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Christmas films 2008 |
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Here's our pick of the best movies on TV over the festive fortnight - click through for full reviews and star ratings. And find out how you can get complete listings and take advantage of the range of services RadioTimes.com has to offer.
Meanwhile, if it's festive TV and radio programmes you're after, visit our Christmas picks section.
Premieres are indicated by [P].
NEW YEAR'S EVE
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FILM OF THE DAY: The Little Mermaid - 5pm, Disney Cinemagic (U)
Disney's take on Hans Christian Andersen is a surefire hit, combining hand-drawn animation, toe-tapping songs and great characters.
Babe - 1:45pm, ITV2 (U)
The talking pig makes his movie debut. The sequel is tomorrow.
Just like Heaven [P] - 7:05pm, BBC2 (PG)
Grieving Mark Ruffalo must get used to a spook in his life after he sublets spectral Reese Witherspoon's apartment in this amiable romantic comedy.
Meet the Fockers - 9pm, BBC1 (12)
Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand join Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller for this fun comedy sequel.
Chocolat - 9pm, BBC2 (12)
Juliet Binoche's single mother brings confectionary and scandal to a conservative French village. Romantic comedy drama with Johnny Depp.
The Great Escape - 9pm, Virgin 1 (PG)
Stirring wartime derring-do with Steve McQueen and that motorbike.
NEW YEAR'S DAY
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FILM OF THE DAY: Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl - 8pm, BBC3 (12)
Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom star in the swashbuckling fantasy that launched Depp's scene-stealing Cap'n Jack Sparrow.
The Shaggy Dog [P] - 11:55am, BBC1 (U)
Children will love this reworking of the 1959 Disney hit, in which Tim Allen plays a workaholic lawyer who discovers his canine side.
Pollyanna - 12:05pm, ITV1 (U)
Classic children's drama starring Hayley Mills as the plucky young orphan.
The Spy Who Loved Me - 4:25pm, ITV1 (PG)
Roger Moore raises an eyebrow as James Bond in this big-budget outing.
Shrek 2 - 5:15pm, BBC1 (U)
Clever, funny sequel with assassin Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) hired to break up Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz).
The Incredibles - 7pm, Disney Cinemagic (U)
Life's tough for the family of superheroes headed by Craig T Nelson and Holly Hunter, as they are required to act "normal" - until disaster strikes.
Shakespeare in Love - 8pm, ITV3 (15)
Oscar-winning romantic comedy with Joseph Fiennes as the young bard falling for leading lady Gwyneth Paltrow - who's playing the leading man.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [P] - FilmFlex (PG)
The children return to Narnia in the second instalment.
The Mask of Zorro - 9pm, Sky1 (PG)
Masked hero Anthony Hopkins passes on his sword to Antonio Banderas.
The Terminal - 11:15pm, BBC1 (12)
Comedy drama in which Tom Hanks is stranded at JFK airport.
I Walked with a Zombie - 12:25am, BBC4 (PG)
Atmospheric voodoo horror from director Jacques Tourneur.
Carrie - 1:45am, Channel 4 (18)
Telekinetic Sissy Spacek gets bloody revenge on school bullies including John Travolta in Brian De Palma's take on Stephen King.
FRIDAY 2 JANUARY
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FILM OF THE DAY: Dances with Wolves - 5:10pm, BBC2 (15)
Oscar-winning epic western from director star Kevin Costner. He plays Civil War hero John Dunbar, who becomes drawn to the Native American way of life.
Carry On Screaming - 12:55pm, ITV1 (PG)
Harry H Corbett replaced Sid James in this very funny horror spoof.
The Wrong Man - 1:15pm, BBC2 (PG)
Henry Fonda's conscience is clear, but try telling that to the police.
Ryan's Daughter - 1:25pm, Five (15)
Windswept Irish locations and an Oscar-winning performance from John Mills contribute to the magic of David Lean's romantic tragedy.
Blink - 10:00pm, Five (18)
Blind Madeleine Stowe regains her sight only to witness a murder.
Highlander - 11:15pm, ITV1 (15)
Immortal warriors Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery must try not to lose their heads, in this cult action adventure fantasy.
Build My Gallows High - 12:35am, BBC4 (PG)
Classic film noir with Robert Mitchum as a private eye.
PAST DAYS
CHRISTMAS EVE
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FILM OF THE DAY: Sky High [P] - 4:10pm, BBC1 (PG)
Before superheroes can ply their trade in our cities, they have to perfect their craft at a special academy. But like any school, it's no fun if you don't fit in, as Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano) discovers. Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston star as his concerned parents.
High School Musical - 11:50am, BBC1, BBC HD (U)
Basketball jock Zac Efron and bookish Vanessa Hudgens are at the start of something new in Disney's charming pre-teen musical.
Freaky Friday - 12:05pm, Channel 4, C4 HD (U)
Jodie Foster is effervescent in this brisk 70s body-swap comedy.
Miracle on 34th Street - 1:50pm, More4 (U)
If there's one Christmas move you watch this year, make it this one.
The Misfits - 2pm, Virgin 1 (PG)
Elegiac western with Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift.
The Santa Clause - 2:40pm, BBC1, BBC HD (U)
Engaging yuletide comedy. The sequel is showing tomorrow.
The Polar Express - 3pm, ITV1 (U)
Climb on board the animated train to the North Pole with Tom Hanks.
Oliver! - 5:05pm, Watch (U)
Dickensian musical featuring Consider Yourself and Food, Glorious Food.
Toy Story 2 - 6:05pm, BBC1, BBC HD (U)
Dazzling animated comedy sequel in which Buzz Lightyear and friends attempt to rescue Woody from a toy collector.
Calendar Girls - 8:30pm, BBC2, BBC HD (12)
"We're going to need bigger buns." Helen Mirren, Julie Walters and the ladies of the WI bare all for charity and become a sensation.
The Ice Harvest [P] - 12:40am, ITV3 (15)
John Cusack embezzles money from the Mob - never a good idea.
Point Blank - 1:50am, Five
Lee Marvin is unstoppable in John Boorman's brilliant revenge thriller.
The Big Heat - 2:50am, BBC2 (15)
Fritz Lang's superb film noir stars Glenn Ford as a campaigning cop.
CHRISTMAS DAY
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FILM OF THE DAY: Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit [P] - 4:30pm, BBC1, BBC HD (PG)
A big bunny's appetite threatens to spoil a vegetable competition, but the loveable claymation duo are soon on the case.
My Fair Lady - 10am, BBC2 (U)
Classic musical in which Rex Harrison teaches Audrey Hepburn how to talk proper.
The Golden Compass [P] - 10am, 4pm, Sky Movies Premiere/8pm, Sky Movies Screen HD1 (PG)
Dazzling take on the first part of Philip Pullman's trilogy about a young girl's adventures in a magical parallel world.
Lassie [P] - 1:15pm, Channel 4, C4 HD (PG)
Peter O'Toole gets upstaged by the adorable collie in this enjoyable update.
The Wizard of Oz - 3pm, TCM/9pm, TCM2 (U)
Judy Garland and friends off for adventures somewhere over the rainbow.
Shark Tale [P] - 3:10pm, BBC1 (U)
Sparkling animated tale of a small fish (Will Smith) who teams up with a vegetarian shark (Jack Black) to find fame.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 3:10pm, ITV1 (PG)
The boy wizard's third year brings a darker, edgier instalment.
Memoirs of a Geisha [P] - 6:45pm, Five (12)
Sumptuous film of Arthur Golden's bestseller about a girl taken from her family and sent to work as a geisha. Ziyi Zhang and Ken Watanabe star.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [P] - Sky Box Office/FilmFlex (12)
Harrison Ford in 2008's biggest comeback.
Cool Runnings - 8:30pm, BBC3 (PG)
You couldn't make it up. The true story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team.
30 Days of Night [P] - 10pm, Bravo (18)
Josh Hartnett and Melissa George face an onslaught of vampires.
Mermaids - 11:45pm, ITV1 (15)
Romantic trials for mother and daughter Cher and Winona Ryder.
Gilda - 1:40am, BBC2 (PG)
Nightclub singer Rita Hayworth smoulders and Glenn Ford falls for her.
BOXING DAY
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FILM OF THE DAY: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe [P] - 5:50pm, BBC1, BBC HD (PG) Enjoyable adaptation of CS Lewis's fantasy about a group of children who discover an enchanted wintry realm populated by talking animals and mythical creatures.
Big - 2:30pm, BBC1 (12)
Tom Hanks plays a boy in a man's body.
Brief Encounter - 2:55pm, Film4 (PG)
Passion overtakes housewife Celia Johnson and doctor Trevor Howard.
Mary Poppins - 3:25pm, ITV1 (U)
Timeless musical fantasy starring Julie Andrews as the magical nanny.
Jumanji - 5pm, Gold (PG)
Robin Williams gets stuck in a board game in this frantic adventure yarn.
Nicholas Nickleby - 5:50pm, BBC2 (PG)
Jamie Bell and Charlie Hunnam in a wonderful Dickens adaptation.
The Bridge on the River Kwai - 6:45pm, More4 (PG)
Alex Guinness picked up one of this PoW drama's seven Oscars, as did master director David Lean, whose centenary was celebrated this year.
The Adventures of Robin Hood - 7:15pm, Sky Movies Classics (U)
Errol Flynn dons the Lincoln green for fun in Sherwood Forest.
"Crocodile" Dundee - 8pm, Channel 4, C4 HD (15)
Aussie bushman Paul Hogan lands in Manhattan.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest [P] - 8:30pm, BBC1, BBC HD (12)
Johnny Depp's Cap'n Jack's up to his tricorn in trouble again.
Rear Window - 10pm, Alibi (PG)
In a classic Hitchcock thriller (the first of many this Christmas), wheelchair- bound James Stewart discovers voyeurism can be bad for your health.
The King of Kong [P] - 10pm, Sky Arts 1 (PG)
You gotta have a hobby: two grown men compete for arcade-game glory.
Sweet and Lowdown - 2:25am, BBC2 (PG)
Philandering, drunken jazz guitarist Sean Penn falls for mute Samantha Morton in Woody Allen's sparkling comedy drama.
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FILM OF THE DAY: Transformers [P] - 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere (12)
Shia LaBeouf is caught between the Autobots and the Decepticons as the hit toy franchise morphs into a movie.
The Browning Version - 12:10pm, Five (U)
Michael Redgrave gives a subtle performance as a cuckolded schoolmaster.
Eight Below - 3pm, BBC1 (PG)
Paul Walker sets out to rescue his sled dogs in this thrilling Arctic yarn.
Gone with the Wind - 3pm, TCM/9pm, TCM2 (PG)
Classic epic with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in career-defining form.
Starter for 10 [P] - 9:30pm, BBC2, BBC HD (12)
James McAvoy swots up for University Challenge in this 1980s-set comedy. Mark Gatiss is spot-on as quiz master Bamber Gascoigne.
King Kong - 11:30pm, BBC4 (PG)
The discovery of a giant ape on a remote tropical island is only the start for scream queen Fay Wray. Arguably the most iconic monster movie ever.
SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER
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FILM OF THE DAY: Swing Time - 12:35am, BBC4 (U)
If you've had enough of amateur hoofers (and judges), here's the genuine article as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers take to the floor. Guaranteed to make your Christmas sparkle.
Howl's Moving Castle [P] - 10:05am, BBC2 (U) Enthralling animated fantasy from the director of Spirited Away, set in a magical war-torn land where the cursed heroine finds refuge in an enchanted walking castle. Voice talent includes Billy Crystal.
The Borrowers - 11:30am, BBC1 (U)
Endearing adaptation of Mary Norton's children's stories.
Singin' in the Rain - 3pm, TCM (U)
"Gotta dance, gotta dance, gotta dance!" Gene Kelly starred in and co-directed this quintessential Hollywood musical, with Debbie Reynolds.
Only You - 5:45pm, Five (PG)
Cheery comedy. Marisa Tomei seeks out the man of her dreams in Rome.
Schindler's List - 9pm, Discovery Channel (15)
Steven Spielberg's powerful Holocaust drama starring Liam Neeson.
The Edukators [P] - 1:20am, Channel 4, C4 HD (15)
The best-laid plans of young activists go awry in this offbeat crime comedy.
MONDAY 29 DECEMBER
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FILM OF THE DAY: Superman Returns [P] - 8:30pm, BBC1 (12)
Christopher Reeve was always going to be a tough act to follow but Brandon Routh acquits himself impressively as the next Man of Steel.
Notorious - 11:40am, BBC2 (U)
Sublime thriller starring Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant. Part of BBC2's Hitchcock season.
Oliver Twist - 2pm, Channel 4, C4 HD (U)
David Lean's masterpiece stars Alec Guinness as an unforgettable Fagin and Robert Newton as a terrifyingly brutal Bill Sikes.
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - 4:25pm, BBC1 (PG) Inspired fantasy starring Jim Carrey, from Harry Potter's literary rival.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose [P] - 9pm, Five (15)
Jennifer Carpenter stars as the teenage girl who could be the victim of diabolic possession in a horror drama based on a true story.
Bringing Up Baby - 12:20am, BBC4 (U)
Screwball comedy gold with Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and a leopard.
TUESDAY 30 DECEMBER
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FILM OF THE DAY: Hallam Foe [P] - 12:20am, Channel 4 (18)
Jamie Bell is terrific as the mixed-up teenager who gets involved with an older woman after convincing himself that his mother's death was the work of his wicked stepmother.
Goal! [P] - 2:40pm, BBC1 (12)
Can a young Mexican footballer make it in the Premiership (even if it is with Newcastle)?
The World's Fastest Indian [P] - 5pm, BBC2 (12) It may sound like a western, but the Indian in this uplifting biopic is a motorbike. Anthony Hopkins plays Burt Munro, the real-life Kiwi who became a biking legend.
The World's Fastest Indian - 10pm, ITV4 (15)
Gripping depiction of a scandalous 1950s miscarriage of justice.
The Magdalene Sisters - 10:05pm, Channel 4, C4 HD (15)
Geraldine McEwan is frightening in this harrowing convent drama.
Deep Impact - 11pm, BBC1 (12)
The end of the world is nigh as a comet heads for Earth.
Citizen Kane - 11:35pm, BBC4 (U)
Nearly 70 years on, Orson Welles's drama about the life of a newspaper magnate is still rightly judged as one of the greatest films ever made.
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