Movies
The Best Films On TV Over Easter
Published Friday, Mar 21 2008, 08:00 GMT | By Simon Reynolds
One of the great things about Easter - apart from getting time off work and stuffing your face with chocolate - is seeing the TV schedules fill up with films.
DS takes a look at some of the cinematic highlights over the Easter weekend, including family classics, comedy gems and blockbuster thrill rides.
Good Friday - March 21
Being as it's Friday, the BBC has cunningly dropped Lindsay Lohan's body-swap comedy Freaky Friday (BBC One, 2.35pm) into proceedings. The Disney film is followed up with another House of Mouse offering in the form of High School Musical 2 (BBC One 4.05pm). The brilliant disaster movie spoof Airplane! (Five, 5.30pm) is worth a look for those after some belly laughs, while Hot Fuzz (Sky Comedy, 8pm) would complete a perfect Good Friday comedy double-bill.
Those looking for something a bit more grown up should flick over to catch Speed couple Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves reunite in weepy The Lake House (Sky Drama, 6.15pm).
Saturday - March 22
It wouldn't quite feel like Easter without an appearance from 007. Fortunately, ITV1 has spared us the raised eyebrow prowess of Roger Moore and is serving up Tomorrow Never Dies (3.10pm). Toy Story 2 (5.40pm, BBC One) is one of the few film sequels that is better than its predecessor, so catching up with Woody and Buzz is the perfect holiday present. Alternatively, The Day After Tomorrow (Channel 4, 8.15pm) presents a chilling vision of the ecological apocalypse.
Later, two vastly different films starring two of Hollywood's A-list leading ladies compete for your attention. For corsets and prim English accents, tune into ITV1 at 9.25pm to see Keira Knightley in Pride & Prejudice. Over on TCM, catch Nicole Kidman getting terrorised on a boat in the tense Australian thriller Dead Calm.
Easter Sunday - March 23
Five has a cracking double-bill on Easter Sunday - start off down the Yellow Brick Road with The Wizard of Oz (3.25pm) then finish with Tim Burton's whimsical and heart-warming Big Fish.
Two comedies face off at 9pm with Little Miss Sunshine offering a quirky look at a dysfunctional American family on Sky Indie. Frat Pack comedy Wedding Crashers airs on Film4, meanwhile, with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in raucous form. If the frat pack isn't to your liking then Ocean's Eleven (ITV1, 10.15pm) features George, Brad, Matt and company recreating Frank Sinatra's famous '60s Brat Pack in Steven Soderbergh's frothy heist film.
Bank Holiday Monday – March 24
Monday kicks off with a classic Western that was recently dusted down and given a new lease of life. Glenn Ford and Van Heflin patiently wait for the 3:10 to Yuma at 12.45pm on BBC Two. Ben-Hur (Five, 3pm) continues Easter Monday's theme of classic cinema while Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Sky Family, 8pm) provides eye-popping visual effects and Johnny Depp's Keith Richards-esque Jack Sparrow.
Steve Spielberg makes a belated holiday appearance with the hugely entertaining Catch Me If You Can (BBC 1, 8.30pm). Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks are on form as a con artist and FBI Agent engaged in an intricate game of cat and mouse. As Easter draws to a close Mel Gibson reminds is about Jesus by portraying his brutal portrayal last hours in The Passion of the Christ (Channel 4, 10.35pm). No prizes for guessing how the film ends.
DS takes a look at some of the cinematic highlights over the Easter weekend, including family classics, comedy gems and blockbuster thrill rides.
Good Friday - March 21

Those looking for something a bit more grown up should flick over to catch Speed couple Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves reunite in weepy The Lake House (Sky Drama, 6.15pm).
Saturday - March 22

Later, two vastly different films starring two of Hollywood's A-list leading ladies compete for your attention. For corsets and prim English accents, tune into ITV1 at 9.25pm to see Keira Knightley in Pride & Prejudice. Over on TCM, catch Nicole Kidman getting terrorised on a boat in the tense Australian thriller Dead Calm.
Easter Sunday - March 23

Two comedies face off at 9pm with Little Miss Sunshine offering a quirky look at a dysfunctional American family on Sky Indie. Frat Pack comedy Wedding Crashers airs on Film4, meanwhile, with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in raucous form. If the frat pack isn't to your liking then Ocean's Eleven (ITV1, 10.15pm) features George, Brad, Matt and company recreating Frank Sinatra's famous '60s Brat Pack in Steven Soderbergh's frothy heist film.
Bank Holiday Monday – March 24

Steve Spielberg makes a belated holiday appearance with the hugely entertaining Catch Me If You Can (BBC 1, 8.30pm). Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks are on form as a con artist and FBI Agent engaged in an intricate game of cat and mouse. As Easter draws to a close Mel Gibson reminds is about Jesus by portraying his brutal portrayal last hours in The Passion of the Christ (Channel 4, 10.35pm). No prizes for guessing how the film ends.
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