The Elephant Man Sat 19/3 Virgin Media 3 @ 21.15
The story of John Merrick, a lovely & gentle man, despised by the society he grew up in because of the way he looked, and Frederick Treves, the doctor who treated him like a human. David Lynch's justifiably lauded 1980 drama is a heartbreaking look at a life ruined by a birth defect. A terribly sad but strangely beautiful film. John Hurt in the lead role does career best work while Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft excel in support.
Burning Sat 19/3 BBC4 @ 22.00
Jong-Su bumps into an old friend of his while working and she asks him for help while she's travelling. On her return she brings back a new partner who Jong-Su quickly becomes suspicious of. Burning's slowburn (hehe, sorry) pace might be off putting to some but stick with it and you'll find a really well put together drama/thriller that will knock around your head for quite a while after it's finished. Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yuen and Jeon Jong-seo make quite the trio.
Bridge Of Spies Sat 19/3 BBC2 @ 23.30
Cold war intrigue abounds in a gripping drama from Steven Spielberg. An American lawyer hired to deal with a Russian spy finds himself sucked into a negotiation involving a downed U.S. pilot in a Berlin divided in two. Initially slow moving and confusing, but when it settles it turns into both an entertaining watch and a history lesson. Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance and Amy Ryan are all in excellent form.
Climax Sun 20/3 Film4 @ 01.50
A company of dancers get together for one big celebration. All is going well, laughs are being had, until someone realises that something has gone extremely wrong. Climax is French director Gaspar Noé's tamest film but if it's your first experience of his you might find that hard to believe. It lacks the graphic sex of his better known work but more than makes up for it in intensity and brutality. You certainly won't forget it for a while. Sofia Boutella is a solid lead.
Clash Of The Titans Sun 20/3 BBC2 @ 13.00
A Greek warrior by the name of Perseus has annoyed the gods and now must literally face hell and high water in his efforts to save the woman he loves from a sacrificial death. Ignore the crappy 2010 cgi strewn remake, this 1981 adventure is the business. Filled with glorious effects work from Ray Harryhausen and a wicked cast that includes Harry Hamlin, Maggie Smith, Laurence Olivier and Ursula Andress. A perfect Sunday afternoon watch but it may be a lil' too violent for the wee ones.
Brewster's Million's Sun 20/3 ITV4 @ 14.35
Montgomery Brewster's uncle has died and has left him $300 million. But there's a catch. He must first spend $30 million in 30 days and not have anything to show for it. A tough task in the days before bitcoin. Director Walter Hill leaves aside the macho thrillers and westerns he's known for here and while it wasn't well received on release it's actually a charming and funny vehicle for leading man Richard Pryor and John Candy in back up is his usual sparkling self.
Notorious Sun 20/3 Talking Pictures TV @ 19.00
To atone for the sins of her father a woman called Alicia Huberman delves into the world of espionage to investigate nazis living in South America. Of course, being that it's a Hitchcock film, she falls for her government handler too. 76 years old and still as enjoyable as it ever was, this thriller starring Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant is smooth as silk and full of tension, romantic and otherwise. Keep an eye out for one of the most famous kisses ever filmed.
Fantastic Voyage Mon 21/3 Talking Pictures TV @ 10.15
Dr Benes, a scientist working on shrinking technology has almost been killed and now his work is the only way to save him, with a team of medical doctors shrank down and injected into his bloodstream to fix him from inside. Yup, I know, it sounds exceedingly silly it's actually really agreeable. It's effects have dated in the 56 years since it's release but it's sense of adventure is intact. Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasence all play their parts gamely.
Lady Bird Mon 21/3 BBC3 @ 22.00
Sacramento, California is a dull place to grow up and Lady Bird McPherson can't wait to graduate and escape her mother's clutches. She has a lot of growing up to do first though. Greta Gerwig's drama is a stunner, a look at teenage life that will leave you an emotional mess. It's funny, it's painful and it feels alarmingly real. Saoirse Ronan is an amazing lead and her scenes with Laurie Metcalfe as her mother will blow you away.
Slaughterhouse Rulez Mon 21/3 Film4 @ 23.15
His Da has passed away and Donald is struggling, more so now because he's been enrolled in Slaughterhouse, a posh boarding school full of bullies and rich snobs. Nearby ground fracking is about to make all his problems seem minute though. A forgettable but fun horror comedy from 2018 that laces it's laughs with liberal splashes of gore. It's cast though, wow. Finn Cole, Asa Butterfield, Margot Robbie and Simon Pegg amongst many others have a giggle here.
Badlands Tues 22/3 TCM @ 23.05
In the heartlands of the United States, a young couple go on a crime spree that brings them to national attention. The first film from Terence Malick is a classic slice of Americana and one that is still being homaged nearly 50 years later. A dreamy, beautiful written but stark and quite brutal film. Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen are both astounding in a tale that paved the way to stardom for both them and the director.
Battle Of The Sexes Wed 23/3 CH4 @ 01.05
The eternal question. Who's better? Men or women? Watch now and find out. It's 1973 and there's about to be a tennis match between world number one Billie Jean King and ex champ Bobby Riggs that will answer all. An intriguing watch that will make you laugh and then anger you with it's depiction of the double standards, sexism and misogyny that was...and still is endemic in sport. Emma Stone and Steve Carell do great work as the leads.
Jaws Wed 23/3 ITV4 @ 21.00
Look, we all know what Jaws is about. But, it's a masterpiece and if you can get a chance to rewatch it you should because it's the kind of movie that will remind you of why you love movies. Robert Shaw's U.S.S. Indianapolis scene is quite possibly the best monologue ever captured on film and oh yeah there's a big shark and Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss are along for the ride too. Did I mention it's a masterpiece? Because it is.
The Witch Part 1 Thur 24/3 Film4 @ 01.10
Ja-yoon, a young Korean woman lives her life not remembering anything about her childhood. A decade before she escaped captivity and now her abilities are drawing attention to her. Here's one you are best seeing cold. It's a twisty, brutally violent film that overreaches in places but you'll have a wicked time with it and don't worry about finding part 2 because it hasn't been made yet. Kim Da-Mi is a memorable lead.
Parker Fri 25/3 Great! Movies @ 22.00
Parker's a thief, who never kills, who gets the job with no mess and no fuss. Until his team double cross him and leave him for dead. Then all bets are off. Jason Statham's 2013 thriller was not reviewed kindly on release but it does everything you need a Jason Statham film to do. It's fun, it's exciting and the bad guys go splat. Add in a packed cast that includes Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte and Michael Chiklis and you have a tasty way to start the weekend.
The Raven Fri 25/3 Talking Pictures TV @ 22.55
Friday night. The proper time for a Roger Corman horror flick. 16th century sorcerer Dr Craven is mourning a massive loss but a visit from a revenge seeking raven who was once a man gives his life a new meaning. The one you just have to give yourself over too. Don't think about it, just enjoy it. It's cheesy, it's creepy, it's funny and it's cast is outstanding with Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Jack Nicholson and Peter Lorre all adding to the mix.
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