Whether you’re looking for something beautifully animated to watch, or simply need something to drown out the screams of your insufferable offspring, 2014 has much to offer. Whether hand-drawn, computer-generated or stop-motion, here are nine animated movies to watch out for in the coming months.

Casting directors probably have one of the most important jobs in Hollywood. When it comes to getting somebody right for a role, all sorts of things have to be taken into consideration, like if they have the right look, or if they’re a cokehead who might just not turn up on set or whether or not they’re Jennifer Lawrence (so hot right now). Sometimes, casting directors take a chance and get it spot on – Heath Ledger as The Joker, anyone? Other times, they not only get it wrong. They get it really, really, weird.

After a wobbly start and a second episode so distressing we didn’t even write a blog about it, Sherlock finally gave the fans (apart from those it’s-all-about-the-brolance twerps on Tumblr) what they wanted with last night’s barnstorming episode. We trot across the big/small screen divide to look at some other third instalments that have restored faith in their respective franchises.

It is common across the film industry to see actors and directors cement firm partnerships over the years starring and creating films together. The film Promised Land reunites the award-winning creative team behind Good Will Hunting, with Gus Van Sant and Matt Damon coming together again to create this thought-provoking drama. In celebration of this partnership, we’re looking at some of the most successful actor/director relationships across the history of film.

We’re a trifle excited about the upcoming Inside Llewyn Davis, have we mentioned that at all? So in its honour we’ve compiled a list of our favourite ever fictional musicians. From rock gods, to rock definitely mortals, to rock not even anythings but rather pop or folk, this is a list of people who should be on your radio right now but aren’t because they’re tragically not real.

Movie dentists have a bad rep. Try and name a decent movie dentist (apart from that one in Finding Nemo, and frankly there’s not enough character exposition there anyway). It’s basically impossible. According to our resident dental correspondent on the matter (no, really), dentists have been consistently portrayed as “killers… buffoons… sexual harassers” in film, literally ever since the 1930s when that short film came out about an evil dentist extracting teeth willy-nilly. Here are four of the worst movie dentists of all, and one orthodontist prick.

Don’t give me that. Don’t even try. You’ve seen Love Actually. You know what I mean when I say First Lobster. You know that what comes after David Beckham’s right foot is David Beckham’s left foot. You know that the best way to pick up chicks is to go to Wisconsin. It’s Christmas: here are ten bits I really love, actually about Love Actually, and watching Love Actually. (Or just have thoughts on. I have a lot of Thoughts on Love Actually. Full disclosure: this blog is written a bit smashed at 1am. Merry Christmas, constant readers. You’re tip top.)

It’s that time of year again! As the seasons turn, our adamant gaze pierces the mists of the future to tell you what you should be seeing next year. And, as usual, it’s mostly superheroes (not our fault the interesting little indie films don’t publicise themselves a year in advance, is it?). This year’s list is in order of release rather than assumed quality, because we keep putting crap films in the top 5 and then regretting it.

This Christmas – indeed, this year – the biggest thing to happen to BFF Literary Correspondent Ella Risbridger has been the day someone left an iPad unlocked and she got to play with it. And since we at Best For Film believe that no pursuit or hobby, no matter how arcane, is too odd to preclude its being the basis of a blog, here are some digital watercolours of the films she’s watched this holiday season. Obviously.

We are now entering what used to be called the dead days: that is, the days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. It’s traditionally a time for witchery, magic, and mystery- and so, here at BFF we’ve compiled a list of films for each of the dead days, specially designed to bring you all the adventure, magic, mystery and witchery you could possibly want while sitting on the sofa in your Christmas PJs.