Sometimes you’re the ocean liner, sometimes you’re the iceberg, as we learn once again in this week’s movies on TV.
Today
“Jackie Brown,” 8 p.m., Bravo. Quentin Tarantino pays tribute to blaxploitation goddess Pam Grier, and in the meantime creates an offbeat crime drama with some lovely atmosphere. Robert Forster shines in a comeback role. 1997.
“How Green Was My Valley,” 11 p.m., Fox Movies. Shimmering portrait of life in a Welsh mining town, directed by John Ford with his usual lyricism. It beat out “Citizen Kane” for best picture Oscar, 1941.
Saturday
“The Paper Chase,” 10 p.m., CBUT. One of those early-’70s American films that re-shaped the movie landscape, although it’s rarely mentioned today. Timothy Bottoms plays a Harvard law student trying to outpoint a crusty professor (John Houseman in a classic performance). 1973.
Sunday
“Titanic,” 7 p.m., Channel 5. Director James Cameron’s eye for spectacle helped make this the biggest-grossing movie ever. Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are winsome stars, although the ship’s pretty good, too. 1997.
“Fight Club,” 7 p.m., FX. Until it starts getting pushy in its final reels, this wild satire lands its share of punches. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are guys getting together to beat the heck out of other guys. 1999.
Monday
“A Guy Named Joe,” 1 p.m., Turner Classic Movies. A dead flier (Spencer Tracy) returns to Earth to aid in a romance between his former girl (Irene Dunne) and another soldier (Van Johnson). Steven Spielberg remade this as “Always.” 1943.
Tuesday
“The Last Picture Show,” 9 p.m., Sundance. Thoughtful drama about lost souls in a small Texas town, courtesy Larry McMurtry and director Peter Bogdanovich. With Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepard. 1971.
Wednesday
“Panic Room,” 10 p.m., TNT. Jodie Foster is an urban warrior woman, trapped inside her house by burglars. The idea isn’t much, but it’s skillfully directed by “Fight Club” guy David Fincher. 2002.
Thursday
“The Wind and the Lion,” 9 a.m., Turner Classic. Grand treatment of a fascinating anecdote from U.S. history. A Moroccan sheik (Sean Connery) takes an American (Candice Bergen) hostage, drawing the attention of Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Keith). 1975.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
