Timstar

first one is great so far! whizzing through it

Started reading Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman. His Dark Materials was in the top 5 of a lot of 'best books' guides, including the Guardian 100.

Is it any good? on my Lovefilm list to be watched.

Absolutely LOVE that film, very under-rated. As is Firefly and Dollhouse... I think the avengers will put Whedon into the hollywood spotlight a bit more and hopefully more people will see his previous stuff.

Started reading Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman, quite good so far!

Sad to say I know this but that is Whitney Houston... you want "My heart will go oooooooonnnnnn"

Yeah it good, very weird but good. It is also unusual in that the TV series came first, also written by Gaiman, but the budget wasn't high enough to meet his creative demands so he wrote the book. TV series is good, book is better.

eBay is a dangerous website! Just bought: Belgariad series by David Eddings Malloreon series by David Eddings Heritage of Shannara series by Terry Brooks Banned and the Banished series by James Clemens. Wondering if anyone has read any of these and can hopefully tell me how good they are! (I know the original Shannara triology comes before heritage, It is in my TBR pile.)

Wanna add Braveheart to the list, so awful. Another typical Mel Gibson tripe. Disparaging one race/culture whilst making the others look like nothing less then heroes at every possible turn. Worse still is The Patriot, but not as over-rated.

My history on the subject isn't perfect, but I'm aware of the atrocities committed by both sides. The film did well to portray a couple of these. But it still left the viewer completed disconnected from the characters. You don't know which side to route for, or what happens to the characters at the start of the film. It portrays practically nothing of his hunger strike. It has long slow shots which are completely meaningless, like a guy mopping the floor for about 5 mins!!

Yes!!! so over rated! can't believe how well it did in the oscars.

I've being wanting to read this, as well as this other novel Horns.

No one likes the hand held films then! I didn't mind these two, but I would have to agree that they are overrated Yeah I never got Blade Runner... might have been too young to appreciate it fully. Stupid number of editions for it as well.

It's back on! Not the best start after the amazing ending to the mid-season! Thought it would get a lot more dynamic...

Yeah I finished it all. Did enjoy thoroughly. A great concept, it worried me that the dead could have so much power. Really enjoyed the ending. The next series will be set in New York. Looking forward to it!

For me a main contester has to Hunger. Set in Ireland in 1981, it follows a prison in which ultimately Michael Fassbender goes on a hunger strike in opposition to British rule. I am very open to films, and a big fan of Fassbender. I do love artistic films of all sorts. This film was critically praised and everyone who had seen it told me how brilliant it was.... I just don't understand. It is truly awful. Without giving to much away...First of all it follows two inmates (not Fassbender's character) there is not explanation who they or what they did, doesn't explain there motives or believes. Just shows them in their daily prison lives (which is grim) for about half the film then just leaves them. Don't know what happens to them or anything. They don't go on hunger strikes or show up again in the film. It then moves on to Fassbender's character in Prison (again no previous connection to the other two, or anything about his life pre-prison.) It has one good scene, about 15 minutes of un-cut dialogue between Fassbender and a Priest, where he explains what he wants to do. I won't explain anymore, but basically the hunger strike is completely underwhelming. Ultimately you feel nothing for the characters or their cause. This was directors Steve McQueen's debut film, it had so much potential and I was so disappointed. His new film, Shame, has also been praised in the same way, I will give it a chance but certainly won't pay to see it.

I was wondering what people think are the most over-rated films they have ever seen? Films that are popular and praised, win awards and make loads of money... but you just can't understand why! Good chance of making some people angry! but feel free to express your views.

Can't believe Jonah Hill got a nomination...don't think he has a chance against the veteran (and good) actors like Christopher Plummer, Nick Nolte and Kenneth Brannagh. Still need to see the Artist, think I will wait for it on DVD and get it through LoveFIlm... feel a bit ripped off paying full price at the cinema for it. Gary Oldman is my favourite actor so I would love to see him win, did enjoy him in Tinker, Tailor. But considering I haven't seen the others I can say he deserves it or not. Still can't believe Pixar didn't get any nominations... esp when Kung Foo panda 2 did....

A bigger version of my profile pic. This is me and my future wife at Bondi Beach last August!

I have used LoveFilm for about a year now, think it is great, so much free stuff for streaming. But due to the quality lack you get with it I also get loads of Blu-Rays through the post.

I watched Melancholia the other night: a strange film about a planet that is about to collide with earth but centred around a family in a secluded mansion. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard and John Hurt. It is directed by Lars von Trier, responsible for Antichrist (2009) which if you saw then you can anticipate the sort of film this will be. It is very slow, and can be very difficult to appreciate in some places and I think most people won't. It is a very interesting concept and will certainly boggle the mind, I think it is worth a go, but at 130 mins it is no light watch. The characters are difficult to like and associate with, but it is nice to see an apocalyptic genre in a non-Hollywood form. Overall I would give it 3/5

Don't worry, most of it goes over my head as well :S

Finished Leonardo: The First Scientist a great read, very interesting and filled with pictures of his paintings, inventions and ideas. Just orderedDarwin: a life in science and The science of the X-files also by Michael White.

Started reading 1922, the first novella of Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. Good so far, some very vivid and graphic descriptions.

saw the series when I was young then read the books when I was about 11, I did like them but I think I was too young to appreciate them fully. I have been meaning to re-read them for a while but with so many books that I have never read before then they just get pushed back . I remember seeing the film at the cinema, it was a good laugh but doesn't measure up to the TV series. Alan Rickman and Sam Rockwell are great as usual but didn't think much of Martin Freeman or Mos Def who managed to ruin all of Ford's lines by muttering them under his breath. I remember meeting the original TV series cast about 5 years ago which was fantastic! Still haven't listened to the radio series all the way through... being trying to get hold of it for a while now.