The Best Christmas Movies

Christmas Eve WALK THE LINE (RTE 1) - Singer. Rebel. Outlaw. With his driving freight train chords, steel-eyed intensity and a voice as dark as the night, the legendary 'Man in Black" revolutionised music and forged his legacy as a genuine American icon. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon star (and sing) as Johnny Cash and June Carter in this inspiring true story of one man"s unwavering devotion to his sound, his message and the greatest love of his life. ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN (RTE 2) - Manny, Sid and Diego return in another incredible animated adventure. The Ice Age is coming to an end, and the animals are delighting in their new world: a melting paradise of water parks, geysers and tar pits. But when Manny, Sid and Diego discover that the miles of melted ice will flood their valley, they must warn everyone and somehow figure out a way to escape the coming deluge. GRUMPY OLD MEN (BBC 1) - Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon are two cranky neighbours who"ve been rivals since childhood and show no signs of changing these habits anytime soon. Now in their autumn years, life in their peaceful patch suddenly erupts into all-out war when the alluring Ann Margaret takes up residence on their street. Once again, the two Romeos go head-to-head in a battle of wills to see who"s got the best chat-up lines, Classic stuff. christmas DAY HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE (RTE 1) - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint co-star once again in another JK Rowling blockbuster. When Harry"s name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, he becomes a competitor in a gruelling battle for glory among three wizarding schools - the Triwizard Tournament. But since Harry never submitted his name for the tournament, who did? Now he must confront a deadly dragon, fierce water demons and an enchanted maze only to find himself in the cruel grasp of 'He Who Must Not Be Named". OLIVER TWIST (RTE 2) - Roman Polanski directs the classic Charles Dickens story of a young orphan boy who gets involved with a gang of pickpockets in 19th century London. Abandoned at an early age, Oliver Twist is forced to live in a workhouse lorded over by the awful Mr Bumble, who cheats the boys of their meagre rations. Desperate yet determined, Oliver makes his escape to the streets of London. Penniless and alone, he is lured into a world of crime by the sinister Fagin, the mastermind of a gang of pint-sized pickpockets. BREAKFAST ON PLUTO (RTE 2) - Starring Cillian Murphy, Eva Birthistle, Liam Neeson and Mary Coughlan, this tale, set in the 1970s, follows the exploits of Patrick Braden, an endearing, but deceptively tough young man. Abandoned as a baby in his small Irish home town and aware from a very early age that he is different, Patrick survives this harsh environment with the aid of his wit and charm, plus a sweet refusal to let anyone and anything change who he is. JOYEUX NOEL (RTE 2) - Inspired by a true story which happened during the First World War on Christmas Eve, 1914. That night, a momentous event turned the destinies of four characters: an Anglican priest, a French lieutenant, an exceptional tenor and the one he loves - a wonderful soprano and singing partner. During this Christmas Eve, the unthinkable happened as rifles were left at the bottom of the trenches to go to see those opposite, shake their hands, exchange a cigarette and a piece of chocolate and wish them a 'Joyeux Noel." KING KONG (RTE 1) - The biggest Kong of them all, starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody and Colin Hanks. In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with leading lady Ann Darrow. What follows is an all-action and special effects giant that"ll pin you to your seat - especially if you"ve got a big screen. ST STEPHEN"S DAY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN"S CHEST (RTE 1) - Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy and Jonathan Pryce in the latest, and best, skull and crossbones sequel. Captain Jack Sparrow owes a debt to Davy Jones, who captains a ghostly ship, the Flying Dutchman, with a crew from hell. Facing eternal damnation, Jack must locate the heart of Davy Jones with a little help from Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. THE DA VINCI CODE (RTE 1) - Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and Ian McKellan in the adaptation of that book everybody read a few summers ago. While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. Solving the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci. He joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, as he attempts to decipher a labyrinthine puzzle in time. If they fail, a stunning historical truth will be lost forever. CROCODILE DUNDEE (Channel 4) - The original of the species, this cracker 1986 movie charts the charms of Mick Dundee, who wrestles crocs before breakfast. A strange romance takes place when a New York journalist arrives in the Outback to do a story - love and fist-fighting quickly follow. Great Aussie jokes, fabulous scenery and a feelgood factor off the graph makes this one a must. Saturday 27th DECEMBER THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (RTE 1) - Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent and Kiran Shah co-star in the adaptation of the CS Lewis timeless adventure following the exploits of the four Pevensie siblings in World War II England who enter the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of 'hide-and-seek" in the rural country home of an elderly professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs and giants that has become a world cursed to eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Under the guidance of a noble and mystical ruler, the lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome the White Witch"s powerful hold over Narnia in a spectacular, climactic battle that will free Narnia from Jadis" icy spell forever. GARAGE (RTE 2) - Pat Shortt in a role a million miles from the madcap comedy of 'Killinaskully", co-stars with Anne Marie Duff, Conor Ryan and Denis Conway. Josie has spent 20 years as the caretaker of a crumbling petrol station in smalltown Ireland. Despite loneliness and the fact that his neighbours treat him as a figure of fun, he"s always good-natured, absurdly optimistic and, in his own peculiar way, happy; he has his place - it might not be great, but it"s his. 'Garage" is the story of Josie"s hapless search for intimacy over the course of a summer which sees his little niche threatened and his life changed forever. CAPE FEAR (TV3) - Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte take on the roles made famous by Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck in the original. The story centres on a psychopath just released from prison determined to wreak havoc on the man who put him there - but any means, including his wife and daughter. A menacing, brooding thriller that"ll keep you glued from start to finish. Sunday 28th DECEMBER HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (RTE 2) - During the reign of the Tang dynasty in China, a secret organisation called The House of the Flying Daggers rises and opposes the government. Police officer Jin is sent to investigate a young dancer named Mei, claiming that she has ties to the Flying Daggers. Leo arrests Mei, only to have Jin breaking her free in a plot to gain her trust and lead the police to the new leader of the secret organisation. But things are far more complicated than they seem. Amazing special effects and a long way beyond the antics of Bruce Lee all those years ago. THE 39 STEPS (BBC 1) - Directed by James Hawes and filmed on location in Scotland, 'The 39 Steps" is set in the days running up to the outbreak of the First World War and follows the escapades of Richard Hannay in a roller-coaster action adventure full of excitement, danger, fun and romance, as he attempts to outwit a German spy ring and save the nation from invasion. Rupert Penry-Jones stars as Richard Hannay, Alex Jennings as Captain Kell, Eddie Marsan as Scudder, Patrick Kennedy as Harry Sinclair and Lydia Leonard as Victoria Sinclair. SUPERMAN (TV3) - Christopher Reeve plays the Man of Steel in this 1978 classic that had those of us who were teenagers then goggle-eyed at the special effects. Compared to today"s big budget extravaganzas, it might seem pretty tame, but remembering the late great Reeve in a role he was born for brings back some happy memories. Monday 29th DECEMBER NOTORIOUS (BBC 2) - A classic Hitchcock about a frivolous girl (Ingrid Bergman) who likes drink and men - but also a history she"d love to change. Her father was a German spy in the USA who committed suicide in prison, and when a government agent (Cary Grant) asks her to spy on a group of her father"s Nazi friends in Rio de Janeiro, it could be her chance to clear her guilty name. In a plot involving betrayal, uranium and dastardly doings in Rio, this noir thriller is just the job for a lazy afternoon in front of the telly. AWAKENINGS (TG4) - Robert De Niro takes the lead role in this adaptation of a fact-based story of a New York doctor"s extraordinary work with catatonic patients in the 1960s. Against the advice and wishes of a regimented medical system, he pushes the boundaries of new treatment and finds startling success with patients thought lost to the world. De Niro is stunning as a man given a second chance to breath air as an independent individual. Tuesday 30th DECEMBER CLEOPATRA (RTE 1) - Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, George Cole, Roddy McDowall and Hume Cronyn, this is without a doubt one of the finest and most spectacular movies to emerge from the '60s - a film made all the more enticing against a backdrop of romance between Burton and Taylor which almost eclipsed its huge cast and budget. There"s betrayal, treasure, massive battles, plus one of the most addictive romances in history. THE BROTHERS McMULLEN (TV3) - A comedy about three Irish-American brothers and their trials and tribulations in the search for love and lust around the streets of the Big Apple. Whip-snap dialogue and some stunning scenery of the city everyone loves makes this one a great way to chill out before the New Year activities kick in tomorrow.