Close up: Ping Pong

The big story From 6 July 2012 you'll be able to watch new documentary Ping Pong online exclusively with guardian.co.uk/film. The film follows eight competitors with a combined age of 700 as they head to China to take part in the over 80s Table Tennis Championships in Inner Mongolia. Two of the film's stars, Terry Donlon, 83, and Les D'Arcy, 91, spoke to the Guardian's Patrick Barkham this week, who challenged them to a game of the titular sport. You can see how he got on here , and take a look at this video in which Catherine Shoard speaks to Terry as he visits Age UK's centre in London's Kings Cross to give some beginners ping pong lessons. The stars of Ping Pong are some of the more inspirational old age pensioners to have featured on film – but what other movies have done a good job when it comes to portrayals of the elderly? That was the subject under discussion in a readers' panel this week, with Wild Strawberries , The Straight Story , Without Schmidt and Tatie Danielle being held up from praise. But what films did they miss? Join the discussion and let us know . In the news Helen Mirren calls for more female film-makers Princess Diana documentary Unlawful Killing is shelved Hollywood studio takes aim at Raging Bull 2 Tom Cruise is highest paid actor in the world The Inbetweeners film to be adapted for US audience Status Quo rock the film world with action movie Mel Gibson's stepmother files restraining order against actor On the blog The Amazing Spider-Man and the iron law for superheroes: less is more 10 of Hitchcock's lesser-known gems. How many have you seen? Clip joint: the best scenes of football on film Urbane landscape: are city anthology films just a way of boosting tourism? If only Friends with Kids had resisted the happy ever after Hunger Games, and the evolution of fairytale heroines in film What's the greatest-ever kids movie? Watch and listen The Guardian Film Show: The Amazing Spider-Man and Friends with Kids star Jon Hamm Seeking a Friend for the End of the World: watch the trailer Cirque du Soleil – Worlds Away 3D: a leap in the dark Ice Age 4: Continental Drift: watch the trailer Further reading Willem Dafoe: 'You do your best work when you're scared' Matthew McConaughey: from himbo to highbrow Jean-Claude Carrière: 'If you want fame, don't be a screenwriter' William Friedkin: 'If I wasn't a director, I might have become a serial killer' In the paper Friday's G2 Film & Music features interviews with Benicio del Toro and God Bless America director (and star of the Police Academy movies) Bobcat Goldthwait, as well as a look at how sweding is creating a new folk cinema. In the Guide on Saturday John Patterson writes on Seeking a Friend for the End of the World , and following the release of Magic Mike there's a look at the history of male strippers in movies, while in Sunday's Observer New Review Philip French picks the 10 best films set in east London. And finally Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook