Thursday January 26
Titanic [e.tv.20.30]
Friday January 27
Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion [SABC3.00.00]
Northern Lights [e.tv.14.30]
Deep Water [e.tv.00.40]
Saturday January 28
CHRISTINA AGUILERA
Burlesque [M-Net.21.00]
The Color of Courage [SABC1.23.00]
Madeline [e.tv.14.00 and 02.50]
Godzilla [e.tv.20.00]
The Machinist [e.tv.22.50]
Sunday January 29
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides [M-Net. 20.05]
Friday the 13th [M-Net.00.25]
RACHEL WEITZ AND BRENDAN FRASER FACE THE MUMMY
The Mummy [M-Net.02.00]
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor [SABC1.20.00]
Godzilla [e.tv.13.00]
Monday January 30
The Crazies [M-Net.22.30]
The Yacoubian Building [SABC3.01.00]
Jesse Stone: Night Passage [e.tv.22.30 and 02.40]
Tuesday January 31
Burlesque [M-Net.01.00]
Wednesday February 1
Brian’s Song [e.tv.22.35]
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides [M-Net.01.00]
***
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER IN BEGINNERS
I am still trying to get a grip on the Oscar nominations; I was all set to torch the Kodak Theatre if Christopher Plummer doesn’t win this year, until I realized that Jonah Hill is also up; for his performance in Moneyball. Plummer still has my nod; his performance in Beginners is excellent, another fine performance in a career full of fine performances.
SOMETIMES THE ACADEMY GIVES AN UNLIKELY NOD
Plummer is dramatically telling in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo; what a film, I still feel shell shocked; Rooney Mara sister of the (until now) more famous Kate is one of those ‘outsiders with a chance’ nominees in a strong field this year; Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, … the race is wide open.
WILL 2011 BE GOOD TO MERYL STREEP? DESPITE A TOTAL OF 17 NOMINATIONS, SHE LAST WON IN 1982.
Staying with Oscar winners; believe it or not, I've found a few former winners in unlikely places this week.
TILDA SWINTON WAS UNLUCKY NOT TO GET A NOMINATION THIS YEAR
Tilda Swinton who won an Oscar in 2007 for Michael Clayton, and has recently been outstanding in We Need to Talk about Kevin, is the narrating voice for Deep Water [e.tv.Friday.00.40] the story of Donald Crowhurst, an underhanded amateur sailor who paid with his life when he tried to cheat the judges of The 1969 Sunday Times Golden Globe Single Handed Round The World Yacht Race.
THE SET UP
This movie works on the theory that losers ‘with a plan that could have worked’ spark a lot more interest than boring old winners. Deep Water is a thought provoking if not groundbreaking documentary; the archival footage is well chosen, grainy and dramatic.
KATE WINSLET
If messing about in boats is in your blood, Oscar winner Kate Winslet is once again on show in the role that somehow defines her, in the film always to be remembered with a song never forgotten; need I add the title Titanic [e.tv.Thursday.20.30].
MADGE IS PROBABLY NOT SMILING NOW
Why I’m mentioning songs is that Madonna must be hopping mad, her song Masterpiece from W.E. was disqualified for technical reasons; apparently, it is sung too late, well into the closing credits. This year the song category is particularly thin; only two nominees, the best probably being Man or Muppet. Was that ditty from Moneyball not original, it certainly is good enough!
BLACKBEARD'S DAUGHTER...
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides [M-Net.Sunday.20.05 and Wednesday.01.00], the fourth in the series, is actually inspired by the novel, On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers.
...AND THE MAN HIMSELF
The movie sweeps in new brooms- Ian McShane, who was a sexy pinup way back when I was a teenager and Oscar winner Penelope Cruz, together with familiar old soaks; Keith Richard in a cameo, Geoffrey Rush and, of course, Johnny Depp/ Jack Sparrow himself.
JOHNNY DEPP WITH THE 1996 OSCAR WINNER GEOFFREY RUSH
Rob Marshall takes over the directing reigns from Gore Verbinski, and although Stranger Tides is enjoyable enough, maybe the fun should end here. I think Jerry Bruchheimer and company have already pushed the boat out once too often. 
BALE LOST 27 KILOGRAMS TO PLAY THE ROLE OF TREVOR
Last year’s winner in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role was Christian Bale; he is mesmerizing as The Machinist [e.tv.Saturday.22.50], in a film by Brad Anderson, with a script in studied alienation by Scott Koser. The finished product is a disturbing peek into a damaged psyche. This is not an easy film, but it is certainly a rewarding one.
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME
Cher is the only performer to ever have won an Oscar, a Grammy, a Golden Globe and an Emmy; when she flicked a shapely eyebrow in Burlesque [M-Net.Saturday.21.00 and Tuesday.01.00], her first film in seven years, she added a Rassie to that impressive quartet.
DIANE WARREN
Actually, the movie isn't terrible; shades of A Star is Born with just a touch of Stagedoor; Christina Aguilera shows that she can act, well, almost. The music, some by Diane Warren, is humable and the script, in part by Diablo Cody is witty, camp and sharply amusing.
SHE WON AN OSCAR WAY BACK IN 1977
Northern Lights [e.tv.Friday.14.30] which was ‘The First Disney Channel Original Movie’, whatever that really means, has Diane Keaton is at her toothy best, okay, but hey, don’t cancel that lunch date.
ANOTHER WINNER FROM 1996- FRANCES MCDORMOND HERE WITH HATTY JONES AS MADELINE
A classy children’s film stars the ever wonderful Frances McDormand, this time as the nun Miss Clavel in the lovingly understated movie version of the children’s classic, Madeline [e.tv.Saturday.14.00 and 02.50], by Ludwig Bemelmans; a film for children but fine for nostalgic adults too.
TOM
A couple Made-for-Television Movies, Tom Selleck is very likeable as Robert B Parker’s fallible cop, Jesse Stone in Jesse Stone: Night Passage [e.tv.Monday.23.30]. Parker who died in 2010, also created Spenser (for Hire.)Night Passage is, in fact, the first Jesse Stone mystery; a series which has floated into vision before. Jesse Stone is a visual distraction that will adequately fill a quiet Monday night.
A NEWSPAPER CLIPPING FROM THE TIME
The Color of Courage [SABC1.Saturday.23.00] examines the ever prickly subject of race. The infamous Sipes vs McGhee Case is powerfully brought to life; in a movie starring Linda Hamilton as Anna Sipes and Lynn Whitfield as Minnie McGhee; yes, under the skin, we are all the same.
BOOM
Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion [SABC3.Friday.00.00] is a Canadian produced Mini Series; based on a real life disaster dating from 1917. Unfortunately, apart from the big bang, the movie is long, flat and extremely tedious.
LIVES INTERTWINE
The Yacoubian Building [SABC3.Monday.01.00] was Egypt’s official entry in the 79th Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film Category. The film is well made and vastly enjoyable; a cross between Grand Hotel and Ship of Fools.
MEKHI PHIFER AS GALE SAYERS AND SEAN MAHER AS BRIAN
Not for the first time, we have a remake epidemic on our hands. Brian’s Song [e.tv.Wednesday.22.35] is the remake of the 1971 Made-for-TV movie that gave James Caan his big break. Thirty years after the original, this touching story about friendship, set in the world of American Football, is still sadly poignant, and includes snatches of the lovely music, written for the original by Michel Legrand.
INDEED!
The Crazies [M-Net.Monday.22.30] is a remake of the George Romero 1973 original, same old story, same old plague.
GUESS WHO IS LURKING IN THE WOOD
And now something really crazy, in a remake of Friday the 13th [M-Net.Sunday.00.25] a bunch of young people return willingly to Crystal Springs, same old story, same old Jason, same old bloodbath.
WILLIAM HENRY PRATT- THE PLAYED BOTH FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER AND THE MUMMY
So much has been written about The Mummy and Godzilla, I thought that just for a changea little background might be fun. Mummies first; in the early 30s, after the success of both Frankenstein and Dracula, Universal Pictures was on the look out for another unlikely box office hero.
BORIS KARLOFF IN COSTUME
After the opening of Tutankhamen’s Tomb in 1922, there was a sudden upsurge of interest in Egyptology; former journalist John L Balderston and a few other contract screenwriters did a bit of tinkering and Imhotep was born. He was played by Boris Karloff… and, well… It Came to Life.
THE MUMMY RETURNS...AS A BOERE SEUN
In 1999, The Mummy [M-Net.Sunday.02.00] was resuscitated with Ons Eie Arnie as Imhotep, a role he repeated in The Mummy Returns two years later. In The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (SABC3.Sunday.20.00), Vosloo made way for Mr Drain Cleaner himself, Jet Li.
MR MUSCLE
On the whole, the critics have been less than kind about The Mummy's Rebandaging, but the public really seems to love Mummies. I presume the saga will continue at some stage.
STILL ONE OF THE MOST FRIGHTENING PHOTOS OF ALL TIME
The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, effectively ended The Second World War and nine years later inadvertently created Godzilla, a mutant lizard caused by nuclear fallout. Godzilla has appeared in umpteen monster movies, most of them Japanese.
GODZILLA IN 1998
Hollywood did have a go in 1998, the film [e.tv.Saturday.20.00 and Sunday.13.00] starred Matthew Broderick and Maria Pitillo, who won a well deserved Rassie for her scintillating performance; as far as I know there has been no fervent call for an American made sequel.
BRAD ANDERSON DIRECTED THE MACHINIST
My choice is for The Machinist [e.tv.Saturday.22.50], a fine movie from a talented group of filmmakers.