60 Second Film Reviews #1

Quick movie reviews, without the waffle. 60 Second Film Reviews is a regular feature where I compile together brief reviews of recent films I've watched at home or at the movies - and generally couldn't be arsed didn't find time to write a proper review for. 

This month, we have Total Recall, Rise of the Guardians, The Expendables 2, The Bourne Legacy. 

Verdict: Fresh Meat Series 1

Premièring on British television in the autumn of 2011, Fresh Meat is a fantastically witty and entertaining show about the horror of student life. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes stand-up comedian Jack Whitehall, ex-Inbetweener Joe Thomas and the perky Kimberley Nixon, Fresh Meat is more like a breath of fresh air that proves the quality British sitcom isn't an endangered species.

Academy Awards 2013 Predictions

Always a great barometer of which the way the wind's blowing, this year's Golden Globes threw some real curveballs at us, upsetting the order in some of the major categories. Steven Spielberg's latest Lincoln  was expected to sweep the floor with all others but Ben Affleck's Argo shook the apple-cart by taking a surprise win for both Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director. Never one to make something easy for myself then, here is my picks for the major categories at the 2013 Academy Awards.* The winners are announced on February 24th 2013. 

Rank the Films: Star Wars

As any regular reader of feeling fuzzier will know, lists are pretty darn nifty. We have a profound appreciation for straight-up lists. This is the thinking behind Rank the Films, a regular feature that pulls apart the pros and cons of a series of films, ranking them in order of good to bad. 

In this second part we look at the Star Wars franchise. We've gone through all six Star Wars films (Clone Wars doesn't count) and ranked them from worst to best. Give it a read and leave me a comment letting me know what you think!

Film Review: Flight

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood
Runtime: 138 minutes

Now boarding is Flight, an entertaining film that examines the fatally flawed character of Captain Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington), an alcoholic pilot who is proclaimed a hero before his life plunges into an uncontrollable tailspin. 

Verdict: Elementary

Prior to watching the first episode of CBS' new crime drama Elementary, I was held the opinion that American adaptations of British television shows are hit and miss, primarily the latter (see Opinion: Brits do it Better). 60 minutes later, it is still immensely tricky to shake off that opinion.