At the Movies

10:15pm – Wednesday, August 1 on ABC1

David Stratton speaks to the legendary Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone – who has been responsible for some of cinema’s most influential film soundtracks.

Morricone has worked with such directors as Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Leone, Terrence Malick, Brian Di Palma, John Carpenter and many, many more.

Recorded live at the Adelaide Festival, this is a rare opportunity to hear from the composer of over 400 soundtracks on how he creates, collaborates and continues to dazzle film lovers all over the world.

10:00pm – Wednesday, July 18 on ABC1

At the Movies is hosting a series of specials that will be focusing on the art of filmmaking – acting and music. These will be three half-hour standalone programs that will concentrate on the work of an artist and their craft: At the Movies: Bryan Brown In Conversation Bryan Brown is one of our most respected actors. Since the 1970s he’s been at the forefront of the Australian cinema scene, and has been an outspoken advocate for it. He has appeared in over 70 film and television productions, including Breaker Morant, Newsfront, The Thorn Birds, Cocktail, Two Hands and Beautiful Kate.

Filmed live at the recent Sydney Film Festival the conversation between David Stratton and Bryan Brown is a lively and revealing discussion. It’s a great chance to hear from this man who has won two AFI awards for his acting, has been a significant producer and supporter of talent, and who is one of our most iconic actors on the international stage.

On July 25 At the Movies: Rachel Griffiths In Conversation On August 1 – At the Movies: Ennio Morricone (legendary film composer) In Conversation

Chuck (Premiere) 7.35pm, FOX8
In the fifth season premiere, without the Intersect in his head or the support of the CIA, the world of espionage is a much more dangerous place for Chuck Bartowski and his team of freelance spies. To start, Carmichael Industries takes on a slick, rich thief named Jean Claude and a conniving investor, Roger Bale, who has stolen money from some of the world’s most dangerous people. Meanwhile, Morgan helps Chuck with a special surprise for Sarah, and back in the Buy More, Jeff and Lester have taken things to another level with their latest scheme.

Please Marry My Boy, 9pm, Seven
Mums Elva, Milena, Karen and Anne get together to reveal their emotions and share their experiences. They each have their own unique story as they tell Ada they have learnt more about themselves and their sons.

At the Movies, 10pm, ABC1
Margaret and David review: The Raid; The Hunger Games, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth; Black & White & Sex; Le Havre; and David’s DVD Classic is the 1962 movie The Manchurian Candidate.

Get Off Your Knees: The John Robinson Story, 8.36pm, ABC2 / ABC4
Inspirational journey of congenital amputee John Robinson who overcomes extraordinary odds to live his dream to have an ordinary life.

Farrah’s Story, 10pm, Bio.
Farrah Fawcett tells the tale of her two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Filmed by her best friend, Alana Stewart, this program is deeply personal, revealing, heart wrenching and very moving.

10:05pm – Wednesday, October 26 on ABC1

International stars Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush will host a very special episode of At the Movies in front of a live studio audience of invited guests to celebrate Margaret and David’s 25 years together on television.

Along with Blanchett and Rush introducing a short retrospective video package looking back at Margaret and David’s 25 years on TV, the show will also be peppered by messages of congratulations and good wishes from various luminaries in the international film community.

Margaret and David will talk about their love of film, and taking this opportunity to celebrate Australian cinema, will look back at some classic Australian films.

A montage of Australian films will see Margaret and David reflect on the Australian film industry as we view some great Australian cinema moments.

Blanchett and Rush will then introduce a best of David and Margaret interview package – featuring some of their best interview grabs, which will include a range of Australian and international artists.

And then, taking over Margaret and David’s chairs, Blanchett and Rush give us a tongue-in-cheek review of Margaret and David’s performance over the years, and throw to a video package of their outtakes and bloopers.

At the Movies, 10pm, ABC1
This week Margaret and David report from the Venice Film Festival, where they catch up with Madonna.

Who Do You Think You Are? – Gwyneth Paltrow, 10pm, Nine
Academy Award-winning actress, Gwyneth Paltrow traces the roots of her beloved paternal grandfather, a man driven to succeed in the face of adversity and uncovers a string of events that give her insight into her great grandmother’s character.

Same Name – Kathy Griffin, 7.32pm, GO!
In a reality series in which celebrities trade lives with strangers who share their name, Kathy Griffin trades places with a working mother from the US.

Kill it, Cook it, Eat it – Fast Food, 9.30pm, ABC2
UK presenter Julia Bradbury hosts a series that shows exactly what it takes to turn a living animal into meat for the table. In this Fast Food series, we see how they become burgers, kebabs, sausages and nuggets.

Poh’s Kitchen on the Road, 8pm, ABC1
Poh’s on the road to Port Willunga on SA’s Fleurieu Peninsula to attend the One Magic Bowl, an event where eleven local chefs are creating 11 seafood dishes to be served in one bespoke bowl on the beach.

‘At the Movies’ with Margaret and David returns for 2011 on Wednesday February 9 at 10pm with a stellar first episode line-up, and our viewers poll of their favourite film of 2010.

Also this series (starting episode 2) Margaret and David will introduce a new segment – ‘The DVD Classic’ where they will each, alternatively, choose movie classics now available on DVD to revisit. The first ‘DVD Classic’ (Ep 2. – Feb 16) will be Margaret’s review of the 1960 Billy Wilder film The Apartment – starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine and Fred MacMurray.

Wednesday February  9 – EP 1

This year’s first episode of ATM will include the “holiday wrap” – short reviews of four films that were released over the summer break that were too late for inclusion in the summer special:

TRUE GRIT – starring Jeff Bridges Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfeld, and directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen.

TAMARA DREWE – Directed by Stephen Frears and starring Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam and Dominic Cooper.

THE FIGHTER starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, Amy Adams and directed by David O. Russell.

HOW DO YOU KNOW – starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson.

As well as full lengths reviews of:

127 HOURS – starring James Franco, Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara, and directed by Danny Boyle. A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED – starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. A guy and girl try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it’s not long before they learn that they want something more.

HEREAFTER – Directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Matt Damon, Cecile de France and Bryce Dallas Howard. A drama centered on three people — a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy — who are all touched by death in different ways.

SANCTUM – starring Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffud and Rhys Wakefield. James Cameron Executive Producer. A drama inspired by the film’s co-writer Andrew Wight’s near-death experience of leading a diving expedition miles into a system of underwater caves, then having to find a way out after a freak storm collapsed the entrance.

Wednesday February 16 – EP 2

RABBIT HOLE – Directed by John Cameron Mitchell. Starring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest. Life for a happy couple is turned upside down after their young son dies in an accident. *****Plus interview with Producer/star Nicole Kidman

INSIDE JOB – Directed by Charles Ferguson and  starring Matt Damon, William Ackman, Daniel Alpert. A drama that exposes the truth behind the American financial crisis. *****Plus interview with director Charles Ferguson

CERTIFIED COPY – Directed Abbas Kiarostami and starring Juliette Binoche and William Shimell. In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a middle-aged English writer meets a French woman who leads him to the village of Lucignano. *****Plus interview with director Abbas Kiarostami and actors Juliette Binoche and William Shimell.

‘The DVD Classic’ –  Margaret’s review of the 1960 Billy Wilder film The Apartment – starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine and Fred MacMurray.

6:00pm – Sunday, December 12 on ABC1

Sunday, 12 December 2010 For their Summer Special, Margaret and David will be previewing the following: Movies releasing December 26 The King’s Speech; Blue Valentine including interviews with Co-Writer/Director Derek Cianfrance, and actors Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams; Somewhere including interviews with Writer/Director Sofia Coppola and actors Stephen Dorf and Elle Fanning; Love And Other Drugs; and Heartbreaker.

Movies releasing 13 January 2011 Black Swan including interviews with director Darren Aronofsky and actors Natalie Portman and Vincent Cassel.

Movies releasing 27 January 2011 Another Year plus interviews with Writer/Director Mike Leigh and actors Leslie Manville, Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen.

Please note: At The Movies: Summer Special screens on ABC2 prior to the ABC1 broadcast. It screens on ABC2 on Saturday, December 4 at 6:00pm

With the Gruen Nation starting next Wednesday (July 28) and Yes We Canberra representing a temporary return of the Chaser boys to the ABC in the lead up to the August 21 federal election, Wednesday nights on ABC1 have been reprogrammed meaning that At The Movies will jump around ABC’s schedule and United Stats of Tara will disappear altogether until September.

The Gruen Nation premieres on Wednesday July 28 at 9pm, and is followed by Yes We Canberra at 9.45pm. Both shows will be repeated at other times on ABC1 and ABC2 on Thursday nights.

At the Movies will run as follows:

Ep 25 – Tue July 27 at 10.05pm
Ep 26 – Sun, August 8 at 6pm
Ep 27 – Tue August 10, at 10.05pm
Ep 28 – Tue August 17 at 10.05pm
Ep 29 – Wed August 25 at 10pm
Ep 30 – Wed Sept 1 at 9.55pm

with repeats at subsequent times (check your guides).

United States of Tara returns Wednesday September 1, at 9.30pm. Shame it couldn’t be moved to another night or time for the next 5 weeks.

Some programming info sourced from TV Tonight.

Margaret and David return to our screens next Wednesday (Feb 10) at 10pm when At the Movies looks at the following films:

Valentine’s Day – romantic comedy written by Abby Kohn and Mark Silverstein, directed by Garry Marshall,  and with a huge star-studded cast: Jamie Foxx, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Shirley MacLaine, Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane, George Lopez, Queen Latifah, Emma Roberts, Taylor Swift, and Taylor Lautner.

Precious – Critically acclaimed film based on the novel Push by Sapphire. A harrowing story about a young Harlem teenager who is pregnant for the second time by her drug-addicted father and suffering abuse at the hands of her cruel mother.
Six Academy Awards nominations including:  Best Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Direction.
Interviews with actresses Paul Patton and Mariah Carey, and director Lee Daniels.

The Wolfman – Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man (Del Toro) is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf. Stars Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins

A Prophet – A young Arab man is sent to a French prison where he becomes a mafia kingpin.
Winner of the Grand Prix Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, and Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
Interview with writer/director Jaques Audiard.

Plus – the Viewers Poll results for the best movies of 2009.

Sunday December 6 at 6pm.

In time for the holidays, Margaret and David will be reviewing the following films for their At The Movies: Summer Special

NOWHERE BOY – the biopic of John Lennon’s early life directed by UK visual artist Sam Taylor-Wood

BROKEN EMBRACES – the latest Pedro Almodovar starring Penelope Cruz – plus interview with Pedro

BRIGHT STAR - biopic of John Keats and Fanny Braun ( Abbie Cornish), and directed by Jane Campion – plus interview with Jane, Abbie and Ben Whishaw

THE ROAD – adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, starring Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smidt McPhee, directed by Australian filmmaker John Hillcoat – plus interview with Viggo, Kodi and John Hillcoat

FANTASTIC MR FOX – stop-motion animation based on Roald Dahl book, directed by Wes Anderson and voiced by George Clooney, Meryl Streep , Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman.

UP IN THE AIR - comedy starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Jason Bateman, directed by Jason Reitman (Juno).

THE FRENCH KISSERS – French teen comedy in the style of American Pie, screened at Cannes.

BRAN NUE DAY – Rachel Perkins’ musical set in 1960s Australia, starring Geoffrey Rush, Ernie Dingo, Magda Szubanski and Deb Mailman