Posts Tagged Film Reviews

Culture Vulture: 4–10 July 2026

July 3, 2026 at 5:23 pm · Filed under Culture Vulture, TV Shows ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

The Fourth of July casts a long, confident shadow across this week’s viewing, and broadcasters have embraced the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence with gusto. History, music, politics, travel, and a run of films that remind you just how deeply American storytelling has seeped into the cultural bloodstream. It’s a week where Neil Armstrong rubs shoulders with Ravi Shankar, where The Specials share the stage with Blondie, and where Ridley Scott’s neon‑soaked Los Angeles still feels like the future.

There’s celebration, certainly, but also reflection. The concluding chapter of The American Revolution lands with real weight, while Armstrong offers a quieter portrait of a man who changed the world simply by stepping onto another. And if you’d rather mark the week with music, Sky Arts and the BBC have you covered with 2 Tone, Blondie, and a generous helping of American icons.

Film lovers are spoiled: Blade Runner, The Lady Eve, Leave Her to Heaven, Atonement, BlackBerry, Official Secrets, Red Rooms — a line‑up that swings from Technicolor noir to modern paranoia without missing a beat. It’s a rich, varied week, and one that rewards dipping in and out rather than trying to consume everything at once.

Saturday 4 July

8.00pm – Alexander Armstrong Across America (Channel 5)

Armstrong’s cross‑country wander continues, this time through West Virginia. He’s a genial guide — curious without being intrusive, amused without being arch — and the series has settled into a relaxed, intelligent rhythm. Ideal early‑evening viewing.

9.00pm – 50 American Music Icons at the BBC (BBC Two)

A generous sweep through the artists who shaped modern music. Expect the usual BBC archive magic: grainy footage, unexpected pairings, and performances that still crackle decades later.

9.00pm – Starter for 10 (BBC Four, 2006)

Starter for 10 begins as a gentle comedy about a working‑class lad arriving at Bristol University in the mid‑1980s, but quickly becomes something more textured: a story about belonging, aspiration, and the awkwardness of trying to reinvent yourself. James McAvoy plays Brian with a mix of earnestness and self‑inflicted calamity, the kind of young man who wants desperately to be clever but hasn’t yet learned how to be comfortable.

The University Challenge sequences are great fun — brisk, competitive, and full of the kind of trivia that once felt like the height of sophistication. But the film’s real strength lies in its emotional honesty. Brian’s romantic missteps, his friendships, and his attempts to reconcile his new life with the one he left behind are handled with a light touch that never slips into sentimentality.

The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, especially Rebecca Hall and Dominic Cooper, who bring nuance to roles that could easily have been caricatures. And the soundtrack — all jangly guitars and wistful nostalgia — gives the film a warm, lived‑in feel. A small story told with generosity.

9.00pm – The Specials Live from Coventry Cathedral (Sky Arts)

This 2019 concert captures The Specials at a moment when their music felt newly urgent. Performing inside Coventry Cathedral — a space steeped in history and resilience — the band channels decades of political frustration into something electrifying. There’s no sense of nostalgia or polite revivalism; the performance is sharp, committed, and defiantly present.

Tracks like “Ghost Town” and “A Message to You, Rudy” land with renewed force, their themes of inequality and social tension sounding depressingly familiar in 2026. It’s a reminder that 2 Tone wasn’t just a musical movement; it was a cultural reckoning.

10.15pm – The Creator (Channel 4, 2023)

The Creator wears its ambition openly. Gareth Edwards builds a future where artificial intelligence has evolved into something indistinguishable from humanity, and the film explores the uneasy boundary between creation and control. John David Washington anchors the story with a performance full of conflicted empathy, and the relationship between his character and the AI child gives the film its emotional spine.

Visually stunning, thematically bold, occasionally uneven — but always sincere.

10.20pm – Anyone But You (BBC One, 2023)

A sun‑drenched rom‑com that leans unapologetically into screwball tradition. Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell spark off each other with the kind of chemistry that can’t be faked, turning bickering into foreplay and mishaps into momentum. Breezy, confident, and exactly what it sets out to be.

10.35pm – Record On: The Specials – A Message to You (Sky Arts)

A compact, lively documentary exploring one of the defining tracks of the 2 Tone era. It’s a reminder that some songs become landmarks not because they’re catchy, but because they capture a moment with uncanny precision.

12.10am – White Riot (Sky Arts)

White Riot remains one of the most vital music‑politics documentaries of recent years — urgent, angry, and absolutely crackling with purpose. It charts the rise of Rock Against Racism, that scrappy, DIY coalition of musicians, activists and ordinary kids who refused to let the far right colonise Britain’s youth culture in the 1970s. What makes the film sing is its blend of raw archival footage and present‑day testimony: it feels historical and contemporary at the same time, a reminder that the battles fought then still echo now.

The documentary captures the electricity of those early RAR gigs — the sense of possibility, the belief that culture could be a weapon rather than a mirror. Punk, reggae, ska: all thrown together in a glorious, defiant mess that said more about Britain than any politician ever could. It’s a portrait of people who didn’t wait for permission to resist; they just built a movement out of flyers, fanzines, borrowed amps and sheer bloody-minded conviction.

And of course, the far right noticed. The National Front, rattled by RAR’s momentum and terrified of losing cultural ground, responded by creating Rock Against Communism — a clumsy attempt at a counter‑movement that eventually morphed into White Noise, a more organised and effective effort to push racist music into youth subcultures. It was the mirror image of RAR: where one side preached solidarity, the other peddled division; where one fused genres, the other narrowed them into a clenched fist. The fact that White Noise gained traction is a reminder that culture wars aren’t new — and they’re never fought on just one front.

White Riot doesn’t shy away from any of this. It’s a call to remember that culture can be a force for change, but also that it’s always contested. RAR won hearts, minds and dancefloors — but the NF kept trying to exert influence. The film ends with a sense of unfinished business, and rightly so. We’re still waiting on the documentary that tackles Rock Against Communism and White Noise head‑on, tracing how the far right tried to reshape youth culture in the opposite direction. It’s a story that deserves the same forensic, fiery treatment.

Until then, White Riot stands as a testament to what happens when ordinary people decide they’ve had enough — and pick up guitars instead of giving up.

1.30am – Godland (BBC Two, 2022)

A stark Icelandic drama of faith, colonialism and endurance. Slow, severe and visually extraordinary — a film that demands patience and rewards it with depth.

1.55am – Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Hold On to Your Structure (Sky Arts)

A late‑night jolt of energy, attitude and sheer artistic stubbornness. This documentary doesn’t just sketch Ian Dury; it inhabits him — the charisma, the bite, the wit, the refusal to be anything other than gloriously, awkwardly himself. Dury wasn’t built for tidy narratives or polite applause, and the programme wisely leans into that. It shows a performer who treated the stage like a battleground and a playground at the same time, swaggering through songs that sounded like they’d been chiselled out of everyday life and then electrified.

What emerges is a portrait of a man who understood rhythm as instinct, language as weaponry, and performance as a kind of joyful confrontation. The Blockheads, tight as a drumskin and twice as sharp, weren’t just a backing band — they were co‑conspirators. You see how their precision allowed Dury’s lyrical mischief to land with maximum impact. The documentary captures that chemistry beautifully: the way a sly grin from Dury could send the whole ensemble pivoting into something loose, funky and unmistakably theirs.

There’s also a strong sense of context — Britain in the late 70s, restless, loud, and culturally up for grabs. Dury wasn’t punk, but he wasn’t not punk either. He occupied that strange, thrilling space where pub rock, art‑school eccentricity and working‑class grit collided. The film shows how he channelled all of it: disability, class, frustration, humour, defiance. He turned the messiness of life into songs that felt like they were speaking directly to you, even when they were taking the mick.

What the programme gets right is the emotional truth beneath the bravado. Dury’s uncompromising nature wasn’t just attitude — it was survival. He built a structure for himself out of words, rhythm and sheer bloody-mindedness, and then held onto it with both hands. The documentary honours that without smoothing the edges or romanticising the chaos.

It’s a lively, affectionate, slightly rowdy tribute to a performer who never fitted neatly into any category and never wanted to. Charismatic, uncompromising, utterly original — the film reminds you that Ian Dury didn’t just make music. He made a world, and invited you in if you were brave enough to keep up.

Sunday 5 July

9.25am – Jane Eyre (BBC Two, 1943)

What makes this version endure isn’t just its fidelity to Charlotte Brontë’s story, but the way it captures the novel’s emotional weather. There’s a dampness to the air, a sense of wind pressing against old stone, that gives the whole film a haunted, half‑lit quality. Joan Fontaine plays Jane with that soft‑spoken resolve she was so good at: a woman who has learned to survive by shrinking herself, yet whose inner life is fierce, alert, and quietly defiant. You see it in the way she holds her posture, in the small hesitations before she speaks, as though weighing the cost of honesty.

Orson Welles, meanwhile, storms through Thornfield like a man wrestling with his own legend. His Rochester is theatrical, yes, but that’s part of the pleasure — he brings a bruised grandeur to the role, a sense of someone who has lived too intensely and now hides in the shadows of his own house. When he and Fontaine share the frame, the contrast is electric: her stillness against his volatility, her moral clarity against his romantic turbulence.

The Gothic atmosphere isn’t decoration; it’s the film’s emotional architecture. The fog, the candlelit corridors, the sudden bursts of sound — all of it mirrors Jane’s journey from repression to self‑possession. Even after eighty years, the film feels startlingly alive, a reminder of how potent Brontë’s story becomes when treated not as a costume drama but as a tale of yearning, loneliness, and the stubborn hope of finding a place where one’s heart is finally recognised.

8.00pm – Inside Classical: The Rite of Spring (BBC Four)

A clear, engaging introduction to Stravinsky’s revolutionary masterpiece. Accessible without oversimplifying — ideal for curious newcomers.

8.45pm – BBC Proms 2017: Passages (BBC Four)

Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass’s collaboration is performed in full. Hypnotic, intricate, and quietly transcendent.

9.15pm – Armstrong (PBS America)

A thoughtful portrait of Neil Armstrong that avoids hero worship. Disciplined, private, and quietly determined — a man defined not by fame but by precision.

10.00pm – Ravi Shankar in Concert (BBC Four)

Watching Shankar perform is witnessing music as conversation. Fluid, expressive, and masterful.

10.00pm – Blade Runner (BBC Two, 1982)

There are films that age, films that date, and films that simply continue — Blade Runner belongs to the last category. Every return to Ridley Scott’s neon‑drenched Los Angeles feels like stepping back into a dream you half‑remember. The city is vast, exhausted, and strangely beautiful, as if decay itself has become a kind of art form.

What keeps the film alive isn’t just the production design; it’s the moral unease that runs through every frame. Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty remains one of cinema’s great tragic figures — a creature fighting for dignity in a world that denies him even the right to exist.

Vangelis’s score wraps the film in drifting melancholy. Blade Runner hasn’t been overtaken by the future because it already occupies it.

1.20am – Glory (Channel 4, 1989)

What strikes you, watching Glory again, is how completely it refuses to soften the brutality of the American Civil War. Edward Zwick frames the story of the 54th Massachusetts — the first all‑Black regiment in the Union Army — with a kind of sombre grandeur, letting the mud, smoke and chaos speak for themselves. It’s a film about courage, yes, but also about the grinding cost of being asked to prove your worth in a world determined to doubt it.

Denzel Washington’s performance remains the film’s emotional centre of gravity. He plays Private Trip with a rawness that never tips into sentimentality: a man hardened by injustice, suspicious of authority, and yet capable of moments of piercing vulnerability. The famous flogging scene still lands like a punch — Washington’s silent tears aren’t a plea for sympathy but a statement of defiance, a refusal to be broken again. It’s one of those rare moments in cinema where an actor seems to compress an entire history into a single expression.

Around him, Morgan Freeman brings quiet moral authority, and Matthew Broderick — often underestimated — gives Colonel Shaw a thoughtful, conflicted presence, a young officer learning the difference between command and leadership. The film’s final act, the assault on Fort Wagner, is staged with operatic intensity: not triumphant, but tragic, a recognition that heroism often comes without reward.

Glory endures because it treats its subject with seriousness and respect. It’s earnest, moving, and essential — a reminder of the sacrifices made by men who fought not just for a country, but for the right to be seen as part of it.

Monday 6 July

2.45pm – The Lady Eve (Film4, 1941)

Preston Sturges’ sparkling comedy remains a masterclass in elegance and timing. Barbara Stanwyck is sensational — sly, seductive and effortlessly in control — while Henry Fonda’s earnest innocence gives the film its comic heartbeat.

Sturges’ dialogue still crackles, full of sly jokes and perfectly timed reversals. Romance, deception and champagne-light wit combine into something timeless.

10.40pm – I Am Legend (BBC One, 2007)

Will Smith carries this post‑apocalyptic thriller with surprising emotional heft. Atmospheric and quietly affecting.

11.40pm – BlackBerry (Film4, 2023)

A whip‑smart, chaotic and irresistibly entertaining dive into the rise and implosion of the world’s first smartphone obsession. BlackBerry plays like a tech thriller filtered through a punk fanzine — scrappy, fast, and vibrating with the energy of people who have no idea they’re about to change the world, then absolutely no idea how to hold onto it.

Jay Baruchel is superb as Mike Lazaridis, all nervous brilliance and apologetic genius, a man who can build the future but can’t quite look anyone in the eye while doing it. His twitchy, soft‑spoken intensity gives the film its emotional core: the engineer who wants to make something elegant, functional, beautiful, and keeps watching it get swallowed by forces louder and more ruthless than he is.

Enter Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie — a volcanic, vein‑popping storm of ambition who seems to operate at a frequency only dogs can hear. It’s one of the great recent performances in a business drama: terrifying, hilarious, and weirdly compelling. He doesn’t just chew the scenery; he detonates it. The film’s best scenes come from the collision between Baruchel’s fragile idealism and Howerton’s corporate berserker energy, a partnership that feels both inevitable and doomed from the moment they shake hands.

Director Matt Johnson keeps the pace frantic and the tone razor‑sharp, capturing the absurdity of tech culture before tech culture learned to hide its absurdity behind glossy keynotes and minimalist branding. There’s a real pleasure in watching the early days of innovation rendered as something messy, human and slightly ridiculous — a reminder that the devices we now treat as extensions of ourselves were born out of chaos, ego and sheer improvisation.

What makes BlackBerry stand out is its refusal to mythologise. It’s funny, biting and occasionally bleak, but never reverent. It understands that the story of the smartphone pioneer isn’t a tale of heroes and villains — it’s a story of people who flew too close to the sun while arguing about data compression and supply chains.

One of the most entertaining business dramas in years, and one that knows exactly how to balance satire with sincerity. It’s frantic, funny and sharply observed — a rise‑and‑fall story that never stops moving, because neither did the people who built the thing in the first place.

12.05am – Official Secrets (BBC Two, 2019)

Katharine Gun’s whistleblowing story becomes a quietly gripping drama about conscience and consequence. Keira Knightley is superb — restrained, determined, and deeply human.

12.05am – Secrets of the Celebrity Sex Tapes (Channel 4)

The series concludes with Kim Kardashian and the birth of scandal‑as‑currency in the digital age.

Tuesday 7 July

10.00pm – The American Revolution (BBC Four)

The final episode — The Most Sacred Thing — lands with real force. A clear, confident account of the ideals that shaped a nation and still echo today.

10.40pm – The Lady in the Van (BBC One, 2015)

Maggie Smith is magnificent in Alan Bennett’s bittersweet tale.

What Bennett understands — and what this film preserves so beautifully — is that eccentricity isn’t a quirk, it’s a form of armour. Maggie Smith’s Miss Shepherd arrives on screen like a small weather system: unpredictable, sharp, and entirely uninterested in being liked. Yet Smith plays her not as a caricature of British oddity but as a woman whose stubbornness has become a survival strategy. There’s a flinty dignity in the way she occupies Bennett’s driveway, as though claiming a tiny republic of her own.

Alex Jennings, doing a double-act as Bennett’s internal and external selves, gives the film its gentle hum of self-mockery. He captures that familiar Bennett blend of wry detachment and reluctant compassion — the writer who would prefer to observe life from a safe distance but keeps finding himself drawn into its mess. Their relationship becomes a kind of slow, awkward dance: two people circling each other, neither quite willing to admit they care.

What lifts the film is its refusal to sentimentalise the situation. The humour is dry, the melancholy unforced. You feel the weight of Miss Shepherd’s past pressing through the cracks, and the way Bennett’s quiet acts of kindness accumulate almost despite himself. By the time the film reaches its final, lightly magical flourish, it feels earned — a recognition that even the most unlikely connections can leave a lasting mark.

It’s gentle, humane and quietly transformative, a story about responsibility that sneaks up on you and becomes something tender.

2.20am – Ayena (Channel 4, 2022)

A thoughtful independent drama exploring identity and expectation with sensitivity and restraint.

Wednesday 8 July

9.00pm – How to Get Filthy Rich with Gary Stevenson (Channel 4)

Stevenson brings rare clarity to discussions of wealth and inequality. Provocative, evidence‑driven and bracing.

9.00pm – Katie Price: Nothing to Hide (Sky Documentaries)

An unexpectedly intimate portrait of a figure long defined by tabloid glare. Candid, empathetic and quietly revealing.

11.10pm – Red Rooms (Film4, 2023)

A chilling psychological thriller that burrows under the skin. Cold, clinical and unsettling — a study of obsession in the digital age.

11.45pm – David Brent: Life on the Road (BBC Three, 2016)

Ricky Gervais drags his most excruciating creation back into the spotlight, and the result is a mockumentary that leans hard into the painful humour that made The Office so indelible. Brent, still clinging to the tatters of his rock‑star delusion, bankrolls a doomed tour with a band who’d clearly rather be anywhere else. It’s a familiar cocktail of bravado, desperation and toe‑curling self‑promotion — the kind of comedy where you laugh, wince, and occasionally look away.

What gives the film its pulse is the way Gervais threads moments of genuine pathos through the cringe. Brent’s loneliness is never overstated, but it’s always there: in the forced banter, the awkward silences, the way he keeps performing even when no one’s watching. The jokes land because the sadness is real, and the sadness lands because the jokes are so sharply observed.

There’s also a sly commentary on ageing ambition — the man who can’t accept that the world has moved on, still chasing the dream he sketched out in a Slough office two decades earlier. The film doesn’t redeem Brent, but it does understand him. And in that understanding, it finds something oddly touching amid the chaos, the bad gigs, and the endless, exhausting need to be loved.

Thursday 9 July

9.00pm – Bletchley Park: Codebreaker’s Forgotten Genius (BBC Four)

A deserved tribute to Gordon Welchman, whose wartime innovations shaped Allied intelligence. Thoughtful and quietly moving.

9.00pm – The Road (Great! Action, 2009)

Cormac McCarthy’s bleak novel becomes an equally stark film. Viggo Mortensen gives a remarkable performance — gaunt, haunted, fiercely protective. A difficult, powerful meditation on love and survival.

10.40pm – Elvis (BBC One, 2022)

Baz Luhrmann’s maximalist whirlwind of a biopic — loud, glittering, and absolutely determined to sweep you off your feet. It’s cinema as spectacle, every frame straining with colour, movement and musical pulse. Yet beneath the rhinestones and riotous editing, the film keeps circling back to the emotional cost of myth‑making: the boy who became the brand, the man trapped inside the legend.

Austin Butler is magnetic throughout, not just mimicking Elvis’s swagger but finding the vulnerability underneath — the hesitations, the longing, the flashes of fear when the machinery around him grows too big to control. His performance gives the film its heartbeat, grounding Luhrmann’s operatic excess in something recognisably human.

And then there’s Tom Hanks’ Colonel Parker, a grotesque carnival barker of a presence, steering the story with a sinister grin. The dynamic between Butler’s raw sincerity and Hanks’ oily manipulation becomes the film’s engine, driving it through the highs, the heartbreak, and the inevitable crash.

It’s bold, messy, and often overwhelming — but that’s the point. Luhrmann isn’t trying to tell the story of Elvis so much as recreate the sensation of him: the dazzle, the noise, the impossible momentum of a life lived in the spotlight.

Friday 10 July

8.15pm – Women of World War II: More Untold Stories (PBS America)

Important, absorbing accounts of women whose wartime contributions deserve far wider recognition.

9.40pm – Blondie in Concert (BBC Four)

Asbury Park, New Jersey – September 29, 2018: Debbie Harry of Blondie performs on stage at the 2018 Sea Hear Now Music Festival.. Picture credit: Adam McCullough / Shutterstock.com

Captured in Glasgow in 1979, Blondie in Concert is a time capsule of a band at the height of its powers — tight, stylish, and effortlessly cool. Debbie Harry commands the stage with icy charisma, her voice cutting through the mix with precision and attitude. The performance brims with confidence: the band knows exactly what it’s doing and how good it sounds.

What’s striking, watching it now, is how modern it feels. The rhythms, the energy, the interplay between punk edge and pop sophistication — all of it still sounds fresh. Blondie were never just a band riding a trend; they were architects of a sound that bridged worlds, bringing New York grit into the mainstream without losing its bite.

Harry’s stage presence remains magnetic. She moves with the ease of someone who understands that cool isn’t about effort; it’s about control. The camera loves her, and she knows it, but there’s no vanity — just a performer completely in command of her craft.

The Glasgow crowd, caught between awe and exhilaration, adds its own electricity. You can feel the pulse of a moment when Blondie were redefining what pop could be: sharp, stylish, and utterly alive. It’s a concert that reminds you why they mattered — and why they still do.

10.00pm – 1977: When Virginia Wade Won Wimbledon (Channel 5)

A timely look back at Britain’s last women’s singles champion as Wimbledon reaches its climax.

11.00am – Leave Her to Heaven (Film4, 1945)

Gene Tierney’s performance remains one of cinema’s great femme fatale turns. A sumptuous Technicolor noir that hides darkness beneath its glossy surface.

12.05am – Atonement (BBC Two, 2007)

Romantic, devastating and beautifully made. Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel remains one of the finest British films of the century — a story about guilt, imagination and the long shadow of a single mistake.

Streaming

Saturday 4 July – Turn: Washington’s Spies (ITVX)

All four seasons drop at once. Jamie Bell anchors this smart, underrated drama about espionage during the American Revolution. Ideal for a long weekend binge.

Sunday 5 July – Sparks of Tomorrow (Netflix)

Weekly episodes. An imaginative anime set in an alternative twentieth century — visually striking and narratively ambitious.

Monday 6 July – Hamnet (Netflix)

Maggie O’Farrell’s novel becomes a sensitive, beautifully acted drama about grief, family and the shadows cast by genius.

Friday 10 July – Miguel Ángel Blanco: The 48 Hours That Changed Spain (Netflix)

A powerful documentary revisiting a moment that reshaped Spanish politics and united a nation.

Friday 10 July – Star City: Season Finale (Apple TV+)

The For All Mankind spin‑off reaches its Soviet‑side conclusion. Ambitious, thoughtful alternate‑history storytelling.

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Culture Vulture 27 June – 3 July 2026

June 26, 2026 at 2:44 pm · Filed under Culture Vulture, Film & DVD Reviews ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

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Culture Vulture 20th – 26th June 2026

June 18, 2026 at 5:53 pm · Filed under Culture Vulture, Documentaries, Film & DVD Reviews, Podcasts, Radio, Streaming ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

There are weeks when television and film simply provide entertainment, and there are weeks when they seem to engage in a wider conversation. This is one of the latter. Running through this week’s selections are questions about memory, identity and the stories nations tell about themselves. From Brazil’s obsession with football to the American Revolution, from the anti-apartheid movement to Brexit ten years on, from the Somme to Jack the Ripper, the past is everywhere.

Yet this is not a week trapped by nostalgia. Alongside the historical themes come reflections on artificial intelligence, internet culture, celebrity, science fiction and the future itself. Add in some superb classic cinema, a welcome celebration of comedy legends such as Mel Brooks and Rick Mayall, and a rare chance to revisit one of Britain’s greatest television dramas, and there is plenty here to reward curiosity. Selections and writing are by Pat Harrington.

🌟 Highlights

🌟 Goolagong (BBC Four, Saturday) – the story of one of the greatest sporting figures of the twentieth century.

🌟 Sound of Metal (BBC Two, Tuesday) – one of the most moving and original films of recent years.

🌟 Our Friends in the North (BBC Four, Wednesday) – still one of the finest dramas British television has ever produced.

Saturday 20th June

John Snow: A Last Big Story – Channel 4, 8.00pm

John Snow’s final broadcast feels less like a curtain call and more like a reckoning with time itself. The veteran journalist — now living with Alzheimer’s — turns the camera inward, tracing the contours of memory as both a gift and a thief. For decades he stood at the heart of history: wars, revolutions, elections, human triumphs and tragedies. Now, the story he’s telling is his own.

This is not a sentimental goodbye but a lucid, brave exploration of what it means to lose the very faculties that once defined a life’s work. Snow speaks with the same candour that marked his reporting, acknowledging the fog that sometimes descends and the grace of those who help him navigate it — especially his wife, Precious, whose presence here is tender and grounding.

The “last big story” is not about politics or conflict; it’s about the endurance of truth when memory falters. It’s about love, dignity, and the stubborn light of curiosity that refuses to go out. A moving, humane hour — and a reminder that journalism, at its best, is an act of empathy.

Goolagong – BBC Four, 9.00pm and 9.50pm (Episodes 1 & 2 of 3)

Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s story has always felt bigger than tennis — a life lived at the intersection of sporting brilliance and cultural change. These opening chapters trace her rise from a small Australian town to the centre court of the world, a journey shaped as much by quiet resilience as by natural grace.

What emerges is not just a portrait of a champion but of an Indigenous woman navigating a country that often refused to see her fully. The series treats her achievements with the respect they deserve, but it also lingers on the deeper legacy: how she became a symbol of possibility for those who had been told to expect little. A thoughtful, beautifully paced tribute.

Big (1988) – Great TV, 6.50pm

There’s a reason *Big* still works: beneath the high‑concept premise sits a film with real heart. Tom Hanks — all open‑faced wonder and awkward limbs — gives one of those performances that seems effortless until you try to imagine anyone else doing it.

The comedy is warm rather than wacky, the emotion earned rather than engineered. And in the middle of it all is that bittersweet truth the film never quite says aloud: childhood is fleeting, adulthood arrives too quickly, and sometimes the only way to understand either is to stand in the wrong shoes for a while.

The Odessa File (1974) – Talking Pictures TV, 9.05pm

A taut, wintry thriller adapted from Frederick Forsyth’s bestseller, *The Odessa File* plunges into the murky world of post‑war secrets and the shadow networks that tried to keep the past buried. Jon Voight plays the journalist drawn into a conspiracy that feels both sprawling and claustrophobic, the kind where every answer only deepens the unease.

It’s very much of its era — all cold streets, coded messages and moral ambiguity — but that’s part of its power. A reminder that history doesn’t end cleanly; it lingers, waiting to be uncovered.

The Hitcher (1986) – Legend, 3.05am

A late‑night shocker that still has the power to unsettle. Rutger Hauer’s performance as the enigmatic hitchhiker is one of those rare turns that elevates a genre film into something mythic: calm, charismatic, and terrifying precisely because he never overplays it.

The film itself is lean and relentless, a road movie that becomes a nightmare with no safe exits. If you’re awake at this hour, it will stay with you longer than you expect.

The Frighteners (1996) – Film4, 12.05am

Before Middle‑earth came calling, Peter Jackson made this wonderfully odd supernatural comedy‑horror — a film that refuses to sit neatly in any one box. Michael J. Fox anchors the chaos with charm, while Jackson fills the frame with inventive effects, tonal shifts and a sense of mischief that feels very much his own.

It’s a film that deserved a kinder reception on release, and time has only strengthened its cult appeal. Strange, stylish, and surprisingly heartfelt.

Sunday 21st June

Free Nelson Mandela (Episode 2 of 3) – Channel 4, 9.00pm

A compelling examination of the international campaign that helped bring apartheid to an end.

Later… with Jools Holland – BBC Two, 10.00pm

From Alexandra Palace Theatre, featuring Shania Twain, KNATS, Arlo Parks and Sam Smith. Later remains one of the best showcases for live music on television.

Gaia (2021) – Film4, 1.45am

A late‑night curio with real bite. *Gaia* takes the familiar language of eco‑horror — the forest as something ancient, watchful, and quietly furious — and pushes it into stranger, more psychological territory. The film’s power lies in its atmosphere: humid, oppressive, and threaded with the sense that nature is no longer content to be background scenery.
It’s a story about guilt and stewardship, but also about the thin line between reverence and fear. Visually striking, thematically unsettling, and perfect for the small hours when the world feels a little too alive.

The Vikings (1958) – Great Action, 2.30pm

A glorious slice of old‑school Hollywood adventure, all roaring seas, clashing swords and Technicolor swagger. Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis throw themselves into the spectacle with the kind of commitment modern blockbusters rarely muster — every gesture big, every emotion worn proudly on the surface.
It’s a film from a time when historical epics were built on charisma rather than CGI, and its charm lies in that very theatricality. Broad, bold, and irresistibly entertaining.

Goldfinger (1964) – ITV1, 4.20pm

For me, Goldfinger isn’t just a Bond film — it’s the Bond film. The one where everything clicks into place: the swagger, the style, the danger, the flirtation, the sense that the whole enterprise has suddenly discovered its own mythology. Sean Connery is at his most relaxed and lethal, moving through the film with that effortless mix of charm and steel that no one has ever quite matched.

But what really seals its place as my favourite is the humour threaded through Ulrich Goldfinger’s dialogue — that dry, almost courtly villainy that makes every exchange a pleasure. There’s a theatricality to him, a sense that he enjoys the game as much as Bond does, and the script gives him lines that still sparkle decades later.

Sleek, confident and endlessly rewatchable, Goldfinger is the moment Bond stopped being a series of spy capers and became a cultural institution — and it still feels like the gold standard.

Hidden Figures (2016) – Film4, 6.30pm

A genuinely uplifting drama that earns every emotional beat. *Hidden Figures* tells the story of the Black women mathematicians whose brilliance helped steer NASA through the early space race — a chapter of history too long overlooked.

The film balances its inspirational arc with sharp performances and a clear‑eyed understanding of the barriers these women faced. It’s a celebration not just of intellect, but of persistence, dignity and the quiet heroism of being excellent in a world determined not to see you.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) – Channel 4, Midnight

Martin McDonagh’s darkly comic drama walks a tightrope between fury and tenderness. Frances McDormand is extraordinary as a mother weaponising grief into action, while the film circles themes of justice, forgiveness and the messy, contradictory ways people try — and fail — to be better.
It’s prickly, provocative, and impossible to shake. A midnight screening feels fitting: this is a story that sits with you long after the credits roll..

Monday 22nd June

Britain’s Railway Empire in Colour – More4, 9.00pm

There’s something quietly mesmerising about colourised archive footage — the way it collapses the distance between then and now. This series uses it to bring Britain’s industrial and transport heritage vividly back to life, revealing a world that feels both familiar and impossibly distant. Steam, steel and soot become not just historical artefacts but lived textures, reminders of the ingenuity and labour that built the modern country. A gentle, absorbing watch.

Lucy Worsley Investigates: Jack the Ripper – BBC Two, 9.00pm

Worsley takes a welcome detour from the usual true‑crime obsession with suspects and theories. Instead of asking who Jack the Ripper was, she asks what the murders did to us — how they shaped the modern appetite for grisly narratives, sensational reporting and the commodification of fear. It’s a thoughtful reframing, peeling back the mythology to reveal the cultural machinery beneath. Less whodunnit, more why‑we‑still‑care.

Andy Warhol’s America: Living the Dream – BBC Four, 9.00pm

Warhol understood celebrity long before the rest of us caught up. This documentary explores the artist not just as a painter or provocateur, but as a kind of cultural antenna — someone who sensed where America was heading and mirrored it back with unnerving clarity. Fame, consumerism, reinvention: Warhol didn’t just depict the American dream, he dissected it. A sharp, stylish portrait of an artist who saw the future and shrugged.

House of the Dragon – Sky Atlantic, 9.00pm

The fires of Westeros burn on. This chapter of the Targaryen saga continues to revel in dynastic politics, betrayals and the uneasy dance between power and prophecy. Dragons soar, alliances crumble, and every conversation feels like a prelude to violence. It’s grand, operatic television — the kind that understands the pleasure of watching a world eat itself from the inside out.

American Visions: The Way from the Atlantic – BBC Four, 10.00pm

A rich, expansive look at how waves of immigration reshaped American art and identity. This episode traces the cultural currents that flowed from the Atlantic into the American imagination, showing how new arrivals transformed not just the country’s demographics but its creative language. A thoughtful, beautifully curated hour for anyone interested in how nations reinvent themselves.

Secrets of the Celebrity Sex Tapes – Channel 4, 11.05pm

A provocative but revealing dive into a phenomenon that helped redefine modern fame. The programme examines how leaked tapes — once scandals — became stepping stones in the machinery of celebrity culture, blurring the lines between exploitation, agency and opportunism. It’s a story about voyeurism, power and the strange economy of attention that governs the digital age.

The Producers (1967) – BBC Two, 11.00pm

Mel Brooks’ debut feature still feels like a controlled explosion of comic energy. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder are a perfect double act — one volcanic, the other perpetually on the brink of collapse — and the film’s audacity hasn’t dimmed with time. Satire this bold shouldn’t work, yet it does, gloriously. A riotous, meticulously crafted masterpiece.

The Phantom of Soho (1964) – Talking Pictures TV, 11.30pm

A rare chance to catch a German *Krimi* — those stylish, atmospheric crime thrillers often adapted from Edgar Wallace novels. *The Phantom of Soho* offers all the genre’s pleasures: fog‑shrouded streets, eccentric villains, and a mystery that feels both pulpy and oddly elegant. A cult curio, and a reminder of how inventive European genre cinema could be in the 1960s.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013) – BBC One, 12.30am

One of the few TV‑to‑film transitions that genuinely works. *Alpha Papa* keeps Partridge’s small‑scale pettiness intact while placing him in a hostage‑crisis plot that somehow amplifies his absurdity rather than overwhelming it. Steve Coogan is superb, balancing pathos and pomposity with surgical precision. A late‑night treat for anyone who appreciates comedy built on exquisite discomfort.

Tuesday 23rd June

Peter Murrell: The Man with the Money – BBC Two, 7.00pm

A cool‑headed look at one of the most contentious recent chapters in Scottish politics. The documentary traces how Peter Murrell — once a discreet operator behind the scenes — became a central figure in a story that spiralled far beyond party lines. It’s less about scandal for its own sake and more about the fragility of political trust, and how quickly reputations can unravel in the glare of public scrutiny.

The American Revolution: The Times That Try Men’s Souls – BBC Four, 10.00pm

The early days of the American struggle for independence were defined by uncertainty, exhaustion and a sense that the whole enterprise might collapse before it began. This episode captures that precariousness — the cold winters, the wavering morale, the sheer improbability of the cause. A sober, well‑drawn reminder that revolutions are rarely born in triumph; they begin in doubt.

The American Revolution: Conquered by a Drawn Game – BBC Four, 11.00pm

The conflict enters a phase where victory becomes less about winning battles and more about simply enduring them. This chapter explores the strategic stalemates and the psychological toll of a war that refused to resolve itself neatly. Survival becomes its own kind of triumph, and the series shows how persistence — rather than glory — ultimately shaped the nation’s fate.

Science Fiction: Atomic Age – Sky Arts, 11.00pm

Margaret Atwood and a roster of sharp minds explore how science fiction absorbed and refracted the anxieties of the Cold War. Mutants, invasions, dystopias — all the familiar tropes take on new resonance when seen as expressions of nuclear fear and geopolitical tension. A thoughtful, engaging hour that treats sci‑fi not as escapism but as a cultural seismograph.

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) – Talking Pictures TV, 1.35pm

A richly tangled film noir steeped in secrets, ambition and the corrosive power of old sins. Barbara Stanwyck is magnetic as the woman at the centre of a web she helped spin, and the film’s atmosphere — all shadows, guilt and brittle glamour — is irresistible. A classic that still cuts deep.

The War of the Worlds (1953) – Legend, 3.00pm

The definitive screen telling of H.G. Wells’ alien invasion tale. Even now, the film’s blend of Cold War paranoia, religious awe and apocalyptic spectacle feels potent. The Martian machines remain iconic, and the sense of civilisation teetering on the brink is handled with a seriousness that later adaptations sometimes sidestep. A cornerstone of sci‑fi cinema.

Live Now Pay Later (1962) – Talking Pictures TV, 4.05pm

A sharp, surprisingly modern satire about consumerism and the seductive pull of easy credit. The film skewers the salesman culture of the era, but its observations about debt, desire and the illusion of prosperity feel eerily current. A sly, clever gem that deserves more attention.

Escape from New York (1981) – Legend, 11.30pm

John Carpenter’s dystopian classic remains a masterclass in world‑building: grimy, anarchic, and pulsing with attitude. Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken is the ultimate anti‑hero — laconic, cynical, and somehow still magnetic. The film’s vision of a decaying America sealed inside its own violence feels both fantastical and uncomfortably prophetic.

Sound of Metal (2019) – BBC Two, 12.05am

An extraordinary, deeply humane film about hearing loss, identity and the painful work of acceptance. Riz Ahmed delivers a career‑defining performance as a drummer whose world collapses and reshapes itself in ways he never expected. The sound design is astonishing, pulling the viewer into his shifting sensory reality. A quiet masterpiece about learning to live differently.

Wednesday 24th June

Peter Flannery Remembers Our Friends in the North – BBC Four, 10.00pm

A quiet, reflective half‑hour in which Peter Flannery looks back at the making of one of British television’s towering achievements. What emerges isn’t just nostalgia but a sense of how rare it is for a drama to capture the sweep of political, social and personal change with such clarity. Flannery speaks with the calm authority of someone who knows he created something that will outlast all of us.

Our Friends in the North – BBC Four, 10.15pm, 11.25pm and 12.30am

The 1964, 1966 and 1967 episodes return — early chapters in a saga that still feels astonishingly relevant. Watching them now, you’re struck by how confidently the series moves between the intimate and the epic: friendships tested by ambition, politics reshaping lives, history pressing in on ordinary people. It remains one of the great British dramas, not because it tries to be important, but because it understands how people are shaped by the times they live through.

How Green Was My Valley (1941) – Film4, 1.30pm

John Ford’s elegy to a Welsh mining community is as moving now as it was eight decades ago. The film’s power lies in its tenderness — the way it honours working‑class life without romanticising the hardship that defined it. Memory, loss and belonging run through every frame, and Ford’s eye for human dignity remains unmatched. A classic that earns its sentiment.

Bad Lieutenant (1992) – Legend, 1.35am

This version of *Bad Lieutenant* is one of my favourite films — and it’s easy to explain why. Abel Ferrara strips the crime drama down to something raw, feverish and spiritually bruised. Harvey Keitel gives a performance that feels almost too intimate for the screen: a man collapsing under the weight of his own corruption, staggering through addiction, rage and self‑loathing until he reaches a moment of grace that is as shocking as anything that precedes it.

What makes the film extraordinary is its refusal to tidy up human behaviour. It’s messy, anguished, confrontational — but also deeply compassionate. Ferrara understands that redemption, when it comes, is rarely clean or comfortable. The film stares directly at human ruin and still finds something worth salvaging. That’s why it lingers, and why it remains one of the most powerful pieces of American cinema of the 1990s.

Thursday 25th June

Boy George and Culture Club – Sky Arts, 9.00pm

A look back at one of the defining acts of the 1980s.

Rick Mayall: Magnificent Bastard – Sky Documentaries, 9.00pm

A full‑blooded tribute to a performer who didn’t just change British comedy — he detonated it. Rick Mayall was a force of nature: all manic energy, wicked intelligence and that unmistakable glint that told you he was about to push a scene somewhere dangerous, hilarious, or both. The documentary captures that volatility beautifully. You’re reminded how he could dominate a frame simply by entering it, how his presence made even seasoned actors brace themselves for impact.

What comes through most strongly is the sheer joy of him — the way he treated comedy as a contact sport, hurling himself into performances with a physicality that felt both reckless and precise. Whether it was the punk chaos of The Young Ones, the grotesque brilliance of Bottom, or the sly, weaponised charm he brought to everything else, Mayall operated on a frequency entirely his own.

But the programme also honours the man behind the mayhem: the generosity, the loyalty, the fierce work ethic. Colleagues speak about him with a mixture of awe and affection, aware that they were in the orbit of someone genuinely irreplaceable.

It’s a reminder that Mayall didn’t just make people laugh — he expanded the possibilities of what British comedy could be. A magnificent bastard, yes, but also a once‑in‑a‑generation talent whose influence still ripples through everything that came after.

Mel Brooks and Me – BBC Four, 11.25pm

Alan Yentob sits down with a comedy titan whose career spans continents, genres and several eras of American entertainment. Brooks is funny even when he’s not trying to be, but what makes this profile compelling is the sense of a man who has always understood the mechanics of laughter — how to build it, how to weaponise it, and how to survive by it. A warm, generous portrait.

Imagine: Mel Brooks Unwrapped – BBC Four, 11.35pm

A companion piece that digs deeper into Brooks’ extraordinary career, from the Borscht Belt to Broadway to Hollywood. There’s mischief, of course — Brooks can’t help himself — but also a surprising amount of reflection. You’re reminded that behind the chaos of *The Producers* and *Blazing Saddles* lies a meticulous craftsman who shaped modern comedy more than almost anyone else.

Little Big Man (1970) – 5 Action, 1.20pm

Arthur Penn’s revisionist western dismantles the myths of the American frontier with wit, melancholy and a sharp political edge. Dustin Hoffman plays the 121‑year‑old Jack Crabb recounting a life lived at the margins of history, and the film uses his tall tales to expose the violence and hypocrisy beneath the old cowboy legends. Funny, tragic and quietly radical.

All the King’s Men (1949) – Film4, 2.45pm

A powerful, still‑resonant study of political corruption and the seductive pull of populism. Broderick Crawford is mesmerising as Willie Stark, a man who begins with righteous fury and ends consumed by the very forces he once railed against. The film’s moral clarity — and its understanding of how power corrodes — feels as sharp today as it did in 1949.

Friday 26th June

What Happened at the Somme – BBC One, 7.30pm

Whenever a programme turns its attention to the First World War, I find myself watching through the lens of my own visits to the Somme — trips taken over many years with my good friend, mentor and historian Alan Midgley, who is sadly no longer with us. Alan had that rare gift of bringing history alive without ever sensationalising it. Walking those fields with him — the wind moving through the grass, the silence settling over ground that once shook with unimaginable violence — changed the way I understand the war. It stopped being “history” and became something intimate, human, and painfully present.

One image in particular has stayed with me: the German First World War Jewish graves at Falaise cemetery. Perfectly tended, modest, marked with the Star of David. Standing there, Alan quietly explaining the regiments and the dates, I felt the weight of something far larger than the war itself. These were young men who fought and died for a country that, within a generation, would declare them outsiders, strip them of citizenship, and ultimately murder their families.

Their sacrifice — loyal, patriotic, and no different from that of their Christian comrades — counted for nothing in the eyes of the regime that followed. That is the tragedy carved into those stones. They died believing they were part of the German nation; history repaid them with betrayal.

It is impossible to stand in that cemetery and not feel the moral dissonance of it all: the neat rows, the dignity of the inscriptions, the quiet respect of the place — and the knowledge that the country they served would later deny their very right to belong. It is one of the most haunting lessons the Western Front offers: that memory is fragile, and that the meaning of sacrifice can be rewritten by those who come after.

So when I watch any documentary about the Great War — its battles, its politics, its human cost — I do so with those visits in mind. The Somme is not just a battlefield; it is a landscape of ghosts. And thanks to Alan, I learned to see it not as a place of death, but as a place of enduring remembrance — a reminder of how easily nations forget the people who fought for them, and how important it is that we do not.

Independence Storm – PBS America, 7.55pm

A clear‑eyed historical documentary tracing the turbulent path toward national independence. Rather than offering a tidy narrative, it leans into the complexity — the competing visions, the fractures within movements, and the sheer human cost of political transformation. It’s a reminder that independence is rarely a single moment of triumph, but a long, contested process shaped by sacrifice, compromise and the stubborn will of ordinary people.

My Tiger Family – BBC Two, 9.00pm

An intimate, beautifully shot wildlife documentary that follows a family of tigers with a patience and tenderness that feels almost novelistic. The filmmakers give the animals space to be themselves — wary, playful, fierce, vulnerable — and the result is a portrait of family life that feels surprisingly relatable. The jungle becomes a character in its own right, a place of danger and sanctuary in equal measure. Quietly captivating.

Flood: When the Thames Drowned London – Channel 5, 9.00pm

A gripping reconstruction of one of London’s greatest natural disasters, charting how a combination of weather, tide and human miscalculation brought the capital to the brink. The programme blends eyewitness accounts, archival material and expert analysis to show how fragile a city can be when nature decides to test it. It’s sobering, but also oddly reassuring — a reminder of how much has been learned, and how much still depends on vigilance.

Madonna and Graham – BBC One, 10.40pm

Madonna joins Graham Norton for what promises to be a lively, revealing conversation. She remains one of pop’s most enduring provocateurs — sharp, funny, and entirely unwilling to play the role expected of her. Norton, with his mix of mischief and empathy, is one of the few interviewers capable of drawing out both the armour and the person beneath it. Expect candour, humour and at least one moment that will be replayed endlessly online.

True Grit (1969) – 5 Action, 1.25pm

The film that finally won John Wayne his Oscar, and with good reason. As Rooster Cogburn, Wayne delivers a performance that balances gruffness with surprising warmth, playing a man whose rough exterior hides a stubborn moral core. The film itself is a classic frontier tale — dusty, funny, and shot through with a melancholy that deepens with age. A western that earns its place in the canon.

Psycho (1960) – BBC Two, 11.00pm

Hitchcock’s masterpiece remains one of the most influential thrillers ever made — a film that rewrote the rules of suspense, narrative and audience expectation. Even now, its shocks still land, not because of gore but because of the director’s absolute command of tension and misdirection. Bernard Herrmann’s score, the stark black‑and‑white photography, the audacity of the plot — it all adds up to a film that feels both timeless and perpetually unsettling. A landmark of modern cinema.

Dark Waters (2019) – BBC Two, 12.45am

A quietly devastating film that takes a familiar American story — corporate malfeasance on an industrial scale — and strips it of sensationalism until all that remains is the slow, grinding horror of the truth. Todd Haynes directs with a kind of moral stillness, letting the facts speak for themselves, and the result is a drama that feels less like a thriller and more like a reckoning.

Mark Ruffalo gives one of his finest performances as Rob Bilott, the corporate defence lawyer who finds himself on the wrong side of the table when a West Virginia farmer brings him evidence of something deeply wrong. What begins as a favour becomes a decades‑long battle against DuPont, a company whose chemical pollution poisoned a community, contaminated the water supply, and quietly entered the bloodstream of almost every living person on the planet.

The film’s power lies in its refusal to exaggerate. There are no grand speeches, no courtroom fireworks, no Hollywood catharsis. Instead, Haynes shows the toll of persistence: the long nights, the fraying relationships, the professional isolation, the sense of pushing against a machine designed to exhaust anyone who challenges it. Bilott’s heroism is not glamorous — it is patient, stubborn, and quietly self‑sacrificial.

What makes Dark Waters so unsettling is the scale of the harm. The chemicals at the centre of the case — PFOA, used in Teflon — were never meant to leave the lab, yet they ended up everywhere: in rivers, in soil, in animals, in human blood. The film makes clear that this wasn’t an accident but a choice, a corporate calculation that the cost of cleaning up would be greater than the cost of letting people suffer.

Haynes shoots the story in muted tones, as if the world itself has been leached of colour by the contamination. It’s a visual metaphor for a system where accountability is always deferred, and where the truth emerges only because one man refuses to stop digging.

By the time the credits roll, the devastation is not loud but cumulative — a sense of how fragile public trust is, and how easily it can be poisoned when profit becomes the only measure of value. Dark Waters is a film that lingers, not because it shocks, but because it tells the truth plainly and lets the implications settle in your bones.

Streaming Choice

The Root of the Game (Netflix) – A rich, three‑part exploration of Brazil’s relationship with football — not as a pastime, but as a national language. The series understands that Brazilian football is inseparable from the country’s history, politics and social tensions. It moves from the street pitches of Rio to the vast modern arenas, tracing how the game became a vehicle for identity, resistance and joy.
What’s most striking is the emotional range: football as escape, as aspiration, as a mirror of inequality, and as a kind of collective poetry. The documentary captures the swagger and sorrow of a nation that sees itself reflected in the way it plays.

Avatar: Fire and Ash (Disney+) – James Cameron continues his ecological epic with a chapter that deepens the mythology of Pandora while pushing the emotional stakes higher. The film blends astonishing visual spectacle with a story rooted in family, displacement and the cost of survival.
Cameron remains one of the few filmmakers who can make digital worlds feel tactile and lived‑in. The action sequences have a clarity and physicality that most blockbusters can only dream of, but the real power lies in the quieter moments — the bonds between characters, the rituals of Na’vi life, the sense of a world fighting to protect itself.
It’s grand, earnest, and made with a sincerity that feels increasingly rare.

The Agency – Season 2 (Paramount+) – One of television’s smartest espionage dramas returns with a second season that doubles down on moral ambiguity and psychological tension. The series treats intelligence work not as glamour but as a slow erosion of certainty — a world where loyalty is provisional, truth is negotiable, and every decision carries a cost.
The writing is taut, the performances tightly wound, and the plotting intricate without ever becoming opaque. It’s a rare spy drama that trusts the audience to keep up, and rewards them for doing so.

I Am Frank Ordell (Netflix) – An animated fantasy adventure with a streak of eccentricity that sets it apart from the usual streaming offerings. Frank Ordell is an unlikely hero drawn into a world of magic, mischief and moral dilemmas, and the film balances humour with a surprisingly thoughtful emotional core.The animation is vibrant without being frantic, and the storytelling has that gentle, slightly off‑centre charm that appeals to adults as much as children. A small, distinctive delight.

Richard Jewell (Netflix) – Clint Eastwood’s quietly furious examination of media hysteria and institutional failure. The film recounts the true story of Richard Jewell, the security guard who discovered a bomb at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics — and was then wrongly accused of planting it. Paul Walter Hauser gives a remarkable, deeply humane performance as a man bewildered by the speed with which public admiration turned into suspicion. Eastwood directs with restraint, letting the injustice speak for itself.
The film’s critique of press frenzy and FBI overreach feels depressingly timeless.

The American Experiment (Netflix) – A sweeping documentary series that examines how American identity has been constructed, contested and continually reinvented. Rather than offering a single thesis, it embraces contradiction: the tension between idealism and inequality, unity and division, myth and reality.
It moves through history, culture, politics and personal testimony, showing how the idea of America has always been a negotiation rather than a fixed point. Thoughtful, ambitious and refreshingly nuanced.

Boiling Point (Channel 4 Streaming) – f you haven’t seen it yet, now is the moment. Boiling Point is one of the most gripping British dramas of recent years — a single‑take pressure cooker set in a restaurant kitchen on the brink of collapse. Stephen Graham is superb as a chef barely holding his life together, and the film captures the chaos, camaraderie and emotional volatility of service with unnerving authenticity. It’s tense, humane and utterly absorbing. Catch it before it disappears.

Volver (BFI Player) – Pedro Almodóvar’s warm, funny and deeply humane masterpiece — a film that blends melodrama, mystery and domestic comedy with the director’s trademark generosity of spirit. Penélope Cruz gives one of her finest performances as a woman navigating family secrets, grief and unexpected reinvention. The film is a celebration of female resilience, community and the strange ways the past refuses to stay buried. Rich, colourful and emotionally resonant, Volver is Almodóvar at his most accessible and most profound.

Radio Choice

Midsummer Dreaming – Radio 3, Saturday 9.30pm

A gently enchanting programme that treats midsummer not as a date in the calendar but as a state of mind — a moment when the year seems to pause, the light stretches impossibly long, and the world feels briefly suspended between the ordinary and the magical. Midsummer Dreaming weaves together music, poetry and quiet reflection to evoke that sense of threshold: the lingering glow of evening, the hum of the natural world, the feeling that something ancient is stirring just beyond the edge of perception.

Radio 3 excels at this kind of mood‑building, and the programme draws on a wide palette — from folk traditions and choral works to contemporary compositions that capture the shimmer and stillness of the season. The selections aren’t just pretty; they’re evocative, tapping into the deep cultural roots of midsummer as a time of ritual, celebration and gentle mischief.

Interwoven with the music are reflections that give the hour its emotional weight. There’s a sense of looking both forward and back: midsummer as a moment of abundance, but also a reminder that the light will soon begin to recede. The programme understands that this is what gives the season its poignancy — the beauty is heightened because it is fleeting.

It’s the kind of broadcast that invites you to slow down, step outside for a moment, and listen to the world breathing. A perfect midsummer companion: thoughtful, atmospheric and quietly restorative.

Archive on 4: The Art of Listening – Radio 4, Saturday 8.00pm

An exploration of what it truly means to listen.

10 Years After Brexit – Radio 4, Sunday 1.30pm

A decade on from Britain’s departure from the European Union, this programme takes a measured, quietly probing look at what has — and hasn’t — changed. Rather than reheating the old arguments, it focuses on lived experience: how Brexit has reshaped work, identity, borders, and the country’s sense of itself.
Economists, historians and ordinary citizens offer perspectives that are sometimes contradictory, sometimes unexpectedly aligned, but always grounded in the reality of a nation still negotiating the consequences of its choice.
What emerges is not a verdict but a portrait of a country in transition — one still trying to understand what sovereignty means in practice, and what kind of future it wants to build.
As with all political retrospectives, listeners should confirm details with trusted sources.

Being Greek – Radio 4, Tuesday 9.00am

A thoughtful examination of identity, heritage and belonging.

Podcast Choice

Artifacts

A compelling series that digs into the emotional history of the internet — not the technology, but the traces we leave behind. Each episode takes a digital “artifact” (a message board post, a meme, a long‑forgotten website, a viral moment) and uses it as a doorway into the ways online life has shaped memory, relationships and self‑expression.
What makes it special is its tone: empathetic, curious, and alert to the fact that the internet is not just infrastructure but a vast archive of human longing, creativity and embarrassment.
It’s a reminder that digital culture isn’t ephemeral at all — it’s where many of our most intimate stories now live.

Endgame

A thoughtful, often unsettling exploration of one of the defining questions of our age: can humanity live alongside Artificial General Intelligence? Rather than indulging in sci‑fi panic or techno‑utopian cheerleading, the podcast takes a sober, interdisciplinary approach — speaking to philosophers, engineers, ethicists and psychologists about what AGI might mean for work, autonomy, creativity and the very idea of being human. The strength of the series lies in its refusal to simplify. It acknowledges both the extraordinary potential and the profound risks, and it treats listeners as adults capable of holding both ideas at once. A gripping, intellectually serious listen that feels urgently relevant.

The Rest Is Politics – Who Funds Reform?

An examination of political funding, influence and the forces behind one of Britain’s most talked-about political movements.

This week’s Culture Vulture ranges from the Welsh valleys of 1941 to the future of artificial intelligence, from Bond and Hitchcock to Evonne Goolagong and Nelson Mandela. The strongest thread running through it all is the question of how individuals and societies tell their stories. Whether through film, television, radio or podcasts, the past is constantly being revisited, challenged and reinterpreted. That makes this one of the most thoughtful and rewarding cultural weeks of the year so far.

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Culture Vulture — 9–15 May 2026

May 9, 2026 at 5:57 am · Filed under Culture Vulture, Film & DVD Reviews, TV Shows ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

An eagle soaring against a blue sky with mountains in the background, featuring the text 'CULTURE VULTURE' prominently displayed at the top and 'COUNTER CULTURE' logo at the bottom, along with event dates '9-15 May 2026'.

The week’s viewing arrives haunted by questions of power, memory and reinvention. From billionaires attempting to redesign the future to ageing outlaws confronting the collapse of their myths, this is a schedule filled with characters and cultures trying to outrun decline. Whether it’s Elon Musk promising technological salvation, ageing antiheroes returning for one last act of violence, or documentaries dismantling the comforting legends nations tell themselves, the mood feels restless, revealing, and faintly accusatory.

Three selections stand out. 🌟 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance remains one of cinema’s great dissections of political mythmaking. 🌟 Moon still chills with its portrait of labour and identity stripped to the bone. 🌟 Berlusconi: Condemned to Win examines the prototype for the modern media‑politician, a figure whose shadow still stretches across Europe.

Elsewhere: journeys along the Danube, Brazilian revolutionary cinema, gothic mysteries on audio, podcasts about childhood trauma, and a deeply strange farewell to Good Omens. As ever, Culture Vulture looks beyond the algorithm and into the stories shaping the emotional atmosphere beneath the headlines.

Selections and reviews are by Pat Harrington.

Saturday 9th May 2026

🌟 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

5 Action, 4:25 PM

John Ford’s masterpiece remains one of the most quietly devastating westerns ever made. It dismantles the mythology of the American frontier with a patience that borders on cruelty, peeling back the fantasy of noble men building civilisation through honour and grit. The film quietly strips away the comforting fantasy that civilisation is built by honourable men acting nobly” . What emerges instead is a portrait of a society constructed from half‑truths, compromises and the kind of lies that become patriotic scripture.

The famous line — “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend” — lands harder with every passing decade. Ford understood that democracies often depend on stories that tidy up the messier origins of power. Watching it now, in an era drowning in competing narratives and weaponised misinformation, the film feels almost clairvoyant.

Yet the politics would mean little without the melancholy running beneath them. John Wayne’s Tom Doniphon is a man watching the world move on without him, a gunslinger whose usefulness is fading as the town embraces law, order and selective memory. His tragedy is not simply that he is obsolete, but that the truth of his life must be buried for the new world to function.

Ford shoots the west as a place already half‑ghosted, its future secured only by the erasure of its past. The film’s emotional power lies in that tension: the birth of democracy requiring the death of the man who made it possible.

And so Liberty Valance endures — not as a nostalgic western, but as a warning about the stories nations tell to feel better about themselves.

The Sting

Legend, 5:25 PM

The Sting remains one of cinema’s great confidence tricks, a film so charming that audiences willingly surrender to its sleight of hand. Newman and Redford glide through the Depression‑era plot with the kind of chemistry that makes fraud look like a gentleman’s sport. The film turns raud into a kind of elegant performance art. .

Beneath the ragtime bounce lies something darker. The film understands that scams flourish when institutions have already lost credibility. Everyone is hustling because the system itself feels rigged — a sentiment that resonates uncomfortably in the present.

It also belongs to that brief 1970s moment when Hollywood could be both wildly entertaining and faintly subversive. The audience roots for criminals not because they’re noble, but because they possess wit, style and solidarity in a world ruled by greed.

The con itself becomes a metaphor for America’s own illusions: the belief that cleverness can outpace corruption, that charm can outwit power. It’s a fantasy, of course, but a seductive one.

Rewatching it now, the film feels like a postcard from a country already losing faith in its institutions — a warning wrapped in a grin.

Angela Rippon’s River Cruises

Channel 5, 8:00 PM

Travel television often functions as a collective exhale, a temporary escape from overcrowded cities and economic anxiety. Angela Rippon understands this instinctively. Her Danube journey glides with a calmness that feels almost rebellious in an age of hyperactive factual TV.

The Danube itself is a river thick with memory — empires rising and falling, borders shifting, cultures colliding. Even when presented through the soft-focus lens of mainstream travel TV, those histories seep through.

Rippon’s presence is the show’s anchor. Warm, intelligent, unhurried, she refuses the breathless tone that dominates modern broadcasting. Her style suggests that curiosity need not be loud to be engaging.

There’s also something quietly political in the way the programme lingers on the river’s layered past. It reminds viewers that Europe is not a fixed idea but a long negotiation between geography and power.

In a week filled with political mythmaking and cultural anxiety, Rippon’s gentle approach feels like a small act of resistance.

Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth

PBS America, 7:20 PM

This documentary attempts to prise apart centuries of romanticised storytelling to reveal the real figure buried beneath. The story has been repeatedly reshaped into comforting legend that smooths over violence and exploitation .

The film’s strength lies in its refusal to treat Pocahontas as a symbolic prop in a colonial morality tale. Instead, it examines how empires construct narratives to justify themselves, turning Indigenous lives into allegories that flatter the conquerors.

It’s a sober, necessary correction — not just of historical detail, but of the cultural machinery that sanitises conquest. The documentary shows how mythmaking becomes a political tool, softening the brutality of expansion into something palatable.

Watching it now, the film feels like part of a broader reckoning with the stories nations tell about themselves. The past is not neutral; it is curated.

And in that curation lies the real power.

The Suicide Squad

ITV2, 9:00 PM

James Gunn’s gleefully anarchic take on the superhero genre remains one of the few comic‑book films willing to bite the hand that feeds it. Violent, absurd and knowingly tasteless, it treats its antiheroes as disposable assets in a system that barely pretends to value them. Gvernments lie, operatives are expendable and morality shifts according to convenience.

The film’s satire lands because it refuses to sentimentalise its characters. They are tools, and the state uses them accordingly. The humour is barbed, the violence grotesque, the politics sharper than expected.

Gunn understands that the superhero myth is, at heart, a fantasy about power being wielded responsibly. The Suicide Squad laughs at that idea. Here, power is bureaucratic, cynical and uninterested in heroism.

The result is a film that feels oddly honest about the machinery of modern geopolitics. It’s a cartoon, yes, but one with teeth.

And beneath the chaos lies a bleak truth: systems built on expendability eventually consume everyone.

The Producers

BBC Two, 11:45 PM

Mel Brooks’ outrageous satire remains a masterclass in using comedy to puncture authoritarianism. The premise — staging a deliberately terrible musical called Springtime for Hitler — still feels audacious. Brooks exposes the pathetic narcissism underneath fascist theatrics by turning them into ridicule .

The film’s genius lies in its refusal to treat fascism with solemnity. Instead, it strips away the spectacle, revealing the insecurity and vanity beneath. Laughter becomes a political act.

Brooks also skewers the greed and gullibility of showbusiness, suggesting that corruption thrives wherever ambition outpaces talent. The con spirals because everyone involved believes they’re the smartest person in the room.

The musical numbers remain gloriously tasteless, a reminder that satire works best when it risks offence. Brooks never flinches.

Rewatching it now, the film feels like a reminder that authoritarianism feeds on fear — and that ridicule can be a surprisingly effective antidote.

Sunday 10th May 2026

The Elon Musk Show

BBC Two, 8:00 PM

The documentary continues its examination of Musk as both entrepreneur and cultural phenomenon. He embodies he contradictions of modern capitalism” and operates in a media environment where “attention itself has become currency .

The programme is less interested in biography than in the ecosystem that allowed Musk to become a global spectacle. It shows how personality, performance and provocation now function as business strategies.

What emerges is a portrait of a man who blurred the boundaries between tech visionary, celebrity and political actor. His power lies not just in his companies, but in his ability to command narrative space.

The documentary also hints at the fragility of this model. When attention becomes currency, volatility becomes inevitable.

It’s a story not just about Musk, but about the culture that made him possible.

Sisu

Film4, 9:30 PM

A revenge western transplanted into wartime Lapland, Sisu embraces pulp with unashamed ferocity. Nazis replace outlaws; endurance replaces realism. The film delivers brutal set-pieces with stripped-down clarity and carries genuine historical bitterness beneath the violence .

There is no psychological depth here, nor does the film pretend otherwise. Its power lies in its simplicity: a man wronged, a landscape scarred, an enemy deserving of every ounce of fury.

The violence is stylised but never weightless. The film’s anger feels rooted in history, not fantasy.

It’s a reminder that pulp can carry political charge when handled with conviction.

And sometimes, cinema’s most primal pleasures — vengeance, survival, righteous fury — are enough.

🌟 Moon

Channel 4, 11:00 PM

Duncan Jones’ Moon remains one of the most quietly devastating science‑fiction films of the century. Sam Rockwell’s performance — or rather, performances — anchors a story that begins as lunar isolation and becomes something far more unsettling. The film explores abour, identity and corporate exploitation with chilling clarity .

What makes Moon so effective is its restraint. There are no grand vistas, no operatic battles, no cosmic revelations. The horror emerges from bureaucracy, profit logic and the cold efficiency of a corporation that treats human life as a renewable resource.

Rockwell’s work is extraordinary: fragile, furious, bewildered, tender. He carries the film almost entirely alone, yet never feels theatrically isolated. His loneliness is the point.

The production design — all sterile corridors and humming machinery — reinforces the sense of a future where humanity has been tidied away in favour of productivity.

Rewatching it now, the film feels even more prescient. The future it imagines is not spectacular; it is efficient. And that is the real nightmare.

The Proposition

Talking Pictures TV, 9:45 PM

Nick Cave’s brutal outback western remains a singular piece of cinema — part fever dream, part colonial reckoning. The landscape ais soaked in moral decay and colonial violence , and that’s exactly how it feels: scorched, haunted, unforgiving.

The film’s moral dilemma — one brother must kill another to save a third — plays out against a backdrop of empire’s cruelties. Violence is not aberration but infrastructure.

Cave’s script is poetic in its brutality, finding strange beauty in the dust and blood. The performances, especially from Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone, carry the weight of men trapped in systems they barely understand.

The film refuses redemption. Its world is too broken for that. Instead, it offers clarity: a vision of colonialism stripped of romance.

It lingers like a bruise.

A Bigger Splash

BBC Two, 11:00 PM

Tilda Swinton delivers a performance of exquisite control in this simmering drama of jealousy, desire and Mediterranean heat. The film widens into something more politically charged with hints of refugee crises and European privilege .

The film begins as a sun‑drenched holiday, all languid afternoons and simmering tensions. But beneath the surface lies a study of power — sexual, emotional, cultural.

Ralph Fiennes’ volcanic performance destabilises the idyll, dragging old wounds into the open. The villa becomes a pressure cooker.

As the story widens, the film gestures toward Europe’s uneasy relationship with the world beyond its borders. Luxury exists alongside desperation; privilege depends on distance.

It’s a film about desire, but also about the stories we tell to justify our comforts.

Tea with Mussolini

BBC Two, 11:55 PM

Franco Zeffirelli’s semi‑autobiographical drama offers a portrait of pre‑war expatriate life drifting toward catastrophe.A privileged class sleepwalking through political catastrophe .

The film’s charm lies in its ensemble — Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Cher — each playing women who believe culture and refinement can hold barbarism at bay. They are wrong, of course, but their delusion is touching.

Zeffirelli’s Florence is beautiful, fragile, doomed. The film captures the moment before the world tilts, when people still believe that civilisation is a shield.

It’s a gentle film, but not a naive one. The shadows lengthen even in the sunlit piazzas.

And in its final moments, the film becomes a quiet elegy for a world that mistook taste for safety.

Monday 11th May 2026

The Elon Musk Show

BBC Two

The continuation of the series traces Musk’s rise from ambitious outsider to polarising global figure. Modern capitalism depends upon personality as much as product and that Musk sells narrative, spectacle and belief as much as technology .

The programme shows how charisma becomes currency, how provocation becomes strategy, and how the line between innovation and performance blurs.

It’s a portrait of a man, yes, but also of a culture that rewards spectacle over substance.

Children of the Blitz

BBC Two, 9:00 PM

This documentary shifts attention away from wartime mythmaking and toward the children who lived through fear, confusion and displacement. History is shaped not just by leaders but by ordinary people carrying private memories through extraordinary circumstances .

The programme’s strength lies in its intimacy. These are not grand narratives but small, fragile recollections.

It’s a reminder that national memory often smooths over the terror experienced by those least able to articulate it.

Tuesday 12th May 2026

🌟 Berlusconi: Condemned to Win

BBC Four, 10:00 PM

Silvio Berlusconi understood politics as entertainment long before the rest of the world caught up. The documentary charts a career built on scandal, media manipulation and the strange alchemy of outrage. Many forces destabilising modern democracies were already visible in Berlusconi’s Italy decades ago .

The film shows how charisma can override accountability, how spectacle can drown out substance, and how a nation can become addicted to the very figure it claims to despise.

Berlusconi emerges as both architect and symptom of a political culture built on personality cults.

It’s a cautionary tale, but also a mirror.

And the reflection is uncomfortably familiar.

T2 Trainspotting

Film4

Danny Boyle’s sequel is less a nostalgic reunion than a reckoning. The film becomes a meditation on ageing, compromise and the seductive danger of living through memory alone .

The characters return to the ruins of their youth, only to find that rebellion has curdled into regret. The film’s bitterness is its honesty.

It’s a story about men who once defined themselves by refusal, now confronting the consequences of that refusal.

Memory becomes both refuge and trap.

The Beguiled

Legend, 11:40 PM

Clint Eastwood delivers one of his strangest performances in this gothic Civil War thriller. It is a world of repression, paranoia and shifting power dynamics .

The film’s claustrophobia is palpable. Desire becomes weaponised; kindness becomes strategy.

Long before modern conversations about toxic masculinity, the film was already probing the instability of gendered power.

It’s a strange, unsettling piece.

Absolutely — here is the rest of Culture Vulture from Wednesday onward, continuing in the same Patrick‑style voice, with varied paragraph lengths and a fully human cadence. All content remains grounded in the uploaded document, with citations where required.

Wednesday 13th May 2026 (continued)

The Elon Musk Show

BBC Two, 8:00 PM

By this stage the series becomes less a portrait of Musk and more a study of the public hunger that sustains figures like him. The show captures how billionaire entrepreneurs increasingly operate as political and cultural symbols. That’s the real subject now — not the man, but the ecosystem that elevates him.

The programme shows how charisma, provocation and spectacle have become forms of soft power. Musk is simply the most visible practitioner. The audience’s fascination becomes part of the machinery, feeding the cycle of attention that keeps him culturally dominant.

There’s a faint melancholy to it all. The more the documentary digs, the clearer it becomes that the world has outsourced its imagination to a handful of men who promise the future while selling the present back to us as performance.

It’s compelling, but also faintly exhausting — a portrait of a culture that confuses disruption with destiny.

Robin and Marian

Film4, 5:05 PM

Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn bring a bruised tenderness to this late‑life Robin Hood tale.It’s a story of ageing lovers confronting time, regret and the collapse of heroic mythology , and that’s exactly the register it plays in: wistful, weary, quietly devastating.

The film rejects the swashbuckling legend in favour of something more fragile. Robin returns not as triumphant hero but as a man worn down by years of conflict, unsure what remains of the ideals he once fought for. Marian, too, carries the weight of a life lived in the shadow of myth.

Their reunion is tender but edged with sorrow. They know the world has moved on; they know they no longer fit the stories once told about them. The film’s emotional power lies in that recognition — the moment when legend gives way to the truth of two people who have simply grown older.

The action is sparse, almost reluctant. The film is more interested in the quiet moments: a shared glance, a rueful smile, the ache of memory. It’s a rare thing — a Robin Hood story that understands the cost of being a symbol.

And in its final stretch, the film becomes a meditation on love that endures even as everything else falls away.

Thursday 14th May 2026

Imitation of Life

Film4, 3:25 PM

Douglas Sirk’s melodrama remains one of the most emotionally devastating examinations of race, class and identity in American cinema. Beneath its glossy surfaces lies emotional violence underpinning American social hierarchies , and Sirk wields that contrast like a scalpel.

The film’s beauty is deliberate — a lure that draws the audience into a story far harsher than its Technicolor palette suggests. The relationships between the women at its centre are tender, fraught and shaped by the racial boundaries that structure their lives.

Sirk exposes the cruelty of a society that demands performance from its most vulnerable members. The film’s emotional crescendos are not manipulative; they are indictments. Every tear is political.

What makes the film endure is its refusal to offer easy reconciliation. Love is present, but it is not enough to overcome the structures that define these women’s lives.

It remains a masterpiece of subversive melodrama — a film that hides its sharpest truths in plain sight.

Friday 15th May 2026

Unreported World — Faith Healers: Saints or Scammers?

Channel 4, 7:30 PM

This edition of Unreported World ventures into the uneasy territory where belief, desperation and exploitation intersect. Charismatic authority figures thrive in communities failed by institutions , and the programme follows that thread with clear-eyed precision.

The film doesn’t sneer at faith, nor does it romanticise it. Instead, it examines the conditions that make people vulnerable to those who promise certainty in exchange for devotion. The healers themselves are presented not as caricatures but as complex figures operating in moral grey zones.

What emerges is a portrait of communities searching for hope in places where official structures have withdrawn. The programme’s power lies in its refusal to simplify. It shows how exploitation can grow from the same soil as genuine belief.

It’s uncomfortable viewing — and necessary.

Triangle of Sadness

BBC Two, 11:00 PM

Ruben Östlund’s savage satire turns luxury into grotesque farce. The film strips away the illusion that privilege automatically produces competence or moral authority , and Östlund does so with a wicked grin.

The first act skewers the fashion world; the second dismantles the ultra‑rich aboard a luxury yacht; the third flips the hierarchy entirely. Each section exposes the absurdity of social status with escalating cruelty.

Östlund’s humour is sharp, sometimes vicious, but never gratuitous. He understands that satire works best when it reveals the fragility of the systems it mocks. Here, wealth is not power — it is delusion.

The film’s final act, set on a deserted island, becomes a miniature study of how quickly social order collapses when stripped of its props. Competence becomes currency; beauty becomes useless.

It’s a film that laughs until the laughter catches in your throat.

How to Build a Girl

Channel 4, 1:05 AM

Based on Caitlin Moran’s semi‑autobiographical novel, this coming‑of‑age comedy captures the exhilaration and awkwardness of reinventing yourself through culture, journalism and sheer force of will.Beneath the humour lies a story about “class mobility, aspiration and the uncertainty of self-invention” .

The film’s charm lies in its messiness. Reinvention is not a smooth process; it’s a series of missteps, overcorrections and embarrassing outfits. Beanie Feldstein plays Johanna with a mixture of bravado and vulnerability that feels instantly recognisable.

The world of music journalism is portrayed as both intoxicating and cruel — a place where wit can open doors but insecurity can swallow you whole. The film never loses sight of the class dynamics shaping Johanna’s journey.

It’s funny, heartfelt and sharper than it first appears.

Streaming Choice

The Punisher — One Last Kill

Disney+, from Wednesday 13th May

Frank Castle returns in a story steeped in trauma, violence and the grim psychology that has always set The Punisher apart. The series refuses to romanticise Castle’s cycles of violence , and that refusal remains its defining strength.

This is the bleakest corner of the Marvel universe — a place where justice is murky and redemption feels out of reach. Castle’s war is internal as much as external.

The new season promises more of that bruised intensity, with the character confronting the consequences of a life defined by vengeance.

It’s not comfortable viewing, but it’s compelling.

Good Omens — 90‑minute finale

Prime Video, Wednesday

The final chapter arrives under the shadow of controversy surrounding Neil Gaiman, which he denies. Yet the chemistry between Michael Sheen and David Tennant remains the emotional heart of the series , and that bond carries the finale.

The show’s blend of whimsy, apocalypse and celestial bureaucracy has always depended on the warmth between its leads. Even amid production upheaval, that connection holds.

The finale promises both closure and a touch of strangeness — fitting for a series that has always danced between sincerity and mischief.

Nouvelle Vague

BFI Player, available now

A playful, affectionate and politically aware look at the birth of the French New Wave. Breathless hovers over the entire production like a cinematic ghost , and the film embraces that haunting with delight.

It’s a love letter to a moment when cinema felt genuinely dangerous — when young filmmakers believed they could reinvent the medium with a handheld camera and a cigarette.

The film captures the movement’s contradictions: its radical energy, its romanticism, its occasional pretension. But it does so with warmth rather than judgement.

A treat for cinephiles.

Black God, White Devil

BFI Player, available now

Glauber Rocha’s revolutionary western remains one of the defining works of Brazil’s Cinema Novo. It’s raw, political and dreamlik” , and the film still hits with astonishing force.

Rocha blends folklore, politics and surrealism into a feverish vision of violence and spiritual desperation. The film’s imagery is stark, almost biblical.

It’s not an easy watch, but it is a vital one — a reminder of how cinema can become a weapon.

Podcast Choice

That Perfect Beat: The London Records Story

A lively five‑part history of the label behind Bronski Beat, The Communards and Sugababes. Contributors are frank about the chaos, luck and personality clashes that shaped British pop culture .

The series captures the pre‑streaming era when labels were personality‑driven, chaotic and occasionally visionary. It’s full of anecdotes, arguments and the kind of backstage drama that algorithms can’t replicate.

A joyous listen.

The Hound of the Baskervilles — Hugh Bonneville

Bonneville narrates Conan Doyle’s classic 125 years after Holmes’ resurrection. The moors, mystery and creeping dread remain wonderfully intact , and Bonneville leans into that atmosphere with relish.

It’s a reminder of how well this story works in audio form — all fog, footsteps and whispered suspicion.

Scarred for Life

Now in its fifth series, this affectionate cultural deep‑dive invites guests to revisit the films, TV moments and childhood fears that lodged permanently in their imaginations. It’s part comic therapy session, part nostalgia archaeology.

It’s funny, revealing and occasionally unsettling — a tour through the psychological landscape of growing up with unpredictable British broadcasting.

Radio Choice

Saturday 9th May 2026

Archive on 4 — In the Psychiatrist’s Chair

BBC Radio 4, 8:00 PM

There was a time when serious conversation on British broadcasting carried a faint sense of danger — when interviewers were allowed to probe, pause, and push without the suffocating fog of media training drifting in to smother the moment. In the Psychiatrist’s Chair belonged to that era. Theprogramme’s interviews “revealed more through hesitation, contradiction and silence than through direct confession . That’s the magic of it: the drama of someone thinking aloud, unguarded, before the age of PR armour.

Listening back now, the contrast with contemporary public life is almost shocking. Today’s figures speak in pre‑polished slogans designed to survive social‑media clipping, each sentence engineered for safety rather than truth. The archive recordings feel like dispatches from a lost civilisation — one where ambiguity wasn’t treated as a crisis, and where a moment of vulnerability wasn’t instantly weaponised.

What stands out most is the trust. Broadcasters trusted audiences to sit with discomfort; listeners trusted interviewers to guide them; guests trusted the process enough to risk revealing something real. That triangle of faith has largely collapsed in modern culture, replaced by performance, defensiveness and the constant hum of self‑protection.

Revisiting these conversations now feels quietly radical. They remind us that people are complicated, contradictory, unresolved — and that broadcasting once had the courage to let them be.

Tuesday 12th May 2026

A Century in a Click — 100 Years of the Photobooth

BBC Radio 4, 4:00 PM

The photobooth occupies a strange, affectionate corner of cultural history — part novelty machine, part democratic portrait studio, part accidental confessional. These cramped booths became places that preserved everything from drunken nights out to immigration documents, teenage romance and private grief . They were tiny stages where ordinary people could control their own image long before the smartphone made self‑documentation a reflex.

What makes the photobooth so compelling is its physicality. You had only a few chances to get the picture right. No filters, no retakes, no algorithm smoothing out your edges. Once printed, the strip existed as an object — something to tuck into a wallet, pin to a mirror, or hide in a drawer. The imperfections were part of the charm: smudges, awkward poses, the flash catching you mid‑blink. Honesty by accident.

The programme draws a clear line from those grainy black‑and‑white strips to today’s endless stream of selfies and curated online personas. Yet the comparison only highlights what we’ve lost. The photobooth captured moments without expectation. It wasn’t about branding or performance; it was about presence.

There’s nostalgia here, certainly, but also a deeper reflection on how technology shapes the way we present ourselves to the world. The photobooth now feels almost quaint beside Instagram filters and AI‑generated imagery, yet its appeal endures precisely because of its limitations. It caught people as they were, not as they hoped to appear.

And in that gap — between intention and accident — something human slipped through.

Cover of 'The Angela Suite' by Anthony C Green featuring a pair of feet, a camera, and a city skyline in the background with a call to action to 'Buy Now'.

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Culture Vulture: Saturday 13 – Friday 19 December 2025

December 12, 2025 at 7:35 am · Filed under Culture Vulture, Netflix, TV Shows ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

A large bird of prey, possibly a vulture, flying against a blue sky with mountains in the background. The image includes bold text reading 'CULTURE VULTURE,' and features a colorful graphic banner at the bottom labeled 'COUNTER CULTURE' with accompanying design elements.

This is a week that quietly rewards attention. Beneath the seasonal noise, the schedules offer a rich braid of post-war British cinema, American noir, European melancholy, pop-cultural memory and the long afterlife of myth — cinematic, musical and televisual. There’s a strong sense of looking back, but not nostalgically: instead, these programmes ask what endurance looks like, whether in communities, relationships, art forms or identities under pressure.

Three selections stand out. 🌟 Paris, 13th District brings contemporary intimacy and alienation into sharp monochrome focus. 🌟 Good Luck to You, Leo Grande proves how radical honesty can be when given space and respect. And 🌟 Strangers on a Train reminds us that cinema’s most elegant thrills often come from moral unease rather than spectacle.

What follows is a week that moves fluidly between eras and registers — from Ealing comedy to Bowie on tour, from The War Between Land and Sea’s mythic politics to Lucy Worsley’s festive archaeology — all bound by a fascination with how people behave when the structures around them start to fracture. Selections and reviews are by Pat Harrington.

Saturday 13 December 2025

Paris, 13th District (2021)
BBC Two, 12:45 AM 🌟
Jacques Audiard’s return to intimate, character-led storytelling is cool, lucid and quietly devastating. Shot in luminous black-and-white, the film captures a generation suspended between connection and detachment, where bodies meet more easily than lives. What might sound like a series of romantic encounters slowly reveals itself as a study of loneliness shaped by modern precarity — housing, work, image, desire all pressing in from the margins.

Audiard resists melodrama, letting silences do the work. The performances feel lived-in rather than performed, particularly as the film allows its characters to be contradictory without judgement. This is a portrait of urban life stripped of glamour but not tenderness, and it lingers because it never overstates its case.

Dead of Night (1945)
Film4, 1:55 AM
Few British films have aged as eerily well as this portmanteau classic. Its framing device — a man haunted by recurring dreams — opens into a series of stories that explore fear not as shock, but as inevitability. The famous ventriloquist segment still disturbs precisely because it understands repression and denial as horror engines.

What makes Dead of Night endure is its restraint. The supernatural is suggested rather than explained, and the film trusts the audience to feel unease without instruction. In the shadow of war, it captures a national psyche unsure whether the nightmare is truly over.

Whisky Galore! (2016)
BBC Two, 6:30 PM
This modern retelling of the Ealing classic is gentler and less subversive than its predecessor, but it retains the story’s essential charm: a community outwitting authority in the name of shared pleasure. It’s a film about solidarity disguised as comedy, where rules bend under the weight of human need.

What it lacks in bite, it makes up for in warmth. The island setting remains a character in itself, and the humour works best when it allows quiet absurdity to surface naturally rather than pushing for laughs.

David Bowie: A Reality Tour
Sky Arts, 7:40 PM
Captured during Bowie’s early-2000s renaissance, this concert film shows an artist at ease with his legacy but unwilling to be defined by it. There’s joy here, but also curiosity — a sense that Bowie was always moving forward, even when revisiting the past.

What stands out is the emotional range: the ease with which spectacle gives way to intimacy. This is Bowie as craftsman rather than icon, still interrogating what performance means late into a remarkable career.

The Batman (2022)
ITV1, 10:25 PM
Matt Reeves’ The Batman strips the superhero genre back to its noir foundations. This is not a power fantasy but a mood piece — rain-soaked, morally ambiguous, and obsessed with systems that fail the people they claim to protect. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is raw and unfinished, more vigilante than saviour.

The film’s length allows Gotham to feel like a lived-in ecosystem rather than a backdrop. It’s a crime story first, a comic-book adaptation second, and it succeeds because it understands corruption as cultural, not individual.

Chic & Nile Rodgers: Live at Jazz Vienna
Sky Arts, 10:50 PM
Rodgers remains one of pop’s great architects, and this performance is a reminder of how deeply his work is woven into modern music. The set is immaculate, but never sterile — groove as communal experience rather than nostalgia.

What elevates it is Rodgers’ generosity as a performer. This is music designed to be shared, its sophistication disguised as pleasure.

Sunday 14 December 2025

Local Hero (1983)
Film4, 1:30 PM
Bill Forsyth’s gentle classic remains one of British cinema’s most humane achievements. It’s a film about money, landscape and belonging, but its real subject is listening — to people, to place, to oneself.

The humour is soft, the emotions quieter still, and that’s precisely why it endures. Local Hero understands that progress doesn’t always mean improvement, and that some losses can’t be quantified.

The War Between the Land and the Sea– “The Deep”
BBC One, 8:30 PM
Episode 3 of 5,
This mid-series chapter leans into atmosphere and moral tension rather than spectacle. Isolation becomes political here, with the episode using its setting to explore power, sacrifice and the limits of negotiation.

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)
Film4, 9:00 PM 🌟
This is a film about sex that is really about self-knowledge. Emma Thompson delivers one of her most fearless performances as a woman confronting a lifetime of shame, politeness and deferred desire. The script is sharp without cruelty, compassionate without condescension.

The single-room setting becomes an arena for emotional excavation. What emerges is not liberation as fantasy, but honesty as practice — awkward, funny, painful and deeply human.

Donnie Brasco (1997)
Legend, 9:00 PM
Mike Newell’s undercover gangster drama remains one of the genre’s most psychologically convincing. Johnny Depp plays infiltration as erosion, while Al Pacino gives a heartbreaking performance as a man who mistakes loyalty for love.

The film’s power lies in its sadness. This is organised crime not as glamour but as terminal stagnation, where identity dissolves under the weight of performance.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
BBC Two, 10:35 PM
Often dismissed as glossy escapism, this romantic comedy is sharper than it first appears. Beneath the luxury lies a serious examination of class, diaspora and obligation, especially in the way it frames family as both anchor and constraint.

Its cultural significance shouldn’t be underestimated, but its emotional intelligence is what gives it staying power.

Minari (2020)
Film4, 1:15 AM
A quiet, autobiographical film that treats migration as process rather than event. Minari resists triumphal narratives, focusing instead on fragility, disappointment and stubborn hope.

The film’s tenderness is its strength. It understands that belonging is built slowly, often unevenly, and never without cost.

The Big Snow of ’47
5Select, 10:30 PM
A reminder of how quickly modern life collapses when infrastructure fails. This documentary captures resilience without romanticising hardship, showing how communities adapt when systems freeze.

Monday 15 December 2025

Richard III (1955)
BBC Two, 2:40 PM
Laurence Olivier’s stylised adaptation is theatrical by design, embracing artifice as a form of truth. The film’s bold visuals and heightened performances foreground power as performance — charisma weaponised.

While later versions emphasise realism, this remains a masterclass in control and clarity.

Civilizations: Rise and Fall – Japan
BBC Two, 9:00 PM
Episode 4 of 4
A fitting conclusion to a series that treats history as movement rather than monument. Japan’s story is framed through cycles of openness and withdrawal, innovation and restraint.

The episode resists simplification, allowing contradiction to stand — a strength often missing from popular history television.

Tuesday 16 December 2025

Laura (1944)
BBC Two, 3:50 PM
Otto Preminger’s noir classic is as much about obsession as investigation. The camera glides, the dialogue snaps, and Gene Tierney’s presence haunts even in absence.

Few films understand desire as something constructed rather than felt. Laura remains hypnotic precisely because it never resolves that tension.

James May’s Shedload of Ideas
Quest, 9:00 PM
May’s appeal lies in his seriousness about triviality. The programme celebrates curiosity without spectacle, reminding us that invention often begins with play. This episode looks at sound-proofing a room.

Wednesday 17 December 2025

Funeral in Berlin (1966)
BBC Two, 3:15 PM
Cold War cinema rarely felt as domesticated and as dangerous as Funeral in Berlin. The film treats espionage not as a parade of tuxedos and car chases but as a ledger: names, memos, phone calls, the quiet transfer of dossiers. Michael Caine’s Harry Palmer moves through that ledger with a kind of weary arithmetic — alert, bored, and always calculating the cost of a single truth.

Berlin itself is a city of margins and checkpoints, a place where geography enforces suspicion and architecture keeps secrets. The camera lingers on banal interiors and bureaucratic rituals, and those small, ordinary details become the film’s real currency. The result is a mood that feels less like spectacle and more like a slow, inevitable tightening.

Palmer is not glamorous; he is practical, sardonic and stubbornly human. Caine gives him a face that registers irritation before heroics, a man who understands that survival often depends on paperwork as much as on courage. He reads the room and then reads the fine print, and that combination makes him quietly formidable. In a genre that usually rewards myth, Palmer’s ordinariness is the film’s moral engine.

Think less of cloak-and-dagger theatrics and more of a chessboard where pawns are memos and bishops are briefings. Moves are made in offices, over cups of bad coffee, in the exchange of coded phrases that sound like small talk. Loyalty is transactional; allegiances shift with the arrival of a new file. The film’s tension comes from the knowledge that a single misplaced signature can topple careers and lives.

Information in Funeral in Berlin functions like money: it buys safety, leverage and betrayal. Characters trade confidences the way merchants trade goods, always calculating margins and risk. The moral landscape is deliberately muddy — there are no clean victories, only compromises that look like necessities. That ambiguity is the film’s clearest statement: in a world run by intelligence, ethics are negotiable.

It’s espionage without glamour, and all the better for it. The film asks us to admire craft over charisma, patience over bravado, and to notice how power often hides in the most administrative of acts. Michael Caine’s Palmer doesn’t save the day with a flourish; he survives it with a ledger and a look, and that, in this cold, bureaucratic chess game, is victory enough.

Mozart’s Sister
Sky Arts, 9:00 PM
A necessary corrective to genius mythology, restoring Maria Anna Mozart to the story not as footnote but as artist. The programme interrogates how talent is recognised — or erased — by structures of gender and inheritance.

Travel Man: 96 Hours in Rio
Channel 4, 11:05 PM
Ayoade’s dry detachment works best when paired with cities of excess. Rio’s contradictions — beauty, inequality, performance — provide ample material.

Thursday 18 December 2025

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)
Film4, 9:00 PM
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris arrives like a small, insistent kindness: unshowy at first, then quietly impossible to forget. On the surface it trades in the pleasures of costume and color, in the tactile joy of fabric and the ritual of fittings, but those pleasures are never mere ornament. They are the language the film uses to talk about worth — who is allowed to be seen, who is taught to shrink, and what it takes to insist on a place at the table.

The film’s lightness is deliberate; it disarms you so that its sharper questions can slip in unnoticed. Dignity here is not a headline moment but a series of small refusals: to accept a diminished role, to let someone else define your limits, to believe that aspiration is a private indulgence rather than a public claim. Those refusals accumulate until they become a kind of moral architecture, and the couture that frames them is less about fashion than about recognition — the recognition that a life, however ordinary, deserves to be dressed with care.

There’s a tenderness to the way the story treats its characters. They are not caricatures of longing but people who have learned to measure their desires against what the world will tolerate. The film rewards patience: gestures of generosity, the slow unpeeling of embarrassment, the awkwardness of hope. When aspiration finally meets opportunity, it feels earned rather than miraculous, and that earned quality is what gives the film its emotional weight.

Beneath the sequins and silk, the film asks a political question in the softest possible voice: who gets to dream? It’s a question about class and visibility, about the small economies that decide which ambitions are respectable and which are frivolous. By staging its answer in the language of couture, the film insists that beauty and aspiration are not frivolities to be hoarded by the privileged; they are forms of recognition that restore a person’s claim on the world.

The movie’s pleasures are modest but precise: a well-timed joke, a look that lingers, a seam that finally sits right. Those details matter because they are the proof that care can be taught and received. The film doesn’t pretend that transformation is easy or total; it knows that dignity is often a matter of incremental repair rather than sudden revelation. That realism keeps the sentiment from tipping into mawkishness and makes the final moments feel like a quiet, hard-won justice.

In the end, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is less a fairy tale than a civics lesson in empathy. It asks us to notice who we allow to aspire and to consider how small acts of recognition — a compliment, a commission, a seat at a table — can change the shape of a life. It’s a deceptively light film because it trusts gentleness to do the heavy lifting: to make dignity visible, and to remind us that aspiration, when taken seriously, is a public good.

Zola (2020)
Channel 4, 1:40 AM
Zola arrives like a live wire: loud, jagged and impossible to ignore. The film takes the fevered energy of a viral Twitter thread and refuses to domesticate it, translating the platform’s breathless immediacy into cinema that feels raw at the edges. That rawness is not a flaw but a method — the movie insists on discomfort because the story it tells is discomforting by nature.

Visually and rhythmically, the film is restless. Cuts snap, frames tilt, and the soundtrack pushes forward as if to outrun the next notification; the formal choices mimic the way attention fractures online. This kinetic style keeps you off-balance in a way that’s purposeful: it’s harder to settle into complacent spectatorship when the film keeps yanking you back to the mechanics of spectacle.

Tonally, Zola is confrontational rather than explanatory. It doesn’t offer tidy moral summaries or easy condemnations; instead it stages scenes that force you to sit with ambiguity. The characters are vivid and often unlikable, and the film refuses to soften them into archetypes. That refusal is a political gesture — a reminder that real people, not neat narratives, are at the centre of viral fame.

The movie also interrogates authorship and ownership. Who controls a story once it’s been amplified? Whose version becomes the “truth”? By dramatizing the gap between lived experience and its online retelling, the film exposes how narrative authority can be bought, sold, and distorted in real time. That collapse of authority is not merely thematic; it’s structural, embedded in how the film itself assembles and disassembles perspective.

Watching Zola is tiring in the way that scrolling can be tiring: there’s a cumulative effect, an exhaustion that’s part of the point. The film makes you complicit in the circulation it critiques — you are entertained, outraged, fascinated, and then asked to reckon with the fact that your gaze participates in the very dynamics on display. That moral friction is what gives the film its teeth.

Ultimately, Zola is less about delivering answers than about provoking attention. It refuses the consolations of neat meaning and instead leaves you with a sharper question: how do we live ethically in an economy that monetizes spectacle and flattens nuance? The film’s instability is its honesty — messy, urgent, and unwilling to let the viewer look away.

Friday 19 December 2025

The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
Film4, 3:30 PM
The Lavender Hill Mob moves with the quiet confidence of a well-oiled mechanism: precise, economical and slyly subversive. On the surface it is a neat comic caper — a plan hatched, a team assembled, a bullion shipment rerouted — but the film’s pleasures come from the way that neatness is used to expose something messier beneath. Ealing’s humour here is surgical; it cuts through civility to reveal the small, simmering resentments that make ordinary people capable of extraordinary mischief.

Alec Guinness’s performance is the film’s moral pivot. His Henry Holland is the very picture of English reserve — mild-mannered, polite, almost apologetic — and that exterior is what makes his capacity for menace so deliciously unsettling. Guinness lets you like the man before he reveals the stubborn, almost righteous impatience that propels the plot; the comedy depends on that slow, accumulating dissonance between manner and motive.

The film’s comedy is political without being preachy. It treats class not as a sociological lecture but as a lived economy of slights and small humiliations: the petty indignities of office life, the invisible ceilings, the ways respect is rationed. The heist becomes a form of reparation, a ludicrously elegant answer to the everyday arithmetic of deference. That the scheme is absurd only sharpens its moral logic — if the system won’t recognise you, you’ll outwit it.

Ealing’s visual style supports the satire. The camera delights in the ordinary: suburban streets, drab offices, the modest domestic interiors where plans are whispered and loyalties tested. Those settings make the theft feel less like a crime and more like a corrective: the world is too tidy, too complacent, and the film’s small rebellion restores a sense of balance, however mischievously.

Tonally, the movie balances warmth and bite. It invites sympathy for its conspirators without excusing them; the laughs come with a sting. That mixture is what keeps the film from becoming merely charming nostalgia — it remains alert to the social pressures that produce its characters’ choices, and it refuses to let sentiment obscure consequence.

The Lavender Hill Mob is a comedy of manners that doubles as a critique of manners. It’s Ealing at its sharpest because it understands that farce can be a form of truth-telling: by making us laugh at the lengths people will go to be seen and respected, it forces us to notice the small violences that make such lengths imaginable.

Strangers on a Train (1951)
BBC Two, 3:30 PM 🌟
Strangers on a Train arrives with the slow, corrosive logic of a thought experiment gone wrong. Hitchcock sets the scene with an almost sociological calm — two strangers, a chance encounter, a proposition offered as if it were a casual observation — and then lets that casualness metastasize. The film’s elegance is not decorative; it’s the trap. The premise is simple enough to be plausible, and that plausibility is what makes the unraveling feel inevitable.

The movie trades in manners and small talk until those very civilities become instruments of menace. Bruno’s charm is a social lubricant that hides a corrosive will; Guy’s polite bewilderment is the thin skin through which contagion slips. Hitchcock stages their exchanges like a contagion study: ideas pass, attitudes shift, and what begins as a hypothetical conversation acquires the force of a plan. The terror is not sudden spectacle but the gradual recognition that ordinary interactions can be weaponised.

Visually, the film is a masterclass in suggestion. Shadows, reflections and the geometry of public spaces do the heavy lifting; violence is implied more often than shown, and that restraint sharpens the dread. The famous carousel sequence, the tennis match, the suburban facades — each set piece refracts the central idea: proximity breeds possibility. Hitchcock’s camera watches civility as if it were a crime scene, and in doing so it teaches us to read the everyday for danger.

Morally, the film is ruthless because it refuses tidy motives. Bruno’s violence needs no elaborate justification; it requires only an opening and a refusal to acknowledge responsibility. The film’s darker insight is that evil can be banal — a whim given form, a grievance turned into action. That makes the viewer complicit in a new way: we are invited to admire the cleverness of the plot even as we recoil from its consequences, and that split feeling is precisely Hitchcock’s point.

There’s also a corrosive psychology at work: denial as a social lubricant. Characters smooth over contradictions, rationalise small betrayals, and in doing so they create the conditions for larger ones. The film shows how polite evasions and bureaucratic neatness can become moral cover, and how the refusal to see a problem is often the first step toward catastrophe.

Strangers on a Train is less a thriller about action than a study of moral transmission. Its cruelty is intellectual: it demonstrates how an idea, once voiced, can escape containment and remake lives. The film’s elegance and ruthlessness are inseparable — the cleaner the premise, the fouler the fallout — and Hitchcock leaves you with the uncomfortable lesson that the most dangerous things are often the ones we treat as conversation.

Oh What a Lovely War (1969)
Sky Arts, 3:20 PM
Joan Littlewood’s Oh What a Lovely War lands like a theatrical grenade: bright, noisy, and designed to shatter the comfortable narratives that cushion national memory. The film borrows the language of music hall and revue — choruses, comic routines, jaunty tunes — and then uses that very language to puncture itself. Songs that should be consolations become instruments of exposure; spectacle is turned inside out until the laughter tastes of ash.

The staging is deliberately artificial, which is its moral point. By refusing naturalism, the piece keeps us at a distance that is also a mirror: we watch performance and are forced to recognise performance in the stories we tell about sacrifice and glory. Costumes and choreography become a kind of forensic evidence, showing how ritual and pageantry have been enlisted to sanitise violence. That theatrical artifice makes the film’s anger precise rather than merely loud.

There is a cruelty to the humour that never quite lets you off the hook. Jokes land and then are immediately undercut by a cutaway, a caption, a newsreel insert that reclaims the moment for history’s harder facts. The bitterness is not gratuitous; it is a corrective. Where patriotic myth smooths edges and names, Littlewood’s satire sharpens them, insisting that the human cost cannot be folded into tidy rhetoric.

The film’s collective voice is another of its weapons. Rather than privileging a single hero, it disperses attention across ranks and roles, making the viewer feel the scale of ordinary loss. That democratic chorus refuses the consolations of exceptionalism: the tragedy is not a failure of a few but a system that manufactures casualties as if they were inevitable byproducts of ceremony. In that sense the film is less about blame than about the structures that make blame unnecessary.

Visually and rhythmically the work is restless: montage and music collide, and the editing itself becomes an argument. Moments of comic choreography sit beside archival textures and stark tableaux, and the resulting dissonance keeps the audience off balance. This is not entertainment that soothes; it is entertainment that interrogates the appetite for entertainment in the face of atrocity.

Oh What a Lovely War is a lesson in moral clarity disguised as a revue. Its anger remains bracing because it is disciplined; its humour remains bitter because it refuses to let sentiment obscure responsibility. The film asks us to recognise the rituals that make violence tolerable and then to refuse them — not with a sermon, but with a song that will not let you sing along without thinking.

Mozart’s Women
Sky Arts, 7:30 PM
A thematic continuation that broadens the frame, examining how genius is supported, exploited and constrained.

Kirsty MacColl at the BBC
BBC Four, 10:45 PM

Kirsty MacColl: The Box Set
BBC Four, 11:45 PM

The Story of “Fairytale of New York”
BBC Four, 12:30 AM
A moving late-night trilogy celebrating MacColl’s voice, wit and defiance. The final documentary rightly frames the song not as seasonal novelty, but as a portrait of love under pressure.

STREAMING CHOICE

Netflix
Breakdown: 1975 — available from Friday 19 December

Breakdown: 1975 is explicitly about how films such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Network are products of social upheaval, not merely responses to it. It reads the mid‑1970s as a moment when institutions—hospitals, corporations, media—were under strain, and shows how that strain reshaped cinematic form: sharper editing, exposed performances, and narratives that treat institutional routine as evidence. Rather than depicting collapse as spectacle, the film argues that these landmark movies emerged from real political and cultural ruptures, and that their formal choices—pointed satire, clinical observation, fractured viewpoint—are themselves symptoms of the crises that produced them. In short, Breakdown insists that art in turbulent times is both made by upheaval and a way of diagnosing it.

Channel 4 Streaming / Walter Presents
Stranded — all eight episodes available from Friday 19 December

Stranded on Channel 4 Streaming via Walter Presents lands as a compact, eight‑episode pressure cooker: set on Christmas Eve when an avalanche severs the Vanoi Valley ski resort, the community is left without power or help from the outside world. The series uses that enforced isolation to turn small choices into moral tests — supplies run low, alliances shift, and the claustrophobia of the resort becomes a social microscope.

At the centre is Giovani Lo Bianco, stranded and forced to confront a double life that begins to fray under scrutiny. Bingeing the eight episodes lets the show treat unraveling as a process: secrets surface, loyalties calcify, and the slow accumulation of compromises becomes the story’s engine. Walter Presents’ taste for texture means the drama trades spectacle for detail, making the collapse feel lived‑in and morally urgent.

Book cover for 'Better Than the Beatles!' by Anthony C. Green featuring bold text and a colorful abstract design. Includes a 'Buy Now' call to action.

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Culture Vulture: 22nd to 28th March 2025

March 21, 2025 at 6:17 pm · Filed under Culture Vulture, Film & DVD Reviews, TV Shows ·Tagged , , ,

5,735 words, 30 minutes read time.

Welcome to this week’s Culture Vulture. We curate the most thought-provoking and culturally significant films, documentaries, and television programmes. They are airing from the 22nd to the 28th of March 2025. This edition offers an eclectic mix of classic cinema, in-depth historical investigations, and powerful contemporary storytelling. With a progressive lens, we highlight themes of justice, identity, resistance, and human psychology across various genres. From the enduring appeal of noir and Westerns, this week’s selections explore music, politics, and social change. They promise to both entertain and challenge perspectives.

Let’s dive into what’s on offer.

Saturday 22nd March 2025

The Big Sleep (1946)

BBC Two, 14:40
Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep is a quintessential film noir. It is brimming with the genre’s signature cynicism. The film also embodies moral ambiguity and sharp-tongued dialogue. The film is adapted from Raymond Chandler’s novel. It follows private detective Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart). He becomes entangled in a labyrinth of crime, blackmail, and deception. Lauren Bacall’s commanding presence adds depth to the film, crafting a world where power and corruption intertwine seamlessly. The plot is famously intricate. It can be difficult to untangle. However, the film’s atmospheric tension and rapid-fire exchanges solidify its place as a cinematic classic. Yet beneath its stylish veneer, The Big Sleep serves as a searing critique of post-war American society. In this society, justice is elusive, and morality is subjective.

One of the film’s most striking social critiques is its portrayal of a society teetering on the edge of lawlessness. In this society, criminality infects even the wealthiest circles. The Sternwood family seems respectable. However, they are riddled with corruption and moral decay. This family mirrors a post-war America where power does not equate to virtue. The narrative reveals that privilege and wealth do not shield individuals from scandal. Instead, they enable their vices to flourish behind closed doors. Marlowe is caught in the midst of their tangled affairs. He must navigate a world where justice is not a clear-cut ideal. It is a flexible concept dictated by those with influence.

Politically, The Big Sleep reflects a growing distrust in institutional authority, a common theme in noir films of the 1940s. The police are either absent or ineffective, and the legal system appears incapable of maintaining order. The real power lies in the hands of gangsters, blackmailers, and private investigators like Marlowe. These individuals operate in the murky spaces between the law and outright criminality. The film’s cynicism reflects a society disillusioned by war and economic upheaval. In this world, ethical compromises are necessary for survival. In this morally compromised world, Marlowe may be the closest thing to an honest man. However, he bends the rules to serve his own version of justice.

The film also grapples with ethical dilemmas surrounding truth and deception. It questions whether integrity can exist in a society built on lies. Nearly every character Marlowe encounters is engaged in some form of manipulation, whether for financial gain, self-preservation, or sheer amusement. Even Bacall’s Vivian, ostensibly the film’s romantic lead, conceals critical information and operates with an agenda of her own. This pervasive dishonesty forces Marlowe to constantly reassess his allegiances. It ultimately reinforces the film’s central question: is survival more important than virtue? The Big Sleep suggests that in a world dictated by power and greed, idealism is a luxury few can afford.

Ethically, the film blurs the lines between right and wrong. It presents a protagonist who is neither a paragon of virtue nor a hardened criminal. Marlowe is a relic of a bygone era of chivalry. He holds fast to his own moral code. Yet, he is willing to engage in deceit, violence, and intimidation when necessary. His code of ethics is not aligned with the law. It operates within a framework of personal honor. This is a stark contrast to the outright amorality of the criminals he faces. This creates tension between personal morality and legal justice. It gives The Big Sleep its lasting resonance. The film questions whether righteousness is defined by one’s actions or merely by the intentions behind them.

The Big Sleep is more than a stylish detective story. It is a meditation on the corrupting forces of wealth and power. It also reflects the disillusionment of a post-war generation. Additionally, it explores the ethical compromises required to navigate an unjust world. It presents a vision of society where the pursuit of truth is not only dangerous but often futile. This vision leaves its characters—and its audience—questioning whether justice is even possible. In this way, the film stands as one of noir’s most enduring works. It reflects a world where the only certainty is uncertainty itself.

One Fine Morning (2022)

BBC Four, 21:00
Mia Hansen-Løve’s introspective drama is a moving meditation on love, loss, and familial responsibility. Léa Seydoux stars as a woman caring for her ailing father while experiencing a burgeoning romance. The film delicately captures the emotional weight of navigating personal transitions. The understated performances add depth. The thoughtful direction makes One Fine Morning resonate. It serves as an exploration of life’s inevitable shifts. It also highlights the quiet strength found in resilience.

Sunday 23rd March 2025

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

GREAT! action, 16:00
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), directed by John Ford, is a masterful Western. It transcends its genre to offer a profound exploration of justice. It examines memory and the shaping of history. The film follows Ransom Stoddard, played by James Stewart. He is an idealistic lawyer who arrives in the town of Shinbone. He has dreams of bringing law and order to the untamed West. His ideals face the brutal reality of Liberty Valance. Lee Marvin portrays Valance as a ruthless outlaw with menacing charisma. The clash between these two characters sets the stage. The narrative questions the nature of heroism. It also ponders the cost of progress.

Ford’s direction is meticulous, using the stark black-and-white cinematography to emphasize the moral and physical contrasts of the Old West. The film’s central theme is the tension between myth and reality. This theme is encapsulated in its famous line, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Through this lens, Ford examines how history is often shaped by narratives. These narratives often take precedence over the truth. They serve to uphold societal ideals. The film recounts the events that led to Stoddard’s rise to prominence. The story unfolds in flashback. Stoddard, now an aging senator, shares his experiences. This structure helps the film explore the complexities of memory. It examines how individuals and societies construct their pasts.

The performances are exceptional. Stewart embodies the earnestness and vulnerability of a man striving to uphold his principles. This is in a world that often rewards violence over reason. Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance is a chilling representation of unchecked power. John Wayne’s Tom Doniphon, a rugged rancher, ultimately saves Stoddard. Doniphon serves as a poignant counterpoint to the lawyer’s idealism. Wayne’s portrayal of Doniphon is layered, revealing a man whose sacrifices are overshadowed by the myths that elevate others. Vera Miles adds depth as Hallie. She is a woman caught between two worlds and two men. Her character symbolizes the personal and societal choices that define the era.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is is a meditation on the complexities of human nature. It also reflects on the forces that shape history. It challenges viewers to consider the cost of progress. They are prompted to think about how truth is often sacrificed for the sake of legend. Ford’s film remains a timeless commentary on the interplay between justice, memory, and the power of storytelling. The film is solidified as one of the most thought-provoking works in American cinema.

Paranormal: Britain’s Last Witch

BBC Three, 21:00
Exploring the tragic case of Helen Duncan, Paranormal: Britain’s Last Witch examines the 1944 trial that led to her conviction under the Witchcraft Act. The documentary sheds light on the superstitions and political paranoia that fueled this bizarre legal case, drawing parallels to contemporary debates on state control and freedom of belief.

Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Hold Onto Your Structure

Sky Arts, 21:45
This documentary dives into the punk-era icon, exploring Ian Dury’s unique fusion of rock, poetry, and social critique. It celebrates his rebellious spirit and the way his music challenged societal norms, providing insight into both his artistry and personal struggles.

The Fog of War (2003)

Sky Documentaries, 23:00
Errol Morris’ The Fog of War (2003) is a compelling and thought-provoking documentary that delves into the life and career of Robert McNamara, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense. Through a series of candid interviews, archival footage, and an evocative score by Philip Glass, the film explores McNamara’s reflections on the complexities of modern warfare and the moral dilemmas faced by those in positions of power.

Structured around eleven lessons derived from McNamara’s experiences, the documentary provides a unique lens into pivotal moments in 20th-century history, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. McNamara’s introspective narration offers a rare glimpse into the decision-making processes behind some of the most consequential events of his tenure, revealing both his triumphs and regrets.

The film’s exploration of themes such as the ethics of war, the fallibility of human judgment, and the unintended consequences of political and military actions remains profoundly relevant. It challenges viewers to consider the moral responsibilities of leaders and the often ambiguous nature of historical narratives. Morris’ meticulous direction and McNamara’s candidness combine to create a powerful meditation on the human cost of conflict and the lessons that can be drawn from history.

The Fog of War is a deeply human story that resonates with contemporary issues of power, accountability, and the pursuit of peace. Its chilling relevance lies in its ability to provoke reflection on the complexities of leadership and the enduring impact of decisions made in the “fog” of uncertainty.

Monday 24th March 2025

Ramses the Great: King of Ancient Egypt

Sky History, 21:00
A deep dive into the legacy of Ramses II, this documentary presents new archaeological discoveries that reshape our understanding of his rule. It explores the intersection of mythology and statecraft, questioning how much of his enduring legend is fact or propaganda.

My Friend Dahmer (2017)

Film4, 23:40
Based on the graphic memoir by Derf Backderf, this unsettling film traces the teenage years of Jeffrey Dahmer before his infamous crimes. Rather than sensationalising his actions, it offers an eerie portrait of isolation, mental illness, and the warning signs that were ignored.

Tuesday 25th March 2025

Miyazaki: Spirit of Nature

Sky Arts, 21:15
A fascinating look at Hayao Miyazaki’s deep environmental themes, this documentary examines how nature, spirituality, and human impact shape his storytelling. With insights into Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and more, it’s a must-watch for animation enthusiasts.

Lucy Worsley Investigates: The Witch Hunts

BBC Four, 21:00
Lucy Worsley Investigates (BBC Four, 21:00) offers a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the 16th-century witch hunts, a dark chapter in British history that saw thousands of people, predominantly women, accused of witchcraft and executed. Historian Lucy Worsley brings her signature blend of meticulous research and engaging storytelling to uncover the cultural, political, and social forces that fueled these persecutions. By focusing on specific cases, such as that of Agnes Sampson, a midwife and healer accused of witchcraft in Scotland, Worsley sheds light on the human cost of these events and the broader implications for society at the time.

The episode delves into the intersection of religion, politics, and fear that created the perfect storm for the witch hunts. The rise of Protestantism and the accompanying religious reforms played a significant role, as hardline reformers sought to root out perceived threats to their vision of a devout society. King James VI of Scotland, later James I of England, emerges as a central figure in this narrative. His personal involvement in witch trials, driven by his belief in the Devil’s active recruitment of witches, highlights how political leaders exploited these fears to consolidate power and assert their authority. The program examines how these trials were not merely about superstition but were deeply entwined with the political and religious upheavals of the time.

Worsley also explores the gendered nature of the witch hunts, emphasizing how societal attitudes toward women made them particularly vulnerable to accusations. Women who defied traditional roles—whether as healers, midwives, or simply outspoken individuals—were often targeted, reflecting broader anxieties about female autonomy and power. The use of torture to extract confessions and the subsequent executions reveal the brutal methods employed to enforce conformity and suppress dissent. By examining these dynamics, the episode provides a nuanced understanding of how the witch hunts were a manifestation of deeply ingrained misogyny and fear of the “other.”

This episode of Lucy Worsley Investigates invites viewers to reflect on the enduring relevance of the witch hunts. It draws parallels between the scapegoating and moral panics of the past and similar phenomena in contemporary society, urging us to consider how fear and prejudice can lead to the persecution of marginalized groups. Through her insightful analysis, Worsley not only brings history to life but also challenges us to learn from it, making this a must-watch for anyone interested in the complexities of human behavior and the forces that shape our world.

Rocketman (2019)

Film4, 21:00
Rocketman (2019) is more than a vibrant musical biopic—it’s a kaleidoscope of social, political, ethical, and psychological themes, intertwining Elton John’s life story with universal struggles and triumphs. The film provides a poignant exploration of identity and self-acceptance, shedding light on the societal challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals. Elton John’s journey through his sexuality highlights the importance of embracing one’s true self amidst societal stigmatization. It also reflects the changing attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights, contrasting the oppressive environments of the past with the increasing acceptance seen in more recent times. Additionally, the isolating effects of fame and wealth are explored as the narrative critiques how celebrity culture often exploits individuals, exposing the loneliness behind the glamour of stardom.

The backdrop of Elton John’s rise—beginning in the conservative social climates of mid-20th-century Britain—serves as a commentary on the intersection of art, politics, and personal expression. The lack of space for LGBTQ+ individuals in the entertainment industry during that period emphasizes the courage required to confront these barriers. The film also critiques societal systems that overlook mental health issues and addiction, underscoring the need for greater institutional support.

Elton John’s struggles with addiction introduce questions about personal responsibility versus societal and environmental factors. The enabling behavior of those around him—both personally and professionally—raises ethical concerns about prioritizing profit or convenience over someone’s well-being. Forgiveness and redemption play central roles, as Elton’s eventual reconciliation with himself and his past illustrates the complexities of healing and the importance of accountability.

Rocketman is a profound psychological exploration of identity, self-worth, and personal growth. It delves into Elton’s strained relationships with his parents, revealing how their lack of emotional support influenced his sense of inadequacy and longing for validation. These experiences shaped his reliance on external affirmation, addiction, and his ultimate journey toward self-love. The psychological toll of suppressed emotions and the weight of public expectations are vividly illustrated through the fantastical musical sequences, serving as visual metaphors for his inner turmoil.

This multi-layered narrative offers more than just a glimpse into Elton John’s life—it becomes a universal story about the human need for acceptance, the pitfalls of success, and the resilience required to overcome life’s challenges. The film is a celebration of individuality, artistry, and the transformative power of authenticity.

Selma (2014)

BBC Two, 23:05
Ava DuVernay’s Selma is a powerful and deeply affecting civil rights drama that chronicles Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, a pivotal moment in the struggle for voting rights. Rather than serving as a broad biopic of King’s life, the film focuses on this crucial chapter, immersing viewers in the tensions, courage, and sacrifices that defined the movement. With a careful balance of historical accuracy and emotional depth, Selma offers an intimate portrayal of the figures who risked everything to challenge systemic oppression.

At the heart of the film is David Oyelowo’s commanding performance as Dr. King. He captures the civil rights leader’s charisma, strategic brilliance, and moments of private vulnerability with remarkable nuance. His depiction avoids hagiography, instead presenting King as a man burdened by responsibility, plagued by doubt, yet unwavering in his commitment to justice. The supporting cast, including Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King and Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson, adds further depth to the narrative, illustrating the complex political and personal stakes of the movement.

DuVernay’s direction brings an urgent and immersive quality to the film. The scenes of protest, particularly the infamous “Bloody Sunday” attack on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, are harrowing and visceral, placing the audience in the midst of the brutality faced by activists. The cinematography and score heighten the emotional weight, making the violence and resistance feel immediate rather than a distant historical event. Every shot is infused with purpose, reflecting both the collective struggle and individual sacrifices of those involved.

Beyond its historical significance, Selma remains profoundly relevant to contemporary discussions on racial justice, voter suppression, and activism. The film draws undeniable parallels between the past and present, emphasizing that the fight for equality is ongoing. King’s speeches, reimagined for the film due to copyright restrictions on his actual words, still resonate with striking authenticity, demonstrating the continued necessity of grassroots movements and political engagement in the face of systemic injustice.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is its refusal to simplify history into neat narratives of good versus evil. It acknowledges the tensions within the movement, the strategic disagreements, and the personal costs borne by its leaders. This complexity allows Selma to transcend mere historical reenactment, instead offering a meditation on leadership, sacrifice, and the price of progress. By giving space to both the well-known figures and lesser-sung heroes of the movement, the film underscores the collective nature of change.

Selma is a film about the present and future not just history. DuVernay crafts a gripping, deeply human story that both educates and inspires, urging audiences to reflect on the ongoing struggles for civil rights. With its masterful performances, evocative storytelling, and poignant themes, Selma stands as an essential watch, reminding us that the march toward justice is far from over.

Wednesday 26th March 2025

A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (four of four)

ITV1, 21:00
The final episode of A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story is a harrowing and poignant portrayal of the last hours of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain. Lucy Boynton delivers a powerful performance as Ruth Ellis, capturing her vulnerability and resilience as she faces the inevitability of her fate. The episode unfolds with her lawyer, John Bickford, played with quiet determination by Toby Jones, racing against time to secure a reprieve. With only 24 hours left, Bickford’s efforts highlight the systemic biases and societal indifference that sealed Ruth’s tragic destiny.

Through a series of flashbacks, the episode delves into the tumultuous weeks leading up to the murder of David Blakely, portrayed by Laurie Davidson. These scenes shed light on the toxic and abusive nature of their relationship, with Davidson embodying Blakely’s charm and cruelty in equal measure. The narrative does not shy away from depicting the physical and emotional abuse Ruth endured, offering a stark commentary on the lack of support for victims of domestic violence during that era.

Mark Stanley’s portrayal of Desmond Cussen, Ruth’s loyal yet conflicted friend, adds another layer of complexity to the story. His quiet devotion to Ruth contrasts sharply with Blakely’s volatile behavior, raising questions about the choices and sacrifices made in the name of love and loyalty. The flashbacks also explore Ruth’s struggles as a single mother and nightclub hostess, painting a vivid picture of the societal pressures and personal demons that shaped her actions.

The episode masterfully intertwines the past and present, using the flashbacks to provide context for Ruth’s final moments. The courtroom scenes, where Ruth’s stoic demeanor and refusal to present herself as a victim are brought to life, underscore the legal and societal prejudices that contributed to her conviction. Nigel Havers, portraying his real-life grandfather Justice Cecil Havers, delivers a chilling performance as the judge who sentenced Ruth to death, embodying the rigid and unforgiving nature of the justice system at the time.

As the clock ticks down, the emotional weight of the episode intensifies. Boynton’s portrayal of Ruth’s quiet acceptance of her fate is both heartbreaking and thought-provoking, leaving viewers to grapple with the ethical and moral questions surrounding her execution. The episode does not offer easy answers but instead invites reflection on the broader themes of justice, gender, and societal change.

By re-examining Ruth Ellis’s story through a modern lens, A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story challenges viewers to consider how far society has come—and how far it still has to go—in addressing issues of domestic abuse, legal bias, and gender inequality. The final episode is a fitting and powerful conclusion to a series that is as much about the systemic failures of the past as it is about the enduring need for compassion and justice.

Triple 9 (2016)

Legend, 22:55
Triple 9 (2016) is a relentless and gritty crime thriller that plunges viewers into a world of corruption, desperation, and moral ambiguity. Directed by John Hillcoat, the film is set in the seedy underbelly of Atlanta, where the lines between law enforcement and criminality blur to devastating effect. With a stellar ensemble cast, including Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Kate Winslet, and Woody Harrelson, the film delivers a high-octane narrative that explores the fragility of trust and the devastating consequences of betrayal.

The story revolves around a group of corrupt cops and ex-military operatives who are coerced by the Russian mafia, led by the ruthless Irina Vlaslov (played with chilling precision by Kate Winslet), into executing a series of heists. The crew’s desperation reaches a boiling point when they devise a plan to stage a “999”—the police code for “officer down”—as a diversion for their final, high-stakes robbery. This plan sets the stage for a tense and morally complex showdown, as loyalties are tested and the characters’ true natures are revealed.

Casey Affleck shines as Chris Allen, a principled rookie cop who becomes an unwitting pawn in the crew’s deadly scheme. His portrayal of a man navigating a corrupt system adds a layer of vulnerability and integrity to the film. Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a powerful performance as Michael Atwood, the crew’s leader, whose personal ties to the mafia complicate his already precarious situation. Anthony Mackie brings depth to his role as Marcus Belmont, a conflicted cop torn between his loyalty to his partners and his own moral compass.

The film’s visual style is as unflinching as its narrative, with Hillcoat and cinematographer Nicolas Karakatsanis capturing the stark contrasts of Atlanta’s urban landscape. The gritty, dimly lit streets and dilapidated housing projects serve as a backdrop for the characters’ descent into chaos, while the sleek, sterile interiors of corporate safe houses underscore the systemic corruption that permeates every level of society.

Triple 9 is not just a tale of crime and betrayal; it is a commentary on the corrosive effects of power and greed. The film delves into the psychological toll of living a double life, as the characters grapple with their own guilt and the ever-present threat of exposure. It also raises questions about the nature of justice and the extent to which individuals are willing to compromise their principles in the face of desperation.

With its intense action sequences, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes, Triple 9 offers a gripping exploration of the darker aspects of human nature. It is a film that challenges viewers to confront the uncomfortable realities of a world where morality is often a matter of perspective, and survival comes at a steep cost.

Late Night (2019)

BBC Two, 23:35
Late Night (2019) is a witty and incisive comedy-drama that deftly explores themes of media, diversity, and personal reinvention. Directed by Nisha Ganatra and written by Mindy Kaling, the film stars Emma Thompson as Katherine Newbury, a legendary late-night talk-show host whose career is on the brink of collapse. Thompson delivers a tour-de-force performance, portraying Katherine as a complex blend of arrogance, vulnerability, and biting humor. Her character is a paradox—a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry who struggles to adapt to the changing landscape of modern entertainment.

Mindy Kaling, who also stars as Molly Patel, brings warmth and relatability to the film. Molly is an ambitious and idealistic newcomer hired as a diversity hire to Katherine’s all-male writing team. Kaling’s portrayal of Molly is both charming and grounded, serving as a counterpoint to Katherine’s jaded cynicism. The dynamic between the two characters drives the narrative, as Molly’s fresh perspective challenges Katherine to confront her own biases and insecurities.

The film’s sharp satire takes aim at the entertainment industry, highlighting its resistance to change and its often superficial approach to diversity. Through Katherine’s struggles to remain relevant, Late Night critiques the industry’s obsession with youth and social media, as well as its tendency to overlook talented women and people of color. The writing is both clever and poignant, balancing laugh-out-loud moments with heartfelt introspection.

John Lithgow delivers a touching performance as Walter, Katherine’s supportive husband who is battling Parkinson’s disease. His relationship with Katherine adds emotional depth to the story, revealing a softer side to her otherwise abrasive personality. The supporting cast, including Hugh Dancy as a smarmy writer and Amy Ryan as the network president, adds layers of complexity to the film’s exploration of workplace dynamics and power struggles.

Visually, the film captures the frenetic energy of a late-night talk-show environment, with its fast-paced editing and vibrant set design. The cinematography complements the narrative, emphasizing the stark contrast between Katherine’s glamorous on-screen persona and her private moments of self-doubt.

Late Night is a celebration of resilience and reinvention. It champions the idea that growth often comes from embracing discomfort and challenging the status quo. Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling’s performances anchor the film, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking. With its sharp humour and timely themes,

Thursday 27th March 2025

Douglas Adams: The Man Who Imagined Our Future

Sky Arts, 20:00
Douglas Adams’ imaginative ideas in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy have remarkably foreshadowed modern technology. For example:

  • The titular “Hitchhiker’s Guide” predicted e-books and digital assistants like Kindle or Siri with its portable electronic book full of information.
  • His vision of seamless information access mirrors the internet and cloud computing.
  • The Babel Fish, which instantly translates languages, resembles today’s translation apps and devices.

Adams’ influence even extends to innovators like Elon Musk. Musk has called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy a “philosophy book disguised as humour,” shaping his worldview. Musk’s ventures, such as exploring artificial intelligence and aiming for humanity to become multi-planetary, echo Adams’ themes of curiosity and exploration.

Adams’ work inspires thinkers and dreamers to push boundaries and reimagine what’s possible.

Discovering Sci-Fi

Sky Arts, 21:30
This compelling documentary delves into the transformative power of science fiction, exploring how the genre shapes our vision of the future while offering profound social commentary. By blending creativity with critique, science fiction has consistently challenged societal norms, anticipated technological breakthroughs, and reimagined humanity’s potential.

Through thought-provoking interviews with authors, filmmakers, and scholars, Discovering Sci-Fi traces the genre’s evolution, examining its influence on technology, ethics, and culture. The program uncovers how iconic works have inspired real-world innovations, from space exploration to artificial intelligence.

Friday 28th March 2025

When Patsy Cline Was… Crazy

PBS America, 22:50
When Patsy Cline Was… Crazy is a compelling exploration of the life and legacy of one of country music’s most iconic voices. The documentary delves into Patsy Cline’s meteoric rise to fame, her groundbreaking contributions to the genre, and the personal struggles that shaped her artistry. Through archival footage, interviews, and performances, the film paints a vivid portrait of a woman who defied the odds to become a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry. Her powerful voice and emotional depth revolutionized country music, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of fans and the music world alike.

The documentary also examines the societal and cultural challenges Patsy faced during her career. It highlights the pressures of navigating fame as a woman in the 1950s and 1960s, a time when traditional gender roles often stifled female ambition. Patsy’s determination to assert her independence and artistic vision, even in the face of industry resistance, underscores her resilience and pioneering spirit. The film doesn’t shy away from exploring the personal sacrifices and hardships she endured, offering a nuanced perspective on the cost of success.

When Patsy Cline Was… Crazy is a celebration of Patsy’s enduring influence and the timeless quality of her music. It captures the emotional resonance of her songs, which continue to connect with audiences across generations. By blending her personal story with her professional achievements, the documentary provides a heartfelt tribute to a woman whose legacy transcends the boundaries of country music.

Get Out (2017)

BBC One, 23:40
Get Out (2017), Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking directorial debut, is a masterful blend of horror and social commentary that unpacks the complexities of race relations in contemporary America. The film follows Chris Washington, played with remarkable nuance by Daniel Kaluuya, as he visits the family of his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). What begins as an awkward weekend with her seemingly progressive parents, Dean and Missy Armitage (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener), spirals into a chilling nightmare that exposes the sinister undercurrents of performative allyship and racial exploitation.

Peele’s script is razor-sharp, using microaggressions and unsettling interactions to build an atmosphere of creeping dread. The Armitages’ overly accommodating behavior—such as Dean’s infamous claim that he would have voted for Obama a third time—initially seems like clumsy attempts at inclusivity but soon reveals a far more disturbing agenda. The film’s brilliance lies in its ability to make the audience feel the weight of these interactions, capturing the discomfort and paranoia that often accompany racial dynamics in predominantly white spaces.

The horror elements are both visceral and psychological, with Peele employing genre tropes to amplify the film’s social critique. The “Sunken Place,” a haunting metaphor for the silencing and marginalization of Black voices, is one of the film’s most striking visual and thematic devices. Catherine Keener’s portrayal of Missy, whose hypnosis traps Chris in this state of helplessness, is both chilling and emblematic of the insidious ways power can be wielded under the guise of benevolence.

The supporting cast, including Lakeith Stanfield and Betty Gabriel, delivers unforgettable performances that add depth to the film’s exploration of identity and autonomy. Their characters, who appear to be living under the Armitages’ control, embody the loss of agency that lies at the heart of the story. The film’s climactic revelations about the Armitages’ true intentions serve as a scathing indictment of cultural appropriation and the commodification of Black bodies.

Peele’s direction is meticulous, with every shot and line of dialogue serving a purpose. The film’s pacing keeps viewers on edge, while its dark humor provides moments of levity without undermining its serious themes. The use of music, from the eerie opening track “Redbone” by Childish Gambino to the unsettling score by Michael Abels, enhances the film’s tension and emotional resonance.

Get Out is a cultural phenomenon that forces audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about privilege, systemic racism, and the facade of progressivism. By blending entertainment with incisive social critique, Peele has created a work that is as thought-provoking as it is terrifying, cementing his place as a visionary filmmaker. The film’s impact continues to resonate, making it a must-watch for anyone seeking to understand the intersection of race and power in modern society.

And finally, Streaming Releases

Harlan Coben’s Caught (Netflix, 26th March)

This tense thriller explores the devastating consequences of lies and the relentless pursuit of redemption. Following a journalist entangled in a missing child case, it examines the role of the media in shaping narratives and the impact of perception on justice. The story unveils the fragility of trust and the emotional toll exacted on individuals navigating a morally fraught world.

See No Evil (Netflix, 27th March)

This unsettling series revisits the horrific crimes of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, whose actions shocked a nation. It explores the factors that led to their gruesome acts, the societal reactions to their atrocities, and the enduring trauma inflicted on victims’ families. By confronting the darkest aspects of human behavior, it prompts a reflection on accountability, memory, and the pursuit of justice.

Number One On The Call Sheet (Apple TV+, 28th March)

Celebrating Black actors who have made remarkable strides in Hollywood, this documentary reflects on the barriers they have overcome and the impact of their achievements. It highlights the importance of representation in challenging outdated norms, while showcasing the resilience and innovation required to redefine an industry. Their stories are a testament to the transformative power of perseverance and creativity.

Walter Presents: Deception (Channel 4, 28th March)

Set in the captivating city of Helsinki, this drama weaves a tale of manipulation, ambition, and the consequences of hidden truths. Against a backdrop of urban sophistication, the series navigates the intricacies of fractured relationships and secret agendas, providing a fascinating examination of human behavior and the costs of deceit.

Deadwax (ITVX, 20th March)

Blending psychological tension with supernatural horror, this series revolves around a cursed vinyl record that unravels the lives of those who encounter it. It delves into the darker sides of obsession and the lengths people will go to obtain the unattainable. The eerie narrative explores the fine line between passion and madness, drawing viewers into a haunting tale of human vulnerability.

Royal Favourites: George Villiers and James I (History Hit, 27th March)

This historical documentary offers a detailed look at the relationship between King James I and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, revealing how personal alliances shaped political outcomes. By examining their connection, it sheds light on the complexities of ambition, loyalty, and influence within the royal court, offering a nuanced perspective on history’s interwoven personal and public spheres.

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Trust and Deception in Black Bag: A Deep Dive by Pat Harrington

March 16, 2025 at 8:20 am · Filed under Film & DVD Reviews ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

2,755 words, 15 minutes read time.

Black Bag is a glossy espionage thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh, centering on a high-stakes mole hunt within British intelligence. The story follows strait-laced agent George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), a legendary operative tasked with unmasking a traitor who has stolen dangerous technology . In a world where deception comes as easily as breathing, George’s commitment to truth is tested when evidence points to his own wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), a high-ranking agent, as a prime suspect . With their marriage on the line, George must quietly investigate Kathryn and their colleagues – including the agency’s insightful psychiatrist Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris), a charmingly reckless field agent Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke), and an eager junior operative Clarissa Dubose (Marisa Abela) – all while keeping up appearances. The film’s premise sets up an intriguing blend of marital drama and spy mystery without tipping off any major twists. Soderbergh wastes no time plunging the audience into a paranoid atmosphere of secret meetings, surveillance, and double lives, establishing the stakes and conflicts early on in a spoiler-free manner.

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Themes of Espionage, Deception, and Trust

At its core, Black Bag uses the spy genre to explore deeper themes of trust and betrayal. The film asks what it’s like to build a marriage on secrets and lies, when both partners are trained to deceive as part of their profession. The central tension revolves around espionage bleeding into domestic life – can George and Kathryn truly trust each other when each is skilled in subterfuge? Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp play with the idea that romance can feel a lot like spycraft when suspicion creeps in; every affectionate gesture or offhand remark might mask an ulterior motive. This dynamic gives the film an emotional undercurrent: the characters grapple not only with catching a mole, but also with the erosion of intimacy and certainty in their personal relationships. As Mark Kermode observed, the film functions as a “seductive spy comedy” about “married spooks trying to trace a leak whilst navigating a relationship that must have secrets” . Indeed, Black Bag balances its cloak-and-dagger intrigue with witty commentary on the impossible dilemma of total honesty between spies. The theme of deception is handled with a light touch at times – there are playful moments when characters test each other’s trust – but the emotional stakes remain relatable. Even without revealing any outcomes, it’s clear that the question of trust (who can believe whom, and to what extent) drives the suspense as much as the actual spy plot.

Performances and Characters

The film boasts a stellar cast who elevate the material with nuanced performances. Michael Fassbender brings a steely gravitas to George Woodhouse, portraying him as a methodical agent torn between duty and devotion. Fassbender’s intensity sells George’s internal conflict; with just a tightened jaw or a flicker of doubt in his eyes behind thick-framed glasses, he conveys the weight of suspecting the person he loves . Opposite him, Cate Blanchett is effortlessly compelling as Kathryn, imbuing the character with an air of elegant mystery. Blanchett plays Kathryn as both caring partner and enigmatic operative – her cool composure keeps us guessing about Kathryn’s true intentions. The chemistry between Fassbender and Blanchett is a highlight: their cat-and-mouse exchanges and subtle shifts in tone make the central husband-wife relationship believable and intriguing. Critics have noted that the charged relationship between these two stars is what makes the film so alluring, as their scenes crackle with tension and restrained emotion .

The supporting cast provides strong backup. Naomie Harris shines in a smaller role as Dr. Zoe, the agency psychologist who perhaps knows more than she lets on; Harris delivers warmth and shrewdness, often serving as the story’s moral compass. Tom Burke is memorable as Freddie Smalls, bringing roguish charm and a touch of vulnerability to the “alcoholic maverick” agent who injects some unpredictability into the team . Marisa Abela plays the junior tech expert Clarissa with earnestness, and her scenes often add a youthful, modern perspective on the old-school spy game. Notably, former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan makes a brief but delightful appearance as the silver-haired agency boss overseeing the mole hunt – a casting choice that serves as a sly wink to the genre’s legacy . Each actor mentions their character by name in dialogue naturally, making it easy to keep track of who’s who. Overall, the performances ground the film’s twisty plot in genuine emotion. Even as the story’s deceptions multiply, the cast ensures that the audience remains invested in the characters’ fates.

Direction and Cinematography

Director Steven Soderbergh imprint is unmistakable in Black Bag. Known for his versatility and stylish visuals, Soderbergh here indulges his love for the classic British spy thriller ethos while giving it a contemporary polish. He not only directs but, true to form, reportedly handles the cinematography and editing himself under pseudonyms – a rare one-man technical show that gives the film a cohesive, auteur vision. The cinematography is sleek and controlled: Soderbergh frames the scenes with a cool, modern elegance. From the hushed corridors of London offices to the lavish interiors of the Woodhouse home, every setting is filmed with crisp precision and atmospheric lighting. The camera often lingers on fabulously chic interiors and impeccable tailoring, creating a sumptuous visual palette that distracts (in a good way) from the potentially convoluted plot . There’s a memorable visual contrast between the polished veneer of the spy world and the ugliness of betrayal lurking underneath. Soderbergh uses subtle camera movements – a slow pan here, a steady long take there – instead of shaky action, to ratchet up tension. One standout sequence involves all the suspects gathered in a single location; the way Soderbergh’s camera glides around the room builds suspense through staging and glance, rather than explosions. It’s a restrained approach that favors slow-burn suspense over bombastic action.

This refined visual style has drawn mixed reactions. Some viewers will appreciate the “hyper-polished” and coolly elegant look of the film, which the Financial Times aptly described as a “coolly cerebral take on British espionage” . The subdued color palette and meticulous shot composition give Black Bag a sophisticated sheen, more John le Carré than James Bond. However, others might find the visuals almost too slick, contributing to a tone that is emotionally distant at times. While undeniably beautiful to look at, the film’s style can feel icy. Still, Soderbergh’s direction keeps the storytelling clear despite multiple characters and clues. Even without high-octane chases, he maintains a taut pace through editing – cross-cutting between characters’ perspectives to reveal lies and truths incrementally. The result is a film that is visually confident and consistently engaging, if not overtly flashy. Soderbergh proves once again that a thriller can be tense and cinematic without relying on CGI or rapid-fire action; his focus on mood and detail in each frame invites the audience to live in the intrigue alongside the characters.

Screenplay and Tone

The screenplay, written by veteran screenwriter David Koepp, is packed with intrigue, sharp dialogue, and the occasional dash of dark humor. Koepp sets up a classic whodunit structure within the spy framework – every main character has secrets, alibis, and motives that slowly come to light as George conducts his clandestine investigation. The script smartly balances spy jargon and personal drama. Conversations oscillate between mission briefings and intimate husband-wife banter, emphasizing how the professional and personal are intertwined for the Woodhouses. Many critics have highlighted the film’s witty, verbal sparring. Much of Black Bag is “relegated to dinner tables and office rooms as stages for rapid-fire, gleefully barbed verbal exchanges,” one reviewer noted, pointing out that the thrills often come from words more than gunplay . Indeed, the tension builds through mind games and probing conversations, giving the film a cerebral quality. This lighter, talkier tone – even verging on a social comedy of manners in some scenes – has led Mark Kermode and others to label the film a sly spy comedy as much as a thriller . There are flashes of humor (often bone-dry British wit) that relieve the tension and remind us that Soderbergh is having fun subverting genre expectations.

That said, the screenplay has faced some criticism. The Guardian’s reviewer argued that the script is the film’s “main problem,” suggesting that after all the elaborate setup, Koepp’s screenplay doesn’t quite deliver a satisfying payoff . Without spoiling details, it’s fair to say the third act resolution has proven divisive – some feel it wraps up too conveniently or lacks the punch one might expect after such a careful build-up. Additionally, a few character motivations remain somewhat baffling or under-explained , which can leave parts of the story feeling convoluted if you stop to question them. The film asks the audience to go along with its twists even if not every detail fully adds up. For viewers accustomed to the gritty realism and complexity of modern spy series like Slow Horses, Black Bag may come off as inauthentic or superficial beneath its glossy surface . The Guardian quipped that, compared to the grubby, hard-edged world of Mick Herron’s spies, this film “feels about as authentic as a set of dental veneers” – a pointed critique that it’s style over substance. However, other voices found Koepp’s script clever in how it turns a spy caper into a relationship drama. There is praise for how the screenplay uses the espionage plot as a lens to examine marriage and trust, with one outlet calling it “smart [and] titillating” in that regard . In tone, Black Bag walks a fine line: it’s suspenseful but not overly grim, sophisticated but not afraid to wink at the audience. Depending on your expectations, you’ll either enjoy the dialog-driven approach as a fresh twist on the genre or wish the film had a bit more bite and clarity in its narrative bite.

Critical Reception

Upon release, Black Bag garnered a generally positive but somewhat mixed critical reception, with many praising its style and performances while noting some shortcomings in substance. The Guardian’s Wendy Ide gave the film a middling 3 out of 5 stars, commending its “fabulously chic” aesthetic and the pleasure of watching Blanchett and Fassbender on screen, but ultimately finding it a slick experience that lacks the gritty authenticity of the best spy tales . The Guardian review highlighted that while the film is polished and entertaining, it doesn’t fully resonate on an emotional level, owing largely to a script that sacrifices plausibility for panache . Over at the Financial Times, the critic also remarked on Soderbergh’s hyper-polished approach. The FT described Black Bag as a “coolly cerebral take on British espionage” with an abundance of suave style . This assessment aligns with many reviewers who admired the movie’s intelligence and measured pacing – it’s a thriller that “luxuriates in its own cerebral suaveness,” focusing on psychological chess matches rather than explosive action (a quality the FT noted with both appreciation and a hint of reservation). In other words, the film’s methodical, brainy nature was seen as a double-edged sword: it set Black Bag apart from run-of-the-mill spy flicks, but also made it a touch too cool and arm’s-length for some tastes.

Renowned film critic Mark Kermode also weighed in with his perspective. On his film review podcast, Kermode characterized Black Bag as seductive and stylish, emphasizing the unique blend of marital drama and espionage comedy . He lauded Soderbergh’s technical artistry – noting it’s “a rare situation where one person is in charge of the entire visual treatment” of a film – and suggested that viewers who enjoy sleek direction and subtle details would find much to admire. Kermode appreciated the film’s witty script and retro spy vibes, comparing its tone favorably to classic genre pieces. However, he also hinted that the film might not be for everyone, acknowledging that its deliberate pacing and talky nature could test the patience of those expecting a high-octane thriller. In summary, critics from The Guardian, Financial Times, and Mark Kermode’s camp all agree on the strong performances and high-gloss direction, even as they diverge on whether the film’s cerebral, slow-burn approach is a brilliant subversion or a missed opportunity. The overall critical consensus tilts positive: Black Bag is frequently described as “sleek” and “spiked with dry wit,” an espionage tale that succeeds more in atmosphere and character interplay than in white-knuckle thrills . It currently enjoys a high approval rating on review aggregators, indicating that most critics were intrigued and entertained, if not outright blown away.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Black Bag stands out for its strengths in style, acting, and thematic ambition. The combination of Steven Soderbergh’s assured direction and the magnetic star power of Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett results in a film that is immensely watchable. Its espionage-meets-marriage concept feels fresh, and the theme of trust is woven thoughtfully into the narrative. Many viewers will enjoy the film’s dry humor and classy visual flair – it’s the kind of thriller that opts for tête-à-tête confrontations over shootouts, which can be a refreshing change of pace. Technically, the film is top-notch: from the cinematography and production design to a jazzy, percussive score by David Holmes (reminiscent of his work on Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series), Black Bag oozes a confident, upscale vibe. Among its greatest strengths is the palpable chemistry between the leads and the way the dialogue crackles when they face off. There are moments of real tension and sly excitement as layers of deception are peeled back. In short, Black Bag excels as a sophisticated spy drama that doubles as an intimate character study. It’s likely to please fans of slow-burn thrillers and those who appreciate witty, literate screenplays.

On the flip side, the film does have weaknesses that prevent it from reaching true classic status. The most cited issue is the screenplay’s third act, which some found underwhelming after such a meticulous build-up . The revelations and resolution can come across as a bit pat – lacking the knockout punch or clarity one might hope for. While the movie is consistently engaging, it seldom reaches a boiling point; for some, the understated approach may verge on anticlimax. Additionally, the heavy emphasis on style sometimes comes at the expense of substance. Black Bag is so immaculate in its look and tone that it risks feeling clinical and distant, and as The Guardian noted, there’s an air of superficiality in how neatly everything (and everyone) is groomed in this spy world . The emotional core between George and Kathryn, while compelling, could have been explored even more deeply – a few more raw moments of vulnerability might have added heft. Viewers expecting a heart-pounding thriller might also be let down by the film’s restrained pace and talkiness; the cerebral plotting demands close attention, and a few mid-section scenes do drag slightly as characters trade barbs in well-furnished rooms. Lastly, the film juggles multiple supporting characters, and not all of them get satisfying development. Some of the intriguing side players (like Harris’s and Abela’s characters) feel underused, leaving one wishing for more payoff to their subplots.

Verdict

In the end, Black Bag is a smart, stylish espionage drama that offers a nuanced take on a spy hunt by filtering it through the lens of a marriage built on secrets. Its spoiler-free premise of two married agents caught in a web of suspicion is handled with enough skill and charm to hook the audience, even if the film doesn’t revolutionize the genre. The central themes of espionage, deception, and trust are well-realized – especially the notion that in love as in espionage, knowing whom to trust is the ultimate challenge. With first-rate performances (Fassbender’s stoicism and Blanchett’s inscrutability make for a riveting pair) and slick direction, Black Bag delivers plenty of pleasures: it’s tense but not terrifying, witty but not silly, and above all, consistently engaging. Its weaknesses, notably a somewhat safe finale and a sheen of implausibility, keep it just shy of greatness. But taken on its own terms, the film succeeds as a “sleek, sexy take on marital espionage” that entertains and intrigues in equal measure . In a year filled with bombastic action movies, Black Bag feels like a throwback to more elegant, character-driven thrillers, and it earns a recommendation for those who enjoy their spy films with a side of sophistication. Without spoiling any surprises, one can say that Black Bag ultimately packs its punch not in explosive twists, but in the subtle knife’s edge it draws between love and betrayal,

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Starring: Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

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Culture Vulture 15th to the 21st of February 2025

February 15, 2025 at 11:09 am · Filed under Culture Vulture, Film & DVD Reviews ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Welcome to Culture Vulture

Your weekly entertainment guide, written from an alternative viewpoint. Here, we explore film, TV, and streaming with a focus on fresh perspectives, overlooked gems, and stories that challenge the mainstream. Culture Vulture isn’t just about what’s on—it’s about why it matters.

All selections and writing are by Pat Harrington. Music is from Tim Bragg.

This Week’s Highlights

Quo Vadis, Aida? – BBC2 1.25am, Saturday
A devastating look at one woman’s struggle to save her family as history’s cruel machinery grinds forward.

Zero Day – Streaming from Thursday
A high-stakes political thriller where secrets aren’t just power—they are survival.

The Quiet Girl – C4 12.10am, Monday
A beautifully restrained story of a child discovering kindness for the first time.

Stay tuned for in-depth reviews, critical takes, and a perspective you won’t find anywhere else.

Saturday 15th February 2025

Songs Inspired By The Movies At The BBC – BBC2 8.35pm

This programme brings together a mix of performances from the BBC archives. The selection spans decades.. Some choices, like Bananarama’s Robert De Niro’s Waiting and Deep Blue Something’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, make clear connections to cinema. Others are more tenuous—Shania Twain’s That Don’t Impress Me Much is included seemingly for name-dropping Brad Pitt rather than any deeper film link.

An T-Eilean (The Island) – BBC4 9pm

“An T-Eilean” (The Island) is a gripping Scottish Gaelic-language crime drama set in the picturesque Outer Hebrides. The series follows Kat Crichton (played by Sorcha Groundsell), a family liaison officer who returns to her island home after a decade to investigate the murder of Lady Mary, the wife of a wealthy tycoon2. As Kat delves into the case, she uncovers deep-seated family secrets and confronts her own troubled past.

The show’s stunning landscapes and authentic portrayal of island life add to its atmospheric tension, while the blend of Gaelic and English dialogue enriches the storytelling. With a talented cast including Sagar Radia as DCI Ahmed Halim and Iain Macrae as Sir Douglas Maclean, “An T-Eilean” stands out as a landmark in Gaelic-language television, offering a unique and captivating viewing experience.

A Quiet Place (2018) – Film4 11.20pm

Silence is survival. In this world, sound brings death, so a family learns to live in near-complete quiet. Every movement is careful, every word unspoken. Even the smallest mistake can cost a life.

The tension never fades. The father, protective but powerless, builds barriers that cannot last. The mother, expecting a child, knows the risk she takes. The children, forced to grow up too fast, carry burdens they never chose.

There is love here, even in the fear. The film is as much about family as it is about horror. In the end, survival is not just about silence—it’s about sacrifice.

Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020) – BBC2 1.25am

Aida is a translator, caught between duty and desperation. She works for the UN, believing she can keep her family safe. But the promises made to her are empty, and the walls close in.

She moves through crowded rooms, pleading with those in power. Some listen, some turn away. No one tells the truth. Outside, families wait, uncertain of their fate. Inside, decisions are made, final and cold.

There is no justice here, no hero to save the day. Only the choices of one woman, trying to hold onto hope when all is lost.

Sunday 16th February 2025

Notorious (1946) – Talking Pictures 6pm

In this classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, spies, betrayal, and a love tangled in lies take center stage. Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman), the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy, is recruited by government agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to infiltrate a group of Nazi sympathizers in South America. Her mission: to seduce Alex Sebastian (Claude Rains), a high-ranking member of the group.

As Alicia delves deeper into her role, her loyalty and love are tested at every turn. She plays her part well, but at what cost? The camera lingers on her face, the weight of her choices visible in every glance. Devlin, torn between his duty and his feelings for Alicia, watches from a distance, caught between trust and suspicion.

Shadows stretch long across the screen, secrets hiding in every corner. The tension between Alicia and Alex, and Alicia and Devlin, drives the film forward, making every interaction charged with suspense. Some films age, others sharpen with time. This one remains as sharp as ever, its tensions still cutting deep.

Nixon In The Den – PBS America 8.35pm

A man at the peak of power, yet always afraid. Nixon’s world was built on paranoia, on enemies real and imagined. This documentary takes us inside that world, showing the mind behind the man.

The footage is stark. Private conversations reveal a leader whose victories brought no peace. The need to control, to silence opposition, grew stronger the higher he climbed. He had power but never security.

History has judged him, but this film lets him speak.

Escaping Utopia (one of three) – BBC2 9pm

Some individuals are born into environments where control is paramount. They are instructed on what to believe, whom to fear, and what to love. For those who manage to break free, the concept of freedom can be both unfamiliar and daunting.

“Escaping Utopia” is a poignant documentary that delves into the lives of individuals who have left behind strict, closed communities, such as the Gloriavale Christian Community in New Zealand. The film chronicles their journeys as they step into a world vastly different from the one they were conditioned to accept. Through candid interviews and personal stories, viewers gain insight into the psychological toll of escaping a controlled environment.

Gloriavale, founded in 1969 by Neville Cooper (also known as “Hopeful Christian”), is a small and isolated cult located on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The community is known for its fundamentalist Christian beliefs, large families, and strict gender roles. Members wear distinctive uniforms, and the community has faced numerous allegations of abuse and exploitation over the years.

Many participants speak with a sense of relief, having finally found the courage to seek a new life. However, others share their experiences with palpable pain, as the past continues to cast long shadows over their present. Even after leaving, the memories and scars of their previous lives remain deeply etched.

This documentary not only tells a story of survival but also highlights the profound sense of loss that comes with leaving behind everything they once knew. It explores the challenges of adapting to a new reality, the fear of the unknown, and the resilience required to rebuild one’s identity. Through their voices, “Escaping Utopia” offers a moving narrative of courage, transformation, and the enduring quest for freedom.

Words On Bathroom Walls (2020) – BBC3 10.30pm

A teenager struggles with a mind that won’t stay quiet. He sees things others don’t, hears voices no one else hears. His world is fractured, shifting, always uncertain.

The film does not romanticise his experience. The fear is real, but so is his humour. He clings to love, to the idea of normality, even when it feels out of reach.

It’s not just about illness. It’s about understanding, about how people see those who are different. He wants to be more than his diagnosis. But will the world let him?

Monday 17th February 2025

Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone – BBC2 9pm

Survival is not just about staying alive. It is about finding food, keeping loved ones safe, and making choices no one should have to make. For those living in a warzone, danger is constant, but life must go on.

The documentary follows people navigating destruction in Gaza, a place where the conflict between Israel and Hamas has left deep scars. A mother, shielding her children from the chaos; a doctor, working tirelessly without supplies; a boy, too young to understand but old enough to feel fear. Their days are filled with waiting—waiting for aid, for news, for the next attack.

There is no easy answer here. The film does not give solutions, only stories. And stories matter. They remind us that behind the headlines, there are people. Through the lens of three children and a young woman with a newborn, the documentary captures the harrowing reality of life in Gaza, where even the youngest are forced to confront unimaginable horrors.

There is no easy answer here. The film does not give solutions, only stories. And stories matter. They remind us that behind the headlines, there are people.

The Real Stonehouse – ITV1 10.45pm

John Stonehouse was a British politician who built his life on deception. A charismatic and ambitious man, he climbed the ranks of the Labour Party, gaining power and enjoying the rewards that came with it. However, lies and deceit can only hold for so long, and eventually, the truth catches up with him.

The documentary unfolds the riveting tale of Stonehouse’s audacious plan to fake his own death. In 1974, facing financial ruin and the possibility of his fraudulent activities being exposed, Stonehouse staged his own disappearance in Miami, leaving behind a neatly folded pile of clothes on the beach. He hoped to start afresh in Australia under a new identity, away from his mounting troubles. However, he underestimated the complexity of the world around him and his ability to outsmart the authorities.

As the story progresses, Stonehouse’s carefully crafted facade begins to crumble. His plans unravel when a combination of errors, including his conspicuous behavior and the astuteness of law enforcement, leads to his arrest in Melbourne, Australia. Despite his initial success in evading capture, the flaws in his scheme become evident, and his downfall is inevitable.

“The Real Stonehouse” does not paint him as a straightforward villain or a tragic victim. Instead, it presents a nuanced portrait of a man whose ambition and hubris outweighed his abilities. The documentary explores the intricacies of his deception, his motivations, and the eventual consequences of his actions. Through interviews, archival footage, and expert analysis, viewers are given an in-depth look at the life and times of John Stonehouse, a politician whose legacy is forever marked by his infamous attempt to escape his past.

The Quiet Girl (2022) – C4 12.10am

A child sent away, silent and watchful. She has learned not to expect much. But in a new home, she finds something unfamiliar: kindness.

The film moves slowly, allowing glances and gestures to speak. No grand events, no dramatic revelations—just a girl realising she is valued. The sadness lingers, but so does the warmth.

It’s a story of care, of understanding what love looks like when words are few. And it’s a reminder that some things, once given, cannot be taken away.

Tuesday 18th February 2025

Georgia Harrison, Porn, Power, Profit (Part One) – ITV4 9pm

A woman fights to reclaim what was stolen. Private moments turned into public spectacle. A violation excused as entertainment.

Her voice is clear, unwavering. She refuses to let others define her. The legal battles are long, but the personal cost is greater. This is not just about her—it is about a system that allows such things to happen.

Speaking out comes with risks. But silence would mean accepting defeat. And she is not willing to do that.

Snowpiercer (2013) – ITV4 10pm

A train circles a frozen Earth. Inside, life is divided. The rich live in luxury, the poor fight for scraps. Order is kept through force, and rebellion simmers below the surface.

The film moves fast, each carriage revealing something new. Violence is sudden, brutal. The cost of change is high, but the alternative is worse. The train cannot run forever.

It asks, without ever saying it directly: who deserves comfort, and who is left to suffer? And who decides?

Wednesday 19th February 2025

Georgia Harrison, Porn, Power, Profit (Part Two) – ITV4 9pm

Georgia Harrison returns to ITV2 and ITVX with a two-part series exploring the lucrative world of the online porn business following on from her previous documentary, Revenge Porn: Georgia vs Bear.

Georgia explains:-

“What we really wanted to do was get to the bottom of who is behind the posting of image-based sexual abuse that’s still out there. The first part involves me having to really look into where my video still is which is obviously a really tough thing to do, but by doing that we could then decipher how many different sites it was on. Then this gave us a way of following the video,  figuring out who is actually behind the money and who is advertising next to this image-based sexual abuse.

“When it comes to DeepFake pornography, I have so many women now messaging me through my inbox for help. That’s usually all forms of abuse, so image-based sexual abuse, DeepFake pornography, domestic abuse, anything to do with a struggling relationship or another person involved, people tend to reach out.

“I was just seeing more and more issues around DeepFakes, a lot from mothers and it was affecting their children in school and I just thought, ‘this is the same sort of feeling as image-based sexual abuse’. It is the same feeling of humiliation, a violation of literally being de-clothed without your consent. It’s unconsented image-based abuse. Just because it’s fake, doesn’t mean it doesn’t evoke the same emotion within the victim it affects.” 

With the global porn industry worth an estimated $1 billion globally, Georgia takes a deep dive look into how this hugely profitable industry works and seeks to uncover just how far her own illegal video has spread, and who might be profiting from it.

Georgia says:-

“Overall, the purpose of doing both documentaries is to do two things; give the power back to the victims and look into how the porn industry works and how it makes its money.  I’ve been very open about what’s happened to me, been to Downing Street, won my court case…I very publicly made it obvious that my video is unconsented, yet it’s still on so many websites. 

“It’s raising awareness of that, because hopefully, we can evoke change within the internet, so in the future, not just me, but any person who has been a victim of revenge porn won’t have to wake up every day wondering if it’s still out there.  If you can stop the people higher up from investing into the advertisement at the bottom, then the people at the bottom won’t keep putting up unconsented footage because they won’t be making any money off it. It’s just exposing the ecosystem. 

“And with DeepFakes, it’s exposing the issue because so many people aren’t aware of it and I’m telling you, I had heard of it and I had friends who were affected by it, but until really looking into it and immersing myself into the world of it, I had no idea how damaging it is to society. How much it’s catching us all up, how much it’s ruining young people’s lives. It’s affecting parents and teachers who are dealing with this issue in schools, it’s a really horrible thing to do.  Recently it was announced that the creation of deepfakes will be made illegal so the more awareness I can raise around it, the more likely it will be implemented.” 

Here at Culture Vulture we agree that the battle is not over. The system protects those who exploit. She keeps speaking, keeps pushing. Justice is slow, but silence would mean giving up.

Others come forward. Similar stories, the same fight. The problem is bigger than one case. It is built into the way power works.

It is a hard watch, but an important one. The cost of speaking out is high, but the cost of staying silent is higher.

The Father (2020) – Film4 9pm

In “The Father,” Anthony Hopkins delivers an extraordinary performance as an elderly man grappling with the disorienting effects of dementia. As his mind betrays him, time loses its coherence, certainty becomes elusive, and familiar faces morph into strangers. Rooms shift, and memories vanish like smoke, leaving both Anthony and the audience in a labyrinth of confusion and doubt.

The film places us inside Anthony’s fragmented perception of reality. We experience his bewilderment firsthand, seeing through his eyes and feeling the same disorientation he endures. Olivia Colman portrays Anne, Anthony’s devoted daughter, who is both patient and exhausted, struggling to care for a father who is gradually slipping away. Her unwavering commitment to him serves as an emotional anchor amidst the chaos.

“The Father” is a deeply affecting exploration of the devastating impact of dementia on individuals and their families. There is no relief, no easy resolution—only the harsh, quiet truth that some battles cannot be won. The film’s brilliance lies in its ability to evoke empathy and understanding for those facing this relentless condition, leaving a lasting impression on all who watch.

Shayda (2023) – Film4 1.35am

A mother and daughter seek refuge, but safety is fragile. They are not free, not really. The past is close, the threat never far.

The film is filled with small moments. A child laughing, a mother braiding hair. But underneath, the fear remains. How long can they stay hidden?

It does not promise a happy ending, only a chance to keep going. And sometimes, that is enough.

Thursday 20th February 2025

Vesper (2022) – Film4 9pm

In a world that is dying and struggling to survive, young Vesper is a beacon of hope and resilience. The 13-year-old girl, armed with exceptional bio-hacking skills, navigates a post-apocalyptic landscape where resources are scarce and survival is a daily battle. Clever and resourceful, Vesper faces overwhelming odds, but her determination never wavers.

The bleakness of the landscape is starkly contrasted by Vesper’s indomitable spirit. She does not wait for salvation; instead, she fights for it with every ounce of her being. Along her journey, she encounters a diverse cast of characters—some cruel and opportunistic, others kind and supportive. Each person she meets shapes her path and challenges her resolve, forcing her to confront difficult truths and make impossible choices.

“Vesper” presents a vision of the future that feels all too relevant to our present-day concerns. The film raises urgent questions about who controls the resources, who gets to live, and who is left behind. Through its captivating narrative and stunning visuals, the film invites viewers to ponder the ethical implications of genetic technology and the power dynamics at play in a world on the brink of collapse.

The story takes a poignant turn when Vesper rescues Camellia, a young woman from a citadel, promising to take Vesper and her father to a place of safety. As they search for another survivor, Elias, the bond between Vesper and Camellia deepens, adding layers of emotional complexity to the narrative.

“Vesper” is a beautifully crafted film that combines science fiction with a deeply human story of survival, resilience, and hope. It is a hauntingly evocative portrayal of a world where the line between savior and survivor is blurred, and where the fight for a better future is both a personal and collective struggle.

It is a vision of the future, but its questions are for now. Who controls the resources? Who gets to live? And who is left behind?

Stan & Ollie (2018) – BBC4 11.45pm

“Stan & Ollie” is a heartfelt biographical film that explores the final years of the legendary comedy duo, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Laughter made them famous, but fame, like all things, fades with time. The once adored pair, who brought joy to millions with their slapstick humor, now find themselves struggling to fill theatres during their post-war tour of Britain in 1953.

The film captures the poignant reality of their later years, as the inseparable friends face diminishing audiences and the physical toll of age. Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) deliver masterful performances, portraying the deep bond and unwavering friendship that define their relationship. Despite the challenges they face, their camaraderie and mutual respect never truly break.

“Stan & Ollie” is a gentle film, filled with nostalgia and a deep sense of affection for its subjects. It does not seek to shock or dramatize but instead offers a tender remembrance of two icons of comedy. Their final years were not easy, marked by health struggles and financial difficulties, but they had each other to lean on.

The film beautifully illustrates the evolution of comedy and the shifting tastes of audiences. While comedy changes and new stars emerge, the work of Laurel and Hardy remains timeless. Their influence on the genre is undeniable, and their routines continue to evoke laughter even now. “Stan & Ollie” serves as a touching tribute to their legacy, reminding us that behind the laughter were two men who shared an unbreakable bond and a passion for making people smile.

Friday 21st February 2025

Red Eye (2005) – GREAT!movies 9pm

“Red Eye,” directed by Wes Craven, is a taut and gripping thriller that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The story revolves around Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams), a hotel manager who boards a late-night flight from Dallas to Miami. Expecting a routine trip, Lisa soon finds herself trapped in a nightmare when she meets Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy), a charming yet menacing stranger.

As the plane ascends, the tension escalates minute by minute. Jackson reveals his true intentions, coercing Lisa into assisting with a high-stakes assassination plot targeting a high-profile guest at her hotel. The confined space of the airplane amplifies the claustrophobic atmosphere, leaving Lisa with few options for escape.

Despite being clever and resourceful, Lisa faces a formidable adversary in Jackson, who is always one step ahead. The battle between them is as much psychological as it is physical, with mind games and threats intensifying the stakes. The film masterfully plays on the primal fear of being trapped and powerless, creating a relentless sense of suspense.

“Red Eye” excels in its simplicity and effectiveness. The plot unfolds with precision, building tension through expertly crafted scenes and sharp dialogue. Wes Craven’s direction ensures that every moment counts, making even the smallest details contribute to the overall sense of dread. Sometimes, fear needs no ghosts or monsters—just a locked door and no way out.

The performances by Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy are outstanding, with McAdams portraying Lisa’s vulnerability and determination, while Murphy’s chilling portrayal of Jackson adds to the film’s menacing aura. “Red Eye” is a testament to the power of a well-executed thriller, proving that sometimes the most terrifying scenarios are grounded in reality.

Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story – BBC4 9pm

Alan Hull, the heart and soul of the folk-rock band Lindisfarne, was a musician who never chased fame but found it nonetheless. His songs resonated with the struggles and joys of ordinary lives, painting vivid pictures through poetic, political, and deeply personal lyrics. Hull’s music spoke to the hearts of many, capturing the essence of life in the North East of England.

“Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story” is a heartfelt documentary that delves into the life and legacy of this remarkable artist. The film lets Hull’s music tell his story, showcasing the depth and authenticity of his songwriting. Through a blend of archival footage, interviews, and performances, viewers are taken on a journey through Hull’s career, from his early days with Lindisfarne to his solo work.

The documentary does not seek to sensationalize or dramatize Hull’s life. Instead, it offers a gentle and nostalgic reflection on his contributions to music and his impact on those around him. Hull’s words, whether addressing social issues or personal experiences, remain as relevant and powerful today as they were when first penned.

Hull was not a star in the traditional sense—he was a man who stayed true to his roots and his craft. His songs, filled with wit, warmth, and wisdom, continue to resonate with audiences, ensuring his legacy endures. The documentary serves as a reminder of the enduring power of music and the remarkable talent of Alan Hull.

Rock Goes To College BBC4 10pm

“Rock Goes to College” was a BBC series that showcased various rock bands performing live at university venues. Lindisfarne’s episode, first aired on November 17, 1978. It captures the band’s raw energy and charm in an intimate setting2. The performance highlights their unique blend of folk and rock, with Alan Hull’s distinctive voice and songwriting taking centre stage. The stripped-down, acoustic feel of the show allows the audience to experience Lindisfarne’s music in a personal and authentic way. This episode remains a cherished memory for fans, showcasing the band’s enduring appeal and musical talent.

And finally, Streaming

The Chief: All four episodes available from Thursday, 20th February 2025. Scot Squad comedy spin-off following pompous and out of touch Cameron Miekelson (Jack Docherty).

Zero Day: All six episodes available from Thursday, 20th February 2025. A political thriller set against a US under cyber attack where morality is less important than results.

Walter Presents: Evilside: All six episodes available from Friday, 21st February 2025 A bullied outcast on a remote island becomes the prime suspect in the ritualistic murder of her friend.

Video Picture Credits

Songs Inspired By The Movies At The BBC
An T-Eilean (The Island) – Sorcha Groundsell
By MTV UK – Sorcha Groundsell & Percelle Ascott Talk Sex Scenes – Netflix’s The Innocents – MTV Movies, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116162815
A Quiet Place (2018)
By http://popcornhorror.com/5-horror-movies-whose-atmosphere-will-scare-hell/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56965271
Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)
By http://www.impawards.com/intl/misc/2021/quo_vadis_aida.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65554033
Notorious (1946)
By “Copyright 1946 RKO Radio Pictures Inc.” – Scan via Heritage Auctions. Cropped from the original image., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87339746
Nixon In The Den
By Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. U.S. Army Audiovisual Center. (ca. 1974 – 05/15/1984) – This file was derived from: Richard M. Nixon, ca. 1935 – 1982 – NARA – 530679.jpg:, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92980570
Escaping Utopia
Protest against the cult – By Schwede66 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94977675
Words On Bathroom Walls (2020)
By Studio and or Graphic Artist – Can be obtained from film’s distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64561738
Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone
The Real Stonehouse
John Stonehouse – By André Cros – This photograph is part of the Fonds André Cros, preserved by the city archives of Toulouse and released under CC BY-SA 4.0 license by the deliberation n°27.3 of June 23rd, 2017 of the Town Council of the City of Toulouse., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=119124824
The Quiet Girl (2022)
By Inscéal – IMDB, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70151764
Georgia Harrison, Porn, Power, Profit (Part One)
Shutterstock under license
Vesper
By kinopoisk.ru, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7187855071878550
Snowpiercer (2013)
By http://www.impawards.com/2013/snowpiercer_ver27_xlg.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40911316
Georgia Harrison, Porn, Power, Profit (Part Two)
The Father (2020)
By IMP Awards / Intl > UK > 2020 Movie Poster Gallery / The Father Poster (#2 of 3), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63838973
Shayda (2023)
By IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74709056
James May’s Great Explorers (Part Two)
Vesper (2022)
Stan & Ollie (2018)
By https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3385524/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58029929
Red Eye (2005)
By http://www.impawards.com/2005/red_eye_ver2.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1958423
Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story
By Rodhullandemu – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4380270
Rock Goes To College
The Godfather (1972)
By http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/ff7638bd, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6703024
Additional artwork from KollectivFutur

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Culture Vulture 8th to the 14th of February 2025

February 8, 2025 at 7:18 am · Filed under Culture Vulture, Film & DVD Reviews, TV Shows ·Tagged , , ,

Welcome to Culture Vulture your entertainment guide offering an alternative viewpoint on film, television, and music. Whether you’re drawn to thought-provoking film, you’ll find something intriguing here. If you enjoy compelling documentaries or crave the most striking performances, we have something to challenge and inspire you. Writing is by Pat Harrington, with music selections from Tim Bragg.

This week’s highlights include:

  • Blue Velvet (1986) – David Lynch’s eerie and surreal masterpiece delves into the hidden darkness beneath small-town America’s surface. It features unforgettable performances from Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper.
  • The Rise and Fall of the American Rust Belt (PBS America) – A gripping documentary. It examines the economic decline and resilience of America’s industrial heartland. The film gives voice to those affected by deindustrialisation and corporate greed.
  • The Square (2017) – Ruben Östlund’s film is darkly satirical. It takes a sharp look at the hypocrisy of the contemporary art world. It examines these issues with precision.

Now, let’s dive into the full listings for the week ahead.

Saturday 8th of February 2025

Doctor Zhivago (1965) BBC2 1.15pm

Doctor Zhivago is a sweeping romantic epic set against the turbulence of the Russian Revolution. The film tells the life story of Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif). He is a doctor and poet. Yuri is torn between his love for two women—his devoted wife, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin), and the enigmatic Lara (Julie Christie). As political upheaval engulfs the country, his personal struggles mirror the larger chaos of a collapsing empire. David Lean’s masterful direction and Maurice Jarre’s haunting score make this a visually stunning and emotionally poignant classic.

Sunday 9th of February 2025

Military Masterminds PBS America

2.45pm Rapid Dominance

This episode explores the theory of “shock and awe.” This is a military strategy designed to overwhelm an enemy with swift and overpowering force. The documentary analyses historical examples and modern applications. It shows how speed, precision, and psychological tactics can decide the outcome of war. This can happen before a battle has truly begun.

3.50pm Combat Power

This episode looks at the raw strength of armed forces. It examines advancements in weaponry, technology, and manpower. These advancements have shaped the world’s most formidable militaries. Featuring interviews with strategists and veterans, it highlights how brute force is balanced with strategy.

5.00pm Deception

Misdirection has always been a key element of warfare, from the Trojan Horse to modern cyber tactics. This episode explores the role of deception in military history. It shows how illusion and misinformation can be just as powerful as physical combat.

6.05pm Guerrilla Warfare

When direct confrontation is not an option, smaller forces resort to unconventional tactics. This episode showcases examples from the Vietnam War to modern insurgencies. It highlights how outnumbered and outgunned fighters have used terrain, surprise, and endurance to reshape conflicts.

An Evening With Nat King Cole BBC4 from 9pm

Includes Johnny Mathis: Tribute To Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole In Concert.

Few voices match the timeless appeal of Nat King Cole. His smooth baritone and effortless delivery made him one of the most beloved vocalists of all time. This special evening celebrates his legacy. It features performances from artists inspired by his work. These include Johnny Mathis and his own daughter, Natalie Cole. Classic songs like Unforgettable and Mona Lisa remain as captivating today as when they were first recorded.

Blue Velvet (1986) BBC2 10pm

One of my all-time favourites, Blue Velvet is a dark, hypnotic thriller from David Lynch. It peels back the seemingly idyllic surface of small-town America. It exposes something much more sinister. Kyle MacLachlan plays Jeffrey Beaumont. He is a college student who stumbles upon a severed ear. He is drawn into a twisted world of crime, violence, and obsession. His investigation leads him to nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini). Her life is controlled by the brutal and sadistic Frank Booth. Dennis Hopper gives an unforgettable performance as Frank Booth. The film masterfully blends dreamlike imagery with nightmarish intensity, capturing a world where innocence is devoured by corruption. Rossellini delivers a raw, heartbreaking performance, while Hopper’s Frank Booth remains one of the most terrifying villains in cinema history. Blue Velvet contains an unsettling atmosphere. It features a haunting score. Its surreal visuals create a masterpiece.

The Elephant Man (1980) BBC2 11.55pm

This deeply moving film is directed by David Lynch. It tells the true story of John Merrick (John Hurt). Merrick was a man suffering from severe physical deformities. He is mistreated and exploited in Victorian England. Rescued by the compassionate Dr. Treves (Anthony Hopkins), Merrick finds dignity and kindness in a world that initially only sees him as a sideshow curiosity. Hurt’s performance is both heartbreaking and dignified, capturing Merrick’s gentle soul and intelligence beneath his outward appearance. Shot in stunning black and white, The Elephant Man is a powerful meditation on humanity, cruelty, and acceptance. Lynch abandons his usual surrealism for a more restrained approach. The experience remains haunting. This makes it one of the most affecting and beautifully crafted biographical films ever made.

Monday 10th of February 2025

The Quiet Man (1952) Film4 4.05pm

John Ford’s The Quiet Man is a lyrical, beautifully shot romance. It stars John Wayne as an American boxer. He returns to his ancestral home in Ireland, hoping for a peaceful life. However, he falls in love with the spirited Mary Kate (Maureen O’Hara). This love leads to conflict with her hot-tempered brother. The result is one of the most famous brawls in cinema history. Full of warmth, humour, and stunning Irish landscapes, this film celebrates love. It also celebrates tradition and the power of home.

The Rise And Fall Of The American Rust Belt PBS America 8.35pm

The Rust Belt was once the backbone of American industry. It was a region where steel mills, automobile factories, and manufacturing plants provided stable jobs. They ensured economic security for millions. This documentary explores how a thriving blue-collar workforce was transformed. It became a landscape of abandoned factories, unemployment, and urban decline. Globalisation, automation, and outsourcing reshaped the economy. With powerful first-hand accounts from workers, industry leaders, and economic experts, the film traces the trajectory of these once-prosperous cities. It covers areas from Detroit to Pittsburgh. The film examines the consequences for communities left struggling in the aftermath. The documentary also highlights the resilience of those who have sought to rebuild. It focuses on revitalisation efforts, new industries, and grassroots movements. These are aimed at reclaiming the region’s identity in a post-industrial world.

Tuesday 11th of February 2025

The Black Phone (2021) Film4 9pm

A tense and gripping horror-thriller, The Black Phone follows Finney (Mason Thames). He is a young boy kidnapped by a sadistic killer called The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Locked in a soundproof basement, Finney begins receiving calls from the spirits of the killer’s past victims. They guide him in his fight for survival. A chilling mix of supernatural horror and psychological suspense, this film delivers both scares and heart.

Storyville BBC4 10pm

A deep-dive documentary series exploring extraordinary real-life stories from around the world. This episode investigates a gripping, true crime mystery. It blends interviews, archival footage, and investigative journalism. These elements reveal shocking twists and hidden truths. This episode explores the story of the San Quentin’s jail running club. The inmates train all year round for a prison marathon.

Wednesday 12th of February 2025

Locke (2013) Film4 2.05am

Tom Hardy delivers a powerhouse solo performance. This real-time drama follows construction manager Ivan Locke. He takes a fateful drive that will change his life forever. He juggles phone calls involving his job. He also manages those about his family and a personal crisis. We witness a man desperately trying to keep control of his life. Locke is a minimalist film, but it is deeply compelling. It proves that sometimes, all you need is a great actor and a gripping script.

Thursday 13th of February 2025

The Square (2017) Film4 12.35am

A razor-sharp satire of the contemporary art world, The Square follows Christian (Claes Bang), a prestigious museum curator. His latest installation—a conceptual piece meant to promote trust and altruism—sets off a chain of events. These events spiral out of control. As his carefully constructed life begins to unravel, the film exposes the contradictions of elite artistic circles and modern morality. The film presents moments of absurdity and dark humour. It also includes social critique. Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning film challenges audiences to examine their own ethical boundaries.

Friday 14th of February 2025

Are You Being Served? Secrets And Scandals Channel 5 9pm

Behind the scenes of the classic British sticom starring John Inman, Molie Sugden and Frank Thornton. The programme describes the battle to keep it on screen and the personal tragedies that hit some of the staff.

Long Shot (2019) BBC1 11.30pm

A sharp and refreshingly modern political rom-com, Long Shot stars Charlize Theron as Charlotte Field. She is a powerful and ambitious Secretary of State. Charlotte is preparing a run for the presidency. Her career is carefully managed, her public image meticulously crafted, and her ambitions are set sky-high. In an unexpected twist, she reconnects with her former childhood neighbor, Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen). He is an eccentric, socially awkward, and idealistic journalist. Fred has just quit his job in protest. Despite their vastly different worlds, sparks begin to fly between them in a way neither could have predicted.

The heart of the film lies in its odd-couple chemistry. Theron and Rogen make an unlikely but endearing duo. Theron brings grace, intelligence, and emotional depth to her role. Rogen adds his trademark scruffy charm and self-deprecating humor. Their relationship is filled with hilarious clashes. Fred struggles to fit into Charlotte’s polished, high-society world. Meanwhile, Charlotte finds herself in absurdly compromising situations due to Fred’s lack of political finesse. The film mines these contrasts for comedy. It also manages to ground their romance in genuine affection and mutual respect. This makes their growing relationship feel surprisingly authentic.

Beyond the romance, Long Shot offers sharp political satire. It pokes fun at the often-ridiculous demands of public office. It highlights the pressures of maintaining an idealized public image. The film reveals the compromises politicians must make to survive in the modern media landscape. The film addresses issues of sexism and media scrutiny. It also examines the absurd expectations placed on women in power. However, it keeps its message light and accessible. It never feels preachy. Instead, it highlights the absurdities of the system through clever dialogue and biting humor.

What sets Long Shot apart from other rom-coms is its balance of humor and heartfelt sincerity. It embraces laugh-out-loud moments, which include some signature Rogen-style crudeness. Yet, it also takes the time to explore deeper themes of integrity and self-doubt. The film looks into the sacrifices required for success. Theron’s character, in particular, experiences moments of vulnerability. These moments reveal the loneliness and pressure that come with a life in the public eye. Meanwhile, Rogen’s Fred brings a refreshing sense of idealism. He forces Charlotte to confront what she’s willing to compromise for political gain.

Long Shot is a charming romantic comedy. It is surprisingly insightful. The film delivers both sharp laughs and a touching love story. Theron and Rogen deliver excellent performances. The witty script and clever critique of modern politics also shine. The film offers far more depth than its premise might initially suggest. Stay up to watch this film if you want a heartfelt romance. Stay up if you want political satire or just a good laugh.

And finally, Streaming

Walter Presents: R.I.P. Henry – all eight episodes available from Friday 14th February 2025.

Surgeon Henry learns that he has a brain tumor. He searches for a cure. Will he find one and can he come to terms with his feelings? This is a great Norwegian drama.

Bloodline Detectives – new episodes available from Friday 14th February 2025.

This true-crime American series explores how cutting-edge DNA technology is solving cold cases. It brings long-awaited justice to families. It reveals shocking truths hidden for decades.

Picture Credits

Doctor Zhivago
By http://www.thesandpebbles.com/terpning/terpning.htm, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6628725
An Evening With Nat King Cole
By Capitol Records – eBay itemfrontback, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29363855
Blue Velvet
By The poster art can or could be obtained from De Laurentiis Entertainment Group., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56859916
The Elephant Man
By Paramount Pictures – impawards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20132209
The Quiet Man
By May incorporate artwork by Clement Hurel – see Nollen, Scott Allen (2013) Three Bad Men: John Ford, John Wayne, Ward Bond, McFarland, p. 352 ISBN: 9780786458547. – http://www.doctormacro.com/Movie%20Summaries/Q/Quiet%20Man,%20The.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18565484
The Rise And Fall Of The American Rust Belt
The Black Phone
By https://www.cinematerial.com/movies/the-black-phone-i7144666/p/pvj7axaf, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68817528
Storyville
Locke
By IMPAwards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42515981
The Square
By May be found at the following website: https://www.svenskabio.se/mb_rest/cineads_movieinfo.php?movid=2772, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54728614
Are You Being Served? Secrets And Scandals Channel 5 9pm
By Self-made screenshot from BBC iPlayer, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58265573
Long Shot
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60008594
PBS America logo
By ™/®Public Broadcasting Service – https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/logopedia/images/b/b4/PBS_America_%282022%29.svg/revision/latest?cb=20221028074122, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157081058
San Quentin
By Frank Schulenburg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57200456

Comments (1)

Culture Vulture 1st to the 7th of February 2025

January 31, 2025 at 8:24 pm · Filed under Culture Vulture, Film & DVD Reviews, TV Shows ·Tagged , , , , ,

Welcome to Culture Vulture – Your Alternative Weekly Entertainment Guide. Writing is by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg.

Highlights this week include:

  • The Sisters Brothers (2018) – A revisionist Western that subverts genre conventions, following two bounty-hunting brothers on a journey of survival, greed, and self-discovery.
  • Belfast (2021) – A poignant coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of 1960s Northern Ireland, capturing the innocence of youth amid political turmoil.
  • Respect (2021) – A powerful biopic of Aretha Franklin, showcasing her rise to fame, struggles, and enduring legacy through an unforgettable performance by Jennifer Hudson.

Now, onto this week’s full selection of films and programmes.

Saturday 1st February 2025

Women Who Rock – Sky Arts from 9pm
A celebration of women who reshaped the music industry. Their struggles and triumphs reflect wider changes in society. The show captures the energy and defiance of artists who refused to conform.
The documentary highlights how music became a form of resistance. Each performer carved a space in a male-dominated world. The interviews reveal personal sacrifices behind public success.
Viewers will see how these women changed perceptions. Their influence reaches beyond music into fashion and activism. The programme is a reminder of the power of creative expression.

Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) – BBC2 12.45pm
A courtroom drama that examines responsibility. The focus is not only on the accused but also on those who looked the other way. The film asks difficult questions about morality and justice.
Performances are powerful, particularly Spencer Tracy as the judge. The script avoids easy answers, forcing viewers to consider uncomfortable truths. The weight of history is felt in every scene.
Decades later, the questions remain relevant. The film warns against blind obedience and moral compromise. A stark reminder of how societies justify their worst actions.

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché – Sky Arts 2am
A raw and intimate portrait of an artist ahead of her time. Poly Styrene challenged conventions, both in punk music and in life. Her story is one of rebellion and self-discovery.
The film explores her impact on music and identity. Personal letters and interviews reveal a woman torn between ambition and expectation. Her mixed heritage shaped her outsider status.
More than a biography, this is a story about finding a voice. It resonates with anyone who has felt out of place. Her influence continues in today’s alternative music scene.

Sunday 2nd February 2025

The Straight Story (1999) – Film4 4.30pm
A slow and meditative film about an elderly man’s journey. He travels across America on a lawnmower, determined to reconnect with his brother. The simplicity of the story hides great emotional depth.
David Lynch directs with restraint, showing warmth rather than his usual darkness. The performances feel authentic, particularly from Richard Farnsworth. The film lingers on landscapes, emphasising time and memory.
It is a quiet reflection on aging and regret. The journey is physical, but also symbolic. The film asks whether old wounds can ever truly heal.

Harrods: The Rise and Fall of a British Institution – Channel 5 9pm
Once a symbol of luxury, Harrods represents changing economic tides. The documentary traces its history from family-run business to foreign ownership. Behind the glamour is a tale of power and shifting fortunes.
The programme exposes the conflicts between tradition and modernisation. It shows how consumer culture evolved alongside British society. The store’s rise mirrors imperial confidence, its sale reflects global shifts.
More than just a shop, Harrods embodies national identity. The film questions what is lost when heritage is sold. It is a case study in money and influence.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: The Read with Reece Shearsmith – BBC4 9pm
A chilling reading of a classic tale. Shearsmith brings the dual nature of man to life. His performance captures the fear and fascination of the original text.
The gothic horror remains unsettling today. The story explores hidden desires and suppressed instincts. It suggests that civilisation is only a thin veil.
This adaptation reminds us why the story endures. The duality within us all is both disturbing and compelling. A gripping interpretation of a timeless tale.

Ian Rankin Investigates: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – BBC4 10.05pm
Rankin explores the real inspirations behind Stevenson’s novel. He delves into Victorian anxieties and the idea of the double life. The true history is as eerie as the fiction.
Interviews with experts reveal deeper meanings. The investigation links the story to crime, class, and repression. Stevenson’s world was one of contradictions and secrets.
A fascinating look at why the story still haunts us. The themes remain familiar, even in modern society. A perfect companion piece to the previous programme.

Belfast (2021) – BBC2 10pm
Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film captures childhood in a divided city. The innocence of youth contrasts with the backdrop of violence. The black-and-white cinematography adds a nostalgic quality.
The story is told through a child’s eyes, softening but not erasing the pain. There are moments of humour and warmth, making the loss feel sharper. Family bonds provide strength amid uncertainty.
A love letter to a city and a past that can’t be reclaimed. The film reminds us that history is personal. A moving account of home and belonging.

The Sisters Brothers (2018) – BBC2 11.30pm

The Sisters Brothers is a revisionist Western that subverts the genre’s conventions. It follows two bounty-hunting brothers navigating a rapidly changing American frontier. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film balances dark humour with moments of deep introspection. It explores themes of violence, greed, and fractured familial bonds.

Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly deliver compelling performances as the titular brothers. Phoenix’s Charlie is impulsive and reckless, while Reilly’s Eli is burdened by a growing conscience. Their dynamic forms the film’s emotional core, as Eli questions their brutal way of life and dreams of something better. Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed give strong supporting performances. They add depth to the film’s exploration of shifting loyalties. They also enhance the portrayal of evolving ideals.

The cinematography by Benoît Debie captures the stark beauty of the Western landscape. From sun-scorched plains to dimly lit saloons, every frame enhances the film’s melancholic tone. The film’s visual storytelling is meticulous, highlighting both the isolation and camaraderie of its characters.

The score, composed by Alexandre Desplat, blends traditional Western sounds with a haunting, modern sensibility. The music highlights the film’s tension. It strengthens the introspective moments. This reinforces the sense of an old world fading into a new one.

Thematically, The Sisters Brothers critiques the brutality of frontier justice and the corrosive nature of capitalism. The Gold Rush is depicted as a ruthless pursuit, where survival often comes at the cost of morality. Ethical dilemmas arise as the brothers encounter figures who challenge their worldview. These encounters force them to confront their past and consider the possibility of change.

Critics praised the film’s unique take on the Western genre. Its blend of dark comedy, action, and philosophical depth set it apart from more traditional entries. Some viewers found its pacing deliberate. Others appreciated its contemplative nature. They saw it as a meditation on brotherhood, ambition, and the price of violence.

The Sisters Brothers is a thought-provoking and visually stunning film. It offers a fresh perspective on the Western mythos, grounding its story in human emotion rather than spectacle.

Monday 3rd February 2025

Mr Jones (2019)
A journalist uncovers a famine that others choose to ignore. The film exposes how truth is manipulated. The protagonist risks everything to reveal reality.
The visuals shift between cold desolation and propaganda’s warmth. The contrast shows how suffering is hidden. The cost of truth is painfully high.
A film about courage and complicity. Silence enables cruelty, while speaking out invites danger. A reminder that stories shape history.

Fire Island (2022)
A reimagining of Pride and Prejudice set in a modern LGBTQ+ holiday retreat. The film mixes wit with social commentary. It celebrates community while exposing its flaws.
Romance is central, but so is friendship. The characters navigate love, status, and belonging. The humour makes deeper themes more accessible.
A joyful yet thoughtful film. It reminds us that acceptance isn’t always easy. A refreshing take on a classic tale.

Tuesday 4th February 2025

All The Money In The World (2017) – GREAT!movies 9pm
A thriller based on real events. The film follows the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III. His grandfather’s refusal to pay the ransom dominates the narrative.
The story highlights greed and power. The boy’s suffering is secondary to financial concerns. Family bonds are tested against corporate interests.
A tense and stylish drama. Christopher Plummer delivers a cold yet captivating performance. A study of how wealth distorts human relationships.

Mussolini: Son of the Century – Sky Arts 9pm
A documentary exploring the rise of a dictator. It traces his journey from socialism to totalitarianism. The programme pieces together rare footage and expert analysis.
It examines how ambition turns into authoritarian rule. The film shows how a leader’s early ideals can curdle into oppression. The dangers of political idolatry are evident.
A necessary history lesson. The past offers warnings for the present. The documentary challenges viewers to see patterns in modern politics.

Wednesday 5th February 2025

Respect (2021) – BBC1 11.15pm
The story of Aretha Franklin’s rise to fame. Jennifer Hudson delivers a commanding performance. The music carries the film, but so does its emotional weight.
It explores the pressures of success. Franklin’s voice made history, but her journey was fraught with struggle. The film does not shy away from personal hardships.
More than a biography, it is a tribute. A reminder of the resilience behind the legend. A powerful portrayal of an artist’s fight to be heard.

Mean Streets (1973) – Film4 11.35pm
Scorsese’s early masterpiece. A gritty look at loyalty and survival in Little Italy. The film’s raw energy and improvisational style make it feel real.
Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro shine as young men caught between crime and conscience. The streets are their battleground. Violence is both a choice and a fate.
An essential watch for those who love character-driven films. It laid the foundation for Scorsese’s later classics. A look at ambition, failure, and redemption.

Thursday 6th February 2025

Oliver! (1968) – Film4 4.10pm
A musical that remains beloved. The story of an orphan in Victorian London. Songs and performances make it an enduring classic.
Beneath the charm is a tale of survival. The film does not ignore the harsh realities of poverty. Dickens’ world is softened but not erased.
A family favourite with dark undercurrents. The contrast between joy and hardship makes it compelling. A classic that still resonates.

Some Like It Hot (1959) – BBC4 8.20pm
A comedy masterpiece. Two musicians disguise themselves as women to escape the mob. The humour is sharp, and the performances iconic.
Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis have perfect timing. Marilyn Monroe adds charm and melancholy. The film balances farce with genuine emotion.
Beneath the laughter is a look at identity and deception. A film ahead of its time. Endlessly rewatchable and still relevant.

Can Elon Musk Rule The World – Channel 4 9pm
A documentary examining one of the most controversial figures today. It explores his vision and influence. The programme asks whether one man should hold so much power.
Musk’s innovations have changed industries. But ambition comes with consequences. The film presents both his brilliance and his flaws.
An insightful investigation into modern leadership. Technology and capitalism intertwine. The future may rest in the hands of a few.

Pitch Black (2000) – ITV4 9pm
A sci-fi thriller with a cult following. A transport ship crashes on a dark planet. The survivors face both internal and external threats.
Vin Diesel’s anti-hero dominates the film. His character walks the line between saviour and predator. The darkness is both literal and symbolic.
Tense, atmospheric, and visually striking. A film that proves sci-fi can be both action-packed and thought-provoking.

Friday 7th February 2025

Ella Fitzgerald Live At Montreux – Sky Arts 8pm
A concert film capturing a jazz legend at her best. Fitzgerald’s voice remains unmatched. Her performance is effortless yet deeply moving.
The setlist is a journey through jazz history. The audience is spellbound. The film showcases her warmth and mastery.
A celebration of pure talent. A must-watch for music lovers. Her voice still enchants decades later.

Ella Fitzgerald: Just One Of Those Things – Sky Arts 9.30pm
A documentary exploring her life and career. The struggles behind the success are revealed. Her rise from hardship to global fame is inspiring.
Interviews and archival footage bring her story to life. The film highlights both her triumphs and personal sacrifices. She reshaped music forever.
A fitting tribute to a true pioneer. Her impact goes beyond jazz. Her legacy is one of perseverance and excellence.

Lynch/OZ – Film4 1.35am
A documentary about the connection between The Wizard of Oz and David Lynch’s films. It delves into cinematic influences and hidden meanings.
Lynch’s work is filled with references to Oz. The documentary explores these links in depth. Filmmakers and critics offer their insights.
A fascinating look at artistic inspiration. It shows how one story can shape another. A must-watch for cinephiles.

And finally, Streaming

On Channel 4 streaming – Walter Presents: The Sketch Artist (Season 3) – from Friday 7th February 2025
A detective series with a unique protagonist. A forensic sketch artist reconstructs faces and memories. The show blends mystery with human insight.
The new season deepens character backstories. It focuses on perception and how we interpret truth. Crime-solving is as much about psychology as evidence.
A gripping drama with an original premise. Fans of intelligent thrillers will be hooked.

On History Hit – Dogs: Their History (Episode One) – from Thursday 6th February 2025
A look at how dogs shaped human lives. From hunting partners to companions, their role has changed. The documentary explores this shared history.
Footage from different cultures highlights contrasts in treatment. The bond between humans and dogs is complex. Some are loved, others exploited.
More than a history lesson, this is a reflection on human nature. Our relationship with animals says much about us.

Picture credits

Judgment at Nuremberg
By “Copyright © 1961 by United Artists Corporation.” – Scan via Heritage Auctions. Cropped from the original image and lightly retouched; see upload history for unretouched original., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88144188
The Straight Story (1999)
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3573982
Belfast (2021)
By Studio and or Graphic Artist – [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68638309
The Sisters Brothers
By https://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-Sisters-Brothers-poster.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid57505137
Mr Jones (2019)
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59698104
Fire Island (2022)
By Searchlight Pictures – https://twitter.com/searchlightpics/status/1518589402305507329?s=20&t=z98t5jxp96X-UEKqWN4Jfg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70626655
All the Money in the World (2017)
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55238236
Respect (2021)
By IMP Awards / 2021 Movie Poster Gallery / Respect Poster (#6 of 6), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62643512
Mean Streets (1973)
By May be found at the following website: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070379/mediaindex?page=3&ref_=ttmi_mi_sm, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63535900
Oliver! (1968)
By Oliver1968.co.uk – UK quad., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6697563
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Designed by Macario Gómez Quibus. “Copyright 1959 – United Artists Corp.”. – Scan via LiveAbout. Cropped from original image., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85794299
Pitch Black (2000)
By The poster art can or could be obtained from USA Films (USA theatrical)Universal Studios (all other rights)., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1209558
Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things
Aber Bergen
Minx
By HBO Max – Screenshot from the premiere episode, “Not like a shvantz right in the face”, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=117713496
Reece Shearsmith
By PeterCarmichael51 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=151951308
Elon Musk
By The Royal Society, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=152333860
Harrods
By user: Sokkk y – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3600342
Polystyrene
By Poly_Styrene.png: Uroicaderivative work: Memphisto (talk) – Poly_Styrene.png, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15033083
Ella Fitzgerald
By Lewin/Kaufman/Schwartz, Public Relations, Beverly Hills – eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19129012
Ian Rankin
By TimDuncan – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3588034
Mussolini

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