Watching - February 2026

Calendar Girls (2003)

An amusing and quirky British story but a little underwhelming. Obviously a whole film about just making the calendar wouldn't have been very interesting and indeed here it only takes roughly the first thirty minutes. The rest follows a more familiar filmic pattern and deals with the fall out and impact of sudden fame on the women, their friendships and their families - a fairly standard plot which somehow wasn't what I was expecting. In this the film seems to divert from real life because of its need for a clear beginning, middle and end, whereas, as far as I can tell, in real life the women embraced it all.

Hit Man (2024)

Another film based on a real story, but this time I don't find it as annoying that they've obviously changed things to fit into a neat structure. I think it might be partly because it's not ostensibly telling a true story (although it's quite close), but mainly because it's very entertaining. It is also darker than I remembered, and genuinely quite tense, I found. Great stuff.

Sabrina (1995)

I didn't hate this, but I think it misses the mark for modern viewing. I think a twenty-five year age gap between the man and the woman supposedly falling in love was less remarked upon thirty years ago - in films anyway - but now it just feels ... icky. Harrison Ford does a good job of a man who has a mid-life crisis and develops an infatuation for a twenty-something Julia Ormond (totally understandable in my opinion), but the films fails to convince in the other direction, and it's not a pairing I want to see on screen. The pacing and direction feels dated too.

We Live In Time (2024)

A beautifully shot and told film, but I'm not quite sure what the non-linear structure is supposed to add. Then again, without it, we'd just have a fairly ordinary and unmemorable story of a woman with cancer. Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are both excellent though and I think that's what carried me through a plot that wasn't quite what I was expecting.

Captain Marvel (2019)

I had an itch for a bit of MCU, and since my Disney+ subscription expires in a few days, I thought I'd start with something I don't own. As always with the Marvel films, it's an amazing visual spectacle - something that's easy to take for granted with there being so many MCU films now - but I also enjoyed the story of this. Captain Marvel is so ludicrously over-powered that it would threaten to unbalance most other stories if she were involved in them, though, so perhaps that's why she's not in most of them.

Taskmaster (season 12, 2021)

Reliable entertainment for my lunch times. Only another six seasons to go before I'm caught up!

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

This feels like it was made before the idea of the MCU was really formulated, and was subsequently made canon. But then again, it was made after the first Iron Man, so what do I know. Edward Norton is perfectly decent as Bruce Banner, but still seems wrong to someone familiar with Mark Ruffalo in the role from later films.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

I hadn't realised until I counted, but we have twenty of the MCU films on DVD, and I'm not quite sure how that happened. Anyway, I had an idea to watch them in chronological order within their own timeline, and this is the first (Captain Marvel is second and The Incredible Hulk fifth, not counting shorts and TV shows, but I watched those before the Disney sub ran out). I don't remember watching this before, but it was good fun, and seeing a mini-Chris Evans in his pre-enhanced state was amusing. Obviously all the Marvel films require a fairly hefty suspension of disbelief but somehow this required even more though.

Iron Man (2008)

Robert Downey Junior is very watchable, even though his Tony Stark is frankly an annoying, sexist, over-privileged arsehole - but clearly that's a character enough people want to be that it works. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he's just acting, but the presence of it in the film dates the whole thing somewhat.

Better Man (2024)

First, let's talk about the odd and constantly jarring decision to portray Robbie Williams as a chimp. Even I can understand the symbolism here, which means it must be fairly basic and thus not really up to supporting an entire film - and so it proves. I think it would have been better to have deployed the chimp at occasional moments to make the point. I suppose another consideration was that having someone as recognisable as Robbie played by an actor might pull you out of the moment, but other biopics manage: the obvious comparisons are Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody, both better films. The heavy-handed life lessons give an air of trying too hard, which, in fairness, kind of sums up Robbie Williams and he admits as much in the film. And the insanity of a life in the spotlight is conveyed pretty effectively. So, overall, entertaining but fatally flawed because the chimp never stops being an irritating gimmick.

M*A*S*H (1970)

Ground-breaking and hugely influential, I'm guessing, and still very funny in places but very much of its time (is that different from "dated"?) - although in fairness it is coming up for sixty years old. It's basically undecided about what sort of a film it actually is. It's essentially a series of sketches, or one might say episodes, so unsurprising then that it was developed into a TV series. Definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it before.

Baby Driver (2017)

I heard the fantastic "Bellbottoms" by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and had to go and watch the opening scene of this film, which is sound-tracked brilliantly. And then the next scene is superbly choreographed to Bob & Earl's "Harlem Shuffle", so I had to stay for that. And the rest of the film.

People We Meet On Vacation (2026)

I've read a few of Emily Henry's books and enjoyed them very much, so although I've not read this one (originally You and Me on Vacation) I was very happy to see this pop up on Netflix. The comedy is a bit broader in places than I expected, but overall that balances nicely with the developing relationship. There's a sudden misunderstanding about twenty minutes from the end that feels like it was added to make up the time to two hours, but possibly that's in the book.

Friends With Benefits (2011)

I feel I blinked and suddenly this is fifteen years old. Still very enjoyable, even if I think Woody Harrelson's character would be substantially toned down (and possibly recast) nowadays, and the surprisingly extensive (but tasteful) nudity might be omitted. None of these things spoil it for me though.

Taskmaster (season 13, 2022)

Not the best season, but solid, reliable entertainment.

The Karate Kid (1984)

I'm not sure I'd ever seen this before, or if I did it was a long, long time ago. Plenty to enjoy, but what strikes me most is the ending: from Daniel (Ralph Macchio's character) defeating his opponent to the end credits is, incredibly, just thirty seconds. This includes his rival presenting him with a trophy and saying "you're all right" - a whole character and plot resolution that would surely be given a good five minutes in a modern film, at least.

Reading - February 2026

Hello World by Hannah Fry (2018)

Subtitled "How to be human in the age of the machine", this is an interesting but possibly already slightly dated look at how algorithms affect our lives in the 21st century. The main thing that dates it is, of course, the rise of AI in the last 3-4 years. Then again, the LLMs (ChatGPT et al) are essentially just very sophisticated algorithms and the ethics and issues raised by using them haven't changed, even though their use has become more widely known and, to some extent, accepted. In her conclusion, Fry suggests that the main developments needed to accommodate algorithms into human life is to firstly make them more open, rather than proprietary black boxes, and secondly to properly understand and work with their limitations rather than just blindly accepting their results as truth - both suggestions that make perfect sense but sadly seem a little far away at the moment.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (2024)

I'm not normally particularly fond of magical realism, but Matt Haig's books have always hit a reasonable blend for me: not too fantastical, but just enough to make the metaphor work and the points come across. Here, however, it's just a bit too much and the main character just a bit too magical. Why this should be so when I am quite happy to watch MCU films that dress up the same kind of superpowers with "science", I'm not sure, but there we go. The narrative is always good - Haig writes with a deceptively simple clarity that I reminds me a little of Alexander McCall Smith - but the points being made, despite being ones I can't possibly disagree with, seem a little heavy-handed.

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary (2019)

The ostensibly high concept of this novel ("Tiffy and Leon share a bed. Tiffy and Leon have never met ...") is actually largely irrelevant, as exactly the same story could have been told with a two bedroom flat. Luckily it doesn't stop the development of a sweet relationship and a good story. Once I got into it properly I polished the second half of the book off in an afternoon. A very welcome birthday present from K!

When Good Things Happen To Bad Boys by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy & Helen Kay Dimon (2006)

Three short stories: two not bad, one a bit weird. All showing their age - thankfully we don't think it's romantic when men force themselves on women any more.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (1995)

Superficially, this is a little time capsule from thirty years ago - mixtapes, smoking in pubs, recording things off the telly, remember that? At a deeper level, of course, it's timeless: about a certain type of man who never really grew up. I can remember enjoying the novel when I last read it - probably only a couple of years after it came out, when I was in my mid-twenties, ten years younger than Rob is in the book - as I recognised a kindred spirit, someone a little too obsessive about music and prone to feeling lost in an adult world. But ten years later, I was that man in a suit with a good job, wife and kids that Rob finds so intimidating when he meets one of his ex-girlfriends (an episode that forms a much smaller part of the plot than I remember, interestingly). And now I'm twenty years older again, I just find him a bit irritating - a self-centred child who can't understand why people are annoyed with him. The book's still a good read though.

Reading - January 2026

The Shawshank Redemption by Frank Darabont (~1993)

It always surprises me how quick it is to read a script compared to the impact it has on the screen. Since I'm very familiar with the film, it's easy to visualise it as I read, but taking something from words on a page to a film isn't something I can imagine. Perhaps, as an experiment, I need to find a script before I watch the film.

The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond by Chris Blackwell with Paul Morley (2022)

Chris Blackwell is a legend in the music industry, as the founder, chief exec and all round spiritual centre of Island records for decades. Oddly, Wikipedia just lists his occupation as "record producer", which is correct but includes less than 10% of what he did at Island, let alone afterwards. This autobiography covers it all nicely, in a dry, matter-of-fact way that initially seemed a bit boring. But as the chapters passed and the litany of his achievements and genre-defining artists build up, it becomes more and more impressive. Also, a nicely short book, which these things should be.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World by Edgar Wright & Michael Bacall (2010)

I don't know why so many film scripts are freely available on the web but it's great to be able to read them. This was great fun.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020)

There's plenty of wisdom here that goes deeper than the easy headline of "love the life you have rather than the one you don't", wrapped up in a story that's easy to read and easy to feel inspired by. It's obvious why it's been so popular.

Pride and Pleasure by Sylvia Day (2011)

A historical romance with a setting that seems like the author watched a single episode of a period drama for research and then guessed the rest. Points for featuring an independent woman in that day and age; minus more points for making her a simpering mess when the right man comes along. Passed the time but otherwise of little merit.

Watching - January 2026

Ocean's Eleven (2002)

Watched with Z. As enjoyable and ludicrous as ever.

The Two Popes (2019)

To say I find organised religion distasteful is an understatement, and that goes tenfold for Catholicism. But that's not really what this film is about, I don't think. Notwithstanding the setting, it's a story of friendship, and a rather sweet one at that. Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins (playing, respectively, an Argentinian and a German ... I suppose that needs Welsh actors, right?) are very good, as you'd expect.

Conclave (2024)

Blimey, you wait ages for a film about the election of a new pope and then two come along! (in this blog, that is). Obviously these look very similar (although I assume the Sistine Chapel was recreated separately for each film) but the focus is very different. It seems to me that the message here is more about the Catholic church, and I don't think it comes out particularly well. The film itself is very good, albeit a little slow and too long, and I think the twist at the end is a touch unnecessary - but that said, if it had ended just with the election of a new pope, perhaps that would have been a bit dull.

Bowie: The Final Act (2025)

Given the title, this documentary had more in it about Bowie's 70s work than I expected, and quite a lot less about his post-superstar, post-80s output. Then there was a sudden jump to Blackstar in the final part. So although it was interesting, and had a good range of interviewees from the essential (Tony Visconti, Earl Slick, Reeves Gabrels) to the inessential (any writer from the inkies), it felt a bit like a good thirty minute programme about Blackstar had been padded with a load of extras.

Taskmaster (season 7, 2018)

There's several moments in this series when I feel really sorry for Alex Horne, as he's put in some very demeaning situations - but then I guess he can always say no, and it is (usually) very funny. As is the whole series.

Ocean's Eleven (1960)

I was looking forward to seeing what I think it's supposed to be a classic Rat Pack movie, but I was disappointed. It's badly dated: slow paced, wooden and possessing what would now be considered unacceptable attitudes. As an ensemble piece, it only works because of the star power of the actors, but nearly sixty years later it doesn't even have that (I found it hard to follow at times because I couldn't really tell who was who). And if Julia Roberts is under-used in the remake, then Angie Dickenson is only decoration in this, because there's no reason for her character to exist that I can see.

Sliding Doors (1998)

I think this is a great film (I've seen it many times) but I was surprised to find that it wasn't particularly well received on its release. Roger Ebert's review said that neither individual story was very interesting, but I think that (unusually for him) he misses the point: the interest is in the contrast between the stories, stemming from such a minor difference. Gwyneth Paltrow - pre-weird pseudo-science promotion career - is very good, the accent is spot on and of course she's gorgeous. But the funniest moments in the film are unquestionably from Douglas McFerran as Russell, Gerry's pub mate, whose joy at Gerry's self-inflicted misfortunes is hilarious.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

I really wanted to introduce this classic to the kids but I couldn't ever pin them down to a date. So I eventually gave up and watched it by myself for the first time in ages. Obviously it's fantastic, but this time around I was particularly struck by how good the music is: low-key but wonderfully scene-setting. Other than that, what's to say about a masterpiece? A majestic, slow burn of a film.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Wait, this is nearly four years old?

The Greatest Hits (2024)

Time travel as metaphor, more effective that some (yes, About Time, I'm looking at you). The main character is literally taken back to her tragic past when she hears certain music and can't escape this until she lets go of her past. It also has the most curated, hipster friendly soundtrack I've ever come across, which is great, but it carries too much of the film and the story is too slight. Sweet, but not quite as affecting as it wants to be - and could do with more humour (which, in fairness, About Time manages well ... mostly).

Taskmaster (season 10, 2020)

The first Taskmaster to be affected by covid restrictions, and it clearly caught them out a bit (as it did everyone, of course), as some of the tasks are a bit mundane. But Johnny Vegas is a reliable clown and, as ever, there's enough amusement and occasional laugh-out-loud moments to make it worth watching.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

It's great to see local boy made good Colin Firth all impeccable in a suit and then in a full-on action scene. There's a couple of elements that don't bear too much thinking about, and which seem a bit out of place in what's generally an action comedy. But the overall sense of excess carries it through.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

More over the top silliness. Highlight: Elton John saying "I'm gonna fuck you up" before doing some karate style moves on a heavy.

The Proposal (2009)

I think I originally watched this for Ryan Reynolds, but this time it is Sandra Bullock that impresses me most. She's so great at physical comedy but there's a great subtlety too. At the end when Andrew (Reynolds) proposes to her, there's a lovely little moment when she says "I'm scared" that is sweet and moving. A cute film (as long as we're ignoring the fact that the two of them fall in love over the course of just three days ...)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)

We used to own this on VHS and we must have watched it a lot, because despite having not seen it now for many, many years, I am still very familiar with all of it. The animation sadly shows its age but that doesn't stop it being funny and very inventive. My favourite bit is Betty Boop, still in black and white, serving Eddie in the club.

Taskmaster (season 11, 2021)

I've taken to watching an episode of Taskmaster while I eat lunch every day, which is a nice way to take a break from my otherwise incredibly hectic life. It's amusing but undemanding entertainment that requires minimal emotional investment but nevertheless doesn't feel like a complete waste of time. I particularly enjoyed Mike Wozniak during this series - I don't know if his persona is natural or adopted but he was very entertaining.

Ocean's 8 (2018)

It's sufficiently rare to find a mainstream film that isn't just female led, but only really features men as incidental characters (there are only two with more than a couple of lines) that it kind of distracts from the fact that the whole film is just a complete, beat-for-beat retread of Ocean's 11. Still, that was a good film and so is this, in the same slightly ridiculous way. Sandra Bullock and Rihanna (who I didn't even recognise) are very good, but for some reason Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham-Carter can't seem to settle on their accents.

Reading - December 2025

State of Emergency: Britain, 1970-1974 by Dominic Sandbrook (2010)

It's taken me four months to finish this (and I've read 26 other books during that period); like Sandbrook's previous books in this series, it's fascinating, entertaining and sometimes saddening, but it's not meant as criticism to say that it's also hard work - there's a lot to take in. This instalment is the first one that covers events within my living memory (just), which is what I was most interested in when I started these books. Again, what stands out is the sensation of history repeating itself: for example, change the word "permissiveness" to "political correctness" or "woke" and chapter 11 here could be describing the same reactionary bullshit from the 90s or today. And so unfortunately, one is left with a depressing feeling that no-one learns anything - there are as many people interested igniting fires for personal gain, now, as there were fifty years ago.

Questionable Content by Jeph Jacques (2025)

I discovered Questionable Content in 2022 and have been reading it ever since. There's a comic every weekday, but because each is a four (or so) panel comic telling a tiny part of an overall story, an elapsed year in comics amounts to maybe a couple of weeks in the QC universe. It also makes it a smidge hard to remember what the hell's going on. So I re-read all this year's comics. It's a sweet, amusing and gentle soap opera that has amazingly been going for over twenty years.

Bedlam by Christopher Brookmyre (2013)

Probably my ninth or tenth time of reading what is (clearly) one of my favourite books and at this point, if I'm honest with myself, I'm probably skimming it in places. But I love it and its world, and it's good to go back to something familiar.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (2011)

Bedlam and this go together in my mind, being based on very similar concepts. Although I've read this fewer times, it's probably the better book and I'm a bit embarrassed by my first review of it, which was somewhat dismissive. Safe to say that now I think it's brilliant and hugely enjoyable.

Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace (2025)

In her acknowledgements (yes, I really do read them), Hannah Grace says thank you to her readers, for giving her "a chance to try something new". Which is ironic because unlike her previous novels, which were something new (to me at least, possibly because I'm not a teenage girl), this is essentially a completely standard Silhouette romance (or a Hallmark Christmas film, if that's your reference - same thing, basically), albeit slightly longer than their guidelines would allow. That's not to say it's not a good one: I enjoyed it a lot and although the requisite last minute falling out between our heroine and hero felt a little out of proportion, the whole festive season in small-town America is done well.

Watching - December 2025

Taskmaster (season 5, 2018)

Dependably amusing and enjoyable.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

I'd never heard of Mister Roger's Neighborhood until very recently, which is odd given how much US culture gets at least some airing over here. And it's a shame, because although this film is a sweet and affecting story, it relies heavily on being able to evoke the special childhood nostalgia of a beloved TV programme, and without it I feel there's a missing dimension. I can't see Fred Rogers because I don't know him; all I can see is Tom Hanks, dressed like my grandpa and sounding a bit like Forrest Gump sometimes but mostly being a bit weird, really. The film would have been better with a less well-known face, although I suspect without Hanks it wouldn't have been made at all.

Larry Crowne (2011)

You'd think a romcom starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts would be a big hit, or at least better known, but this is neither - nor, really much of a romcom. Sweet enough, but a bit pointless and somewhat implausible. The truest sounding part of the film is, sadly, the beginning, where a middle-aged rank-and-file employee is fired for, basically, being too old, and given some bullshit management crap about why.

Love Always, Santa (2016)

One of the better Hallmark Christmas films I've seen, this wasn't as good as I remembered but just about bore a second viewing and helped pass a quiet afternoon.

Anyone But You (2023)

I can't believe it took me a whole thirty minutes before I realised this was based on Much Ado About Nothing, despite the main characters being called Bea and Ben. In the end it was the random quotes scattered around the set (for example, as a mural or as a book title, a cute touch) that tipped me off. However, I think it could have done with following the original plot a bit better, because although there are plenty of laugh out loud moments, it didn't quite hang together right - there wasn't a clear reason why these two should end up together. Unfortunately I also don't quite buy Glen Powell as a romantic lead: he does sardonic and smug brilliantly but can't quite pull off sincere. Still, enjoyable stuff, and a long way from being the worst film I've watched this month so far.

Palm Springs (2020)

Watching this on Prime again while I have it! Such a great film.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

And the other thing I always watch on Prime! Still lovely.

The Beatles Anthology (1995/2025)

I remember this series coming out in the nineties, along with the new Beatles tracks "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" (which I thought were disappointing and too obviously produced by Jeff Lynne). So I'm staggered to learn that more time has passed between then and now - 30 years - than had passed at the time between The Beatles breaking up and the original broadcast. Put it another way: when the original series was shown, I was about the same age as George Harrison was when The Beatles broke up (26, incredibly); now, I'm roughly the same age as Ringo Starr was when Anthology was released. I grew up with The Beatles' music in a way that I think is unlikely to have happened for any subsequent generations and in my experience, today's twenty-somethings don't consider them anything special, if they've even heard the music (although I once put this to Mark Lewisohn, Beatles historian extraordinaire, who strongly disagreed, so make of that what you will). So while this freshened up release on Disney+ is a fascinating, vital look into a different world, not just of mind-blowing fame but of other times, it's not going to really be of interest to anyone much younger than me, I suspect. Still, there's clearly enough old farts to make it worth releasing all over again and this old fart enjoyed it.

The Martian (2015)

Just re-read the book, just got Disney+ for the holidays, so a natural choice. A really good film with great visuals and drama.

Strictly Come Dancing (season 23, 2025)

I'm not sure I would have persevered with Strictly if I was watching by myself, but I enjoy the fact that it's a joint watch (mostly just with C these days, of course). So cue the usual selection of people I've never heard of and won't remember past the new year - put into unfortunate perspective this time around by the astonishing array of stellar celebrity fire-power assembled for Traitors earlier in the year. And cue being surprised at who goes out and who ends up being quite good actually. Passes the time nicely enough.

Ready Player One (2018)

I've just started re-reading the book and wanted a more immediate immersion into the world, which this film provides superbly, even if the story is somewhat (albeit necessarily) changed. A great film, huge fun, and the animated CGI sequences still blow my mind (there's a great in-depth article on how they did it - the detail and effort involved is just as incredible as the final result).

Taskmaster (season 6, 2018)

As usual, some great moments, and watching on Netflix without adverts makes each episode feel much shorter. Liza Tarbuck was the surprise to me from this season - all I really know her for is the Radio 2 show she does, which is a bit boring, but she was very funny.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

I like the Knives Out films (even though it takes me about half an hour to adjust to Daniel Craig's accent every time), but this is nearly an hour too long and the actual solution too complicated and too reliant on motives that don't really stand up (although in fairness, no different from the classic era whodunnits, including the several Agatha Christie novels cheekily mentioned at one point). Not sure that the slightly heavy-handed side-swipes at organised religion and politics really belong here either, even though I agree with them. Still, an entertaining enough watch with the kids, but of course easily surpassed by the first of what I hope will be a new series, Forks Out.

Zootropolis (2016)

Watched - as last time - accompanied by family and pizza, albeit this time with a couple of extra friends of kids. Everyone enjoyed it very much. I hope the sequel will be just as good.

Die Hard (1988)

Having just watched this for the first time in decades - just as gripping as I remember - I can now definitely say that this is not a Christmas film, just a film that happens to be (inconsequentially) set at Christmas. And now that's all settled. You're welcome.

12 Dates of Christmas (2011)

Cute Christmas film that served as an alternative to the well-worn usuals (although I have seen it before anyway). And I do like a time loop plot.

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

In which Emma Thompson plays ... Emma Thompson, just like she always does. In this she's no different from many male film stars, from Clint Eastwood to Tom Cruise (and, you could argue, Tom Hanks, although I would disagree - he's very good here). The problem is, it's a character I've seen too many times and the fact that you could transplant her acting - flicks, ticks, looks and all - from something like Love Actually into this (or vice versa) takes away from the impact of the film, for me. Still, despite this, I enjoyed the story, even though it's not historically particularly accurate, neither with respect to the actual relationship between Travers and Disney, nor with the sometimes glaringly obvious modern day phrases. And although I almost gave up about half way through, I was moved at the end.

Not Another Happy Ending (2013)

Small budget Scottish romcom, and the small budget shows, sadly - mostly with the patchy plot. But Karen Gillan is good and it was a passable watch.

Bugsy Malone (1976)

First time seeing this in ages and the first thing that strikes me is, just how good is Jodie Foster? Thirteen years old, and already head and shoulders above everyone else in the film. But that said, the whole thing is fun and engaging, and the occasional wooden performance actually adds to the charm. But for me, it's the songs that are the real star. Great stuff (and fun to introduce it to K too).

High School Musical (2006)

Easy fun viewing for New Year's Eve. The contrast with Bugsy Malone is interesting, because this is also mostly starring kids - only this time, they're mostly 17 and 18, and what a difference it makes in acting ability. A firm family favourite in our house, not even spoiled by having K do the entire performance, from memory, next to me on the sofa.

Watching - November 2025

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

I'd not watched this before for some reason, but it looks to me like a clear attempt to reproduce the success of Harry Potter - and it should have been a slam dunk, right? But Disney only made this and two more, before the rights lapsed, and I can see why - despite being visually impressive, it just lacks a certain spark. Entertaining enough for a Sunday afternoon though.

The Celebrity Traitors (season 1, 2025)

We hadn't watched previous seasons of The Traitors as it didn't seem particularly appealing - a bunch of reality show wannabes arguing with and bitching at each other? No thanks. But the stellar line-up on the celebrity version was too good to miss. And the fact that, firstly, they all sort of know or know of each other, and, secondly, no-one was actually going to win any money, took the sting out of it and made it much more of the game it actually is. And so we were comfortable watching the mild intrigue and whispered discussions, and really enjoyed it. Still don't think we'll bother with the main show though.

The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked (season 1, 2025)

A great follow-up to each episode: just enough extra information from the participants without getting too into the weeds with pointless speculation and repetitive gossip (the contrast between this and the Traitors episodes from the normally excellent The Rest Is Entertainment is notable). The only thing that annoys me is that although it's clearly a very professional TV production - lavish set, lights, multiple cameras etc - they insist on presenting it as if it's a podcast that just happens to be being filmed, hence the annoyingly visible microphones (the ubiquitous podcaster's Shure SM7B), which seems like an odd and unnecessary conceit.

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight (2025)

I've always loved the Asterix books and so when I came across this on Netflix, I couldn't resist it. The animation is really good, bringing Albert Uderzo's illustrations brilliantly to life and the little jokes are all in place, but brought nicely up to date (my favourite is a character at the end, a story-teller called ... wait for it ... Netflix). The plot's been updated too, not quite as successfully in my opinion, but the whole thing was great fun anyway.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Not my usual sort of thing but a great story. I never really felt like I understood what was going on until near the end, which perhaps was intentional - this is about spying, deception and uncertainty, after all - but I think it left too many gaps and made the whole thing a bit disjointed. But it was still gripping. I'd really like to watch the original BBC series with Alex Guinness but then again, while the film unquestionably shortens some things a bit too much, I suspect seven episodes of very slow 1970s TV might be a bit much.

The Running Man (1987)

I honestly didn't realise that the new version of The Running Man is about to be released until after I'd watched this and I started searching for information. But this original version is an old favourite and I just fancied it. Quite a few liberties are taken with the plot (apparently Schwarzenegger wasn't entirely happy with the way the film turned out) and it's less plausible as a result, whereas the original novel is brutally believable. Still, despite being firmly rooted in the 80s (even though being ostensibly set in 2017, the crowds are all big shoulder pads and hairspray), it's kind of fun. And now I might go and see the new one!

Bank of Dave (2023)

The mood as a feel-good film you can relax into is set immediately with some soothing music, an idyllic local pub and a good old karaoke night - and it doesn't really change after that. So we know everything is going to work out right. I love the story as a fantasy - northern (where people are real, of course) businessman takes on London (where no-one talks to each other) fat-cats and wins. It's no different in basic set up from other bucolic fantasies like Waking Ned, but what's great is that this is, to a surprising extent, a true story. The real story was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary which is on the Burnley Savings and Loan's web site!

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (season 6, 2019)

Nine nine! Very silly in places, and I'm not really a fan of the twists at the end of each season (although at least this one isn't a cliff-hanger) but the mileage they've got out of the characters is great and I don't feel it's tiring yet. Still don't miss Gina at all.

Taskmaster (season 20, 2025)

The number of Taskmaster seasons they crank out is pretty impressive given how much preparation the whole thing must take - I mean, it must be a full time job for Alex Horne (less so for Greg Davies who just has to turn up for a few days). Anyway, this latest season was as amusing as expected; there's always some good laughs in every episode and I really like the little chat section at the beginning between Alex and Greg - I find Alex Horne's persona really funny. Watched mostly virtually with K as part of our weekly catch up, which is a lovely little tradition we've developed.

Taskmaster (season 8, 2019)

Still trying to catch up with K! Can't remember any particular highlights but still very enjoyable. Possibly a bit too long at ten episodes though.

Arena - Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem (2024)

"What was it like in the politically incorrect 90s, daddy?" See full review.

Girlbands Forever (2024)

While British 90s-onwards boy bands tend towards the anodyne (hello Westboyzlifezone), the equivalent girl bands have featured some genuine pop marvels. So it's a bit odd that while Boybands Forever got really quite deep into the dysfunction of the music industry treadmill, this felt rushed, lacking in key players, and generally a little light on detail. Obviously the same themes come up - exploitation, overwork, lack of control, media intrusion - but with oddly less emphasis. There's also good examples of the kind of unpleasant sexism and sexualisation that's (still) added to the girl group's lot: the execrable, idiotic Piers Morgan takes centre stage here, but there's also a clip of Vivienne Westwood, hilariously lacking any self-awareness, criticising the girls for being - wait for it - deliberately pushy and vulgar. But there's nothing of the real dark side of being a woman in the industry: rampant sexual harassment. I can't believe it didn't happen, sadly, so to leave it out completely seems to be avoiding it. And no mention at all of Girls Aloud - genuinely, wtf? Overall, diverting and interesting but too incomplete to be definitive.

Metro-Land (1973)

If asked where I grew up, I sometimes say the home counties and I sometimes say London. But it would probably be the most accurate to say I come from Metroland - for the first eighteen years, my life was almost completely centred around the Metropolitan line. So John Betjeman's classic film about the towns that grew up around it is incredibly nostalgic for me. It's not really a documentary about the area, but a tribute, a mood piece perhaps. For some reason I'd never seen it before, so it was lovely to not only be transported back to the trains I remember but to hear Betjeman's gentle verse over the top.

Cracked Actor (1975)

The classic BBC documentary about David Bowie. For some reason, I've never seen this before, so although I'm reasonably familiar with Bowie's 70s output and personas, I'm coming to this fresh. It's obviously of interest to Bowie fans - seeing him touring Diamond Dogs but starting to develop the Young Americans style and music is fascinating and really points up the connection between the two that hadn't been as obvious to me before. But as a general piece of TV, it must have seemed as bizarre and impenetrable when originally screened as it does now.

Taskmaster (season 9, 2019)

So wait, is three seasons of Taskmaster in one month too many? Easy and entertaining watching, it's a great format, and varied enough that it still doesn't feel like it's wearing thin and therefore I need a break. But I probably should!

Educating Yorkshire (season 2, 2025)

Every episode's introduction starts "Ten years ago, the nation fell in love with a school in Yorkshire ..." - but not us, because we'd never heard of this until I happened to hear it mentioned as "feel-good TV" somewhere and thought it might be something C and I could watch together (most of what I watch is very much not of interest to her). Thankfully that proved to be the case. The series doesn't shy away from discussion of some of the more thorny issues facing secondary school kids these days, but it also keeps them in perspective: most kids are just kids. And so each episode resolves pretty nicely, which some might say is artificial but I'd be inclined to say is actually more realistic, and certainly much easier viewing!

American Made (2017)

A lesser known Tom Cruise film, certainly a lower budget one ("only" $50m). Not actually a true story, but very broadly based on the real life of one Barry Seal. The film paints Seal as a pilot who becomes an involuntary pawn of the CIA, whereas it seems the man himself was a smuggler first and later became an informant (for the DEA) to avoid prosecution - something of a difference. But Cruise can't play a common criminal, he's a hero, right? The film is entertaining but a little disjointed - not unexpected for a film based on real life I guess.