Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Monday 5 June 1995, page 2


1. GREAT MEWING 2. WORTH A LOOK 3. IN DESPERATION

Excalibur (1981) Saturday 8.30pm (Win): When knights were bold in days of old ... give me an Arthurian fantasy any time, especially one featuring Helen Mirren. This is said to be director John Boorman working at the height of his powers, so perhaps Merlin was at work here. Beautifully filmed, with lush images, sets and costumes. Other stars include Nigel Terry and Nicol Williamson. O

MONDAY

The MovieTeller (1993) 9.30pm (SBS): Perhaps the rot started here, or then again, perhaps it started when the cinematic medium was invented. A narrator of silent films is devasted by the advent of the "talkies". Starring Armin Mueller-Stahl. ©

Cody: Bad Love (1994) 8.30pm (Prime): The helpful program information supplied for the latest Cody instalment says "investigations lead [Cody] to an art gallery co-run by a beautiful French artist, Claudia. Cody's interest in art is immediately aroused". Really? An unfortunate choice of words but seeing as Gary Sweet is involved, we'll give it a O

Cagney & Lacey: The Return (1994) 8.30pm (Ten Capital): Remember Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly as the two tough female cops battling crims, stress and family life. They're back together after six years, so if you were a fan, then check it out for nostalgic reasons. ©

633 Squadron (1964) 12pm (Prime): Nothing like a good war movie for lunch, old chap. Regulation heroics sby Cliff Robertson to destroy a Nazi munitions factory in Norway. ©

Diamond City (1949) 2am (ABC): no World Cup rugby from South Africa tonight so go to bed. ©

The Bomb (1987) 12.30pm (SBS): Why would an explosives expert want to bomb Hamburg if world-wide disarmament talks were not started on his demand? Sounds like the over-active imagination of some hard-core greenies who have mutated with the Loyal Regiment of Australian Guardians. Stars Michael Degen. ©

Game Over (1992) 9.30pm (SBS): A kleptomaniac parliamentary candidate falls in love with a store detective. If only that would happen in the Legislative Assembly. Perhaps this is based on a true story in Poland (well,

Mordred (Robert Addie), King Arthur's natural son rides forth in Excalibur.

let's hope anyway). Starring Anna Romantowska and January Brunov. ©

Telefon (1977) 12pm (Prime): Charles Bronson stars in an spy thriller made before the Cold War ended. This means the Commies are the enemy, especially a nasty Stalinist who wants to derail peace talks. ©

2010 (1984) 11.30pm (Prime): Although not as epic as 2001, this sequel still has heaps of excellent special effects, excellent acting and a nice twist to end the story begun in its predecessor. A joint US-Russian expedition, led by the fabulous Helen Mirren, is sent to Jupiter to find out what happened. Also starring Keir Dullea, Roy Schneider and John Lithgow. Q

WEDNESDAY

Lost (1956) 2am (ABC): do the ABC programmers have a cousin who works shifts and likes old British movies? You should all be tucked away, snoozing. ©

U-Turn (1991) 9.30pm (SBS): This doesn't sound like one for the kiddies, being described as a "dark tale of deception and murder", but then again a lot of television and film gets the same generic description. Starring Minas Hadzisavas and Alexandra Sakellaropoulou. ©

Feds: Abduction (1994) 8.30pm (Win): No prizes for guessing

which famous (or infamous) abduction this new Feds episode is inspired by. Let's hope the plot doesn't creak as much as the last Feds tele-movie. With Angie Milliken and Robert Taylor (of the Wide World of Gillette Shaving school of drama). 0

Switching Channels (1988) 12pm (Prime): Plenty of laughs from Kathleen Turner, Burt Reynolds and Christopher Reeve in this tale of a TV reporter who tries to leave journalism, but is tempted by her ex-husband and news director into going for just one more big story. Pokes fun at the often-farcical way TV news is put together. ©

The Mounted Policeman (1961) 12.30pm (SBS): A bit of tragedy for lunch. A young cavalry cadet breaks the rules by marrying his sweetheart before regimental rules allow. Naturally, it's a disaster. Stars Nino Manfredi and Annette Stroyberg. ©

Family Portrait (1992) 9.30pm (SBS): If Uncle Dave Stratton has this as his "Movie of the Week" then who are we to disagree? This Chinese work tells the tale of a photographer who discovers his deceased first wife is survived by a 10 year-old son. Stars Cao De Pei Li. Q

Whisperkill (1988) 12pm (Prime): Remember Loni

Anderson. Quite an actress wasn't she . . not. As reporter Liz Bartlett, she wishes her nasty business associate dead, and voila, he is. Mayhem to be avoided. ©

The Other (1990) 12.30pm (SBS): Plenty of drama for an elderly gent as an earthquake strikes. O Agonia (1981) 9.30pra (SBS): This powerful depiction by master filmmaker Elem Klimov of the weird relationship between Rasputin and the Romanov dynasty was left on the shelf for a decade after taking nine years to make. The Commies apparently thought the orgies and the sympathetic look at Tsar Nicholas II were not the Soviet thing. Starring Alexei Petrenko, and Anatoly Romashin. ©

Pete 'n1 Tillie (1972) midday (Prime): Walther Matthau' and Carol Burnett star in this comedy about a practical joker-cum-bachelor wooing his lady. Described as sentimental. Q

- SATURDAY

Excalibur (1981) 8.30pm (Win): see Pick of the Week. O

The Wall (1982) lam (Prime): The story of the Jewish uprising in the Warsaw ghetto against the Nazis is an incredible one. However, this filmic version seems not to have impressed the critics, turning what should have been a bloody battle for survival into an average war movie. Stars

Tom Conti, Lisa Eichorn, and Eli

Wallach.

: SUNDAY

Stalking Laura (1993) 8.30pm (Prime): Hey, here's a familiar concept. Beautiful young girl, Laura (Brooke Shields), works next to a nice quiet guy (Richard Thomas) who gets a crush on her. Unrequited love turns to (yawn) murderous passion and . . . whoops, I nodded off. Q

Butterbox Babies (1994) 8.30pm (Win): The "shocking true story" of the downfall of a couple who ran a home for unwed mothers in Nova Scotia, Canada, or so the publicity blurb says. During World War II the home's operators, Lila and Matthew Young, fall under the the eagle eye of the health authorities. Stars Susan Clark. 0

Letter From Paris (1993) 9.35pm (SBS): Now something many of us should be able to relate to, especially in an age where bosses expect their workers to put work ahead of family life. Lucrezia Lante Delia Rovere and Roberto De Francesco star in a story about a young couple coming to terms with their first baby. O

List compiled by DAVID SIBLEY with the help of various articles and reference books, including Bloomsbury's Foreign Film Guide, Leonard Maltin's Movie And Video Guide 1994, and Hailiwell's Film Guide. For space reasons, not all movies screening are listed.