Harald Zwart, while speaking about his adaptation of young adult fantasy novel The Mortal Instruments, has cited The Exorcist and the original version of The Thing as influences. Zwart says he thinks it’s good for kids to be scared, and I agree to some extent. Children use films to explore feeling. Fear, loss, confusion; they’re all up on screens from the get go. But Zwart’s desire to scare seems too outspoken, too full-frontal for a children’s tale.

Today’s Top Ten is brought to you by the jerry-built Best For Film bookcase, which this morning decided to collapse. At the top of the pile of undignifiedly dislodged books was a hefty volume of Roald Dahl short stories, and flicking through the pages we dusted off our Matilda bunches and decided that it was a sign. Forget Willy Wonka – although The Great Glass Elevator wasn’t all fun and games, frankly – and dive, Augustus Gloop-like, into the murky depths of Dahl’s imagination…

With less than a fortnight to go until the release of Super 8, we’re taking our monsters old school and looking to the enormous repertoire of national treasure Roald Dahl for inspiration. Our latest creation is running riot in Dahl’s hometown of Cardiff – see how many of its parents you can guess…

Actor Patricia Neal has lost her battle against lung cancer and died yesterday at her home in Massachusetts, aged 84.

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton’s seventh film together, Alice in Wonderland is set for release early next year. As we wait in anticipation for a trippy tale of a girl in wonderland and a madhatter, let’s refresh our memories with the six films which helped to establish one of the strongest director/actor relationships in Hollywood.