Bat away those Monday blues with a movie or two…
Mondays, am I right?
With the madness of the weekend’s Papal Visit mostly behind us, it’s time to dust ourselves off and get on with our lives.
It’s business as usual on the ‘Movies on TV’ front, though, with a fistful of flicks for you to choose from this Monday 27 August.
Groundhog Day – Dave – 4pm
The genius thing about Groundhog Day‘s do-over premise is that it holds up exceptionally well on repeat viewings.
Bill Murray has arguably never been better than he is here as a grouchy weatherman who must relive the same difficult day of his life until he finally cops on.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – ITV 2 – 6.45pm
Johnny Depp ramps up the weird factor to 11 in a turn that looks pretty awkward in hindsight.
Still, if you’re a Tim Burton fan you’ll probably appreciate his vision running wild on a classic children’s movie. If not, well, then, yeah, you’ll hate it.
RED – Film 4 – 9pm
Modern-day Bruce Willis is a strange beast. The man either sleepwalks his way through uninspired roles or gives it a go with a knowing smile.
RED is the latter, thankfully, as Bruce teams up with fellow veteran performers Helen Mirren, John Malkovich and Morgan Freeman in this knowing knockabout spy comedy.
The Bank Job – TG4 – 9.30pm
There’s more to Jason Statham than growling out one-liners and dispatching villains in action movies, you know.
Given the chance, the guy can show his range. He’s hilarious in Spy, and surprisingly sensitive in the likes of Safe and Hummingbird. Give him the Oscar, is what we’re saying.
He also lends a strong mix of cool and cautious to underrated heist drama The Bank Job, which is a must for Stath fans if you’ve never given it a go.
Idiocracy – Film 4 – 11.15pm
A satirical dumbed-down vision of the future a full decade before Trump rose to power courtesy of Office Space and Silicon Valley man Mike Judge.
Howl’s Moving Castle – Film 4 – 12.55am
Nobody does animation quite like Hayao Miyazaki. Worth getting lost if you’re having a sleepless night.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
