Toby Atkin-Wright

I saw the news that Philip Seymour Hoffman had died. I looked at his face on the news, and thought it was mildly familiar, then looked at the list of films that he is best known for, and came to the conclusion that I hadn’t seen any of them.

(After delving into IMDb, I determined that I must have seen him in Mission: Impossible III, but I have no strong memory of that film, other than that it had something to do with the Vatican. Maybe.)

Anyway, it struck me that it is very easy to pass through life without sharing the cultural experiences that many people would regard as normal. I don’t watch many mainstream modern films. I’ve never watched an episode of Coronation Street, or listened to the Archers. I’ve never seen an episode of Big Brother, I’m a Celebrity, or the X Factor. I’ve never watched a football match, a rugby match, or a cricket match.

I am unfamiliar with many of the best known sportspeople or soap-opera actors.

And I suspect that this unfamiliarity with mainstream celebrity can only become easier to attain, as we increasingly find our entertainment on Netflix. There is no distinction between old films and new films; between old TV shows and modern TV shows. All are just a button-press away. And often an old TV show is more rewarding to watch, as there will be full runs of seasons available to watch, and a pleasant feeling of completeness about the experience.

It is entirely possible that I could find myself watching a Philip Seymour Hoffman movie next week or next year, and that I might yet become as familiar and as appreciative of his work as those who are mourning him today. It is rather exciting to know that there are great films and great actors that I have yet to discover.

Back to work tomorrow, after a week and a half of holiday. Just time to look back on the films I watched and the books I read in 2013, before I leave that all behind and start properly thinking about 2014.


Films watched in 2013

The pattern from 2012 continues, with Netflix supplying most of the films that I watched in 2013. Again, no visits to a cinema.

A View to a Kill (1985)
Fletch (1985)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Casino Royale (1967)
The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
The Keep (1983)
Live and Let Die (1973)
Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
Carry On Matron (1972)
Carry On Nurse (1959)
City by the Sea (2002)
Tropic Thunder (2008)
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
Are You Being Served? (1977)
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Strippers vs Werewolves (2012)
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
House of 1,000 Corpses (2003)
The Woman in Black (2012)
The Mist (2007)
The Naked Gun (1988)
UHF (1989)
Judge Dredd (1995)
The Big Bus (1976)
Fatal Instinct (1993)
Zombieland (2009)
The Other Guys (2010)
Scary Movie 3 (2003)
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
The Assassination Bureau (1969)
The First Great Train Robbery (1979)
Skyfall (2012)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Fatal Instinct (1993)
Street Fighter (1994)
Red Tails (2012)
Octopussy (1983)
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Evil Under the Sun (1982)
A View to a Kill (1985)
Thor (2011)
The Expendables 2 (2012)
Machete (2010)
The Rocketeer (1991)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Starsky & Hutch (2004)
High Society (1956)
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Batman (1966)
The Green Hornet (2011)
The Quatermass Experiment (1955)
Tommy (1975)
Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous (1985)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
Murder on a Honeymoon (1935)
A Shot in the Dark (1964)
Cars 2 (2011)
Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)
The Mouse that Roared (1959)
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Dad’s Army (1971)
Fantasia (1940)


Books read in 2013

A reasonable number of books read this year. I decided to read all of Agatha Christie’s novels in order, something I hadn’t done before. It was enlightening to see patterns in sequential novels, and to see the mood of her writing change over the decades.

I’ve sequentially read the complete works of various other novelists, but few cover the same sort of timespan as Christie; the nearest is probably Ngaio Marsh, but her later novels didn’t reflect the changing time in the way that Christie (resentfully) does.

I enjoyed most of Christie’s novels; some were excellent, and one was truly awful. “The Big Four” is a terrible novel (thankfully Mark Gatiss’s television adaptation last year radically reworked the story, missing out much of the plot and giving us an entirely different finale).

“The Others” by James Herbert (1999)
“The Dark” by James Herbert (1980)
“Natural Causes” by James Oswald (2012)
“The Book of Souls” by James Oswald (2012)
“SS-GB” by Len Deighton (1978)
“Where Eagles Dare” by Alistair MacLean (1967)
“The Redbreast” by Jo Nesbø (2000)
“A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon” edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger (2011)
“Ask a Policeman” by Anthony Berkeley, Milward Kennedy, Gladys Mitchell, John Rhode, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Helen Simpson (1933)
“Snuff” by Terry Pratchett (2011)
“The Rupert Annual No. 76” by (2011)
“The Rupert Annual No. 77” by (2012)
“The Mysterious Affair at Styles” by Agatha Christie (1920)
“The Secret Adversary” by Agatha Christie (1922)
“The Murder on the Links” by Agatha Christie (1923)
“The Man in the Brown Suit” by Agatha Christie (1924)
“The Secret of Chimneys” by Agatha Christie (1925)
“The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” by Agatha Christie (1926)
“The Big Four” by Agatha Christie (1927)
“The Mystery of the Blue Train” by Agatha Christie (1928)
“The Seven Dials Mystery” by Agatha Christie (1929)
“The Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie (1930)
“The Sittaford Mystery” by Agatha Christie (1931)
“Peril at End House” by Agatha Christie (1932)
“Lord Edgware Dies” by Agatha Christie (1933)
“Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie (1934)
“Why Didn't They Ask Evans?” by Agatha Christie (1934)
“Three Act Tragedy” by Agatha Christie (1935)
“Death in the Clouds” by Agatha Christie (1935)
“The ABC Murders” by Agatha Christie (1936)
“Murder in Mesopotamia” by Agatha Christie (1936)
“Cards on the Table” by Agatha Christie (1936)
“Dumb Witness” by Agatha Christie (1937)
“Death on the Nile” by Agatha Christie (1937)
“Appointment with Death” by Agatha Christie (1938)
“Hercule Poirot's Christmas” by Agatha Christie (1938)
“Murder is Easy” by Agatha Christie (1939)
“And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie (1939)
“Sad Cypress” by Agatha Christie (1940)
“One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” by Agatha Christie (1940)
“Evil Under the Sun” by Agatha Christie (1941)
“N or M?” by Agatha Christie (1941)
“The Body in the Library” by Agatha Christie (1942)
“Five Little Pigs” by Agatha Christie (1942)
“The Moving Finger” by Agatha Christie (1943)
“Towards Zero” by Agatha Christie (1944)
“Death Comes as the End” by Agatha Christie (1944)
“Sparkling Cyanide” by Agatha Christie (1944)
“The Hollow” by Agatha Christie (1946)
“Taken at the Flood” by Agatha Christie (1948)
“Crooked House” by Agatha Christie (1949)
“A Murder is Announced” by Agatha Christie (1950)
“They Came to Baghdad” by Agatha Christie (1951)
“Mrs McGinty's Dead” by Agatha Christie (1952)
“They Do It with Mirrors” by Agatha Christie (1952)
“After the Funeral” by Agatha Christie (1953)
“A Pocket Full of Rye” by Agatha Christie (1953)
“Destination Unknown” by Agatha Christie (1954)
“Hickory Dickory Dock” by Agatha Christie (1955)
“Dead Man’s Folly” by Agatha Christie (1956)
“4.50 From Paddington” by Agatha Christie (1957)
“Ordeal by Innocence” by Agatha Christie (1958)
“Cat Among the Pigeons” by Agatha Christie (1959)
“The Pale Horse” by Agatha Christie (1961)
“The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side” by Agatha Christie (1962)
“The Clocks” by Agatha Christie (1963)
“A Caribbean Mystery” by Agatha Christie (1964)
“At Bertram's Hotel” by Agatha Christie (1965)
“Third Girl” by Agatha Christie (1966)
“Endless Night” by Agatha Christie (1967)
“By the Pricking of My Thumbs” by Agatha Christie (1968)
“Hallowe'en Party” by Agatha Christie (1969)
“Passenger to Frankfurt” by Agatha Christie (1970)
“Nemesis” by Agatha Christie (1971)
“Elephants Can Remember” by Agatha Christie (1972)
“Postern of Fate” by Agatha Christie (1973)
“Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case” by Agatha Christie (1975)
“Sleeping Murder” by Agatha Christie (1976)
“The Colorado Kid” by Stephen King (2005)
“The Complaints” by Ian Rankin (2009)
“The Impossible Dead” by Ian Rankin (2011)
“Standing in Another Man’s Grave” by Ian Rankin (2012)
“Haunted” by James Herbert (1988)
“The Ghosts of Sleath” by James Herbert (1994)
“Ash” by James Herbert (2012)
“Doctor Who: The Death Pit (Time Trips)” by A. L. Kennedy (2013)

Eighty-nine films watched in 2012. Mostly from Netflix, iTunes, and recorded from television. Very few DVDs or BDs, and no trips to the cinema.

I am losing interest in spinning discs, and have lost all enthusiasm for going to cinemas. Dirty places, full of strangers and adverts and expensive cheap food.

Stand-out enjoyment came from finding “classics” on Netflix that I hadn’t seen in years (like “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark”), seeing “West Side Story” for the first time (why had I never seen that wonderful film before?), and watching Bond films with an enthusiastic Beth.

1. Transformers (2007)


2. The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)


3. The Expendables (2010)


4. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)


5. The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)


6. Spaceballs (1987)


7. Lifeforce (1985)


8. The Usual Suspects (1995)


9. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)


10. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)


11. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988)


12. The Mechanic (2011)


13. The Haunted Mansion (2003)


14. Dick Tracy (1990)


15. The Long Goodbye (1973)


16. Super Size Me (2004)


17. Inception (2010)


18. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)


19. Knight and Day (2010)


20. Mission: Impossible III (2006)


21. Superhero Movie (2008)


22. Streets of Fire (1984)


23. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)


24. Ghost Town (2008)


25. Drag Me To Hell (2009)


26. Super Troopers (2001)


27. My Soul To Take (2010)


28. The Dark Half (1993)


29. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)


30. Dune (1984)


31. 16 Blocks (2006)


32. BASEketball (1998)


33. Ghost Ship (1952)


34. Angels and Demons (2009)


35. Jetsons: The Movie (1990)


36. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)


37. Spider-Man (2002)


38. Flash Gordon (1980)


39. Modern Times (1936)


40. RED (2010)


41. RED (2010)


42. Edge of Darkness (2010)


43. Night at the Museum (2006)


44. The Frighteners (1996)


45. The Belles of St Trinian’s (1954)


46. Secret Agent (1936)


47. The Fog (1980)


48. The Riddle of the Sands (1979)


49. Escape from New York (1981)


50. A Canterbury Tale (1944)


51. A Study in Terror (1965)


52. The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)


53. Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988)


54. Knight and Day (2010)


55. Inception (2010)


56. Sherlock Holmes (2009)


57. Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)


58. Spider-Man (2002)


59. Spider-Man 2 (2004)


60. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)


61. Spider-Man 3 (2007)


62. The 39 Steps (1935)


63. Life is Sweet (1991)


64. The Dam Busters (1955)


65. Passport to Pimlico (1949)


66. Brief Encounter (1945)


67. Man with the Screaming Brain (2005)


68. Iron Man 2 (2010)


69. Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)


70. The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)


71. Patriot Games (1992)


72. The Dogs of War (1980)


73. West Side Story (1961)


74. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest (2009)


75. One Hundred and One Dalmations (1961)


76. Carry On Up the Khyber (1968)


77. Ghostbusters (1984)


78. Ghostbusters II (1989)


79. Carry On Cowboy (1965)


80. Live and Let Die (1973)


81. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)


82. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)


83. Moonraker (1979)


84. Blades of Glory (2007)


85. For Your Eyes Only (1981)


86. Carry On Screaming (1966)


87. Leprechaun (1993)


88. Carry On Girls (1973)


89. Octopussy (1983)

There are certain words or phrases commonly used in film synopses that I find totally off-putting. When looking at film trailers on my Apple TV there are phrases that make me shudder, and mean that I’m unlikely to want to watch the film in question, even through the film itself might be enjoyable.

I’m sure everybody has phrases that trigger a negative reaction when reading about a film or a novel. For me, the list would include the following, even though I’ve watched and enjoyed films which could be described by these words:

• bravely authentic
• contemporary human problems
• close-knit circle of friends
• inspired by the true story
• heartfelt comedy
• intertwined lives
• remarkable memoir
• based on true events
• self-discovery
• heartache

(all from the current top films page in iTunes)

I enjoy watching films. Over the years I’ve bought more than my fair share of video tapes, laser discs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. But the days of physical media are over for me. I’m now happy to exist in a world of Netflix and iTunes, where I can stream or download films to my various devices, and without shelves full of dusty boxes.

Now that iTunes allows purchased films to be re-downloaded as desired, it seems like a practical way to buy films. The immediacy of downloaded content beats mail-ordering discs, and to my eyes the 1080p downloads compare reasonably with 1080p from a Blu-ray.

In practical terms, we have nine or ten devices in the house that can play Netflix or iTunes media, compared to the single Blu-ray player connected to the TV. This is particularly useful when Beth develops cinematic obsessions. (How many times can an eight-year-old watch The Lion King in a weekend? How many times do we want to watch it?)

But more importantly, I have developed an intolerance for the preambles and introductory material that pervades films on physical media. Why on earth would I want to watch adverts, trailers, copyright warnings, menu loading screens, or, for that matter, use menus that look like 1990s multimedia presentations? When I want to watch a film, I want to get the film as quickly and painlessly as possible, without hassle or interruption.

We wouldn’t tolerate record companies putting guff like that at the start of CDs, so why do we put up with it with films?

Sixty seven films watched this year, down from ninety five last year. None at the cinema; mostly from DVD, Blu-ray and TV, with a handful from iTunes and watched on the Apple TV. My film watching fell away in the second half of 2010, as I spent more time watching old TV series downloaded from iTunes.

Worst film I watched this was Lesbian Vampire Killers, which was dire. Highlights were Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, which was a delight, and seeing The 39 Steps on Blu-ray — it is wonderful to watch a favourite film looking better than I’ve seen it before.

My mission for 2011 is to rip all my DVDs to my Drobo, so all the films and TV series will be accessible from the Apple TV.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Farewell, My Lovely (1944)
Corpse Bride (2005)
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
Near Dark (1987)
The Lost Boys (1987)
Serenity (2005)
Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)
Sweeney! (1977)
Gambit (1966)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Cobra (1986)
The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972)
Alien Nation (1988)
In the Loop (2009)
Inside Man (2006)
The Quest (1996)
Fast Food Nation (2006)
Die Hard 4.0 (2007)
South Pacific (1958)
Planet Terror (2007)
Army of Darkness (1993)
My Name is Bruce (2007)
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Barb Wire (1996)
A Mighty Wind (2003)
The Mummy (1999)
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Dreamgirls (2006)
The Sea Wolves (1980)
Death on the Nile (1978)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
The Wolfman (2010)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)
Dr Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Day of the Dead (2008)
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Ring (1998)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Diagnosis: Death (2009)
Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2002)
Murder, She Said (1961)
Carry On Abroad (1972)
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Snake Eyes (1998)
Clue (1985)
Murder by Death (1976)
Shock Treatment (1981)
Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
The 39 Steps (1935)
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Blithe Spirit (1945)
Wild Wild West (1999)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Twins of Evil (1971)
Scary Movie 3 (2003)
Night of the Demon (1957)
Doom (2005)
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
Con Air (1997)
Caddyshack (1980)

Sixty seven films watched this year, down from ninety five last year. None at the cinema; mostly from DVD, Blu-ray and TV, with a handful from iTunes and watched on the Apple TV. My film watching fell away in the second half of 2010, as I spent more time watching old TV series downloaded from iTunes.

Worst film I watched this was Lesbian Vampire Killers, which was dire. Highlights were Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, which was a delight, and seeing The 39 Steps on Blu-ray — it is wonderful to watch a favourite film looking better than I’ve seen it before.

My mission for 2011 is to rip all my DVDs to my Drobo, so all the films and TV series will be accessible from the Apple TV.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Farewell, My Lovely (1944)
Corpse Bride (2005)
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
Near Dark (1987)
The Lost Boys (1987)
Serenity (2005)
Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)
Sweeney! (1977)
Gambit (1966)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Cobra (1986)
The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972)
Alien Nation (1988)
In the Loop (2009)
Inside Man (2006)
The Quest (1996)
Fast Food Nation (2006)
Die Hard 4.0 (2007)
South Pacific (1958)
Planet Terror (2007)
Army of Darkness (1993)
My Name is Bruce (2007)
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Barb Wire (1996)
A Mighty Wind (2003)
The Mummy (1999)
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Dreamgirls (2006)
The Sea Wolves (1980)
Death on the Nile (1978)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
The Wolfman (2010)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)
Dr Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Day of the Dead (2008)
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Ring (1998)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Diagnosis: Death (2009)
Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2002)
Murder, She Said (1961)
Carry On Abroad (1972)
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Snake Eyes (1998)
Clue (1985)
Murder by Death (1976)
Shock Treatment (1981)
Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
The 39 Steps (1935)
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Blithe Spirit (1945)
Wild Wild West (1999)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Twins of Evil (1971)
Scary Movie 3 (2003)
Night of the Demon (1957)
Doom (2005)
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
Con Air (1997)
Caddyshack (1980)

Ninety five films watched this year; increasingly watched in HD, either on TV or on Blu-ray. Modern films look as good as expected, but I am finding the real joy in high definition to be finding older films that look wonderful. Highlights this year have been the Blu-ray of North by Northwest, and seeing the original Star Wars trilogy in HD on ITV.

The Fog (1980)
Carry On Screaming (1966)
Die Another Day (2002)
Carry on Cleo (1964)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Blade Runner (1982)
The Goonies (1985)
Dr No (1962)
Thunderball (1965)
Love Happy (1949)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
St Trinian's (2007)
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
Ghosts of Mars (2001)
The Pink Panther (1963)
Mama Mia (2008)
Manhunter (1986)
Stormbreaker (2006)
Silver Streak (1976)
Robocop (1987)
Bugsy Malone (1976)
Batman (1966)
Fantastic Four (2005)
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Crooks in Cloisters (1964)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Escape from New York (1981)
Hairspray (2008)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
The Peacemaker (1997)
Jackie Brown (1997)
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007)
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Fathom (1967)
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007)
My Name Is Bruce (2008)
Red Heat (1988)
My Name Is Bruce (2008)
Carry On At Your Convenience (1971)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
The Golden Compass (2007)
Gladiatress (2004)
The Name of the Rose (1986)
Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Urban Legend (1998)
From Russia With Love (1963)
Night at the Museum (2006)
Total Recall (1990)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Carry On Up The Khyber (1968)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Grease (1978)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Resident Evil (2002)
Army of Darkness (1993)
The Faculty (1998)
St Trinian's (2007)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Death Proof (2007)
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Planet Terror (2007)
Ghost Rider (2007)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
The Thing (1982)
The Dam Busters (1954)
Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Purple Rain (1984)
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Hellraiser (1987)
Pinocchio (1940)
Enchanted (2007)
First Blood (1982)
The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
Dragonwyck (1946)
Day of the Dead (2008)
Tales from Earthsea (2006)
Diary of the Dead (2007)
Brief Encounter (1945)
The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
North by Northwest (1959)
The Dam Busters (1954)
Beowulf & Grendel (2005)
Star Wars (1977)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Return of the Jedi (1983)

Ninety five films watched this year; increasingly watched in HD, either on TV or on Blu-ray. Modern films look as good as expected, but I am finding the real joy in high definition to be finding older films that look wonderful. Highlights this year have been the Blu-ray of North by Northwest, and seeing the original Star Wars trilogy in HD on ITV.

The Fog (1980)
Carry On Screaming (1966)
Die Another Day (2002)
Carry on Cleo (1964)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Blade Runner (1982)
The Goonies (1985)
Dr No (1962)
Thunderball (1965)
Love Happy (1949)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
St Trinian's (2007)
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
Ghosts of Mars (2001)
The Pink Panther (1963)
Mama Mia (2008)
Manhunter (1986)
Stormbreaker (2006)
Silver Streak (1976)
Robocop (1987)
Bugsy Malone (1976)
Batman (1966)
Fantastic Four (2005)
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Crooks in Cloisters (1964)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Escape from New York (1981)
Hairspray (2008)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
The Peacemaker (1997)
Jackie Brown (1997)
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007)
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Fathom (1967)
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007)
My Name Is Bruce (2008)
Red Heat (1988)
My Name Is Bruce (2008)
Carry On At Your Convenience (1971)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
The Golden Compass (2007)
Gladiatress (2004)
The Name of the Rose (1986)
Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Urban Legend (1998)
From Russia With Love (1963)
Night at the Museum (2006)
Total Recall (1990)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Carry On Up The Khyber (1968)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Grease (1978)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Resident Evil (2002)
Army of Darkness (1993)
The Faculty (1998)
St Trinian's (2007)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Death Proof (2007)
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Planet Terror (2007)
Ghost Rider (2007)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
The Thing (1982)
The Dam Busters (1954)
Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Purple Rain (1984)
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Hellraiser (1987)
Pinocchio (1940)
Enchanted (2007)
First Blood (1982)
The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
Dragonwyck (1946)
Day of the Dead (2008)
Tales from Earthsea (2006)
Diary of the Dead (2007)
Brief Encounter (1945)
The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
North by Northwest (1959)
The Dam Busters (1954)
Beowulf & Grendel (2005)
Star Wars (1977)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Return of the Jedi (1983)

Time for my annual lists! First up, the films that I’ve watched this year. A few dreadful films in there (‘Holiday on the Buses’ was mediocre, ‘Alone in the Dark’ was dire), but some gems too (seeing ‘The Riddle of the Sands’ and ‘Guys and Dolls’ for the first time were both highlights).

1. Clerks II (2006)
2. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
3. Holiday on the Buses (1973)
4. Tron (1982)
5. Can’t Stop the Music (1980)
6. Slither (2006)
7. The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)
8. The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines (2006)
9. The Old Dark House (1963)
10. Silent Hill (2006)
11. Aeon Flux (2005)
12. The X Files (1998)
13. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
14. Clue (1985)
15. Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
16. Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
17. Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
18. Cars (2006)
19. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
20. Iron Man (2008)
21. The Riddle of the Sands (1979)
22. Police Story (1985)
23. The Mouse on the Moon (1963)
24. Under Siege (1992)
25. The 39 Steps (1959)
26. L.A. Confidential (1997)
27. Cottage to Let (1941)
28. The Core (2003)
29. Night Watch (2004)
30. Porridge (1979)
31. Nuns on the Run (1990)
32. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
33. Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)
34. Up Periscope (1959)
35. The Mask (1994)
36. Prince of Darkness (1987)
37. When Eight Bells Toll (1971)
38. Green for Danger (1946)
39. The Relic (1997)
40. Vampires (1998)
41. Killer Tomatoes Eat France (1991)
42. Escape to Athena (1979)
43. Asterix & Obelix take on Caesar (1999)
44. The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
45. Doctor at Large (1957)
46. Heaven Can Wait (1978)
47. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
48. The Medallion (2003)
49. Dunston Checks In (1996)
50. The Lady Vanishes (1978)
51. The Vault of Horror (1973)
52. The Medallion (2003)
53. Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
54. Suspiria (1977)
55. Carry On Behind (1975)
56. Blithe Spirit (1945)
57. Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
58. The Producers (2005)
59. Bugsy Malone (1976)
60. Alone in the Dark (2005)
61. Clue (1985)
62. Clear and Present Danger (1994)
63. Walk the Line (2005)
64. The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
65. National Treasure (2004)
66. The Addams Family (1991)
67. Re-Animator (1985)
68. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
69. The Neverending Story (1984)
70. Full Body Massage (1995)
71. They Live (1988)
72. Barbarian Queen (1985)
73. Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008)
74. Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
75. Never Say Never Again (1983)
76. Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968)
77. Batman (1966)
78. Ratatouille (2007)
79. The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
80. St Trinian’s (2007)
81. Rush Hour 3 (2007)
82. Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
83. Guys and Dolls (1955)
84. Halloween (1978)
85. Futurama: Bender’s Game (2008)
86. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
87. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
88. Casino Royale (2006)
89. Ratatouille (2007)
90. Hellboy (2004)
91. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
92. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
93. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
94. Live and Let Die (1973)
95. For Your Eyes Only (1981)