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| Life Is Not A Competition But I'm Winning Photo: Courtesy of Venice Film Festival |
With a release perfectly timed to coincide with the Olympic Games, this thought-provoking documentary from Julia Fuhr Mann invites us to consider the historic bias against exceptional female, Black and LGBTQ+ athletes.The German director’s film, which includes the insertion of modern athletes into historic footage, scrutinises the way that excelling is celebrated when a white male athlete is doing it but has frequently erased from the record books when it is anybody else. The bias dates back to the Olympics itself, when its founder declared: “Female athletes act against the law of nature.” Fuhr Mann told us: “The goal was a little bit that the spectators start to question the categories.” It’s a goal she certainly achieves.
Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam, Netflix, streaming now
We don’t include series in the Stay-at-Home but this three-part documentary is well worth a look. Fans of Nineties boy bands like The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC will be particularly in their element with this consideration of the global success of Lou Pearlman and the massive fraud he was running behind the scenes. Featuring a wealth of footage from the bands as up-and-comers plus contributions in the present day from the likes of A J McLean and Chris Kirkpatrick (sorry, Timberlake fans, no Justin), it gradually builds a picture not just of the way that Pearlman was financially exploiting the youngsters he made famous but the manner in which he parlayed that into an even bigger Ponzi scam. While not everyone will agree with the deepfakes of Pearlman used to voice words from his guide to business - they are clearly labelled and, to me, it seems a sort of poetic justice that someone who faked it till he made it at a large cost to others should himself be subject to manipulation.
Deadpool 2, 9pm, 4Seven, Tuesday, July 30
With Deadpool & Wolverine currently in cinemas, this screening of the second instalment of the wisecracking mercenary's adventures is aptly timed. Ryan Reynolds reprises what must surely be his favourite role - since he also served up a variation of it in Pokemon Detective. As with most of the MCU sequels, this serves up more of the same while upping the ante. As he finds himself trying to protect a young mutant (Julian Dennison), he assembles a super squad to take on the enjoyably gruff Cable (Josh Brolin). The jokes and action come thick and fast and there’s even a note of poignancy, although that’s soon kicked into touch. After all, you come to Deadpool for the punchlines not the emotional punch.
Tremors, 11.10pm, ITV4, Tuesday, July 30
Creature features don't come much more endearing than Roy Underwood's horror comedy about a desert town under siege from giant sandworms. Screenwriters SS Wilson, Brent Maddock hit the sweet spot between scares and smiles and Kevin Bacon leads from the front as odd-job man Earl, affably riffing off Fred Ward as his pal Earl. Underwood understands what made all those Fifties B-movies tick and employs all the familiar elements here, letting the characters' relationships blossom as the tension mounts without letting the comedy slacken.
The Song Of The Sea, 12.45pm, Film4, Wednesday, July 31
Tomm Moore’s animations - which also include The Secret Of Kells and Wolfwalkers are distinctive in style and rooted in the sort of myths that youngsters will find beguiling. Young Ben may be jealous of his sister Saorise but when they find themselves on adventure trying to get home, it turns out there is more to the little girl than meets the eye. Moore draws on the ebb and flow of the sea so that the same feeling runs through his animation, as he weaves a tale of adventure that carries with it danger and laughter while also considering complex emotions in a way that younger audiences can enjoy.
The Thing, 11.25pm, Film4, Saturday, August 3
When it comes to disturbing horror monsters and film tension that barely slackens for a second, James Carpenter's remake of The Thing From Another World (also well worth a watch and available on BBC iPlayer) is right up there with Alien. Kurt Russell stars as helicopter pilot MacReady on an Antarctic expedition that's about to find itself in all kinds of bloody trouble courtesy of a shape-shifting alien. Beginning with a hell of a chase scene, soon paranoia and madness beckon as the men try to stay alive against an increasingly nightmarish foe. Those of a delicate sensibility should note that Carpenter doesn't hold back but, if you like that sort of thing, this film is all the better for it.
All The President’s Men, 10.30pm, BBC2, Sunday, August 4
Alan J Pakula's classic offers a gripping take on how Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) broke the story of the Watergate scandal was made in collaboration with Woodward and Bernstein and really gets down to the nitty-gritty of piecing together the puzzle behind the story. While Redford and Hoffman need no introduction, the strength of the cast runs wide and deep, also including great turns from the likes of Ned Beatty, Jane Alexander and Hal Halbrook. An adult treatment of an adult subject that celebrates the less glamorous side of investigative reporting.
This week’s short selection is Giulio Mastromauro’s Timo’s Winter (Inverno), which sees a young boy face a hard winter.
