Good news! Although Turner Classic Movies was forced to cancel its annual classic film festival in Hollywood due to our present condition, the classic movie channel has done the next best thing by arranging an on-air presentation of festival favorites. The programming will run the same dates as the festival would have, April 16-19, celebrating all the past decade of the TCMFF. The creative alternative to every classic film fan's most anticipated event of the year is really an ingenious plan to make the most of an unprecedented emergency the world has faced in the last hundred years. The movies have always been there for us when we've needed comfort. TCM is doing their part to provide that comfort again.
An additional attraction to this remote presentation is the inclusion of LIVE, interactive social media (this is usually a habit reserved for the social media addicted guy sitting in the row in front of you). It is true that the festival has always enjoyed a high profile on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and so many more platforms, but by attendees in between films. However, this year that presence will be ramped up, allowing viewers to use the time usually spent rushing from one theater to the next to utilize their social handles in an unprecedented capacity. Heck, they can even socialize during movies without fear of breaking the cardinal rules of movie-going etiquette (like that inconsiderate guy previously mentioned).
Of course, the festival has always been about more than just great old movies. Its particularly good at bringing our favorite stars and filmmakers live and in person to talk to audiences about their craft. So, in addition to beloved films, the special edition will highlight favorite festival moments such as the conversations held between the late Robert Osborne, Ben Mankiewicz, and some of cinema's greatest living legends. Extra star-studded segments are added with stars reminiscing about when these films were screened at the Festival, along with the actual recordings of special guests that attended the screenings. After all, if you're gonna present the festival through the intermediary of a screen, you better do your best to make it as unique an experience as possible. I have good faith that TCM has managed to do just that.
All of the Special Edition can be enjoyed on your favorite viewing device in the comfort of your own home, cuddled up in your favorite viewing spot. I call that an excellent time to share your passion for classic cinema with loved ones who would otherwise never join you in your annual sojourn. So, grab your favorite movie snacks, pour out your favorite beverage, bogart that remote control (see what I did there?), and position yourself in the most comfortable spot in the house and indulge in TCM knowing that you're still in the company of thousands, upon thousands of fellow fans. It's still TCM and it's still the best time of the year.
