What have you watched recently? 3D!

Mangrove / Lovers Rock - I mean, if most of 2020 has been a write-off, at least we get FIVE new Steve McQueen films out of it.

His BBC Small Axe series of films is two for two so far. Mangrove is sort of a much-needed counter-programming to the fairly iffy Trial of the Chicago 7: a courtroom drama that really centres and amplifies the political and social concerns at the centre of it all, without devolving into ludicrous grand-stranding. A smart, engaging piece of work.

But Lovers Rock... wow. A truly special piece of work I'd have loved to see on a big screen. A wonderful celebration of music and the sensuality of a good gaff party. Has this relaxed, good-natured atmosphere to it (although like most parties, interrupted occasionally be someone being an ass) that is built right into the camerwork. There's a few scenes where McQueen just lets the characters sing along to the music for minutes on end - and it's fairly ****ing magnificent. One of the year's best.

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets - from a great party movie to a great bar movie. Without going too much into the intriguing and purist-infuriating back story of this 'documentary' (I'd recommend watching the film first and then reading about it), this is a lively, provocative film about the closing night of a Las Vegas bar and the regulars who come to send the place off. Moments of true affection are plenty, as well as some when drunken tempers flair over the absolute stupidest things. In other words, it's people getting pissed and having a mostly good time. Well worth a look.

The Fugitive - damn this holds up well. Peak no-nonsense 90s action thriller. Clockwork plotting, delightfully committed performances, and just the right amount of iconic / ridiculous set pieces. I mean, they didn't have to make the train crash quite as dramatic as it is, but I'm glad they did.

Hook - To the best of my recollection, this was the first film I was old enough to actually get excited about. I had the Lost Boy toys... I had the VHS... I was all in on Hook. In my defence, I was five.

It's a strange beast to watch now. It's hard to separate scenes like the delightfully multi-coloured food fight from how vivid they seem as a child. Much of the set and art design is gorgeous, and as an adult one it's actually the non-Neverland book-ends that really stand out as being the best examples of what Spielberg was trying to do here. And moments like 'there you are Peter' certainly have that patented Spielberg kick.

But so much of it is maddeningly half-baked. Smee, Tinkerbell and Hook have startlingly little to do - Hoffman may gotten top billing, but he has barely any material to work with. The plot is peculiarly brittle, and full of head-scratching moments (such as the bizarrely ). Even some of the largely impressive set design feels haphazard - the port / pirate ship set feels so much like a mere set that it's distracting.

But hey, the Williams score is good.