31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 16

 

Take the gun, leave the cannolli.

You know, Mike, we was all proud of you being a hero and all. Your father too.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday,Sunday, Saturday.

It's the smart move. Tessio was always smarter.

My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Son of a bitch! Do you know who I am? I'm Moe Greene! I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders!

It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.

Hey, listen, I want somebody good - and I mean very good - to plant that gun. I don't want my brother coming out of that toilet with just his dick in his hands, alright?

It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.

It's gotta be The Godfather.

17 films on TV this week that will stop the sunburn

The Spy Who Dumped Me   Sat   17/7   CH4 @ 21.00

The lives of two best friends living in Los Angeles are disrupted when an ex-boyfriend reappears on the scene. He has baggage. But it's not the emotional kind. More the army of deadly assassins out to kill him kind. This film is a fun & exciting way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday night. Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis play off each other nicely but some of it's violence may take you by surprise so be wary.

Capote   Sat   17/7   TG4 @ 21.20

The late and much missed Philip Seymour Hoffman leads this 2005 look at an important part of the life of Truman Capote. In 1959 a cold blooded murder took place in Kansas and the writer in Truman feels compelled to put pen to paper about it. It has a massive effect on him. Hoffman is sensational in a well put together crime drama and gets superb support from Catherine Keener as Nelle Harper Lee, a woman who became very famous in her own right.

The Revenant   Sat   17/7   RTE2 @ 21.40

In 1823 a hunter named Hugh Glass was left for dead after both a bear attack and a bitter betrayal by a fellow hunter. Somehow he managed to survive and he wanted revenge. A ferocious film that's a genuine experience to watch. This is not a movie for the faint of heart but you'll be stuck to it nonetheless. Leonardo DiCaprio, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter and Tom Hardy are all outstanding. The kind of film high definition was created for.

Deep Impact   Sun   18/7   E4 @ 16.40

A Washington based reporter investigating a political scandal discovers something far scarier is about to affect Earth and only the lucky few are going to be prepared for it. By far the better of 1998's two film's about meteors heading towards us. This is a rare watch, a blockbuster more interested in the lives about to be disrupted than it's CGI spectacle. Tea Leoni, Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall and Elijah Wood lead one of the most underrated big film's of the 1990's.

Heaven Can Wait   Sun   18/7   Talking Pictures TV @ 22.00

Henry Van Cleve has passed away. At the gates of hell he requests entry, knowing that he lived a life that's in his mind has earned him a place there. But the powers that be want him to prove his credentials first. Told mostly in flashback this 79 year old comedy drama is a touching and funny slice of technicolored sentimentality. Don Ameche is a winning lead and the unique Laird Cregar has a ball as Beelzebub himself.

The Limehouse Golem   Sun   18/7   BBC1 @ 22.30

Victorian London was a grim & squalid place and a series of hideous murders has the city on a knife edge. Inspector John Kildare is the man who must figure out who's behind the violence. A dull turn from the usually reliable Bill Nighy as Kildare aside this is a nicely atmospheric, queasily brutal and compelling look at the lengths some people will go for fame. Daniel Mays and Olivia Cooke add plenty to proceedings.

Broken Flowers   Mon   19/7   TG4 @ 00.05

Just after Don has had his heart broken, a blast from the past forces him out of his slump and on a roadtrip across America to engage with a part of his life he didn't even realise existed. Jim Jarmusch's low-key slowburn comedy dramas aren't for everyone but this one is a bittersweet and likable watch about how the past never stays in the past. Bill Murray, Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange and Jeffrey Wright all put in a good shift.

Appointment With Danger   Mon   19/7   Film4 @ 11.00

Gary, Indiana. A postal officer has been murdered and Inspector Goddard is on the case. There's a single witness, a nun by the name of Sister Augustine. She's in danger and he must go undercover to save her and solve the crime. Every film list needs a film noir and this is a solid example. It's familiar stuff as noir goes but there's a subtle streak of humour running through it, Alan Ladd is good value as the lead and we get an interestingly off kilter turn from Phyllis Calvert as the witness.

Salt   Mon   19/7   TG4 @ 22.35

A CIA agent finds herself on the run and under suspicion of treason after a prisoner accuses her of being a Russian spy. Angelina Jolie is in bruising form in the lead role and makes for a very believable action hero in a story that can be slightly confusing at points but one that all comes together pleasingly at the end. A rare action thriller that really deserved a sequel. Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Corey Stoll give Jolie fine backing.

The Ploughman's Lunch   Tues   20/7   Film4 @ 01.25

A cut-throat news reporter living in London in the early 80's is self serving and impatient about his career and isn't above climbing over friends and lovers to do further it. This film, from the pen of Ian McEwan and set during the Falklands war, is a tumultuous look at a life lived in tumultuous times. Jonathan Pryce is a magnificently cold lead and his actions in the final scene will stay with you for an age.

The Man In The White Suit   Tues   20/7   BBC2 @ 14.50

Sidney has developed a fabric that's both stain resistant and doesn't fall apart. He's happy to share his invention with the world but clothing manufacturers who stand to lose out are not one bit happy about his momentous find. Alec Guinness is a joy in the lead of this very amusing Ealing comedy production that will not only make you laugh but also give you plenty of food for thought. A perfect lazy Tuesday afternoon watch.

Creed II   Wed   21/7   RTE1 @ 21.35

Adonis Creed's star is ascending in the boxing world and a name from the past is requesting a confrontation.  It's Viktor Drago, the son of the man who killed his father in the ring three decades before. The latest installment in the Rocky franchise is more visceral & bombastic than it's predecessor but it has a bucket-load of heart too. Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Sylvester Stallone & Dolph Lundgren all do first rate work in their parts.

Memento   Wed   21/7   BBC2 @ 23.15

Leonard is a man with no short term memory who's searching for his wife's murderer. Sounds simple right. Haha. No, it's far from it from. This is the film that made Christopher Nolan famous and rightly so. It's a mind boggling thriller and one which demands your utmost attention as it's non linear plot line can be rather confusing. Guy Pearce works wonders in the main role and gets fiery back up from Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano

Nebraska   Thur   22/7   CH4 @ 02.10

A father and son called Woody and David are taking a trip from Montana to Nebraska to claim a prize. Woody is slowly losing his memory to dementia and David is dragged into the mess created along the way. Alexander Payne's comedy drama is a beautifully written and crafted look at the complexities of family relationships. Plus it has a couple of wicked belly laughs hidden away. Bruce Dern, Will Forte and especially June Squibb put in stellar turns.

A Fistful Of Dollars   Thur   22/7   TCM @ 21.00

A stranger rides into a dusty town troubled by the rivalry between two feuding gangs and sees a way to make himself a fistful of dollars (!!!!) by creating chaos and sitting back to watch it all happen. The first in Sergio Leone's famous western trilogy is now 57 years old and is the least of the 3 but it's still a splendidly entertaining and surprisingly brutal watch with a storyline that's still being ripped off to this day. Clint Eastwood rocks the lead.

Wings Of Desire   Thur   22/7   Film4 @ 23.15

The streets of Berlin are filled with struggling people and watching over them are angels. A pair called Damiel and Cassiel find their celestial work interrupted when a mortal senses their presence and one of them falls in love. Wim Wenders 1987 fantasy drama is a beautiful film. Whimsical but dense, tragic and romantic, filled with glorious black and white imagery. Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin and Peter Falk all amaze.

The Lost Boys   Fri   23/7   BBC1 @ 22.35

A family moves to a nice beach town to start a new life and finds the place has a far darker side than they could have imagined. This film is as 80's as they come and it's still a delightful watch three and a half decades later. A scary, gooey, funny and imaginative take on a tale as old as cinema. The 80's vibe continues with a cast that includes both Corey Haim & Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Jamie Gertz & Jason Patric but Kiefer Sutherland robs the film from all of them with a star making role.

A retweet is always appreciated. Thank you lovely people.

31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 15

A film from the 70s. Well that's an absolute fucker of a question. 

It has to be Jaws. Yep, it's an obvious answer but it's a brilliant film. Perfectly captured tension, brilliant characters, memorable dialogue, a HUGE shark and this magnificent scene onboard a boat called the Orca. A scar comparison competition leads to Quint talking about a tattoo he had removed after World War II.

 

Wow.

Fear Street part 3 : 1666

If Fear Street part 1 was Scream crossed with It and Fear Street part 2 was a full of homage to Friday The 13th then the only way to describe Fear Street part 3 is Blood On Satan's Claw meets Chopping Mall (minus the robots sadly) with a touch of Freddy Vs Jason in the mix. It's out today on Netflix and it has some harsh home truths for us.

After finding the skeletal hand of Sarah Fier, the witch who's put a curse on Shadyside, Deena (Kiana Madeira) is thrown into the colonial past of her town, 328 years in the past to be exact. It's a place full of recognisable places and faces, with characters from Part 1 and Part 2 playing familiar versions of their own ancestors, with all their good and bad traits. Deena's in the body of Sarah Fier and as in the present, she's a free spirit prone to behaviour that the patriarchal, puritanical leaders of the town frown upon. When things start turning rotten and horrific (and nauseating) tragedy hits, the townsfolk turn on those, who in their eyes, deviate from the norm. Meanwhile back in 1994 that past and present clashes in the very place where all the horror began.

The first half of FSP3 is far darker and way more stressful than you'll ever imagine it's going to be after the Ghostface and Jason Voorhees aping earlier installments of this trilogy. As with so many moral panics of the past it's a fear of sexuality that kicks things off, a scorned man screaming because he doesn't get his own way, wounded masculinity that turns into a witch-hunt culminating in a moment with a hideous resonance to modern day america. What started in fun slasher territory is suddenly a state of the union address. It's brutal, there's no knowing nods at nostalgia and no Sophie B.Hawkins or Buzzcocks songs to take the edge off like in the previous films. The dark heart of this story lays in the past and when those sins aren't dealt with properly they are doomed to be repeated. As a metaphorical device it's blunt as hell but effective as hell too.

The second half of the film brings us back to more familiar territory. Shopping malls, The Offspring on the soundtrack and Hot Topic in the background. The folk horror is over, replaced by bloody slapstick and shrieking histrionics. You couldn't have two more different halves but they somehow compliment each other, the latter adding a much need bit of fun and the former fleshing out the madness on display. Kiana Madeira as Deena does very well tying both parts of the story together and her centuries spanning connections to her brother Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr) and Sam (Olivia Scott Welch) really give us someone to root for, especially when everything goes full on monster mash at the end. It might make you roll your eyes but if you've made it this far you're well used to the silliness by now.

Fear Street Part 3 is on Netflix now. Part 1 and 2 were fun but this one took a much needed step ahead, giving it a topical vitality that feels necessary and, especially for a film on a huge streaming service, ballsy. 

Happy vaccine day

Part 2 of the Pfizer jab will be in my shoulder within 12 hours. I'm nervous, a bit giddy, a little bit anxious but mad to get it over and done with. Nothing will be normal for a long long time but this is just another step towards normality.

Have you gotten your jabs yet? If you have fair fucks to you. If you haven't yet, good luck to you. If you aren't going to well then fuck off you silly prick.

A perfect pairing of sound & vision. Breaking Bad - a musical massacre

The moment Walter White executes the New Mexico version of Order 66.

Walter's in trouble. The muscle of his drug empire has vanished and the men in prison, who helped build his business, being paid to keep their secrets aren't going to be receiving their hush money anymore. They need to be silenced. But there's a problem. All nine are in separate prisons and the minute one is killed the others will instantly be put into protective custody. So they need to be taken out simultaneously. The only people with that reach across the New Mexico penal system are the aryan brotherhood and getting into bed with a neo-nazi organisation is just one more step on Walter's descent into hell.

The silky smooth voice of Nat King Cole and dozens of sharpened toothbrush handles being used as knives. Who knew they'd compliment each other so well. Listen to those words too.

Nothing's impossible I have found,

For when my chin is on the ground,

I pick myself up,

Dust myself off,

Start all over again.

Don't lose your confidence if you slip,

Be grateful for a pleasant trip,

And pick yourself up,

Dust yourself off,

Start all over again.

Work like a soul inspired,

Till the battle of the day is won.

You may be sick and tired,

But you'll be a man, my son!

Will you remember the famous men,

Who had to fall to rise again?

So take a deep breath,

Pick yourself up,

Dust yourself off,

Start all over again.

Walter's ascent summed up. When you fall you get back up. Work for it. Someday you'll be the horrible cunt everyone is talking about.

The perfect compliment to a perfectly horrifying scene.

Previous pairings

Ghost Ship

Southpark The Movie

28 Days Later

La Haine

The Skeleton Twins

Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid

Notting Hill

Summer Of Sam

Vamp

American Me

Beetlejuice

Rio Bravo

Hard Boiled
8 mile
Wheels On Meals
The Office (UK)
Do The Right Thing
Se7en
Mad Men
The Colour Of Money
Rules Of Attraction

Jackass II

Game Of Thrones 

Apocalypse Now

Blade

Big
Miller's Crossing

The Blues Brothers

Straight Outta Compton

The Princess Bride

American Honey

Snake In The Eagle's Shadow

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

The Untouchables

Airplane!

Dazed And Confused  

Kickboxer                                  

Grosse Point Blank

Mean Streets

Watership Down

Casablanca

Zodiac

Jackie Brown
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Deliverance
The Omen
Copland
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The Mission

Before Sunset

Carlito's Way
A Knight's Tale
Platoon
Before Sunrise
Rushmore
An American Werewolf In London
Dazed And Confused
Boogie Nights
Raging Bull
Almost Famous
Once Upon A Time In The West
Goodfellas

Last Of The Mohicans

31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 14

 

My favourite horror? There can only be one answer. George A. Romero's stunning Dawn of the Dead from 1979. A horror masterpiece that takes popshots at capitalism, consumerism and society while liberally splashing about Tom Savini's brilliantly gooey make FX. 

Crazy Samurai: 400 Vs 1

The title of this new Japanese action drama set in Edo period Japan is actually quite misleading, It should be called 588 vs 1. Well that's according to the trivia section on IMDB. 588 people dying at the hand of 1. That sounds nuts right. Maybe the most exciting film ever? Well from a technical viewpoint maybe. From an entertainment viewpoint? God no.

The Yoshioka clan is disgraced. Their leader has died in battle and a child has been placed in charge. They've set a trap for the killer, a samurai named Musashi, to wander into and he has no way out of it. One hundred samurai and hundreds of other crazed warriors are out for revenge. Surely one man couldn't fight against those types of numbers. The plot is as basic as you get but this isn't a film that cares about a storyline. It's an experiment. A one-take action scene takes up nearly 90% of the film's running time and fair play to it, it's as audacious as film making can get but no film can get by on action alone. We need something to get our teeth into and Crazy Samurai ain't going to give it to us.

Obviously not a Wu-Tang clan fan

The story of Miyamoto Musashi may be 400+ years old but he's still a popular character in Japanese culture. Hundreds of films, tv shows and anime have been made about him. The great Toshiro Mifune even played him in the Samurai trilogy and his likeness has cropped up in dozens of modern day video games. In 2011 director Yûji Shimomura shot a 77 minute one-take action sequence featuring Tak Sakaguchi as Miyamoto taking on his enemies. 9 years later he managed to crowdfund enough money to turn it into a film, adding bookends, music and, unforgivably, CGI blood. From a technical viewpoint it's an astounding achievement, a feat of choreography and stamina, but it takes it's toll on the viewer. After 10 minutes you'll start feeling bored and by the end of the 77 you'll just want Miyamoto to be put out of his misery.

It feels shitty complaining about a film when this much obvious hard work has been put into it but the constant formula of wash, rinse and repeat would get to even the most hardened of action film fans. It ain't a spoiler to describe whole chunks of this as:

• Miyamoto wanders onto an arena like area, an opening in a forest or a village square.
• 30+ warriors attack him, one at a time, and he takes them out with a belly slice or a knock on the head.
• A master samurai appears and is instantly eviscerated.
• Miyamoto takes a break, finds a handily stashed water supply and a brand new sword.
• And it all starts over again. And again. And again. And again.....

It's like playing a computer game. It's as theatrical and artificial a film as you'll ever see. You'll start noticing how each fight is put together, fallen warriors running off screen to die so as to not get in the way of others or recycle themselves as additional fighters, the same two moves used over and over again, swordsmen waiting in the background for their turn at bat. You won't care about Miyamoto the character but you'll stress for Sakaguchi the actor as you watch him visibly tire as the film moves forward. You'll never see an actor earning his wage as much as he does here. It's an intensely physical action performance that deserves a much better film around it. For real one take amazement in Asian action cinema watch Tony Jaa's Tom Yum Goong from 2005 for a 3.5 minute one take shot that's still the best you'll ever see.

Crazy Samura : 400 Vs 1 is streaming on google movies now. Watch it to appreciate it's craftmanship. But expect nothing else from it.

31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 13

 

1978. There can only be one answer. The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin. 

Kung fu perfection. One man's story of revenge and the bucketload of training he had go through first. Massively influential and so much damn fun.

3 days without....

The shakes are kicking in.

The fear is here.

The pangs are appalling. 

The hands are clammy and the palpitations are brutal.

The DT's are shockin' altogether.

3 days.

72 hrs.

72 hrs without watching a film.

What is happening?

I put one on last night and fell asleep before the credits started.

Oh jesus....

Is this it?

Have I hit middle age?

There's only one thing for it.

I'll

*gulp*

I'll watch to watch the new Bruce Willis film.

Yeah, this is just the ticket....

31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 12

 

Fave rom-com. Gotta be The Sure Thing. A perfect 1980's comedy without the shittier aspects that decade brought to a lot of films. Cusack's on fire. Zuniga is fantastically uptight. Loads of great cameos - Tim Robbins is brilliant. Some proper belly laughs and a perfect ending. Lovely stuff.

16 films on TV this week that will put the va in your voom

The Driver   Sat   10/7   Talking Pictures TV @ 21.35

The Driver is a king behind the wheel of his car making him indispensable to criminals. A detective is obsessed with catching him and turns to the underworld to set up a trap to catch him. Walter Hill's action thriller is a joy, a film that oozes style. There's not much going on under the bonnet but you'll like this film's sleek lines. It's so cool it doesn't even bother with character names. Ryan O'Neal, Isabelle Adjani and Bruce Dern all rock here.

Intolerable Cruelty   Sat   10/7   TG4 @ 22.15

Miles is a scumbag divorce attorney who's the king of pre-nuptual agreements. Marilyn is a gold digger who likes her men rich. Their paths cross in court and they become mortal enemies. But this is a Coen Brothers film and in their world things always take a twisted turn. This comedy is quite family friendly by Coen standards but it's still entertaining as hell and George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy Bob Thornton and Edward Hermann all add to the fun. 

Stardust   Sun   11/7   ITV2 @ 18.30

In order to win the heart of the woman he loves Tristan Thorn sets off on an adventure into a magical realm to find a falling star. Pfft, easy peasy, nothing to it at all sure. Well apart from the witches and pirates after it too. Matthew Vaughn's 2007 comedy/adventure is an absolute peach and it's innate silliness is overruled by committed world building and a second to none cast that includes Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro, Michell Pfeiffer, Peter O'Toole, Claire Danes and many others.

Glassland   Sun   11/7   TG4 @ Midnight

John is a young Dublin taxi driver struggling with financial problems and a mother who is rapidly drinking herself to death. To earn money to help her he finds himself in a bad place. This 2014 film from Gerard Barrett is a tough, unsettling look at the darker sides society we never hear about. It's far from enjoyable but worth watching for some superb acting from Toni Collette, Jack Reynor and Will Poulter.

The Boxer   Mon   12/7   TG4 @ 22.35

A pugilist named Danny Flynn returns to a divided Belfast after a long time away and sets about rebuilding his life and his community. Sectarian hatred doesn't like change though. Jim Sheridan's drama is dark, grim stuff and a damning indictment of the troubles and the pointless chaos and hate caused by it all. Daniel Day Lewis as always disappears into his part and here he gets exceptional support from Emily Watson, Ken Stott and a detestable Gerard McSorley.

Reversal Of Fortune   Mon   12/7   TCM @ 23.10

Christmas has taken a nasty turn for Sunny Von Bülow after she falls into a diabetic coma after a festive party. A suspicious coma it seems and before long her husband Klaus is being accused of all manner of nastiness. But he do it? This darkly satirical look at the lifestyles of the rich and shameless is a brilliantly acted look at one of the most famous trials ever conducted. Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons both do wonderful work.

Naked   Mon   12/7   Film4 @ 23.20

Johnny's wandering the streets, accosting and ranting at anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path. He's manic, cynical, aggressive, egotistical. Will an encounter with him leave you better or worse? Mike Leigh's film might be 28 years old but it still packs the punch it had on it's controversial release in 1993. It's tough going but David Thewlis's turn in it is just magnetic. His Johnny is quite rotten but he'll really get under your skin.

Tales That Witness Madness   Tues   13/7   The Horror Channel @ 02.30

02.30 on a Tuesday morning. A mighty time for a portmanteau of horror. The link between four scary stories is a psychiatrist played by Donald Pleasance, who else, whose patients are all suffering from varying levels of psychosis. Could the terrors plaguing them be real? TTWM tempers it's scares with a nice subtle wit and a solid cast of seasoned actors including Kim Novak, Joan Collins and Charles Gray does worthwhile work.

Gravity   Tues   13/7   BBC1 @ 20.35

Sandra Bullock finds herself in a rather precarious position when an accident in space leaves her all alone and she has to use all her ingenuity and technical know how to get home. The opening 10 minutes of this cosmic adventure will pin you to the wall. It is petrifying and depending on your constitution, quite nauseating too. An agreeable piece of science fiction fun and Sandra Bullock makes for a very believable lead.

The Lady From Shanghai   Wed   14/7   Great! Movies Classics ( Sony Movies Classics) @ 06.00

Film noir heaven from director Orson Welles. Rita Hayward is stunning as a woman using her wiles to entice a man into a scam involving her husband. A convoluted Hitchcockian tale but at the same time intensely watchable. Hayward is fantastic and the camera just loves her. Welles himself nails the male lead too. This one ends with a memorable climax that's been imitated in so many films that it will ring a bell the second you see it.

The Hate U Give   Wed   14/7   Film4 @ 21.00

Starr and Khalil have been best friends forever and when a fateful encounter with cops on their way from a party changes her life forever she decides to take a stand. Against everything. The title of this film comes from a Tupac Shakur song and the film itself pulses with the raw power of his lyrics. It's a little simplistic in places but it's an important and horribly topical watch about the horrors facing black lives in white America. Amandla Stenberg is a first rate lead.

Wilde   Thur   15/7   BBC4 @ 22.55

Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright extraordinaire is the toast of London, he's married the beautiful Constance Lloyd, life is good. Or so it seems. Until his secret life is exposed, a life that in Victorian London would ruin him. Stpehen Fry was born to play the title role of this broad, funny, sad, touching and intimate portrait of an Irish legend. Jude Law, Vanessa Regrave, Tom Wilkinson and many other famous British faces add to a fine watch.

Miss Sloane   Fri   16/7   RTE2 @ 21.30

Elizabeth Sloane is a Washington DC lobbyist who's respected and feared in equal measure. While taking on the most important case of her career and she realises she's more vulnerable than she thinks. Jessica Chastain is excellent in this nuanced and dialogue driven look at the less visible side of the political world. Solid support from Alison Pill, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mark Strong rounds things off nicely.

A Simple Favour   Fri   16/7   BBC1 @ 22.35

Stephanie and Emily become friends when they meet at the school their kids go to. One day Emily goes missing and Stephanie tries to figure out what happened. This is loads of fun, a twisty, turny comedy thriller that never does exactly what you think it will & that's sprinkled with a little bit of what made Hitchcock's films so compelling. Anna Kendrick is a likable lead and Blake Lively is good value as the mystery woman.

Frozen   Fri   16/7   The Horror Channel @ 23.00

Three snowboarders wangle their way onto a ski lift in the hopes of getting a mountain run for free. It's the end of the day. The lift stops, suspending them in midair. No one knows they're there and it's getting cold. Very cold. There's not much in the way of plot here but that doesn't stop Frozen from being a genuinely effective and unsettling survival horror. Shawn Ashmore and Emma Bell are a decent pair of leads.

Shirley Valentine   Fri   16/7   RTE1 @ 23.45

Shirley's had it up to *here* with her life. She's bored and her husband's a melt who expects her to be at his beck and call every day. When she gets a chance at a free holiday she jumps for it and in the space of a few weeks discovers a whole new side of herself. Pauline Collins is the star of this warm, humane slice of life and you'll love her and every decision she makes. Just ignore Tom Conti's Greek accent, I beg of you.

A retweet is always appreciated if you find something nice and new or even something old and favoured. Thank you.