Love a bit of Brighton.

Idly watching Boiling Point (1993). Brilliant 90s LA noir of a piece with Deep Cover and even One False Move (both 1992), even if the latter really only begins in LA. Stacked cast led by Snipes includes Hopper, Mortensen and Jonathan Banks. Mostly I just love to lose myself in sweaty crime cinema.

As we’ve come to expect from Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another is easily one of the year’s best films. Here’s my review for Time Out. www.timeout.com/movies/one-b...

In recent months I’ve taken to photographing the cormorants and herons who congregate on the nearby docks (chiefly Canada, Greenland, Surrey) and Southwark Park Lake. The beauty and grace of these birds bring me great happiness.

The biggest use-cases for AI so far seem to be killing children, driving people insane, and kids making deepfake porn of each other. I have no idea why this industry is treated even remotely credulously.

Busiest fortnight of the year at work. Had an email request from someone I know and like this morning, so replied “Are you Nicolas Roeg in 1980? Because this is Bad Timing.”

"Erupt across UK" is a crazily inaccurate ITV news headline for a patchy smattering of protests eg 150-250 people in Orpington, Horley & Cheshunt; a peak yesterday 300 in Mold; & outnumbered by counterprotests in Liverpool, Bristol and Perth ITV should report accurately, not invent "erupts"

Saw Celine Song’s Materialists two nights back. A film of rare empathy. If it doesn’t quite hit the extraordinary heights of Past Lives, it’s still a very impressive work from a director who should be treated as a proper artist with a great deal to say about the human condition.

Spoke to Loki ledge Tom Hiddleston and the ever-great Chiwetel Ejiofor about their ace Stephen King adaptation The Life of Chuck (in cinemas from today and BFI Southbank from 29 August). bfi.org.uk/interviews/stephen-king-tom-hiddleston-chiwetel-ejiofor-life-chuck

I might have missed it (will be obliged for any links to the contrary) but there's been next to no op-ed on the racist abuse incident at Anfield on Friday that links it to wider normalisation of far-right politics. There is an ongoing potential case but no need no for sub judice unease.

First full day since returning from glorious summer hols in Albania and Corfu, hit the cinema to see Together (grossly delicious and darkly amusing) and Weapons (darkly delicious and grossly amusing). Ideal welcome back, cheers lads.

so, in the course of a month, the New York Times reassigned four veteran critics, the Washington Post’s film critic took a buyout, Vanity Fair decided it doesn’t need a film critic at all, and the Associated Press got rid of book criticism altogether? Cool.

I always enjoy reading the TripAdvisor London Forum because I'm fascinated to see what foreign tourists expect, what they ask about and what surprises them. I thought this post from someone from Texas was a really lovely and cheering comment about riding the tube late at night

Nu-funk banger laced with politically credible sentiment and righteous socialist anger. No surprise to see Sorry to Bother You director and all round top bloke Boots Riley front and centre.

The Naked Gun is relentlessly hilarious and brilliant. Up there with Splitsville fighting it out for funniest film of the year. We always need comedy but what a relief to have a banger or two this year. Friendship and Happy Gilmore 2 have their moments too. Sweet.

Happy Publication Day to Me Darkness Visible the Cinema of Jonathan Glazer is available from the publisher at the lowest price £16 in the UK or $18 US stickingplacebooks.com/darkness-vis...

There was a massive squirrel named Toast who hung out in the garden of our old flat. We’ve named this unit Bun because, well, just look at that bready wad in his mouth.

You should be praised, they should be tarred and feathered.

Went to Terry Gilliam’s house. The result of our 95-minute chat is this career interview, which clocks in at just under 5,000 words and is the longest single piece of written journalism I’ve had published in my career. www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/t...

This is where I post from

In my raving days, many said I reminded them of Moff (played by Danny Dyer) in Human Traffic. When I saw it, I understood why. 25 years later I’m proud to have written the lead booklet essay for the @BFI 4K Blu-ray. The film still means a lot to us who were there and lived it.

Three stunning and shaming paragraphs, by Rachel Wolf of Public First, in @theobserveruk.bsky.social

Whoever left a stinking bag of fish on the baking hot rush hour southbound Charing Cross branch Northern line tube in recent minutes, I’m annoyed but also cheered by your ridiculous audacity.

Had a horrible day from start to finish. Then came home and put on The Old Guard 2. Worst film I’ve seen this year. An insult to the eyes and intellect. A complete waste of good actors and the world’s increasingly precious resources. Avoid like a pint of bad milk.

Watching Wimbledon on telly and ahead of Sinner playing Alcaraz you could hear the centre court PA playing Pet Shop Boys’s It’s a Sin. 10/10, no notes.

Lovely piece this. Give it a read.

Had a interesting chat with Hot Milk director Rebecca Lenkiewicz and the ever-brilliant Fiona Shaw. www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/r...

Sigh.

Never have I looked forward to light rain showers and a gentle breeze as much as I am tomorrow.

OK, so here’s my JJ Abrams story… Before I started working in digital restoration one of my primary jobs in post-production support was running the in-house theater and screening rooms at work. Every now and again it would get booked for casting sessions, because it was perfectly suited for that…

Ambivalent about Glastonbury. It’s an amazing experience where you can hear incredible live music and have the best fun of your life but also queue endlessly for insanely overpriced food and drink while wading through stinking knee-deep mud having barely slept for four days.

One of my favourite things of 2025 has been checking the Sinners box office numbers every few days. Brilliantly, it’s an original film that’s become a massive commercial success. Many things have thankfully moved on since last century but this is one trend I’d love to see return.

For decades Hollywood big-shot Jerry Bruckheimer has made bangers like American Gigolo, Beverly Hills Cop and The Rock. In F1 (out today) he gets Brad Pitt into a racing car. Here’s Jerry telling me what’s what. www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/j...

Saw this chap on my way home on Friday night.

I couldn’t drive Miss Daisy let alone a Formula 1 car but here we go…

Over the in-laws in Reading and someone’s put this on. Lovely stuff.

Friday morning so far.

RIP Brian Wilson, one of the best to ever do it. He was haunted by how good “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes is and he was right to be.

Sly Stone and Brian Wilson in the same week? These are dark days indeed. RIP you mad legends.

Got some neighbours popping round in a minute. Needed an album to put on. Grabbed this, which I’ve not heard in a decade. It’s great.

Had a right laugh at SXSW London for the Deep Cover premiere last night. Stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom among Q&A attendees afterwards.

It seems I’m pretty against the flow with this one but so what? Loved The History of Sound, a film that moved me like few others. Here’s my review. www.nme.com/reviews/film...

I interviewed Tom Cruise! Find all 7800 words of our two conversations in our June issue - out this Thursday We talked about Val Kilmer, Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, working with Stanley Kubrick, his own adventures in directing and more ✨

"While Cage’s gradual breakdown is never quite as frenzied or bloody as his indelible performance in Mandy (2018), he leaves no emotion untapped here" @londonlou.bsky.social reviews Lorcan Finnegan’s The Surfer, in cinemas Friday. www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-so...

Director Babak Anvari’s Hollow Road was absolutely terrifying. Here’s some pics of Anvari and his lead actors Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys joining co-star Megan McDonnell at Curzon Soho for a fun Q&A with James King.

A pal who lives nearby tells me The Roots Manoeuvre (new film from Rye Lane director Raine Allen-Miller) is shooting at Brockwell Park today. Multiple lorries parked in Brockwell Park Gardens...

Sinners (out tomorrow) is the most entertaining film I’ve seen this year: a fierce, bloody and soulful 1930s period drama with some ace horror elements. Music is crucial to it so I interviewed composer composer Ludwig Göransson about his brill score. www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/w...

11 years at the BFI today. Appropriately marked it with an interview and a screening. More of the interview soon. Here’s a couple of pics from the booming Warfare preview introduced by director Alex Garland with actors Cosmo Jarvis and Kit Connor.