Director and newspaper columnist Michael Winner died yesterday, aged 77.

Based on the infamous Burke And Hare murders of 1827, Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis provide a darkly silly romp through Edinburgh town aided by every British celebrity you can think of. Go on, think of one. Was it Michael Winner, or Paul Whitehouse? It doesn’t matter, they’re both in there. Though it doesn’t have the cult brilliance of Shaun Of The Dead or the gloriously bizarre sting of The League Of Gentlemen, it’s nevertheless gorily enjoyable stuff and if nothing else, it’s lovely to see Jessica Hynes (neé Stevenson) back on our screens. Not so much good writing as canny use of cameos, Burke and Hare will nevertheless just about satisfy most comedy-loving Brits. After all, who doesn’t love seeing Ronnie Corbett in a funny hat, eh?

Director and gourmand Michael Winner has expressed his relief at the proposed closure of the UK Film Council.

Back to the gritty, urban milieu of earlier films such as Get Carter, Michael Caine delivers an uncompromising and sympathetic performance in Harry Brown, a dark and violent revenge thriller. But where the performances stand out, some of the politics in the film fare less well. Read on to find out what we thought of Michael Caine blowing off more than just doors.