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  • The Fabelmans

    The Fabelmans 2022

    ★★★★½ Watched 27 Jan 2023

    For me The Fabelmans (2022) had to deliver, no question. A biopic about how the best filmmaker of all time found his vocation in life simply couldn’t become a forgettable footnote in what has been a glittering career. Thankfully it didn’t disappoint. Steven Spielberg’s personal love letter to both his family and cinema produces bags of heart, emotion, drama and fun, common traits throughout all his filmography.

    Strong performances from Michelle Williams as Mrs. Fabelman (aka Mrs. Spielberg) and Paul…

  • You People

    You People 2023

    ★★★ Watched 27 Jan 2023

    What starts out as a promising take on multiracial relationships, hits a stumbling block two thirds in as the lines between a social statement and a run-of-the-mill Netflix comedy become blurred. There’s an attempt to pull it back during the last 20 minutes or so, but it doesn’t quite manage to recapture the essence of its subject matter that shines through early on, despite its impressive cast.

    Format: Streaming (HD)
    Platform: Netflix

  • If These Walls Could Sing

    If These Walls Could Sing 2022

    ★★★★ Watched 26 Jan 2023

    You might be tempted to think this is yet another Beatles documentary and who would blame you, but it’s really quite impressive the clientele that have gone through those doors to record music over 90 plus years. Good interviews and behind the scenes footage add to the film’s prestige and charm.

    Format: Streaming (Dolby Vision)
    Platform: Disney+

  • Babylon

    Babylon 2022

    ★★★★ Watched 20 Jan 2023

    Going into this movie I knew a fair bit about the cast, but not an awful lot about the overall premise. Having heard the negative reviews and considering the running time, I feared the worst. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the experience as a whole.

    I’m going to get it out of the way now, it is unnecessarily long, but there are so many positives to take from Babylon (2022). The ‘talkie’ shoot was exceptionally well done capturing the teething problems…

  • Return of the Jedi

    Return of the Jedi 1983

    ★★★★ Rewatched 30 Dec 2022

    Special Edition (1997)*

    ‘Darth Vader’s “Nooooo!” makes me want to beat the sh*t out of something.

    Format: Streaming (Dolby Vision)
    Platform: Disney+

    Special Edition Rating: ★★★½
    *includes subsequent changes post Special Edition release

    1st Review
    2nd Review
    3rd Review
    4th Review

  • Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

    Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966

    ★★★★ Watched 29 Dec 2022

    Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) is one of those films that force a retrospective overview once the concluding bombshell is dropped. Outstanding performances from all aside, notably Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, I spent the majority of the picture wondering where all this was going and would there be a sufficient emotionally charged reimbursement for my time. The answer is simply yes. Pure unadulterated drama.

    Format: Digital (HD)
    Platform: Sky

  • The Tragedy of Macbeth

    The Tragedy of Macbeth 2021

    ★★★★½ Watched 29 Dec 2022

    A stripped back almost play like adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic tale. From a visual perspective I haven’t seen anything like it in years. The cinematography is exquisitely executed to the point it becomes the story’s narrator. I saw moments of possible influence from films like Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (1935) and Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957) in the aesthetic of this picture, that did nothing other than enhance its appeal. The sets are stark yet effective with Joel Coen delivering an absolute masterclass in minimalistic storytelling.

    Format: Streaming (Dolby Vision)
    Platform: Apple TV+

  • The Polar Express

    The Polar Express 2004

    ★★★½ Rewatched 24 Dec 2022

    That last scene gets me every time.

    Format: Blu-ray

    1st Review
    2nd Review
    3rd Review
    4th Review

  • A Christmas Carol

    A Christmas Carol 2009

    ★★★★ Rewatched 23 Dec 2022

    That whole segment where the Ghost of Christmas Present is replaced by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, is dark as hell. Fair play to Disney for seeing that through.

    Format: Streaming (HD)
    Platform: Disney+

    1st Review
    2nd Review
    3rd Review
    4th Review

  • Christmas with the Kranks

    Christmas with the Kranks 2004

    ★★½ Rewatched 23 Dec 2022 2

    This literally would never happen in my street. No one gives a shiny shite about anybody.

    Format: Streaming (HD)
    Platform: Prime Video

    1st Review
    2nd Review
    3rd Review

  • National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

    National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 1989

    ★★★½ Rewatched 22 Dec 2022

    I’m 99.9% sure that is the same street/set used for ‘Roger Murtaugh’s house in Lethal Weapon (1987).

    Format: Digital (HD)
    Platform: Sky

    1st Review
    2nd Review
    3rd Review
    4th Review

  • Bradley Walsh: The Laugh's On Me

    Bradley Walsh: The Laugh's On Me 2022

    ★★★½ Watched 22 Dec 2022

    Some very funny anecdotes with a good selection of interviewees, make this relatively average documentary enjoyable.

    Format: Digital (HD)
    Platform: Sky