WE’VE BEEN SIFTING through the movie options available this week across free-to-air TV and streaming services.
Rocky
The movie that put Sylvester Stallone on the map all the way back in 1976 and spawned a still-continuing series of sequels (Creed III is in the works as we speak). The story of how it got made is almost as dramatic as the movie itself – Stallone, then an unknown, wrote the screenplay himself, and had to struggle against the odds to clinch the title role for himself (read the full story here).
Love Actually
Some of the storylines seem more than a little questionable in this day and age (just what does Andrew Lincoln’s character – above – think he’s up to? Isn’t Prime Minister Hugh Grant just a tiny bit worried about being sued for harassment?). If you can forgive all that, despite its faults, this Richard Curtis classic is difficult not to watch through to the end whenever it pops up on TV … however unseasonably.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Nobody thought we really needed a new Spider-Man movie back when this was released in 2017 – but this fast-paced and fun Spidey adventure was pretty well received by critics and fans alike. It’s in RTÉ’s ‘family viewing’ early evening Saturday slot for this week – and should keep everyone in the household reasonably engaged.
Denial
Based on historian Deborah Lipstadt’s court battle with author David Irving after he sued her and publisher Penguin for libel over claims he was a Holocaust denier. The final courtroom scenes in particular are gripping, even if you know how the whole thing turned out in real life.
Welcome to the Jungle (2003)
Sean William Scott (Stifler!!) and The Rock (The Rock!!) star in this action comedy. Christoper Walken is the bad guy. Leave your brain at the door stuff (actually, what am I thinking … don’t go outside) but enjoyable nonetheless.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Produced by Michael Bay. Makes the very concept of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seem a little ridiculous.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say