I can see the pieces. How they should fit. How I want them to fit.

Date: Thursday 17th January
Film: Hollywoodland (2006)
Director: Allen Coulter
Starring: Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins
Running Time: 02 hours, 06 minutes
Rating: 6.5/10

I've had this sitting on top of my DVD player for about a month, and for someone with an unlimited monthly cap on LoveFilm rentals, that's a little frustrating, but I just couldn't seem to get into the mood to watch it.

I watched the opening 5 minutes more than once (is there anything more frustrating than a DVD without a start menu?), and I never seemed to be in the frame of mind to carry on. Thursday night, however, the mood struck. I fancied watching something I hadn't seen before, something that I knew little about and, following the joy of Armaggedon, I needed a little more Ben Affleck in my life.

Hollywoodland tells the mystery surrounding the death of TV Superman George Reeves. Adrien Brody is a private investigator looking into the circumstances surrounding George's death and, with the help of flashbacks, the audience get a feel for George's life, his acting career and his relationships, as well as some ideas as to how he lost his life.

This film is beautifully shot, you really get a sense of 1950's LA, the acting cannot be faulted and the script is sublime. I can see why there has been a lot of love for Hollywoodland. The problem is, I just didn't enjoy it. I could appreciate it, I could see why others loved it, but I just didn't seem to connect with it.

Challenge day: 114
Challenge time: 06 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes
Challenge film total: 84

The fate of the planet is in the hands of a bunch of retards I wouldn't trust with a potato gun.

Date: Saturday 12th January
Film: Armageddon (1998)
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler
Running time: 2 hours, 31 minutes
Rating: 7/10

I'm putting it out there. I love Armageddon.

Yes, it is corny. Yes, it is predictable. Yes, it is a ridiculous concept but, there is something about it that I cannot resist. It might be Ben Affleck in a vest...

I've seen Armageddon more times than is healthy for anyone. I had a friend at school whose parents had the very first DVD player I'd ever seen, they only had three DVDs, one of which was Armageddon. We would all gather at her house after school and watch this at least twice a week. It's one of those films I remember going to see at the cinema, I remember who I was with, I remember roughly where we sat, I remember who cried the hardest (and still mock them for it).

After all those teenage viewings, I've taken a little break from this, I don't remember watching it anytime in the last few years. However on Friday we found ourselves gathered around the TV in the office watching the '20 greatest movie songs' and as soon as that Aerosmith video started up, we were off in our own little world discussing the merits of one of the cheesiest action films in a long time (OK, OK, we mainly discussed Affleck in that vest). 

Saturday night rolls around, I'm flicking through the channels at my parents house, trying to find something to watch and, as if the programming Gods had heard the previous days discussion, BBC Three were showing Armageddon. 

The film seems to be a lot cheesier than I remember, and with a less accomplished cast it could have been a complete disaster, but all told, it's a great piece of escapist cinema. It doesn't expect anything of it's audience and aims to do nothing but entertain, and that it does. In buckets. 

Challenge day: 109
Challenge time: 6 days, 13 hours, 01 minute
Challenge film total: 81

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