7 films worth seeking out for the week ahead

Sat 29th BBC2 14.00

Vertigo. A big statement but i think this is Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece. An intense story of obsession as James Stewart is hired to investigate a woman and becomes consumed by her. Superbly acted by Stewart & Kim Novak with assured direction from Hitchcock, full of complexity and twist and turns. 2pm is an odd time for it though, this is a film for a dark evening with a glass of something strong.

Sat 29th TV3 @23.20

Layer Cake. Daniel Craig is ice cold as a drug dealer looking to move up in the criminal underworld in this very good, stylish, bloody and action packed gangster film set in London. Great support from Colm Meaney and Michael Gambon. The best English gangster film of this century in my opinion. Plus this is the film that got Craig the role of James Bond.

Sun 30th TCM @16.50

The Searchers. One of the finest, most thoughtful westerns ever made in my opinion. John Wayne searches for years for his niece who has been kidnapped by a Comanche war party. But what are his intentions? A gorgeous looking and highly influential western (one shot of Wayne framed by a doorway has been homaged in dozens of films and shows), well acted by all especially Wayne and Vera Miles.

Mon 31st Film4 @22.45

Fright Night. A really fun vampire flick for Halloween night. Charlie's new neighbour is dodgy, and no one will believe him but his friend Evil Ed. Made in 1985, its a little bit dated but its still hilariously creepy gory gooey thrilling fun. Chris Sarandon is perfect as the smooth as hell baddie but Stephen Geoffreys absolutely steals the film as Ed with a bizarre and very memorable performance.

Tue 1st ITV4 @22.00

Double Jeopardy. Ashley Judd is in top form as a woman who's life is thrown into turmoil after she gets betrayed by her husband in the worst possible way. It's a fairly straight forward thriller and you can see the ending coming a mile away but its definitely worth a watch. Nice chemistry between Judd and Tommy Lee Jones who plays his usual grumpy persona well as always.

Thurs 3rd E4 @21.00

Chronicle. A very underrated superhero film from 2012. No wait, come back, its a far cry from the Marvel (I love Marvel btw) and DC films inundating the cinemas at the moment. 3 young chaps find themselves with otherworldly powers. Its mad fun at first but then.....? A fast moving, scary, funny, sad and exhilarating film. Dane DeHaan & Michael B Jordan are excellent as 2 of the leads.

Fri 4th TV3 @21.00

Man On Fire. Cracking thriller from the late great Tony Scott. Denzel Washington is never better as a bodyguard with an awful past who is tasked with protecting a young girl in Mexico City. A lovely friendship blossoms and then of course gets ruined. Dakota Fanning is lovely as his young ward and there's a very effective cameo from Christopher Walken too. Brutally violent in places but a very absorbing film.

7 films worth seeking out for the week ahead

Sat 22nd Rte 2 @21.25

Shutter Island. A very good mystery thriller from Martin Scorsese. 2 cops investigate a disappearance in a psychiatric hospital and of course nothing is what it seems. DiCaprio is solid as always, its tense, full of disturbing imagery and its atmospheric as hell. Plus my favourite actress Patricia Clarkson turns up in a small role and she is always worth watching.

Sun 23rd Film4 @21.00

Master And Commander : The Far Side Of The World. Russell Crowe stars in this brilliant adaption of the Patrick O'Brian book as the captain of a ship tasked with chasing a French battleship during the Napoleonic wars. A cracking story full of tension and action, gorgeous scenery and great acting. This is still Crowe's finest role (imo) but Paul Bettany more than holds his own as the ship's doctor. Really worth a watch.

Mon 24th TG4 @21.30

Once Upon A Time In America. Sergio Leone's last masterpiece is problematic in places and magnificent in others and totally baffling in yet others but is always worth watching. An epic gangster film, a story of 4 friends spanning 5 decades. Robert De Niro and James Woods are great as a pair of absolute scumbags.

Tues 25th ITV4 @22.00

Tremors. Giant underground worms attack a small desert town. So so much better than it sounds. An affectionate throwback to 1950's creature features, it's great, gooey and inventive fun. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward are the lead pair and have a whale of a time doing it. The ropey special effects all add to the charm.

Wed 26th Film4 @23.15

Wake In Fright. The craziest Australian film you'll ever see. A teacher gets stranded in a small outback town and finds himself drowning in alcohol and rapidly going insane. A film that will leave you feeling very grubby after you watch it. Oh, do not watch if you were a fan of the tv show Skippy.

Thurs 27th 3E @22.00

Goon. Doug is a friendly dope who is good with his fists and he finally finds his way in life when he ends up playing ice hockey. A funny comedy that manages to be very sweet despite being brutally violent in places. Seann William Scott is great in the lead role.

Fri 28th ITV4 @00.25

Death Wish 3. One of the most entertainingly trashy films of the 80's. New York city is overrun by gangs and Charles Bronson and his ridiculous gun have had enough. But this time around the citizens have had enough too. All out war occurs. Its as subtle as it sounds but its great splattery fun. Plus the main baddie is played by an Irish actor too ( Gavin O'Herlihy ).  

7 films worth seeking out for the week ahead

Saturday 15th Oct RTE 1 @13.45

The Bridges Of Madison County. The story of a fleeting romance in middle America in the 1960's between a photographer and an unhappy housewife. A different type of film for Clint Eastwood but he's very good in it. Meryl Streep as always though steals the show. She's just brilliant. 

Sunday 16th Oct BBC2 Midnight

The Magdalene Sisters. A film about religious repression and hypocrisy that will disturb and upset you and rightly so. The story of young women sent to a Magdalene laundry in 1960's Ireland and the appalling treatment they receive at the hands of the catholic church. Mighty acting all around but Eileen Walsh as Crispina will break your heart.

Monday 17th Oct TG4 @21.30

Heaven & Earth. The 3rd of Oliver Stones loose Vietnam trilogy. A harsh and grim but ultimately rewarding story of a woman fleeing the Vietcong during the Vietnam war. Hiep Thi Le is good in her 1st film role as the star of the film. Not a film to watch if you've had a crappy monday.

Tuesday 18th Oct Film4 @11.00

Double Indemnity. A classic slice of Film noir from master director Billy Wilder. An affair between a salesman and a married woman takes a murderous turn.  Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray are at the top of their game in this one but imo Edward G. Robinson robs the film out from underneath them as the man who wont let things go.

Wednesday 19th Oct Syfy @23.00

Planet Terror. A highly entertaining and gooey tribute to the ott horror and sci-fi b-movies of the 70's and 80's as a small town in Texas is overrun by monsters. Super cast in this one too. Squeamish folks should avoid this like the plague. Rose McGowan rocks as the heroine who overcomes her injuries with aplomb.

Thursday 20th Oct TCM @23.40

Three Kings. A group of US soldiers decide to rob a stash of gold during the 1st Gulf War. All goes well until pesky consciences rear their heads. George Clooney, Ice Cube & Mark Walhberg are all on form in this funny, violent and tense little thriller. Nice to see a US film with a somewhat sympathetic view of middle eastern characters too.

Friday 21st Oct Film4 @18.55

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. A teen movie with actual substance that will stick with you for a long time. Charlie is a young man with mental health issues who finally makes a connection with his schoolmates in 1980's Pittsburgh. A cracking film full of great performances (Emma Watson & Ezra Miller especially), characters you'll care about and a superb soundtrack. 

7 films worth seeking out for the 7 days ahead

Saturday 8th ITV4 @21.00

Cliffhanger. The early 90's were a great time for action films and this is one of the best. Sly Stallone is a mountain rescue climber who faces off against a team of murderous thieves in the Rocky Mountains. Some super action and scenery and John Lithgow at his hammy best as Stallone's nemesis.

Sunday 9th UK Gold @21.10

Passport to Pimlico. Wonderful gentle comedy from Ealing studios about the explosion of an old WW2 bomb in Pimlico and the discoveries made after it. Really captures the charm and grit of post war London. Dame Margaret Rutherford is hilarious here and the supporting cast is full of faces you'll recognise.

Monday 10th TG4 @ 21.30

Crazy Stupid Love. A lovely little comedy about the intertwined love lives of a group of folks in Los Angeles. Not my usual type of film but it's so charming that it hooks you in. Emma Stone is great and Ryan Gosling's usual smug git act works very well in this.

Tuesday 11th 3E @23.00

An Everlasting Piece. A thoroughly enjoyable oddity from Northern Ireland about 2 chaps from opposite sides of the fence getting together for a bit of business. Its not often you see a comedy set during the troubles and its well worth watching. Brian F O'Byrne is great in this.

Wednesday TCM @23.00

Se7en. A maniac is killing people and 2 detectives are out to catch him. Magnificently dark thriller that still lands a fair few gut punch's even if you have seen it before. If you haven't, prepare to have your jaw drop. Morgan Freeman is super as the weary detective who realises he hasn't seen it all.

Thursday 13th Film4 @23.25

Hanna. Ireland's own Saoirse Ronan stars as a girl who has been brought up by her Da to do one thing. And she's very good at that one thing. Excellent action thriller full of surreal little moments with good support from Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett.

Friday 14th Syfy @21.00

The Mist. A heavy mist enshrouds a small town in Maine. And inside that mist is......Ill leave that to ye to find out. Based on the Stephen King short story, this is a cracking sci-fi/horror hybrid. Marcia Gay Harden is the MVP in this film, she's terrifying as a religious fanatic who reacts very badly to the whole situation. And the ending. Well you won't forget the ending for a long long time.

7 films worth seeking out for the 7 days ahead

Saturday 1st RTE 2 @19.25

Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Magnificent piece of escapism as archaeologist Indiana Jones tries to find the Ark of the Covenant before the nazi's can use it for evil. Brilliant fun, hilarious, vicious, suspenseful and terrifying in places. Might be a bit too much for younger children though. Probably the nastiest PG film ever made. But nasty in a fun way!

Sunday 2nd Film4 @15.45

Tea With Mussolini. A lovely little film about a group of English women living in pre-war Florence soaking up the culture. Their idyllic life is soon disrupted when World War 2 takes hold of Europe. Its pretty slight stuff but carried by 3 powerhouses of acting, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Joan Plowright. Plus Florence just looks fantastic.

Monday 3rd TCM @17.20

Rio Bravo. A highly influential western starring John Wayne and Dean Martin as a sheriff and the town drunk who team up to take on the baddies. You'll recognise the story-line straight away but its so well done you won't care. Has been remade and homaged a number of times over the years but none of them hold up to the original. A super film with some great tunes courtesy of Dean Martin.

Tuesday 4th ITV4 @22.00

American Gangster. Denzel Washington is magnetic as Frank Lucas, the biggest heroin importer of the 60's and 70's in New York City. Russell Crowe is the cop who is tracking him down. A very underrated Ridley Scott drama with a great supporting cast included Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin and Carla Gugino.

Wednesday 5th 3E @22.00

Blitz. Jason Statham versus Aiden Gillen. A different film for Statham, no martial arts, no epic gun battles, just a cop versus a serial killer. Violent but entertaining and worth watching just for Statham's explanation of hurling in the opening scene alone.

Thursday 6th Film4 @01.25

The Player. Robert Altman's cracking Hollywood satire about a young studio executive and a disgruntled script writer. Tim Robbins is at the top of his game in the main role. The supporting cast is insane, chock full of great little cameos. Plus the ending is hilarious.

Friday 7th Ch4 @01.45

Ek Tha Tiger. India's top spy travels to Ireland to observe and report on a scientist suspected of sharing information with Pakistan. Ok confession time, i haven't actually seen this but its a Bollywood action film partly set in Dublin so has to be worth a watch!