the S-word and brief profanity, a few crass expressions, moderate action violence, an implied sexual encounter in an abandoned church, and some light sexual banter. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

TV program notes -- week of May 17

Here are some television program notes for the week of May 17 with their TV Parental Guidelines ratings if available. They have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by the Office for Film & Broadcasting.

Sunday, May 17, 8-9 p.m. EDT (PBS) "Victoria Falls." A look at Africa's Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world and a force of nature that divides two worlds: the tranquil meandering river above the cascade and the raging abyss of the gorge below. A "Nature" presentation (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

Monday, May 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m. EDT (EWTN) "1995 Visit of John Paul II to the United States." A collection of highlights from Pope John Paul II's visit to the United States in October 1995, including excerpts from the pope's arrival in Newark, N.J.; his address to the United Nations; Masses offered at Giants Stadium, Aqueduct Race Track, Central Park and Camden Yards; and the Holy Father's pro-life message to America upon his departure from Baltimore.

Monday, May 18, 9-11:30 p.m. EDT (PBS) "The Kennedys." A rebroadcast of filmmaker Elizabeth Deane's 1992 documentary tracing the Kennedy family's saga from patriarch Joseph Kennedy's rise on Wall Street and frustrations in politics, John Kennedy's march to the White House and Robert Kennedy's near-certain presidential victory -- pre-empted only by his tragic death -- through Edward Kennedy's battle for the 1980 presidential nomination in the wake of the scandal of Chappaquiddick. Actor Stacy Keach narrates. Part of the "American Experience" series (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

Tuesday, May 19, 9-10 p.m. EDT (Fox) "Glee." Premiere of a lively new comedy series with music about dedicated Spanish teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and his efforts to revive his high school's once-impressive glee club. In the pilot episode screened, Will assembles his first performers from among the student body's outcasts, but schemes to break down barriers by recruiting popular quarterback Finn (Cory Monteith) as a suitable co-star for the club's driven diva, Rachel (Lea Michele), while contending at home with his ambitious wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), who pressures him to become an accountant. Though the set pieces -- which range from Journey's early 1980s power ballad, "Don't Stop Believing," to Amy Winehouse's 2006 deep denial hit, "Rehab" -- are delivered with aplomb, the story connecting them is more reminiscent of the morally messy film "Fame" than the Disney Channel's family-friendly "High School Musical," with frequent references to homosexuality and marijuana use as well as a questionable story line about Will's uptight colleague, Emma (Jayma Mays), who's secretly infatuated with him.

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