Dear scifinders and fiends: We have ourselves a whole pre-halloween weekend of TV, plus an extra hour! I hope you can make the most of it, and don’t waste it on silly things like sleep
Friday
If you can get yourself early to the TV, Film4 at 6.25pm is showing King Kong (1976) – the glorious 70’s meme rich version starring Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges. Oh the Dresses! The Flares! The Pathos!
For those of us glued, of course Shield is on Channel4 at 8pm. But you could hot foot it over to Film4 at 9pm for Terminator: Salvation (2009). Personally I’m heading for BBC4 and Tommy (1975). More Flares, Power Cords and, well yes, Pathos. (sorry)
Saturday sees a warning shot – ITV is showing Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones (2002) at 2pm.
I’ll give afternoon preference to Channel5, who bring us the (nominally) 2nd World War drama Run Silent Run Deep (1958). Yes, its a war film, but its also a brilliant psychological speculative drama, touching on the same interpersonal conflicts common to combat based science fiction. It also stars Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden, Brad Dexter and Don Rickles.
Evening viewing? We suggest The Phantom (1996) for swashbuckling fantasy, with a dose of Catherine Zeta Jones and Billy Zane. Its on Film4 at 4.55pm, and we should warn you that its been edited for broadcast.
9pm on Channel 5 sees my pick of the day: Stephen King’s Bag of Bones. Although with its post midnight finish, it might be wise to find something light and fluffy to settle you back down for bed… you have an extra hour after all
Sunday, sunday…. so good to me…
Grab some nachos, and settle in as Ghostbusters gets a Halloween outing on Channel 5 at 6.55pm. Also on Channel5 later, Scream 4 (2011). Terrestrial premiere for this schlock flick. 9pm.
If you’d rather not, then there is David Lynch’s The Elephant Man (1980) on ITV3 at 10.35pm. The classic film starring a host of fashionable society. Fact-based drama, directed by David Lynch, and starring John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller and Freddie Jones. Also features Hannah Gordon and Michael Elphick.
To close the day beautifully, Just Like Heaven (2005) is on BBC2 at 11.45pm.
