Good news, everyone! The full schedule for the 9th Annual Turner Classic Movies Film Festival (TCMFF) has finally been announced. You can even download a full .pdf of it here. Like many of my peers and in years past, heartbreaking decisions on what to see, who to see it with, and just whether or not food is ‘optional’ for a four day stretch all lay before me.
This will by my fourth year attending the festival, and the blood is pounding through my veins. Some of the smorgasbord of options for the 2018 Festival:
- Nancy Olson introduces Sunset Boulevard.
- Director John Carpenter introduces the original Scarface.
- A chunk of the cast of Animal House will be there for a screening of the film.
- Special 3D presentations of both Harold Lloyd shorts and The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
- Nitrate screenings of Leave Her to Heaven, Stage Door, Spellbound, and (the good) A Star is Born.
- Eva Marie Saint at Grand Prix and Hatful of Rain.
- The Pigeon Sisters at a screening of The Odd Couple.
- There’s a ‘Roaring Twenties’ Party, which I could totally show up to dressed as a robot just to be annoying.
Prioritize, I tell myself. But that doesn’t always work. Do you pick films you love first? Guests you want to see? Panels that sound absolutely fascinating? Or do you just follow your friends around like a lost puppy? My wife will be attending this year (the whole week this time, thankfully), and she already did her take on the schedule. Apparently, we won’t be seeing each other.
Most of my decisions revolve around this site’s focus — it’s the pre-codes, stupid– and my own desires. I really need to see Eva Marie Saint speak sooner rather than later. I also felt like last year I spent most of the fest at the Egyptian, so this go around I’m trying to make sure I’m being a bit more balanced, and going to at least two or three shows in the massive Chinese Theater.
Where You Can Find Me! (Maybe. Probably.)
I went ahead and put together my (always tentative) picks for the festival here. I’m in red, my wife is in blue. If you think this is confusing, I assure you, it is.
- I will be attending the showings of Girls About Town, I Take This Woman, and Scarface no matter what. *blodshot eyes* no matter what
- I’m already dreading the bloodbath it’s going to be to get into Finishing School on opening night, though maybe my wife’s choice of Stage Door afterward will be worse.
- My Friday morning will be strange– I’m planning on going to Grand Prix and the Harold Lloyd 3D exhibition, distant from the usual hub of madness.
- There are several ‘choose your own adventure’ options for the both of us, and, as always, peer pressure will play a part.
Pre-Codes Featured at the Festival (And My Reviews of Them)
| Date & Time | Film |
| Thursday @ 7:00 PM |
Finishing School (1934) |
| Friday @ 9:00 AM |
The Merry Widow (1934) |
| Friday @ 2:30 PM |
Blessed Event (1932) |
| Friday @ 7:15 PM |
I Take This Woman (1931) |
| Saturday @ 4:30 PM |
Girls About Town (1931) |
| Saturday @ 9:45 PM |
Scarface (1932) |
Pins
Last year I gave out some pins to people for saying ‘hi’ to me, and this year I will be doing the same. My wife will have one design and I will have the other:
Pateron Bonuses
This year, I did get media credentials, so you will get full blown coverage here like in years past. However, if you become a become a Patron over at Patreon for as little as $1 before April 22nd, you will get:
- Exclusive media before it is posted on my blog, if ever. Last year I took videos of several introductions, which you can find over at my YouTube page, which I just now made public.
- A chance to get a free, random DVD from me! (They’re mostly movies I’ve reviewed here, so ymmv.)
- And exclusive ‘pre-code pals’ pin, with a design only given to backers.
I’m also in the process of putting together an overall guide on visiting the festival that should be up in the next few days. I also put together a page with all of my prior years’ coverage on the site that you can access by clicking here.
See you all in two weeks!