Highlight movies coming up on
M-Net over the December holiday season:
SUNDAY NIGHT PREMIERES
EAGLE EYESunday 6 December 2009 2009 at 20h05
2007 Directed by DJ Caruso. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Billy Bob Thornton
Jerry is a 20-something slacker who discovers that someone has deposited $750 000 into his account. That someone also seems to think he'd make a good terrorist, because his Chicago apartment is stacked with weapons and bomb-making equipment.
Before long, Jerry - along with single mother Rachel whose son is a pawn in this treacherous game - are on the run, while a mysterious female voice directs their every move.
QUANTUM OF SOLACESunday 13 December 2009 at 20h05
2008 Directed by Marc Forster. Starring Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Jeffrey Wright
Secret agent James Bond is a cold killing machine as he goes after the people responsible for the death of Vesper, the woman he loved.
While interrogating a man he captured and whisked off in the boot of his Aston Martin, he learns of the existence of Quantum, a sinister organisation with its fingers in many pies.
Clues lead him to the icy beauty Camille, who has her own vendetta. Bond starts following her lover, Dominic Greene, who seems like an eco-friendly guy, but who really is scheming to take control of one of the world's most important water resources.
As Bond hops from location to location, he is closely followed by M, who has orders to reign in an apparently out of control 007.
FRED CLAUS Sunday 20 December 2009 at 20h05
2007 Directed by David Dobkin. Starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Kevin Spacey, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates
Fred suffers from sibling rivalry. His younger brother Nick lives in a plush mansion up north, has dozens of staff, and is world famous. Better known as Santa, he's also their parents' favourite child.
Fred wants little to do with Nick, but he needs a loan. Nick agrees, but only if Fred helps him out with a big Christmas order. Fred reluctantly agrees, and soon finds himself in the North Pole, meeting Santa's little helpers and generally making a thorough nuisance of himself.
Meanwhile, Nick has to deal with a snooty efficiency expert who is determined to shut the operation down.
BEDTIME STORIES Sunday 27 December 2009 at 20h05
2008 Directed by Adam Shankman. Starring Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand
Skeeter works as a handyman in the hotel once owned by his father. He dreams of managing his own hotel one day, but the owner seems to think that the snooty Kendall is the best man for the job. Then a babysitting job turns Skeeter's life right around.
His sister Wendy goes away for a week, leaving him in charge of her two kids. Skeeter starts telling them stories, modelling these tales on his own life.
When the stories magically start coming true, Skeeter tries to tell the stories differently, only to discover that the kids have their own ideas about happy endings. The question becomes: can Skeeter get his life and career on track and keep his sanity?
MONDAY NIGHT PREMIERES
WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER?Monday 7 December 2009 at 21h30
2007 Directed by Anand Tucker. Starring Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee, Claire Skinner
British poet Blake Morrison's memoir of his father, Arthur Morrison, a rural English doctor who died of terminal cancer.
The film alternates between the '80s when Arthur became ill to the '60s when Blake was a teenager. Who was Arthur, really, Blake wonders - a bluff, critical man with an eye for the ladies, or a loving father who genuinely wanted to do things with his son?
As Blake spends time with his dying dad, he feels both anger and compassion, until he reaches a point where he realises that his father's flaws actually helped to make him the man he is today.
GRACE IS GONEMonday 14 December 2009 at 21h30
2007 Directed by James C Strouse. Starring John Cusack, Shelan O'Keefe, Gracie Bednarczyk, Alessandro Nivola
Stanley works as a store manager while his wife Grace is away fighting in Iraq. He'd like to be there too, but his eyesight won't allow him.
When two military men pitch up at his door, he knows why they are there.
Stanley now has to tell his daughters, Heidi, 12, and Dawn, 8, that their mother won't be coming home. But he just can't bring himself to do it. So, on an impulse, he packs the girls into the car and takes them on a cross-country trip to Florida.
The music for the title song, Grace Is Gone, was written by Clint Eastwood and performed by Jamie Cullum. The score and song were both nominated for Golden Globes.
SCOOPMonday 21 December 2009 at 21h30
2006 Directed by Woody Allen. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Woody Allen, Ian McShane
When Sondra, an American journalist student, goes on holiday to England, she promises to return with an exclusive scoop for her college newspaper. But things don't get off to a good start when she falls under the spell of a movie star she was supposed to interview.
Then, to make things really complicated, a dead reporter "speaks" to her at a magic show, telling that the rich and dashing aristocrat Peter Lyman may be a serial killer.
With the magician Splendini posing as her father, Sondra sets out to interview Lyman, only to fall under his spell as well.
FLAWLESSMonday 28 December 2009 at 21h30
2007 Directed by Michael Radford. Starring Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Lambert Wilson
Laura Quinn is a bright, driven and beautiful executive at the London Diamond Corporation. She finds herself frustrated by a glass ceiling after years of faithful employment, as man after man is promoted ahead of her despite her greater experience.
Hobbs is the nighttime janitor at London Diamond who is virtually invisible to the executives that work there, but over the years has amassed a startling amount of knowledge about how the company runs. Hobbs has his own bone to pick with London Diamond.
Observing Laura's frustration, he convinces her to help him execute an ingenious plan to steal a hefty sum in diamonds. But unbeknownst to Laura, Hobbs plans go even farther than he's let on, and together they set in motion a thrilling heist of dizzying proportions, the likes of which London has never seen.
TUESDAY NIGHT ENCORES (rebroadcasts)
CONNIE AND CARLATuesday 1 December 2009 at 23h00
2004 Directed by Michael Lembeck. Starring Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, David Duchovny
Connie and Carla are two 30-something singers who, while entertaining (or boring) and traveling in an airport lounge, dream of the big time.
One day they witness the gangland slaying of their boss and, realising that they've been spotted, flee to Los Angeles, where Connie comes up with the idea that they should pretend to be drag queens.
Soon they are having a big adventure, in which their show is a huge hit and all their friends are gay and gorgeous. Things get a bit tricky when Connie falls for the straight brother of one of her gay friends - and even trickier when the gangsters eventually track them down.
BE KIND REWINDTuesday 8 December 2009 at 23h00
2008 Directed by Michael Gondry. Starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, Melonie Diaz
Mike works in an old-fashioned video store. When his boss goes on a fact-finding mission to see what DVDs are all about, he leaves Mike in charge. Big mistake. Mike's wacky friend Jerry pays him a visit, bringing his special brand of chaos with him.
One day, Jerry accidentally erases all the videos in the store, leaving Mike distraught at what his boss will say. But Jerry has a plan - they'll grab a camcorder, rope in the locals, and reshoot brand new versions of movies like Ghostbusters, Robocop and King Kong.
THE GOOD TIMES ARE KILLING METuesday 15 December 2009 at 22h00
2009 Directed by John L'Ecuyer. Starring Kelly Rowan, Rupert Graves, Aaron Abrams
Kate Derby is a corporate lawyer whose career is flying. However, what started out as a few celebratory drinks after a successful court case has escalated into a regular drinking habit - a habit she refuses to acknowledge.
While working on a case involving a corrupt politician, she is forced into rehab. Kate is convinced it's to prevent her from giving evidence against the senator, but she slowly starts coming to terms with the fact that she may well be an alcoholic. She still has to get out to see justice done - and has to remain sober long enough to convince a court that her suspicions are valid.
TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A GO-GO GIRLTuesday 22 December 2009 at 22h00
2008 Directed by Grant Harvey. Starring Chelsea Hobbs, Sarah Carter, Karen Kruper, Corbin Bernsen, Rachel Hunter
Jane McCoy is a bright college graduate who is about to go to law school, when she changes her mind. What she really wants to do is act. Her parents are dismayed, but support her all the way.
However, Jane gets sidetracked when a friend introduces her to the well-paying world of go-go dancing. Seduced by the glamour and the glitz, Jane is soon dancing regularly, but there's a downside to this new lifestyle…
THE BEST MAN (1999)Tuesday 29 December 2009 at 22h00
2006 Directed by Stefan Schwartz. Starring Stuart Townsend, Amy Smart, Seth Green, Simon Callow
Olly is a London-based writer with writer's block and self-esteem issues. The first few chapters he wrote after leaving college were considered so brilliant he was given a fat advance and told to write more.
When he couldn't, the publishers took back the money and Olly was forced to find a job and move in with his mate Murray. But life starts looking up when James, an old college friend of both, invites Olly to be best man at his wedding.
At the engagement party, Olly falls hard for Sarah, not realising that she's the bride-to-be. When he does find out, he backs off, but the mischievous Murray, who never did like James, decides to take matters into his own hands.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT PREMIERES
SCARWednesday 2 December 2009 at 21h30
2007 Directed by Jed Weintrob. Starring Angela Bettis, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Devon Graye, Ben Cotton
16 years ago, a girl and her best friend underwent a nightmare ordeal at the hands of a sadistic undertaker. Although Joan still bears the scars of that experience, she has managed to put the past behind her. But she can't help feeling a sense of dread when she goes home to attend her niece's high school graduation.
When Olympia's classmates start turning up dead, Joan suspects either a copycat killer is on the loose, or the original killer has returned from the dead.
ROGUEWednesday 9 December 2009 at 21h30
2007 Directed by Greg McLean. Starring Radha Mitchell, Michael Vartan, Sam Worthington, John Jarratt
Pete, an American travel writer researching Australia's Outback, joins a group of tourists on a river cruise with tour guide Kate. The cruise gets off to a good start, until Kate's loutish ex-boyfriend pitches up in his speedboat.
Next thing, a giant crocodile rams both vessels, leaving everyone stranded on a small island in the middle of the river. With the sun setting and the tide rising, it's obvious that they will have to get ashore before the island is completely submerged.
THE MISTWednesday 16 December 2009 at 21h30
2007 Directed by Frank Darabont. Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones, Laurie Holden, Frances Sternhagen
First came the storm, then the mist, then the terror... A small lakeside town is left without power after a violent storm. As some villagers remain at home to mop up, others congregate on the local supermarket.
David, his young son Billy and their neighbour Brent are three of them. But a lack of power is the least of their problems. A strange mist has descended on the town, and inside the mist is terror.
SILVER BELLSWednesday 23 December 2009 at 21h30
2005 Directed by Dick Lowry. Starring Anne Heche, Tate Donovan, Michael Mitchell
Every Christmas, Canadian widower Christopher goes to New York with his two children to sell his Christmas trees. Each year, a blonde woman walks by, but never buys a tree.
During this particular year Christopher's teenage son Danny runs away. Danny doesn't want to be involved in the Christmas tree business; he wants to take photographs. When he wanders into a photography museum, he recognises the owner, Catherine, as the blonde who has always resisted their wares.
PLANET TERRORWednesday 30 December 2009 at 21h30
2007 Directed by Robert Rodriguez. Starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Bruce Willis, Quentin Tarantino
Something has gone wrong out in the desert, and a deadly bio-gas is spreading over a small Texan town. Soon the local hospital is overrun with sick and dying patients, and once dead, they don't always stay dead. This is a clear case of zombie flu.
As the group of survivors gets smaller and smaller, a stripper and her boyfriend try and deal with the menace any way they can, even replacing her bitten-off leg with a rifle.
THURSDAY NIGHT PREMIERES
I'M NOT RAPPAPORTThursday 3 December 2009 at 22h30
1996 Directed by Herb Gardner. Starring Walter Matthau, Ossie Davis, Amy Irving, Martha Plimpton, Craig T Nelson
What's it like getting old, getting frail and being taken advantage of because of it? For 80-something Nat and Midge, it's all about sitting on a bench in Central Park and talking about life and philosophy and dealing with the realities of ageing, a daughter who thinks her father would be better off in an old age home, a yuppie who wants to evict his elderly tenant and a mugger who thinks old men are easy targets.
THE JURORThursday 10 December 2009 at 22h30
1996 Directed by Brian Gibson. Starring Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Heche, James Gandolfini
When Annie, a single mother with a teenage son, is called upon to be a juror in a case involving a Mafia boss, she has no idea of the challenges that lie ahead.
The Mafia boss's henchman, Mark Cordell, wants her to vote "not guilty" - or something sinister will happen to her and her son. A terrified Annie turns to her best friend - only to see her murdered. Now Annie will have to use all her smarts to outwit the psychopath.
BULLETPROOFThursday 17 December 2009 at 22h30
1996 Directed by Ernest R Dickerson. Starring Adam Sandler, Damon Wayans, James Caan, James Farentino, Kristen Wilson
Rock Keats and Archie Moses have been friends for about a year, when Moses, a smalltime crook, discovers that Keats has lied to him - he really is an undercover cop trying to reel in a bigger fish, druglord Frank Coltan.
This revelation comes during a warehouse raid, after which Moses accidentally shoots Keats in the head and Coltan manages to escape. Now the former buddies are mad as hell at one another.
However, they are forced to work together when it emerges that Coltan is determined to kill them both.
MOONLIGHT & MISTLETOEThursday 24 December 2009 at 22h30
2008 Directed by Karen Arthur. Starring Tom Arnold, Candace Cameron Bure, Barbara Niven, Christopher Wiehl
Nick Crosby is a family man whose business, Santaland, has been a year-round attraction. His daughter Holly, who played Santa's helper until she grew up, is now a successful businesswoman in the city. She never wants to see another Christmas tree again, but Nick needs her. He's up to his ears in debt, and developers are threatening to demolish Santaland to make way for a mall.
FRIDAY NIGHT PREMIERES
VAATJIE SIEN SY GATFriday 4 December 2009 at 21h00
2008 Directed by Willie Esterhuizen. Starring Andrew Thompson, Carien Botha, Zetske van Pletzen, Paul Slabolepzy, Joey Rasdien
Vaatjie Venter is an amiable, chubby pastry chef, and so good at what he does in the kitchen that he has been selected to attend a master chef course in Paris, France. This doesn't sit well with a jealous classmate, who frames Vaatjie for theft. But things don't improve when Vaatjie's dad gets a lawyer to defend his son in court - seems everyone in South Africa is out to get poor Vaatjie.
JERUSALEMAFriday 11 December 2009 at 21h00
2008 Directed by Ralph Ziman. Starring Rapulana Seiphemo, Ronnie Nyakale, Shelly Meskin, Jeffrey Sekele, Malusi Skenjana
Soweto-born Lucky Kunene is bright and ambitious. When the political promises of 1994 fail to materialise, he embarks on a life of crime, escalating from a car thief into a robber into a hijacker of rundown Hillbrow buildings. But the more money he makes, the more enemies he makes - Nazareth, a former ANC soldier, Tony, a Nigerian druglord, and Blackie, a white detective, are all after him. Eventually Lucky's luck will run out...
HANSIEFriday 18 December 2009 at 21h00
2008 Directed by Regardt van den Bergh. Starring Frank Rautenbach, Sarah Thompson, David Serwood
Frans Cronje, brother of South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje, researched, wrote and produced this film about a sports hero who shocked the world when it emerged that he was involved in match fixing.
The film looks at Hansie's rise to greatness, his relationships with his wife, parents and teammates, his fall, his banning from the game, his journey back to forgiveness and redemption, and the plane crash that ended his life.
WHITE WEDDINGFriday 25 December 2009 at 20h55
2009 Directed by Jann Turner. Starring Kenneth Nkosi, Rapulana Seiphemo, Jodie Whittaker
White Wedding revolves around two best friends, Elvis and Tumi, who become involved in all kinds of shenanigans on their way to Elvis's wedding. The boys lose their car, miss the bus, bump into some eccentric Afrikaners, and flirt with a feisty English woman, but the closer the duo get to the Mother City, the more they discover that they are all members of South Africa's rainbow nation.
SATURDAY NIGHT PREMIERES
CLOSING THE RINGSaturday 5 December 2009 at 20h00
2007 Directed by Richard Attenborough. Starring Mischa Barton, Stephen Amell, Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Neve Campbell, Pete Postlethwaite
It's 1991. In the US, a widow is pensive at the funeral of her husband, a World War II veteran. In Ireland, a man is uncovering the wreck of a World War II plane, hoping to keep a promise to a dying man.
These events seem unrelated, until the camera takes us back in time, to 1941 - to the beautiful Ethel Ann, who has fallen in love with handsome farmer Teddy. But Teddy and his friends, Jack and Chuck, are going off to war, and not all of them will return. The film flips back and forth between two time periods and two countries to tell a love story.
CASINO ROYALESaturday 12 December 2009 at 20h00
2006 Directed by Martin Campbell. Starring Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright
The 007 franchise goes back to the beginning, reinventing Bond as his creator, Ian Fleming, meant him to be a ruthless but vulnerable man who uses his wits and strength, rather than gadgets and fast cars, to get the job done.
Daniel Craig pitches up as a rough-around-the-edges 007 (newly qualified with two kills to his name) to find Le Chiffre, an elusive banker who finances terrorism. Bond's search takes him from the Bahamas to Miami to Montenegro, where he enters a high-stakes poker game with Le Chiffre and other billionaires, and falls in love with the beautiful, sassy Vesper Lynd.
SAFE HARBOURSaturday 19 December 2009 at 20h00
2009 Directed by Jerry Jameson. Starring Treat Williams, Nancy Travis, Charlie McDermott, Reiley McClendon, Cameron Monaghan
A married couple is about to realise their dream - a sailing trip around the world - when a judge asks them to take care of two juvenile delinquents. Before long, Doug and Bobbie Smith are looking after four troubled boys, and dealing with all the challenges involved.
Slowly, the misfits begin to fit in, leaving their foster parents to ask themselvesh is a sailing trip really our dream, or is it providing a safe harbour for boys in trouble? An inspirational film based on a true story.
PERFECT HOLIDAYSaturday 26 December 2009 at 21h30
2007 Directed by Lance Rivera. Starring Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Faizon Love
Benjamin is an aspiring songwriter who attempts to break into the music business by giving a copy of his recording track of a Christmas album to a hip hop artist named J-Jizzy.
Nancy is a divorced mother, who is too busy taking care of her three children to take care of herself. Her daughter Emily overhears her mother say that she wished for a compliment from a man, and the daughter tells the local mall's Santa Claus about her mother's wish.
The Santa Claus turns out to be Benjamin, who notices Nancy. Eventually, the two start to date and end up falling in love without Ben realizing that Nancy's ex-husband is J-Jizzy.