I've been through them all a couple of times with my nephews.

4 -> 5 -> 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 6

Luke's story, Luke's story, back story, back story, back story, Luke saves the day (and his dad).

Watched the excellent [iGoyas Ghosts[/i on Film4 last night. Them Spanish Inquisitionists really were evil motherfeckers. And that beast Javier Bardem deflowering the beautiful Natalie Portman.

After being completely addicted to The Sopranos (only a recent discovery), and loving it, I have a bit of a fetish now for Mafia films. So Godfather films, done, Gotti done, Goodellas seen a dozen times, so any other recommendations?

I have a soft spot for "Carlito's Way" and "Scarface" is pretty good.

Wife's out on the p!$$ tonight so when I get back from my coaching course I can sit and watch "Senna" uninterrupted.

Casino
Once Upon A Time In America
Donnie Brasco
Carlito's Way

All quality films in the mafia genre

Watched Casino for the first time last night, probably since it was originally shown on tv. Three and a half hours with adverts but thoroughly enjoyed seeing it again.

Defo to that one. Can also add;

[iMean Streets
Mikey and Nicky
Miller's Crossing
The Roaring Twenties
Sonatine
Infernal Affairs[/i

The Departed and American Gangster are great gangster films, if not Mafia

I'd add Gomorrah to that.

I saw The Devil Inside yesterday and thought it to be a big steaming load of poop.

It's very enjoyable. I hope that you stay up and let your wife in if she has trouble finding the keyhole tonight seeing she's out on the lash.

This.

Gomorrah is the only Mafia picture that truly has an air of authenticity. Don't get me wrong, I love a good gangster film - The Godfather is my all time favourite film - but for a true reflection of the misery and destruction these organisations wreak upon politics and civic life, Gomorrah (and the book is essential) is the only one that matters. It is absolutely brilliant. A rare example of a film that exhibits a genuine social purpose - like La Haine or the Battle of Algiers.

Agree totally.

I do love a gangster film too, but Gomorrah is the most realistic and believable film this genre has probably ever produced. Like you say, the book is genius too, but it's had its effects on Italian society - hasn't Saviano (the author) been living in police protection since publishing it?

He has. 24 hour bodyguard cover - he has received numerous threats to his life since publishing the book. There is an excellent interview with him on the BBC2 Culture Show (available via certain video sharing sites) where he talks about his life post-publication and how in many ways it has ruined his life. It's an incredibly daring, brave piece of work and I can't praise him enough.

Find myself increasingly baffled by the whole [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/20/john-carter-lose-disney-200m?newsfeed=true'John Carter'[/url cock-up. Wouldn't normally comment but this smacks of irresponsibility and incompetence.

Firstly - what sort of studio puts a quarter of a billion dollars into a film in the current climate? I read somewhere recently studios were (wisely) avoiding major gambles and taking safe, relatively inexpensive options rather than huge blockbusters - especially on what is a gamble.

Secondly - why a film based on these books? I read A LOT and love sci-fi novels, and I've never heard of them. I doubt most people have, and if they have I doubt they have any special affinity to them. Someone's done a belting sales job on the studio there. Even the formula is flawed - as the chap at the BBC stated, period dramas very rarely do well, and films involving Mars rarely do well. Of course, there are exceptions, but put the two together and the result isn't hard to predict.

Thirdly - given Disney spent an astounding $100 million on marketing, I'd never heard of it until very recently. Caught the back end of an interview with Willem Dafoe a week or two ago and that was the first I'd ever heard of it. Some marketing genius needs a major slap on the wrist.

A few others issues I have with it - the blend of CGI and real-life action, just doesn't work unless in small doses either way. CGI is increasingly fantastic but still stands starkly out as animation out against real-life. And even the trailer soundtrack - a horrible remash of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir, immediately gives me the impression it's a cheap effort and does it no favours.

I find the whole thing simply astonishing. But I'll probably still watch it at my first [size=70(free)[/size opportunity.

Perhaps you're not their target market. Maybe they're going for the "I'll watch anything with guns, explosions and special effects in" crowd.

The market known as 'people who watch Transformers'

I don't think they really knew who their target market was, and that was part of the problem.

I'm not even sure the guns & explosions crowd would find it attractive.

Or the Transformers crowd for that matter. No 30-foot robots, you see. I watched Transformers simply because I loved them as a kid and I'll be a sucker for them for that reason only.

Seems to me their market is the sort of person who enjoyed 'Final Fantasy'. Which also bombed.

I read a couple of John Carter books as a kid and don't remember them being much cop - the whole Mars thing being completely irrelevant (could easily have been Journey to the Centre of the Earth). Mind you, I also read several Tarzan books and wouldn't have banked on them being successful if I hadn't known anything about them.

Cheers for the Mafia suggestions all. On my list!

I went to see Act of Valor over the weekend.

Firstly it was really refreshing to see to a modern American War film that isn't packed full of the over top jingoism that you seem to see nowadays. It made the film so much the better for it, you could connect with the characters instead of almost wanting them to get shot or blown up.

Considering all the main characters involved were all real US Navy SEALS in effect playing themselves, it was rather well acted. I loved the first person shooter camera angles that were used, at times it was like watching a more realistic version of Call Of Duty.

If you like war films it's definitely worth a watch.

Anyone seen The Hunger Games yet? Have read all three books, just wondering if anyone has read the first book and then seen the film has any views on how it translates on the screen?

Do you know what the French call [iThe Hunger Games[/i? [iBattle Royale[/i with cheese.

My latest film from Lovefilm is The Conversation. Looks like it'll be right up my street