Mat

MatBorn in the mid-70’s, Mat ‘Witchfinder’ Corne grew up as part of the Star Wars generation, and to be honest he’s still stuck there! If there’s some kind of geeky hobby that can be pursued then Mat is almost certainly interested, be it Retro Gaming, binge-watching Cult TV shows, collecting vintage Star Wars toys or checking out the latest action films at the cinema.

With an encyclopaedic knowledge of movies, TV, games and music, Mat is never short of something to say on any topic and is partial to a good rant about most things. Aside from the nostalgic hobbies he’s also a fan of football, rollercoasters and travelling the world, which he combines at regular opportunities! He lives in Stoke-on-Trent with his incredibly patient wife and a ridiculous Romanian rescue dog called Luca.

Mat is responsible for MovieMuse’s weekly Freeview Movies of the Week article and is co-editor of the MovieMuse podcast.


Mat's favourite things...

FilmsGamesTVMusic
The Empire Strikes BackBubble Bobble (Arcade)The X-FilesMaster of Puppets (Metallica)
Die HardGrand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)Twin PeaksSongs for the Deaf (Queens of the Stone Age)
Back to the FutureWizball (Commodore 64)The Walking DeadAppetite for Destruction (Guns n Roses)
Star WarsFallout 3 (PS3)Breaking BadEarth Vs The Wildhearts (The Wildhearts)
The TerminatorChuckie Egg (BBC Micro)24 (Seasons 1-4 only!)Rust in Peace (Megadeth)
RockyRock Band 3 (PS3)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingStar Wars (Arcade)
HalloweenSonic the Hedgehog 2 (Megadrive)
FargoDonkey Kong (Arcade)
Pulp FictionGolden Axe (Megadrive)

Mat’s Reviews

Total MovieViews Found: 778, showing 25 per page
PosterMovieYearCommentsRating
Logan 2017 To call this a superhero film does it a massive disservice. An emotional and violent road movie that is a fitting end to the Wolverine story and is exactly the mature film that many have been hoping for from this genre. 9
Slap Shot 1977 There are a few humorous moments at either end of this film, but the story is so marginal that an hour could easily be removed from the middle and have barely any effect, while Paul Newman seems either bored or embarrassed to be involved. 5
The Dark Crystal 1982 The story is a fairly generic fantasy offering, but the puppetry and voice acting is generally impressive and this has aged far better than Labyrinth, despite being produced 3 years earlier. 6
Robocop 1988 An absolute classic of the genre, and still as gut-wrenchingly violent and darkly satirical as it ever was, but recent viewing also revealed a emotional tale about humanity that I hadn't previously appreciated. 10
Star Trek: Insurrection 1998 A surprisingly light-hearted and amusing outing for the usually serious Next Generation crew, with the lack of significant deep space action a definite plus-point. Much better than expected! 7
Shaun of the Dead 2004 A quintessentially British blend of horror and comedy, with plenty of pop culture nods and dozens of memorable scenes. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright may have gone on to bigger movies, but there are few that hit the mark as well as their debut. 10
Dressed to Kill 1980 Unashamedly taking influence from more than one Hitchcock film, this movie was probably pretty disturbing in its day, but almost 40 years on provides more giggles than scares. 5
Top Dog 2015 Exactly as good as you'd expect a family film about International Dachshund Racing to be. Undemanding and instantly forgettable, but entertaining enough. 5
The Croods 2013 One of the most gorgeous-looking animated films I've seen, and it has some nice characters and funny moments too. It's just a shame the story is rather lacklustre and predictable. 6
Moon 2009 A great performance by Sam Rockwell anchors a dark and intelligent Sci-Fi film that successfully captures the feel of some of the iconic 70's films from the genre. 8
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 1989 It may not be much different to its predecessors in terms of story, but the addition of Sean Connery as Indy's dad brings a new dynamic to the main characters and more humour, making this my favourite of the series. 9
Creature from the Black Lagoon 1954 The rubber-suited creature may no longer be scary, but the film itself is still enjoyable in other ways, and features some impressive underwater cinematography for its time. Fully deserving of its classic status. 7
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them 2016 A darker, more grown-up story from J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World, with glorious production design and superb performances from Eddie Redmayne and especially Dan Fogler. The only letdown is the below-par CGI rendering some mostly unspectacular beasts. 8
Thor 2011 An entertaining debut for Marvel's God of Thunder. The action sequences are largely forgettable, but as with most Marvel offerings, the humour and charisma of the lead actors is what stands out. 7
The Purge: Election Year 2016 The most visually stylish of the three films, and the concept is great, but the story doesn’t work as well as in the first two films. It is still a decent and logical conclusion to the Purge story so far, however. 6
Monsters University 2013 Pixar's take on the Frat-house comedy is far from their greatest offering, but even their mediocre films are better than most CG-animated movies. The return of one of their best duos, Mike and Sully, was also most welcome. 7
The Force Among Us 2007 A sometimes interesting look at Star Wars fandom, but it lacks a consistent theme and has low production values. Sadly, despite attempts to dispel the stereotypes associated with Star Wars fans, all it really does is validate them. 4
Inside Out 2015 Pixar's most intelligent and creative movie to date, and one whose themes are more suitable for adults than children, though it will undoubtedly entertain both. 8
The Woman In Black - Angel of Death 2014 When you can make it out through the darkness, the production design is great, but the story is neither interesting or scary in this disappointing sequel. 4
Red State 2011 An uncharacteristically gritty film from director Kevin Smith. The delivery is uneven, but the story is all the more disturbing because people like those portrayed in the film really do exist in America. 6
The World's End 2013 Undoubtedly the worst of the 'Three Flavours Cornetto' trilogy, but there are still plenty of laughs, shocks and genre staples to make it worthwhile and enjoyable viewing. 7
Rise of the Rabbit 2015 Nicely animated, lacking in plot and with unmemorable voice acting, this Chinese offering is still no worse than the Kung-Fu Panda movies it is obviously trying to cash in on. 5
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol 2011 Tom Cruise does his best to ruin it by being miserable throughout, but the supporting cast supply enough humour and excitement to redeem it, and the action sequences are excellent. Probably my favourite of the series. 8
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004 I love the concept, the acting is decent and there are plenty of amusing moments, but the film is bogged down by 20 unnecessary minutes of inexplicable nonsense in the middle. 6
Jason X 2001 The characters are as one-dimensional and badly acted as ever, but the move to a futuristic setting breathes a bit of new life into the Friday the 13th series, and the film benefits from not taking itself seriously. 5