You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

Date: Tuesday 11th December
Film: Inception (2010)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy and Ellen Page
Running time: 02 hours, 28 minutes
Rating: 9/10

I have the flat to myself and following a weekend of Christopher Nolan films, and revisiting my love for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it was only fair that I settled down in front of the telly with Inception.

This is a film that I loved from the first viewing, it challenges viewers without alienating them and brings a new twist to traditional mystery stories. Plus  it's one of the only two films in which I get the whole Tom Hardy thing (the other being Bronson).

Something new seems to pop up with every viewing, and my opinion on the meaning of the closing scene changes throughout the film.

And, it's beautifully shot, the folding Parisian street scene is something to behold, as are the slow motion exploding market stalls.

Challenge day: 79
Challenge time: 04 days, 07 hours, 30 minutes
Challenge film total: 54

So if you believe in Father Christmas, children, like your Uncle Billy does, buy my festering turd of a record

Date: Sunday 9th December
Film: Love Actually (2003)
Director: Richard Curtis
Starring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson and Bill Nighy
Running time: 02 hours, 15 minutes
Rating: 8/10

This film is terrible but I love it. There is nothing that makes me feel more Christmassy than Andrew Lincoln being slightly stalky before declaring his love with cards (still would though).

It wouldn't be Christmas without watching this. It's not the best Christmas film (it's missing Kermit), it's not even the best Richard Curtis film, but it does still make me laugh in places, and not just because of Hugh Grant's dancing.

Challenge day: 77
Challenge time: 04 days, 05 hours, 02 minutes
Challenge film total: 53

Shouldn't the people of Gotham know who the hero was that saved their city?

Date: Saturday 8th December
Film: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway
Running Time: 02 hours, 45 minutes
Rating: 9/10

Saturday night, full of Chinese, a glass of wine in hand and Luce and I found ourselves snuggled under blankets in her cabin at the end of the garden to complete The Dark Knight Trilogy.

Whilst The Dark Knight Rises isn't as good as The Dark Knight, it is still a wonderful film. The cast has been boosted with the additions of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anne Hathaway, two people who I believe can do no wrong. They both, in any film they are in, steal every single scene and The Dark Knight Rises is no exception to this.

This film wraps up the trilogy nicely, giving a sense of resolution to all the characters.

Good job I'd already seen this a couple of times, I might have fallen asleep for a bit in the middle. That's the danger of starting an almost 3 hour long film after 11pm.

I love The Dark Knight Trilogy, and not just because of my massive Gary Oldman crush (although that helps things).

Challenge day: 76
Challenge time: 04 days, 02 hours, 47 minutes
Challenge film total: 52

You know that day that you once told me about, when Gotham would no longer need Batman? It's coming.

Date: Saturday 8th December
Film: The Dark Knight (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart and Michael Caine
Running Time: 02 hours, 32 minutes
Rating: 9.5/10

It made sense, after watching Batman Begins the previous day, to fill the rest of our weekend with the remainder of the trilogy.

The Dark Knight is, in my opinion, the best of the three films. The threat, the bad guy, seems more real. The Joker isn't fiddling with chemicals or nuclear reactions, he isn't working with a group of others; The Joker is a mad man. Pure and simple.

This character, played amazingly by Heath Ledger, steals the show with every scene he turns up in. The Dark Knight is full of action and suspense.

This is a great, great film, both as part of the trilogy and on it's own.

Challenge day: 76
Challenge time: 04 days, 00 hours, 02 minutes
Challenge film total: 51

Gotham isn't beyond saving.

Date: Friday 7th December
Film: Batman Begins (2005)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson and Katie Holmes
Running Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Rating: 9/10

It's no secret, I love Superhero movies, and Batman Begins is no exception.

The first in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and, whilst it is not the best of the tree, Batman Begins is a brilliant re-imagining of the Batman universe. Christian Bale plays the brooding titular character wonderfully, with a great supporting cast including Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Katie Holmes.

Nolan has 'gone dark' in the best way possible; unlike more traditional superhero movies, this isn't all slick, bright and glossy. You get the feeling that these criminals really could be working underground around the city.

I only have one issue with Batman Begins, the vapouriser. If this machine turns water into vapour just by driving above the pipes containing liquids, how are people safe to be around it - surely it would vapourise the water in their bodies?

I think I've thought too much about this. I really should get out more.

Challenge day: 75
Challenge time: 03 days, 21 hours, 30 minutes
Challenge film total: 50

Nothing makes a woman feel more like a girl than a man who sings like a boy

Date: Wednesday 5th December
Film: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Director: Jason Moore
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow Rebel Wilson and Skylar Astin
Running time: 1 hour 52 minutes
Rating: 8/10

After watching the trailer for this, I was torn on whether I would enjoy Pitch Perfect. The part of me that loves Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson was all for it. The part of me that got bored with Glee midway through the second season was not excited, at all.

Luckily, this is not as like the later seasons of Glee as the advert leads you to believe. If anything, Pitch Perfect is the Bring It On of A Cappella vocal harmony group movies. It is unashamedly cheesy in places, the jokes are solid, the songs are a great mix of old and new and there are some brilliant cameos that make anyone smile.

Plus, any film that constantly references The Breakfast Club is OK in my book.

Worth checking out, if only for the awesome Rebel Wilson.

Challenge day: 73
Challenge time: 03 days, 19 hours, 10 minutes
Challenge film total: 49

There'll be one guy left with one eye. How's the last blind guy gonna take out the eye of the last guy left?

Date: Tuesday 4th December
Film: Seven Psychopaths (2012)
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken and Woody Harrelson
Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Rating: 4/10

Seven Psychopaths is the tale of a screenwriter who gets caught up with the wrong people when his best friend, a professional dog-napper, takes the dog of a local, slightly mental, criminal.

I had such high hopes for this, it has a brilliant cast and I have so much love for Martin McDonagh's previous outing, In Bruges, but there was something about it that didn't connect for me.

Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken both excel but I felt like they were acting uphill against a script that was nowhere near as tight as it could have been. This film had so much potential but, for me, something was lacking. The story seemed disjointed in places, it didn't flow in a way that made a lot of sense. There were some moments I found myself chuckling (mainly down to the wonderful Sam Rockwell) but overall I wasn't impressed.

Although, it would appear I was alone in this, the rest of the screen were laughing throughout. I've decided I must be odd. Go see it, I might be a lonely person fighting against the tide (it wouldn't be the first time, I'm the only person, it seems, who does not like Anchorman).

Challenge day: 72
Challenge time: 03 days, 17 hours, 18 minutes
Challenge film total: 48

I might hate you more, but I'll never love you less.

Date: Sunday 2nd December
Film: War Horse (2011)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson and David Thewlis
Running time: 02 hours, 26 minutes
Rating: 5/10

Bore Horse.

I wanted to like this. It was visually stunning, it's directed by Steven Spielberg and it has a brilliant cast. It had to be good, right?

I just couldn't seem to engage with it. There is no particular reason (although, as with most films, there was nowhere near enough Tom Hiddleston for my liking!). Some films just don't catch your attention.

I also struggle to forgive anyone who thought this was an acceptable moustache..

Oh well, it set me back a whopping £2 in a charity shop, I can't complain. Christmas is coming. Keep an eye on your stocking, I might regift it to you. That way charity benefits, as does my DVD collection. I hate seeing disappointment in my racks.

Challenge day: 70
Challenge time: 03 days, 15 hours, 28 minutes
Challenge film total: 47

I'm supposed to get all dully-eyed and mushy. Well, forget it, pal, you got the wrong guy!

Date: Sunday 2nd December
Film: Scrooged (1988)
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen and John Forsythe
Running time: 01 hour, 41 minutes
Rating: 7/10

Christmas and Bill Murray, what's not to love?

The story is one we seen plenty of times, but this modern take on A Christmas Carol is well done. Anything that mixes Bill Murray with ghosts gets my vote.

Plus, Bobcat Goldthwait pops up, and he instantly makes any film 20% more wonderful.

Challenge day: 70
Challenge time: 03 days, 13 hours, 02 minutes
Challenge film total: 46

I wish I were big.

Date: Sunday 2nd December

Film: Big (1988)

Director: Penny Marshall

Starring: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins and Robert Loggia

Running time: 01 hour, 44 minutes

Rating: 8.5/10

If you don't love Big, we can't be friends.

Excuse me, I need to go find a giant piano...

Challenge day: 70

Challenge Time: 03 days, 11 hours, 21 minutes

Challenge film total: 45

It is so great to see all you kids back in town. And what a terrific soiree are you throwing here tonight.

Date: Friday 30th November
Film: American Reunion (2012)
Director: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan and Seann William Scott
Running Time: 01 hour, 53 minutes
Rating: 7/10

American Reunion is essentially a repeat of the first American Pie. The characters are older, but not necessarily wiser, looking for the same things they were looking for 13 years previously.

This film could be terrible, but a sense of nostalgia, and the fact that they managed to get all the original characters back together, make it enjoyable.

Not by any stretch the best American Pie movie, but good fun nonetheless.

Challenge day: 68
Challenge time: 03 days. 09 hours, 37 minutes
Challenge film total: 44

We've located one man and one female, We're headed there now.

Date: Friday 30th November
Film: Monsters (2010)
Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Rating: 7.5/10

On the recommendation of a friend, CW and I found ourselves on Friday night, settling down for a spot of Monsters. From the DVD case, and the brief synopsis we had been given, we were expecting some full on, alien invasion, monster, action.

Monsters isn't that. It's better than that.

Alien life forms have invaded the Earth and are being contained in the 'infection zone' on the US-Mexico border, with a large wall protecting the US from further invasion. Andrew, an American living in San Jose, finds himself roped into escorting his boss' daughter past the infected zone and back to the US.

Monsters focuses on their journey. The titular monsters are rarely seen. The beauty of this film is in the sense of unknown. The relationship between two people, forced together, on a journey, avoiding these beasts that the viewer never quite sees.

Brilliantly acted and visually stunning. Monsters is the alien movie for people that hate aliens.

Challenge day: 68
Challenge time: 03 days, 07 hours, 44 minutes
Challenge film total: 43

It's too much familiarity. It's like she's one of my limbs.

Date: Wednesday 28th November
Film: Friends With Kids (2011)
Director: Jennifer Westfeldt
Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph and Jon Hamm
Running Time: 01 hour, 47 minutes
Rating 7.5/10

The commentary on this DVD box says 'funnier than Bridesmaids'. Not sure that's a fair comparison to make. Whilst Friends With Kids has a cast made up almost entirely of faces that popped up in Bridesmaids, the humour is totally different.

Don't go expecting this to be another Bridesmaids; the jokes aren't as brash, the characters aren't as 'caricature-y' and at no point does anyone defecate in the street. It is, however, as good as Bridesmaids, mainly due to the brilliant cast.

Friends With Kids is heartwarming, funny and has an exceptional cast, although Chris O'Dowd's accent upset me a little.

Challenge day: 66
Challenge time: 03 days, 06 hours, 10 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 42

This is not recess. Everyone is accountable.

Date: Monday 26th November
Film: Less Than Zero (1987)
Director: Marek Kanievska
Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz and Robert Downey Jr.
Running Time: 01 hour, 38 minutes
Rating 7/10

I love the Bret Easton Ellis novel that this film is based on. I love 80's Andrew McCarthy and I believe that everything Robert Downey Jr. touches turns to gold, magical gold (I also believe that he should be my husband). There was so much potential for me to love this movie.

I think I set my sights to high.

This wasn't terrible, by no means, it just wasn't the film I was expecting, the plot line seemed watered down, compared to the book (my mistake, I really should have learned my lessons from One Day/The Time Traveler's Wife).

If I think of this as independent from the novel, then Less Than Zero is a well acted, solid film about the lives of excess lived by over-privileged LA teenagers. Robert Downey Jr. is amazing in his portrayal of an addict who will do anything to get his next fix. Andrew McCarthy plays the wide eyed dreamer role so well.

This is a great film. It just isn't entirely related to a great, great novel.

Challenge day: 34
Challenge running time: 03 days, 04 hours, 23 minutes
Challenge film total: 41

He has come into a handsome fortune and he has great expectations

Date: Monday 26th November
Film: Great Expectations (2012)
Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Robbie Coltrane
Running Time: 2 hours, 08 minutes
Rating: 7/10

I'll admit, I'm partial to a period drama, the bigger the frocks and hats, the better, and Great Expectations is one of my favourite stories. For the longest time (I think since I first read the book) I've been saying that there is no actress on Earth better suited to playing Miss Havisham than Helena Bonham Carter, and, as if they heard my calls, guess who rocks up in this new adaptation. My hopes were high, the only downside, as far as I could see, was my love for the BBC adaptation late last year, would this film match up?

With the exception of the, always excellent, Helena Bonham Carter, this could be any other adaptation of Great Expectations. It's not the best I've ever seen, but it is by no means the worst. It is faithful to the story (although the Mrs. Joe subplot does get a little sidelined), beautifully shot and has a great cast.

I'm undecided. I didn't love it, but I can't quite work out why.

Challenge Day: 64
Challenge Time: 03 days, 02 hours, 45 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 40

This is such a stone-cold pack of weirdos, and I am so proud!

Date: Saturday 24th November
Film: Bridesmaids (2011)
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Chris O'Dowd and Maya Rudolph
Running Time: 2 hours, 05 minutes
Rating 9/10

After a long and adventurous day at Secret Cinema, all we wanted to do was settle down with a movie and, following Friday night's gossipy disaster (2 films started, neither finished, both stopped for slightly boring stories and superhero chats), we needed something that was going to hold our attention and stop us falling asleep on the sofa.

Two of us adore Bridesmaids and one of us hadn't seen it, so it seemed like a good choice. Something that I knew inside out so if I did feel myself getting a little too tired, I could take a 5 minute power nap and still know exactly what was going on.

This film gets better and better with every viewing; each time I watch there's something new to make me laugh. It probably helps that it is created by a bunch of people I adore, Paul Feig can do no wrong in my eyes (maybe it's because I'm a massive Freaks and Geeks fan), Kristen Wiig is hilarious and Chris O'Dowd is his usual charming self. Bridesmaids is always going to be one of my favourite comedies.

Chaellenge day: 62
Challenge time: 3 days, 00 hours, 37 minutes.
Challenge film total: 39

Tell No One

Date: Saturday 24th November
Film: TBA
Director: TBA
Starring: TBA
Running Time: 2 hours, 22 minutes
Rating 10/10

This is the post in which I tell you I went to see a film and proceed to tell you nothing about it.

Secret Cinema day has been and gone.

Secret Cinema, for the uninitiated, is an all encompassing, secret, theatrical, cinema experience. You buy tickets knowing nothing about what lies ahead of you. Leading up to the start of the Secret Cinema season (the same event runs for a few weeks, with performances every evening as well as weekend matinees) obscure, indirectly related, clues (songs, pictures, video clips) are uploaded to Secret Cinema's Facebook page.

A couple of weeks before the event you're given a dress code and a meeting place.

The day arrives, you get up and get organised and find yourself, as I did on Saturday morning, queueing outside a library with hundreds of others, all dressed in men's suits.

You are then led into a world where the film is recreated and you are encouraged to join in. For the last event, earlier this year, the film was Prometheus and we found ourselves, in our boiler suits, examining life forms from other planets and experiencing life aboard our space ship.

This time around, as the event is still taking place, I am to keep quiet about where I have been and what I have seen.

Once the season ends, I can tell you more, for now I can tell you the films I saw was 2 hours and 22 minutes long, it was a film I already loved and the experience was, as it was last time around, phenomenal.

Tell no one.

Challenge day: 62
Challenge time: 2 days, 22 hours, 32 minutes
Challenge film total: 38

Her new boyfriend has an incredibly long neck. Just thinking about giraffes makes me angry.

Date: Sunday 18th November 2012

Film: Submarine (2010)
Director:Richard Ayoade
Starring: Craig Roberts, Yasmin Page and Sally Hawkins
Running Time: 1 hour 37 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10

Sunday Night Film Club is back and this week we fancied a little bit of British comedy and where better to look than Richard Ayoade's directorial debut. Submarine is a dark and wickedly funny film about a socially awkward 15 year old growing up in 1980's Wales, dealing with family turmoil and his first love.

A film that I've seen more than once, yet still manages to surprise me. beautifully shot, full of incredibly dry jokes and a stellar soundtrack, Submarine is boosted by a strong supporting cast of some of the best of British, including Paddy Considine and Noah Taylor.

Not necessarily the jolliest of comedies, but a great Sunday night film none the less.

Challenge day: 56
Challenge time: 2 days 20 hours 10 minutes
Challenge film total: 37

If you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining

Date: Sunday 18th November 2012

Film: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver
Running Time: 2 hour 02 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10

From all the trailers and press I wasn't sure about this film, but a free screening is a free screening (even if it did involve trekking to Stratford first thing on a Sunday morning!) and I'm so glad I got up and went.

I already knew I loved Jennifer Lawrence, she's amazing in Winter's Bone, as well as The Hunger Games and X-Men: First Class, but this film gave me a whole different opinion on Bradley Cooper. With the exception of The Hangover, I struggle to think of a film he's been in, let alone one where he can prove that he's more than a pretty face. With Silver Linings he does exactly this, he plays vulnerable, needy, emotionally unstable and a little kooky, brilliantly.

The supporting cast is equally outstanding. This is the first solid performance I've seen Robert De Niro give in a long time and Jacki Weaver was, yet again, phenomenal.

The story isn't anything special, you can see the ending coming from a mile off, but the acting and dry script lift this away from a standard predictable rom-com.

Worth seeing if you get the chance.

Challenge day: 56
Challenge time: 2 days 18 hours 33 minutes
Challenge film total: 36

Leave your worries for awhile, they will still be there you get back, and your memories aren't invited.

Date: Saturday 17th November 2012
Film: The Master (2012)
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams
Running Time: 2 hour 24 minutes
Rating: 8/10

I went into this film expecting great things and that's exactly what I got. Phenomenal performances from all involved, special credit to Joaquin Phoenix, and beautiful cinematography. I can see why it's been getting a lot of Oscar hype.

I can also see why it's been the recipient of a number of less than favourable reviews. The Master does not have a traditional cinematic story line. It is, essentially, a snap shot of a relationship between two people. The journey of a lost young man and the confident older gentleman that helps him find his way, albeit through a seemingly bogus cult. There is no dramatic confrontation, there is no third act resolve, if anything this whole film is like an amicable break up. People expect a bit of drama but sometimes things just go along swimmingly.

The amazing acting and the stunning visuals distract from this lack of traditional plot, and I loved it.

Challenge day: 55
Challenge time: 2 days 16 hours 31 minutes
Challenge film total: 35

Where are his glasses? He can't see without his glasses!

Date: Saturday 17th November 2012
Film: My Girl (1991)
Director: Howard Zieff
Starring: Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis
Running Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Rating: 8/10

My Girl is one of those films that, even as I get older and realise it's a little bit terrible, I am always going to love. Even if it does leave me crying like a small child, every single time. Curse you Macaulay, why did you have to go back to the beehive?

Challenge day: 55
Challenge time: 2 days 14 hours 07 minutes
Challenge film total: 34

De rouille et d'os

Date: Friday 16th November 2012
Film: Rust and Bone (2012)
Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts
Running Time: 2 hours
Rating: 6/10

I've spent the last week processing my thoughts on this film and I'm still at an impasse.

This might be, again, a case of being advertised wildly wrong. All the press on Rust and Bone made me believe that the film was about Marion Cotillard's character coming to terms with an accident that cost her her legs and her career as a whale trainer and, whilst this is touched upon in the film, this is not the case.

Rust and Bone focuses on Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts), a man that has just taken responsibility for his young son, and has moved in with his sister to try and get some sort of control over his life; to find a job, stop being a playboy and to become a father to a child he barely knows.

Marion Cotillard's character, Stephanie, is a the lead support, but she is a support none the less. Her story is merely background to explain why she acts the way she does and how this in turn affects Ali as their friendship develops.

Ultimately, I think my issue with the film is that as beautifully shot as it is, I felt Ali, as a character, was unlikable  He did not, in my opinion, have a single redeeming quality which made it hard for me to relate to a film that focused on him.

I have a feeling I'm alone in this, so many people have told me how much they adored Rust and Bone. See it and decide for yourself.

Challenge day: 54
Challenge time: 2 days 12 hours 25 minutes
Challenge film total: 33

I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane?

Date: Friday 16th November

Film: American Psycho (2000)

Director: Mary Harron

Starring: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux and Reese Witherspoon

Running Time: 1 hour 42 minutes

Rating: 7/10

Like any sensible person, when I find myself waking up 2 hours before my alarm I always think 'no, don't go back to sleep. Watch this film about serial killers instead.' and that's how I found myself watching American Psycho at 6am on a Friday.

Not a film I've seen before, as I've mentioned before I'm not a fan of films that involve a lot of killing. But, having recently developed a soft spot for Christian Bale and working hard on being less of a wuss, this film found it's way onto my LoveFilm list. 

Having read a few Bret Easton Ellis novels and with a basic knowledge of the plot, I knew what I was getting into; drugs, excess, anger, sex and pretty rich people; American Psycho had it all, with some murder on the side. 

With a strong supporting cast and an intense lead, American Psycho was watchable. Not the horrendous murder spree I was expecting, all in all a good film.

Challenge day: 54

Challenge time: 2 days 10 hours 25 minutes

Challenge film total: 32

He's not a person Tina, he's a Daily Mail reader.

Date: Wednesday 14th November
Film: Sightseers (2012)
Director: Ben Wheatley
Starring: Alice Lowe and Steve Oram
Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
Rating: 9/10

Wednesday night, through the power of Twitter, the boy flatmate and I found ourselves at a screening of Ben Wheatley's new British comedy, Sightseers (thanks Grolsch Film Works). Having both heard great things about Wheatley's previous directorial outing, Kill List, and enjoyed the trailer immensely  we were expecting great things.

We were not let down. Sightseers had us laughing out loud from start to finish, sometimes with discomfort as we realised, uncomfortably, that we were on Chris' side as he murdered people for disrespecting him and the area around him (littering, rudeness, etc.).

A genuinely funny British film, that touches a nerve. Worth seeing if you get the chance.

Plus, we got given one of these, the likes of which I haven't seen since I was a kid. I need to find somewhere awesome for him to live.

Challenge day: 52

Challenge time: 2 days 8 hours 43 minutes

Challenge film total: 31

Don't you blame the movies. Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!

Following the spate of news stories surrounding cinema etiquette, off the back of the Empire Cinemas etiquette guide, and a conversation I had with Nev Pierce from Empire Magazine on Twitter this morning, I've decided it's time to lay out the rules, as I see them, for cinema goers.

There are probably more, there are always special circumstances and I might just be irrational but here goes;

1. Don't be late. 

If you are seeing a new film in a chain cinema or similar you are guaranteed to have a fair few adverts and previews between the advertised start time and the actual start time. Some people don't want to see these (not sure why, previews are amazing) and therefore turn up well after the advertised start time. That's fine, that's your prerogative, but don't turn up 10 minutes into the film. Not only are you ruining it for yourself, missing the character introductions, plot setups, etc. but you are also disrupting the other patrons when trying to find your seat, taking off your coat, getting settled, etc.

2. Be prepared

Everyone likes a snack and a drink in the cinema, it's practically the law of going to see a film, but please try to get everything ready before the title card. If you've got a bottle of fizzy drink, break the seal to get rid of that initial pop and fizz sound, if you're tucking into some sweets open and rustle the bag as soon as you are settled. It's a little thing but it makes everything a bit nicer for the other people around.

3. Be a little anti-social

There is no need to check emails, Facebook, Twitter, text messages and so forth when you are watching a film. You may think it's a harmless glance at your phone, but for other people in the darkened room it's a bloody great beacon of light, catching our eye and distracting us from what is happening on the screen.

4. Whisper

Surely, this is an obvious one? There are times in any film that you have a comment to make, or a question to ask. That's fine, lean over and whisper it to your viewing companion. Don't use your outdoor voices. Don't even use your indoor voices.

5. Posing is unnecessary. 

At least 4 times this year I have seen people take pictures in the cinema. That's fine, if the film hasn't started, or has already finished. I'll put my hands up and say I've done it myself, many at time, at cinematic events (PJ Parties, Secret Cinema, any PCC event) but the second the BBFC rating card appears on the screen, those things stop. It's quite distracting when people are moving about in their seats to get a good angle for a photo, or setting off flashes in the dark.

6. Try and stay still.

I'll admit, I am a little guilty of this. I'm a fidget. Always have been. Sitting in the same position for 2 hours is not something my body reacts well to, but when I move in the cinema I try to do it as gently and quietly as possible, so as not to distract other people. If you've sat down and your skirt is all bunched up underneath you (we've all been there) then get used to it, don't stand up in the middle of the film to smooth yourself down, then sit back down again. It's annoying.

7. Know the atmosphere.

All of the above rules apply in most cinematic situations, but there are times when things change a little. If you're at a sing-along, quote-along, marathon, PJ Party, Classic film screening, etc. there might be new rules.

If you've been encouraged to shout out, sing, dance, comment, Kermit flail, etc. then by all means break the rules and join in. Don't be that person that goes to a quote-along event and complains that other people shouting things out ruined the film for you. There is no sympathy here.

Rant over. Sit back and enjoy the film. Just please don't do anything that will stop other people enjoying it!

Now, what we got here is a little game of show and tell. You don't wanna show me nothing but you're telling me everything.

Date: Monday 12th November
Film: True Romance (1993)
Director: Tony Scott
Starring: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette and Dennis Hopper
Running Time: 2 hours
Rating: 8/10

In all the wonderful tributes and obituaries that appeared shortly after the passing of Tony Scott, there was an awful lot of love for True Romance. Love that reminded me that I haven't seen this film in years. It was only sensible that I added it to my LoveFilm list and settled down for another evening with 90s Christian Slater (my favourite of all the Christian Slaters).

It was a delight; True Romance is a brilliant film. There is violence, drugs, sex and an awful lot of talking, all trademarks of a great Tarantino script. With a solid supporting cast and lots of familiar faces popping up, True Romance is a love story with a difference.

Also, I think it managed to cure me of my old man crush on Gary Oldman...

Challenge Day: 50
Challenge Time: 2 days 7 hours 15 minutes
Challenge film total: 30

The brave men stay and watch it happen. They don't run.

Date: Friday 9th October
Film: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Starring: Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry
Running Time: 1 hour 33 minutes
Rating: 9/10

Beasts of the Southern Wild is the first feature length film from Benh Zeitlin, and has leads played by two newcomers to the acting game. A bit of a gamble, some might say, but they have worked together to make a film that is emotional, raw and visually stunning.

Told from the point of view of a wildly imaginative 5 year old, Hushpuppy, who lives with her father in The Bathtub, a community in the Louisiana bayou; Beasts tells the story of the fight for survival when the community are faced with a devastating storm and it's lasting aftermath.

The scenes of devastation, cut alongside the fantasy creatures from Hushpuppy's mind, are beautifully shot and give the whole film a sense of place. You come out feeling like you know what it is like to live in The Bathtub, to exist in a place that can be flooded in one night.

The heavy emotion, combined with the gorgeous visuals and wonderful acting combine to make a film that will stick with you for a long while.

Challenge Day: 47
Challenge Time: 2 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 30

Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear.

Date: Sunday 4th November
Film: The Hunger Games (2012)
Director: Gary Ross
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Laim Hemsworth
Running Time: 2 hours 22 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10

After reading the books earlier this year, I was a little torn on whether I would like the first movie in The Hunger Games trilogy, mainly because whilst I enjoyed the premise of the books, I found the Katniss character to be weak and whiny, something I struggled to tolerate.

However, friends who had seen the film but hadn't read the books advised me that Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss differently to how she is written. Instead of being this girl who puts herself into situations then complains that she doesn't like the way things are going, in the film Katniss is a strong girl who fights for the people she cares about.

The subject matter is dark, in the future Panem (the remains of North America) is controlled by The Capitol, who suppress the 12 poorer districts. Annually, in an effort to exert their control, the Capitol run the Hunger Games, a nationally televised event in which a male and female tribute, aged between 12 and 18, from each district must go into an arena and fight until only one person remains standing, having helped kill the other 23 tributes.

As with all book adaptations, I had ideas in my mind of what I expected characters, scene and environments to look like and, ever since the soul crushing disappointment of the adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife (way to ruin a great book), I went into this with low expectations. I was pleased to be proved wrong.

Considering that for a large section of the story Katniss is alone, the filmmakers have worked well to show her struggle without resorting to cheesy voice overs. Considering the manner in which some tributes meet their demise, the fight scenes weren't overly graphic and were balanced well with the relationships forming in the arena and views of the nation outside watching the games.

Backed by a strong supporting cast, made up of many a familiar face, The Hunger Games is a great film.

Challenge Day: 42
Challenge Time: 2 days, 3 hours, 42 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 29

Every now and then a trigger has to be pulled.

Date: Sunday 4th November
Film: Skyfall (2012)
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris
Running Time: 2 hours, 23 minutes
Rating 9.5/10

It's time to let you in on a little secret. Although I consider myself a bit of a cinephile, before Sunday I had never seen a Bond film. It's something I've considered rectifying many times over the years, but my view was that I couldn't just jump in willy-nilly and if I was going to watch them, then I would have to watch them all and watch them in order.

That, however, takes time. It also relies heavily on knowing people who own the films and are willing to lend them to me. The combination of my new Daniel Craig crush and the trailer and hype surrounding Skyfall meant that this plan was put by the wayside for a later date.

As my first Bond film, I had certain expectations, based on what I had seen, read and heard about the franchise to date. I was expecting it to be a little corny; this overly sexed man acting as a spy in some slightly over the top scenarios, although this didn't quite marry with my view of Daniel Craig.

Was Skyfall like this? No, not at all. There were some tongue in cheek moments and one liners that made most of the cinema chuckle, but mainly this came across as a serious spy film. A film that seemed wholly believable, that married more, in my mind, with the Bourne films than it did with my preconceived ideas about Bond.

I've seen and heard a lot of talk about this being the best Bond film. Is this something I agree with? I'm not sure. I can tell you this though, it's the best Bond film I've ever seen.

Challenge Day: 42
Challenge Time: 2 days, 1 hour, 20 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 28

Oh my gosh, you got me a gift! And it's pink!

Date: Friday 2nd November
Film: For A Good Time, Call...
Director: Jamie Travis
Starring: Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller and Justin Long
Running Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Rating: 8/10

In an attempt to avoid Bond, and still maintain our semi regular dinner and a movie date, JC and I decided to check out For A Good Time, Call....

A low-budget comedy, this is the story of two women who, after a falling out on the day they met in college, find themselves, ten years down the line, moving in together after a little matchmaking from a mutual friend (the excellent Justin Long) and once they start to become friends, setting up their own phone sex line out of their living room.

Considering the premise, this film could have been all about sex jokes, but the phone sex is an side and the story focused more on the relationship between these two polar opposites than it did on the business they set up.

Ari Graynor excels, reminding me why I'm a big fan of hers (she has some of the best scenes in Nick and Norah's). Lauren Miller has moved from a bit part actress (and Mrs. Seth Rogen) and does a great job of her first lead role.

All-in-all a warm, funny, story about letting go of misconceptions and getting to know the people around you.

Recommended.

Challenge day: 40
Challenge time: 1 day 22 hours 57 minutes
Challenge film total: 27

Rule Number Two: the living usually won't see the dead

Date: Wednesday 31st October
Film: Beetlejuice (1988)
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Michael Keaton
Running Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
Rating 9/10

It's Hallowe'en therefore it is only appropriate that the movie choice is something a little bit spoooooky.

After finding myself bereft at discovering (more than halfway through) that Film 4 was showing the The Addams Family (which, as an aside, I am really miffed that I cannot seem to find on DVD in any region), I reached for my staple Hallowe'en movie; Beetlejuice, another example of Tim Burton being brilliant.I did intend to double bill this with the other great Hallowe'en movie, Hocus Pocus, but time ran away from me - I should have picked a quicker dinner.

Beetlejuice is brilliant. Yes, it is a little dated, but the bright colours and brilliant stop motion and puppetry do add a sense of fantasy to the story.

I will admit that I have a really big soft spot for Tim Burton's early films, and this is just another example why, when working with great material, Burton can excel as a filmmaker.

Challenge Day: 38
Challenge Time: 1 day 22 hours 04 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 26

If I'm going to make a fake movie, it's going to be a fake hit.

Date: Monday 29th October
Film: Argo (2012)
Director: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston and Alan Arkin
Running Time: 2 hours
Rating 9/10

Another day, another advanced screening (thanks Sky). This time around, much hyped political thriller, and (so they say) Oscar front runner Argo. Based during the Iran hostage crisis, Argo tells the true story of six American Embassy employees who escaped Iran under the guise of filming a sci-fi movie.

Argo has had a lot of hype, hype that, I feel, is definitely well deserved. With the help of a great ensemble cast, Ben Affleck leads this movie through a lot of tense moments. The protests in Iran are well filmed and realistic, the tension between the characters is played brilliantly, there are some great one-liners and the film draws you in to both the characters and the escape drama.

Ben Affleck has proved with Argo that there are two things that he is very good at; directing; as seen before with The Town and Gone Baby Gone, and growing a very handsome beard (although the early 80s haircut was pretty terrible).

With a good mix of drama and conversation, Argo is a film I would recommend to most. Although, I warn you, you may spend a lot of time thinking 'where do I know that face from?'.

Challenge Day: 36
Challenge Time: 1 day, 21 hours, 32 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 25

Let's think about this logically. She's either alive, or she's dead.

Date: Sunday 28th October
Film: Go (1999)
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Katie Holmes, Sarah Polley and Timothy Olyphant
Running Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10

One of my favourite parts of the week, Sunday Night Movie Club and this week, after a lot of deliberating, we decided to watch Go (or I was told we were watching Go as soon as I mentioned that I hadn't seen it before!).

It was a great choice, with a cast of many a familiar face from the 90s, and Katie Holmes before it all went a bit wrong (the period we refer to as 'the Tom Cruise years'). Go tells the story of one night from a few different perspectives; drugs, parties, relationships, and everything going a little bit wrong.

Challenge Day: 35
Challenge Time: 1 day 19 hours 32 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 24

It's what's in the groove that counts.

Date: Sunday 28th October
Film: The Sapphires (2012)
Director: Wayne Blair
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman and Jessica Mauboy
Running Time: 1 hour 43 minutes
Rating 6.5/10

Up early on a Sunday morning for an advance screening of new film The Sapphires (thanks Show Film First). After waiting outside in the cold for a blooming long time, dreaming of my afternoon spent buying a coat that actually protects me from the ice cold temperatures of North London in October (who am I kidding, I try very hard to spend as little time outside as possible), we were finally let into what I consider to be one of the worst cinemas inside the M25, the Odeon, Holloway.

The Sapphires is an Australian film about a group of three Aboriginal sisters and their cousin who, in 1968, take their soul group to Vietnam to perform for US troops, with the help of their manager, Dave Lovelace (Chris O'Dowd).

Overly sentimental and predictable, on any other day I would probably found this film a little too cheesy for my tastes, I did find myself cringing at some points, however there is some comedy there and Chris O'Dowd more than saved the film through his charm and likeability.

This is one of those films you would watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon with your Grandma; an inoffensive, easy watch.

Challenge Day: 35
Challenge Time: 1 day 17 hours 50 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 23

All the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks.

Date: Saturday 27th October/Sunday 28th October
Film: Pump Up the Volume (1990)
Director: Allan Moyle
Starring: Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis
Running Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Rating: 8/10

After overdosing on Empire Records, Luce and I decided we needed a little more Allan Moyle in our lives so we settled in for the night with a spot of Pump Up the Volume. As great as this movie is (and who doesn't love 90s Christian Slater), it was late, we'd had a long day and it was very warm and comfortable lying on that bed, we might have fallen asleep less than halfway through.

Alas, for me, all was not lost. Sunday evening, prior to Sunday Night Film Club, I had just enough time at home to watch the rest of the movie. It's a good job this was a film I've seen a fair few times, so the 18 hour break in the middle of viewing didn't leave me confused!

Pump is a comedy-drama about a loner high school student, Mark, who runs an illegal radio station from his bedroom. The station is his chance to anonymously tell people what he thinks of school, community and American society. The station, and his alias Happy Harry Hard-On, gets more and more popular and one student, Nora, uses her detective skills to work out who is running the station, and gets involved with Mark, just as he is starting a revolution amongst the other students.

I like Pump Up the Volume, it has a great cast and a story that has potential to be a bit like every other 'loner hates high school' movie, but somehow manages to seem original. It is witty, dark and has a solid soundtrack. Maybe I'm just a really big Allan Moyle fan!

Challenge day: 34/35
Challenge time: 1 day 16 hours 7 minutes
Challenge film total: 22

Just another tasty treat from the gang at Empire Records.

Date: Saturday 27th October
Film Empire Records (1995)
Director: Allan Moyle
Starring: Rory Cochrane, Liv Tyler and Renee Zellweger
Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Rating 10/10

Saturday night and back to The PCC for another of their wonderful all-singing, all-dancing quote along events. This time around? One of my favourite films...

The bar at The PCC was kitted out in its best Rex Manning Day decorations and they remembered all the little touches that help make The PCC a little bit special when it comes to their events and the films we adore...

So, after a short meeting with The PCC's very own silky shirt wearing Rex Manning, we settled in our seats and Rex Manning himself came out to introduce the film and involve us all in a fancy dress competition, and a rousing sing along to two of the great tracks from the film; Say No More (Mon Amour) and Sugar High





Once we were all at optimum excitement levels, the lights were dimmed and we were transported to mid-90s Middle America for a spot of nostalgia. Quoting, shouting and singing (mainly me, sorry Luce!) our way through the film.

This is definitely the best way to watch one of those films that you adore, it brings a whole new perspective to scenes you have seen a hundred times over.

DAMN THE MAN, SAVE THE EMPIRE.

Challenge day: 34

Challenge Time: 1 day 14 hours 25 minutes

Challenge Film Total: 21

Gotham City. Always brings a smile to my face.

Date: Saturday 27th October
Film: Batman (1989)
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger
Running Time: 2 hours 6 minutes
Rating 9/10

One of the great comic book movies (and we all know how much I love those!), camp, gothic, and garish; this is one of those wonderful films for Tim Burton's heyday.

Whilst it isn't as gritty and quasi-realistic as the Nolan Batman universe, this is still a brilliant Batman movie, if we ignore the terrible late 80s fashion. This is, in part, down to Jack Nicholson's incredibly creepy turn as the Joker.

A classic.

Plus, with no planning on our part - the film matched our choice of Hallowe'en snacks...

Challenge Day: 34
Challenge Total : 1 day 12 hours 55 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 20

The idea of being nice to weird and unpopular kids hadn't arrived yet.

Date: Friday 26th October 2012
Film: Damsels in Distress (2011 - might debate with IMDb on this, I'm pretty sure it came out at the beginning of this summer)
Director: Whit Stillman
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Analeigh Tipton and Adam Brody
Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes
Rating: 7/10

Friday evening, alone with my latest LoveFilm. Damsels in Distress is a film I was keen to see on its release however, I didn't get a chance to get to a screening of it.

Whit Stillman's first film after a 13 year hiatus, and, in my opinion, worth the wait. Eccentric, funny and warm, whilst Stillman's humour and style is not for everyone Damsels is a really good film, helped by Greta Gerwig's charm. Plus, Adam Brody pops up, a lot, sometimes dancing, mostly wearing a suit. What's not to love about that?

Challenge Day: 33
Challenge Time: 1 day 10 hours 51 minutes
Challenge Film Total: 19

Indie Love Films - A Double Bill

Date: Wednesday 24th October
Film: Ruby Sparks (2012)
Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, and Chris Messina
Running Time : 1 hour 44 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10

Wednesday night and CW and I are taking the Sunday Night Film Club on a (not very) rare weekday outing to Mile End Genesis to see Ruby Sparks, a film we've been looking forward to seeing for a few months now.

There was a lot of hype around this one, reviews were strong and it was hard not to get our hopes up. Good job Ruby Sparks is excellent.

While Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan excel in their lead roles, it's the supporting cast (including Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas and Elliott Gould) that really brings these characters, and this film, to life.

I was going on a solid 9/9.5 rating for this film the whole way through, there was comedy, there was romance, there was an underlying hint of tragedy and I was engrossed right up until the last 5 minutes. The ending, whilst it didn't spoil the film, was a little too contrived for my liking.

Still, a great film. One I would recommend seeking out, although it may not be your thing if you expect big laughs or great declarations of love.

Date: Wednesday 24th October
Film: Weekend (2011)
Director: Andrew Haigh
Starring: Tom Cullen and Chris New
Running Time : 1 hour 37 minutes
Rating: 9/10

I've had this on my LoveFilm list for a while, pretty much since Ultra Culture started harping on about how wonderful it was. Was he wrong? No. Definitely not.

Weekend is a wonderful British indie film about Russell and Glen who meet late on a Friday evening, spend the night together and then end up in each others company for the remainder of the weekend.

There is a hint of humour, there is a lot of talk about love and there is a scene near the end that is a little bit heartbreaking.
A great, great film.

Challenge day: 31
Challenge time : 01 days, 09 hours, 12 minutes.
Challenge film total: 18

We could grow up together, E.T.

Date: Monday 22nd October
Film: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Dee Wallace and Drew Barrymore
Running Time : 1 hour 55 minutes
Rating: 10/10

Thanks to the lovely team over at Den of Geek and Universal, last night CW and I found ourselves in a cory screening room at Universal's London offices for a screening of what I believe to be one of the greatest films of all time.

I love E.T., have done since I was a child. It is one of those films that I cannot flick past on the TV without stopping to watch. Even though I know the story inside and out and I know what is coming I still find myself reacting as if it is the very first time I am seeing things.

Kudos to Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore for being so convincing with their love for E.T., it makes me believe that one day I could find a friendly alien in the tool shed (note to self: get a tool shed. And a garden to put it in).

That immediately recognisable John Williams score makes the (many) dialogue free moments something pretty special. Walking into the screening room and hearing that score playing over the PA bought back some pretty powerful emotions.

E.T. is what I consider to be an almost perfect film, yes the CGI is a little dated (as with all films from that period) but the acting and direction make you believe, at any age, that this is really happening. E.T. is not a sci-fi film, it is not a children's film, it is a love story. Pure and simple.

Thank you, Den of Geek, for this screening. By the end I was channelling Spielberg's biggest fan, and crying like a baby...

Challenge day: 29
Challenge time : 01 days, 06 hours, 51 minutes.
Challenge film total: 16

A is for Awesome.

Date: Saturday 20th October
Film: Easy A (2010)
Director:Will Gluck
Starring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Thomas Hayden Church and Amanda Bynes
Running Time : 1 hour 32 minutes
Rating: 7/10

It's been a while since we had a good teen comedy, they've been thin on the ground since the brilliance of Mean Girls and, while Easy A isn't as solidly wonderful as Mean Girls, it still has more pro points than your average teen flick.

I think a lot of this can be attributed to a great cast, led by the supremely talented (and all round adorable) Emma Stone.

Yes, the storyline is predictable however the humour and the cast make it seem fresh. It's only downfall? Over playing this truly hideous song...

Worth checking out.

Challenge day: 27
Challenge time : 01 days, 04 hours, 56 minutes.
Challenge film total: 15

People aren't always what they appear to be. Don't forget that!

Date: Thursday 18th October
Film: Wild Things (1998)
Director: John McNaughton
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards and Matt Dillon
Running Time : 1 hour 48 minutes
Rating: 3/10

If you were one of the people who told me I would enjoy this film, I would like you to take a long hard look at yourself. What a pile of tripe. Even the wonderful K.Bake couldn't save this.

There was one redeeming factor, one thing that earned this film every point of it's three point rating.

My old man crush.

The ever fabulous Mr. Bill Murray.

Challenge day: 25
Challenge time : 01 days, 03 hours, 24 minutes.
Challenge film total: 14

It's funny how those initial instincts can be so right, you know?

Date: Wednesday 10th October
Film: Young Adult (2011)
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt and Patrick Wilson
Running Time : 1 hour 34 minutes
Rating: 8/10

When I saw this was coming through the post (thank you LoveFilm) I had a chat with my two biggest film loving buddies, and they filled me with so much dread. They hated it. At first I thought it was a case of mis-leading trailers convincing you that you were going to get one thing then being totally thrown when that isn't the case. Alas, this was not the reason. They just plain hated it.

This had me worried. How could Reitman team up with Diablo Cody again and make a bad movie? Surely, it would be full to the brim with dark, dry comedy and a hint of depression.

I'm pleased I didn't listen to them and spent my post-Looper evening tucked up in bed watching this. Yes, there were depressing parts. Yes, the humour was dark. Yes, there wasn't a massive resloution/happy ending. But, I really, really enjoyed Young Adult.

Challenge day: 17
Challenge time : 01 days, 01 hours, 36 minutes.
Challenge film total: 13

This time travel crap, just fries your brain like a egg...

Date: Wednesday 10th October
Film: Looper (2012)
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels
Running Time : 1 hour 58 minutes
Rating: 9.5/10

Wednesday night, off to the cinema for a new film that I've been waiting forever to see. Worth the wait? Yes. Definitely.

The story has the potential to be really confusing - in 2044 Joe works as a looper. In 2074 the mob send people back in time and Joe is responsible for killing them, no matter who they are. When the mob wants to retire the looper, they send their future self back for them to kill. Except Old Joe comes back, and escapes before Joe can kill him. Setting off a chain of events that can potentially change the future and the present.

Rian Johnson has written the film in a way that explains the more complicated parts of the plot in an understanding way without talking down to the audience. Joseph Gordon-Leviit excels (as usual - has this boy ever made a bad film?), particularly in his mimicry of Bruce Willis, whilst the prosthetics help him with the look, he enhances his act by recreating the mannerisms, the mouth movements and the tone of voice that Bruce Willis is well known for.

Kudos to Emily Blunt for a brilliant Midwest accent, to Paul Dano for a scene stealing performance and to Pierce Gagnon for successfully creeping me out.

I can see why Rian Johnson is getting comparisons to Christopher Nolan, in the same way that Inception was a fresh take on something we've seen done many ways before, Looper is a brilliant take on the well trod time travel film.

Go see it.

Challenge day: 17
Challenge time : 01 days, 00 hours, 02 minutes.
Challenge film total: 12

Hey buddy, she's had a pretty rough day. I'd do what she says.

Date: Tuesday 9th October
Film: Man on a Ledge (2012)
Director: Asger Leth
Starring: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Burns and Ed Harris
Running Time : 1 hour 42 minutes
Rating: 6/10

A bit of easy watching for a Tuesday night. Man on a Ledge wasn't a film I've seen before and I don't think it's something I'll be in a hurry to watch again - unless I catch it on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Not a terrible film, by any means, but a little too predictable for my liking. The premise is simple - a police detective tries to talk an escaped prisoner down from a ledge, not knowing that he is on the ledge to distract from a heist. However, by twenty minutes in we had already guessed exactly how things were going to go down.

Sam Worthington's US accent deserves special recognition for barely existing, a flaw that became more pronounced in scenes with Jamie Bell, whose accent was solid throughout.

Still, by no means the worst film about a ledge that I've seen in recent years.

Challenge day: 16
Challenge time : 00 days, 22 hours, 04 minutes.
Challenge film total: 11

We're reviving a canceled undercover project from the '80s and revamping it for modern times.

Date: Monday 8th October
Film: 21 Jump Street (2012)
Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube and Dave Franco
Running Time : 1 hour 49 minutes
Rating: 8/10
I'll admit, when I first saw this at the cinema earlier this year I was not expecting great things. I had seen a few episodes of the original series during the more obsessive parts of my Johnny Depp phase, and I was entirely convinced that Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill could gel well together - even in a film where they were supposed to play characters with vastly differing personalities.

I was pleasantly surprised - this is a great comedy. A teen movie that isn't afraid to make jokes at it's own expense. Channing Tatum is a turn up for the books, 2012 really has been the year he's proved, at least to me, that he's a lot more than a pretty face with good rhythm.

There's a brilliant cameo toward the end, that even when you know is coming, it's a little bit wonderful.

One of the better teen comedies of the last few years, watch it if you get the chance.

Challenge day: 15
Challenge time : 00 days, 20 hours, 22 minutes.
Challenge film total: 11

Do you like scary movies?

No. I really don't. I'm a little pathetic when it comes to scary movies. Slightly shameful confession time; I remember watching I Know What You Did Last Summer as a teenager and being unable to sleep for weeks afterwards (I know, I really was quite pathetic, plus I had a weird thing for Freddie Prinze Jr.)

Naturally, of course, I would be the perfect audience member for a Halloween all nighter.

But, this wasn't any all-nighter. This was the third Pyjama Party in my favourite place in the world, The Prince Charles Cinema (hereafter referred to as The PCC), and after surviving both the Teen Movie and Dance editions, I felt like I could handle the Halloween edition. Plus, I'm 28 now, that's far too old to still be scared of Ghostface, right?

The premise of the PCC PJ Parties is simple - you put on your (hopefully themed) PJs, you sit in the cinema overnight, you watch a bunch of PJ party appropriate flicks, you hide upstairs and watch retro TV shows that fit in with the theme, you whoop, you cheer, you eat too much sugar to stay awake, you hope you aren't sat next to a snorer, and you have a brilliant night.

This one was no different. The line up was a good mix of films I've seen before, films, I've wanted to see and films I've actively avoided (due to my aforementioned scaredy cat nature). After a bit of a kerfuffle to get there (never book a flight that lands an hour before you need to be somewhere), I arrived just in time for the first movie. The wonderful Luce had managed to secure our official PCC seats (I don't care if they aren't assigned, they are the seats we sit in for EVERY PCC event), we had a a good mix of snacks to get started on and we were ready for me to reduce myself to a trembling jumpy wreck.

Up first...

Date: Saturday 6th October
Film: Scream (1996)
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Skeet Ulrich
Running Time : 1 hour 51 minutes
Rating: 8/10

My first time seeing Scream and The PCC was the perfect place for this. All the suspense of waiting for a murder is taken away when the audience are shouting and joking along with the movie and for a jumpy wuss like me, this was just what I needed to watch the film without freaking myself out (why is the thought of things being terrible so much worse than things actually happening?). The best bit? 250+ people shouting 'Ayy' when Henry Winkler popped up on screen.

Scream's writer, Kevin Williamson, has written a clever teen slasher flick; the constant references to past horror films (that made sense to someone who hasn't seen all that many), the likeable characters, the little snippets of humour, all combine to make a brilliant film. I might have to watch the sequels now. In the day time. With all the lights on.

Date: Saturday 6th October
Film: The Faculty (1998)
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Shawn Hatosy and Clea DuVall
Running Time : 1 hour 44 minutes
Rating: 6/10

Ah, a film I have seen before, many years ago. I'm not sure if the years have been all that kind, although Josh Hartnett's haircut may always have been terrible.

The premise is simple enough - water based parasites take over the teaching faculty of a US high school and a select group of kids band together to try and stop them taking over the entire school.

The graphics are looking a little dated (the parasites under the skin were a little more comical than scary) and the film sometimes veers into the ridiculous but generally this is a good watch. Elijah Wood is his usual fantastic self, and Jon Stewart's foaming eyeball is always a treat.

Date: Saturday 6th October/Sunday 7th October
Film: The Craft (1996)
Director: Andrew Fleming
Starring: Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Skeet Ulrich
Running Time : 1 hour 41 minutes
Rating: 7/10

Ah, the film that made most of the girls in my class want to practise witchcraft. I don't think there is a woman my age who hasn't played 'light as a feather, stiff as a board' at some point in their life.

What's not to love about a group of misfits high school girls practising spells and having to live with the consequences, both good and bad.

Again, some of the film is a little dated, but this still works well as a great misadventure movie.

Don't got poking about in things that you don't know about - you might end up making someone bald.

Date: Sunday 7th October
Film: Carrie (1976)
Director: Brian De Palma
Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie and Amy Irving
Running Time : 1 hour 38 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10

Time for another new (to me) film although, like Scream, I knew most of the plot.

I was starting to flag a little by this point, so even though I tried quite hard not to, I did drift off a little at points.

As rare as it is in modern cinema, it was great to see a film that told the story with long scenes and slow cuts, making a change from the fast paced action scenes of the first three films. That is until Carrie finally snapped and the infamous prom scene more than lives up to all the praise that has been heaped on it over the years.

Carrie's mother was suitably mental and a little bit terrifying and those classmates were an unpleasant bunch. I'm not saying they deserved all that comes to them, but I can see why Carrie goes a little bit mad.

I'm interested to see how the remake turns out...

Date: Sunday 7th October
Film: Fright Night (1985)
Director: Tom Holland
Starring: Chris Sarandon and William Ragsdale
Running Time : 1 hour 46 minutes
Rating: 4/10

I watched the first ten minutes, Prince Humperdinck had a friend 5 fingers on each hand. I was severely disappointed. I had a nap. Woke up for the last ten minutes. There was some terrible CGI. Around 4am, it's hard for a film you haven't seen to grab your attention.


Date: Sunday 7th October
Film: The Lost Boys (1987)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest and Kiefer Sutherland
Running Time : 1 hour 37 minutes
Rating: 9/10

This is pretty much the best vampire film ever, right? Kiefer, The 2 Coreys, Bill (had he butchered Ted?), some brilliant 80s fashion, and a lot of hair. What's not to love?

If you haven't seen it then you need to think about exactly what you've been doing with your life for the last 25 years.

There's another PCC PJ Party coming soon. I'll be there - whooping, cheering, catching films I love and films I haven't been lucky enough to see before. If you get a chance, come along, join the fun - just don't sit in seat H5 or H6.

Challenge day: 13/14
Challenge time : 00 days, 18 hours, 33 minutes.
Challenge film total: 10