Predator (dir: John McTiernan, 1985, cert 15)
Schwarzenegger’s relentless alien in the jungle romp is littered with stunning action set pieces, glorious explosions, an iconic adversary and some classic Arnieisms. “Stick around”, after nailing a baddie to the wall with a knife and our all time favourite, “get to the chopper”.
Tue 20 Mar 7.30pm at Kitchen Garden Cafe, 17 York Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7SA £5 www.wegottickets.com

Stray Dog (dir: Akira Kurosawa, 1949, cert PG)
Any collaboration between legendary director Akira Kurosawa and iconic actor Toshiro Mifune, and there are many, is unmissable. Stray Dog is an electrifying noir and forerunner to the modern police procedural that features Mifune as a rookie cop who, rather than face the shame of losing his gun to a pickpocket, sinks into the sordid criminal underworld of post-war Japan to recover it. A Cinematic Time Machine screening.
Wed 21 Mar 8pm at The Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £10.50 www.theelectric.co.uk

Martyrs (dir: Pascal Laugier, 2008, cert 18)
If ever a film could be barometer for a strong stomach then this is it. The gruelling march through its delicately executed physical mutilation aspires to a higher philosophy and art than the tepid drudgery of torture porn borealongs such as Saw and Hostel. Does it succeed? It’s certainly not easily forgotten. We’d give the snacks a miss for this one.
Wed 21 Mar 8.30pm at The Mockingbird, Custard Factory, Gibb St, Birmingham B9 4AA £4 veezi.com

Memoirs of a Murderer (dir: Yu Irie, 2017, cert 18)
A serial killer exploits the statute of limitations and satisfies his hunger for fame by publicly confessing his crimes in a best selling memoir, but all is not as it seems. Yu Irie’s Japanese remake of the Korean original is an effective poke into the nature of celebrity and those who worship it. Grim and very dark in places Memoirs of a Murderer is an effective thriller.
Sat 24 Mar 5.15pm at the mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH £9 macbirmingham.co.uk

A Prominent Patient (dir: Julius Ševčík, 2016, cert 15)
Welcome back to Czech film nights at the refurbished Gunmakers Arms. Things kick off with Julius Ševčík’s biography of politician Jan Garrigue Masaryk, son of Czechoslovakia’s founder Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, as his country is abandoned to Hitler by England and France in the late thirties. Historically ambiguous, is being a diplomat really this much fun? Still a thoughtful and enlightening reflection on a shameful chapter in European relations.
Sat 24 Mar 8pm at The Gunmakers Arms, Bath Street, Birmingham B4 6HG Free www.facebook.com

Sword of the Stranger (dir: Masahiro Ando, 2007, cert 15)
Tenth anniversary screening of Masahiro Ando’s epic anime Sword of the Stranger is filled with sumptuously executed action scenes as young orphan Kotaro flees relentless Ming warriors with the mysterious Ronin Nanashi as his reluctant bodyguard. Epic in grandeur and beautifully animated it is a landmark in animated cinema.
Sun 25 Mar 5.30pm at the mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH £9 macbirmingham.co.uk

Les Enfants Du Paradis (dir: Marcel Carné, 1945, cert PG)
Quite simply one of the greatest films ever made, indeed it was chosen as the best French movie of all time in 1995, Children of Paradise is an astonishing period melodrama, all the more so for being made under the sniffy noses of the occupying Third Reich. Along the Boulevard of Crime, beautiful courtesan Garance is courted by four very different lovers. Such a simple premise and such an exquisitely realised piece of cinema. Truffaut once said “I would give up all my films to have directed Children of Paradise”. François knew a thing or two about filmmaking. A Cinematic Time Machine screening preceded by a brief introduction from B Film academic Russell Jackson.
Sun 25 Mar 1.45pm at The Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £10.50 www.theelectric.co.uk

Also coming this week
Two thought provoking documentaries beginning with the powerful Swedish documentary The Antifascists at Centrala Tuesday, Patrik Öberg’s film explores new strategies for tackling right-wing extremism, and Yellow Wednesday are screening The True Cost, a rigorous examination of the insidious side of High Street fashion, followed by a panel discussion, at Impact Hub.

Birmingham Horror Group are hosting a mini-movie marathon at The Victoria on Sunday evening featuring several short films, many of which feature personal messages from the filmmakers. The enigmatic and learned horror writer Steve Green will be hosting and all proceeds go to Diabetes UK.

Check out our free guide for more film recommendations here.