TV | Freeview Flicks of the Week – Good Morning, Vietnam, Green Zone and Point Break

Our weekly LSi best freeview flicks picks are here! This week, Liam Neeson fights wolves, we deal with a zombie apocalypse and of course, we celebrate the work of the late Robin Williams.

MONDAY – Good Morning, Vietnam (Channel 4 00:05)

Last week saw the tragic passing of Robin Williams, a brilliant and versatile actor who starred in many iconic roles. One of his best performances was in Good Morning Vietnam, in which he plays a DJ sent to the US Armed Services’ radio station in Vietnam. Williams proved in this film that he was the master of comedy, though he also managed to keep the melancholic tone. Williams’ role saw him nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor – what a shame he didn’t win.

TUESDAY – Green Zone (Film4 21:00)green-zone-1024

If there is one director who can direct a decent action film it is Paul Greengrass, the man responsible for the Bourne films and Captain Phillips. In Green Zone, Greengrass is once again reunited with Bourne star Matt Damon, who is now on a hunt for Weapons of Mass Destruction. Combining action with conspiracy thriller, you will be kept on the edge of your seat throughout.

WEDNESDAY – The Grey (Film4 21:00)

Ever since Liam Neeson stole the show in Taken, he has become cinema’s new favourite action hero and is quite in demand. If you thought Neeson fighting mobsters in Taken was bad-ass, then watch him take on bloodthirsty wolves in The Grey. Of course it is unrealistic and rather silly, but the exhilarating action sequences makes up for it.

THURSDAY – 1941 (Movie Mix 14:20)

One of the earliest Spielberg films is 1941, made after Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977. Here, Spielberg is part of a cinematic dream team, buddying up with Robert Zemeckis, director of Back to the Future, and Dan Aykroyd, the comedy genius behind Ghostbusters, for a war comedy that is set in the days after Pearl Harbour. Cue silliness, slapstick comedy, great jokes and complete utter fun! 

FRIDAY – Zombieland (Film4 21:00)

Every now and again, a film comes along that, for some reason or other, creates a cult following. One such film is Zombieland, a film that helped launch the popularity of zombies in popular culture. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone team up in a fight against the zombie apocalypse, and a search for the last Twinkie (of course). It is hard not to have fun whilst watching this film, which is one of the best horror comedies ever made.

SATURDAY – Insomnia (BBC2 23:00)

One of Robin Williams’ oft forgotten performances is in thriller Insomnia, directed by the genius Christopher Nolan who stands behind Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy. This psychological thriller sees two LA detectives, Al Pacino and Hilary Swank of course, dispatched to a northern town to investigate a particularly methodical murder. Of course, expect shocking twists and turns.

Reeves & Swayze In 'Point Break'SUNDAY – Point Break (Five 23:55)

Due for release next year is a remake of the classic 1991 film, Point Break, which shot director Kathryn Bigelow to fame and fortune. If a pure action thriller set on a beach is what you fancy on a Sunday night, then Channel 5 is the place to be. The dynamic relationship between the characters played by Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze make this film, but overall, it is a great ride that will have you hooked from the start.

Emily Murray

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