Films seen so far this year: 12
Films seen this week: My Bloody Valentine (3D), Hansel and Gretel, Seven Pounds, Boogie, Waveriders, Shifty, Encounters at the End of the World, Outlander

2009 Film Preview: Ten To Look Out For In 2009
2009 is already shaping up to be a pretty exciting year – I could probably do a Top Ten of 2009 and guarantee that at least half of the films on it (e.g. Sugar, Revolutionary Road, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) would still be on it come December. In the meantime, here’s a 2009 film preview featuring the ten films I'm most looking forward to this year.

1) Watchmen. Good news! The Watchmen lawsuit has been resolved (see previous blogs). Roll on March 6th!

2) Monsters vs Aliens. I posted the trailer for this last week. I don't think I've looked forward to an animated feature so much since The Incredibles. This is going to be AWESOME. And in 3D!

3) Terminator: Salvation. I wasn't looking forward to this at all until I saw the latest trailer with the GIANT FREAKING ROBOT at the end.

4) Public Enemies. No trailer for this one that I can find, just endless tedious fan-made trailers, but it sounds brilliant. Directed by Michael Mann, it stars Johnny Depp as notorious 1930s gangster John Dillinger and Christian Bale as the cop sent to capture him. I'm a huge fan of classic gangster movies in general so I'm really excited about this.

5) Star Trek. Providing "teenage" Kirk isn't in it too much, anyway.

6) Where The Wild Things Are. I blogged about this a few times last year but things seem to have gone a bit quiet. The release date is currently listed as December 2009, but at least it's finally got one. I have high hopes for this.

7) Sherlock Holmes. The Jude Law factor is putting me off a little, but that's more than offset by the casting of Robert Downey Jr and Rachel McAdams, plus the tantalising prospect of Mark Strong as Moriarty. Not sure about the Fight Club-esque stills that seem to be doing the rounds though. What are you playing at, Ritchie?

8) Crank 2: High Voltage. The return of Chev Chelios! Need I say more?

9) Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino's latest, a remake of a film that only Tarantino has seen, about a group of Nazi hunters. The deliberate spelling mistakes really irritate me, mind. (See also anything that puts a number in the title, like Se7en or The Num13er 13.)

10) Lesbian Vampire Killers. British comedy starring Gavin and Stacey duo Mathew Horne and James Corden. I saw some footage of this at FrightFest back in August and it looks very funny indeed. Could be this year's Shaun of the Dead?

Trailerwatch: Outlander
As the list above shows, I actually saw Outlander this week and it's safe to say that it delivers everything you could possibly want from a Vikings vs Aliens movie starring Jim "Jesus" Caviezel. The trailer mysteriously leaves out Sophia Myles (complete with dyed red hair), which is a shame, because she's actually pretty good in it. Also, the big Viking doing the Hulk-style head-clap near the beginning is Ron "Hellboy" Perlman and he's good value too, as is the always-excellent John Hurt. My only real problem is that the second male lead (who seems to be in the trailer even more than Caviezel) is a bit of a prettyboy, but otherwise it's a lot of fun and the aliens are suitably scary. Plus, the simplicity of the idea is pure genius: Vikings vs Aliens (though they think they're dragons). It opens here on April 24th and is worth the wait.

Top 10 Films On Release This Week (as recommended by me):
Only two changes this week, with Mickey Rourke drama The Wrestler and the surprisingly enjoyable My Bloody Valentine (3D) both making it into the top ten. A word of warning though, My Bloody Valentine is only playing in 3D in a handful of cinemas around the country, so check first that you're in for the full 3D pickaxe experience...

1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. The Wrestler
3. Waltz With Bashir
4. I've Loved You So Long
5. Quantum of Solace
6. Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
7. The Reader
8. Che – Part One
9. Sex Drive
10. My Bloody Valentine (3D)

DVD of the Week: Eden Lake (released 19th January, RRP £17.99)
This week's DVD of the Week is the British "hoodie horror" Eden Lake, starring Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender as a couple terrorised by a group of hoodies while camping by a lake. Superbly acted and smartly directed, this is a genuinely scary horror flick that will have you crossing the streets to avoid gangs of teenagers on your way home. For what it's worth, I thought it was the best British horror film I saw last year. The extras include lengthy interviews with the director, producer and cast, several different trailers and a five minute Behind The Scenes featurette, but no commentary and no deleted scenes, which is a shame, as I'd heard rumours of an alternate ending.