TV FILMS OF THE WEEK
1 DIAL M FOR MURDER Tonight, BBC2, 11.15pm
THE documentary Hitchcock’s Shower Scene: 78/52 premiered on BBC2 earlier this evening, and there’s another chance to see the Master of Suspense in action with this movie. Ageing tennis champion Tony (Ray Milland) tries to organise the death of his adulterous socialite wife Margot (Grace Kelly) so he can inherit her money. He recruits petty criminal Swann (Anthony Dawson) to carry out the dastardly deed, but the plan goes wrong when Margot kills the would-be assassin in self-defence. Thinking on his feet, Tony sets out to make the police believe that Margot murdered Swann in cold blood because he was blackmailing her.
2 JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND Tomorrow, Channel 5, 5.25pm
OLD-FASHIONED, gung-ho adventure in which teenager Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) breaks a coded distress signal emanating from the South Pacific with the help of his stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson, left). The message seems to confirm the existence of the mysterious island from Jules Verne’s 1874 book and they set out to prove the fantasy has no grounding in fact.
3 DIRTY DANCING Monday, 5*, 8pm
JENNIFER GREY plays prim and proper Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, who goes to summer camp with her well-heeled parents and promptly falls in love with her dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze, left). Tensions between the couple boil over, and Baby becomes embroiled in the disastrous romantic dalliances of Johnny’s dance partner, Penny (Cynthia Rhodes).
4 FULL METAL JACKET Tuesday, ITV4, 10pm
A GROUP of young, raw recruits are put through US Marine Corps training, before being sent to fight in the Vietnam War. Tough drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (Ronald Lee Ermey, left), shapes them into killing machines at Parris Island – however, it’s clear they’re not all cut out for the role. Once on the front line, the rest are unprepared for the horrors they will encounter.
5 THOR Wednesday, Film4, 9pm
ENTERTAINING Marvel adventure. In the realm of Asgard, Thor (Chris Hemsworth, left) is an arrogant heir to the throne who attacks the Frost Giants. As a result, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) strips his son of his powers and his legendary hammer, and dispatches him to Earth as punishment. The fallen god must find a way to defend his new home from his evil brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston).
6 WE BOUGHT A ZOO Thursday, Film4, 6.35pm
BENJAMIN MEE (Matt Damon) tries to be strong for his children following the death of his wife. He moves his family into a ramshackle house that comes with a fully functioning zoo, complete with animals and keeper Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson, left). Benjamin sinks all his money into the zoo, hoping to restore the facility to its former glory in time for an inspection.
7 SHANGHAI KNIGHTS Friday, BBC1, 11.05pm
FOLLOWING their antics in the Wild West in Shanghai Noon, Chinese warrior Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) – pronounced John Wayne – and hapless cowboy Roy O’Bannon (Owen Wilson, left with Chan) travel to Victorian London to catch the killer of Chon’s estranged father. There, they stumble upon a plot to murder Queen Victoria, orchestrated by Lord Rathbone (Aidan Gillen).