Mark Juddery

OK, it’s that time of year again. Just as people start buying newspapers again, thinking “You know, they’re actually rather useful,” they are suddenly filled with dopey speculation about who will win the Oscars. For years, comedians joked about how often the weatherman gets it wrong. Then it became clear that these guys were wizards [...]

Some readers, aware that I spend a lot of time travelling, might wonder where I am. As I write this, I’m in the world’s cutest country. As I’ve mentioned before, “cute” is one of those words that is best defined through examples. Pandas, koalas, turtles. Smiley faces in people’s signatures. Renee Zellweger dressed as a [...]

If they could bring back Hawaii Five-O, Beverly Hills 90210, even The Bionic Woman, it’s high time they brought back another classic for the new decade. Yes, it’s time for 24: Version 2. I know, it was only cancelled a year ago, but I’m missing it already. Who wouldn’t miss a thriller in which an [...]

If not the greatest-ever Christmas song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was certainly one of the most worthy. It raised millions for starving children, of course, but what most amazes me about this song is that, even though it was back in 1984, and even though they were pop stars, every one of the 40-odd [...]

Recently, someone was chatting with me about the movies of the past year, saying that he wished that I could write a summary of the best films of the year, because he had fond memories of me doing that back when I was a film reviewer. It was very kind of him to say this, [...]

If you’ve had nothing else to do recently, you might have seen Anonymous, director Roland Emmerich’s latest film, which resurrects the theory that Shakespeare’s plays were not written by Shakespeare, but by Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford. Naturally, Shakespeare scholars are up in arms about that. Hollywood had already done enough damage to Shakespeare’s [...]

It’s time for a quiz. The question: What was the fiftieth State of the USA? You know, the last one to join the Union? You think it was Hawaii, right? Or perhaps, if you’re not American, your answer would be something like “How would I know obscure facts about American history?” Fair enough. Let me [...]

When I was attending New York’s Tribeca Film Festival in April, I saw a sad-looking septuagenarian walk out of a cinema and downstairs into a subway station. He looked older than I’d seen on TV (in fact, he looked his age, which he’s not known for doing), but I recognised him: Woody Allen. I paused [...]

Depending on what statistics you follow, either the US is the most obese nation on Earth, or it comes a close second. I’m sure it would leap to the number one spot if everywhere were like the Dakotas, where the food is served in spectacularly generous portions. Having said that, as a vegetarian I ate [...]

During my early childhood, I had an obsession with animals that could only be understood by someone who was under nine. I knew what an addax was (a type of antelope, from memory), and the difference between Bactrian and Dromedary camels. My favourite living animal, however, was the elephant. Easily. Not only are they the [...]