For once, some current recommendations

Sorry, I know, I'm really no good at this blogging lark at all. Not only have I got the Dublin Horrorthon and the London Film Festival still to report on, but I've just added a weekend at the Cardiff Film Festival to that list and tomorrow morning will be flying south for the Brighton Film Festival. So yet again I've neglected my duties here.

Just so this place isn't completely empty for all that time, I thought I'd just chip in with a few current or forthcoming recommendations.

THE PRESTIGE, the new film by Christopher Nolan starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and a bunch of other famous folk is quite simply my film of the year so far. It's a story of two magicians in Victorian London who constantly try to get one up on each other, with the costs involved in such a duel getting ever more drastic. It drew me in from the start, pulls the rug out from under you every ten minutes and weaves a lovely little mystery with clues for the viewer sprinkled throughout. I saw it at a preview screening but since it's been out in UK cinemas for about a week now, that no longer seems quite such an important fact. Guess I should have told you sooner.

Having attended both the British and Irish premieres of the Korean monster movie THE HOST, I can heartily recommend it when it comes out later this month. Even if you don't usually like monster movies or don't go in for foreign films; whether you're going with family, friends, a date or all on your lonesome - it makes no difference. This is just a great, fun movie and is everything that current Hollywood blockbusters can only dream of being.

Also out very soon is PAN'S LABYRINTH, Guillermo Del Toro's latest flick. This Spanish masterpiece was highly acclaimed in every festival it played at and was equally well received at its Irish premiere in Dublin, where I saw it. It's described as an adult fairy tale and that's about right - while the fairy tale aspect of the film is dark, it would still be suitable for kids. The backdrop of war-torn Franco-era Spain however is probably not for children. This is another must-see, regardless of any prejudices towards foreign films. It's dark, it's intelligent and it's visually stunning - once again Hollywood has been put in the shade.

Finally, if you're in the mood for a documentary, I recommend THE U.S. VS JOHN LENNON, which comes out in UK cinemas in a couple of weeks. It's one of the most entertaining documentaries I've seen in a while and relates the story of Lennon's revolutionary tendencies and Richard Nixon's spectacularly over-the-top reaction. Lennon is the real star of the show, with plenty of footage showcasing both his intelligence, his charisma and his sense of humour. I saw it at the London Film Festival, so maybe I'll say a bit more about it if I ever get round to writing up the rest of that festival.

Okay, off to bed, it's almost 2am and I'm off to Brighton tomorrow morning. I'll try to write something more substantial next week, honest.