During 2011, I set myself the challenge of watching 365 films that I had never seen before. New releases, old releases, unseen classics would all make up what I decided to call #FilmRant365.

So that was 365 films – the equivalent to one per day – spread over the course of 12 months, with a 140-character or less tweet review immediately after each viewing. Below are all the films that featured along with the twitter comments that accompanied them.

January

#1 MacGruber: 80s pastiche has never been so tired and humourless. A genuine waste of everyone’s time money and energy
#2 You Me and Dupree: Harmless but forgettable Owen Wilson vehicle that would be easy to criticise… If I could be arsed.
#3 #TheFighter: Thoroughly enjoyable awards bait that’s uneven in terms of performances but is ultimately well worth your time.
#4 Devil: Dumb as a post but not in the good way. Would have worked better as a one off episode of a TV show. Avoid.
#5 Pretty Persuasion: Sexy dark comedy that isn’t nearly as smart as it thinks it is. Not particularly original but watchable.
#6 Ponyo: Looks fantastic on Blu-ray but failed to really engage me the same way other Ghibli movies have done in the past.
#7 #127Hours: A bit of a mess in terms of direction but saved by Franco’s likeability. Don’t believe the hype – but see it.
#8 #TheKingsSpeech: Oscar bait? Sure but it’s incredibly powerful stuff. Firth nails it but Bonham Carter ‘surprises’ the most.
#9 Rabbit Hole: As much fun as you can have with Nicole Kidman and a dead child. Good stuff.
#10 Sherry Baby: Gyllenhall’s bra-less performance is disturbing. Unoriginal tale that’s at best intermittently interesting.
#11 Red Road: At times painfully slow with some silly plot holes. Watchable but not sure how it won a Cannes Jury Prize.
#12 Pandorum: Lots of walking round whispering in the dark. Watch in HD for proof that one cannot polish a turd.
#13 Michael Clayton: Above average corporate corruption drama. Mildly enjoyable decent direction but somehow lacked sparkle.
#14 Rudo Y Cursi: Predictable but fun tale that entertains throughout. Cheeky and cheerful with two great lead performances.
#15 What’s Eating Gilbert Grape: Great mix of feel-good and drama solid performance by a young DiCaprio. Good stuff.
#16 It Might Get Loud: Good doc that’d be great if it focused on the two guitarists with the greater talent / similar pedigree.
#17 Factotum: Meandering tale of alcohol poverty and pretending to be a writer. Familiar? Yes. engaging? No. Pointless? Very.
#18 Brighton Rock (1947): Tense gripping thriller with great visuals sound design and an ending that made me sit up and clap.
#19 The Nanny: Eerie gloomy dark but fascinating 1965 Hammer chiller with a lovely creepy performance from Bette Davis.
#20 Ban the Sadist Videos Pt 2: Fascinating documentary sequel. Reminds you how ridiculous humans are – particularly in Britain
#21 The Assassination of Richard Nixon: Excellent period piece with engaging turn from Sean Penn. Tense build up, great ending
#22 Blue Valentine: Hit and miss rom-dram with some really powerful moving moments…just a little laboured at others.
#23 Party Monster: Fun tale of the hedonistic New York 90s club scene with some solid performances. Seth Green in particular.
#24 Demons 2: Gooey and silly sequel form Lamberto Bava with a great soundtrack. Ultimately not that interesting though.
#25 Punk: Attitude: Essential doc looking at some of music’s finest innovators. A must watch for real music lovers.
#26 What Happens In Vegas: Average rom com with likeable characters but no jokes… At least it didn’t star Kate Hudson.
#27 My Soul to Take: A film so pedestrian I’m writing this tweet during its ‘climax’.
#28 The Kids Are Alright: If it were possible for a film to masturbate furiously over a picture of itself, this one would.
#29 Jackass Number Two: Hilarious. Obviously.
#30 Freakonomics: Doc that makes some dull points in a pretty average way. Also has an annoying plinky plinky soundtrack.
#31 Love and Other Drugs: Predictable but touching rom-dram that delivers exactly what it needs to. Not bad but not great
#32 Just Friends: Pretty poor Ryan Reynolds vehicle from back when everyone thought he was shit…with good reason it seems.

February

#33 Sin Nombre: Unexpectedly sweet but dark Mexican gang/road movie. Lovely story, well put together – an absolute must watch.
#34 Trancers: Half Blade Runner, half Terminator, all awesome. Great b-movie sci-fi fun I’d take over Ridley Scott all day.
#35 Serenity: Thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi fun. Apologies to @eatsleepjordan, it seems I have a Firefly box set to buy! Quality.
#36 The Manchurian Candidate: Thoroughly boring remake of a film I’ve never seen… if its anything like this I won’t bother.
#37 Brighton Rock: Pretty flat remake that fails to make the most of a great original and excellent cast, but isn’t all bad.
#38 The Town: Thoroughly enjoyable popcorn-friendly flick with a great balance of crime, drama and action. Loved every minute.
#39 True Grit (1969): Typical technicolor western. Beautiful, but only occasionally goes beyond average. Still, worth a look.
#40 True Grit (2010): Incredibly watchable update of a pretty standard western with a brilliantly babbling Bridges performance.
#41 Silent Night Deadly Night: Slow in parts, but an otherwise very enjoyable seasonal horror with a hint of Carpenter and some excellent dark moments.
#42 Wendy & Lucy: Minimal, charming tale with an understated Michelle Williams performance. Could use one or two explosions.
#43 The End – Confessions of a Cockney Gangster: No great shakes in terms of direction, but an interesting enough crime doc.
#44 Mr Nice: Pretty standard drug biopic elevated by great performances from Ifans, Thewlis and some stylish period work.
#45 Super High Me: Surprisingly good dope doc mixing stand-up comedy with interesting argument. Only fails on its main premise.
#46 Paul: Mildly entertaining, but a wasted opportunity considering the talent involved.
#47 Before Sunrise: Obnoxious guy meets boring girl. Obnoxious, boring conversations ensue…For ages and ages and ages.
#48 Solomon Kane: Surprisingly good British swashbuckler where a bloke from Devon fights a guy from Slipknot. Very enjoyable.
#49 We Are Marshall: Very typical sports drama with some solid performances but way too many moments of uplifting cliche.
#50 The Wicker Man (2006): Insane, dumb, clumsy, hilarious with a great Cage performance. Hardly a remake – but who cares?
#51 Inside Job: Excellently constructed banking crisis doc that can even be understood by a luddite like me. Very engaging.
#52 Drive Angry (3D): Unabashed b-movie thrill ride with Mr Cage. Some great moments, but a bit incoherent with a saggy middle.
#53 Megamind: Another example of great non-Pixar CG animation. Funny, entertaining, original and with some solid talent.
#54 Splice: Moderately entertaining sci-fi b-movie fun. A little predictable, but lowered expectations made it enjoyable enough
#55 Talhotblond: Doc that inevitably demands comparison to Catfish. While the latter is more engaging, this is also very solid.
#56 The Stuff: Brilliantly dark comment on consumerism that could be a true cult classic with a few more prosthetic FX moments.
#57 Jackass 3 (not 3D): hilarious, obviously.

March

#58 Walled In: Generic DTDVD horror that is far from original or exciting, but passes 90 minutes harmlessly enough.
#59 All the Boys Love Mandy Lane: Surprisingly inventive genre flick with great visuals. Best I’ve seen of its kind in a while.
#60 Body Snatchers: Ferrara’s creepy-ass take on a creepy-ass subgenre. Excellent.
#61 The Warriors: Holy hell, why haven’t I seen this before? Great visuals and sweet sounds. Absolutely perfect entertainment.
#62 REC 2: Excellent follow up to one of the best horror flicks of the last decade. Ups the ante just enough to make it fresh.
#63 Due Date: A film so barely even there I’m confident I could’ve written a better one while watching it.
#64 Tamara Drewe: Craptabulous.
#65 Savage Streets: A real 80s genre treat. Takes a while to get revengey but when it does its great. Also, immensely quotable!
#66 Kaboom: A film where people who don’t exist say things no one says for no reason. Imagine Jared Leto directing a movie.
#67: Battle LA: People running around shouting while things explode. Don’t know what was going on but it was fucking boring.
#68 Three Extremes: Triptych of Asian shorts that starts as odd as it is brutal. Enjoyable, well crafted, but not for everyone.
#69 Mr Brooks: Solid point of view serial killer thriller that provides some easy, watchable and darkly comic entertainment.
#70 Streets Of Fire: I can’t explain how happy this film just made me. Great songs, cool dialogue. I defy you not to love it.
#71 Limitless: Surprisingly good lightweight thriller. Nice visuals an interesting story and even a decent De Niro performance.
#72 American – The Bill Hicks Story: Creative doc on the life of a true legend. Reminds you how often the term ‘genius’ is misused.
#73 Night of the Demons (2009): Badly written, terribly acted, low-rent gore fest. Definitely tries, but absolutely fails.
#74 Gleaming the Cube: Teen drama with tenuous skateboarding links. If I’d seen it at 12 i’d have loved it but now…notsomuch.
#75 The Apartment: Charming, magical little story that shifts from comedy to drama to romance gracefully. Thoroughly enjoyable.
#76 I’m Reed Fish: A film that grins moronically at you like a drooling, lobotomised child sucking on a lollipop.
#77 The Celluloid Closet: Fascinating doc on homosexuality in cinema, but needs an update and should consider non-US films too.
#78 The White Ribbon: Beautifully shot, but much too sparse in terms of story, atmosphere and character for me. Disappointing.
#79 The Next Three Days: Tight little thriller that offers great weeknight entertainment. A real solid watch, worth your time.
#80 Smash His Camera: The life of a controversial paparazzi legend. Most interesting when considering how celebrity has changed
#81: Rubber: Not as smart as it thinks it is, but it’s stylish, well-paced, inexplicably watchable and has a nice score.
#82 Haute Tension: A cut above regular stalk n’ slay thanks to a compelling final girl, great gore and a thrilling final act.
#83 Lemmy: Funny, engaging and gut-wrenchingly good to listen to… Also contains the best joke I’ve ever heard in my life.
#84 The Moguls: Saccharine sweet dross that manages to make the concept of porn twee and boring. Avoid.
#85 Thirteen: Coming of age drama highlighting the insufferable nature of teenage girls, made watchable by solid performances.
#86 Philadelphia: Over-blown, over-directed morality tale about dated attitudes to gayism. Clearly the Kings Speech of 1993.
#87 Infestation: surprisingly good budget bugocalypse movie with decent enough CG/practical effects. Fun with a killer ending.
#88 Idle Hands: Silly but enjoyable Dante-esque post-scream pre-grindhouse retro stoner comedy horror romp. A damned good time.

April

#89 Source Code: @ManMadeMoon knocks it out of the park a 2nd time with a smart, tense and thoroughly engaging sci-fi thriller.
#90 Wake Wood: Not the prettiest, but a decent story based around familiar ideas and a nice ending make it worth a watch.
#91 The Hidden: Nice little sci-fi actioner with guns, car chases, alien FBI Agent Kyle Maclachlan and sweet ‘proper’ effects.
#92: Stuck: Poorly scripted and acted, but a splash of gore and a bit of ‘bad situation getting worse’ make it not too shabby.
#93 The Innocents: Beautifully done Hammer-esque posession yarn with some lovely double exposure and an eerie feel.
#94 The Green Hornet: I didn’t mind the shifting tone, cast or the generic nature of it all, I just wish it had been more fun.
#95 Cropsey: Generic TV-standard serial killer trial doc sold on an urban legend premise that may as well not even be there.
#96 Tangled: Occasionally fun and beautifully animated. The 2nd half is absolutely how Disney should be spending their time.
#97 London Boulevard: Pointless but stylishly done and a watchable enough rental.
#98 Arthur (1981): Charming rom-com vehicle for Dudley Moore. The biggest worry for the remake will be replacing Geilgud.
#99 Arthur 2: Charmless, unfunny and occasionally irritating. Which judging by the trailer, the remake may also turn out to be.
#100 Scre4m: The first half is a chore, but the last act makes it worthwhile. Overall though, its still dated and unnecessary.
#101 Hobo with a Shotgun: One of the better fauxploitation films. Grimy and funny, a good turn from Hauer and an awesome score.
#102 Season of the Witch: Hit-and-miss romp with Cage in subdued hero mode. Has real high points, but pretty average overall.
#103 The Tillman Story: A shocking indictment of the US government and media. Easily the best doc I’ve seen so far this year.
#104 Iron Hero: No surprises… It blows. But Marvel needn’t bother with the lawsuit, as it’s almost completely unwatchable.
#105 Nowhere Boy: If it wasn’t about who it’s about, it wouldn’t be worth making. Even so, it isn’t much worth seeing. Average.
#106 The Dead Pool: Thoroughly enjoyable Dirty Harry movie with some great car chases, shoot outs and one-liners. All you need.
#107 4321: Ambitious, exciting, involving, Brit crime-com you should definitely see. Struggles very early on but well worth it.

May

#108 Management: Messy, clumsily written rom-com with little rom and even less com. Tepid.
#109 Thor: The Avengers gets right back on track with an explosive, thrilling, well crafted, perfectly-paced adventure. Mighty.
#110 Speed Racer: An oddly fixating visual assault. Style-wise, I wasn’t crazy about it, but it shows off HD beautifully.
#111 Insidious: Above average shocker. Borrows a lot, but works well in the cinema. Try not to buy into the marketing though
#112 Fast Five: Ridiculous in the extreme, takes way to long to give you what you want and spends too much time on ‘characters’
#113 Hannah: Brilliantly directed and scored, maybe missing a beat or two in the middle, but highly original and entertaining.
#114 The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Moving, inspiring and occasionally tough, beautifully shot with a lovely score to boot.
#115 Hush: Decent enough British thriller. By no means perfect, but a good cheap Blu purchase for a midweek watch.
#116 Purple Rain: Rollercoaster of great tune, hilarity, darkness, repeat. I have a new favourite funnest film ever contender.
#117 Attack The Block: Not bad, but less obnoxious characters and a touch more charm could have made it way better. Average.
#118 Grizzly Man: Compelling documentary about the world’s most idiotic man.
#119 Planet of the Apes (1968): A fairly entertaining yarn that feels oddly more like a 1960s TV show than a movie.
#120 Jackass 2.5: A definite b-side to the rest of the series, but still a laugh. Too much shit and not enough stunts for me.
#121 Cyrus: Warm and watchable with subtle performances all round. Ultimately pointless though, with pretty horrible camerawork
#122 The Sentinel: By the numbers political thriller with a solid cast and wrong man plot. Has nothing particularly new though.
#123 The Roommate: Flat but serviceable Single White Female update for MTV watchers. Not great but it does its job well enough
#124 The Mechanic: Excellent old school actioner with some fun sequences and a typically watchable Statham… Bring on Blitz
#125 Little Fockers: A film so fucking pointless I’m tweeting in the hope next time I look up I’ll see credits rolling.
#126 The Dilemma: If you’re looking for a great time with some big laughs… rent something else. Dilemma solved.
#127 Thor: Tales of Asgard: Another excellent animated tie-in. Similar in plot to the early in the film, but very entertaining.
#128 The Switch: Predictable but sweet rom-dram-com with a solid cast including a not-overcute kid. A decent date night rental.
#129 The Limey: Excellent revenge thriller with incredible editing and style. Brilliant performances to boot.
#130 Final Destination 3: Probably the lesser of the four but still a good time. Thinking about it, I can’t fault any of them.
#131 Indiana Jones 4: Silly, nonsensical action and wooden, forced dialogue. Spielberg should be thoroughly ashamed of himself.
#132 Deja-Vu: Has its silly moments, but overall its a thoroughly watchable popcorn thriller. Better than I expected.
#133 No Strings Attached: No point attached, no fun attached, no story attached and absolutely no jokes attached.
#134 The Lincoln Lawyer: Bit of a half-arsed ending, but its McConaughey doing what he does best and fills a couple of hours.
#135 NEDS: Intense, dark, sharp and incredibly powerful stuff. Slightly slow to start, but bloody incredible towards the end.
#136 Dreamscape: Delightfully insane 80s sci-fi drama. Think Dennis Quaid does Inception… But not. Entertaining though.
#137 Elephant White: Flawed in every way, terrible performances, ridiculous script, but still insanely enjoyable. I love it.
#138 The Company Men: Cynical, boring attempt to address the financial crisis. A kick in the teeth to those in actual poverty.
#139 The Hangover 2: I wasn’t crazy about the first, but there are some genuine laughs here and I had a relatively good time.
#140 The Fast & The Furious: It was The Fast & The Furious. What else can I say? I liked it I suppose.
#141 Rock Star: Ridiculous, hilarious, tongue-firmly-in-cheek tale of how Marky Mark turned from David Lee Roth to Eddie Vedder
#142 I Could Never Be Your Woman: Lame rom-com with odd cameos from a host of British TV talent. Otherwise, a bit of a waste.
#143 Senna: Incredible. Blew me away despite having zero interest in F1. A must see in cinemas for the in-car sequences alone.

June

#144 Amadeus: A little straighter than I was hoping for. Interesting rivalry, but the director’s cut is about a week too long.
#145 Tyson: Too reliant on the central interview it messes with so much. Interesting at points but disappointing after #Senna
#146 Barfly: Stylish, funny and all round surprisingly good little grimy tale that makes being an alcoholic look fun.
#147 Full Of It: Simple but stylish high concept teem dram-com. A bit TV-esque, but actually pretty funny in parts.
#148 Lord of War: Very solid Nic Cage thriller with some darkly comic moments. A definite recommendation.
#149 #X-Men #FirstClass: Not perfect, but a simple origin story well told and superb performances elevate it to above average.
#150 The Woman: Bizarre, seedy and entertainingly dark. Interesting use of sound in parts but ultimately fails to achieve much.
#151 Cedar Rapids: Watchable, charming enough, but not very funny. Should be better, but it isn’t all bad. Seen worse recently.
#152 Morning Glory: Overly cheerful and painfully familiar. McAdams does ditzy, Ford does curmudgeon…Keaton and Wilson watch.
#153 The Beyond: Low on story but big on gory kills with a nut-crusher of an ending. Looks and sounds the business on Blu-ray.
#154 New York Ripper: Loses its way a bit but the first hour is the best Fulci I’ve seen (of 5!). Brutal, good tunes and fun.
#155 Beyond Reanimator: Starts with promise, but suffers from a lack of both budget and imagination. Has its average moments.
#156 Strip Nude For Your Killer: Feels like it’s made by aliens that have never met humans before. Oddly watchable, but awful.
#157 Definitely Maybe: Solid romance flick that works a bit like a condensed HIMYM and benefits from charming performances.
#158 The Disappearance of Alice Creed: Decent, stylishly shot Brit kidnap thriller. Not 100% original, but well worth a watch.
#159 Django: Completely badass spaghetti western with fist pump moments and loads of bloodshed. Absolutely loved it.
#160 Primer: Has moments, but difficult to follow and gets uninteresting as a result. Smart, but boring and overrated for me.
#161 Jackass 3.5: Hilarious, obviously. That said, it’s the lesser of the whole series of the films so far.
#162 Kidulthood: Solid Brit thriller with a great ‘grime capsule’ soundtrack, acting turns and all-round good work from Clarke.
#163 Green Lantern: Its flawed, but like Hulk and Daredevil this is a comic movie I’ll have to defend. I’m sorry, I enjoyed it.
#164 Stake Land: Good enough to impress at a horror festival, but not above average enough to get too excited over.
#165 MacHeads: Doc about Apple, interesting at points but veers between advertorial and overzealous attempting to be balanced.
#166 Vault of Horror: Creepy, tongue in cheek anthology film. Thoroughly engrossing with a great comic turn from Terry Thomas.
#167 The Adjustment Bureau: Slick direction and great chemistry from the two leads make this a definite recommendation.
#168 Torso: Blood and boobs (mainly boobs) giallo. Goes through the motions, but has moments of suspense. Entertaining enough.
#169 Another Year: Fascinating year-in-the-life ensemble drama from Mike Leigh. Incredible performances, insanely watchable.
#170 The Last Starfighter: Interesting study of early CG, but only valuable to those who already have nostalgic memories of it.
#171 Street Trash: Apparently a cult classic but insane, colourful effects do little to help the terrible script. No Evil Dead.
#172 Green Lantern – Emerald Knights: I liked the live action film but this and First Flight together would make a better film.
#173 Bridesmaids: Starts well but quickly runs out of steam. Characters are underused and unfortunately it gets a bit typical.
#174 The Troll Hunter: Another fine example of how good found footage films can be. Original, thrilling, I absolutely loved it.
#175 Dungeon Masters: Pretty fascinating look at the lives of a group of D&D gamers, funny, interesting and occasionally moving
#176 Take Me Home Tonight: Enjoyable. Gets the Hughes-esque tone pretty close. One question, what’s up with Anna Faris’ face??
#177 The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner: Tense, gritty, yet oddly warm. Frustrating at times. Great lead performance.
#178 Down Terrace: Gripping dark Brit crim-dram with more layers than an Eskimos nutsack. Kept me guessing right till the end.
#179 Kisses: Charming, subtle, sad, sweet Irish love story with two great child performances. Looks and sounds awesome too.
#180 A Boy and his Dog: Post-apocalyptic oddity that’s occasionally pretty charming. Not great, just strange and likeable.

July

#181 Transformers Dark of the Moon: Big improvement on the last. Surprisingly enjoyable blockbuster fare but slightly overlong.
#182 The Girl Next Door: Cruel but well made little tale. No fun to watch, but engaging and dark enough to hold your interest.
#183 Flick: Ambitious but badly directed micro budget Brit horror. Despite the familiar talent, it’s absolutely unwatchable.
#184 The Black Cat: Bizarre, almost Hammer-esque bit of Fulci that is a bit wobbly in parts. Not terrible but not good either.
#185 Cold Fish: Takes its sweet time, but the last 45 minutes make it very worthwhile. A very interesting piece of work indeed.
#186 Too Big To Fail: Complex but brilliant banking crisis HBO drama with an incredible cast. Deserves a much bigger platform.
#187 Better Off Dead: Low on plot, but big on bizarre. A Hughes-esque dark comedy with some hilarious but truly odd flourishes.
#188 Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil: Hilarious reversal of hillbilly horror. A must see for those at #frightfest this year. Brilliant.
#189 Vicky Christina Barcelona: A touch overrated, but engaging with great performances. Rare for me in being enjoyable Allen.
#190 Manhattan Baby: Lots of familiar Fulci themes and visuals, but messy in terms of plot. Worth a watch for genre fans.
#191 Dog Pound: Quite short, but brilliantly done, youth prison drama with great performances. I could have watched much more.
#192 Powder Blue: Heavy handed, badly scripted, picturesque, star studded drama attempt. Imagine Michael Bay directing Crash.
#193 My Son My Son What Have Ye Done: Interesting from a film making perspective, but the intentional nonsense can irritate.
#194 Arthur (2011): Mediocre remake of a mediocre movie. Brand has his moments, but sadly, his brand may be wearing a bit thin.
#195 Just Go With It: Sandler/Aniston rom-com that’s very standard, but entertaining enough. At least Kevin James isn’t in it.
#196 Hall Pass: Durpdee durp dee durp de men are stoopid durpdee durpdee doo.
#197 Behind the Mask The Rise of Leslie Vernon: Fun slasher mockumentary that works despite bad acting and overused references.
#198 December Boys: Gently paced period coming-of-age piece that’s a little uneventful, but very engaging and great to look at.
#199 Savage Grace: Joyless yet interesting period piece with a disturbing edge. Unlikeable characters performed well by all.
#200 Harry Potter 7b: An impeccable end to the series, brilliantly paced and crafted. A win for fans of Potter and cinema.
#201 Unknown: Average mid-week japes with Liam Neeson running round trying to sort something out. It’s not Taken, but it’s decent
#202 Macabre: Real slow burner with luscious sets and typically bad acting. Draws you in though and has a lovely odd ending.
#203 Rise of the Footsoldier: Solid enough Brit crime thriller that ticks along nicely and has the odd directorial flourish.
#204 Cecil B Demented: Ham-fisted pop at Hollywood from John Waters, a director whose stuff I’d like to like, but usually don’t.
#205 Machete Maidens Unleashed: Lovely insight into an insane time in film history. Made me write down some must see b-movies.
#206 Super: Tonally inconsistent and suffers from the existence of other films. When it is good however, it’s very good indeed.
#207 The Trip: Almost works better as a movie than a TV series…And that was one of the most delightful things I’ve ever seen.
#208 Dead and Buried: Patchy in terms of acting and story, but pretty creepy, well directed and ultimately surprisingly good.
#209 Faster: Corny, clichéd and low on story, but slick and entertaining enough to have with a beer on a Saturday afternoon.
#210 Captain America: Needed a few more months in post-production/editing, but was subtle enough with a few decent moments.

August

#211 Apt Pupil: Post-Suspects Singer with a weaker plot and less likeable characters. Very watchable turn from McKellen though.
#212 Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop: Likeable guy I can’t say I find that funny. As a doc this is flimsy, but Coco fans will like it.
#213 Kill The Irishman: Insanely clichéd Goodfellas-lite ‘true story’. Despite its flaws though, it’s pretty damn watchable.
#214 Your Highness: Another example of substandard modern ‘comedy’. No laughs, and it looked like they spunked a fortune on it.
#215 Frankenhooker: Takes too long to get there and needs more ‘fun’, but the lead actress saves it in the enjoyable third act.
#216 The Dark: An exercise in box ticking that all feels very familiar. Think Insidious, set in Wales, but without the scares.
#217 Holmwood: Moody b/w British art-house horror. Watchable but likely to be seen as pretentious and dull…’cause it is a bit.
#218 Rango: One of the best animated movies I’ve ever seen. Visually impeccable, cinematically thrilling, daring and charming.
#219 A Horrible Way To Die: Visually interesting, gently paced and suitably brutal. Takes one misstep, but overall, worthwhile.
#220 Super 8: The way all blockbusters should be made. If I enjoy a film more this year, I’ll be surprised. Brilliant.
#221 The Man Who Haunted Himself: Quirky but laboured story of a man and his double. Bit of an oddity, but very dull in parts.
#222 Jurassic Park: As good a family adventure movie as it’s possible to get. Totally holds up 18 years on too.
#223 Cell 211: Excellent Spanish prison drama with a tight script, plenty of tension and characters that are oddly likeable.
#224 Some Guy Who Kills People: Competently directed and performed blend of slasher, indie drama and black comedy.
#225 Deadheads: Mildly entertaining mix of Zombieland and The Hangover that raises a smile, but never delivers a belly laugh.
#226 Bullet Boy: Moderately watchable Brit estate crime yarn. Way better examples of this kind of thing are out there though.
#227 Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Decent script that benefits from being brilliantly executed. I’d watch a sequel right now.
#228 Encounters at the End of the World: Beautiful in parts, but despite the passion of the subjects, it drifts in and out.
#229 The Inbetweeners Movie: Should satisfy fans, but never threatens to be anything more than a feature-length episode.
#230 Whisperer In Darkness: Atmospheric and stylistic noir take on Lovecraft, definitely one for 50s b-movie fans.
#231 The Greatest Movie Ever Sold: Very interesting look at the world of movie advertising. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
#232 Stalker: Dark, moody Brit thriller with a dash of gore and some interesting ideas. See for yourself at #GrimmFest in Oct!
#233 People I Know: Lethargically simple Pacino drama that’s only one notch above mediocre. Al has been better, but not lately.
#234 Awaydays: Decent homoerotic footy hooligan flick that’s slowly paced and not for Danny Dyer fans. Excellent soundtrack.
#235 Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark: Bland, tension-free, disappointing start to #FrightFest. Don’t be afraid of this film.
#236 Final Destination 5: Knows exactly what it is and gives you a great time. One of the best of a great series. #FrightFest
#237 Urban Explorer: Frustrating but entertaining with a brilliant killer and an incredible closing shot.
#238 The Wicker Tree: Enjoyable as a Wayans Brothers parody of The Wicker Man… But otherwise, insanely misguided. #FrightFest
#239 My Sucky Teen Romance: Solid comic attempt at subverting the teen vampire movie. I was a little bored though. #FrightFest
#240 Fright Night (2011): Tonally spot on, funny, entertaining update on a classic with great performances. A good time. #FrightFest
#241 The Divide: Nicely paced, great score, possibly a bit too long, but this is a real treat. #FrightFest
#242 The Innkeepers: Tense build up, disappointing ‘reveal’. Repeat and add boredom. Sorry, a big let down. #FrightFest
#243 Kill List: Don’t read about it just watch it. Funny, dark and a complete kick in the balls. Loved it. #FrightFest #KillList
#244 Detention: Sometimes hilarious, sometimes obnoxious, but always massively entertaining. Looks lovely too. #FrightFest
#245 Atrocious: Not the best found footage film, but by no means the worst. Has mildly interesting stuff going on. #FrightFest
#246 Inbred: A bloody offensive watch for anyone in the north of England. For that reason, as they say, I’m out. #FrightFest
#247 A Lonely Place To Die: A great first half gives way to a less fun second, but it’s a solid finish to a great #FrightFest
#248 Apocalypse Now (Redux): Well, what can I say? Visually and audiologically astounding in every single frame. Incredible.

September

#249 The Heartbreak Kid: Formulaic but entertaining Stiller vehicle. A few laughs and a dark Farrelly heart make it worthwhile.
#250 Redacted: A powerful ending, but patchy, stagey and emotionless for the most part. HD also makes it feel very distancing.
#251 Hesher: Classy and engaging indie drama. Great performances from Levitt and Laurie, a great soundtrack and a slick look.
#252 Firewall: Boring and painfully familiar Harrison-in-a-tie family kidnap drama with unthreatening bad guys and a shit score
#253 Asylum: Lovely Amicus anthology that’s just about creepy enough to entertain. Loads of famous faces and a big old score.
#254 Red State: After all that shouting, it turns out Smith didn’t even make a horror. He made an uneven siege film. Average.
#255 Cass: The only thing worse than the abysmal script is the painfully bad acting and forced ‘mannerisms’ from the lead. Bad.
#256 Remember the Titans: Cheesy, typical and very predictable. But an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable example of the genre.
#257 The Guard: Entertaining and funny in parts. Not quite as good as I had been expecting though.
#258 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Beautifully shot, elegantly paced, calmly acted and the best looking film I’ve seen all year.
#259 Timecrimes: Brilliantly simple but perfectly crafted eerie little tale. Another excellent example of Spanish genre cinema.
#260 Link: Bizarre British monkey-based horror-thriller. Could be tighter, but some great scenes make it very entertaining.
#261 #Drive: Aesthetically stunning in every way with perfect tone and pace. If I enjoy a film more in 2011, I’ll be surprised.
#262 Knuckle: Great doc about the world of bare knuckle feuding travelers. Its not a pretty film, but it is pretty fascinating.
#263 The Perfect Host: Predictable first act, brilliant second, too many ideas in the third. But a very interesting film.
#264 Melancholia: As beautiful as it is grotesque, a film that manages to say a great deal without really saying that much.

October

#265 Bad Teacher: Another factory-line, mildly watchable, inoffensive comedy. Couple of good turns from supporting cast members
#266: The Devil and Daniel Johnston: Benefits from an incredible back-catalogue of footage. A fascinating doc.
#267 Punk’s Not Dead: A confused but comprehensive guide to what ‘punk’ apparently is now. Stays relatively balanced too.
#268 The Monster Club: One of the most disjointed horror comedy oddities I’ve seen. Hammer vs 1970s Top of the Pops. Lovely.
#269 Spies Like Us: Occasionally funny but not hilarious 80s cold war comedy romp. A bit phoned in by Akyroyd and Chase.
#270 Paradise Lost: Very dark but absolutely fascinating murder mystery documentary, really looking forward to the second part.
#272 Alice Sweet Alice: Stylish and enjoyable giallo-influenced 70s US horror. Full review to come on @eslFilm
#273 Adulthood: Typically well done by Clarke, who I like more and more on each film, but I slightly preferred Kidulthood.
#274 Terry: Gritty and engaging ‘seized footage’ film that despite a very lo-fi production is incredibly entertaining.
#275 Valhalla Rising: Beautiful, boring, innovative, irritating, amazing, annoying. I think I like it, but imagine some won’t.
#276 Horrible Bosses: Massively overlong and typically average, but I laughed a few times and that’s all you can ask I suppose.
#277 Midnight In Paris: Frivolous, opulent and absurd little Fantasy. Very entertaining, very pretty, but a bit hollow.
#277 Waking Sleeping Beauty: Great doc on one of Disney’s most testing times. A must for those interested in film history.
#278 Bad Biology: Lacks the charm of Henenlotter’s best and settles for being like a late night Sky Movies film from the 90s.
#279 Friends with Benefits: Great chemistry puts the first half above its peers but apart from one scene, it wanders off a bit.
#280 London: Surprisingly good low-key drama with solid performances from Evans and Biel, plus a show stealer from Statham.
#281 Night at the Museum 2: Decent enough family fare with an impeccable performance from Amy Adams’ arse.
#282 The Invasion: Feels like its had about half an hour hacked off it. A disappointing entry in the ‘bodysnatcher’ sub genre.
#283 Alone in the Dark (1982): Hell of a cast, hell of a lot of fun. Full review coming for @eslFilm
#284 1408: A ridiculous ghost-train-in-a-hotel-room story that, if handled a little better, might have been quite interesting.
#285 Trespass: A film you think you’ve seen before, but haven’t. Because if you had, you wouldn’t be watching it again.
#286 Paranormal Activity 3: My review of the third installment in the series: http://t.co/PaKs0oAV
#287 Fright Night Part 2: Way less fun and original than its predecessor, but it has its moments and is far from unwatchable.
#288 Snowtown: Overlong and very badly explained. A shame because it feels like there’s a really good film in here somewhere.
#289 Kung Fu Panda 2: Beautiful mix of traditional and CG animation means its above par… but did they really need that cast?
#290 Crazy Stupid Love: Typical fare, but, surprisingly, funnier than most of the comedies I’ve seen this year.
#291 We Need To Talk About Kevin: Slow with unlikeable characterisation to start but beautifully done and ultimately worthwhile
#292 Return of the Living Dead: I Love this. Walter Hill meets early Romero… Just incredible, incredible fun.
#293 Return of the Living Dead Part 2: Dials down the horror and comedy, so struggles to match the first. Still solid though.
#294 The People Vs George Lucas: Decent as a documentary, but anti-Lucas whining makes me want to punch someone in the face.
#295 Star 80: Take the themes of Taxi Driver, style of Scarface and Exorcist soundtrack. Add Eric Roberts. Mix well. Brilliant.
#296 A Night at the Roxbury: Stretches a joke for half an hour then goes through the motions of 100 better films. Not great.
#297 Beach Girls Vs the Monster: Great, great soundtrack and lovely quaintness. Bit of a sudden ending though! #OTCThrowdown
#298 Dr Black and Mr Hyde: I could have done with a more brutal Mr Hyde, but this was corny entertaining stuff. #OTCThrowdown
#299 Tintin: Not to my personal taste, but brilliant action set pieces make it worthwhile. Jolly japes for middle class kids.
#300 Batman Year One: Another beautifully done Warner Premiere film and, despite being a well tread tale, its one of the best.
#301 Return of the Living Dead Part 3: Sadly, takes the series down another notch with lower quality effects and fewer laughs.

November

#302 Pearl Jam Twenty: Predictable love song of a documentary, but a good insight into a great band nonetheless. Fans only.
#303 Superhero Me: A good idea living inside a documentary that sadly has very little vision or scope.
#304 Faces in the Crowd: Interesting concept becomes average thriller thanks to predictability and direct-to-video performances
#305 In Time: A little derivative, but an enjoyable piece of popcorn fare with enough going on to make it worth a cinema trip.
#306 The Change Up: Yep, its another ‘switcheroo’ comedy. Is it funny? Not really. What does it need? Judge Reinhold.
#307 Waking Sleeping Beauty: Great doc on one of Disney’s most testing times. A must for those interested in film history.
#308 Water For Elephants: Ticks along well enough and hits all the usual emotional beats. More enjoyable than you might think.
#309 The Ghost (Writer): Could do with a tension injection, but its stylishly done and has a lovely, if corny, closing scene.
#310 Superman Doomsday: Disappointing in terms of story but looks and entertains like some of the best Warner Premier features.
#311 Bellflower: May not be the film you expect, but there is something quite special here. Review tomorrow. #LIFF25
#312 The Last Screening: Wonderfully dark homage to a golden age of Brit/Euro cinema. Familiar in parts, but hey, so was Amer.
#313 #11-11-11: Thank god this movie becomes irrelevant at midnight. The worst horror thriller I’ve seen since Fear Dot Com.
#314 Masks: German Giallo tribute which starts and ends very strong, but gets lost for about an hour in the middle. #LIFF25
#315 Marianne: Simple but quite effective drama with a hint of the supernatural. Solid performances and the odd dark chuckle.
#316 30 Minutes or Less: Average zany crime comedy that will do you for a weeknight… A couple of laughs, but no riot.
#317 Close Encounters of the Third Kind: One of the most enjoyable big screen experiences I’ve ever had. Perfect. #LIFF25
#318 Juan of the Dead: Its got a bit of heart, a lot of ambition and a bunch of laughs. At the right time, a good time. #LIFF25
#319 Sudden Impact: Slightly lesser but still damned entertaining Dirty Harry tale that sees Callahan take on Ms .45.
#320 George Harrison Living in the Material World: Great insight into the man with plenty of fresh material and interviews.
#321 Breaking Dawn Pt 1: The best of the series so far thanks to the inclusion of a plot and the peado wolf movie of 2011.
#322 The Runaways: Thoroughly unconvincing and very pointless biopic about a band that made terrible music. Absolutely awful.
#323 Cocktail: Pretty enjoyable, despite having massively dislikable characters and being the most Tom Cruisey movie ever made.
#324 Howl: I’ll never pretend to ‘get’ Ginsberg, but his story is dealt with so beautifully here I can certainly recommend it.
#325 Tabloid: Insane story told in a simple and effective documentary format by Morris. Well worth a look.
#326 Cars 2: A story that clearly doesn’t deserve the Pixar name, but its perfectly fine for small kids I suppose.
#327 Deadline: – The New York Times: Truly fascinating doc looking inside the paper and debating its place in modern media.
#328 50/50: Funny, charming and genuinely moving. If you only see one Seth Rogen-starring cancer comedy/drama make it this one.
#329 Our Idiot Brother: Really, reeaally wants you to think its genuine, even pays for the right cast.. But my god is this bad.
#330 Deep Cover: enjoyable noir-flavoured New Jack Donnie Brasco tale with some lovely campy characters and funny moments.
#331 Christmas Evil: Sinister, hilarous and mean but with good intentions. Less of a Halloween clone than other similar titles.

December

#332 Bunny and the Bull: The story won’t set the world on fire, but the beautiful handmade visuals make it worth a HD purchase.
#333 Submarine: Brilliantly shot and well put together directorial debut with some lovely flourishes and funny moments.
#334 The Devil’s Double: Occasionally struggles to earn its dramatic moments, but Cooper does well and it has plenty to offer.
#335 Killer Elite: A confused plot, lazy dialogue and unimaginitive action make this a major disappointment.
#336 The Ides of March: As much as I enjoyed it I felt like it needed more. Great performances and dialogue just a bit lacking.
#337 Red Dog: Just about the most pointless, sugar-coated nonsense I’ve seen this year. Very trying and very cloying.
#338 Solarbabies: Camp 80s forgotten sci-fi fun with some odd cameos… A great trip if you’re a fan of this kind if thing.
#339 Hugo: Gorgeous to look at and an excellent big screen experience. Gets a Little dull at times, but soon picks up again.
#340 The Arbour: Incredible blend of drama and documentary with some of the most amazing performances this year. A must see.
#341 District 13: I really bloody enjoyed this. Quality action, characters and tunes. I’ll be picking up the sequel tomorrow.
#342 Jingle All The Way: Hilariously stupid but fun festive fare in which Arnold Schwarzenegger punches a reindeer in the face.
#343 A Christmas Story: delightfully twee in the way that is so necessary at this time of year. I smell mulled wine. Lovely.
#344 Rare Exports: Looks nice, but despite being based on some interesting ideas its all a bit of an anti-climax.
#345 The Virgin Suicides: Beautifully put together with a lovely score and soundtrack… Another great Sofia Coppola joint.
#346 Sherlock Holmes 2: Very entertaining, above average blockbuster. Ritchie is up to his old tricks, but im fine with that.
#347 Another Earth: Solidly directed drama, but I found little to connect characters to anything in its wider story.

***Missing information after site crash, remaining films coming soon***