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.