28 JAN – 3 FEB 2023

Our showing of Belfast went down very well, as we thought it would (audience reaction 91%). In which case, you might be pleased to know that BBC 4 is repeating the 1987 seven-part drama Fortunes of War. Set on the eve of the Second World War, it co-starred Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. So often we moan about repeats, but the presentations scheduled during the BBC’s anniversary year have been tremendous! It begins Wednesday 1 February at 10.00pm.
MASTER CHENG (2019) Saturday 28 January 9.00-10.55pm BBC 4   P       
Quirky Finnish-Chinese hybrid from Mika Kaurismaki in which a chef, Cheng, finds himself working in a somewhat different setting just as his visa is about to expire. Not as good as the legendary Babette’s Feast, but worth a look. 
THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962) Tuesday 31 January 3.30-6.15pm Film Four      
As a clip was used in Belfast, it was perfect timing for inclusion! John Ford’s final masterpiece is a marvellous meditation on what the American West was – or wasn’t. As the famous quote from the film goes, “when the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” And speaking of legends – John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin sharing screen time – ye gods, the pleasure of it!
CASA SUSANNA (2022) Tuesday 31 January 11.30pm BBC 4   P       
This week’s Storyville documentary is about a secret retreat at the foot of the Catskills that, in the 1960s, was a haven for cross-dressers. No, I hadn’t heard of it either – and that is what intrigues me!
JOHNNY NOBODY (1961) Friday 3 February 12.40-2.30pm Talking Pictures (Ch 82)      
Very much a B-film but there are several points of interest, not least the story: Johnny Nobody (Aldo Ray) is a God-fearing man who is on trial for killing an atheist. It is set, and filmed, in Ireland; Nigel Patrick directs and stars, and the cast also includes Yvonne Mitchell and William Bendix (plus Bernie Winters as a photographer).