Positive Movie Reviews ( lizardking )
Fight Club, David Fincher
" A pacey, visually stunning adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's anarchic, ground-breaking novel, focused through the quirky lens of David Fincher's direction. "
The Prestige, Christopher Nolan
" Intriguing mixture of revenge drama and fantasy. Two rival magicians battle for supremacy in Victorian England. Jackman on top form. "
Grosse Pointe Blank, George Armitage
" A droll script alongside a fine performance from John Cusack as the hitman who reluctantly attends his high-school reunion. Amazing soundtrack! "
Trust, Hal Hartley
" Dark and unsentimental romantic comedy that charts the relationship between Maria and Matthew who both, rather than love, seek trust. "
Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan
" Brilliant and believable reimagining of the franchise. Gritty and dark, this finally manages to stake the technicolour heart of Schumacher's vision. "
Down By Law, Jim Jarmusch
" Off-the-wall, meandering prison-break anti-narrative with Tom Waits never looking so cool. I-scream-a-you-scream-a-we-all-a-scream-a-for-ice-a-cream-a! "
Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino
" Tarantino back to his daring, ballsy best with his take on WW2.One of the most tense opening scenes in cinematic history. "
Withnail And I, Bruce Robinson
" Flawed friendship, holidaying by mistake, a drug-filled doll's head, cake and fine wine, Withnail, I and Uncle Monty. An eternal classic. "
Zardoz, John Boorman
" To be honest, can't remember much about this-just wanted to write the first 'Z' entry. Connery gets his cock out though! "
Amateur, Hal Hartley
" Art-house flick about an assassin with amnesia, striking up a relationship with a porn-writing ex-nun. Hartley's dead-pan dialogue is on top-form. "
The Last Temptation Of Christ, Martin Scorcese
" Infinitely more successful than Gibson's sadistic bloodbath, this is an intelligent retelling of the story of Christ. Powerful performance from Dafoe. "
There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson
" Day Lewis earth-shatteringly brilliant as the obsessive, amoral oil-man. The film also has the best closing line in recent cinematic history. "
Demolition Man, Marco Brambilla
" Witty and action-packed futuristic Snipes/Stallone smack-down, before Snipes did jail-time and Stallone did Botox. What seems to be your boggle? "
Seven, David Fincher
" The constant rain, brutal murders, credits scrolling the opposite way, the heart-in-mouth denouement. A masterly paradigm of post-modern detective fiction. "
Betrayal, David Hugh Jones
" Brilliant adaptation of Pinter's temporally-ruptured, love-triangled stageplay. Scene-stealing performance from Ben Kingsley. A travesty this doesn't yet exist on DVD! "
Pi, Darren Aronofksy
" Arthouse conspiracy-drama, Aronofsky's debut sizzles with fast-paced plot and editing,as protagonist Max discovers the number of God within his mathematical studies. "
Miller's Crossing, Joel Coen
" Gangster movie in the Coen Brother's own inimitable style.Rife with double-crosses, droll dialogue and a host of typically bizarre characters. "
Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai, Jim Jarmusch
" Thoughtful and atmospheric crime action film, with Forest Whittaker as a reclusive hitman who lives by the ancient, poetic samurai code. "
Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino
" Tarantino at his best: hip banter that makes the most abhorrent of characters endearing, with the added bonus of economic storytelling. "
Requiem For A Dream, Darren Aronofksy
" Hard-hitting adaptation of Selby Jr's yarn about drug addiction across the generations, traumatically punctuated by Clint Mansell's now-iconic soundtrack. Difficult; brilliant. "
Quiz Show, Robert Redford
" Historical drama detailing the game-fixing on hit quizshow, 'Twenty One'. Convincing, conscience-wrangling performance from John Turturro as a hapless, manipulated stooge. "
The Fountain, Darren Aronofksy
" Philosophical multi-thread puzzler that split the critics, this is nevertheless a mesmerising, beautiful portrayal of postponing death to hold onto love. "
Inside Man, Spike Lee
" High-octane caper movie with star turns from Clive Owen and Denzel Washington. Crackling, rat-a-tat dialogue and breath-taking final reveal. "
Acoustic Nights, Alex Booth
" Brilliant indie documentary-short exploring acoustic-nights within quintessential British pubs whilst examining the deeper issue of the saddening epidemic of pub closures. "
Yojimbo, Akira Kurosawa
" Samurai classic, later remade as A Fistful of Dollars. The dog with the severed hand in his mouth is priceless cinema. "
Fletch, Michael Ritchie
" Chevy Chase is great as the eponymous investigative journalist 'hired' to kill a man who has a terminal illness. Comedy ensues. "
Monsters, Gareth Edwards
" Strangely hypnotic and understated horror road-movie. Makes a nice change not to see the same old moviestar faces. Some tense scenes. "
The King's Speech, Tom Hooper
" Oscar board-sweeper, this is an uplifting and surprisingly touching study of triumph in the face of adversity. Geoffrey Rush is magnificent. "
Black Swan, Darren Aronofksy
" Twisted, paranoiac tale about perfection and obsession. Doesn't tell us much about ballet, but it's a cracking psycho-sexual chiller from Aronofsky. "
Buffalo 66, Vincent Gallo
" Vincent Gallo on top-form as an anger-infused ex-con who kidnaps the sweet-natured Christina Ricci in order to impress his over-powering parents. "
Coming To America, John Landis
" Murphy+Hall on top form in classic 80s comedy,proving Landis's credentials as a screwy and innovative director. Hilarious barbershop scenes! "
In The Heat Of The Night, Norman Jewison
" Fish-out-of-water cop movie exploring racial tensions in the deep South. Incredible dynamism between Rod Steiger's bigotted Sheriff and Sidney Poitier's city-detective. "
Don't Look Now, Nicholas Roeg
" Unnerving direction and precision, smash-cut editing makes this one of the most terrifying psychological horror films ever made. A must see. "
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Sergio Leone
" Blistering final episode of the man-with-no-name trilogy with a nice line in droll humour. Eli Wallach, as 'the ugly', is tremendous. "
Breaking Away, Peter Yates
" Offbeat, witty and poignant study of college drop-outs trying to make their way in the world. A young Dennis Quaid stars. "
Tyrannosaur, Paddy Considine
" Brutal and unrelenting portrayal of violence enacted within all levels of society that is, in the end, tender and surprisingly uplifting. "
The Last Station, Michael Hoffman
" Intelligent, poignant biopic detailing the manipulative forces circling the Russian author Tolstoy during his final days. Brilliant cast includes Christopher Plummer. "
The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow
" Tense portrayal of a US bomb disposal unit in Iraq, focusing on the adrenalin junkies who thrive on fear and danger. "
Where The Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze
" Offbeat coming-of-age fantasy based on the classic book by Maurice Sendak.Brilliant voice talent includes James Gandolfini.Karen O provides a cracking soundtrack. "
The Awakening, Nick Murphy
" Old school ghost story that will have you gripped and guessing until the final frame. Another great performance from Dominic West. "
The Rum Diary, Bruce Robinson
" Entertaining but flawed adaptation of Thompson's novel. Beautifully shot with some fine performances though Depp's character is overly-romanticised and, ultimately, sanitised. "
Naked, Mike Leigh
" Mike Leigh's brutal, stark masterpiece contains a tour-de-force performance from David Thewlis as Johnny, a seething, violent, highly-intelligent and paradigmatic anti-hero. "
True Grit, Joel & Ethan Cohen
" Slick and quirky reimagining of Charles Portis's Wild West morality tale with great performances, breathtaking cinematography and poetic, free flowing dialogue. "
The Thin Blue Line, Errol Morris
" Oscar-winning documentary that brilliantly combines investigative journalism and cinematic re-enactments, drawing the audience into the tragedy of a miscarriage of justice. "
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, Guy Ritchie
" Despite what the critics say, this isn't quite as good as the first instalment, though direction and production design still spectacular. "
Human Traffic, Justin Kerrigan
" Slick, witty indie Brit-flick focusing on 90s drug culture with fine performances from John Simm and (hold your breath!) Danny Dyer. "
Shame, Steve McQueen
" Achingly beautiful, painful study of sex addiction and alienation in the city that never sleeps. A mesmerizing, devastating performance from Fassbender. "
Midnight Run, Martin Brest
" The best road/cop/buddy movie ever made, with droll performances from De Niro and Charles Grodin complete with a killer script. Classic! "
King Of New York, Abel Ferrara
" Brilliantly OTT gangster flick with Christopher Walken on top form as a (seemingly) reformed criminal selling coke to build a hospital. "
Red Cliff, John Woo
" Action maestro on top form with this visionary historical epic. Blinding cinematography, blisteringly bloody battles. Trademark white doves even show up! "
Drive, Nicholas Winding Refn
" Kitsch but hip tribute to 70s hard-boiled crime genre with great turn from a taciturn, ruthless Gosling. pacey direction, superb soundtrack. "
Hannibal, Ridley Scott
" Positively Jacobean instalment of the Lecter crime slashers, with mouth-watering dialogue, sweeping cinematography and lip-quivering high-camp from Hopkins. A guilty pleasure. "
2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick
" The best bit is when the weird chimp smashes that big rock at the beginning. After that, it's pretty boring really. "
Negative Movie Reviews ( lizardking )
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Mat Whitecross
" Despite a mesmerising performance from Andy Serkis, this is a needlessly self-indulgent biopic that tells you little about Dury's music. "
Taken, Pierre Morel
" Over-hyped cheesefest that wouldn't be out of place on Movies4men. Weak re-hash of Commando, without the charm or Schwarzenegger's one-liners. "
A Serious Man, Joel Coen
" Dark-comedy that doesn't quite hit the spot, though may benefit from a second viewing. Ultimately, do we care about these characters? "
Source Code, Duncan Jones
" Mainstream sci-fi thriller from Duncan Jones, the man behind the indie hit 'Moon'. This, however, needed its running time shaved. Disappointing. "
Positive Album Reviews ( lizardking )
Two Dancers, Wild Beasts
" Falsetto tales about the seediness of everyday living, the Pulp of a new generation. Stand-out track: "All the King's Men". "
King Of Limbs, Radiohead
" Radiohead, no longer concerned with riffs, licks or hooks, nevertheless deliver an engaging, ambient soundscape with trademark poetic and paranoiac lyricism. "
The Heart Of Saturday Night, Tom Waits
" A beautiful collection of bluesy vignettes, taking the listener to the heart of middle America. An album to sup bourbon to. "
Horse Of The Dog, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
" Driving, thumping rockabilly interlaced with McKnight's brooding, sexually sinister vocals. The incestuous 'Celebrate Your Mother' is guaranteed to thrill your soul. "
The Downward Spiral, Nine Inch Nails
" A masterly collection of songs, Reznor's bleak lyrics complimenting the grinding industrialism of the music. Legacy version has some excellent extras! "
Open Heart Zoo, Martin Grech
" Haunting debut from the country's most underrated musician. Beautiful melodies combine with rip-roaring industrial riffs, interlaced with Grech's mellifluous vocals. "
Goo, Sonic Youth
" Chainsaw guitars cut through with Kim Gordon's chugging bass licks that drip with noiserock sex, this masterpiece soars with whirlwind heat. "
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols, The Sex Pistols
" Deliciously nerve-jangling, pogoing collection of punk anthems that electrify the body and mind. Track-for-track, a perfect sledgehammer of an album. "
White Album, The Beatles
" Eclectic mix of foot-stompers, head-bangers, tear-jerkers and heart-wrenchers. A pity about Ob-la-di-ob-la-da. Nevertheless, a reminder of this band's length and breadth. "
Evan Dando, Baby, I'm Bored
" Low-key brilliance from the father of the Lemonheads. Stoner-acoustic gems soothes the fevered brow as Dando's lilting tones exhibit lyrical virtuosity. "
Interpol, Turn On The Bright Lights
" Soaring indie rock with ethereal guitar loops and haunting androgyne vocals. Opening tack, 'Untitled', is a stirring, crescendoing epic. "
Murder Ballads, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
" Brooding and baleful, a breathtaking array of guest vocalists, this is a stunning collection of bloody ballads and the blackest humour. "
Foreign Affairs, Tom Waits
" Bluesy and balladic, an album which is rife with some of Wait's best poetic patter. 'Barber Shop': work of lyrical genius. "
Clear, Bomb The Bass
" Forgotten gem, with guest artists as diverse as Justin Warfield and Will Self. 'BugPowderDust': funk-fuelled tribute to the beat generation. "
The Royal Society, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
" Slightly more mainstream than their debut, this nevertheless oozes with sleaze and pirate-rock mayhem. Play loud and play often. "
Morrison Hotel, The Doors
" The best from the original Lizard King's catalogue. Funky, sexy, trippy, this is a must for fans of soulful, psychedelic rock. "
10,000 Days, Tool
" Platinum-selling/Grammy-award winning epic from Keenan and co. Rich, multi-layered production with Chancellor's bass tone rumblingly exhilarating, most noticeable on 'The Pot'. "
Racecar Is Racecar Backwards, Reuben
" Stunning debut from the alt-rock Surrey 3-piece. Jamie Lenman's raw, baritone vocals complement the pounding, bass-heavy riffs. Melodically raucous aural sensation. "
Black Sunday, Cypress Hill
" Triple-platinum second album from the Mary-Jane-lovin' hip-hoppers. Booming bass and B-Real's unique, exaggerated nasal-toned rapping sit perfectly with the stoner aesthetic. "
Parklife, Blur
" Fine collection of the chirpy, catchy, melodic and downright weird. Forget the big numbers, the brilliance lies in the shrinking violets. "
Do Rabbits Wonder?, Whirlwind Heat
" Electro-punk chaos from the bass/drum/Moog 3-piece. Head-bangingly jerky beats with space-age key-section makes these colour-codedly named tracks a must for drinkfests. "
They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top, Liars
" Debut from the experimental New York 3-piece. Funky and spunky, this is a dance-punk jackhammer of an album. "
Requiem For A Dream Ost, Clint Mansell And The Kronos Quartet
" Mansell (no relation to Nigel) has come a long way from Midlands alt-rock-outfit PWEI.A sweepingly emotive paradigm of successful movie composition. "
Tommy, The Who
" Studio version of psychedelic rock-opera about that famously aurally, verbally and visually challenged boy who can sure play a mean pinball. "
Zooropa, U2
" Hate Bono. Hate the Edge. Hate U2, if the truth be known. Though somehow I love this album. Hate myself now. "
Tindersticks (i), Tindersticks
" Awesome first album from the Nottingham lounge lizards. Black-treacle lyrics ooze beauty and menace. 2nd track 'Tyed' is an absolute belter! "
Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, The Dead Kennedys
" Raucous hardcore punk-fest to thrill the mind and body,with Jello Biafra's neat line in anarchistic lyrics bringing intelligence to the party. "
Dusk, The The
" Fourth offering from the confines of Matt Johnson's talent reserves. Unmistakeable guitar-twiddling from Johnny Marr serenading Johnson's tales of the underbelly. "
Gloss Drop, Battles
" More foot-stompingly insane indietronica from the New York experimental 3-piece. Guest artists include electronica godhead Gary Numan. 'Inchworm' is maddeningly catchy. "
With My Left Hand I Raise The Dead, Doveman
" Sparse and miserabilist, but no less powerful and haunting, Thomas Bartlett's second album seeps into the unconscious, surfing surreal musical interludes. "
Acoustic Sessions, The Ghost Of A Sabre Tooth Tiger
" Sean Lennon-leads this multi-instrumentalist project, with model-partner Charlotte Kemp Muhl's ingenue vocals evoking Bohemian dreamscapes and 60s French cool. Hidden treasure! "
Warp20 (Chosen), Various Artists
" Superb, diverse retrospective from the Sheffield-based label, showcasing artists as diverse and ground breaking as Aphex Twin, Battles and Grizzly Bear. "
Bad As Me, Tom Waits
" The gravel-voiced Waits once more pushes the boundaries of musical invention with this reflective, nostalgic collection of glorious brawlers and bawlers. "
What The Night Delivers, Scott Matthews
" 3rd offering from the incredibly talented Matthews. Varied collection of ballads and blues-inspired jams, cut through with soaring, celestial vocals. Beautiful! "
Chosen Lords, AFX
" Brilliant offering from the artist otherwise known as Richard D. James, released under the AFX alias. Insectoid break-beats blow the mind. "
Small Change, Tom Waits
" Petty criminals, dead gangsters, lost loves, drunken piano players, hard-sell salesmen, a rather blue Tom Traubert, pasties and a G-String. Incredible! "
The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me, Brand New
" Third album from the American rockers and a more mature, epic offering, with opening track 'Sowing Season' a raucous, thrilling belter. "
Blue Valentine, Tom Waits
" Bluesy, boozy collection of tall-stories and sob-stories from this gravel-voiced lyrical genius. 'Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis' is astounding. "
Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Pink Floyd
" Psychedelic, glorious collection of whimsical tunes spinning yarns about space, gnomes, scarecrows and, of course, bicycles. Perhaps Syd Barret's greatest legacy. "
The Soft Parade, The Doors
" Psychedelic lounge rock at its very best, with surrealistic baritone lyrics and rich, twisting melodies to get your snake hips twitching. "
In Rainbows, Radiohead
" Quite possibly the Oxford rockers' finest album to-date, combining blinding riffs and more experimental musings that segue beautifully into one another. "
Car Button Cloth, The Lemonheads
" The alt-rocker's last album before their 8-year hiatus, this is a fantastic collection of off-beat tunes, making the ordinary seem extraordinary. "
Enterprise Reversal, Wetdog
" Unconventional 21-track grunge-punk debut that has flavours of The Fall, Bow Wow Wow and The Slits. Some slime-dirt groovers on here! "
Teaches Of Peaches, Peaches
" Sultry, sexy and downright dirrrtier than Aguilera in a mudbath, Peaches kicks ass with battered drum machine and pounding bass licks. "
Fatherfucker, Peaches
" Peaches's second album refuses to compromise, sleazing it's way into the elementary canal with bigger, badder and better contemporary punk belters. "
Impeach My Bush, Peaches
" More fabulous filth from the dominatrix of electro-punk. Gritty and sometimes hilarious, this is just as sluttily foul-mouthed as its predecessors. "
Making Bones, Red Snapper
" Lighter on the jazz,heavier on the dance but no less effective for that. Another toe-tapping, head-nodding collection of funky drivetime tunes. "
Let England Shake, P J Harvey
" Mercury prize winning album from the Somerset Songstress, a caustic and poignant collection of war protest songs that stir the soul. "
The Early Years: Vol. 2, Tom Waits
" Not just a collection of album tracks, but brilliant alternative versions. The swingier take of Diamonds On My Windshield is awesome! "
Perversity, Desperation And Death, Singapore Sling
" Bluesy, shoegazey epic from the Icelandic indie kids. Chainsaw-fuzz guitars combine with hypnotic beats, taking you to the icecaps and back. "
Torches, Foster The People
" Catchy, American indie-pop debut that contains genuine, toe-tapping tunes. They said that disco was dead... welcome to the resurrection. "
For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver
" Doubled vocals and delicate guitar combine perfectly to haunt the senses. Amazing what can come of locking oneself in a log-cabin. "
This Is For Real, Pink Grease
" Bluesy, glam-punk sleaze from the Sheffield five piece. A cracking collection of hyper-sexed, hyper-saxed tunes to get the hips a-swingin'. "
OK Computer, Radiohead
" Ground-breaking epic combining heavy-ass riffs with apocalyptic, vulnerable lyricism, laced together with Greenwood's experimental scratchings and poppings that prickles the flesh. "
When In Rome, Kill Me, Cud
" The Leeds indie-kids' seedy rock opera, with belting tracks like Push And Shove off-set by psychedelic beauties like Alison Springs. Masterpiece. "
Showbiz, Cud
" Polished fifth album from the cult indiekids. Shadows of funk and soul pervade but stand-out track 'Neurotica' is balls-out rock fare. "
Music For The Jilted Generation, The Prodigy
" Ground-breaking dance-punk album that launched Messrs Howlett, Flint et al into the stratosphere. Banging beats; head banging riffs. Old skool perfection. "
Negative Album Reviews ( lizardking )
Quadrophenia, The Who
" Quadriplegic. "
X&y, Coldplay
" Should be X-rated...not because of contoversial content but cXntroversial cYntent. "
Eat Your Tits Off, Rudolf Nureyev, CreepJoint
" The album that never was, this sadly never made it to audiences due to arguments over the stubbornly-adhered-to title. A travesty! "
Positive Book Reviews ( lizardking )
Remainder, Tom McCarthy
" A witty, sharply-observed and darkly disturbing insight into post-trauma and madness, as we follow an unnamed narrator's recovery from coma. "
Money, Martin Amis
" Hilarious study of one man's foray into the sex-film industry, Money is guaranteed to make you marvel at Amis's electric prose. "
Cannery Row, John Steinbeck
" Bums, brothels, cat-napping, frog-napping, Doc, Mac, beer flavoured ice-cream, and the birthday party to end all birthday parties: Steinbeck's comic masterpiece. "
Keeping Britain Tidy, Steve Hollyman
" Tragic and poignant descent into small-town living: geezers and lairies, clubs and drugs, booze and bruisers; the violence and violenced. "
Kiss Me, Judas, Will Christopher Baer
" A twisted modern noir narrative, following opium-addicted detective Phineas Poe, and his quest to retrieve his stolen kidney. A must-read! "
The End Of The Affair, Graham Green
" Relationship drama plagued with infidelity, obsession, jealousy and Catholic guilt. Brilliant expose of post-war conscience wrestling and the destructiveness of love. "
Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer
" Touching tale concerning 9-year-old Oskar trying to reclaim the memories of his dead father post-9/11. Visual feast of experimentation with form. "
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson
" Drug and drink addled tale of debauchery in that most debauched city. Welcome to Gonzo journalism. Welcome to 'bat country'. "
Snuff, Chuck Palahniuk
" Porn-goddess Cassie Wright goes for the world record for serial fornication, narrated by Mr.600, Mr.72 and Mr.137. Hilarious porn-film puns throughout! "
Marabou Stork Nightmares, Irvine Welsh
" Surreal and disturbing journey through the subconscious of a coma patient, Welsh delves into issues of sexual abuse, trauma and memory. "
Penny Dreadful, Will Christopher Baer
" The sequel to 'Kiss Me,Judas', anti-detective Poe is dragged deeper into the underworld,encountering a terrifying world of role-play and twisted erotica. "
Smoking In Bed, Bruce Robinson
" Fascinating insight into the movie industry from the maverick creator of 'Withnail and I'. Memorably anecdotal,a must for all cinephiles. "
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Raymond Carver
" Making the ordinary extraordinary, Carver drills down into the minutiae of humanity,the sparseness of his language like hammer-blows to the soul. "
The Birthday Party, Harold Pinter
" Terrifying, darkly-comic study of alienation, oppression and assimilation, as Stanley Webber soon learns that he can never escape from his past. "
High Windows, Philip Larkin
" Faultless collection of poetry tracing the dialectic between the rebellion of the modern world and the entrapment of English tradition. "
Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier
" Catabatic odyssey set against the backdrop of the American Civil War. The dual narrative explores the break-down and rebirth of identity. "
Vernon God Little, DBC Pierre
" Sizzling, anarchic satire on American gun-culture, high-school shootings, media intrusion and reality-TV. Difficult to get in to but well-worth persisting with! "
Columbine, Dave Cullen
" Intelligent, horrifying and quite brilliant study of the Columbine massacre in the vein of Capote's 'In Cold Blood'. Compulsive, tragic reading. "
The Demon, Hubert Selby Jr.
" Study of one man's obsession with living life to the absolute extreme- debaucherously, violently, tragically. This is compulsive and shocking writing. "
Jennifer Government, Max Barry
" Frothy, near-future satire where the corporations govern the world and people must adopt surnames of the companies they work for. Hilarious! "
A Generation Of The Dark Heart, James Sorel-Cameron
" Disturbing portrayal of an obsessive dictator in an unknown future,superbly zeroing-in on the cold psychopathy of the engine of his mind. "
Twelve, Nick McDonell
" Edgy multi-character novel about socialite teens spiralling out of control. Highly-charged, blistering first novel from the precocious McDonell with explosive denouement. "
Liquor, Poppy Z. Brite
" Brilliant first book in the restaurant trilogy, a huge departure from Brite's horror fare.Foodie descriptions are good enough to eat! "
Regicide, Nicholas Royle
" Disturbing psychological-horror about one man's desperation to escape from the nightmarish world of his mind. Royle's a master of the macabre. "
Ask The Dust, John Fante
" Endorsed by Bukowski, this hilarious novel charts the maddeningly charming and neurotic thought processes of a struggling writer in Los Angeles. "
Sweet Thursday, John Steinbeck
" Lyrical, hilarious sequel to Cannery Row, returning to Doc and Mac and the Boys and a host of new, lovable ne'er-do-wells. "
Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut
" Concise, innovative portrayal of the atrocities and absurdity of war, Vonnegut's classic still has much to say to a modern audience. "
The Bridge, Iain Banks
" Multi-narrative novel depicting hellish descents into twisted dreamscapes of coma. Banks combines surreal set-pieces with Freudian undertones for a vivid effect. "
Negative Book Reviews ( lizardking )
A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers
" Neither heart-breaking or staggering, this is a tome of pretension and ill-conceived experimentation with form. (Also not a work of genius). "
The Winter Vault, Anne Michaels
" Trite and overblown novel musing upon the nature of memory, violence and the past. Some of the worst poeticisms ever written. "
Londonstani, Gautam Malkani
" Contrived and leaden,Malkani depicts South Asian immigrants living in Hounslow,London. His clumsy denouement trips the booby-trap of the ingénue novelist. "
Positive Television Reviews ( lizardking )
The Shadow Line, BBC 2
" An old-style BBC conspiracy drama, this is a tour-de-force of screenwriting and direction. Stephen Rea is outstanding as the sinister Gatehouse. "
The Trip, BBC 2
" Hilarious off-the-wall banter between two comedic actors at the top of their respective games. And the food looks pretty great too! "
Deadwood, HBO
" Brutal and complex re-telling of the Wild West. So thrilling you even forget that the pottiest of mouths belongs to Lovejoy! "
The Day Today, BBC2
" Bomb dogs, bullying vicars, an Elvis-themed death-row execution: satire doesn't get any better than this...unless it's another Chris Morris vehicle. "
Twin Peaks Series 1, BBC2
" The stuff of simple nightmares, Lynch brings his skewed vision of small-town America to the small-screen. Skin-crawlingly surreal and darkly funny. "
Monty Python's Flying Circus, BBC2
" Despite its hit-and-miss nature,when it hits it hits hilariously hard. Absurdism that usurps the mainstream, birthing a new dawn of comedy. "
Brass Eye, Channel 4
" Side-splitting mockumentary series from which, bizarrely, real docs have taken notes! Bernard Manning's warnings against taking the 'made-up-drug', CAKE, are legendary. "
Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 5, ITV1
" DVD transfer of latest Marple incarnation. Julia Mackenzie rivals Joan Hickson with all-star support casts enlivening Christie's prose. Great Sunday viewing! "
Sherlock (series 1), BBC1
" Being a HUGE fan of ACD's original tales, I knew I wouldn't like this trumped-up modern incarnation. I'm still eating humble-pie. "
Castle, Alibi
" Quirky cop-buddy series that never seems to lose the spark between its male/female protagonists. Some inventive crimes and kinetic banter. "
The Walking Dead (Season 2), FX
" Great to see a second season of the tense, character-driven zombie epic. Heart-in-your-mouth moments with brilliant ensemble cast. A must see! "
Generation Kill, FX
" Insightful and well-balanced study of the Iraq war, from the creators of The Wire, based upon a Rolling Stone journalist's reportage. "
The Venture Bros., Adult Swim
" Sharp and edgy animation with great array of constantly-evolving characters and hilarious pop-culture references. The narrative layers just keep on coming. "
Boardwalk Empire, Sky Atlantic
" Watched the first two episodes of the first series and already hooked. Brilliantly written by a Soprano's stalwart. Bloodily multi-layered epic-drama. "
Black Mirror, Channel 4
" Caustic satire that wrestles obvious issues in an innovative way, heightening reality perfectly. Episode 2 in particular: brilliantly realised dystopian nightmare. "
Songs Of America 1969, BBC4 / Courtesy Of CBS
" Controversial Simon & Garfunkel documentary. Haunting segments of political upheaval and injustice are soundtracked with their inimitable music and caustic commentaries. "
Sun, Sex And Suspicious Parents, BBC3
" The title says it all. All that's missing is parental castration after the trap is sprung. Push that envelope, BBC3! "
An Idiot Abroad, Sky 1
" Hate Gervais and Merchant? Thankfully, they take a back-seat and the hilarious words of Pilkington's wisdom and non-wisdom eclipse them both. "
Negative Television Reviews ( lizardking )
Luther (series 2), BBC 1
" First series stretched the boundaries of reality. This one leaps over them with considerable aplomb. Dumb but ambitious with sadistic touches. "
Positive Games Reviews ( lizardking )
Shadow Man, Acclaim
" Multi-layered, expansive tale of voodoo practices and hellish descent, with some twisted serial killers thrown into the mix. A classic! "
Batman: Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady
" Suitably gothic smorges bord of platforming, kicking-ass and puzzle-solving. A Batman game that finally does justice to the source material. "
Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar
" Panders to every male gunslinger fantasy. The West at its wildest, with flawless graphics and characterisation. Spot of lynching, anyone? "
Manic Miner, Matthew Smith
" Outrageously addictive, maddeningly difficult, this is the mother of all platformers, in that most distant of eras... BSP:Before Save Points. "
Max Payne, Remedy Entertainment
" Bafta award-winning 3rd person shooter with trippy, film noir influences. Absorbing, edgy plot, winning lead character and stylish, bullet-time shoot-out set-pieces. "
Batman: Arkham City, Rocksteady
" Rocksteady return with this blistering sequel with a great combination of flowing action sequences and the Riddler's brain-poundingly difficult brain-teasers. Awesome! "
Negative Games Reviews ( lizardking )
Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft
" Despite beautiful landscapes and intriguing narrative, it can never quite rise above its overly-repetitive gameplay. Cue: Assassin's Creed 2. "
