It’s grim out there. Stay in with some movies, yeah?
With bad weather back with an almighty vengeance, it might be an idea to stay indoors and flake out on the couch.
As such, we’ve done the hard work for you and sifted through your feature-length viewing options on the box this Saturday evening.
We’ve got an all-time classic crime thriller, the evolution of a popular superhero series, an under-appreciated experimental trilogy closer and a violently bloody remake among others…
X-Men – E4 – 6.55pm
Yep, the very first time time Hugh Jackman suited up as Wolverine. The now-iconic role originally belonged to Dougray Scott but due to reshoots running over on the second instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Jackman got the nod.
The rest is history for the Australian actor – with Logan being his finest hour – but his first attempt at the character is worth a look, even if things do feel decidedly small-time and Halle Berry is guilty of delivering one of the worst lines of dialogue ever committed to film:
Clip via Melvin Fishburne
X-Men: First Class – Film 4 – 9pm
Jackman barely features in Matthew Vaughan’s franchise reboot/revival, but his brief appearance is both hilarious and an inspired use of the single allowance of an F-bomb in a 12A-rated flick.
James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence lead the charge as we go back in time to witness the formation of the X-Men and their enemies. First Class isn’t revolutionary by any means, but it’s good Saturday night fun and worth it for Kevin Bacon chewing the scenery alone.
Warm Bodies – E4 – 9pm
There’s a weird cross-section with some of tonight’s movies. Continuing that thread, Nicholas Hoult takes the lead here in Warm Bodies; a knowing romantic comedy adventure with a horror twist.
Hoult plays a man by the name of “R”, young, in love, and very much dead. Eight years after a zombie apocalypse, R shuffles about with his undead brethren but longs for something more domesticated.
Riddick – Channel 4 – 10.50pm
Pitch Black was a low-budget surprise horror/sci-fi hit in 2000, one that left a Vin Diesel-shaped impression on the world.
The Chronicles of Riddick – so named for his ruthless killer turned anti-hero figure – four years later went for a more out-there approach, going big on world-building and arguably collapsing under the weight of its own ambition.
This series is an odd one; never box office gold but one that attracted a loyal following. 2013’s Riddick stripped things back to the roots, and mostly for the better. The opening 30 minutes or so take place mostly in silence, and it’s like a fascinating dark version of Wall*E.
If that’s not enough of a selling point, Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista offers able support as a vicious mercenary type.
Se7en – RTÉ 2 – 11.20pm
One of the greats, and strangely re-watchable despite how grim and stomach-churning it all is.
If you’ve somehow gone 23 years without seeing Se7en, this really is the pick of the bunch.
David Fincher’s direction is perfect. The chemistry between Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman is electric. The big reveal remains brilliant, though admittedly tainted by recent real-life events but that’s hardly the movie’s fault.
Se7en is a masterclass in suspense, terror and how to write and execute a terrific, high-class thriller even in the face of what amounts to pulp fiction.
Evil Dead – Film 4 – 11.35pm
No less nasty is Fede Alvarez’ take on The Evil Dead.
His modern reboot earns instant goodwill by giving his characters a valid reason for decamping to a spooky cabin in the woods; one of them is a recovering heroin addict and her friends want to help.
Things go horribly, horribly wrong, however, when an ancient curse takes hold. Horror remakes, like any retreads, really, can be seriously hit or miss. Messing with a classic is sacrilege.
Thankfully, Evil Dead understands how to ratchet up the tension and deliver a release in the form of gallons and gallons of bloodshed. Not for the squeamish, but one for the purists.
Magic Mike – Film 4 – 1.30am
And finally in the dead of night, Steven Soderbergh’s ‘it’s about more than just male strippers, honest’ indie film that became a cult sensation.
There’s more than meets the shredded eye here, with Channing Tatum in particular enjoying something of a major breakthrough by revealing his genuine charm and screen presence.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
