Films on TV round-up: Plathitudes

This Sunday we're delighted to welcome a special guest writer to give us her take on the films coming up on TV this week: Sylvia Plath.

Commencing: Monday 17th October 2011

Die Hard (1988) Monday, Film4, 9pm



Nakatomi looming dark as anger
Makes heavy the heart of McClane
Arriving fast through casual winter blasts of ice
Nonchalant, unexpecting
And men may fear the dagger tongue of woman
But monsters lie within, German
Bearded and cruel, like no woman ever born

Gunshot flashes, shock, Takagi falls
Party streamers now like garottes
McClane inside, barefoot and vested
Broken glass embedded in soles, panicking him
But his are the detonators and so the cards
Powell in blue, doughnut-eating, underscored
He the blunted edge, McClane the rapier

Meek and proud both fall; stark violence
Terrorists rush to capture wherever
Explode! Explode! Are men not alive
And where hides Gruber as businessman, subterfuge
But sees not pistol to back of head, duct-taped
Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker
Fall, fall to the wintering
Back to the Future: Part II (1989) Saturday, ITV2, 4.50pm



Truck gleaming, we are in time and of it again
An ill-starred thing, conquered, tamed
But sharp flash, DeLorean, we must return
Where there are horrors

Sleep Jennifer, you shall not see
What your chalice womb will give up
For we travel where yourself lies
And father-in-law will one day putrify
In burial, earth-bound, locked, coffined

Tannen, brute thug, acrylic
Towers built in your pig-eyed virtue
Sprung from past encounter, where came your future
Sports almanac filched by your hand

Grievously purpled, mouth skewered on a groan
George McFly you schooled in grimaces
And later struck down to snatch away his wife
Your time will come, for time occludes us
One day you will make like a tree

Marty's hoverboard, by obsolescence spurred
Waits opportune, then comes the Doc
Crashing, twisted metal, shards fly and shred bone
Biff, the manure has claimed you
Just as one day will the earth
Thanks Sylvia, that's ... um ... just what we were looking for. (*backs slowly out of room*)
Also on this week

Layer Cake Monday, 5*, 9pm
First Blood Monday, ITV4, 10.05pm (also Saturday, 11.45pm)
The Bourne Supremacy Monday, ITV2, 10.45pm
Red Heat Monday, ITV4, 11.55pm
Weekend at Bernie's Tuesday, ITV4, 7pm (also Saturday, 7pm)
X2 Tuesday, 5*, 7pm (also Friday, 9pm)
Cleaner Tuesday, 5USA, 9pm (also Saturday, 10pm)
Inside Man Tuesday, ITV2, 11.45pm
Independence Day Wednesday, E4, 8pm
Midnight Run Wednesday, ITV4, 9pm
The Bourne Ultimatum Wednesday, ITV2, 10.45pm
Children of Men Thursday, ITV4, 12.15am
Clueless Thursday, Film4, 7.10pm
The Illusionist Thursday, Film4, 9pm
Green Street Thursday, ITV4, 10.35pm
Batman Thursday, ITV2, 10.45pm
That Thing You Do! Friday, Film4, 6.55pm
Jaws: The Revenge Friday, ITV4, 8.10pm
The Untouchables Friday, More4, 9pm (also Saturday, 10.25pm)
The Spy Who Loved Me Friday, ITV4, 10pm (also Saturday, 4.25pm)
Road Trip Saturday, BBC3, 12.45am
The Hurt Locker Saturday, C4, 9pm
Life of Brian Saturday, BBC4, 9pm
Tremors Saturday, ITV4, 9pm
Team America: World Police Saturday, E4, 9pm