Five fabulous flicks (plus two!) to watch August 14-20

Touching drama, silly zombie confrontations and X-Men — there are plenty of great films this week! All times ET.

Aug. 14
A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
“What happens to a dream deferred?” asked Langston Hughes, poet of the Harlem Renaissance. Lorraine Hansberry provided an answer in her play about a young, struggling African-American family and their turn of fortune when a large insurance payout offers the chance to change their future together. Starring Sidney Poitier in one of many career-defining roles, this is a timeless look at the grit-filled pursuit of the American dream. TCM, 8pm

August 15
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Simon Pegg stars as an aimless British electronics store clerk who tries to reconcile with his girlfriend and his mum, while struggling to keep zombies out of his favorite pub. Hilarious and terrifying (often at the same time), this is a film best seen with your own mates, maybe over a couple of pints. Comedy Central, 5:30pm

Aug. 17
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
With a cure for mutation in the hands of human scientists, the X-Men and their kind could be at the brink of extinction, and the tension between Professor Xavier’s X-Men and the mutants of the Brotherhood reaches new heights … especially when Jean Grey rises again as the uncontrollable Dark Phoenix. X marks the spot, and for X-Men fans, this hits it as well. FX, 8pm

Aug. 18
Wonder Boys (2000)
Academic life isn’t any easier for the professor than it is for the student — especially if you’re Professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas). Once a “wonder boy” seemingly with the whole world at his feet, his current bout of writer’s block has stalled the development of what should have been his latest, greatest book, and at the same time his personal life is out of control. His third wife has just left him, he’s managed to impregnate the chancellor of his university — his department chair’s wife (Frances McDormand) — and his own protégé, James Leer (Tobey Maguire) has a thing for Grady’s agent (Robert Downey Jr.). Yeah, sometimes life gets pretty complicated. FLIX, 8:45pm

Aug. 19
Bottle Rocket (1996)
Director Wes Anderson’s first full-length effort features Owen and Luke Wilson as part of a trio of would-be robbers whose big plans to pull a job and go on the lam just doesn’t play out as spectacularly as it might have. Some say that it’s merely a preamble to Anderson’s acclaimed work that has followed. Many others say that he has never been as good. Either way, it’s still a hoot. IndiePlex, 7:25pm

Aug. 20
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Director Tim Burton’s take on the Roald Dahl classic is decidedly different from the beloved 1971 version starring Gene Wilder. Here, Johnny Depp stars as the near-lunatic confectioner with a taste for the surreal, and, famously, all of the Oompa Loompas are played by Deep Roy. The film has its drawbacks — like lousing up Dahl’s metaphor with its extraneous plot involving Wonka’s father, the dentist — but it remains an exciting and enjoyable visual feast. ABC Family, 7pm