Upcoming Movies on TV (UK)

[Swift]

Does anyone know of a late 90s airdate of Bullshot Crummond? I remember watching it and my dad explaining to me that it was a parody of Bulldog Drummond (something I wasn't familiar with obviously, but he was). Would've been Channel 4 or BBC2, I'd imagine. I've tried the BBC Genome and tvdrb.com but no luck, though I think the latter's listings are not complete anyway.

[Robin Davies]

I was unaware that Bullshot Crummond was an alternative title.
I've always seen it under the original title of Bullshot.

[colinr0380]

Rather quiet next week, though the big film is the premiere of Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky on ITV4 at 9 p.m. on Thursday 16th (almost the perfect ITV4 'men and motors' film that fits right in with the repeats of the Mad Max, Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run trilogies! Plus The Blues Brothers!)

The other item of interest has already been mentioned by jlnight, as BBC4's Storyville season continues with United Skates at 10 p.m. on Tuesday 14th. (I'd have double billed it with Skatetown, USA if I were running the schedules!)

EDIT: I forgot to mention the interesting repeat of the week, the 1948 Ingrid Bergman starring Joan of Arc on BBC2 at 2.55 p.m. on Monday 13th.

[colinr0380]

Does anyone know of a late 90s airdate of Bullshot Crummond? I remember watching it and my dad explaining to me that it was a parody of Bulldog Drummond (something I wasn't familiar with obviously, but he was). Would've been Channel 4 or BBC2, I'd imagine. I've tried the BBC Genome and tvdrb.com but no luck, though I think the latter's listings are not complete anyway.

I have it down from the Radio Times listings as being shown (as just Bullshot) on Channel 4 on 21st July 1995 and 7th November 1997 (Both screenings on Friday evenings! The screenings actually bookend Channel 4's "Handmade In Britain" series in 1996 showing all of the rest of the films from the studio, including real obscurities such as Water which is just crying out for an Indicator edition). That's the last time it has been on UK television since then.

(The 1929 Bulldog Drummond itself was shown a number of times on Channel 4 during that period as well - on 8th February 1995, the 25th August 1998 and the last time to date on 15th April 1999)

[GaryC]

London Live seems to be one for showing underseen Australian movies. As well as the previously mentioned Mad Dog Morgan (worth seeing, though only if they show it in 2.35:1) and Felicity (cack), tonight at midnight is Erskineville Kings, a breakthrough role for Hugh Jackman and a film never commercially released in the UK if you don't count its current availability on Amazon Prime. It's not uninteresting, but Jackman is the best of it. Next week also showing is Jasper Jones, from 2017, which I did like.

[Swift]

Excellent, thanks Colin!

[jlnight]

Straight on Till Morning, Fri 17th July, Talking Pictures. (been on London Live) or...
Black Gunn, Fri 17th July, London Live.

A Touch of Larceny, Sat 18th July, Talking Pictures.
Dark City (1950), Sat 18th July, Talking Pictures. Also Thu 23rd July. Or...
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Sat 18th July, Channel 4.
The Carpetbaggers, Sat 18th July, Talking Pictures. Also Thu 23rd July. Or...
Jackie (2016), Sat 18th July, Channel 4.
Cruel Passion, Sat 18th July, London Live.

Flame of the Islands, Sun 19th July, Talking Pictures. Also Wed 22nd July.
Harmony Lane (short), Sun 19th July, Talking Pictures. Also Tue 21st July.

Walking Out, Mon 20th July, Film4.
Heal the Living, late Mon 20th July, Film4.

What a Way to Go!, Tue 21st July, Sony Movies Classic.
The Great Smokey Roadblock, Tue 21st July, Talking Pictures. Also Fri 31st July.


All The Young Men never turned up.

Bullshot and Water have both turned up on London Live, which is where I got my copies from, so they've been on in the last 5 years at least.

[reaky]

The Carpetbaggers! TPTV are on a Carroll Baker roll (following Bunny Lake Is Missing, Station Six Sahara and Harlow). Must be a fan on the staff.

[domino harvey]

The Carpetbaggers! TPTV are on a Carroll Baker roll (following Bunny Lake Is Missing, Station Six Sahara and Harlow). Must be a fan on the staff.

They are easy to confuse, but Bunny Lake Is Missing is Carol Lynley

[reaky]

I always mix them up! Baba Yaga is Baker, isn’t it?

[domino harvey]

That one is her!

[reaky]

[Scratches head] And were there really TWO films called HARLOW in 1965, one with Baker and one with Lynley?

[domino harvey]

I haven’t seen the Lynley one, but it couldn’t possibly be worse than the Baker one! (Famous last words?)

[colinr0380]

Rather quiet next week though the big news is that there is another Jonathan Glazer directed short film (running 15 minutes) showing on BBC2 at 10 p.m. on Monday 20th called Strasbourg 1518. Here's the write up from the Radio Times:

Jonathan Glazer's dance film inspired by an event in which an involuntary mania took hold of citizens in the city of Strasbourg just over 500 years ago.

Hopefully it being officially announced rather than just dropped unexpectedly into the schedule as with The Fall may mean that I will get a chance to see it this time!

Other than that (and the already noted by jlnight big double bill of Three Billboards and Jackie on Channel 4 on Saturday 18th) Film4 is showing Walking Out at 11.10 p.m. on Monday 20th and Australian film Sweet Country at 9 p.m. on Thursday 23rd.

Repeat-wise Blade Runner 2049 is on ITV2 at 9 p.m. on Saturday 18th, Accidental Love (aka David O. Russell's Nailed) is on Film4 at 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday 20th, The Spanish Main directed by Frank Borzage is on BBC2 at 1.45 p.m. on Thursday 23rd, the Robert Mitchum psychological western Pursued is on Film4 at 12.45 p.m. on Thursday 23rd, Paul Verhoeven's Elle is on Film4 at 12.55 am. in the early hours of Saturday 25th, and BBC2 is showing For A Few Dollars More as a tribute to Ennio Morricone at 11.20 p.m. on Friday 24th.

[jlnight]

Champion (1949), Sat 25th July, Talking Pictures. Also Tue 28th July.
The Black Orchid, Sat 25th July, Talking Pictures. Also Fri 31st July.
Framed (1975), Sat 25th July, Talking Pictures. Also Thu 30th July. Or...
The Post (2017), Sat 25th July, Channel 4. Or...
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, starts Sat 25th July, London Live.
Queen of the Blues, starts late Sat 25th July, London Live.

Funny Face, Sun 26th July, Talking Pictures. Also Thu 30th July.
Hurry Sundown, Sun 26th July, Talking Pictures.

How to Steal a Million, Mon 27th July, Sony Movies Classic.

Mother Lode, Tue 28th July, London Live.
Ida, Tue 28th July, Film4.

Cold War (2018), Wed 29th July, Film4.
Alpha: The Right to Kill, late Wed 29th July, Film4. (first Tagalog film on TV since Metro Manila?)

[GaryC]

Another Australian film on London Live is The Rats of Tobruk (1944), on Sunday at 12.15pm. I'm not sure how often Charles Chauvel's films have been on UK television before.

[colinr0380]

Interesting next week. jlnight has pointed out the most interesting film of the week with Alpha: The Right To Kill at 12.25 a.m. in the early hours of Thursday 30th. Is that one of the few Brillante Mendoza films to show on UK television? I think maybe 2007's Slingshot turned up on Film4 a number of years back, but I don't think the more famous/notorious titles such as Kinatay, Serbis or Ma Rosa have yet been broadcast.

The other interesting thing is that BBC4's Saturday night international TV series slot is airing the first two parts (of six) of French sci-fi drama The Last Wave, which looks as if it could be equal parts Les revenants and that Heroes superpower series with a title alluding to that Peter Weir film!

Repeat-wise it is nice to see that BBC1 appear to be doing a Friday night horror film season with The Shining this coming Friday and the original Poltergeist on Friday 31st (which may be a subliminal joke, since both films are about scary buildings built on Indian burial grounds!). Though the real rarity among the repeat showings is The Miracle of the Bells ("Bells! Bells! Bells!") showing on BBC2 at 2.20 p.m. on Tuesday 28th, starring Fred MacMurray, Alida Valli and Frank Sinatra!

[jlnight]

Phase IV, Fri 31st July, Talking Pictures. Also Fri 7th Aug.

The Desperate Hours (1955), Sat 1st Aug, Talking Pictures. Also Wed 5th Aug.
The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Sat 1st Aug, Talking Pictures. Also Tue 4th Aug. (the Moviedrome film that never was!)
Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut, Sat 1st Aug, BBC2.
The Hitman's Apprentice, Sat 1st Aug, London Live.

The Blue Max, Sun 2nd Aug, Sony Movies Action.
On the Double, Sun 2nd Aug, Talking Pictures. Also Wed 5th Aug.

Bloomfield, Mon 3rd Aug, London Live.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Mon 3rd Aug, Sony Movies Classic.

A Touch of Sin, late Wed 5th Aug, Film4.

[colinr0380]

As jlnight notes Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut is on BBC2 at 9.30 p.m. on Saturday 1st. I have not been keeping up with the Apocalypse Now news but from reading the forum thread this is a version that comes in between the theatrical version and the mid 2000s 'Redux' version? I may need to record it just to have a copy of this different version for comparison purposes.

Rather quiet apart from that. Film4 are premiering the Denzel Washington film Roman J. Israel, Esq. at 9 p.m. on Tuesday 4th. And Channel 5 have a rare non-TV movie premiere, showing that film based on the real life Hatton Garden jewel heist robbery in 2015 that was pulled by a gang of ne'er do well elderlies and their naive young accomplice. No, not that one from 2016, or this one from 2017 but the one from 2018 called King of Thieves with a particularly star studded cast of Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon and Ray Winstone. Third time lucky, that will be showing at 10 p.m. on Wednesday 5th.

TV series-wise, with Miss America finishing its run this week BBC2 is moving on to showing Harlots starring Samantha Morton and Lesley Manville from 9 p.m. on Wednesday 5th. And I forgot to note that BBC1's 9 p.m. Sunday night drama slot is currently showing A Suitable Boy, directed by Mira Nair.

Repeat-wise, along with the already noted A Touch of Sin, BBC1's undercover horror season continues at 10.45 p.m. on Friday 7th with Interview With The Vampire. BBC1 is also showing Dangerous Liaisons at 10.30 p.m. on Sunday 2nd. And Film4 is showing Wild Tales at 1.15 a.m. on Sunday 2nd as well as For Those In Peril at 1.35 a.m. in the early hours of Wednesday 5th.

[Roger Ryan]

As jlnight notes Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut is on BBC2 at 9.30 p.m. on Saturday 1st. I have not been keeping up with the Apocalypse Now news but from reading the forum thread this is a version that comes in between the theatrical version and the mid 2000s 'Redux' version?

If by "comes in between" you mean the version that splits the difference between the two previous versions, you're right to some extent. Re-edited and released last year, The Final Cut retains most of what went into the "Redux" version, minus one significant section, but does some judicious trimming here and there that improves the pacing (and, in one instance, removes a particularly trite line of dialogue). It's the best version of the film in my opinion, but only if you really liked "Redux".

[GaryC]

Now here's a rarity. From Talking Pictures TV, Tuesday 4th at 11.20am, Sally Sallies Forth:

1928. Comedy. Director: Frances Lascot. A young woman becomes a maid for a day at a garden tea party. The first 'all-woman' film production in the UK. Part of the Women Amateur Filmmakers collection.

I know that TPTV have gone all the way back to the beginning of the talkie era with some of the films they've shown, but I don't remember them showing many silents.

ETA: And the above film is so obscure it doesn't currently have an IMDB entry!

[jlnight]

Crimes at the Dark House (1940), Thu 6th Aug, London Live.
Girl in Room 13, Thu 6th Aug, Talking Pictures.
Half Human, late Thu 6th Aug, Talking Pictures.

Everything: The Real Thing Story, Fri 7th Aug, BBC4.

The Dark Mirror (1946), Sat 8th Aug, BBC2.
Foul Play, Sat 8th Aug, Talking Pictures.
Come Back, Little Sheba, Sat 8th Aug, Talking Pictures.

Fun in Acapulco, Sun 9th Aug, Talking Pictures. Also Thu 13th Aug.
The High and the Mighty, Sun 9th Aug, Talking Pictures.
Desire Under the Elms, Sun 9th Aug, Talking Pictures.

Disobedience, Tue 11th Aug, Film4. Or...
This Gun for Hire, Tue 11th Aug, Sony Movies Classic.
The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler, late Tue 11th Aug, Talking Pictures.

Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940), Wed 12th Aug, London Live.
Dangerous Charter (1962), late Wed 12th Aug, Talking Pictures.

[colinr0380]

As jlnight notes Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut is on BBC2 at 9.30 p.m. on Saturday 1st. I have not been keeping up with the Apocalypse Now news but from reading the forum thread this is a version that comes in between the theatrical version and the mid 2000s 'Redux' version?

If by "comes in between" you mean the version that splits the difference between the two previous versions, you're right to some extent. Re-edited and released last year, The Final Cut retains most of what went into the "Redux" version, minus one significant section, but does some judicious trimming here and there that improves the pacing (and, in one instance, removes a particularly trite line of dialogue). It's the best version of the film in my opinion, but only if you really liked "Redux".

Thanks for the breakdown! Despite having had the Redux version in my 'to watch' pile for the last fourteen years or so I had never dug it out and so have up to this point only been familiar with the theatrical cut, which was the only version shown on UK television until last night. So even the Redux material is new to me beyond the Final Cut tweaks!

Forgive me if this material was already in the theatrical version and I just forgot it after it being so long since I last watched it, but I was really struck by all of the first person subjective point of view shots in the film this time around. Particularly in that opening mission briefing/dinner scene where we get so many shots from Captain Willard's point of view of his superiors looking at him, of his point of view on the confidential documents, and even most interestingly the shot of his dinner plate framed as if we the audience were in his position sitting there getting served! That scene all builds to the uncomfortable moment where Willard's traumatised gaze into camera is being counter-shot contrasted with the stern face of the soldier giving the orders looking directly back into the camera, as if he knows that Willard is expendable and not coming back from whatever journey he is being sent on (whether imposed on him from outside or driven by self-destructive urges from within).

I am pretty sure that most of that scene of actually sitting down to dinner rather than getting briefed before it was new from the theatrical version(?) but either way it makes a nice pairing with the French plantation scene at the opposite end of the film, which is similarly about a veneer of (hypocritical, because they're the cause of the horror... the horror) civilisation being maintained whilst the world falls apart around them. With our main character the jaded witness and tool of ultimate nihilistic destruction who seems forever out of place at a proper dinner table. Though really the plantation scene does run the risk of being unfavourably compared to Carry On Up The Khyber's dinner scene, which hit on most of the same targets!

But back to the first person witnessing moments. Now it feels as if from the very earliest moment we are inhabiting Captain Willard more than just witnessing events with him. Maybe that's the new angle of these Redux and Final Cut versions, clarifying things more? Though again perhaps it is just that the last time I saw Apocalypse Now in its theatrical version I was a teenager and now I have just turned 40, so maybe that brings its own weight to bear on a repeat viewing, but I never felt a sense of connection so strongly with the main character the previous times of watching the film, more seeing him like the bunch of youngsters on the boat with him, whereas now it is more like being him looking back at them instead. It felt like the act of seeing through Willard's eyes (which previously only felt so strong in the final sequence in Kurtz's compound where there is nobody but Willard left to witness) made it less the journey to kill a subversive but an autopsy of the Vietnam War itself.

But Captain Willard is a mercenary more than a doctor (though I suppose at a base level they become equivalent, as a caregiving bullet becomes a way to put someone out of their misery and others get 'mercy killed' more just to keep the whole organisation of the war machine on track and chugging along as much as to give the suffering person peace) and instead of observing with clinical detachment we get a strangely romantic view of his journey. Where every battle is not a precise targeting (which makes that moment in the compound under attack of the soldier precisely killing a Vietcong stand out even more strongly) but a spraying of the woods with machine gun fire which achieves no apparent tangible benefit other than just staving off the inevitable encroaching horde that you have only riled up even further into insane rage (the Playmate scene is the metonym for this idea perhaps). There is no real structure to the journey just a series of abstract, almost fake and theatrically staged seeming, events that are passed through until reaching the final destination, but that is the point. Maybe life is a long flowing river after all, beset by tracer bullets and threatening wildlife! To engage with it on any deeper level than it being just a passing carnival of horrors is to inevitably be destroyed oneself.

At the very least I want to see an Apocalypse Now boat tour ride at Universal Studios or Disneyland now!

[thirtyframesasecond]

Phase IV, Fri 31st July, Talking Pictures. Also Fri 7th Aug.

I was very psyched that Phase IV was on TP, I've been wanted to see this for ages. It was superb; the imagery and photography naturally but the sparse plot and the characters really acting as exposition (to tell us what the ants were doing) felt right since well, we're not really interested in them. I wonder if this is Kent Brockman's favourite film.

[colinr0380]

It certainly creates sympathy from strange and unexpected areas: the horse; the ants caught in that moat of fire; the preying mantis inside the internal workings of the air conditioner; the K-19: The Widowmaker/Chernobyl anticipating ants ferrying the deadly chemical from one to the other in heroic sacrifices; the ant memorial graveyard. I would say that I felt for the human characters as well, but despite some sympathy it strangely feels as if we are kept at a bit more of a distance from them than these more important things to be mournful for: they had their chance!

This may be a strange connection but the film that feels closest to Phase IV is probably that 1988 film about homeowners under inexplicable attack from a wave of killer electricity, Pulse, especially in the way that Pulse regularly takes macro-lensed trips inside the workings of televisions or central heating mechanisms to show how the smallest elements can build to having the greatest impact. And the way the innards are shown with connections melting and re-forming with electronic whines makes them feel insectidal and alive. Plus the final slow motion multi-level detailed revelling in destruction of the house as the box from the electricity pole falls through the roof and crushes the television (and its innards) in great detail is shot very like the collapse of the ant colony under the sound wave vibrations in Phase IV!