The TCM Classic Film Festival returns for its 16th edition in just a few weeks, and it’ll be my fifth time attending in person! The schedule was released a couple of days ago, and somewhat surprisingly, I’ve made most of my initial choices without any big conflicts to mull over. Though, of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll stick to what I’ve selected here; that will all depend on any last-minute surprise announcements as well as how I’m feeling in the moment. As you’ll see, I typically like to make my festival picks based on the special guests because that’s usually the more unique experience, since I’m lucky to have other chances to see older movies at other repertory screenings here in Los Angeles. With all that said, here are my tentative picks for TCMFF 2025…

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Thursday

Films I Haven’t Seen: Moonlight and Pretzels, Mothra
Films I’ve Previously Seen In Theaters: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Suddenly, Last Summer, Mamma Mia!, Hud, Blithe Spirit

While I’m confident with most of my picks, as I mentioned in my intro, I’m still debating how I actually want to begin my festival experience with this first time block. As usual, I have a Classic Pass for TCMFF, which does not give me access to the opening night screening of The Empire Strikes Back with George Lucas, so that’s out. I would like to see Suspicion on the big screen, but I imagine I’ll have other opportunities to see it at a rep screening somewhere in L.A. Meanwhile, Moonlight and Pretzels is a film I’ve never seen, let alone heard of before it showed up on the schedule, and it may be one of the very few chances I have of seeing a new-to-me movie during the festival, and I usually like to try to make room for some discoveries. However, as I have at most of the festivals I’ve attended in years past, I do enjoy watching the red carpet and following that up with the first poolside screening. So for the moment, I’m planning on going that route. I’m hoping there’s a yet-to-be-announced guest to introduce Mamma Mia!, but regardless, I’d likely stay for the whole movie since I haven’t watched it in a long time. And if I do stay poolside, I should still have enough time to get to my final screening of the night, which easily goes to Pat and Mike, one of my favorite Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy outings. And a nice bonus is that Diane Baker will be one of the people introducing the film; I always enjoy seeing her at TCMFF!

My Tentative Picks: Mamma Mia!, Pat and Mike

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Friday

Films I Haven’t Seen: Servants’ Entrance
Films I’ve Previously Seen In Theaters: Cinderella (multiple times), Bringing Up Baby, The Enchanted Cottage

Another time block I still have under consideration is Friday morning, where I’m still deciding between The Incredible Shrinking Man and Cinderella. There’s also the hand and footprint ceremony for Michelle Pfeiffer, though judging from my experience of quickly being turned away from Jodie Foster’s ceremony last year due to a severe lack of seating, I doubt I can get in to that, but I may still check out the line to see how my luck looks. Anyway, the New Beverly is actually screening The Incredible Shrinking Man the weekend before the festival, so I may just catch the movie there instead. That would free me up to see Cinderella at the El Capitan, which I’m strongly leaning toward because it’s one of my all-time favorite animated Disney films, and I just love going to that theater during TCMFF. But the issue with this screening is that it gives a tight turnaround to where I want to go next, so depending on how anxious I’m feeling in that moment, I may leave the movie early to head over to the Chinese multiplex.

When it was announced that James Cromwell would be on hand for the screening of Babe, that immediately became one of my top priorities of this year’s festival, as I adore that movie and his performance in it. Following that will be my first screening of this year’s TCMFF in the IMAX theater for The Fabulous Baker Boys with Michelle Pfeiffer, another special guest that’s a priority to see during the festival. Though I will add the other small consideration I had in this afternoon block was Superman, especially with the recent passing of Gene Hackman, but with that movie’s particular legacy, there will definitely be other opportunities for me to see it in a theater.

My Tentative Picks: Cinderella, Babe, The Fabulous Baker Boys

Friday (continued)

Films I Haven’t Seen: George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey, The Last Dragon
Films I’ve Previously Seen In Theaters: The Lady Eve, All That Jazz, Now, Voyager

Most of the rest of Friday night will be spent in the Chinese IMAX theater with two movies directed by Rob Reiner, who will be there for respective Q&As with Kathy Bates for Misery and Aaron Sorkin for The American President. I’m excited for both screenings because I love Misery, and I’ve been meaning to watch The American President again, as I haven’t seen it since I was in high school. But I will say there are other great screenings in both of the evening blocks that I would’ve liked to see, such as The Mark of Zorro, Clueless poolside with Elisa Donovan, and All That Jazz with Ben Vereen. I would’ve especially enjoyed the screening for The Lady Eve since Bill Hader is introducing it, but fortunately, I did see him introduce a classic film at a previous TCMFF (and I’ll be seeing him during the American Cinematheque’s “This Is Not a Fiction” program next weekend). Anyway, after the Reiner double feature, I plan to go to the midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, where Barry Bostwick will be in attendance. I’m hoping the manic energy in the movie will be enough to keep me awake through the runtime.

My Tentative Picks: Misery, The American President, The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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Saturday

Films I Haven’t Seen: Colossus: The Forbin Project, Car Wash
Films I’ve Previously Seen In Theaters: Mildred Pierce (multiple times), The Preview Murder Mystery, Back to the Future, To Be or Not to Be

All of Saturday is basically set for me, pending any surprise guest announcements. I would’ve liked to see Carefree in 35mm or the new restoration of Ben-Hur, but instead I will go to the nitrate screening of Daisy Kenyon, an underrated favorite of mine. Then I’ll make it a “Joan Crawford playing the title character on nitrate” double feature and stick around at the Egyptian for Mildred Pierce, which is sure to be a great time with the TCMFF crowd. It also makes it much easier to get to the screening of Brigadoon, which is one of the movies I want to see most at the festival, and I’m glad there isn’t anything else I’m dying to see scheduled against it in that afternoon block. What makes it even better is that it’ll be screening on 35mm, and George Chakiris and Barrie Chase will both be there in person! I either hadn’t realized or just forgot that they’re both uncredited dancers in the movie, so I’ll be trying to keep a lookout for them when I watch it.

My Tentative Picks: Daisy Kenyon, Mildred Pierce, Brigadoon

Saturday (continued)

Films I Haven’t Seen: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Films I’ve Previously Seen In Theaters: Jaws (multiple times), The Birdcage, Morocco, The Freshman, Blade Runner, Wild at Heart

Just like Friday night, I plan to spend Saturday night back at the Chinese IMAX, this time for a double feature of films screening in VistaVision! We’re No Angels will include an introduction with newly-minted Academy Award winner Lol Crawley, who just won the Best Cinematography Oscar for his work on The Brutalist (and I just saw him at the Academy Museum for the Best Cinematography Nominee Spotlight panel last month). That’ll be followed by Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which will likely be the one time I’m watching a movie I haven’t previously seen. It’s a film I’ve been meaning to check out anyway, so this is a great time to finally check that off my watchlist. Though one possible change I could see Saturday evening is if there will be a special guest appearance for The Birdcage, another movie featuring the late Gene Hackman that I would’ve liked to watch at the festival. Blade Runner is also intriguing because Sean Young will be there in person, but that would cut into the midnight screening of Wild at Heart, one of my very favorite films by the late, great David Lynch, which will feature David Patrick Kelly in attendance. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up dozing off during this screening with the weight of two-and-a-half days of movie-watching, but at least I’ve seen it fully conscious on the big screen recently.

My Tentative Picks: We’re No Angels, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Wild at Heart

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Sunday

Films I Haven’t Seen: Diamond Jim
Films I’ve Previously Seen In Theaters: 2001: A Space Odyssey, To Catch a Thief, Apocalypse Now, Sunset Boulevard (multiple times), Blue Velvet (multiple times)

The last day of the festival is always the most flexible, since by then the decreased amount of sleep I’m getting catches up with me. If I’m feeling really ambitious that morning following the midnight screening, I’ll head down to the Egyptian for 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm with Keir Dullea in person. The other movie I’m considering in that morning block is The Big Combo, which would be like doing TCM’s Noir Alley programming live, as I usually tune in to those on the channel and enjoy starting my Sunday mornings with a film noir. But honestly, I may just end up sleeping in that morning and skip that first block altogether. The next block is also one I’ll likely skip due to my pick in the block after it, though I’d love to see Splendor in the Grass on the big screen, as it was one of my first favorite classic films when I was really getting into older movies in college. I’d also consider Diamond Jim since it’s another movie I haven’t seen before, or the TBA screening if it’s a film I wanted to see but didn’t get a chance to because of scheduling conflicts. I’m also wondering if Francis Ford Coppola will make an appearance at the Apocalypse Now screening since his AFI Tribute is happening the night before at the Dolby Theatre, but I don’t think I’ll make any changes based on that possibility because of where I definitely want to go next.

For Sunday afternoon, I have my eye on Blue Velvet with Kyle MacLachlan. I actually saw him do a Q&A for the same film during Beyond Fest last year, but I do not want to miss hearing him speak in person about his collaboration and friendship with David Lynch following his passing. Right now I plan on staying to watch the whole movie because I love it anyway, but if the TBA in that block is something I had been interested in seeing, then I may dip out early for that.

My Tentative Picks: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blue Velvet

Sunday (continued)

Films I Haven’t Seen: Beau Geste
Films I’ve Previously Seen In Theaters: Heat

We’ll see what the TBA screenings end up being in the final stretch, but I do like ending TCMFF at the historic Chinese Theatre as I have at most of the past festivals I’ve attended. So that means my final movie of this year’s festival will be Heat with Michael Mann, though I actually saw him at a screening for the same film just last year. But with the recent passing of Val Kilmer, I’m sure this screening will be extra special. Plus I thought about re-watching it recently anyway, so instead I’ll just wait to see it again, this time on the glorious IMAX screen, a great way to cap off this year’s TCMFF.

My Tentative Picks: Heat

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Based on my tentative picks, I’ll be seeing 17 films, with just one of them being a movie I haven’t seen before. Last year, I watched 15 films total, which surprised me that I managed to watch that many, as I had previously only watched a dozen films the other times I attended. Though this year’s tentative total includes a film in the Sunday morning block, which could very likely end up being skipped, but then 16 films is still a lot! We’ll see how it all plays out; regardless, I’m excited for a fantastic weekend of movie-watching!