BASED on a notorious real-life case in which a young woman was gang-raped in a crowded bar, The Accused (World 9.30pm, Original Running Time 111 mins) is one powerhouse of a movie which makes clear stands on crucial social, moral and legal questions, onlyto spoil everything at the end by the inclusion of a rape scene so violent and explicit it is exploitative.
Jodie Foster is riveting - and won an Oscar - as the foul-mouthed victim Sarah Tobias, who's enraged to learn that her attorney Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) has made a deal with the young men involved thus reducing the charge to one of reckless endangerment.
Guilt-ridden, Murphy decides to prosecute the men in the bar who did not take part in the rape, but encouraged it.
Sterling stuff for the most part, but using the rape as a sort of ''grand finale'' is way out of order.
WHEN it was made in 1983, War Games (Pearl 9.30pm, ORT 110 mins) couldn't fail with Pac Man-obsessed teens. In addition, to centring on a kid who taps into the US government early-warning system and nearly starts World War III, it had the added attractionthat every single adult in it is an idiot. Ten years on though, it's showing its age.
The story starts well enough with Dave (Matthew Broderick) tapping into Global Thermonuclear War, believing it's just another variation on Space Invaders, and gleefully planning to nuke Las Vegas. Cue, countdown to Armageddon, but just when it's getting exciting, Hollywood logic enters, and the film sidetracks into teenie romance and pro-humanitarian cliche.
Saturday morning would be a more suitable timeslot.