Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, One Day in September, SBS, Sun, 8.30pm

Not the September many think of this week, but 31 years earlier when Palestinian terrorists seized 17 Israeli hostages, including 11 athletes, at the Munich Olympic games. This is a chilling but totally compelling documentary about what happened, told in intimate and frightening detail. It's a story about how terrorism is nothing new, how incompetent and clueless the security forces can be and the arrogance of the Olympic movement, which was happy to continue playing sport while the world watched horrified. It's a tragedy all around.

The Wizard of Oz, Prime, Sat, 6.30pm

Judy Garland shines in this 64-year-old classic. Just click your heels and enjoy the nostalgia.

Morning Glory, ABC, Sat, 10.15pm

: This crusty 1933 drama about a naïve actress hoping to find fame and fortune in the Big Apple isn't anything outstanding, but it does star a young Katherine Hepburn, with Douglas Fairbanks Jr, and earned Hepburn her first Oscar.

The Adventures of Robin Hood, Prime, Sun, 2pm

It's a big weekend for 30s movies, and this Errol Flynn swashbuckler is no exception. It's a spectacular film (and one of the first in colour), with plenty of great performances from the likes of Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marion, and bad dudes like Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains.

The Rules of Engagement, NBN, Sun, 8.30pm

Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones) and Childers (Samuel L Jackson) are old Marine buddies from their 'Nam days. Since then, they gone their separate ways. Hodges is a lawyer and Childers has risen through the ranks, until he's sent to Yemen as a troubleshooter who ends up in big trouble for shooting civilians. So guess who he calls to defend him when the political odds are stacked against him? It's a cracker military courtroom drama, well crafted and performed.

American Pie - Uncut, Ten, Sun, 9pm

Given the tone of this witless romp about four teenagers hell bent on losing their virginity, one hesitates to ponder what's uncut. The apple pie perhaps? The bits previously removed for more sensitive souls remain, not that this gross out rubbish is any the better for it.

Dr Who, ABC, Mon-Thurs, 6pm

It's sobering to realise this landmark sci fi soapie is 40 years old. Aunty screens the original series, when William Hartnell introduced us to the joys of time travel in the Tardis.

The Dambusters, ABC, Weds, 8.30pm

60 years ago, the crazy idea of engineer Barnes Wallis reached its climax when Lancaster bombers demolished the industrial heart of Germany by knocking out two massive dams. The surviving airmen, with help from reconstructions, bring this dramatic tale to life. It's an amazing war story.

Kath and Kim, ABC, Thurs, 8.30pm

The new series finally begins with newlyweds Kath and Kel discovering marriage makes connubials hard work, especially when Kim's obsessed with being effluent.

The Guinea Pig Club, ABC, Thurs, 10pm

This inspiring WWII story about two pioneering plastic surgeons who managed to cajole horribly burned and broken airmen back to life is a remarkable tale. They saved many lives by giving these men the courage to live.