The Weekly Retro Movie Rundown 180
Stop the press! Another weekend is upon us which can only mean one thing! Time for another classic TruffleShuffle retro movie rundown!
With our telescope and binoculars all cleaned up, focused and at the ready, we find ourselves scanning the skies once again in search of some of the biggest and loudest jumbo jets in the sky! Like finding the perfect film for a night in, we'll sit down comfortably and let the excitement build as we follow the mighty aircraft across the sky and let our minds wonder as to where it might be going like all good stories should.
Have a happy retro weekend!
SATURDAY 23rd JANUARY
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Small Soldiers (1998) ITV2 2:05pm-4:20pm (2 hours 15 minutes)
A hi-tech computer chip has a bizarre effect on a squad of toy soldiers, causing mayhem for their owner as the miniature marauders engage in a series of scaled-down skirmishes. Children's adventure mixing live action and computer animation, starring Kirsten Dunst, Denis Leary and Gregory Smith, with the voices of Tommy Lee Jones, Frank Langella, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Christina Ricci.
The Sting (1973) ITV4 2:20pm-5:00pm (2 hours 40 minutes)
Two conmen decide to swindle a mobster out of a fortune in revenge for the murder of a mutual friend. Enlisting the help of a host of crooks, they quickly conjure up a brilliant scheme to make him pay for his crime. Oscar-winning Depression-era comedy drama, starring Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning and Eileen Brennan.
The War of the Worlds (1953) Film4 3:15pm-5:00pm (1 hour 45 minutes)
A meteor strike in southern California turns out to contain a deadly alien war machine that wipes out anything in its path. This machine is the vanguard of a mass invasion of aliens from Mars, who are intent on wiping out the human race and claiming Earth for themselves. Sci-fi drama, updating HG Wells' novel to a 20th-century setting, starring Gene Barry, Ann Robinson and Les Tremayne.
Fun Fact: The sound effects of the Martian war machines' heat ray were created from three electric guitars played backward.
Jurassic Park III (2001) ITV2 6:25pm-8:15pm (1 hour 50 minutes)
Palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant is lured to a dinosaur-infested island by a divorced couple who offer to fund his research, unaware their real motive is to find their missing son - and that the creatures on the island are far more intelligent than anyone suspected. Action adventure sequel, starring Sam Neill, William H Macy, Tea Leoni and Alessandro Nivola.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Film4 7:05pm-8:55pm (1 hour 50 minutes)
A socially inept high-school student and his lonely unemployed brother find their eccentric home life thrown into upheaval when their meddling uncle comes to stay. The teenage oddball tries to make the best of his changing circumstances, while putting all his skills to the task of helping his new best friend win the class presidency. Comedy, starring Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez and Haylie Duff.
SUNDAY 24th JANUARY
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The 'Burbs (1989) ITV4 12:20pm-2:25pm (2 hours 5 minutes)
The arrival of secretive neighbours sparks an unhealthy curiosity in a group of friends, leading them to go to bizarre lengths to discover the truth about the newcomers. However, their investigations take an even weirder twist when they begin to suspect their unseen fellow suburbanites are part of a cannibalistic cult. Joe Dante's black comedy, starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Corey Feldman and Henry Gibson.
Smokey and the Bandit (1977) ITV4 2:25pm-4:15pm (1 hour 50 minutes)
A truck driver accepts a challenge to deliver a consignment of beer to a party. He claims he can make the 900-mile round trip in just 28 hours, but a pompous sheriff is determined to stop him in his tracks, not least because his prospective daughter-in-law has deserted his son and hitched a ride with the unlikely hero. Comedy, starring Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Sally Field and Jerry Reed.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) E4 2:30pm-5:00pm (2 hours 30 minutes)
Hapless youngster Kevin somehow manages to catch the wrong plane and finds himself heading for New York, while his family jets off to Florida. Having got his hands on his father's credit card, he is enjoying the good life staying in a luxury hotel - until he bumps into two familiar burglars with an axe to grind. Comedy sequel, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Brenda Fricker and Tim Curry.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) ITV London 3:15pm-6:00pm (2 hours 45 minutes)
James Bond is sent on a mission to track down master criminal and arch-enemy Blofeld, who is intent on destroying world peace by means of a lethal virus unless he receives an international amnesty for his crimes. Spy adventure, starring George Lazenby in his only outing as 007, alongside Telly Savalas, Diana Rigg and Gabrielle Ferzetti.
Fun Fact: As Bond passes a janitor in Draco's headquarters, the man can be heard whistling the Goldfinger (1964) theme.
The Mummy (1999) ITV2 4:00pm-6:20pm (2 hours 20 minutes)
A soldier of fortune joins an academic and her conniving brother on an expedition to an ancient Egyptian lost city. The explorers accidentally cause the spirit of a vengeful priest with awe-inspiring supernatural powers to rise from his tomb, leading to a desperate battle for survival. Fantasy action adventure, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo and Oded Fehr.
Labyrinth (1986) Channel 5 5:05pm-7:05pm (2 hours)
A teenager wishes her baby brother would be taken away, only to have her request granted by a band of goblins and their sinister king. She regrets her decision and sets out to rescue him, but to reach the castle where he is being held, she must find her way through a magical maze full of strange creatures. Jim Henson's fantasy adventure, starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie.
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) BBC3 9:00pm-11:00pm (2 hours)
New York cop John McClane returns to duty following an explosion at a department store in the city. The perpetrator contacts the police and tells them that unless McClane and an unfortunate bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time carry out a series of instructions to the letter, more bombs will be detonated. Action thriller sequel, starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson and Jeremy Irons.
Whatever you're up to this weekend, always keep a charger handy and remember to put the right disc in the right case.
xoxo