TV FILMS OF THE WEEK
1 GREEN ROOM Tonight, Film4, 10.45pm
THE four members of punk band The Ain’t Rights – posturing lead singer Tiger (Callum Turner), bass player Pat (Anton Yelchin), drummer Reece (Joe Cole) and guitarist Sam (Alia Shawkat) – play a gig in the backwoods of Oregon. Having antagonised local Neo-nazis they make a rapid exit, only to find the body of a girl in the green room. Club manager Gabe (Macon Blair) locks the band in the room with the dead girl’s friend Amber (Imogen Poots), while witnesses are silenced. A compelling thriller from writer-director Jeremy Saulnier which really cranks up tension.
2 ALIEN Tomorrow, Channel 4, 11.20pm
HUNTER and prey are blasted into deep space in the seminal 1979 sci-fi horror, which pits the crew of an industrial vessel against a growing alien threat, brought onto the ship attached to doomed John Hurt. Director Ridley Scott’s stylish assault on the nerves is brilliantly sustained, while Sigourney Weaver, left, is perfect as one of sci-fi’s few true heroines.
3 TED Monday, E4, 9pm
AS a boy, John Bennett was granted his wish that his teddy bear could talk and so Ted (voiced by director Seth Macfarlane) is ‘born’. Fast-forward to the present and John (Mark Wahlberg) pictured, find himself in a fractious discussion about priorities with girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis). He then asks best buddy Ted to move out and stand on his own two paws.
4 TAXI Tuesday, Film4, 6.45pm
BELLE WILLIAMS, pictured, (Queen Latifah) is the fastest cab driver in the city, but when over-eager cop Andy Washburn (Jimmy Fallon) commandeers her vehicle to chase a gang of bank robbers the high-speed pursuit ends in disaster: Andy loses his badge and Belle’s car is impounded so they join forces to catch the robbers. A mildly diverting, fast-paced ride.
5 NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN Wednesday, ITV4, 9pm
SEAN CONNERY, left with Kim Basinger, in an ‘unofficial’ Bond movie (it was not made by MGM/UA or the famous Broccolis). Bond makes a mistake during a routine training mission, leading M to believe he is past his prime and suspends him from duty. However, when SPECTRE steals two nuclear missiles from the US military, Bond is brought back into the fold.
6 GANDHI Thursday, Sony Movie Channel, 1pm
DIRECTOR Richard Attenborough’s epic, Oscar-laden biopic of Mohandas K Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), left, explores how the lawyer become the inspirational leader of India’s struggle for independence and a worldwide ambassador for peace thanks to his philosophy of non-violent protest. A powerful experience and Kingsley is simply outstanding in the lead.
7 SURVIVOR Friday, Film4, 9pm
SECURITY expert Kate Abbott, pictured, (Milla Jovovich) blocks a visa for Romanian doctor Emil Balan, but an elusive hit man known as The Watchmaker (Pierce Brosnan) is hired to eliminate her in order to expedite Balan’s application. Survivor is an explosive-laden game of cat and mouse between a fearless US agent and a sadistic assassin.