March 14, 2020

12 films on TV this week that might please you


A Quiet Place   Sat   14/3   CH4 @ 21.00

In a world where the slightest sound can get you torn asunder a family struggles to survive and thrive. You want your nerves wracked? Well look no further than this full blooded sci-fi horror. Stressful, frightening, inventive, energising and with an absolutely killer final scene. Best of all? It's only 90 minutes long. Jon Krazinski's debut film as director is a success and his onscreen chemistry with his real life wife Emily Blunt is the icing on the cake.

When Brendan Met Trudy   Sat   14/3   TG4 @ 21.20

Brendan's a bit of a melt. A teacher and film buff who knows it all. He meets Trudy, a lovely woman who's far different to what he expected. Sparks fly. This Dublin set tale from the pen of Roddy Doyle is an enjoyable watch. It's a romantic comedy that actually manages to be both romantic and uproariously funny in places. Peter McDonald & Flora Montgomery are in deadly form as the titular duo.

Creed   Sat   14/3   RTE2 @ 21.50

Adonis Creed wants to follow in his father's footsteps and to do so he looks up the only man who could ever challenge him, Rocky Balboa. No one expected the 7th installment in the Rocky series to work but it's a fantastic achievement and one that sees Rocky stepping down to a supporting role as a new contender steps up. Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and of course Sylvester Stallone all do amazing work.

The Goob   Sun   15/3   BBC2 @ 01.10

A teenage boy struggling with life in the countryside of Norfolk. His mam's new fella wrecks his head and his hormones are starting to run riot when he catches sight of a new girl around town. A grim but compelling look at country life in a part of the world that we rarely see onscreen. A beautiful looking film too and one packed with atmosphere. Sienna Guillory, Liam Walpole & the always scary Sean Harris all do very solid work.

Point Break   Sun   15/3   BBC1 @ 23.30

Johnny Utah, a young FBI agent, finds himself undercover with a pack of surfers while investigating bank robberies. The surfing life is enticing though. Kathryn Bigalow's 1991 thriller is a very entertaining watch. Tense, fast moving stuff that inevitably turns vicious near the end & it's an interesting look into a subculture still not well known over here. Keanu Reeves does his best Keanu Reeves but Patrick Swayze as Bodhi is mighty.

Christine   Mon   16/3   The Horror Channel @ 21.00

Awkward and bullied Arnie leads a miserable existence but everything changes when he buys a Plymouth Fury that he names Christine. Things don't change for the best though. This John Carpenter adaption of the Stephen King novel is one of the better films made from his books. It's a fun watch and one where you'll probably end up rooting for the bad....guy. The always cool Harry Dean Stanton is the only really recognisable face here.

Frozen   Tues   17/3   The Horror Channel @ 21.00

3 snowboarders wangle their way onto a skilift 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. It's getting cold. Very cold. There's very little plot but there is a genuinely effective and suspenseful survival horror here, one that will get under your skin and put you off snow for a while. Shawn Ashmore and Emma Bell are a fine pair of leads.

Rosie   Tues   17/3   RTE1 @ 21.30

The Davis family are in big trouble. They're homeless and spend their days in their car trying to sort out accommadation for the night. They're kids are having trouble in school and mam Rosie is feeling helpess. This 2018 Irish drama is a heartbreaking indiction of the appalling state of modern day Ireland and the disastrous agencies running it. Sarah Greene and Moe Dunford are excellent in a terrifying and thought provoking story from Roddy Doyle.

Cat Ballou   Wed   18/3   TCM @ 16.30

When the arrival of a railroad threatens her family's wellbeing Catherine Ballou vows to stand tall. The man helping her is Kid Sheleen, the drunkest gunfighter in the west. Every western cliche you can think of is rattled off here (it invented some of them tbh) but it's so much fun you won't care. Lee Marvin's spot on drunk act won him an Oscar and Jane Fonda's Cat is a fiery and welcome lead in a genre that usually sidelines women. 

I Went Down   Fri   20/3   RTE2 @ 21.30

Two criminals travel into the wilds of middle Ireland to carry out a kidnapping at the behest of a man who owns them both. Things don't work out exactly as planned. For my money this is one the the most best Irish comedies ever made. Brendan Gleeson is on fire as Bunny Kelly and Peter McDonald is good craic in his film debut. As always with Irish films the laughs come with a healthy dose of pathos and here the two blend brilliantly.

Momentum   Fri   20/3   Film4 @ 22.50

A thief is pulled back into the life for one last job. Predictably things do not go to plan and she finds herself running for her life. This one got some pretty septic reviews on it's initial release but I found it a good laugh, a silly bit of entertainingly forgettable fluff perfect for a friday night. Olga Kurylenko is a grand lead and the always reliable James Purefoy has a whale of a time as the nasty bad guy on her trail.

Drive Angry   Fri   20/3   Comedy Central @ 23.00

His daughter is dead, his grandchild is next and John Milton (subtle) has just escaped hell to make sure the devil doesn't get his due. This 2011 action/comedy/horror is absolutely bonkers and a film that makes the most of Nicolas Cage's........interesting screen presence. Amber Heard and William Fichtner provide decent back up in a gore drenched jaw dropper of a film that probably will offend some of ye.

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