Never had a problem getting into Kubrick. In fact, he was sort of a "gateway drug" from pop culture to high culture - I watched 2001 as a sci-fi freak, Dr. Stangelove as a cynical teenager, and Full Metal Jacket during a brief obsession with reading about the Vietnam War. 2001 turned me into a fan on the spot.

"Watch Chinatown, but turn the film off around 10 minutes before the end. Worst ending to an otherwise great film ever."

Catch-22 was one of the first times I went back to something and loved it second time round. In my case, I think it was just the right time for me to experience it. I was into my teens, as well as being cynical, sarcastic and thinking I was much smarter than I actually was (wait, has that much changed?). I'm not sure…

In that case, I may have to retract my point. But the Coens have given him some bizarre send-offs in their films…

The part where the Colonel talks about the various "administrations" of God in the Bible - riveting stuff, and reminded me a little of early Cormac McCarthy. But yeah, that book is a draining, but incredible experience.

It's a great day for everyone who hates Brett Ratner.

The whole of Transformers is Michael Bay pissing over the audience.

"…The first lady of our nation, yes, yes."

Re: movie about movies - It's also got that sequence where McDormand takes her internet suitors to that terrible-looking romantic comedy, where Claire Danes' complete non-sequitur is met by gales and gales of Pavlovian laughter from the audience.

"So he siphoned off the pension fund into a dummy corporation, and — you don't know any other songs, do you?"

I dunno, I'm quite excited about their adaptation of True Grit. I mentioned in the Newswire article that the book hews very close to the Coens' own style: quirky characters and dialogue, black humour intercut with violence, nostalgic perspectives on a vanished past. I do agree that they write plots like no one else,…

A big YES on Dead Man's Shoes. That's a severely tense film, and surprisingly the low-key naturalistic feel adds to the more out-there elements rather than detracting from it.

I love how Buscemi dies in every Coen film he appears in (and the body is always disposed of in an undignified fashion).

My absolute favourite is Miller's Crossing. It's pure perfection, in terms of technical craft, emotional heft, storytelling and acting. Past that, I tend to like their out-and-out comedies more; Raising Arizona, Lebowski, O Brother (first Coen film I ever saw - it works very well as an introduction). Barton Fink is…

I loved Tree Of Smoke
…when I read it earlier this year. It was my introduction to Denis Johnson, and I kind of had him pegged as a writer of big "important" state-of-the-nation-type books. So it's good to know he can do something a bit lighter in tone. Plus, I'm a real sucker for comic crime novels, so I'll…

You're never too young to enjoy a fingering from Julia Roberts.

I liked his response to the first question. Just seemd a very straightforward answer on working without much information, where some actors would waffle about their character's "journey" or whatever.

"Hail to the dude, baby."

Needs more Steve Heisler rage.

Yeah OrangeCrush, I always saw it as a character study with added weirdness, not a super-profound MINDBLOWAH. The best bits are focused on Donnie's alienation as a teenager and from the whole 80s suburban mileu. Maybe it's one of those things you have to catch at the right time - I saw it before starting uni, liked…