The Christmas TV Strategy Guide 2021

Here’s another good run of films just made for a sofa and too much chocolate; one of the original Harryhausen romps of the 60s, followed by probably Arnie’s best family film and then ending with a truely dumb film which also happens to be the best modern Roger Moore Bond film we’re ever likely to get

You want more family fun? Well, here you go; Moana is in the top tier of modern Disney films, it’s not quite a Tangled but its certainly in the conversation. And then you have Wallace and Gromit in not quite the best of their short films but still good. And, don’t worry, for some reason these are being shown in reverse order so it’ll be building to a peak, and then a bit of a drop off but when you put it like that the running order does make sense

Nostalgia seems to be something that is mostly weaponised to sell as much stuff with logos on as possible, but a bit of genuine nostalgia like these shows is a bit nicer. Things weren’t better when we were younger but being able to see the world that we lived in that shaped us, once that we weren’t paying that much attention to at the time, is always interesting. Maybe not the Noel Edmonds bit but we’ll see

You can always rely on ITV4 over the Christmas here, so seeing them putting the first Rocky film on will peak my interest. The follow up film isn’t exactly a classic but it has it place in the exploitation action genre that would find a fertile home on VHS Library Shelves in the years following the release of Death Wish.

You want a roller coaster of a triple bill? Well, here you go; a film with a Frenchman playing a Scotsman and a Scotsman playing an Egyptian/Spaniard. Yes. Then you have what looks to be a pretty rubs horror film to cleanse your pallet before you get the full force of 80s David Cronenberg with Videodrome. Its a proper belter, one of the top films of the decade when all is said and done.

Speaking of best films of the decade, he’s Clint Eastwood having a go at making one of those and pretty much managing it with Unforgiven; the film expertly plays on Eastwood’s history in the genre, playing myth against reality to great effect. It’s one of Eastwood’s best and he has a lot of great films. And I mean a lot. At least, like ten really properly good films. He’s a freak.