film of the week: the ninth gate
This week’s top film is Roman Polanski’s chiller about a book thought to contain the key to summoning Satan. When book dealer Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is hired by the wealthy Boris Balkan (Frank Langella, ‘Superman Returns’) to hunt down the last copies of a mysterious 17th-century book, his search takes him across the world and into some very dark places indeed... Lena Olin, who plays a woman with a deep connection to the tome in question, also starred alongside Johnny Depp in the romantic drama ‘Chocolat’. The Ninth Gate also stars Emmanuelle Seigner, who is married to the director and appeared in his compelling drama ‘Bitter Moon’.
saturday 18
the naked spur (1953)
12.50–14.35
Frontier action adventure filmed in the magnificent Colorado Rockies. A Civil War veteran patiently tracks a vicious killer in order to claim the $5,000 reward on offer so he can buy a small farm and settle down. Along the way, he teams up with a mean ex-Confederate, a luckless old prospector, and the beautiful daughter of an outlaw. After his capture, the killer sows seeds of discord among the bounty hunters.
Director Anthony Mann
Starring James Stewart, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Ralph Meeker
wild heritage (1958)
14.35–16.00
Western adventure about two pioneer families who meet up while heading west and proceed to share experiences of tragedy and romance. They start a new life on their homesteads, but are soon troubled by a pair of ruthless gunslingers.
Director Charles Haas
Starring Will Rogers Jr, Maureen O’Sullivan, Rod McKuen
funny lady (1975)
16.00–18.25
Bittersweet musical drama based on the life of stage legend **** Brice, which takes up where ‘Funny Girl’ left off. It is now 1930 and, free of her gambler husband Nick (Omar Sharif), **** (Barbra Streisand) begins a new romance with celebrated entrepreneur and showman Billy Rose (James Caan).
Director Herbert Ross
Starring Barbra Streisand, James Caan, Omar Sharif
baby geniuses 2 (2004)
18.25–19.55
Family comedy. A group of smart-talking toddlers find themselves at the centre of a media mogul’s experiment to crack the code to baby talk. The toddlers must race against time for the sake of babies everywhere.
Director Bob Clark
Starring Jimmy Baio, Vanessa Angel, Justin Chatwin
sunday 19
comanche territory (1950)
13.25–14.45
Western about a battle over land ownership. A stretch of mountains has been designated as land for the Comanche. An unscrupulous band of outlaws steal the deeds for the land and prepare to attack the tribe, leading to a race against time for the cavalry to come to the Comanche’s aid.
Director George Sherman
Starring Maureen O’Hara, MacDonald Carey, Will Geer
the bridge at remagen (1969)
14.45–17.00
World War II film chronicling the battle to hold the Ludendorf Bridge at Remagen, the only bridge still standing across the Rhine towards the end of the war. The German officer in charge of the region faces a dilemma –destroy the bridge and strand 50,000 of his own troops, or leave the bridge intact and give up the Fatherland to the Allies.
Director John Guillermin
Starring George Segal, Robert Vaughn, Ben Gazzara
captains courageous (1996)
17.00–18.45
A spoilt young boy wreaks havoc aboard a ship travelling from America to England, but when he is thrown overboard after a prank backfires, he is rescued by a passing fishing schooner. The boat’s captain teaches the lad a tough lesson about the value of humility. Based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Director Michael Anderson
Starring Robert Urich, Kenny Vadas, Kaj-Erik Eriksen
vertical limit (2000)
20.00–22.15
Action adventure helmed by ‘Casino Royale’ director Martin Campbell. Chris O’Donnell (who recently guest-starred in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’) stars as a photographer who witnessed his mountaineer father’s death as a child and must now face his fears and rescue his sister (Robin Tunney, ‘Prison Break’) who is trapped on K2. Feeling responsible for his father’s fatal accident, the young man had given up climbing but, when his sister and her team become trapped after an avalanche, he must enlist the help of experts in order to save the group. Also starring Bill Paxton (‘Twister’, ‘Big Love’).
Director Martin Campbell
Starring Chris O’Donnell, Bill Paxton, Robin Tunney
monday 20
christy: choices of the heart: part 1 (2001)
13.30–15.30
First of a two-part adventure based on Catherine Marshall’s bestseller depicting the life of Christy, the young missionary driven by spirit, faith, courage and conviction, who strives to bring new hope to the residents of the isolated and backward town of Cutter Gap. With veteran actress Diane Ladd (‘Wild at Heart’).
Director George Kaczender
Starring Lauren Lee Smith, Diane Ladd, Stewart Finlay-McLennan
perry mason: the case of the fatal fashion (1991)
15.30–17.30
Another case for the legal eagle (Raymond Burr). An influential fashion magazine editor delighted in exposing the secrets of her peers and rivals, but was that reason enough for someone to kill her? Perry finds himself a witness for the prosecution as well as the prime suspect’s defence attorney.
Director Christian Nyby
Starring Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William R Moses
the belly of the beast (2003)
21.00–22.45
Action drama starring Steven Seagal. An ex-CIA agent’s relentless quest to find his kidnapped daughter leads him on a trail of political intrigue, corruption and danger.
Director Ching Siu Tung
Starring Steven Seagal, Byron Mann, Tom Wu
femme fatale (2002)
22.45–00.50
Complex mystery thriller directed by Brian De Palma. A sexy thief (‘Ugly Betty’ star Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) betrays her partners in a $10 million diamond heist. But when a photographer (Antonio Banderas) takes her picture seven years later, the bad guys are quickly back on her tail.
Director Brian De Palma
Starring Antonio Banderas, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Peter Coyote
tuesday 21
christy: choices of the heart: part 2 (2001)
13.30–15.30
Second of the two-part adaptation of Catherine Marshall’s bestseller depicting the life of a young missionary working in an isolated town.
Director Don McBrearty
Starring Lauren Lee Smith, Diane Ladd, Stewart Finlay-McLennan
man of miracles (1998)
15.30–17.30
Family drama about a disillusioned priest (the late, much-loved actor and sitcom star John Ritter) whose life is miraculously changed after he rescues a boy from a burning building.
Director Larry Peerce
Starring John Ritter, Meredith Baxter, David Tom
wednesday 22
columbo: rest in peace, mrs columbo (1990)
13.35–15.35
Detective drama. When a crooked estate agent dies in prison, his widow vows to exact her revenge on the two men that put him there. After killing her husband’s informing boss, she sets her sights on Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) –as well as the dishevelled detective’s beloved wife.
Director Vincent McEveety
Starring Peter Falk, Helen Shaver, Roscoe Lee Browne
mind of the crime (2004)
15.40–17.30
Comedy drama inspired by a true story. A woman (Lauren Holly, ‘NCIS’) who believes that her husband is cheating on her turns PI in order to spy on him. Along the way, she discovers that she has a talent for detective work.
Director Jeffrey Reiner
Starring Lauren Holly, Max Martini, Brian McNamara
the ninth gate (1999)
21.00–23.40
Roman Polanski’s supernatural thriller about a book dealer (Johnny Depp) endeavouring to locate a rare occult work. He soon learns that the book is rumoured to have been written by the Devil –and to contain the key to conjuring him up...
Director Roman Polanski
Starring Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, Lena Olin
thursday 23
sergeant rutledge (1960)
13.30–15.30
The legendary John Ford’s thought-provoking drama set in 1881 Arizona. A sergeant in the allblack Ninth Cavalry is falsely accused of the murder of his white commander and the rape and murder of the man’s daughter.
Director John Ford
Starring Jeffrey Hunter, Woody Strode, Constance Towers
a gathering of eagles (1963)
15.30–17.30
Rock Hudson stars in this Cold War drama about a military-base commander whose wife struggles to come to terms with her new environment.
Director Delbert Mann
Starring Rock Hudson, Rod Taylor, Mary Peach
friday 24
jewel (2001)
13.35–15.35
Emotional drama starring Farrah Fawcett. A mother struggles to bring up a child with Down’s syndrome in the 1940s, when the life expectancy of children with the condition was only two years.
Director Paul Shapiro
Starring Farrah Fawcett, Patrick Bergin, Cicely Tyson
emma’s wish (1998)
15.40–17.30
The tale of an elderly woman who tries to rebuild her relationship with her daughter using the aid of a magic ring that grants any wish to the wearer.
Director Mike Robe
Starring Joanna Kerns, Della Reese, Harley Jane Kozak
