Copy: The National 19/12/11 >> If you’re stuck for a movie to get you in the festive mood, look no further than The Muppet Christmas Carol, the felty furry take on Charles Dickens’ classic broadcast tomorrow (Christmas Eve) on Channel 4. Gonzo is Charles Dickens, Kermit is...

Copy: The National 06/12/11 >> Late last month rumours that film adaptations of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica coalesced into something more substantial. But the reaction from fans was less than enthusiastic – probably thanks to worries that television series do not always...

Copy: The National 15/11/2011 >> It could happen, you know. 20th Century Fox are pushing strongly for Andy Serkis’ motion-captured performance as Caesar the genetically modified chimpanzee in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes to be recognised in the best actor category at next...

Copy: The National, 07/11/11 >> No, not films. Film. The ever-increasing use of digital (take Gareth Edwards brilliant Monsters from last year, entirely shot using a digital camera) means the likes of Panavision aren’t even making film cameras at present. Meanwhile, Tacita...

Copy: The National, 06/11/11 >> So, Shakespeare didn’t write some of the greatest plays ever committed to paper. Well, that’s the conclusion of Roland Emmerich’s new film Anonymous – and it’s caused a right fuss in The Bard’s home of Stratford Upon...

Anne Hathaway was widely criticised for her Yorkshire accent in the film One Day, (although it wasn’t so bad in the end). But why do filmmakers insist on getting US actors to attempt British accents? That’s what I explored in this rollcall of terrible accents for The...

The news that Ridley Scott agreed to direct a follow-up to his sci-fi classic Blade Runner will comfort fans who feared a quick-buck travesty. “It’ll certainly be fascinating to see what the “new, exciting direction” turns out to be, not least because this time...

The acclaim from the movie The Wrestler did more than simply win Marisa Tomei the smattering of high-profile roles she’s promoting this month: with that role, she was seen to champion the middle-aged woman in youth-obsessed Hollywood. “Late-blooming” is surely one of the most...