Status Updates From The Good, The Bad and The M...

A re-thread of the BBC5 material and lacks the autobiographical thread of the previous novel. That said still a fascinating read for all cine-philes.

It would be more convincing if a) it had something a bit more nuanced or intelligent to say (it's merely erudite); b) the bloke could write for toffee. Comes off like a loud ranty blog. God knows how this bloke gets to be on telly.

Japanese horror: 'A Tale of Poenies and Lanterns'; Kwaidan; Kenji Mizoguchi's 'Ugetsu monogatari'; 'Tokaidi Yotsuya kaidan'

'Dark Water' Nakata: Japanese original

Ringu. Japanese.

'Let the Right One In' Tomas Alfredson

'Of Gods and Men' Xavier Beauvois

The Wind That Shakes The Barley: Ken Loach/ Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher.

Another film to watch: United 93 by Paul Greengrass

70s sci-fi tear-jerker 'Silent Running'- Douglas Trumbull

I'm going to be making a list of films to watch as a result of reading this (and can instantly see the benefit of reading this electronically and simply highlighting the text rather than doing this. Hey ho.) Films to watch: Dead Man by Jim Jarmusch - Johnny Depp In Our Name- Brian Welsh On Tour- Mathieu Amalric Route Irish- Ken Loach - Iraq War

After the emotional trauma of reading 'The Island', it's wonderful to be laughing out loud at the words on the page.I love listening to Kermode and Mayo's Film reviews on BBC radio5, and this book is more of the same sardonic meanderings around the theme of the cinema industry.