M-Net Movies launched an Oscars pop-up channel on Channel 109 today (1 February) as a warm-up for the 2018 awards, coming up on 4 March.
The channel features Oscar winning fliks and runs every day of the week until Wednesday, 28 February 2018.
Here's a look what to expect over the weekends:
Friday 2 February 2018
The English Patient at 20:00
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe
Director: Anthony Minghella
A nurse in Italy during World War II stays behind when her mobile medical unit is called upon to move to a new location. She vows to take care of a burnt and disfigured patient, who is not expected to live long. A new arrival casts doubt on the patient’s claim to be suffering from amnesia.
Saturday 3 February 2018
About Schmidt at 12:00
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates
Director: Alexander Payne
Warren Schmidt feels alone in this world after the death of his wife. He embarks on a rather challenging road trip to his estranged daughter’s wedding. It exposes the ideas has had about life to be way off the mark.
Up at 14:15
Cast: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai
Director: Pete Docter
Carl, a childless widower, rekindles a dream of a trip to the South American wild, which he abandoned at the death of Ellie, his long-time partner. By tying millions of balloons to his home, he takes to the air and discovers an uninvited travelling companion.
Arrival at 18:00
Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Spaceships from an unknown planet have landed on earth, and war appears to be unavoidable. A professor of linguistics must find a way to communicate with the invaders to stave off conflict.
Flight at 20:00
Cast: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) saves the lives of 96 passengers and crew with a brilliant crash landing. Or so says the preliminary report. But then the evidence mounts that he was drunk in the cockpit and responsible for the six deaths that occurred.
Hell or High Water at 22:15
Cast: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges
Director: David Mackenzie
Two brothers, Toby and Tanner, resort to bank robbery to save the family farm. Tanner, wild by nature, takes chances that put the operation at risk, despite Toby’s efforts to restrain him. Two Texas Rangers believe they are on the verge of making an arrest.
Sunday 4 February 2018
Gandhi at 11:00
Cast: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Candice Bergen
Director: Richard Attenborough
It is the year 1983. A young Indian in South Africa is made painfully aware of the injustice of society when he is forced to leave the first-class compartment of a train because he isn’t white. It sparks a life-long non-violent battle to eradicate prejudice and inequality.
Happy Feet at 14:15
Cast: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman
Director: George Miller
Each male emperor penguin has a unique song, called a heartsong, with which to woo and conquer a female penguin. But Mumble is different, due to a little accident while he was still in his egg. He cannot sing at all, but his tap-dancing prowess might just yield a surprisingly positive outcome.
Hidden Figures at 16:00
Cast: Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe
Director: Theodore Melfi
Katherine Gobel, a black woman, surprises her NASA bosses with her astonishing mathematical skills, proving that their prejudices are baseless and unfounded. But many racial and gender barriers remain in place – until talent and determination break them down for good.
Toy Story 3 at 18:05
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack
Director: Lee Unkrich
Andy has gotten too old for his toys, and decides to store them in the attic while he attends college, but they accidentally end up in a box headed for the trash heap. They escape, and make their way to a day care centre, where a teddy bear rules with an, um, iron fist.
Manchester by the Sea at 20:00
Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Lee is a handyman who keeps to himself and shows no sign of needing company or friendship. He is rocked by news of his brother’s death – and the fact that he has been appointed guardian to his teenage nephew. Old wounds are ripped open to a heart that will never heal.
Saturday 10 February 2018
Out of Africa at 12:08
Cast: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer
Director: Sydney Pollack
A Danish baroness is not only struggling to adapt to the unexpected troubles she encounters as a plantation owner and philanthropist in colonial Kenya, but is trapped in a loveless marriage. A big-game hunter turns her world upside down.
The King's Speech at 14:54
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Tom Hooper
Prince Albert becomes heir to the British throne when his brother, King Edward, abdicates to marry an American divorcee. Albert fears his stammer will make him the laughing stock of the Kingdom. His wife, Elizabeth, calls upon a famous speech therapist to tackle the problem head-on.
La La Land at 16:52
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt
Director: Damien Chazelle
Los Angeles is a tough city, especially for those who dream of finding fame and fortune there. Two such people, a pianist and an actress, meet and fall in love. Now they must reconcile their dreams and their passion for each other.
Gravity at 19:00
Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Flying debris from the explosion of a Russian satellite smashes into the space shuttle Explorer, leaving its surviving crew members, who had been out on a spacewalk, little chance of returning home safely. They have only each other to rely on.
Schindler's List at 20:30
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley
Director: Steven Spielberg
A factory owner in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II is shocked by the plight of Jews, and sets out to intervene by offering them employment. He manages to save 1 200 lives.
Traffic at 23:50
Cast: Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Director: Steven Soderbergh
A judge who vows to lead a crackdown on drug peddlers and users alike is shocked to find that his own daughter is addicted to crack cocaine. Meanwhile, a key informant has to flee for his life and the wife of a drug lord is drawn into his dirty business while he is serving time in prison.
Sunday 11 February 2018
Girl, Interrupted at 11:20
Cast: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall
Director: James Mangolded
A young girl is admitted to a psychiatric hospital after swallowing a handful of pain tablets. She ends up in a ward filled with people who both repel and fascinate her – and none more so than an angry, mean-spirited girl with whom she forms a powerful bond.
Gone with the Wind at 13:30
Cast: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell
Director: Victor Fleming
A beautiful, strong-willed woman faces the challenges of life bravely, but her love of an unavailable man tears her apart. On the first day of the American Civil War, a stranger arrives unannounced. Nothing will remain the same.
The Aviator at 17:10
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda
Director: Martin Scorsese
Howard Hughes is regarded as a genius. He is not only a daring pilot, but has also created a cinematic masterpiece, Hell’s Angels. But as is so often the case, the brilliant mind is haunted by mental illness that threatens to push him over the edge.
Fences at 20:00
Director: Denzel Washington
Cast: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson
A man whose dreams of football glory was crushed by racism allows his bitterness to deny his son the opportunities he had missed out on. It threatens to tear the family apart.
Precious at 22:20
Cast: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton
Director: Lee Daniels
Fate has never been kind to Precious, a black American teen. She has repeatedly been raped by her otherwise absent father, twice becoming pregnant as a result. He mother holds her responsible and showers her with abuse. A gentle teacher sets out to help her recover from the traumas.
Friday 16 February 2017
An Officer and a Gentleman at 22:05
Cast: Richard Gere, Debra Winger, Louis Gossett Jr
Director: Taylor Hackford
A navy brat who seems to lack the discipline to become and officer and aviator is swept off his feet by a beautiful girl. He will have to make tough decisions regarding his future, or risk losing both his paramour and his military career.
Saturday 17 February 2017
Ordinary People at 11:30
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton
Director: Robert Redford
The death of the first-born son in a well-to-do family sends the lives of his family members – an embittered mother, a soft-hearted father and a guilt-ridden brother – to the brink of collapse.
All the President’s Men at 18:00
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein accidentally discover that what appears to be a minor break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters is linked to an effort by the rival Republicans to cover up a massive unlawful conspiracy.
Little Miss Sunshine at 20:15
Cast: Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin
Directors: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Olive is six years old and aspires to become a beauty queen. She is thrilled to learn she has qualified to take part in the Little Miss Sunshine contest. The only way to make it there on time, is to bundle the whole family into their VW van and hit the road. California, here we come!
Inglourious Basterds at 22:00
Cast: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth
Director: Quentin Tarantino
A Nazi war hero takes an interest in Shosanna Dreyfus, a Jewish refugee whose family was killed before her eyes. She sees an opportunity for revenge and arranges a screening at her movie theatre that will be attended by Nazi leaders. Then the Inglourious Basterds step in.
Sunday 18 February 2017
The Colour of Money at 11:00
Cast: Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Director: Martin Scorsese
Eddie Felson’s pool hustling days are over. When he meets a flamboyant amateur, who works in a toy store, he persuades him and his girlfriend to join him on the road and make some serious money as a pool hustler.
Scent of a Woman at 13:00
Cast: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn
Director: Martin Brest
A teenager from a poor neighbourhood faces a moral dilemma: he must either snitch on his fellow students or face an abrupt end to his dreams of gaining entry to Harvard. An unexpected trip to New York with an irascible blind former soldier confirms that his morals are indiputable.
Ray at 15:35
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington
Director: Taylor Hackford
Ray Charles’s life was a struggle from the start. He was raised on a sharecropping plantation and went blind shortly after witnessing his brother’s death. His progress in the music industry was hampered by heroin addiction before he developed the style that rocketed him to world fame.
Crazy Heart at 18:05
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell
Director: Scott Cooper
Bad Blake’s days as a country music hero are long gone and now he struggles to eke out an existence. On top of that, he has given up on love. A young journalist encourages him to take a long, hard look at the man he has become.
Training Day at 20:00
Cast: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Tom Berenger, Scott Glenn
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Rookie cop Jake Hoyt is keen to join the elite narcotics squad of the LAPD, but during a day-long trial alongside a seasoned veteran, Sergeant Alonzo Harris, he sees he is being set up by his crooked would-be mentor to take the blame for a heinous crime.
The Revenant at 22:00
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson
Director: Alejandro G Iñárritu
Frontiersman Hugh Glass survives an ambush by an Indian tribe as well as an attack by a grizzly. Members of his hunting expedition leave him for dead, and he must find his way back to safety on his own – and track down the man who betrayed him.
Saturday 24 February 2018
As Good as it Gets at 12:15
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear
Director: James L Brooks
Melvin is a great novelist who hates more or less everybody and suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. His perfectly structured life is turned on its head by a shocking incident... and then Carol, the only person who can tolerate his behaviour, has to move away to take care of her son.
Silver Linings Playbook at 14:35
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro
Director: David O Russell
Pat, a teacher, returns after eight months of treatment for bipolar disorder. He wants to win back his wife, even though she had cheated on him, thus sparking an attack on her lover, which resulted in his confinement. Then a young widow enters his life and promises to help him in his quest.
Erin Brockovich at 16:40
Cast: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, David Brisbin
Director: Steven Soderbergh
A legal secretary with no formal legal training becomes aware of an energy company’s disregard for the environment, dumping toxic waste with impunity. Almost single-handedly, she brings them to book.
The Blind Side at 18:50
Cast: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw
Director: John Lee Hancock
Homeless youngster Michael Oher seems to face a life of hardship. But he has grit and determination, and the belief of a caring family helps him overcome his difficult childhood and become a football star.
Black Swan at 21:00
Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Nina is a dancer who lives her dream when she becomes a contender for a leading role in Swan Lake. She forms a startling connection with her main competitor, as each seems to embody the disparate traits of the White Swan and the Black Swan. Has she met her evil twin?
Room at 22:50
Cast: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Jack is a five-year-old boy held captive along with his loving mother in a single room, which he believes is the only life there is. His perceptions are changed irrevocably, and his mom devises a risky escape.
Sunday 25 February 2018
All About Eve at 12:35
Cast: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
A young aspiring actress befriends her idol, becomes part of her circle of friends, and slowly but surely starts making moves to replace her in a stage play. Only the director sees through her evil plot.
The Artist at 15:00
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Silent film hero George Valentin’s popularity is slipping while his protégé, Peppy Miller, rises to superstardom. George simply cannot understand why directors no longer cast him as romantic lead. Everyone around him has a pretty good idea, but no one says a word.
The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King at 16:40
Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett
Director: Peter Jackson
The end is in sight for Frodo and Sam’s treacherous journey to Mount Doom, the only place where the One Ring can be destroyed. Meanwhile, dark lord Sauron is forging a plan to claim Minas Tirath, the capital of Gondor. War is imminent.
Argo at 20:00
Cast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman
Director: Ben Affleck
Iranian militants invade the American Embassy in their country and take several hostages. Some escape and find refuge in the Canadian Embassy, but they remain in mortal danger. Then a film crew pretending to shoot a sci-fi film enters the country with the purpose of staging a great escape.
Gladiator at 22:00
Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed
Director: Ridley Scott
Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) is a general in the Roman army who is betrayed by the emperor’s son and condemned to be a slave. The only way he can regain his honour and freedom, and take revenge on his conqueror, is by becoming the greatest gladiator of them all.
Shakespeare in Love at 00:35
Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush
Director: John Madden
William Shakespeare is suffering from writer’s block - and a deadline is looming. Then he meets a beautiful young woman and is instantly smitten. The words start gushing forth.