Film choice

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) PARAMOUNT NETWORK, 5.05PM ★★★★★

 There are few movie scenes more memorable than Gene Kelly’s soaked Singin’ in the Rain sequence nor many more jaw-dropping than Donald O’connor’s walk up the wall. All these years later, it remains one of the most successful musicals ever. But more than that, it contains real satire as it recounts the introduction of the “talkie” and the superficial nature of Hollywood in the Twenties. Debbie Reynolds also co-stars.

Constantine (2005) FOX, 9.00PM ★★★

 This demons-and-angels noir thriller starring Keanu Reeves is based on the Eighties British graphic novel Hellblazer, an anti-thatcherite allegory in which the greed of the newly rich is explained as demonic possession. The story follows John Constantine (Reeves), a chain-smoking vigilante who protects the world from devils. Poorly acted but shot with verve by Francis Lawrence, the movie is appealing, if fairly daft. (2015) FILM4, 10.45PM ★★★★

 Guillermo Del Toro’s ninth feature is a swooning Victorian romance filled with mystery and suspense. The setting is the late 19th century, and the star is Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring writer and the new wife of the mysterious Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). When the pair move into his ancestral home, which he shares with his sister (Jessica Chastain), Edith finds herself haunted by her new surroundings.