He don't like strangers peeing on him.

Date: Sunday 10th March
Film: The Paperboy (2013)
Director: Lee Daniels
Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman and John Cusack
Running Time: 01 hour, 47 minutes
Rating: 5/10

Sunday morning, up and out for an advance screening of a film we had been trying to see for a while. I'd read mixed reviews, but the cast was strong and the trailer was enticing, plus the screening was free. Who would turn that down?

When the film finished, I turned to HM and very eloquently asked 'what the hell have we just watched?'. I still don't know the answer to the question.

The Paperboy is not a bad film, the acting is first class, Nicole Kidman exudes sex, Zac Efron is putting his all into the wide-eyed innocent act and John Cusack managed to creep me out within two minutes of being on screen. It is a visually stunning film, every scene seems to have a haziness upon it, reflective of the extreme  heat that is often referred to. There was just something I couldn't quite connect with.

I think the only word I can use to describe The Paperboy is odd. I don't know why, I can't put my finger on it, but the characters seemed too extreme, the storyline seemed to waver into the bizarre and there was just something that unsettled me.

Incredibly well acted, just not my cup of tea.

Challenge day: 166
Challenge time: 10 days, 05 hours, 35 minutes
Challenge film total: 127

You are the husband they never had! You are that dreamboat guy that never came along!

Date: Friday 8th February
Film: Magic Mike (2012)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey and Cody Horn
Running Time: 01 hour, 50 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10

After almost getting stuck in Barnes, The Luce and I finally made it home and planned to follow up Gangster Squad with a little more Gosling. Then The Luce got a glimpse at the post-Christmas updates to my movie collection and, somehow, I was introducing her to Magic Mike.

I know what you're thinking, we are perverts that want to watch Channing Tatum dance around with no pants on. That couldn't be further from the truth. I want to watch Joe Manganiello dance around with no pants on.

The reality of it is this, Magic Mike is much more than a film about strippers. In fact, the dance scenes make me cringe, a lot. The beauty of Magic Mike is in the story, it has a heart. You believe in the characters and their attempts to make a life for themselves.

This film makes fun of itself, it mixes the drama with comedy and ultimately is a thoroughly enjoyable movie. Don't write this off as a stripping film

Challenge day: 136
Challenge time: 08 days, 19 hours, 02 minutes
Challenge film total: 108