Your Movie Planner

SATURDAY THE SEARCHERS

(1956) U ●

1.50PM, BBC2 ★★★★★

John Ford’s superb western stars John Wayne as bitter cowboy Ethan Edwards, setting out across the Texas plains to find his nieces, who were taken by the Comanche. There’s more Duke in Rio Bravo (Sunday).

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

(2014) 12 ◆ 6.45PM, CH4 ★★★★ Bilbo Baggins and his allies (including Richard Armitage’s dwarf Thorin, below) gear up for more spectacular battles in this mighty conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy.

GEMINI MAN (2019) 12

◆ 9.30PM, CH4 ★★★

PREMIERE See The Big Movie (right).

THOR: THE DARK WORLD

(2013) 12

◆ 10.30PM, BBC1 ★★★★

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is forced to turn to his mischievous trickster brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), for help in this Marvel sequel. Natalie Portman and Idris Elba also return; Christopher Eccleston is on bad-guy duties.

IDENTITY THIEF

(2013) 15 ◆

10.30PM, ITV ★★★

Comic talents Melissa Mccarthy and Jason Bateman team up for this comedy about identity theft. Bateman is the guy hunting Mccarthy’s con artist (below) as she goes on a spending spree with his credit cards.

APOSTASY (2017) PG ●

11.30PM, BBC2 ★★★★

British drama, inspired by director Daniel Kokotajlo’s own experience, starring Siobhan Finneran as a mum of teen girls. They’re Jehovah’s Witnesses whose faith and family love are tested, and prove hard to reconcile.

XXX: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE (2017)

12 ◆ 11.45PM, CH4 ★★★

This third instalment of Vin Diesel’s enjoyably goofy action franchise sees his beefy hero, Xander Cage, coming back from the dead to track down terrorists who are turning satellites into bombs. With Tony Jaa.

SUNDAY RIO BRAVO (1959) PG ●

1.15PM, BBC2 ★★★★

Sturdy and patriotic, this western from Howard Hawks stars John Wayne as the nononsense sheriff who doesn’t need help from outsiders, thank you very much – but Dean Martin’s twinkly-eyed drunk (above, right, with Wayne) will do fine. Ricky Nelson also stars.

MEGAMIND (2010) PG

●

1.30PM, CH4 ★★★

Heroes and villains need each other more than they think they do in this fun animation. Evil alien overlord he may be, but Megamind is nothing without his nemesis, Metro Man.

THE WEDDING SINGER

(1998) 12 ◆ 2.10PM, CH5 ★★★ Adam Sandler (left) is at his best in this 1980s-set romantic comedy. He’s the failed rock star whose fiancee wishes he had more ambition, and played stadiums rather than weddings. Drew Barrymore is the waitress who catches his eye – even though she’s also engaged.

PETER RABBIT (2018) PG

●

3.25PM, CH4 ★★★★

The classic children’s character bounds into the modern world, joining his rabbit family and human friends (Rose Byrne) in an idealised version of the English countryside. Cheeky Peter is voiced by James Corden.

LILIES OF THE FIELD

(1963) U ● 3.30PM, BBC2 ★★★★

See Classic Film Choice (right).

RUSH (2013) 15

◆ 10.30PM, BBC1 ★★★★ The rivalry between British driver James Hunt and Austrian Niki Lauda roars to life in this sleek sports drama from Ron Howard. Chris Hemsworth plays Hunt as a dashing rogue; Daniel Bruhl is a very convincing Lauda.

BIG GAME (2014) 12

◆ 12.10AM, CH4 ★★★

Eccentric survival adventure starring Samuel L. Jackson as the US President (right). Stranded in Finland’s wilderness after Air Force One is shot down by terrorists, he is saved by a 13-year-old local boy who is taking part in a coming-of-age hunting mission.

MONDAY A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE: A MARTHA’S VINEYARD MYSTERY (2020)

PG ● 2.15PM, CH5 ★★

Jesse Metcalfe, best-known as the hunky gardener in Desperate Housewives, plays a retired police detective who teams up with a plucky medical examiner to solve crime.

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) PG ●

6.45PM, GREAT! MOVIES CLASSIC ★★★★ Fred Macmurray is the humble insurance salesman who falls for Barbara Stanwyck’s femme fatale in Billy Wilder’s stylish noir, co-written with novelist Raymond Chandler. Edward G. Robinson is the claims adjuster who hears the whole sorry story.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992) 15 9PM, 5ACTION

◆

★★★★

A polished adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper’s adventure, this bears more of a resemblance to the 1936 film than it does to the novel, and has two love stories at its beating heart. Daniel Day-lewis (above, with Madeleine Stowe) stars as Hawkeye.

RED 2 11PM, 5STAR

(2013) 12 ◆ ★★★ Sequel to the 2010 action caper following the ‘Retired and Extremely Dangerous’ former CIA operatives. Returning ‘retirees’ Helen Mirren and Bruce Willis are joined by Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-jones.

LADY MACBETH (2016) 15 11.15PM, BBC2

◆

★★★★

Florence Pugh (above) is now a familiar face on screen (recently spotted in Marvel’s Hawkeye on Disney+), but this was the film that put her on the map. It’s a dark period drama in which she plays a young bride in rural England, who refuses to submit to her lot.

NOWHERE BOY (2009) 15

◆

1.45AM, FILM4 ★★★★

Artist turned director Sam Taylor-johnson’s debut is a controversial look at John Lennon’s early life, exploring the singer’s difficult relationship with his estranged mother. Aaron Taylor-johnson plays Lennon; Anne-marie Duff is his mum.

TUESDAY YOUNG BILLY YOUNG (1969) PG ●

11.30AM, 5ACTION ★★★

Robert Mitchum’s laconic swagger is a

welcome sight in this western. He’s the lawman who takes lawless Billy (Robert Walker Jr, above, with Angie Dickinson) under his wing and recruits him for a mission of justice. David Carradine also stars.

A DEADLY LULLABY (2020) PG ● 2.15PM, CH5

★★

Reeling from the loss of their baby in childbirth, Olivia and Harry strive to overcome their grief and, six months on, things are looking up. That is, until Olivia develops an unhealthy obsession with a woman and her baby. Katie Leclerc and Jeff Schine star.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: TERROR BY NIGHT 6.30PM, TALKING PICTURES TV

(1946) PG ●

★★★★

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (left) are the dream sleuthing team in this classic. Based mainly on an original story, it sees Holmes and Watson investigating the theft of a priceless gem on board a train from London to Scotland.

COOGAN’S BLUFF (1968) 15

◆

9PM, ITV4 ★★★

Having perfected his sneer in the Old West, Clint Eastwood and his curled upper lip move to a contemporary urban setting. In this crime thriller, directed by Don Siegel, he plays a deputy sheriff from rural Arizona, who rides into New York in search of his prey.

DOG EAT DOG (2016) 18

s

10.50PM, GREAT! MOVIES ★★★

Directed by Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader and adapted from Ed Bunker’s 1995 novel, this blackly comic crime thriller keeps Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe up to their necks in trouble. Crazy but watchable.

IT’S COMPLICATED (2009) 15

◆ 11PM, 5STAR ★★★★

Meryl Streep (right) and Alec Baldwin give this romcom from Nancy Meyers mature star power. Ten years after their divorce, exes Streep and Baldwin rekindle the old flame – adding intrigue and upset to their other relationships.