If BC on TV could be sure of English subtitles, the Hungarian creature thriller/ drama/ fable/morality tale, White Dog (9pm FoxCin) would have taken the top slot because it has never been picked before. The HBO & Cinemax programming remained unavailable up to decision time, severely limiting the choice, but the evergreen and ever-dependable old movie channels came to the rescue big time.

Today’s number one film:

*The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme/ 1991/ USA / Thriller/ 118 mins/ R), 3.15pm Fox Movies BEST FILM OF THE DAY. Watch this if you liked Manhunter, Psycho or Se7en. Though it perhaps – and only “perhaps” – has a lower make-you-jump scare count than Manhunter, the first movie based on the “Hannibal Lecter” books, The Silence of the Lambs is a top-notch thriller that changed the way crime films were made. The best modern thrillers, like Prisoner, trace their roots back to it. The film has such huge atmosphere you almost don’t need the two awesome performances from Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. The cage-to-elevator-to-ambulance scenes alone make the whole film worthwhile. Of course you have to come to terms with the extremely challenging concept of a cannibal – someone who eats human beings - being a “star”, but that’s a piece of cake in the age of Quentin Tarantino/moral relativism.

Also watch:

Tags: Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, The Hurt Locker, The Silence of the Lambs