Top 5 of 2025

My 2025 has been a decent year for work and progressing with personal projects and ideas. As listed from 2021, I was intrigued to have a go at the film a day challenge and have been very active with that. The list can be seen below and I have managed the 365 in 365. But firstly My Top 5 of the year (based on UK release dates as always...

5. Steve

- I'm going to give no5 to this fairly lowkey film starring Cillian Murphy. The whole cast feel profoundly natural within the setting of a school for boys with societal and behavioural difficulties. It's a film that feels important and hopefully resonates with many people. Schools at large are a talking point in our ever changing society and this shows just how it affects those teaching and those being taught, in our education system. I also feel the teachers being interviewed by a camera crew within the film itself is a good choice compared to the film actually being the camera crew. Quite powerful stuff.

4. Frankenstein

- Del Toro's take on the modern Prometheus story is quite an interesting watch. Wonderfully creative set design within a costume period drama world. The split of story being told from 2 perspectives made for a refreshing take on a story told many times in film form. 

3.  Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere 

- I do like a biopic. And I'm fully aware these films are still a fictionalised version of someones story. But its also great to go into a film like this knowing so little as I did. My knowledge is non-existent when it comes to The Boss so I was very much in the hands of the film makers and for that reason its so nice to watch a story thats at least about something or someone real that I have no idea where its going (in terms of a story arc). I'm a big fan of director, Scott Cooper (he was the pull for me to see this actually) and Jeremy Allen White is outstanding as a Bruce going through personal struggles while riding the huge success from a recent tour. It's a tad long but I was engaged the whole way through. Also, like the film Air a few years back, I have such a sweet spot for watching the creative process happening so seeing Bruce and his team in the studio trying to capture magic is so enticing.

2. Weapons 

- In the same week, I caught Weapons and Together which shows how alive and creative the horror genre is right now. But I'll give the position to Weapons for its genuine creepiness in the first half and the surprising finale that just takes it to laugh out loud moments. I had a great time with this!

1. Sinners 

- I think it has to go to Sinners. A mulit-layered piece of film-making told from a personal place. Ryan Coogler used the whole canvas; used all the tools available to make a movie that is inherently large in historical scope and, tightly contained in an almost stuck-in-a-haunted-house styling for the third act. Loved, loved, loved the musical number, conjuring the many depictions of genre-defining styles over the 19th/20th century. Its shot beautifully, has a great soundtrack and brilliant performances.

I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up in many a end of year list, even end of decade list...

An extra mention to F1: The Movie for just being an absolute blast and what the big screen experience is all about.

I want to give a big shout out to a brilliant animated series on Netflix, Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight. I read a fair few of the comics growing up and I feel this show got the tone of the comics absolutely spot on.

So on to this years attempt of 365 films in 365 days. And this year I smashed through the 365 barrier somehow! Once again, regular font, I've seen the film before; in Bold, its a new watch and with an asterix (*) was a film viewed in the cinema...

Wicked (2024)*
Santa Claus is comin to Town (1970)
The Big Sleep (1946)
It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955)
A Hard Days Night (1964)
Interstellar (2014)*
The Andersonville Trial (1970)
Loch Ness (1996)
Aftersun (2022)
Carry-On (2024)
- 10
A Complete Unknown (2025)*
We Live in Time (2025)*
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story (2022)
Race to Witch Mountain (2009)
Angel Face (1952)
Cat People (1942)
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Here (2025)
Relic (2020)
Curse of the Cat People (1944)
- 20
Horror Express (1972)
Funeral for an Assassin (1974)
The Thing from Another World (1951)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Nosferatu (2025)*
Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
Puss in Boots (2011)
Threads (1984)
The Art of Getting By (2011)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
- 30
Sense & Sensibility (1995)
Top Gun Maverick (2021)
Suspicion (1941)
Yellow Canary (1943)
The Brutalist (2025)*
Pearl (2022)
Infinity Pool (2023)
A Farewell to Arms (1932)
Bob Marley One Love (2024)>
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (2024)
- 40
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
The Gold Rush (1925)
The History Boys (2006)
Soul (2022)
Kinda Pregnant (2025)
A Goofy Movie (1995)
The Duke (2020)
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Stepbrothers (2008)
Seeking a Friend for the end of the World (2012)
- 50
Toy Story (1995)
Alien Romulus (2024)
Turning Red (2022)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)*
Bridget Jones: Edge of Madness (2004)
The Monkey (2025)*
The Banshees of Inisheran (2022)
Larry Crowne (2011)
Leon (1994)
- 60
Cars (2006)
The Aftermath (2019)
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Peter Pan (1953)
The Last Showgirl (2025)*
Another Earth (2011)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Nightbitch (2024)
Mickey 17 (2025)*
- 70
Bend it Like Beckham (2002)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Shirley (2024)
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Next (2007)
The Miracle Club (2023)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)
Cars 2 (2011)
Civil War (2024)
Lancelot and Guinevere (1963)
- 80
Moana 2 (2024)
Mamma Mia (2013)
The Package (2018)
Snow White (2025)*
Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)
The Last of the Mohicans (1936)
The Electric State (2025)
Star Wars A New Hope (1977)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
The Nan Movie (2022)
- 90
American Graffiti (1973)
Just Cause (1995)
Animals (2019)
Flow (2025)*
Mr Burton (2025)*
Death of a Unicorn (2025)*
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
Paddington in Peru (2024)
Jules Vernes Rocket to the Moon (1967)
Empire of Light (2022)
- 100
John Q (2002)
Pinocchio (2022)
TMNT: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008)
Silence of the Lambs (1990)*
Second Chance (1953)
The Abyss (1989)
Death Promise (1977)
My Left Foot (1989)
King of Kings (1961)
- 110
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Mr Destiny (1990)
Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)
Mother's Instinct (2023)
Havoc (2025)
Insidious: The Red Door (2023)
Disney Tarzan (1999)
Luther: Fallen Sun (2023)
Concrete Cowboy (2021)
Star Wars Ep3 ROTS (2005)*
- 120
Stronger (2017)
The Big Short (2015)
The Power of the Dog (2021)
The Graduate (1968)
Alto Knights (2025)*
Life of the Party (2018)
Sinners (2025)*
The Single Mom's Club (2014)
Hawk the Slayer (1980)
A Night to Remember (1958)
- 130
Beastmaster (1982)
Sophie's Choice (1983)
Almost Famous (2000)
A Simple Favour (2018)
His Girl Friday (1940)
One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
The Day Will Dawn (1942)
Francis Ha (2012)
Bad Lieutenant (1992)
Hang 'Em High (1968)
- 140
Legally Blonde (2001)
While We're Young (2014)
Little Women (2019)
Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning pt 1 (2023)
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
Marriage Story (2019)
The Relic (1997)
Mission Impossible Final Reckoning (2025)*
Back to the Future Part 2 (1989)
Dark Shadows (2012)
- 150
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
Lilo & Stitch (2025)*
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster (2013)
Jungle Cruise (2021)
Jaws 2 (1978)
Cars 3 (2017)
Jaws The Revenge (1987)
Jaws 3-D (1983)
Open Water (2003)
Is That Black Enough for You? (2022)
- 160
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
Signs (2002)
Song of the Sea (2014)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Corpse Bride (2005)
Doctor Strange (2016)
The Crazies (2010)
How to Train Your Dragon (2025)*
The Company of Wolves (1984)
- 170
Judy (2019)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Absolutely Anything (2015)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Fort Apache (1948)
Wagon Master (1950)
Big Fish (2003)
- 180
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
28 Days Later (2002)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
28 Years Later (2025)*
F1 The Movie (2025)*
Countess Dracula (1971)
Twins of Evil (1971)
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Vampire Circus (1972)
Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)*
- 190
F1 The Movie (2025)*
TT3D Closer to the Edge (2011)
Benny & Joon (1993)
John Carter (2012)
Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)*
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Daddy Day Camp (2007)
Cool Runnings (1993)
Saltburn (2023)
Operation Crossbow (1965)
- 200
Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
The 39 Steps (1935)
Shutter Island (2010)*
The Wonder (2022)
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
The Muppet Movie (1979)
Jim Henson Idea Man (2024)
The Fantastic Four: The First Steps (2025)*
The Aviator (2004)
Jaws @ 50 (2025)
- 210
Only the Brave (2017)
Clerks III (2023)
The Substitute (2024)
IT (2017)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Happy Gilmore 2 (2025)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Deliverance (1972)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
- 220
Brigsby Bear (2017)
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
X-Men (2000)*
Chef (2014)
Empire Records (1995)
Barbarian (2022)
The Naked Gun (1988)
Weapons (2025)*
The Naked Gun 2 1/2 (1991)
The Naked Gun 33 1/3 (1994)
- 230
Leo (2023)
Beau is Afraid (2023)
Logan (2017)*
Fright Night (1985)
Copycat (1995)
The Natural (1984)
Silverado (1985)

Elemental (2023)
Smurfs (2025)*
Together (2025)*
- 240
Junior (1994)
All About Eve (1950)
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
Grown Ups 2 (2013)
The Bad Guys 2 (2025)
Soul (2022)
The Haunting (1963)
Sinners (2025)
Elio (2025)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- 250
Jaws (1975)*
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
The Iron Claw (2023)
The Long, Hot Summer (1958)
Carry-On (2024)
Queen and Slim (2019)
The Three Faces of Eve (1957)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
The Jackel (1997)
Jumanji (1995)*
- 260
Heathers (1988)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
October Sky (1999)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Jumper (2008)
Anger Management (2003)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Cobra (1986)
Hands of the Ripper (1971)
Asterisk & Obelix: Mansion of the God's (2014)
- 270
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Farewell My Lovely (1975)
Project A (1983)
Project A part II (1987)
The Nice Guys (2016)
Over the Top (1987)
Bones And All (2022)
Brief Encounter (1945)
Road House (2024)
Training Day (2001)
- 280
Unforgiven (1991)
Dunkirk (1958)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Le Mans (1971)
Scream (1996)
Scream 2 (1997)
Scream 3 (2000)
Twelve Monkeys (1995)
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)*
- 290
Army of Darkness (1992)
Halloween II (1981)
One Battle After Another (2025)*
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
The Smashing Machine (2025)*
Till (2022)
World War Z (2014)
Heretic (2024)
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Saw (2004)
- 300
Heaven's Gate '151min (1980)
Saw 2 (2005)
Saw 3 (2006)
Rolling Thunder (1977)
Steve (2025)
The Ruins (2008)
Halloween (2018)
Mack & Rita (2022)
And So It Goes (2014)
Halloween (1978)
- 310
Buried (2010)
Life (1999)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
The Old Guard (2020)
The Old Guard 2 (2025)
The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025)
The Babadook (2014)
This is 40 (2012)
Urban Legend (1998)
Army of One (2016)
- 320
Ticket to Paradise (2022)
Oblivion (2013)
Imaginary (2024)
Deep Impact (1998)
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)
Piggy (2022)
Enys Men (2022)
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
The Menu (2022)
Last Night in Soho (2021)
- 330
Wicked: For Good (2025)*
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
White Noise (2022)
Being Eddie (2025)
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (2025)*
The Running Man (2025)*
Ricky Stanicky (2024)
Casper (1995)
Frankenstein (2025)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
-  340
The Greatest Showman (2018)
Vengeance (2022)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
50/50 (2011)
Smother (2008)
Jeanne du Barry (2023)
The Wooden Horse (1950)
Heat (1995)*
Wicked: For Good (2025)*
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
- 350
The Apprentice (2024)
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2025)*
Genius (2013)
John Candy: I Like Me (2025)
The Long Walk Home (1990)
Jay Kelly (2025)
In Your Dreams (2025)
The Santa Clause (1994)
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
Last Breath (2025)
- 360
The Batman (2022)
A Real Pain (2025)
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)
A Complete Unknown (2025)

Laura (1944)

Klaus (2019)

Jackass 4.5 (2022)

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Rashômon (1950)

Scrooge A Christmas Carol (1951)

370

Man Up (2015)

Ghost (1990)

The Thursday Murder Club (2025)

Home Alone (1990)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Miracle on the 34th Street (1994)

Migration (2023)

Signs (2002)

Fountain of Youth (2025)

380

The Roses (2025)

Toy Story 4 (2019)

Top 5 of 2024

The start of the year was a continuation of 2023s strikes and the fallout from the affects of the on-going debate of Ai in our industry. Despite this, a number of films made their way to the big screen including Wicked part 1; a film I worked on and by most accounts was a resounding success critically and at the box office. within the 12 months I do seem to have seen less films this year than the previous few.

5. The Bikeriders - my bias to another time period is pretty evident in this years list. A bygone age of a time that at least appears to be of a simpler time (or is it?); the draw of taking a bike out on the wide American landscape is appealing to my British sensibilities that were at one time very enamoured with the US of A. But as this story shows, an idea can be born from an individual and escalate into something entirely different.

4. Poor Things - similarly to many other people, I found this film to be so quirky with its imaginative visuals. Admittedly, I think there's a point in the first 15mins that if you can 'go with it' then the rest of the film is a madcap Frankensteinian adventure.

3. The Substance - Demi Moore is great in this body horror attack on beauty, youth and stardom. It's dreamlike and nightmarish in equal measure. The glamour of industry is barely visible instead showing the lecherous grim reality of agents and their agenda's to find the next best thing. This films crawls and oozes into a finally that is frankly insane and extreme in physical effects. And I loved it the whole way!

2. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - speaking with a few people, I wasn't aware of this film being quite so divisive as it was (certainly nowhere near as much as Joker 2...). Whether it was expectation coming off the back of Fury Road or the fact it simply had no Max in it for the audience to put themselves within a recognisable landscape, the film supposedly didn't do what was hoped for it. And yet I hope and pray that George Miller gets to put the final part of his planned triptych of modern Max films on the big screen sooner than later. This film is indeed following, in my opinion, the greatest action film of the 21st century (so far). But with a strong character in Furiosa and an intensely wild world with equally colourful side characters, I was all over this film and ready to take a step into the harsh wasteland of tribes, Warboys and Bullet Town once again. Dont let anyone tell you this film is MEDIOCRE. It certainly isn't...

1. The Holdovers - cast your mind way way back to the start of the year and a movie I was anticipating for a Christmas 2023 release arrived on UK shores for a January date instead, hence it making my 2024 list. A film beautifully set in a snowy 1970s with equally beautiful 1970s film grain. There was a trailer which felt it had come from a different era and excited me from the get-go.
A cast led by the great Paul Giamatti tells such an engaging story with humour and heartfelt turns along the way. It's one of those films that just let's you hangout with the characters and move through their life with them as apposed being pulled along on a roller coaster. I loved every minute of it!

Shout out and honourable mentions to Society of the Snow, American Fiction, The Iron Claw, Juror #2.

No more bottom 5. Why point out things you didn't like. It takes an army of people to make these films at any scale and the intention is never to make a 'bad' film.

Top 5 of 2023

And so another year passes and I have done little to add any meat to the bare bones of this blog (no one blogs these days, let's admit it).

Mostly I have been fortunate to remain busy with projects during what has been, another rocky year in very recent memory due to industry strikes from the writers (WGA) and actors (SAG) unions. I simply make a note of this for prosperity/my own record.

But despite this, seeing films has still been a much enjoyed activity during my down time. So what are my Top 5 of the year...

5. The Super Mario Bros Movie - despite being the ideal gamer age; I was in Camp Sega rather than Nintendo so my deep knowledge of the little plumbers game was fairly limited. That being said I was looking forward to this and it didn't disappoint. A lovely looking film and genuinely light and breezy with its humour, pacing and story al existing within a 'Mario' world. This is what I always wanted the Sonic Movies to be...

4. Dream Scenario - a quirky Nic Cage film should be a yearly expectation. This one plays far straighter than the more comedic leaning trailer that advertised it. I found it was littered with humorous observations and moments that were nicely wrapped around a relevant topic that we are living in right now. Sure, it's 3rd act aims at a less ambiguous resolve but ultimately how else could it finish up. It kept me intrigued and entertained throughout

3. The Fabelmans - a part Spielberg-biography movie from the man himself. It doesn't reach the lofty heights of his greatest works (an expectation almost unfairly placed by the audience) but I find this story, although a little nichè, to still be pretty universal and the specifics, including the love letter to film to be a massive personal draw for me. Its a film that I can relate to heavily and also feel the self-inflicted questions it asks being directed back at me also making for a self reflective film.

2. Air - arriving early in the year, I had almost forgotten about this title. But seeing its name and the cast list reminded me of the real fun I had watching this story about the licensing of a trainer (who'd have thought it hey...). Parts I knew about were dramatised in a light and entertaining way and the stuff I didn't know about kept me invested and looking forward to more of its story. There's nothing wrong in a film doing exactly what it's supposed to and taking its viewers along for a comfortable ride.

1. Past Lives - a beautiful telling of a friendship/relationship spread across 2 decades and how we act/react to the cards we are delt in life. The Korean culture adds layers of subtly to the complicated relationship that is forged. An amazing film for a first time feature director.

A little honourable shout out to some particular titles include the Arnold and Bill Russell: Legend docs, Leave the World Behind, The Creator and Killers of the Flower Moon among many others.

My bottom 5 based on what Ive seen this year are as follows

5. Rebel Moon Part 1
4. Meg 2
3. Your Place or Mine
2. Heart of Stone
1. Mothers Day

Top 5 0f 2022

Well there goes another year of inactivity on here (but who's keeping count or reading this anyway)
Not sure I've watched a whole lot this year or at least not as much as I'd have liked to. Here's my five favourites that I saw, released in the UK in 2022.

5. Del Toro's Pinocchio - the attention to the details and the craft in which this film is lovingly made makes it an easy top 5 position. A lovely take on the tale with some surprising melancholia

4. Violent Night - nice to have something festive in the list this time of year, I thought I'd throw it in for fun. Unashamably a love letter to Die Hard and Home Alone yet being its own thing in its own right.

3. Everything Everywhere All at Once - sometimes amongst the art films and the popcorn movies you need something that fuses/blends the 2 cinematic ends of the scale to excite and surprise you with something new or different. Nutty, multiverse, OTT extravaganza. Everyone plays their part brilliantly. False ends, alternate realities and talking rocks (amongst many other things...) leads to the most creative film of the year

2. Top Gun: Maverick - a few years ago 2 films were, perhaps unjustly, held up with the responsibility of 'saving cinema' due to the terrible impact of Covid. Neither No Time to Die or Tenet could pull off the lofty expectations put upon them by the culture at large but this year we saw the potential of having a film succeed in reinvigorating the box office AND be a worthy and exciting watch. Top Gun pulled the mammoth task off. A true cinema experience to be seen big and loud and multiple times! Brilliant stuff

1. The Banshees of Inisherin - hitting all the emotional range possible, this film is extremely funny, poignnant, sad across the course of its tale. Amazing performance from everyone (and a donkey). The drama plays out in and around beautiful Irish scenery and leaves you with a mixed bag of feelings. Beautiful film making...

Some honourable mentions to Trainwreck Woodstock '99 (an indepth and in some ways morbidly interesting look at how an event can go oh so wrong), Brian and Charles (brilliantly english in the best and most sombre ways), All of Us are Dead (love me some zombie action coming out of Korea) and The Batman, of which has been my favourite job to have worked on so far.

As usual I happened across some stuff I was not keen on; three of which are below 1. The Reef: Stalked 2. Disneys Pinocchio 3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Top 5 of 2021

Along with this list (and the only post of the year. What a pointless blog this is...), I'm including a list of every film I saw in full this year. Off the back of Edgar Wright's yearly list, I was inspired/curious as to how many movies I could or do watch in a year. For now here is my usual Top 5 that came out in the UK this year...

5. Riders of Justice
- Mads Mikkelsen plays an incredibly wound up soldier who, going through a family tragedy, exacts some revenge through the help of statistic experts. Odd right? Wait til you see the rest of the film. The blackest of comedic moments and at times horribly depressing made for a watch where you were never quite sure which direction the film would head. It's good to be kept guessing...

4. Dune
- can only really go off the one watch in the cinema but I enjoyed it enough as a big screen experience.

3. Free Guy
- accept for three minor plot issues I had, Free Guy represents the fun that can be had at the cinema. Anyone with a youtube account will probably be aware of the build up to this film thanks to Ryan Reynolds consistant and amusing teasings of the film. Marketed as if it was almost never going to arrive and RR being peak RR, you knew exactly what you were getting in terms of humour and action. I just really enjoyed it as a whole.

2. King Richard
- I went in to see this with little to no knowledge of its background and was genuinely entertained by the whole thing. An account of the tennis-pro William's sisters early beginnings and upbringing by their dad its by far the best performance from Will Smith in a long time. That's not to say Will hasn't been great recently but I can't remember when I last saw him not as Mr Smith but as the character he was playing. I think he may be deserving of at least a best actor nomination this year.

1. Another Round
- Mads Mikkelsen makes a second appearance. A brilliant ensemble shows the potential highs and many more realistic lows to pushing the limit of alcohol consumption. A deeply personal project for the director Thomas Vinterberg and yet again Mads proves himself to be one of the best acting talents of the past 15 years.

An honourable mention goes out to The Beatles: Get Back documentary, Bo Burnham's Inside, Moxie, Nobody and Raya and the Last Dragon. As always the bottom 3 for me are worryngly poor. I give you the title and nothing else.
1. Father Christmas is Back
2. Twist
3. Thunderforce


AND so to this list I compiled. This is the list of films watched in the order I happened to see them. Bold for new releases, standard text for rewatches. The only repeat was seeing No Time to Die twice in the cinema. Enjoy

Monsters Inc (2001)
Hellraiser (1987)
Dark Waters (2020)
Easy Rider (1969)
Mortal Engines (2018)
#Alive (2020)
Cats (2019)
Taking Lives (2004)
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Ghost (1990)
- 10
Inside Man (2006)
The Wife (2017)
Mank (2020)
Mindhorn (2016)
The Sixth Sense (2000)
What's Your Number (2011)
Monty Python's Holy Grail (1974)
A Dogs Journey (2018)
Semi Pro (2008)
The Nutty Professor (1996)
- 20
Widows (2018)
Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
6 Underground (2019)
A Hard Days Night (1964)
Lucky (2017)
Jojo Rabbit (2020)
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
The Drowning (2016)
Dredd (2012)
Bumblebee (2018)
- 30
The Gentlemen (2020)
Evil Dead (2013)
THX 1138 (1971)
The Boy with the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
Twist (2021)
Sputnik (2020)
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
Forces of Nature (2000)
Instant Family (2018)
Just Mercy (2020)
- 40
News of the World (2021)
The Invisible Man (2020)
The Notebook (2004)
Sliding Doors (1998)
Table 19 (2017)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Dawn of the dead (1978)
Tag (2018)
Pearl Harbour (2001)
Pele (2021)
- 50
Witness (1985)
Arrival (2016)
Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
I Care Alot (2021)
Black or White (2019)
Grosse Point Blank (1997)
Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985)
Moxie (2021)
Eighth Grade (2019)
Cyrus (2010)
- 60
Carry On Screaming (1966)
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Ben-Hur (1959)
The Best of Enemys (2019)
Soul (2020)
S.W.A.T (2003)
Bird on a Wire (1990)
Back to the Future (1985)
Willy's Wonderland (2020)
Thunder Force (2021)
- 70
Ghost Ship (2002)
Stowaway (2021)
Baby Mama (2002)
The Duelists (1977)
Nobody (2021)
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)
I Origins (2014)
Sound of Metal (2021)
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
The Art of Self-Defence (2019)
- 80
Enough Said (2013)
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Unhinged (2020)
Red Tails (2012)
Mission Impossible: Fallout (2019)
The Devil's Own (1997)
Nomadland (2021)
Promising Young Woman (2021)
Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
The Unholy (2021)
- 90
Things Heard and Seen (2021)
The Doors (1991)
There Will Be Blood (2008)
Angel Has Fallen (2019)
Cruella (2021)
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
The Father (2021)
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark (2019)
A Quiet Place Part 2 (2021)
- 100
The United Way (2020)
Breakdown (1997)
Mad Max Fury Road (2015)
The Truman Show (1998)
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Army of the Dead (2021)
Ma (2019)
Palm Springs (2021)
Supernova (2021)
Another Round (2021)
- 110
The Comeback Trail (2021)
F9 (2021)
Luca (2021)
Yesterday (2019)
Space Cowboys (2000)
The Hunted (2004)
Black Widow (2021)
Midway (2019)
Raw Deal (1986)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- 120
Old (2021)
The Fighter (2013)
The Mitchell's vs The Machines (2021)
Run (2021)
High Crimes (2002)
11:14 (2003)
Jungle Cruise (2021)
Callan (1974)
The Client (1994)
Unbreakable (2000)
- 130
Love and Monsters (2021)
The Dark Knight (2009)
Archive (2020)
Free Guy (2021)
'71 (2014)
Bad Trip (2021)
ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas (2019)
Seaspiracy (2021)
Candyman (2021)
Wonder woman 1984 (2020)
- 140
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Reminiscence (2021)
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Richard Jewell (2019)
Copshop (2021)
Malcolm X (1992)
Malignant (2021)
Kate (2021)
Summer of Soul (2021)
Deep Rising (1997)
- 150
Split (2016)
Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
A Clockwork Orange - 4k restoration (1971)
The Firm (1993)
Pale Rider (1985)
Minari (2021)
Coogan's Bluff (1968)
Man on Fire (2004)
Romy and Michelle's Highschool Reunion (1997)
Respect (2021)
- 160
The Fellowship of the Ring - 4k restoration (2001)
The Two Towers - 4k restoration (2002)
Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984)
Hidden Figures (2016)
I Feel Pretty (2018)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Breaking In (2018)
Casino Royale (2006)
The Voyeurs (2021)
No Time To Die (2021)
- 170
No Sudden Move (2021)
Dune Pt1 (2021)
The Guilty (2021)
The Last Duel (2021)
The Loved Ones (2008)
Something Borrowed (2011)
Halloween Kills (2021)
Halloween (1978)
V for Vendetta (2006)
After.Life (2009)
- 180
The Founder (2017)
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Ransom (1996)
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
No Time To Die (2021) x2
Coherence (2014)
Crazy/Beautiful (2001)
- 190
Red Notice (2021)
Halloween V: Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Ewoks: The Battle For Endor (1985)
Paths of Glory (1957)
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Rocky IV: Balboa vs Drago (2021)
Thor (2011)
Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)
King Richard (2021)
House of Gucci (2021)
- 200
She's The Man (2006)
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
The Matrix re-release (1999)
Riders of Justice (2021)
Lovehard (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings (2021)
Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
West Side Story (2021)
The Christmas Chronicles Part 2 (2020)
Last Christmas (2019)
- 210
Godzilla vs Kong (2021)
Mechanic Resurrection (2016)
Splash (1984)
Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Spiderman 3 (2007)
Ron's Gone Wrong (2021)
South Pacific (1958)
Highlander (1987)
The Rookie (1990)
- 220
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)
Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
Encanto (2021)
Scrooge (1970)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The Haunting (1999)
Father Christmas is Back (2021)
Klaus (2019)


Some series I managed to get through this year...
Cobra Kai S3 (2020)
The Terror S1 (2020)
Black Summer S2 (2021)
Them S1 (2021)
Mighty Ducks: Game Changers S1 (2021)
Rick and Morty S5 (2021)
Vigil S1 (2021)
Final Space S3 (2021)
The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

Top 5 of 2020

I initially thought the look back on this is going to be limited. 2020 was crap and we all know it. But rifling through my watched films released this year, on IMDb, I have somehow caught 29 movies despite the limited availablity for the silver screen. So as usual, what follows is the best I personally saw in 2020 and then a short list of the drivel I also encountered...

5. The Gentlemen
- a genuinely fun time is had following the usual reprobates and charismatic characters from a new Guy Ritchie film. Just gets in there with a 1st Jan release date. Let's just forget he made Aladdin...

4. Calm with Horses
- a small but tough Irish family drama with a truely believable performance from actor Cosmo Jarvis about an ex-boxer who makes the mistake of not doing his master's bidding.

3. The Invisible Man
- somewhat of a surprisingly good remake but that feels unfair. Remake seems the wrong word as it's simply a modern telling of a classic story. The camera's lingering performance elevates the whole thing which reminds me of Carpenter's original Halloween...

2. Tenet
- this years "saviour of cinema" didn't quite live up to such a title but realistically what film would. The pandemic isn't going anywhere any time soon. A lot has been said of the film already. For now I think it's Marmite for many people. I feel that second viewing makes all the difference and in time, may be looked at with more favoured eyes. I do however agree with some views of whether a film should perform on first viewing for an audience unlikely to go for repeat screenings. It lacks the balanced entertainment and smart story telling that instant classic, Inception, has going for it but maybe this film is a fine wine in the long run.

1. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
- a documentary film but a film nonetheless. And possibly the most important film of the year for the world to watch. If the message doesn't sink in after watching it then I can't the lesson being learnt in quick enough time. Sad, informative, entertaining, inspired.

An honourable mention goes out to Saint Maud, for a quietly unsettling envoyable time at the cinema and The Last Dance, for being absolutely brilliant across the board. As always the bottom 3 are the pants of what I saw this year. I throw little more than the title and no extra attention to them.
1. Dolittle 2. Bloodshot 3. Mulan

Top 5 of 2019

Well this is depressing. The one and only post of the year is my end of year round up...

To be fair, Ive been busy in the best of ways work wise this year having worked on Fast & Furious 9 followed by Batman so Ive had zero time to make any personal work.
As we end this decade Im definately coming out of it in a far different place than what I came in to it, for good, and sadly, for bad also (but that's not for here).

OK, so whats my Top 5 of the year? (As always based purely on what Ive seen released in 2019 in the UK...

5. Toy Story 4
- could they do it again. One more time. Apparently so. Some fun highlights like Duke Kaboom, the ventriloquist dummys and the high five soldier made this a fun film but it brought the emotion with a real sense of goodbye between Woody and Buzz that anyone who grew up with these characters could feel as well. But I will say Buzz is sorely under-used in this film...

4. Us
- I enjoyed Getout but perhaps not as much as the rest of the world apparently. Us on the other hand was a step up for me and it took Peele's horror sense to larger, national scale. Great stuff indeed!

3. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
- is it long, yeah; self-indulgent, perhaps. Is it his best thing since Basterds, I think so. Also Brad Pitt has created the coolest QT character since Sam Jackson showed up in Pulp Fiction!

2. Le Mans '66
- this film was dramatic, exhilarating and above all else, damn fun. Seeing it on the big screen helps and I just really enjoyed a film that takes you comfotably through the story with solid performances and confident directing from Mangold.

1. Avengers Endgame
- was there going to be anything else? for story telling, juggling the size of it, emotional beats and sheer entertainment which is what these films sometimes forget to be. Also, so so satisfying. Something never to be under-appreciated. Marvel did it. Congrats. I can leave the MCU behnd now and be perfectly happy if I never saw another one. Amazing

Notable shoutout to The Irishman and Chernobyl which I'd love to have included in the list.

Bottom 5 as always based on what Ive seen and not particularly bad films. Just lowest rated by me...
1. Gemini Man
2. In The Tal Grass
3. Men in Black International
4. Godzilla King of Monsters
5. Dumbo

Top 5 of 2018

Time once again for my personal Top 5 of the year based purely on UK releases that I have managed to catch within the year; so before you ask 'why no SpiderMan?' it is because I haven't seen it yet!

5. Mission Impossible Fallout
One of, if not the only film series to be getting better as they go on. It's easy to have gotten caught up in the media surrounding just how practical this film was to be and how much of the work in camera was done by the Cruise himself but it all paid off massively with great story callbacks and continuations from previous entries which made me very happy. Ive been vocal to people about my theory on how you can rate the quality of an MI film based on the length of Tom Cruise's hair in each particular film so I was pretty confident going into this one. Equally, director Chris McQuarrie's Epic Empire Podcast Part 1 and Part 2/3 are just as good as the film!

4. Bohemian Rhapsody
Saw this twice at the cinema. It is horribly inaccurate with its timeline of events but by using the Live Aid performance as a bookend, it is structured in a way to play more to your feelings. An average enjoyer of the Queen catalogue its a great time to enjoy what is effectively a "Greatest Hits" of their work. It's a null point at this time to go on about how good Rami Malek's interpretation of Freddie is. It's all just so enjoyable! Seeing it big and loud was its biggest strength. Being too young to witness an original Queen lineup, I realised half way through the film I had never heard the band in a loud bombastic way like that of a gig. Hearing the tracks on a stereo system definately takes away from their impact. The film in a cinema corrects this...

3. Incredibles 2
The family dynamic is finally back and fittingly carrying on almost seamlessly from the first film. Just as many fun moments as the first and lovely spectacle we've come to expect from Pixar. Minor weakness would be the 'badguy' of the film feels a tad weak in comparrison to Syndrome but Im nitpicking... Jack Jack jokes and parenting is a super power are the greatest take-aways from this film.

2. They Shall Not Grow Old
A film of great importance, it feels somewhat wrong to describe this as "entertainment" in the same way as Saving Private Ryan's opening 20mins. The work gone into making hundred year old war footage come alive is something to truely marvel at. It's approach to pull you in through the black and white world as we enter the war with a gradual zoom and colour increase is magical without ever being a "look at this!" moment. THe voice work is brilliant and at times intense and heartbreaking. Stunning work and quite rightly compulsary viewing in our schools now. Thank you Peter Jackson.

1. Avengers Infinity War
A bit obvious but it couldn't be anything else right? 10 years of building. There have been a few dips and troughs along the way but nothing to cry about. Amazing visuals aside the story was strong and bolstered by an imense cast all doing their part. A fully realised Thanos is the icing on the cake. Possibly like the original Yoda in Empire, if audiences didn't believe in this character than the film may have collapsed on itself. With strong foundations in the Marvel world, they've built a towering series of films for the 21st century... Come on Endgame. You've got us all ready and waiting...

Honourable mentions go to the following for all being great bits of film throughout the year; The Last Movie Star, The Shape of Water, Lady Bird and Haunting of Hill House for beign a great little mini series on Netflix.

As for my bottom 5 once again the list is by no means the worst things I ve ever seen as Ive likewly avoided the truely aweful titles. These are just lower rated in my opinion

5. Venom
4. After The Screaming Stops
3. When The Devil and Father Amorth
2. The Cloverfield Paradox
1. The Open House

Top 5 of 2017

That time of year again! So, there were many titles I'd have like to have seen (happens every year, of course) and am guessing may have even made the list (Get Out perhaps? Girl with All the Gifts? Raw?). But alas, my top and bottom 5 are based on this year’s viewing habits.

5. Hacksaw Ridge
When people in power make mistakes, it's rare we let them forget about it in this modern age, let alone forgive them for it. I feel it's safe to say after the better part of a decade Mel Gibson made a deserved comeback with this film. Like him or not, the film itself is a very strong entertaining (if you can call war just that) tale based on the humbling truth of a soldier who didn't give up on his beliefs. Like a lot of war titles, it displays the best (and worst) in people. If you don't feel like doing 'the right thing' after its viewing, you have missed the point...

4. Baby Driver
We were promised speed, colour, action and lightning fast dialogue and for a first time experience it didn't fail to deliver. Subsequent viewings have yet to occur so I'm interested to see what life the film manages to take on past this year (if viewed more times, I may have placed this at no3). But for now, a vibrant original film with loving references to 70's car action has been a welcome distraction to the familiar OTT car-nage of the FATF series amongst other tentpole action films with too much bang for its buck. Enough talk has been made on its kinship with its soundtrack.

3. Logan
So, we got the Wolverine western we'd been asking for (apparently). A pretty fitting and respectable end to a character/actor many my age have grown up with. The noir edition is a nice touch for those interested. In time I feel my generation may look on this first 'wave' of superhero films the way older generations debate the best Bond era; typically championing the ones we grow up with. There may be better or 'more-like-the-comic' versions of Logan in the coming years but Jackman's portrayal will no doubt set a benchmark for the conflicted elements of a worn-out anti-hero that we, and certainly I, hold as one of my favourite of all fictional greats.

2. IT
The hype machine on this was selling the best thing in a long time in horror circles. Up front I cannot claim to be anything of a King fan or that of previous telling’s of the IT story so I entered this with no preconceived notions or expectation. I was all-round entertained, suitably chilled (never quite scared) and importantly left eager with the promise of a concluding part to this film. A tale more about youth, growing up and its fears and friendship then simply some bulbous headed clown killings. Great casting makes this film work.

1. War for the Planet of the Apes
This film was THE experience for me this year. The hope to enter that dark room and be taken on a journey for 2 hours that leaves you with something is always what I want from a cinema experience. This film managed that beautifully. Already a great admirer of 'Dawn' (less of 'Rise') the conclusion to this Cesar-arc was handled greatly by Matt Reeves who really has proven himself again and again with big budget film. A war film that brings to mind many a great title from Bridge on the River Kwai and The Great Escape to more harrowing moments that I can't help comparing to Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. Good company to be amongst no doubt...
I expect Dawn and War will be played often in my home over the coming years.

Honourable mentions go to Blade Runner 2049 and Life, two sci-fi's just shy of my top list. Also check out the documentaries called One of Us, which can be found on Netflix about the Hasidic Jewish community; and Five Came Back (also Netflix) about the pioneering directors of Hollywood who served during WWII.
The ultimate mention goes to Stranger Things season 2. If I wasn't so strict about my list being films, I'd have this as the no1 thing I watched this year. I feel I could write forever about the strengths of this show but for now all I say is this; in a time where spectacle is measured as being "epic!" and "awesome!", few things are ever "wholly satisfying", and Stranger Things is satisfying as f**k!

My bottom 5 in no real order or importance because nothing here is overly harmful. In fact, this year’s post really doesn't warrant a bottom list as I didn't see anything that was painful enough to call rubbish

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge
4. The Babysitter
3. Death Note (Netflix)
2. Beauty and the Beast
1. Ghost in the Shell

Top 5 of 2016

End of a very sad year as far as who we lost in the entertainment world. Easily more so than any previous year that held some value of importance to us (myself espeically).

But in the mean time here are my regular top and bottom 5 films of the year. Again this is based on the films I have seen that released in the UK from Jan 1st of this year.

5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Happy to have a Star Wars film in my top5 at last. Much better second time around and better than Ep7. The last 20-30 mins are so satisfying and we wer promised somewhat of a war film which they delivered on quite nicely. Talk of CGI faces is mute at this point to me. My feeling is 'uncanny valley' will ans should always be something we recognise as human beings. It's built in to our DNA to spot irregularities in our species so at this point the best you can do is perfect mannerisms and performance rather than exacting the look of someone. There are 3-5 mins I'd cut in the first hour but its not too distracting from the overall story.

4. The Fundamentals of Caring
A film that's really by the numbers but 100% content/comforable as viewing material. A nice little road trip movie thats never overly laugh-out-loud but quietly fun.

3. Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds is spot on and I was so happy that a 5min joke (breaking the 4th wall) could succefully be stretched out in to 90mins. On top of that it wasn't a one hit wonder as Ive since rewatched it and it holds up on second viewing.

2. Kubo and the Two Strings
Beautifully animated and really well handled sentimentality leads to a delightful film with an emotional core. Great to see a theme/topic based on eastern philosophies going down so well in a western part of the world.

1. Arrival
In a mad world where Trump became boss and Independance Day: Resurgance has aliens come back to kick our asses, it was so nice to have a complex multi-layered story of communication/miss-communication of language, working together and furthering our existence. Utterly compelling without bombastic effects this was a real gem and very promising work from the director who's been put in charge of the Blade Runner sequel and possible Dune remake...


My honourable mention is Floyd Norman: An Animated Life. A lovely documentary on the life of one of Disney's first black animators. Of course he himself makes a point that race wasn't even a factor to him. He was just an artist looking for a job. That may give you an idea of how this doc is viewed. A man who first and foremost is a talent to behold but was situated in a time and place that was difficult to live in for certain populations of America.

My bottom 5 was a ixed bag of films that were bad, boring and generally disapointing rather than just out and out terrible...
5. Bastille Day (aka The Take)
4. Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice/Suicide Squad
3. Steve Aoki: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
2. Sharknado 4: The Forth Awakens
1. Independance Day: Resurgance

Top 5 of 2015

Well it's technically the 1st of the new year so I should have done this last week or yesterday. I was really hoping to fit in just a few other films I'd missed this year but that sadly didn't happen. Regardless, here's my personal top 5 that I saw and that were of course released in the UK during 2015. In decending order:

5. Big Hero 6
- yep that's right, a Disney movie! And in a year of a lot of animation, Ive put this above the likes of Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. A fun film with such a well designed and fairly original entry in the robot catagory. I think this appealled because it felt like a Disney film I could enjoy that wasn't all about princesses or sisterly love. There's nothing wrong with that of course but after a mega hit like Frozen I'm glad they came out with this rather than playing off the success of that one film.


4. Kung Fury
- OK, so at 15mins, it's not techincally a feature film and could have easily gone into my 'honourable mentions' at the end of this. However this achieved such style, action and general fun packed nostalgia (somehing that appeared in a fair few of this years major releases), it's earnt it's entry due to its rewatchable quality. This probably doesn't need to be expanded to a full film and may just be a great calling card to Hollywood from it's makers. Either way, it's exciting stuff.

3. Whiplash
- again another great entry from right back at the start of the year (see Big Hero 6). Quite the Oscar darling back in February and for good reason. Steller performances all round but J.K. Simmons gets the limelight after so many amazing side performances and bit parts.

2. The Martian
- so after last years Intersteller, I was really hoping the sci-fi wouldn't let up and Im pleased to say this kept it going. Clearly a Ridley Scott film brings a lot of attention but this had added value having made Prometheus, which quickly became unfavourable in the fan and critic commuinities and Exodus, which is at this point kind of a standard of what to expect from one of his historical epics. This was easily the most light hearted and entertaining he had been since Thelma & Louise. Matt Damon is on point and the script is great. Ultimately after Interstellar and Gravity, space finally looked fun as well as perilous!

1. Mad Max Fury Road
- few would disagree. Few also seemed to expect it. It's really of little importance but there's a lot of online response that suggests the MM bandwagon was jumped on pretty hard with few people aware or bothered to have seen the previous 3. I don't state this with any particular pride but I had been waiting on this film for sometime. Yes, I had seen the other 3 countless times and they are top notch action films (minus 3) in their own right but they always had more of a cult following. This made being openly affectionate about the films difficult as they aren't in the pop culture conscious as much as say Star Wars, Harry Potter, LotR etc.
This film had a rough time getting to the screen it seems. It had been filmed and wrapped up probably 2 years before it's release it would appear. So when that initial thunderous trailer arrived, I was more than excited for what was going to come out. And with added build up towards it's release date, excitement grew. Not only does this film take my No.1 spot for its out-right acion, tension, world building, performances by the leads, great (and ugly) characters and a director who really gave us a film that said "this is how you do a car chase, Hollywood"; it was a film that lived up to its hype!
Over the passed few years, my favourite films have often come out with me having little personal attachment or investment in the excitement of their releases. Some have taken me by surprise and some have simply lived up to what I had heard. When a film did appear that I had hyped up it either failed to deliver at all or just couldn't live up to a rather unrealistic level of expectation on my part (again Prometheus, sorry). THIS DID. This was 2015 in all its visual and audible glory!!!

My honourable mentions shall go to the following; Inside Out, John Wick and a documentary I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story.

My bottom 5 this year aren't really aweful films. They were just the ones I happened to see that weren't up to scratch for my liking or fell well short of expectations (except no1):
5. Maggie, 4. SpongeBob Squarepants: Sponge Out of Water, 3. Terminator Genysis, 2. Jupiter Ascending and 1. Sharknado 3


See you for next years countdown!

Top 5 of 2014

Here it is. Another year down and its time for my top 5. This year I have to say while there's usually the odd little indie film that I absolutely love, I've either not had a chance to see it (a la Mr Turner which I really want to see) or they just generally weren't up there. Instead its been a heavy hitter for the big tent pole tiles of the year which to be fair, given the line of work I'm in, can't be a bad thing!
Could this mean the quality of the blockbuster is improving. Probably not but lets have a look shall we...



5. X-Men: Days of Future Past
- OK, so maybe a bias opinion on this but I love me some X-Men and to have Brian Singer back in the fold on this was great to see. Bring on Apocalypse!!

4. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
- this was a surprise hit for me. I took a shot on seeing it based on the trailer. 'Rise' was really quite boring in comparison or just acted as a 2 hour intro movie to this much more explosive and interesting film.

3. The Wolf of Wall Street

- waaayyy back in January so its still within 2014 for the UK! Scorsese brings the excess to banking of all things. Some (including Scorsese) would argue this is similar ground he has covered before but as a fan, it's what we like to see from him and he came out swinging in deplorable style thanks to DiCaprio's antics.

2. Edge of Tomorrow
- a film that from the get go, looked like great fun. Such a shame it missed its target thanks to VERY poor marketing plan. Most people thought the film was called Live, Die, Repeat! Either way, great action, really well placed humour, Tom Cruise probably in his best roll since War of the Worlds. All round fun for sci-fi fans!

1. Interstellar
- and so the Matthew McConaughey revival (see last years Mud) comes full speed into the station!
What am I supposed to say about this film. Honestly, I'm sure whatever I have to say will either seem too glowing or pretentious but what ever right?!So here goes; this film reminds me of why I love film (in a slightly less sentimental way than Hugo does). The whole time I was taken in by everything on screen.
When I first saw 2001:ASO I realised what people meant about film being an experience. 2001 wasn't just a film. It was an experience.
So watching Interstellar, I was taken on such a journey that I came out emotionally drained. The McConaugh-ssance is in full swing, what with True Detective on TV.
Interstellar wasn't just a film. It was an experience...

For my honourable mention, I'll put a tie in for Godzilla and How to Train Your Dragon 2.

The bottom of the barrel this year comes from the following which need no comment:
Transformers 4 too many, Sharknado 2, Blended, Robocop and Man of Tai Chi.

See you next year!!

Top 5 of 2013

That time of year! My Top 5 of the year. As always Im only including films Ive seen so apologies on missing any...

5. The Way Way Back
- can't beat a good coming-of-age movie and this did it form me. Sam Rockwell is on fire

4. Mud
- the Matthew McConaughey revival continues. Better than Killer Joe in my book. Enthralled all the way to the end!

3. Man Of Steel
- probably the 'Prometheus' of 2013. A film I hyped for ages. Love the character. They took a different direction with it which Im happy with. just wish they had managed to keep John Williams score...

2. The Worlds End
- the work from Pegg/Wright/Frost has become something of a point to make when stating our great comedy exports from the UK. Hilarious film, great ending to the themed trilogy and lived up to expectations for me.

1. Gravity
- no surprise here. Stunning. Great in 3D. A gripping thrill ride and for the first time in a long time there was stuff in there that I was left wondering 'how did they do that?'

Honourable mention doesn't really go to one film this time. Saw a bunch of films I was pleasantly surprised buy and really liked; The Wolverine, Behind The Candalabra and The Kings of Summer all great movies to check out.

Didn't have a complete bottom five thankfully as I missed as much of the crap as I could but here are 2 that were pants regardless;
Sharknado. 'So bad it's good'. No just bad guys. If I want to see a stupid low-fi B-movie of the today I'll watch Sharktopus with Eric Roberts. Texas Chainsaw 3D; was willing to give this a go. How bad can it be... pretty rubbish and so incorrect with things. Crazy...

On to 2014!!! I expect 2 films in my top 5 already so if this goes tits up Im not going to have a good year. Godzilla and The Lego Movie! See you in the new year

Top 5 of 2012

So its the start of the new year and here is my recap on the 5 best of last year

5. The Raid
- first I ignore the chat about it being the most interesting, original form of martial arts of the past 20 years. What you have here is just a great no holds action piece that crosses all languages. Exciting stuff.

4. Chronicle
- this proved to be a bit of a surprise. I had wanted to see this from the get-go but had to finally catch it on dvd. A fun novel way to use the 'hand held' footage style and a real life element to super powers I haven't enjoyed so much since Unbreakable.

3. Avengers
- the biggest surprise of the year. Had no real intention of seeing this in the cinema. Over hyped and I wasnt overly impressed with either Thor or Captain America as individual films. Then BOOM HULK SMASH. Also this was one of the better uses of 3D Ive seen.

2. Prometheus
- say what you want; Prometheus was the biggest anticipated film in years for many including me. Was it what we wanted; maybe not on first viewing but it was something else. Amazing design work and the usual depth you'd expect from Ridley Scott. Yes there are some muddled bits but for build up, excitement and the world created, I was happy.

1. The Dark Knight Rises
- nothing to say here really. I saw it 3 times in the cinema. It was my first IMAX experience and a great complete ending to a well built story arc.

And an honourable mention as always. This goes to Looper. Joeseph Gordon-Levitt is a great actor and to see him lead in a sci-fi film such as this that deals with time travel with no moment leaving you thinking 'what the...?'. Good film

Oh and 5 stinkers in no particular order
1. Underworld: Awakening - borrrrring
2. Chernobyl Diaries - Letdown
3. Piranha 3DD - double letdown
4. The Watch - funny? not really
5. The Dinosaur Project - clever poster, cheap film

Top 5 of 2011

A late post recently yet again but here is my Top 5 film of 2011;

5. I Saw the Devil
- a strong, strong movie from the director of my favourite Korean movie A Bittersweet Life.

4. TT3D: Closer to the Edge
- inspiring and down right crazy documentary on the Isle of Mann TT race.

3. Red State
- great to see Kevin Smith right back on track with a very cool film.

2. Drive
- blogged about it before and can't wait for its DVD release.

1. Super 8
- Goonies meets Close Encounters. Nostalgia trip to the max. LOVE IT.

Special honourary mention:
I thought of having this as a joint 5 but I'll add it here. Anyone who hasn't seen this must check it out immediately. Mel Gibson's The Beaver was just great. Dissregard anything he's done. He knows this character.

Enjoyos!