I love Emma Freud (A companion piece to 'I love Richard Curtis' by The Optimist)

You may remember a post I wrote some time ago in which I declared my love for the work of Richard Curtis. The post was subsequently viewed by Emma Freud, Curtis's partner and script editor on many of his films, who tweeted that it was, and I quote "gorgeous" *smiles proudly*. We're well into December, so I expect you've all enjoyed your annual viewing of Curtis classic, Love Actually, and on Saturday Richard, Emma and two of their kids did just the same, when they attended a midnight screening of the film in New York. Rather marvellously, Emma live tweeted throughout, with hilarious insights into the making of the film, so now, it's her turn for a bit of love from The Optimist. Take a look ...

The Killers - Dirt Sledding

My favourite Las-Vegans are back with their annual Christmas track in support of Product Red. This year's offering is the final part in the Don't Shoot Me Santa trilogy, in which, a homicidal St Nick has a score to settle with one of the kids on his naughty list. This time around though, Santa has softened and in the rather eccentric video, he finally gets into the Christmas spirit with the help of some other seasonal mascots. The Easter Bunny, a Shetland pony, a pillow fight in the desert, what could be more Christmassy?

Steve Jobs

It's been five years since The Social Network and at long last, Aaron Sorkin's given the dialogue lovers of the world another film to fawn over, the talk-a-thon that is Steve Jobs. Helmed by Danny Boyle and starring Michael Fassbender as the co-founder of Apple, I've been desperate to see this one for months. I've taken the time to review it so you already know what I'm going to say ...

Mog

John Lewis' Christmas ad The Man on the Moon is undoubtedly a beauty, but Sainsburys may just have out-charmed them this year. Judith Kerr, author of The Tiger who Came to Tea has resurrected Mog, another of her famous characters for a one-off festive story narrated by Emma Thompson. The clumsy cat, who's been brought to life with CGI, causes havoc in the Thomas household, almost ruining Christmas, but there's a heartwarming twist in the tale.

Well played Sainsos, you just won Christmas.

Jacob Collier - Jerusalem

I may not be much of a rugby fan but I do love a bit of acapella, so I'm grateful to the England team and their affiliation with Beats by Dr Dre for bringing Jacob Collier's stunning rendition of Jerusalem to my attention by way of their World Cup advert.

Have a listen.

A complete ranking of every Doctor Who episode 2005-2015: Volume 4

The day is finally upon us ... Doctor Who Series 9 begins tonight! So, without further ado, please enjoy the final part of my Doctor Who countdown: Eps 24 to 1.

A complete ranking of every Doctor Who episode 2005-2015: Volume 3

We're perilously close to Doctor Who day and I'm already preparing my sofa and snacks for the big event. To get you through the final few hours, here are numbers 49-25 in my countdown.

A complete ranking of every Doctor Who episode 2005-2015: Volume 2

Only two  more days until the start of Series 9, but really, you're all just waiting to see which episode will be number one in this definitive list aren't you? Go on, admit it! Well, you'll have to wait a bit longer ... here are numbers 73 to 50.

A complete ranking of every Doctor Who episode 2005-2015: Volume 1

In the first ever post I wrote for this blog, I talked about how the quote above had inspired the name The Optimist. There's definitely a link between optimism and Doctor Who - in a show about a strange man who roams time and space in a police box, there's no room for cynicism. You've got to invest in it, embrace the silliness and believe that this one, strange man can save the universe. Only then can you experience the occasional heartbreak and constant thrill that Doctor Who can bring. 2015 marks ten years since the show was brought back and in the run up to the start of Series 9 this Saturday, I've taken it upon myself to rank every episode up to now. Get ready for four days of unadulterated geekiness.

For anyone who hasn't been watching Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell ...

You must! The BBC's adaptation of Susanna Clarke's fantasy novel is a shining example of the boldness and brilliance of British TV.

The Walk

Watch this heartstopping trailer for The Walk, a new film from Robert Zemeckis, director of Back to the Future, Forrest Gump and Castaway. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars at Phillipe Petit, a french dare-devil who attempted to tightrope walk between the twin towers in 1974. It's the same story that featured in the Academy Award winning documentary Man on Wire in 2008. Part biopic, part heist movie, the trailer for The Walk is exhilarating, let's hope the film is too.

"The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library"

So said Albert Einstein - and from what I hear, he was pretty smart. I spent a glorious Monday in Manchester exploring some of the city's most impressive reading-nooks.

Brandon Flowers - A long time coming

Typical isn't it, you wait five years for a new Brandon Flowers track and he releases two at once! I'll forgive him the agonising wait though, as I'm told he's been quite busy with some band called The Killers in between times. King B's been dropping cryptic hints about his upcoming solo album The Desired Effect on Twitter since last September though and now, with the release date just weeks away, we're finally getting to revel in its gloriousness. Here are the new videos for your audio/visual pleasure.

Just a friendly reminder ...

Pride gets its DVD and download release in the UK today. If you saw it at the cinema, I expect you've had it on pre-order for months, if you didn't, read The Optimist's recommendation here then head down to your local VHS retailer and get yourself a copy. Like I said back then, you HAVE to see it. It's wonderful.

Upcoming Costume Dramas

The start of British Springtime may only be three weeks away but I think we can all agree that at the moment, it's still #nippy. So, while we wait for beer-garden season to re-commence, let's savour the last bit of Winter by making a vat of hot chocolate, pulling on a pair of bed socks and settling down to watch a costume drama or two - there's plenty on ...

The Theory of Everything

It was back in early August that the trailer for The Theory of Everything first appeared and The Optimist got terribly over excited about it. The wait has been long and at times testing but rejoice, for the film has finally been released in cinemas. So, does it live up to the expectation? Read on ...