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| The Penguins Of Madagascar |
They may have started out as bit-part players, but everyone knows the Cheezy Dibble-loving penguins were the stars of the original film in this franchise. Here they get their own adventure, taking on the evil Dr Octavius Brine (John Malkovich having even more fun than you would expect on vocals), who has a plan to turn the penguins into mutants. Along for the ride is super-spy style wolf North Wind (Benedict Cumberbatch, laying the Bond lines on thick) as the action starts at a pace and doesn't let up in its Looney Tunes style quickfire humour. Perfect family viewing if you've got a Bank Holiday day off with the kids.
Heat, Netflix, available now
Michael Mann's top notch thriller arrives on Netflix this week and is as much a stone cold classic now as it was on release in 1995. It's achieved cult status since then, even inspiring the ultimate dissection - One Heat Minute, which you can read more about (and listen to) here. Propelled on release by the fact that it was the first time A-listers Robert De Niro and Al Pacino had shared the screen, it fortunately does not disappoint. Pacino takes on the role of serious career cop Vincent Hannah, who finds himself in a cat-and-mouse situation with De Niro's thief Neil McCaulley. There's a lot more to this than wham-bam action and with both actors - and their characters - at the top of their game, it's a riveting watch.
Super 8, 11.15pm, Great Movies, Monday, May 1
The spirit of Spielberg - who executive produced - is strong in this teen-led mystery that sees a group of young would-be filmmakers' attempt to shoot a zombie movie go badly awry. When the kids (including Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths and Ellie Fanning) witness a train wreck and soon find themselves grappling with a monster on the loose. With its nostalgic nod to Spielberg's early films, strong characters and a keen eye for an action sequence, JJ Abrams' film ensures its B-movie staples rattle along at pace. Perfectly pitched at the 12A audience, the film also delivers sufficient horror to give the whole family a scare without going over the top.
The Producers, 12.10am, BBC1 Sunday, May 7
Mel Brooks hit the ground running with this, his debut movie - originally slated to have the name Springtime For Hitler. The always larger than life Zero Mostel teams up with Gene Wilder, in only his second role, as a producer and an accountant who plan to make millions - providing their show is a complete flop. Brooks cleverly builds on the yawning gap between Wilder's mousy Bloom and Mostel's rambunctious Bialystock, while the sight gags and one-liners keep coming. Brooks' imagination knows no bounds, racing from tiny asides to big band numbers while barely pausing for breath - all while taking a sideswipe at Broadway and the Nazis.
Man With A Movie Camera, MUBI from today (also BFI Player)
Made by Dziga Vertov in 1929, this early documentary offers an insight into post-revolutionary Russia. Structured around a single day, the man and his camera capture three cities - Moscow, Kyiv and Odesa - from dawn till dusk. Shot in avant-garde fashion, distinctive moments are brought together, including an amalgamation of birth and death as we see a woman in labour that is intercut with a funeral procession. The camera is constantly acknowledged, reminding us of our specific viewpoint on the action. An innovative film that serves as both a testament to filmmaking and to the life and times of the period when it was shot.
Fruitvale Station, Freevee now
We don't often include Amazon's free streaming service in these listings, but it's well worth keeping an eye on. In addition to this indie gem, other releases yesterday included The Night Of The Hunter and Hunt For The Wilderpeople. Ryan Coogler's debut charts the true story of what happened during the final day of Oscar Grant - who was shot dead on the platform of a Californian train station in the early hours of New Year's Day in 2009. At the time of his death, Grant was unarmed and in handcuffs - real-life footage we see near the start of the film. By taking away any sense of sensationalism by showing us 'the end' before he starts, Coogler is able to build a complex and humanistic portrait of Grant, played by Michael B Jordan, that doesn't laud him as a saint or castigate him as irredeemable but shows him as a flawed trier who had resolved to be a better person. The winner of both the Grand Jury and audience awards at Sundance, its strength lies in the way Coogler connects the everyday elements of Grant's life to the viewer's making the sense of the ultimate injustice of what happened all the more acute.
Shadowlands, 11.15, BBC2, Tuesday, May 2
Fans of intelligent, moving romantic drama, definitely shouldn't miss this Anthony Hopkins treat. He plays Narnia author CS Lewis as he finds his rather dusty world opening up first to friendship and then romance with American divorcee Joy (Debra Winger, whose performances should probably come with a "bring tissues" warning by this point). Richard Attenborough creates a handsome atmosphere in which both actors bring their A game, as this tale of unexpected connection laced with tragedy unfolds. Literary fans will love the insight into Lewis but it's the human emotion here that is Attenborough's ace.
We're returning to the world of documentary for our short this week. John Schlesinger's Terminus offers a fly-on-the-wall look at Waterloo Station.
