10 Classic Film Things to Do This Month

Get out the BIG can of bug spray!

1. Make a pest control company employee watch Them! on TCM (July 11th, 10:00 AM EDT) and ask: "Could you get rid of those ants?"  (Another option is show them The Naked Jungle, where quantity--not size--is the concern.)

2. Host a family reunion cook-out and reenact scenes from Picnic. (I'd opt for the dance scene with Kim Novak...OK, I can't dance, but neither could William Holden and he still got Kim.)

3. Get ready for the Olympics and watch the charming Wee Geordie (1955), the tale of a "99 lb. weakling" who sends off for a bodybuilding program and becomes a champion hammer thrower.

4. Watch a Samuel Fuller cult classic. TCM is showing several Fuller pics on July 13th; my top pick is The Naked Kiss, a terrific low-budget drama that packs a wallop (and not just for the telephone scene).

5. Avoid the heat and watch a good snow movie, such as Where Eagles Dare, the 1965 Ten Little Indians, or The Fearless Vampire Killers.

6. Embrace the heat, have a glass of cold lemonade, and watch Paul Newman woo Joanne Woodward in The Long, Hot Summer.

7. Watch Scaramouche on TCM (July 9th, 6:00 PM EDT) and stage a formal debate over whether Stewart Granger should have chosen Eleanor Parker or Janet Leigh at the film's conclusion.

8. Director Anthony Mann is known for his first-rate Westerns (e.g., Winchester '73) and film noir (e.g., Raw Deal). But don't miss the opportunity to watch his nifty historical thriller The Black Book (aka Reign of Terror) on TCM (7:00 AM EDT).

9. Check out Spencer's Mountain on TCM (July 21st, 3:30 PM EDT). In the 1980s, when TBS showed classic movies (yes, it did!), this family drama was shown three or four times a year. If the premise sounds familar, that's because Spencer's Mountain later spawned The Waltons (James MacArthur plays Clayboy, who evolved into John-Boy).

10. Always wanted to see Singin' in the Rain on the big screen? You're in luck! For its 60th anniversary, TCM is showing it at selected movie theatres nationwide on July 12th.