We need to stop trying to turn these things from small talk you have with your friends to kill time into things people think have actual right & wrong answers because they’re dull

I've never watched Beatles Anthology series before, so I'm really enjoying the re-release on Disney+, but the AI upscaling on all the archive footage is monstrous historical vandalism. The lads' faces keep morphing into uncanny doppelgangers, and text is frequently mushed into gibberish.

Lots to say about One Battle After Another, but it's one of the best experiences I've had with IMAX. The Vistavision cinematography was unbelievably immersive. At times it felt like I was physically riding a rollercoaster.

"...Knight’s going back to Bond’s beginnings as a Royal Navy Commander before being recruited by MI6... to perhaps chart how Bond attained 007 status." Please, God, no! No more origin stories! deadline.com/2025/09/jame...

Cowboy, spy, journalist, paratrooper - Robert Redford had all my dream jobs when I was growing up. A blockbuster superstar who used his power to champion independent cinema, he represented all that American movies had to offer.

Not sure how to feel about this. I like a lot of Knight's stuff but he's pretty hit and miss.

Some film students in the pub overheard that I'd just watched Barry Lyndon and asked me what I "liked about it". Felt like I was being physically assaulted.

I am not psychologically prepared to be older than James Bond.

Denis Villeneuve is probably the best choice we could have hoped for. Just don't mess with the gunbarrel and use the theme music a lot. www.bbc.com/news/article...

RIP Brian Wilson.

In 1947, British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin said the UK needed to build a nuclear bomb "with the bloody Union Jack on top of it." It's a real shame isn't alive to see his dream become reality in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

The final rankoning

I say this with a very heavy heart, but I did not get on with Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. A couple of reheated stunts from Roger Moore Bond films can't save this talky, confused slog of a film. The endless procession of fan service, callbacks and retcons puts Spectre (2015) to shame.

I feel like a lot of the world's problems can be traced to the decline of internet forums. Social media wasn't build to handle so many weirdos and hobbyists.

Finished watching 9-hour holocaust documentary Shoah yesterday. Fancied something a bit lighter afterwards, so put on Terms of Endearment, not realising was was a cancer movie.

Now the dust has settled on the Oscars, I finally wrote down some thoughts on my favourite films from last year: clueddown.com/2025/03/08/t...

They don't build actors like Gene Hackman anymore. Never predictable, his presence could be fearsome, charming or pathetic, but always a little enigmatic. He dominated so many classic movies, more than I can recall.

Haven't loved every decision made by Eon, but it's difficult to feel anything but dread about this www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The lads

Halfway through series 2 of SAS Rogue Heroes, and I'm a bit torn. I'm glad to see a British WWII drama with some money behind it, and it's enjoyable as pulp entertainment. But every historical event and character is sensationalised to the point of irritation. Mayne is really getting on my nerves.

Wishing a happy 62nd birthday to Ralph Fiennes, seen here reprising his role as M in NO TIME TO DIE

Quite the triple bill today.

Watching Beatles '64 again, and it's very funny that every documentary about the Beatles, without fail, includes this shot of a sign greeting the lads at JFK airport which reads "ENGLAND GET OUT OF IRELAND"

Really enjoyed Beatles '64. Those already familiar with the Maysles Bros' footage might be a bit disappointed there isn't more focus on Beatles antics and performances, but the film does a good job of exploring what made them so revolutionary within the broader context of American culture.

There's plenty to enjoy in Gladiator II, but if you are making a film without Russell Crowe, you should not, under any circumstances, include footage of Russell Crowe from another film. It will only remind audiences that Russell Crowe is not in this film.

iPlayer is the best streaming service around. Extraordinary value.

🚨🚨 The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is on BBC 2 today at 1330 🚨🚨 Why not treat yourself one of the most daring, joyous and beautiful films ever made? Here's an article I wrote for its 80th birthday: www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

I asked Steve McQueen and his historical advisor Joshua Levine how their new WWII epic Blitz gives a fresh perspective on wartime London. My new article for BBC Culture: www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

Closure of the imdb forums left a hole in my heart that I've never been able to fill. An insane, toxic community, and I miss them dearly.

Ahead of the new Scorsese, here's a piece I wrote a while ago, looking at his first film and the themes which have stretched across his incredible career: lwlies.com/articles/who...