MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, 1978
Sunday, 2:30 a.m., TCM (Everett Collection)
MOMMIE DEAREST, 1981
Tuesday, 8 p.m., Sundance (
)
NATIONAL TREASURE, 2004
Friday, 8 p.m., TNT (
)
The Social Network, 2011
Sunday, 3 p.m., FMC
Aaron Sorkin’s mostly true story of how one socially inept Harvard student created the biggest social media site in the world connecting millions upon millions of people. It begins with angry student Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), who decides to create a site cribbing other people’s ideas to create Facebook, which was initially intended to rank female students by their looks. While becoming a bazillionaire, he alienates everyone close to him. With Justin Timberlake and Armie Hammer.
Midnight Express, 1978
Sunday, 2:30 a.m., TCM
If you’ve never seen this true tale, then you’ve never known true movie terror. Brad Davis plays Billy Hayes (who also co-wrote the Oscar-winning script with Oliver Stone), a young Long Islander who gets caught trying to smuggle two kilos of hashish out of Istanbul. After railing against prison torture and an attempted rape by a sadistic guard, he plans an escape. Harrowing. With John Hurt.
Mommie Dearest, 1981
Tuesday, 8 p.m., Sundance
Now for harrowing, on American soil. The also true story of the terrible abusive treatment by Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway) of her adopted daughter Christina (played by Mara Hobel, as a child). Campy to the nth degree? You bet. In fact, Dunaway won a Razzie as the worst actress of the year. The last laugh’s on them. Movie cost $5 mil to make, grossed nearly $40 million. With Diana Scarwid as the grown-up Christina.
National Treasure, 2004
Friday, 8 p.m., TNT
NIcolas Cage has a ball as a treasure hunter with a cornball name — Benjamin Franklin Gates — who is on the hunt for a war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers. Meanwhile, the FBI is also interested in finding the chest. With personal fave Sean Bean, Diane Kruger, Harvey Keitel and Jon Voight. Lotsa fun.