TV FILMS of the week
1 whiplash saturday, BBC2, 11.20pm
Drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles
Teller) is determined to excel at his Manhattan music conservatory, so he practises night and day and catches the eye of the school’s most revered teacher, Terence Fletcher (JK Simmons, above left with Teller). The hard work pays off and Andrew transfers to Fletcher’s class, but the one-upmanship between teacher and pupil spirals out of control as Andrew sweats blood and tears to meet the lofty expectations of his maniacal mentor. Whiplash is an electrifying thriller that delivers one emotional wallop after another.
2 singin’ in the Rain sunday, BBC2, 2.35pm
One of the greatest musicals ever made, Singin’ in the Rain is bursting with catchy songs and general joie de vivre. The dance numbers are superb, but what really gives the movie its edge is the witty script and top-notch performances from the leading trio of Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds (both pictured) and Donald O’connor.
3 how GREEN was MY Valley Monday, Film 4, 4.45pm
Director John Ford was best known for Westerns, but in this classic, he turns his attention to Wales. Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’hara (both pictured), Donald Crisp and Roddy Mcdowall star in the story of a mining family, whose way of life is under threat. It won the Best Picture Oscar, famously beating Citizen Kane and The Maltese Falcon.
4 Night school tuesday, Film 4, 9pm
High school dropout Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart, left) must go back to school to secure a new job. He enrols in night classes with a motley crew of misfits. The group’s no-nonsense teacher, Carrie (Tiffany Haddish), warns that she will not tolerate time-wasters. Night School is a watchable comingof-middle-age comedy.
5 all ABOUT EVE wednesday, talking pictures tv, 9.05pm
Joseph L Mankiewicz’s brilliantly acerbic portrayal of ambition and greed nabbed a clutch of well-deserved Oscars. There are also careerbest performances from Bette Davis (left, with Gary Merill) and Anne Baxter. Davis plays aging Broadway star Margo Channing, who is targeted by bright young thing Eve Harrington (Baxter).
6 in the heat OF the Night thursday, sony Movies Classic, 9pm
When a wealthy industrialist in found murdered in a Mississippi town, the racist local sheriff Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) is quick to accuse black newcomer Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), only to discover his chief suspect is a decorated homicide detective. The pair, left, work together to find the real killer, reaching a new respect along the way.
7 BABY DRIVER Friday, sony Movies, 9pm
Director Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver is a highoctane crime caper with a toe-tapping soundtrack. Ansel Elgort, left, plays tinnitus sufferer Baby, who wants out as a getaway driver for criminal mastermind Doc (Kevin Spacey). For his final drive, Baby must help a gang stealing millions of dollars.