TV film fare -- week of Aug. 5, 2018

NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Aug. 5. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence, and sexual situations.

Sunday, Aug. 5, 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Mary of Scotland" (1936). Literate adaptation of Maxwell Anderson's play recounting the political intrigues against Scotland's Catholic Queen Mary Stuart (Katharine Hepburn), driving her protector Bothwell (Fredric March) into exile and Mary to the execution block under England's Queen Elizabeth (Florence Eldridge). Director John Ford puts a fine cast through their dramatic set pieces, with occasional flourishes of pageantry to supply the historical atmosphere. Stylized violence and complicated motivations make it unlikely fare for young children. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Tuesday, Aug. 7, 6:15-8 p.m. EDT (TCM) "The Milky Way" (1936). Deft comedy in which a meek milkman (Harold Lloyd) turns prizefighter after a newspaper mistakenly reports he knocked out the middleweight champ (William Gargan), then comes to believe he's invincible in the ring when his devious manager (Adolphe Menjou) pays his opponents to take a dive. Directed by Leo McCarey, the amusing proceedings make good use of Lloyd's mastery of visual comedy as well as the comic abilities of a fine supporting cast. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Part of an all-day marathon of Lloyd films, beginning 6 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 7, and ending 6 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Aug. 8.)

Wednesday, Aug. 8, 6:45-9 p.m. EDT (Showtime) "The Hunt for Red October" (1990). Cold War thriller based on Tom Clancy's novel tracks the near clash of U.S. and U.S.S.R. submarines in the Atlantic when a maverick Soviet sub captain (Sean Connery) plots to defect. Director John McTiernan captivates viewers with the suspenseful story, fine ensemble cast and masterful production design without resorting to gratuitous violence for thrills and chills. Some intense menace and climactic violence. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, Aug. 11, 8-9:55 p.m. EDT (HBO) "Murder on the Orient Express" (2017). Sleek ensemble whodunit, set in the 1930s, presents Agatha Christie's famed Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh who also directed), with an array of plausible suspects after a gangster (Johnny Depp) meets a grisly end on the luxurious train of the title. As Poirot questions the victim's secretary (Josh Gad), butler (Derek Jacobi) and fellow passengers -- most prominently, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz and Willem Dafoe -- religious undertones are interwoven into a narrative that raises significant moral issues. Like the crime itself, and an earlier tragedy to which it seems to be tied, these ethical questions are unsuitable for kids. But Branagh's take on this classic tale, made into a 1974 film by Sidney Lumet, is sufficiently restrained in other respects as to be possibly acceptable for older adolescents. A vengeance theme, scenes of violence, some gory images, a couple of uses of profanity, a few milder oaths, occasional sexual references. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Saturday, Aug. 11, 9:40-11:50 p.m. EDT (Cinemax) "He's Just Not That Into You" (2009). A gaggle of Baltimore yuppies portrayed by Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson and Justin Long is schooled in the rules allegedly governing modern-day romance in this glossy ensemble comedy-drama. Director Ken Kwapis bathes his cast in a pleasing golden light but the stilted material, taken from a book penned by two "Sex and the City" writers, is too often unflattering. While traditional values are affirmed eventually, the characters regularly act in morally dubious ways that are contrary to their better natures. Frequent sexual references, some nonexplicit sexual encounters, including the adulterous and out-of-wedlock variety, a story line centered on cohabitation, frequent crude language, an instance of rough language, a few scatological references. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.