David Stratton, Australia’s star TV critic of films, was already white-haired and grandfatherly when I met him in the 1990s. I broke bread with him often and he was great, encouraging, supportive company, full of tales of festivals in the 1960s laced with wicked humour. I already miss him. RIP

Today my book on Michael Mann's film Heat is published. Anyone who loves it will find plenty to enjoy and argue with in this quick hit of a read. It's not just a fan's appreciation, but a probing critical study. My thanks to @rebbarden.bsky.social and the @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social team.

This second edition of my BFI book on Heat is published 12th June is proofread and edited to a higher standard than the first; the stills are better quality and in an afterword I ponder changes in film reviewing fashions, Heat's continuing influence, the Heat 2 novel Mann is hoping to film and more.

I was lucky to get this image on my iPhone yesterday while visiting @londonzoo.bsky.social with my granddaughter Alba.

This new 'bookazine' from @sightsoundmag.bsky.social is an unmissable goldmine for Akerman fans. Among many treats it contains my 2001 interview with her for La Captive, in which she was on brilliant, incisive form.

The irreplaceable David Lynch has gone. RIP 💔

Just caught up with Guan Hu’s Black Dog, a second tremendous new year film for me along with Nosferatu. It’s so rich with ideas, gorgeous landscape, humour and cinematic reference.

I loved every hokum minute of Eggers’s Nosferatu. All the hamming, all the painterliness, the thumping soundtrack. It’s beautiful.

Our family’s favourite Christmas movie happens to be this one, Meet Me In St. Louis. Here’s wishing everyone a pleasurable holiday

It was a great pleasure to attend Boris Giltburg playing four Beethoven sonatas this evening (nos 6, 11, 14 and 3 in that order) @wigmore-hall.bsky.social All benefitted from his energised attack when needed but no.3 was particularly stellar.

My films of the year for @sightsoundmag.bsky.social Might be different next week.

In the Rinko Kawauchi exhibition at the Arnolfini gallery in Bristol, is this video piece, part of her Ametsuchi series, which I count as one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.