FILM PICKS

TODAY

You Only Live Twice (1967) (STV, 4.20pm)

When American and Soviet spacecraft go missing, both sides suspect the other – but British Intelligence believes a third party could be involved. Agent 007 (Sean Connery) is dispatched to Japan to investigate, where he comes face to face with Blofeld (Donald Pleasence, giving arguably the definitive take on the archvillain). Fans of the novel, the last published while Ian Fleming was alive, may be disappointed: the film bears little relation to it. For everyone else, though, this is one of the better James Bond outings, thanks to a script by Roald Dahl, an explosive climax inside Ken Adam’s impressive set, and some great special effects. Connery is terrific, as are the helicopter battle scenes and John Barry’s score.

TUESDAY

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) (Film4, 4.30pm)

Alfred Hitchcock directs the remake of his own 1934 thriller, with James Stewart and Doris Day taking on the roles previously played by Leslie Banks and Edna Best. American couple Ben and Jo are holidaying in Morocco when they witness the murder of a Frenchman. With his dying breath, the victim tells Ben about an assassination due to take place in London – but before the couple can pass on the warning to the authorities, their young son is kidnapped. The film manages to improve on the gripping original movie with Day’s spirited performance of the Oscar-winning Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).

THURSDAY Midnight’s Children (2012) (BBC4, 8pm)

At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, explosions of fireworks signify the dissolution of the British Raj and the partition of India and Pakistan. A maternity nurse (Seema Biswas) is swept up in revolutionary fervour and switches the name tags of two infants, Saleem and Shiva, robbing the latter of his privileged birth right. A simple sneeze later unlocks Saleem’s (Satya Bhabha) ability to telepathically connect with the other children born at midnight. However, Shiva (Siddharth) harbours deep resentment towards Saleem and plots to seize control of this band of misfits. Midnight’s Children is based on the novel by Salman Rushdie, who also provides the mellifluous narration.

FRIDAY

Spree (2020) (Film4, 9pm) Premiere

Driver for hire Kurt Kuncle (Joe Keery) is desperate to boost the number of followers to his online channel. He wants to escape the sobering reality of everyday life and his DJ father Kris (David Arquette) to ape the popularity of local lad Bobby (Joshua Ovalle), who Kurt used to babysit and is now a minor celebrity in the cutthroat world of social media. Kurt hatches a plan to fit his car with cameras and live broadcast the deaths of irredeemable passengers on his channel but his stunt doesn’t give Kurt the overnight fame he craves.