The Weekly Retro Movie Rundown – 412
When it feels like someone has slowed down the spin of the entire globe and not only are we stuck in a forever Winter, but everything else is on pause too, it's a good time to slow down too, take a breath and work out your next steps.
SATURDAY 16th January
Harry and the Hendersons (1987) Film4 12:45pm-3:00pm
A hapless family's camping holiday in the mountains is brought to a sudden end when they accidentally hit the legendary Bigfoot with their car. They decide to adopt the endearing creature but have more trouble than expected trying to keep him concealed and to avoid arousing their neighbours' suspicions. Comedy, starring John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, David Suchet, Don Ameche and Kevin Peter Hall.
The Towering Inferno (1974) ITV4 4:00pm-7:15pm
The world's tallest building goes up in flames during the opening celebrations. While the architect who designed the skyscraper tries to save the party-goers trapped on the 135th floor, a fire chief leads a valiant attempt to fight the blaze. Disaster movie, starring Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Susan Blakely and Robert Vaughn.
Shrek (2001) ITV2 5:00pm-6:50pm
Anti-social ogre Shrek resolves to stop an evil ruler from banishing fairy-tale characters to his swampland home. However, the reluctant hero ends up forced to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from a castle guarded by a dragon, aided only by a wisecracking donkey. Animated comedy, with the voices of Mike Myers, John Lithgow, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Vincent Cassel.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) Channel 4 6:30pm-9:00pm
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. The action-adventure sequel directed by Steven Spielberg, the third instalment in the successful franchise. Harrison Ford stars as the titular hero, alongside Sean Connery, Alison Doody, River Phoenix, Julian Glover and Denholm Elliott.
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Armageddon (1998) ITV4 9:20pm-12:25am
Nasa discovers an asteroid the size of Texas is on a collision course with Earth, so a drilling expert is recruited to train a team of misfits to transport a nuclear device into outer space to destroy it - but having had no experience of space travel, the reluctant astronauts find themselves seriously out of their depth. Sci-fi thriller, with Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Michael Clarke Duncan, Billy Bob Thornton and Steve Buscemi.
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As Good as It Gets (1997) 5STAR 9:00pm-11:50pm
A bigoted misanthropic writer, who treats everyone he meets with contempt, is forced to look after a gay neighbour's dog and develops empathy with another creature for the first time in years. Sensing a need for human company, he pursues an unlikely romance with a waitress, who is the only person willing to put up with his rudeness. Romantic comedy-drama, with Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Cuba Gooding Jr and Greg Kinnear.
True Lies (1994) Channel 4 11:20pm-1:55am
A seemingly ordinary computer salesman leads a double life as a secret agent battling international terrorism. His naive wife is unaware of his dual employment and goes in search of adventure - only to end up in the clutches of terrorists who have stolen a nuclear weapon. James Cameron's action-comedy, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold.
SUNDAY 17th January
Thunderbirds Are Go! (1966) Film4 11:00am-1:05pm
International Rescue is called in to save the first manned space mission to Mars from sinister hijacker The Hood, and ensure a second attempt goes to plan. Puppet adventure based on Gerry Anderson's TV series, featuring the voices of Shane Rimmer, Ray Barrett, Alexander Davion, Peter Dyneley, Sylvia Anderson and Cliff Richard, voicing a puppet version of himself.
Bicentennial Man (1999) Sony Movies 2:20pm-4:55pm
A family purchases a robot servant to perform menial tasks but quickly realises this is no ordinary droid when he begins to develop human emotions and the capacity to think for himself, a quality encouraged by his owner's children. He asks for his freedom and spends the next 200 years struggling to come to terms with its humanity. Chris Columbus's sci-fi drama inspired by the books of Isaac Asimov, starring Robin Williams, Sam Neill, Embeth Davidtz and Oliver Platt.
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Shrek 2 (2004) ITV2 5:05pm-6:55pm
The grouchy ogre and his new wife Princess Fiona set out on a journey to meet her parents. However, the king and queen are less than impressed with their daughter's choice of husband, while a conniving fairy godmother is determined to make sure her own son gets to marry the princess. Animated adventure sequel, with the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Jennifer Saunders and Rupert Everett.
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) Film4 5:55pm-9:00pm
The shape-changing robots and their human allies face a confrontation with their original creator, who has brainwashed their leader and intends to save her own home planet by destroying Earth. To save the human race they must recover an ancient artefact from Arthurian legend - but their mission is threatened by old enemies as they uncover a terrible secret about the history of the world. Sci-fi adventure sequel, starring Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Chan, Stanley Tucci and John Turturro.
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The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) E4 6:55pm-9:00pm
An alien arrives on Earth, accompanied by an awesomely powerful robot, on a fateful mission - to decide if the human race deserves to continue - and if not, to wipe it out. The visitor is imprisoned in a military facility, but a scientist helps him escape, hoping to prove that mankind is worth saving. Sci-fi drama remake, starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly.
Airplane! (1980) ITV4 9:00pm-10:55pm
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.
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) Film4 9:00pm-11:45pm
The mutant heroes face the oldest and most powerful of their kind, an ancient Egyptian tyrant who is restored to life in the 1980s and plans to destroy civilisation and rebuild it in his own image. Superhero adventure sequel, starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Oscar Isaac.
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Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) ITV4 10:55pm-1:00am
The maverick haulier must overcome a crisis of confidence when he and his friends are hired to transport a pregnant elephant to Texas, a mammoth task that proves far from easy, especially with their old enemy in hot pursuit. Road comedy, with Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Dom DeLuise and Sally Field.
Whatever you're up to this weekend, never underestimate the power of some soft, warm socks.