The Weekly Retro Movie Rundown 176

Daydream believer! It's really time for another fun-filled and action-packed retro movie weekend? Oh....go on then!

With the big day drawing ever closer, we find ourselves once again in that slightly dazed and confused situation where we're not sure just who's gifts we've grabbed, who's we've yet to sort or if we even have enough time to get it all done! Alas! With the clock ticking, will we ever get this sorted in time to enjoy all the festivities? Will we please everyone we really like to? Or will we just say sod it all and have a blast! ......probably that one.

Happy retro weekend!

SATURDAY 12th December

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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) More4 10:50am-1:00pm (2 hours 10 minutes)

Two notorious outlaws' routine of bank and train robberies is cut short when a seemingly unstoppable posse is formed to catch them. The pair plan to flee America and start a new life in Bolivia, with the Sundance Kid's schoolmistress lover in tow - but staying ahead of the law is not so easy. Western, starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katharine Ross.

Fun Fact: 'Butch Cassidy' (Robert Leroy Parker) was so nick-named because he once worked in a butcher's shop whilst 'The Sundance Kid' (Harry Alonzo Longabaugh) was nick-named this because he once was arrested in the Wyoming town of Sundance.

The 'Burbs (1989) ITV4 12:35pm-2:35pm (2 hours)

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.

The Dark Crystal (1982) Film4 1:00pm-2:50pm (1 hour 50 minutes)

A survivor of a near-extinct race is given a dangerous quest as his world approaches an astronomical event that will decide its future. He must find a way to restore a broken piece to a magical crystal, which has become a source of dark power for the cruel creatures who wiped out his people. Jim Henson's puppet fantasy, with the voices of Stephen Garlick and Billie Whitelaw.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) Syfy 1:00pm-3:20pm (2 hours 20 minutes)

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise face their deadliest enemies, the Borg, who travel back in time in an attempt to change Earth's history. The starship follows on a mission to foil their plan, but the vessel is taken over by members of the cyborg collective, leaving Picard consumed by a desire for revenge. Sci-fi adventure sequel, starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, James Cromwell and Alice Krige.

The Rugrats Movie (1999) Film4 2:50pm-4:25pm (1 hour 35 minutes)

Tommy tries to return his new brother to the baby shop, helped by Angelica, Chuckie, Phil and Lil - but the friends get lost in dense woodlands en route, turning their expedition into a scary and exciting journey of discovery. Animated comedy based on the TV series, with the voices of Elizabeth Daily, Christine Cavanaugh, Kath Soucie, Whoopi Goldberg and Busta Rhymes.

Toy Story (1995) BBC1 London 3:00pm-4:15pm (1 hour 15 minutes)

A jealous string-pulled cowboy doll's status as his owner's favourite plaything is threatened by the arrival of a charismatic hi-tech astronaut figure, who refuses to believe he is simply a toy. However, the rivals are forced to work together when they are left stranded in the outside world. Pixar animated adventure, featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles and Jim Varney.

Back to the Future Part III (1990) ITV2 7:40pm-10:05pm (2 hours 25 minutes)

Time-travelling teenager Marty McFly is transported back to the days of the Wild West, where he strives to save his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown from death at the hands of a villainous gunslinger. Final instalment in the sci-fi comedy trilogy, starring Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen and Thomas F Wilson.

Stargate (1994) 5* 6:05pm-8:30pm (2 hours 25 minutes)

An Egyptologist and a soldier head an expedition through a mysterious portal to an alien planet. The world they find resembles ancient Egypt and is under the rule of a tyrant who has convinced the downtrodden inhabitants that he is a god - until the humans incite the enslaved populace to fight back. Sci-fi adventure, starring Kurt Russell, James Spader and Jaye Davidson.

Hard to Kill (1990) ITV4 9:00pm-11:05pm (2 hours 5 minutes)

A gang of drug dealers attacks the home of a Los Angeles cop, leaving him in a coma and his wife dead. Seven years later, he regains consciousness and gets ready to exact a grisly payback on the murderers. As he embarks on his deadly mission of vengeance, he learns his son also survived the attack, but was told he is dead. Thriller, with Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock, Bill Sadler and Frederick Coffin.

Fun Fact: Was filmed with the title "Seven Year Storm" and publicized in several trade magazines with that name. Warner Bros. decided to re title the finished pic "Hard to Kill" to make it sound more like a slam-bang action film.

The Prestige (2006) BBC2 London 10:45pm-12:50am (2 hours 5 minutes)

Victorian stage illusionists Robert Angier and Alfred Borden engage in a bitter personal and professional rivalry. The pair resort to increasingly brutal measures to sabotage each other's acts, while Angier becomes obsessed with the secret behind Borden's greatest illusion. Christopher Nolan's mystery thriller, starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo and Scarlett Johansson, with David Bowie as real-life scientific pioneer Nikola Tesla.

The Quest (1996) ITV4 11:05pm-1:00am (1 hour 55 minutes)

A New York street thug is saved from life on the fringes of society by a conman, who launches him on a new career in the world of bare-knuckle fighting. Action adventure directed by and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. With Roger Moore, James Remar, Janet Gunn, Jack McGee and Aki Aleong.

Starsky & Hutch (2004) Sky1 10:00pm-12:00am (2 hours)

Two mismatched detectives are forced to work together for the first time to track down a crime kingpin who has introduced a new, undetectable narcotic to the streets - but they struggle to get along. Comedy spoofing the 1970s cop show, starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Snoop Dogg, Vince Vaughn and Juliette Lewis.

SUNDAY 13th December

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Evil Under the Sun (1982) ITV London 12:40pm-3:00pm (2 hours 20 minutes)

Hercule Poirot braves the heat and sand to investigate the murder of a glamorous stage star on an idyllic Adriatic holiday island. It becomes clear many people had reason to want the temperamental actress dead and the Belgian sleuth is soon hard at work figuring out which of her enemies eventually managed to kill her. Mystery, with Peter Ustinov, Diana Rigg, James Mason, Maggie Smith and Jane Birkin.

Toy Story 2 (1999) BBC1 London 2:45pm-4:15pm (1 hour 30 minutes)

Cowboy doll Woody is stolen by an unscrupulous toy collector, who knows he is worth a fortune as a collectible, prompting fearless Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear to lead a daring across-town mission to rescue him. However, Woody is tempted to spend his life languishing in the safety of a museum rather than face the prospect of his owner growing up. Animated sequel, featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack and Kelsey Grammer.

King Kong (1976) Film4 3:35pm-6:25pm (2 hours 50 minutes)

Oil prospectors travel to a recently discovered and remote Pacific island, where they encounter a gigantic gorilla. The men manage to capture the huge ape and bring it back to America - but the confused creature is terrified by events and escapes, wreaking havoc in New York. Remake of the classic 1933 fantasy adventure, with Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange and Charles Grodin.

A Knight's Tale (2001) Film4 6:25pm-9:00pm (2 hours 35 minutes)

A poverty-stricken squire spies an opportunity to make his dreams come true when his employer dies. He takes his place as a knight, launching himself on the road to riches by competing in jousting tournaments, but his ruse is jeopardised by a dastardly nobleman. Comedy adventure, starring Heath Ledger, Paul Bettany, Mark Addy, Shannyn Sossamon and Rufus Sewell.

Scrooge (1970) Channel 5 7:35pm-9:55pm (2 hours 20 minutes)

Hard-hearted Victorian miser Ebenezer Scrooge refuses to join in with the spirit of the festive season - until a succession of spectral visitors turn up to teach him the error of his ways. Musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol, starring Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Kenneth More, Edith Evans and Paddy Stone.

Enemy of the State (1998) BBC3 9:00pm-11:05pm (2 hours 5 minutes)

A chance encounter with an old friend derails a successful lawyer's fast-track career, plunging him headlong into a deadly game of cat and mouse with relentless government agents capable of anticipating his every move. He quickly realises the only way to save his own life is to expose the truths his pursuers seem so intent on covering up, and seeks out a former intelligence agent to take them on at their own game. Thriller, starring Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight and Lisa Bonet.

The Day of the Jackal (1973) ITV4 9:00pm-11:55pm (2 hours 55 minutes)

A group of conspirators contracts the Jackal, a professional hitman, to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle of France. The killer starts to put his painstaking plans into action, creating a new identity, establishing his alibi and commissioning a custom-made weapon, while out-foxing the French police at every turn. Fred Zinnemann's adaptation of Frederick's Forsyth thriller, with Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale, Alan Badel, Tony Britton and Cyril Cusack.

Wayne's World (1992) GOLD 9:00pm-10:55pm (1 hour 55 minutes)

Two heavy-metal fans broadcast an amateur TV programme from their basement. A slimy network executive offers them the chance to turn professional, but as they enjoy the perks of wealth and fame, they find their show being ruined by corporate interference. Comedy, starring Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere and Lara Flynn Boyle, with a cameo by Alice Cooper.

Seven Years in Tibet (1997) BBC2 London 11:00pm-1:10am (2 hours 10 minutes)

An arrogant Austrian mountaineer tries to become the first to conquer a peak in India that has claimed the lives of 11 previous climbers. However, the outbreak of the Second World War leaves him languishing in a PoW camp. He escapes and ends up in the holy city of Lhasa, where he befriends the 14-year-old Dalai Lama and learns the meaning of inner peace. Fact-based drama, starring Brad Pitt, David Thewlis and BD Wong.

Fun Fact: Jetsun Pema is the real-life sister of the The Dalai Lama. In this film she plays the mother of the The Dalai Lama and hence her own mother.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974) ITV3 12:05am-2:25am (2 hours 20 minutes)

An American businessman travelling on the Orient Express from Istanbul to Paris tries to hire Hercule Poirot to discover the source of the death threats that have been made against him. The sleuth refuses, but wakes up the following morning to learn the man has been stabbed to death while the train was held up by heavy snow - and there is no shortage of suspects among the passengers. Agatha Christie mystery, starring Albert Finney, Lauren Ba.

Whatever you're up to this weekend, if you're thirsty it's too late and don't forget to collect your points.

xoxo