"The book is bound in human flesh and inked in human blood."

Honourable Mention: #SherlockHolmesAGameofShadows In Guy Ritchie's harshly underappreciated sleuthy sequel, Robert Downey Jr. (while dressed as Chinese beggar man) is attached by henchmen whistling Mozart's Serenade no. 13. He joins in with the whistlealong & defeats his foe.

"But I "corrected" them sir. And when my wife tried to prevent me from doing my duty, I "corrected" her."

Hero ★★★ I'd never even heard of this #StephenFrears' 1992 dramedy before starting this retrospective. Dustin Hoffman plays a scumbum accidental hero who saves a load of folk from an airplane crash. It's Frears mixing Frank Capra & Preston Sturges together with decent results.

The Top 100 Movie Directors Of All Time (9): 9. Wes Anderson "I don't think any of us are normal people." A modern day filmmaker who appreciates symmetry, tan suit jackets, listening to 1960s Brit Pop on dated audio equipment, and futura font. Top 1000 Movies: The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Bottle Rocket, and Moonrise Kingdom. #MovieDirectors #BestDirectors

The Top 10 Movies featuring Whistling: 10. The Whistlers 9. M 8. To Have and Have Not 7. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 6. The Bridge On The River Kwai 5. The Muppets (2011) 4. The Breakfast Club 3. Life Of Brian 2. Kill Bill Vol. 1 1. Citizen Kane #Whistling #WhistlingMovies

The Out-Laws ★½ "- Yeah, you look like James Bond. - Which one? - Five. - That's a good one." I wonder why Pierce Brosnan agreed to be in this action comedy. Maybe he was desperate to work with the director, #TylerSpindel, who made Father of the Year and The Wrong Missy (two of the worst movies ever made). Or maybe, he read the script by Ben Zazove and Evan Turner (whose previous screenwriting credits include Gnomeo & Juliet 2: Sherlock Gnomes, Tooth Fairy 2, and Dear David), and found it riveting. Or maybe, he jumped at the chance to work with Adam DeVine. Or maybe, he heard the term straight-to-Netflix and thought that's a sign of quality. Or maybe it was the $5 million paycheck. Who knows.

The Grifters ★★★ "He was so crooked he could eat soup with a corkscrew." One of those films that I feel I should love more than I do. Great cast, my kind of genre, produced by Scorsese, slickly made, and yet #StephenFrears' con artists crime thriller is just missing something.

Todd Haynes Movies Ranked (Updated): 10. Carol 9. Poison 8. Wonderstruck 7. Velvet Goldmine 6. Dark Waters 5. Far from Heaven 4. The Velvet Underground 3. May December 2. Safe 1. I'm Not There #ToddHaynes

Dangerous Liaisons ★★★ Hot take time: Cruel Intentions>Dangerous Liaisons Having said that, I actually enjoyed this horny period drama for the first time on this viewing. It flows much better than I remembered. #StephenFrears did a fine job adapting Christopher Hampton's play.

Mr Jolly Lives Next Door ★★½ One of my best mates adores Rik Mayall & his shtick. He used to make me watch Bottom way too often when we were kids. I never got it. This #StephenFrears comedy made for The Comic Strip Presents... is also full of his loud drunken slapstick antics.

May December ★★★ "Insecure people are very dangerous, aren't they? I'm secure. Make sure you put that in there." There's a misconception out there that I harbour dislike towards #ToddHaynes. This is inaccurate. I loved one of his films and found the others to be quite likable. The only exception is his most acclaimed movie, which, unfortunately, didn't quite click with me. His new Netflix drama starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore is another good film. Crafted with subtle and clever scripting, this movie reveals a chilling glimpse into the psyche of a child abuser and the deeply distressing aftermath for the victim. I'm not sure Oscar buzz has begun for Charles Melton, but it should have. He's outstanding as a very tortured soul.

Sammy and Rosie Get Laid ★★★ Two years after My Beautiful Laundrette, #StephenFrears and Kureishi reunited to tell another story about sexual and social turmoil in Thatcherite Britain. Compared to their first collaboration, the political massage is more bluntly hammered home.

John Waters spitting facts.

#PrickUpYourEars' features excellent performances from Gary Oldman (as the brash Joe Orton), Alfred Molina (as the more sensitive Kenneth Halliwell) and Vanessa Redgrave (as Orton's agent, Peggy Ramsay). Supposedly Ian McKellen turned down the Halliwell, a decision he regretted.

"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."

Prick Up Your Ears ★★★ "Have a wank!? It'd be easier to raise the Titanic." #StephenFrears' 1987 LGBT biographical drama is an eerily matter-of-fact & evocative examination of young British playwright Joe Orton who was murdered by his long-time lover Kenneth Halliwell in 1967.

Genie ★½ "WWTCD. What Would Tom Cruise Do?" #SamBoyd's new feature is a Christmas movie starring Melissa McCarthy that went straight to Peacock. Now this might shock you, it's very shite. The weird thing is, I thought this fantasy comedy had the potential to not be shite. It's written by Richard Curtis (the brain behind Four Weddings and Funeral and Notting Hill), and is a remake of the 1991 English TV film Bernard and the Genie, also written by Curtis. Genie is uninteresting, it lacks any sort of innovation, and appears hastily assembled with minimal exertion. And I hated the copout resolution. I'm sure Curtis got a nice pay day out of it, but Bernard and the Genie fans will not be happy with him.

Song of Experience ★★★ Only eighteen people have seen this #StephenFrears movie (made for the BBC's Screen Two series) according to IMDb. It is actually quite good. This 1986 coming-of-age drama is about three young lads who set forth for a day of some lovely trainspotting.

What’s the movie??? (Hint: it was released in the greatest year for cinema)