Europe-wide alert issued after ‘celebrity’ robber and murder suspect takes prison guards hostage after firing a gun and using plastic explosives hidden in a handkerchief to break out

“Please welcome, the comedian, Paul F. Tompkins”. The precise way in which the American veteran introduces himself to us tonight is not merely playful intonation, it's indicative of the poise and clarity that will characterise the hour to come.

David O Russell DVD/ Blu-ray (122mins)

Fronted by songwriter BJ Barham, American Aquarium are a heartland rock band from North Carolina with a serious Springsteen habit and, by the sound of it, serious anxieties about the lives they're living.

The RSC has drawn inspiration from Scorsese's Goodfellas for its setting of a cult children's classic. Arifa Akbar looks forward to a real Christmas drama

Patricia Cornwell is suing her business managers for £112m over alleged misconduct

Bent spoons, country house séances, electrical storms and fraudulent healers feature in this supernatural thriller which, until it unravels halfway through, is rather gripping.

Saturday

Nick Helm, barking dictator of fun, and nominee for last year’s comedy award, has pushed the military nuances in his act to their logical conclusion.

Lynne Ramsay's ambitions to direct Natalie Portman in Wild West thriller Jane Got a Gun have corralled strong backing.

MGM studio files lawsuit asking courts to halt production of sequel to classic boxing film

I recently attended a presentation about non-Georgians' perceptions of Georgia. Essentially, we're talking copious drinking, banquets, war, hospitality and Stalin. It's probably a fair summation of what most in the UK know, or think they know, about the country. Now Dalkey Archive Press has attempted to widen our perspective, publishing an anthology of contemporary stories by 20 distinguished Georgian writers. Georgians are proud of their literature – but how many writers can you name?

1. Liverpool FC.

"We made them fast and cheap, and taste was out of the question, there was no need for taste," explains Martin Scorsese, one of the many film directors who worked for "the king of of the Bs", Roger Corman.