Latest News

09 / 03 / 2010
Fantasy F1! Yes, there's a brand new Fantasy Formula One game! Check the rules or Enter your team by Friday night to qualify for the first race in Bahrain!

08 / 03 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The results from Rally Mexico are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Jordan on 1st April.

17 / 02 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The points awarded for a win have changed in the real WRC, so we've reflected the changes in our scoring too. Check the rules to see the details. Next rally is Mexico on 5th March, teams will be frozen at midnight on the night of Thursday 4th March.

16 / 02 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The results from Rally Sweden are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team.

31 / 01 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The new rally season is upon us - 2010 Fantasy Rally is now open! Check the rules or pick a team ready for the start on 12th Feb.

25 / 10 / 2009
Fantasy Rally: All previous years' Fantasy Rally results are online - Check the 2009 season.

02 / 08 / 2009
Reviews: Sorry, there won't be any more movie reviews for the foreseeable future. Events have overtaken me. Catch up on reviews you may have missed.

18 / 08 / 2005
Sudoku! Have a go at the online Sudoku game.

The Boat That Rocked

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Tom Sturridge, Chris O'Dowd, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Jack Davenport, Ralph Brown, Talulah Riley, Rhys Darby, Katherine Parkinson, Emma Thompson. Written and directed by Richard Curtis. Story: The peak of pirate radio. Running Time: 2hrs 9 minutes. UK certificate 15, US certificate R.

I get the impression that The Boat That Rocked is receiving a lukewarm reception. I can't imagine why, it's great.

Richard Curtis seems to be the only director who can mould such a massive cast into a quality finished product. All the characters are sufficiently developed and memorable ... well, apart from Gemma Arterton, who I have to confess I can't remember appearing at all in the movie, despite her name appearing right at the tippy top of IMDB's cast list... most peculiar... but with that one exception everyone's marvellous. Even the very silly joke of calling the plummy official guy "Mr Twatt" never failed to put a smile on my face whenever anal Kenneth Branagh used it - much like Blackadder's Captain Darling. "Ah, there you are Darling..." (snicker)

We see so many shooty stabby movies these days that it's soooo refreshing to let a fluffy Curtis story wash over us, accompanied by dozens of classic 60s pop hits. The heavier elements of the plot are dealt with in a fun yet non-trivialising way which leaves the viewer with a genuine buzz and a feeling that the world is a slightly better place than when the movie started. The characters get under our skin without us noticing, so that when the climactic ending arrives, we're surprised to notice a lump in our throat ... or maybe that's just me. Regardless, I can't wax lyrical enough about a movie that actually makes you feel better about life. Why don't we have more of them?

The Boat That Rocked is easily criticised for its formulaic and predictable story, but at the end of the day it's a masterpiece of positive psychological manipulation. It's better than valium and doesn't need a prescription.

I enjoyed this film: 5/5

I think the average moviegoer will enjoy it: 5/5

Testosterone Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 - Just the one scene of female nudity, but there are dozens of boobies in it  (oYo)  It's possible that this scene was cut from the US version because IMDB doesn't mention it. Language is liberally sprinkled with Fs and there's pot-smoking too.

To enjoy this film: believe that life is there to be enjoyed rather than endured.

The Boat That Rocked was released in the UK on 1st April 2009.