FILM HIGHLIGHTS
SUNDAY
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (2011) Channel 4, 3.55pm Animation, with the voices of James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent and Bill Nighy. Santa’s clumsy son Arthur thinks differently from his father, who is worried about giving him a chance to deliver presents to children. However, when Arthur discovers that one young girl’s present has been left behind, he takes it upon himself to make sure it gets to her in time.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012) ITV2, 7.20pm Superhero action, starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans. Teenager Peter Parker is investigating his parents’ strange disappearance years before, which leads him to the labs of Oscorp. It is there that he is involved in an accident that gives him superhuman abilities. He decides to use them to fight crime, which brings him face to face with the ghastly Lizard, who may know more about Peter’s past than he can imagine.
THE WORLD’S END (2013) RTE2, 9pm Edgar Wright’s comedy, starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and
Martin Freeman. A group of five friends reunite in their small home town to attempt an epic pub crawl, one that they failed to finish 20 years prior. However, they soon begin to suspect that something is not quite right in the town, and discover they are dealing with an alien invasion.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — GHOST PROTOCOL (2011) Channel 4, 9pm Action, starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton. Secret agent Ethan Hunt and his team are on the trail of Hendricks, a terrorist who is planning a nuclear attack on America. However, he manages to frame them for an attack on the Kremlin, forcing them to go underground. With their backs against the wall, they will have to pull out all the stops to get their man and clear their names.
MONDAY
LIVE AND LET DIE (1973) ITV4, 9pm Espionage drama, starring Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto and Jane Seymour. James Bond’s mission takes him to New Orleans where he must investigate the recent murders of a number of British agents. His task leads to a confrontation with sinister heroin boss Mr Big, and his unusual band of cohorts.
THE MAZE RUNNER (2014) Film4, 9pm Sci-fi action, starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario and Will Poulter. Thomas finds himself in an enclosed location with no memory. He bands together with the other young boys who are also there, deducing that they must find a way to make it through the deadly maze that surrounds them.
SUPER 8 (2011) TG4, 9.30pm JJ Abrams’ sci-fi, starring Elle Fanning, AJ Michalka and Kyle Chandler. A group of young friends living in a small Ohio town are filming their own home movie when they witness a terrible train crash. However, strange things start occurring after the event, which drives them to find out what may have been on board the train.
TUESDAY
A NANNY FOR CHRISTMAS (2010) Channel 4, 12.25pm Festive comedy, starring Dean Cain, Emmanuelle Vaugier and Richard Ruccolo. Out-of-work advertising executive Ally Leeds applies for a job with bigwig Samantha Ryland. However, she doesn’t realise that it requires her to look after her new boss’s kids. This leads to problems when she tries to impress a guy.
THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (1974) ITV4, 9pm Espionage action, starring Roger Moore, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland. James Bond is targeted by the world’s most expensive assassin, Francisco Scaramanga. Bond decides to track down the contract killer before the killer finds him, which leads to a deadly confrontation on Scaramanga’s island home.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) Film4, 9pm Superhero action, starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Hayley Atwell (below). Scrawny Steve Rogers talks his way into joining the US Army during the Second World War. He is signed up for a top secret experiment which gives him incredible strength and agility — abilities which take him to the front line to take on the maniacal Red Skull.
WEDNESDAY
PROMETHEUS (2012) E4, 9pm Ridley Scott’s sci-fi thriller, starring Noomi Rapace, Logan MarshallGreen, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron. A team of scientists travel to a planet far from Earth after deciphering a message from an ancient race. They were hoping to discover the origins of humankind itself, but what they find there is far more terrifying.
THE HEAT (2013) Film4, 9pm Paul Feig’s comedy, starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. Uptight FBI agent Ashburn is tasked with taking down a drug lord in Boston if she wants to get a much sought after promotion. However, first she must find a way to get along with local cop Mullins, who is something of a loose cannon.
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007) ITV4, 11.35pm Tim Burton’s dark musical, starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall. A prisoner returns to London, where he plans his revenge on the man who had him falsely locked up. He sets up a barber shop above Mrs Lovett’s pie shop and uses it as a means of covering up his bloody murder spree.
THURSDAY
THE KARATE KID (2010) Film4, 6.15pm Action remake of the 1980s classic, starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. A young boy finds it hard to fit in after his mother’s job takes them to China. He is saved from a bully by a quiet maintenance man, who agrees to teach him the art of kung-fu.
16 BLOCKS (2006) ITV4, 11.35pm Action, starring Bruce Willis, Yasiin Bey and David Morse. A veteran cop, struggling with alcoholism, is tasked with accompanying a convict from jail to a courthouse for an important hearing. Although it is only 16 blocks away, they are confronted by a series of deadly obstacles. Someone doesn’t want them to make it there in one piece.
FRIDAY
PRISONERS (2013) More4, 9pm Denis Villeneuve’s tense drama, starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis and Terrence Howard. Two sets of parents are left horrified after their young girls are kidnapped. The police are under pressure to find the suspect, but a lack of evidence means that they must let their lead suspect go. The parents take it upon themselves to find the truth, even if it means they have to break the law to do it.
LEGEND (2015) Film4, 9pm Biographical drama, starring Tom Hardy and Emily Browning. Tough twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray look to expand their reach in the corrupt criminal underworld of 1960s London. However, as their outfit expands, personal conflict between them threatens to tear it all apart.
IDENTITY (2003) RTE1, 12am Thriller, starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet. A group of strangers are stranded at their Nevada hotel during a heavy rain storm. However, things take a deadly turn when it becomes clear that they are being killed off one by one. Alfred Molina, John Hawkes and Clea DuVall also star.
SATURDAY
CHANGELING (2008) be3, 9pm Clint Eastwood’s Oscarnominated drama, starring Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore
and Amy Ryan. Single mother Christine is left shocked when the LAPD attempt to pass off an imposter as her missing son. She is determined to seek justice, and find out why they are attempting to cover up their misdeed. John Malkovich and Michael Kelly also feature.
GRAVITY (2013) RTE2, 9.25pm Alfonso Cuaron’s visually stunning drama, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski are two scientists working on a space station. It is her first shuttle mission, and she is nervous about the otherwise routine spacewalk. However, disaster strikes, and an accident leaves the space station damaged, stranding her alone in space. She has to use all of her intellect to find a way to make it out of the dangerous situation.