FILM PICKS

TODAY

The Ipcress File (1965) (BBC2, 2.05pm)

Spy Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) hates his job, but at the same time seems unable to escape it. He’s assigned to track down a missing doctor who possesses a file which, if it fell into the wrong hands, could spell disaster. While Palmer immerses himself in his man-hunt, his boss uses him as leverage to secure the information. Described as “the thinking man’s Goldfinger”, this is a must for all devotees of Cold War thrillers. You may have to concentrate to follow the story, but after the first 10 minutes, you’re hooked. Caine, in one of his trademark roles, is on superb form as the devil-maycare leading character.

MONDAY

Aliens (1986) (ITV4, 10pm)

In James Cameron’s testosterone-fuelled 1986 sequel, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) wakes from hypersleep to discover that planet LV-426, home of the wily xenomorph, is now also home to a human colony. When contact is lost with this outpost, Ripley agrees to accompany Colonial Marine Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope) and Weyland-Yutani Corporation representative Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) to the planet to investigate. The heavily armed Colonial Marines arrive on LV-426 and discover the base is deserted except for a traumatised young girl (Carrie Henn), who warns the new arrivals about alien predators that come out at night ... mostly.

TUESDAY

Titanic (1997) (Film4, 5.10pm)

Buoyed by the on-screen chemistry of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, James Cameron’s mega-budget love story set sailed away with a record 11 Academy Awards and broke box office records until the filmmaker trumped himself with the equally epic Avatar. Titanic also installed Celine Dion at the top of global charts for what seemed like an eternity with My Heart Will Go On. The film begins deep underwater with Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) and his team of hi-tech treasure hunters scouring the submerged wreck. The search comes to naught until Brock meets 101-year-old survivor Rose DeWitt Bukater (Gloria Stuart). Staring transfixed at a sketch of her younger self (Winslet), Rose recalls her burgeoning romance with spirited artist Jack Dawson (DiCaprio) aboard the eponymous luxury liner.

WEDNESDAY

Laura (1944) ( Talking Pictures TV, 4.55pm)

Director Otto Preminger’s classic film noir stars Dana Andrews as New York detective McPherson. He’s called in to investigate the murder of advertising executive Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), who was killed with a shotgun blast to the face. As her mentor, newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), playboy fiance (Vincent Price), and socialite aunt (Judith Anderson) paint a picture of the beautiful, successful Laura through flashbacks, McPherson becomes increasingly obsessed with the dead woman. Then the case takes an unexpected twist ...