Latest News

07 / 12 / 2008
Fantasy Rally: The final Fantasy Rally results are in - we have a winner! See how your team fared or see the Rally GB results.

05 / 11 / 2008
Review: After the gruelling James Bond press junket tour, I bet Daniel Craig could use a Quantum of Solace.

23 / 10 / 2008
Review: Brad Pitt steals the latest from the Coen brothers: Burn After Reading.

23 / 10 / 2008
Review: Simon Pegg learns How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.

23 / 10 / 2008
Review: Ben Stiller directs stars aplenty in Tropic Thunder.

12 / 10 / 2008
Review: A few words on some recent movies: RocknRolla,
Death Race,
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army,
Space Chimps,
Stuck,
The Babysitters,
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder,
Son of Rambow,
Jack and Jill vs the World,
Made of Honor,
Meet Dave,
Doomsday,
Pathology.

15 / 08 / 2008
Review: You can mess with Adam Sandler, but You Don't Mess with the Zohan.

15 / 08 / 2008
Review: Mike Myers tickles some chakras in The Love Guru.

14 / 08 / 2008
Review: Toot and come in, it's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

14 / 08 / 2008
Review: You can stop watching the skies now, it's The X Files: I Want to Believe.

31 / 07 / 2008
Review: Batman Began and now continues in The Dark Knight.

24 / 07 / 2008
Review: The Chronicles of Narnia continue with Prince Caspian.

23 / 07 / 2008
Review: Pixar goes Short Circuit with Wall-E.

22 / 07 / 2008
Review: Jules Verne never envisaged a 3D version of Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

09 / 07 / 2008
Review: Jet Li and Jackie Chan team up in The Forbidden Kingdom.

09 / 07 / 2008
Review: Will Smith keeps the streets safe and smelling of booze in Hancock.

09 / 07 / 2008
Review: M Night Shyamalan's latest, The Happening.

09 / 07 / 2008
Review: Spanish creepy-creepy The Orphanage.

09 / 07 / 2008
Review: A quick catchup of movies that don't get the full treatment:
Be Kind Rewind,
Street Kings,
What Happens In Vegas,
Superhero Movie,
The Ruins and
Teeth.

08 / 07 / 2008
Review: Bend that bullet Angelina! Wanted.

01 / 07 / 2008
Review: Those cats were fast as lightning - Kung Fu Panda.

24 / 06 / 2008
Review: Don't make Ed Norton angry - The Incredible Hulk.

24 / 06 / 2008
Review: Carrie and Big's wedding, it can only be Sex and the City.

11 / 06 / 2008
Review: Everyone's favourite pot-addicts are back in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

04 / 06 / 2008
Review: Harrison Ford returns in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

04 / 06 / 2008
Review: Tube driver seeks suicidal man in Three and Out.

18 / 05 / 2008
Review: CGI fantasy motor racing in Speed Racer.

18 / 05 / 2008
Review: Your creases will fly away with Iron Man.

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

Plenty more
See the rest of the reviews here.

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.