Time to dish out some monthly highlights. Enjoy!



April 2009 Programming Highlights

*All times listed are Eastern Standard Time
*Please check the complete Program Schedule or www.hdnetmovies.com for additional film, dates and times

HDNet Movies Sneak Preview – Experience exclusive broadcasts of new films before they hit theaters and DVD

The Mutant Chronicles
Premieres Wednesday, April 22nd at 8:00pm followed by encore presentations at 10:00pm and 12:00am

Directed by Simon Hunter and written by Philip Eisner
Starring Thomas Jane, Ron Perlman, Devon Aoki, John Malkovich

In the year 2707, Earth’s natural resources have been exhausted by mankind and battle rages between the soldiers of the world’s four leading corporations: Capitol, Bauhaus, Mishima and Imperial.

Mutant Chronicles follows Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane), a battle-hardened Capitol soldier, and Brother Samuel’s (Ron Perlman), the leader of the ancient monastic order on a mission into the very heart of the darkness in an attempt to save human kind and the planet from the marauding hordes of undying mutants.

SPOTLIGHT FEATURES – Highlighted feature films airing on HDNet Movies

Full Metal Jacket – Saturday, April 11th at 8:00pm
Starring Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio. Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Academy Award nomination for Best Writing
Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: R. Lee Ermey

Once Upon a Time in the West – premieres Saturday, April 4th at 10:15pm
Starring Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson. Directed by Sergio Leone

The Man Who Wasn’t There – premieres Tuesday, April 21st at 8:15pm
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini. Directed by Joel Coen
Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Billy Bob Thornton and Best Motion Picture Screenplay

Raging Bull – Saturday, April 11th at 8:00pm
Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty. Directed by Martin Scorsese
Academy Award winner for Best Actor: Robert De Niro, Best Film Editing
Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actress: Cathy Moriarty, Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture Actor: Robert De Niro
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture Director, Best Supporting Motion Picture Actress: Cathy Moriarty, Best Supporting Motion Picture Actor: Joe Pesci, Best Motion Picture Screenplay and New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture: Cathy Moriarty

Return of the Living Dead – premieres late night Saturday, April 18th at 12:00am
Starring Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa. Directed by Dan O’Bannon

Ronin – Saturday, April 25th at 8:00pm
Starring Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone. Directed by John Frankenheimer

Trading Places – premieres Friday, April 10th at 8:00pm
Starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis. Directed by John Landis
Academy Award nomination for Best Music, Original Song Score
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/ Musical, and Best Performance by and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy/ Musical: Eddie Murphy

Unforgiven – premieres Saturday, April 4th at 8:00pm
Starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman. Directed by Clint Eastwood
Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Gene Hackman
Academy Award nominations for Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best
Sound and Best Writing
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture Director: Clint Eastwood and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Gene Hackman
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

HIGH DEFINITION PREMIERES – Films broadcast in High Definition for the first time on television
See program schedule or www.hdnetmovies.com for complete listings of dates and times

Billy Elliott
Starring Julie Walters, Jamie Bell, Jamie Draven. Directed by Stephen Daldry.
Academy Award nominations for Best Director, Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Julie Walters and Best Writing
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture Drama and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture: Julie Walters

The Far Country
Starring James Stewart, Ruth Roman, Walter Brennan. Directed by Anthony Mann

The Man Who Wasn’t There
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini. Directed by Joel Coen
Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Billy Bob Thornton and Best Motion Picture Screenplay
The Mutant Chronicles
Starring Thomas Jane, Ron Perlman, John Malcovich. Directed by Simon Hunter

A Raisin in the Sun
Starring Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee. Directed by Daniel Petrie
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture Actor – Drama: Sidney Poitier and Best Motion Picture Actress – Drama: Claudia McNeil

NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY – HDNet Movies presents American Films selected by the Library of Congress for historical and cultural preservation.
For more information on film preservation, visit www.loc.gov/film and www.filmpreservation.org
See program schedule or www.hdnetmovies.com for complete listings of dates and times

American Graffiti
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford. Directed by George Lucas. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola
Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress: Candy Clark, Best Writing and Best Editing
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy and Most Promising Newcomer: Paul Le Mat
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Director and Best Motion Picture Actor: Richard Dreyfuss

Dances with Wolves (Director’s Cut)
Starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene. Directed by Kevin Costner
Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound
Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Actor: Kevin Costner, Best Supporting Actor:
Graham Greene, Best Supporting Actress: Mary McDonnell and Best Costume Design
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture Director and Best Screenplay
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Original Score, Best Performance by an Actor in an Motion Picture: Kevin Costner and Best Performance by an Actress in a supporting role: Mary McDonnell

Lawrence of Arabia
Starring Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn. Directed by David Lean
Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Music, Score, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
Academy Award nominations for Best Actor: Peter O’Toole, Best Supporting Actor: Omar Sharif, Best Writing
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture – Director, Best Supporting Actor: Omar Sharif, Best Cinematography
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture Actor: Peter O’Toole, Best Motion Picture Actor: Anthony Quinn and Best Motion Picture Score

Raging Bull
Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty. Directed by Martin Scorsese
Academy Award winner for Best Actor: Robert De Niro, Best Film Editing
Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actress: Cathy Moriarty, Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture Actor: Robert De Niro
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture Director, Best Supporting Motion Picture Actress: Cathy Moriarty, Best Supporting Motion Picture Actor: Joe Pesci, Best Motion Picture Screenplay and New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture: Cathy Moriarty

Sweet Smell of Success
Starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison. Directed by Alexander Mackendrick

Unforgiven
Starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman. Directed by Clint Eastwood
Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Gene Hackman
Academy Award nominations for Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best
Sound and Best Writing
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture Director: Clint Eastwood and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Gene Hackman
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

In Retro – Memorable Classic movies airing Sunday Nights

Barefoot in the Park – premieres Sunday, April 5th at 6:15pm
Starring Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Charles Boyer. Directed by Gene Saks
Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Mildred Natwick

To Catch a Thief – premieres Sunday, April 5th at 8:00pm
Starring Carey Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Academy Award winner for Best Cinematography
Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration

Sweet Smell of Success – premieres Sunday, April 5th at 10:00pm
Starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison. Directed by Alexander Mackendrick


Lawrence of Arabia – Sunday, April 12th at 8:15pm
Starring Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn. Directed by David Lean
Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Music, Score, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
Academy Award nominations for Best Actor: Peter O’Toole, Best Supporting Actor: Omar Sharif, Best Writing
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture – Director, Best Supporting Actor: Omar Sharif, Best Cinematography
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture Actor: Peter O’Toole, Best Motion Picture Actor: Anthony Quinn and Best Motion Picture Score

Hang ‘Em High – premieres Sunday, April 19th at 6:00pm
Starring Clint Eastwood, Inger Stevens, Ed Begley. Directed by Ted Post
Once Upon a Time in the West – Sunday, April 19th at 8:00pm
Starring Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson. Directed by Sergio Leone

Raging Bull – Sunday, April 19th at 11:00pm
Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty. Directed by Martin Scorsese
Academy Award winner for Best Actor: Robert De Niro, Best Film Editing
Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actress: Cathy Moriarty, Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci
Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture Actor: Robert De Niro
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture Director, Best Supporting Motion Picture Actress: Cathy Moriarty, Best Supporting Motion Picture Actor: Joe Pesci, Best Motion Picture Screenplay and New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture: Cathy Moriarty

The Far Country – Sunday, April 26th at 6:15pm
Starring James Stewart, Ruth Roman, Walter Brennan. Directed by Anthony Mann

Big Jake – Sunday, April 26th at 8:00pm
Starring John Wayne, Richard Boone, Patrick Wayne. Directed by George Sherman

Vera Cruz – premieres Sunday, April 26th at 10:00pm
Starring Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Cesar Romero. Directed by Robert Aldrich

ART HOUSE CINEMA – Independent films, foreign films and documentaries airing Tuesday Nights

Billy Elliott – premieres Tuesday, April 7th at 8:05pm
Starring Julie Walters, Jamie Bell, Jamie Draven. Directed by Stephen Daldry.
Academy Award nominations for Best Director, Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Julie Walters and Best Writing
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture Drama and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture: Julie Walters

An American Rhapsody – Tuesday, April 7th at 10:05pm
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Nastassia Kinski, Tony Goldwyn. Directed by Eva Gardos

Criminal – Tuesday, April 14th at 8:00pm
Starring John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, Maggie Gyllenhaal. Directed by Gregory Jacobs

Swimming with Sharks – Tuesday, April 14th at 9:30pm
Starring Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Michelle Forbes. Directed by George Huang

The Man Who Wasn’t There – premieres Tuesday, April 21st at 8:15pm
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini. Directed by Joel Coen
Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Billy Bob Thornton and Best Motion Picture Screenplay

sex, lies and videotape - Tuesday, April 21st at 10:15pm
Starring James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher. Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Academy Award nomination for Best Writing
Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Andie MacDowell, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Laura San Giacomo and Best Screenplay

Vanity Fair – premieres Tuesday, April 28th at 8:00pm
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Gabriel Byrne, Bob Hoskins. Directed by Mira Nair

The Horseman on the Roof - Tuesday, April 28th at 10:30pm
Starring Juliette Binoche, Olivier Martinez, Pierre Arditi. Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau

The Mutant Chronicles and Return of the Living dead will be on my DVR list if I can't watch them. You guys are awesome!

Mortimer, we're back!

There's some good ones in there again, as usual.
HDNet continues to be the place to see "Lawrence of Arabia" in HD as long as the Blu-Ray release remains delayed indefinitely.

Mortimer, we're back!


Ah, that would be from 'Coming to America"

Time to dish out some monthly highlights. Enjoy!



April 2009 Programming Highlights



Love this posting each month....

How about a similar posting for highlights for the regular HDNet (non-movie) channel?

Thanks,
Scott

Thanks once again for your updates and postings.

I totally agree that HDNet is the place to see Lawrence of Arabia in HD.

I'm also glad to see Swimming With Sharks, among many others, being shown in April. I think the latter is a much under-appreciated film with a terrifically dark sense of humor. Kevin Spacey and Benicio Del Toro are awesome in this, and Frank Whaley is no slouch either.

Thanks for all the support guys!
I just saw Mutant Chronicles the other day and I liked it a lot. The quality of the Magnolia titles we play has just been getting better and better.

Kevin Spacey's performance in Swimming with Sharks got overshadowed by The Usual Suspects and Se7en, which came out around the same time, but he really drives that movie. It is one of my favorite movies of the 90's.

Love this posting each month....

How about a similar posting for highlights for the regular HDNet (non-movie) channel?

Thanks,
Scott

That's a great idea! I'll talk to some people at the other network and see if we can get something going!

Once Upon A Time In The West and The Man Who Wasn't There are my top two priorities for this month. I know another channel has shown TMWWT but it looked like an upconvert. Can't wait!

Mutant Chronicles will be a treat. It was NOT intended for release this way. A shame no major studio would take it on adn release it wide. But at least it will be seen by some.

Once Upon A Time In The West in HD is gold to me. :)

+1 on Once Upon a Time In the West... fantastic movie and I highly recommend you people watch it if you have not yet.

Billy Elliot was on BBC HD at least 1 year ago :p

... The quality of the Magnolia titles we play has just been getting better and better...



Agreed. And it's appreciated.

+1 on Once Upon a Time In the West... fantastic movie and I highly recommend you people watch it if you have not yet.

Sounds like this was recently restored Film Foundation Restoration (http://www.film-foundation.org/common/news/articles/detail.cfm?Classification=news&QID=6219&ClientID=11004&BrowseFlag=1&Keyword=&StartRow=1&TopicID=0&Subsection=&ThisPage=0). One of the greatest westerns ever made. A must see just for the camera framing, great cast, music, and look who wrote the story.

i love my hd net movies. my very favorite hd channel!

i upgraded to a 2nd hd dvr on e* after i got a deal on a kuro, and the e* sales guy suggested i could save $5 a month by dropping their extra hd package of which the only good channel is hdnet movies.

i told the guy he was nuts. no where else can you consistently see great movies that most stations just don't run. not to mention superb hd transfers. i loved lawrence, dr. strangelove, american graffiti and now can't wait for mutant chronicles.

you can take my hbo and cinemax if you must but don't
touch my hdnet movies!

i love my hd net movies. my very favorite hd channel!

i upgraded to a 2nd hd dvr on e* after i got a deal on a kuro, and the e* sales guy suggested i could save $5 a month by dropping their extra hd package of which the only good channel is hdnet movies.

i told the guy he was nuts. no where else can you consistently see great movies that most stations just don't run. not to mention superb hd transfers. i loved lawrence, dr. strangelove, american graffiti and now can't wait for mutant chronicles.

you can take my hbo and cinemax if you must but don't
touch my hdnet movies!

that's what I did when they created the extra tier of HD channels and raised the prices on HBO, etc. I just cancelled the other premiums. I end up watching/recording more stuff from HDnet than the others put together.

Does Ross or anybody else know why Hang 'Em High has been removed from the schedule? It has vanished without a trace from the online schedule and PDF schedule. :(

I just got a chance to set aside 165 minutes to really watch Once Upon A Time In The West. This was an unbelievable, phenomenal transfer. Obviously the master was well preserved. The exterior shots, many of them shot on cloudless desert days, look better than just about everything filmed last year. Aside from Frank, did anyone else have those penetrating blue eyes like Henry Fonda?

Seriously, wow. Since the film moves at a glacial pace (observation, not criticism), you really get to enjoy every tiny detail, from the fabrics and western sets to the smallest movement on those famous Leone close-ups. Honestly, I can't think of a better HD demo than this movie.

Does Ross or anybody else know why Hang 'Em High has been removed from the schedule? It has vanished without a trace from the online schedule and PDF schedule. :(
We have removed Hang 'Em High from the schedule due to unacceptable film elements. We requested further restoration work which the studio will not do at this time. I hope we will be able to present a restored version of Hang 'Em High in the future...so stay tuned to HDNet Movies.

Elisabeth

^^^ You mean HDNet Movies doesn't take whatever crummy HD master the studio puts together from leftover negatives and airs it 'as is'? HDNet actually stands up to its studio clients and demands as clean and perfect an HD transfer of old movies as current technology will allow? Get out of town, nobody does that. ;):rolleyes::cool:

hdnetmovies messed up on excalibur.. it said the movie was PG, but when the movie was actually R rated.. something needs to be fixed.

Jacob

We have removed Hang 'Em High from the schedule due to unacceptable film elements. We requested further restoration work which the studio will not do at this time. I hope we will be able to present a restored version of Hang 'Em High in the future...so stay tuned to HDNet Movies.

Elisabeth

Thank you very much Elisabeth, that's the best explanation I ever could have hoped for. :)

I always welcome any reminder that HDNet Movies is vastly superior to other HD movie channels. I will definitely be staying tuned.

I have pretty much given up on MGM-HD now as well since they don't intend on fixing their sound issues and now have started doing in-movie promo breaks.:(

HDNet is still the best place for movies and hopefully will remain that way.

We have removed Hang 'Em High from the schedule due to unacceptable film elements. We requested further restoration work which the studio will not do at this time. I hope we will be able to present a restored version of Hang 'Em High in the future...so stay tuned to HDNet Movies.

Please also get WB to fix the music on Local Hero…

hdnetmovies messed up on excalibur.. it said the movie was PG, but when the movie was actually R rated.. something needs to be fixed.

Jacob

Excalibur had been rated R originally, but has since been re-rated to PG.

For more information on ratings, check out mpaa.org

Excalibur had been rated R originally, but has since been re-rated to PG.

For more information on ratings, check out mpaa.org

I hate to disagree with someone from HDNet Movies, but something still doesn't match up with this. Based on both mpaa.org and the IMDB entry for Excalibur (which is linked to by mpaa.org), two cuts of Excalibur were made. One was edited and received a PG rating. The original cut was rated R. Based on the film lengths given on IMDB and the length of the film as it is airing on HDNet Movies, it appears that the version of the film being aired is indeed rated R.

the version thatHDnetmovies showed excalibur was the "R" Rated version.. there was sex and violences. the rating in front of it was all wrong.

Jacob

We have changed Excalibur to reflect an "R" rating. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Will you be re-airing Hang 'Em High? Just added PlatinumHD to my Dish TurboHD package just to get HDNM. My Dish DVR is going to be very busy.

I caught "Lawrence of Arabia" and I have to say that it was a spectacular transfer from film. The color depth and clarity were amazing. This is how "The Ten Commandments" should be treated. Hopefully those who own the rights will see reason and transfer that film in a similar fashion. The version that is aired on ABC every year is pretty bad even as SD versions go.

I thought the transfer of 'Big Jake' was excellent.

I thought the transfer of 'Big Jake' was excellent.
Big Jake was my last HDNet Movies flick...Comcast took it away the next morning. :(:mad::(:mad:

your welcome.

Jacob