Latest News

25 / 07 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the eleventh race in Germany are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Hungary next weekend on 1st August.

11 / 07 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The results from Rally Bulgaria are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next rally is Finland on THURSDAY 29th July (a day earlier than usual!).

11 / 07 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the tenth race in Silverstone are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Hockenheim on 25th July.

27 / 06 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the ninth race in Valencia are in, including the penalties for the naughty boys driving too fast. Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Silverstone on 11th July.

13 / 06 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the eighth race in Canada are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Valencia on 27th June.

30 / 05 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The results from Rally Portugal are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next rally is Bulgaria on 9th July.

30 / 05 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the exciting seventh race in Turkey are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Canada on 13th June.

16 / 05 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The Monaco scores have been updated to reflect Michael Schumacher's ridiculous penalty for daring to overtake a Ferrari. Check the updated results, see how your team did or enter a new team.

16 / 05 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the sixth race in Monaco are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Turkey on 30th May.

10 / 05 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the fifth race in Barcelona are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Monaco on 16th May.

10 / 05 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The results from Rally New Zealand are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next rally is Portugal on 28th May.

19 / 04 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The results from Rally Turkey are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next rally is New Zealand on 7th May.

18 / 04 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the fourth race in China are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Barcelona on 9th May.

06 / 04 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The JWRC driver lineup has been released, so you can make your selection before teams are frozen for Turkey on the night of 15th April. If you don't pick anyone, you'll get Aaron Burkart by default.

05 / 04 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the third race in Malaysia are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is China on 18th April.

03 / 04 / 2010
Fantasy Rally: The results from Rally Jordan are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Turkey on 14th April.

29 / 03 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the second race in Melbourne are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Malaysia THIS WEEKEND on 4th April.

14 / 03 / 2010
Fantasy F1: The results from the first race in Bahrain are in! Check the results, see how your team did or enter a new team. Next race is Australia on 28th March.

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 Oscars 2007

Just a bit of fun - my tips for the Oscars and who I'd have voted for if I could. I promise I won't change my predictions after the winners are announced! 2005's and 2006's attempts both went surprisingly well so there's a lot to live up to, and with only a couple of clear-cut favourites this year, it could be an embarrassing year for me!

Best Picture

Nominees:
  Babel,
  The Departed,
  Letters from Iwo Jima,
  Little Miss Sunshine,
  The Queen.

My prediction: This isn't clear by any means - any of these could pull it off. Although I haven't seen Iwo Jima yet, I can't see that or The Queen winning, but Little Miss Sunshine could pull off a coup. I'll go with The Departed.

My opinion: Well I don't think we've had any outstanding movies this year - but Children of Men came closest. I wouldn't have voted for any of the nominees.

Was I right? Yay!

Best Leading Actor

Nominees:
  Leonardo DiCaprio (for Blood Diamond),
  Ryan Gosling (for Half Nelson),
  Peter O'Toole (for Venus),
  Will Smith (for The Pursuit of Happyness),
  Forest Whitaker (for The Last King of Scotland).

My prediction: Forest Whitaker - pretty sure about that one. Peter O'Toole could pull it off as it's probably his last chance and the Academy may play the sympathy card, but I'll stick with Forest.

My opinion: Will Smith, though I do think Johnny Depp deserves a nod for his Jack Sparrow.

Was I right? Yes!

Best Leading Actress

Nominees:
  Penelope Cruz (for Volver),
  Judi Dench (for Notes on a Scandal),
  Helen Mirren (for The Queen),
  Meryl Streep (for The Devil Wears Prada),
  Kate Winslet (for Little Children).

My prediction: Helen Mirren - I've never been so sure about an Oscar result in my life. If I get this one wrong, you should never listen to me again.

My opinion: Helen Mirren deserves this one.

Was I right? Yes, but everyone knew that one!

Best Supporting Actor

Nominees:
  Alan Arkin (for Little Miss Sunshine),
  Jackie Earle Haley (for Little Children),
  Djimon Hounsou (for Blood Diamond),
  Eddie Murphy (for Dreamgirls),
  Mark Wahlberg (for The Departed).

My prediction: Eddie Murphy ... though my money's actually on Djimon Hounsou.

My opinion: I'm tempted to go for James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland or even Danny Dyer for Severance, Bill Nighy for his Davy Jones. None of this lot though. Mark Wahlberg? Are they MAD?

Was I right? No, Alan Arkin repeated his BAFTA triumph by picking up this one.

Best Supporting Actress

Nominees:
  Adriana Barraza (for Babel),
  Cate Blanchett (for Notes on a Scandal),
  Abigail Breslin (for Little Miss Sunshine),
  Jennifer Hudson (for Dreamgirls),
  Rinko Kikuchi (for Babel).

My prediction: Jennifer Hudson

My opinion: I really can't think of any. Bryce Dallas Howard was good in Lady in the Water, but hardly Oscar-worthy. I'll go with Jodie Whittaker for Venus, although you could argue that's a leading role.

Was I right? Yep.

Best Director

Nominees:
  Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (for Babel),
  Martin Scorsese (for The Departed),
  Clint Eastwood (for Letters from Iwo Jima),
  Stephen Frears (for The Queen),
  Paul Greengrass (for United 93).

My prediction: Martin Scorsese - pretty confident about this one too.

My opinion: Alfonso Cuaron for Children of Men.

Was I right? Yes again. Doing well so far.

Best Animated Feature

Nominees:
  Cars,
  Happy Feet,
  Monster House.

My prediction: Cars - though you can't rule out those penguins.

My opinion: I'll agree with Cars - though Flushed Away was right up there.

Was I right? This is where it starts going horribly wrong ... those pesky penguins took it.

Best Original Screenplay

Nominees:
  Babel,
  Letters from Iwo Jima,
  Little Miss Sunshine,
  Pan's Labyrinth,
  The Queen.

My prediction: I've had a hunch ever since I saw it that Little Miss Sunshine would take this one.

My opinion: I'll concur... though I can't help thinking I've forgotten something better...

Was I right? Yes!

Best Adapted Screenplay

Nominees:
  Borat,
  Children of Men,
  The Departed,
  Little Children,
  Notes on a Scandal.

My prediction: This is a tough one to call, I'm going with the rank outsider Little Children, though The Departed looks like a strong contender.

My opinion: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, though I can't resist giving Borat a nod - just brilliant.

Was I right? No, the second choice The Departed got it.

Best Cinematography

Nominees:
  The Black Dahlia,
  Children of Men,
  The Illusionist,
  Pan's Labyrinth,
  The Prestige.

My prediction: When one movie is so far ahead of the others, it really has to win - Children of Men.

My opinion: No contest - Children of Men.

Was I right? Gah! Somehow this one went to Pan's Labyrinth! It's a travesty!

Best Art Direction

Nominees:
  Dreamgirls,
  The Good Shepherd
  Pan's Labyrinth,
  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,
  The Prestige.

My prediction: Pan's Labyrinth.

My opinion: Snakes on a Plane - no, just kidding - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.

Was I right? Yep.

Best Special Effects

Nominees:
  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,
  Poseidon,
  Superman Returns.

My prediction: I'm torn ... I'm going to predict Pirates, but I just can't resist a couple of quid on Poseidon at those long odds. If Superman gets it, it's a fix.

My opinion: I have to go with Children of Men, purely because you can't tell where the effects stop and the live action begins. In a traditional whizz-bang sense though, it has to go to X-Men: The Last Stand.

Was I right? Yep, Pirates it was.

Best Foreign Language

Nominees:
  After the Wedding,
  Days of Glory (Indigenes),
  The Lives of Others.
  Pan's Labyrinth.
  Water.

My prediction: I must admit I've only seen Pan's Labyrinth - but I'll be amazed if the award goes anywhere else.

My opinion: Angel-A, if it qualifies for this year.

Was I right? No - a bit daft of me to predict this one not having seen the others, but it went to The Lives of Others.

The Bernard Matthews Award

Turkey of the Year was the dire Ultraviolet for most of the year, but then Christmas came, and with it was the tiresomely terrible Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause - but even that was trumped by the hateful pile of reindeer droppings Deck the Halls. If you ever get captured by rebels in a foreign torture-happy land, they'll make you watch it on repeat. Shudder.

Actor of the Year

A special mention goes to Hugh Jackman, who has shown immense versatility in a string of top class performances: The Prestige, Happy Feet, Flushed Away, The Fountain, Scoop and of course X-Men: The Last Stand. Long may it continue.

Overall results

Couldn't maintain the standard - eight right from thirteen predictions. Ah well, could've been worse!

All done

That's it for another year. What will next year's hits be? Will the Transformers movie have a plot as well as awesome effects? Will the second Dukes of Hazzard movie see the light of day? Will Wolverine and Spider-Man 3 be able to carry on the good work of their ancestors? See you back here throughout 2007 to find out.