TCM is all about the ‘Oscars’ in February

Oscar winning movies do more than exemplify the best of Hollywood. They define a generation and enter the realm of popular culture. They connect people beyond time and place. They make visible our imagination, glorify our favourite performing artists and give us an endless source of one-liners with which to punctuate our conversations.

In the month of February, that golden exclamation mark tells us that when we sit back in a darkened room, turn to TCM with our buddies, our bae, or with nothing but a bowl of microwaved popcorn, we’re viewing the best of the best.

In the spirit of the American blockbuster, and with a nod to the great Hollywood tradition of excess, TCM is screening past Academy Award winning double features every Sunday night in February up until the big night itself on 26 February, when the envelopes, and the red carpet, reveal all.

The line-up includes:

• Sunday 19 February: 5:05pm – E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), followed at 7pm by Shakespeare in love (1998)

• Sunday 26 February: 1:10am – The Sound of Music (1965), followed at 4am by Cleopatra (1963), then at 7:55am it’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), at 9:50am the Full Monty (1997); and re-screenings of Ray (2004) at 12:20 and Inglourious Basterds (2009) at 1:50pm and Out of Africa at 4:20pm. At 7pm it’s Born on the Fourth of July (1998), then Shakespeare in love (1998) at 9:20pm, rounding of the bumper Oscars day with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) at 11:20pm.

TCM also sets itself apart in ‘Oscars Month’ with a scene-setting documentary on 12 and 19 February titled ‘And the Oscar goes to…’ directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. The documentary is the result of exclusive permission given by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to TCM to access its entire ceremony archive. This nostalgic journey gives movie buffs a behind-the-scenes view into the hallowed halls of the Academy and winners from by-gone eras and recent times …and may just give viewers the edge in making their winner predictions.

The documentary also includes behind-the-scenes ceremony footage from the archives of Hollywood Newsreel, much of it never shown on television before. Special treats include Michael Moore talking about his controversial speech for his Oscar for Bowling for Columbine, plus interviews with George Clooney, Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, and Benicio del Toro.

AMPAS stalwart, Cheryl Boone Isaacs says ’We’ve been thrilled to work with TCM on this amazing documentary, which will take the public through 85 years of Oscar history.’

TCM has long been loved as the channel for cult cinematic classics. In 2015 it shook up its somewhat ‘dusty movie house’ image to celebrate a wider range of film eras and become the home of the American blockbuster.

TCM is now part of all DSTV packages, growing a wider audience of appreciators of this artistic form and the cultural nuances and generational realities best expressed through film.

‘Turner is very pleased with the growth of the TCM brand in South Africa and we are committed to finding the perfect mix of content that will keep our avid movie fans glued to our screens,’ said. Pierre Branco, VP & General Manager of Turner. ‘Every year the build-up of the Oscars becomes a wonderfully-charged period for the movie industry and this year TCM will be at the centre of the action. We are excited to be able to bring our viewers a month of Oscar-winning double features.’