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Monster: It was okay. I was familiar with the backstory so it held no surprises. The thing that stopped me really getting into it was the forced downturn of the mouth in Theron’s character. It seemed false throughout. Watch again? No.

blow. I liked Depp in this one (though he was superb as Willy Wonka) and the overall film was good. Similar to Scarface in some ways. What really annoyed me was the last few minutes. We get an imagined meeting with his daughter, we get a line about the fact that he (George Jung) will not be up for release before 2015 and then we get the heart-tugging line that his daughter has never visited him. Who the hell cares? The man was a drug dealer on an epic scale, he ruined countless lives, his actions will have killed many and yet the film-maker wants us to feel sorry for him. It could be taken as just a fact and the daughter’s stance on the actions of her father but in that case it could have been written differently. As it stands it was a film about a really nasty guy and there is selfish sorrow at the end. Who.the.hell.gives.a.damn. Watch again? Possible - I was working at the time.

A Scanner Darkly. Loved it. The film technique was superb, really liked that presentation and the way the film used it. Plot was good and still has me thinking about it and the subplot remains as relevant now as when written. First film I’ve seen with Keanu when I did not think of Bill & Ted. The Downey Jr. character reminded me of Ben Elton many times. Very good film and one to watch - and absorb - again.

And I just today bought “It’s all gone Pete Tong“. I have the right box, the DVD has the right information on but the wrong film has been pressed - I have “Down to the Bone” which might be good - and the lead actress looks attractive and reminds me of someone I would love to see again but probably never will - but it was not the film I wanted. So that goes back tomorrow. In the meantime and because I have work I want to get through, Independence Day is the viewing pleasure. Great film.