Sunday 27 December 2015

Freeview film choices : sunday 27th of December

My Neighbour Totoro (1998 92mn.) [Film4 11.00am &+1]
Animated fantasy adventure from the director of Howl's Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke. Sisters Satsuki and Mei move to the country with their professor father and soon encounter a mysterious forest sprite named Totoro, with whom the girls share a multitude of magical experiences.

The logo of Hayao Miyazaki's production company, Studio Ghibli, is based on the title character of his wonderful animated tale of two sisters whose mother is in hospital. They and their dad move into a house next to a mystical forest, home of friendly spirits such as Totoro, a non-specific furry creature, and a bus which is literally a giant cat.

It's an extraordinary evocation of childhood (I didn't grow up next to a Japanese rice-paddy but, watching this, I felt as though I had) that touches those parts that even the best American animation can't reach.
A children's classic.
subtitled version.

The Cockleshell Heroes (1955 93min.) [BBC2 1.45pm]
econd World War drama directed by and starring José Ferrer, and also starring Trevor Howard. Major Stringer heads a group of Royal Marines on a dangerous secret mission that involves planting mines on enemy ships moored in Bordeaux.

Terrific, excting, World War II adventure with neat direction by it's star and a very fine cast which includes Trevor Howard, Anthony Newley and Dora Bryan.
Often overlooked by film historians (maybe because of the inclusion of moments of tension lifting humour) but it deserves to be ranked among the very best British-made WWII films.


Mary Poppins (1964 133min.) [BBC1 1.50pm]
A practically perfect Edwardian nanny brings magical fun, laughter and adventure into the humdrum lives of a young brother and sister - much to the alarm of their disciplinarian father. Disney's musical fantasy, starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Glynis Johns, David Tomlinson, Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber.

Bang on-the-money Disney film. Terrific songs, great story, near pefect casting and some very well done merging of live action and cartoons.
Very close to film-making perfection.

The Searchers (1956 113min.)[Ch5 2.25pm &+1]
Classic western starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter and Natalie Wood. John Ford's masterpiece tells the story of Ethan Edwards and his five-year search for the last surviving member of his murdered family - a young girl captured by Comanches.

One of the definitive Hollywood westerns in which John Wayne undertakes a grisly mission of revenge and redemption following a personal tragedy.
The film has a lot to say about the racist nature of many frontier pioneers, but it says it quietly in the service of the story rather than bashing you round the head with the message.
It's about people who are lost and attempting to find themselves in all senses of the words; all wrapped up in a beautifully photographed package.


The Million Eyes Of Su-Muru (1967 87min.) [Movies4Men - freeview 48, Freesat 304, Sky 325 - 3.10pm &+1]
A beautiful, evil woman aspires to world domination by eliminating male world leaders and replacing them with female agents. Action adventure, starring Frankie Avalon, Shirley Eaton and George Nader.

Entertaing spoof of the sixties Glamorous Spy sub-genre : Wilfrid Hyde White and Klaus Kinski are among the supporting cast in a film that's very much of it's time and yet has a level of oddly beguiling charm.

Hugo (2011 120min.)[Ch4 3.35pm &+1]
Fantasy adventure starring Ben Kingsley and Asa Butterfield. An orphan boy who lives in a Paris railway station is befriended by an old shopkeeper and his goddaughter. Together they join him on a quest to unlock the secrets of a mysterious automaton - the boy's only link to his dead father.

Oz the Great And Powerful (2013 125min.)[BBC1 4.05pm]
Freeview premiere
Fantasy prequel to The Wizard of Oz, starring James Franco, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz. After being caught in a terrifying tornado, travelling magician Oscar Diggs finds himself in a fantastical land where his dodgy carnival con-tricks convince the inhabitants that he is a powerful wizard. He also becomes involved in a power struggle between three witches that has devastating consequences for everyone in the land.

Sam Raimi's film was a box-office disaster and received some serious mauling from the critics on its original release.
However, if you're in the right frame of mind and don't go in expecting anything along the lines of the classic Wizard Of Oz it's an entertaining, if somewhat lightweight, watch.

Raimi has made the transition from low budget cult films like the Evil Dead to the mega-million dollar franchises of Spider-Man etc. and his talent and imagination behind the camera still shine through even in low wattage entertainment such as this.

Escape To Victory (1981 111min.) [Ch5 4.45pm &+1]
Second World War drama starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine and Pelé. As a propaganda stunt, the Nazis arrange a football match between the national German team and a squad made up of prisoners of war. However, the PoW team see the game as a chance to attempt an audacious escape.

"You'll believe John Wark can act...." etc.


Deep Impact (1989 116min.)[BBC2 6.10pm]
Science-fiction drama starring Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni and Morgan Freeman. A reporter believes that she has discovered a sex scandal in the US government. As it turns out, "Ele" isn't a mistress, but something used to describe an event so cataclysmic that it could destroy the planet.

Mimi Leder's film got rather crushed (ha!) on it's original release by the similarly themed Armageddon that was around at the same time.

But it's a very well made disaster movie which chooses to focus more on the human side of impending global destruction rather than the heroics of the astronauts.
Robert Duvall and Téa Leoni are very good in the lead roles, there's a strong supporting cast (including The West Wing's Toby Ziegler and Mark McCormack) and the special effects are spectacular.

Wallace And Gromiti n the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005 81min.)[BBC3 7.10pm]
Animated comedy adventure featuring the voices of Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter. As the annual Giant Vegetable Competition approaches, enterprising Wallace and Gromit cash in with their humane pest-control outfit, "Anti-Pesto". But business turns sour when a huge, mysterious beast begins destroying every garden in the area.

Wallace and Gromit are as charming as ever in this affectionate horror movie send-up. The cheese-loving inventor and his dog (not just a loyal hound but business partner, housewife, fixer) try to catch the mutated rabbit that's threatening to devour the village's annual crop of giant vegetables.
The painstaking stop-motion, Peter Sallis' Yorkshire accent, vicars and village fêtes all hark back to Watch with Mother, though children’s TV was never this stuffed with puns, double entendres and so many pop culture references you'd need several viewings to catch them all.

Kung Fu Panda 2008 88min.)[BBC3 8.30pm]
Animated adventure featuring the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie. Ancient China: Po the Panda lives in the Valley of Peace and dreams of becoming a kung fu master despite the fact he is clumsy, overweight and a complete beginner at martial arts. So when he's accidentally chosen to be the legendary Dragon Warrior, he is overjoyed. However, his joy is short-lived as the evil snow leopard Tai Lung has escaped from captivity and is on his way to the Valley to take his revenge on Po's mentor.


Miami Vice (2006 126min.) [MovieMix -freeview 32, MoreMovies - Freesat 143, Sky 185 - 9.00pm]
Action crime thriller based on the classic 1980s TV series, starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. The personal and professional lives of undercover cops Crockett and Tubbs get dangerously intertwined as they close in on the head of a sophisticated drug smuggling organisation.

Michael Mann (Heat, Blackhat etc.) updates the 80s cop mega-TV series and fills the screen with fast paced action sequences and some bone crushing violence.
Not well received by fans of the original series it still has plenty to recommend it to fans of the genre.

Lovelace (2013 89min.0 [Film4 10.40pm &+1]
Biopic starring Amanda Seyfried about famous porn star Linda Lovelace. After starring in the hugely successful Deep Throat in the early 1970s, Linda is thrown into the spotlight, but behind closed doors, the heat becomes too much for her to bear.

Surprisingly human story behind the legend with a brilliantly nuanced and subtle lead performance from Amanda Seyfried. Stays the right side of tacky exploitation and benefits from great work by Sharon Stone and Hank Azaria as important people in the life of the titular actress.
Interesting.

Desperado (1995 104min.)[MovieMix -freeview 32, MoreMovies - Freesat 143, Sky 185 - 11.50pm]
Action adventure starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. Mexico: pursuing his quest to avenge the death of the woman he loved, an embittered mariachi homes in on his final target, a vicious gang boss called Bucho.

Superbly directed by Robert Rodriguez with some jaw dropping action sequences and a highly amusing turn from Steve Buscemi.

Telstar : The Joe Meek Story (2008 111min.)[BBC2 12.15am monday]
Biographical drama starring Con O'Neill and Kevin Spacey. In the 1960s, music producer Joe Meek invented new methods of recording that resulted in a string of hit records. But behind the genius lay a troubled soul who struggled to come to terms with his sexuality and was prone to violent outbursts, which would ultimately lead to tragedy.

Terrific film which not only tells the life story of the troubled pop genius but is also filled with amusing little scenes from the history of 60s British pop.

As well as the spot-on central performance by O'Neill and a charming cameo from Spacey there's great work by Pam Ferris as Meek's put-upon landlady and downstairs neighbour (there's a priceless scene where plaster cascades from the ceiling as Meek attempts to get just the right 'stomp' sound on a Honeycombs recording).

Good work too from JJ Feild as Heinz, Tom Burke (songwriter Geoff Goddard) and Ralf Little as a young Chas Hodges. Even James Cordon (as Clem Cattini) can't ruin the mood.

Novelty casting to look out for includes: Justin Hawkins as Screaming Lord Such and Carl Libertine as Gene Vincent; and there's a host of familiar faces in tiny roles (including Hodges himself, John Leyton, Mike Sarne and Rita Tushingham).

A thoroughly entertaining period piece - there's a tragic story at it's heart but the strength of the script and the acting are such that it entertains while telling it's story.

Highly recommend.


Bronson (2008 88min.) [Film4 12.30am monday &+1]
Biographical drama starring Tom Hardy as Charles Bronson (born Michael Peterson), a bare-knuckle boxer who was jailed in 1974 for armed robbery and went on to become one of the UK's most notorious prisoners.

This is the based-on-real-events story of a Luton-born crook who changed his name by deed poll and earned himself the title of Britain's most violent man.

It's really a one-hander by Tom Hardy who is superb as the titular character who's spent two thirds of his life in prison.

Credit too to director Nicolas Winding Refn who opens the story up from it's per force constrained limits and attempts to examine the psychological character of the film's subject.

Very violent in places and not for the easily shocked, although most of the unpleasentness is presented in halucinatory flashback accompanied, in the style of A Clockwork Orange, by bombastic classical music.

A tough but very interesting watch and Hardy is absolutely outstanding.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 79min.) [Film4 2.15am monday &+1]
Tobe Hooper's notorious horror classic, starring Marilyn Burns. Sally, her brother and three teenage friends visit rural Texas to pay their respects to her grandfather's grave. After an encounter with a crazed hitch-hiker, they stop off to explore the old family home and come into contact with the next-door neighbours from hell.

Tobe Hooper's notorious horror classic being shown as a tribute to its 'star' Gunnar Hansen, who ded recently.

That Touch Of Mink (1962 94min.)[Ch4 2.50am monday &+1]
Romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. Wealthy businessman Philip Shayne meets unemployed Cathy Timberlake under inauspicious circumstances when Shayne's limousine splashes mud on her dress. But his suave manner soon wins her over.

Cary Grant and Doris Day, directed by Delbert Mann. Gig Young and John (Gomez Adams) Astin in supporting roles?
Something of a treat.

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