We heard a few months back that Oscar-winning actress Saoirse Ronan was re-teaming with Atonement director Joe Wright to make the teen assassin movie, Hanna, and the first trailer for that movie is finally here.

Ronan stars as an eastern European girl raised as a neck-snapping killing machine, while Eric Bana plays her authoritarian father. Cate Blanchett’s in the mix too, as a husky-voiced CIA operative who may or may not be the villain of the piece.

Looking like a classy meld of La Femme Nikita and The Bourne Identity, Hanna looks like a slick, well-made thriller, with an excellent-sounding Chemical Brothers theme tune to boot. Eric Bana's European accent seems a little, erm, freeform, but we'll gloss over that...

Hanna hits UK cinemas on 8 April 2011.

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Okay, this one might be a little obvious, given that Harrison Ford is pushing 70, and action heroes of such vintage are thin on the ground. But the plan with the in-the-works fifth Indiana Jones movie is for it to be Ford’s last (although last we heard, all concerned were still trying to nail the story).

Further than that, though, Showbiz Spy is reporting that Harrison Ford is keen for the character to be killed off in the fifth film. And what's more, that idea apparently isn’t being met with massive objections from Steven Spielberg at least, although George Lucas isn’t keen

It cites a source who says that “Harrison thinks it would be good for Indy to die and pass on his hat to his son in the next one. George especially is resisting the notion but Steven is considering it.”

Lucas, of course, refused to kill off the character of Ford's Han Solo in Return Of The Jedi, as had been originally planned. It wouldn't be a massive surprise if he were resisting the demise of another of his major characters.

All of this is rumour at this stage, of course, but it would make sense to give the character some proper closure at the end of the fifth film, and it’d be a bold step to kill off the character of Indiana Jones altogether.

That said, the franchise, even post-Ford, is likely to continue. As those of us who saw, with some trepidation, who was given the hat at the end of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull can testify…

Showbiz Spy

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Edgar Wright is undoubtedly one of Britain’s most exciting directors, and one with barely a duff note on his CV. Here, we pick out the biggest moments of his impressive career thus far...

Asylum (1996)

As in “Taking over the...”, Asylum was a comedy series which ran on the Paramount Comedy Channel in 1996, when the UK was still acclimatising to multi-channel television and commissioning original comedy and drama content rather than buying in re-runs.

Although it helped launch the TV career of many well-known comedians and comic actors (and gave Norman Lovett somewhere to go after Red Dwarf) the series’ true contribution to comedy history was to unite its fledgling director – fresh-faced 22-year-old Edgar Wright – with writer/performers Jessica Hynes (nee Stephenson) and Simon Pegg. Their collaborations here would eventually lead to the next major work in Wright’s canon...

Spaced (1999/2001)

In a world where the most prominent group of twenty-somethings on TV were the aspirational, one-dimensional figures of sitcoms like Friends and Cold Feet, Hynes, Pegg and Wright endeavoured to bring to the screen a group of characters who actually acted like they did. Enter their slacker alter-egos, Tim and Daisy, who weren’t worrying about marriage and promotions so much as waking up in time to watch Robot Wars and collecting their dole money.

Although Hynes and Pegg’s scripts offer an insightful, empathetic and funny look at the transition between teenager and adult, it was Wright’s cinematic direction that made the series truly stand out. Spaced looked like no other sitcom – and more often than not, that was because it looked like a movie.

Wright might not have been in front of the camera, but between jump-cuts, flashbacks and directorial references to everything from computer games to horror movies, his contributions (and well-documented perfectionism) helped Spaced become much greater than the sum of its writers and actors.

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

When Spaced ended, Pegg and Wright returned to screens with a zombie apocalypse movie that showcased their mutual love of George Romero movies in the most genuine way possible – by imitating them. Shaun Of The Dead adheres to (and often subverts) every zombie movie trope established by Romero, and does so with an inherent understanding of what makes the genre tick. Arguably, it (alongside 28 Days Later) helped kick off the zombie explosion that would consume pop culture over the latter half of the decade. Although, you might not want to thank it for that.

Between them, Pegg and Wright created a film with strong, down-to-earth themes at its core, and packed a fantastical, cinematic shell around it. Given the canvas it always deserved, Wright’s direction flourished, and here, he displayed greater ability than ever. As a film, it’s a near-flawless example of its genre – the first (and best) Rom-Zom-Com.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Having given survival horror a uniquely British spin, Wright and Pegg turned their eye on the Hollywood buddy cop movies, asking one question: is it possible to do a Lethal Weapon/Point Break-style action movie set in the UK? The answer: probably not - which is why the results straddle the line between humour and pastiche a little less comfortably than Shaun Of The Dead managed to.

Even so, the film is good at what it does, but with its emphasis on small-town insularity and the very British peculiarities of village policing, it simply can’t grab you by the balls like Shaun Of The Dead could. Timothy Dalton’s fantastic turn as a villain and the hilarious “brawl in a model village” climax notwithstanding, Hot Fuzz’s best moments are when it goes for pure comedy of the mundane, rather than respectful imitation of its predecessors.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

When Bryan Lee O’Malley first released his comicbook about twenty-somethings learning to be adults through a pop-culture filter, the similarities to Spaced – and specifically, the formalist diversions of director Edgar Wright - were apparent to everyone who had read the comic and watched the sitcom. Which is to say, almost no one.

Fast forward a few years, and between the enduring popularity of Shaun Of The Dead, and the growing buzz around Scott Pilgrim, more and more people were catching on. Somehow, the nerd-fantasy became nerd-reality. Not since Sir Captain Picard was cast as Professor Xavier has there been a more perfect, fan-pleasing intersection of comics and film.

The results were spectacular, with Wright combining every ounce of his geeky, reference-loving sensibilities with a pioneering visual approach that brought O’Malley’s work to the screen like no other director would have. Wright also co-authored the script this time, and we got a cast-iron example of just how good he could be away fro his usual collaborators, too. The box office might have been disappointing by the end of the film’s run, but in every way that counted, Scott Pilgrim was an utter triumph, destined for cult status.

Coming Up...

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn

Currently in post production and due out next Christmas, Wright was part of the writing team for Tintin, alongside Joe Cornish (best known as the latter half of comedy double-act Adam and Joe) and Steven Moffatt (the man currently shepherding Doctor Who, of course). With Spielberg directing, Peter Jackson producing, and names such as Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis in the cast, it seems to have all of the ingredients for a hit. Except, of course, that it’s about that Belgian detective-boy with weird hair. Can the work of Hergé translate to cinema? Let’s hope so, if only for the sake of Wright’s consistency record.

Ant-Man

Marvel’s tiniest super-hero seems like ideal cinematic fodder, and as Robert Kirkman once showed, the idea is ripe for a comedic interpretation. Also co-written with Joe Cornish, Wright’s draft for an Ant-Man movie has been with Marvel Studios for some time – scripts have reportedly been flying back and forth since as far back as February 2007.

It’s currently unknown whether the film will get made, and whether Wright will even direct it even if it does. But for this comic book geek, just the idea of having Wright and Cornish put their stamp on the Marvel Universe is enough to make me recommend you phone up to book tickets the day filming starts.

The World’s End

When Wright, Pegg and Frost do finally reunite for their third (and final?) attempt to prove that the Brits can do big-budget genre movies as well as the Yanks, the long-awaited third part of the “Blood and Ice Cream trilogy” will feature two things: a Mint Cornetto, and – apparently - the end of the world as we know it.

Details are sparse, but given the title, we can expect a global threat along the lines of 2012 or Armageddon, probably with a bit of Threads thrown in for that extra British touch. Excited? If you’ve learnt anything from this list, it should be that if Edgar Wright is involved, you’d be a fool not care.

See Also:

• Edgar Wright interview

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World arrives on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on 27th December

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There's a pure sense of fun that appears to be running through the heart of Drive Angry 3D. It involves Nicolas Cage, going a bit bonkers, and driving a car in an angry way. From what we can ascertain, that's as complex as it gets. And from the looks of it, the film might just be a hoot because of it.

Here then, in case it's all new to you (and even if it isn't), is the very latest trailer for the movie, which is the new UK promo that's just been released. Up in that corner of the screen, too, you'll see the brand new poster as well. And we can also confirm that the release date over here is now February 25th 2011.

Expect us to chunter about this film a lot more in the new year...

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We've taken a scythe to the Christmas telly schedule to help you sort the geek from the chav. We hope the listing of shows and films will help brighten your holiday via the warm rays of the living room telly.

If we missed any of your favourites, please have a ho-ho-ho in the comments section, with our thanks and best wishes for a happy holiday.

Thursday December 23rd

Terry Pratchett's Hogfather Part 1 4:00pm Sky1 (repeats through 1st Jan)

24 series 8 6:00am Sky 2 (marathon consecutive run of the series' episodes)

8 Out of 10 Cats Christmas Special 10:00pm Channel 4 (repeats 00:05am 27th Dec)

The Royle Family Christmas Special (2009) 00:45am Gold (reapeats through 30th Dec)


Christmas Eve Friday December 24th

Terry Pratchett's Hogfather Part 2 4:00pm Sky1 (repeats through 1st Jan)

Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out 4:50pm Gold (and 1:15pm 28th Dec BBC1)

Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers 5:25pm Gold (and 1:40pm 30th Dec BBC1)

Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave 6:05pm Gold (and 1:05pm 29th Dec BBC1)

Peep Show And Tell 9:00pm Channel 4 (repeats 11:05pm 25th Dec)

Misfits Christmas Special midnight E4


Christmas Day Saturday December 25th

Terry Pratchett's The Colour Of Magic 2:00pm Sky 1 (followed by part 2 at 4:00pm, then repeats through 1st Jan)

The Gruffalo 4:40pm BBC1 (repeats 10:10pm 29th Dec BBC3)

The One Ronnie 5:10pm BBC1

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol 6:00pm BBC1 (repeats 7:00pm 26th Dec BBC3) See our spoiler-free review here.

Terry Pratchett's Going Postal 8:00pm Sky2 (followed by part 2 at 10:00pm, then repeated 1st Jan)

Blackadder's Christmas Carol 8:35pm BBC2

The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers 9:00pm BBC1

Come Fly with Me premiere 10:00pm BBC1

Knowing Me, Knowing Yule... with Alan Partridge 11:20pm Gold (and 1:15am 26th Dec)


Boxing Day Sunday December 26th

Harry Hill's Best of Christmas TV Burp 8:30pm ITV1 (repeats through 1st Jan)


Monday December 27th

Charlie Brooker's 2010 Wipe 10:00pm BBC2 (repeats 10:30pm 1st Jan & 2:55am 2nd Jan & midnight 3rd Jan BBC4)

Tuesday December 28th

Smile: That Was Candid Camera 8:00pm ITV1

Wednesday December 29th

Rock & Chips: Five Gold Rings 9:00pm BBC1 (repeats 1:20am 4th Jan)

Peep Show series 6 finale 10:00pm Channel 4

Thursday December 30th

The Rob Brydon Show 9:00pm 30th Dec

Now, on to the films showing through the weekend and a bit beyond. Among the seasonal treats are great films to share with the kids, many animated, buddy movies, guilty pleasures and some time-tested classics. There should be something for everyone who loves movies.  As always, if we missed anything interesting, have a shout in the comments, with our thanks.

Please also note: the ordinal numbers for dates will help you scan through this simple list with your browser's search function. Enter '24th' in your browser's Find box or window to highlight and/or tab through all movies shown on Christmas day. Enjoy!

300
On: Five
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 9:00pm (9:00/10:00pm 25th Dec Fiver/+1, 9/10:00pm 30th Dec)

A Christmas Carol (1999)
On: Five USA
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Five USA+1, noon/1:00pm 26th Dec)

A Fish Called Wanda
On: BBC 1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 00:25am

Alien
On: E4
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 01:15am (and 2:15am E4+1)

Amélie
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 01:20am (and 2:20am Film4+1)

Armageddon
On: BBC 3
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 8:00pm (and 9:00pm 26th Dec)

Avatar
On: Sky Movies Premiere
Date: Friday 24th DecemberTime: 8:00pm (and 9:00pm Premiere+1, then daily at similar and additional times through 30th Dec)

Bad Santa
On: Bravo
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Bravo+1, 9/10:00pm 26th Dec)

Batman Begins
On: ITV1
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 10:35pm (and midnight 24th Dec TCM)

Big
On: Film4
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 7:00pm (and 8:00pm Film4+1, 4:35/5:35pm 1st Jan)

Blade
On: TCM
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 11:30pm

Blue Velvet
On: TCM
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 11:00pm

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 4:45pm (and 5:45pm Film4+1)

Caddyshack
On: ITV3
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 11:10pm (and 00:10am 28th Dec)

Cars
On: BBC 1
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 3:05pm (and 3rd Jan BBC3)

Casablanca
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 2:40pm (and 3:50pm Film4+1, 9:00pm 26 Dec TCM, 4:50/5:50pm 31st Dec Film4/+1)

Casper
On: ITV1
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 10:40am (and 7:/8:00pm 27th Dec & 11:25/12:25am ITV2+1)

Carrie
On: Channel 4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 00:10am (and 1:10am 4+1)

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
On: ITV1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 4:10pm (and 8/9:00pm 29th Dec ITV2/+1)

Crocodile Dundee
On: Channel 4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 5:10pm (and 6:10pm 4+1)

Die Hard
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

Die Hard 2
On: Film4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 11:20pm (and 00:20am 27th Dec Film4+1)

Dogtooth
On: Film4
Date: Tuesday 28th December
Time: 01:35am (and 2:35am Film4+1)

Edward Scissorhands
On: Channel 4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 7:00pm (and 8:00pm 4+1)

Elf
On: Film4
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 7:15pm (and 8:15pm 24th Dec)

Enchanted
On: BBC 1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 3:25pm (and 7:20pm 27th Dec & 9:00pm 2nd Jan BBC3)

Fantastic Mr. Fox
On: Sky Movies Premiere
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 12:10pm (and 1:00pm Premiere+1 & 5:50/6:50pm, then daily at similar times through 6th Jan)

Gone With The Wind
On: TCM
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 11:00am

Gremlins
On: ITV2
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV2+1, 9:00pm 2nd Jan TCM)

Green Street
On: ITV4
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm ITV4+1)

Happy Feet
On: ITV1
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 4:35pm

Hero
On: Channel 4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 00:55am (and 1:55am 4+1)

Home Alone
On: Sky Movies Comedy
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 12:40pm (and 10:15am 25th Dec & 4:50am26th Dec & 11:35am 28th Dec Sky Christmas)

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
On: Channel 4
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 2:25pm (and 3:25pm 4+1)

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
On: ITV1
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 3:10pm (and 6/7:00pm 28th Dec & 1:35/2:35pm 30th Dec ITV2/+1)

Ice Age
On: FIVER
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 6:25pm (and 7:25pm Fiver+1, 9:25/8:25pm 31st Dec)

Ice Age: The Meltdown
On: Film4
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 4:45pm (and 5:45pm Film4+1, 12:45/1:45pm 27th Dec)

Into The Wild
On: Film4
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight Film4+1)

Jackie Chan's Police Story 2
On: SyFy
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 9:50pm (and 10:50pm Syfy+1, 1:50/2:50am 27th Dec, midnight/1:00am 1st/2nd Jan)

Jesus Christ Superstar
On: ITV1
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 11:50pm (and 6:25/7:25am 25th Dec ITV3/+1)

Jingle All The Way
On: Channel 4
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 11:40am (and 12:40pm 4+1)

Juno
On: Film4
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1, 9/10:00pm 28th Dec)

Krull
On: SyFy
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 3:40pm (and 4:50pm Syfy+1, 3/4:00pm 27th Dec, 4:20/5:20pm 29th Dec, 2/3:00pm 30th Dec)

Ladyhawke
On: Channel 4
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 1:55pm (and 2:55pm 4+1)

Lantana
On: Channel 4
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 01:25am (and 2:25am 4+1)

Last Action Hero
On: Five
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 6:45pm

Lawrence Of Arabia
On: FIVER
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 12:50pm (and 1:50pm Fiver+1)

Lethal Weapon
On: TCM
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 9:00pm

Madagascar
On: BBC 1
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 12:25pm

March Of The Penguins
On: ITV1
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 3:00pm

Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
On: Film4
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 6:25pm (and 7:25pm Film4+1)

Memoirs Of An Invisible Man
On: Film4
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 5:10pm (and 6:10pm Film4+1)

Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
On: Channel 4
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 2:20pm (and 3:20pm 4+1)

Mr. Mom
On: TCM
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 1:10pm (and 5:00am 23rd Dec)

Nanny McPhee
On: ITV2
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 7:00pm (and 8:00pm ITV2+1, 2/3:00pm 26th Dec)

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
On: ITV2
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV2+1, 7/8:00pm 30th Dec)

No Country For Old Men
On: Film4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1, 11:25pm/00:25am) 31st Dec 1st Jan)

Of Mice And Men (1992)
On: TCM
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 12:55pm (and 5:00am 24th Dec)

Over The Hedge
On: BBC 1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 2:10pm

Police Academy
On: ITV1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 03:05am

Road House
On: TCM
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: midnight

Romancing The Stone
On: E4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 4:55pm (and 5:55pm E4+1)

Scarface
On: ITV4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 11:05pm (and 00:05am 26th Dec, 11:00/midnight 27th Dec)

Scrooge (1951)
On: Five
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 4:00pm

Scrooged
On: Channel 4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 1:00pm (and 2:00pm 4+1, 5:20/6:20pm 28th Dec Film4/+1)

Shrek
On: BBC 1
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 2:25pm

Shrek The Halls
On: BBC 1
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 4:55 (and 10:10pm 25th Dec & 7:00pm 27th Dec BBC3)

Shrek The Third
On: BBC 1
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 3:10pm

Sleeper
On: TCM
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 7:25pm

Slumdog Millionaire
On: more4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 9:05pm (and 10:05pm 28th Dec)

Spaceballs
On: SyFy
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 1:40pm (and 2:40pm Syfy+1)

Spider-Man 2
On: Watch
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Watch+1, 6:25/7:25pm 26th Dec)

Spy Kids
On: BBC 1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 11:25am

Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams
On: BBC 1
Date: Monday 27th Decembe
Time: 10:00am

Stand By Me
On: FIVER
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 3:50pm (and 4:50pm Fiver+1, 1:30/2:30pm 24th Dec)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture
On: E4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 09:25am (and 10:25am E4+1)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
On: Film4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 3:00pm (and 4:00pm Film4+1, 6:50/7:50pm 31st Dec)

Star Trek: Insurrection
On: E4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: noon (and 1:00pm E4+1)

Stranger Than Fiction
On: Five
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 6:55pm

Superman Returns
On: Watch
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Watch+1, 5:55/6:55pm 27th Dec)

Tales From The Darkside
On: horror channel
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 02:45am

Tango And Cash
On: ITA4
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 00:25am (and 1:25am ITV4+1, 9/10:00pm 25th Dec)

The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen
On: FIVER
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 3:00pm (and 4:00pm Fiver+1, 12:30/1:30pm 23rd Dec)

The Ant Bully
On: BBC 1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 12:50pm

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
On: BBC 1
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 3:50pm (and 8:00pm 25th Dec BBC3, 8:00pm 29th Dec BBC3)

The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian
On: BBC 1
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 5:15pm

The Conversation
On: Film4
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 10:50pm (and 11:50pm Film4+1)

The Descent: Part 2
On: Sky Movies Premiere
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 11:50pm (and 00:50am 23rd Dec Premiere+1, 10/11:00pm 23rd Dec)

The Falcon And The Snowman
On: TCM
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 01:05am

The Fugitive
On: ITV2
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 11:15pm (and 00:15am 23rd Dec ITV2+1, 00:15/1:15am 29th Dec)

The Illusionist
On: ITV2
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV2+1)

The Incredibles
On: BBC 1
Date: Monday 27th December
Time: 3:25pm (and 7:00pm 2nd Jan BBC3)

The Legend Of Zorro
On: Watch
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight Watch+1, 9/10:00pm 24th Dec)

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
On: Comedy Central
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 01:35am (and 2:35am CC+1, 00:45/1:45am 31st Dec)

The Man Who Would Be King
On: BBC 2
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 12:55pm

The Money Pit
On: BBC 1
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 01:15am

The Muppet Christmas Carol
On: Channel 4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 08:50am (and 9:50am 4+1, 11:00am/noon ast Jan Film4/+1)

The Others
On: Film4
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

The Polar Express
On: ITV1
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 1:10pm (and 1/2:00pm 28th Dec & 3:35/4:35pm ITV2/+1)

The Queen
On: ITV1
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 3:00pm

The Railway Children
On: ITV1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 12:15pm

The Silence Of The Lambs
On: Universal
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Universal+1, midnoght/1:00am 31st Dec/1st Jan)

To Kill A Mockingbird
On: ITV3
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 00:10am (and 1:10am ITV3+1)

Trading Places
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 06:00am (and 10:00pm)

Tremors
On: ITV4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight ITV4+1, 11:00pm/midnight 30th Dec)

Uncle Buck
On: ITV3
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV3+1, 2:45/3:45pm 26th Dec)

Underworld: Evolution
On: Film4
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 11:20pm (and 00:20am 25th Dec Film4+1)

Unforgiven
On: TCM
Date: Thursday 23rd December
Time: 9:00pm

Up In The Air
On: Sky Movies Premiere
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 1:50pm (and 2:50pm Premiere+1 & 10:45/11:45pm, then daily at similar tomes through 30th Dec)

Valiant
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 11:00am (and noon) Film4+1)

War Of The Worlds (2005)
On: BBC 3
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 8:00pm (and 8:10pm 30th Dec)

Way Of The Dragon
On: SyFy
Date: Friday 24th December
Time: 02:20am (and 3:2-am Syfy+1, 9:50/10:50pm 26th Dec, 2/3:00am 29th Dec, midnight/1:00am 31stDec/1st Jan)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
On: BBC 1
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 09:45am

Young Frankenstein
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 25th December
Time: 11:35pm (and 00:35am 26th Dec Film4+1)

Young Sherlock Holmes
On: E4
Date: Sunday 26th December
Time: 2:00pm (and 3:00pm E4+1)

Even a decade on, Battle Royale is still a shockingly brutal film. A savage satire on a cruelly competitive Japanese education system, it’s unsurprising that the country’s government hated its depiction of school kids on the rampage.

Set in a near future Japan in the grip of an economic and social crisis, high school students are sent to a remote island and forced to stalk and kill one another until only one remains. Directed with stunning urgency by director Kinji Fukasaku, Battle Royale went on to become a huge success in Japan, perhaps hastened by the angry reaction of the Japanese government.

While Battle Royale’s premise might suggest an exploitative, mindless action movie, violence is by no means its main focus, even though the threat of it is seldom far away. Instead, Fukasaku explores how the 40 students react in the face of almost certain death. Some refuse to fight, choosing instead to fling themselves off the nearest cliff. Others group together, and attempt to use their knowledge of computers and explosives to smash the system that has ensnared them.

Still others take to killing with psychotic relish. Kazuo, a Terminator-like older student with a broad sadistic streak and a love for automatic firearms, roams the island like death incarnate, while school girl Mitsuko uses the game as an opportunity to settle old scores.

In the midst all this chaos, troubled youth Shuya Nanahara, armed with little more than a pot lid, attempts to protect his sweetheart, Noriko. But with only hours until the explosive collars locked around the students’ necks detonate, survival seems all but impossible.

That a director of Fukasaku’s age and reputation should choose to direct a film as controversial and potentially risky as Battle Royale seems, at first glance, rather odd. 71-years-old and the maker of such films as Battles Without Honor And Humanity and Tora! Tora! Tora!, Battle Royale could have had a similar damaging effect on Fukusaku’s latter-day career as Peeping Tom had on Michael Powell’s in the early 60s.

When viewed in the context of Fukusaku’s early life, however, the reasons for his directing Battle Royale become rather more clear. While working in a munitions factory in World War II, the young Fukusaku was bombed by Allied aircraft. Forced to bury several of his co-workers killed in the blast, the incident left lasting psychological scars, and he harboured deep-seated resentment and distrust of the Japanese government and adults in general for many years afterwards.

This urgency and resentment manifests itself in every frame of Battle Royale. And watching the behind-the-scenes footage on Arrow’s latest DVD and Blu-ray release, it’s clear that Fukusaku went to considerable lengths to get the performances he wanted from his cast. Takeshi Kitano - who, incidentally, is remarkable as the film’s lone figure of cruel, grown-up authority - notes more than once that crewmembers were fainting from sheer exhaustion.

Irrespective of Fukusa’s methods, the resulting Battle Royale is a startling film in all respects. On a human level, its characters spring to life, making their deaths all the more gut-wrenching when they inevitably occur. From a satirical standpoint, it’s the most bile-ridden and pointed indictment of not only the Japanese education system, but governments everywhere, and human nature in general.

Just as the World Wars of the 20th century brutalised and tore apart entire generations of youths, so the cruel game of Battle Royale forces friends to turn on one another, shatters relationships, and tears open old wounds.

It’s a weird fact of storytelling that some of the greatest narratives occur on islands - from the genius of Jonathan Swift’s satire, Gulliver’s Travels, via HG Wells’ grim social commentary The Island Of Doctor Moreau, to the schoolboy savagery of William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies.

Like those classic novels, Battle Royale uses the island as a petri dish for its horrible experiments, and the result is one of the most spectacular, thought-provoking films to come out of Japan in the last ten years.

It’s understandable, therefore, that when news broke of a western remake of Battle Royale in 2006, the reaction from fans of the original was less than charitable. Certainly, there are vital aspects of Battle Royale that simply couldn’t be replicated in the US - the social dynamic among Japanese high school students is one obvious aspect, but the most vital one is the absence of director Fukusaku.

Over and above the excellence of the film’s acting and script, and the lean brilliance of its premise, courtesy of Koushun Takami’s original novel, Battle Royale is undoubtedly Fukusaku’s film. The weight of his personal experience is all over the movie, lending it an air of anger and sense of barely-suppressed outrage that, I would argue, couldn’t be replicated anywhere else.

Fukusaku sadly died from cancer in 2003, having shot only one scene of Battle Royale’s sequel, Requiem. Fusukau’s son, Kenta, stepped in to complete it, but the absence of the elder director is painfully apparent, and the resulting film contained none of the original’s edginess or pathos.

Battle Royale was therefore Fukusaku’s final film, and one of the most remarkable swan songs in filmmaking history. Few directors could still evoke such a youthful air of rebelliousness over 40 years and almost 60 films, but somehow, Fukusaku did. The result is an absolute masterpiece of action, drama and satire.

Battle Royale is out on Blu-ray now.

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If you've been following the terrific podcasts that Kevin Smith has been putting out with regards his upcoming movie Red State, then you'll already have enjoyed some audio snippers of his new film. But now, Smith himself has released the first teaser trailer of the movie, which is heading to the Sundance Film Festival next month.

You can find said teaser right below these words. But you can learn a lot more about the film by heading over to the Smodcasts at www.smodcast.com/redstate.

Warning: spoilers lie ahead! Our spoiler-free take on this episode is here.

Now how about that for packing plenty into one 60 minute episode? Taking the basics of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as its basis, Steven Moffat skilfully wove the well-known and well-filmed tale into a intriguing and layered Doctor Who story. For a Christmas episode, too, it was relatively light on action, as instead, Moffat pooled together the ingredients for a real cracker of a story.

Firing out of the gates with a Star Trek homage, a crashing spaceliner, the continuation of the Rory/Amy relationship and plenty of jokes particularly at the former’s expense, you could have been forgiven at first for thinking that this was going to be a loud, comedic, action adventure.

Yet it wasn’t long before Moffat slowed the pace right down, aided by some terrific, atmospheric direction from Toby Haynes (backed by strong production design). Seemingly effortlessly transporting us into a Dickensian world, we were then soon introduced to the Scrooge of the piece, played by Michael Gambon. Only here, Scrooge goes by the name of Kazran Sardick. And he's more complicated than the average miser.

The central narrative around which the story was built is that Kazran has in his power the ability to save the thousands of people stuck in a cloud of his making, and yet he refuses to do. From there, much of the episode is spent subtlety breaking down the veneer of the character, by, amongst other tools, clever use of time travel.

Moffat’s brilliant at this, pulling little surprises such as the moment when Sardick Junior sees his father, Elliot, in full rant. And that turns into a lovely moment that matters, simply because time has been taken to set the characters up properly. Michael Gambon’s terrific performance shouldn’t be sneezed at, either, evoking real sympathy for Sardick's story. Heck, just look at how still he is as the Doctor first travels back to see the younger version of Sardick for the first time, while the older one watches. It’s terrifically written, well shot, and excellently played.

Katherine Jenkins is no slouch, either. She plays a pivotal role here, and avoids the fear of stunt casting in the process. Thinking back, she doesn’t actually get a great deal of screen time, yet her slow demise, and Sardick’s torment over which day should be her last, is wonderfully done.

The closest comparison we can pull to the casting on Jenkins is the appearance of Kylie Minogue in the fun, bombastic Voyage Of The Damned. Minogue, playing Astrid, was also doomed to not reach the end credits, and yet the emotional resonance of the character of Abigail Pettirgrew seemed much more important. Heck, I was even impressed at how well Jenkins’ singing was weaved into the story.

Jenkins and Gambon did have to do quite a bit of heavy lifting here, though, as A Christmas Carol relegated Amy and Rory to the bench for most of the episode. What time we did get with them firmly established the status quo between the pair, with a lovely, comedic sequence at the start offering ample demonstration of just how Amy views and treats Rory. We can surely expect that strand to be explored a lot further in the upcoming series of the show. That's apparently going to be appearing on the soundtrack CD this coming February, too.

Then there were the fish. These were, I thought, a lovely idea, far different from your average monsters, and very well realised too, allowing the episode its big jump moment, as the Doctor went fishing in Kazran’s closet. It was nicely done, and the fish were generally in keeping with the quite calm tone of much of the episode. They made for decent monsters, too, and as with every foe in the Moffat world, they had their reasons for being as they are.

I suppose if the episode had a weakness (and this is being really picky), it comes with the demands of doing a Christmas special. For I loved the middle of the story, where the story pieces were being gently moved around the board into place, moreso than I did the more action-packed top and tail. That’s not to say the action and the effects were shabby, rather they were the least interesting moments in a strong episode. As I noted in the spoiler-free review, too, given the generally louder and more straightforward Yuletide stories we’ve had in the past, I do wonder if, particularly much younger viewers (even accepting that they have more open minds than most), would have enjoyed A Christmas Carol quite as much.

I certainly did, though, and even now, there are still things that we’ve not talked about that I absolutely loved. The comedy, for starters, was pin-sharp, particularly when the Doctor starts dishing out relationship advice. Matt Smith, and we didn’t talk about this enough last series, is a genuinely impressive comedy actor, and his delivery here was very strong (it was an excellent performance all-round to be fair, too). Moffat’s writing, too, harked back to Coupling at its very best, and half had me thinking that we’d sort of got the Coupling Christmas special that we never had.

I also enjoyed the fun the episode had with the likes of the psychic paper, the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor getting married, and the random introduction of Frank Sinatra. It was gloriously bonkers, and all the better for it. And when you consider just how much got crammed into the hour, you have to conclude it’s some achievement.

A Christmas Carol is, ultimately, a fitting end to one of Doctor Who’s very strongest years. It kicked off with The End Of Time Part 2 on New Year’s Day (and that feels longer than a year ago), and has taken us through a compelling 13-part series five, and now iced the proverbial cake with a rounded, self-contained, extremely-Christmassy yet quietly ambitious Yuletide extravaganza. A terrific one at that, too.

Furthermore, on the basis of the teaser trailer for next year, there are more treats lying ahead. And so you can happily add me to the list of people counting down the days to Doctor Who’s return. For as the Christmas special proves, as if further proof was needed, the show is in exceptionally safe hands.

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Award-winning Australian filmmaker - and multiple Oscar nominee - Peter Weir should need no introduction, but he’s made a good go of avoiding the limelight, despite an impressive career. His prolific run of thrillers and dramas in the 1980s and 1990s gave the world the likes of Witness, Green Card and Dead Poet’s Society, but he’s become quite selective in the last 17 years, only releasing two films between the 1993 Jeff Bridges vehicle, Fearless, and his latest film, The Way Back.

Those two flicks, by the way, were The Truman Show and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, a pair that displayed the man’s diverse talents, and his wide appeal, not to mention his knack of drawing superb performances out of his leading men. As a follow-up, The Way Back has a lot to prove, and despite ticking many stylistic boxes - being a period-set exploration of the human condition on an epic scale - it isn’t quite the masterpiece you’d hope for from a seasoned cinematic veteran.

The film initially develops from a familiar World War 2 setting, with Polish citizen Janusz (Jim Sturgess) being sent to a Siberian gulag after his wife is tortured into naming him a dissident. There, he wanders through archetypal prison drama scenes, hinting at the uneasy relationship between various factions - political prisoners, gangsters and foreigners - and establishing a number of characters that will make up our tidy ensemble for the ensuing 133 minutes.

We know who these characters are, because the roles are filled by the likes of Ed Harris and Colin Farrell, who are giving their all in the hope for awards glory. Their tactics differ. Harris broods with stripped-down intensity as the withdrawn, paranoid American Mr Smith, while Farrell aims for the back row with his obscenely over the top take on the tattooed bruiser Volka, wrapping his snarl around Russian-accented vowels and juggling a crude blade like a circus performer.

This being The Way Back, it’s only a matter of time before our heroes scarper into the endless white, in search of freedom. That moment hits a little earlier than expected, following a very concise summation of all the things better expressed in One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich, such as toe-numbing cold, back-breaking labour and soul-crushing futility. The crash-bang-whallop of their escape is only the beginning, though, as where does one go to out-run the Soviets and their allies? Well, India is the safest bet. How far away is that, then? Probably best not to ask...

If the Lord of The Rings trilogy is three films of people walking, The Way Back is its super-serious stylistic twin. It is effectively 4000 miles of plodding drama, as the characters progress from snowy tundra to frosty forests, to breathless swamp, to vast, silky desert, finally ending up at the Himalayas two hours later. Along the way, they brave the elements, slowly starve, learn a little about each other and themselves, and in the process catch a glimpse at some profound truth about humanity.

Those aspects are somewhere in the film, anyway. They’re probably buried underneath the admittedly breathtaking cinematography, which never gives up a chance to present us with a sumptuous wide shot of the overwhelming power of nature itself. It would be no surprise that this was partly inspired by the film’s co-production origins, with National Geographic stumping up some of the budget. They should be happy, because the natural world has rarely looked as stunning (or terrifying) as it does here, and they now have plenty of stock footage for future docudramas.

In comparison, the characters are on treadmills, being dragged through the landscape from setpiece to setpiece by a series of chatty chamber-piece scenes and slick montage sequences (of walking, mostly). Between this, the often atrocious accents, and the actors’ slow withering towards gaunt, blistered emaciation, there’s little room for them to fill out the roles. Likewise, character development itself is shoe-horned into the plot, with little reveals and resolutions coming very easily, heralded by either a sermon or a death. The hazards lie elsewhere, as an prison guard character so openly explains in an early scene: ‘nature is your jailer, and she is without mercy’.

Such a confusion of scope and themes undoes The Way Back’s bid for emotional resonance, or even fundamentally satisfying storytelling. It is only in the film’s final scenes that the implied destination of the title becomes a problem, resulting in an awkward bid for a wider, historical conclusion, that nods towards Poland’s own struggle to remove itself from behind the Iron Curtain, swapping out the characters in favour of Cold War-spanning, archive news footage-cribbing montage. It seems a little jarring, but only seeks to highlight that, all along, the crux of the film lay in the journey.

Although, at 4000 miles covered, The Way Back is a good sight longer than a Wainwright walk, and it’s certainly more exhausting.

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Leave it to the Coen Brothers to surprise the world with what they don't do, rather than what they do. When you think of the Coens, you have a sense of what to expect. True Grit contains none of that: no real snappy dialogue exchanges, no exceptionally quirky side characters, no elements of film noir, and no peculiar set pieces with strange camera angles and general weirdness. Instead, True Grit is a western, nothing else.

Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), a 14-year-old girl, is sent to town to collect the dead body of her father, Frank Ross. Frank was a good man who was double-crossed by a hired hand by the name of Tom Chaney. Chaney, deep in the drink, lost his money at cards and robbed and killed Frank Ross in the middle of town. A town, Mattie notes, where nobody knows the Ross family and where nobody will be too concerned with tracking down Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Fortunately for Mattie, she's one smart cookie, and she knows the only way to get things done is to find the right price.

To that end, Mattie hires a US Marshall named Reuben J Cogburn, aka Rooster (Jeff Bridges), to track Chaney into Indian Territory. Along for the ride (and also out for Chaney's bounty) is a Texas ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon). As it turns out, Tom Chaney is no normal drunkard: he's a dangerous criminal on the run from Texas law for shooting a state senator. The fact that Chaney has fallen in with a gang of outlaws will make no difference to the two lawmen or their young employer.

There's no denying that True Grit has interesting characters, but they're not what you'd call quirky. There's the crude, good-hearted Rooster Cogburn, the sharp-as-a-tack 14-year-old Mattie, and the vain but skilled LaBoeuf. Jeff Bridges is simply wonderful as Rooster, a man who has seen a lot of terrible things and drinks too much as a result of his life, but who still strives to do good and be good in a cruel world. Damon does wonderful work as LaBoeuf, who is almost as good a tracker and lawman as he thinks he is. Barry Pepper has a great, brief supporting role as the noble outlaw Lucky Ned Pepper, and Josh Brolin is excellent as always as the dastardly Chaney.

However, the real star of this film just might be Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. She has a wonderful presence, a precocious nature borne not out of cuteness but out of life experience. As she says early in the film, her mother isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and as the oldest child, she was the one who was at her father's side for all the business of running the farm. This shows, both in the deft way she handles the affairs of her father at the auction house, and in the way she communicates with both her older traveling companions.

Indeed, Mattie is more than a match for Rooster, and is able to see through the pomposity of LaBoeuf. This is a very world-weary teenager. She does wonderful things with her features and eyes throughout the film. There are a lot of subtle moments where she allows Mattie's hard shell to slip, just slightly enough to see the scared girl behind the hard face, before she/Mattie close right back up again. These are especially evident in her confrontation with Chaney.

The script, from the Coen Brothers based off of the original book by Charles Portis, is familiar, but impressive nonetheless. Rooster Cogburn's tart tongue crackles like a whip, and Mattie Ross's head for figures and business make her a formidable opponent. She may be young, but she's not dumb. Much like the novel, True Grit's adaptation is a western that's heavy on the laughs, but also not short on menage and action. LaBoeuf's Texas-centric conversation is pretty apt, considering every Texan I've ever met is quick to remind everyone how great Texas is and how much worse everything is when you're not in Texas.

One of the stand-outs of this film is the cinematography. Roger Deakins is one of the best directors of photography working today, and it shows in his use of the landscape. The framing of these shots and the use of the natural envrionment as a shooting stage, including great use of hilltops, forests, and valleys, is very impressive throughout the film. This is a guy who really knows what he's doing, which isn't surprising given how beautiful No Country For Old Men and The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford were.

The Coen Brothers seem content to stand back and let the script and actors speak for themselves in their take on the True Grit novel. The film is better for it. There's no need to add too much style to such a simple story: the Coens let the script do the talking, and aside from a few of their signature touches, they don't try to reinvent the western. They just do their best to present a great, classic of the genre. Mission accomplished: True Grit is as good (or maybe better) than the original.

There's a reason True Grit is coming out at the very end of the year, in the midst of Oscar season. The cast is top notch, Carter Burwell's use of 19th century hymns for the soundtrack is a stroke of brilliance, and young Hailee Steinfeld's performance is one of the best I've seen in an actress so young, second only to Natalie Portman in The Professional/Leon.

True Grit is a brilliant western, and it's less a remake than it is an entirely new story that just happens to contain Rooster Cogburn. While it's not what you'd expect from the Coen Brothers, it's a reminder yet again that they are more than just the funny black comedy guys. This is a real horse opera, not a Coen Brothers version of a western.

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Restoring one of the treats of Doctor Who Christmas specials of the past few years, A Christmas Carol ended with a teaser trailer for what we could expect from the upcoming sixth series of the revived show.

And in case you missed it...

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Partly based on Jamie Reidy’s 2005 non-fiction memoir Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, Edward Zwick’s latest directorial offering Love & Other Drugs is yet another entry into the director's seemingly favoured sub-genre of ‘issue-tainment’.

Unlike Zwick’s previous attempts, however, Love & Other Drugs finds the director trying to fuse the debate (this time surrounding privatised health care and ‘big pharma’) with the genre of romantic comedy. Does it work? Well, in truth, not really.

It’s clear from the opening of the movie – set in 1996 and therefore allowing the film-makers to stack the obligatory soundtrack album with lots of rather obvious hits from that period – that the film makers are attempting to make a movie that’s very much in the vein of Jerry Maguire. To that end we’re introduced to cocky, brash and seemingly irresistible to women Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal), the eldest son of a well-to do east coast family who’s dropped out of medical school and is instead drifting in and out of various unchallenging retail jobs.  The initial scenes with Gyllenhaal at work in a stereo store are relatively entertaining, as his customers and female co-workers (and supposedly us too) are won over by his charm and cheesy patter.

However, the film hits its first significant stumbling block when we are introduced to Jamie’s family during a ‘quirky’ family dinner. It seems that Zwick expects us to buy the fact that Gyllenhaal, a criminally underused George Segal and the hyperactive, Seth Rogen/Jonah Hill-hybrid Jason Gad are all somehow related. Not only do we not believe that they’re related, but the actors themselves don’t give the impression of believing it either. And that’s a fundamental problem that runs throughout the movie – a lack of credibility and any sort of emotional truth.  

Despite this credibility gap, the early parts of the movie do at least have some sort of pace and fun to them. Jamie’s rise through the Pfizer chemical ranks is quite well done, and his eventual graduation to on-the-road salesman alongside Pfizer vet Bruce Winston (the ever excellent Oliver Platt, giving the best performance in the movie by a mile) is quite entertaining, as are his interactions with Hank Azaria’s appropriately cynical Dr Stan Knight.
 
However, it’s with the introduction of Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway) that things start to go seriously awry with the movie. Maggie is an artist you see, although an artist who never seems to sell any work or do anything other than screw inappropriate men during nameless and commitment free assignations. But wait! Maggie is more than just a shag-happy, free-sprit artist. She is – wait for it! – a shag-happy, free spirit artist with Parkinson’s disease.

The introduction of Maggie confuses the film no end. Until now we’ve been watching the story of an empty, but relatively successful young salesman climbing the sales ladder, but after Hathaway enters the frame the film seems to shatter into a million different pieces and the film-makers don’t really seem to have any conviction about where the story should go.

Is it the story of a heartless salesman finding love and responsibility in the arms of a woman with serious health issues? Or perhaps it’s about a woman blighted by disease who can’t forge meaningful relationships with men because of her illness? Maybe we’re watching a veiled meditation on the moral failings of the American pharmaceutical and health sectors? Or could we even be watching a gross-out comedy between two ill-matched flat mates that’s the missing link between The Odd Couple, Planes Trains and Automobiles and Superbad? 

In fact, what we get is an unholy mixture of all those elements which never quite coheres or manages to make a cogent point about any of the issues it toys with.

A major flaw in the film's make-up – beyond the lop-sided story and uneven tone – is the dreadful miscasting of Jake Gyllenhaal as Jamie. Admittedly, he isn’t aided by the lifeless writing, but the actor seems incapable of drilling below the surface of the material and bringing anything interesting to the part. Compare this performance to George Clooney’s in the wonderful Up In The Air (which ploughed similar terrain to far greater effect) or Tom Cruise’s star turn in Jerry Maguire and Gyllenhaal – much like the movie itself - simply pales into insignificance.
 
Faring better than her male co-star is Anne Hathaway, who tries her best with the very on-the-nose material. On the whole, Maggie isn’t a particularly believable character, but in a number of scenes Hathaway at least makes you forget that and brings a certain amount of humanity and a certain girlish enthusiasm to the role that a lesser actress might squander.

But despite those isolated moments, when viewed as a whole, the film simply doesn’t work. Anne Hathaway may be perky, Jason Gad intermittently amusing and Oliver Platt hugely enjoyable, but none of them ever seem like they’re really in the same movie. And the ultimate responsibility for that falls at the feet of Edward Zwick, who continues to be one of Hollywood’s most frustratingly inconsistent film makers.

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2011 is set to be the year of the alien invasion movie, with everything from Cowboys and Aliens to Battle: Los Angeles hitting the big screen. However our TVs will also be under attack in the form of Falling Skies, a series from Dreamworks Studios and TNT.

Steven Spielberg is reportedly overseeing the series, having, of course, previously done a couple of sci-fi films in the past, and the rather good miniseries Taken.

The official premise reads as follows:

Six months after a worldwide alien invasion, a group of everyday heroes must rise up to fight for their survival all while maintaining their humanity in the process.  The series is set shortly after aliens have wiped out most of the human population and centers on a ragtag group of soldiers and civilians led by widower Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) who struggle against the occupying alien force. In the pilot, directed by Carl Franklin, Moon Bloodgood, Jessy Schram, Seychelle Gabriel and Maxim Knight all play members of the group

So far, so V, but thus far Falling Skies has looked more like what a Terminator Future War series would look be, as opposed to the glossy shine of V.

It will be interesting to see how it turns out, as Spielberg is also working on the Fox-produced Dinosaur/Time Travel series Terra Nova, in addition to all of his feature film commitments. Also the response to footage at Comic Con earlier this year was reported to be lukewarm.

However, the trailer looks good and it's cool to see Hollywood's No.1 military adviser Dale Dye as an human resistance leader...

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One good thing about a weekend without any new movies is that it gives people a chance to catch up on older releases that they might have missed. For example, this weekend, every movie in the top ten (aside from the first three) all made improvements in box office results. The top three, while suffering slightly from last weekend, still managed to hang on to a great deal of their attendance. I guess when nothing's out, you see what's there.

For the second week in a row, the top ten is pretty much the same, aside from a few spot switches. Little Fockers, True Grit, and Tron Legacy still take up the top three spots. Fockers brought in 26.3 million bucks, True Grit was slightly behind it with $24.5 million. Rounding out the top three is Tron Legacy with $18.3 million.

The first pair of position switches happened between Yogi Bear and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader. Last week's fifth movie, Yogi Bear jumps up a spot to fourth on the strength of $13 million (up 65 percent from last week). Down to fifth from fourth last weekend was The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, which was up ten percent, but took in only $10.5 million.

The second spot swap happened between Tangled and The Fighter. Tangled took in $10.008 million, just barely topping The Fighter's $10 million flat. That's three movies in a row, all of which took in about 10 million bones. Last week, Tangled was seventh and The Fighter was sixth.

Settled at home in eighth spot is Gulliver's Travels. It did take in more this weekend, with a box office gross of 9.1 million bucks, but its two-week total is only $27.2 million. That's nothing compared to pretty much every film released within that window. The only downside of this film's failure is that it looks bad on supporting player, Jason Segel, whose name is prominent on the poster (in spite of the presence of Jack Black's full length torso). Even adding 543 screenings hasn't helped Gulliver travel into profitable territory.

In ninth is the creeptastic Black Swan. Swan took in $8.45 million this weekend, which is up slightly from last weekend. It has picked up $47.3 million at the box office, and is proving to be quite profitable in spite of taking forever to reach any kind of nationwide release schedule.

Our final spot swap was between last week's last film to make the top ten, The Tourist, and the eleventh film, The King's Speech. Last week, The King's Speech was just barely out of the top ten. This time, thanks to $7.6 million at the multiplexes, it has pushed The Tourist ($6.8 million) off the box office cliff, despite being in only 700 theaters versus The Tourist's 2756 screens.

Out next weekend is another weird slate of films. Only one of these, Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman in Season Of The Witch, is a new release. The other two are expanding limited releases. One of these, Country Strong with Gwyneth Paltrow, looks to be the worst thing ever. The other, the weird black comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, just might be Jim Carrey's best work ever according to DoG's positive review (found here).

Following on from my wrap-up of my favourite movie songs of 2010, I thought I'd look at my favourite scores of the year. Some of the films will have been available elsewhere prior to 2010, but the following list represents my favourite scores that have accompanied UK cinematic releases over the past year...

The Ghost - Alexandre Desplat

Desplat's classical-influenced score for Roman Polanski's rather excellent latest feature is an excellent piece of work when enjoying the pieces as individual works. There are elements that are reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann in this suspenseful and dramatic score, and whilst it's not a great listening experience aside from the film, this represents a highlight in the composer's long career.

Predators - John Debney (Alan Silvestri)

Like the film itself, Debney's score borrows heavily from the other films in the franchise by taking themes and integrating them into his own work. This is unmistakably Predator, but with a new spin on it. For me, this is a large part of why I think this is such an effective score and, in many ways, it's better than Alan Silvestri's scores for the original movies. I know that could be deemed as sacrilege by some, but that's my feeling, having experienced it in the film and having the benefit of listening to it numerous times away from the film.

I'm a huge fan of Silvestri and his previous scores, but Debney's score here takes the best part of Silvestri's scores for Predator and Predator 2 and gives them a reboot with his own rock sensibilities, which finds him layering dark guitar parts and updated rhythms that lean more towards techno than the Latin beats favoured in the original.

The Expendables - Brian Tyler

From the opening main theme through to the closer of Mayhem And Finale, this is a score as action-packed and spectacular as the film itself, and one that would be a welcome addition to the record collections of fans of the film and film scores alike.

On the strength of this, it's easy to see why Tyler is one of the go-to guys for action scores and is certainly a name to look out for on future projects. I can't wait to hear what he comes up with for the intriguing Battle: Los Angeles.

The results here are really very good, with this being one of the finest scores for an action movie I have heard for quite some time, and at this point, it stands as one of my favourite scores of the year. Yes, it really is that good.

Mother - Lee Byung-woo

Lee Byung-woo's beautiful score for Bong Joon-Ho's brilliant film, Mother, is used sparingly, but when it is employed, it's highly effective, particularly in the scenes that bookend the film of Kim Hye-Ja dancing.

These delicate guitar pieces really are fantastic and the other pieces that make up the rest of the score are of the high quality that has come to be expected from the composer, who composed one of the most effective horror scores of recent times for A Tale Of Two Sisters.

Sadly, I can't seem to find a copy of this anywhere. If anyone could help readers out in finding it, that would be smashing.

Ponyo - Joe Hisaishi

Studio Ghibli's beautiful and heart-warming take on Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid featured a beautiful score from composer Joe Hisaishi.

Hisaishi's work here is more operatic in tone than his previous work, but retains the elements that make his music unmistakable, and the result is a very, very, effective soundtrack. It's a shame that the annoying song that plays out over the closing credits will be what a lot of people remember about the music of the film, rather than Hisaishi's brilliant score.

Although originally released in its native Japan in 2008, Hisaishi's score earns a place on this list due to its cinematic release on these shores earlier in the year.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World - Nigel Godrich

Godrich's score is as strong and as varied as the soundtrack album to accompany the film. It's a piece that wears its influences on its sleeve, with elements of popular videogame music creeping its way in.

This score is a work of genre-defying madness that utilises an assortment of musical styles to enhance the mood of the piece. From the aforementioned melancholic post rock to up-tempo dance pieces, this is a varied but highly effective debut score that's an interesting break from the orchestral scores that have accompanied much of the year's biggest pictures.

A whole lot of credit should go Godrich's way for his work here, as he was responsible for producing the original material on the soundtrack, as well as composing the score.

Tron Legacy - Daft Punk

Like the film itself, I have to say I was left a little underwhelmed by Daft Punk's score here. Don't get me wrong. It is a good score and easily one of the best, however, I couldn't help feel a little disappointed that the French duo seemed to be largely mimicking Hans Zimmer as opposed to producing something true to themselves.

Lead track Derezzed hinted at something much more schizophrenic and interesting than what they produced. The scene in which the aforementioned track features is very entertaining and features a cameo from the band and an extremely subtle performance from Michael Sheen.

How To Train Your Dragon - John Powell

Possibly my favourite animated film of the year, How To Train Your Dragon is an exciting and emotional viewing experience that features breathtaking flight sequences and an amazing score composed by John Powell.

Powell is a composer whose work I admire, but I was surprised at just how good this score was and how well it enhanced the film. There's not a piece that seems out of place throughout the entire score, and had it not been for some other strong efforts, this would have been my runaway winner for score of the year. It was the front runner for quite some time.

Inception - Hans Zimmer

Zimmer's scores have accompanied some of the biggest and best blockbusters over the years, so it was little surprise that he was the composer of choice for Christopher Nolan to score his ambitious and intelligent sci-fi epic, Inception.  Zimmer had worked previously with Nolan through his fantastic work on Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, so clearly Nolan was confident he could deliver the goods.

Zimmer is accompanied here by former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr (who has also recently been a member of both Modest Mouse and The Cribs), who contributes guitar work to Zimmer's bold orchestrations. It's an incredibly emotive piece that can turn from morose melancholy to out and out action with ease, an astonishingly good score for an utterly amazing film.

The Social Network - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Reznor's first full length score with collaborator Atticus Ross is one of the more interesting of the year. A break from much of the traditional orchestrations that accompany many dramatic pieces of work, this is instead an extension of his latter work with Nine Inch Nails and his other side projects, as he interweaves simple and melodic piano lines with walls of distorted guitar and glitch electronic noises.

It's a confident and assured piece of work, and perhaps most importantly, it's hugely effective within the context of the film. It provides such an important role but never becomes oppressive or takes the focal point away from the rich dialogue.

At the centrepiece of the score is an excellent rendition of Greig's At The Table Of The Mountain King, which could have seemed ridiculous had it not been so well executed.

So, that completes my wrap-up of my favourite scores of 2010. Please add your favourites in the comments section below.

• See all the Music in the movies

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There's never enough time. Too true, Jean Claude van Damme in Timecop. Too true. And nowhere is it more true than when we caught up with writer-producer-director Paul Haggis to talk about his latest film, The Next Three Days. 

Seven minutes is barely enough time to scratch the surface with a filmmaker who's given us great TV (Due South), the screenplay for one of Clint Eastwood's best films (Million Dollar Baby), and a meaner, edgier James Bond. But it's better than six, I guess, so let's be thankful for that.

We caught up with him at The London Film Museum (an incredible venue. Check it out at once!) to talk Russell Crowe, mainstream Hollywood and the legendary Brian Dennehy.

There's a great image in the film of Russell Crowe staring at a wall filled with pictures, thinking about how he's going to break his wife out of jail. I just wondered how much that's representative of you as a filmmaker too. I imagine it must have been a daunting task making this film.

Yeah, and in fact we had those images on my wall while I was planning the piece. And they had an impact. It was overwhelming. The idea of making a movie is just as overwhelming as the idea of breaking someone out of jail. Not really, but just about.  [laughs]

It's all the particular aspects you have to keep an eye on while you're doing it. And you have to remember the purpose of doing it, while you've got all that going on. And you seem to get lost in it.

And did it feel like the most difficult film you've made? Because it has a few big action scenes in it.

I had a good crew and I had a decent amount of time. It was not easy, but it wasn't as hard as Crash.

Does that appeal to you, the action side of things? Would you go further than this, direct a Bond film, perhaps?

I love action, I love suspense, so I'd look forward to tackling something larger. It just has to have a good emotional core, doesn't it, you know? You have to make people really care for the characters, and then you can go as far as you want.

And you've said elsewhere that for your next film you want to go a bit darker. But I thought this film was quite dark. Did you not feel that it was?

[Laughs] I did, but I guess I have a dark side, so I just keep going darker and darker.

I think it's the light and dark, the play back and forth. It's the hope and the betrayal. Iit's the trust and what happens as a result. I don't know if you'd call Crash a dark film or not, but it has dark moments, it certainly has moments of great hope and light.

You put Russell Crowe's character through the wringer and take him to quite a low ebb. To such an extent that I began to think, "What's he going to do? What's going to happen next?" When you were writing it, did you feel like that? Was it a discovery for you or did you start out with a very clear 'He's going to do this, this and then that'?

The whole process was a discovery, right from the beginning of the film. It was based on a French film. I had to reinvent it to make it work for myself, so I had to start from the beginning. How he was going to break out? How would he think about this? I went on the Internet and started doing research from there, and going to Pittsburgh, which is where I was thinking of shooting, and wrote it for that city.

So, I started researching the prison. How would he get out? How does he escape? Well, he'd try to escape through the elevator shaft, or this, so I wrote it along those ways. And then I'd start to think, "Well, now he's out, so what does he do?" Well, I'd run across the street and I'd walk down the stairs. Ooh, what's this, it's a tube station. Let's hop on this. So, it was literally that.

And I think a lot of the questions that came up during the making of the film were a lot of questions that the original film posed, which helped me, because I just tried to dig deeper into those questions. What would you do if these were the circumstances? And what price would you pay? What would you be willing to do once you start changing into someone who could do this thing? And so, that influenced how I structured the film.

There's a real father-son theme that comes across in all your films. In this one you've got a great father, Brian Dennehy.

Yes.

Did he take much convincing? Because he's got , what, two lines?

I thought Brian wouldn't do it. I've always wanted to work with him. I'd seen him, obviously, in a lot of movies, but also watched him while on Broadway, and he's one of our finest actors. And when I thought of this, trying to cast this, he was the first person I thought of.

I knew he wouldn't do it, because, as you said, there are two lines in the dad role, but he's in a lot of scenes and he said two lines. But I thought I'd offer it to him anyway and if he turns me down we'll do something else. But he said, "No, I'd love to do it."  And I'm so glad he did. He brought such a depth to that character.

Was there any nervousness in approaching him? Do you have that at all, because you've also got Russell Crowe on board as well. Do you ever get nervous meeting actors or do you take it in your stride?

Well, I think it's still the same kid who loved movies right from the beginning, so I see actors I really respect and was so wowed by their work and overwhelmed by what they've accomplished so, yeah, I still have that.

And you've said you would like to work with Russell Crowe again.

Yes, I would.

What was it about him? Was it a good working relationship?

It was a great relationship  I was concerned about working with him because I'd heard all the stories, but it started off with real respect for each other and it blossomed from there.

It was a really good, but hard, working relationship, because there was a lot to achieve in the amount of time. And he was on set almost all the time. He's a real workhorse. My respect for him grew through the whole process.

As a filmmaker, do you like to spend a lot of time in prep, rehearsing with the actors?

I hate prep. [laughs] I hate everything to do with it. And then, of course, I do it. People force me to do it. My producer does, and thank God. I just want to get to start shooting. But, of course, I get there and nothing's planned out. What happened to this? And where's this?

They say, "Well, Paul, you didn't tell us about that stuff, did you?  So ..."  So, I've learned to do a lot of prep. But I just hate it.

But you produce your films as well. That must help you get your own way?

Oh, yeah, I get my own way. [laughs] But it's like letting everybody know what you want. And specifically, you really have to - when you write the thing you think, "There it is, just do that, guys. Get it from my head and provide these props and the setting and this colour." Without ever having to tell them. [laughs]

So, I sometimes have to be specific.

And you've mentioned this is quite a mainstream film for you.

Yes.

Do you still feel, even now with the films you've done and with the success you've had, that you still need to, I guess, dip your toe in that water, not to go too dark?

No, no, I like going dark. I don't mind doing that. I like to surprise people. I like to subvert expectations. If people expect me to do one thing, I like to do something else. I'm contrary in that way.

Mr Paul Haggis, thank you very much.

The Next Three Days is released on Wednesday 5th January.

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This review contains spoilers.

Episode 1

Well, it took a while and a few behind-the-scenes negotiations, but one of ITV's most enjoyable Saturday night treats is back with a new series, and it looks like there are some new faces at the ARC.

For those following the series, we were left (nearly two years ago) with Danny, Connor and Abby 'Quantum Leaping' through various dinosaur-infested time periods to stop Cutter's mad wife, Helen, from destroying life as we know it. And while they succeeded in preventing the destruction of the human race, all three were trapped in various time periods.

This was a great way to finish a series off, and as we kick things off this season we find that our heroes are still lost and that Connor and Abby are trapped in a time that looks very much like Jurassic Park III, filled with avian-looking Raptors and a rather nasty Spinosaurus that would give Spielberg's dinos a run for their money. And while there is no sign of Danny (he is probably off making X-Men), it is great to see the now beardy and dreadlocked duo doing their best to survive and try to get home.

While our intrepid explorers are dodging dinosaurs back in our time, it's all change in the ARC, as the research facility has gone all 'corporate' and become a PFI, a joint government and private initiative, meaning now there is not only a few more pennies for nice toys and technology to play with, but there is also a new set of team members.

Firstly, we are introduced to Connor's replacement, Jess, an ethical computer hacker and gamer girl who, by getting to grips with the new computer systems, releases the ‘Dragon-sarus' thing from last season from the new menagerie. Helping clear up her accident is the returning Captain Becker, who actually gets a few good quips in this episode, and provides a little more than the stoic standard army guy from last series.

Also helping out is new character, Matt Anderson, a sort of dinosaur Dr Doolittle, who seems to be the new replacement for Cutter. With a mysterious past and a bit too much knowledge of dinosaurs, his introduction and uncanny way of dealing with the anomalies, and the animals they throw out, looks to make for interesting watching for the rest of the season.

Rounding off the new cast is new character, Philip Burton (played by DS9's Alexander Siddig), who is the new ‘corporate' boss of the ARC, and the returning Lester's new nemesis.

With the new status quo in place, all that's left to do is for Abby and Connor to make their way home, which actually turns out to be pretty easy, as they find the anomaly opening device thingy Helen used last year to ‘leap' through time in a raptor's nest, and on the first button punch and shake, the futuristic iPod spews our heroes out just down the road from the ARC nearly a year after they left. While this was a bit clichéd, seeing the duo return was fun, especially the reunion with Lester, which was just all full of awkwardness.

However, things are not all that easy, as not only do they make it back in one piece, but Connor's bodging of the device re-opens the anomaly, letting a Spinosaurus through, leading to the standard chase and trap the dinosaur elements we have come to expect from the show.

Again, a little clichéd, but the new ARC team are efficient and get a chance to use their new toys and manage to trap the beast in what looks like the ‘Manchester Evening News' arena, with the help of a light show and a small and witty nod to Hannah Spearritt's former career as an S-Clubber.

Overall, the show's return wasn't so much a big bang as ITV would have led us to believe, but more a standard return to form. And while that's not a bad thing, there were parts that just seemed lazy (the easy escape for Connor and Abby, for one).

But once again the action was fun and the special effects top-notch, especially for a Saturday night television show, with the dinosaurs really looking as though they had a lot of weight, being packed with CG detail.

While it's easy to see where the money has gone, a little bit more could have been spent on a more creative script, but, hey, I will let that slide for the moment, as things were still enjoyable and there was a lot to get through in this first episode with new characters and all.

Fun, entertaining and good enough to sit through while we eagerly await the return of Doctor Who, it's good to see sci-fi back on mainstream TV, especially at prime time, and the new characters, ideas and setup show there is potential for this new series. It also all, hopefully, proves the suits at ITV were wrong to axe the show in the first place.

Let's just hope that the success of this doesn't go to their heads and they decide to re-commission Demons as well.

Episode 2

Okay, so it won't last. Don't expect a double dose of dinosaurs every week. The reason ITV are doing what they are doing is that Dancing On Ice starts next week and I guess they need another week to try and fit Kerry Katona into her spangly pants or something.

But while the tedium of D-list celebrates risking life and limb being swung around by various body parts is something to, er, 'look forward' to next week, us lucky sci-fi fans are treated to another episode of Primeval. (Hurray.)

Now, we left things off in the first episode with the return of Connor and Abby to the newly-funded ARC. The newly-appointed Dr Bashir was at loggerheads with one half of Armstrong and Miller, and with Danny still missing, the focus is on debriefing Connor and Abby. 

The return of the two main characters to the ARC should be a good thing. This doesn't really seem to be the case, as Connor is told that, while it's great to have them back, his services are no longer required at the ARC.

While this was hinted at in the last episode, the duo are officially given different paths to take, with Abby a part of the new ARC team, while Connor is, for all intents and purposes, given his marching orders. Without a carriage clock or farewell party in sight, he is given his P45 and told that the research he had done for Cutter is no longer needed.

So, what does every good geek do? Well, carry on, of course. This time ‘off the grid', and when homeless people start going missing on a construction site, it's not long before our bearded friend is off again on another monster hunt.

Indeed, the monster of the week itself is a bit of an anomaly, as we are not really told where and when it came from, appearing as if out of nowhere as a baby (there is an assumption a mini-anomaly opened sometime in the past) in a fancy flat and flushed down the loo, a la Alligator, by the scared tennant.

As any sci-fi geek knows, flushing anything down the loo is a bad thing as said ‘flush-ee' usually comes back bigger, mutated and with a large angry chip on their shoulder, which I guess is what a diet of  rat and poo does to you. So, while Abby is happily reunited with the returning Rex, Connor has to deal with a huge alligator-warthog thingy without the backup of the ARC team.

That's to say he doesn't get any help, as one of his first ports of call is visiting his old mate, Duncan. Since we last saw him in the dodo episode a few seasons ago, Duncan has gone full-on ‘Lone Gunman', in-depth in his conspiracies and also living off the grid, untraceable to everyone who doesn't know his mum. But with a database and cunning map full of sightings, Duncan leads Connor to the newest spate of killings in an attempt to find out what is taking away the 'lost' people.

So, with Duncan in tow and the eventual help of the ARC team, Connor tracks down the alligator thingy to the docks, where things get a little Doctor Who-like, with lots of running down corridors (well, between storage tankers). And with a nod to Alien and the usual extra losing his life in a horrific way, the team track down and neutralise the creature.

While the end is a bit clichéd again, it's pretty tense stuff, especially for a Saturday (okay, Sunday) night, and quite gruesome in parts, especially the sneaky brief look at a mauled body. While maybe a little bloody for young-uns, the setup, effects and creature are cracking, with a good team bonding ending and the return of Connor to the team, even if he doesn't get a pay rise.

While the other team are out monster hunting, we also find that Jess is reading everyone's files. Whether this is a sinister thing or whether she is just over friendly we are yet to know, but using it as a chat-up for Captain Becker and eventually letting Connor and Abby stop in her apartment, is there more to this happy-go-lucky hacker than meets the eye?

Overall, another solid establishing episode, and while all the pieces haven't fallen into place yet, and the new characters have yet had time to bed in, the prospects all look good and with the trailer of next week showing a future visitor, a lizard man and potentially Connor's new ‘sinister' role in the ARC, there is a lot to look forward to.

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As you may already have heard, the actor Pete Postlethwaite has died at the age of 64. He had been ill with cancer for some time, and he passed away on 2nd January. It's a rotten way to start 2011.

I used to love the fact that, particularly in the early to mid-90s, Pete Postlethwaite turned up in quite so many impressive films. His Oscar-nominated performance in In The Name Of The Father is rightly one of the most remembered, but I thought his performance in Brassed Off! was just as good, personally.

On top of that, Postlethwaite also spent the 90s appearing in the likes of Amistad, The Usual Suspects, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Romeo + Juliet, James And The Giant Peach and even the mightily good fun When Saturday Comes.

The best for me, though, was having the privilege of seeing Postlethwaite on stage, playing Macbeth at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. My memories of the production itself aren't particularly fond, but my recollection of his performance was that it was mesmeric. Genuinely brilliant.

Postlethwaite was one of our very finest actors, and our thoughts are with his family at this time. Our memories are with a collection of terrific performances that Postlethwaite turned in, which will be enjoyed for many decades to come.

"There's no one better than you, you know. You're a god damn machine."

If you're a fan of the action might of Mr Jason Statham, then 2011 is going to be quite a year for you. The Statham, as he's affectionately known around these parts, will be appearing in at least three cinematically released movies this year, none of which will involve him taking the action movie cop-out route of appearing in a family comedy, or anything of that ilk.

No, this year we get Blitz and 13 heading our way (and possibly The Killer Elite), but not before the remake of the Charles Bronson flick, The Mechanic. The new version has been helmed by Con Air director Simon West, and is the first Statham movie of the year, due out on Friday 28th January in the UK.

In advance of the film's release, we've been given one more trailer, too. This one's a red band promo, which has little desire to hold back on just how action-packed the movie itself appears to be.

This is a red band trailer, we should point out, so don't get peaking unless you're over 18. That'd be naughty.

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We're playing a little bit of catch up following our holiday break, and one of the films we've been catching up with is The Dark Knight Rises.

Firstly, Natalie Portman has denied her involvement in the project. Talking to Entertainment Weekly, the actress (who's surely the running favourite for the Best Actress Oscar off the back of Black Swan) firstly said that she knew nothing of the rumours linking her with the role of Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's upcoming reboot of Superman. And when asked about The Dark Knight Rises, to which she's also been linked, she added, "I don't know anything about that."

Naturally, there's still speculation that she might just be fending rumours off, but then that's what the Internet does. For now, Portman is one to strike off the list.

Elsewhere with The Dark Knight Rises, the film is set to commence shooting in the spring, and Warner Bros has now confirmed that the film will be shot in Los Angeles, the UK, and a "third city", according to Ravi Mehta at the studio, quoted in Scene Magazine.

Chicago has played home to Gotham City for Christopher Nolan's first two Batman films, but rumours suggest that that third city for The Dark Knight Rises may yet be Detroit or New York instead.

Expect a lot more The Dark Knight Rises rumours in the months ahead, especially as the casting jigsaw comes together...

Coming Soon

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