This Week's Essential Movies for Free T.V Guide
Oliver brings us the first of his regular column, letting us know what movies are on the small screen this week here in the U.K.
Jonathan Demme's timely update of John Frankenheimer's 1962 The Manchurian Candidate is both an engrossing insight into corrupt political skulduggery and a superb fucked-up-family-saga which boasts standout performances from Liev Schreiber and a scene-stealing Meryl Streep. While Brian De Palma's typically pyrotechnic heavy Snake Eyes is as intriguing for its virtuoso long-takes and surveillance friendly intrusion shots, as it is for its far-flung plot derailing. Theres also classic mishap comedies like the original The Naked Gun (the one with the "Nice Beaver!") and Meet the Parents, not to mention that near forgotten nostalgic 1980s westerner Young Guns, where you wonder what ever happened to Lou Diamond Phillips? Sunday afternoon has a double dose of warm vintage Roald Dahl children classics, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (that pinochio-nosed child catcher still gives me the jitters!) and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. While the main channel offers either an evening festering in Ang Lee's beautifully aesthetic period adventure Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or reveling in the works of Guillermo del Toro's acclaimed comic-book science-fictioner Hellboy. And, bar Tuesday, you have an entire week of superior film viewing on the main channels too. The brooding Curtis Hanson crime noir mystery LA Confidential on Monday, David Mamet's smartly scripted old-school heist thriller...er Heist on Wednesday, the beautifully scenic Ron Howard quasi-westerner The Missing on Thursday, followed by suitably haunting Friday night horror with Kevin Bacon in a career-bending performance in Stir of Echoes. And, for insomniacs, writer/director Michael Crichton's disturbing 1970s conspiracy chiller Westworld, which interestingly predates The Terminator and Jurassic Park by a couple of decades. Roll on autumn! The Definitive Guide (along with some hidden extras) Saturday (evening only) 20.25, BBC 3 Meet the Parents (2000) 21.30, C4 - The Manchurian Candidate (2004) 22.40, ITV2 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988) 23.00, Five US Young Guns (1988) 23.40, BBC1 Snake Eyes (1998) Sunday 2.15, ITV2 Groundhog Day (1993) 2.30, ITV3 -Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) 5.00, ITV3 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) 20.00, C4 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) 20.00, Five Hellboy (2004) 23.00, BBC1 Arachnophobia (1990) 00.05, E4 Wayne's World (1992) 22.50, BBC4 Tron (1982) Monday 10.55, C4 - LA Confidential (1997) 00.00, ITV2 A Few Good Men (1992) Tuesday 21.00, ITV2 - A Few Good Men Wednesday 21.00, Five Heist (2001) 23.45, BBC1 Escape from Alcatraz (1979) Thursday 11.10, More4 Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) 22.00, Five The Missing (2003) Friday 22.00, E4 Serial Mom (1994) 23.35, BBC1 Stir of Echoes (1999) 01.40, ITV4 Westworld (1973)