The Rhythm Section Sat 2/4 Film4 @ 21.00
A tragedy has wrecked Stephanie's life but a journalist investigating the incident that caused it all brings her information that leads her towards both redemption and revenge. An absolute financial disaster during its 2020 release but it's actually a diverting, twisting and quite crunchy thriller that's powered ahead by a blistering performance from Blake Lively, with Sterling K. Brown and Jude Law decent value in support.
Funny Cow Sat 2/4 TG4 @ 22.40
Funny Cow had a tough life growing up in the coalpit towns of the English North and now she's using that life experience as material for her comedy sets in the working men's clubs of the 1970's. Maxine Peake is sensational in a tough but darkly humorous look at the hardships of breaking into a traditionally male arena, especially in an era where sexism was rampant. The always reliable Paddy Considine and Alun Armstrong back her up generously.
Peterloo Sat 2/4 RTE1 @ 23.50
Manchester. 1819. A crowd peacefully assembles to demand voting rights for all. The British government decide to suppress the meeting and make sure future crowds don't get the same ideas. Director Mike Leigh proves once again he's lost none of his righteous anger at the way the common man will always be downtrodden by the people in charge. A tough and upsetting story but an important one. Rory Kinnear and Maxine Peake do excellent work as the leads.
Wyatt Earp Sun 3/4 Channel 5 @ 14.45
We all know the story of the gunfight at the OK corral but what of the man himself? Kevin Costner's 1994 biopic of the Wild West's most famous lawman tells us all about him, from his teenage years in Iowa to his final years in Los Angeles. It's 195 minutes long but it uses it's running time well, delving into the reality of American myth making. A beautiful film with a cast to match but it's Costner's movie all the way.
Hannibal Brooks Sun 3/4 RTE1 @ 15.45
Time for a real old time Sunday fave. Stephen Brooks is a British POW sent to work in a Munich zoo during World War II. His work revolves around Lucy the elephant, a job he hates at first but they begin to grow on each other. Then an idea pops into his head. A pleasant and enjoyable yarn for the family from Michael Winner, a director more known for his Death Wish films. Oliver Reed is an amiable lead and Lucy the Elephant is one cool pachyderm.
Hands Of The Ripper Sun 3/4 Talking Pictures TV @ 22.05
Little is known about Jack The Ripper but Hammer's 1971 horror asks us what if he'd had a daughter and what if his psychotic traits were passed to her through his genes and what if..... well you can probably guess what happens next. It's one of Hammer's later productions that nicely blends the charm and production values of it's earlier films with the gory violence allowed by the permissive 70's. An atmospheric watch led by a fine turn from Angharad Rees.
Oblivion Sun 3/4 ITV4 @ 22.30
In a post apocalyptic Earth a lone worker makes a discovery that puts into question everything he thought he knew about what happened to the planet. Ok the plot is a bit wispy but it does things you don't usually see in big movies. Tom Cruise carries the film in style as always and it just looks astounding. The kind of film high definition was made for. Olga Kurylenko & Morgan Freeman do good things in support.
Night Of The Creeps Mon 4/4 The Horror Channel @ 23.00
An otherworldly encounter in the 50's bleeds into the 80's and has disastrous consequences for the members of a college fraternity and it's new pledges. A film that isn't talked about much these days but it's one of the most entertaining and inventive horror films to crawl of the 1980's, a notoriously terrible time for the genre. It has everything you could ever want from a scary movie and it's hilarious to boot. Plus horror hero Tom Atkins pops up to add to the fun.
Sweet Country Mon 4/4 Film4 @ 23.50
Sam Kelly's on the run. He's killed a man justifiably but the colour of his skin ensures he'll never stand trial fairly because an Aboriginal man in Australia will always have a target on his back. Based on a true story it's one that will anger you but it's also a lovely character study of a man who's own glorious country has turned toxic all around him. Hamilton Morris is phenomenal in his debut feature film.
Summer Of Sam Tues 5/4 Great! Movies @ 21.00
New York. Summer of 1977. Tempers are rising due to the heat and a serial killer picking on the young people of the outer boroughs is turning up the paranoia too. Spike Lee's drama/thriller is a gripping look at the lives and loves of an Italian community impacted by the carnage. It's graphic stuff and won't be to the tastes of many but you'll stay watching and a couple of superb leading turns from Mira Sorvino and John Leguizamo are the icing on the cake. The Dancing Queen scene is a moment for the ages.
Filth : The Mary Whitehouse Story Tues 5/4 BBC4 @ 22.00
Mary Whitehouse. Public enemy number one of horror movie fans in the early 80's as the instigator of the video nasty scare. She was around a lot longer than that though & in the 60's started a campaign against the BBC to get smut off her TV. Julie Walters is unsurprisingly deadly as the harridan that politicians and TV producers took very seriously and somehow turns a person who became a punchline into a quite sympathetic figure. A wacky and watchable example of truth being stranger than fiction.
Stan & Ollie Wed 6/4 BBC2 @ 21.00
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy have reached the twilight of their comedy career together and head across the Atlantic to try and revive their career. It's a trip that stirs up a lot of emotion. It is fantastic, a film for everyone. A universal tale of lifelong friendship and the stresses that can arrive along the way but also a beautifully told slice of cinematic history with Steve Coogan and John C.Reilly playing their parts wonderfully. Nina Arianda as the formidable Ida Laurel nails her part too.
Girls Trip Wed 6/4 Film4 @ 21.00
Four lifelong friends, the flosse posse, have grown apart over the years but a trip to New Orleans is just the thing to bring them all back together. Tensions though, they're always part and parcel when people know each other too well. Girls Trip is great craic, profane and raunchy of course but full of heart and soul too with a chemistry laden cast consisting of Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish, Queen Latifah and Regina Hall.
A Cure For Wellness Thur 7/4 CH4 @ 01.05
A young executive working for a bank is sent to a spa in Switzerland to find the company CEO. On the way he has an accident and wakes up in a rather strange place. Gore Verbinski's 2016 horror film is a far cry from the family franchises he's best known for. There's imagery here that will wiggle into your brain and haunt you. It's deranged, often offensive and the most unique film on TV this week. Dane DeHaan and Mia Goth make for interesting leads.
To Die For Fri 8/4 Talking Pictures TV @ 02.25
Susan wants, nay, needs to be famous. Working hard has got her to the edge of stardom but a bullying husband is jeopardising all of her plans. So she seduces a teenager to kill him. What could go wrong there? Gus Van Sant's satire of the American dream is a mean, cutting film but it's also laced with some delightfully dark wit to take the edge off. Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix and Matt Dillon lead a cast loaded with recognisable faces.
Schindler's List Fri 8/4 RTE2 @ 22.00
An egotistical German businessman witnesses the razing of the ghettos of Poland during WW2 and decides he must do something to help the Jewish people being persecuted by German forces. Steven Spielberg's deeply personal World War II drama is an understandably tough experience but it's an important one to rewatch in a time where the unthinkable is happening all over again. Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Embeth Davidtz and a terrifying Ralph Fiennes are all strong here.
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