Watched Hellboy (2004) by an author from letterboxd.com
In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before they summon a baby demon who is rescued by Allied forces and dubbed "Hellboy". Sixty years later, Hellboy serves the cause of good rather than evil as an agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, along with Abe Sapien - a merman with psychic powers, and Liz Sherman - a woman with pyrokinesis, protecting America against dark forces.

As comic book movies go, it’s pretty great, but while I hate to pick on one actor, whenever Selma Blair is on the screen she literally sucks all the fun out of it. I don’t really know the character and maybe she’s playing it exactly as intended/directed but, stone me, it’s jarringly depressive.

And, while I do have a soft spot for practical effects, Samael looks a little too much like a guy on all fours in a rubber suit. I’m not saying that can’t work, it worked pretty well in Attack the Block, but here…

Other than that, the post-Matrix super-human leaping and environmental destruction are ace. Some (literally) smashing stunt work too!

Lastly, I think Pearlman makes a great Hellboy.

★★★

My review

Watched Zootopia 2 (2025) by an author from letterboxd.com
After cracking the biggest case in Zootopia's history, rookie cops Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De’Snake arrives and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before.

Tiny bit baggy in places (I wonder if they have tech in audience screenings that detects when people get their phones out?) but it mostly whizzed by. Gave me a lot of good laughs, especially some great movie references, and I just love the details of a world for all shapes and sizes. We take the quality of the animation for granted these days but it’s amazing.

On a more personal note, I am so glad this was the choice because I couldn’t face 3+ hours of Avatar in the cinema…

★★★★

My review

Watched Down Cemetery Road review – Emma Thompson is magnificent in this thriller from Slow Horses’ creator by Lucy Mangan from The Guardian

Unless this REALLY picks up in the final two episodes, I’m baffled by this review. I can’t wait to get it over with. The plot is “Spooks” levels of “espionage” nonsense.

Thompson’s character, while likeable and against type, is hardly transformational. Whereas, Ruth Wilson playing an extremely ordinary woman seems a much greater departure from her usual roles.

The entire review seems back-to-front.

Family coming for lunch Sunday to celebrate Twelfth Night. Promoted me to ask my wife why the Magi get added to our felt Nativity during Advent. I was shushed. Also, if that was when Jesus received his gifts… why do we do gifts in Christmas Day?

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They say kids these days are being ruined by social media but mine have learned plenty from FailArmy on YouTube!

Including (but not limited to):

  1. motorcycles are dangerous
  2. wet rock/stone/concrete is very slippery
  3. misusing gym equipment is dangerous
  4. fire, even birthday candles, requires caution
  5. gritting your path/steps/driveway in winter is advisable
  6. using a ladder by yourself is asking for trouble

The more I think about the more embarrassed I am for Jo Rowling. At the thinnest end of the wedge: the team and squad are the same thing. Nobody else even trains unless they’re in the match day team. And, consequently, there’s no substitutes, not even for injury, in an obviously dangerous game. That’s just for starters.

Yeah, granted, it’s about magic and it’s for kids but still. Much is made of Quidditch and the House Cup in the first three books. Given the meticulous planning of other elements, it feels really phoned in.

Read Paddy Power and Betfair to pay £2m settlement after failing to protect users by Rob Davies

Sorry, how many seconds of income does this “penalty” equate to? Oh, it actually says in the article:

The £2m settlement agreed between Flutter and the Gambling Commission is equivalent to slightly less than two hours worth of takings for the company

So, that’s like me getting a £50 fine. For more context, the (maximum) fines for littering in central London range from around £200 to £500…

Watched Gremlins (1984) by an author from letterboxd.com
After receiving an exotic small animal as a Christmas gift, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet, which unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous creatures on a small town.

My 13y/o son loved it. My 10y/o daughter thought it was boring.

I’m caught between the two. Some parts of it I love, like the stairlift and Kate’s Christmas Eve story, but the parts in between are a bit dull. Still, it’s got some gnarly effects work!

★★½

My review