Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010 Edgar Wright)

Edgar Wright's unique film, a kind of live action animation with clever use of written sound effects, my favourite being the 'Ring Ring' which you can see reflected on a kitchen unit; use of video game environment also unique and funny (the Universal logo and theme as interpreted here are inspired). Michael Cera must have done quite a bit of fighting / stunt work. Based on Bryan Lee O'Malley graphic novel, adapted by Wright and Michael Bacall.

With Cera is Alison Pill, Ellen Wong, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jason Schwartzman and Brie Larson (who today won Oscar for Room).

Shot by Bill Pope, edited by Jonathon Amos (Attack the Block) and Paul Machliss (The World's End, The IT Crowd), film is noisy, exuberant fun, and seems to have a bit of the madcap 'sixties in it and - were I an expert in the subject - I'd wager there's something of martial arts films about it too (hero being set several challenges).

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011 Lynne Ramsay)

Lynne presents us with a mosaic of film, not only in visuals but in scrambled sound too (many clues are in the beginning of the film). She and her husband Rory Kinnear (not that one) have adapted Lionel Shriver's novel (presumably which is told in a linear fashion?) into this most Roegish concoction (and it's interesting to see Luc Roeg as one of the producers).

Tilda Swinton is excellent, and in virtually every scene. Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) and Jasper Newell are also both outstanding as Kevin. With John C Reilly.

Seamus McGarvey shot it - capturing the director's red theme - and the incredible sound design is by Paul Davies (71, Southcliffe, The American, Boy A). The editor Joe Bini cut Bad Lieutenant and Grizzly Man for Herzog. The music is by Johnny Greenwood but it's mainly a selection of artfully chosen songs and Japanese music.

Most interesting direction, attention to detail.

The Knack... and How To Get It (1965 Richard Lester)

After two disappointments in one day we had to revert to a surefire gem - the film which Q summarised by saying 'I've never seen an editor have so much fun'. It's the great Tony Gibbs, and bits of it feel like Performance, so impactful is his work (and it's not often you can say that about an editor).

It's also absolutely, essentially French (and made by an American), with a dash of silent.

The audio montage non-sequiturs are incredibly funny if you listen out for them, e.g. "I'm from Hampton Wick - I'm used to innuendo".

David Watkins' camera work is also beautiful. And from the golden age of John Barry.

Michael Crawford, Ray Brooks, Donal Donnelly and especially Rita Tushingham are fabulous.

Spectre (2015 Sam Mendes)

Opens promisingly with great tracking shot through Mexico City Day of the Dead; then in homage to Diamonds are Forever, Bond steps out of a bedroom window and agilely proceeds towards his target (whether or not a green screen sequence, it's brilliantly done). Then there's a spectacular and funny building demolition and some incredible stunt work involving a helicopter, followed by some political shenanigans with Q (Ben Whishaw), Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and M (Ralph Fiennes). So far so good. As the film progresses, however, it appears to be just a rehash of tons of old Bond ideas - train fight (From Russia with Love, though the unstoppable opponent here is more Richard Kiel's Jaws than Robert Shaw's Red Grant), car chase with flame throwers and 'airborne device' (Thunderball), board room execution (Thunderball), clinic atop mountain (OHMSS), villain's HQ in volcano (You Only Live Twice), torture scene (Casino Royale, Goldfinger - though comes even more directly from Kingsley Amis' 'Colonel Sun') complete with Blofeld's white cat (Diamonds are Forever), trick watch (Live and Let Die).. there's even a lift from Skyfall (fight and fall from high plate glass window), so lazily has this been written by its four writers. Even Daniel Craig seems to be coasting.

Efficiently put together by Lee Smith from Hoyte van Hoytema's ochre pallette, good music by Thomas Newman. Even the song and main titles are crap (though two days later song won Oscar) I thought.

Christoph Waltz is an efficient villain (yet he could do something like this in his sleep), Léa Seydoux and Monica Bellucci are Bond ladies, Andrew Scott the Intelligence villain.

I'm quite amazed this has come from Sam Mendes. It's nowhere near as good as Skyfall.

Night Shift (1982 Ron Howard)

In need of light refreshment, and back in our eighties phase, we revert to not quite Ron's debut, written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (both alive but retired). Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton (who kept reminding me of a young Rod Gilbert) become 'business managers' to Shelley Long (quite unbelievable as a hooker) and friends, base of operations being the city morgue.

The Lobster (2015 Yorgos Lanthimos & scr)

One of those films you struggle hard to understand how it was financed. We found some of it quite funny, and could clearly see it was about stuff, but the very dryness of it, the unreal way in which everyone behaves, was deadening. But what finally cancelled it was the dog being kicked to death, and the guy who's had his lips slashed. Then we both turned to each other and said "Enough".

The hotel was making me think of Last Year at Marienbad, the dystopian stuff Fahrenheit 451.

Colin Farrell, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen, John C Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden.

We might have been more responsive to a lighter treatment of the same story?

Entourage (2015 Doug Ellin & scr)

Not sure what the fuss was all about - it's just an extension of the TV series, not quite as good as the last season, but on familiar ground. As a film it's a bit thin.

Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon (who has the best lines, such as "I was digitally replaced in a movie once. And that was before shooting started"), Jeremy Piven, Rex Lee and Debi Mazar (both of whose characters are wasted), Emmannuelle Ciriqui, Hayley Joel Osment, Billy Bob Thornton.

Cameos are really spelled out - "Hi there Kelsey Grammar" etc.

During the scene in which E is confronted by two girls in a restaurant, my mind turned to Peter Bogdanovich, and I came up with this:

The funniest thing about it is that the film Vince has made 'Hyde' - is an unbelievable pile of crap.

Somewhere in the Night (1946 Joseph Mankiewicz)

John Hodiak is a war veteran haunted by his own lack of past, goes to LA to follow clues linking him to mysterious gentleman called Larry Cravat, mixes with hoods and gals. Halfway through you start wondering if he is Larry Cravat.

Marvin Borowsky story is adapted by Lee Strasberg (itself interesting) and apparently Somerset Maugham (also), screenplay by JM and Howard Dimsdale; quota of good lines, intriguing plot.

It's suitably, night-time nightmare noir, exemplified in scene in which Hodiak, breaking into a mental institute, spots a suited man climbing out of the window and running away, seen through Norbert Brodine's lens.

Cast also features Nancy Guild, Lloyd Nolan, Richard Conte, Margo Woode (a typical noir femme fatale) and Josephine Hutchinson and the music's by David Buttolph. Fox.

Happy Valley Season 2 (2016 Sally Wainwright scr & creator)

She also directed the first episode. Really well written episodes just fly by, use dramatic irony artfully, successfully mixes thriller with laughs, emotional drama. Is also far more cinematic than many films. Sarah Lancashire is terrific e.g. scenes with psychoanalyst. We had already figured out how great James Norton was last time. Plus: Siobhan Finneran, Charlie Murphy (also in Philomena and 71), Amelia Bullmore, Downton's Kevin Doyle.

Love also the music by Ben Foster; that bending bass note gets me every time. Ivan Strasburg also shot Treme, Generation Kill and The Corner.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989 Bruce Beresford)

Alfred Uhry has opened out his own play very successfully; the story of the developing friendship over the years between independent lady and chauffeur is kind, funny, humane (no bad guys). A pleasure to see Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman (every bit as good), Dan Aykroyd (his most sympathetic performance) and let's not forget Esther Rolle as the faithful Idella ("Why I swear you were born with the sense of a lemon" kind of thing).

It's not cinematic - everything is told through words - but it sure is a mighty fine pleasure!

Not a good idea to match Peter James' period photography against Hans Zimmer's partly electronic, metronome-backed score, though.

Private Benjamin (1980 Howard Zieff)

Biggest surprise in another Myers-Shyer script (this one with Harvey Miller) is what shits all the men are, from husband of six hours Albert Brooks, father Sam Wanamaker, raping army mentor Robert Webber and dodgy French doctor Armand Assante. Actually Eileen Brennan (over playing) is pretty horrible too.

Fun to see Goldie Hawn put through her army paces, befriending colleagues such as May Kay Place, though it's exactly these comrades that should have featured strongly in weak conclusion which has Goldie walk off into the French countryside, clad in wedding gown.

Our Girl Friday (1953 Noel Langley)

Spoiled brat is stranded on desert island (Mallorca) with rough and ready ship's mate Kenneth More, sporting unlikely Irish accent - thus setting up an early version of Swept Away.  Big difference is huffy journalist George Cole and prig Robertson Hare are there also.

Amazingly Joan still had a career afterwards, in fact was shortly Hollywood bound. Maybe because of her skill in whipping up a bikini out of an old jumper. She also asks for a gin and ginger at the ship's bar, which is a new one on me.

In incredibly washed out print on TPTV it's difficult to admire Wilkie Cooper's photography. John Seabourne is editor having fun cutting action against parrot, a trick Anne Coates seems to have picked up (Man Friday).

Accident (1967 Joseph Losey)

Characteristic Pinter piece (more of dry Dons in discussion would have been fun), making me think of Repulsion (both films were recorded by Gerry Humphreys, here with Simon Kaye, this one probably mixed by the editor) in the artful soundtrack, and Pawlikowski, in the way certain shots are held a moment too long. Fantastic film tells story in flashback of Dirk Bogarde (brilliant) and his involvement with Michael York, Jacqueline Sassard, Stanley Baker, Vivian Merchant and Delphine Seyrig. With Alexander Knox (the provost) and Freddie Jones in one of his twenty second appearances.

Really interesting editing by Reginald Beck (note quick cut of horse - the cause? - after accident), and the way he uses sound detached from Bogarde's encounter with Seyrig is years ahead of a similar bit of artistry in Out of Sight. Beck cut several films for Losey including The Go-Between.

Interesting compositions, camera moves, great Gerry Fisher photography (actually catching the lighting of the sun moving in and out of clouds in several shots), interesting John Dankworth score. Lots of care has gone into it.

It's pretty fucked up, in terms of how people behave, but there you go!

Baby Boom (1987 Charles Shyer)

I would have dated this film purely from the (awful) music to 1984 - 1986. Close.

Like Irreconcilable Differences written by Shyer and wife Nancy Meyers; film's plot is not one to investigate closely (such as the kid doesn't age at all) and is pretty predictable. The dodgy house is sold to her by a filmic descendant of the estate agent in Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House.

Main reason to watch it is for Diane Keaton (splendid and often in long uninterrupted takes) and Kristina and Michelle Kennedy as the daughter, who are delightful. Also worth seeing for Harold Ramis and Sam Shepard and William A. Fraker on camera. Sam Wanamaker is the boss and James Spader is at his back-stabbing best as a work subordinate.

The references to a Mr Larabie and to Mandrake Falls propose a hopeful filmic attachment to Wilder and Capra that isn't really there.

No Country For Old Men (2007 Ethan and Joel Coen & scr)

Ingeniously written film is incredibly cinematic - has long stretches of 'pure cinema' without any dialogue, just the highly complicit camera of the brilliant Roger Deakins - though is also peppered with distinctively dry dialogue particularly emanating from Tommy Lee Jones.

"It's a mess, ain't it sheriff?"
"If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here."

"We're looking for a man who recently drank milk" etc.

 With Josh Brolin, Kelly Macdonald, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson.

Very little music (Carter Burwell) adds to intensity.

Won Oscars for film, writers and directors, and Bardem, BAFTAs writers / directors / camera (film went to Atonement).

The Help (2011 Tate Taylor & scr)

An acting delight - even the wallpaper's good in it. Wonderful moments between Viola Davies and Octavia Spencer (who won the Oscar), Bryce Dallas Howard superbly bitchy, Jessica Chastain touchingly vulnerable, Emma Stone and Allison Janney.

"Minnie don't burn chicken". Film gets better each time.

Music by Thomas Newman, shot by Stephen Goldblatt (Lethal Weapon). Closely based on Kathryn Stockett's 2009 novel. Taylor's debut was Pretty Ugly People in 2008 (mixed reviews).

Stand By Me (1986 Rob Reiner)

Stephen King's 'The Body', adapted by Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans (though leaving out the retribution of Ace). Will Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell make up the gang, Keifer Sutherland leads the opposition. Melancholy filming by Thomas Del Ruth compliments material, given added weight by Richard Dreyfuss as the narrator.

It's aged well. Filmed in Oregon.

The Chase (1946 Arthur D. Ripley)

An independent production The Chase is one of the most peculiar of 1940s movies. Man hooks up with crime boss's wife and they plan to flee to Havana - so far so noir. But then it becomes really peculiar. Why won't the driver take them further? When the woman (Michele Morgan) is stabbed in a nightclub how come no one seems to notice? And when the fugitive Robert Cummings hides in the room of a mysterious girl, why is she crying? And what's all this business with the Chinese and a jade handled knife?

Philip Yordan's adaptation of a Cornell Woolrich novel 'The Black Path of Fear' (1944) is dreamlike from the moment where Steve Cochran's door is answered through an inverted cherub. With Peter Lorre. Shot by 'Frank' Planer with a pianoy score by Michel Michelet.

Bringing Out the Dead (1999 Martin Scorsese)

Q was reading up on Thelma Schoonmaker, saying that Raging Bull (her 'baby') wasn't appreciated for 10 years, and the one that never was was Bringing Out the Dead... well, we love it (last time) and needed no further excuse for pyrotechnics, seriously well shot by Robert Richardson (no nominations of any kind) and brilliantly edited by Thelma (no nominations of any kind). Nicolas Cage also fantastic as burned out paramedic.

Now this one is only two hours, Mr. S. Take note.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 Martin Scorsese)

I'm sorry but I thought it was too long this time (previously summer 2014). Marty, can't you make a normal length film? (Not that I've got anything against long films per se: I'd watch The Best Years of Our Lives at the drop of a hat. It's just films that feel too long.) So for example the later stuff on board the yacht in a storm seems unnecessary.

It's interestingly old-fashioned in that it's not a Steadicam film, rather all the marvellous tracks, pans, whip pans and other fluid camerawork are all done in the old-fashioned way.

Leo is simply superb, giving a performance of extraordinary physicality - he, the unmissable Jonah Hill, Marty, Terence Winter and the film itself were nominated for Oscars but was beaten by 12 Years a Slave, Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club, Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity) and John Ridley (12 Years a Slave).

Still a lot of it is terrific fun. In one of the office party scenes I was definitely getting a flavour of Fellini, and the office itself could be straight out of The Apartment.

I could do worse than listen to the wolf's sales motivation speech.