Creep-master M. Night Shyamalan competes with himself in this week’s movies on TV, plus James Cagney blows up real good.
Today
“The French Connection,” 7 p.m.; “French Connection II,” 9 p.m., Fox Movies. Gene Hackman’s signature role came (along with an Oscar) in the form of Popeye Doyle, tough cop. The 1971 original is a lively police thriller, and the 1975 sequel is an underrated film that puts the character through the wringer.
Saturday
“The Long Riders,” 5 p.m., Hallmark. Stylish, violent western about the James gang and their cohorts, cast with real-life brothers the Carradines and the Keaches. Walter Hill directed. 1980.
“Jerry Maguire,” 10 p.m., TBS. Until recently, the most exercised Tom Cruise got was in this delightful comedy about a sports agent who loses his grip. Renee Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr., co-star under Cameron Crowe’s direction. 1996.
Sunday
“For Your Eyes Only,” 8 p.m., SpikeTV. One of the best of the Roger Moore 007 outings, this Bond thriller gets back to basics and leaves out some of the outlandish elements of ’70s Bond. 1981.
Monday
“The Sixth Sense,” 8 p.m., Channel 4. Shyamalan’s huge hit about a boy who can see dead people, this quietly controlled mystery had audiences returning for second and third looks, just to make sure it really plays by the rules. Bruce Willis stars. 1999.
“Signs,” 8 p.m., CBUT. More Shyamalan, this time a much broader film about alien invasion; it’s fundamentally very silly, but it has some awfully fun moments. Mel Gibson leads the way. 2002.
Tuesday
“White Heat,” 7 p.m., Turner Classic Movies. James Cagney enjoyed one of his chewiest roles as a mother-fixated gangster, in a movie fully fueled by the actor’s sheer life force and the brawny direction of Raoul Walsh. 1949.
Wednesday
“The Palm Beach Story,” 7 p.m., “Sullivan’s Travels,” 8:30 p.m., Turner Classic Movies. Two goodies from the great comedy director Preston Sturges, brimming with some of the best dialogue you’ll ever hear. “Palm Beach” has Claudette Colbert in flight from husband Joel McCrea (1942); “Sullivan” takes movie director McCrea on the road so he can research a pretentious project called “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (1942).
Thursday
“Hope and Glory,” 8 p.m., Encore. A novel approach to the WWII film, as director John Boorman uses his own memories to fashion a film about the London blitz seen through the eyes of a child. 1987.
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