Film Four & Film Four +1 TV Listing

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Friday 21st February

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


Doctor Dolittle (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Rex Harrison stars in Richard Fleischer's charming adaptation of Hugh Lofting's classic children's book as the eccentric Doctor Dolittle, who can converse with animals in 849 languages. Wrongly imprisoned for releasing a captive seal into the wild, he is rescued by his friend Tommy and the pair set off with Matthew Muggins in search of the mythical pink sea snail.
Director: Richard Fleischer
Starring: Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley, Richard Attenborough, Peter Bull, Muriel Landers
(Subtitles, Audio Described, 1967, U, 3 Star)

13:50


Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 12 certificate
Nicholas Meyer, who directed Wrath of Khan, returns for the last film featuring the 'old' crew. The Klingon Empire is falling apart and they want to sue for peace. Kirk commands the USS Enterprise, which is sent to escort the race's representatives to a peace conference. But when an unprotected Klingon craft is attacked, Kirk and Dr McCoy are placed on trial for murder. Spock, now in command, has to prove their innocence by finding the traitor aboard the ship. Edited for content.
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 1991, 12, 4 Star)

16:00


Rat Race (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 12 certificate
Gag-meister Jerry Zucker's cracking comedy has a cast to die for. Las Vegas casino owner Donald P Sinclair decides to set up a special event for his highest rollers. Lucky tokens in his slot machines entitle six punters to enter a race across America with $2million as the prize. He'll make a killing on the bets placed on the players while the contestants dash for the cash. Any comparisons to It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World are completely deserved but director Jerry Zucker keeps the action flowing while making sure the film, unlike... Mad..., doesn't outstay its welcome. Look out for Kathy Bates as a psychopathic roadside squirrel-seller. Edited for content.
Director: Jerry Zucker
Starring: John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson, Lanei Chapman, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green
(Subtitles, Audio Described, 2001, 12, 3 Star)

18:10


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 12 certificate
Director Michael Bay returns with his second instalment of the sci-fi action romp that pits humans against some big, bad alien robots, the Decepticons. In this sequel, which manages to be even louder and more prone to explosions than the initial outing, Sam Witwicky and his girlfriend Mikaela Banes are once more at the centre of the action. Witwicky is being hunted down by the Decepticons, who recognise that he is the main impediment to them gaining control of an awesome source of energy. As the Decepticons' plan would result in the destruction of the sun, mankind's fate rests on the shoulders of our oddly named hero... Edited for content.
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Ramon Rodriguez
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2009, 12, 3 Star)

21:00


Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Film) Film icon 5 star rating 18 certificate
Judgement Day.
Director James Cameron and lead actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton return for part two of the sci-fi franchise. The film is set 11 years after Sarah Connor's first, all-too-close brush with death at the hands of an android assassin. She's incarcerated in a mental health institution for her insistent, passionately held belief that mankind is on the verge of extinction instigated by the soon-to-go-rogue Skynet automated US defence network. Meanwhile, her young son, John Connor, is living with his grandparents. Having failed at the first attempt to eradicate its future nemesis, Skynet sends another deadly envoy, a shape-shifting T-1000 Terminator, back in time to the present to murder John.
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Earl Boen, Joe Morton
(Repeat, Widescreen, Subtitles, 1991, 18, 5 Star)



23:40


The X Files (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
Rob Bowman's sci-fi thriller feature, based on the popular TV series, stars David Duchonovy and Gillian Anderson as special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. The two are in disgrace after failing to stop the bombing of a Federal building in Dallas. But conspiracy theorist Alvin Kurtzwell believes the bodies caught up in the explosion were not only already dead but killed by something agelessly evil. Aided by Cigarette Smoking Man, the duo find themselves caught up in a worldwide conspiracy that could change the future of mankind.
Director: Rob Bowman
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, John Neville, William B. Davis, Martin Landau, Mitch Pileggi
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1998, 15, 3 Star)

02:00


Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (Film) Film icon 15 certificate
Colin and Greg Strause's sci-fi thriller sees a small American town as the battlefield for a showdown between Aliens, who have escaped from captivity, and Predators, tasked with tracking them down. Caught up in the middle are the innocent townsfolk who, led by ex-con Dallas, sheriff Morales and army officer Kelly, have to first survive and then fight back.
Director: Colin Strause, Greg Strause
Starring: Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis, Ariel Gade, Kristen Hager
(Repeat, Widescreen, Subtitles, 2007, 15, 2 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Saturday 22nd February

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


Arabian Adventure (Film) Film icon U certificate
Fantasy adventure. Prince Hasan and his helpers set out to find the magical Rose of Elil. The prince has been promised the hand of Princess Zuleira if he brings back the legendary trophy for the sorcerer Alquazar. But the villainous magus doesn't share his evil plans with the love-struck royal, nor does he warn Hasan of the genies and other monsters that lie ahead of him.
Director: Kevin Connor
Starring: Christopher Lee, Milo O'Shea, Oliver Tobias, Emma Samms, Puneet Sira, John Wyman
(Subtitles, 1979, U, 2 Star)

13:00


The Golden Compass (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Dakota Blue Richards star in Chris Weitz's family fantasy-adventure, based on the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Twelve-year-old orphan Lyra Belacqua lives in an Oxford college, where the academic and domestic staff do their best to push her enquiring mind down conventional educational routes and quell her tomboy tendencies; it's a losing battle. One day, having sneaked into a private meeting of the college's dons, Lyra learns of mysterious events taking place in the Arctic. Soon after, amid news of mysterious child abductors called the 'Gobblers', her best friend Roger vanishes.
Director: Chris Weitz
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ben Walker, Freddie Highmore, Ian McKellen
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2007, PG, 3 Star)

15:10


Carry on Up the Khyber (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Classic Carry On fun from stalwart director Gerald Thomas, featuring the core team of regulars. Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond is in charge of the motley kilted crew of the Third Foot and Mouth regiment at a British outpost in the Khyber Pass. The Khasi of Kalabar has other ideas and wants the 'British devils' dead, but his troops fear what they may or may not have under their 'skirts'. But when one of the regiment is seen wearing underpants the fate of the British in India is at stake.
Director: Gerald Thomas
Starring: Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Roy Castle, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw
(Subtitles, Audio Described, 1969, PG, 3 Star)

16:55


Coraline (Film) Film icon 4 star rating PG certificate
Director Henry Selick delivers a deliciously dark stop-motion animated adventure, based on Neil Gaiman's much-praised book. Coraline Jones and her parents move into the Pink Palaces Apartments in Oregon, where they find themselves surrounded by eccentric neighbours, including a pair of ageing burlesque performers. It should be an exciting time, but Coraline's parents are too busy working to spend any time with her, so she is deeply bored. That is until she discovers a mysterious door that only appears after dark.
Director: Henry Selick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2009, PG, 4 Star)

18:55


The Day the Earth Stood Still (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 12 certificate
Director Scott Derrickson's remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic replaces the original's theme of fear of impending nuclear war with current concerns about environmental catastrophe. Keanu Reeves stars as Klaatu, an alien sent by a confederation of extraterrestrial beings to warn the inhabitants of Earth that the biosphere is on the verge of collapse. Predictably, as soon as he emerges from his spaceship a trigger-happy soldier ignores his instructions and takes a shot at the visitor. The wounded Klaatu asks for access to the United Nations to deliver his message, but the Secretary of Defence, Regina Jackson, instead orders that he should be taken away for further investigations. And so Klaatu becomes increasingly convinced that Earth can only survive if mankind is eradicated.
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, John Cleese, Jon Hamm
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2008, 12, 3 Star)



21:00


Babylon A.D. (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 12 certificate
Mathieu Kassowitz's science fiction film is set in a dystopian future where corporations rule the cities. Mercenary Toorop is hired by Gorsky to pick up a 'package' from Russia and deliver it, via Alaska and Canada, to the high priestess of a new religion in New York. The package turns out to be a young woman, Aurora, accompanied by a nun, Sister Rebeka. But as the journey progresses, Aurora demonstrates other-worldly powers and, for Toorop, what was simply a job becomes a quest for redemption, as he tries to guard Aurora from the various factions that either wish her harm or want to claim her powers for their own use.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Mélanie Thierry, Gérard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling, Mark Strong
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2008, 12, 3 Star)

22:45


Carriers (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
Chris Pine stars in writer-directors Alex and David Pastor's bleak post-apocalypse horror-thriller. A deadly viral pandemic has hit America and taken a devastating toll on the population. Brothers Danny and Brian Green decide to see if they can make it from their landlocked home to the isolated beach at which they spent happier times in their youth, and where they hope to hunker down and wait for the lethal contagion to peter out. Along for the ride, and the chance of survival, are their girlfriends Bobby and Kate. But can they really traverse the country without any of them coming into contact with the infected, and just how far are they prepared to bend their morals and the normal rules of human interaction in order to safely make it to their goal?
Director: Àlex Pastor, David Pastor
Starring: Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp, Christopher Meloni, Kiernan Shipka
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2009, 15, 3 Star)

00:25


The X Files I Want to Believe (Film) Film icon 15 certificate
Mulder and Scully have left the FBI and gone their separate ways. Mulder is living in seclusion, while Scully has returned to her medical career. But when an FBI agent goes missing, they're called back to duty. The only person who may be able to track her down is Father Joseph Crissman, a convicted paedophile who professes to be psychic and claims to have already found part of the missing agent's body. But is he telling the truth? Mulder and Scully must overcome their revulsion for his crimes as more agents go missing and saving them becomes a race against time.
Director: Chris Carter
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Billy Connolly
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2008, 15)

02:25


Dark Star (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
John Carpenter's first feature stars Dan O'Bannon as the leader of four astronauts aboard deep space cruiser Dark Star, whose mission is to seek out and destroy planets which contain life forms that could threaten Earth. With just one of their craft's payload of sentient bombs left, it's nearing time to head home. But then one of the bored, put-upon crew decides to go and feed the pet alien they picked up along the way - and inadvertently sets them all on a potentially disastrous course. The special effects may be laughably unsophisticated by present standards and the film is definitely of its time, but the narrative is quirkily gripping throughout.
Director: John Carpenter
Starring: Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dre Pahich, Dan O'Bannon
(Subtitles, 1974, PG, 3 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Sunday 23rd February

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


Treasure Island (Film) Film icon 5 star rating PG certificate
Orson Welles stars in this curious production directed by John Hough, an adaptation by Welles of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic 1883 adventure novel. Orson Welles plays Long John Silver, the ship's cook who, seeing an opportunity to enrich himself, will rise above his station to orchestrate a mutiny, and Kim Burfield stars as Jim Hawkins, the lad who acquires the treasure map that sets the whole escapade in motion.
Director: Steven L. Barron
Starring: Eddie Izzard, Toby Regbo, Rupert Penry-Jones, Philip Glenister, Donald Sutherland, Elijah Wood, Daniel Mays
(Subtitles, 2012, PG, 5 Star)

13:00


Inspector Gadget (Film) Film icon PG certificate
It's the comedy with a thousand moving parts, the story of the crazy, crackpot crime fighter who's not so much a detective, more a toolbox! Wowser, you'll thrill to the tall tale of a naïve and inept security guard who dreams of becoming the world's greatest law enforcement officer. Then one day he gets involved in a top secret project with a leading robotics scientist, and becomes a man of many parts - all of them moving! With the help of the pretty scientist, our bumbling, accident prone hero fights the nefarious, villainous Claw in this Disney big screen adaptation of the much loved cartoon series.
Director: David Kellogg
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Rupert Everett, Joely Fisher, Michelle Trachtenberg, Andy Dick, Cheri Oteri
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1999, PG, 2 Star)

14:35


At the Earth's Core (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Doug McClure and Peter Cushing star in this sci-fi adventure that's based on an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel. A Victorian scientist and the wealthy American he works for accidentally burrow into a vast subterranean domain when their digging machine runs out of control. There, deep beneath the planet's surface, they discover a world that's ruled by bird-creatures who have enslaved human beings.
Director: Kevin Connor
Starring: Peter Cushing, Doug McClure, Caroline Munro, Cy Grant, Godfrey James, Sean Lynch
(Subtitles, 1976, PG, 3 Star)

16:20


Freaky Friday (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Fast-moving 'Disney-style' comedy about a mother and daughter who wish they could change places for a day just so the other new how hard it was. However, on this particular day, their innocent wish is granted thanks to a magical talisman, and they find themselves switched into each other's bodies with disastrous results.
Director: Gary Nelson
Starring: Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris, John Astin, Patsy Kelly, Dick Van Patten
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1977, U, 3 Star)

18:15


Independence Day (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 12 certificate
Roland Emmerich's landmark science-fiction blockbuster. Aliens reach Earth and they're clearly hostile: their plan is to suck the planet dry of all its resources, leave behind a burnt cinder circling the sun, and move on. Planting giant ships above the world's major cities, they unleash destruction on an unprecedented scale. All attempts to fight back are met by hordes of fighter craft until pilot Steven Hiller manages to down one and capture its pilot. Meanwhile, scientist David Levinson, having worked out the aliens' purpose, finds a way to destroy them, but he and Hiller need a spacecraft - which brings them to a secret base near Las Vegas... The child of countless science-fiction movies, Independence Day is rollicking, fast-moving action all the way.
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Bill Pullman, Mary McDonnell, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Will Smith
(Subtitles, 1996, 12, 4 Star)



21:00


Unknown (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 12 certificate
Liam Neeson, January Jones and Diane Kruger star in this dynamic action mystery from Jaume Collet-Serra, director of the stylishly creepy horror Orphan. Botanist Dr Martin Harris is attending a science conference in Berlin when, realising he's left his papers at the airport, he jumps in a cab and sets off to retrieve them. But en route he's involved in a massive pile-up which leaves him unconscious and hospitalised. Coming round, he discovers that, lacking proof of identity, no one knows who he is. Worse, back at the hotel, his wife Elizabeth not only claims not to recognise him but also says another man is her husband. Bewildered, Harris sets out to unpick what the hell is going on, aided by taxi driver Gina, who rescued him from the accident. And the further he investigates, the clearer it becomes that something is seriously amiss - and that dark forces are out to put a permanent end to his search for the truth.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2011, 12, 4 Star)

23:15


The Talented Mr. Ripley (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 15 certificate
Tom Ripley craves the life led by Dickie Greenleaf. When Dickie's father, a wealthy ship builder, asks Tom to bring his errant playboy son back home to America, Dickie and his beautiful expatriate girlfriend, Marge Sherwood, never suspect the dangerous extremes to which Tom will go to make their lifestyle his own. After all, it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody.
Director: Anthony Minghella
Starring: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport
(Subtitles, 1999, 15, 4 Star)

01:55


Hard Eight (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 18 certificate
Paul Thomas Anderson's drama stars Philip Baker Hall as Sydney who picks up John, a drifter, at a coffee shop. John needs $6000 to bury his mother, Sydney is an itinerant gambler who's happy to teach him ways to lightly scam casinos so they don't suspect anything. Two years pass and the pair are still operating, and John is now in a relationship with waitress Clementine and also befriended a shady security advisor Jimmy, whom Sydney instinctively mistrusts. As the four individuals' lives intersect, Anderson observes their characters through circumstances which, as they affect one, begin to affect all.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, F. William Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1996, 18, 4 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Monday 24th February

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


The Admirable Crichton (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Lewis Gilbert's classic comedy, based on JM Barrie's play, stars Kenneth More as the admirable Crichton, butler to Lord Loam and his family. When, while cruising in the South Seas, they are shipwrecked on a desert island, his Lordship takes command but it slowly emerges that Crichton possesses the skills for survival. As the master/servant roles are reversed, even romance is turned upside down; but surely rescue will reassert the status quo?
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Kenneth More, Diane Cilento, Cecil Parker, Sally Ann Howes, Martita Hunt, Jack Watling
(Subtitles, 1957, U, 3 Star)

12:55


Broken Lance (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Edward Dmytryk's Oscar-winning western stars Spencer Tracy as Matt Devereaux, a strict disciplinarian who treats his sons Joe, Ben, Denny and Mike little better than employees on his ranch. However, when he leads a raid on a copper mine that's destroying his land, it's Joe who takes the blame. But returning home after three years in prison, he finds his father dead and his brothers unwilling to recognise his sacrifice.
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters
(Subtitles, 1954, U, 3 Star)

14:50


Kidnapped (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Following a bloody defeat for the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, naive young David Balfour is cheated of his inheritance by his avaricious Uncle Ebenezer, who then arranges for the lad to be kidnapped and sold into slavery by Captain Hoseason. But, fortunately for Balfour, he meets the fleeing Jacobite rebel Alan Breck who is also aboard the slave ship that's starting on its way to America. But it doesn't get far and, after the vessel runs aground, the pair are thrown into a succession of adventures that lead them to Edinburgh and a fight for justice. Based on the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Director: Delbert Mann
Starring: Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, Jack Hawkins, Donald Pleasence, Gordon Jackson, Vivien Heilbron
(Subtitles, 1971, U, 3 Star)

16:55


They Might be Giants (Film) Film icon
(Premiere, Widescreen)

18:40


Ladyhawke (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Medieval fantasy adventure about a mysterious black-clad knight and his mistress, both victims of a curse that turns him into a wolf by night and her into a hawk by day so they can never meet as humans. With help from a young pickpocket rescued by the knight, they try to break the curse in a dramatic confrontation with their enemy.
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern, John Wood, Ken Hutchison
(Subtitles, 1985, PG, 3 Star)



21:00


Sanctum (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield and Ioan Gruffudd star in Alister Grierson's caving drama. Frank McGuire is a vastly experienced cave diver who is leading the exploration of the world's largest unexplored cave system in Papua New Guinea. But when a huge cyclone hits the area, he and the team - which includes his rebellious teenage son Josh, the expedition's financier Carl Hurley and Hurley's girlfriend Victoria Elaine - are cut off from their support team up on the surface by torrential influxes of storm water. Trapped, with no hope of safely returning the way they entered, and carrying precious few supplies to sustain themselves, the cavers are forced to see if they can find another way out of the labyrinth... First screening on Film4.
Director: Alister Grierson
Starring: Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson, Dan Wyllie, Christopher Baker
(Premiere, Widescreen, Subtitles, 2011, 15, 3 Star)

23:10


Antichrist (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 18 certificate
Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg star in Lars von Trier's horror-drama about a marriage that violently implodes after a tragic accident; and, featuring scenes of explicit sex, disturbing violence and graphic genital mutilation, it's not for the squeamish. Dafoe and Gainsbourg, the unnamed protagonists, are making love in their lofty apartment when their young child manages to crawl out of an open window and plunge fatally to the pavement below. Naturally, their lives fall apart. However, the father is a psychiatrist, and he persuades his wife to forgo anti-depressants and travel with him to an isolated house in the woods, where he can put his own therapeutic theory into effect. But instead of healing their hurt, their isolation, and her research into witchcraft and pagan religions, results in them succumbing to otherworldly influences and a grisly descent into brutal savagery.
Director: Lars von Trier
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2009, 18, 3 Star)

01:20


Internal Affairs (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 18 certificate
This intense thriller from Mike Figgis stars Andy Garcia as Sergeant Raymond Avilla, an ambitious police officer in the Los Angeles Internal Affairs Department. Avilla is assigned to investigate a brutality case and rapidly comes into conflict with unscrupulous and violent cop Dennis Peck, whose corrupt influence seems to stretch far and wide. A vicious battle of wills between the two men ensues and, as the plot progresses, their strengths and weaknesses are revealed to be remarkably similar, blurring the conventional boundaries between good cop and bad cop. Strong supporting turns are provided by Nancy Travis, Laurie Metcalf and William Baldwin.
Director: Mike Figgis
Starring: Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, Nancy Travis, Laurie Metcalf, Richard Bradford, William Baldwin
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1990, 18, 3 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Tuesday 25th February

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


The Black Knight (Film) Film icon 15 certificate
British adventure movie starring Alan Ladd as a sword-maker who is tutored at the court of King Arthur, becoming the Black Knight. He needs his new skills to defeat two conspirators who are attempting to overthrow Camelot, and to win the hand of an Earl's daughter.
Director: Tay Garnett
Starring: Alan Ladd, Patricia Medina, André Morell, Harry Andrews, Peter Cushing, Anthony Bushell
(Subtitles, 1954, 15, 2 Star)

12:45


The Time Machine (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 12 certificate
George Pal's Oscar-winning film stars Rod Taylor as Victorian scientist H George Wells, who invents a time machine. Travelling through the far distant future, with stopovers for World Wars I, II and III, he finally ends up in the year 802,701. Here, he encounters the peaceful Eloi race and falls for the beautiful Weena. But then he discovers that another race exists: the underground-dwelling, Morlocks, who are as vicious as the Eloi are peaceable. Can Wells save the Eloi - and Weena - from the grisly fate the Morlocks have in store for them?
Director: George Pal
Starring: Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux, Sebastian Cabot, Tom Hel, Whit Bissell
(Subtitles, 1960, 12, 4 Star)

14:50


The Big Blockade (Film) Film icon
(Premiere)

16:25


They Who Dare (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Lewis Milestone, who was responsible for classics such as Mutiny on the Bounty and All Quiet on the Western Front, directs this World War II drama, set in the Aegean Sea and extolling the Special Boat Service. Led by Lieutenant Graham, the squadron of English and Greek operatives secretly hop from island to island, sabotaging Axis air bases. But their biggest mission comes when they are called upon to dynamite air bases on heavily-defended Rhodes.
Director: Lewis Milestone
Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Denholm Elliott, Akim Tamiroff, Gérard Oury, Eric Pohlmann, Alec Mango
(Subtitles, 1953, U, 3 Star)

18:35


Stardust (Film) Film icon 4 star rating PG certificate
Matthew Vaughn's delightful family fantasy starring Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller and Claire Danes. The village of Wall nestles alongside a mysterious wall that must not be crossed. But when Tristan promises to bring his beloved Victoria a star that has fallen from the sky and landed on the other side of the divide, he finds himself caught up in a mystical world. Four treacherous sons also seek the star to gain their dying father's throne, as do three evil witches, for more nefarious reasons. When the star takes the human form of Yvaine, Tristan sets out to take her to Victoria. But, along the way, they face deadly enemies and make unlikely allies.
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sienna Miller, Robert de Niro, Mark Strong
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2007, PG, 4 Star)



21:00


Enemy at the Gates (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 15 certificate
Fact-based war drama set during the 1942-3 battle of Stalingrad. A Russian marksman is given the task of killing a German major, whose own expert shooting skills make him a formidable enemy. Supported by a propaganda officer, the Russian soldier takes up the challenge with resilient determination. But a personal battle develops between the two allies when they both fall for an attractive Jewish comrade.
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Starring: Jude Law, Ed Harris, Rachel Weisz, Joseph Fiennes, Bob Hoskins, Ron Perlman
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2001, 15, 4 Star)

23:35


Repo Men (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 18 certificate
Jude Law and Forest Whitaker star in this blood-drenched thriller-cum-satire set in a grimy vision of the near future. Technology has finally solved the problem of organ transplants, at least for those who can afford them. But beware: fall behind on the payments and the organ provider will dispatch repo men with sharp blades to reclaim their property in a swift but grisly operation. Remy and Jake work for one such company, The Union, and are among its best 'bailiffs', performing their allotted tasks ruthlessly. Until, that is, Remy is forced to rely on one of The Union's products himself - at which point his perspective is radically reassessed and he goes on the run, hotly pursued by his erstwhile colleague. Also starring Liev Schreiber and Alice Braga.
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Starring: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber, Carice Van Houten, Chandler Canterbury
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2010, 18, 3 Star)

01:45


Cold Weather (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
Director Aaron Katz blends drama, mystery and comedy in this story about Doug's investigation of the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend Rachel. After dropping out of his forensic science university course, Doug returns to his hometown of Portland, Oregon, where he settles into a new life living with his sister Gail, reading detective novels and working at the local ice factory. His colleague Carlos quickly becomes a close friend. When Rachel suddenly disappears, Doug finally gets to put his expertise to work. With Gail and Carlos eagerly in tow, Doug's investigation delves into the mysteries of personal relationships and uncovers more than one secret.
Director: Aaron Katz
Starring: Cris Lankenau, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Raúl Castillo, Robyn Rikoon, Jeb Pearson, Brendan McFadden
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2010, 15, 3 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Wednesday 26th February

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


Battle Cry (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
The dramatic story of US marines in training, in combat and in love during World War II. The story centres on a major who guides the raw recruits from their training in Saipan to combat in New Guinea. Based on the novel by Leon Uris. The music by Max Steiner was nominated for an Oscar.
Director: Raoul Walsh
Starring: Van Heflin, Aldo Ray, Mona Freeman, Nancy Olson, James Whit, Raymond Massey
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1955, PG, 3 Star)

13:50


The Big Trees (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Felix Feist's western stars Kirk Douglas as Jim Fallon, an unscrupulous lumberman who goes to northern California to part Quaker settlers from their Giant Redwoods. But he has a change of heart when he falls for Alicia Chadwick.
Director: Felix E. Feist
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Eve Miller, Patrice Wy, Edgar Buchanan, John Archer, Alan Hale Jr.
(Subtitles, 1952, PG, 3 Star)

15:35


Comanche Station (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 15 certificate
Budd Boetticher's tough western follows Jefferson Cody's quest to find the wife of a settler who has been held captive by the Comanches. He frees her, but they're soon ambushed by gunslingers intent on receiving a reward for her return, dead or alive.
Director: Budd Boetticher
Starring: Randolph Scott, Nancy Gates, Claude Akins, Skip Homeier, Richard Rust, Rand Brooks
(Subtitles, 1960, 15, 4 Star)

17:05


Carry on Up the Khyber (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Classic Carry On fun from stalwart director Gerald Thomas, featuring the core team of regulars. Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond is in charge of the motley kilted crew of the Third Foot and Mouth regiment at a British outpost in the Khyber Pass. The Khasi of Kalabar has other ideas and wants the 'British devils' dead, but his troops fear what they may or may not have under their 'skirts'. But when one of the regiment is seen wearing underpants the fate of the British in India is at stake.
Director: Gerald Thomas
Starring: Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Roy Castle, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw
(Subtitles, Audio Described, 1969, PG, 3 Star)

18:50


Rat Race (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 12 certificate
Gag-meister Jerry Zucker's cracking comedy has a cast to die for. Las Vegas casino owner Donald P Sinclair decides to set up a special event for his highest rollers. Lucky tokens in his slot machines entitle six punters to enter a race across America with $2million as the prize. He'll make a killing on the bets placed on the players while the contestants dash for the cash. Any comparisons to It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World are completely deserved but director Jerry Zucker keeps the action flowing while making sure the film, unlike... Mad..., doesn't outstay its welcome. Look out for Kathy Bates as a psychopathic roadside squirrel-seller. Edited for content.
Director: Jerry Zucker
Starring: John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson, Lanei Chapman, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green
(Subtitles, Audio Described, 2001, 12, 3 Star)



21:00


Road to Perdition (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
Sam Mendes' thriller stars Tom Hanks as killer Michael Sullivan, who is in the employ of crime boss John Rooney. But Newman's son is jealous of the closeness the two share and kills Sullivan's family, apart from his oldest child. The remaining Sullivans go on the road seeking revenge and then a new life. But Rooney knows the only way to save his son is to eliminate Sullivan, and sets another hit man on their trail.
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason-Leigh, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, Tyler Hoechlin
(Subtitles, 2002, 15, 3 Star)

23:15


The Company Men (Film) Film icon 15 certificate
The feature debut from director John Wells stars Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Ben Affleck as three company management types about to feel the sharp end of the global financial crash. All three work, at varying levels of the upper echelons, for the Boston global transportation systems giant GTX, which is keen to boost its share prices. But in the middle of a recession that's not easy - so it opts for a round of redundancies in a brutal downsizing programme. One of the first to go is sales director and family man Bobby Walker, who's offered a lifeline by his brother-in-law, self-employed carpenter Jack Dolan, but appears too proud to take it.
Director: John Wells
Starring: Ben Affleck, Thomas Kee, Craig Mathers, Gary Galone, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper
(Premiere, Widescreen, Subtitles, 2010, 15)

01:20


4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 15 certificate
Cristian Mungiu's drama, which can be seen as a companion piece to Cristi Puiu's The Death Mr Lazarescu, stars Laura Vasiliu as Gabita who seeks an abortion in 1980s Romania, which is still firmly under the Ceausescu dictatorship, and where the operation is still illegal. Calling on her roommate Otilia for support, the relationship between the two shifts, as Gabita begins to rely more and more on Otilia as the duo embark on a 24-hour journey to meet an illegal abortionist in a hotel. It's a journey that's beset by both state-imposed perils and Gabita's emotional vacillations.
Director: Cristian Mungiu
Starring: Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, Vlad Ivanov, Alexandru Potocean, Ion Sapdaru, Teodor Corban
(In Romanian with English Subtitles, Widescreen, 2007, 15, 4 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Thursday 27th February

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


Throne of Blood (Film) Film icon 4 star rating PG certificate
Akira Kurosawa's classic drama is an atmospheric, pared-down reworking of Shakespeare's Macbeth, set in the feudal Japan of the Middle Ages. Toshiro Mifune stars as Taketoki Washizu, a distinguished warrior who, in an encounter with a mysterious woman in a woodland glade, learns that he is fated for glory and power, but his rise to the top will be fleeting. He's subsequently goaded by his ambitious wife Lady Asaji Washizu into fulfilling the prophecy by becoming lord of the lofty, cloud-shrouded castle that dominates the landscape. It's a tale of ruthless assassination, and not only for those who block his path. In addition to being another example of Kurosawa's innovation and mastery of the medium, Throne of Blood was also said to have been American poet TS Eliot's favourite film. First play on Film4.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Isuzu Yamada
(Black and White, Premiere, Subtitles, Subtitled, In Japanese with English Subtitles, 1957, PG, 4 Star)

13:15


They Might be Giants (Film) Film icon U certificate
George C Scott and Joanne Woodward star in this curious comedy-drama, directed by Anthony Harvey and written by James Goldman. Justin Playfair is a New Yorker who made a fortune as a lawyer but, following his wife's death, has started to believe that he is Sherlock Holmes. His brother Blevins realises that if he can get power of attorney he can help himself to Justin's wealth - and attempts to get the delusional man committed. But, unfortunately for Blevins, the psychiatrist assigned to the case is Dr Meredith Watson. Not only does her name fit the bill, but she finds herself being caught up in her violin-playing, deerstalker-wearing patient's world, and sets off with him on a series of surreal, peril-imbued adventures around Manhattan.
Starring: Lester Rawlins
(Widescreen, Subtitles, U)

15:00


They Rode West (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
When Allen Seward, the new medical officer at a remote cavalry fort, discovers a Native American tribe infected with malaria and in danger of dying, he decides to help them. But he faces a battle of wills with his less-enlightened captain, Peter Blake, in Phil Karlson's exciting western.
Director: Phil Karlson
Starring: Robert Francis, Donna Reed, May Wynn, Philip Carey, Onslow Stevens, Peggy Converse
(Subtitles, 1954, U, 3 Star)

16:45


Please Sir! (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Hilarious movie spin-off from the popular TV sitcom in which teacher Bernard Hedges takes troublesome class 5C to a holiday camp with inevitably comic and disastrous results. Scripted by sitcom experts John Esmonde and Bob Larbey.
Director: Mark Stuart
Starring: John Alderton, Deryck Guyler, Noel Howlett, Joan Sanderson, Richard Davies, Erik Chitty
(Subtitles, 1971, PG, 3 Star)

18:50


The Golden Compass (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Dakota Blue Richards star in Chris Weitz's family fantasy-adventure, based on the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Twelve-year-old orphan Lyra Belacqua lives in an Oxford college, where the academic and domestic staff do their best to push her enquiring mind down conventional educational routes and quell her tomboy tendencies; it's a losing battle. One day, having sneaked into a private meeting of the college's dons, Lyra learns of mysterious events taking place in the Arctic. Soon after, amid news of mysterious child abductors called the 'Gobblers', her best friend Roger vanishes.
Director: Chris Weitz
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ben Walker, Freddie Highmore, Ian McKellen
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2007, PG, 3 Star)



21:00


Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Film) Film icon 5 star rating 18 certificate
Sci-fi sequel unfolding a life-and-death battle to avert a nuclear holocaust. A supercomputer that sought to destroy humankind sends a virtually indestructible, shape-shifting cyborg back to our time to kill the human resistance leader in his youth. Aided by another cyborg, the boy and his mother try to alter the events that led to the computer's creation and the nuclear war it triggered.
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Earl Boen, Joe Morton
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1991, 18, 5 Star)

23:40


Harsh Times (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 15 certificate
Christian Bale plays Jim Luther Davis, a disturbed Iraq veteran back on Civvy Street and looking for easy money. He and his childhood buddy, the easily led Mike Alonzo, are out on the streets, juiced up on beer and dope, but when they find a gun, things take a darker turn as they get involved with the Mexican drugs dealers who owned the piece. David Ayer's stark drama also contains an intriguing subplot as agents from the Department of Homeland Security approach Davis, hoping to use his skills for their own purposes.
Director: David Ayer
Starring: Christian Bale, Freddy Rodríguez, Eva Longoria Parker, Chaka Forman, Tammy Trull, J.K. Simmons
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2005, 15, 4 Star)

01:55


Trees Lounge (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
Steve Buscemi stars in, and makes his directorial debut with, this comedy-drama about a Long Island bum whose life is a complete mess. Tommy has been sacked from his engineering job by his boss Rob for 'borrowing' some money from the till; his girlfriend Theresa has taken up with Rob; and Tommy's relatives have him firmly marked down as the black sheep of the family. So it's little wonder that he spends his time in the Trees Lounge bar getting legless with his pal Mike. But, quite unexpectedly, a family tragedy gives Tommy the opportunity to turn his life around... Also starring Chlo? Sevigny, Samuel L Jackson and John Ventimiglia.
Director: Steve Buscemi
Starring: Carol Kane, Mark Boone Junior, Steve Buscemi, Bronson Dudley, Anthony LaPaglia, Michael Buscemi
(Subtitles, 1996, 15, 3 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Friday 28th February

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


Kidnapped (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Following a bloody defeat for the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, naive young David Balfour is cheated of his inheritance by his avaricious Uncle Ebenezer, who then arranges for the lad to be kidnapped and sold into slavery by Captain Hoseason. But, fortunately for Balfour, he meets the fleeing Jacobite rebel Alan Breck who is also aboard the slave ship that's starting on its way to America. But it doesn't get far and, after the vessel runs aground, the pair are thrown into a succession of adventures that lead them to Edinburgh and a fight for justice. Based on the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Director: Delbert Mann
Starring: Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, Jack Hawkins, Donald Pleasence, Gordon Jackson, Vivien Heilbron
(Subtitles, 1971, U, 3 Star)

13:05


The Moonraker (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
This cavalier romantic thriller is essentially the Scarlet Pimpernel relocated in place and time across the Channel during the English Civil War. George Baker plays the eponymous hero, fighting off the Roundhead foe as he single-handedly saves the country's aristocracy, smuggling them to safety in France. But when Charles II decides to take the trip, Cromwell's cronies are waiting in the wings. Marius Goring and John Le Mesurier beef up the supporting cast, while Sylvia Syms provides the romantic interest in a dashing yarn of love, courage and betrayal.
Director: David MacDonald
Starring: George Baker, Sylvia Syms, Peter Arne, Marius Goring, Richard Leech, Clive Morton
(Subtitles, 1958, PG, 3 Star)

14:45


The Admirable Crichton (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Lewis Gilbert's classic comedy, based on JM Barrie's play, stars Kenneth More as the admirable Crichton, butler to Lord Loam and his family. When, while cruising in the South Seas, they are shipwrecked on a desert island, his Lordship takes command but it slowly emerges that Crichton possesses the skills for survival. As the master/servant roles are reversed, even romance is turned upside down; but surely rescue will reassert the status quo?
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Kenneth More, Diane Cilento, Cecil Parker, Sally Ann Howes, Martita Hunt, Jack Watling
(Subtitles, 1957, U, 3 Star)

16:35


Winning (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Motor-racing drama about a driver who is single-minded enough to let nothing come between him and the Indy 500 championships - not even his wife. Some exciting racing sequences pile on the thrills.
Director: James Goldstone
Starring: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Robert Wagner, Richard Thomas, David Sheiner, Clu Gulager
(Premiere, Widescreen, Subtitles, 1969, PG, 3 Star)

19:10


Down to You (Film) Film icon 12 certificate
Whimsical romantic comedy about two college students, Al and Imogen, who fall in love. However, a youthful fear of commitment threatens to destabilise their romance, and when Imogen gets an opportunity to study elsewhere, Al breaks up the relationship - only to realise that he has made a huge mistake.
Director: Kris Isacsson
Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Julia Stiles, Selma Blair, Shawn Hatosy, Zak Orth, Ashton Kutcher
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2000, 12, 2 Star)



21:00


Unknown (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 12 certificate
Liam Neeson, January Jones and Diane Kruger star in this dynamic action mystery from Jaume Collet-Serra, director of the stylishly creepy horror Orphan. Botanist Dr Martin Harris is attending a science conference in Berlin when, realising he's left his papers at the airport, he jumps in a cab and sets off to retrieve them. But en route he's involved in a massive pile-up which leaves him unconscious and hospitalised. Coming round, he discovers that, lacking proof of identity, no one knows who he is. Worse, back at the hotel, his wife Elizabeth not only claims not to recognise him but also says another man is her husband. Bewildered, Harris sets out to unpick what the hell is going on, aided by taxi driver Gina, who rescued him from the accident. And the further he investigates, the clearer it becomes that something is seriously amiss - and that dark forces are out to put a permanent end to his search for the truth.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2011, 12, 4 Star)

23:15


Idiocracy (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
In Mike Judge's sci-fi comedy, Corporal Joe Bauers is selected as the US Army's most unremarkable, average individual and plucked from the ranks to participate in a top-secret experiment that aims to put him into hibernation for a year. Bauers is joined in the research project by prostitute Rita, who hopes to escape pending criminal charges if she takes part in the project. But, after a series of mishaps, the unlucky pair are abandoned and forgotten, only to wake up 500 years later in a world populated by a universally dumb society ruled by halfwits. Thus Joe and Rita find themselves in a brave new world, where they are the two most towering intellects on the planet.
Director: Mike Judge
Starring: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Crews, Anthony 'Citric' Campos, David Herman
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2006, 15, 3 Star)

00:55


Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 15 certificate
Jim Jarmusch's film marries up the ancient, honourable traditions of the Samurai with the less honourable traditions of mid-ranking Mafiosi through the enigmatic Ghost Dog. His life having been saved by mobster Louie, Ghost Dog is now beholden and becomes their hit-man, reachable only by carrier pigeon, but deadly efficient. But when a hit goes wrong thanks to Louie, Ghost Dog is the target and now is the time for the Samurai lore to come to the fore to ensure his survival. Part thriller, part meditation on the human condition, the film is also garnished by a wonderful collection of character actors who have spent their lives playing mobsters including Cliff Gorman, Henri Silva and Gene Ruffini.
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Dennis Liu, Frank Minucci, Richard Portnow
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1999, 15, 4 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Saturday 1st March

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


To be Announced (Film) Film icon PG certificate
More information will be available closer to broadcast.
(PG)

13:00


Marley and Me (Film) Film icon 4 star rating PG certificate
The Devil Wears Prada director David Frankel's light comedy-drama - based on a best-selling autobiography - stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as two journalists who welcome an unruly dog into their lives. Relocating to Florida, newly-weds John and Jenny Grogan end up working for rival newspapers, with Jenny landing the more high-profile job. When she starts to get broody, one of John's colleagues suggests they see how they cope with a puppy before trying for a baby, so John picks a cute yellow Labrador retriever, Marley, as a gift for Jenny. Marley is a double-edged sword: he's an untrainably anarchic source of destruction; but he also gives John the material for a wry newspaper column, which improves his standing and the paper's circulation figures. The film follows the Grogans' marriage, through good times and bad, with Marley providing comic relief, and the leads turning in convincing, heart-warming performances.
Director: David Frankel
Starring: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Kathleen Turner, Alan Arkin, Ann Dowd
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2008, PG, 4 Star)

15:15


Imagine That (Film) Film icon 3 star rating PG certificate
Eddie Murphy stars in this family comedy from Over the Hedge director Karey Kirkpatrick. Evan Danielson is a divorced workaholic financial advisor, whose young daughter Olivia has come to stay with him for a week. Initially he makes little time for her, worrying instead about his own future at a company that seems about to go under. But when Olivia's imaginary friends begin to offer remarkably prescient financial advice of their own, Danielson finds himself drawn into her world of make-believe.
Director: Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden-Church, Yara Shahidi, Ronny Cox, Stephen Rannazzisi, Nicole Ari Parker
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2009, PG, 3 Star)

17:20


The Phantom (Film) Film icon 12 certificate
Simon Wincer's retro fantasy adventure, based on Lee Falk's classic comic strip, stars Billy Zane as Kit Walker, otherwise known as the Phantom. The crimefighter, who unlike other superheroes must rely solely on his human strength and ingenuity, is committed to battling all forms of injustice, cruelty and piracy. However, his immediate concern is to keep out of the hands of criminal genius Xander Drax three skulls which, if used together, can confer ultimate power. When Kit's ex-girlfriend Diana Palmer is sent to investigate claims of piracy against Xander, she is captured by female pirates led by Sala. Can the Phantom win the race to unite the skulls? And can he rescue Diana without revealing his secret identity to her?
Director: Simon Wincer
Starring: Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Remar, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 1996, 12, 2 Star)

19:10


Bedazzled (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 12 certificate
Faustian comedy about the mishaps that occur when the devil grants seven wishes to a lovesick divorcee in return for his soul. The Princess of Darkness approaches an office worker harbouring a crush on a colleague with an offer to help in his failing advances. But as the young man is transformed into a plethora of characters, including a rock star and the US president, not one of his personas is able to get the girl.
Director: Harold Ramis
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley, Frances O'Connor, Miriam Shor, Orlando Jones
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2000, 12, 3 Star)



21:00


The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
John Travolta and Denzel Washington star in Tony Scott's remake of the 1974 thriller. It's a day the passengers on a New York subway train are unlikely to forget. And it's one that could rescue the professional life of subway employee Walter Garber, whose glittering career has been derailed by allegations of corruption. Garber is languishing on duty as a train dispatcher when all hell breaks loose after one of the Lexington Avenue line trains is hijacked by a gang led by the supremely self-assured, dispassionately ruthless Ryder. Ryder issues a demand for $10m and makes it clear that he won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way. Garber and NYPD hostage negotiator Lieutenant Camonetti attempt to get to grips with the crisis but, as events progress, suspicions arise as to whether there's more to the hijacking than first meets the eye. Also starring James Gandolfini as New York's mayor and Luis Guzman as a disgruntled subway worker who has joined Ryder's gang.
Director: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzmán, Victor Gojcaj, John Turturro, Michael Rispoli
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2009, 15, 3 Star)

23:05


28 Days Later (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 18 certificate
Horror about Cillian Murphy,one of those unaffected by a plague which has turned most of humanity into blood-crazed zombies. As he and a growing band of survivors group together in London and try to reach the military stronghold commanded by Chris Eccleston in Manchester, they face the most dangerous journey of their lives.
Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Noah Huntley, Christopher Eccleston, Brendan Gleeson, Naomie Harris, Megan Burns
(Subtitles, 2002, 18, 4 Star)

01:20


Spanking the Monkey (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 18 certificate
Jeremy Davies and Alberta Watson star in David O Russell's directorial debut, a witty, wry drama about a student who is made to abandon his studies in order to look after his mother, who has broken her leg. But, while tending to her post-injury needs, he finds they both have other needs, and they're ones which neither should act upon.
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Jeremy Davies, Elizabeth Newett, Benjamin Hendrickson, Alberta Watson, Carla Gallo, Liberty Jean
(Subtitles, 1994, 18, 3 Star)

[gertl]

Film4 Listings for Sunday 2nd March

Listings: all day morning afternoon evening late night

11:00


Broken Lance (Film) Film icon 3 star rating U certificate
Edward Dmytryk's Oscar-winning western stars Spencer Tracy as Matt Devereaux, a strict disciplinarian who treats his sons Joe, Ben, Denny and Mike little better than employees on his ranch. However, when he leads a raid on a copper mine that's destroying his land, it's Joe who takes the blame. But returning home after three years in prison, he finds his father dead and his brothers unwilling to recognise his sacrifice.
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters
(Subtitles, 1954, U, 3 Star)

13:00


St. Trinian's (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 12 certificate
Directors Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson's overhaul of the comedy franchise about the rebellious pupils of a girls' boarding school stars Talulah Riley, Rupert Everett and Gemma Arterton. Annabelle Fritton, daughter of dodgy art dealer Carnaby, enrols at the shabby country boarding school, St Trinian's, run by her aunt Camilla. Head Girl Kelly introduces Annabelle to the school's various factions. And when Annabelle discovers the crazy, raucous 'curriculum', she realises that this is a school like no other. However, once she's past a cruel initiation prank, she settles down and enjoys being part of the chaos. But then disaster strikes: the school lacks the funds to continue. The institution's finest brains come up with a rescue plan... which involves the theft of a world-famous artwork. Also starring in the madness are Colin Firth, as a beleaguered school inspector, and Russell Brand, as Flash Harry, who helps the girls in their myriad nefarious deeds.
Director: Oliver Parker, Barnaby Thompson
Starring: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Jodie Whittaker, Gemma Arterton, Jonathan Bailey, Mischa Barton
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2007, 12, 3 Star)

14:55


Stardust (Film) Film icon 4 star rating PG certificate
Matthew Vaughn's delightful family fantasy starring Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller and Claire Danes. The village of Wall nestles alongside a mysterious wall that must not be crossed. But when Tristan promises to bring his beloved Victoria a star that has fallen from the sky and landed on the other side of the divide, he finds himself caught up in a mystical world. Four treacherous sons also seek the fallen star to gain their dying father's throne, as do three evil witches, for more nefarious reasons. When the star takes the human form of Yvaine, Tristan sets out to take her to Victoria. But, along the way, they face deadly enemies and make unlikely allies.
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sienna Miller, Robert de Niro, Mark Strong
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2007, PG, 4 Star)

17:20


Fantastic Mr. Fox (Film) Film icon 4 star rating PG certificate
A witty stop-motion animated version of the Roald Dahl children's classic from offbeat comedy writer-director Wes Anderson. Now that Mr Fox has become the proud father of a cub, he declares to his wife that he will finally grow up and stop his chicken-pilfering ways. But when some wicked farmers move in to Mr Fox's neck of the woods, it starts to look as though temptation will prove too hard to resist for our hero... Also featuring the voices of Bill Murray, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson and Jarvis Cocker.
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wallace Wolodarsky, Eric Chase Anderson
(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2009, PG, 4 Star)

19:05


The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 12 certificate
Zac Efron takes the title role in this supernatural romantic fantasy from director Burr Steers. Life is looking good for teenager Charlie St Cloud: in spite of his relatively humble origins, his competitive yachting career is progressing nicely and he has just gained acceptance to an Ivy League university. But all this good stuff is destroyed in an instant when his brother Sam is killed in a car crash. Charlie turns his back on the world and takes a job in the cemetery where Sam is buried. It's here that the supernatural element kicks in, as Charlie can see and interact with the spirits of the dead, which means he can continue to spend time with his beloved sibling. But Charlie's world isn't entirely ethereal and, when he falls for his former classmate - and sailing equal - Tess Carroll, he finds himself forced to choose between his love for her and that for Sam, between the living and the dead.
Director: Burr Steers
Starring: Zac Efron, Charlie Tahan, Amanda Crew, Augustus Prew, Donal Logue, Kim Basinger
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2010, 12, 3 Star)



21:00


Sanctum (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield and Ioan Gruffudd star in Alister Grierson's caving drama. Frank McGuire is a vastly experienced cave diver who is leading the exploration of the world's largest unexplored cave system in Papua New Guinea. But when a huge cyclone hits the area, he and the team - which includes his teenage son Josh, the expedition's financier Carl Hurley and Hurley's girlfriend Victoria Elaine - are cut off from their support team up on the surface by torrential influxes of storm water. Trapped, with no hope of returning safely the way they entered, and carrying precious few supplies to sustain themselves, the cavers are forced to see if they can find another way out of the labyrinth.
Director: Alister Grierson
Starring: Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson, Dan Wyllie, Christopher Baker
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2011, 15, 3 Star)

23:10


Pride and Glory (Film) Film icon 4 star rating 15 certificate
Gavin O'Connor's New York-set police corruption thriller stars Edward Norton, Colin Farrell and Jon Voight. When four cops are shot dead in a drugs bust gone bad, detective Ray Tierney is persuaded by his father, NYPD chief Francis Sr, to lead the investigation into what went wrong. But as Ray delves further, it becomes ever more apparent that the corruption he uncovers not only threatens scandal for the Washington Heights precinct, but is also likely to rip apart his own family, most of whom are also in the force.
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Starring: Colin Farrell, Edward Norton, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Ehle, John Ortiz
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2008, 15, 4 Star)

01:45


Thumbsucker (Film) Film icon 3 star rating 15 certificate
Lou Taylor Pucci stars in Mike Mills' comedy-drama about a teen's difficult passage into adulthood. Justin Cobb is 17 and suffering the trials of every other kid his age. But his default coping mechanism, sucking his thumb, both singles him out from his cohort and enrages his father, Mike, who seems to take the aberration as a personal affront. A cure clearly needs to be found. But, when Mike's humiliating home-grown solution fails and the efforts of Justin's holistic orthodontist Dr Perry Lyman have just as little effect, it's decided it's time for the lad to see a doctor. He's diagnosed with ADHD and the prescribed drugs do indeed tackle the problem. Unfortunately they also radically, and negatively, transform the mild-mannered teen's character... Also starring Tilda Swinton, as Justin's mum, and Vince Vaughn, as his highly unconventional school debating team coach.
Director: Mike Mills
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Keanu Reeves, Ted Beckman, Lou Taylor Pucci, Tilda Swinton, Vincent D'Onofrio
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 2005, 15, 3 Star)