I saw a trailer for One Battle After Another and thought it might be a relatively fun action/drama type film, just looked on Cineworld for the release date and saw it is 2hr 42mins long. Do people making movies not understand how insane that is? Maybe I’ll be wrong and it’s an epic masterpiece.

I’m sure this has been covered but how exactly do we explain to the American president that we have sacked the ambassador for being embroiled in a scandal that the president himself is embroiled in?

I’m not sure ‘FBI informant’ is a label that Trump’s supporters will like.

Inspired by my Christmas films thread from last year - here are all the films I’ve seen at the cinema this year, with the thrill of marks out of 10 for each of them. #2025movies

Totally my own fault for getting sucked in, but I left Twitter to get away from this kind of thing.

Massive shock that Djokovic is struggling and suddenly needs a medical time out. I do hope he is ok and can continue…

You find Neil Young pretty dull, so switch over to see if Charlie XCX is any more interesting

I’m a dull centrist, so I just find it amusing how elated/upset the various factions are with Kneecap and Rod Stewart. It’s all a nonsense and utterly irrelevant. Baby Jane is a banger though.

I don’t wish to sound too grumpy here, but could the UK calm down about the f***ing weather. It’s been a bit hot for a couple of days, there may be thunder… these do not need breaking news alerts and repeated warnings!

Watching BBC2 and the whole 40 songs from 1985 thing. I know I’m just an old man, but the songs were just so much more joyful back in the day.

As much as I have enjoyed the latest episodes of #Andor, it was especially nice to see George Lucas’s dream of a key plot point being the use of parliamentary administrative procedure, took me back to the days of the prequels.

One of the more impressive tricks pulled by the populist right is that they are free to insult everyone they don’t agree with, in as extreme language as they like, but if anyone insults them back, it is unacceptable. If you voted for Brexit and now Reform you are stupid and/or duped and/or racist.

Between Liverpool running away with the league and the teams at the bottom being so far adrift, I can’t wait to see Sky going hard on ‘the battle for 3rd’ on the last day.

@marcusbrig.bsky.social saw the show last night in Nottingham, really funny, smart and a genuinely interesting take on masculinity. Also, very popular with my wife accompanying me, and as ever, the master of accents. #vitruvianmango

I remember the old days when all of the communist dictatorships called themselves ‘People’s Democratic Republics’, this is very similar to America lecturing the world on freedom nowadays. Academics are being silenced, minority groups are being othered and courts/lawyers opposing will be ‘enemies’ …

I very much enjoyed Severance Series 1, now on episode 8 of series 2 and I have both no idea or no interest in WTF is going on.

Started a very boring and low key boycott of American goods. Not doing it on anything I need/enjoy, but if I ever have a choice, I won’t choose American products/franchises. Most pathetic boycott ever.

Let’s be clear, forget all of the ‘oh that won’t happen’ nonsense, the USA is currently on the verge of: jailing journalists for exposing their wrongdoing; sacking judges who rule the way they don’t want; invading both their closest neighbours and another NATO ally.

I am wary that I will be deported from a country I don’t live in because I don’t particularly like Joy from #thearchers and very much enjoy the beaver storyline because I am a smutty child at heart.

Just watched Diggstown (aka Midnight Sting). It didn’t do well at the box office, but it is such a watchable hustle film. Bruce Dern is a great baddie, Louis Gosset Jr is excellent and James Woods is a smashing wise-ass, charmer. Always loved watching him in stuff, shame he turned out as he did.

Hey America, you really should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.

Btw, for any Trump supporters out there. What ‘peace’ has Trump offered to Zelenskyy? What is on the table relating to peace? America seems to want $500bn for giving nothing back and then talking about security guarantees later.

I always thought the ‘if you wonder what you would do in the 1930’s, it’s what you are doing now’ was meant to be less blatant. To be clear, if you want to appease a murderous dictator who invades his neighbours and you are fine with Nazi salutes at political rallies, it’s obvious who 1930s ‘you’ is

Just your regular reminder that in 4 years time, if America elects a same President, it won’t just get to write stuff off as ‘Trump’. He won the popular vote, the country got what it voted for. I don’t think it will end well for the US.

All Americans who are watching your conservative leaders partaking in, laughing at or even just tolerating Nazi salutes - is this really what you want? Are you writing it off as a joke or do you agree with it. These people are showing you who they are, do you stand with them or against them? #nazi

Well, America, you’ve had a good run but the final vestiges of your global reputation has now been smashed, and it won’t be repaired for generations, if ever. Imagine trashing your reputation, influence, trade, sales and existence as a superpower just to give rich people more tax cuts. Wild.

‘If you agree with Trump on one part of one policy then you are a literal fascist’ is really not a stance that is going to turn back the tide on right wing populist leaders.

Hey America, the last two weeks have damaged decades of influence. Firstly, it won’t help America, secondly, it will help China, who will fill the gap with countries you have screwed on aid and thirdly, nobody will ever trust or rely on you again.

Just cancelled my Uber eats account and (obvs) deleted the app. 2 hours after my order on a Saturday night when they cancel it, and without any option to complain, I’m a petty man with such things, but if you aren’t reliable with the one thing you are meant to do, I can’t use you. #ubereats #bye

“I realise they look cuddly and sweet but beavers are an absolute menace” said by a man who has been more menacing to than menaced by beavers in his time. #thearchers

So here is the full list, total score 158/260, average is 6/10. A couple of surprise successes that raised my Christmas spirit, a load of that I could probably recite myself, and some true stinkers. The movie highlight was getting to see the Muppet Christmas Carol on a big screen. #festivefilms

And special mention to Sophie Ellis-Bextor, I kinda skimmed watching it there but looked like a right load of poshly annunciated fun with some serious moves and a killer finishing song.

As is now traditional, my family are long asleep and I am watching #Hootenanny on my lonesome. Good one this year, with some traditional randomness.

Christmas Mental Health Support SAMARITANS (24/7, open for everyone) call: 116123 email: [email protected] CALM (5pm - midnight every day, open for everyone) call: 0800585858 WhatsApp: 02045876634 PAPYRUS (24/7, under-35s only) call: 08000684141 text: 88247 #ChristmasEve #ChristmasDay #BoxingDay

Should go without saying, but just for the record, I support Blake Lively 100%. To supplement her case is the response from Wayfarer, which is just to keep on branding her as ‘difficult’, we can see you guys.

If there is one thing that does wind me up on social media it is people who post a lot and then complain about engagement and replies coming from people. It is an odd elitism, to be fair, as long as they don’t complain when trying to sell their latest book, article or whatever, it’s up to them.

Just to say, George Michael was so utterly talented, his loss in 2016 was tragic to the industry and to all of us who appreciated his soulful and sensitive vocal talents and songwriting ability. The BBC4 show just bow is fantastic #georgemichael

The story of Brian Thompson being murdered is absolutely fascinating from a society-watching perspective. I would never condone murder and this is not a comment even remotely doing that. The different values held against lives in the USA is quite a sight to behold. The acceptance of suffering of …

I’m going to have a festive film binge, and leave some short reviews on here for posterity. 1) Surviving Christmas - 3/10. This was not a good film, and with no discernible message. It did have the superb Christina Applegate and Catherine O’Hara.

The US political system is so dependant upon people acting in an above board manner. Once that is disrupted, it can become a lawless free-for-all. It is so ripe for the corruption of the system and that isn’t something that starts and ends with Trump.

Since moving to Bluesky I’ve found that my content remains as tedious as it used to be on Twitter and therefore my follower number increases remain sluggish.

Brian Aldridge taking charge of the protest I suspect.

Btw, for anyone who stumbles across my page at any point… I am very sorry, but I use gifs… I don’t know why, it makes me happy.

Reassured that my commuting podcast list is well covered on Bluesky - Simon Mayo & Mark Kermode are here, the Cider Shed, Marcus Brigstocke, Alastair Campbell - just short of Michael Buerk and Iain Lee for a full house!

On ‘another place’ I ended up with a small, hardy bunch of followers, who knows if this will follow. If it does beware, silly humour, boring politics, films and The Archers form far too much of my life.

Heretic was great, and I loved Hugh Grant in the lead role, I’m concerned that yesterday when a Jehovah’s Witness came to my door there was a nagging part of my brain urging me to invite him in