Monday 13 July, Ali G Indahouse (2002), ITV1, 10.35pm
Thursday 16 July, Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006), Five USA, 9pm
With Bruno bludgeoning political correctness into bloody goop in cinemas, you can catch up with Sacha Baron Cohen's early filmic outings on the boob this week. If Kazakhstan hick reporter Borat is Cohen's heart and offensive Austrian fashionista Bruno his (swollen) balls, bling, bling geezer Ali G is the wit-in-dim-clothing. There's nothing exceptional about Indahouse as Ali enters politics and ends up saving the PM and his local yoof centre, but it's funny and subversive in a mainstream TV-to-movie way. Worth catching but it lacks the pinwheeling freeform "found" style of Borat and Bruno that elevates his cringe-making humour to an art. As a bridging role, he pops up as effete, Will Ferrell-snogging Formula One driver Jean Gerard in Ferrell's Nascar dumbathon later in the week. Cohen fits snugly into the fratpack format, again demonstrating his willingness to go the extra mile to illicit squirming giggles (the aforementioned comedian-a-comedian oral interfacing).
Tuesday 14 July
London To Brighton (2006)
BBC1, 11.25pm
Amid a week of fun, Paul Andrew Williams' unremittingly grim debut is a streamlined, low-budget attack on our comfortable sensibilities. So if abuse, peeedophilia and febrile mortal jeopardy don't put you off, take a break from the yucks and brace yourself for some harrowing drama. Kelly (Lorraine Stanley, seen in last year's Cass and ASBO horror Eden Lake) and Joanne (Georgia Groome, from, erm, Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging, but don't let that put you off - she's great) are making the breakneck escape of the title, the hooker and abused teen fleeing some of the most unsavoury characters you'll see in any gutter. The fact that this is an all-Brit affair is simply a bonus on top of the nerve-jangling flight of the two leads - both excellent and utterly believable - and Williams' mature, assured utilisation of some undeniably discomfiting hot button controversies. Never fun but always exhilarating.
Bowfinger (1999)
ITV2, 10pm
The last time Eddie Murphy was really funny without four legs and a fat ogre by his side. And for that matter, the last time Steve Martin was funny full stop. And the last good film to be directed by former Muppet man Frank Oz. Even though it's a broadly absurdist Hollywood "satire" - inept pseudo-D-movie filmmaker Bowfinger (Martin) tries to use guerrilla run'n'gun tactics to get megastar Kit Ramsey (Murphy, role #1) to "star", going so far as to hire Kit's goofy, dimbulb bro (Murphy, role #2) to double for the star - it's more a platform for Martin and Murphy to clown around to substantial effect. Murphy's dumb sibling is superb and remains his last genuinely hysterical adult role before he descended into kids comedies and cartoons. Watch out for the gut-busting highway crossing and the bravura final sequence, Oz saving the best joke for last.
Wednesday 15 July
Snakes On A Plane (2006)
Film4, 9pm
You can file this under trash but only after sampling its hysterical pulpy goodies. With its Ronseal title, you know exactly what you're gonna get - especially with Samuel L Jackson on board to battle the airborne serpents. What directors David R Ellis (Final Destination 2) and Lex Halaby do (repeatedly) do is deliver above and beyond expectation - its crass, bawdy, gory and, every now and again, exciting. More famous for its epic Internet hype - surfers voted on content, including Jackson's line "I have had it with these motherflipping snakes on this motherflipping plane!" - that failed to translate into box office, even as its cheesy charms are amplified by Jackson's typical -B-movie gusto and some nicely inventive snake-related deaths. God knows it'll put you off joining the mile high club...
Friday 17 July
Hero (2002)
More4, 9pm
A little majestic beauty to finish off the week. Chinese auteur Zhang Yimou (Raise The Red Lantern) re-invigorated his reputation with his foray into Wuxia (ancient martial arts storytelling, incorporating Wushu, Chinese martial arts), casting an array of Chinese and Hong Kong big names: Jet Li (the kung fu legend last seen as a terracotta mummy in The Mummy 3), Tony Leung (of John Wood fame in The Killer, last seen in Woo's epic Red Cliff), Maggie Cheung (beguiling in Wong Kar Wai's In The Mood For Love), Zhang Ziyi (from Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and martial arts stalwart Donnie Yen (too many credits to mention). This Rashomon-style account of one man's (Li) struggle to protect a warlord from three assassins is lush and breathtaking in the vibrant colour and lustrously textured production design surrounding the robust fight choreography -Li has rarely been in a film with so much poise. Hero's success begat the even better, lyrical House Of Flying Daggers (starring Ziyi and Infernal Affairs' Andy Lau) and the more stately Curse Of The Golden Flowers (with big guns Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li) but remains singular in its inventive set pieces.
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