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