Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, The Princess Blade, SBS, Thurs, 10.30pm:

This cult Japanese action drama has a certain poetry, with beautiful cinematography and great sword fight scenes. Set in the future, it's still full of ancient Japanese traditions and loyalties. Princess Yuki (pop starlet Yumiko Shaku) is the last of a long line of former Mikado guards who've turned hired assassins. A ding dong battle between good versus evil ensues.

The Ashes, Fri, 7.30pm:

Day two and what chances the tail end is the only thing keeping the Aussies in the match. The series has been a great battle. But if Punter's team wins and retains the Ashes, then what's he going to whinge about?

Duets, Prime, Sat, 9.25pm:

Gwyneth Paltrow's dad, Bruce, directed this sloppy, indifferent road flick about six battlers gathering in Omaha for a karaoke showdown. It only shows why Mrs Coldplay, as a karaoke hustler's (Huey Lewis) daughter, went into acting rather than singing.

Strange Bedfellows, NBN, Sun, 8.30pm:

If there anything funnier than pretending to be gay to rort the system while doing you best to preserve your very masculine dignity? Veteran actor Michael Caton and Paul Hogan grapple with whether it's worse to be a tax cheat or a friend of Elton John is this raucous farce, which survives on Caton's laconic talent. Pete Postlethwaite deadpans the tax official on their backs, so to speak.

Oil Storm, Prime, Sun, 8.30pm:

A spookily prescient C-grade movie about how a hurricane hits the US east coast, king-hitting the nation's oil supply. Sound familiar? The only difference is the government isn't as clueless and useless.

Blackjack III - in the money, Ten, Sun, 9.30pm:

Colin Friels delivers another enjoyable performance as the chilled plod keeping, or is it bumbling, one step ahead of the crims and his superiors. This time he's got to discover the real culprit behind a 12-year-old murder. It's a good Aussie tele-movie that's evolving into a bit of a series.

Drinking for England, SBS, Tues, 10pm:

And won't the Poms be doing just that if they win the Ashes. This sobering doco follows a number of serious boozers as they pursue their favourite tipple, whether it's a G&T sipping retiree, young girls out on the town and the turps, or a heavy sherry hitter who kicks her habit, bringing her son back into focus.

Bob the Builder, ABC, Tues, 8am:

No it's not a doco on the useless former premier who went off to sip chardonnay while Alstonville waits for a bypass (Labor's election motto is going to be "Can you fix it? No, but we can stuff it up!"). This is the far more enjoyable and catchy children's show in a new series.

Catalyst: Body hits, ABC, Thurs, 8pm:

From bottom burps to body odour and bad breath, the body has some nasty smells. This episode explores whether we can do anything about it, aside from mints and deodorant.