By Ross Miller
With the likes of Netflix and On-Demand allowing vast catalogues of films to watch at our fingertips, it’s easy to forget there’s always plenty of great stuff on regular TV to enjoy. Here’s our guide to films that are worth checking out this week:
Knowing (2009)
Celebrated director Alex Proyas, who previously made cult favourites The Crow and Dark City, went on to direct this underrated apocalyptic sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne. Cage stars as a professor who finds a list of numbers in a time capsule that was buried 50 years previous that he soon discovers predicts disasters that will happen at some point in the future. It received a lot of flack upon release but it actually features some very interesting ideas, exciting against-the-clock action and some truly stunning visuals.
When and what channel is it on? Monday April 14th, 9:00pm, Film4
30 Days of Night (2007)
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, this gory horror centres on a small Alaskan town which every year is plunged into darkness for an entire month. Unfortunately for them an ancient group of vampires are well aware of this and arrive to hunt down the residents who haven’t already left. This is bloody good fun (pun intended!) with one of the coolest cinematic representations of vampires in a very long time with their deathly look and separate language. The film basically acts as an antidote for those who can’t stand the lovey-dovey Twilight vampires and coincidentally it was directed by David Slade, who would later go on to make the third film in that saga.
When and what channel is it on? Tuesday April 15th, 11:40pm, Film4
Casino (1995)
Everyone cites Goodfellas as Martin Scorsese’s ultimate mafia movie and they’d be right. However, this Vegas-set mob story, once again starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, is also terrific. Another collaboration between Scorsese and Goodfellas novel writer Nicholas Pileggi, it follows Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein (De Niro), a Mafia associate sent to run a casino on behalf of several Mob families. It features Scorsese’s brilliant trademark witty gangster dialogue and eclectic soundtrack, as well as a couple of truly shocking moments of extreme violence that aren’t for the squeamish.
When and what channel is it on? Wednesday April 16th, 10:00pm, ITV4
Iron Man (2008)
Still one of the best of the Marvel movies, this tells the origin story of how billionaire playboy and tech genius Tony Stark became the eponymous hero. Robert Downey Jr., of course, stars in the lead role and brilliant he is at it too, using his witty way of speaking to make the small interactions between him and Gwyneth Paltrow just as entertaining as the slick action. Make sure to watch right until the end of the credits for that extra scene that would so effectively kick things off onto the road to The Avengers.
When and what channel is it on? Thursday April 17th, 9:00pm, Film4
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Now we jump back to the late ‘60s for this classic war film starring a slew of brilliant actors including Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland and John Cassavetes, to name but a few. The plot follows a US Army Major who is tasked with bringing together and training a group of convicted murderers to complete an assignation mission during World War II. It’s still a very entertaining watch after all these years and its influence on other films and directors is evident, not least in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.
When and what channel is it on? Friday April 18th, 2:15pm, Five
Public Enemies (2009)
Johnny Depp and Christian Bale star in this sprawling, kinetic ‘30s-set crime drama based on the true story of notorious criminal John Dillinger and the Feds, led by the determined Melvin Purvis, who tried to take him down. Director Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral) decided to shoot this one, rather unusually, on digital video which turned a lot of people off because it wasn’t as visually slick as his previous efforts. However, it gives it an aesthetic of visceral immediacy which benefits the story especially when the action ramps up. It has a Bonnie & Clyde meets Heat vibe about it and is as good as that makes it sound.
When and what channel is it on? Friday April 18th, 9:00pm, ITV4
The King of Comedy (1983)
Often ignored among Martin Scorsese’s repertoire, this is actually one of his best films and one of Robert De Niro’s best ever performances. He stars as Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring stand-up comic who wants the chance to perform on the late night talk show of his showbiz idol Jerry Langford (played by Jerry Lewis). However, when things don’t go that simply, Rupert resorts to stalking the man he’s held up on a pedestal for so long. It’s darkly funny and witty throughout and has a lot to say about fame obsession and the potential cruelty of show business on those who dream big.
When and what channel is it on? Saturday April 19th, 12:15am, Channel 4
Beetlejuice (1988)
Arguably Tim Burton’s crowning glory, this 1988 classic stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, a self-proclaimed “bio-exorcist” who is one day contacted by a couple who have recently died and, now in the ghost world, are trying to get rid of the people who have since moved into their beloved home. It’s unmistakably Burton, from its gothic style to its distinct characters and quotable dialogue, and features a wonderful cast alongside Keaton including Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara.
When and what channel is it on? Saturday April 19th, 5:05pm, 5star
Downfall (2004)
This Oscar-nominated German masterpiece is centred on the final days of Adolf Hitler’s life as he waited with his most trusted officers in his secure Berlin bunker. It’s a sobering but utterly compelling watch that features an absolutely phenomenal performance in the lead role by Bruno Ganz. What’s perhaps most astonishing about it is how it manages to humanise one of history’s most evil and notorious figures. It doesn’t illicit sympathy per se but never portrays him or any of the themes it deals with two dimensionally. This is an important entry into the catalogue of WWII films.
When and what channel is it on? Saturday April 19th, 9:00pm, BBC4
Goon (2011)
Sean William Scott, he of “Stifler from American Pie” fame, stars in this hilarious sports comedy about a not-too-bright bouncer who is recruited by an under-achieving ice hockey team to be there “goon,” which is essentially the person on the team who is able to fight well should a match ever come to blows (which it so often does). It’s co-written by Jay Baruchel (who also stars in the movie) and Evan Goldberg, the latter of which is the regular writing partner of Seth Rogen, so you kind of know what sort of humour you’re letting yourself in for. Still, there’s an emotionally moving side to the film that may surprise you and shows that Scott has more of an acting range than you might have previously thought.
When and what channel is it on? Saturday April 19th, 10:50pm, Film 4
Despicable Me (2010)
The sequel became one of the most financially successful animated movies of last year but here’s your chance to go back and enjoy the arguably superior first film. Featuring the voice of Steve Carell as Gru, the super villain who adopts three young orphans, this delightful animated comedy was unsurprisingly an instant hit especially among younger viewers out there who fell in love with the Minions, the strange yellow creatures who speak in a gobbledygook language and have no problem hitting each other in the face for apparently no reason.
When and what channel is it on? Sunday April 20th, 2:15pm, ITV2
Toy Story 3 (2010)
We highlighted the first two in the franchise last week but here we have the third and perhaps best instalment in the much-adored Pixar series. This time we find Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang mistakenly delivered to the local day-care centre where they meet a whole new bunch of toys while Woody tries to convince everyone that they still belong back in Andy’s room. It not only features everything you could possibly want from a Toy Story movie but has an extra emotional kick with a poignant and absolutely heartbreaking ending that has the power to reduce grown men to tears (trust me…). Obviously everyone’s thoughts turned to whether or not they would make a fourth one but with this they rounded things off so perfectly that you almost don’t want them to for fear of ruining the magic.
When and what channel is it on? Sunday April 20th, 8:00pm, BBC3
The Graduate (1967)
Films rarely get more iconic than director Mike Nichols’ 1967 classic about a college graduate, Benjamin (played by Dustin Hoffman), who isn’t sure where he’s going in life post-education and who is seduced by an older woman, the famous Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), before falling in love with her daughter. It’s a masterful film about love and growing (both up and into old age) and features some hugely iconic moments, including that most renowned of scenes that leads to the line, “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me.” Essential viewing.
When and what channel is it on? Sunday April 20th, 10:00pm, ITV3
Heat (1995)
The aforementioned Michael Mann directed this epic crime saga about a group of highly skilled bank robbers who unknowingly leave a clue at one of their robberies which leads to ruthless cop Lt. Hanna being on their tail. Often bathed in Mann’s trademark melancholic blue light, this seminal crime film features a truly amazing cast including Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore, and is particularly notable for two scenes: one mid way through the film that is among the best bank robbery scenes ever put onto film and another that has the surprising honour of being the first ever time Pacino and De Niro shared the screen (they both previously starred in The Godfather Part II but never together). Watch it and you will notice just how many similar films have imitated it over the years.
When and what channel is it on? Sunday April 20th, 10:30pm, Channel 4