Tube Notes

"Cool Hand Luke," 2:45 p.m., AMC. As anti-authority feelings soared in ’67, this film captured the mood. Paul Newman was superb as someone who refused to conform at a Southern prison camp, even when he was overwhelmed; George Kennedy won an Academy Award for his supporting role, as a fellow prisoner.

"The Rock," 7 p.m., ABC. Next summer, director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer hope to rule Hollywood. Their "Pearl Harbor" is being pushed as the next "Titanic." But tonight you may want to sample their work. "The Rock" is a slick combination of catchy plot, strong characters and things going boom. The focal point is Alcatraz, the former island prison alongside San Francisco. An angry Marine general (Ed Harris) has taken it over, threatening to fire poison gas at the mainland. That’s how a mild-mannered FBI biochemist (Nicolas Cage) gets involved. To sneak onto the island and thwart the general’s plans he needs the help of the only man to successfully escape Alcatraz (Sean Connery). This is a high-concept plot. Slip in a few explosions and you have an audience-pleaser.

"The Devil’s Own," 7 p.m., NBC. Harrison Ford plays an honest cop and Brad Pitt plays his boarder in this 1997 film. What the cop doesn’t know is that his boarder is there to make an arms deal for Irish terrorists. Trouble follows.

"Any Given Sunday," 9 p.m., HBO. Al Pacino stars as a pro football coach in this 1999 movie; his supporting cast includes Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz, James Woods and LL Cool J.

"Mad TV," 10:35 p.m., Fox. There’s music by Barenaked Ladies plus a takeoff of Madonna’s "Music" video.

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