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tonight at 8 on tcm:
Described by the New York Times as "a master of movies about the American idiom...one of our most original filmmakers," Les Blank (1935-2013) was a Florida-born documentary filmmaker best remembered for his poetic studies of American musical traditions. But, as reflected in this TCM salute, Blank's idiosyncratic films and short subjects covered a wide range of subjects including Cajun culture in the U.S. (Spend It All, 1971): black Creole life (Dry Wood, 1973); the city of New Orleans (Always for Pleasure, 1978); cooking (Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers, 1980); and the polka and its devotees (In Heaven There Is No Beer?, 1984). Of the 11 Blank films shown in our tribute, no less than eight are TCM premieres!