A week of movies to keep an eye out for.

Sat/Sun 26th BBC1 @00.20

Shifty. A cracking London set drama about a drug dealer struggling with friends, family and rivals. A harsh yet likeable film that's superbly lead by Riz Ahmed and one of my favourite British actors; Daniel Mays. Well worth staying up for. Made for pennies and better than most films with a 1000 times the budget.

Sat/Sun 27th TV3 @00.20

Borstal Boy. A ropey Irish accent from Shawn Hatosy aside this is a good little biopic of the early stages of the life of Brendan Behan from his part in the IRA, through the time he spends in borstal after he is arrested, to where he finds himself making friends with people he once claimed to hate. Plus (trust me on this) a decent, non annoying performance from Danny Dyer.

Mon 28th TCM @18.25

The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. A true classic. The type of film where you'll recognise the story and dialogue even if you haven't seen it. 3 Americans band together in Mexico to find a buried treasure but problems inside and outside their little group cause major trouble for them. Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston are just fantastic in this thrilling little film.

Tues 29th Film 4 @21.00

Horns. A young man wakes up one morning with horns growing from his head and the ability to get people to admit their darkest secrets. Daniel Radcliffe is well able to shake off his Harry Potter persona to star in this gory and surreal tale that will upset you in places and make you snort laughing in others.

Wed 30th BBC4 @22.00

Starter For 10. Thoroughly entertaining and charming comedy drama about a young man feeling out of place in a UK college who finds himself on a University Challenge team. Great cast in this with fun early performances from James McAvoy, Rebecca Hall & Dominic Cooper.

Thur 1st E4 @21.00

Salt. Angelina Jolie kicks ass in this twisty, turny and fast moving spy thriller about a CIA operative who has to go on the run after she is accused of being a Russian sleeper agent. Great turns from Jolie & Liev Schreiber help make this a very entertaining and action packed film.

Fri 2nd TV3 @22.00

Clear & Present Danger. There has been 5 film adaptions of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels and this is by far the best. Harrison Ford stars in a thrilling, complex and intelligent tale of government dodginess and Colombian drug cartel nastiness loosely ( very loosely ) based on the story of Pablo Escobar. Joaquim de Almeida steals the film with a great slimy performance plus it contains one of my all time favourite action scenes.

7 films worth seeking out for the week ahead.

Sat 19th BBC2 @22.45

Boyz In The Hood. A 90's classic about a young man trying to live a normal life in a neighbourhood where life is cheap. The film that brought Black cinema back to life in the early 90s. A brilliant, brutal, funny, upsetting film thats well acted by everyone especially Laurence Fishburne. 

Sun 20th RTE1 @01.15

They Shoot Horses, Dont They. Disclaimer. This film will traumatise you. A dance contest held during the depression attracts a group of desperate people. The rules, you stop dancing and you lose. Sounds fun right? Its not. Jane Fonda gives an amazing performance in a role that made her famous. A bleak but rewarding watch.

Mon 21st TG4 @21.30

This Boys Life. A baby faced Leonardo DiCaprio plays a young man who's turbulent life takes a bad turn when his mother marries a bully and moves them to a small town. Ellen Barkin is super but the film belongs to Robert De Niro who plays a hateful bastard to a tee. A tough going but very good little film. Keep an eye out for a young Tobey Maguire and Eliza Dushku too.

Tues 22nd Film4 @16.50

The Hound Of The Baskervilles. The quintessential version of the famous Sherlock Holmes tale about the famous detective investigating a family curse. Starring Hammer Horror's 2 greatest stalwarts, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as Holmes & Sir Baskerville respectively. A fabulous looking film, with great acting and as per usual with Hammer productions, bucketloads of atmosphere.

Wed 23rd BBC4 @22.00

My Week With Marilyn. A week in the life of Marilyn Monroe while she was shooting a film in London as seen through the eyes of a young film student. Eddie Redmayne is grand as the student but Michelle Williams is luminous as Marilyn Monroe. A real starmaking role, she brings the screen legend to life. Kenneth Branagh has a ball playing Laurence Olivier too. 

Thur 24th Film4 @16.50

The Sons Of Katie Elder. 4 brothers come together to get some good old fashioned family revenge in this classic western with John Wayne & Dean Martin. A highly enjoyable and lovely looking technicolor western shot in Colorado and Mexico, it just looks BIG. A perfect film to record and watch on a rainy sunday beside the fire.

Fri 25th TV3 @21.00

Shooter. Mark Wahlberg plays an ex army sniper who gets caught up in a massive government conspiracy and finds himself on the run. An entertaining and exciting thriller that a lot of people look down their nose at for some reason. If it had been made in the 80's and starred Arnie it would be considered an action classic by now.

7 films worth seeking out for the week ahead.

Sat 12th BBC2 @22.00

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. A biopic of Nelson Mandela spanning 6 decades from his childhood in South Africa, through his politicization and incarceration and eventually his release. Superb acting from Idris Elba and Naomie Harris as Nelson & Winnie. A big important film, warm in places and brutal in others but one that should be watched.

Sun 13th Film4 @23.00

The Last King Of Scotland. A young Scottish doctor played by James McEvoy finds himself wildly out of his depth when he enters into a friendship with the infamous Idi Amin. Forest Whitaker is masterful as Amin. A deservedly oscar winning performance in a film that's exciting, disgusting, funny and tense as hell. 

Mon 14th TG4 @21.30

South Central. The story of a man in South Central Los Angeles trying to stop his son making the same mistakes he did as a young man. Released in the early 90's when black cinema underwent an amazing resurgence, this film was overlooked but is more thoughtful and well acted than some of its contempories. Glenn Plummer is top notch in the lead role.

Tues 15th Film4 @13.00

The Black Narcissus. The story of frustrated nuns in a Himalayan convent and the effect their surroundings and a man in their midst has on some of them. Sounds like a dodgy porn film but its an absolute masterpiece. A fantastic looking film that's sensual in places and terrifying in others. Technically astonishing for the time too and highly influential.

Wed 16th Syfy @23.00

Strange Days. Made in 1995 but based in a dystopian and frankly horrifying version of 1999. Ralph Fiennes is a ex cop turned criminal who finds himself drawn into a wide criminal conspiracy. Super supporting cast in this with Angela Bassett being brilliant as always. Heart-pounding, violent, scary stuff that is not for everyone. Also for a film made 20+ years ago it's surprisingly topical in places too.

Thur 17th CH4 @02.00

Silent Running. Compelling and intelligent drama set aboard a spaceship holding whats left of the earth's plant life. When the order comes through to come home one astronaut doesn't take it very well. Bruce Dern is at his best in this and has a brilliant supporting cast of 3 robots. Yes, i know it sounds terrible but it's a remarkable little film, funny and sad.

Fri 18th TG4 @21.05

The Missouri Breaks. A dark and strange and stunning western starring Jack Nicholson as a rustler who steals the cattle and daughter of a rancher and Marlon Brando as the regulator hired to kill him. Violent, funny and surreal with a career best performance (IMHO) from Marlon Brando as a character you will enjoy with while simultaneously hating. Nicholson as always rocks.

7 films worth seeking out for the week ahead

Sat 5th RTE2 @21.50

The Town. Excellent Boston set crime drama with Ben Affleck and Rebecca Hall. A bank robber tries to go straight but circumstance and old acquaintances wont let him. Affleck acts and directs with skill, is supported by a great cast and it's full of tense action set pieces. If your tv has a subtitles option turn it on because the Boston accent is a tough one to follow.

Sat 5th TG4 @23.45

The King Of Comedy. One of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro's finest films and one you will watch through your fingers while trying not to die from cringing. A failed comic goes to extreme lengths to achieve success. A superb black comedy. But one you'll need to be in the right mood to enjoy.

Mon 7th TCM 23.50

Excalibur. A stylish, sexually charged and bloody retelling of the story of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Parts of this were filmed in Wicklow and Tipperary and it's full of Irish actors in the supporting roles. Keep an eye out for a very young Liam Neeson. Helen Mirren is the star of the show as Morgana Le Fey. A very entertaining film.

Tues 8th ITV4 23.15

From Dusk Til Dawn. A gory and hilarious mish mash of crime thriller and splattery horror. A pair of scumbags on the run from a crime spree take hostages and end up in a bar that makes them look like a pair of angels. Of course all hell breaks loose. Not for the squeamish. Salma Hayek is very memorable in a small role. Plus it was once banned in Ireland!

Wed 9th Film4 @01.25

Mona Lisa. An ex con gets work driving a prostitute from job to job and finds himself disgusted by what he sees. Bob Hoskins and Cathy Tyson are excellent in this dark blend of love story and crime drama and surprisingly enough there's even a few laughs in here too. Directed by Neil Jordan. Plus its good to see the vile side of Michael Caine.

Thur 10th 3e  @23.00

2 Guns. Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg have a whale of a time as two criminals who get into shady dealings with mexican drug dealers. The plot is very convoluted but good fun. Washington is great though and on the strength of his performance in this I'd love to see him in more comedies.

Fri 11th Film4 @21.00

The Guest. A thoroughly entertaining and knowing homage of 90's action films and home Invasion thrillers. A war veteran turns up a a family's doorstep and changes their lives. Funny, nasty and totally absurd. A super way to spend 2 hrs. Dan Stevens is perfect in the lead role.