FILM HIGHLIGHTS

SUNDAY

STAR WARS: EPISODE VI — RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) ITV2, 3.40pm

The conclusion to the original sci-fi trilogy, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. After Luke, Leia and their companions rescue Han from the clutches of vile gangster Jabba the Hutt, the Rebellion sends them on a daring mission to infiltrate a secret Imperial base that is protecting a new, nearly completed Death Star. However, they are unaware that the Empire is one step ahead of them.

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE (2007) Channel 4, 4.50pm The dysfunctional family get their own feature-length animated comedy adventure, featuring the original TV voice cast that includes Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and Nancy Cartwright. Thanks to Homer’s bumbling ways, Springfield’s pollution levels skyrocket. The government takes drastic action and covers the town with a giant glass dome. Things descend into chaos and the clan must act fast to save their home, as well as their reputation.

DIE HARD 4.0 (2007) Virgin Media 1, 9pm Action-packed sequel, starring Bruce Willis, Justin Long and Timothy Olyphant. Grizzled veteran cop John McClane is sent in to protect a young hacker after a cyber-terrorist group target Washington DC. However, our hero constantly finds himself on the run, as the criminals use their superior tech skills to hunt their targets down. Kevin Smith also features.

BLADES OF GLORY (2007) BBC1, 11.15pm Comedy, starring Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. Two rival ice skaters are banned from Olympic competition after they cause an embarrassing scene at the games in 2002. This leads them to discover a loophole that allows them to still compete, but there’s a catch — they have to do so together as a pairs team.

MONDAY

27 DRESSES (2008) E4, 8pm Romantic comedy, starring Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman and Judy

Greer. Jane has always been the bridesmaid, never the bride, having been in the role 27 times. Her sister asks her to do it one more time for her, but Jane is torn because she is actually in love with her sibling’s fiance.

PURSUIT (2014) Virgin Media 3, 9pm Action, based on Irish legend The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne, starring Brendan Gleeson, Liam Cunningham and Ruth Bradley. A notorious criminal offers his daughter to a drug smuggler in order to secure a deal. However, she falls in love with her betrothed’s bodyguard, and the couple go on the run, resulting in an action-packed chase.

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE (2011) RTE2, 9.30pm Romantic comedy, starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone and Marisa

Tomei. Cal has his life turned upside down when his wife asks him for a divorce. He now wants to rediscover who he is, and decides to take up the offer of his handsome new friend Jacob to help him navigate the complex modern dating scene.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) TG4, 9.30pm David Fincher’s superb drama, which picked up an Oscar for Aaron Sorkin’s sharp script, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake,

and Rooney Mara. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is caught in the middle of some heated lawsuits and must recount the story of how the social media site came to be. He goes back to the very beginning, opening up about his time as a student at Harvard, the site’s questionable origins and the people he had to hurdle over in order to take it from a site created in his bedroom to the global behemoth it would become. Clockwise from left: Evanna Lynch in My Name is Emily, Virgin Media 3, Tuesday; Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl, RTE1, Friday; Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone star in Crazy, Stupid, Love, RTE2, Monday; Emma Watson in The Bling Ring, Channel 4, Wednesday

TUESDAY

MY NAME IS EMILY (2015) Virgin Media 3, 9pm Drama, with Evanna Lynch and George Webster. Emily decides to run away from her foster mother on her 16th birthday, with the intention of finding her father and breaking him out of the psychiatric ward where he currently lives. She comes across a young guy called Adren, and the two quickly strike up a friendship, resulting in him joining her on the adventure.

THE IMPOSSIBLE (2013) More4, 9pm JA Bayona’s gripping drama, starring Naomi Watts, Ewan

McGregor and Tom Holland. A family are enjoying their relaxing holiday in Thailand, when their resort is caught in the path of a devastating tsunami. Separated by the disaster, they must overcome seemingly impossible obstacles and find each other.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011) E4, 9pm Superhero action, starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence. Powerful mutants Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr find their paths crossing while on the hunt for the same powerful adversary. They decide to band together and assemble a team of gifted individuals like themselves in order to stop their mutual foe.

WEDNESDAY

WATERMELON (2003) Virgin Media 3, 9pm Romanic comedy, starring Anna Friel, Brenda Fricker and Ciaran

McMenamin. Mary leaves her quiet small town in search of a new life, and quickly settles with a new partner. However, complications arise when she realises that she is pregnant.

THE BLING RING (2013) Channel 4, 12.40am Sofia Coppola’s drama, with Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson and Taissa Farmiga. A group of teens are looking for some excitement in their lives when they decide to use the internet to track their favourite celebrities, so they can break into their homes when the stars are away. Things escalate and they start stealing things, and are wanted by the cops as a result.

THURSDAY

MAMMAL (2016) Virgin Media 3, 9pm Moving drama, starring Rachel Griffiths, Michael McElhatton and Barry Keoghan. Margaret is left grieving after the death of her son. This is when she strikes up a relationship with a homeless youth, which takes her down an unusual path.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008) ITV4, 10pm Comicbook action, with Edward Norton and Liv Tyler. Brilliant scientist Bruce Banner is on the run from the government, which wants to stop the gigantic, rampaging creature that he transforms into when he’s angry. All he wants is to be left alone, but he must take action when Betty, the woman he loves, gets caught up in a life-or-death situation.

FRIDAY

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) ITV2, 9pm Edgar Wright’s horror comedy, starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost,

Kate Ashfield and Lucy Davis. A weary guy finds his mundane life takes an unexpected turn when the streets are taken over by flesh-eating zombies. Now it’s up to him and his best friend Ed to track down a few other survivors — including Shaun’s ex — and get to the local pub where they intend to wait the whole thing out.

THE DANISH GIRL (2016) RTE1, 11.55pm Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander (below left) star in this Oscar-winning drama. Couple Einar and Gerda find their relationship tested when he begins to question his gender.

THE GIFT (2015) RTE2, 12.30am Tense thriller, starring Jason Bateman and Joel Edgerton. Couple Simon and Robyn have their quiet suburban lives interrupted by the reappearance of someone Simon used to know. Their visitor keeps pushing to be more and more involved in their lives, which leads to shocking revelations about the past.

SATURDAY

LA LA LAND (2016) BBC2, 9pm Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning musical, starring Ryan Gosling

and Emma Stone. An aspiring actress falls for a world-weary jazz pianist. However, their desire to follow their dreams soon puts a strain on their relationship.

CHANGING LANES (2002) RTE1, 12.10am Thriller, starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L Jackson. A young, ambitious lawyer gets into a car accident with a struggling businessman, which ends up costing one of them dearly. Out for revenge, the rivalry between them soon spirals out of control, threatening to push them both over the edge. Toni Collette and Kim Staunton also feature.