PICK OF TV MOVIES

SATURDAY

Live and Let Die (1973) (STV, 8pm)

THE dashing 007 must travel from the streets of Harlem to the Caribbean to stop a drugs lord, rescue a beautiful clairvoyant, and fend off the attentions of a voodoo master, a Superfly-style narcotics baron and a henchman with a hook for a hand. One of Roger Moore’s finest outings as Bond and ticks all the right boxes. The action sequences rival anything that Hollywood has put out in the decades since, while Moore hadn’t yet started the tongue-in-cheek nonsense that made his later offerings so excruciating. Trivia fans may note: the boat chase through the bayous was originally written in the script as just “Scene 156 – The most terrific boat chase you’ve ever seen”.

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) (C4, 8pm)

It has been two years since students Bethany, Fridge, Martha and Spencer escaped from their spell inside a Jumanji video game. When Spencer is magically transported back to the jungle, Bethany encourages Fridge and Martha to rally to Spencer’s aid. Before the teenagers can select their familiar avatars, Spencer’s grandfather Eddie (Danny DeVito) and estranged pal Milo (Danny Glover) are transported into the game and adopt the guises of archaeologist Dr Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) and zoologist Franklin Finbar (Kevin Hart) respectively. Fridge inhabits cartographer Professor Shelly

Oberon (Jack Black) while Martha revisits acrobatic warrior Ruby Roundhouse (our own Karen Gillan).

SUNDAY

Philomena (2013) (BBC1, 10.30pm)

Jane Lee (Anna Maxwell Martin) discovers her mother Philomena (Judi Dench) fell pregnant as a teenager in 1952 in Ireland and was forced to give up the baby to the sisters at Roscrea Abbey. Jane pitches the story to former Labour advisor-turned-BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), who initially scoffs at the suggestion he should pen an article about the matriarch and her heart-breaking ordeal. After a reality check from his wife Kate (Scottish actress Simone Lahbib), Martin agrees to help Philomena track down her boy. The tender and unexpectedly touching relationship that forms between these two characters from different generations and backgrounds provides Stephen Frears’s uplifting film with its emotional thrust, as the search for answers moves between continents.

Moon (2009) (BBC2, 11.45pm)

David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones made an auspicious directorial debut with this haunting science-fiction drama penned by Nathan Parker. It stars Sam Rockwell as astronaut Sam Bell, who has been working alone at an energy-generating base on the moon for three years. He desperately wants to return home, but when he is injured in an accident, he begins to uncover some disturbing truths about the operation he’s running, and is left questioning his identity. Despite a low budget, this is superb entertainment reminiscent of classic sci-fi offerings such as Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001, Silent Running and Alien. Rockwell is brilliant as the man on the moon who falls ill, and meets someone who looks suspiciously like him.

MONDAY

Roxanne (1987) (GREAT! movies, 5pm)

CD Bales is a fire chief with a poet’s heart and a huge nose. The latter stops him wooing the beautiful Roxanne, so he helps dim-witted newcomer Chris win her heart. However, she eventually learns the truth... A brilliant romantic comedy based on the Cyrano de Bergerac story, updated to Washington state in the 1980s. The film features a fine performance by Steve Martin, who also wrote the screenplay, and Daryl Hannah delivers one of her most delightful performance as the titular character.

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) (BBC2, 11.15pm)

Fearless motorcyclist Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) is part of a stunt show in a travelling circus, until he learns he has fathered a son by one former conquest, Romina (Eva Mendes). Determined to provide for his family, he starts robbing banks, and enterprising cop Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) is in the right place at the right time to apprehend Luke during one botched robbery. Then 15 years later, the men’s wayward offspring, AJ and Jason, are flung together with violent consequences. The Place Beyond the Pines is a slow-burning meditation on crime and punishment in which the sins of fathers are revisited upon the sons.

TUESDAY

I’m All Right Jack (1959) (Talking Pictures TV, 3.55pm)

Brilliant satire from director John Boulting, one half of acclaimed

British film-makers the Boulting brothers (sibling Roy was the producer). Ian Carmichael is on top form as an idealistic and rather gullible graduate who attempts to work his way up the career ladder at his uncle's factory, only to become a tool in the battle between the money-grabbing management and the trade unions. Peter Sellers – in the Bafta-winning role that set him on the path to movie superstardom – is impressive as a bloody-minded union leader, while Terry-Thomas, Richard Attenborough, Irene Handl and Margaret Rutherford also appear.

Hellboy (2004) (ITV4, 9pm)

Demon Hellboy (Ron Perlman), raised by the Nazis in the final days of the Second World War but weaned from the dark side by paranormal expert John Hurt, joins a team fighting present-day fascist sorcery.

Aided by a motley bunch of misfits, the hero has to juggle the demands of his role with his attempts to woo fragile friend Liz (Selma Blair), a conflict of interests that only adds fuel to his fiery temper. Acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro manages to remain fairly faithful to the comic-book while firmly attaching his own signature to the film.

WEDNESDAY

RoboCop (2014) (C5, 11.20pm)

In 2028, laws prevent mechanised soldiers from patrolling the streets of America. Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton), scheming CEO of OmniCorp, realises that he needs to pluck consumers' heartstrings to sway political opinion. The golden goose is incorruptible cop Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman), who is critically injured and can be rebuilt with OmniCorp technology pioneered by Dr Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman). Alex's wife signs the medical release form and her husband is reborn as the eponymous saviour. RoboCop becomes a beacon of hope for a divided society but when Alex's memories begin to resurface, human will battles against technological might for ultimate control in a glossy, if somewhat unnecessary, remake of Paul Verhoeven's seminal 1987 sci-fi blockbuster.

Honey Boy (2019) (Film4, 11.20pm)

Music video director Alma Har'el makes her narrative feature debut with a coming-of-age story based on actor and writer Shia LaBeouf's turbulent childhood memories. Film star Otis (Lucas Hedges) crashes his car under the influence of alcohol and exchanges harsh words with police attending the scene. He avoids a prison sentence by agreeing to stint in rehab under the care of Dr Moreno (Laura San Giacomo). She recognises the symptoms of PTSD and encourages Otis to seek answers in his past. He's initially reluctant to open deep psychological wounds but recalls his years as a child star and his fractious relationship with his father James (LaBeouf). The old man, a former rodeo clown, verbally and physically abuses his son when he isn't chaperoning him to and from film sets. By confronting the demons of those early years, Otis edges towards longoverdue healing.

THURSDAY

Hell Drivers (1957)

(Talking Pictures TV, 4.10pm)

A former convict joins a haulage firm as a lorry driver but their terms and conditions of employment are a bit over the top: any driver who falls below the minimum 12 hauls a day is sacked on the spot, making fast driving on the road essential. Stanley Baker is his usual reliable self in the lead role, but it's Patrick McGoohan who threatens to steal the show as a foul-tempered trucker with murderous tendencies. The supporting cast includes William Hartnell, David McCallum and Herbert Lom.

The African Queen (1951) (BBC4, 9pm)

Humphrey Bogart won the Best

Actor Oscar for his role as irascible Charlie Allnut, captain of the river boat African Queen. He is working in Eastern Africa in 1914 when war breaks out and German troops attack a local mission, resulting in the death of Reverend Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley). The holy man's sister Rose (Katharine Hepburn) charters Charlie to take her away from the anguish, and the sparks of attraction between them are evident from their first day on the water. En route, Rose persuades Charlie to help her attack a German warship using the African Queen – a daredevil manoeuvre that will take the enemy completely by surprise.

FRIDAY

Fast & Furious 7 (2015) (STV, 10.45pm)

The franchise begins directly after events of Fast & Furious 6 with soldier Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) on life support in a London hospital. Owen's older brother Deckard (Jason Statham) seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and their crew. Deckard hacks into the computer of federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) to ascertain the whereabouts of the team and doles out a near fatal pummelling to Hobbs in the process. Meanwhile, Dominic's crew prepare for war. The film is dedicated to the memory of Walker, who died during production.