Skyfall (2012 Sam Mendes)

We'd caught a bit of this in the background the night before - we were particularly blown away by the credits scene. If you look at the credits of an old one like Thunderball - with its watery females swimming past shimmery colours, which seemed at the time revolutionary - well this one just knocks all of that into the water. It's actually a mini film in itself and once you've seen it you realise that the whole film is encapsulated into the titles sequence, which was designed by Daniel Kleinman and put together - no surprise here - by Framestore.

But even before that we've been dazzled by this incredible pre-credit chase scene which is beyond words, as Craig and co-pilot Naomie Harris chase an escaping villain on various modes of transport, including some amazing stunt driving performed for real along the rooftops of Istanbul, more info here.

It was written by Neal Purvis and Rob Wade & John Logan and goes darker than previous entries in the series but still manages to introduce cool little references for those in the know. Tom Newman has no problem jumping straight into a classic Bond score without losing his own distinctive melodic and percussive quirks and Roger Deakins' photography is absolutely amazing, particularly in that stunning Shanghai scene, so full of moving light and textures - had me thinking of von Sternberg / Lee Garmes Shanghai Express. Newman and Deakins were both BAFTA and Oscar nominated and Tom won the BAFTA.

Production design by Dennis Gassner. The villain's hang-out is Hashima Island, Nagasaki in long shot, deserted since 1974, and recreated at Pinewood.

Javier Bardem makes a good villain. With Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, Bérénice Marlohe, Albert Finney, Helen McCrory, Nicholas Woodeson. Edited by Stuart and (presumably) his daughter Kate (still working, cut one of the Endeavour films).

And instead of the usual take over the world bollocks, the villain's motivations are refreshingly simple - revenge. What with Adele's Oscar winning theme song it's overall one of the best films in the series.

My Oxford Year (2025 Iain Morris)

My Oxford Year was chiefly of importance to us as another film edited by the delectable Victoria Boydell, though in this case she left before it wrapped to start work on Emerald Fennell's latest, Wuthering Heights and Kristina Hetherington finished it. I would guess though that the frequent 'pretties' - aerial shots of Oxford - were not Vic's suggestion.

Otherwise this is a not particularly anything film, a romantic comedy-drama along the lines of Love Story, perfectly watchable with to me a fairly unknown cast. Comprising: Sofia Carson, Corey Mylchreest, Dougray Scott, Catherine McCormack (Lockerbie, 28 Days Later, Braveheart), Harry Trevaldwyn, Esmé Kingdom, Nikhil Parmar, Poppy Gilbert (Chloe).

Makes good use of Oxford locations, photographed by Remi Adefarasin.

Rift between father and son seems to heal ridiculously easily.

The Gold - Season 2 (2025 Neil Forsythe)

Whereas the first one was based on true events, this is I think a supposition of 'what happened next'. We meet up with our former cronies Sean Harries, Tom Cullen - married to Stefani Martini - the interestingly charismatic Sam Spruell, Jack Lowden, Tom Hughes, Dominic Cooper and Joshua McGuire.

Emun Elliott and Charlotte Spencer, and Hugh Bonneville, are still on their tails. Plus Stephen Campbell Moore, Amanda Drew, Silas Carson, Peter Davidson.

"I heard you got caught doing coke in a Wimpey."
"It was a Berni Inn, actually."

Sam Spruell

Ultra diffusion c/o DP Oli Russell shoots Tom Hughes

Joshua McGuire

It jumps about all over the globe - France, Tenerife, British Virgin Islands. though was actually filmed just in the UK and Tenerife. Hastings plays the Isle of Man. As to how much of the money was recovered isn't stated so I'd have to say not much. And to answer whether there'll be a third series, Forsyth is quoted as saying "Sadly they can't find a third half of the gold, so that's your lot!"

It was most watchable,