I Blame Society Sat 16/4 Film4 @ 23.00
No one is interested in Gillian's film about Israel so she has another idea, an idea about her being a serial killer, an idea that she's all too willing to put some serious research into, using the rage she's built inside as an ignored moviemaker. A dark but funny and inventive spin on a familiar story that overcomes it's apparent micro budget with clever ideas and acting from writer / director / actor Gillian Wallace Horvat.
Hanna Sat 16/4 TCM @ 23.00
A young woman has been trained by her father for her entire life to do one thing and she's very adept at it. Finally her day has come. Saoirse Ronan nails the lead role of Hanna, a young woman with no experience of the outside world who finds herself having to adapt to it all in a hurry. Eric Bana as her Da & Cate Blanchett as the woman looking for her add a nice heft to the film too. An action packed, well acted and slightly surreal watch.
The Sun Is Also A Star Sun 17/4 RTE2 @ 00.15
Natasha lives in NYC with her family and because they are all staying there illegally they're facing deportation back to Jamaica. Daniel's a Korean student studying to get into Yale. One day they meet on the subway and....A warm and uncynical love story about a clash of cultures and the magic that can be weaved from rare interactions. Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton create a nice chemistry together.
Jackals Sun 17/4 The Horror Channel @ 02.45
A deprogrammer has been hired by a family to help rescue their son from the wicked hands of a murderous cult but these pesky murderous cults don't take likely to intrusions onto their territory. There's more than a hint of Straw Dogs to this 2017 horror thriller and while it's not a patch on that slice of cinematic notoriety there's plenty of enjoyable jumps and jolts to experience. Johnathon Schaech and Deborah Kara Unger work well as the cult leaders.
Bachelorette Sun 17/4 5Star @ 23.00
Becky's getting hitched and Regan, Gena and Katie are her bridesmaids. They are also a trio of absolute wagons who are coming close to ruining the day the bride has been looking forward to forever. Not everyone is going to like it but if you can get in tune with it's at times mean spirited blend of comedy and cringe you will have fun. The cast is awesome with Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Rebel Wilson and Lizzy Caplan all having a whale of a time.
The Beguiled Sun 17/4 BBC1 @ 23.25
The pupils and staff of an all girls school in the state of Virginia are thrown into turmoil when they come across a wounded Union soldier on the run from the Civil War. Sofia Coppola's hazy drama takes a while to get going but when it does! Robust, disturbing and torrid stuff with a first rate cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning and Colin Farrell all doing effective work. A heady slice of American gothic.
Return Of The Living Dead Mon 18/4 Film4 @ 01.20
A strange gas is leaking out of mystery cylinders and it's having a weird effect on those who tampered with it. Oh, and it's also making the dead rise and those dead folks are hungry. FOR BRAINS! Dan O'Bannon's 1984 comedy horror is a joy, a film that's as funny as it is gory. Keep an eye out for genre faces like Linnea Quigley and Clu Galager, enjoy the punk soundtrack and cower when the infamous Tarman hits the screen.
Field Of Dreams Mon 18/4 TG4 @ 17.00
A man hears a voice in his Iowa cornfield and he feels compelled to do what it says. A beautiful film about risks, standing up for yourself, regrets and getting a rare second chance at doing things right. Even if baseball is lost on you'll adore Field Of Dreams. It's funny, sad, poignant and touching and built on excellent performances. Costner is deadly as always and Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster and James Earl Jones all add class.
Looper Mon 18/4 Great! Movies @ 22.00
Looper is set in the near future where unwanted people are disposed of by sending them back in time to be killed. All well and good until a killer is faced with an older version of himself. Looper is wicked stuff. Chilling, brutal, intelligent and mind boggling. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis have a hell of a time playing the young/old versions and Emily Blunt does stellar work as a protective mother caught up in it all.
The House On Telegraph Hill Tues 19/4 Talking Pictures TV @ 11.35
Film noir time. A woman fleeing a concentration camp after WW2 sees a chance at a better life and assumes the identity of a fellow inmate who's died. Living a life built on a myriad of lies is easier said than done though. A slowburning but sinister and intriguing thriller made in a time when post war tensions still ran high and that atmosphere scalds itself into the story. Valentina Cortese and Richard Basehart are both strong in their parts.
Thunder Road Wed 20/4 Film4 @ Midnight
Jim's a cop and he's having an awful time. Horrible work things have scarred his brain, his mam's just passed away, he's getting divorced and his daughter is troubled by it all. Something has got to give and it's just a matter of time until they do. Writer/director Jim Cummins' debut is a memorable one, a painfully intimate look at a man and a place in crisis mode but there's a surprising amount of humour here too to thankfully leaven the sadness.
King Kong Thur 21/4 BBC4 @ 22.00
Time for a classic. A film crew head to a strange place called Skull Island to shoot a film and discover a gigantic monster worshipped and feared by the locals who takes a shine to the leading lady. 89 years after it was made King Kong still has the power to amaze, enthrall and terrify. It is an honest to god masterpiece. Fay Wray and Carl Denham do super work as the leads but the star of the show here is the titular character.
The Hustler Thur 21/4 Talking Pictures TV @ 21.00
Fast Eddie Felson knows his way around a pool table and it's how he makes his living. But he's cocky and it backfires on him hugely. Now he has to start all over again and it's a task easier said than done. Paul Newman is magnetic as the lead of a dark, dank drama from 1960. The support he gets from Piper Laurie, Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott is some of the best acting you'll ever see onscreen.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark Fri 22/4 BBC3 @ 21.00
Stella, Auggie, and Chuck, three friends, are on the run from a bully when they come across a spooky book in a house that it's claimed is haunted. Being silly kids, they ignore all the warning signs and open the book. Big mistake. An entertainingly ghoulish horror film from 2019 that mostly eschews blood and guts for well crafted proper scares that will make you feel nostalgic for a time you probably never lived in. Zoe Colletti, Gabriel Rush and Austin Zajur are a fun trio.
The Taking Of Pelham 123 Fri 22/4 RTE1 @ 23.15
Four criminals take a subway train hostage in New York City. If their demands aren't met hostages will die. It's up to a transit police lieutenant to sort the mess out. This 1974 film is a masterful thriller. Well paced, humorous, economical, tense, filled with memorable characters and is far superior to the later remake. Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw are brilliant in the lead roles. A film that's well worth staying up for.
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