Sinister sees true crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), wife Tracy (Juliet Rylance) and their children Ashley and Trevor move into the house of a murdered family, whilst he investigates the circumstances of their brutal demise, hoping to craft a bestseller.

Once he finds a box in the attic containing a projector and several reels of harrowing Super 8 footage, things take a turn for the tense and grisly. He becomes obsessed with the creepy films and increasingly ignorant to his family’s concerns, and when a certain Mr. Boogie starts making his unnerving presence known, the film sprints towards a terrifying climax.

It’s completely possible that the filmmakers of Sinister were trying to brainstorm a title, then reviewed their terrifying ‘family hanging’ home movie created for the first two minutes, and came up with just about the single-most apt word available in the English language.

Sinister is exactly that; an evil, malevolent encapsulation of horror and fear. However, don’t be concerned that this falls into the ‘torture porn’ category ruled and regulated by the Saw movies. There is in fact very little in the way of gore, and far more of an intense psychological edge, with some truly frightening images given an original spin through that grainy footage.The devastating primary antagonist is a real highlight too, managing to somehow stir up that chasm of unease you could feel as a child when you were unsettled by some single grim image from a nightmare. He is nasty, and whilst so many horror films fall down once you actually see the source of all the running, screaming and shouting, in this case the design of the evil blighter contributes even further to the film’s successful attempts to scare the bejesus out of people.

He is almost like a grungy grim reaper, a modern take on the classically gothic vision, and the absence or vagueness of specific facial features, even up close, delivers those truly intense spine-tingling chills that are gold dust for the jumpy horror movie.

In terms of story, you get more here than your average fright-fest, which is a bonus seeing as the film already delivers on the scares in far more impressive fashion than the numerous pretenders. You won’t get a weaving web of a tale, and don’t expect one, but solid performances, led by Ethan Hawke on fine form and out of his element, as well as slick, pacy direction and wonderful editing, all brilliantly complement the relentless tension and stunning scares, making Sinister a totally top-drawer horror movie.

DVDRental Rating 9/10

Workers in the area are limited in the amount of time the can stay because of the radiation levels, and there is a 19-mile exclusion zone with almost no inhabitants.

Chernobyl Diaries tells the somewhat unlikely story of several holidaymakers who actually want to take a day trip inside the exclusion zone to Prypiat, a deserted town not far from the disaster site.

Chris and his girlfriend Natalie, along with their friend Amanda, are moving through Europe as so many horror movie protagonists choose to do, and they meet up with Chris’ fun-loving care-free and plentifully irritating brother Paul, who lives in Kiev. This genius is the one who suggests an ‘extreme tour’ with local guide and generally large man, Yuri. They take little convincing, and set off with another couple joining them In Yuri’s rickety van which, incidentally, inspires about as much confidence as the sight of a mushroom cloud on the horizon.

We get plenty of shaky-cam treatment, in an attempt to give the whole thing a documentary-style authentic feel, and once they discover a mutated fish you can pretty much guess where it’s going.

The plot is extremely thin, like a brutally starved wafer, so let’s just say they find themselves stuck there and from that point it all gets a bit nasty.

There isn’t really that much terribly wrong with Chernobyl Diaries, when you look at it against other horror yarn driven entirely by shocks and a semi-inventive premise. There are some good jumps, and whilst it was not filmed in Prypiat for obvious reasons, the alternate setting used is convincingly desolate and genuinely creepy. Aside from a stick-thin plot, the main issue would be the characters; they are instantly forgettable and difficult to root for, since they are so mind-bendingly stupid.

At each grim demise you find yourself unmoved, but the fluid flow of the movie, chilling imagery and authentic setting do allow for Chernobyl Diaries to remain watchable and sporadically entertaining.

DVD Rental Rating: 6/10

As a huge Tarantino fan (who isn’t?), Drew was always going to give linear, fluid storytelling a miss in favour of something more staggered and challenging. It’s a tricky feat; if it goes well then you feast with Pulp Fiction at the table of tasty treats, but if it goes badly then you eat from the bin with John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars.

Somewhat predictably, Drew has opted to tell an interweaving story based on the streets of London, specifically Forest Gate, where he grew up. iLL Manors examines the mindsets, morality and actions of several different characters, with plenty of grit and intensity, manifesting in both mental and physical form.

This might already sound a little similar to other Brit efforts such as Bullet Boy, Kidulthood and the sequel Adulthood, which featured Drew as a supporting actor, but there are plenty of issues to tackle and stories to tell on the streets and estates of London.
During the course of iLL Manors, we meet Kirby (Keith Coggins), a middle-aged drug dealer fresh from a prison term, and his former protégé Chris (Lee Allen), who now runs things around town, clearly possessing the intimidating physique to do so. The two are no longer allies, which has more than a little to do with Kirby’s treatment of Chris at a younger age.

Meanwhile, Ed (Ed Skrein), a drug dealer with a spiky temperament, and his friend Aaron (Riz Ahmed) are in search of the former’s phone, which seems to have been stolen by prostitute and crack-fanatic Michelle (Anouska Mond). As they hunt her down, it becomes clear that she will have to find another particularly grim and harrowing way to replace the cost of the phone, which she denies ever stealing in the first place.

On top of this we have Katya (Natalie Press), a new mother on the run from Russian mobsters who have been using her in a sickening sex trafficking scheme, whilst early teen Jake (Ryan De La Cruz) finds himself accepted into a violent gang, led by a criminal looking to test his young recruit’s immediate loyalty with a brutal task.

It all sounds fairly grisly and downbeat, which is accurate, but it doesn’t feel like Drew is just trying to make a disturbing movie to pass the time, make some cash and stun a few people. This is a snapshot of a difficult and disturbing way of life, where drug addiction, street respect and money are the driving forces of life.

These problems are not exclusive to Forest Gate, or even London, and Drew isn’t trying to imply that his childhood home has it tougher, but the capital’s capacity to contain sprawling, complex underworld relationships makes it an ideal setting for a nonlinear crime drama. Drew is working with what he knows here, and whilst some may argue that there is some caricaturing present here, others would disagree. There is nothing going on here that tests reality; a lot of the struggles, connections and tribulations which drive this story are not fictitious by any means. Yes, it is convenient how the stories find a way of meeting up, but this is a redundant criticism. Coincidences do exist, and using them for the purposes of narrative, providing they don’t stretch belief and remain sparse, is a perfectly fair use of artistic licence.

One of the things that sets iLL Manors aside from similar crime dramas is Drew’s partial foray into the world of the musical. He narrates the story, for the most part, using rap, and it works well as an original storytelling device. It also provided material for an album, which subsequently gave Drew his second UK number one.

Drew’s directorial style and imaginative use of camerawork show great promise, and obvious talent. A lot of work has been put into the film’s editing and aesthetic, with a mix of quick-cut segments complimented by more lingering sequences, and some interesting ideas spliced in which highlight Drew’s love for the quirky filmmaker. His directing is not exactly subtle, and some parts don’t work as well as probably planned, but for a debut behind the camera, this is very impressive stuff. He has inexperience of course, and this is by no means a perfect movie, but it a stunning debut effort. You have to wonder what other kinds of stories, genres and film styles he could really lend his hand to, but for now his immediate work demands acclaim.

Enough about Drew; the cast put in an excellent shift, with many genuinely showing up the ‘talent’ in movies and TV both sides of the pond. Perhaps no one is being asked to drift too far from something they know, but that doesn’t make line delivery, emotion and expression easy – they still have to make the audience believe there is no script, no cameras and that this story, and the world you see on-screen, is real.

This is a compelling, riveting drama, which highlights issues many will probably refuse to accept as genuine, and whilst highlighting provides no direct solution, this film will be watched by and connect with many. iLL Manors does not glorify violence, in fact it clearly abhors it, and with this message being delivered by someone who is no doubt a role model, surely the film can have a strong and positive effect on those battling with moral ambivalence.

The style, and rap-driven narrative, will not work for everyone, but equally there are plenty who would struggle through Calamity Jane, so it’s just a case of taste. Ben Drew has shown he has the chops to handle a film, as well as act in one, and he can even provide the soundtrack. There are inevitable question marks over versatility, both as an actor and director, but bear in mind this is a rapper who went on to release a smash-hit soul album.

DVD Rental rating 8.5/10

The grand plan of having Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk springboard from their own movies into a single all-out action fest, with scope to continue their own stories afterwards, has come to fruition, with the big green guy’s recasting proving the only real continuity blip.

Downey Jr.’s wise-cracking, arrogant but hugely likeable Tony Stark has made for a great Iron Man, even if the second movie was a little weak. Chris Hemsworth has also proved a genius piece of casting for Thor, blending brash with stoic to give viewers a hugely watchable embodiment of the mythological god, and the film was a fast, fun affair.

Chris Evans as Captain America is certainly better than the film itself, as the second half struggles to deliver on a promising start. Evans does a great job of merging the all-American action hero with a man driven purely by his morals, so he looked a smart choice for the role.  It was just a shame that the film came loose.

Edward Norton was entrusted with the role of Bruce Banner. The Incredible Hulk was itself a reboot after the dullard, lifeless effort Hulk from Ang Lee, and whilst Norton’s movie was a stark improvement, Marvel obviously felt he didn’t fit going forward, and recast him with Mark Ruffalo. Rumours suggest it was actually about money, but surely, in Hollywood, the land of charity and low wages, this cannot be true.

So, with all this in mind, it was never guaranteed that Avenger’s Assemble would be a success, even if geek-extraordinaire, script-doctor and doting lover of comics Joss Whedon was at the helm.  It’s a tough, daunting job; he has to bring various stories together without forcing it, stay within range of other directors’ choices for characters and style, learn from each prior movie’s mistakes and keep everything moving along comfortably without jeopardising the integrity of the film.

Whedon’s Avengers Assemble begins as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is working with Erik Selvig (good guy scientist from Thor) to study the Tesseract, a powerful cube discovered during the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, and rediscovered later on by Howard Stark, Iron Man’s daddy.

Loki, Thor’s homicidal, power-mad lunatic of an adopted brother, finds the lab and steals the Tesseract, whilst also turning Selvig and Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye into loyal slaves. Loki plans to use the Tesseract as a makeweight in a deal to bring an alien army to earth, which will help him destroy things.

Nick Fury realises that seeing as how the Tesseract holds the key to unlimited power and stuff, it’s probably a good time to get the horribly mismatched Avengers together and see if, as a team, they can save the world.  And stuff.

Bearing in mind that two of them are painfully arrogant, one of them spent several years as an ice cube, another has uncontrollable green beast syndrome, and one of the arrogant ones is living life as a god in another plane of existence, it does not bode well.

Cue several insane action sequences, including a breathtaking collection of insane events taking place in the sky, and some great fights between members of The Avengers. The idea of putting these main characters, all of whom have carried whole movies, together in one film is frankly ludicrous, but it works and it is a great watch.

It should be crowded, but Whedon has found a great balance where the story switches around smoothly and everyone has their chance to impact on the movie. The real treat is Mark Ruffalo as Banner; his character’s calm and overall reluctance gradually make way as he edges unnervingly towards the inevitable. This works very well, threaded through the film’s first half, and the CGI Hulk has been used to spectacular effect. One moment between the ‘other guy’ and Loki is priceless.

All the returning characters have simply honed their performances, and the careful integration of multiple storylines has paid off to provide a grand scale fitting for these much-loved superheroes. There are plenty of laughs, a touch of tragedy, sparkling dialogue, countless explosions, arguments, in-fighting, out-fighting and Scarlett Johansson’s own brand of counter-interrogation. It’s awesome.

Whedon’s epic, fluid direction leaves us with a colourful, fun, frantic and consistently satisfying comic book adaptation. The story may be a little thin, as essentially it boils down to a guy stealing something and some other guys trying to get it back, but it is a perfect way to bring these characters together. We expect action, and we get it, but we also want great, eye-catching performances throughout an enjoyable, free-flowing story which breathlessly entertains, and we get that in spades.

The next phase of Marvel’s master plan sees Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World hit cinemas in 2013, followed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier and new comic adaptation Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014.

Then The Avengers will be together again in a 2015 sequel, wisely placed back in the hands of Whedon. It is going to make a lot of money.

DVD Rental Rating 9/10

In a post-apocalyptic North America, one boy and girl from each of the outer regions of a rich city are drawn to fight each other until only one remains, in a gladiator-style arena bloodbath ruckus. Once drawn from this annual lottery of death, the children and teenagers take part in glitzy ceremonies, presentations and training as a prelude to the ultimate death match, which is watched with glee by the rich city-dwellers.

Bow and arrow enthusiast Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) lives with her mother and sister in region 12, and when her sister is drawn to take part in the Hunger Games she volunteers to take her place. She not only has to leave her family, but also her best friend Gale (played by Liam Hemsworth, Thor’s younger brother).

The plus point is that she’s actually pretty good at hunting things with legs.

She is joined by fellow district 12 teen Peeta, who happens to be in love with her, and whilst she is more likely to win, he is better at understanding the game. He knows that you need the audience to like you, and, more importantly, the sponsors, who will send supplies into the arena for fighters they like.

Lawrence is excellent in her role, convincing as a responsible, strong-willed teen who needs to learn how to please the crowd, and Harrelson’s massive drunkard trainer is a good watch. The ageless Elizabeth Banks is brilliantly cast as the visually baffling chaperone Effie Trinket; she is underused but great fun and a vibrant presence. Stanley Tucci’s TV presenter is another inspired piece of casting, and in general the performances are all very impressive.

However, whilst The Hunger Games deserves credit for its cast, it is also far too long and overhyped. There is little in the way of innovative storytelling or technical work, and the director’s attempts to stick in some shaky-cam to convey tension, or confusion, or whatever he was going for, come off as just expensive-looking amateur video. This is an action story aimed at teens, and there is no shame in that so there is no need to pretend it’s anything else.

Essentially, this is a Twilight-ised version of The Running Man, and those saying “ooh, how clever, a reality show where the audience watches people fight to the death” have probably missed the eight million films in existence which already do the same thing.

Meanwhile, those who think this is a complex tale steeped in sweeping, courageous attempts to strike at the heart of relevant themes and challenge conventional storytelling are in need of a good doctor.

Presenting themes is not the same as tackling them, and, in this context, The Hunger Games is really no different to Ian Brown’s ‘protest’ song which actually just consisted of him mumbling the names of Middle Eastern countries and regions he found on a map whilst chewing his own toes. Seriously, he changes Palestine to Palestan, in order to make it rhyme with Afghanistan. Sigh.

We digress; claiming the film is a landmark in feminist action cinema, as many have done, is like saying Deep Blue Sea was the first ever shark movie. The film is no more a staunch statement about feminism, religion and politics than The Little Mermaid.

The Hunger Games is a teen action flick that is mostly very entertaining, if mostly very predictable.

We will see the following novel, Catching Fire, adapted, before the final book, Mockingjay, is unsurprisingly turned into two films. The justification for the latter probably relates to some pressing world issue, and is not just a transparent attempt to double a $600 million profit from a single story.

DVD Rental Rating: 7/10

He has made great moves in his career, choosing roles that offer a genuine challenge and real test of talent. His decision to take on the role of Curtis LaForche in Jeff Nichols’ modestly-budgeted Take Shelter proved another masterstroke.

Set in Ohio, Take Shelter sees local family man LaForche develop an increasingly disturbing paranoia regarding storms. The intensity of his apocalyptic dreams begin to cause a rift in his family, and he starts focusing all his efforts on building an über-bomb shelter outside their home.

The fact that his mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at his present age does not bode well, and as family, friends and employer all raise concerns regarding his peculiar behaviour, his dream drive his actions, and he stands firm on his belief that a storm of biblical proportions is heading their way.

Michael Shannon is at his compelling best, slowly descending into madness as his sleepy town discards his warnings and questions his behaviour. The possibility of a real storm being on the way in toyed with, and the ending should have you pretty stunned to say the least.

Whilst almost every scene features the subtle brilliance of Shannon, a lot should be said about the supporting cast. Shea Whigham is great in his minor role as LaForche’s work colleague who tries to support him but ends up getting the brunt of his friend’s irrational behaviour. Jessica Chastain is also excellent as LaForche’s wife, and her dedication to her husband, even as he appears to be losing his grip on reality, adds key emotional grounding that he desperately needs.

It is low budget, by Hollywood’s standards, but there are some beautiful effects, and the sweeping landscape of Ohio works perfectly for some of those terrifying images lurking in LaForche’s mind.

Take Shelter is one of those films that got very little publicity, a limited theatrical release and almost no advertising budget, but, as more people see it, the film will get the public recognition it deserves.

Storming performances all round, with an intriguing twist towards the end.

9/10

Blinkbox removes the subscription element, and you don’t receive movies by post. You can watch straight away online, and the titles available include both brand new releases and popular films from a variety of genres.

Blockbuster is known for its exclusives, whilst LoveFilm has an enviable library that is hard to match, but Blinkbox is an upfront, clear and simple service which makes it easy to get films instantly.

You can watch with Blinkbox online via laptop, PC or whatever takes your fancy that will do the job. You can also watch through certain Smart TVs using the Blinkbox app. Either way you do need a good broadband connection or you can pretty much forget the instant watch option.

If you’re stuck with ‘up to 14Mb’ broadband, and your realistic speeds are around 5-7Mb, then you can probably forget it. However, if you have fibre-optic broadband with speeds of at least 25-30Mbps then you should enjoy smooth, buffer-free viewing.

We watched The Woman In Black on a Samsung Smart TV, and the Blinkbox user process was pretty simple and fluid, just requiring user email address and password to login. The film, in case you were wondering, is as good as it gets for pure jumpy shocks. Daniel Radcliffe is convincingly spooked by the freaky occurrences, and having the antagonist’s scary face pop up regularly never gets less terrifying. The story is thin, but you aren’t watching it for storyline, and too many horror haunting films stumble when they try to pack in explanation and exposition.

We were impressed with Blinkbox here; it was very user-friendly, easy to search and with a good broadband connection you don’t have to worry about interruptions whilst the film tries to load and play at the same time.

When viewing online via laptop, the process remains simple, and this is probably the key selling point for this service. If all you want is to watch films or TV on demand without a subscription or commitment, then Blinkbox comes highly recommended.

His starring vehicles include the vastly underrated A-Team, as well as the excellent Michael Collins, superior thriller Taken and Kinsey, which saw him showered with well-deserved awards and nominations.

As for his smaller parts in films like Batman Begins and Gangs of New York, he serves to add some extra quality which heightens the overall excellence of the finished product.

In survival-thriller The Grey, Neeson plays John Ottway, a man hired by an oil firm to eliminate the threat of wolves to their drilling team in Alaska. We are introduced to him as he considers suicide, writing in quite poetic fashion to his wife to inform her of his general state of mind. He comes pretty close to blowing his head off, but in a nick of time he is needed to do his wolf-culling thing.

Once work is completed, Ottway and the drilling team hop on a flight, but the plane decides to take a short detour downwards, and crashes horribly leaving a handful of survivors.

As if a lack of food or drink, no real shelter, unlikely rescue, several corpses and a relentless blizzard weren’t enough to create a truly grim and challenging situation, a pack of savage wolves decide they don’t like their new neighbours, and begin picking off survivors at will.

Of course, Neeson’s Ottway, the man originally so close to suicide, takes it upon himself to try and guide the men through their predicament, making good use of his extensive wolf knowledge to try and fend off their would-be killers.

Neeson is excellent, embodying the struggle that is buried within a natural survivor who has considered taking his own life. His unflinching morals, impressive instincts and sheer will to fight make for a fascinating character, and help The Grey to become a triumph beyond other similarly-themed survival movies which fail to offer anything genuinely involving.

The clever combination of vast open space with the claustrophobic, enclosed atmosphere between the men is another aspect of The Grey which works well. Their surrounding landscape is so huge, but they can see so little due to the brutal weather, and whilst the men would otherwise be able to just leave the wolves’ territory, they don’t have a lot of options regarding where to go, and one survivor starts to get a little twitchy.

It is taut and tense, and very well shot, aided greatly by the foundation that is Neeson’s stellar performance.

Perhaps the other survivors lack a little in characterisation, as a few seem somewhat interchangeable, but it really is about Ottway and his ability to drive others forward and endure relentless adversity.

The ending is also slightly lacking, simply because it seems lazy, but overall director Joe Carnahan has come up with another impressive collaboration with Neeson and producer Ridley Scott, after their admirable and enjoyable movie version of The A-Team.

The Grey is great; watch it, if only to remind yourself why Liam Neeson should be in everything.

DVDRental Rating: 8.5/10

The novels received Swedish-language remakes, and the first was particularly well received. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a fast-paced, thrilling and captivating piece of cinema, driven by Noomi Rapace (seen recently in Prometheus and Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows), who put in a stonking performance as Lisbeth.

In the first entry, Michael Blomqvist, the editor of Millennium magazine, is hired to find out what happened to a wealthy man’s grandniece some 40 years previous. Blomqvist, in turn, finds the legendary hacker Lisbeth, and convinces her to help him. She is under legal guardianship and has to report back regularly to a man who is basically hideous scum. As she copes with this grotty fellow, she also manages to unearth some fairly horrendous information which will help Michael in his quest for the truth.

Some scenes in the original made for uncomfortable viewing, but it was all there as a key part of Lisbeth’s motivation; the way she acts, with a cold, calculated and distant demeanour, as well as her attitudes towards sex and violence, were justified by story elements which occurred both on and off-screen. It was at times torturous to watch, but at the same time you really rooted for Lisbeth, and Rapace deserved all the acclaim she received and more.

So, with this film being awesome but in Swedish, those marvellous chaps at Colombia Pictures started the process of doing an English-language version. From this point onwards, scepticism shall be rife.

Any fan of the original movie will assume the real reason for the remake is to make cash by pandering to those too lazy to read subtitles. What other reason is there to remake it? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not old, and so not outdated, and the third and final entry from the original Swedish-language movie trilogy had barely made the DVD shelves before this remake of the first hit the cinema.

Having recruited outstanding Brit director David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en), a man who quite clearly chooses his films carefully and cares about his craft, Colombia also brought on board Daniel Craig to play the newspaper editor Michael Blomkvist, whilst choosing promising talent Rooney Mara for the lead role of Lisbeth.

All very wise and encouraging moves, but it still doesn’t justify making the movie again. Something else needs to be brought to the table, other than having some other people play the same roles under a well-known director.

Fincher’s direction is sharp and fluid, and the crisp visual quality makes the film look more expensive and glossy than the original. This, of course, doesn’t necessarily make it better.

Mara is excellent as Lisbeth, but so was Noomi Rapace. Claims that Mara brings something different are not really accurate though; she is playing the same character as Rapace did, with the same character traits, and Lisbeth is a very specific character. She is troubled, intense, closed, tough and discontent, and both actresses portray this with genuine skill, but they are very similar for very obvious reasons, and thus the performances are close. Both outstanding, but still close.

Craig is typically dry, and in some ways not too far removed from his gloomy Bond. But Craig, who has received plaudits for his work in this film, is one of the glaring reasons that this version of the story is overrated. He sports the Queen’s English, whilst the rest of the cast put on convincing Swedish accents.

What has happened here? It is set in Sweden, and all the characters maintain their Swedish heritage from the original story, so if we are going to make things easier for subtitle-wary viewers, and go with Swedish accents to convey people from Sweden in Sweden, then there is no excuse for relieving one single central character of that trait. Craig obviously can’t do a Swedish accent, so they let him off. This makes no sense and roots the film in a realm of unreality. On top of this, rewarding Craig for his work becomes simply laughable.

This might seem minor, but it really isn’t. The mere fact the film has been made is questionable, but to then go with this bizarre Swedish accent malarkey, but letting Craig duck out of it, takes yet more authenticity away from the work.

The film is a fine piece of work in truth; it looks great, the story retains its intensity, and the actress portraying Lisbeth is, once again, startling brilliant, but the whole thing is just a rehash of a brilliant piece of cinema in an unfamiliar language.

But it made bucket loads of cash. Enough said.

If you want to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, watch the original.  It is exceptional.

DVDRental Rating: 6.5/10

If you are interested in the original, check out our review of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from July 2010.

We expected some people would dodge the obvious and somewhat clichéd classics, like Citizen Kane, Lawrence of Arabia and, of course, Piranha 3D. We didn’t expect such a great mix of movies, with horror, comedy, action and romance all getting a look-in.

Yes, the big winner is perhaps expected, but there are some surprises in there, and we think it shows the continued diversity of both modern cinema and the UK’s own film fanatics.

So without further rambling, here is the list, counting down from 10.

10. Blade Runner

Ridley Scott’s revolutionary sci-fi smash-hit, based on Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, saw Harrison Ford’s Deckard chase down replicants in a dystopian future. Rutger Hauer gave Han Solo a sound hiding, and Sean Young was great as reluctant replicant Rachael.

9. Alien

Ridley again, and with his success rate for sci-fi it seems guaranteed that upcoming Alien prequel-of-sorts Prometheus should be a classic. This 1979 game-changer is often credited with revolutionising the heroine character, as well as introducing the surprise-shock ending which has become a stalwart in horror. And who could forget that famous chest-burster scene? Grim.

8. The Goonies

The Goonies, helmed by Superman and Lethal Weapon director Richard Donner, featured a young Samwise Gamgee (also known as Sean Astin) and friends trying to find the lost fortune of One-Eyed Willie. You wouldn’t need three guesses to work out that Spielberg is heavily involved behind the scenes in this charming family adventure.

7. The Notebook

This surprise entry doesn’t so much tug at the heartstrings, as yank at them incessantly whilst showing you pictures of kittens. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams do the unrequited, forbidden love thing, then mum gets angry, then the two separate for years only to stumble upon each other, both faced with a great decision to make. But who is telling the story?

6. Crash (2004)

Not to be mistaken with Cronenberg’s mid-nineties gag reflex test of the same name, Crash is an inventive, compelling and beautifully crafted examination of racial prejudices, told through several intertwining stories set in Los Angeles. It really is a modern classic; funny, gripping, engaging, unpredictable and original, Paul Haggis’ movies is simply a must-see, with stellar performances from the likes of Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillippe and Thandie Newton.

5. The Godfather

The only shock here is that this movie isn’t closer to first place. Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and James Caan deliver performances to match the epic nature of arguably the best gangster movie of all time (although many believe The Godfather Part II is in fact the superior effort). Pacino’s Michael Corleone reluctantly accepts the task of heading up ‘the family’, following an attempt on dear old dad’s life, and what follows is an incredible story where love, loyalty and violence clash relentlessly. Look out for those oranges.

4. Dirty Dancing

Perhaps as much to do with the soundtrack as the actual film, Dirty Dancing performs very well on our list, and this 80s’ favourite set in the 60s captured that coming-of-age in the summertime feeling. Jennifer Grey stars as sheltered teenager Baby, who takes more than a shine to Patrick Swayze’s amusingly-named Johnny Castle. Needless to say, they do a lot of dirty dancing.

3. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

James Cameron proves, without question, that you can make a sequel that surpasses the original. The Terminator, which saw a cyborg sent back through time to kill the mother of the leader of the human race, was a lively, entertaining brutal slab of action, but Terminator 2 was a whole new breed of movie.

Packed with great lines, groundbreaking effects, stunning action and a brilliantly contrasting hero and villain double act with ultra-butch Arnie against Robert Patrick’s streamlined, shape-shifting T-1000, this film was a belting smash-hit worldwide. The drama was intense, the visual were immense, the one-liners offered great relief and the climax at the lead works was pure popcorn perfection. Absolute class.

2. Forrest Gump

Released to worldwide acclaim in 1994, this award magnet saw Tom Hanks play the eponymous character, a well-meaning, kind-hearted man with below average intelligence whose life has taken him through the heart of an incredible array of famous events. His own compelling personal story is intertwined along the way, as he meets and falls in love with Jenny, cares for his dying mother, meets his son and runs a very, very, very long way. For three years. Random.

1. The Shawshank Redemption

No one can deny this epic story’s claim for top-spot. Stephen King’s short story tells of a man, Andy Dufresne, wrongly accused of his wife’s murder, put away for life, who discovers his skill with numbers can make him a few useful friends on the inside. Andy, portrayed with perfect balance by Tim Robbins, contends with so much; the sickening, violent advances of the Sisters, as well as brutal treatment from the warden and his screws, not to mention the maddening tedium of prison and the bitter taste of his wrongful imprisonment.

Andy is able to survive and even thrive at times, thanks to his trust in hope, close friendship with Red, played by the ever-awesome Morgan Freeman, a little help from a big poster. A stunning score, riveting performances, fluid direction and a breathtaking story all make for possibly the greatest film of all time. Our readers certainly think so.