There are some legitimate modern classics on the box this weekend.
The term “Something for everyone” gets tossed around a lot.
However, the below list literally contains something for everyone.
Unless you don’t like movies, in which case you probably shouldn’t have clicked on to this link.
FRIDAY
The Devil Wears Prada – 21.40 – RTE 2
The movie everyone loves more than they realise, with Meryl Streep as the boss from hell, Anne Hathaway as the lady totally lost in the world of fashion, Emily Blunt as the hilariously nasty co-worker, and Stanley Tucci as the scene-stealing designer. Remains more quotable than people give it credit for.
Drive – 23.05 – BBC 2
That soundtrack. That jacket. That Gosling. Everything about this movie is beyond cool, and while we’re pretty sure we’ve seen the movie a thousand times, we’re happy to watch it for the 1,001st time, just so we can pretend that we would look 1,000th as cool in that white scorpion get-up.
SATURDAY
Avatar – 17.50 – Film 4
This movie made over two billion dollars at the box office. We’re pretty sure everybody in the world has already seen it. But while it gets a lot of flack for being unworthy of the title of the biggest movie in the history of movies, it is still a very impressive undertaking that deserves a second look.
Puss In Boots – 18.35 – RTE One
You probably skipped out on this one because Shrek 3 and 4 weren’t great, but Puss’ spin-off was actually all kinds of brilliant. Visually fantastic, often very funny, and an amazing voice-cast (Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zack Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris, and – bizarrely – Guillermo Del Toro).
Michael Collins – 21.30 – RTE 2
We know you’ve seen this. And we know you probably will watch it again. So here is that chance.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) – 22.30 – BBC 2
Recent multi-Oscar winner, with a phenomenal performance by Michael Keaton as a mentally unhinged actor attempting to make a career comeback. With Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zack Galifianakis, Naomi Watts and Andrea Riseborough filling out the cast, while the entire movie is filmed to look like one long talk. An exhausting, exhilarating movie experience.
Adam & Paul – 23.55 – RTE 2
Before getting Hollywood attention for Room and Frank, director Lenny Abrahamson kicked off his career with this Irish comedy about two addicts navigating Dublin looking for their next fix.
Snake Eyes – 00.20 (so, yes, technically Sunday morning) – Channel 4
Nic Cage in full Nic Cage mode, playing a cop who shuts down an entire casino when a politician is assassinated during a high profile boxing match in Las Vegas. An old school Hitchcock whodunnit mixed with new school cinema tricks.
SUNDAY
Dunston Checks In – 14.50 – Film 4
Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander and Hollywood legend Faye Dunaway star in this movie about a young boy who befriends an orangutan who has been taught how to steal from rich people. It is a bizarre kids movie that features Rupert Everett going full cheese as the panto villain.
How To Train Your Dragon – 16.55 – Channel 4
One of the best family movies of recent years, with another great voice cast – Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, T.J. Miller, McLovin’, David Tennant – and made pretty much all of us want a pet dragon of our own.
Over The Hedge – 17.30 – 3E
Bruce Willis, Steve Carrell, William Shatner, Wanda Sykes, Nick Nolte, Allison Janney, Thomas Hayden Church and, uhm, Avril Lavigne are just some of the amazing voice cast in this animated comedy about a group of woodland creatures forced to rob food from a new neighbourhood in order to properly hibernate and survive the winter.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – 18.35 – ITV2
While it doesn’t quite measure up to the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy, it is still a decent stab at a return to the world of hobbits and evil rings. The action scenes are pretty spectacular and it is great to see the set-up for the ultimate evil that is about to befall everyone.
Harry Brown – 22.30 – ITV4
Michael Caine plays a retired soldier and widower who decides to go all Old Man Vigilante when local hoodlums kill his best friend. Emily Mortimer and Jack O’Connell also appear in this dark and violent tale of vengeance.
Side Effects – 23.00 – Channel 4
We wrote about this smart, sexy thriller when it screened a few months back, and we’re more than happy to see that it is being screened again, because it is brilliant and not enough people have watched it.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
