It’s the weekend. Get involved with a movie or two.
TV programmers like to hold back some big guns for the weekend, and today – Friday 21 September – falls in line with that way of thinking.
If you’re staying put tonight, there are some heavyweight options to pick from including an action classic and Quentin Tarantino’s self-confessed masterpiece…
The Hunger Games – Film 4 – 6.15pm
Jennifer Lawrence leads the charge in a cold futuristic dystopia where only the strongest survive as a bunch of kids are thrown together in a fight to the death for pure entertainment purposes.
It’s like Battle Royale, only with less exploding heads.
Die Hard – E4 – 9pm
Grizzled policeman comes out to the coast, has a few laughs.
Take our related ultimate quiz on the subject, why not?
Rocky III – ITV4 – 9pm
Hulk Hogan and Mr. T versus Rocky Balboa? Go on, then.
Inglourious Basterds – RTÉ 2 – 9.35pm
In which Quentin Tarantino riffs on history by taking on the Nazis in his usual blood-soaked fashion.
Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender are good value as those doling out punishment, but it’s Christoph Waltz who walked away with the plaudits – and an Oscar – for his instantly iconic turn as the brilliantly villainous Hans Landa.
Nurse Betty – RTÉ One – 11.55pm
A very dark comedy that finds Renee Zellweger entering a fugue state following the murder of her husband that leads to her stalking her favourite soap star.
A lot going on there, with fine support from Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock and Greg Kinnear.
The Iceman – Channel 4 – 12.40am
Michael Shannon is even more terrifying than usual in the true life story of hitman Richard Kuklinski, a notorious killer known for his chilling lack of remorse.
Chris Evans plays against type as his equally murderous peer, and James Franco has a brief cameo in which things don’t go great for him.
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