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.

Arena - Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem

What was it like in the politically incorrect 90s, daddy?

I remember the 90s! Whew, what a time! When everyone was drunk all day and out all night! When lads were real lads who knew that too much is not enough, and girls were real girls who were a good laugh and didn't take the hump at silly little things - blimey, it's a compliment love! Good times, good times.

Oh no, wait, that's not what it was like. As this entertaining documentary shows, a few immature idiots lucked into the fact that behaving like clowns and writing about it would sell magazines and newspapers, and so the amoral money men funded them. They legitimised loutishness and tried to sell a lifestyle, but it was fundamentally a lie. And if you take "lie" out of "lifestyle" then you're left with "festyl" which sounds a bit like "fester". Which is what the ideas they promoted did to our culture. Yeah, that's right. Cower before my scathing rhetoric.

It's odd how some moments in social history - like the swinging 60s - are used as shorthand for some big cultural reset when it's obvious that despite being widely reported, they are not widely experienced. As Dominic Sandbrook points out in White Heat, his masterful account of the 60s, the majority of people then were too busy trying to get on with their lives to indulge in whatever modern silliness was going on amongst a few over-privileged boys and girls.

And so it is with the new lad era of the mid-90s; I was there, I was exactly the right age and target market, and I duly bought a couple of issues of Loaded (and FHM and Maxim iirc), but even at the time, it was clear that they were hyping up something that was restricted to a relatively small number of people.

What actually happens - in my entirely unqualified opinion - is that these kind of ideas seep gradually into the social consciousness. Despite the tabloids' hypocritical shock horror headlines, they're not actually revealing widespread moral corruption but, ironically, they are normalising behaviours for the future. So did Loaded contribute to the lad culture or just highlight it? Well, both, kind of, in the end. So if it's a bit unfair to blame the writers for subsequent sexism in the media then we also can't excuse them for it either. James Brown, in particular, sounds fed up of being asked about it, because in his mind, that wasn't the main feature of the magazine. But it was present regardless and as Miranda Sawyer points out, it was quite obviously sexist at the time. Trying to excuse it as "of an era" like it was the 16th century or something ("I'm nearly 60," he whines at one point) is disingenuous, at the very least.

Watching this was nostalgic for me and it was nice in a way to be taken back to the days of my twenties, but it can't quite decide whether it's just documenting what happened or exposing the dark underside of the lads' mags. As a result I felt like it kind of fudged any point it was trying to make. But perhaps the producers just wanted us to make our own minds up.

Watching - October 2025

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Not as funny and irreverent as I remember, but still great fun - the opening title sequence with Groot dancing to ELO is surely one of Marvel's best. The crew meet a "celestial", who can manifest anything into being but chooses to represent himself as a paunchy, aging Kurt Russell for some reason (come on, he could have looked like David Hasselhoff!) and there's some silly sentimental family stuff which doesn't quite hit for me (and I like sentimental), but the film never stops being amazing to watch.

The Trip to Italy (2014)

Another sequel and another example of something that perhaps wasn't quite the equal of the first instalment. The faint elements of plot seem at odds with the overall feel of the series, although it's nice to have characters other than "Rob" and "Steve" to look at. Funny in places but either I'm missing something (there's a number of film references I am not familiar with) or it's just a bit rambling. 

Good Will Hunting (1997)

For a long time, about the only thing I knew about Good Will Hunting is that William Goldman jokingly claimed to have written the whole thing (he was only asked to provide some feedback, as he confirms in his book). The persistent rumour that he did is probably because Matt Damon and Ben Affleck rose without trace to win an Oscar for their first screenplay (Affleck remains the youngest winner of the Best Original Screenplay award) but haven't since really repeated it, becoming film stars instead. Which in fairness is probably more lucrative. Anyway, the film is all right. I felt that the progression through the plot was uneven, some of the dramatic breakdown scenes came somewhat out of nowhere and Matt Damon was decent in the lead role, no more. Robin Williams deserves the accolades for his performance, though, which was (unsurprisingly) more mature and complete.

Oppenheimer (2023)

Impressive but a bit too full of its own importance. See full review.

The Thursday Murder Club (2025)

An enjoyable Sunday afternoon murder mystery, with plenty of opportunity to guess whodunnit (C, watching with me for a change, guessed most of it) and also copious chances to spot the stars in larger or smaller roles. Some of the casting was a bit odd (Pierce Brosnan is not really plausible as a trade unionist - surely Ray Winstone would have been perfect here) but perhaps intended more for entertainment rather than to be taken seriously (I assume that's why Richard E. Grant appeared briefly). Of course the plot was simplified, which made it a little less plausible to my mind. And Bogdan was arrested, which makes you wonder about future films, since he's a big part of the next books.

Love At First Sight (2023)

Fifth time of watching! Still moving and lovely. Special mention this time (which I should have before) for Sally Phillips and Dexter Fletcher, who are both superb.

Paddington in Peru (2024)

It's unfortunate that the film's last words (apart from a brief and pointless end credit scene) are "that's disappointing", as they pretty much sum up the film. It's just trying too hard to capture what was so successful in the previous instalments in the series. We kept watching until the end for some reason, although I am not sure why now.

I Used to be Famous (2022)

Chosen purely on the basis that it was broadly based around music, this turned out to be a sweet coming of age/journey of self-realisation film. I enjoyed the fact that it was mostly set in and around London (although I'm also reading Taxtopia, which makes you wonder how much the decision to base it here was for the tax breaks), for including an autistic main character (played by a neurodivergent actor too) but not overplaying it as a part of the story, and that they used Portishead's fantastic "The Rip" for one of the scenes. The ending was a bit ambiguous though, as we don't find out whether Vince actually turns away from empty success and chooses his new-found community instead.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

Implausible, but plausibly so, if that makes any sense. And super stylish - Pierce Brosnan is very good here. Mention this time for the excellent music throughout, culminating with the final scene in the music being sound-tracked by Nina Simone's incredible "Sinnerman". Shame it ended with Sting's so-so cover of "Windmills of your Mind", which didn't match the rest of soundtrack at all.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (season 5, 2017)

The first thing I have to say is that Gina is absent for the first half of the series, and I honestly didn't even notice until she came back. You could say that's a sign of good writing, but I think it shows that the series doesn't actually need her at all - she's the only main character that is so one-dimensional. Everything else is as good as usual: the Backstreet Boys cold open (episode 17) is an absolute classic, Jake and Amy's relationship develops nicely (spoiler: they get married in the last episode) and Rosa coming out as bisexual is handled nicely, albeit a little heavy-handedly initially. Great stuff.

Knight and Day (2010)

Preposterous nonsense, but Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise are likeable enough together to carry it. Honestly not sure what made me pick it.

Oppenheimer (2023)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, et al

Impressive but a bit too full of its own importance

Making biopics must be really hard. Not only do you have to try and carve a coherent beginning, middle and end out of material that almost certainly doesn't have something so convenient, but you have to fit it within about two hours. So above all, credit to everyone here for attempting it and making a set of pretty complex subjects - both Oppenheimer himself and the work he was doing - accessible. I enjoyed the film: the staging was superb, Robert Downey Jr was particularly good, and the switching between different eras was very effective at breaking up a long story. 

That said, unfortunately there's more to complain about. Apparently Christopher Nolan gets final cut on his films, which probably explains why this is about an hour too long. Sure, it's an important subject but Nolan - who wrote, directed and produced and so must also take responsibility for any issues - includes too much detail and loses his way a few times as a result. The contrast with Barbie was of course much remarked upon at the time, and for me the notable difference is not just in tone but the fact that both films are making serious points but only one wants to beat you into submission with them (which was also the one that won all the awards - I'll let you draw your own conclusions about that).

Minor gripes: I thought Cillian Murphy was a bit one-note, I could have done without Kenneth Branagh popping up yet again (as before, he's too recognisable and unbalances his scenes), and Tom Conti was apparently reprising his cod-Greek accent from Shirley Valentine. And did Florence Pugh really need to be naked for most of her scenes? It was completely out of place (and don't tell me someone as capable as Christopher Nolan couldn't have achieved exactly the same effect without it, particularly given an actor of her calibre).

But still, an admirable achievement and I'm pleased I finally watched it - even though I'm unlikely to bother again. 

Watching - September 2025

The Hard Way (1991)

Not a film often mentioned in discussions of Michael J. Fox's career, I think, which is a shame because it's good - not a classic, but deserving of being remembered, at least. He's great as a spoiled brat of a film star (having a tantrum about wanting to be treated like an adult is hilarious) and if there are a few too many trademark Fox pratfalls, well, that's what he does. James Woods is also good as the "real" cop - although of course, it makes you start questioning what he did to get the performance right! Recommended  - I ended up buying a secondhand DVD because it cost about the same as renting it on Prime or whatever.

He Said, She Said (1991)

Another film I remembered fondly, having not seen it for a long, long time (and coincidentally, from the same year). The dual perspectives results in a fun format and one that would stand revisiting today - even though there are plenty of things that date the film, not least some of the sexual politics, the core story holds up. Elizabeth Perkins is particularly good, subtlely changing her performance to suit the two perspectives. Rather sweetly, the two halves were directed by a man and a woman respectively, who later married.

The Trip (2010)

Long before David Tennant and Michael Sheen played fictionalised versions of themselves in Staged, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon did the same in The Trip. And if Tennant and Sheen were willing to come across as overgrown children in the name of comedy, then what's perhaps more remarkable here is that Coogan is prepared to portray himself as a vain, touchy, womanising and ultimately somewhat lonely man. Without the distance that a character with a different name gives, that strikes me as quite brave. I'm not sure it makes for particularly good comedy though; the show is easy to admire but hard to love. Worth watching, though.

The King's Speech (2010)

I first watched this at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh with my long-time colleagues Graham and Richard. We all loved it, but I don't remember being as moved by the ending as I am now for some reason. Perhaps I've become more emotional as I've aged, or possibly I'm just a soppy old git now. Still, it's a lovely film.

Cousins (1989)

One of my long-time favourite films. As is often the case, I find myself agreeing with Roger Ebert's spot-on review; this isn't realistic, but it doesn't matter because it's a touching celebration of love, and because Isabella Rossellini conveys such a convincing range of emotions and sweetness that it's easier to ignore the fact that in real life this whole thing would be a horrible mess.

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Good, clean, escapist fun. George Clooney makes it easy looking smooth even when he's obviously doing something slightly questionable.

Ant-Man (2015)

I just fancied something with Paul Rudd in it, as he has a great, everyman quality (similar to John Cusack, I'd say) that makes watching him great fun. Oddly, Ant-Man's director Peyton Reed has compared Rudd's character in this film with Clooney's in Ocean's Eleven, although I only found this out after I'd seen them both!

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Another choice because I hadn't seen it since - well, probably since it came out. Lots of fun action, occasional humour, bad guy gets killed, all that good stuff. Visually amazing of course, and the rate that the MCU was churning films out at this point was incredible, but fairly simple plot-wise. A good watch though.

Watching - August 2025

The Naked Gun (2025)

Sunday afternoon cinema visit with the boys! I don't think I knew this new version was about to be released when I watched the original a couple of weeks earlier, and said that probably the spoof only worked for people old enough to remember what it was spoofing. But B & Z both enjoyed it, so clearly I was wrong about that. This is hit and miss, just like the original, but even though it's more hit than miss, overall it's a fun film to pass a couple of hours rather than a future classic.

The Blues Brothers (1980)

I've watched this many times, but it's always been a TV version that I recorded ages ago. I bought this on DVD recently and so this is first time I've seen the full, unexpurgated cut. There's a lot more! Still brilliant of course.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

Family choice for Saturday viewing with pizza. Great fun, although I can't fully decide if the constant derision of The Teenz (who, lest we forget, chose this) is amusing or irritating. Probably both.

The Secret of My Success (1987)

A bit of a curio, and very much of its time - the clothes, the ambition, the casual sexism. Amusing enough, but it's not really sure if it's a satire or an instruction manual - or, briefly, a bedroom farce.

50 First Dates (2004)

Comfort, can't be arsed to think of something more challenging to watch viewing. There's a lot to dislike about the film, really, but for me, the central story between Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler is enough to win me over. The less said about Rob Schneider's performance the better.

The Princess Diaries (2001)

Saturday evening family choice, which actually I was quite pleased about because I hadn't seen it for ages and it's a sweet, uncomplicated film with plenty of funny moments and the peerless Julie Andrews for class.

Watching - July 2025

Taskmaster (season 19, 2025)

A sudden jump to season 19, as K - who I watch with - managed to grind through everything from 5 to 18 without me, and also it turns out she was desperate to watch Mathew Baynton. Very entertaining as always, although possibly ten episodes is stretching it a little and of course, as with anything improvised, it can be a bit hit or miss. But you can't fault the creativity or the effort put in, both by Alex Horne and the Taskmaster team (excluding Greg Davies, who seems to have it rather easy) and the participants. Also, fun fact I learned: Alex Horne lives in Chesham, near where I grew up, and many of the filming locations are in the area!

Live Aid at 40 (2025)

A documentary about such a complex subject - even a three part one, as here - is only going to be able to skim the surface of the event itself, let alone all the political and social issues that led up to it and that arose from it. Still, this was a balanced and interesting overview of an incredible series of achievements.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (season 4, 2016-2017)

I said I'd give myself a break after the last season, but actually, this is perfectly sized for consumption in between other things, and sufficiently unchallenging viewing for when I'm tired or not feeling well (although this is obviously doing a disservice to the amount of effort involved in making it). I could do without the cliffhanger at the end of each season (of course it will resolve itself - the essence of a sitcom is that the "sit" never changes), but it's nice to see Jake and Amy in a straightforward relationship, without gratuitous roadblocks thrown in the way, and all 22 episodes are effortlessly funny.

The Naked Gun (1988)

It's possible that parody dates faster than just about any other form of comedy. Being the film version of the early 80s TV series Police Squad, which in turn was a spoof of 60s and 70s police dramas, this was probably already out of date when it was released. It didn't stop it being a success, and yes, it is funny - but I'm guessing only for people my age or above?

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Comfort viewing for while I'm ill. Still brilliant.

Inside Out (2015)

Having stumbled across an interesting video about Inside Out, I couldn't not watch the film itself, especially since I haven't seen it since records began! (ok, actually, so in at least five years) I still think it's incredibly insightful, and they have so much fun with the metaphor of how memories get stored (including repeatedly sending a random commercial back for fun). A classic for a reason.

Mission: Impossible (1996)

This is basically a James Bond film, right? Silly, fairly mindless action fun that jumps round multiple random locations. Kept me entertained.

I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)

A Powell/Pressburger film that I'm not quite sure warrants the "masterpiece" accolade given by some (including Martin Scorcese, no less), but as a lovely example of a romantic comedy of the time, it's unquestionably charming.

Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (2019)

A weird, hodge-podge of a film that can't decide what it wants to be, so ends up being bits of about three. Not that any of it is bad by any means, it's just that the motivation seems to be more that Quentin Tarantino wanted to do a pastiche/tribute to various bits of Hollywood history and retrofitted a story around them. He - along with Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio - seem to be having great fun remaking a lost era, but I suspect most of it is lost on anyone who isn't a film buff. For example, 8 August, 1969 - the date of the Tate murders - wouldn't have registered with me if I hadn't read the synopsis ahead of time. But without this information, or knowledge of what actually happened that day, the ending's impact is completely fudged. Still, I enjoyed it, nothing dragged, Pitt in particular is very good and I'm pleased I watched it. (side note: just reading some of the ridiculous critical theories catalogued on Wikipedia confirms to me that it's a film made for film geeks to bullshit about and I have no doubt that this is part of Tarantino's motivation also)

How Do You Know? (2010)

I can see what the makers were trying to do here, but the story is too slight for the emotions they're attempting to invoke. So, ultimately, it's a bit unsatisfying, because it's not clear why the two main characters should feel strongly enough end up together. It's a shame, because Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd are very good. Oh well.

Watching - May 2025

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

I've been meaning to watch this for a while, having heard acceptable things about it, and I do love Eurovision. And it's that time of year, so it seemed appropriate. Well, I made it about 40 minutes in before giving up. It's woefully unfunny, appallingly patronising, and grindingly tedious. Will Ferrell lacks any subtlety as either a writer or performer and, as well as demonstrating an almost complete failure to understand anything about Eurovision as a cultural phenomenon, has managed to badly miscast himself in his own film, which is some sort of achievement. The whole thing is like a bad translation of a classic book into another language. It's only redeeming feature - in the bit I managed to sit through - is that someone has very effectively nailed the music styles. 

Red Notice (2021)

Apparently this is one of the most successful films on Netflix, which I can totally understand, as it's an easy watch, Ryan Reynolds is great being, y'know, Ryan Reynolds, and it happily fills time. I've seen it before and still didn't remember the twist at the end, which may say something about the memorableness of the plot, but more likely about me.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

Amazon offered me yet another free trial of Prime so this is the first thing I watched. Again. I still love it. I wish I could own a copy.

Overboard (2018)

A gender-reversed version of the Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, er, "classic", you say? Well, only if it has under 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. It does? Count me in! Actually a perfectly watchable remake that adds nothing to the original but is funny and ends happily (and incidentally has a much better user rating that RT gives it). Kept me amused, anyway, so clearly I have lower standards than the critics (but this isn't news).

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

An unabashed tribute to fast-talking, screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s, with Jennifer Jason Leigh doing her best Katharine Hepburn as a hard-boiled reporter, and an exaggerated style of its own. I remember watching it years - decades - ago and enjoying it. Coming back to it now that I know more of the movies it's emulating, I can see how closely the Coen brothers (and all their crew, of course) matched them, not just in style but in substance - which is to say, there isn't much emotional depth here, just like something such as Bringing Up Baby. Very clever and entertaining, but possibly a little shallow.

Wandavision (2021)

I'm not much of an MCU fan, and so although I've watched quite a few of the films (with the boys in particular), I wasn't overly bothered about this when it came out. But Z persuaded me otherwise (basically in exchange for him watching some of my recommendations) and so we binged it over a few nights. I loved the initial concept of each episode being based on a different sitcom, although some of them are so US-specific it failed to resonate culturally as much as the makers probably intended. For example, something like Family Ties (the sitcom that made Michael J. Fox famous, parodied in episode 5) was huge in the US but less so around the rest of the world, so you're left with a bit of a "huh?" moment. I'm not sure where else you could have taken that but it felt like the slow change into a fairly typical series of Marvel fight scenes was a bit of a disappointment. Full marks for the sitcom scenes though.

Eurovision Song Contest 2025 - Grand Final (2025)

All the usual fun!

Last One Laughing UK (season 1, 2025)

I heard about this via Richard Osman on the brilliant podcast The Rest Is Entertainment and it was interesting to hear his perspective as a producer: mainly that, as a format, it's genius, because you get ten comedians in a room for a day, and out of that, you've got an entire season! The show originated in Japan several years ago and has now been franchised to nearly thirty countries (the UK is surprisingly late to this party), so clearly it's been a success from a production point of view. However, on the evidence of the UK version, it's a mixed bag for the viewer. There are laughs, but not as many as a good scripted sitcom (which, in fairness, would be a much more expensive proposition). It starts a bit slowly, gets funnier but peters out slightly at the end, and there are too many shots of the participants making faces to try not to laugh, which are ultimately not that amusing. It's a bit hit and miss, really, and, annoyingly, the climax of the show is not actually the funniest moment. But that's the risk and balance you take, as a producer, I guess: maybe there's some sort of price per laugh formula - just good enough to get people watching, cheap enough to make within a certain budget.

Fargo (1996)

It probably says a lot about me that I enjoyed the ostensibly awful remake of Overboard earlier this month more than I did this. Sure, I know Fargo is a classic. William Goldman waxes lyrical about the script in his book Which Lie Did I Tell? and Roger Ebert's original review is glowing. These are both people whose views I trust a lot. There's probably all sorts of craft, themes and subtext that I don't even realise are going on (although probably not to the extent of this ridiculous over-analysis). I'm pleased I've seen it, but the story itself is really not my cup of tea, I don't get what the point of the film is, and I can't enjoy a film for the technique.

Last One Laughing Australia (2020)

Despite feeling that LOL UK was a very qualified success (see above), I was curious enough about the format to investigate a couple of the other dozen or so versions available on Prime. The setup is identical - enough that I wonder if it's the same set, just dressed differently - but of course the show changes vastly with a change of personnel. The Australian version was a lot more scatological and puerile in places, mainly due to one of the participants but possibly because of cultural differences I guess. I'm not sure in hindsight why I carried on watching, but overall it's a light-hearted, easy watch. And I don't know if it's coincidence, but in the Australian, UK and Canadian versions, it's what you might term the "elder statesman" of the group who wins. And I think I'm done with it for now.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

I happened to be listening to George Thorogood's brilliant "Bad to the Bone" and that reminded me of the scene when Arnie first rides off on the Harley, so I watched that and then obviously the rest of the film followed. Great stuff if you can ignore the time paradox stuff!

Back to the Future Part III (1990)

More time paradoxes (paradoxi?) that don't really bear thinking about - just enjoy a great film full of fun moments. Trilogy watched with Z.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

This is part of my cultural landscape and so, as such, I find it hugely enjoyable.

Hello Quo (2012)

I can't remember what prompted me to watch this again, other than it was free on Prime - although I'm sure when I watched it before, it was about half the length. A good reminder of how good they were in the early-to-mid 70s in particular, a bit less convincing about their continued relevance at the time of filming. 

Moana (2016)

Great songs, great animation - a classic already. Hard to see why Disney are bothering to remake it as live action (I mean, other than money ... but what other reason do they need, I suppose). Some revision for watching the sequel ...

Moana 2 (2024)

... which we watched that evening for our Saturday family film night. Very obviously a sequel, unfortunately: pretty much a shopping list of the same elements as the original, just not done as well - certainly it didn't keep the teens attention well enough. Can't fault the animation though.

Watching - April 2025

Back to the Future (1985)

Forty years old and as fresh as a daisy (although I'm not sure what's specifically so pristine about daisies). Saturday film night with Z.

Back to the Future II (1989)

The second BTTF film is usually considered the worst of the three,^{[citation needed]} but although it's the most complicated, it's also the most satisfyingly complete from a time-travel point-of-view.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Blimey, over ten years old! Surely this has to be the best of the product tie-in films - imaginative,  very funny. tongue-in-cheek and superbly animated. A firm favourite in our house for a reason - the kids were speaking along with it during our pizza 'n' movie night.

Wicked Little Letters (2024)

I'm not quite sure why Netflix describes this as a "riotous comedy" - there are some funny moments for sure, but there's more drama than laughs and the overall message about the subjugation and judgement of women in the 1920s is, ultimately, not amusing at all, just the cause of indignation (as intended, of course). But it's a good watch and the three central women - Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley and Anjana Vasan - are superb.

Our Welsh Chapel Dream (season 2, 2025)

Unfortunately this time there's even more of a feeling of the material being stretched than there was in the first series. The narrator is doing double time, so even if you discount the (apparently necessary) multiple re-caps at the top of each episode and after each ad break, the main voice you hear is his. Poor old Keith and Marj feel like they're just supporting artists in their own documentary, as they only really pop up for a sentence or two at a time, and the whole is very disjointed. Still a watchable series though, even if it's just to marvel at the outré decorative choices being made!

Hidden Figures (2016)

I struggled with the original book of this (or maybe it was one of those that just didn't download to my e-reader properly, I can't remember), but really enjoyed the film - as a piece of storytelling with a clear point. There's no question that many liberties have been taken with historical accuracy in order to tell it (just see the fairly damning list on Wikipedia), and while this is to some extent understandable - as the book's author says, you can't have a film with 300 heroes - it spoils it a bit for me to find that, once again, a really interesting piece of real life has been chopped around to fit a standard Hollywood template. That said, it's still making important points as well as being moving.

Waking Ned (1998)

A simple idea, wonderfully told - even if is leaning a little heavily on a vision of bucolic Irish country simplicity - very funny and very sweet in places. The (small) twist at the end is unbelievable and unnecessary in my view, though.

The Wild Robot (2024)

Animated films take a huge amount of effort over years of time, and so it's a shame that here the resultant stunning visuals are in service of a clichéd and mawkish story. And I like sentimental - but this was too much. There's charm, for sure, and everyone loves a cute talking animal, but the anthropomorphism treads well-worn paths and the plot feels like several of the original books smooshed together. We watched it with Z (whose choice it was) and I'm pleased we did something together, but it's a kid's film, with simplistic ideas and predictable results. A miss (although for some reason, the critics loved it, according to Wikipedia, which baffles me).

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019)

Things I thought I knew about Linda Ronstadt before I watched this: she was spectacularly pretty and she sang country rock in the 70s. Well, I wasn't wrong about either of those things, but that represents a very small fraction of the overall picture. I hadn't realised what a huge star she was in the US, what a variety of music she recorded, or quite how good a singer she is - the few songs I knew don't really show her range - or, most importantly, how she carved her own way through a rampantly sexist music business for decades. I've listened to some of her albums since and while none of it particularly grabs me, there's no denying how good she is. Consider me educated!

The Adam Project (2022)

Fairly standard time travel film, enlivened by Ryan Reynolds. Good fun.

Doctor Strange (2016)

I fancied re-watching this for some reason - probably not seen it since around when it came out.  Watched it with Z (who needed little persuading) as preparation for the sequel. It's fairly typical Marvel fare of course - too much action and not enough plot - but enjoyable nonsense. I don't understand why they made Benedict Cumberbatch do a very average American accent when it would have made no difference to the plot to have him use his own, though.

Watching - March 2025

Titanic (1997)

I've always found this film fascinating, but I'm not sure I can explain why. It's spectacular still, even on a small screen, and the story at its centre is affecting despite being hokey teen angst. I don't really subscribe to the idea of "guilty pleasures" (at least not with respect to mainstream films or music, if you get off on puppy snuff flicks then you definitely have a guilty pleasure) but this comes close as I feel vaguely embarrassed about liking it.

The Good Place (seasons 1-4, 2016-2020)

I fancied watching this again and once I'd started, I binged right through it (my kids are very proud of me). It's ideal for this, for me - nice short episodes, funny but not too silly, and has a definite ending that isn't delayed too long (four seasons is entirely reasonable). The original concept is brilliant, of course, and if it gets a little lost around the middle of season two and beginning of season three, then it's still funny and once the end is in sight, it has a clear message that I like and found touching all over again.

The Incredibles (2004)

Something reminded me that I hadn't watched this for absolutely ages, so I got to enjoy it all over again. Great stuff. I also love the way the short that goes with it (Jack Jack Attack) links in with the events of the main film.

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Well, I had to watch the second one. Not quite as memorable as the first but entertainingly over-the-top. And the short (Auntie Edna) is great too.

Virgin River (season 1, 2019)

Just so we're clear, objectively, this is melodramatic rubbish - and I knew it would be before I started watching it. But I thought I'd try it, since I've been enjoying the books so much. Of course there are differences, but that's OK - mostly. The novels have many recurring characters and story arcs that cross from one book to another, but the main relationship in each book has a definite beginning, a middle and, crucially, a happy ending. I can't stress how important this is. The TV series doesn't do this, and so, for me, breaks a fundamental contract with the viewer. I'm sure eventually the main characters do get together but I'm not prepared to be teased and tantalised forever with a "will they, won't they" story line, so I'm out.

Le Mans '66 (2019)

A great story, well told. Can't say fairer than that!

Watching - February 2025

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

The opening scenes and credits of this, set to Propaganda's fantastic "Abuse - Here", are probably one of my favourites ever, and after watching them I can't not finish the film. There's a number of non-sequiturs, occasional over-acting and of course plenty of teen angst but in fairness I have watched it too many times. I still love it though.

The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

How do you film something quite so well-formed as the classic play? Well, in my opinion, not by rushing breathlessly from location to needless location, adding unnecessary fantasy and backstory sequences, or including pointless additional sub-plots (although it turns out at least one of these latter is apparently from an earlier version of the play). Nor, for that matter, by making Colin Firth sing. Still, Wilde's genius shines through all the over-dressing.

The Proposal (2009)

Nice easy viewing and (slightly) more nuanced on second viewing than I remembered from last time. I really want to have an epilogue scene though, as it felt like there were a few loose ends that could do with tidying up.

Love At First Sight (2023)

I just love this unassuming romance, it's just so sweet. I might be in danger of having watched it too many times now though.

Roxanne (1987)

My choice of film for Z and I to watch on movie night, and I thought he might enjoy the comedy in this - which he did. And I enjoyed revisiting a film I know very well.

Cars (2006)

Reading Virgin River reminded me that I hadn't seen this for ages. Time was when it was run on heavy rotation by Z so it's not like I don't know every scene, but it was still nice to see it again.

Doc Hollywood (1991)

Having just watched Cars, which has often been accused (sometimes by me) of ripping off the plot from this film, I thought Z should see this too for our film night - and also because I thought he'd enjoy it. And I don't mind watching it again either!

Serendipity (2002)

I can't believe this film is over twenty years old. Not because it looks timeless or anything and obviously the actors look younger than they do now. Actually probably what I'm saying is that I'm getting old - but that doesn't stop me loving the film as a hopelessly romantic fantasy, despite the plot being pure Mills & Boon.

A Complete Unknown (2024)

I think Bob Dylan is overrated, and not just because I'm pretty "meh" about most of his music, which is, of course, just a matter of personal taste. No, it's the mythologising that grates most, started by Dylan himself even before he was famous and perpetuated ever since by lazy journalists. So a film that takes that myth and amplifies it by adding more of its own inaccuracies in the name of "dramatic licence" was obviously going to annoy me immensely.

I was surprised to find then that I actually enjoyed the film a lot. The music is from Dylan's best period and the actors do a very impressive job of reproducing it, while the story carries you along nicely. There are one or two instances of the deathless music biopic clichés ("hey how about we just try this?" <fully formed famous song appears out of nowhere>) but none more than usual.

It's poor that Suze Rotolo's role in Dylan's life is over-simplified (and her name changed), which is problematic, and I think Joan Baez comes across very well despite the part being under-written - but then, it's not a film about Joan, although I'd watch that because I suspect it's a more interesting, albeit less dramatic story. But ultimately the film made me want to go back and listen to the music - of both Bob Dylan and Joan Baez - and so is a success from that point of view.

Watching - January 2025

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Ah yes, the iconic BBC production, with Colin Firth and that look. Sure, it has its faults and it's of its time; the sisters are all clearly too old, Julia Sawalha as Lydia in particular; and too many scenes are unbalanced by allowing Alison Steadman free rein to play Mrs Bennet as, essentially, a pantomime dame. Additionally, a washed out and poorly cropped transfer to DVD (and all widescreen broadcasts I've seen) does it no favours at all. Still, it never fails to charm.

Sky High (2005)

Despite being a slightly lowest common denominator choice for the family pizza-n-movie night, this provided plenty of entertainment all round. Plenty of pre-MCU knowing winks to Marvel & DC style - unexpectedly prescient - and comedy, with a wholesome Disney plot. Definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it before.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Watching this adaptation directly after the previous one is very instructive. Visually, there's no competition: the film looks sumptuous and realistic, with Chatsworth standing in for Pemberley (it turns out Mr. Darcy really was that rich) while the TV series looks dated, even factoring in the poor quality versions now available. That said, compared to the detail allowed by six hour-long episodes, the film is like a speedrun through the plot, and I feel that anyone unfamiliar with the storyline would certainly miss the nuances. Nevertheless, this is probably my preferred version now, possibly just because I've over-watched the BBC version!

Abbey Road: If These Walls Could Sing (2022)

A soft-focus, nostalgic look back at the history of the legendary Abbey Road Studios, featuring interviews from a whole host of famous faces. Not really a complete history though, more a  gentle reminisce, but an enjoyable watch nevertheless.

Cool Runnings (1993)

I bought this on DVD finally and so that was an excuse to watch it again. Great fun.

Yes, Minister (series 1, 1980)

Although this looks dated - filmed in a square format, everything beige, wobbly sets and cameras, all classic BBC sitcom-on-a-budget stuff - there is unfortunately no doubt that the subject matter is completely current. Still, it's funny and watchable.

Beatles '64 (2024)

I'm not sure the world needed another Beatles documentary - but at least this was less than two hours rather then the six hour marathon that was Get Back. It does give a glimpse into the eye of the storm, which is interesting, but overall it was a bit dull.

Summer of Soul (2021)

I fancied revisiting this and the musical performances make it worthwhile. What struck me on second viewing is the points that it makes about the segregation in force - formally or otherwise - for black people in 1969, how a massive event like this made the people of Harlem feel, and what it says that it was subsequently completely ignored.