Eragon - Dir: Stefan Fangmeier

Very disappointing really and ultimately very Lord of the Rings-lite. There is a host of terrible acting including Robert Carlyle and John Malkovich who are unexpectedly hammy. Consummate professional Jeremy Irons tries as much as possible with the lines he has been given. Edward Speelers plays the eponymous Eragon and is verging on the side of irritating. The special effects are ropey in places. If you feel you must watch this, fast forward to the last 20 minutes, where the big dragon battle takes place. This is a JM THUMBS DOWN.

Art School Confidential - Dir: Terry Zwigoff

This little gem went straight to DVD in the UK I think. It follows the story of Jerome as he goes off to Art School at the start of his path towards fame and fortune. John Malkovich stars as a blunt art teacher who quickly put Jerome and his cohorts in their place. Jerome quickly finds that life and love in the real world is more confusing than some of the crap abstract art that some of his peers are producing. To make things worse, a serial killer is on the loose on campus! It's a nice riff about the art world from the very interesting director Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World). Very nicely pitched and although it feels a bit cliched in places, it's meant to be. You'll see why when you watch it. This is a JM RECOMMENDS.