Empirewatch

There are only two major film magazines left in the UK, what with the demise of Hotdog in 2006, and the long-cherished memory of Neon still in the back of our minds. So to help you pick which one to plump for, we’ll suss ‘em out as they come in…

The Cover:
2008 preview.

Reviews:
I Am Legend, No Country For Old Men, Sweeney Todd.

Best Bit:
The Frank Darabont interview. Really, really good piece, with intelligent questions and lots of candid answers. Worth buying the magazine for alone.

Ian Nathan’s feature on Operation Argo, the movie that was a cover for a CIA operation in 1979, is smashing too. Really like the big essay features Empire do – every now and then they hit a dud note, but it does remind you that it’s film lovers who write the magazine.

Also Worth Reading:
The 2008 preview piece is as comprehensive as you’d expect, while there’s some good stuff with Daniel Day Lewis, Cloverfield and Juno.

Worst Bit:
The Superbad DVD review, that does that old Empire trick (which they’ve not been guilty of for a while) of liberally namedropping one of their ‘friends’ that they’ve been talking to. Even though they do it in a postmodern-ish way, it doesn’t make it right. This time, it’s Edgar Wright, and while it is relevant to the review, it’s still a bit cock-wavy for our liking.

Don’t Forget To Check Out:
Kim Newman’s video dungeon column. As brilliant as always, and the man is consistently the magazine’s most engaging writer.

Free Gift:
Indy poster. Not bad.

Our Verdict?
Worth buying.