Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2100 Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (Five)

Freeview
1930 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (BBC Three)

Sky Movies
0955 No Country For Old Men (Sky Action/Thriller)
1105 The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (Sky Indie)
1205 Three Kings (Sky Action/Thriller)
1230 Blade Runner: The Final Cut (Sky Modern Greats)
1640 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
1655 The Last Of The Mohicans (Sky Screen 2)
1850 Die Hard 4.0 (Sky Action/Thriller)
2100 No Country For Old Men (Sky Action/Thriller)
2140 Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Sky Drama)
2150 Midnight Cowboy (Sky Modern Greats)
2200 Crash (Sky Indie)
2305 American Ganagster (Sky Action/Thriller)
0025 28 Weeks Later (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0145 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
0145 Platoon (Sky Screen 1)
0220 Breaking The Waves (Sky Indie)
0345 Empire Of The Sun (Sky Modern Greats)

Also noticed that Night At The Museum is on Channel 4 tonight. I'm pretty sure that was the same channel a couple of weeks ago. Sign of things to come at cash-strapped 4?

Watched yesterday

Eleventh Hour: Savant - much like CBS, I've decided to dump this series. Just isn't compelling enough. Would have liked to have seen Marley Shelton's Rachel Young character kicking ass a bit more - 2/5

Fringe: The Road Not Taken - 4/5

Fringe: There's More Than One Of Everything - NIMOY!!! This show is just great, roll on season two, ASAP - 4/5

Britain's Got Talent: Final - thankfully, the public made the right choice on the night - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated film on British TV today.

Freeview
2245 28 Days Later (Film4)
0035 Jaws (ITV4)

Sky
2230 Dumb And Dumber (Comedy Central)
2330 Dumb And Dumber (Comedy Central+1)
2345 28 Days Later (Film4+1)
0135 Jaws (ITV4+1)

Sky Movies
1215 The Kingdom (Sky Action/Thriller)
1235 Escape From Alcatraz (Sky Modern Greats)
1430 Sunshine (Sky Indie)
1515 Fracture (Sky Screen 2)
1620 Jindabyne (Sky Indie)
1640 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
1645 Schindler's List (Sky Modern Greats)
1800 The American President (Sky Drama)
1830 Notes On A Scandal (Sky Indie)
1855 300 (Sky Action/Thriller)
1915 I Am Legend (Sky Screen 2)
2000 The Illusionist (Sky Drama)
2010 Sunshine (Sky Indie)
2100 The Kingdom (Sky Action/Thriller)
2145 The Matrix (Sky Screen 1)
2200 In Bruges (Sky Indie)
2350 Eastern Promises (Sky Indie)
0150 Eyes Wide Shut (Sky Screen 1)
0340 In Bruges (Sky Indie)

Watched yesterday

Fringe: Midnight - 4/5

Britain's Next Top Model - wrong choice to go :/ - 4/5

Dollhouse: The Target - a big improvement over the shambolic pilot episode. Much more focus and story arcs are beginning to be laid out. Worth giving it at least one more episode - 3/5

The Mentalist: Red Birch And Ivy - not sure I'm going to stick with this. It's a bit bland - 3/5

Californication: The Raw And The Cooked - 4/5

Grey's Anatomy: Elevator Love Letter - 4/5

Previously On ER - a trip down memory lane to mark the end of the series forever. Good to see Sherry Stringfield looking amazing, but there wasn't nearly enough Maria Bello or Jorja Fox and not a single mention of my girl Leslie :/ - 4/5

Countdown: 29th May
Dan Brusca - 78
James Doohan - 69
Margaret Oliver - 38

Britain's Got Talent - the right two went through, but oh the drama! - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2340 Starship Troopers (BBC One)

Freeview
2300 Cliffhanger (ITV2)
2300 Gangs Of New York (Film4)
2310 Solaris (More4)
0000 Cliffhanger (ITV2+1)

Sky
0000 Gangs Of New York (Film4+1)
0010 Solaris (More4+1)

Sky Movies
1015 Titanic (Sky Modern Greats)
1605 The Sixth Sense (Sky Modern Greats)
1720 The Mist (Sky Premiere)
1820 The Mist (Sky Premiere+1)
1820 Zodiac (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 The Truman Show (Sky Drama)
2000 Titanic (Sky Modern Greats)
2100 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Sky Screen 2)
2250 I Am Legend (Sky Screen 2)
2305 Sliver (Sky Action/Thriller)
2315 The Terminator (Sky Modern Greats)
0130 Happiness (Sky Indie)

Watched yesterday

Prison Break: Rate Of Exchange - 4/5

Prison Break: Killing Your Number - 4/5

Flight Of The Conchords: The Tough Brets - 3/5

Prison Break: The Old Ball And Chain - 4/5

Prison Break: Free - nice to see this series going out on a high and these last two episodes were a nice little throwback to the show's first (and best) season. Great to see Jodi Lyn O'Keefe back, but a shame she didn't get away! - 5/5

Countdown: 28th May
James Doohan - 93
Dan Brusca - 53
Michael Calder - 48

Britain's Got Talent - good to see 2 Grand go through, but I wouldn't have voted for the poor man's Kenny G. Shame Brit Chix sounded so bad because they looked fantastic - 4/5

Question Time - Dan Hannan was very impressive as was, it must be said, the Greens' Caroline Lucas - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2100 Payback (Five USA)
2300 The Thomas Crown Affair (ITV2)
0000 The Thomas Crown Affair (ITV2+1)

Sky
2200 Payback (Five USA+1)

Sky Movies
0900 The Insider (Sky Modern Greats)
1015 The Thin Red Line (Sky Drama)
1140 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Modern Greats)
1305 Cloverfield (Sky Screen 2)
1645 In The Line Of Fire (Sky Action/Thriller)
1835 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Screen 2)
2000 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Modern Greats)
2200 The Mist (Sky Premiere)
2205 Jackass Number Two (Sky Comedy)
2300 The Mist (Sky Premiere+1)
2310 Cloverfield (Sky Screen 2)
0045 Blade Runner: The Final Cut (Sky Screen 2)
0210 Jackass Number Two (Sky Comedy)

Watched yesterday

Countdown: 26th May
Dan Brusca - 84
James Doohan - 79
Jack Morgan - 79
Got the conundrum - COMPLEXED - though I can't say it's a word I've ever heard before.

Countdown: 27th May
Dan Brusca - 68
James Doohan - 44
Nick Patrick - 44
Spotted two 8-letter words - MODELLER and CALORIES.

The Apprentice: Week Ten - go Debra! - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2225 Jaws (ITV4)
2255 28 Days Later (Film4)

Sky
2325 Jaws (ITV4+1)
2355 28 Days Later (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1300 Jerry Maguire (Sky Modern Greats)
1450 The Illusionist (Sky Screen 2)
1800 The Last Of The Mohicans (Sky Drama)
2000 The Mist (Sky Premiere)
2000 Jerry Maguire (Sky Modern Greats)
2005 Sunshine (Sky Indie)
2100 The Mist (Sky Premiere+1)
2200 Rambo (Sky Action/Thriller)
2200 Eatern Promises (Sky Screen 2)
2210 Platoon (Sky Drama)
2220 Lenny (Sky Modern Greats)
2335 Face (Sky Action/Thriller)
0015 Eyes Wide Shut (Sky Modern Greats)
0125 Rambo (Sky Action/Thriller)
0300 Summer Of Sam (Sky Modern Greats)
0445 The Illusionist (Sky Screen 2)

Sorry, phone

Kevin Spacey is currently on the other side of the Atlantic filming Casino Jack, the story oof disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He's been keeping the world updated via Twitter, which led to this...

Kevin Spacey Back in the make up chair. Gorgeous day. On set in a while. I get to go crazy today & destroy my office. Hope I don't hurt myself. Later

DanBrusca @KevinSpacey I want to see you smash a telephone to pieces. I have no idea why, but it would amuse me :)

Kevin Spacey BIrthday dinner for director, George Hickenlooper tonight. Tore office up for all of you in today's scene. Broke phone & a light! Goodnight!

So when you go along to see Casino Jack and see Kevin smash up the phone, just remember who made that happen ;)

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2100 Gosford Park (Film4)

Sky
2200 Gosford Park (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
0925 Letters From Iwo Jima (Sky Action/Thriller)
1000 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Modern Greats)
1000 Alien 3 (Sky Action/Thriller)
1045 The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (Sky Indie)
1310 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Screen 2)
1330 Control (Sky Indie)
1720 Alien 3 (Sky Action/Thriller)
1815 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Modern Greats)
1840 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 Charlie Wilson's War (Sky Drama)
2100 Die Hard 4.0 (Sky Action/Thriller)
2100 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Screen 2)
2145 X-Men (Sky Family)
2200 The Mist (Sky Premiere)
2200 Control (Sky Indie)
2300 The Mist (Sky Premiere+1)
2305 American Gangster (Sky Screen 2)
0030 The Krays (Sky Screen 1)
0115 X-Men (Sky Family)

Watched yesterday

Heroes: I Am Sylar - 4/5

Heroes: An Invisible Thread - 4/5

Prison Break: Cowboys And Indians - 4/5

The Closer: Blue Blood - 3/5

Countdown: 25th May
James Doohan - 75
Dan Brusca - 74
Anne Loveday - 35
Got the conundrum - CHERISHED

Britain's Got Talent - Flawless deserved to go therough, but Shaun Smith didn't. I would have put DJ Talent through for the entertainment factor alone - 3/5

Quote of the day

There has been widespread condemnation of North Yorkshire's decision to carry out a nuclear test.

5 Live newsreader, 1.30pm.

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
1705 Flight Of The Phoenix (Film4)

Sky
1805 Flight Of The Phoenix (Film4+1)
1810 Men In Black (Watch)
1910 Men In Black (Watch+1)
2200 Men In Black (Watch)
2300 Men In Black (Watch+1)
0055 Audition (Zone Horror)

Sky Movies
0900 Notes On A Scandal (Sky Indie)
0905 Apollo 13 (Sky Modern Greats)
1005 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
1155 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sky Screen 2)
1500 Superbad (Sky Comedy)
1505 Notes On A Scandal (Sky Indie)
1545 Apollo 13 (Sky Modern Greats)
1550 The Illusionist (Sky Drama)
1645 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 Fracture (Sky Drama)
2100 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sky Screen 2)
2145 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Sky Modern Greats)
2200 The Mist (Sky Premiere)
2200 Superbad (Sky Comedy)
2200 Empire Of The Sun (Sky Screen 1)
2300 The Mist (Sky Premiere+1)
2340 American History X (Sky Drama)
0000 In Bruges (Sky Indie)
0135 The Sixth Sense (Sky Modern Greats)
0220 Mulholland Drive (Sky Indie)
0230 Platoon (Sky Screen 1)

Watched yesterday

ER: I Feel Good - 3/5

Derren Brown: An Evening Of Wonders - absolutely fantastic and all the more so because he doesn't claim to have any kind of psychic powers. Really makes you wonder how he does it - 5/5

Britain's Got Talent: 1st Semi-Final - there's an air of depressing inevitibility to his, with Susan Boyle surely destined to win on Saturday, even if last night showed her to be a fairly average singer. Diversity were by far and away the best act, so they deserved to go through, even if Simon Cowell had to make a little girl cry to do it. On balance, I would have preferred Faces of Disco to go through as I found them quite funny. Which reminds me, wasn't Amanda Holden a bit of a hypocrite? She clearly had a problem with Piers and Simon's reactions to Julia Naidenko, yet she was drooling all over Faces of Disco. Ho-hum - 4/5

In like Flint follow-up

Further to my post yesterday about Caroline Flint as a potential Labour leadership candidate, Fraser Nelson has written articles in the News Of The World and The Spectator on her and gordon Brown's relationship with women.

Rosamund Pike

Pleasantly surprised to see Rosamund Pike on the cover of this week's Observer Magazine, together with an interview by Lynn Barber.

There's a special place in my heart for Miss Pike. One day in early 2007 I was leafing through the Guardian's G2 supplement when an ad for Gaslight at the Old Vic caught my eye. It was based around this striking photo...


I remembered that I had been impressed by Pike's glacial beauty as Miranda Frost in Die Another Day. Also, I had good memories of watching the 1944 film version with my dad when I was younger and the pair of us being completely caught-up in the mystery of it.

So I went ahead and made a booking - the first time I had been to a theatre since I was a small child - and the rest, as they say, is history. I fell in love with the place, have seen everything they've put on since and am now a benefactor of the theatre, none of which would have happened were it not for Rosamund Pike.

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2300 Under Siege (Film4)
2305 Notting Hill (ITV2)
0005 Notting Hill (ITV2+1)

Sky
2100 Starship Troopers (Watch)
2200 Starship Troopers (Watch+1)
0000 Under Siege (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
0825 The Italian Job (Sky Action/Thriller)
0920 There Will Be Blood (Sky Screen 2)
1150 Patriot Games (Sky Action/Thriller)
1150 I Am Legend (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1200 Transformers (Sky Screen 2)
1240 Knocked Up (Sky Comedy)
1240 The Thin Red Line (Sky Drama)
1350 Juno (Sky Indie)
1500 Titanic (Sky Modern Greats)
1510 The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (Sky Classics)
1535 The Italian Job (Sky Action/Thriller)
1815 I Am Legend (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1820 There Will Be Blood (Sky Screen 2)
1900 Patriot Games (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 Knocked Up (Sky Comedy)
2015 Juno (Sky Indie)
2100 Transformers (Sky Screen 2)
2200 The Mist (Sky Premiere)
2200 Schindler's List (Sky Modern Greats)
2200 American Beauty (Sky Indie)
2240 The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (Sky Classics)
2300 The Mist (Sky Premiere+1)
2325 300 (Sky Screen 2)
0025 Hannibal (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0040 The Usual Suspects (Sky Action/Thriller)

Watched yesterday

The Big Bang Theory: The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition - this is such a great show. Loving the brilliant comic timing, especially the terrific Kaley Cuoco in this episode. And as for that dress... - 5/5

Grey's Anatomy: Stand By Me - this episode in particular struck a chord with me, but overall this is without dobt the best season of GA so far - 5/5

Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter: Stateside - 4/5

Britain's Got Talent - 4/5

Have I Got A Bit More News For You - 4/5

In like Flint?

There has been much talk in recent weeks as to who might replace Gordon Brown as Labour leader, either before or after the next general election. As usual, names like Alan Johnson, Ed Balls, David Milliband and Harriet Harman have been bandied about, but I would like to toss a new one into the ring - Caroline Flint.

Flint, 47 and MP for Don Valley, was elected with the New Labour intake in '97. She's steadily climbed the government ladder, serving as a PPS at the DTI and Foreign Office under Peter Hain and also under John Reid when he was Leader of the Commons. She then moved to the Department of Health, first as Parliamentary Under-Secretary, then as Minister for Public Health. In 2007 she became Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, then just seven months later, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, which saw her attending Cabinet for the first time. Last October she became Minister of State for Europe, another post which sees her attend Cabinet on regular basis.

There's a broad consensus that there will be some kind of government reshuffle after next month's elections and Flint's career trajectory so far will surely see her take her first full Cabinet post. This will be all the more likely if Brown ditches embattled Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith. He'll want to bring another woman in to help make up the numbers and who better than Flint, who is practically a de facto Cabinet member already? It also helps that she's already emerged relatively unscathed by the expenses scandal.

From there Flint would be perfectly situated to attract support for a dark-horse leadership bid. Unlike most of the likely contenders, she isn't encumbered by factional Blairite/Brownite baggage, having risen under both regimes, and could emerge as a popular compromise candidate. She would also satisfy those who feel it's time Labour had a female leader, but realise Harman would prove unpopular with the public.

Timing is everything of course and if Brown goes to the country early she would be in no position to angle for the leadership, but assuming Labour is defeated she would almost certainly be in the shadow cabinet and would still be young enough to mount a challenge in four or five years time.

Whatever happens in the months ahead, the future looks bright for Flint and at 66-1 to take over from Brown, is surely worth a punt.

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2205 Mission: Impossible 2 (ITV1)

Freeview
1845 Batman Forever (Film4)
2100 Independence Day (E4)
2200 Independence Day (E4+1)

Sky
1945 Batman Forever (Film4+1)
2200 Starship Troopers (Watch)
2300 Starship Troopers (Watch+1)

Sky Movies
1015 Tora! Tora! Tora! (Sky Classics)
1050 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
1520 The Insider (Sky Modern Greats)
1400 The Last Of The Mohicans (Sky Drama)
1750 Freedom Writers (Sky Drama)
1800 The Sixth Sense (Sky Modern Greats)
2000 Dead Man Walking (Sky Drama)
2100 Tora! Tora! Tora! (Sky Classics)
2200 The Mist (Sky Premiere)
2300 The Mist (Sky Premiere+1)
2340 Happiness (Sky Indie)
2340 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Screen 1)
0035 The Sixth Sense (Sky Modern Greats)
0035 Death Proof (Sky Screen 2)
0045 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
0300 Face (Sky Action/Thriller)

Watched yesterday

Countdown: 22nd May
James Doohan (no, not that one) - 78
Dan Brusca - 68
Mabel Weston - 41
Spotted one 8-letter word - UNLISTED.

The Daily Show: 20th May - 4/5

The Mentalist: Flame Red - 4/5

Lie To Me: Moral Waiver - tired of this very quickly. Tim Roth is great, but fundamentally this is bland procedural that offers nothing to warrant further viewing - 2/5

Californication: No Way To Treat A Lady - 4/5

The Daily Show: 21st May - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2235 Unforgiven (ITV1)

Freeview
1850 Flight Of The Phoenix (Film4)
2100 Vanilla Sky (More4)
2315 Reversal Of Fortune (ITV3)
0045 Vanilla Sky (More 4)

Sky
1950 Flight Of The Phoenix (Film4+1)
2200 Vanilla Sky (More4+1)
2300 Vanilla Sky (More4+1)
2325 Point Blank (TCM)
0015 Reversal Of Fortune (ITV3+1)
0315 The Terminal Man (TCM)

Sky Movies
0900 The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (Sky Indie)
1240 No Country For Old Men (Sky Screen 2)
1505 Breach (Sky Action/Thriller)
1520 Babel (Sky Drama)
1705 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
1800 Sunshine (Sky Indie)
2100 No Country For Old Men (Sky Screen 2)
2200 Eastern Promises (Sky Indie)
2300 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
2305 Rambo (Sky Screen 2)
2335 Lenny (Sky Modern Greats)
2345 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Sky Indie)
0045 Alien 3 (Sky Indie)
0345 Eastern Promises (Sky Indie)
0355 Empire Of The Sun (Sky Modern Greats)

Watched yesterday

Britain's Next Top Model - 4/5

The Daily Show: 18th May - 3/5

The Daily Show: 19th May - 4/5

Jumper - 3/5

Countdown: 21st May
Dan Brusca - 77
Mabel Weston - 47
Gary Beaty - 47

Question Time - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2100 Blown Away (Virgin 1)
2100 Under Siege (Film4)

Sky
2200 Blown Away (Virgin 1+1)
2200 Under Siege (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1020 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1640 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1710 Sicko (Sky Indie)
1920 There Will Be Blood (Sky Indie)
2145 X-Men (Sky Family)
2200 Fargo (Sky Indie)
2300 The Matrix (Sky Action/Thriller)
0000 Platoon (Sky Drama)
0000 Sumemr Of Sam (Sky Modern Greats)
0150 Fracture (Sky Drama)
0150 Hana-Bi (Sky Indie)
0315 Hard Candy (Sky Action/Thriller)
0315 X-Men (Sky Family)
0340 Fargo (Sky Indie)

Watched recently

Knight Rider: Pilot - OK, nothing special, with some decidedly ropey CGI. Getting a feeling that like the original iteration, this will largely consist of driving around in the desert - 3/5

Lost: The Incident, Part 2 - now that's a cliffhange. Brilliant, just brilliant - 5/5

Lie To Me: Pilot - a little bit House, a little bit The Mentalist, this is a fairly generic procedural but worth giving another episode given it's star is Tim Roth - 3/5

Flight Of The Conchords: A New Cup - 4/5

Countdown: 20th May
Jimmy Gough - 74
Dan Brusca - 51
Tony Larlham - 34
Jimmy becomes an octochamp and I get an 8-letter word - STEAMING

The Apprentice: Week 9 - yay Debra! Ben's departure was a huge surprise though - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on british TV today.

Freeview
2100 Independence Day (E4)
2100 Gosford Park (Film4)
2200 Independence Day (E4+1)
2335 Blue Velvet (ITV4)

Sky
1655 The Hill (TCM)
2200 Gosford Park (Film4+1)
0035 Blue Velvet (ITV4+1)

Sky Movies
1220 The Insider (Sky Screen 2)
1255 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Modern Greats)
1400 Dante's Peak (Sky Action/Thriller)
1600 Mulholland Drive (Sky Indie)
1615 The American President (Sky Drama)
1750 Knocked Up (Sky Screen 1)
1800 Twister (Sky Action/Thriller)
1810 The Sixth Sense (Sky Modern Greats)
1855 Blade Runner: The Final Cut (Sky Screen 2)
2000 Dante's Peak (Sky Action/Thriller)
2235 American Beauty (Sky Modern Greats)
2350 Twister (Sky Action/Thriller)
0035 Hannibal (Sky Screen 2)
0040 American History X (Sky Drama)
0110 In The Line Of Fire (Sky Screen 1)
0230 American Beauty (Sky Modern Greats)

Watched yesterday

Lost: The Incident, Part 1 - 4/5

Countdown: 19th May
Jimmy Gough - 72
Kerr Nairn - 62
Dan Brusca - 57

ER: Shifting Equilibrium - 3/5

Dollhouse: Ghost - gosh, what a mess. Should have been a double-length pilot setting up a proper backstory. As is it felt like half of it had been cut. However, I will give ot another episode to see if it pulls itself together - 2/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2240 The Village (BBC1)

Freeview
2100 The Bourne Supremacy (ITV2)
2100 The Devil Wears Prada (Film4)
2200 The Bourne Supremacy (ITV2+1)

Sky
2100 Absolute Power (TCM)
2200 The Devil Wears Prada (Film4+1)
0220 Absolute Power (TCM)

Sky Movies
1300 The Kingdom (Sky Action/Thriller)
1445 The Illusionist (Sky Drama)
1700 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
1725 The Fountain (Sky Screen 2)
1910 Sunshine (Sky Screen 2)
1915 I Am Legend (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2100 The Kingdom (Sky Action/Thriller)
2200 Magnolia (Sky Indie)
2255 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
2320 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Sky Modern Greats)
0000 Killer: A Journal Of Murder (Sky Drama)
0110 Face (Sky Action/Thriller)

Watched yesterday

The Big Bang Theory: The Work Song Nanocluster - 4/5

Grey's Anatomy: I WIll Follow You Into The Dark - 4/5

Pulling Special - 3/5

Countdown: 18th May
Jimmy Gough - 89
Dan Brusca - 59
Gerry Buckley - 54

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2200 Notting Hill (Film4)
2200 The Abyss (E4)
2300 Notting Hill (Film4+1)
2300 The Abyss (E4+1)
0000 Blue Velvet (ITV4)

Sky
0100 Blue Velvet (ITV4+1)

Sky Movies
1330 Control (Sky Indie)
1515 Three Kings (Sky Action/Thriller)
1745 Freedom Writers (Sky Drama)
1800 Jindabyne (Sky Indie)
1850 Alien 3 (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1915 Notes On A Scandal (Sky Screen 2)
2100 Die Hard 4.0 (Sky Action/Thriller)
2210 In The Name Of The Father (Sky Drama)
2330 I Am Legend (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0000 Eyes Wide Shut (Sky Modern Greats)
0020 Jindabyne (Sky Indie)
0115 Death Proof (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0215 Platoon (Sky Screen 1)
0310 The Krays (Sky Action/Thriller)

Watched yesterday

Angels & Demons - 3/5

Californication: The Great Ashby - 4/5

Britain's Got Talent - 4/5

Have I Got A Bit More News For You - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
1840 Batman Forever (Film4)
2305 The Bourne Supremacy (ITV2)
0005 The Bourne Supremacy (ITV2+1)

Sky
1840 Batman Forever (FIlm4+1)
2100 Batman Forever (TCM)
2200 X-Men (Sky2)

Sky Movies
1000 Star Trek: Generations (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1005 The Sixth Sense (Sky Screen 2)
1100 The Counterfeiters (Sky Indie)
1150 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Action/Thriller)
1200 Star Trek: First Contact (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1600 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1800 Star Trek: Generations (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1815 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Modern Greats)
1900 The Sixth Sense (Sky Screen 2)
2000 Star Trek: First Contact (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2000 Jerry Maguire (Sky Screen 1)
2100 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Action/Thriller)
2200 In Bruges (Sky Indie)
2230 Fracture (Sky Drama)
2310 Eastern Promises (Sky Screen 2)
2345 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Modern Greats)
2350 Bringing Out The Dead (Sky Indie)
2355 The Conversation (Sky Screen 1)
0100 Summer Of Sam (Sky Screen 2)
0345 Requiem For A Dream (Sky Indie)

Watched yesterday

Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter: Stateside - 4/5

Criminal Minds: Unfinished Business - 4/5

Eurovision 2009 - 4/5

Eurovision

Just been reading the entertaining #eurovision tweets in my Twitter feed from last night.

A couple that stand out, first up @boydhilton:

boydhilton @simonmayo I'm transcribing, reading about rugby in South Africa, cooking and watching Euroshite.

Would that be the same Euroshite that you gave a five star rating to in this week's Heat magazine, of which you are TV editor? ;)

Next up, Jonathan Ross (@wossy) presumably isn't hoping to get a Russian visa any time soon:

Wossy #eurovision I am with Peter Tatchell. Figuratively. Go on Graham, say it ! They are backward fascists. Dumb ass russians.

Wossy #eurovision Russia sucks.

Here are my random observations of the evening...

Production - very good, very slick, very expensive and second placed Iceland will be so glad they don't have to try and top it.

Graham Norton - started off a bit shakily, but was on fire by the end. Made a refreshing change from the pure cynicism into which Terry Wogan had descended. I've said for years that he would be an ideal replacement for Wogan and I've been proved entirely correct.

Iceland - did better than expected, maybe people felt sorry for the cute blonde singer who will now probably have to go back to a job gutting herring, or something.

Greece - thanks for the 12 points. I've always liked the Greek...

Russia - Anastasia Prikhodko was clearly off her head, but when daddy is a billionaire, that's no impediment to euro-stardom. Strangely compelling performance all the same though.

Azerbaijan - can't remember it at all, but it was good. Arash can stay home though, thanks.

Malta - plus-sized entrant Chiara ellicited Norton's best line of the night:

She's a very friendly girl. She's never met a Malteser she didn't like.

Estonia - Urban Symphony's Sandra Nurmsalu was the hottest girl of the night.

Germany - Dita Von Teese? How very random...

Turkey - one of only three entries I can actually remember. Dum tek tek indeed.

Albania - Kejsi Tola had nice legs.

Norway - in the best tradition of Eurovision winners, I can't get it out of my head. Won by a ridiculously large margin, but nevertheless it did deserve to win.

United Kingdom - well done Jade! Disappointing that she didn't win, but it's hard to argue with what was our best performance in years. Goes to show that if you put some effort into coming up with a good euro-friendly song and get someone decent to sing, you can do well.

Andy Abraham - the guy who took the UK to the heady heights of last in 2008 earns twat of the day for going on 5 Live yesterday morning saying that he didn't think the UK entry was very good, then going on again after the competition last night with a completely opposite opinion.

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2235 The Silence Of The Lambs (ITV1)
0020 Chopper (BBC2)

Freeview
1810 Charlie's Angels (Fiver)
2305 The Descent (Film4)

Sky
1910 Charlie's Angels (Fiver+1)
2100 Goodfellas (TCM)
0005 The Descent (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1040 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Modern Greats)
1045 Patriot Games (Sky Action/Thriller)
1135 Transformers (Sky Screen 2)
1225 Juno (Sky Indie)
1250 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
1400 Titanic (Sky Screen 2)
1430 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1500 In The Line Of Fire (Sky Action/Thriller)
1900 Patriot Games (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Modern Greats)
2020 Juno (Sky Indie)
2100 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
2200 Magnolia (Sky Indie)
2210 Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Sky Drama)
2300 Transformers (Sky Screen 2)
2315 American Gangster (Sky Action/Thriller)
0050 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)

Watched yesterday

Ghost Town - 3/5

Eagle Eye - 3/5

The Mentalist: The Thin Red Line - 3/5

Countdown: 15th May
Jimmy Gough - 112
Dan Brusca - 44
Peter Tarrant - 42
How can I possibly compete with that?

The Daily Show: 14th May - 3/5

Did the taxpayer buy my lunch?

Back in 1994, I was working for the Labour Party's East Midlands regional office (in which, incidentally, every other male was called Roy), doing general admin work like answering the phones, stuffing envelopes and helping organise conferences at the Embassy Centre in Skegness. One such conference was on the subject of health and the keynote speaker was Labour's then shadow health secretary, Margaret Beckett.

The conference was in session and I was loitering in the lobby area waiting to provide assistance to delegates, but mostly twiddling my thumbs, when Mrs Beckett walked in with her husband and Labour's then prospective parliamentary candidate (and now MP) for Lincoln, Gillian 'Gilly' Merron.

I walked over and introduced myself and Mrs Beckett asked if I knew anywhere they could grab lunch, which I didn't, not being a local, but I suggested that as it was Skegness there were likely many places to choose from. Randomly, she then invited me to join them, so I abandoned my post and went off with them for lunch.

I had a beef curry (and milk, bizarrely), the Becketts had scampi and Merron had the salad. At the end of the meal Mrs Beckett paid, though I somehow ended up with the receipt. Probably grabbed it as a souvenir. Given the recent troubles, it makes me wonder if she claimed my lunch on her expenses ;)

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2100 Charlie's Angels (Fiver)
2100 The Fifth Element (Film4)

Sky
2100 X-Men (Sky1)
2200 Charlie's Angels (Fiver+1)
2200 The Fifth Element (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1245 Cloverfield (Sky Screen 2)
1355 Die Hard 2: Die Harder (Sky Action/Thriller)
1425 Blade Runner: The Final Cur (Sky Modern Greats)
1610 Platoon (Sky Drama)
1625 Freedom Writers (Sky Screen 2)
1640 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2100 Die Hard 2: Die Harder (Sky Action/Thriller)
2100 Cloverfield (Sky Screen 2)
2200 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Sky Modern Greats)
2250 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0105 Face (Sky Action/Thriller)
0115 Hannibal (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0130 Eyes Wide Shut (Sky Screen 1)
0230 The Thin Red Line (Sky Drama)

Watched yesterday

Flight Of The Conchords: A Good Opportunity - 4/5

Countdown: 15th May
Jimmy Gough - 98
Dan Brusca - 63
Sue Morgan - 48
I got the conundrum - RECLUSIVE.

The Daily Show: 13th May - 4/5

Question Time - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2100 The Devil Wears Prada (Film4)

Sky
2100 Boogie Nights (TCM)
2200 The Devil Wears Prada (Film4+1)
0135 Boogie Nights (TCM)

Sky Movies
0955 Star Trek: Generations (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1015 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
1055 Notes On A Scandal (Sky Indie)
1120 Charlie Wilson's War (Sky Screen 2)
1155 Star Trek: First Contact (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1240 Jindabyne (Sky Indie)
1300 Superbad (Sky Screen 1)
1450 Schindler's List (Sky Modern Greats)
1650 Rushmore (Sky Indie)
1800 The Last Of The Mohicans (Sky Drama)
1805 The Sixth Sense (Sky Modern Greats)
1900 Star Trek: Generations (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2000 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 Superbad (Sky Screen 1)
2020 Notes On A Scandal (Sky Indie)
2100 Star Trek: First Contact (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2100 Charlie Wilson's War (Sky Screen 2)
2200 Lenny (Sky Modern Greats)
2210 American History X (Sky Drama)
2300 X-Men (Sky2)
2350 The Godfather Part III (Sky Screen 1)
2355 American Beauty (Sky Modern Greats)
0150 Breaking The Waves (Sky Indie)

Watched yesterday

Kitchen Nightmares - Pretty uninteresting 'revisited' episode, fast-forwarded through most of it - 2/5

The Daily Show: 11th May - 4/5

Countdown: 13th May
Jimmy Gough - 96
Tony Hurst - 84
Dan Brusca - 74

The Apprentice: Week 8 - It was close, but thankfully Debra survived. Judged on this episode alone, she should have gone, but looking over the past eight weeks Mona offered nothing, so it was right that she went. Debra didn't seem particularly interested in this task, but it's clear her strengths lie in sales, so that's understandable. Howard was useless. He made a big play about wanting the creative role but what he produced was complete crap. High point was early on where Debra completed dominated into submission over who should project manage. Total dominatrix - 4/5

The Daily Show: 12th May - Kudos to Jon Stewart for sticking up for Carrie Prejean - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV together,

Sky
2100 X-Men (Sky1)

Sky Movies
0800 The Fountain (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0930 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
1100 Sunshine (Sky Indie)
1215 The Illusionist (Sky Drama)
1310 There Will Be Blood (Sky Indie)
1310 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1550 Sicko (Sky Indie)
1705 Zodiac (Sky Action/Thriller)
1855 The Last King Of Scotland (Sky Screen 2)
1950 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 Dead Man Walking (Sky Drama)
2010 Sunshine (Sky Indie)
2100 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2100 Patriot Games (Sky Screen 2)
2200 300 (Sky Action/Thriller)
2200 In Bruges (Sky Indie)
2225 The Terminator (Sky Modern Greats)
2305 Rambo (Sky Screen 2)
2350 There Will Be Blood (Sky Indie)
0105 Death proof (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)

Watched yesterday

Kitchen Nightmares: Cafe 36, LaGrange, Illinois - 4/5

Kitchen Nightmares: J Willy's, South Bend, Indiana - 4/5

90210: Life's A Drag - 3/5

Britain's Next Top Model - finally, for the first time this series the photos were actually decent - 4/5

Countdown: 12th May
Jimmy Gough - 106
Dave Sorenson - 78
Dan Brusca - 54
Poor, but that's what you get when you try this when knackered.

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2100 The Bourne Identity (ITV2)
2200 The Bourne Identity (ITV2+1)
2250 The Descent (Film4)

Sky
2350 The Descent (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1145 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1205 Die Hard 4.0 (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 X-Men (Sky Family)
2100 Die Hard 4.0 (Sky Action/Thriller)
2100 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2145 Midnight Cowboy (Sky Modern Greats)
2200 Crash (Sky Indie)
2320 The Krays (Sky Action/Thriller)
0115 X-Men (Sky Family)
0240 Platoon (Sky Screen 1)
0240 Bringing Out The Dead (Sky Screen 2)
0340 Empire Of The Sun (Sky Modern Greats)

Watched yesterday

Kitchen Nightmares: Fiesta Sunrise, West Nyack, New York - 4/5

Lost: Follow The Leader - 3/5

Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter: Stateside - after seeing this you have to wonder if his decision to leave Katie had something to do with his insecurity over her earnings - 4/5

Countdown: 11th May
Jimmy Gough - 115
Paul Casimir - 84
Dan Brusca - 73

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today:

Terrestrial
2235 Scent Of A Woman (ITV1)

Freeview
2100 Master And Commander: The Far Sde Of The World (Film4)
2200 Basic Instinct (ITV2)
2300 Basic Instinct (ITV2+1)

Sky
2100 Batman (TCM)
2200 Master And Commander: The Far Sde Of The World (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1100 Jerry Maguire (Sky Modern Greats)
1320 Dante's Peak (Sky Screen 2)
1445 The Thin Red Line (Sky Drama)
1450 No Country For Old Men (Sky Action/Thriller)
1845 Rushmore (Sky Indie)
1900 I Am Legend (Sky Screen 2)
2000 Jerry Maguire (Sky Modern Greats)
2100 No Country For Old Men (Sky Action/Thriller)
2100 Dante's Peak (Sky Screen 2)
2210 The American Preisdent (Sky Drama)
2300 Hannibal (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0055 Face (Sky Action/Thriller)
0210 Happiness (Sky Indie)
0245 Hard Candy (Sky Action/Thriller)

Watched yesterday

ER: T-minus-6 - 3/5

90210: Of Heartbreaks And Hotels - Jessica Lowndes has such a gorgeous smile... sigh - 3/5

ER: What We Do - 3/5

ER: Old Times - George Clooney really is very sexy, as is Julianna Margulies. Shame they didn't have a scene with Carter, but it would have been rather contrived - 4/5

Star Trek - no need for me to review this as there of plenty of glowing reviews already that can express my thoughts more eloquently than I could myself. Suffice to say, it's the best Star Trek film by a country parsec - 5/5

Obama at the White House correspondents' dinner

Very funny...

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2100 Mission: Impossible III (Film4)
2305 The Bourne Identity (ITV2)
0005 The Bourne Identity (ITV2+1)

Sky
2100 Festen (Sky Arts)
2200 Die Hard (Sky2)
2200 Mission: Impossible III (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
0935 Cloverfield (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1240 Die Hard (Sky Action/Thriller)
1405 The Godfather Part II (Sky Modern Greats)
1455 Die Hard 2: Die Harder (Sky Action/Thriller)
1500 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1525 Zodiac (Sky Screen 2)
1705 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
1720 Cloverfield (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1815 The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (Sky Screen 2)
2100 Die Hard 2: Die Harder (Sky Action/Thriller)
2100 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Sky Modern Greats)
2100 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2100 I Am Legend (Sky Screen 2)
0010 American History X (Sky Drama)
0120 The Last King Of Scotland (Sky Indie)
0220 Platoon (Sky Drama)

Watched yesterday

A level of TV viewing that only happens when my net connection is down all day...

ER: Love Is A Bttlefield - 2/5

ER: A Long, Straight Trip - 4/5

ER: The Family Man - 4/5

ER: The Beginning Of The End - 4/5

Grey's Anatomy: Before And After - 3/5

Grey's Anatomy: Honest Mistake - 4/5

Criminal Minds: The Tribe - 4/5

Britain's Got Talent - nothing here I want to see again - 3/5

Have I Got A Bit More News For You - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2230 Red Dragon (ITV1)
0045 Being John Malkovich (Channel 4)

Freeview
1735 Philadelphia (Fiver)
2200 We Were Soldiers (More4)
0145 Being John Malkovich (Channel 4+1)

Sky
1835 Philadelphia (Fiver+1)
2300 We Were Soldiers (More4+1)

Sky Movies
1105 Superbad (Sky Screen 1)
1230 The Godfather (Sky Modern Greats)
1230 Transformers (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1425 Knocked Up (Sky Comedy)
1520 Fracture (Sky Screen 2)
1640 Twister (Sky Action/Thriller)
1730 Apollo 13 (Sky Modern Greats)
1840 The Matrix (Sky Action/Thriller)
2000 Knocked Up (Sky Comedy)
2000 The Sixth Sense (Sky Modern Greats)
2100 Transformers (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2210 Charlie Wilson's War (Sky Drama)
2240 Superbad (Sky Screen 1)
0040 Clerks II (Sky Screen 1)
0100 Twister (Sky Action/Thriller)
0225 Killer: A Journal Of Murder (Sky Drama)
0245 Control (Sky Screen 2)

Watched yesterday

Grey's Anatomy: Stairway To Heaven - still catching up, but this season is really very good - 4/5

Grey's Anatomy: Beat Your Heart Out - 4/5

The Mentalist: Seeing Red - 4/5

The Big Bang Theory: The Terminator Decoupling - yay for Summer Glau cameo! - 4/5

Californication: Slip Of The Tongue - 4/5

Countdown: 7th May
Paul Casimir - 70
Dan Brusca - 62
Leslie Smith - 54

The Daily Show: 7th May - Jacqui Smith makes it on to TDS - 3/5

MPs' expenses, again

Following on from The Telegraph's expose of cabinet members' expense claims, I had intended to write a post detailing the most outrageous claims, but looking through the full extent of troughing outlined in the paper today, I have to say there's so much I wouldn't know where to begin!

What is clear is that most MPs tend towards claiming whatever they think they can get away with, rather than claiming just that which is necessary. The standard line being trotted out by all cabinet ministers this morning is that their claims were "within the rules", which is true, but MPs made the rules, so that's hardly surprising.

Most of the headlines today have been made by Gordon Brown claiming £241 a month for cleaning and Jack Straw's overclaiming of Council Tax, but in a way it's the smaller items MPs have tried to claim for that are the most shocking. According to The Telegraph, in the coming days we will learn the identities of MPs who have claimed, among other things: dog food, eyeliner, rusks, biscuits, horse manure, a carrier bag, jellied eels, a Kit Kat, Maltesers, nappies, piano tuning, shampoo, Tampax (by a male MP!) and a yucca plant.

The item I find most galling, and which is claimed by most MPs, is food. Unless they have second stomachs to go along with their second homes I fail to see how food can be a legitimate expense. You should pay for your food out of your salary, just like the rest of us, you greedy fucking pigs.

Anyway, before I become too irate, I'll leave you the link to The Telegraph's excellent coverage. No point in me re-hashing their work.

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2335 Leaving Las Vegas (ITV1)
2340 High Fidelity (BBC One)

Freeview
2030 Philadelphia (Fiver)
2100 We Were Soldiers (More4)

Sky
2130 Philadelphia (Fiver+1)
2200 We Were Soldiers (More4+1)
2200 Die Hard (Sky1)

Sky Movies
1100 Rushmore (Sky Indie)
1235 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Modern Greats)
1240 Juno (Sky Indie)
1315 Die Hard 4.0 (Sky Screen 2)
1515 The Illusionist (Sky Drama)
1900 Alien 3 (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1905 Breach (Sky Screen 2)
2000 Schindler's List (Sky Modern Greats)
2100 Die Hard 4.0 (Sky Screen 2)
2200 Juno (Sky Indie)
2315 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Modern Greats)
2315 In Bruges (Sky Screen 2)
2340 Fargo (Sky Indie)
0040 Alien 3 (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0055 American Beauty (Sky Modern Greats)
0125 Rushmore (Sky Indie)

Watched yesterday

Mad Men: Meditations In An Emergency - hands down the greatest TV show of all time. There, I've said it - 5/5

Shameless - well I wasn't expecting that, a gut-kick of a conclusion to the best season of Shameless in years. Top marks all round - 4/5

Grand Designs - some old episode that I've seen before, but didn't realise until the end. Miami-style beach house, very nice - 4/5

Countdown: 7th May
Dan Brusca - 88
Paul Casimir - 75
Chrissie Buckley - 69

The Daily Show: 6th May - 4/5

Government moves on DNA retention - slightly

News this morning that the Home Office is proposing to erase innocent people from the DNS database after 12 years. This follows a ruling from the European Court last year that stated the current policy of indefinite retention was unlawful.

While it has to be acknowledged that the government has moved on the issue, it has, as ever, done so with the greatest reluctance. The court specifically pointed to Scottish policy as the best way of doing things. There, DNA profiles are deleted after three years, with a further two years allowed with the permission of a judge. The UK government's proposed 12-year limit acknowledges the European Court's ruling in only the slightest, most begrudging way possible.

This is typical behaviour for our supremely arrogant government, which petulantly refuses to acknowledge its mistakes, even when ruled against in a court of law. The most recent example of this is, of course, the Gurkhas, where the government was forced by the court to change the residency rules for Gurkhas wishing to stay in the UK, so made proposals that would allow as few in as possible. Other examples include the half-assed measures to make up for the 10p tax rate debacle which still left hundreds of thousands of the poorest people worse off, refusal to accept any responsibility for the current economic mess and how Gordon brownhad to be dragged kicking and screaming into an unconvincing apology over the Damian McBride affair.

Sadly, it seems we're going to have to put up with this behaviour for another 364 days, but on 6th May 2010 the electorate will deliver a verdict Labour cannot ignore.

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Sky
2100 Die Hard (Sky2)

Sky Movies
1030 In The Heat Of The Night (Sky Classics)
1105 The Last King Of Scotland (Sky Indie)
1110 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Action/Thriller)
1130 Cloverfield (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1355 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Modern Greats)
1555 Blade Runner: The Final Cut (Sky Modern Greats)
1645 Transformers (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1710 The Thin Red Line (Sky Drama)
1800 Escape From Alcatraz (Sky Modern Greats)
1820 The Last King Of Scotland (Sky Indie)
2000 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Action/Thriller)
2100 In The Heat Of The Night (Sky Classics)
2100 Cloverfield (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2100 300 (Sky Screen 2)
2200 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Modern Greats)
2205 Face (Sky Action/Thriller)
2230 Transformers (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2300 X-Men (Sky Screen 2)
0000 The Usual Suspects (Sky Action/Thriller)
0000 Eyes Wide Shut (Sky Modern Greats)
0000 Midnight Cowboy (Sky Screen 1)
0145 Requiem For A Dream (Sky Indie)
0205 Platoon (Sky Screen 1)
0330 Bringing Out The Dead (Sky Indie)

Watched yesterday

The Daily Show: 4th May - 4/5

Prison Break: S.O.B. - 4/5

Shameless: Episode 6.14 - 4/5

Countdown: 6th May
Dan Brusca - 66
Chrissie Buckley - 65
Bob Stevenson - 63
As promised, Hamish was avenged! Got one eight-letter word - CALORIES.

The Apprentice: Week Seven - tremendous entertainment as ever. Favourite moment was Debra totally dominating weak little Howard - 5/5

The Daily Show: 5th May - the new guy sucked - 3/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2200 Reservoir Dogs (Five)

Sky
2200 Die Hard (Sky1)

Sky Movies
1720 Empire Of The Sun (Sky Modern Greats)
2000 Babel (Sky Drama)
2000 Jerry Maguire (Sky Screen 1)
2300 28 Weeks Later (Sky Screen 2)
0000 Blood Simple (Sky Indie)
0140 Hana-Bi (Sky Indie)

Watched yesterday

Lost: The Variable - 4/5

Heroes: 1961 - 3/5

Countdown: 4th May
Dan Brusca - 92
Hamish Williamson - 73
Linda Lofthouse - 49
Spotted two good words - EPAULETS and, for 18 points, POLARIZER. Actually watched this on Monday, forgot to mention it yesterday.

Britain's Next Top Model: Re-Style And Rhythm - fuck knows what's going on with this series of BNTM because either I'm living in a parallel universe or the judges are smoking crack if they think there were more than a couple of decent photos in this week's shoot. Maybe they were just being polite because the guy who took them was on the panel. They didn't even send anyone home! - 3/5

Countdown: 5th May
Bob Stevenson - 58
Dan Brusca - 53
Hamish Williamson - 44
Sorry to see Hamish go, he was cool. I shall avenge your defeat today, Hamish! Got the conundrum though - THICKENED.

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2100 Love Actually (ITV2)
2100 Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (Film4)
2200 Love Actually (ITV2+1)
2335 The Motorcycle Diaries (Film4)
2340 Basic Instinct (ITV2)
0040 Basic Instinct (ITV2+1)

Sky
2200 Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (Film4+1)
0035 The Motorcycle Diaries (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1140 Transformers (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1300 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
1520 In The Line Of Fire (Sky Action/Thriller)
1740 Mulholland Drive (Sky Indie)
1800 The American President (Sky Drama)
1900 Three Kings (Sky Screen 2)
2025 Rushmore (Sky Indie)
2100 Transformers (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2100 The Kingdom (Sky Screen 2)
2200 Sliver (Sky Action/Thriller)
2200 Fracture (Sky Drama)
2200 There Will Be Blood (Sky Indie)
2255 Die Hard 2: Die Harder (Sky Screen 2)
0000 Platoon (Sky Drama)
0110 Death Proof (Sky Screen 2)
0135 Die Hard With A Vengeance (Sky Action/Thriller)
0245 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Sky Modern Greats)
0310 The Fountain (Sky Screen 2)

Watched yesterday

Grey's Anatomy: Wish You Were Here - 4/5

Grey's Anatomy: Sympathy For The Devil - 4/5

Fringe: Bad Dreams - practically wet myself with excitment when I heard Leonard Nimoy's voice! - 4/5

Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter: Stateside - 5/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on british TV today.

Freeview
2100 Mission: Impossible III (Film4)
2200 Mission: Impossible II (ITV2)
2300 Mission: Impossible II (ITV2+1)

Sky
2200 Mission: Impossible III (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1020 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Screen 2)
1055 Patriot Games (Sky Action/Thriller)
1210 Cloverfield (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1245 Superbad (Sky Comedy)
1310 Sicko (Sky Indie)
1405 Titanic (Sky Modern Greats)
1520 The Last King Of Scotland (Sky Indie)
1800 Sunshine (Sky Indie)
1845 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Screen 2)
1900 Patriot Games (Sky Action/Thriller)
1920 Cloverfield (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
2000 3:10 To Yuma (Sky Drama)
2135 Superbad (Sky Comedy)
2140 X-Men (Sky Family)
2200 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Modern Greats)
2210 Charlie Wilson's War (Sky Drama)
0010 Sunshine (Sky Indie)
0315 X-Men (Sky Family)

Watched yesterday

Grey's Anatomy: In The Midnight Hour - 3/5

Grey's Anatomy: All By Myself - 4/5

Have I Got A Bit More News For You - 5/5

Mad Men: The Mountain King - 4/5

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
1610 Mission: Impossible (ITV1)
1610 Awakenings (Five)
1825 The Mask Of Zorro (Five)

Freeview
1140 About A Boy (ITV2)
1240 About A Boy (ITV2+1)
1455 The Straight Story (Film4)
2300 Mission: Impossible II (ITV2)
0000 Mission: Impossible II (ITV2+1)

Sky
1555 The Straight Story (Film4+1)
2000 Spider-Man 2 (Gold)
2100 Spider-Man 2 (Gold+1)

Sky Movies
1445 The Illusionist (Sky Screen 2)
1540 I Am Legend (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1900 Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Sky Screen 2)
1955 Control (Sky Indie)
2000 Dead Man Walking (Sky Drama)
2000 The Terminator (Sky Screen 1)
2245 In Bruges (Sky Screen 2)
2345 Eyes Wide Shut (Sky Modern Greats)
0045 Hana-Bi (Sky Indie)
0445 The Illusionist (Sky Screen 2)

Britain's Got Talent - a Boyle/Pugh showdown?

Watched yesterday

Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares: Sante Le Brea, Los Angeles - 4/5

Distant Voices, Still Lives - 3/5

The Daily Show: 30th April - 4/5

Criminal Minds: Unfinished Business - 4/5

Britain's Got Talent - loved the violinist, loved Jamie Pugh, despised the Oliver! kid - 4/5

Priscilla Ahn - Dream

Saw this girl on Later With Jools Holland the other night and it has to be said she's simply wonderful...

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Terrestrial
2120 X2 (ITV1)
0010 Das Boot (BBC Two)

Freeview
1820 About A Boy (ITV2)
1920 About A Boy (ITV2+1)

Sky
2100 Spider-Man 2 (Gold)
2200 Spider-Man 2 (Gold+1)

Sky Movies
1000 The Insider (Sky Modern Greats)
1035 The Last King Of Scotland (Sky Indie)
1050 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Screen 1)
1430 Rushmore (Sky Indie)
1750 The Last King Of Scotland (Sky Indie)
1820 Zodiac (Sky Action/Thriller)
1915 I Am Legend (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
1955 Jindabye (Sky Indie)
2240 Die Hard (Sky Screen 2)
2250 Death Proof (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0010 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Sky Screen 1)
0050 Hannibal (Sky Sci-Fi/Horror)
0130 Rushmore (Sky Indie)
0155 Summer Of Sam (Sky Modern Greats)
0200 Platoon (Sky Screen 1)
0245 The Krays (Sky Action/Thriller)
0420 Empire Of The Sun (Sky Modern Greats)

Watched yesterday

13 Tzameti - a great little thriller which I recommend everyone to get hold of and watch, but you must avoid reading any of the plot synopsis beforehand - 4/5

Dexter: Our Father - 4/5

The Big Bang Theory: The Cushion Saturation - 4/5

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Born To Run - so that's that then. An episode that brings a degree of closure to the series should the show's cancellation be confirmed, as look increasingly likely. It's a shame that Fox didn't have the confidence to maintain the show in a primetime slot, but it has to be said that the writers wasted the show's premise with a storyline that progressed at a snail's pace, driving away audiences. Some good scenes for Summer Glau in this episode, who all to rarely got to shine through the series as a whole. Such a waste... - 4/5

Newswipe - 4/5

Countdown: 1st May
Hamish Williamson - 59
John Marsom - 54
Dan Brusca - 53

Today's movie recommendations

4/5 and 5/5 rated films on British TV today.

Freeview
2300 L.A. Confidential (Film4)

Sky
0000 L.A. Confidential (Film4+1)

Sky Movies
1045 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Screen 2)
1115 X-Men (Sky Screen 1)
1245 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Screen 2)
1455 Sicko (Sky Screen 2)
1710 Notes On A Scandal (Sky Screen 2)
2000 Lenny (Sky Modern Greats)
2000 X-Men (Sky Screen 1)
2100 300 (Sky Action/Thriller)
2100 The Bourne Ultimatum (Sky Screen 2)
2200 The Thin Red Line (Sky Drama)
2200 Midnight Cowboy (Sky Modern Greats)
2300 American Gangster (Sky Action/Thriller)
2300 Ocean's Thirteen (Sky Screen 2)
0000 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Sky Modern Greats)
0010 Bringing Out The Dead (Sky Indie)
0050 American History X (Sky Drama)
0110 Hard Candy (Sky Screen 2)
0215 Requiem For A Dream (Sky Indie)

Watched yesterday

Prison Break: VS - going through the motions - 3/5

Heavy Water - 4/5

Countdown: 30th April
Hamish Williamson - 67
Heather Bolam - 63
Dan Brusca - 57
Got one 8-letter word - LACTATED.

The Mentalist: Red-Handed - 3/5

The Daily Show: 29th April - 3/5

Question Time - Leanne Wood's accent is gorgeous - 3/5

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