THE DOCTOR BLAKE MYSTERIES - ABC1, 8.30pm
There's something extra intriguing about murder mysteries set in a simpler times. And, of course, the costuming and scenery from yesteryear only add a sense of appeal. But we all know although circumstances might look idyllic and charming, there's always something sinister bubbling beneath the surface of small-town 1950s Ballarat in this refined Aussie drama. Tonight, something has gone terribly wrong at a picnic when a well-dressed man is found dead in the town's picturesque botanical gardens. As Dr Lucien Blake (Craig McLachlan) tries to find clues in the man's mysterious past, his own murky history becomes an issue.
ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY - 7TWO, 8.30pm
For many people, escaping to the country would be their personal nightmare. While many equate space, rolling hills and farmyard fences as bliss, a lot of people need an abundance of cafes and restaurants at their doorstep to feel alive. But not the people property guru Jules Hudson deals with in this show. In tonight's fresh episode of the British series, Jules is in the Lakes District with a keen couple looking for a rural oasis to craft their dream bed and breakfast business. On top of their wish list is a period property, with "character" - of course. More often than not the illusive "character" calls for big dollars, but will their pockets be deep enough?
TOWER HEIST (2011) (M) - SEVEN, 8.30pm
Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck. Unfortunately the star power of Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy can't overcome a pretty lame script. When apartment building manager Josh Kovacs (Stiller) finds out he and his employees have fallen foul of a Ponzi scheme run by one of the tenants, he confronts the perpetrator, losing his temper and his job in the process. Keen to get their money back, Kovacs, along with two other disgruntled former employees and an evicted tenant known as Slide (Murphy), plans a heist on the con man's 20th floor apartment, where they believe he has stashed $20 million. You'll feel like you had two hours stolen from you by the end.
BURGLAR (1987) - NINE, 1.00pm
Whoopi Goldberg, Bobcat Goldthwait, G.W. Bailey. Whoopi Goldberg comedies are usually a hit-and-miss affair. This misses by a country mile. Who would buy Goldberg as a retired burglar framed for murder, who needs the assistance of Bobcat Goldthwait (Zed from the Police Academy films) to bail her out? The laughs could have come from anywhere, and are seemingly handcuffed to the story as an afterthought. Only if you're desperate.
JUST GO WITH IT (2011) - NINE, 8.30pm
Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker. Plastic surgeon Danny (Adam Sandler) has a foolproof method of attracting women but avoiding commitment: always wear a wedding ring. But when the young beauty he falls for, Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), discovers the ring, he quickly finds himself needing a wife so he can assure Palmer he's about to close the book on divorce proceedings. The scene is set for a comically outrageous farce when Danny convinces his nurse, Katherine (Jennifer Aniston), to play the part of his wife as they all go on holiday to Hawaii. But director Dennis Dugan (Happy Gilmore) turns what should be a silly romp into painfully earnest pap. Keep an eye out for Nicole Kidman in a cheeky cameo.
THUMBSUCKER (2005) - NINE, 1.00am
Lou Pucci, Tilda Swinton, Vincent D'Onofrio. Going deeper than most teen movies dare, Thumbsucker moves through the highs and deep lows of growing up. The debut feature of music video specialist Mike Mills, it is a familiar journey into the adolescent misery of 17-year-old Justin (Lou Taylor Pucci), as he tries to break his thumb-sucking habit. Trapped by his insecurities, Justin reverts to the childhood habit that infuriates his ex-jock father (Vincent D'Onofrio). Pucci is excellent in his debut role, though it is Keanu Reeves' turn as Justin's orthodontist that steals the show. With a cast including Tilda Swinton and Vince Vaughn, this is a 21st-century coming-of-age classic.
GODZILLA (1998) - 7MATE, 6.30pm
Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo. Co-writer and director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Patriot) updates the 1955 Japanese monster flick for the meat-and-potatoes audience - replacing men in rubber suits with 1998's best in special effects, transposing the setting to New York and raising the decibel level to intolerable. There is little to redeem this vapid "high concept" blockbuster, whose weaknesses are many. Among the listless cast, Jean Reno is the only actor to come away unscathed. A limp, would-be spectacular.
THE GOLDEN COMPASS (2007) - GO!, 5.00pm
Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Eva Green. In the tradition of fantasy franchises comes this visually exciting adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials novels. Set in a Victorian-looking alternative universe, the titular compass device - the Alethiometer, which allows people to see between parallel worlds - is banned by the ruling Magisterium. When young Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) is given an Alethiometer by a friend (Daniel Craig), she finds links between missing children, the dogmatic Magisterium and a new acquaintance (Nicole Kidman). Despite a confusing plot, there's plenty to enjoy, including the voices of Sir Ian McKellen, Eva Green and Sam Elliott.
A CINDERELLA STORY (2004) - GO!, 7.20pm
Hilary Duff, Jennifer Coolidge, Chad Michael Murray. The slipper of yore is replaced by a mobile phone as the Cinderella fairytale is transplanted to modern-day California, where dorky, hard-working teen Samantha (Hilary Duff) falls for a boy online. Little does she realise the object of her affection is the school hunk (Chad Michael Murray). Its best moments usually involve Jennifer Coolidge (Stifler's mum from American Pie) as Samantha's evil, Botox-addicted stepmother. Pleasantly done, but lacking some special fairy dust to set it apart from other teen-oriented tales.
TAMARA DREWE (2010) - GO!, 9.20pm
Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Dominic Cooper. Country life is never as simple as it seems. Tamara Drewe - based on the comic strip of the same name - introduces us to a variety of characters who seem intent on complicating their lives. Tamara (Gemma Arterton) returns to her home town after her mother dies to sell the family home. Her arrival sets off a chain of events that will change the quiet town forever, and while Tamara seems intent on seducing as many men as she possibly can, including rock star Ben (Dominic Cooper) and married Nicholas (Roger Allam), it's local boy Andy (Luke Evans) who has the greatest designs on her. Her conquests spark some nasty jealousy with the women in the town and the drama these characters generate is addictive. Fans of subtle British humour will find plenty to like here.
ANGELS & DEMONS (2009) - GEM, 8.30pm
Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard. Much more entertaining than The Da Vinci Code (2006), this adaptation of Dan Brown's prequel also stars Tom Hanks as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. With tongue appropriately in cheek, Langdon teams up with Italian scientist Vittoria Ventri (Ayelet Zurer) to thwart a diabolical plan of the shady Illuminati society. Also with Ewan McGregor, it's top-notch nonsense.
BIG (1988) - ELEVEN, 8.30pm
Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard. Tom Hanks gives a superlative performance as an early teen in the body of a grown man (the result of a fairground wish machine) in director Penny Marshall's sentimental ode to the trials of growing up. The movie's magic can be attributed to Hanks's engaging antics and Marshall's eschewal of cliche and titillation. The toy store sequence where Hanks and boss Robert Loggia perform Chopsticks on a foot piano is a classic.
