The Weekly Retro Movie Rundown 248
Grab the wheel and push on the pedal! Another retro movie weekend has sniffed us out and is here to rock our world!
With the car packed up as full as the brimming fuel tank, we find ourselves just about to turn the key and start up another epic road trip to far and distant lands. What adventure awaits us? Where will we go and who will we meet? Taking a jump into the unknown with a pack of sweets for company, we'll buckle up and ride on out to discover things we could have never imagined. Roll out!
Have a happy retro weekend!
SATURDAY 1st July
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) ITV 10:25am-1:15pm (2 hours 50 minutes)
An orphaned boy endures a miserable childhood, until he discovers he has magical powers and enrols at a special school for young wizards. However, his suspicions are aroused by a sinister teacher who seems to be up to no good. Fantasy adventure, adapted from the first of JK Rowling's books, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman and Richard Harris.
Dragonheart (1996) ITV2 1:10pm-3:10pm
A knight sets out to slay a dragon, only to find the unhappy creature is the last of its kind. Forging an unlikely alliance, the pair embark on a mission to rid their kingdom of its tyrannical ruler. Fantasy adventure, starring Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite and Julie Christie, with the voice of Sean Connery.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) BBC1 3:30pm-5:25pm (1 hour 55 minutes)
The intrepid archaeologist sets out to find his estranged father, who has gone missing while searching for the Holy Grail. Once reunited, the duo team up to finish the task and locate the sacred relic before the Nazis get their hands on it. Action adventure sequel directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, River Phoenix, Julian Glover and Denholm Elliott.
The Secret of My Success (1987) Sony Movie Channel 3:50pm-6:10pm
A naive country boy travels to New York to make his fortune, only to end up working in a corporation's mail room. He chances on a vacant office and hatches a plan to pass himself off as a top-ranking executive, but leading a double life proves harder than expected. Comedy, starring Michael J Fox, Helen Slater, Richard Jordan and Fred Gwynne.
Flubber (1997) ITV2 5:00pm-6:50pm
A scatty professor is in financial trouble, and his only hope of avoiding disaster is to market his latest invention - a strange rubbery substance with a life of its own. However, a criminal gang is determined to get hold of his creation. Remake of 1961 Disney comedy The Absent-Minded Professor, with Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher McDonald and Wil Wheaton.
Last Action Hero (1993) Sony Movie Channel 6:20pm-9:00pm
A boy watching an action movie is transported into the film by a magic ticket and meets its hero figure, who refuses to believe he is a fictional character. Matters take a turn for the worse when the screen villain gets hold of the ticket and crosses over into the real world - where bad guys can win. Comedy adventure, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austin O'Brien, Charles Dance, F Murray Abraham and Anthony Quinn.
Eraser (1996) ITV4 9:00pm-11:20pm
An arms industry executive is placed in danger after she exposes evidence of illegal deals by an international corporation. The authorities respond by assigning her to the custody of a government agent who specialises in helping federal witnesses disappear from the system. However, when the operative is framed for murder, he is forced to balance his duties with efforts to clear his own name. Action thriller, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan, Vanessa L Williams and James Coburn.
Fun Fact: The company name "Cyrez" was originally "Cyrex", but the real-life company Cyrix complained. The movie had been shot, but all dialogue was dubbed and company logos were digitally altered during postproduction.
Total Recall (1990) ITV4 11:20pm-1:35am
A construction worker pays to have fake memories of a dream holiday implanted into his brain, but discovers his mind has already been tampered with - apparently to erase his true identity as a secret agent from a colony on Mars. He journeys to the planet in search of the truth, but is drawn into a conflict between the tyrannical ruler and a rebel faction. Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi thriller, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin and Michael Ironside.
Money Train (1995) Sony Movie Channel 11:15pm-1:40am
A New York cop in debt to loan sharks persuades his foster brother and fellow police officer to rob a train carrying all the day's takings from the city's subway network. However, things start to go wrong when a female detective creates rivalry between the pair, and a pyromaniac serial killer threatens their plans. Action comedy, starring Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Cooper.
SUNDAY 2nd July
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Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) 5STAR 8:45am-10:30am
A baby survives a shipwreck and is raised by a clan of ninjas, growing up to become clumsy and overweight, and does not fit in with the other warriors despite his best efforts. When a woman seeks their help, he seizes the chance to prove himself, travelling to America and battling an international counterfeiting operation. Slapstick comedy, starring Chris Farley, Nicolette Sheridan and Chris Rock.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) E4 12:30pm-2:35pm (2 hours 5 minutes)
A cocky teenager plays truant from school and spends the day dragging his girlfriend and a reluctant friend into all manner of crazy adventures in the big city - while the school's dean of students vows to stop at nothing to prove the youngster is faking illness. Comedy, starring Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, Jennifer Grey, Jeffrey Jones and Charlie Sheen.
The Parent Trap (1961) Film4 1:00pm-3:35pm (2 hours 35 minutes)
When twins sisters meet for the first time at summer camp, they decide it is high time their estranged parents got back together again, and hatch an ingenious plan to reunite them by swapping places with each other. Disney comedy, starring Hayley Mills in a dual role as both sisters, alongside Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith and Leo G Carroll.
Dante's Peak (1997) Channel 4 2:30pm-4:35pm (2 hours 5 minutes)
A vulcanologist's suspicions that a long-dormant volcano is about to erupt turn out to be true, prompting him to race against time to save the community standing in its way - and clash with local government officials weighing his predictions against the loss in tourism revenue. Disaster movie, starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, Elizabeth Hoffman and Charles Hallahan.
Fun Fact: Cast and crew of this movie found themselves in a distribution race with Twentieth Century Fox, who were producing the similarly themed potential blockbuster Volcano (1997) at the time. Due to a sped-up production schedule, Dante's Peak reached the cinemas almost 3 months earlier than Volcano, and had by far the best box office success. ALSO The "volcanic ash" was really fine newspaper shavings!
Legends of the Fall (1994) Sony Movie Channel 4:10pm-6:35pm
A retired army colonel has raised his three sons alone on their remote Montana ranch. But the all-male household is thrown into turmoil when the youngest son brings home his beautiful fiancee, causing jealousy and tensions that culminate in tragedy. Edward Zwick's period drama, starring Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond and Henry Thomas.
The Flintstones (1994) Channel 5 6:30pm-8:05pm (1 hour 35 minutes)
Blue-collar caveman Fred Flintstone is promoted to an executive position at work and unwittingly becomes embroiled in an embezzlement scheme - thanks in no small part to his seductive new assistant. Live-action version of the cartoon comedy, starring John Goodman, Rick Moranis, Rosie O'Donnell, Halle Berry and Elizabeth Taylor.
Airplane! (1980) Film4 7:20pm-9:00pm (1 hour 40 minutes)
The passengers on board an ill-fated airliner become increasingly jittery when the flight crew flounder during a food-poisoning crisis. As ground control personnel struggle heroically to ensure the plane lands safely, a traumatised war veteran must face his fear to take the controls. Spoof disaster movie, starring Robert Hays, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges.
Point Break (1991) Spike 9:00pm-11:25pm (2 hours 25 minutes)
An FBI agent infiltrates a Californian surfing gang suspected of carrying out a series of armed robberies wearing masks modelled on former US presidents. However, his loyalties are tested to the limits when he is befriended by the gang's leader. Kathryn Bigelow's thriller, starring Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Gary Busey and Lori Petty.
The Deer Hunter (1978) ITV4 9:00pm-12:45am
The lives of three American steelworkers and their families are torn apart in the wake of the Vietnam War. After enduring horrific treatment in a prison camp during the conflict, the three friends return to their homes but struggle to readjust to normal life. Oscar-winning drama, starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Savage and John Cazale in his last film role.
Whatever you're up to this weekend, always have a back up and remember to bring some dry socks.