OFFICE SPACED

CHATTER ‘GEMS’ OVERHEARD IN THE TOTAL FILM OFFICE THIS MONTH…

“I don’t want to end up punching the mag!” * “Fed up with films saying, ‘Some of this actually happened’, like a history pupil who can’t be arsed.” * “Anyone ever asked Arnie if he went commando in Commando?” STAR STRUCK

Got bored and tried to think of films with ‘star’ in the title. I thought of Starship Troopers (plus sequels), all the Star Treks and Star Wars, A Star Is Born, Stardust… Star-sky & Hutch?!

Then I got bored again. But technically this should be Star Letter…

HELEN ASH, BOTLEY

Alas, no. That slot is taken. Also points deducted for not recognising John Carpenter’s hefty contributions to the non-genre: Dark Star, Starman, um, Prince Of Star-kness, uh, Astral-ault On Precinct 13… Anyone else got any movie games they play when bored? Recounting Best Picture winners? Fantasy-casting live-action Minions movies? Cloning dinosaurs?

HALLOWEEN THRILLS

Really enjoyed the Halloween Ends feature in issue 329. I remember the thrill of seeing the first movie, with its epic, atmospheric music. I don’t believe anyone in the horror genre has built suspense quite like John Carpenter. I still get goosebumps watching the original, one of the scariest films of all time. The Michael Myers-Laurie Strode antagonism is surely the longestrunning in cinema history.

STEPHEN MCCARTHY, GLASGOW

Yes, those two have certainly been around the gore-splattered suburban block a few times. But what about Tom and Jerry? They’ve been chasing each other’s tails since the ’40s – and have maintained a level of creative carnage that would likely send Michael Myers into a jealous rage. Not that it probably takes much, mind…

LIST WISH

In issue 328’s 10 Of The Best… Bridges, you totally missed one: Tom Cruise dodging a rocket in M:I III on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and doing what he does best, taking a jump over a section that’s been destroyed. GARETH WOOD, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

In the Classic Soundtrack listing great uses of David Bowie on screen [issue

328] your writer missed an Academy Award-winning biggie: Jojo Rabbit.

At the end of the film the two main characters dance to ‘Helden’, the German-language version of ‘Heroes’. A treat for any Bowie fan.

KEITH WHITTAKER, WESTON-SUPER-MARE

Thanks for those fine suggestions. Do send more, readers. It’s good to keep our lists alive. Maybe one day we’ll pool everyone’s combined efforts into a giant, medieval-style scroll edition of Total Film, which will stretch the length of the BFI IMAX and… Hang on, the publisher’s just fainted.